Around Baseball 2023

[Terminator]

Back to baseball related discussions. Who pitches more combined innings over the next 5 seasons, Ohtani or Glasnow?

 

Great question. Have to give Glasnow the nod at this point as he’s entering 2024 healthy and Ohtani won’t throw an inning but Ohtani could catch up in a hurry.

[Carlos Danger]

LGR jr going back to the Diamondbacks.

 

3yrs $42m

[Jays24]

LGR going back to the Diamondbacks.

 

Damn... he would have been a nice option if we failed on our first 5 targets lol.

 

Report: D-Backs bring back Gurriel on 3-year, $42M deal

https://www.thescore.com/mlb/news/2796653

[Laika]

LGR jr going back to the Diamondbacks.

 

3yrs $42m

 

Fair deal

 

They aren't even paying him for 2 war a year, so expectations will be realistic

[Orgfiller]

More money and commitment than I would’ve been comfortable giving him, but good for Gurriel. Easy guy to root for. Low risk, low upside move, probably fair all things considered.

[BTS]

I kind of thought he’d be back in Toronto on a deal something like that.

[Carlos Danger]

More money and commitment than I would’ve been comfortable giving him, but good for Gurriel. Easy guy to root for. Low risk, low upside move, probably fair all things considered.

 

How comfortable are you with today’s report that Bellinger’s agent is seeking $200 m plus….. I think a lot of red flags, but upside also.. Kinda on the fence at this point..

[Laika]

More money and commitment than I would’ve been comfortable giving him, but good for Gurriel. Easy guy to root for. Low risk, low upside move, probably fair all things considered.

 

Yeah it's not really about the money

 

Just not interested in locking in a fringe average LF for three years

[Dick_Pole]

I kind of thought he’d be back in Toronto on a deal something like that.

 

Jays should aim higher. Them signing Gurriel in mid-December at that contract probably doesn't bode well for how they think the rest of the off-season is going to go.

[max silver]

Yeah it's not really about the money

 

Just not interested in locking in a fringe average LF for three years

 

That's the thing, Gurriel just produced his best ever full season WAR at a whopping total of 2.1. He's a complimentary player at best.

[BTS]

Jays should aim higher. Them signing Gurriel in mid-December at that contract probably doesn't bode well for how they think the rest of the off-season is going to go.

 

They’re in a tough spot. They only have 2 MLB outfielders, and the only guy on the market clearly better than Gurriel (probably) is a walking landmine who might get 200M.

[Dick_Pole]

If Franco started a relationship with a 14 yr old when he was 21, he's not getting a pass from me.

 

I do have an issue with Bauer, yes, along with any other man that is physically abusive to women.

 

I just find it weird that those that present Bauer as innocent, also present Franco as guilty.

 

Two very different scenarios so I can see why some people would be offended by one and not another. FWIW, I don't find either of them guilty of anything that should blackball them from the MLB based on the facts we know so far.

[Carlos Danger]

My spider senses tell me, based on the latest reporting, that Yamamoto’s deal might hit or break $400 million.

[BlueJays]

My spider senses tell me, based on the latest reporting, that Yamamoto’s deal might hit or break $400 million.

Yeah, easily. Mets are willing to give him around 360 to 390 million and that might not be enough. That’s pretty a big money for someone who hasn’t pitched on major yet.

[Jays24]

My spider senses tell me, based on the latest reporting, that Yamamoto’s deal might hit or break $400 million.

 

0 chance I'd ever give someone that type of money who hasn't proven anything in the Majors. Unless he plans to pitch more than once every 5 days, I cant see any value from the contract he'll be getting. Gimme Gausman + Berrios over him without even having to think about it.

[Carlos Danger]

0 chance I'd ever give someone that type of money who hasn't proven anything in the Majors. Unless he plans to pitch more than once every 5 days, I cant see any value from the contract he'll be getting. Gimme Gausman + Berrios over him without even having to think about it.

 

Yes, doesn’t make sense for the Blue Jays. However, with San Fran coming in at over $300m, the Mets needing to make a splash, the Dodgers and Yankees desperately needing SPs to go along with Ohtani and Soto respectively, someone will pay that much.

[BatFlip]

0 chance I'd ever give someone that type of money who hasn't proven anything in the Majors. Unless he plans to pitch more than once every 5 days, I cant see any value from the contract he'll be getting. Gimme Gausman + Berrios over him without even having to think about it.

 

Yeah exactly - if it's true, this is absurd money for someone who hasn't thrown an inning in the majors. I never thought he'd get to Gerrit Cole territory. That Gausman contract is looking mighty fine right now.

[BigCecil]

3/42M for LGJ. About what I expected. Nice pay day for him.

[Stangstag]

3/42M for LGJ. About what I expected. Nice pay day for him.

 

I probably would’ve done that deal. Includes an opt-out after 2024 too. Most likely scenario, he puts up another good year in 2024 and opts-out to sign a longer deal. Worst-case, its only 3 yrs.

 

I would assume Teo gets something similar with an extra year tacked on. Something like 4/50 or 4/60

[Laika]

I know people don't love Teoscar because he's a clumsy defender and he whiffs too much, but I'd be all over him on a reasonable 3 or 4 year deal. Just think the power is so legit that he's so f***ing close to being elite with the stick. Reminds me of Nelson Cruz around the same age.

[max silver]

I probably would’ve done that deal. Includes an opt-out after 2024 too. Most likely scenario, he puts up another good year in 2024 and opts-out to sign a longer deal. Worst-case, its only 3 yrs.

 

I would assume Teo gets something similar with an extra year tacked on. Something like 4/50 or 4/60

 

His "good year" saw him manage all of a 2.1 FWAR. His 106 wRC+ was the worst since his rookie season. It's crazy to think but he actually had a positive defensive contribution after Fangraph positional adjustment.

 

I'd much rather have Teo personally as I think the offensive upside is much higher of the two. It's just a matter of whether he's going to cost more as he's a single season removed from producing a 130 wRC+.

[John_Havok]

3/42M for LGJ. About what I expected. Nice pay day for him.

 

I guess it depends how much you believe in his career season being repeated a few more times. I'm not a believer personally, as I think his bat will be okay but his D will likely regress and baserunning will continue to be bad. He going into his age 30 season, but realistically he'll be 30 and a half before the season even starts. If that contact is what a 1.5 WAR projection is worth, I wish them luck.

 

To me it seems like a playoff run overpay

[max silver]

I know people don't love Teoscar because he's a clumsy defender and he whiffs too much, but I'd be all over him on a reasonable 3 or 4 year deal. Just think the power is so legit that he's so f***ing close to being elite with the stick. Reminds me of Nelson Cruz around the same age.

 

I think Teoscar is going to be in tough to produce like late career Cruz as Teo strikes out too damn much. I have a hard time seeing that improve a great degree in the future with a guy who's already 31.

[Spanky__99]

I'm in for some LF Teo, no doubt.

[Laika]

I think Teoscar is going to be in tough to produce like late career Cruz as Teo strikes out too damn much. I have a hard time seeing that improve a great degree in the future with a guy who's already 31.

 

I'm not predicting him to be Nelson Cruz. But there are similarities. The point is just that Teoscar's upside is obvious, and attainable.

 

He is CLEARLY a better risk vs. reward play than almost any other OF on the market.

 

Also, I bet Nelson Cruz was a hacker to a similar degree relative to the league. Keep in mind the league wide K% rose from like 16% to 24% between 2005 and 2021.

[Stangstag]

I know people don't love Teoscar because he's a clumsy defender and he whiffs too much, but I'd be all over him on a reasonable 3 or 4 year deal. Just think the power is so legit that he's so f***ing close to being elite with the stick. Reminds me of Nelson Cruz around the same age.

 

Yeah Nelson cruz is a good comp, and he didn’t really find his groove until his early 30s. I could see Teo following that kinda career trajectory with some slight changes in his approach at the plate.

[Stangstag]

I think Teoscar is going to be in tough to produce like late career Cruz as Teo strikes out too damn much. I have a hard time seeing that improve a great degree in the future with a guy who's already 31.

 

Aaron Judge strikes out at a similar clip. A change in approach could mean everything, same as Vlad really.

 

Who knows if these guys have the capacity for that kinda change. But I wouldn’t be shocked to see either of them go back to their production numbers from 2021/22

[Jimcanuck]

Cruz a bit of a unicorn - highly unlikely a current big leaguer will follow the same trajectory

 

9/10 Teo is on the decline and will be out of baseball by 35

[max silver]

Aaron Judge strikes out at a similar clip. A change in approach could mean everything, same as Vlad really.

 

Who knows if these guys have the capacity for that kinda change. But I wouldn’t be shocked to see either of them go back to their production numbers from 2021/22

 

Even at his very best Teoscar is still a budget version of Judge so I don't know if these guys are really good comparables. Judge just eclipses everyone else in baseball when it comes to the Statcast quality of contact metrics whereas Teoscar is more in the 80-90th percentile range.

[Spanky__99]

Cruz a bit of a unicorn - highly unlikely a current big leaguer will follow the same trajectory

 

9/10 Teo is on the decline and will be out of baseball by 35

 

That's an interesting take.