2016-2017 Offseason Trade Speculation Thread

[jacksonianmarch]

Just look at Trea Turners numbers. If he did that over two halves of a season, he wins an MVP. Moncada has the higher ceiling compared to Swanson, but Turner has lapped everyone. He's a bonafide star

[moonslav59]

Just look at Trea Turners numbers. If he did that over two halves of a season, he wins an MVP. Moncada has the higher ceiling compared to Swanson, but Turner has lapped everyone. He's a bonafide star

 

300 some odd PAs is not really a big enough sample size to project forward.

 

He had an .821 OPS at AAA in 576 PAs and an .860 OPS at AA in 295. All totaled, his minor league OPS is .840 in 1192. PAs.

 

Moncada's minor league numbers are a smaller sample size, and he skipped AAA, so it's hard to compare, but he has an .875 OPS in 854 PAs, including .910 at AA in 207 PAs.

 

[Jack Flap]

Wait...

 

Swanson had a .800+ OPS in 120+ ABs in the bigs.

Turner hit .342 with a .937OPS in 300+ ABs in the bigs.

Moncada went 4 for 19 with 12K's in the bigs.

 

One of these things is not like the other....

 

Moncada is not a sure fire hit as he can be easily dispatched by big league pitching most notably a curveball. Swanson and Turner have had solid debuts and have already made the adjustment to hit big league pitching. Including Moncada is NOT the same as including Swanson or Turner, not even close

 

I think all this tells us is that Swanson/Turner were more ready for the major leagues last year than Moncada was, which is not exactly earth-shattering news. You can't draw any conclusions about Moncada's ceiling (which is extremely high based on just about every report I've ever read) from 19 plate appearances.

 

Moncada is a consensus top 5 prospect in the game, possibly #1 overall. If you'd prefer Swanson or Turner for your 2017 team, that's fine and I won't argue with you, but to say their trade value is "not even close" is a joke.

[NativeBostonian]

So now that Carlos Beltran and Matt Holliday are off the table. What do the Red Sox do with the DH position? Could we see Mike Napoli back in a Red Sox uniform?

[moonslav59]

Baseball America had Moncada as #1 in their mid season rankings. While Turner (5) and Swanson (7) put up nice numbers in the bigs afterwards, I doubt Moncada's ranking was significantly affected by his tiny MLB sample size. More likely, his .910 OPS at AA strengthened scouts' opinion of him.

[moonslav59]

So now that Carlos Beltran and Matt Holliday are off the table. What do the Red Sox do with the DH position? Could we see Mike Napoli back in a Red Sox uniform?

 

I think we look for a LH'd platoon DH with Young as the RH'd DH.

 

Lind, Alvarez, Moss or others could come relatively cheap.

[a700hitter]

Nats are looking to land Sale and McCutchen. I don't see how they can do both deals without parting with Trea Turner.

[notin]

An ace is an ace. Moncada is the starting point, plus Pomeranz and maybe others. My concern is when Chicago starts asking for three our four significant pieces like Bradley Beni and Erod on top of that.

 

Well as much as aces can help a team, is this really the Sox biggest need? We currently have two Cy Young winners in the rotation.

 

I like Sale, but I don't know if the Sox will be considering any big rotation upgrades with the priority many fans want. They do have a couple more pressing needs at DH and in the bullpen. ..

[notin]

Nats are looking to land Sale and McCutchen. I don't see how they can do both deals without parting with Trea Turner.

 

It would involve emptying the farm, including dealing Giolito, Lopez, and Robles, and a few others. They do have a very good farm.

 

But it can be true that sometimes a GM just focuses solely on one young player and failure to include him is a deal breaker....

[a700hitter]

It would involve emptying the farm, including dealing Giolito, Lopez, and Robles, and a few others. They do have a very good farm.

 

But it can be true that sometimes a GM just focuses solely on one young player and failure to include him is a deal breaker....

Lopez was very unimpressive last year, and Giolito has been developing at a slower rate than had been anticipated. Turner is the one sure thing, and if they want to get Sale and McCuthchen, they will have to part with Turner imo.

[Emp9]

Well as much as aces can help a team, is this really the Sox biggest need? We currently have two Cy Young winners in the rotation.

 

I like Sale, but I don't know if the Sox will be considering any big rotation upgrades with the priority many fans want. They do have a couple more pressing needs at DH and in the bullpen. ..

 

Notin, good to see you're around. I agree it's not the most pressing need. I think it's the most difficult one to get though. It'd be a move that would definitely put us in a different light and take some pressure off our offense needing to be the best in the league to even have a chance. If there's a way we could upgrade our starting staff with likes of Sale (or Quintana for that matter) after watching Price and Porcello's post-season starts, I'd be all for it. Plus, if there's any time to trade for Sale, it'd be now, not during the season.

[GomesBeard]

So now that Carlos Beltran and Matt Holliday are off the table. What do the Red Sox do with the DH position? Could we see Mike Napoli back in a Red Sox uniform?

 

Was disappointed to see Holliday sign with Yankees. I thought he would have been a good fit. Could play a little first base, too, to give Hanley a break. Apparently they are still in on Encarnacion, and just heard on radio that Toronto may have pulled their offer for him - so maybe he comes cheap as the market seems to be drying up. But not in favor of a long-term deal for him. Would rather see them pick up someone on a short deal if possible because, frankly, the DH spot will be Hanley's in a year or two, I believe.

 

Wonder where Joey Bats is in all of this?

[oldtimer]

So now that Carlos Beltran and Matt Holliday are off the table. What do the Red Sox do with the DH position? Could we see Mike Napoli back in a Red Sox uniform?

 

Why not go after Eric Hosmer as a left handed hitting firstbaseman and move Hanley to designated hitter. We would have to trade away some players to get him but it would give us a bonafide asset and left handed bat at first and solve the DH situation at the same time. I guess the question is what would we have to give. Wade Davis is also out there and maybe could be wrapped into a mega trade.

[Emp9]

Pedro Alvarez was rumored recently. He's put up some decent numbers vs the AL East. 1B, 3B, DH. Not sure how good his corner defense is, but he gives us options at the corners when not DH-ing atleast.

[notin]

Pedro Alvarez was rumored recently. He's put up some decent numbers vs the AL East. 1B, 3B, DH. Not sure how good his corner defense is, but he gives us options at the corners when not DH-ing atleast.

 

He's a horrible defensive player capable of committing errors as a DH. But the interest isn't surprising given he was a college teammate of David Price. .

[Emp9]

Well then, maybe Price can pick up the tab?

[Emp9]

Rumored there's a mystery team interested in McCutchen.... ???

 

Naw, we already have Mookie Betts

[moonslav59]

Rumored there's a mystery team interested in McCutchen.... ???

 

The Rangers.

[Jack Flap]

Jon Heyman ‏@JonHeyman

Nats are said to stepping for Sale. Meeting this aft. Red Sox are involved, and others, too.

[moonslav59]

Jon Heyman ‏@JonHeyman

Nats are said to stepping for Sale. Meeting this aft. Red Sox are involved, and others, too.

 

I'll be surprised, if we get Sale.

 

I'm hoping once Sale is traded, the real CWS fire sale starts, and we swoop in for Quintana and possibly others.

[jacksonianmarch]

You guys downplay the solid debuts of the other players. Maybe Moncada's horrible few AB's don't drop his stock, but the great debut of Swanson and the insane debut of Turner have definitely risen theirs

[Dojji]

I'll be surprised, if we get Sale.

 

I'm hoping once Sale is traded, the real CWS fire sale starts, and we swoop in for Quintana and possibly others.

 

I've said this before and I'll say it until I'm proven wrong -- the more likely the White Sox are to trade Sale, the less likely they are to trade Quintana. It's one thing to deal one ace when you have 2, it's another to admit to fans that you know you won't be competitive for at least 5 years that Quintana is super cheap for his production value. A team can trade an abundance in one asset to retool, but they are not going to completely wave the white flag on the next 5 years of baseball and that's exactly what you're expecting the White Sox to do if you think they have any intention at all of trading Quintana.

 

Moonslav, you'd be doing us a big favor if you went a week on this site without saying the words "Quintana" "Frazier" and "Robertson." Find another fantasy trade please. Pie in the sky thinking is one thing, and that's OK, but mix it up. Don't get stuck on only one idea.

[S5Dewey]

You guys downplay the solid debuts of the other players. Maybe Moncada's horrible few AB's don't drop his stock, but the great debut of Swanson and the insane debut of Turner have definitely risen theirs

Meh. The people evaluating players know what they're doing and they know that having one prospect improving doesn't lessen the value of another prospect. There are enough teams (and money) to go around. It's just a matter of finding a team that we match up with, both financially and in terms of need.

 

Maybe it'll be nobody. Moncada is what he is and keeping him until we get a better idea of his ceiling wouldn't be the worst thing that could happen to this team either.

[jacksonianmarch]

If he turns out to be a pumpkin, dealing him for Sale isn't a bad move, right? Timing is incredibly important for a GM

[harmony]

Moon, I'm at it again with Clay Buchholz.

 

Would anyone trade one year of 32-year-old righthander Clay Buchholz at $13.5 million for one year of 34-year-old Seattle outfielder Seth Smith to serve in a designated hitter platoon with Chris Young?

 

The lefthand-hitting Smith, who will earn $7 million next season, has posted a .272/.355/.472/.827 career line against righthanders, including a .256/.351/.431/.782 line this year. Steamer projects Smith with a 2017 WAR of 1.2 in 486 plate appearances and Buchholz with a 2017 WAR of 1.7 in 23 starts.

 

The deal would save the Red Sox $6.5 million off the 2017 payroll.

[cp176]

Meh. The people evaluating players know what they're doing and they know that having one prospect improving doesn't lessen the value of another prospect. There are enough teams (and money) to go around. It's just a matter of finding a team that we match up with, both financially and in terms of need.

 

Maybe it'll be nobody. Moncada is what he is and keeping him until we get a better idea of his ceiling wouldn't be the worst thing that could happen to this team either.

 

Keeping Moncada might even become the best thing.

[cp176]

If he turns out to be a pumpkin, dealing him for Sale isn't a bad move, right? Timing is incredibly important for a GM

 

 

I think the fact that Moncada could conceivably become our version of Trout might make trading him for anyone seem like a bad move.

[moonslav59]

You guys downplay the solid debuts of the other players. Maybe Moncada's horrible few AB's don't drop his stock, but the great debut of Swanson and the insane debut of Turner have definitely risen theirs

 

Agreed. How far behind were they to begin with?

 

IMO, Moncada is still close in value.

[moonslav59]

I've said this before and I'll say it until I'm proven wrong -- the more likely the White Sox are to trade Sale, the less likely they are to trade Quintana. It's one thing to deal one ace when you have 2, it's another to admit to fans that you know you won't be competitive for at least 5 years that Quintana is super cheap for his production value. A team can trade an abundance in one asset to retool, but they are not going to completely wave the white flag on the next 5 years of baseball and that's exactly what you're expecting the White Sox to do if you think they have any intention at all of trading Quintana.

 

Moonslav, you'd be doing us a big favor if you went a week on this site without saying the words "Quintana" "Frazier" and "Robertson." Find another fantasy trade please. Pie in the sky thinking is one thing, and that's OK, but mix it up. Don't get stuck on only one idea.

 

I've read several writers saying that if the CWS trade Sale, they should trade the players I'm not supposed to mention for a week.

[moonslav59]

Moon, I'm at it again with Clay Buchholz.

 

Would anyone trade one year of 32-year-old righthander Clay Buchholz at $13.5 million for one year of 34-year-old Seattle outfielder Seth Smith to serve in a designated hitter platoon with Chris Young?

 

The lefthand-hitting Smith, who will earn $7 million next season, has posted a .272/.355/.472/.827 career line against righthanders, including a .256/.351/.431/.782 line this year. Steamer projects Smith with a 2017 WAR of 1.2 in 486 plate appearances and Buchholz with a 2017 WAR of 1.7 in 23 starts.

 

The deal would save the Red Sox $6.5 million off the 2017 payroll.

 

It makes some sense, but I'm wondering what Adam Lind, Pedro Alvarea or Brandon Moss will cost. If it's close to what Smith makes, then I'd just sign one of them and trade Buch for a low cost RPer or decent prospect, if we need cap space.