Reflecting on his six-year tenure with the Rangers, impending free agent right-hander Yu Darvish told Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News via text (through an interpreter) that he “listened and paid too much attention to any criticism I heard inside and outside the clubhouse” when he was a member of the team. Darvish also revealed that his relationship with his Rangers teammates “wasn’t great” at times. Those issues sapped Darvish of some of his joy for baseball, though he noted that he began regaining it after the Rangers traded him to the Dodgers on July 31. Darvish explained that his loss of enthusiasm wasn’t the fault of his previous club, however, as he came to realize “how much the Rangers and the fans cared about me” while in LA over the final three months of the season.
More from around the majors:
- The Mariners would like to retain impending free agent center fielder Jarrod Dyson, but his age (33) might stand in the way of them giving him a multiyear deal and lead to his exit, Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times writes. First baseman Yonder Alonso could return, on the other hand, considering both the Mariners’ need at the position and general manager Jerry Dipoto’s assessment of the late-season trade acquisition’s performance in Seattle. “He plays a pretty solid first base. I think he gave us a presence after we got beyond the middle of our order,” Dipoto said of Alonso, who batted .265/.353/.439 in 150 plate appearances after coming over from Oakland. While the M’s are open to keeping Alonso, he’ll be part of “a pretty flush class of free-agent first baseman,” according to Dipoto, who added that “there are a lot of different options for us, and we want to make sure that we’re maximizing our potential at that position.”
- Although Michael Brantley missed a large portion of this past season with right ankle problems and then underwent surgery Oct. 19, the Indians still picked up his $12MM option for 2018 on Friday. When discussing the decision with Ryan Lewis of Ohio.com and other reporters, president Chris Antonetti noted that Brantley’s surgery carries a high rate of success (Twitter link). While the Indians are optimistic about Brantley’s health, Antonetti won’t talk about how the 30-year-old fits on the Tribe’s roster until he’s further along in his rehab, per Lewis.
- Diamondbacks infielder/outfielder Chris Owings underwent surgery on his right middle finger on Friday, the club announced. Owings previously had surgery on that same finger July 31, a day after he suffered what proved to be a season-ending fracture. The latest procedure “was performed to ensure continued proper and complete healing,” the D-backs stated.
- Bobby Henley will stay on as the Nationals’ third base coach under new manager Dave Martinez, Chelsea Janes of the Washington Post reports (Twitter link). As Washington’s third base coach since the 2014 season, Henley has survived the ousters of skippers Matt Williams and Dusty Baker.
Mariners Offseason Plan
(Disclaimer: This is not what I think will happen, just what I believe should happen)
Sign Shohei Ohtani (I know this is obvious but any perfect situation would include him)
Sign Carlos Gonzalez (12 mil for 1 year)
Trade Nick Vincent, Tony Zych, and Braden Bishop to the Red Sox for Jackie Bradley Jr. (Assuming the Red Sox go after a big outfield bat this offseason)
Trade Max Povse and Chase De Jong to the Tigers for Nicholas Castellanos
Trade Ben Gamel to the Rays for Jake Odorizzi (Borrowed from Bleacher Report)
Rotation:
Paxton
Ohtani
Odorizzi
Leake
Hernandez
Lineup:
Segura (SS)
Haniger (RF)
Cano (2B)
Cruz (DH)
Bradley Jr. (CF)
Seager (3B)
Gonzalez (LF)
Castellanos (1B)
Zunino (C)
Bullpen:
Díaz
Phelps
Simmons
Pazos
Rzepczynski
Pagan
Miranda
Gonzalez (Marco)
Bench:
Motter
Heredia
Marjama
*this includes not resigning Erasmo Ramirez in order to save money
I figured that along with getting rid of Ramirez’ salary, this would end up costing about 29 mil, just below the 30 mil mark that I have heard is the amount they can spend.
The obvious issue with this is the fact that the bullpen would be so severely weakened but I believe the bullpen is one of the Mariners deepest positions and that in order to fit everyone in, they need to get rid of a couple of them (I realize Zych and Vincent are two of their best but you need to give up something in order to get something)
This is similar to an earlier post I did with a few changes and again I really want feedback on if this is a good idea or if it would even work.
I can see where you are coming from. However, I think there are better options in the OF than Gonzalez for 12 MM. I like the idea of getting Odorizzi for sure though. I think he’d be a nice addition to the rotation
Gamel won’t fetch Odorizzi. That package won’t fetch JBJ
See explanation below for JBJ, and for Odorizzi, I don’t know if Gamel would be enough, that was a trade Bleacher Report speculated about and I borrowed it from them
I do not think we will trade all of that pitching for a center fielder if we will also sign a corner outfielder in cargo.
Who would play center field then?
houkenflouken, I think that’s a real overpay all the way around for a player that really struggled offensively against RHP last season. I could see some kind of deal getting done with Boston involving Rzepczynski, as they need a lefty reliever and Seattle has one too many (Gonzales is out of options). Maybe Rzep and some change to Boston for Lin? Lin could address Seattle’s need for a better utility infielder.
Trade several of our relative garbage players for one of your good players. No fan boy slant here.
Which trade are you talking about
The Bradley trade in particular is pretty bad. I do think Boston will move him this off-season, but they should do much better than two years of an average reliever and some fringy secondary pieces. Both Vincent and Zych had shiny ERA marks, yeah, but neither had the peripherals to really back that up. Bishop’s not a particularly good prospect (4th-5th outfield type). Bradley’s an above-average everyday outfielder with three prime years of team control – that’s really valuable.
Don’t think the Tigers would jump on the Castellanos trade, either, but I can sorta buy the Gamel-Odorizzi swap
My thought on the Bradley trade was this: if you just go by bWAR, Zych had 1 and Vincent had 1.5. This means that they are producing 8 and 12 million dollars of value. (Assuming 1 WAR is worth about 8 mil) Zych is getting paid almost nothing this year and if you think he’ll get an arbitration similar to Vincent he’ll get about 3 mil per year for the 3 years after so over the 4 years of control he’d produce about (8*4)-(3*3)=23 million of surplus value (Assuming he just repeats this year over and over). Vincent on the other hand would produce approximately (2*12)-(2*3)=18 million dollars of surplus value. If Bishop is even a 1 WAR player each year (which I think might be a little low considering MLB.com has him as a 50 grade overall which is an average player meaning about 2 WAR per year) for his first 6 years he’d only make maybe 10 million over that time while producing (8*6)-10=38 million dollars of surplus value. Bradley is about a 3.5-4 war player for the next year making about 8 mil per year so he’d produce (3*(8*4))-(8*3)=72 mil of surplus value. So the mariners would give up approximately 23+18+38=79 mil of value while the Red Sox would give up 72 mil.
Now I realize that future value is less valuable than current value but the fact that reliever WAR is always low because it doesn’t account enough for leverage evens this out in my opinion. I also realize that these are all estimates for what 1 WAR is worth but even if these numbers were slightly different, the point is the same.
With the Castellanos trade, he’s only been worth about 1.5 WAR each year and he’s getting paid about 8 mil in arbitration (according to MLBTR) so he’s not producing much actual value in the first place, about 4 million, and because of this, giving up 2 pitchers who both have a chance to be back of the rotation starters with team control for 6 years is definitely enough to make this work in my opinion.
So many things wrong with this explanation on the Bradley trade.
1. Where do you get Bradley’s arbitration number at $8 million? MLBTR predicts $5.9 million.
2. It’s pretty generous to call Vincent a 1.5 WAR player. He may have hit that last season, but he managed a 3.1 WAR in the five seasons prior.
3. You’re ignoring the fact that these are two relief pitchers – by far the most volatile position when it comes to putting up consistent numbers year in, year out. Bradley can be streaky with the bat, but he has premium defense. Even if he does nothing at the plate, he’ll give you 1.5+ WAR in the field alone.
4. Assuming the two of them do produce those WAR figures, it’s not like it just gets added to the team. In order for them to do that, they need to replace two guys in Boston’s bullpen. Who are they going to be? Vincent pitched 64.2 innings last season. If you convert last year’s numbers for Boston’s relievers to that many innings, you get these WAR values: 2.7 (Joe Kelly), 1.8 (Hector Velazquez), 0.7 (Matt Barnes), 0.5 (Robby Scott), 0.4 (Heath Hembree), 0.4 (Brandon Workman). So even if Zych and Vincent produce 2.5 combined WAR, by replacing two of those guys, it turns out to be closer to 1.7 WAR.
5. Relievers are a dime a dozen. 79 different players posted a 1.0+ WAR out of the bullpen last season. How many other outfielders have posted a 8.0+ WAR since the start of 2016 like Bradley? Just ten.
6. Teams have a finite number of roster spaces. Three guys who produce a 2.0 WAR each do not equal one player who produces a 6.0 WAR.
6. There’s just a flaw in the logic behind all of it, anyways. Based on your formula, Mike Trout will give the Angels $138.0 million in surplus value over the three years remaining on his extension. However, adjusting their numbers to a full season, Leury Garcia, Nicky Delmonico, and Yomer Sanchez will give the White Sox $262.0 million in surplus value before they enter free agency.
So, based on your formula, it would be a great trade for the Angels if they sent Mike Trout to Chicago (and covered his entire contract) for those three guys.
Those are all fair points, it may be that the Mariners would need to give up more than that
Actually, it’s future value that needs to be weighed, and value goes beyond WAR. The availability and demand is something else to consider, as are splits. Great job breaking that down, though. What’s funny, is that some of the responses suggest that Bradley is worth more. I would disagree. Zych, Vincent, and Bishop would represent an overpay, in my opinion, as Vincent was lights-out at home and extremely versatile. He could come in early, late, set up, or even close. Bishop has nearly everything apart from power and may prove to be better than JBJ.
Point is, you were more than fair.
You really think relievers are a dime a dozen? Feel free to explain how guys like Cecil, Benoit, Casilla, Hudson, Logan, Tazawa, Rzepczynski, etc., got such lucrative deals. And none of them are closers. The market for relievers is much higher than it once was.
I’d much rather have the solid relievers and OF prospect over the center fielder who struggled against RHP in a hitter-friendly park.
Thank you, and connorreed, sorry, I remembered the arb estimate for JBJ wrong so his surplus value should have been 6 million higher
Boston has a need for a solid RHRP and a solid LHRP. Thornburg is hardly a lock as he’s coming off surgery and Smith barely saw action after missing the better part of two years, so it was weird a weird rebuttal. I can’t see that deal happening, but if Boston intends to upgrade 1B and/or the outfield, it would make at least some sense that they would try to cut corners in other areas, such as relief pitching.
Seattle has an excess of relievers, both LHP’s and RHP’s, so it isn’t a stretch to think that something between the two teams might happen. Boston might want to hang on to Bradley, though, as they would arguably be selling low if they were to try to move him now.
I still see Tampa and Milwaukee as solid trade partners, as those teams need relievers as well and each has an abundance of what we need (Milwaukee outfielders, Tampa starting pitchers). Milwaukee will be giving Brinson a harder look soon and still have Ray developing. Tampa will have to add Honeywell and Chirinos to their 40, with should make Odorizzi, Snell, or Chirinos available–possibly 2 of them, and it’s not a stretch to think they could swap Honeywell or Archer to address other needs.
You think Vincent, Zych, and Bishop are garbage? Boy do you have that wrong. Bradley had a wRC+ of 52 in the second half and couldn’t hit RHP season-long, though he’s a LHH. Bradley’s a good candidate to rebound, but Seattle wouldn’t likely cough up that much talent to take a chance.
I don’t think that it will cost $12 million for Gonzalez, but more like $8 mil (although some team may jump the gun and overpay him).
I’m not convinced that the Tigers give up Castellanos for that price.
I’m not sure also about the package for JBJ although admittedly it may work.
They are more likely to keep Ramirez than get Ohtani.
While it is certainly within the Rays methodology to “buy” young controllable talent the similarities of Gamel to both Kiermaier and even somewhat Mallex Smith I think reduces the likelihood of that trade for Odorizzi. I think that Tampa will hold out for a different type of player and probably a bigger return.
With all that said I do believe that these are at least the type of deals that could be pursued. I also wouldn’t be shocked if they are a player for Lorenzo Cain.
See explanation above
Not bad!!
There is no way just Gamel is gonna get Odorizzi…
As much as I think Boston homers overvalue Bradley that’s not gonna get it done for him…
I do see the Mariners as a sleeper for Ohtani…
Odorizzi’s not very good, and he’s getting a bit expensive for the Rays. That deal makes sense to me. The other two, not so much
See above explanation
Erasmo Ramirez is arbitration eligible. He will be on the roster, or traded. More likely on the roster–possibly even in the rotation.
Vincent might be Servais and Dipoto’s favorite reliever. I don’t see him, or Gamel, getting traded. They’re also known to be looking for a significant upgrade for the utility infield position(s). The moves we’ve seen to this point are likely for depth. Motter probably isn’t likely to get spot on the active roster, either.
I agree that these aren’t likely to happen but just moves that I think could (see really long explanation above) and should happen
I love it! Creative yet very, very possible.
Thanks
The article about Darvish also says he was the biggest Japanese star ever to come to the US. Ichiro was like Babe Ruth before he came over here.
And Hideki Matsui was “Godzilla” in Japan before he played for the Yankees.
Darvish is paving the way to turning the Rangers down if they approach him about coming back. That’s fine. Let some other team pay him ace level money when he isn’t worth it.
After seeing Darvish’s implosion in the World Series I really don’t see how any GM can justify giving him 5 or 6 years and $25M+ per season. The impending Darvish contract is most definitely an albatross waiting to happen.
I hope they don’t bring back Dyson. Though I love his play, with amazing defense, and blazing speed, we’re in a win now mode, with more consistent offense to do so. And Lorenzo Cain offers good speed, and good defense as well. 5 DRS, 26 SB while his offense (OPS above .800) was way better than Dyson, and was good without comparing it to Dyson. I see the Mariners are very serious competitors for him.
I’m not sure if the Mariners received revenue sharing in 2017. If they didn’t, signing Cain would cost them a pick after the 2nd round and 500k in IBP dough. Otherwise, a pick after the 3rd round, but he would still require a significant commitment. Do the Mariners want to do that with Bishop and Lewis 1-2 years away?
That is something I’m thinking. But, look at our situation. We have to win now. And Cruz is possibly gone after 2018, if Lewis can’t really handle the outfield anymore due to his injuries (doubtful, but crazier things have happened) he could DH. And if Gamel proves that handling full playing time is too much, Bishop could possibly take over his spot.
It is a tough situation. But I believe Seattle can contend and rebuild simultaneously. In order to do that, they have to take calculated chances with young players–just as we saw with Haniger and Gamel–and be careful not to get stuck with player-friendly contracts. Decent pitchers retain their value, but fielders north of 30 represent some risk that I don’t feel is worth taking, unless you could net a team-friendly deal.
Personally, I’ve wondered if Fowler could be acquired with St. Louis eating 18 million. It would clear space for the Cards’ to chase Stanton and/or re-sign Lynn. If that’s not an option, I’d like to see them try to acquire Brett Phillips, Manuel Margot or Michael Taylor.
Control is crucial, as is identifying under-the-radar talent, hence my non-stop blabbering over Christian Walker, Mike Ford, and Tyler Wade.
I really believe Seattle has a good shot at the postseason in 2018. They have a few holes, but they have a solid ‘pen and should be able to tighten up without much trouble.
I would think that in order for the Mariners to get Manuel Margot it would either take Jean Segura as the Padres need a shortstop, or a few of our top prospects. What do you think it would take? Because I’m not really why the Padres would to move their future centerfielder.
24, I don’t think the Padres would shop their future center fielder, but Preller would listen. I would think that a deal isn’t likely, but feasible.
I don’t think they need a SS, as Urias will likely get a hard look if Solarte doesn’t cut it and Tatis is right behind him. They would likely want an outfielder that’s ready now, or close, plus a starting pitcher.
Gonzales probably isn’t going to be moved, but him with Heredia for Margot and Wingenter would seem fair. Margot’s value is in his defense and speed. There’s legitimate questions over his bat, as he doesn’t walk much, so it’s tough for me to see Dipoto willing to cough up too much for him.
That would be a steal for the Mariners imo.
Pls takr Jacoby Ellsbury… PLEASE!!!!
Sorry… should have said “take”
That comment from Darvish made it sound like he didn’t enjoy his time in LA.
Well, Darvish was awful during the playoffs. I doubt LA brings him back.
I personally think something is not right with Darvish. For a pitcher of his caliber to be ineffective most of the season and then during the regular season is very telling. Hope the Dodgers DON’T bring him back. Other teams beware. Sometimes you don’t get what you pay for.
And then during the World Series I meant.
I would agree. I watched almost every one of his starts as a Ranger. Either he is tipping his pitches, or something is wrong. When he first started he had a cocky swagger to him. He seemed to love the game and knew he was good. His love for the game seems to be gone, and I felt like he was just going through the motions the past year +. Not sure what it is, but something is off
It’s hard to name one time in the playoffs or regular season for that matter where Darvish stepped up in a big game and pitched like an ace in a game his team absolutely needed it. I was so excited when the Rangers originally signed him but over the years he has proved he is not worth the huge amount of money some team is going to fork over for him.
I can’t see the Mariners committing to 2 platoons again, which is what they would be doing if they bring back Dyson and Alonso, though both would get the lion’s share of playing time as LHH’s.
I still don’t see why Dipoto wouldn’t take a shot with a younger 1st baseman that’s ripe for a look, such as Christian Walker or Mike Ford. Both have done just about everything right. Walker has excellent contact numbers for a power hitter, combined with a low kS%. Ford doesn’t have the same kind of power, but controls the zone with the same kind of plate discipline. Neither should be expensive (Dipoto could acquire both and stash Ford in AAA!), and if they don’t work out, the majority of the free agent cast of 1st basemen should be available in July–cheap–as they’ll likely be with non-contending clubs.
So, why commit to one of them now? Hosmer and Santana are the only two you would want to start full-time, Boston and Cleveland are the only two contending teams with a glaring need for a steady answer. Tampa might have a shot, but they’re more likely to go cheap again and try to get Bauers a look at some point.
Regarding the outfield, I think there’s a very good chance the Mariners could move Haniger to CF and bring in a corner outfielder instead. They certainly aren’t restricted to finding a center fielder, as Heredia can cover center as well.
Agreed, I could see them resigning one of Alonso or Dyson, but not both
forget Dyson, bring back Ichiro, he is not a bench player. He still has wheels and his hitting will get better playing regular 5 games a week
I’m sorry but you have no evidence to indicate that the current version of Ichiro would benefit from five days a week of playtime or if he’d even remotely be an upgrade. Quit holding on to the past and realize that Ichiro is what he is: a future Hall of Famer who has played too long and is now a below average player.
he would put up better numbers than Dyson has. Even if you feel he is too old, he can get on base and getting on base with cruz and Cano behind him is going to produce runs.
Your not looking at facts. You said at least he could get on base, but the cold hard facts say that since 2011 he has only gotten on base at an above league average rate twice (and he didn’t make that in 2017). Since 2011 he’s only even been a league average hitter once over the course of a full season. Statcast data shows he’s slowed down significantly too and has below average speed for an outfielder.
Over the course of the first part of his career Ichiro was very adept at a specific type of hitting. His speed also allowed him to generate a lot of infield hits. Unfortunately time has caught up to him and the skillset that allowed him to be successful has deteriorated. He has never really showed the ability to walk frequently which limits his OBP. If he ever truly had that ability to turn into a power hitter that many fans attributed to him then he should demonstrate it. He can’t be successful anymore at what was his bread and butter style.
Even if you don’t realize Suzuki has slipped I assure you that the baseball execs can and have realized the truth.
Rangers please sign Cobb and add Lance Lynn to top it off. You could have both of these pitchers for what it would take to sign Darvish.
Darvish found joy for baseball in LA until he got destroyed in World Series . I can’t see clubhouse and fans wanting him back.
Funny how the pundits really magnified Girardi’s gaffe in game 2 of the ALDS even though he rebounded from it like an artist. But the pundits are very quick to downplay Darvish’s horrendous performances in the WS as if they didn’t happen or were simply aberrations. How can any organization ignore those meltdowns and hand him an ace contract?
Because it was just 2 starts and the regular season games count?
They also said he was tipping pitches. When throwing a fastball his hand wouldn’t move a slider his hand would move a little. If he was truly tipping his pitches to a team like the Astros what you saw is what they are going to do to him. They are an amazing hitting team few holes at the plate. If signing Darvish helps get Otani I say sign him.
Here is a Japanese scenario. Mariners can sign Yu, Ichiro and giver Iwakuma a new offer. This would be a more likable situation for Otani to sign with the Mariners.. Gem of the scenario, of course, is Otani but also making all Japanese players feel more comfortable and gives them a chance to be in a better environment than the one in Texas. Ichiro would sell tickets, be a veteran presence for the Otani and his MLB transition. Plus they have a Japanese owner.
Don’t let the kid24 read this because I don’t know anything about prospects. I read an article which for some reason he can’t understand that said Lewis could be a Sept call up with plans to make him full time in ’19. If this is the plan I am not sure they make a huge move to bring in an OFer. I think they stick with Haniger who the kid says is no good, Heredia, Gamel and either one of the guys from AAA or bring in a guy on a 1 year contract. Then they can fugure out next year if they need to move Haniger to CF or maybe LF. If Heredia’s bat comes around he could stick in CF Lewis go to RF and Haniger to LF. Gamel will be the 4th OFer. If Heredia’s bat doesn’t come around he becomes the 4th Ofer and Lewis or Haniger are in CF.