MLB NEWS/RUMORS Thread

No, it is a regular thing. Both the last Mets manager and new one have come out and been blunt about his partying.

 

The further this season spirals out of control the more I think if Kershaw should opt-out, you let him walk. Clearing that money off the books would leave just ~$93M in luxury tax dollars (this includes filling out the 40-man roster, player benefits and outstanding outgoing cash from prior deals) committed to 2019. That leaves roughly ~$113M under the tax and nearly $150M before any draft pick penalty would be incurred. Side note: If Matt Kemp continues to have a good season, and they can manage to get out from under some of his money, that's a bonus.

At this stage, I think we can all agree that the primary areas for improvement for 2019 and beyond are 2B and the bullpen, obviously if they let Kershaw walk, then they have to address the rotation, but I don't know if free agency is the best way to do that.

Worth nothing, they can collect the draft pick on Kershaw and maybe Grandal, I still don't think he gets a $50M+ deal, but it's becoming more believable.

 

Bellinger is as fucked.up as can be...a bunt?

 

Hill has yet another blister?

Shoot the horse and Pitch Puig

 

Welcome aboard.

Shortstop, brodie. Don't forget the questions looming over SS. We could use a whole new up the middle unit..from catcher to 2B/SS to CF. And then obviously RF is amateur hour so long as Puig is there - Mr. Consistently Inconsistent at the plate playing a highly offensive position with his contract ending soon - thank god. Big picture, Mondesi was better than Puig, case closed.

Think we may have talked about it before, but the going rate for his caliber 3 or 4 years ago was 70-80M. 50 as the floor, that's a drop in the bucket. Different position, but if Josh Reddick can pull in 50, Yasmani can pull in 50 - at the very least from some AL club that can give him rest as a DH on occasion. Phillies can have the battery duo of Kershaw and Yasmani..don't mind if they do.

 

Can't say I agree with that, not because their aren't concerns about Seager's injury, but because their is no where to move to Turner if you want to move Seager to 3B.

 

Turner will be 35 next season, they can get out ahead of his decline and move him to a contender at the deadline for all I care..that's if anyone wants to pick up the money on that relatively brand new contract.

Personally, I wouldn't necessarily move a Seager that's coming off elbow troubles to 3B..still need a pretty good arm over there. 1B, maybe, he certainly has the desired size and is mobile enough to make that work. But if it's 3B or nothing at all for Seager, he should be there, Turner or no Turner. Or Turner can take 1B.

Where would Bellinger go? Bellinger has gold glove potential in the OF, maybe at all 3 positions..best athlete on the team and his athleticism is wasted at 1B to a degree. Either way, letting a 35yr old Turner have that much say over what they do isn't ideal. Figuring out what to do with young Seager should take priority.

 

So uproot 3 positions in the infield? (likely 4, as Grandal will walk) and who is gonna play 3B if Turner is gone and Seager is playing 1B?

I guess if you're getting Machado this winter I could see moving Seager to 3B, but basically making over the whole lineup either in-terms of the name in the box or where they play is excessive.

 

Whether anyone likes it or not, SS is now a question mark thank to Seager's health. I don't think they slot Seager in at SS next year just because they don't want to uproot one more position. They have to do what's best for the player and the team. If that's Seager eventually continuing to play SS, so be it, but hopefully he'll be capable and not just there because they don't want to move things around. Because if they're just keeping things as is because they don't want to change or get " excessive "..that could also mean they'll be re-signing Kershaw to some ridiculous contract. If things need to change, change them. 2 infield positions uprooted..make it 3 if it calls for it.

 

Realistically, they probably won't trade Turner to a contender at the deadline. Given that, if I had my way, next year Seager is probably at 1B and sign Machado to take SS. 2B, who the hell knows? Maybe Taylor if he can get his shit together. Maybe not. Maybe the FO buys big at SS/2B and they go ahead and sign Dozier to be Machado's DP partner? Not that Dozier is going to command half or even 1/3 of what Machado gets, especially given his age and the down season he's having. Not terrible, but not great. Dozier should be in line for at least 70-75M over 4-5 years..give Puig the axe and give that money to Dozier.

Verdugo, Toles and Bellinger in the OF. Can stay cheap out there. Probably time to deal Joc..see Souza.

 

Seager's position really just depends on how his elbow recovers. If he can make the throws from SS, then I think that's where he goes and he is back on the same track with a possible move to 3B only after Turner's contract. If he can't make the throw, then 1B seems the only spot to put him. So it's SS or 1B the way I see it.

 

Can't help wondering with all this fanagling, switching, reinventing and spectacular FA signings (all well and good), but I'm not reading anything about our piece of shit pitching staff except let Kershaw get the fuck out and die somewhere else...
who is supposed to go out there and win games for us behind the great 2019 powerhouse revamped team? Cingrani and Chargois? Hudson? Pedro?
Maybe Buehler can pitch 4 games per week and Wood the other.

 

Also, as far as uprooting guys..it's not as if Seager and Bellinger are these long time stalwarts that have been manning these positions with the big club for years and winning world titles. The FO has always been big on position flexibility and versatility. Bellinger's talent allows for flexibility with personnel. Kid doesn't even have a full year of MLB level starting 1B experience, so moving him to the OF is hardly uprooting him. It's just the luxury of not having a fat ass Adrian at 1B, that can only play 1B.

And then of course, Turner has been a utility player for damn near his whole career. If he has to move to 1B or back to 2B, he should be familiar with doing whatever it takes to help the team.

4 or 5 years ago, the O's thought JJ Hardy would make them a better team and so they brought him in and asked Manny to move over to 3B for the good of the team..then they brought Schoop in to be the man at 2B everyday. Sweeping changes to their infield. They ended up making a good run, but ultimately got their asses handed to them by the Royals in the post season like everyone else on that side of the bracket. My point..if you have to make changes, you make them. Lucky enough to have flexibility..don't stifle it.

 

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