Looking Ahead - The 2020 Offseason Thread

Springer signed for 6/150, had an offer from the Mets for 6/125, and supposedly the Braves were in it until the end.

Perhaps AA was offering something like 3/75, or 5/100, but if true this means there is room for at least another $20M AAV salary for a bat.

The money is almost certainly there to reload the offense.
 
Don't get wrong, Realmuto is an excellent player. It just seems like an odd rumor considering we already have D'Arnaud with Contreras there as well. If the National League having the DH this coming season was announced by now (Can't believe that decision hasn't been made yet), then I could possibly see it. I tend to believe this is getting the Phillies to increase their offer, but I've been surprised before.
 
D’Arnaud was great. He played a shortened season though and has had a history of injuries. Selling high on him wouldn’t be the craziest move (if the right trade was there and we signed JTR).
 
UNCBlue012 said:
My friend who works in the industry just sent me this: "You didn't hear it from me but I’ll say this: AA is seriously heavily interested in JT and they want him; and if they get him, Travis is going to likely be traded for an outfielder."

Again, with a grain of salt!
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Seems unlikely. TDA is good but I can't imagine some team being willing to part with a starting caliber LFer for him.
 
Enscheff said:
Springer signed for 6/150, had an offer from the Mets for 6/125, and supposedly the Braves were in it until the end.

Perhaps AA was offering something like 3/75, or 5/100, but if true this means there is room for at least another $20M AAV salary for a bat.

The money is almost certainly there to reload the offense.
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This was in line with my thoughts.

Of course it is possible all of these rumors are total BS.

It may be that AA is trying to get a big time guy to bite on a couple of million more AAV for a 2-3 year deal vs a long term deal.

If true, I respect it. It's a tough sell when most of these guys are north of 30 and there is a major work stoppage coming next year.

That said it would see like Ozuna would fit that mold of a guy who could see 2-3 years as relative stability and bet on himself and future universal DH.
 
Carp said:
Seems unlikely. TDA is good but I can't imagine some team being willing to part with a starting caliber LFer for him.
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really? i think someone might, but i guess it depends what you mean by starting caliber.
i think if Brantley signed in Toronto, for example, Teoscar could've been traded. i think he's starting caliber, if just barely.
 
Heyward said:
I'd imagine a 1 year, 10 mil deal or so. He's probably waiting on the DH.
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He'll likely be back with the Twins is there's no NL DH. But his market doubles if the NL adopts the DH and so would demand for his services. He's going to want to see what that would mean.
 
Russ2dollas said:
This was in line with my thoughts.

Of course it is possible all of these rumors are total BS.

It may be that AA is trying to get a big time guy to bite on a couple of million more AAV for a 2-3 year deal vs a long term deal.

If true, I respect it. It's a tough sell when most of these guys are north of 30 and there is a major work stoppage coming next year.

That said it would see like Ozuna would fit that mold of a guy who could see 2-3 years as relative stability and bet on himself and future universal DH.
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That's my read and depending on the age and confidence of the player, they may be willing to bet on themselves on a "this is my next to last big contract and I'm going to put up enough numbers to warrant another big deal." That calls for a higher AAV (perhaps much higher) on a two- or three-year deal than the five-year deals they are likely being offered. The higher AAV on shorter deals approach appears to be what Anthopoulos prefers and we'll have to see what that nets. It certainly worked with Donaldson and Ozuna.
 
Carp said:
Seems unlikely. TDA is good but I can't imagine some team being willing to part with a starting caliber LFer for him.
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The fact that a move for Realmuto is so "out there" that no one would really have thought about it does make it feel like an AA type of move since no one would see it coming, but it just also feels like a desperate play from J. T.'s reps.

Since it has everyone abuzz though, I wonder if we're not all looking at it from the wrong angle - and that the play he'd make with d'Arnaud would be part of a much bigger trade. This one's a whopper, but probably not a whole lot more of one than signing Realmuto in the first place, so...

1.) Sign Realmuto to hit behind Freeman, then
2.) Ship d'Arnaud, Riley, and Contreras to Seattle for Seager, Haniger, and $10 million.

That would mean you get Seager for free (more or less) this season. If the money's there to add $25 million AAV of offense, adding Realmuto at $23 million and Haniger at $3 million is awfully close. Gives you the other LH bat you're looking for and keeps two RH bats sandwiched around Freeman without costing any of the pitching depth while keeping the better defensive catching prospect to eventually split time with Realmuto...

Acuna, Freeman, Realmuto, Seager, Haniger, Ozzie, Dansby, Ender/Pache

Seattle could then take the money they saved to sign someone from the Pederson/Mazara/Duvall group to keep RF warm this season while they wait for Kelenic - if he comes up this season (or if they want to give one of those guys a multi-year deal to guarantee they get them) whoever they sign would shift to their DH spot.
 
Carp said:
Seems unlikely. TDA is good but I can't imagine some team being willing to part with a starting caliber LFer for him.
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He hit .321/.386/.919 with 9 homers and 34 RBIs in only 165 at-bats with decent defense. He also showed out in the playoffs before clearly getting tired. The dude would absolutely fetch a decent return from a contending team.
 
UNCBlue012 said:
He hit .321/.386/.919 with 9 homers and 34 RBIs in only 165 at-bats with decent defense. He also showed out in the playoffs before clearly getting tired. The dude would absolutely fetch a decent return from a contending team.
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AA signed Donaldson at 3b when we had Camargo ready to go and our biggest hole elsewhere....he does tend to get the biggest impact player he can, regardless of position. if he does sign JTR, as doubtful as it is, he can deal with filling out the other spots later
 
FYI:

Morosi: If the #Braves sign J.T. Realmuto, they are sure to find a market for Travis d'Arnaud at one year and $8 million. The #Angels -- who have outfield depth -- are one landing spot for d'Arnaud. And new Angels GM Perry Minasian is a close friend of Alex Anthopoulos.
@MLBNetwork

@MLB
 
bravesfanforlife88 said:
AA signed Donaldson at 3b when we had Camargo ready to go and our biggest hole elsewhere....he does tend to get the biggest impact player he can, regardless of position. if he does sign JTR, as doubtful as it is, he can deal with filling out the other spots later
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Camargo wasn't "ready to go" at 3B. the FO knew he wasn't very good and definitely wasn't starting caliber, so 3B was a huge need. it was a match made in heaven.
 
i know players have taken shorter deals before, but i doubt it for JTR because he's a catcher. if he were an OF i could see a short 2 year deal. but idk if a guy who will be a 30 year old catcher when the season starts wants to sign a shorter, higher AAV deal only to hit the market again as a *32* year old catcher.

of course i could be wrong. just seems a lot more unlikely than other positions.
 
I can think of worse plans than having Realmuto and D'Arnaud each being in the lineup 155 games per year while catching only 81 of those a piece, assuming the DH is a reality for 2021. As others have said, it would still necessitate a signing or trade to cover one of LF or 3B, but it wouldn't have to be a break the bank signing for either spot.

On the way to work this morning the Sirius XM dolts were discussing the Cardinals. One of them (Bowden I think) suggested they may grab Ozuna for 3 years at $16MM per. Am I completely nuts to think that if Ozuna was willing to accept that kind of deal AA would've never let him hit free agency?
 
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DirkPiggler said:
I can think of worse plans than having Realmuto and D'Arnaud each being in the lineup 155 games per year while catching only 81 of those each, assuming the DH is a reality for 2021. As others have said, it would still necessitate a signing or trade to cover one of LF or 3B, but it wouldn't have to be a break the bank signing for either spot.
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You beat me to exactly what I was going to post -- you can imagine, theoretically, a set-up where D'Arnaud and Realmuto basically just swap catcher and DH back and forth every day. Great way to keep them rested, though it also seems like a recipe to annoy both of them and end up wondering why they're both hovering around a .750 OPS at the end of the year.

Realistically, I suspect they just trade D'Arnaud if they sign Realmuto, which I continue to not believe is a real possibility.
 
UNCBlue012 said:
FYI:

Morosi: If the #Braves sign J.T. Realmuto, they are sure to find a market for Travis d'Arnaud at one year and $8 million. The #Angels -- who have outfield depth -- are one landing spot for d'Arnaud. And new Angels GM Perry Minasian is a close friend of Alex Anthopoulos.
@MLBNetwork

@MLB
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Watched that this morning. Angels have Upton who wouldnt fit again, Trout isnt moving and they have stated repeatedly that Adell is not being traded. Where is that access that would be attractive to Braves?
 
I believe Morosi also mentioned the Blue Jays. That could make sense for Gurriel or Hernandez, and plug them into LF.

I still don't really believe this Realmuto stuff though.
 
DirkPiggler said:
On the way to work this morning the Sirius XM dolts were discussing the Cardinals. One of them (Bowden I think) suggested they may grab Ozuna for 3 years at $16MM per. Am I completely nuts to think that if Ozuna was willing to accept that kind of deal AA would've never let him hit free agency?
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well, Bowden doesn't know anything, so there's part of the answer.
yes, if Ozuna were willing to accept that, he'd be re-signed by now.
 
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