Non-Twins Off-season news, tidbits and transactions

[Mike Sixel]

 

Twins lose out on another target.

 

Still not enough low $/WAR guys available. Gotta win the efficiency award!

[Vanimal46]

 

We've got problems if the best team in baseball needs salary relief.

[jkcarew]

 

Billy Hamilton is worth 4.25M plus a 7.5M option year? I thought he had MiLB deal with spring training invite written all over him.  

 

If stolen bases are still worth 4.25M, I think you could have coaxed Ricky Henderson out of retirement. He could still top Hamilton's .600 OPS.

Agreed. He's basically the antithesis of what modern analytics says if valuable. An out factory with no power. I saw the signing and my immediate thought was...'at least we aren't Kansas City'.

 

Other than that world's championship 3 years ago.

[Danchat]

https://twitter.com/Ken_Rosenthal/status/1072872180885598208?s=19

 

Twins lose out on another target.

Not sure why you specifically mention the Twins, all the other teams also missed out on him. Do we even know if the Twins tried to sign him? I feel like your comment would make more sense if we were talking about a guy like Cruz, of whom we’ve heard has an offer from the Twins.

[Vanimal46]

Not sure why you specifically mention the Twins, all the other teams also missed out on him. Do we even know if the Twins tried to sign him? I feel like your comment would make more sense if we were talking about a guy like Cruz, of whom we’ve heard has an offer from the Twins.

Many insiders noted that the Twins, White Sox, and Yankees were interested in Happ.

[cmoss84]

Mets and Marlins in trade talks for Realmuto. Marlins want some kind of combination of Rosario/Nimmo/Conforto.

 

For us, maybe it would take something like Gordon/Kepler/Graterol? 

 

Doesn't matter, I don't see our FO making any trades. There is a gold mine out there to be signed/traded for this off-season, but I'm losing more and more confidence every day. Need some kind of news. Like any. 

[SomeGuy]

 

We've got problems if the best team in baseball needs salary relief.

Best team and highest paid team.  Can't blame them for not wanting to spend more than they already are (about $232M). 

 

Trading Rick Porcello makes perfect sense, 1 year left at $21M.  Probably their worst starter too.

[PseudoSABR]

 

This deal would have made a lot of sense for the Twins.

[Mike Sixel]

https://twitter.com/JeffPassan/status/1072958040184246272

 

This deal would have made a lot of sense for the Twins.

Now we know why the Rays cut Cron.... They are going to spend money to compete.

[nicksaviking]

Looks like it's elderly pitcher signing day, now's your chance Bartolo!

[Seth Stohs]

 

Lance Lynn... Three years, $30 million...

 

So, why didn't he get this contract last year when he was coming off of being good?

[ashbury]

 

Lance Lynn... Three years, $30 million...

 

So, why didn't he get this contract last year when he was coming off of being good?

I refreshed my memory by pulling up last year's TD off-season handbook, and sure enough, Lynn was thought to be getting 6 years, $150 million.

 

So he may have turned down offers like what he just signed for, or even higher, and opted to sign that one-year deal and try again.

[bird]

 

Best team and highest paid team.  Can't blame them for not wanting to spend more than they already are (about $232M). 

 

Trading Rick Porcello makes perfect sense, 1 year left at $21M.  Probably their worst starter too.

 

 

Yeah, dangling Xander and Jackie is curious. It's not like they have incredible depth of that quality on the 40-man. They could benefit by shoring up a weak prospect pipeline for sure. Wonder if they have a pricey FA target in mind. I thought McCutcheon might have been a fit, but no.

[Mike Sixel]

Another player gets more than anticipated....I think maybe one year of data isn't sufficient to say the market fundamentally changed. shockingly....

[Danchat]

$30M over 3 years to Lynn? Alright... have fun, Rangers.

 

Looks like the Angels are adding Justin Bour, and it seems he'll rotate with Pujols and Ohtani at 1B/DH.

 

Also, the Tigers added Jordy Mercer for $5.25M on a one year deal. IMO that makes Schoop's deal look better as he's not a great hitter and already 32 years old.

[Mr. Brooks]

https://twitter.com/Feinsand/status/1073004462350905344

 

Lance Lynn... Three years, $30 million...

 

So, why didn't he get this contract last year when he was coming off of being good?

4.82 FIP is good?

He was actually much better last year (3.84 FIP), even if he wasn't as lucky as he was in 2017.

[tvagle]

 

Looks like the Angels are adding Justin Bour, and it seems he'll rotate with Pujols and Ohtani at 1B/DH.

 

 

So Bour Costs $2.5M Cron nearly twice as much

Bour LH Cron RH

 

I just don't see how one picks Cron over Bour with the current roster

 

CRON

OBP/SLG/OPS OPS+

2018 .323/.493/.816 123

Career .311/.461/.772 112

Projections: .316 .455 .771

 

BOUR

 

2018 .341/.404/.746 110

Career .344/.466/.811 123

Projections: .339 .440 .780

 

Straight Slash line comparison seems even enough...I just don't see Cron's 2 year younger being worth nearly double the salary??

[nicksaviking]

I don’t think the Twins need more left handed bats. They need someone to once again take aim at the left field seats.

[TheLeviathan]

Bour for half the price of Cron makes me sad.  Every day makes me hate that move more.

[beckmt]

2 items to consider

1.  Given the use of bullpens, do you think Bour would see a right handed pitcher in a clutch situation from the 6th inning on.  He is trash against lefties.

2.  With the 13 man pitching staff, you cannot carry extra position players that cannot hit both ways. Especially those who have 1 position.

[Mike Sixel]

2 items to consider

1. Given the use of bullpens, do you think Bour would see a right handed pitcher in a clutch situation from the 6th inning on. He is trash against lefties.

2. With the 13 man pitching staff, you cannot carry extra position players that cannot hit both ways. Especially those who have 1 position.

Like Austin? Maybe Cron?

[beckmt]

According to some of the MLB trade rumors I am seeing the White Sox are now the favorites to sign Harper. They are making the moves and the more the Twins and Indians show weakness, the more likely the Whities make their move this year.

[beckmt]

 

Like Austin? Maybe Cron?

Certainly Austin, thought Cron was more balanced or backward.

[nicksaviking]

Is this about Bour, or still just about not liking Cron? I don’t need either on this team, but I want nothing to do with a left handed 1B at this moment. If that’s imperative, and I hope it’s not, I’d make Kepler do it.

[tvagle]

 

Is this about Bour, or still just about not liking Cron? I don’t need either on this team, but I want nothing to do with a left handed 1B at this moment. If that’s imperative, and I hope it’s not, I’d make Kepler do it.

 

I'm with you on both...my issue is more with spending twice the dollars for a duplication of Tyler Austin

[Otto von Ballpark]

I refreshed my memory by pulling up last year's TD off-season handbook, and sure enough, Lynn was thought to be getting 6 years, $150 million.

 

So he may have turned down offers like what he just signed for, or even higher, and opted to sign that one-year deal and try again.

6/150 for Lynn sounds insane! MLBTR predicted 4/56 or 4/60. Interestingly, they predicted he would sign with the Rangers last offseason too. (This winter, they predicted Lynn on a 2/16 deal to the Rays.)

 

As far as turning down larger deals, Ervin Santana turned down a reported 3/33 from the Twins in March 2013 to sign a 1-year deal with the Braves. Then he got 4/56 from us the following winter.

[Otto von Ballpark]

Looks like the Angels are adding Justin Bour, and it seems he'll rotate with Pujols and Ohtani at 1B/DH.

 

I also wonder if Ohtani could play some outfield in 2019, as long as he won't be pitching.

[ashbury]

6/150 for Lynn sounds insane! MLBTR predicted 4/56 or 4/60.

While TD's guess might have been an outlier, I think my point still stands, in response to Seth's question of why Lynn didn't "get" 3/$30 last off-season.

[Otto von Ballpark]

While TD's guess might have been an outlier, I think my point still stands, in response to Seth's question of why Lynn didn't "get" 3/$30 last off-season.

Agreed.

 

MLBTR also cited a report last winter that Lynn was seeking a 5/110 deal like Jordan Zimmermann. Even that is probably excessive, but even if he was willing to "settle" for 4/56, it's quite possible he turned down something like 3/30 and eventually opted for the 1-year deal instead to try again.

[Hosken Bombo Disco]

Looks like Cleveland traded back for Carlos Santana. There's a tweet out there somewhere, I'm sure.