2018 Hot Stove League

[Angelsfan1984]

Just now, Kevinb said:

I don't want anyone on the Angels over 35 so I would pass on that as well. 

[Lou]

50 minutes ago, Stradling said:

2 years $15 million, pass.  

no way he makes it through that contract playing for Oakland 

[Angelsfan1984]

12 minutes ago, Lou said:

no way he makes it through that contract playing for Oakland 

He’ll have 54 saves and be traded for someone’s number 1 prospect 

[Second Base]

Relievers are kind of funky. Sometimes they're major league ready at 22, sometimes they aren't ready until 32. Some of them are toast after 2-3 years at 25, some find a niche of sorts and can go until they're 40 almost. I suspect Soria is the latter. He should be fine in Oakland.

But we know Eppler doesn't pay for relievers. Certainly not 7.5 million a year for one nonetheless. I know we as fans want proven options, but Eppler has really had a lot of success in the waiver wire. Whoever he picks up, you figure will end up being pretty good. It's why I wasn't upset about the Alvarez-Garcia trade. I figure Eppler knows what he's doing. 

[Lou]

19 minutes ago, Angelsfan1984 said:

He’ll have 54 saves and be traded for someone’s number 1 prospect 

and that #1 prospect will win an MVP and Cy Young in the same season he leads the Arizona Cardinals to a Super Bowl victory while recovering from polio

[Angel Oracle]

5 hours ago, Chuckster70 said:

The A's didn't have one established bullpen guy heading into 2018 and they ended up with one of the better BP's in the league. 

Treinen was sort of established, just not elite like he was in 2018.

Otherwise, spot on

[Jay]

12 hours ago, Lou said:

MLBTR predicted both Harvey and Cahill getting 2/$22M deals.

 

11 hours ago, nando714 said:

Not bad 1 year deals . If they some what perform well they will be trade chips come July. 

Not sure I would put it quite like that but it does appear that the Angels aren't going anywhere in 2019. I expect more of the same.

[totdprods]

20 minutes ago, Jay said:

 

Not sure I would put it quite like that but it does appear that the Angels aren't going anywhere in 2019. I expect more of the same.

Eppler was able to add Sandoval, Jerez, and Buttey for 2 months apiece of Kinsler and Maldy. 

If Cahill and Harvey are even just in line with their career norms and the Angels don’t have a need for them, they’ll likely be dealt for something useful. 

[Angelsfan1984]

Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports reports that the Athletics have acquired Jurickson Profar from the Rangers in a three-team trade that also involves the Rays.

Passan says the Rangers will receive prospects Brock Burke, Eli White, Kyle Bird, Yoel Espinal and international bonus pool money, while the Rays will get reliever Emilio Pagan, prospect Rollie Lacy and a competitive balance pick. Profar is set to take over as the A's second baseman, with Jed Lowrie now likely to depart in free agency and Franklin Barreto moving to the bench or back to the minors. The former top prospect had a breakout 2018 campaign, batting .253/.335/.458 with 20 homers and 10 steals.

[totdprods]

Likely means the end of Jed Lowrie’s days in Oakland. I’d certainly still look into what he’d cost for a 1-2 yr. deal. 

The IF market is flooded still. If we can find someone with a higher ceiling than Fletcher, it’s worth the roll of the dice. 

[WeatherWonk]

9 minutes ago, totdprods said:

Likely means the end of Jed Lowrie’s days in Oakland. I’d certainly still look into what he’d cost for a 1-2 yr. deal. 

The IF market is flooded still. If we can find someone with a higher ceiling than Fletcher, it’s worth the roll of the dice. 

I agree, love to see Lowrie, but I suspect Epplers priority is now a catcher and/or reliever. Fletcher's performance in 2018 and the acquisition of LaStella probably has him thinking he has that covered rather cheaply and can spend elsewhere.

[Angelsfan1984]

Depending on his ask I’d take a look at lemeheiu or however you spell it. His glove is rock solid and he’s not a complete Swiss cheese bat.

[Angelsfan1984]

1 minute ago, WeatherWonk said:

I agree, love to see Lowrie, but I suspect Epplers priority is now a catcher and/or reliever. Fletcher's performance in 2018 and the acquisition of LaStella probably has him thinking he has that covered rather cheaply and can spend elsewhere.

For sure. I think the infield other than catcher is set. I think LaStella is insurance for cozart tbh. If he’s not healthy ward and fletcher will man those positions with lastella roaminh. If he is healthy I think lastella is just used as a late inning pinch hitter. 

My guess is we see a trade for either cervelli or sign grandal and with any leftovers sign a veteran reliever 

[totdprods]

5 minutes ago, WeatherWonk said:

I agree, love to see Lowrie, but I suspect Epplers priority is now a catcher and/or reliever. Fletcher's performance in 2018 and the acquisition of LaStella probably has him thinking he has that covered rather cheaply and can spend elsewhere.

Can really see it going any direction. Grandal might not sign until Realmuto is resolved. If he’s the Angels likeliest upgrade there, it may not resolve for awhile. Angels could skip waiting all of that out and go for a defensive option on the cheap like Maldy or Lucroy, and instead look towards another IF for the help on offense.

Both reliever and IF markets are loaded with free agents right now, not a lot of movement, not a lot of dollars. 

All three of these may not be addressed until late January. 

[Stradling]

Looks like Andrew Miller got two years $25 million from St Louis.  With a beating option for another $12 million. 

[Inside Pitch]

4 minutes ago, totdprods said:

Angels could skip waiting all of that out and go for a defensive option on the cheap like Maldy or Lucroy, and instead look towards another IF for the help on offense.

Lucroy's defense has completely fallen off.  He went from being one of the games best pitch framers to one of it's worst.  His walk rate has cratered, as has his ISO -- although the park may have had something to do with it.   He looks like a guy in serious decline.   

[floplag]

1 minute ago, Stradling said:

Looks like Andrew Miller got two years $25 million from St Louis.  With a beating option for another $12 million. 

Wow... season of the overpay continues... 

[Inside Pitch]

1 minute ago, Stradling said:

Looks like Andrew Miller got two years $25 million from St Louis.  With a beating option for another $12 million. 

Does that seem high to you or a good number?   They bringing him in to close at that price?  I don't have an opinion really, Im just wondering what it means to the reliever market.  Guy was an absolute beast 2014-2017.

 

[totdprods]

4 minutes ago, Inside Pitch said:

Lucroy's defense has completely fallen off.  He went from being one of the games best pitch framers to one of it's worst.  His walk rate has cratered, as has his ISO -- although the park may have had something to do with it.   He looks like a guy in serious decline.   

Then another cheap, defense-first option. 

Mostly, I’m just pointing out that the only realistic catching upgrade that’s available offensively is Grandal. Realmuto is likely too costly. Avila and Cervelli might be options, but Eppler hasn’t moved on Avila in the past when he was available, and the Pirates tend to ask for a lot in trades as well. I think a lot of that market is going to hinge on where Realmuto goes, which affects where Grandal goes, which affects where the next tier goes...

Instead of waiting for whatever is left come January, I could see Eppler moving on infield help first, finding enough of an offensive upgrade there and focusing on a cheap defensive vet catcher he may able to snag soon instead. Depending on who that vet catcher is, they may even still be able to look at adding another catcher at that time too. 

[GrittyVeterans]

4 minutes ago, Inside Pitch said:

Lucroy's defense has completely fallen off.  He went from being one of the games best pitch framers to one of it's worst.  His walk rate has cratered, as has his ISO -- although the park may have had something to do with it.   He looks like a guy in serious decline.   

Yeah I can’t understand why anyone thinks he’s a good option

[Inside Pitch]

12 minutes ago, floplag said:

Wow... season of the overpay continues... 

Not taking a counter position, but I don't know that Andrew Miller has any really good comps so his salary is hard for me to compare.   

He was a monster the four years before last season (he was hurt), but he wasn't used as a closer save for one season.   He's been a guy that outperformed even the most legit closers save for possibly Chapman but he hasn't been asked to close... again, save for one year.

He's an outlier IMO, but this signing likely ramps the price or RP up a bit.   I've stopped trying to make sense of what teams are paying RPs -- they seem to be all over the place.

Edited December 21, 2018 by Inside Pitch

[floplag]

1 minute ago, Inside Pitch said:

Not taking a counter position, but I don't know that Andrew Miller has any really good comps so his salary is hard for me to compare.   

He was a monster the four years before last season (he was hurt), but he wasn't used as a closer save for one season.   He's been a guy that outperformed even the most legit closers save for possibly Chapman but again -- he hasn't been  asked to close again, save for one year.

He's an outlier IMO, but this signing likely ramps the price or RP up a bit.   I've stopped trying to make sense of what teams are paying RPs -- they seem to be all over the place.

Yeah thats very true, im basing it simply on paying any reliever that much being a bit odd without the resume of a Chapman which almost none have.   Even those who do this would raise a bit of an eyebrow.  For it to be the cardinals, even a little moreso.  meh, no matter. 

[Stradling]

10 minutes ago, Inside Pitch said:

Does that seem high to you or a good number?   They bringing him in to close at that price?  I don't have an opinion really, Im just wondering what it means to the reliever market.  Guy was an absolute beast 2014-2017.

 

My personal opinion is I’m afraid he was over used during those years and this will turn out to be bad for the Cardinals. I could be wrong.   If the Angels gave him that I wouldn’t worry about the vesting option, because I’d assume he wouldn’t hold up.  

[floplag]

10 minutes ago, GrittyVeterans said:

Yeah I can’t understand why anyone thinks he’s a good option

The only way i go with a defense first catcher, is if we get an offensive upgrade elsewhere, likely at 3B.  I would of course prefer both but yeah, not gonna happen.

[Stradling]

When I say that I haven’t looked it up it just feels like he pitched a lot. Stats might not support my feeling.