2017-18 non-Twins MLB Off-Season Transactions Thread

[Mike Sixel]

And now LoCain joins the Brew Crew...what's next Archer, Arrieta and Darvish?

My guess? Mid priced FA starter, and a trade for a starter using OF.

 

This just about guarantees the Cubs respond, btw... Sigh.

[Riverbrian]

 

My guess? Mid priced FA starter, and a trade for a starter using OF.

This just about guarantees the Cubs respond, btw... Sigh.

 

They will obviously try to move an OF... Probably for a Starter. They just might be able to interest the Rays for Archer. Santana, Broxton, Hader are names that could be moved. 

 

This David Stearns GM Guy is impressive. He's come along way since he ruined the NBA as commissioner. 

[iastfan112]

A hefty haul for Yelich though, not sure I'm a fan of the trade for the Brewers. Top 20 guy, top 100 guy and couple of other interesting prospects seems like a lot.

[dbminn]

Wow. Brewers management making bold decisions. Overpaid a bit for Cain but that happens when you're trying to move up. Yelich deal seems fair to me. Looking at Spotrac, they still have salary flexibility.

 

Next will be a SP. In order of preference, IMO: Darvish, Archer, Arrieta. Maybe they make a play for Duffy from KC. He has a reasonable 4-yr contract and they have players to offer. 

[Mike Sixel]

A hefty haul for Yelich though, not sure I'm a fan of the trade for the Brewers. Top 20 guy, top 100 guy and couple of other interesting prospects seems like a lot.

Yellich is an all star signed for cheap. And he's in his prime. This is exactly the kind of guy you trade for, imo. He's also a position player, so less likely to get hurt. And at least one of those prospects plays the OF, so the young guy is extra.

[jimmer]

Brewers had an awesome day.  The trade for Yellich was awesome.  It was a bargain for what they got.

 

...and they got Cain for a good deal too. Dave Cameron had predicted he'd get signed for 4/68M (17M a year).  He signs for 5/80 (16M a year).  Only three teams were predicted to have a worse WAR from their projected CF this year.  He's quite the upgrade.

[Thrylos]

Interesting to see what the Cubs and Cardinals will do

[Riverbrian]

 

Interesting to see what the Cubs and Cardinals will do

 

Wasn't BJ Upton to the Braves that drove the Nats and Phillies to pull the trigger on Span and Revere. 

 

To every action there is a reaction. 

[TheLeviathan]

The most interesting thing to watch for is what's next from Milwaukee.  They have some high end young OF assets to move.

[amjgt]

I’d say over the last dozen years the Twins and Brewers have had roughly the same amount of success (or non success, in terms of the playoffs), but man, it’s got to be so much more exciting to be a fan of a team that are movers and shakers. It hasn’t seemed to doom the Brewers like some people are so fearful of. If anything it’s allowed them to have assets to buy and sell with.

[nicksaviking]

At first I was jealous of Milwaukee's aggressive moves, the I figured if our smaller market neighbor in the NL wants to make a spectacle, our guys have to take notice and feel the pressure.

[Vanimal46]

With the Yelich and Cain moves I almost want to like a Wisconsin-based team!

 

Almost being the key word... I just can't bring myself to do it.

[Squirrel]

It’s like Milwaukee used the waze app for the MLB and found another way around this traffic jam and just might beat us all to the destination.

[cmoss84]

I love the trade for Yelich for Mil, but I'm not understanding the Cain signing. They definitely have enough OF now! As others have said, maybe they will pair them together in a trade for Archer.

 

What I am thinking though, is that the signing of Cain means that they are out of contention for Yu. This makes me slightly happier. 

[Squirrel]

 

I love the trade for Yelich for Mil, but I'm not understanding the Cain signing. They definitely have enough OF now! As others have said, maybe they will pair them together in a trade for Archer.

 

What I am thinking though, is that the signing of Cain means that they are out of contention for Yu. This makes me slightly happier. 

Or maybe not ... maybe they made these moves to be more enticing for Yu ... 

[cmoss84]

 

Or maybe not ... maybe they made these moves to be more enticing for Yu ... 

True. Just seems like a lot of dollars to me. 

[Otto von Ballpark]

 

I love the trade for Yelich for Mil, but I'm not understanding the Cain signing.

That was my initial feeling too, although when I looked closer, Cain has still been bringing the value.  Even without some of the big defensive numbers of years prior, he still posted 5.3 bWAR last year.  Their incumbent CF, Broxton, was basically replacement level last year.

 

Unless they wanted to trust Broxton again, or big-K-rate Brett Phillips, or move Yelich to CF, I think signing Cain is a good move.  If they don't make another trade, this gives them good coverage behind an aging Braun in LF and a mortal Thames at 1B.

[Otto von Ballpark]

 

True. Just seems like a lot of dollars to me. 

Spotrac only has them at $85 mil after Cain. They've got a lot of pre-arb players yet:

 

http://www.spotrac.com/mlb/milwaukee-brewers/payroll/

[Mike Sixel]

Brewers have plenty of money, and unlike some other team, have shown a willingness to spend it when their window is open....

[cmoss84]

 

Spotrac only has them at $85 mil after Cain. They've got a lot of pre-arb players yet:

 

http://www.spotrac.com/mlb/milwaukee-brewers/payroll/

Thanks for that. Wow, I guess they do have the money. In regards to their OF surplus, I guess they are used to Braun missing 1/3 of the games every season as well. 

[Otto von Ballpark]

 

Thanks for that. Wow, I guess they do have the money. In regards to their OF surplus, I guess they are used to Braun missing 1/3 of the games every season as well. 

Also, I wouldn't be surprised by another trade, but if you don't want them to be MLB backups yet, Phillips has 2 option years remaining, and Broxton and Santana each have 1.

 

I just realized that Yelich played CF every day last year too.  They could probably do Cain in CF, with Yelich shifting over to CF when Cain gets a day off, and that gives them a lot of flexibility for that 4th outfielder. Regular rest for Braun plus the interleague DH games could mean decent reps for that 4th OF too.

[TheLeviathan]

I think we see Broxton/Santana dealt for an arm.  This could be a pretty formidable group.  

 

They'll have an interesting blend in their lineup if nothing else.

[tvagle]

Here's the 6 year payroll view of the Crew from across the St. Croix (until they make another move)

 

 

Here's a link to view the sheet if the image is too hard to read

 

 

[Nine of twelve]

Colon signs a minor league deal with the Rangers. Guess that means they won't have to pursue Darvish now, eh?

[Hosken Bombo Disco]

Yankees acquire Russell Wilson

 

Yes, that Russell Wilson.

 

Not for gimmicky reasons IMO, but nevertheless not likely to lead to anything other than some appearances during spring training. But the Twins play the Yankees a lot during ST so maybe we'll all get a look. (edit: only once in Ft Myers this spring)

[Vanimal46]

3B Todd Frazier signs a 2/$17 contract with the New York Mets. 

[Mike Sixel]

3B Todd Frazier signs a 2/$17 contract with the New York Mets.

Bargain.

[Vanimal46]

Old friend Hector Santiago signs with a minor league contract with the White Sox.

 

And...

 

Old friend Craig Breslow signs a minor league contract with the Blue Jays.

[ashbury]

Old friend Craig Breslow signs a minor league contract with the Blue Jays.

I think I mentioned that I had the pleasure of seeing Breslow a couple of weeks ago at the Boston SABR chapter meeting. He answered my question confirming that during his time with the Twins he found fellow lefty Glen Perkins a kindred spirit in their questioning/analytic approach to the game - he mentioned a shared skepticism of defensive shifts based on lack of evidence that batting average is reduced. (I don't have any independent info on this topic, I'm just relaying what he chose to say to my open-ended question.)

[Vanimal46]

SP Jason Vargas signs a deal with the New York Mets. Contract terms aren't posted yet on MLBtraderumors.com