THANOS

100% agree. Catcher WAR will probably be adjusted lower after that as well. Isn't framing a part of fWAR currently?

She's great! Fact checks everything for her clients. Super entertaining for one, and easier to weed through the BS.

Great way of looking at it! Good points too. He makes sense to be a high target for him. Sounds like they were really trying to sell him on the performance complex and culture earlier in the OS, and we still have so much payroll flexibility from what we've been hearing, and where they're current at. Only 18 days until pitchers and catchers report, so I imagine he's going to want to sign fairly soon. The sooner he signs the sooner he could start working at the complex and make use of the pitching lab and other things that would truly resonate with someone like Bauer. One way or another, I'm thinking he signs within a week.

I do too. We've heard nothing for Angels land, and Mets/Dodgers are both very close to the Tax with extensions looming for their core. As mentioned in this thread, Giants don't offer much in terms of winning, and we can match/beat any contract they offer him, pending it's not ridiculous. Stars seem to align very logically with us getting him.

At this point, we need to sign Bauer, or trade for Hendricks. Signing oft-injured Paxton & Walker just wouldn't do enough on the WIN curve imo. Internal options likely aren't too far off from them. Bauer or Hendricks along with one of above is the best choice.

I guess it depends how Bauer would look at their age, and the the proximity of their farm. If money is equal, from his own admission, he doesn't care about Geography, but does care about winning, so his best chance is with the Jays, if the other mentioned teams don't want to spend into the tax.

I'm 100% down for that type of deal. Would be great. By that point, your hope is that Pearson, SWR & Manoah have established themselves as mid-rotation to top-end SPs (hopefully 2 of the 3 are top-end) and then we don't need the likes of Bauer anymore regardless.

Honestly man, same here. I looked into it a it more and a few of the reported teams (Dodgers & Mets) are very close to the Tax and need to extend their core as soon as next season, so I have my doubts they spend on him. Angels have been notorious silent, so not sure if that means they are our or negotiating privately. I'll consider them out for the lack of news we're hearing on them. So, really, that only leaves the Jays & Giants. Both teams are far from the tax, and both have young cores ready for success. The Jays are much closer to that success than the Giants though, and the Giants have to contend with both the Padres & the Dodgers. I honestly believe the Jays have a realistic shot at him if they beat SF's offer.

He's got thin skin, controversial opinions, and is irritable, but he's a helluva pitcher, and I'd he thrilled to have him.

How would you rate him compared to Hiraldo & Kloff in our Top 5 system? I would add Martinez to that as well.

I'd rather trade for Bryant alone and eat his salary. Return is probably really small at that point, after his down season. Send them Tellez as the return for eating the contract. See if that works. Then sign Pax & whomever of Tanaka/Odorizzi you can get for 1Y. High payroll for 2021, but those 3, Ray, Roark, and BP pieces all come off the books in 2022. Hopefully at that point, Pearson & one of SWR or Manoah has established that they're ready to join the rotation, and Martin & Groshans are ready to join the lineup. Then you're left with below and can address the rest via FA in 2022, with that elite veteran SP class. Rotation: 1. Ryu 2. Pearson 3. SWR/Manoah 4. FA/Trade/Depth SP 5. FA/Trade/Depth SP Lineup: 1. 2B Biggio 2. SS Bichette 3. RF Springer 4. 1B Guerrero Jr 5. LF Gurriel Jr 6. DH Hernandez 7. CF Martin 8. 3B Groshans 9. C Kirk/Jansen Lineup is solidified and only need to raise the floor for it via bench signings. Grichuk will be the 4th OF unless he has a decent season and can be traded. And the only adds to do are SP and the BP. This is obviously only possible if Martin Groshans & one of SWR/Manoah prove themselves of course. It's entirely possible none of them do in 2021 or only 1 or 2 of them succeed.

Agreed. I don't think Paxton or Odorizzi have prospect compensation tied to them, so we'd lose nothing but money. If we could somehow get Odorizzi for a 1Y deal, the way this market has been, you come out winning even more. Giving up SWR & Moreno just seems too rich for my blood. I'd do that along with Gurriel for Castillo, but he's the only one really, and Reds wouldn't even sniff at that since the demanded Torres as the starting point from NY.

Don't we have a better farm system than the Yankees 1 through 10? I would think Hiraldo & Kloff as our #9 & #10 would be more valuable than anything the Yanks just gave up? The top return was their #15 prospect.

Hard pass for me. Would rather stick with FA to address IF & SP.

Beautiful! Much easier to extend our core with only 22.5M/Y tied up to Springer on the back end.

It's behind a paywall unfortunately

I loved Tim & Sid. That's really sad, I wonder if SN fired Sid but gave him some tim to find a new gig so he could save face.

At this point we have more flexibility to make a run at Bauer. We're sitting at around 117M now with the performance bonuses in for Chatwood/Yates. 2016 ended with a payroll of 153M I believe. Not sure if we have the green light to go back to that or beyond, but, if so, that's another 36M left to spend if they do so choose. Could potentially grab Bauer with that and call it an off-season.

Out of that list, I target Colorado every time. They're a dumb FO, so Marquez and Gray might be had for not nearly what one would think.

If we sign Brantley as well, we can trade 2 of LGJ, Teo, Tellez. I'd be fine trading both LGJ & Teo for Castillo if it limits our prospect capital cost. LGJ, Teoscar, Kay, Hiraldo & Pardinho for Castillo I wonder if that's enough to land him.

Agreed 100% man.

I agree, just not sure they spend it on him. Here's our payroll now: Prior to Chatwood, Yates & Springer: 76.5M Chatwood 3M Yates 5.5M Springer 25M So we're at 110M now. Adding Bauer likely puts us at 140-145M. I'd do it, just not sure they wouldn't rather spread that to Wong/Paxton/Bryant?

There's tax considerations and geography that probably contributed to it as well as not wanting to go back and forth over a few million.

So we out on Bauer now?

Gurriel & Hiraldo for Bryant & Hendricks?