Click here to read the transcript of tonight’s live baseball chat, moderated by MLBTR’s Mark Polishuk
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Why do delusional Padres fans keep suggesting trades of Wil Myers for Noah Syndergaard or Mookie Betts?
I feel you. I get tired of watching my fellow Braves fans suggest trades for Mookie Betts that center around Inciarte and another spare part or two.
Frazier and Bird for kershaw.
Kershaw huh?
1. Like the Rays, Pirates, and A’s, the Indians are a small market team with a budget to match. They understand that there are a limited number of players they can keep once they are available for free agency. Knew they would lose Lindor to FA 3 years ago when he wouldn’t even sit to discuss a $100M offer (the owner told the fans to “enjoy Lindor while you can”). Consequently, the FO has been preparing for his departure and have a number of SS candidates in their farm system.
In trade, the Indians do not want a SS that has exhausted years of control – so getting back a Dansby Swanson (Braves) or Corey Seager (Dodgers) as the centerpiece of a trade is ridiculous. As is the idea that they would trade Lindor even up for Gleyber – when Lindor is a gold glove SS, .300 switch-hitter, with speed and power. Add that he plays best in big games, and it can be argued that he is the best all-around player in the AL next to Mike Trout (while a fine 2B, Gleyber is a below average SS). When the time comes, the Indians will want back multiple prospects – including a pitcher or two to develop (Indians may be the best organization in MLB developing pitchers). Something like a 2 of 3 of Verdugo, Ruiz, and a quality MiLB starter from the Dodgers…..maybe all 3 with the Indians feeding back another player.
2. The Cardinals have 3 top prospects that play 3B – Nolan Gorman, Elehuris Montero, and Malcom Nunez. The theory in giving Carpenter a 2 year extension was to be a placeholder until one of those guys are ready to take the job. Obviously the extension was a disaster, but Edman can hold down the position along with Carpenter and others for a year or two. No way the Cardinals give out a large, multi-year FA contact to a 3B or trade for a 3B with one.
First priority – they need to straighten out their OF.
3. Retiring Reds broadcaster Marty Brennaman called Jose Iglesias “one of the 5 best defensive SS’s I’ve seen in 42 years of doing MLB games”. Along with new pitching coach Derek Johnson, Iglesias’ defense was primarily responsible for the Reds going from a bottom 3 pitching staff in 2018 to a top 3 pitching staff in 2019. Add that Iglesias led the Reds in BA @ .282, and it’s pretty clear that they should agree on a new contract.
Iggy’s 2019 contract was for $2.5m – following a $6.2m contract with the Tigers in 2018. Meanwhile Didi is coming off an $11.75m contract. I like Didi a lot, but the Reds can get Iggy a lot cheaper in 2020, and at this point he’s a better fit for their team.
4. As for Grandal to the Reds – Tucker Barnhart is 2 years younger, handles pitchers extremely well, and is a fine defensive Catcher. While Grandal would be an upgrade, as a small market team the Reds would be better spending the extra $12-15m a year it would cost in other areas….and not using it to pick up a slower Billy Hamilton II from the Red Sox. There are some FA starters/relievers out there. Look for the Reds to shop Raisel Iglesias – possibly for a cheap platoon defensive CF – making Michael Lorenzen the closer.
Raisel Iglesias to the Nationals for Michael A. Taylor might be a possibility, with the Nats using Raisel as a set-up guy…although the money would have to be worked out – Raisel’s getting $18m over the next 2 years. Reds would have to eat some of the money and/or take on another Nats salary.
The slower Billy Hamilton II from the Red Sox might work out, but the problem there is that the Sox are trying to dump an $11m one year salary. Taking on $9 in 2020 and $9.1 in 2021 doesn’t get them out from under.
I disagree with ignoring the extra control with Torres.
Really?
You think 2-3 extra years of control makes Gleyber equal to Lindor. Gleyber has good games. Lindor literally influences every single game he plays. And when it’s time to trade him, the Indians will get a Kings Ransom for him. The young man is very probably the best all-around SS in MLB.
I would not be surprised to see the Yankees call the Indians on Lindor and Kluber. Indians know long term they can’t keep either and Kluber is expensive for them for next year off a down year. It will take a lot to get their interest, but the Yankees have a deep farm with some great talent. A package starting with Andujar, Frazier, Florial, Garcia and Estrada should keep them from hanging up. All of those guys are young, and Andujar, Frazier and Estrada could play right now. Garcia could be ready this year and is the Yankee #1 prospect.
The Indians are a small market team but they still have a competitive club,they won 93 games with their #1 and 2 starters out for most of the year along with myriad other injuries that they didn’t have a 203 million dollar payroll to help them wallpaper over.They aren’t going to trade Lindor unless it makes them better ,or as good as, right now.
Trading for Lindor would mean the Yankees would have to give up Torres in the deal,the Indians would have little interest in damaged goods like Frazier and Andujar both of whom are future DHs and the Yankees upper level prospects aren’t a good fit either since the Indians have pitchers of their own.
Lindor is a luxury item for the Yankees,they don’t really need him at the price the Indians will want,the Yankees would be better off concentrating on their pitching staff,keeping it together and adding the starting pitcher they need.
nypost.com/2019/10/20/adding-francisco-lindor-and-…
I have read the article. Joel Sherman is writing to Yankee fans to sell newspapers. No way the Indians do that deal. With their starting pitching, they are a contender on 2020. That deal does not help the Indians in 2o2o.
LOL
Sherman wrote an article last June or July when he proposed trading Indians reject Frazier and a few flunkies for Trevor Bauer. At the end he mentioned that since the Indians needed an OF (they didn’t), the Yankees could throw in a bench player (I don’t recall the guy…Tauchman?) and in turn the Yankees could take Shane Bieber off their hands as a favor. At age 24, Bieber went on to become the team Ace, won 15 games with a 3.28 ERA, 259 K’s in 186 innings, a WAR of 4.9…..and was MVP of the All-Star game.
I love Sherman’s writing. But he has this NYC arrogance where everything Yankees is superior, and all the FO people in small and some medium markets are slow and should be grateful to make trades with the mighty Yankees…….for the record – both the Indians and Royals went to the playoff’s more in the 2010’s then the Yankees, and both made the WS, with the Royals winning one.
You want to talk history, cause taking the last is out of context.
Yankee Mike,
Number one, the Yankees do not have a deep farm system. They are rated at the bottom half in MLB..
Number two, Andujar and Frazier are poor defensively and come with baggage. Andujar off a major injury and Frazier, who is a head case with an attitude problem. Both players do not fit the Indians style of player, a player that is a good teammate that can play defense.
Number three, Andujar and Frazier will likely end up as DHs and the Indians do not need a DH.
Number four, Florial has underperformed and his prospect values is dropping.
Number five, Garcia’s size will likely make him a relief pitcher.
Number six, If he Indians wanted to save money, they could have not picked up Kluber’s option for 2020.
Yankee Mike, there are six reasons why the Yankees and the Indians would not match up on a trade with the players that you proposed.
You gotta love the way the MLBTR guys think sometimes. Take the following response to a question about the Yankees and the bad contract they have in Stanton:
Mark P
9:39 There is no such thing as an “albatross contract” when you’re the New York Yankees and can easily drop $200MM on players without blinking.
Good thinking there, Mark P! Try not to strain your brain so much next time. when being asked what I thought was a very good question. “Oh, the Yankees are made out of money, so being stupid with it doesn’t hurt them at all”……….WEAK sauce, dude. No business likes to throw money down the drain. I hope you understand baseball better than you understand business. Stanton is a glass player getting stupid money. His contract is an albatross if ever there was one. Your response pissed me off, and I didn’t even ask the question. What a lazy answer…..SMH
You gotta love stupid questions like “why do the Yankees do stupid things?”
What kind of answer does someone expect to such a stupid question?
Because they’re as stupid as you are is probably where I’d go.
Are you expecting a defense of the move?
It seems to me that MLBTR is missing the point on the Lux Tax. While it is true that going over once and barely over should not be cause for concern for a really any team it’s the staying over for years that is the problem. Teams that are multiple year offenders get hit pretty hard with the penalties. I think that teams are going to judiciously go over the mark in the future but will not stay over the mark for multiple years. The problem is once you go over, such as the Red Sox, it can be hard to get back under the cap and the penalties accrue. Now the Red Sox are faced with hard decisions in order to go back under the lux tax and reset. This is why teams try to avoid going over the ceiling. I know that players union thinks this is the reason for the frosty free agent season of the last couple of years but in reality the only way they fix that is to have a minimum pay roll. Not saying that’s right but that is the only way it’s going to happen.
The tax is simply an excuse for owners not to spend. It’s only a tax on the amount over the tax line so unless you go way way over and stay there it simply isn’t that significant.
It is when you go multiple years over that’s my point.
Two things you can count on from MLBTR. The never-ending defense of Bryce Harper as some once-in-a-lifetime player (the Nats being in the World Series the year after he leaves is NOT a coincidence), and the belief that big-market teams have an endless supply of money. It’s absurd.
Actually……
To them ALL MLB franchises have an endless supply of money. They take in billions each year…..and other then payroll, hove no expenses.