MLB 2018: Bonfire of the Metropolitans

[Myshkin]

22 minutes ago, DMC said:

Part of his appeal has always been those years of control at a cheap (~$7-8 million) rate, but the Rays asking price has been way too high for the past couple years.  Now they're not gonna net nearly the package they could have as recently as this offseason.  I suspect the Rays' price is still prohibitive to any non-stupid GM.

Word is the Rays have put an “ace type price tag” on Archer. So yeah, price is gonna be enormous for a guy who hasn't gotten his ERA south or 4.00 in three years.

 

 

 

@Jaime L

[DMC]

So Chasen Shreve was marked for death today once Happ reported, and Cash traded him along with Gio Gallegos to the Cards for something called Luke Voit and an undisclosed amount of international bonus money.  This isn't really notable, other than it makes me wonder how desperate the Cards are for bullpen help.  Also, Cash is doing a great job clearing the 40 man bubble guys so he doesn't end up in a crunch in the next Rule 5 come November.

[Arch-MaesterPhilip]

9 hours ago, DMC said:

So Chasen Shreve was marked for death today once Happ reported, and Cash traded him along with Gio Gallegos to the Cards for something called Luke Voit and an undisclosed amount of international bonus money.  This isn't really notable, other than it makes me wonder how desperate the Cards are for bullpen help.  Also, Cash is doing a great job clearing the 40 man bubble guys so he doesn't end up in a crunch in the next Rule 5 come November.

Luke Voit was probably included because the Cards had to. The international signing money is the most important part. 

[DMC]

54 minutes ago, Arch-MaesterPhilip said:

Luke Voit was probably included because the Cards had to.

Nah you can trade for pool money straight up, don't need to add a player.  Yanks did it with Yefry Ramirez to the O's last year.  I think others as well but memory is escaping me.

[Myshkin]

Wow, Taylor breaks up Newcomb’s no-hitter with 2 outs in the ninth.

ETA: And then Manny promptly puts an end to the shutout 

 

 

 

@Jaime L

[Myshkin]

21 minutes ago, Triskjavikson said:

@Myshkin

Your summoning powers are weaker than I might have predicted given your pedigree and whatnot.  Are your powers waning?

The summons worked, just not in this thread. Alternatively, I have no idea what you’re talking about. Also, shut your pig mouth.

 

 

 

@Jaime L

[DireWolfSpirit]

Houston sitting with a pretty magnificent 3.10 team pitching ERA for the season.

[Myshkin]

13 hours ago, DireWolfSpirit said:

Houston sitting with a pretty magnificent 3.10 team pitching ERA for the season.

And now they’ve sent Ken Giles + to the Jays for domestic abuser Roberto Osuna. Gross times in baseball. I blame the Yanks and Cubs.

 

 

 

@Jaime L

[DMC]

Yanks trade Adam Warren for ..international bonus pool money?  If that's all they got back that makes no sense - they just got $1.5 million for Caleb Frare (on top of the Shreve/Gallegos deal).  There's absolutely no reason to give up Warren solely for the ~$1.3 million left in pool money before they hit their cap.

[DMC]

...And now Yanks trade Tyler Austin for Lance Lynn.  I'd much rather have Adam Warren than Lance Lynn.  Really fucking weird.

[kairparavel]

20 hours ago, Myshkin said:

 

@Jaime L

@Jaime L adyscary

[Myshkin]

11 minutes ago, kairparavel said:

@Jaime L adyscary

@Jaime Ladyscary indeed. 

[Myshkin]

7 minutes ago, Triskjavikson said:

Look, all I'm saying is that it's possible that others have aspired to become Goblin King and that any signs that the thrown may be in the process of becoming more attainable may of interest to some.

I will give up my throne only when an immature 14 year old.... you know what, never mind. 

 

 

 

ETA: @Jaime L

[Jaxom 1974]

49 minutes ago, Myshkin said:

@Jaime Ladyscary indeed. 

@Jaime Lol

[Arch-MaesterPhilip]

13 hours ago, DMC said:

...And now Yanks trade Tyler Austin for Lance Lynn.  I'd much rather have Adam Warren than Lance Lynn.  Really fucking weird.

I don't know how I feel about this move. I mean the Yankees are now maxed out on international signing pool money or whatever it is called but I'm sad to see Warren go. Lynn has had a terrible season, his walk rate is atrocious but for some reason he's another guy who can pitch against the Red Sox.

Joel Sherman lays out what I think they're going for pretty well I think.

[Week]

Sawx trade for Kinsler. 

I'm into it. The cost does not seem to be that high and its an area of need -- Nunez and Holt (with an injured Pedroia) have been as bad with the bat as the glove. Their defensive limitations made the upgrade necessary IMO. 

Cards trade Tommy Pham ... to the Rays ... ?

Bit of a surprise there. I suspect that Pham's comments about the Card's development system (and his mediocre year so far) soured the team on him.  Probably best for both.

[Mr. Chatywin et al.]

Pretty good with the Yanks-Twins trade. Lynn has been bad this year and I’m interested in this 19 year old prospect, plus it sounds like we got a decent bat too.    

[DMC]

3 hours ago, Arch-MaesterPhilip said:

Joel Sherman lays out what I think they're going for pretty well I think.

Sure I get all the points made there, but my response would be:  (1) the Yanks could have maxed out their pool money in myriad different ways with all their borderline 40-man guys - again, they just got $1.5 million for the likes of Caleb Frare.  In a vacuum, trading Warren just for $1.25 million of pool money is downright poor asset management.  (2) Trading for a guy based on his performance in 11 innings against the Red Sox is quite silly, I don't think this was much (if any) of a factor in Cash's calculus.  And (3), being skittish about their starting pitching is understandable, but it's not clear Lynn is an upgrade over, say, Luis Cessa or Justus Sheffield - the two who presumably would be next on the depth chart.  I would have liked to see them give Sheff a shot at spot-start duty over the last two months as he has much more upside than Lynn.  Plus, once September roles around they don't really have to worry about their starting pitching depth - they have enough pitching on the 40 man to go with bullpen games if they wanted to (especially if one assumes German will be healthy by then).

Anyway, all of that really doesn't matter as the bottomline is comparing Warren and Lynn, and I think Warren > Lynn - by far.  Obviously, the Yanks disagree and think Lynn's stuff will play up out of the pen.  I hope they're right. 

One thing that is clear now and I do like is getting Voit and turning Tyler Austin into something.  From a production standpoint, the two seem basically interchangeable - but Austin is out of options after this year while Voit has one left, so they get another year of an up-and-down guy as Bird insurance since there's no way they would have kept Austin on the 25-man for all of next year (and almost certainly would have DFA'd him before the Rule 5 in November).

Finally, I'm curious how much international pool money they have left to spend now - immediately after the Voit trade they signed highly touted Cuban pitcher Osiel Rodriguez for a $600,000 bonus.  If they have enough to make a run at Victor Victor Mesa (known as Victor²) once he's declared a free agent that'd be pretty cool.  The Orioles and Marlins will have the most pool money left over no matter what, but it's entirely possible Mesa does not want to sign with the likes of the Orioles or the Marlins.

[Arch-MaesterPhilip]

13 minutes ago, DMC said:

Sure I get all the points made there, but my response would be:  (1) the Yanks could have maxed out their pool money in myriad different ways with all their borderline 40-man guys - again, they just got $1.5 million for the likes of Caleb Frare.  In a vacuum, trading Warren just for $1.25 million of pool money is downright poor asset management.  (2) Trading for a guy based on his performance in 11 innings against the Red Sox is quite silly, I don't think this was much (if any) of a factor in Cash's calculus.  And (3), being skittish about their starting pitching is understandable, but it's not clear Lynn is an upgrade over, say, Luis Cessa or Justus Sheffield - the two who presumably would be next on the depth chart.  I would have liked to see them give Sheff a shot at spot-start duty over the last two months as he has much more upside than Lynn.  Plus, once September roles around they don't really have to worry about their starting pitching depth - they have enough pitching on the 40 man to go with bullpen games if they wanted to (especially if one assumes German will be healthy by then).

Anyway, all of that really doesn't matter as the bottomline is comparing Warren and Lynn, and I think Warren > Lynn - by far.  Obviously, the Yanks disagree and think Lynn's stuff will play up out of the pen.  I hope they're right. 

One thing that is clear now and I do like is getting Voit and turning Tyler Austin into something.  From a production standpoint, the two seem basically interchangeable - but Austin is out of options after this year while Voit has one left, so they get another year of an up-and-down guy as Bird insurance since there's no way they would have kept Austin on the 25-man for all of next year (and almost certainly would have DFA'd him before the Rule 5 in November).

Finally, I'm curious how much international pool money they have left to spend now - immediately after the Voit trade they signed highly touted Cuban pitcher Osiel Rodriguez for a $600,000 bonus.  If they have enough to make a run at Victor Victor Mesa (known as Victor²) once he's declared a free agent that'd be pretty cool.  The Orioles and Marlins will have the most pool money left over no matter what, but it's entirely possible Mesa does not want to sign with the likes of the Orioles or the Marlins.

Lynn has 30 IP vs the Red Sox with a 1.80 ERA and .211 opp ba.

I'm not sure they have much left to spend. 

They are probably going to add Sheffield to the 40 man now, I think they have a few open spots now. I expect him to get a shot now. 

[DMC]

10 minutes ago, Arch-MaesterPhilip said:

Lynn has 30 IP vs the Red Sox with a 1.80 ERA and .211 opp ba.

I'm not sure they have much left to spend. 

They are probably going to add Sheffield to the 40 man now, I think they have a few open spots now. I expect him to get a shot now. 

I did not know Lynn pitched 12 innings of 3 ER ball against the Sox last year, so fair enough.  Still, you can replace "11 innings" with "23 innings" in my post above and my point doesn't change.

Sheffield likely won't be added to the 40 man until he's called up.  And until September, there's no room for him on the 25-man unless they send down Holder, DFA Cole, or there's an injury.