Yeah, but with the lack of SP talent currently on the team, and the fact that this is a rebuild year, 2019 is a good time to see how he does over a full season of work.
He provides SP depth, but I hope there's room for Borucki. He was one of the few bright spots of last year's team, and showed promise as a #3-4 starter in the future.
Duchene has been pretty good this year, at least based off of his numbers. Now, he's nowhere near Mark Stone levels of good, but he could help CBJ in the playoffs with Panarin, Atkinson, and Dubois.
I wonder what effect this would have on the draft. Would teams be less inclined to pick college players, since they are going to be older than high schoolers?
Oh dear God, Brian Burke.
Yes, I know it's my own Tweet, but I had to share it here. He traded picks that turned into Rakell and John Gibson to get Biggs, too.
I get the sense that the Angels will be going after Keuchel. He would fill an area of need, and push them further towards playoff contention (poor Mike Trout).
Speaking of free agents, where do you think Harper will sign?
Looking at Steamer's projections for 2019 (which includes free agents), the Padres are expected to win about 81 games even after signing Machado. Unless they make more significant adds via free agency or trades, I'm guessing their outlook is more 2020, when their prospects develop further.
The reason why he gets so much hate is due to his tendency to make mind-numbing decisions with the puck, even though he does a really good job with the puck most other times. As Steve Dangle puts it, there's Good Jake and Bad Jake. lol
Vlad Jr.'s promotion is inevitable sometime in early 2019 (barring injuries, of course). However, what do you think are Bichette's chances of getting called up midseason?
As Pat Tabler would always say in the most homoerotic way possible: He's big and strong, and plays the game the right way.
Also, I wonder whether framing is a skill that can be learned over time.
This article suggests that while his bat is good, Jansen's framing in the minors was terrible (and Reese McGuire is more likely to stick at the position). We'll see how he is in 2019.
Link.
I really hope Nylander turns it on after the all-star break. I'm getting sick of all the negative news around him. His underlying numbers have been good, but he's missing on many of his opportunities.
At least the Leafs beat Tampa in Tampa.