They're making a bunch of deals built around really good, high-ceiling pitching talent going back to them. If we had such assets, we probably wouldn't be looking to trade for Teheran.
Maybe that's what I'm thinking of. Or maybe there are just a lot of Braves fans on here and they're always complaining about this or that.
Reading that Jake McGee and Andrew Miller are on the block over the last couple days has not been kind to my work productivity level, nor will it be good for me whenever it's announced we just signed Tommy Hunter or traded for Mark Melancon.
After seeing the stuff about McGee at least being out there, and also that we had checked in on SD about Kimbrel (that was over a week ago, I think), I started wondering about Machado. We're in a weird spot with him, because if some team thinks he can at least handle SS for a full season defensively, he's probably the most valuable position player prospect we have in the upper levels. If we're trying to win now, we probably should be looking to deal him to a team that values him. Unfortunately, Iglesias seems to be made of glass. I'm torn on whether we should be looking to move him for an arm of some sort, or if we need to keep him around as insurance.
Doesn't sound like they got enough for Andrelton, and Teheran had a down year IIRC. seems like they wanna clear payroll first and foremost. Idk how much Teheran makes but Simmons' contract was quite reasonable ...
Teheran has a really team-friendly deal: $3.3M this year, $6.3M next year, $8M in '18, $11M in '19, $12M in '20. So Teheran is due roughly $40M over the next five years, while Simmons has $53M coming over that time frame. That's kind of rich for Simmons given his offensive production.
$28M of it is the last two years, when he'll be near untradeable unless his offense comes up in a real way and his defense doesn't drop at all as he ages a bit. Compare that to a pitcher who is probably a good #3 and set to make $12M in 2020. Teheran is way underpaid.
Both Buster Olney and Ken Rosenthal wrote we're chasing multiple starting pitchers. Olney: Rosenthal:
Was also some stuff yesterday from Tampa saying we were among a bunch of teams calling TB with interest in McGee and Boxberger.
Ken Rosenthal @Ken_Rosenthal Sources: #Tigers have inquired on closers available in trade (Chapman, A. Miller, etc.). Not comfortable with asking prices. Ken Rosenthal @Ken_Rosenthal Not known exactly what teams want from #Tigers for closers, but DET likely reluctant to move young pitchers it acquired for Cespedes/Price.
I know exactly what teams want for closers: Fulmer and 1/2 of the other guys. No reason for teams to not shoot for the moon right now.
Yeah, we lack the kind of depth that would allow us to do anything for someone like a Kimbrel or Chapman. I'm not really sure why NY has Miller on the market, and I don't think it would move him for prospects. Seems like that would be more along the lines of a Kinsler for Miller type deal, which I don't think makes a ton of sense, either.
Augusto Cárdenas @ACardenas13 Francisco Rodríguez was traded to Detroit Tigers. IF Javier Betancourt is headed to Milwaukee Brewers in this transaction
If it's only Betancourt going to Milwaukee, it's not that big of a deal. I don't think he's ever an every day player. I dislike Rodriguez on a personal level, so that kind of sucks. He's also not even averaging 90 mph on the fastball anymore, either, although he got good results last season. I'm not really sure what we just acquired, and we probably need at least another piece. Not a terrible contract, though.
For what we gave up its a nice start. Maybe krod fades but we're not taking Nathan level risk either. Definitely worth a shot IMO ...
KRod is probably going to get something like $9.5m from us ($5.5m salary this year, $2m buyout after the year, + $2m in deferred money, although I'm not sure when that is owed).
Player to be named later also included in the deal. Haven't seen anything yet on whether there's any chance of that player being decent
Hmmm, I want to say that K-Rod is terrible and this is just throwing more junk at the back end, but his K rate is still over 9 the last two years, and has really been pretty static since like '09, and while he's giving up more HRs he seems to be getting pretty good results. I don't know what to think. What is his out pitch these days? Does he pitch fast or slow? I really hope the PTBN isn't somebody I like.
His fastball isn't very good. His change-up is by far his best pitch (and his only effective one, statistically). His reverse platoon splits are insane right in recent years (not last year, because he allowed a BABIP of .207 to RH hitters in 2015). K rates are tricky to follow with relievers sometimes. Nathan's K rate in his last season with the Rangers was still really good. The problem was that, when you watch him, you knew he could only get swings and misses out of the zone. I fear that with KRod, who needs people to chase to be effective.
I saw Heyman tweet that we are on the hook for $9.5m, and when you look at the contract, that's really the only way to add it up to that much.
On Betancourt, if you were wondering: Mark Anderson @ProspectMark Not a significant loss. Good glove, chance for average hit tool (.275ish); fringe player #Tigers
It turns out the deferred salary is deferred from '16, so it makes sense. If he does his job, that club option for $6M in '17 is a nice value.
I'm assuming this means Neftali won't get tendered and we'll spend another $5M-6M on a premium setup guy.
I don't think Feliz was ever going to get tendered. He was going to make something like $5-6m if he got to arbitration. Only question was whether they worked something out for much less before that date. Still could happen if he's willing to take a lot less, but I'm not sure why he wouldn't just hit the market at that point. I think this probably means we weren't a fan of the O'Day/Soria markets. I expect us to still shop around for guys like Sipp, Madson, and the like.
According to Cot's + MLBTR arb projections, here is where the payroll stands currently: Cabrera - $28m Verlander - $28m VMart - $18m Sanchez - $17m Kinsler - $14m JDMart - $8m KRod - $7.5m Fielder - $6m Alburquerque - $2m Iglesias - $1.5m Total: $130m No clue where this leaves us in terms of remaining room. I have to believe we'll at least end up over $150m. Not sure if we go to $160m and beyond. If they are willing to do that, I think we could see multiple starting pitchers + a starting CF/LF like Jackson or Span.
I also believe that, if we sign multiple starting pitchers for decent money, Michael Fulmer will pitch most of the season out of the pen like Smyly did for us back in 2013. That's not a terrible way to solve multiple issues.
If you're the Ilitch family, I think you have to approach next season with the willingness to go to $170m and beyond, provided you don't sign anyone beyond 2-3 years to get there. I think they have to look at the Kinsler/Sanchez/VMart contracts as the official reset button after the 17/18 seasons. They already have the Cabrera/Verlander deals on the books after that (JV through 2019; Cabrera through 2013+). They shouldn't want any more aging guys on the books with them (unless it's Heyward). If you gave me $40m more, that could probably buy you something like Kazmir/Kennedy/Jackson/Davis/Avila, which gives you a chance to build up the pen with anyone in the org (Fulmer, Ziomek, Boyd, Cessa, Labourt, etc.) rather than the FA route. EDIT: this is with the understanding we already have that they don't view rebuilding and dealing players for prospects as an option.
Some stuff came out yesterday saying we were having conversations with Fister. I wonder what his asking price is. Anything beyond 1 year is a non-starter, IMO. Just can't take that chance after his performance last year. Also was reported yesterday that Soria's people seemed to think he was going to end up back here until the KRod deal happened. Rumors were we offered something like 2/$14, which probably isn't close.
Hopefully it is Buck fucking Farmer. Could be a younger reliever like Nesbitt or Valdez. We've only got 35 guys on the 40 man right now with KRod, so the pickings of who we might have included for KRod seem likely to be low. I'm going to assume it isn't Norris or Cessa, and after that fucking take a whack it and who cares.
Jason Beck @beckjason 26s27 seconds ago Tigers bring back former 1st-round pick Cameron Maybin, acquiring the CF from Braves for Ian Krol and Gabe Speier.
Tony Paul @TonyPaul1984 26s26 seconds ago Gotta believe the return of Cameron Maybin rules out the return of Rajai Davis to the #Tigers.
I'm not sure if Maybin is anything more than a RH hitting Anthony Gose, but I like this move. Another guy on a one year deal ($8m), with an option for 2017.
Tony Paul @TonyPaul1984 Even better news for the #Tigers: I've learned that the #Braves are picking up $2.5M of the $8M Cameron Maybin will make in 2016. Tony Paul @TonyPaul1984 Source tells me with K-Rod and Maybin in the fold, #Tigers will shift focus almost exclusively to pitching, especially starting pitching.
I'm curious what the rationale behind this is. If the idea is to hope one of Maybin/Gose figures it out in CF, I get it. If the idea is that Maybin becomes the RH platoon mate for Gose or Collins, someone needs to get our FO a better internet connection because he hasn't hit LHP outside of his best season of his career (2011).
Well he's either better than Gose or the best bench outfielder we've had since Raburn. And he's still only 28, so maybe he's got some PED growth in him.
Maybin is the kind of guy where you give your hitting coach a chance to prove how good he can be. When the Tigers originally rushed Maybin he couldn't make enough contact, but he mostly figured that out. He's kind of like Austin Jackson in that he'll always swing and miss some, but it's not terrible. His problem is he can't hit the ball in the air. I think he hit ground balls almost 60% of the time last year, and that # has gone up each year since his breakout 2011 season. He's always had power in there, but you can't hit for power if the ball is on the ground. If they can do anything to fix the swing path to allow for even a little more pop, this could be a steal. If not, you're basically hoping for balls in play to find holes because that's about all he can do. Worth the risk when you don't have a ton of money to spend, but expectations need to be realistic in terms of his issues. He really is a poor man's Austin Jackson in a lot of ways.