PREAMBLE
Sox are now legit championship contenders. Winning is everything. Service time manipulations (beyond April 14th) aren't acceptable. Being cheap with payroll isn't acceptable. Sitting on your hands at the trade deadline isn't acceptable.
ARBITRATION-ELIGIBLE PLAYERS
Write “tender,” “non-tender” or “rework/extend” after each player and their projected 2020 salaries, arranged by the three calculation methods described by MLB Trade Rumors. Feel free to offer explanation afterward if necessary.
- Nomar Mazara: $5.6M | $5.9M | $5.7M - non-tender
- Carlos Rodón: $4.5M | $4.5M | $4.5M - tender
- Lucas Giolito: $2.5M | $5.3M | $2.5M - tender
- Reynaldo López: $1.7M | $2.2M | $1.7M - tender
- Evan Marshall: $1.3M | $1.9M | $1.4M - tender
- Adam Engel: $1M | $1.4M | $1M - tender
- Jace Fry: $800K | $1M | $800K - tender
- Yolmer Sánchez: - non-tender
CLUB OPTIONS
Write “pick up” or “decline” or “rework” after the option.
- Edwin Encarnación: $12M - decline
- Gio González: $7M ($500K buyout) - decline
- Leury García: $3.5M ($250K buyout) - pick up
OTHER IMPENDING FREE AGENTS
Try to retain, or let go?
- Alex Colomé (Made $10,532,500 in 2020) - I'd try to retain , but for this purpose, let go
- James McCann (Made $5.4M in 2020) - I'd try to retain , but for this purpose, let go
- Jarrod Dyson (Made $2M in 2020) - let go
COACHING STAFF
Here’s a first: Pick your manager and pitching coach, with any elaboration.
- Manager: Buck Showalter? I really don't have a good solution here
- Pitching coach: Al Leiter?
FREE AGENTS
List three free-agent targets you’d pursue during the offseason, with a reasonable contract.
No. 1: Taijuan Walker (28) (two years, $20 million). I'd prefer to have a leftie, but he's the best value on the market. I'm willing to go 3 years, but I don't think I'll have to with his injury history.
OR
Alex Wood (30) (two years, $18 million). My fall-back plan: A leftie with moderate upside and a moderate floor.
No. 2: Joc Pederson (29) (two yr, $11.5 mil). I know this idea is played out, but he really is the perfect platoon with Engel, and since he had a very poor 2020, he will be available cheap.
No. 3: Anthony DeSclafani (31) (one year, $4.5 mil, $7.5 mil club option for 2022). After a train wreck of 2020, he could be stolen dirt cheap. His injury was a strained pectoral - not an elbow or shoulder, so odds of rebound are good. He'd also probably be ok with being sent to the 'pen if our rotation is set.
These picks assume that the Bauer and Stroman get too pricey for their value. This also assumes that Jake Odorizzi stays in Minnesota as he seems to like it there. Also remember that Jerry doesn't like to pay for pitching.
TRADES
No. 1: Trade Reynaldo Lopez to Cubs for Jason Heyward and $32 mil. I've never been a fan of Heyward, but after watching good outfield defense make the World Series year after year, I'm buying in. He's a leftie and a perfect fit... as long as the Cubs eat major salary.
OR
No. 1: Trade Reynaldo Lopez and Jonathan Stiever to Mets for Michael Conforto. Obviously, I'm not the first to suggest this, but I'm actually offering less than others. I think the Mets would jump at this in a heartbeat. In fact, I would only do this with a 72 hour window to work out an extension for Conforto. I would throw in a lower-level prospect for the rights to negotiate, and Mets can keep the prospect if a deal falls through.
No. 2: Trade Yemin Mercedes or Micker Adolfo to Reds for Curt Casali. I don't know why the Reds keep playing Tucker Barnhart over him. They also have Tyler Stevenson fast approaching. If they don't want him, I'll take him. He's a nice back-up and decent pitch framer. He would solidify our catching position in case Collins doesn't really work.
SUMMARY
| Starters | Players | $$$ | Condition |
| C | Grandal | $ 18.25 | Contract |
| 1B | Abreu | $ 17.66 | Contract |
| 2B | Madrigal | $ 0.57 | League Min |
| SS | Anderson | $ 7.25 | Contract |
| 3B | Moncada | $ 6.8 | Contract |
| DH | Vaughn | $ 0.57 | League Min |
| RF | Heyward / Conforto | $ 13 / $20 | After Cub's $ |
| CF | Robert | $ 3.50 | Contract |
| LF | Jimenez | $ 4.33 | Contract |
| Subtotal | $78.93 | ||
| Bench | |||
| C | Casali | $ 2.00 | per Spotrac |
| IF | Garcia | $ 3.50 | Option (Pick-up) |
| OF | Engel | $ 1.40 | Arb 1 |
| Other | Collins | $ .75 | Moderate raise |
| Sub-total | $7.65 mil | ||
| Pitching | |||
| SP | Giolito | $ 5.30 | Arb 1 |
| SP | Keuchel | $ 18.00 | Contract |
| SP | Dunning | $ 0.57 | League Min |
| SP | Kopech | $ .6 | moderate raise |
| SP | Walker / FA | $ 10 | NEW |
| CL | Bummer (L) | $ 2.00 | Contract |
| Setup | Heuer | $ 0.57 | League Min |
| Setup | Marshall | $ 1.90 | Arb 2 |
| RP | Cordero | $ 0.57 | League Min |
| RP | Cease | $ .6 | moderate raise |
| RP | Foster | $ 0.57 | League Min |
| RP | Fry (L) | $ 1.00 | Arb 1 |
| Long | Rodon (L) | $ 4.5 | Arb |
| Buyout | $ 0.50 | Gonzo buy-out | |
| Subtotal: | $ 44.21 | ||
| Grand total: | $ 130.79 |
How you settled on your plan? As far as pitching goes, I think we will win (or not) with Cease, Kopech, Dunning, Crochet, and Kelley as our 3-5's during this run. As I mentioned, the reality is that Jerry doesn't like to spend big on pitching and I don't think we need to anyway. If we had Kopech pitching game 3 against the A's, our season ends differently.
My biggest regret is letting McCann walk and not doing more to back up our infield.
I'm 5 mil under the cap, but I didn't include an offer for DeSclarfani. With Joc Pederson instead of Conforto, I'm closer to $15 mil in flexibility. Make Jerry happy and let him know we're going strong at the deadline.
