Click here to read the transcript the Thanksgiving Day baseball chat, moderated by MLBTR’s Mark Polishuk
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Doug
4:36 What are the easiest ways for the Mets to upgrade in 2020?
Mark P
4:36 Suddenly realize “hey wait a second, we play in New York. Why don’t we have a $200MM+ payroll every season?”
LMAO!!! No lies detected!!!
I actually thought this was a lazy and borderline rude response to someone with a legitimate question. It’s not that the Mets’ reputation for being cheap is entirely without merit, but why answer the question if you’re not going to give any genuine thought to the response? They have a good team with a few holes- maybe suggest the best way to fill those holes. For example, the CF free agent market is crappy; are there any trade candidates who would be worth the acquisition cost, given the current state of the farm system? Who should they target in the catcher market? Should they keep Lugo in the bullpen and sign a starter or sign a reliever and let Lugo start? Or, if you don’t actually have anything worth suggesting, just don’t answer the question.
Easiest ways to upgrade not what can they possibly do.
Which is spend money.
A reasonable answer…..
Not necessarily. They spent money on Bruce and Swarzak two years ago and didn’t improve the team. Phillies spent money on Harper and Robertson last year and the team didn’t improve. Yes, it would be great if they and a lot of other teams spent more, but just saying they should spend more and leaving it at that is taking a lazy, cheap shot instead of actually demonstrating that you’ve looked at what the team needs and thought about what the best options for their specific case are.
If every team would just spend more money, then every team would win that year and go to the World Series.
A lazy cheap shot. People just look to be offended.
Nobody said it was the best way… i would love for hal to imitate his father and get bothe cole and strasburg… doesn’t mean that both contracts could not turn into albatross’s but that is the easiest way i could see the tankees being true contenders in 2020
Robertson and harper have a much better chance to help the Phillies than Bruce and Swarzak could ever help the Mets though. It’s not just about spending money. It’s spending it the right way and the mets can’t seem to do that.
He gave a legit answer. Spend.
Padres surprised me with their trade with the Brewers. What’s next?
As an Angel fan, I am absolutely terrified that Eppler and Arte are going to ruin their chances to upgrade this team and contend in 2020 and beyond. It’s time for Arte to spend wisely, but I have no faith in Eppler. His FA signings have been terrible, and unfortunately, when you have no faith in the GM or owner, it makes for a long and unfulfilled offseason
Signing Cahill and Harvey were disasterous moves. Anyone could have predicted they would fail with that starting rotation. If they can get a catcher and add two good starting pitchers they would be competitive.
i have been one of the biggest critic of eppler’s f/a signings since ’16. he has built good pen and offense this past season without spending much. signing top 2 free-agent pitchers are probably the realm of the owner. he needs to find a good defensive catcher without spending much at all.
I love how delusional Yankee fans are, not all of them I’ll admit but the ones that are just don’t have any clue of what reality is. Guy asks why Torres isnt mentioned among the games best players like Trout, that would be because he’s not even in the same league as guys like Trout. He didn’t finishing the top 25 in any meaningful offensive statistical category except HR’s and was a whopping 45th over in WAR according to Fangraphs. He could become one of the elites but if anything he’s talked about as if he’s producing way more than he actually is, not the other way around.
exactly
I love how triggered non-Yankee fans are about fans simply fans.
Billie Eppler and his nine cents has made some very bad free agent signing but has also done some really good ones, as well(Ohtani, Trout, La Stella). However, my “feeling” is this year he’ll have the money and with his hob on the line, he is up against it. (Just keep Adell.
Padres should grab Villar now. Preller would look like he could foresee the future.
PIZZA TO GO!!!
This guy talks like dom smith has great value.
Newsflash, a first baseman with 2 years already in mlb that had a good few months in last years MLB ain’t getting you much.
It sure as hell isn’t getting you Giles plus more.
Half the league had career years offensively, dom smith play 1st base. His value couldn’t net you a decent middle reliever. Much less Giles and more.
Can you imagine if McNeil and Alonso were on the yankees? They’d be the greatest players in history.
What’s the deal with Villar? If an arbitrator says he should get $10 mil a season, why does the team feel he’s not worth that. In fact, no one else thinks he’s worth that. Instead, he has to be released and sign a free agent contract for half of that. Isn’t an arbitrator supposed to give the player their value?
I don’t know but teams obviously don’t see the value…..
The simplest answer is because arbitration is archaic. It focuses on comp figures that will bump Villar into the 10.4 M ish rang, certain things teams don’t necessarily value, especially after last years offensive marks. He’s a good player who after a platform season will boast 24 HRs and 73 RBIs. He basically put up a career high obp/slug along with his running numbers. You put those numbers together in your final turn and you’re going to get paid a decent amount. But it doesn’t necessarily mean teams are going to put that much value into that season or view it’s as being the new norm. He’s been and is closer to an average player than a very good player. Now you add the amount of teams tanking, and you limit the field of supply and demand. He’s probably a mid of the pack SS/2B, and there are still guys available/potentially available for Villar to be considered an upgrade. Limited amount of teams, teams with better options/current in house options and the field somewhat hinges on those teams on the periphery and what they decide to do. There just aren’t enough teams trying to win or willing to spend to compete in which he’s a clear and concise upgrade. Chances are wining teams view his numbers as a bit hollow, and a very good back up in the back up salary range.
The Villar situation looks worse just because its the O’s. If a better team non tenured him most people would not bat an eye.
What is so bad about it?
Are Oriole fans going to pluck down ML prices to watch the team because Villar is on it? He’s not worth $10m to them – they’re better off playing young guys at the position in 2020.
Do people here understand that their new Baseball Ops guy came from the Astros, and was influential in their successful rebuild? This is exactly what they did for 5 years. The Orioles tried to trade Villar and no team in MLB was interested in giving up something for him and paying his salary. So fine, the Orioles let him go. Are they supposed to pay him and block young guys from getting playing time because no one else will?
The optics of a 100 loss team saying they don’t want a 4 WAR player is not good and I completely understand the business part.
It’s bad because it indicates they won’t “risk” having to pay a 4-WAR middle infielder and holding him for a few months to wait fro the trade market to change. They need maximize all talent. Not taking even a minor risk indicates they lack resources—either intellectually or financially—to conduct a successful rebuild.
They do not need to “maximize all talent” in 2020.
They’re in a long-term rebuild.
They need to acquire young talent and develop it.
Do you have any idea of what even a fraction of that $10m can bring back invested in scouting and developing? Hiring qualified people to do the work, outfitting them with the latest electronic equipment to do their jobs, and paying their expenses to fly around the US and the world and talk to coaches and watch youngsters play.
–
Look at it this way……
There is a shopping complex in your neighborhood. Plans are being developed to knock down all the existing structures, and rebuild the entire area over the next 5 years. Work has begun. Some stores have been knocked down. Grading work has begun, some foundations are being laid. New, up-to-date utility lines are going in.
So here you are, talking about how the other stores should be paying large amounts of money for employees; when their owners are winding down the business – either making plans to move, or planing and saving up money to bring a state-of-the-art business in when construction is complete and they have a new store to move into. As for their high-priced employees – they’re not going to cost-justify their salaries by hanging around. If they’re good there are others stores they can work at, ones in which their salaries can be justified and their employers are happy to have them.
Their fans have SUFFERED LONG ENOUGH AND ARE WALKING AWAY FROM THIS BS. All sports players make WAY TOO MUCH money!!! Not worth the price if admission. Now ANALYTICS IS DISSOLVING 42 MINOR LEAGUE TEAMS AND WILL REVIEW PLAYERS BASED ON PITCHING AND BATTING SIMULATION. Guess that measures heart, character, team mate, drive… BS
“Villar should be a popular figure on the waiver wire. Nats are an obvious fit, as are other 2B-needy teams”
_
Huh, NO.
They can go a lot of ways, including bringing Asdrubal and/or Howie back.
And Rizzo has already made nice comments about Carter Kieboom stating that he will be up in 2020 and can play 2B, SS, or 3B.
Every off-season on MLBTR is the writers arrogantly state that the owners are cheap and need to spend, spend, spend on every free agent, By mid-May of the next season it’s obvious that the overwhelming majority of the free agents signed over the winter were radically overpaid, and younger players on the teams roster can produce more. No one understands the true value of a player to their team then the team that felt it was best to let them go.
The writers should be knowledgeable about individual teams front offices and how they operate. Mike Rizzo is not a “either rebuild or go full-out guy”. He’s had a veteran team for years, and always tries to rotate in 2-4 young players each year. Some pan out, some don’t. He signs vets (like Asdrubal, Howie, Dozier) to one year contracts to hold the fort until the younger guys that the Nats control for years can get traction. Two years ago he hit paydirt with Soto, last year with Robles. A few of their young pitchers are getting better as well.
Yeah Vandals I’m going to being greeing with you again. This is just generic “oh he’s a 4 WAR guy why would he ever be cut” Mark’s statement about “what are they scared to spend 10 MM” just further proves that. There’s no thought into that comment whatsoever. Villar has been aggressively shopped dating back to last year’s deadline when he was only making 5 million bucks. No one bit. NO one. The orioles don’t want to just release Villar. They really have to. Why would you pay a guy over market value on a really bad team? The market has confirmed that he’s not worth that price.
And all of that is being said without considering the Orioles on field needs at all. He’s a bad defensive SS. The orioles already have a starting option at 2B for a fifth of the cost in Hanser Alberto. If you were to ask me which one would be more productive this season as a 2B I’d take Villar but not by a significant margin. Neither one of those guys should be apart of the long term plan either. So all in all you have a guy who
1. No one wants at that price
2. Is not good at the defensive position he would be playing for your rebuilding club.
3. The underlying numbers would indicate regression over improvement.
But it’s an atrocity to not tender this guy at 10.5 MM? Spare me. I bet the Phils do the same thing to Cesar Hernandez.
There’s more available MIFS than there is demand for these guys.
Mark, I would disagree that the Cubs don’t have catching talent to spare. Caratini is ready to take the next step and they have some depth on the farm that no one talks about. I think they could deal Wilson for a serious return and make it work- Especially with Ross as the new manager.
The cubs have too many needs to try a re-tool at this point. They might as well trade Contreras, Bryant, Quintana and Schwarber. Then rebuild the starting rotation and bullpen. That’s the only way they will get back to being a contending team.
Hendricks
Ryu
Darvish
Bumgardner/keuchel
Lester
Merrifield
Bryant
Rendon
Rizzo
Baez
Contreras
Kendrick
Heyward
Harris
Hudson
Giles
Kimbrel
Looks good to me
Lmfao
How do you include happ in the yankees starting rotation instead of german and mongomery. He will we in bullpen so option doesn’t vest.