Who would you protect in an expansion draft?

[Grant77]

A fun little exercise from MLBTR here:

 

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2020/05/blue-jays-expansion-draft.html

 

I've edited the list a bit because they were a little too picky with their guaranteed spots.

 

Protected:

 

Hyun-Jin Ryu

Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

Nate Pearson

Bo Bichette

Cavan Biggio

Lourdes Gurriel Jr.

Danny Jansen

Reese McGuire

Anthony Kay

 

Unprotected:

 

Anthony Alford

Ryan Borucki

Jonathan Davis

Yennsy Diaz

Brandon Drury

Derek Fisher

Wilmer Font

Sam Gaviglio

Randal Grichuk

Teoscar Hernandez

Elvis Luciano

Billy McKinney

Thomas Pannone

Sean Reid-Foley

Tanner Roark

Jordan Romano

Travis Shaw

Rowdy Tellez

Trent Thornton

Jacob Waguespack

T.J. Zeuch

 

Your job is to pick six players for your first tier and then three more players to protect after the first round. Who do you think a hypothetical expansion team would select?

Edited May 14, 2020 by Grant77

[jays4life19]

**insert big pile of s*** GIF**

[bendera3]

First 6:

Ryan Borucki

Teoscar Hernandez

Billy McKinney

Sean Reid-Foley

Travis Shaw

Trent Thornton

 

Second 3:

Anthony Alford

T.J. Zeuch

Elvis Luciano

Edited May 14, 2020 by bendera3
Original post corrected

[Carlos Danger]

I understand it is hypthetical. However, why TF! would baseball expand and if they are seriously thinking about it, stop now!!

[Dick_Pole]

I understand it is hypthetical. However, why TF! would baseball expand and if they are seriously thinking about it, stop now!!

 

This is the longest period of time without expansion in MLB since expansion started. And 32 teams would be a lot nicer to deal with than 30. I just hope they go with four divisions of eight instead of eight divisions of four when it inevitably happens.

[bendera3]

I noticed you had Trent Thornton in both, did you mean Kay for one?

[Grant77]

I noticed you had Trent Thornton in both, did you mean Kay for one?

 

My bad, I fixed it. Thanks.

[Grant77]

My first 6:

 

Trent Thornton

Teoscar Hernandez

Sean Reid-Foley

TJ Zeuch

Ryan Borucki

Rowdy Tellez

 

Next 3:

Elvis Luciano

Jacob Waguespack

Travis Shaw

[bendera3]

This idea of expansion would be very fascinating because the last draft was done over 20 years ago and how players are views performance wise is so different. It's kinda hard to pick who you would protect because if you look at past results most of the players selected didn't really benefit their original selection team (Bobby Abreu, Dmitri Young-Rays, Cory Lidle, Tony Batista, Joe Randa-D-backs). I left Elvis off my first 6 because I didn't think a team would draft a 20 year old player off our roster. I left Rowdy off because I am unsure how a league that is so into advanced stats and roster flexibility would want a 1B/DH when they could be signed for such a little amount of money in FA. If I had to guess who gets plucked off our roster it will be a pitcher.

[Grant77]

This idea of expansion would be very fascinating because the last draft was done over 20 years ago and how players are views performance wise is so different. It's kinda hard to pick who you would protect because if you look at past results most of the players selected didn't really benefit their original selection team (Bobby Abreu, Dmitri Young-Rays, Cory Lidle, Tony Batista, Joe Randa-D-backs). I left Elvis off my first 6 because I didn't think a team would draft a 20 year old player off our roster. I left Rowdy off because I am unsure how a league that is so into advanced stats and roster flexibility would want a 1B/DH when they could be signed for such a little amount of money in FA. If I had to guess who gets plucked off our roster it will be a pitcher.

 

I agree that young pitching would be the target. I think a selecting team would love a shot at a guy like Borucki or Zeuch. MLBTR has done a couple so far and some teams like the Yankees have way too much to protect, while others like the red sox don't even have enough useful players to fill their slots. We're somewhere in the middle.

 

What is your rationale for protecting a free agent signing like Shaw? I like him as a player, but he has as much value as a waiver pickup right now.

[bendera3]

I view Shaw as a good bounce back candidate and I think that he will have a good amount of trade value at the deadline as he can play multiple positions and has some pop.

[Spanky99]

Trent Thornton

Ryan Borucki

Teoscar Hernandez

Anthony Kay

Tanner Roark

Randal Grichuk

 

Sean Reid-Foley

Elvis Luciano

Billy McKinney

[Todd]

Trent Thornton

Ryan Borucki

Teoscar Hernandez

Anthony Kay

Rowdy Tellez

Randal Grichuk

 

Yennsy Diaz

Elvis Luciano

Sean Reid-Foley

[Bobthe4th]

Protect all the pitchers! It’d be amazing if an expansion team could take rubbish like McKinney off our hands. Outside of the few core players we still have a really bad team.

[Spanky99]

Protect all the pitchers! It’d be amazing if an expansion team could take rubbish like McKinney off our hands. Outside of the few core players we still have a really bad team.

 

Mckinney still has an option, I don't get throwing that away?

[Grant77]

Mckinney still has an option, I don't get throwing that away?

 

Depending on the circumstances, a hypothetical expansion GM would love to get a recent top 100 prospect with options. He was the last cut on my list.

[Spanky99]

Depending on the circumstances, a hypothetical expansion GM would love to get a recent top 100 prospect with options. He was the last cut on my list.

 

Yes, you can do this with plenty of guys on the roster, I guess, within hypothetical reason of course, lol.

[Bobthe4th]

Depending on the circumstances, a hypothetical expansion GM would love to get a recent top 100 prospect with options. He was the last cut on my list.

 

McKinney is a terrible player and a waste of a roster spot, but I suppose we could get some int pool money from Baltimore!

[Boxcar]

Protect all the pitchers! It’d be amazing if an expansion team could take rubbish like McKinney off our hands. Outside of the few core players we still have a really bad team.

 

No, we don't. I know he can't read this, but people should be aware that Bob doesn't really know anything about baseball.

[Grant77]

No, we don't. I know he can't read this, but people should be aware that Bob doesn't really know anything about baseball.

 

What would your picks be?

[Boxcar]

First 6:

Shaw

Thornton

Fisher

Reid-Foley

Roark

Borucki or Font, can't decide

 

Next 3:

Hernandez

Whichever of Font/Borucki is left

Waguespack

[BlueRocky]

Randal Grichuk

Ryan Borucki

Trent Thornton

Tanner Roark

Travis Shaw

Jordan Romano

 

Derek Fisher

Elvis Luciano

Yennsy Diaz