harmony55

Given the comparative stats of Chris Flexen, Jameson Taillon and Taijuan Walker over the past two seasons, where would Taillon and Walker fit into the Twins rotation?

FWIW Baseball Trade Values only recently bumped Max Kepler's surplus value from $5.8 million up to $7.6 million. Perhaps the change was a market adjustment in light of the free agents signings.

Seattle won't be trading Logan Gilbert for Luis Arraez but the Mariners could deal from pitching depth. How about one-plus year of rightfielder Max Kepler for one year of righthander Chris Flexen? Compare the stats over the past two seasons for righthanders Jameson Taillon, Taijuan Walker and Flexen: JT 321.2 IP, 4.08 ERA, 100 ERA+, 4.2 fWAR, 3.5 bWAR TW 316.2 IP, 3.98 ERA, 99 ERA+, 3.9 fWAR, 3.1 bWAR CF 317.2 IP, 3.66 ERA, 108 ERA+, 3.7 fWAR, 4.7 bWAR The Seattle Mariners reportedly are shopping Flexen, who is two years younger than Walker and two-and-a-half years younger than Taillon. Flexen lost some luster in August when Luis Castillo bumped Flexen from the Seattle rotation. Despite the demotion Flexen matched Taillon’s 2022 bWAR of 1.3. Many will point to Flexen’s drop in fWAR from 3.0 in 2021 to 0.7 in 2022. However, Walker has never posted an fWAR above 2.5 and Taillon has not exceeded 2.3 fWAR since 2018. The Chicago Cubs signed Taillon to a four-year, $68 million contract and the Philadelphia Phillies signed Walker to a four-year, $72 million contract. Flexen is guaranteed a 2023 salary of $8 million in what MLB Trade Rumors reports is his final year of team control (despite Flexen currently sitting on two years and 107 days of MLB service).

As an alternative to Seattle's No. 30 draft pick, would the Twins consider trading Max Kepler for righthander Taylor Dollard? Dollard, who turns 24 years old in February, was the 2022 Pitcher of the Year in the Double A Texas League where. Dollard had an ERA of 2.25, WHIP of 0.95 and K/BB of 4.23 in 27 starts covering 144 innings. The Mariners consider Dollard MLB-ready because their top pitching prospects skip the development-inhibiting Pacific Coast League (e.g. Logan Gilbert and George Kirby). Baseball Trade Values assigns surplus trade values of $5.6 million to Dollard and $5.8 million to Kepler. The Mariners might be reluctant to trade Dollard, a 2020 fifth-round (No. 137) draft pick with an established minor league record, over the faceless No. 30 pick in the 2023 draft.

If the Twins go the rebuild route, would Seattle's No, 30 competitive balance draft pick be enough to land one year of outfielder Max Kepler? Baseball Trade Values assigns surplus trade values of $6.2 million to the draft pick and $5.8 million to Kepler. The trade would leave the rebuilding Twins with the No. 5 and No. 30 picks in the June 2023 draft (and the Mariners would retain their No, 22 and No, 29 picks).

The Seattle Mariners may no longer be shopping 28-year-old righthander Chris Flexen but consider ... These stats over the past two seasons for righthanders Jameson Taillon, Taijuan Walker and Flexen: JT 321.2 IP, 4.08 ERA, 100 ERA+, 4.2 fWAR, 3.5 bWAR TW 316.2 IP, 3.98 ERA, 99 ERA+, 3.9 fWAR, 3.1 bWAR CF 317.2 IP, 3.66 ERA, 108 ERA+, 3.7 fWAR, 4.7 bWAR Flexen, who is two years younger than Walker and two-and-a-half years younger than Taillon. lost some luster in August when Luis Castillo bumped Flexen from the Seattle rotation. Despite the demotion Flexen matched Taillon’s 2022 bWAR of 1.3. Many will point to Flexen’s drop in fWAR from 3.0 in 2021 to 0.7 in 2022. However, Walker has never posted an fWAR above 2.5 and Taillon has not exceeded 2.3 fWAR since 2018. The Chicago Cubs signed Taillon to a four-year, $68 million contract and the Philadelphia Phillies signed Walker to a four-year, $72 million contract Flexen is guaranteed a 2023 salary of $8 million in what MLB Trade Rumors reports is his final year of team control (despite Flexen currently sitting on two years and 107 days of MLB service).

Chris Flexen may be vastly undervalued. Compare the stats over the past two seasons for righthanders Jameson Taillon, Taijuan Walker and Flexen: JT 321.2 IP, 4.08 ERA, 100 ERA+, 4.2 fWAR, 3.5 bWAR TW 316.2 IP, 3.98 ERA, 99 ERA+, 3.9 fWAR, 3.1 bWAR CF 317.2 IP, 3.66 ERA, 108 ERA+, 3.7 fWAR, 4.7 bWAR The Seattle Mariners reportedly are shopping Flexen, who is at least two years younger than Walker and Taillon. Flexen lost some luster in August when Luis Castillo bumped Flexen from the Seattle rotation. Despite the demotion Flexen matched Taillon’s 2022 bWAR of 1.3. Many will point to Flexen’s drop in fWAR from 3.0 in 2021 to 0.7 in 2022. However, Walker has never posted an fWAR above 2.5 and Taillon has not exceeded 2.3 fWAR since 2018. The Chicago Cubs signed Taillon to a four-year. $68 million contract while the Philadelphia Phillies signed Walker to a four-year, $72 million contract. Flexen is guaranteed a 2023 salary of $8 million in what MLB Trade Rumors reports is his final year of team control (despite Flexen currently sitting on two years and 107 days of MLB service). According to Baseball Trade Values, Seattle's No. 30 competitive balance draft pick ($6.2 million) should be enough to land Max Kepler ($5.8 million).

It would be hard to find a closer comp in value, so given each team's respective needs, what about a trade of six years of switch-hitting Seattle infielder Nick Franklin for six years of switch-hitting Minnesota centerfielder Aaron Hicks? Oliver projects a five-year WAR of 14.7 for Franklin and 14.8 for Hicks, who is 17 months older than Franklin. Franklin has 126 days of MLB service while Hicks has 124 days of MLB service. Hicks is listed behind Josh Willingham, Alex Pressley and Oswaldo Arcia on the Minnesota depth chart in the outfield (with top prospect Byron Buxton waiting in the wings): http://minnesota.twins.mlb.com/team/dep ... /?c_id=min http://www.fangraphs.com/depthcharts.as ... L&teamid=8 Hicks flopped in his MLB debut in 2013 (making the initial jump from Double A), while Franklin faded down the stretch. In its 2011 preseason prospect rankings, Baseball America had Hicks at No. 45 and Franklin at No. 53. Neither player was ranked in 2012, but in 2013 BA had Hicks at No. 72 and Franklin at No. 79. In 102 games this season, Franklin was valued at 0.4 and 2.3 WAR by FanGraphs and Baseball Reference, respectively. In 81 games this season, Hicks was valued at -0.7 and 0.7 WAR, respectively. Steamer projects a 2014 WAR of 0.2 for Hicks in 32 games and 0.1 for Franklin in 50 games while Oliver projects at 2014 WAR of 2.8 for Hicks and 2.6 for Franklin in 143 games apiece: http://www.fangraphs.com/statss.aspx?pl ... osition=OF http://www.fangraphs.com/statss.aspx?pl ... osition=2B Hicks was the 14th player taken in the 2008 draft while Franklin was the 27th player taken in the 2009 draft. And the minor league stats for Hicks and Franklin: AH 2192 PA, .269/.376/.418/.794, 323 BB (14.7%), 446 K (20.3%) NF 1756 PA, .287/.360/.459/.819, 168 BB (9.6%), 338 K (19.2%) http://www.baseball-reference.com/minor ... cks-001aar http://www.baseball-reference.com/minor ... ankl001nic Franklin generally played in hitter-friendlier leagues in the minors, although he typically advanced at a younger age. And look what I found when I Googled "Nick Franklin Aaron Hicks": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H8EuVPGiNco