mulwin444

Well, again, that's with the only other move being to sign Cole...I would assume an another move or two will be made in regards. I think, due to Ohtani's unusual pitching schedule (1 time per week) and Canning's youth and injury concerns, that those guys might be joined at the hip as it would limit Canning's innings, leaving Cole, Heaney, and Bundy as another three of essentially six man rotation. In this regard I think you will see another sign or trade for one more mid-ration starter to give you: 1. Cole 2. Ohtani (once a week) 3. Sign or trade 4. Heaney 5. Bundy 6. Canning (depending on schedule)

Yep, the Rondon factor was high on this Bundy trade...

So, Eppler traded multiple warm bodies for Dylan Bundy. Cool...

So, if the Angels land Cole (which sounds likely given leaks like this) you are looking at: Cole Ohtani Heaney Canning Bundy followed by: Barria Sandoval Peters Suarez Pena Get one more in there and you can have a 6 man rotation/swing man to account for Ohtani's once a week starts and keeping the innings low for Canning.

It was quite...hyperbolic

Or how we sweated trading Sean Newcomb for Andrelton Simmons

Every time I hear the term "overpay" in relation to prospects we gave up in a trade, I always think back to the Huston Street trade and how we "gave up too much". (Narrator: they were four bad players)

Or they could trade a young AAA relief pitcher for 2 years of Dylan Bundy

About what I figured...once the AAV is figured out then they can start turning their attention to other needs.

Yes

Sounds like a Patrick Corbin situation...at which point we'd likely have to overpay by years and money to overcome those objections.

Opening your pocketbook doesn't really equal/guarantee great options either. You try to mitigate potential issues as best you can but there is no guarantees either way. Do you sign a guy like Bumgarner to a 5 year deal, who has been injured and had declining peripherals, or trade for a 1 or 2 years of Samardzija or Kluber? Do you commit a 6 or 7 year deal to a 32 year old Strasburg or trade some solid prospects for Ray and try to resign him? It was always understood that Cole was likely going for 7 years, maybe 8, due to age and recent performance and durability...but he's kind of the 1A option with everyone at varying degrees of questionablility.

Dylan from the Orioles as a back of rotation option Kluber ($17.5 mil this season, $18 mil option for next season with $1 million buy out) may be on the table as the Indians retool and need cost affordable help on offense. Take a shot at Boyd and see if the price reasonable (but I wouldn't give up Marsh in something like that) Caleb Smith with the Marlins Robby Ray with DBacks Maybe buy low on someone like Kyle Freeland Samardzija for one season There are options to fill out the rotation if they can get Cole signed.

Well, luckily, there is more pitchers available in free agency...they can even trade for someone as well.

Looks like Angels going all-in on Cole at this point.

Considering how meh the SP options were last offseason, I'm guessing he probably feels pretty good he didn't win the Eovaldi or Happ sweepstakes since he can sign better pitchers this offseason.

Per MLBTraderumors.com: 3:37pm: The White Sox are “willing” to push beyond the five-year, $100MM mark in order to sign Wheeler, USA Today’s Bob Nightengale reports. Whether they’ve actually made such an offer isn’t clear. Who is ready for 6 years of Wheeler?!

Weird no one seems to want Joel Sherman's load...

(Narrator: There was no point)

Yeah, the catching options, where we have a need, is not offering anything attractive. Guys like Lamb and Shaw were good at one point but don't offer enough of a difference to take the risk. The SP options offer nothing and the RP options can be likely matched internally. Yeah, we're in a good place in that regard.

Not seeing a whole lot of potential difference makers on that list.

Your keen insight into Arte's mind is amazingly detailed...do you hear these voices often?

What the fuck are you even talking about and how does that have anything to do with what I posted? Arte and Eppler aren't sitting on their hands waiting for Cole to fall to them and they certainly aren't laboring under the delusion they'll get him at a discount. If we miss out on Cole, it's because some team added a 9th year...you good with that? I'd be good with them passing but I can see them pushing the competition to 8 if it required it. You wan't Wheeler for 6 or 7 years if competition is that fierce? It would give me pause. Also, I highly doubt we're in on Strasburg due to his age and durability. Context is important so if you are not willing employ some nuance expect some feedback. These also aren't the only three pitchers out there, free agency is not the only way to improve the team, and I'm going to give it longer than Thanksgiving to let my butt pucker about their 2020 season.

Signing Cole will likely hit a 7 to 8 year contract and Art/Eppler know this. They aren't bargain hunting Gerrit Cole when 75% of baseball is in on him. This is jut a silly line thinking.

Finished "Jedi Fallen Order"...pretty solid. Good Star Wars story with Souls-borne combat with elements of Uncharted, Titanfall (because it's Respawn) and Tomb Raider. Lots of jumping, hanging, climbing, rope-swinging, wall-running and sliding. You'll fall to your death a lot but the lightsaber battles and force powers are worth the trip.