Fangraphs Trade Value...

[Angrioter]

It pains me to say this, but Allen Craig is an RBI machine. This is what Pat Tabler wet dreams are made of.

 

Single dígit dingers but............130 RBIs lol

[Dr. Dinger]

Single dígit dingers but............130 RBIs lol

 

Single digits? He's already in double digits. He's more of a 20-25 HR guy than a 30-40 HR guy, but he hits for a much higher average than most of the guys in that category. That especially matters in fantasy.

[Captain Adama]

Single digits? He's already in double digits. He's more of a 20-25 HR guy than a 30-40 HR guy, but he hits for a much higher average than most of the guys in that category. That especially matters in fantasy.

 

Still can't believe I got him for Yunel Escobar.

[Dr. Dinger]

Lol that's crazy... Craig is returning early 2nd round value in a 20 team league.

[fatcowxlive]

Still can't believe I got him for Yunel Escobar.

 

I got Pedro Alvarez in the deal too - not totally a loss, especially since I have Loney at 1B now

[fatcowxlive]

Anytime you can clear space for James Loney you have to do it.

 

Yeah getting Alvarez makes it pretty close, he's a stud. You should regret missing out on CarGo a lot more

 

That's not fair to say!

 

People are scratching their heads at my first trade, how the hell were you able to pull off a tanking Cain for CarGo (who was in the middle of his hottest streak in the season)?

 

Sometimes when people are offered CarGo for Cain if they're giving up CarGo, let alone if Cain wasn't able to solve his issues on the mound

[LeafsJays]

Hey, if a spot opens up in this fantasy baseball league, I'd love to hear about it. I realize im not as a respected poster but I lurk very often and have since the old forum

[fatcowxlive]

Hey, if a spot opens up in this fantasy baseball league, I'd love to hear about it. I realize im not as a respected poster but I lurk very often and have since the old forum

 

This league?

 

There are 4 different leagues running from this site bro lol; L3, Mamby Pamby, Premier League, and the DDL

[LeafsJays]

Ah I see. Well like I said Id love to see team makeups etc

[Angrioter]

I got Pedro Alvarez in the deal too - not totally a loss, especially since I have Loney at 1B now

 

Sorry bro but you are a loser.

Craig is a elite 1B

[Angrioter]

#15 Clayton Kershaw (P)

Age IP K/9 BB/9 GB% ERA FIP xFIP RA9-WAR WAR

25 145.1 8.61 2.17 44.8 % 1.98 2.52 3.13 5.2 3.9

Under Team Control Through 2014: Arbitration

 

Even last summer, I would have never considered ranking a player with 1+ year of team control this high. Even as good as Kershaw is, you can only produce so much value in 300 innings. However, with some coaxing from friends within the game, I have become convinced that the a number of clubs place a real value on exclusive negotiating rights to a player who is not set on reaching free agency. And indications are that Kershaw, while looking for a monster extension, is willing to sign a long term deal before testing the market.

 

Any team trading for Clayton Kershaw wouldn’t be trading for him for just one year. It would be a Johan Santana trade-and-sign situation, and the Dodgers would be compensated in prospects for the buyer’s ability to get Kershaw signed before anyone else could. Essentially, for this kind of player, I have become convinced that the market for their services is not in free agency, but is in the rush to own the rights to extend them, and in Kershaw’s case, the price to acquire those rights would be absurd.

 

He’s 25, and he’s like a hybrid of Felix Hernandez’s peripherals with Matt Cain’s ability to confound the norms of BABIP and HR/FB rate. There are other excellent pitchers in baseball, but Kershaw has claimed the title of the game’s best pitcher, and he doesn’t look like he’s going to give it up any time soon. If the Dodgers decide not to make him the first $200 million pitcher, you can bet that teams like the Yankees would gladly do so, and there would be enough interest in being the team to pay Kershaw a record contract that the Dodgers would reap the benefits of a serious bidding war.

 

More likely, though, is that the Dodgers just pay up, because if you’re going to spend $250 million to acquire the core of a disappointing failure, you should probably not then balk at spending $200 million to sign the best pitcher in the sport.

 

 

#14 Stephen Strasburg (P)

Age IP K/9 BB/9 GB% ERA FIP xFIP RA9-WAR WAR

24 108.1 9.06 3.07 50.9 % 2.99 3.40 3.50 1.7 1.7

Under Team Control Through 2016: Arbitration

 

I’ve alluded many times to the risks of expecting too much long term value from pitchers, even the very best pitchers, and Stephen Strasburg is a prime example of why. He was maybe the best pitching prospect anyone has ever seen. In his rookie season, he posted an xFIP- of 51, which is a Pedro-in-his-prime kind of silly number.

 

Three years and one surgery later, his xFIP- is 92. He’s still an excellent pitcher, but it’s been awhile since he looked like the best pitcher on the planet. He might not ever look like that again. Pitcher aging curves are probably not curves, but instead, diagonal lines that point downwards. It is likely that Stephen Strasburg peaked in 2010, as a rookie.

 

All that negativity aside, teams would still be lining up out the door if the Nationals made him available. He’s got three years of team control left at arbitration prices, and the low innings totals and lack of sexy win numbers this year will keep his price reasonable. He still throws 95, gets strikeouts and ground balls, and has an ERA of 2.99. He might be worse, but worse than historically amazing isn’t so bad.

 

Strasburg is both terrific and kind of disappointing at the same time. Pitchers. Don’t build your franchises around them.

 

 

#13 Troy Tulowitzki (SS)

Age PA BB% K% AVG OBP SLG wOBA wRC+ Fld BsR WAR

28 265 9.4 % 15.5 % .332 .400 .608 .425 160 4.7 -0.9 3.5

Under Team Control Through 2021: $16M, $20M, $20M, $20M, $20M, $20M, $14M, $15M option

 

Let’s just get this out of the way; Troy Tulowitzki is injury prone. The guy spends time on the disabled list every year. This probably isn’t going to change as he gets older and his body starts wearing down even more. But, even with the injuries, Troy Tulowitzki is a tremendous player. Assuming he can rack up a meager +1.5 WAR over the rest of the season, he’ll have posted his fourth +5 WAR season in five years, and he’s in the midst of his best season yet.

 

Even accounting for Colorado, Tulowitzki is just on another level for offense from the shortstop position, and he can actually play defense too. In terms of pure impact when he’s in the line-up, Tulowitzki is up there with anyone else in the game. The quantity of his playing time is occasionally a problem, but the quality dwarfs those issues.

 

And the remainder of his contract adds up to $145 million over eight years, assuming they exercise the team in 2021. Think about what Tulo would get as a free agent coming off a 160 wRC+ as a 28-year-old shortstop. We can point to his durability all we want, but we have to remember that Josh Hamilton — not exactly the Iron Horse himself — just got 5/125, and he had a bunch of other red flags too. And he was significantly older. And not a shortstop. And not this good of a hitter.

 

It might be hard to recalibrate our opinions to see 8/$145 as a massive discount, but in this case, it is. Tulowitzki is that good.

 

 

#12 Miguel Cabrera (1B/3B)

Age PA BB% K% AVG OBP SLG wOBA wRC+ Fld BsR WAR

30 428 14.0 % 15.0 % .365 .458 .674 .473 204 -11.9 0.7 6.0

Under Team Control Through 2015: $22M, $22M

 

It would actually be a fascinating experiment to put Cabrera in free agency right now, then limit teams to two year maximum offers, just to see what they kind of value they’d put on that production. I think he might $50 million per year, given the fact that there would be no long term commitment required. Miguel Cabrera is simultaneously one of the highest paid and most underpaid players in the game.

 

You don’t need me to tell you how ridiculous Cabrera’s numbers are. He’s followed up his MVP season by making last year look like a slump. His teammates might not be living up to the hype, but Cabrera is putting the finishing touches on a Hall of Fame peak by having one of the best offensive seasons of all time.

 

Cabrera is a monster, and he’s the driving force behind the Tigers chances to win the World Series. They’re not trading him now, and they’re probably not ever trading him. I don’t even know how one would go about trying to make an offer without getting laughed at. Even with a shorter term contract at fairly high prices, Cabrera is still absurdly valuable and one of the closest things MLB has to an untouchable player.

 

 

#11 Yadier Molina ©

Age PA BB% K% AVG OBP SLG wOBA wRC+ Fld BsR WAR

30 350 6.3 % 9.4 % .341 .386 .489 .378 145 6.1 -1.5 4.2

Under Team Control Through 2017: $15M, $15M, $14M, $14M, $15M mutual option

 

Depending on how much you buy into The Molina Effect on STL’s pitching staff, there’s a case to be made that the Cardinals catcher might just be the best player in baseball. Even with our rudimentary defensive evaluations for backstops, ZIPS and Steamer project him as something like a +6 WAR player over a full season, and that gives him no credit for the non-throwing/blocking parts of his defense. If there’s a player in baseball that is underrated by WAR, it’s Yadier Molina, and WAR thinks Yadier Molina is awesome.

 

What looked like a shockingly high salary for a defensive specialist now looks like a hilarious underpay for the leading NL MVP candidate. If he’s not the best defensive player, he’s close, and he happens to be putting up a 145 wRC+ this year, which is higher than Mike Piazza’s career wRC+ of 140. I don’t know how long he can keep this up, but Molina is currently in the midst of one of the great stretches of catcher performance in baseball history.

 

That said, he is 30, and he’s carried an extremely heavy workload throughout his career, and his knees are already starting to hurt. The final four years of his contract take him through his age-34 season, and at some point, his body is going to say enough already. Molina probably won’t be an MVP candidate when this deal ends.

 

But the present value is just so high that it doesn’t matter much. Every team in baseball — except San Francisco — would tie themselves in knots in order to get him behind the plate, and the Giants might just do it for the fun of having the two best catchers in the game at the same time. Molina is a legitimate difference maker at a position that has few of them.

[Atothe]

Miguel Cabrera and Molina's numbers are so sexy I hate it. f*** you cardinals f*** your excellence, f*** your drafting, f*** your amazing decision to say no bueno to Pujols and last but least f*** you cardinals for your amazing pitching

[fatcowxlive]

Sorry bro but you are a loser.

Craig is a elite 1B

 

Pedro Alvarez is elite 3B

[Captain Adama]

Don't forget the Reds! They have a bevy of homegrown stars and an assembly line of talent. If you forgive the Rangers for employing Wash, you can forgive the Reds for Dusty.

 

This, the Reds always have a solid farm system, and they use it to get good, YOUNG players. Plus, they don't hand out really bad contracts, even though the Votto extension is questionable, it's for an MVP candidate.

 

But the f***ing around with Mesoraco just pisses me off. f*** you Dusty.

[Angrioter]

The Cards, Rays, and Rangers are just plain better than every other organization. Nobody else is really even close.

 

Pirates coming soon?

[Jimcanuck]

Seattle coming soon?

[Dr. Dinger]

This, the Reds always have a solid farm system, and they use it to get good, YOUNG players. Plus, they don't hand out really bad contracts, even though the Votto extension is questionable, it's for an MVP candidate.

 

But the f***ing around with Mesoraco just pisses me off. f*** you Dusty.

 

Nevermind Mesoraco, keeping Chapman in the pen was an egregious decision.

[Jimcanuck]

Nevermind Mesoraco, keeping Chapman in the pen was an egregious decision.

 

Maybe but Chapman does seem to have a violent delivery better suited for short bursts. Hard to see him keeping that up for multiple innings every 5 games

[Captain Adama]

And finally...the Top 10 is released on Fangraphs.

 

http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/2013-trade-value-the-top-10/

 

Pseudo-Spoiler Alert: Mike Trout's number 1

[Captain Adama]

2013 Trade Value: The Top 10

 

by Dave Cameron - July 19, 2013

 

 

And now we come to the best of the best. These guys are both the present and the future of the sport. They’re great now, they’re going to be great for a while, and they’re the kinds of players that we’ll be telling our grandkids about.

 

 

 

#10 Carlos Gonzalez (OF)

Age PA BB% K% AVG OBP SLG wOBA wRC+ Fld BsR WAR

27 395 9.6 % 26.6 % .302 .370 .610 .414 153 5.2 4.9 4.5

 

Under Team Control Through 2017: $11M, $16M, $17M, $20M

 

A few years ago, in one of the least prescient things I’ve ever published, I wondered whether the Rockies squandered a lot of money by signing Gonzalez to a seven year, $80 million extension. He was coming off one good year, had been traded multiple times before, didn’t control the strike zone particularly well, and looked like a pretty strong regression candidate.

 

Gonzalez did regress, but the rest of what I wrote was really wildly wrong. Salaries in baseball have exploded, and at age-27, Gonzalez is once again looking like a superstar. Yeah, Colorado makes his numbers look better, but he’s still running a 153 wRC+ even after we strip out the effects of Coors Field. He still strikes out a lot, but the power has reached a level where they don’t matter so much, and he’s refined the rest of his game to add value even when he’s not hitting the ball over the wall.

 

Gonzalez only has one more “cheap” year left on the deal before his salaries escalate, but even at an AAV of $16 million per year over the remaining four years on the deal, he’s still a huge bargain. Those four years cover his prime seasons, leaving little chance for dead money, especially given the prices teams are paying for power hitters at this level now. Gonzalez’s inconsistency and injury history makes him imperfect, but he’s still a terrific player signed to a deal that pays him a fraction of his market value.

 

 

#9 Paul Goldschmidt (1B)

Age PA BB% K% AVG OBP SLG wOBA wRC+ Fld BsR WAR

25 406 12.1 % 20.2 % .313 .395 .557 .405 157 6.2 1.7 4.2

 

Under Team Control Through 2019: $1M, $3M, $6M, $9M, $11M, $15M option

 

A couple of years ago, Goldschmidt was considered something of a fringe prospect, a guy who was interesting but had limited upside. Baseball America never ranked him higher than 11th in the Diamondbacks Top 30, so he wasn’t even considered a premium prospect within their organization, much less baseball overall.

 

Yeah, I think we missed the boat here. 1,200 plate appearances into his career and Goldschmidt has a 135 wRC+, and he’s athletic enough to add value with both his glove and his legs. If he keeps hitting like he has so far this year, he’s going to get first place MVP votes at the end of the year. Oh, and he’s going to make a million bucks next year.

 

If the Brewers decision to sign Carlos Gomez this spring was the best decision of the year, extending Goldschmidt before he had this breakout ranks a close second. They now own his rights for six years, and none of the five guaranteed years are going to cost them any real money. Even if Goldschmidt regresses, this is still a pittance for he’s likely to be. And if he doesn’t regress, this might turn into the best contract in baseball.

 

I don’t know precisely how Goldschmidt went from being a mediocre prospect to an elite hitter, but it happened, and now the Diamondbacks have one of the best first baseman in baseball signed through his age-31 season for just a little bit more than Alex Rodriguez will make this year alone. Buying power on the open market is crazy expensive, but the Diamondbacks aren’t going to have to worry about doing that for a while.

 

#8 Giancarlo Stanton (OF)

Age PA BB% K% AVG OBP SLG wOBA wRC+ Fld BsR WAR

23 224 13.4 % 26.3 % .250 .357 .458 .357 128 -3.9 -0.6 0.7

 

Under Team Control Through 2016: Arbitration

 

If David Price is the player on this list most likely to be traded, Stanton isn’t that far behind. The price that the Marlins are able to extract for their star right fielder is going to be fascinating. A couple of months on the DL with a bad knee and the dissipation of an extra year of team control have hurt his value, but he’s still perhaps the game’s most exciting young slugger. He’s 23 and has a career wRC+ of 138. The players who have done what Stanton has done at this age are mostly in the Hall of Fame.

 

In some ways, his situation is pretty reminiscent of Miguel Cabrera, and not just because they both came up in Miami. Cabrera was absurdly great early, then saw his stock fall slightly as he got closer to free agency and concerns about his durability arose. The Tigers swooped in, signed him to a long term deal, and you know the rest. There’s a real chance that something similar could happen with Stanton.

 

Yes, right now, he’s only got three years of team control remaining, but a team acquiring him is acquiring him for the right to lock him up, and his cost is going to reflect that right. Franchise players like this aren’t available in their early-20s very often, and even coming off a down year and somewhat concerning knee issues, the price is going to reflect the rarity of a player like this on this on the trade market.

 

Stanton is going to bring back a mint when the Marlins trade him. The price is probably going to blow us all away.

 

 

#7 Matt Harvey (P)

Age IP K/9 BB/9 GB% ERA FIP xFIP RA9-WAR WAR

24 130.0 10.18 1.94 45.4 % 2.35 2.17 2.70 4.3 4.2

 

Under Team Control Through 2018: Pre-Arb, Arbitration

 

Contract included, Matt Harvey is the most valuable pitcher in baseball. Just 24, he’s already turned into a legitimate ace, succeeding in every possible aspect you could think to measure. His velocity is trending up, not down. He doesn’t walk anyone. He strikes out everyone. His FIP is actually better than his ERA, which is hilarious considering that his ERA is 2.35. He’s been better against lefties than righties. He’s efficient. There are no nits to pick here. This is pretty close to the perfect young pitcher season.

 

But he is still a pitcher, and it could all go terribly wrong tomorrow. Mets fans don’t need a reminder about the risks of young pitching. Baseball fans, really, don’t need that reminder either. Before there was Matt Harvey, there was Stephen Strasburg. Before Strasburg, Mark Prior. Before Prior, Rick Ankiel. Before Ankiel, Dwight Gooden. These stories don’t always end as well as they start. They usually don’t end as well as they start.

 

But there’s also Clayton Kershaw, Felix Hernandez, Justin Verlander, and the rest. Some great young pitchers become great older pitchers. And it’s not like hitters are risk free either, so while Matt Harvey might be peaking right now, every team in baseball would sign up for the right to see if Harvey could be more Kershaw than Prior. It’s basically impossible for a pitcher to have more trade value than Matt Harvey does right now.

 

 

#6 Buster Posey ©

Age PA BB% K% AVG OBP SLG wOBA wRC+ Fld BsR WAR

26 367 9.5 % 11.2 % .325 .395 .536 .398 162 -2.6 -0.6 4.1

 

Under Team Control Through 2022: $11M, $17M, $20M, $21M, $21M, $21M, $21M, $21M, $22M option

 

Buster Posey has followed up last year’s 163 wRC+ by posting a 162 wRC+ this year. Buster Posey is a catcher. Catchers don’t hit like this. Most first baseman don’t hit like this.

 

That is probably the lingering question hanging over Posey’s head, however. How much longer will he be a catcher, because a lot of his current value is tied to his ability to produce offense at a position where offense is scarce. If he moves to first base, he’d still be an excellent player, but he would be less excellent. So, how long can he stay behind the plate?

 

My guess is longer than we might think. Posey’s not the kind of bat-first catcher that you eventually move out from behind the dish because you can’t handle his defensive issues anymore. He’s not Carlos Santana or Mike Napoli. He might not be the best defensive catcher in the game, but he’s not actively hurting the Giants back there. I don’t see any reason to have Posey stop catching until it begins to wear him down physically. And given what he’s doing over the last year and a half, good luck proving that catching is hurting his offensive production.

 

The contract the Giants gave him was a win for both sides. Posey will be well compensated and has long term security, while the Giants have a premium player under team control for the bulk of his career. He’s not cheap in the sense that other players on this list are, but the value associated with having this kind of player at a good price is still immense.

 

 

#5 Evan Longoria (3B)

Age PA BB% K% AVG OBP SLG wOBA wRC+ Fld BsR WAR

27 399 11.0 % 22.3 % .278 .356 .507 .367 138 10.8 -1.0 4.4

 

Under Team Control Through 2023: $8M, $11M, $12M, $13M, $14M, $15M, $15M, $19M, $20M, $13M option

 

Here’s a fun fact: Evan Longoria, known for his superlative defense and not really considered one of the game’s best hitters, has a career wRC+ of 136. Prince Fielder, a bat only player who got $214 million as a free agent, has a career wRC+ of 141. Evan Longoria is Prince Fielder’s offense combined with Adrian Beltre’s defense. Evan Longoria is an amazing and still under-appreciated baseball player.

 

And you know, there’s his contract. If they exercise the 2023 option, the remainder is $140 million over 10 years, taking Longoria through his age-37 season. On the one hand, Longoria probably won’t be a star in 10 years. On the other hand, $13 million isn’t going to be a lot of money to a baseball team in 10 years either.

 

Longoria’s health issues are the only real detracting factor here. If he was perfectly healthy all the time, we’d just rename this thing the Countdown to Evan Longoria. That he’s likely to spend some time on the DL each season makes him just great instead of practically perfect. There’s a reason the Rays chose this guy to build their franchise around, and it’s the same reason why the Rays are a terrific baseball team. Evan Longoria is a superstar.

 

#4 Andrew McCutchen (OF)

Age PA BB% K% AVG OBP SLG wOBA wRC+ Fld BsR WAR

26 388 9.5 % 14.2 % .302 .376 .471 .365 136 6.7 4.4 4.3

 

Under Team Control Through 2018: $7M, $10M, $13M, $14M, $15M

 

Andrew McCutchen is baseball’s prime example of the sum being better than the whole of its parts. He’s not the best defensive center fielder in the game. He doesn’t have elite power. He doesn’t make more contact than anyone, or draw an inordinate amount of walks. He’s not an elite base stealer. There isn’t a single that that McCutchen is better at than anyone else in Major League Baseball.

 

But he’s so good across the board that the overall package is a franchise player. A center fielder with first baseman’s offensive skills who also adds value with his legs, and by the way, doesn’t turn 27 until next year. McCutchen probably isn’t as good as he can be yet. He’s great, and there’s room for more.

 

A year ago, when he signed his extension to stay in Pittsburgh last year, there were actually questions about whether he was worth the $51 million they committed to him. If he was a free agent today, he’d get $250 million. Instead, the Pirates will pay him an average of about $12 million per year over the next five years, and McCutchen stands to help put Pittsburgh back on the map in Major League Baseball. I’d call that a pretty good signing.

 

#3 Manny Machado (3B)

Age PA BB% K% AVG OBP SLG wOBA wRC+ Fld BsR WAR

20 435 3.7 % 16.3 % .310 .337 .470 .349 118 16.0 -1.9 4.2

 

Under Team Control Through 2018: Pre-Arb, Arbitration

 

It’s important to remember that defense peaks early. Athleticism generally only declines after a player makes his big league debut, and the plays we’re seeing Manny Machado make at third base, he probably won’t be able to make forever. He’s an amazing defensive third baseman, but he might not always be this amazing.

 

The good news is that offense peaks later, and Machado’s offensive development should overwhelm any kind of defensive loss he sustains as he ages. He’s already a pretty good big league hitter at age-20, and when the doubles power turns into home run power — and he learns to not swing at every pitch he’s thrown — Machado could easily turn into one of the game’s best two way players.

 

If the Orioles moved him back to shortstop, we’d be comparing him to Troy Tulowitzki. As it is, he looks like he might end up following Evan Longoria’s path to stardom. Either path is just fine, and you shouldn’t worry too much about whether he’s playing third base or shortstop. He’s a huge defensive asset at both positions, and the gap in value between those two spots is more a fantasy baseball thing than a real baseball thing.

 

No matter where he plays, though, he’s got superstar written all over him. He’s not anything close to a finished product, but the upside is just so obvious. I’d imagine the Orioles will sign him up for a very long time once this season is over, because this is the kind of player you build championship teams around.

 

 

#2 Bryce Harper (OF)

Age PA BB% K% AVG OBP SLG wOBA wRC+ Fld BsR WAR

20 242 14.9 % 18.2 % .264 .371 .522 .381 145 -2.0 -0.4 1.6

 

Under Team Control Through 2018: $0.9M, Arbitration

 

I still think, from a looking-back-in-20-years perspective, that Bryce Harper has a chance to be the best player of this generation. His offensive skills are so special that he could easily develop into one of the best hitters in the history of the sport. Barring a serious injury, I will be very surprised if Harper doesn’t end up in the Hall of Fame. He’s that kind of player.

 

But, right now, that’s only good enough for #2. Because as good as Harper’s future looks, in the present, he’s still more good than great. The power isn’t fully developed yet. He’s not a great baserunner. He’s a good defender for a corner, but he’s not among the game’s best ball hawks. He’s a special kind of young hitter, but everything else is just good, not great.

 

And then there’s the health. You never want to see a young player having knee problems. It’s not the end of the world, but it’s not ideal either. He’s also shown a penchant for playing the game at 100% all the time, even if that means sacrificing his body in order to do so. Eventually, he will have to learn that it’s better to let a ball hit the wall than be peeling yourself off the ground every day. It might take awhile for that to sink in.

 

And finally, there’s the price. Harper’s going to be a Super Two player, getting four bites at arbitration, and his prices are going to skyrocket. Scott Boras knows what Harper is, and he’s not going to be easy to lock up long term. While there’s five more years of team control, he’s going to be pretty expensive by the end of those five years, and he’s not a sure thing to give up free agency.

 

So, as much as I’m completely and utterly in the tank for Bryce Harper’s bat, I can’t overlook the legitimate questions. There are real issues here. Maybe they will all turn out to be nothing. For the good of baseball, that’s what I’m hoping for.

 

 

#1 Mike Trout (OF)

Age PA BB% K% AVG OBP SLG wOBA wRC+ Fld BsR WAR

21 426 11.0 % 16.4 % .322 .399 .565 .410 166 1.1 5.7 5.7

 

Under Team Control Through 2017: Pre-Arb, Arbitration

 

Ladies and Gentleman, the best player in baseball. He’s 21.

 

Mike Trout is basically perfect. After having the best age-20 season of all time, he’s followed it up by being just as good. From a skills perspective, he’s even getting better, as he’s cut his strikeout rate down and now really doesn’t have any flaws. He’s gotten a little bigger, so maybe he’s not quite as good at the parts of his game that involve running as he was last year, but he’s still among the most valuable players in the game at non-hitting things.

 

Without knowing how conversations went, it’s impossible to know why the Angels haven’t locked up Mike Trout yet. Just back up the truck and give him whatever he wants. The rest of the Angels are kind of a disaster, but this guy is single handedly keeping them from going off the rails.

 

There is no player in baseball more valuable than Mike Trout. Even with just four years of team control left at uncertain prices, he’s on another level. This is the game’s premier asset.

[Arkadium]

Top 10

 

http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/2013-trade-value-the-top-10/

 

On phone so can't paste the text.

 

Awesome list. Andrew McCutchen 4th though?

[Angrioter]

#1 Mike Trout (OF)

Under Team Control Through 2017: Pre-Arb, Arbitration

 

#2 Bryce Harper (OF)

Under Team Control Through 2018: $0.9M, Arbitration

 

#3 Manny Machado (3B)

Under Team Control Through 2018: Pre-Arb, Arbitration

 

#4 Andrew McCutchen (OF)

Under Team Control Through 2018: $7M, $10M, $13M, $14M, $15M

 

#5 Evan Longoria (3B)

Under Team Control Through 2023: $8M, $11M, $12M, $13M, $14M, $15M, $15M, $19M, $20M, $13M option

 

#6 Buster Posey ©

Under Team Control Through 2022: $11M, $17M, $20M, $21M, $21M, $21M, $21M, $21M, $22M option

 

#7 Matt Harvey (P)

Under Team Control Through 2018: Pre-Arb, Arbitration

 

#8 Giancarlo Stanton (OF)

Under Team Control Through 2016: Arbitration

 

#9 Paul Goldschmidt (1B)

Under Team Control Through 2019: $1M, $3M, $6M, $9M, $11M, $15M option

 

#10 Carlos Gonzalez (OF)

Under Team Control Through 2017: $11M, $16M, $17M, $20M

 

#11 Yadier Molina ©

Under Team Control Through 2017: $15M, $15M, $14M, $14M, $15M mutual option

 

#12 Miguel Cabrera (1B/3B)

Under Team Control Through 2015: $22M, $22M

 

#13 Troy Tulowitzki (SS)

Under Team Control Through 2021: $16M, $20M, $20M, $20M, $20M, $20M, $14M, $15M option

 

#14 Stephen Strasburg (P)

Under Team Control Through 2016: Arbitration

 

#15 Clayton Kershaw (P)

Under Team Control Through 2014: Arbitration

 

#16 Chris Sale (P)

Under Team Control Through 2019: $4M, $6M, $9M, $12M, $13M option, $14M option

 

#17 Jose Fernandez (P)

Under Team Control Through 2018: Pre-Arb, Arbitration

 

#18 Chris Davis (1B)

Under Team Control Through 2015: Arbitration

 

#19 Madison Bumgarner (P)

Under Team Control Through 2019: $4M, $7M, $10M, $12M, $12M option, $12M option

 

#20 Yu Darvish (P)

Under Team Control Through 2016: $10M, $10M, $10M, $11M

 

#21 David Wright (3B)

Under Team Control Through 2020: $20M through 2018, $15M, $12M

 

#22 Felix Hernandez (P)

Under Team Control Through 2019: $22M, $24M, $25M, $26M, $26M, $27M

 

#23 Adam Wainwright (P)

Under Team Control Through 2018: $19.5M per year

 

#24 Yasiel Puig (OF)

Under Team Control Through 2019: $2M, $5M, $6M, $7M or Arb, $8M or Arb, Arb

 

#25 Dustin Pedroia (2B)

Under Team Control Through 2015: $10M, $11M option

 

#26 Jurickson Profar (2B)

Under Team Control Through 2019: Pre-Arb, Arbitration

 

#27 Jason Kipnis (2B)

Under Team Control Through 2017: Pre-Arb, Arbitration

 

#28 Byron Buxton (OF)

Under Team Control For Six Years: Pre-Arb, Arbitration

 

#29 Xander Bogaerts (SS)

Under Team Control For Six Years: Pre-Arb, Arbitration

 

#30 Matt Moore (P)

Under Team Control Through 2019: $1M, $3M, $5M, $7M option, $9M option, $10M option

 

#31 Starling Marte (OF)

Under Team Control Through 2018: Pre-Arb, Arbitration

 

#32 Shelby Miller (P)

Under Team Control Through 2018: Pre-Arb, Arbitration

 

#33 Carlos Gomez (OF)

Under Team Control Through 2016: $7 million, $8 million, $9 million

 

#34 Ian Desmond (SS)

Under Team Control Through 2015: Arbitration

 

#35 Jose Bautista (3B/OF)

Under Team Control Through 2016: $14 million, $14 million, $14 million option

 

#36 Salvador Perez ©

Under Team Control Through 2019: $2M, $2M, $2M, $4M option, $5M option, $6M option

 

#37 Anthony Rizzo (1B)

Under Team Control Through 2021: $1M, $5M, $5M, $7M, $7M, $11M, $15M option, $15M option

 

#38 Wil Myers (OF)

Under Team Control Through 2019: Pre-Arb, Arbitration

 

#39 Carlos Santana ©

Under Team Control Through 2017: $4 million, $6 million, $9 million, $12 million option

 

#40 Allen Craig (1B/OF)

Under Team Control Through 2018: $3 million, $6 million, $9 million, $11 million, $13 million option

 

#41 Jeff Samardzija (P)

Under Team Control Through 2015: Arbitration

 

#42 Jean Segura (SS)

Under Team Control Through 2018: Pre-Arb, Arbitration

 

#43 Jason Heyward (OF)

Under Team Control Through 2015: Arbitration

 

#44 Anthony Rendon (2B)

Under Team Control Through 2019: Pre-Arb, Arbitration

 

#45 Edwin Encarnacion (3B)

Under Team Control Through 2016: $9 million, $10 million, $10 million option

 

#46 Desmond Jennings (OF)

Under Team Control Through 2017: Pre-Arb, Arbitration

 

#47 David Price (P)

Under Team Control Through 2015: Arbitration

 

#48 Adrian Beltre (3B)

Under Team Control Through 2016: $17 million, $18 million, $16 million voidable option

 

#49 Justin Verlander (P)

Under Team Control Through 2019: $20 million in ’14, $28 million through ’19

 

#50 Austin Jackson (OF)

Under Team Control Through 2015: Arbitration

[TheHurl]

Awesome list. Andrew McCutchen 4th though?

 

You think too high or too low? He was 3 on the list last year

[Arkadium]

You think too high or too low? He was 3 on the list last year

 

I would of put Longoria ahead of him (and maybe a couple other) but then again, Longoria has been prone to injury so maybe not.