Yeah. The team doesn't even have 5 relievers better than replacement, and he's almost a 3-win player according to RA-9 WAR, which would understate his actual value.
So what does everyone's projected 20-man look like?
C - Vogt
1B - Abreu
2B - Kendrick
3B - Dietrich
SS - Gyorko
CF - Eaton
OF - Trumbo
OF - Mahtook
Util - V-Mart
OF - Jaso
SP - Keuchel
SP - Lester
SP - Richards
SP - Chen
SP - Odorizzi
SP - Kennedy
SP - Nelson
RP - Betances
RP - Davis
RP - Romo
Looks like a top-5 pitching staff and bottom-5 offense. Unless I get 1-2 breakout offensive performances or can find a guy or two on the waiver wire I'm going to miss the playoffs.
Yup. Assuming Boston could have landed K-Rod for Asuaje, would you rather have:
1. Kimbrel
2. K-Rod, Margot, Guerra, Allen, ~$15M cash over the next two years
They'll probably keep him for both years and make it 2/13.5. He's been sneaky good. 5 of the last 6 years he's had an ERA under 3.05 and xFIP under 3.17. I think he's worth more than nothing, which is basically what they got.
I think you'll easily end up with a second for Uehara. A rebuilding team could immediately turn a big profit after the cut down.
People might undervalue elite relievers a bit though. I'd rather have one of them than the Tillmans Chatwoods and Volquez's of the world.