chop2chip
Well-known member
He's not average defensively and I don't think it's a stretch to think he could maintain a .200 ISO.
Cespedes isn't my top choice, but he isn't a bad option either.
Quiet Pursuit Of Cespedes?
- Thread starter clvclv
- Start date
He's not average defensively and I don't think it's a stretch to think he could maintain a .200 ISO.
Cespedes isn't my top choice, but he isn't a bad option either.
Not me - but only because I think that if you're actually going to spend money on a free-agent this winter that it needs to be one that addresses a long-term need (whether it's a corner OF, an "Ace", or possibly even a Catcher). I definitely agree that someone's likely to get a pretty good bargain if they gamble on him, but I just think he'd probably complicate things here moving forward even if he bounces back.
JMO, but I agree with those that have been talking about a potential Peterson/Castro platoon - I think it could be pretty exciting and productive (and more importantly - cheap) until Albies is ready. Carrying both of them allows you to keep Garcia (and his pop) over Ciriaco next year since either of them could handle SS defensively (particularly Castro) for an extended period if anything happened to Simba.
Again, just my two cents, but even if you got Desmond for something like 3 years/$45 million I'd rather spend a little more and go after one of those second-tier OFs (Gordon/Zobrist/Fowler) to lengthen the lineup or try to get Samardzija on a similar deal or Jaime Garcia/Brett Anderson for even less to give you a little more rotation depth and buy more time to decide whether Miller will sign an extension, Folty and/or Banuelos ultimately wind up in the pen, and you have a chance to see more of Jenkins, Sims, Toussaint, Allard, and (more importantly for me) Fried.
nsacpi
Expects Yuge Games
Justin Upton, who is a bit younger than Cespedes and has actually been able to sustain a .200 ISO, is a better option than Cespedes imo.
nsacpi
Expects Yuge Games
Weiters on a pillow contract makes some sense, assuming that not everything is geared to 2017.
I think he's a pretty bad option.
Heyward, OTOH, makes perfect sense...especially if he's willing to sign for 4-5 years in order to hit FA again at 30 and get another huge contract.
Ok, slightly above average. Sorry.
That's just it - he's likely only going to accept that length if it's part of an opt-out deal where he's guaranteed $200 million over 8 years and gets the chance to decide if he can force a raise after the first half of the deal.
Since many are convinced the organization won't spend that kind of money on ANYBODY (Price included) and Hart at least says we're not playing on the big bats, I don't see how anyone believes that's even remotely a possibility.
I'm not saying I think it's likely; just saying that's what we should do. I would be totally fine with an 8-year deal for Heyward where he has a player option to become a FA after 5. That would give us his prime years and avoid the drop-off and bridge the gap to all of our best talent. And if he got injured in the meantime (pretty much the only possibility for him not opting out considering the way salaries are increasing), then that's a risk on any long-term deal.
Not personally interested in something like that at all. Opt-out deals are playing with fire - especially for mid-market payrolls. If he doesn't turn into the player everyone hopes he will, you're still on the hook if he gets hurt or his production falls off a cliff for whatever reason. You're then at his mercy and could be looking at a deal that makes B. J./Melvin's contract look like a bargain.
There's only one "winner" in an opt-out deal - the player. It's worked out great for Greinke and the Dodgers IF they don't go nuts and give him another 6-8 years and a raise like Sabathia got. Look at how that turned out. You're talking about giving him as much money as the organization committed to a far better hitter in Freeman and then having to pay even more to keep him at that point or still having to pay him another $75-$100 million if he gets hurt or never improves for whatever reason.
Just not a good business decision IMO.
nsacpi
Expects Yuge Games
Im a bit troubled by the opt out in stantons contract
chop2chip
Well-known member
Well once you start the game of labeling above average tools as average you start misidentifying a player's value. Ben Zobrist has made a career an excellent career of having above average tools.