Jered Weaver, Skaggs, and "The Right Piece"

[marcosantinia12]

Going into the off-season, there are obvious concerns with our starting pitching. I previously mentioned that I think we will be okay in that department and due to our necessity to fill our other holes, we have to ride on what we have. I have also mentioned that I believe 2016 will be a better indication of pitchers like Richards and possibly Shoemaker who I think will be between 2014 and 2015. We also should see some maturity from Skaggs, Heaney, and Tropeano. However, the problem with this is how inexperienced and unpredictable our rotation is. A proven arm would be HUGE for us.

Jered Weaver
Watching him pitch last season and looking at his numbers overall I can say that I was definitely on the team of those who thinks that he is done. He continues to loose speed on his FB and doesn't look to turn that around anytime soon. With that being said, I think his stats are pretty interesting. It is not a secret that Weaver does better at home than on the road...but I didn't realize he does so MUCH better. 
He pitched 11 games at home last season and allowed more than 3 runs only twice. 

Below are his Era split's from the last 5 years - home/away (home games pitched/away games pitched)

2015: 2.79 / 6.01 (11/15) 

2014: 2.68 / 4.70 (18/16)
2013: 2.59 / 4.00 (12/12)
2012: 2.44 / 3.21 (15/15)
2011: 1.84 / 2.93 (15/18)
2010: 1.86 / 4.14 (16/18)

 

It is astonishing how much better he is at home than on the road, and it continues to rise every year.  The great thing about Weaver is how consistent he is. Though he is regressing, it is at an VERY consistent rate and we can know what to expect. I think that his 2015 away ERA was an outlier and it would be fair to say he will be about 2.95/5.30 in 2016. Looking at his home numbers, he is not a bad pitcher by any stretch so long as you use him to his strength. Pitch him in home games, period. Who pitches on the road? Tyler Skaggs,

Tyler Skaggs
This is the beauty of having depth in the rotation. We have enough pitchers to have a rotation of 1,2,3,4,5(home)/6(away).Sure it takes up a spot in the bullpen but I think it is worth the sacrifice if it means keeping Weaver's Era from 2.90-3.30 and hoping for Skaggs to perform better than Weaver's road Era. I'd be happy if Skaggs pitches in the low 4's in ERA. That gives us a very solid back of the rotation spot made up of 2 starters. In the days that Weaver starts, Skaggs relief him for 2-3 innings to stay warm and vice versa. Skaggs will surely have an innings limit anyways so throwing him out every 5 days varying his innings makes sense. 
I think for this to work we need to pick up that one proven arm from the market. This gives us:

1. Richards
2. Free Agent
3. Heaney
4. Weaver/Skaggs
5. Tropeano or Shoemaker


Use Wilson, Santiago, and 1 of Trop or Shoe in trades for some of our other necessities, particularly OBP guys at positions of need and maybe a reliever. Pair them with mid-level prospects to land Prado or Walker. 

So finally, who is the proven arm we can pickup?

The Right Piece
Arte has said he is willing to go over the luxury tax for the right player. However, I don't think this means he will break through the tax an acquire a Greinke or Price. We have to address our LF problem and if that is not done via trade, we can go for a guy like Span, Parra, maybe even Gordon. We may have to pick up a third basemen if we cannot land one via trade. This doesn't leave us with too much money to spend. This is where you go over the luxury tax slightly with Wei-Yin Chen, aka "The Piece". 

I am surprised he hasn't been mentioned as much as other names. He isn't a sexy signing and not somebody you think about breaking the tax for, but he would be a tremendous help with very low risk. He is proven, and extremely consistent with his statistics trending up. He has posted Mid 3 Era's the last two seasons in an extreme hitters park. I think it would be very possible that we get 3-3.3 Era with 1.2 WHIP from him in 2016. I think that he is highly underrated and due to all of the other names and options in the market he is being looked-over which may bring his value down. I would say that he signs for 4 years 50/65mil. The key is to get him soon, before the teams that miss out on the big fish go looking for tier 2 or 3 pitchers. 
 

Edited October 30, 2015 by marcosantinia12

[nikkachez]

I love Chen, but I'd have a hard time giving up the draft pick for him. But like I've been saying, I'm not opposed to giving up the draft pick as long as the Angels trade Tropeano/Shoemaker/Santiago/Wilson/Cron for some prospects. I like Leake because he's younger, 28, than all the other top pitching free agents, I think he would thrive at the home, and he wouldn't mean sacrificing a draft pick (even if he will be a bit pricey). That being said, I wouldn't mind placing Chen in the rotation depending on how Eppler fixes the lineup. Chen and Dexter Fowler maybe? You already lose the draft pick for Chen, why not go ahead and sign another guy attached to a pick? Then use some depth to acquire Prado. 

 

So many directions this team could take. 

[Chuck]

Going into the off-season, there are obvious concerns with our starting pitching. I previously mentioned that I think we will be okay in that department and due to our necessity to fill our other holes, we have to ride on what we have. I have also mentioned that I believe 2016 will be a better indication of pitchers like Richards and possibly Shoemaker who I think will be between 2014 and 2015. We also should see some maturity from Skaggs, Heaney, and Tropeano. However, the problem with this is how inexperienced and unpredictable our rotation is. A proven arm would be HUGE for us.

Jered Weaver

Watching him pitch last season and looking at his numbers overall I can say that I was definitely on the team of those who thinks that he is done. He continues to loose speed on his FB and doesn't look to turn that around anytime soon. With that being said, I think his stats are pretty interesting. It is not a secret that Weaver does better at home than on the road...but I didn't realize he does so MUCH better. 

He pitched 11 games at home last season and allowed more than 3 runs only twice. 

Below are his Era split's from the last 5 years - home/away (home games pitched/away games pitched)

2015: 2.79 / 6.01 (11/15) 

2014: 2.68 / 4.70 (18/16)

2013: 2.59 / 4.00 (12/12)

2012: 2.44 / 3.21 (15/15)

2011: 1.84 / 2.93 (15/18)

2010: 1.86 / 4.14 (16/18)

 

It is astonishing how much better he is at home than on the road, and it continues to rise every year.  The great thing about Weaver is how consistent he is. Though he is regressing, it is at an VERY consistent rate and we can know what to expect. I think that his 2015 away ERA was an outlier and it would be fair to say he will be about 2.95/5.30 in 2016. Looking at his home numbers, he is not a bad pitcher by any stretch so long as you use him to his strength. Pitch him in home games, period. Who pitches on the road? Tyler Skaggs,

Tyler Skaggs

This is the beauty of having depth in the rotation. We have enough pitchers to have a rotation of 1,2,3,4,5(home)/6(away).Sure it takes up a spot in the bullpen but I think it is worth the sacrifice if it means keeping Weaver's Era from 2.90-3.30 and hoping for Skaggs to perform better than Weaver's road Era. I'd be happy if Skaggs pitches in the low 4's in ERA. That gives us a very solid back of the rotation spot made up of 2 starters. In the days that Weaver starts, Skaggs relief him for 2-3 innings to stay warm and vice versa. Skaggs will surely have an innings limit anyways so throwing him out every 5 days varying his innings makes sense. 

I think for this to work we need to pick up that one proven arm from the market. This gives us:

1. Richards

2. Free Agent

3. Heaney

4. Weaver/Skaggs

5. Tropeano or Shoemaker

Use Wilson, Santiago, and 1 of Trop or Shoe in trades for some of our other necessities, particularly OBP guys at positions of need and maybe a reliever. Pair them with mid-level prospects to land Prado or Walker. 

So finally, who is the proven arm we can pickup?

The Right Piece

Arte has said he is willing to go over the luxury tax for the right player. However, I don't think this means he will break through the tax an acquire a Greinke or Price. We have to address our LF problem and if that is not done via trade, we can go for a guy like Span, Parra, maybe even Gordon. We may have to pick up a third basemen if we cannot land one via trade. This doesn't leave us with too much money to spend. This is where you go over the luxury tax slightly with Wei-Yin Chen, aka "The Piece". 

I am surprised he hasn't been mentioned as much as other names. He isn't a sexy signing and not somebody you think about breaking the tax for, but he would be a tremendous help with very low risk. He is proven, and extremely consistent with his statistics trending up. He has posted Mid 3 Era's the last two seasons in an extreme hitters park. I think it would be very possible that we get 3-3.3 Era with 1.2 WHIP from him in 2016. I think that he is highly underrated and due to all of the other names and options in the market he is being looked-over which may bring his value down. I would say that he signs for 4 years 50/65mil. The key is to get him soon, before the teams that miss out on the big fish go looking for tier 2 or 3 pitchers. 

 

 

 

Good post. Well thought out. 

[nikkachez]

Oh, and for anyone wondering, the Angels have around $29-$30 million in spending room, and they could shed another $17-$18 million by dealing Wilson, Santiago, and Salas. They could easily get two big contracts and still be in the tax threshold range (depending on the targets).

[Troll Daddy]

If you get three or four free agents ... your chances increase for one of them to actually workout.

[ettin]

I have serious doubts that Skaggs will start in our rotation next year. He is recovering from Tommy John Surgery and will be on a strict innings limit.

It doesn't make a lot of sense for him to start the year in the MLB rotation and then get demoted down or thrown into the back-end of the bullpen halfway through the season.

Additionally we have a lot of Major League assets right now and one or more of them will have to be traded to make room for Tyler to even enter the rotation.

It is much more likely that Tyler will spend most of the year in the Minors and will have his starts and innings stretched out to manage the load on his arm post-surgery. Those that think he's ready will probably be disappointed.

There is a case where they could throw him in a bullpen role next year but I had a brief Twitter discussion with Jeff Fletcher on this and this scenario seems unlikely as well.

EDIT: And now that I go back and re-read the OP I see where I failed to pick up his idea about split time. In principal it isn't a bad idea (as Scotty suggested here too awhile back) but it seems much less likely the Angels would spare a 25-man roster spot to make this happen. Those 25 spots are valuable and need full functionality out of them not part-time roles.

Edited October 30, 2015 by ettin

[ten ocho recon scout]

Not sure i agree with chen, but excellent post. Like chuck said, well thought out.

[AngelsLakersFan]

I really doubt this team doesn't give Skaggs a shot at the rotation. We might have some depth but it's not like we have the Nationals rotation on paper. Matt Harvey seems fine this year after going way over 180. We ,right see him start the season late, to give him some room down the stretch, but he will be penciled into this rotation because he has the best upside of anyone we have aside from Richards and maybe Heaney.

[tdawg87]

Oh, and for anyone wondering, the Angels have around $29-$30 million in spending room, and they could shed another $17-$18 million by dealing Wilson, Santiago, and Salas. They could easily get two big contracts and still be in the tax threshold range (depending on the targets).

 

I don't think that's accurate. If I'm not mistaken they are closer to about 10 million in spending room.

[nikkachez]

I don't think that's accurate. If I'm not mistaken they are closer to about 10 million in spending room.

 

Baseball Reference: http://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/LAA/2015-payroll-salaries.shtml

 

Cots Contracts: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1KR9TtzeR2eCd0GiSAWS1fq-iGGx583uGQbM5eTfBHlE/pub?output=html   (This one is before roster fill out and arb cases, even then the payroll sits at a lowly $130 million). 

 

Halos Heaven: http://www.halosheaven.com/2015/10/27/9623354/angels-salary-commitments-2016-and-beyond

 

OC Register article by Jeff Fletcher: http://www.ocregister.com/articles/angels-686388-rhp-david.html

 

MLBTraderumors has their arbitration estimates (which are usually pretty accurate) here http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2015/10/projected-arbitration-salaries-for-2016.html

 

Adds up to $20.4 million in arb costs, combine that with the rough payroll estimates before arb costs and roster fill outs (major league minimum = around $9 million to fill out this particular roster). It's always in the $159-$160 range. 

 

It only seems like a little wiggle room because of all the holes on the roster. They have $30 million to get a left fielder, third baseman, relief help, and I'm sure they'd love an ace, a second baseman, and another backstop option. Let's just say if the Angels really only needed one hole filled (let's say an ace or a left fielder), then it would be a tremendous amount of help especially with Weaver and Wilson coming off the books for a combined $40 million. 

 

It's not hard to find.

Edited October 31, 2015 by nikkachez

[ettin]

Baseball Reference: http://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/LAA/2015-payroll-salaries.shtml

 

Cots Contracts: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1KR9TtzeR2eCd0GiSAWS1fq-iGGx583uGQbM5eTfBHlE/pub?output=html   (This one is before roster fill out and arb cases, even then the payroll sits at a lowly $130 million). 

 

Halos Heaven: http://www.halosheaven.com/2015/10/27/9623354/angels-salary-commitments-2016-and-beyond

 

OC Register article by Jeff Fletcher: http://www.ocregister.com/articles/angels-686388-rhp-david.html

 

MLBTraderumors has their arbitration estimates (which are usually pretty accurate) here http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2015/10/projected-arbitration-salaries-for-2016.html

 

Adds up to $20.4 million in arb costs, combine that with the rough payroll estimates before arb costs and roster fill outs (major league minimum = around $9 million to fill out this particular roster). It's always in the $159-$160 range. 

 

It only seems like a little wiggle room because of all the holes on the roster. They have $30 million to get a left fielder, third baseman, relief help, and I'm sure they'd love an ace, a second baseman, and another backstop option. Let's just say if the Angels really only needed one hole filled (let's say an ace or a left fielder), then it would be a tremendous amount of help especially with Weaver and Wilson coming off the books for a combined $40 million. 

 

It's not hard to find.

 

Those are hard 2016 salaries NOT Average Annual Value. Trout for instance is $24MM AAV. Also Fletcher is probably (based on MLBTradeRumors.com projected arbitration) going to be off a bit on arb numbers.

 

The numbers I posted in the first Primer show 2016 salaries and AAV. If you go by AAV we only have about $10MM give or take (and there is an error bar in there that amounts to upwards of $10MM up or down simply due to arbitration salary fluctuations and Hamilton's real salary which is not fully disclosed).

 

EDIT: Also to be clear my numbers in the Primer assumed that all of the controllable or contracted players would return which includes Murphy and DeJesus. So if you cut those guys instead of keeping them you'd have an extra $12MM right there. There is room to be made for sure but it is not your above number unless they trade players like Aybar and non-tender people like Salas or Ramos. I'd recommend going back and looking at the Primer and the conditions I stated right before the graphic. It is pretty accurate I think (could be wrong I'm not perfect).

Edited October 31, 2015 by ettin

[nikkachez]

Those are hard 2016 salaries NOT Average Annual Value. Trout for instance is $24MM AAV. Also Fletcher is probably (based on MLBTradeRumors.com projected arbitration) going to be off a bit on arb numbers.

The numbers I posted in the first Primer show 2016 salaries and AAV. If you go by AAV we only have about $10MM give or take (and there is an error bar in there that amounts to upwards of $10MM up or down simply due to arbitration salary fluctuations and Hamilton's real salary which is not fully disclosed).

EDIT: Also to be clear my numbers in the Primer assumed that all of the controllable or contracted players would return which includes Murphy and DeJesus. So if you cut those guys instead of keeping them you'd have an extra $12MM right there. There is room to be made for sure but it is not your above number unless they trade players like Aybar and non-tender people like Salas or Ramos. I'd recommend going back and looking at the Primer and the conditions I stated right before the graphic. It is pretty accurate I think (could be wrong I'm not perfect).

The Halos Heaven one is the AAV. Obviously some of the guys making major league minimum won't earn exactly the minimum and some with more service time will make more, but the difference is a few million. And it includes arb estimates, which again, are getting very accurate these days, and the buyouts for Murphy and DeJesus. There's even the possibility of shedding another $12-$14 million by dealing CJ, Santiago, and Salas.

Edited October 31, 2015 by nikkachez

[tdawg87]

I'm pretty sure player benefits and various payouts get included in the AAV towards the CBT, something the HH article did not include.

[ettin]

The Halos Heaven one is the AAV. Obviously some of the guys making major league minimum won't earn exactly the minimum and some with more service time will make more, but the difference is a few million. And it includes arb estimates, which again, are getting very accurate these days, and the buyouts for Murphy and DeJesus. There's even the possibility of shedding another $12-$14 million by dealing CJ, Santiago, and Salas.

 

Why does Halos Heaven only list 30 players on a 40 man roster? There are 10 other players that get paid. Also tdawg is correct about player benefits which probably is somewhere between $10MM-13MM or so (I went with the maximum per the Collective Bargaining Agreement).

 

Your lack of faith is disturbing.... *uses Force to temporarily choke you*

[laagamer]

Screw it. Just spend the money on more flashy lights in the stadium.

[xboom28x]

Oh, and for anyone wondering, the Angels have around $29-$30 million in spending room, and they could shed another $17-$18 million by dealing Wilson, Santiago, and Salas. They could easily get two big contracts and still be in the tax threshold range (depending on the targets).

 

No one is taking Wilson's remaining $18MM owed next year in full. If the Angels find a taker, they will be paying a very large portion of that contract, if not all of it.

[nikkachez]

No one is taking Wilson's remaining $18MM owed next year in full. If the Angels find a taker, they will be paying a very large portion of that contract, if not all of it.

No one said anyone was taking on all of that money in the first place. 

[nikkachez]

Why does Halos Heaven only list 30 players on a 40 man roster? There are 10 other players that get paid. Also tdawg is correct about player benefits which probably is somewhere between $10MM-13MM or so (I went with the maximum per the Collective Bargaining Agreement).

 

Your lack of faith is disturbing.... *uses Force to temporarily choke you*

Alright, 10 more players, around $5 million. I need to something on the benefits then I'll be a believer

[ettin]

Alright, 10 more players, around $5 million. I need to something on the benefits then I'll be a believer

 

It's in the first Primer (benefits). It's also in the Collective Bargaining Agreement. Last year the maximum (although I don't know if they quite reached it) was a little over $11MM so this year the maximum, per the CBA stating no more than a 10% increase year to year, would be what I quoted in said Primer.

[howie]

Is it possible that Weaver has a minor injury and it has affected him this past season? He seems like the type that wouldn't tell anyone or get it checked out. If I were the Angels, I'd go get him a full physical now- see if there's something medically wrong. I don't remember him ever having any surgeries, clean-outs, etc- maybe I'm wrong...

[Docwaukee]

payroll for 2016 and our cap number are pretty close.  pujols, weaver, wilson, and hamilton's money make up the difference for Trout's salary being below his aav.  

 

we are at 160 ish without bennys which are around 10%.  so for 2016 is around 175-180 relative to the cap.  

 

2016 isn't the year to worry about though.  We just need to be below for 2017 where about 50 mil is off.  So we have about 50-60mil if you include 2017.  So we need 3b, LF, Pen help, a SS (for 2017), probably a 2b, backup C and possibly a front line starter.  That ain't gonna happen for 50-60 mil.  

 

Chen isn't bad, but he's basically Hector Santiago with fewer walks and more hit.  

 

Some interesting data:

 

first time through the order ops against in 2015

heaney .627

weaver .663

wilson .684

Shoe .700

Santiago .745

Richards .751

 

2nd time through

Richards .574

Heaney .675

Wilson .676

Santiago .693

Shoe .711

Weaver .845

 

3rd time through

Richards .666

Wilson .732

Heaney .749

Santiago .755

Weaver. 775

Shoe .861

 

Here's my theory.  It's cheaper to find pen parts than starters.  Heaney and Richards are fine.  Skaggs will get a shot.  Santiago will be our #3/4 unless he's traded.  I have more confidence in Wilson than Weaver.  

 

I was never a fan of Weaver out of the pen, but his splits support him being the long guy out of pen.

Heaney, Richards and Santiago have the stuff.  Their splits are about sequencing in my opinion.  A new pitching coach could have a nicely positive effect in this realm. 

Wilson is better than he gets credit for.  He sucks to watch, but his stuff is still good enough for him to be in the rotation.  

Trop and Shoe are the 6/7 starters.  

 

So you could go a couple of routes here.  

Sign Greinke for 25mil per for 5 yrs.  

Trade Santiago for a 3bman

Sign Zobrist for 17mil per for 4 yrs

Bring back Murphy for LF (7mil)

Sign a reliever for 7per

55-60mil in added payroll

 

or

 

Sign Cespedes for 20mil per for 6yrs

Sign Zobrist for 17mil per for 4 yrs

Stop gap 3bman like Uribe for 2-3mil

Reliever for 7mil x 3yrs

Another reliever for 5-6mil

50-55mil in payroll added.  

 

or

 

Bring back murphy for 7mil

Add Zobrist for 17 x 4

Stop gap 3bman 2-3mil

2 relievers for 15mil

40-45 mil added.

 

or 

Bring back Murphy at 7 mil

Let Gia keep the 2b job (no add)

stop gap at 3b and/or give it to Cowart/Kubitza

Keep the pen as is. 

add 10 mil.  

 

There are some in between each of those as well.  

 

To me, the pen is the key.  Let Santiago and Wilson go out there and pitch their 5+ and then just lock teams down with a knockout pen.  

The second most important spot is 3b.  Freese is average but we have nothing average as a replacement.  You gotta fill that with more than the kids.

We've got Murphy in our back pocket and I think we are gonna keep him.  

Getting a new 2bman is almost as important as 3b.  Gia was pretty bad even when he was good.  Mostly because his defense is awful, but his offense is below average as well.  

 

For 2017, I get the sneaking suspicion that Featherston will be our starting SS after a year in AAA.  So what you see for 2016 is what you are gonna see for 2017.  

 

You can't have a pitcher who only starts at home.  It gonna be a logistical problem.  

[marcosantinia12]

I love Chen, but I'd have a hard time giving up the draft pick for him. But like I've been saying, I'm not opposed to giving up the draft pick as long as the Angels trade Tropeano/Shoemaker/Santiago/Wilson/Cron for some prospects. I like Leake because he's younger, 28, than all the other top pitching free agents, I think he would thrive at the home, and he wouldn't mean sacrificing a draft pick (even if he will be a bit pricey). That being said, I wouldn't mind placing Chen in the rotation depending on how Eppler fixes the lineup. Chen and Dexter Fowler maybe? You already lose the draft pick for Chen, why not go ahead and sign another guy attached to a pick? Then use some depth to acquire Prado. 

 

So many directions this team could take. 

Leake would also be a great option, in fact he is my second choice behind Chen. Although I'd be happy with both, there is a slightly higher risk with Leake in my opinion. For one, he hasn't pitched in the American League. He also didn't do as great as I anticipated pitching in San Fransisco. Lastly, while he is younger than Chen and is still pretty consistent, his trend is not in a particular order. Chen's numbers are consistently trending up and does so in the worst pitcher environment, the AL East with his home being Camden Yards. Even in this scenario he has managed to put a better season than any Leake has put together, as recently as last year. Still close considering Leake's age. The deciding factor comes in money where Leake will not only demand more money per year, but his contract will be longer than Chen's. Still i'd be ecstatic if we landed Leake.

As for Fowler, I'm 100% in so long as his price tag isn't too high. Fills our LF need, gives us high obp, and provides decent all-around play. 

Thanks to everyone for the feedback!

[ukyah]

all of this sounds like a third or fourth place team to me. the angels need to find a pretty creative way to dump some old salary. otherwise it's looking like a repeat performance.

[marcosantinia12]

I have serious doubts that Skaggs will start in our rotation next year. He is recovering from Tommy John Surgery and will be on a strict innings limit.

It doesn't make a lot of sense for him to start the year in the MLB rotation and then get demoted down or thrown into the back-end of the bullpen halfway through the season.

Additionally we have a lot of Major League assets right now and one or more of them will have to be traded to make room for Tyler to even enter the rotation.

It is much more likely that Tyler will spend most of the year in the Minors and will have his starts and innings stretched out to manage the load on his arm post-surgery. Those that think he's ready will probably be disappointed.

There is a case where they could throw him in a bullpen role next year but I had a brief Twitter discussion with Jeff Fletcher on this and this scenario seems unlikely as well.

EDIT: And now that I go back and re-read the OP I see where I failed to pick up his idea about split time. In principal it isn't a bad idea (as Scotty suggested here too awhile back) but it seems much less likely the Angels would spare a 25-man roster spot to make this happen. Those 25 spots are valuable and need full functionality out of them not part-time roles.

I partially agree. It probably would not be very efficient to have a "platoon" rotation spot, but it makes sense. At the end of the day, if we get an ERA around 3.30-3.60 between the two then I think that it is worth sacrificing the last roster spot. If their combined Era is on the over side of 4, I think that the project simply did not work. I would like to see something like that attempted though, unconventional but may work - much like the Rasmus last year. 

[Second Base]

Admittedly, the guy I like to converse with is no longer employed by the Angels, but he seems to think the Angels absolutely won't be trading Wilson and that it was their intention to have Skaggs on the major league roster, in either a starting or bullpen capacity. They're also wanting to hang onto Tropeano.

Just a guess on my part, but I think the rotation will be Richards, Heaney, Tropeano, Wilson and Weav. They'll hold onto Skaggs because with Weav and Wilson in there, they'll need the depth. I think they'll also keep Shoe, as his trade value isn't as high. Santiago and Alvarez will be traded.

2017 though, Richards, Newcomb, Tropeano, Heaney and either Skaggs or Ellis. That group is going to be filthy.