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

[gunnarthor]

Kintzler signs 2/10 deal w/Nats. Options could make it worth 16m.

[drjim]

Carlos Santana to Cleveland, Cosart to the Angels (to play 3b).

 

Don't mind seeing the Indians get weaker, Angels really going for it.

 

Even more clear that right now that the Twins are 6th in the AL.

[Danchat]

 

Carlos Santana to Cleveland, Cosart to the Angels (to play 3b).

 

Don't mind seeing the Indians get weaker, Angels really going for it.

 

Even more clear that right now that the Twins are 6th in the AL.

Carlos Santana just signed a 3 year $60M deal to play with the Phillies.

[drjim]

Carlos Santana just signed a 3 year $60M deal to play with the Phillies.

Correct, typo on my part.

 

I don't think signing Santana would also make Cleveland weaker. Losing him does. I suspect they'll move Brantley to 1b/dh and sign a cheap corner of. But their lineup takes a hit. They are also likely to trade Kipnis.

[drjim]

Matt Moore traded to the Rangers.

 

He is someone I thought worth targeting as a second starter to add this offseason. (After Darvish of course)

[Richie the Rally Goat]

Braves trade Kemp to the Dodgers for Adrian Gonzalez, Scott Kazmir, Brandon McCarthy, Charlie Culberson and cash. Gonzalez is already DFA’d.

 

https://mobile.twitter.com/Ken_Rosenthal/status/942116470875676672

[ashbury]

Braves trade Kemp to the Dodgers for Adrian Gonzalez, Scott Kazmir, Brandon McCarthy, Charlie Culberson and cash. Gonzalez is already DFA’d.

Does anyone here know how cash figures into luxury tax computations? Reportedly, this trade was intended to help the Dodgers get under the luxury tax threshold. If they had not traded Adrian Gonzalez, and merely released him, I think his large salary would count toward next year's payroll. When they send cash along with him to the Braves, who have plenty of "cap" space toward the tax, does that cash not count in any payroll totals? In principle could the amount of cash be equal to his salary, and then they exploit a loophole?

[drjim]

Does anyone here know how cash figures into luxury tax computations? Reportedly, this trade was intended to help the Dodgers get under the luxury tax threshold. If they had not traded Adrian Gonzalez, and merely released him, I think his large salary would count toward next year's payroll. When they send cash along with him to the Braves, who have plenty of "cap" space toward the tax, does that cash not count in any payroll totals? In principle could the amount of cash be equal to his salary, and then they exploit a loophole?

I'm pretty sure cash still counts against the Dodgers here.

 

The reason this works for them is that Kemp is spread over two years, while most of the Braves guys are done after this year. The cash just (more or less) evens out thr actual burden, not the accounting burden.

[Richie the Rally Goat]

Does anyone here know how cash figures into luxury tax computations? Reportedly, this trade was intended to help the Dodgers get under the luxury tax threshold. If they had not traded Adrian Gonzalez, and merely released him, I think his large salary would count toward next year's payroll. When they send cash along with him to the Braves, who have plenty of "cap" space toward the tax, does that cash not count in any payroll totals? In principle could the amount of cash be equal to his salary, and then they exploit a loophole?

the cash was only 4.5 mil to even put the swap. Total salaries swapped was 50 mil in 2018 for 23 mil in 18 and 23 mil in 19

[Vanimal46]

Braves trade Kemp to the Dodgers for Adrian Gonzalez, Scott Kazmir, Brandon McCarthy, Charlie Culberson and cash. Gonzalez is already DFA’d.

 

https://mobile.twitter.com/Ken_Rosenthal/status/942116470875676672

That's a ton of cash moved around for a lot of broken junk.

[Richie the Rally Goat]

 

That's a ton of cash moved around for a lot of broken junk.

indeed, the most expensive garage sale I've ever seen

[gunnarthor]

Rays are throwing in the towel. They've moved Longoria to SF. 

 

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2017/12/giants-to-acquire-evan-longoria.html

[Vanimal46]

 

Rays are throwing in the towel. They've moved Longoria to SF. 

 

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2017/12/giants-to-acquire-evan-longoria.html

 

End of an era in Tampa. Kind of sucks that old friend Denard Span has to play out his (likely) final season at Tropicana Field. 

[zenser]

 

End of an era in Tampa. Kind of sucks that old friend Denard Span has to play out his (likely) final season at Tropicana Field. 

Isn't Span from Tampa? 

[Vanimal46]

 

Isn't Span from Tampa? 

 

Ah, you are correct! Then it's not so bad... A homecoming for his final season. 

[gunnarthor]

 

Kind of sucks that old friend Denard Span has to play out his (likely) final season at Tropicana Field. 

Yeah but he's had a pretty nice career - 10 years, 25 WAR, 103 OPS+, 1400 hits, good on-base skills. Got to play in 4 different post seasons. And 41m and counting in salaries. Not too bad.

[Mike Sixel]

Longoria isn't that good, and costs a lot. I'm not sure this is them throwing in the towel yet....it just makes sense to do. That said, I think someone ponies up for Archer and they do throw in the towel on this year.

[whosafraidofluigirussolo]

DSPN was one of my favorite Twins during his time with the team, but I haven't kept much track of how he's been doing since then. Is it really so clear that he's going to hang it up after next year? I know he's been hurt and the Giants had been wanting to move him out of CF...

 

Ah, you are correct! Then it's not so bad... A homecoming for his final season. 

 

[Danchat]

The Indians have replaced Carlos Santana with Yonder Alonso with a 2 year $16M deal. If Alonso can repeat his 2017 season (28 HRs .866 OPS), this'll be a bargain. The four previous seasons in San Diego he hit a total of 27 HRs and .724 OPS. I wonder if getting out of Petco Park helped, I know that place is notorious for not allowing HRs.

[biggentleben]

 

The Indians have replaced Carlos Santana with Yonder Alonso with a 2 year $16M deal. If Alonso can repeat his 2017 season (28 HRs .866 OPS), this'll be a bargain. The four previous seasons in San Diego he hit a total of 27 HRs and .724 OPS. I wonder if getting out of Petco Park helped, I know that place is notorious for not allowing HRs.

 

I think this is a move that really helps the Indians. Alonso was a guy who very notably worked on his swing angle and hit for much more power, but he's always played quality 1B defense and had a good contact ability. Not a huge drop off from Santana, for a lot less money, giving them a lot of flexibility to not just pursue options at the deadline or get depth this offseason, but also to bring back Allen and Miller, both free agents after 2018.

[drjim]

Wade Davis to the Rockies.

 

 

Well, it's a strategy. 3 relievers for big money for 3 years.

[Mike Sixel]

Starters don't want to go there. Imo, this is a better strategy than not trying. I don't know if it will work, but if these three take a lot of innings, it might.

 

They need more hitting and fielding now.

[drjim]

Starters don't want to go there. Imo, this is a better strategy than not trying. I don't know if it will work, but if these three take a lot of innings, it might.

 

They need more hitting and fielding now.

They also have a boatload of young arms, so they can expect to need more innings and they are also not pumping huge financial resources into the rotation.

 

There is some logic in the Rockies doing this based on their location and roster makeup, just unlikely to end well.

[Mike Sixel]

 

They also have a boatload of young arms, so they can expect to need more innings and they are also not pumping huge financial resources into the rotation.

There is some logic in the Rockies doing this based on their location and roster makeup, just unlikely to end well.

 

Most MLB plans, like hitters, fail. The only one that doesn't is buying a team and reaping the money.

[Vanimal46]

I like the Rockies' strategy... They're going to be a fun team to follow this season.

[drivlikejehu]

So, in the year that Charlie Blackmon and DJ LeMahieu are slated to hit free agency (2019), the Rockies are committed to $57 million between Ian Desmond and four relievers, only one of whom is elite. The situation is similar with respect to 2020, when Nolan Arenado is eligible for free agency, except that the least expensive reliever (Dunn) can be bought out.

 

That strikes me as incredibly bizarre, particularly given the fact that relievers are the most volatile position in terms of performance even before factoring in uncertainty related to Coors (e.g., what happens if Davis' curveball loses its bite?).

 

The worse part is that the Rockies still aren't among the top NL teams for 2018. 

[Mike Sixel]

They weren't going to afford signing all of them, likely, anyway. I didn't like the Desmond signing at all. These I can at least understand the strategy. At some point, you need to add talent, not just wait to resign talent.

[drivlikejehu]

 

They weren't going to afford signing all of them, likely, anyway. I didn't like the Desmond signing at all. These I can at least understand the strategy. At some point, you need to add talent, not just wait to resign talent.

 

Well if Blackmon and Arenado leave, they won't have leads for their bullpen to protect. 

 

If I were the Rockies and wanted to add talent, I'd have signed Santana and one of the mid-priced outfielders, like Bruce or Morrison. 

 

If they can't keep their guys nearing free agency, the best approach would probably be to trade them now and hope for a quick rebuild. Instead they're backed into something of a corner . . . basically a 1-year window, with a mediocre roster.

[Mike Sixel]

I too would sign an outfielder. They still can. At least the owner isn't pocketing the money.

[nicksaviking]

So the Padres snagged Dave Cameron huh? 

 

https://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/the-one-i-never-thought-i-would-write/

 

Sad for Fangraphs, good for Dave. Probably good for the Padres but TBD.