Sports Illustrated's top 50 free agents: has us signing Strasburg and Castro

[jsnpritchett]

https://www.si.com/mlb/2019/10/24/baseball-free-agent-rankings

"26. Starlin Castro, 2B

Age: 30 | 2019 Stats: .270 BA, .736 OPS, 22 HR, 86 RBI, 2 SB, 0.8 WAR

Current Team: Marlins | Best Fit: Angels

Castro had a miserable first half—he batted .245 with six homers and a .608 OPS—but the former Cub and Yankee turned it on after the break, when absolutely no one was paying attention to the Marlins. Then he hit .302 with 16 homers and 52 RBI; his .892 second half OPS ranked eighth among regular second basemen. He could prove a sneaky signing for Anaheim, who need infield help.

3. Stephen Strasburg, SP

Age: 31 | 2019 Stats: 18-6, 3.32 ERA, 1.038 WHIP, 10.8 K/9, 6.5 WAR

Current Team: Nationals | Best Fit: Angels

Strasburg can opt out of the remaining four years and $100 million on his Nationals contract—and after another superb season, followed by a crazy run to the World Series in which he struck out 33 hitters over his first four postseason starts while walking one, he likely will. He might then renegotiate a better contract with the Nationals, as Clayton Kershaw did with the Dodgers last year. Or he might truly test the market. I don’t actually think that a players’ birthplace plays that much of a role in his free agency decisions—maybe a tiebreaker, sometimes—but I do think that the Angels will be motivated to spend a lot on the Southern Californian, if they miss out on Gerrit Cole."

[tdawg87]

K

[Stradling]

We need infield help?

[Taylor]

Quote

1. Gerrit Cole, SP

Age: 29 | 2019 Stats: 20-5. 2.50 ERA, 0.895 WHIP, 13.8 K/9, 6.8 WAR

Current Team: Astros | Best Fit: Yankees

Claude just busted a nut.

[totdprods]

Jason Castro makes more sense.

I mean, I could still see the Angels snagging a multi-position vet IF on a cheap deal for some coverage, especially if a trade involving an IF prospect is inevitable sometime this season for some help, and Castro could fit if he’s very cheap. 1/$6m or so. Zobrist, Kendrick, etc. also apply. Someone with some legit SS experience might be more needed given that Tovar saw far too much time there last year.

[beatlesrule]

[Pancake Bear]

32 minutes ago, Stradling said:

We need infield help?

Yep. These kinds of articles are Bleacher Report level analysis. If we were gonna get an infielder, that wouldn’t be it. 

[tdawg87]

We actually do need infield help. I'll put the list of things we need in order of ranking:

Starting Pitcher

Starting Pitcher

Starting Pitcher

Catcher

Bullpen help

Starting Pitcher

Infield help

[stormngt]

1 hour ago, jsnpritchett said:

https://www.si.com/mlb/2019/10/24/baseball-free-agent-rankings

"26. Starlin Castro, 2B

Age: 30 | 2019 Stats: .270 BA, .736 OPS, 22 HR, 86 RBI, 2 SB, 0.8 WAR

Current Team: Marlins | Best Fit: Angels

Castro had a miserable first half—he batted .245 with six homers and a .608 OPS—but the former Cub and Yankee turned it on after the break, when absolutely no one was paying attention to the Marlins. Then he hit .302 with 16 homers and 52 RBI; his .892 second half OPS ranked eighth among regular second basemen. He could prove a sneaky signing for Anaheim, who need infield help.

3. Stephen Strasburg, SP

Age: 31 | 2019 Stats: 18-6, 3.32 ERA, 1.038 WHIP, 10.8 K/9, 6.5 WAR

Current Team: Nationals | Best Fit: Angels

Strasburg can opt out of the remaining four years and $100 million on his Nationals contract—and after another superb season, followed by a crazy run to the World Series in which he struck out 33 hitters over his first four postseason starts while walking one, he likely will. He might then renegotiate a better contract with the Nationals, as Clayton Kershaw did with the Dodgers last year. Or he might truly test the market. I don’t actually think that a players’ birthplace plays that much of a role in his free agency decisions—maybe a tiebreaker, sometimes—but I do think that the Angels will be motivated to spend a lot on the Southern Californian, if they miss out on Gerrit Cole."

Why do we sign s 2b?

[Pancake Bear]

11 minutes ago, stormngt said:

Why do we sign s 2b?

I could see where we could use an upgrade. But considering La Stella got more value than that in the first half and Fletcher was miles ahead of that, this isn’t it. Starlin couldn’t get an infield bench spot on this team right now. 

[Claude]

1 hour ago, Taylor said:

Claude just busted a nut.

No. They’re way wrong on these prognostications. The Yankees will stay clear of Cole. Stanton changed everything. Really stupid acquisition that will bite them for years to come. 

[floplag]

And this is why SI is failing... 

[Pancake Bear]

3 minutes ago, floplag said:

And this is why SI is failing... 

Honestly, trying to be aware of the needs of all 30 teams and where they might upgrade is always gonna result in quite a few head scratcher predictions in articles like this. It isn’t just SI. Pretty much any article like this will have the same problem. 

[floplag]

5 minutes ago, Sean-Regan said:

Honestly, trying to be aware of the needs of all 30 teams and where they might upgrade is always gonna result in quite a few head scratcher predictions in articles like this. It isn’t just SI. Pretty much any article like this will have the same problem. 

While i agree in principle,  there is being aware and then there is not haiving a freaking clue.

[tdawg87]

Can't believe what I'm reading from the failing Sports Illustrated! They say the Angels aren't getting Cole AND they need "infield help". Sad!

[John Taylor]

I'll stick with Fletcher, Simba, La Stella, and sign Cole and Wheeler. 

 

Remember when Sports Illustrated was one of the better Sports magazines around? Yeah neither do I....

[Tank]

SI has become a mess. Just got their latest issue, a double issue featuring over 30 pages on the new NBA season. 

Not a single story, picture or word about the baseball playoffs. Zip. Zero. Nada. 

They lost a lot when Rick Reilly and Steve Rushin left, and they haven’t really recovered. They’re like espn now.

[Claude]

17 minutes ago, Tank said:

SI has become a mess. Just got their latest issue, a double issue featuring over 30 pages on the new NBA season. 

Not a single story, picture or word about the baseball playoffs. Zip. Zero. Nada. 

They lost a lot when Rick Reilly and Steve Rushin left, and they haven’t really recovered. They’re like espn now.

They need to fix this by putting Maddon on the front cover with his new Angels uniform. 

[Second Base]

I actually disagree that the Angels need infield help. La Stella is an all Star at 3B and the performance doesn't appear to be a fluke as much as it simply came as a result of an opportunity to play everyday in a year when the ball was juiced and in a stadium that just lowered the HR line in RF the year before. None of that appears likely to change much in 2020.

Andrelton Simmons is one of the best starting SS in all of major league baseball, when he's healthy and none of his injuries have been the lingering sort, or the type that are the result of a career worth of impact. So you can't predict him being injured with any sort of detail or accuracy.

Fletcher is one of the most valuable and versatile defenders in all of major league baseball, capable of playing gold glove level defense at 2B, SS and 3B. He's also one of the hardest hitters in baseball to strike out. 

Rengifo will be 23 next year and his full season pace was 27 DB 5 triples and 11 HR's with a .320 OBP. Not bad for a 22 year old utility infielder in his first taste of the majors. His skills and minor league resume suggest that stark improvement upon that performance is not only possible, but highly likely.

Then we have Pujols at 1B. He's old and sucks now. No argument here. But if the Angels are truly in the middle of a playoff, do you think they'll continue to play Pujols everyday simply because of what he did a decade ago? Heck no.

And behind these guys on the depth chart, the Angels have Matt Thaiss, Taylor Ward, Jared Walsh and Jahmai Jones. Thaiss and Ward proceed that their power will lined translate at the major league level, and Thaiss in particular proceed that his defense at 3B also plays up, in addition to his ability to pick it at 1B. Walsh put up video game numbers in AAA, didn't look overwhelmed by major league pitching, and himself proved to be more than just an experiment as a two way player, he can legitimately get outs on the mound and hit HR's at the plate. And Jahmai Jones has turned a corner and has significant upside.

This team doesn't need infield help. Getting someone on a one year deal to plain or take over 1B like Todd Frazier certainly seems like a good idea. But it's not a necessity as much as it's simply something that is logical.

[Inside Pitch]

20 minutes ago, Tank said:

SI has become a mess. Just got their latest issue, a double issue featuring over 30 pages on the new NBA season. 

Not a single story, picture or word about the baseball playoffs. Zip. Zero. Nada. 

They lost a lot when Rick Reilly and Steve Rushin left, and they haven’t really recovered. They’re like espn now.

The SI we used to know and love doesn't exist anymore....   They are moving towards a Bleacher Report like entity.   Lots of amateur writers and bloggers, it's a pretty epic decline.

Both ESPN and SI have become garbage.

[mpcincal]

35 minutes ago, John Taylor said:

I'll stick with Fletcher, Simba, La Stella, and sign Cole and Wheeler. 

 

Remember when Sports Illustrated was one of the better Sports magazines around? Yeah neither do I....

I remember; but, then again, I'm in my early 50s.

[mpcincal]

30 minutes ago, Tank said:

SI has become a mess. Just got their latest issue, a double issue featuring over 30 pages on the new NBA season. 

Not a single story, picture or word about the baseball playoffs. Zip. Zero. Nada. 

They lost a lot when Rick Reilly and Steve Rushin left, and they haven’t really recovered. They’re like espn now.

It's been awhile since I've fully looked at the magazine, but I think SI is past the point of it being a source for current news, so to speak. I think they're on the path of Athlon or Street and Smith where they'll just put out season previews and narrowly themed issues. I think the NBA preview issue is indicative of that.

[mpcincal]

And, on the topic at hand: Strasburg is a pretty good guess as the Angels will be on him if they can't sign Cole. They definitely want Cole and will be willing to pay, but if the bidding gets out of hand, they can sign Strasburg for just a bit less with a higher quality second pitcher.

And I figure both of the free-agent picks from that list should be pitchers. I can't imagine the infield being much of a priority for the Halos this offseason.

[Blarg]

3 hours ago, Taylor said:

Claude just busted a nut.

Clod keeps saying the Yankees aren't interested.

[Troll Daddy]

58 minutes ago, Second Base said:

 

Then we have Pujols at 1B. He's old and sucks now. No argument here. But if the Angels are truly in the middle of a playoff, do you think they'll continue to play Pujols everyday simply because of what he did a decade ago? 

I wouldn’t be so quick to write off Albert Pujols. He did drive in 93 runs last season. Please don’t  bore me with reasons why ... bottom line he produced. As the team sits right now ... don’t expect him to lose much playing time. Especially now that Ohtani’s plate appearances will be cut dramatically. La Stella will have be the same player before his injury.

Eppler will need to find a replacement for Pujols if they want him out of the middle of the order and limited AB’s.