Looking Ahead - The 2020 Offseason Thread

I totally forgot about Seager as an option at 3b. Shaw still seems available too as Riley insurance.

Gardner and JBJ are still good LHH options in the OF, and both take pressure off Pache needing to to be ready opening day. Adam Frazier still fits too. Even Markakis works as a Plan D. Is there any word in Peralta being available?

Who still fits at SS now that Villar and Miller are gone? Cozart?

Gardner "definitely" plans to play according to the last MLBTR blurb, but his asking price is obviously high if the Yankees moved on and signed Bruce as a potential platoon pairing for Frazier since they're close to the luxury tax line.

JBJ looking for a long-term deal simply doesn't make sense - to me - but I'm nowhere near crazy enough to say that wouldn't be the first time I'd be wrong.

We've constantly assumed Pache is (or at least could be) the line AA won't cross in a deal for Ramirez, but maybe that's worth chewing on for a little longer. If Cleveland would take Ender's salary back in a Ramirez deal (since he'd be off their books after this year), is there enough room for AA to add Ramirez AND give JBJ the 4 year deal he wants? If they took Ender back, would Pache, Riley, Langeliers or Contreras, and an arm be enough to get them to turn Ramirez loose???

If so, adding Ramirez and JBJ (4 years/$32 million) would put payroll ~ $137 million. Then maybe you could pick up another OF (Maybin since he can handle all 3 spots maybe) and utility guy like Sogard. Can probably still figure on Bradley's defense in CF being elite for another year or two, and you shouldn't have to worry about it after that if the DH returns next season and you have Acuna and Waters flanking him.
 
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Gardner "definitely" plans to play according to the last MLBTR blurb, but his asking price is obviously high if the Yankees moved on and signed Bruce as a potential platoon pairing for Frazier since they're close to the luxury tax line.

JBJ looking for a long-term deal simply doesn't make sense - to me - but I'm nowhere near crazy enough to say that wouldn't be the first time I'd be wrong.

We've constantly assumed Pache is (or at least could be) the line AA won't cross in a deal for Ramirez, but maybe that's worth chewing on for a little longer. If Cleveland would take Ender's salary back in a Ramirez deal (since he'd be off their books after this year), is there enough room for AA to add Ramirez AND give JBJ the 4 year deal he wants? If they took Ender back, would Pache, Riley, Langeliers or Contreras, and an arm be enough to get them to turn Ramirez loose???

If so, adding Ramirez and JBJ (4 years/$32 million) would put payroll ~ $137 million. Then maybe you could pick up another OF (Maybin since he can handle all 3 spots maybe) and utility guy like Sogard. Can probably still figure on Bradley's defense in CF being elite for another year or two, and you shouldn't have to worry about it after that if the DH returns next season and you have Acuna and Waters flanking him.

It actually could make sense to give JBJ multiple years... Say you include Waters in a package for a 3B... you're going to need a LFer next year when Ozuna moves to DH full time.
 
Unloading Ender just to give JBJ 4 years seems a bit like staying in an abusive relationship.

Giving up Pache for JoRam seems like a big fat no as a Braves fan, which probably means it’s fair.

Yeah, but at least you'd have the threat of JBJ running into one every so often, his defense, his LH bat in CF, and more or less be getting Ender-like offensive production (when it existed) in the 8/9 hole.

Really probably the only way I'd put Pache in a Ramirez deal, but it would make this one *ell of an offense for the next handful of years - especially if Waters hits at all. With 3B and CF solved for about what Bryant would cost, it should be pretty easy to work out a Freeman extension.

(Added that to the clvclv lineup on the Google sheet to see what it would look like.)
 
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These complex moves involving multiple moving parts almost never happen. Are almost always leaked and not part of anything AA has done.

AA is going to do something. It might be after spring before he will, that way he can properly assess all the talent or lack there of.

Why fill up the roster with role players and relievers when a couple of guys show up durning spring and two starters go down. You might find in 5 weeks we need a starter more than a LHH OF.
 
I totally forgot about Seager as an option at 3b. Shaw still seems available too as Riley insurance.

Gardner and JBJ are still good LHH options in the OF, and both take pressure off Pache needing to to be ready opening day. Adam Frazier still fits too. Even Markakis works as a Plan D. Is there any word in Peralta being available?

Who still fits at SS now that Villar and Miller are gone? Cozart?

I think Adrianze is the back-up SS at this point. I don't know if Miller can be classified as a SS anymore except to slot in on a very short-term basis (which is probably all that would have been asked of him). That said, I think Miller at $3 MM or Cabrera at just under $2 MM would have been great moves.
 
Even that a lot of people here talk about Cabrera, Bruce and everyone else Snitker never used the bench. I think Camargo need more playing time to find the rhythm.
 
I agree. Camargo needs regular playing time to perform at his best. The issue is his best isn't really worth regular time on a contending team.
 
Rich Hill is apparently going to sign with the Rays for $2.5 million. Not directly relevant to us at this point, but Hill was someone I thought at the beginning of the off-season might be an interesting fit. Still a good pitcher, still striking dudes out, but you're basically hoping for about 100-120 innings in a season at this point in his career. He's another path the off-season might have taken -- I wonder if I'd rather have Hill for $2.5 or Smyly for $11.
 
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