Winning Ugly ’21

Premise here is that the core is elite and getting better each year but we have to plug some holes and better our fielding.

ARBITRATION-ELIGIBLE PLAYERS

Write “tender,” “non-tender” or “rework/extend” after each player and their projected 2022 salaries. Feel free to offer explanation afterward if necessary.

  • Lucas Giolito: $7.9M – Yes
  • Reynaldo López; $2.8M – Yes
  • Evan Marshall: $2.3M – Yes
  • Adam Engel: $2.2M – Yes
  • Brian Goodwin: $1.7M – No
  • Jimmy Cordero: $1.2M – Yes
  • Jace Fry: $1M – No

CLUB OPTIONS

Write “pick up” or “decline” or “rework” after the option.

  • Craig Kimbrel: $16M ($1M buyout) – Yes (see trades)
  • César Hernández: $6M – Yes. Why pay more $$ & more years for guys who are essentially him (Eduardo, etc). Taylor is your insurance.

OTHER IMPENDING FREE AGENTS

Try to retain, extend qualifying offer, or let go?

  • Leury García (Made $3.5M in 2021) – No. Love the legend and normally I would sign him but don’t trust TLR to not start him for 150 games and during the playoffs so Hahn needs to make him go away. He can kills a 3-1 fastball but that doesn’t happen much. See upgrade in Free Agents.
  • Carlos Rodón ($3M) – Sign to 2 years $ 25m (can buy out 2nd year for $6m)
  • Billy Hamilton ($1M) – Let go
  • Ryan Tepera ($950K) – No

 FREE AGENTS

List three free-agent targets you’d pursue during the offseason, with a reasonable contract. A good example of a bad idea:

No. 1: Chris Taylor – 3yrs, $33m. He can start at 2B, RF or be the swiss-army knife in 2022 and 2023 is wide open with Keirmeier & Hernandez on 1 year deals.

TRADES

Propose trades that you think sound reasonable for both sides, and the rationale behind them. A good example of a bad idea:

No. 1: Trade Craig Kimbrel to Tampa Bay for Kevin Keirmaier. Fielding, fielding and a little better hitting against RHP. Hold our nose while the Rays make Kimbrel good again (until he isn’t). Imagine a late inning outfield of Keirmaeir, LRob & Engel. Wow.

No. 2: Trade Micker Adolfo & Dallas Keuchel in a salary dump with the Angels or Giants. Micker is out of options and we have a lot of young outfielders so let’s move him for something or to facilitate getting rid of DK’s salary. Wish we could have included him not Madrigal in the Kimbrel trade. Doesn’t matter what we get back. Idea is Rodon > Keuchel.

SUMMARY

Payroll is $ 172.73m. Huge assumptions that we are able to dump Keuchel contract but if not then no QO to Rodon and insert Keuchel. TLR will have to find way to get Rodon & Lynn the right load so they are fresh at end of year. Should be all about saving their arms after last year. Bullpen will need some trade deadline pickups (Tepera NOT Kimbrel). Outside of pitching, gamble is that Hernandez/Taylor can handle 2B. At least Hernandez should be field well – he’s done it his entire career despite a bad end of season with Sox. Counting on TLR to put the right folks in place but Hahn taking Leury off the table minimizes that risk. This team fields much better, has depth and has some playoff experience.

Lineup:

  1. Anderson SS
  2. Robert CF
  3. Moncada 3B
  4. Abreu 1B
  5. Jimenez LF
  6. Grandal C
  7. Vaughn DH
  8. Kiermaier/Taylor RF
  9. Hernandez/Taylor 2B

Rotation

  1. Gio
  2. Lynn
  3. Cease
  4. Kopech
  5. Rodon
  6. Lopez (swingman)

Bullpen

  1. Hendriks
  2. Bummer
  3. Marshall
  4. Crochet
  5. Cordero
  6. Foster

Bench

  1. Pina
  2. Engel
  3. Yolbert Sanchez – Want this glove which is MLB ready per scouts
  4. Sheets (will get PT vs. Right Handers, but let’s not fool ourselves and say he is equal to Vaughn, remember Palka ????. Calm down, he’s better than that).
  5. Taylor/Kiermaier/Hernandez
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