PP’s “Trust The Process??” Offseason Plan

1:46 PM CDT on October 20, 2019

PREAMBLE

After a 72 win (69 xW/L) season, my offseason plan prioritizes 3 things:

Give the team an opportunity to compete, IF the homegrown talent succeeds.

Allow the second tier prospects to develop/get healthy to build trade value

Make additions that will not block potential internal pieces, keep draft picks and allow for future payroll flexibility to be used when the team has shown it's ready to compete.

***My First Order Of Business

-Sign Joe Girardi for 5 years $30mil and give him a wide berth on coaching replacements

ARBITRATION-ELIGIBLE PLAYERS

Alex Colomé, $10.3M- Nope
Yolmer Sánchez, $6.2M-Nope
James McCann, $4.9M-He stays
Carlos Rodon, $4.5M-He Stays
Leury García, $4M-Nope
Evan Marshall, $1.3M-He Stays
Josh Osich, $1M-He Stays
Ryan Goins, $900K-Nope

CLUB OPTIONS

Welington Castillo: $8 million/$500,000 buyout- Buy That Out

OTHER IMPENDING FREE AGENTS

Try to retain, or let go?

Jose Abreu- Offer Jose a one year $12.5mil salary, with a team option at $12.5mil for '21, with a $4mil buyout.
Allow everyone else to walk
Offer- Yoan Moncada 5/65 guaranteed. 5mil/10mil/12.5mil/12.5mil/20mil. With a $25mil option and $5mil buyout.(Total Potential 6/85) It allows him to out earn Betts over a comparative timeframe if he's willing to give up 2 years of control. If the rumors of his spending habits were true, maybe he takes it.
Offer- Lucas Giolito 5/46 guaranteed. 3/4/8/11.75/15 With a $17mil team option and $4.75mil buyout.(Total Potential 6/58) It's essentially the Nola deal signed one year 1 extra year prior to arb eligibility.
Offer- Luis Robert 6/45 guaranteed. 2/2.5/4.5/7.5/10.5/14. With $18mil and $25mil team options/$4mil buyouts.(Total Potential 8/84) It's the Jimenez deal, Plus, Plus.

FREE AGENTS

Yasmani Grandal- 4 years, $60mil. He Gets on base, Switch Hitter, Excellent defender, Won't be blocking anyone
Kole Calhoun- 2 years, $16mil. To be used exclusively as a platoon RF in '20, then potentially a LF/DH/LH Bench Bat in '21 when Betts is added.
Ben Zobrist- 1 year, $6.5mil, 2nd year $7.5mil mutual option with $2mil buyout. Mans 2nd base for the first month while Madrigal finishes up in AAA, is the RF option vs. LHP, and gives Jimenez off days in LF
Billy Hamilton- 1 year, $1.5mil- 26 man. He's not Engel and can steal bases + play defense.
Alex Wood- 1 year, $8.5mil. Bridge deal for a LHP who had great success as a 150 innings guy who is coming off a year lost to non-arm related injuries.
Tanner Roark- 2 years, $16mil- Holds down a starting spot until Kopech is ready, then goes to multi-inning option in 'pen/emergency starter.
Will Smith- (***If He Does Not Earn A QO) 3 years, $39mil- Closer in place of Colome
Chris Martin- 1 year, $4.5mil- Throws Strikes, suppressed HR's with Atlanta
*Brandon Kintzler- 1 year /$4 million- IF Smith gets a QO, sign Kintzler and Bummer is Closer
*Tommy Hunter- Minor League 1 year /$4.3 million - It's the non-guaranteed Hector Santiago deal

TRADES

No Trades- If all goes well, prospects use the first half to build value heading into the trade deadline and off-season. This is my preferred way to fill any holes in the starting rotation.

SUMMARY

IF players accept extension offers and Smith signs, my 2020 payroll is $110mil, dropping to $70mil in '21. The breadth of potential outcomes for this team is vast and relies on the development of their future core. Low end, it's a 77 win slog(Think Reds). High end, with deadline acquisitions, they're a 90+ win team with draft picks intact and tons of future payroll flexibility.(Think Braves)

POSITIONS

C- Grandal/McCann/Collins(emergency 3rd)

1B- Abreu/Collins/Zobrist

DH-Collins/McCann/Calhoun/Zobrist/Jimenez

2B- Zobrist(April)/ (Madrigal Full-time in May)/Mendick

SS-Anderson/Mendick (Trouble Spot if Anderson goes down)

3B-Moncada/Mendick

LF- Jimenez/Zobrist

CF- Robert/Hamilton

RF-Calhoun/Zobrist

ROTATION BULLPEN

Giolito Will Smith