Cardinals to Sign Dexter Fowler

[intentional wok]

I like Edwin and Jose, obviously, but I'm also partial to Valbuena. Decent hitter, would play 1st left-handed, and can cover 3rd. Pearce can be more of a 1st/OF. Though I do wonder if management don't want to keep Pearce relatively nailed to 1st for durability reasons.

 

Valbuena seems like an unlikelihood though. FO appears willing to roll with Smoak at 1B in some way. Makes sense; Pearce/Smoak is fine there, so focus on getting legit OFs instead tampering with stability to arrange a risky setup with Pearce in LF.

 

(Then again if I can land Edwin, boom Pearce goes to LF. It's Edwin ffs.)

Edited December 9, 2016 by intentional wok

[ChrisS]

Inciarte is a plus defender in CF, not that far off from Pillar.

 

Your right, I knew he was a plus defender but didnt realize he was that close to Pillar. I doubt the Braves do that deal then.

[ChrisS]

Two players I wouldnt mind seeing in a Jays uniform: Billy Hamilton and Kole Calhoun. Too bad it wont happen lol

[Stangstag]

I might get flamed for this but Fowler has signed elsewhere and our options in the OF are dwindling. I feel the FO shouldnt give up any quality prospects and they should leave our starting rotation alone. We have around $25mill left to spend. Ben Revere had a down year but is only 28 years old. I think signing him for cheap as 1 OF piece and making him earn his spot on the roster might be worthwhile.

He provides better def, speed and arm than either Saunders or Bautista did this past season. If he can leadoff and get on at a .330 clip he could provide great value.

Signing Bautista at the right price/term and having him split time in RF/1B/DH would leave money left over for pen arms and a backup catcher.

At this point I would try and move Smoak for anything.

 

I agree for the most part, except for 2 things:

 

1. Revere has a noodle arm

2. Revere should not be leading off, and a .330 OBP is not good enough for the leadoff spot.

 

I'm totally on board with signing Revere as a 4th OF with some upside. Revere/Upton could be a decent platoon and they can both cover CF if Pillar gets hurt. I'd want a good bat for RF though, someone like Granderson/Moss/Bautista

[Stangstag]

Two players I wouldnt mind seeing in a Jays uniform: Billy Hamilton and Kole Calhoun. Too bad it wont happen lol

 

Calhoun would be an excellent pickup.

[Bobthe4th]

I might get flamed for this but Fowler has signed elsewhere and our options in the OF are dwindling. I feel the FO shouldnt give up any quality prospects and they should leave our starting rotation alone. We have around $25mill left to spend. Ben Revere had a down year but is only 28 years old. I think signing him for cheap as 1 OF piece and making him earn his spot on the roster might be worthwhile.

He provides better def, speed and arm than either Saunders or Bautista did this past season. If he can leadoff and get on at a .330 clip he could provide great value.

Signing Bautista at the right price/term and having him split time in RF/1B/DH would leave money left over for pen arms and a backup catcher.

At this point I would try and move Smoak for anything.

 

Yeah we'd need to get rid of Smoak to fit both on the 25 man.

 

Unless Revere would accept a minor league deal with a spring training invite.

[intentional wok]

Calhoun would be an excellent pickup.

 

I like him too. No idea how to make that work for LA though. They seem willing to try and piece together decent team years while they still have Trout. Shame for them though since Houston, Texas, and Seattle are all quite better than them.

[george09]

Two players I wouldnt mind seeing in a Jays uniform: Billy Hamilton and Kole Calhoun. Too bad it wont happen lol

 

How much would Calhoun cost?

[ChrisS]

I agree for the most part, except for 2 things:

 

1. Revere has a noodle arm

2. Revere should not be leading off, and a .330 OBP is not good enough for the leadoff spot.

 

He has a noodle arm but Saunders and Bautista do also. I agree with number two just not sure what else to do. If we somehow resign Jose, maybe he leads off with Pillar 8th, Revere 9th.

[ChrisS]

Yeah we'd need to get rid of Smoak to fit both on the 25 man.

 

Unless Revere would accept a minor league deal with a spring training invite.

 

I should have been more clear. I meant sign him to the minor league deal and make him earn his way. I would try and move Smoak regardless. If he sees regular playing time at 1B, we are not playoff contenders.

[burlingtonbandit]

He has a noodle arm but Saunders and Bautista do also. I agree with number two just not sure what else to do. If we somehow resign Jose, maybe he leads off with Pillar 8th, Revere 9th.

 

Revere has one of the worst arms in MLB history. Its a legit 20 on the scouting scale.

 

Funny story I was at a game when he was warming up in the OF with the ball boy and he threw a ball that short hoped him and ended up going into the crowd and hitting a poor fan.

[intentional wok]

I'd be pleased with Jose/Edwin + Dyson. But I would have been good with that even before tonight's Fowler news.

[ChrisS]

I like him too. No idea how to make that work for LA though. They seem willing to try and piece together decent team years while they still have Trout. Shame for them though since Houston, Texas, and Seattle are all quite better than them.

 

They need pitching. That might not work well for us though.

He is above average in every metric, controllable for 3 more years and has quietly put up 11.5 WAR in 3 seasons.

[intentional wok]

They need pitching. That might not work well for us though.

He is above average in every metric, controllable for 3 more years and has quietly put up 11.5 WAR in 3 seasons.

 

That actually might be worth a Stroman deal (as opposed to Blackmon) in some way. Not sure if losing the stability in the rotation is worth it though.

 

The Angels also don't have much behind Trout without Calhoun. The rest of their lineup includes Maybin, a dying Pujols, Cron, Simmons, Escobar, etc. Kind of dire.

[ChrisS]

That actually might be worth a Stroman deal (as opposed to Blackmon) in some way. Not sure if losing the stability in the rotation is worth it though.

 

The Angels also don't have much behind Trout without Calhoun. The rest of their lineup includes Maybin, a dying Pujols, Cron, Simmons, Escobar, etc. Kind of dire.

 

At what point do you blow it all up and trade Trout for a massive haul?

[Bobthe4th]

At what point do you blow it all up and trade Trout for a massive haul?

 

End of 2017 season when Trout's contract goes up to $33m per year.

[intentional wok]

There may be no haul out there big enough at the moment. Trout puts up 9-win seasons in his sleep, will still be 25 starting work in April, and is under control through 2020. He's going to start making the big AAV soon though.

 

Sale got Moncada, Kopech, Basabe+. Eaton got Giolito, Reynaldo+. I don't even know who wants Trout bad enough but is also a contender with farm hay. Dodgers? Pederson, Urias, etc...?

[Bobthe4th]

There may be no haul out there big enough at the moment. Trout puts up 9-win seasons in his sleep, will still be 25 starting work in April, and is under control through 2020. He's going to start making the big AAV soon though.

 

Sale got Moncada, Kopech, Basabe+. Eaton got Giolito, Reynaldo+. I don't even know who wants Trout bad enough but is also a contender with farm hay. Dodgers? Pederson, Urias, etc...?

 

To make it work it'd probably have to be like the Shelby Miller trade on steroids. Miller got a can't miss prospect, a decent MLB player (c3 WAR), and a close to ready prospect.

 

Obviously Miller sucks and the D'backs were idiots, but that's not relevant for this comparison.

 

Trout = something like: 2 decent MLB players, 2 top 10 prospects, and 2 top 150 prospects.

 

If the deal was prospects only, it'd cripple the acquiring team's farm, but the Angels have the option to flip the 2 MLB players for prospects later on if required.

[Bobthe4th]

Boston could scrape together that deal right now, JBJ, Leon, Benintendi, Devers, Groome, Sam Travis, but as above it's something to revisit in a year when Trout may actually be on the table for a trade.

 

Without Moncada, I'm not sure that's enough anyway.

[Jonn]

I still don't understand why losing out on Fowler automatically means Jay Bruce for some of you. They want an athletic on base guy they will search the trade market for that first and foremost. It's already been said the interest in Bruce was limited. Atkins likely was looking to see if the Mets would dump him. But considering they retained him they aren't looking to give him away or eat most of his salary. Therefore no fit.

[bronson44]

At this point I think I would look for some cheaper outfield options and just stack the bullpen as some have mentioned. I'd love to have a shut down pen with this rotation and these guys are huge assets at the deadline if we're out of it or someone emerges internally.

[Bobthe4th]

At this point I think I would look for some cheaper outfield options and just stack the bullpen as some have mentioned. I'd love to have a shut down pen with this rotation and these guys are huge assets at the deadline if we're out of it or someone emerges internally.

 

If that's the route we go down, we only need one outfielder so we'd have lots of spare cash for the bullpen.

 

Our outfield would be one of the worst offensively though.

[Krylian]

We've spent more than the Cards the last few years lol.

 

I mean generally...with respect to FA's. We keep hoping that they'll sign this guy or that guy, but at the end of the day, aside from Russell Martin, which FA have they really locked up to a significant deal over the past.....I don't even know how many years?

 

This team isn't a real player in the FA market, at least not any of the higher end guys...even though the Score would have you believe that they're in on pretty much everyone.

 

Meh. Hope some of the second tier, value guys, work out.

[RealAccountant]

I still don't understand why losing out on Fowler automatically means Jay Bruce for some of you. They want an athletic on base guy they will search the trade market for that first and foremost. It's already been said the interest in Bruce was limited. Atkins likely was looking to see if the Mets would dump him. But considering they retained him they aren't looking to give him away or eat most of his salary. Therefore no fit.

 

Bc this regime has already tried to acquire Bruce on 2 occasions. Mets wants something now but pretty soon they will dump. Bruce means not signing and FA and filling up the payroll which this regime loves to do

[fatcowxlive]

I Love this plan, one problem....how do you keep Jose off the field after signing Morales?

 

We put Pearce in the OF and Morales at first

[bronson44]

If that's the route we go down, we only need one outfielder so we'd have lots of spare cash for the bullpen.

 

Our outfield would be one of the worst offensively though.

 

 

Moss to platoon with Upton preferably. Sign or trade for another cheap depth piece or 2 but give Pompey a real shot in the other corner. Should leave us with enough for Ziegler and Logan, but who knows. It's probably tough to get relievers to sign here without overpaying.

 

A lineup with Pearce, Tulo, JD, Morales, Moss, Martin and Travis isn't the worst thing with a solid pitching staff. If it doesn't work out, sell the bullpen guys which along with the picks for Bautista and EE gives us a pretty solid farm with the possibility add pieces again in 2018.

[Brownie19]

End of 2017 season when Trout's contract goes up to $33m per year.

 

Longer they wait, the less value they'll get. I'd see what LA would give up...

 

Pederson, Puig, Urias and DeLeon would probably be in the ballpark...although LAA may prefer prospects over MLB ready guys in Pederson and Puig

[glory]

I hope Trout is not available. He will just end up going to the Red Sox. Keep his ass in LA.

[Adipost]

Cubs fan and big Dex fan here. I was really hoping DF was heading to Toronto, as I can no longer root for him in STL. As for why he signed with the cardinals, I know he prefers to play CF, and he rejected the Orioles deal last season due to wanting an opt-out clause. Maybe STL included that clause.

[SweetSmellingChacin]

Fowler signed in STL because they gave him 90 million reasons.

 

Jays are likely to never sign a big time FA under the Shatkins regime because they aren't willing to overpay for anyone. But that's what you have to do in free agency to land a big fish, overpay. Not saying this is a bad thing as lot of these free agent deals don't work out, but it's just a reality given this managements mindset. So the Jays are likely to circle around the free agent recycling and sale bins.