jaysfan2014

And it's that issue that makes it necessary for Cleveland to win and go deep in the postseason--any disappointment and no playoffs which leads to lower than projected attendance will equal a fire sale next offseason with Edwin ending up sent to a larger market.. let's not forget about Delgado when he signed with Miami (Florida Marlins at the time in 2005), who got dealt to the Mets a year later--it can happen again.

Not a bad deal for either side--Mariners get better defensively with more speed on the basepaths, Royals get a controllable starter--which they DESPERATELY need, allowing them to move Matt Strahm back to the bullpen.

White Sox DFAd Jason Coats--should the Jays take a flyer on him?

Yes, especially when Shapiro/Atkins built that Cleveland team. Give them time.. they're trying to build sustainability and avoid the same mistakes AA and Riccardi made.

Best used vs. RHP and as a DH--his OF defense is trash.

A platoon OF with bad defense but a good bat vs. RHP for a backend starter + eating money... guess this means Trumbo is headed elsewhere and Wade Miley will be the 5th starter.. seeming like the O's and Mariners like trading with each other, considering how many times they've connected..

My thoughts: 1. Possibly, if he stays healthy. 2. Uh... no. Harper's numbers cratered last year. He's taken major steps back with the glove and the bat.. Trout is the real deal and will continue to be so for most of his career. 3. Who's gonna sign him, though? 4. Possible--but it's dependent on their pitching, a frequent Achilles' heel on the Rockies. 5. Nope. Mets will be neck-and-neck with the Nats--and the Nats just need to hope Daniel Murphy's numbers don't regress significantly. 6. Angels could be a contender--Trout's not going anywhere. The team looks a lot better than a year ago--with some better pitching and real 2B and LFs, this team could surprise.

No, 2018. He needs to rebound with the bat--he was basically similar to Bautista this past year. He went from MVP to basically mediocre.. walks a lot with a low average. Teams aren't going to throw money at him if he doesn't rebound.. we all saw what has happened with Jason Heyward with the Cubs.. already peaked offensively in 2012 and hasn't rebounded with the bat--only his D is making him valuable, and that contract's an albatross for the Cubs, and will be even moreso when the young core hits arb..

Castillo, Marrero, Craig and Brentz are AAAA guys, Holt is only useful as a reserve--use him regularly and he's not very good. Vazquez is only on the Sox for sure because he's out of options, and Rutledge isn't even guaranteed a spot--if he doesn't make the team, he gets sent back to Colorado (Rule 5 pick). Travis is coming off a torn ACL and is uncertain, Swihart's role is as clear as mud.. is he a C or an OF? Regardless, he's blocked at both positions unless Benintendi implodes in Spring Training or one of the catchers get hurt--and he isn't even a decent catcher.. he makes Matt Wieters look good behind the plate.

Benintendi's not a guarantee--despite being a top prospect, he'll have to prove that he can adjust the 2nd time around against MLB pitching, as tape is out on him now, and teams are going to adjust. The biggest concern is the lineup after the 5 spot(assuming Pedroia/Benintendi/Bogaerts/Betts/HanRam)--JBJ was an absolute black hole in the lineup after the All-Star break, Sandoval's uncertain, Moreland is coming off a career worst season offensively (for a full year), and Sandy Leon is a major regression candidate (he's not hitting .300 again-- low .200s is more likely). This isn't going to be as deep an offensive team as 2016--a drop off of 150-200 runs is likely, so the pitching will have to stay healthy and avoid decline.

Without Ortiz, it won't matter if the stadium's a bandbox--most teams will pitch around Betts/Bogaerts and possibly HanRam knowing they have no protection, meaning tons of runners LOB. And Moreland is not the answer--Texas fans can tell you that.

Even Boston media is worried about the lack of depth on the roster: http://fullcount.weei.com/sports/boston/baseball/red-sox/2016/12/28/has-anybody-noticed-how-uncomfortably-thin-the-red-sox-depth-is/ If injuries strike, this Red Sox team could face serious difficulties..

Travis, Pillar, Osuna, Martin, Stroman, Sanchez, Donaldson, Estrada, Liriano, Happ, Biagini, Morales and Pearce, and they'll have Ramirez, McGuire, Fields, Tellez and maybe Urena in Buffalo.. and there's still time to add OF help. I mean, the East still is really between Boston and Toronto, as the O's face a big decline if Trumbo doesn't return (along with Wieters gone, and only about a year away from a Braves-style implosion of the team as Machado hits free agency after 2018 and is unlikely to resign with Baltimore). Rays are a wild card, and the Yanks are at least a year or two away.

No, they just suck..

Jays might bring Bautista back--no team is really interested in signing him at any more than the QO, plus too many DH/1B types are on the market.

Out of all the farm system in the AL East, here's how I rank them based on MLB's prospect rankings: 1. Yankees 2. Rays 3. Blue Jays 4. Red Sox (only Benintendi keeps them from being last because Dombrowski blew up the farm in the Sale/Thornburg/Pomeranz/Kimbrel trades). 5. Orioles

Red Sox HAD a good farm system--unfortunately, Dombrowski destroyed it in multiple trades. All that's left is Devers and Groome and not much else (Benintendi I won't count since he's already in the majors). If the trades backfire if Sale or Kimbrel blow their elbows(good risk of that), the Sox could be in trouble. They basically boxed themselves into a 3-year window at best before the roster gets so expensive, the Sox will have difficulty keeping a competitive team together under the tax. They potentially lose after 2018: Price(opt-out), HanRam (if his expensive option isn't picked up) Kimbrel (they could lose him next offseason if he gets injured and the Sox decline his $13M option) Pomeranz Chris Sale (if he blows his elbow out, which I expect will happen based on recent history with the Sox--why do you think Chicago was willing to let him go?) Porcello after 2019 Not to mention Bogaerts and Betts will likely take up a quarter of the payroll by 2019 (Betts is likely getting Trout money) And due to trades and poor development, they have very little on the farm in starting pitching. As for the Yankees, no guarantees. It's dependant on Torres, Frazier, Mateo, Judge, etc.'s development. Just because they have a strong system doesn't mean they'll pan out--after all, until Sanchez, the last homegrown elite Yankees prospect was Robinson Cano..

No way he stays in Cleveland after 2017--especially if the Indians don't make it to the World Series. They don't exactly have deep pockets--and they're losing Santana after 2017, with nobody in the pipeline to replace him, and they're going to lose Jesus Aguilar in the spring (out of options).

Agreed--we keep flexibility and avoid getting tied up with a bad contract. Why do I have a feeling Edwin ends up getting dealt after one season like Delgado? No way Cleveland can afford him after 2017, especially if they end up disappointing on attendance or missing the playoffs because someone like Detroit or KC surprises. If they were selling out each night, this deal wouldn't be so dangerous for them...

Detroit is still a threat. There's a good chance Detroit abandons their fire sale plans, as they've made no indication of making trades or cutting payroll outside of the Maybin trade. What Avila meant was that they needed to get younger--it doesn't guarantee they'll sell everyone. And Detroit still has a strong rotation--especially with Verlander, FUlmer, Norris, Boyd, and the chance ZImmermann rebounds.

I have to agree--Edwin isn't going to hold up long term, with his soaring strikeout rate, and plus he'll likely have to play 1B full time since they already have Santana at DH--hasn't he had injuries before at this position? And both Santana and Edwin are awful defensively at 1B.. he wouldn't have played 1B in Toronto if Bautista hadn't been heavily DHd and Smoak hadn't struggled so much..

And of course, there's a risk he'll get traded again after a season if Cleveland disappoints on attendance or misses the playoffs--anyone remember what happened with Delgado when he was signed by Miami? Dealt after one season to the Mets in a fire sale..

Click on "Rangers Tax Tracker" -- that's the CBT payroll.. which shows $171M+.

Which he can no longer do due to knee issues, plus the fact he's 38 and basically a DH/1B at best now.

Texas is tapped out, Seattle isn't realistic--Mariners need OFs and more bullpen help and can't exactly afford Edwin's deal, and really want to give Dan Vogelbach a chance to win the 1B job. Plus, Nelson Cruz is better used as a DH than a OF..