2018 Hot Stove League

[TroutField]

14 minutes ago, Second Base said:

Source: Angels have the inside track on Kikuchi, but for a lot less than you'd expect. Teams have withheld bids so far. Lots of dialogue, not many offers. Also, Robertson meeting with Eppler was just a courtesy, not expected to leave the East Coast. Has offer in hand from Boston.

Sounds like he isn’t what he was hyped to be. Seems like most GMs are staying away. We have plenty of middle of the rotation staters, we need an ace and he isn’t that. 

[jessecrall]

10 minutes ago, TroutField said:

Sounds like he isn’t what he was hyped to be. Seems like most GMs are staying away. We have plenty of middle of the rotation staters, we need an ace and he isn’t that. 

The Royals won a World Series with the legendary Edinson Volquez as their ace. We won with Jarrod Washburn. As much as we'd all love to have '99 Pedro making 32 starts a year for the league minimum, the next best thing is a deep rotation in which 5 or 6 guys can give you quality efforts game after game after game. For ~$40 million, Kikuchi's a great gamble. Not to mention he's young enough to make a long-term deal palatable and the Angels could potentially have Ohtani in the ace role next year with other prospects or free agents (Gerrit Cole?) on the way. This team has top-line talent in Trout, Ohtani & Simmons. What they've lacked in recent years is a stable of solid to good players to supplement the stars.

[Chuck]

30 minutes ago, Stradling said:

Your source or did you read this somewhere?  

[Fullmer17]

1 minute ago, Chuckster70 said:

If we were talking to Robertson, I would think Eppler would be in the market for Ottavino and Britton.

[Chuck]

22 minutes ago, Fullmer17 said:

If we were talking to Robertson, I would think Eppler would be in the market for Ottavino and Britton.

I would love it if we signed Ottavino. 

[popo85]

Is there any word about Moose? If his stock is down wouldn't mind a 1-2 yr deal for 8 mill per and try to move Cozart.

 

-Fletch

-Trout

-Ohtani

-Upton

-Moose

-Bour/Pujols/Ward

-Simmons

-Calhoun

-Lucroy

 

 

[Docwaukee]

I think we'll add a reliever or two from the FA leftovers.  

I'd take a shot at Greg Holland.  

[Chuck]

Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe says Robbie Ray may be the next player traded by the Diamondbacks this offseason.

The Phillies and Astros are "very interested" in the southpaw, per Cafardo. Ray posted a somewhat disappointing 3.93 ERA in 24 starts last year, but he's supremely talented and under team control until after the 2020 season. For those reasons, he wouldn't come cheap, but with the D'backs in full-on rebuild mode it's not hard to see them make him available to teams.

Source: Boston Globe

[stormngt]

19 hours ago, jessecrall said:

The Royals won a World Series with the legendary Edinson Volquez as their ace. We won with Jarrod Washburn. As much as we'd all love to have '99 Pedro making 32 starts a year for the league minimum, the next best thing is a deep rotation in which 5 or 6 guys can give you quality efforts game after game after game. For ~$40 million, Kikuchi's a great gamble. Not to mention he's young enough to make a long-term deal palatable and the Angels could potentially have Ohtani in the ace role next year with other prospects or free agents (Gerrit Cole?) on the way. This team has top-line talent in Trout, Ohtani & Simmons. What they've lacked in recent years is a stable of solid to good players to supplement the stars.

Also remember the Angel's in bvb 2002 and Royals in 2015 won the WS with a lock down pen.  Not an Ace in rotation.

[ettin]

40 minutes ago, Chuckster70 said:

Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe says Robbie Ray may be the next player traded by the Diamondbacks this offseason.

The Phillies and Astros are "very interested" in the southpaw, per Cafardo. Ray posted a somewhat disappointing 3.93 ERA in 24 starts last year, but he's supremely talented and under team control until after the 2020 season. For those reasons, he wouldn't come cheap, but with the D'backs in full-on rebuild mode it's not hard to see them make him available to teams.

Source: Boston Globe

Ray was my primary choice in trade in the Rotation article. Think he would be a great fit. However he will cost us in prospect currency that we probably do not want to give.

[Chuck]

6 minutes ago, ettin said:

Ray was my primary choice in trade in the Rotation article. Think he would be a great fit. However he will cost us in prospect currency that we probably do not want to give.

I wonder if they'd take some combo of J.Jones or Brandon Marsh and say Jose Suarez & Felix Pena, or if it would cost more?

[ettin]

19 minutes ago, Chuckster70 said:

I wonder if they'd take some combo of J.Jones or Brandon Marsh and say Jose Suarez & Felix Pena, or if it would cost more?

Ray has two years of arbitration control left but has about a projected $6M salary for 2019. Based on a 3 year WAR average he has about $25M to $30M in surplus value. However, if he were a free agent signing a 2 year deal, he would probably get something close to a $45M-50M, 2 year deal as his true value, which still equates to about $34M when you subtract out his projected arbitration salaries ($50M-$6M-$12M=$34M).

FanGraphs recently placed a value of $28M on Brandon Marsh in trade value to give you a rough idea of worth. So a Marsh-based trade with one or two smaller pieces might make sense.

Robbie is more of a finishing piece however so unless the Angels extend him it may not be in the cards. All depends on what the Diamondbacks want.

[greginpsca]

Austin Brice has been designated for assignment, to make room for Lucroy. 

[Second Base]

I don't envision the Angels making a play for Moustakas.  They had a prime opportunity last year at a more expensive rate. There was some interest, but after figures were exchanged, talks sputtered. Granted, he figures to be less expensive this winter, still, the OBP doesn't seem.to fit what Eppler is looking for.

Having said that, I wouldn't mind it if the Angels did make a play for him. Left handed power which this team needs, forces Cozart into outplaying David Fletcher to be the starting 2B, which is all that he's earned. Loser moves to utility role.

[ettin]

38 minutes ago, RBM said:

I agree. It’s intriguing but would be a stretch and a change in direction for Eppler. 

Math correction:

$50M-$6M-$12M=$32M, not $34M

Ouch!

I actually was thinking a total of $16M in total salary but typed it wrong, oops!

Embarrassing for me in particular!

[totdprods]

44 minutes ago, Second Base said:

I don't envision the Angels making a play for Moustakas.  They had a prime opportunity last year at a more expensive rate. There was some interest, but after figures were exchanged, talks sputtered. Granted, he figures to be less expensive this winter, still, the OBP doesn't seem.to fit what Eppler is looking for.

Having said that, I wouldn't mind it if the Angels did make a play for him. Left handed power which this team needs, forces Cozart into outplaying David Fletcher to be the starting 2B, which is all that he's earned. Loser moves to utility role.

I think Moose would be a great fit now, should his price be reasonable. 

His OBP isn’t fantastic, but in recent years, it’s still been a tick above league-average at .324, and his power is consistent. In our lineup, as the 5th or so biggest threat, he’d be a great complimentary piece. And he doesn’t strike out too often. 

If we have $10-$15m left to spend, he’d probably be the best impact we could get for that amount in one player. 

[Second Base]

13 minutes ago, totdprods said:

I think Moose would be a great fit now, should his price be reasonable. 

His OBP isn’t fantastic, but in recent years, it’s still been a tick above league-average at .324, and his power is consistent. In our lineup, as the 5th or so biggest threat, he’d be a great complimentary piece. And he doesn’t strike out too often. 

If we have $10-$15m left to spend, he’d probably be the best impact we could get for that amount in one player. 

I'm hoping his market deflates and the Angels can land him for 1/8 like MLBTR thought. 

[hangin n wangin]

42 minutes ago, Second Base said:

I'm hoping his market deflates and the Angels can land him for 1/8 like MLBTR thought. 

That would please me greatly.

[totdprods]

9 hours ago, Second Base said:

I'm hoping his market deflates and the Angels can land him for 1/8 like MLBTR thought. 

Might see a sort of ‘Justin Upton’ effect - where the player is so exhausted with the free agency process, waiting all winter with no good offers, that he just jumps relatively quickly at an opportunity to play somewhere that he feels he wanted, somewhere he wants to be, and for a mutually reasonable contract. 

[Broad Street]

Moose for 1/8 would be fantastic.... Then we could flip him at the deadline with all the other one year contracts lol

[Tank]

14 hours ago, greginpsca said:

Austin Brice has been designated for assignment, to make room for Lucroy. 

[Second Base]

I too was surprised they DFA'd Brice before some of the others. Brice's velo, ground ball tendencies and success in AAA seemed to make him a fit. Hope he decides to return.

[totdprods]

46 minutes ago, Second Base said:

I too was surprised they DFA'd Brice before some of the others. Brice's velo, ground ball tendencies and success in AAA seemed to make him a fit. Hope he decides to return.

Decent chance he slips through waivers, so fingers crossed...

[Lou]

Oliver Drake is available.

yep. 

[Lou]

3 hours ago, totdprods said:

Decent chance he slips through waivers, so fingers crossed...

didn't he suck in the majors?