freshinthehouse’s 2023 Payroll Blueprint

Sign Correa to a 7 year, 215 million dollar deal.  Sweeten the deal by front loading it (45 mil in 2023, 40 mill in 24).  This lessens his salary at a time when hopefully our young players are looking at extensions.  

I am fully convinced that the Pohlads are going to demand a lower payroll this year.  I'll sweet-talk them into keeping a payroll around $135, with the promise that we will move a lot of the vets unless we are looking really good at mid-season (which frankly I dont think will happen).  I'm looking at this as a bridge year.  Start letting Duran pitch longer and longer relief outings until we have him stretched to try his hand at starting pitching by mid-season.  

Move Grey for the best prospects you can.  Start the year with a rotation of Winder, Ryan, Mahle, Maeda, and Ober.  Hopefully by September we're looking at a rotation of Ryan, Ober, Paddack, Duran, and SWR.  

Unless we are looking like a sure-fire playoff team, move Mahle, Maeda, Polanco, Urshela,  I moved Kepler in the off-season to clear room.  

Brad Hand and Rogers were signed to fill out the bullpen just in case we're competitive.  They can also be moved at the trade deadline.

IMO this season is a bridge year to see what we have with our younger guys, and to clear some of the middling flotsam off the roster, hopefully clearing room so we can offer some extensions to our promising young guys, and to also (gasp!) sign a solid free agent pitcher in 2024 and 2025.  This will also help replenish what has quickly become a bottom-half farm system.

• C: Ryan Jeffers ($0.70M)
• 1B: Luis Arraez ($4.50M)
• 2B: Jorge Polanco ($7.50M)
• 3B: Gio Urshela ($9.00M)
• SS: Carlos Correa ($45.00M)
• LF: Alex Kirilloff ($0.70M)
• CF: Byron Buxton ($15.00M)
• RF: Trevor Larnach ($0.70M)
• DH: Jose Miranda ($0.70M)
• 4th OF: Kyle Garlick ($0.70M)
• Utility: Nick Gordon ($0.70M)
• Utility: Rando AAAA OF ($1.00M)
• Backup C: S. Leon ($1.00M)
• SP1: Josh Winder ($0.70M)
• SP2: Tyler Mahle ($8.00M)
• SP3: Kenta Maeda ($9.00M)
• SP4: Joe Ryan ($0.70M)
• SP5: Bailey Ober ($0.70M)
• RP: Jhoan Duran ($0.70M)
• RP: Jorge Lopez ($3.00M)
• RP: Griffin Jax ($0.70M)
• RP: Jorge Alcala ($1.00M)
• RP: Caleb Thielbar ($2.00M)
• RP: Taylor Rogers ($5.00M)
• RP: Brad Hand ($6.00M)
• RP: Jovani Moran ($0.70M)