2023 Free Agents

[moonslav59]

Does anybody have a clue what hang’em Chaim’s strategy is this offseason?

 

To make you angry.

 

[moonslav59]

Compare the stats over the past two seasons for righthanders Jameson Taillon, Taijuan Walker and Chris Flexen:

 

JT 321.2 IP, 4.08 ERA, 100 ERA+, 4.2 fWAR, 3.5 bWAR

TW 316.2 IP, 3.98 ERA, 99 ERA+, 3.9 fWAR, 3.1 bWAR

CF 317.2 IP, 3.66 ERA, 108 ERA+, 3.7 fWAR, 4.7 bWAR

 

The Seattle Mariners reportedly are shopping Flexen, who is two years younger than Walker and two-and-a-half years younger than Taillon. Flexen lost some luster in August when Luis Castillo bumped Flexen from the Seattle rotation. Despite the demotion Flexen matched Taillon’s 2022 bWAR of 1.3.

 

Many will point to Flexen’s drop in fWAR from 3.0 in 2021 to 0.7 in 2022. However, Walker has never posted an fWAR above 2.5 and Taillon has not exceeded 2.3 fWAR since 2018.

 

MLB Trade Rumors projected Taillon and Walker with four-year contracts in free agency, Taillon at $56 million and Walker at $52 million.

 

Flexen is guaranteed a 2023 salary of $8 million in what MLB Trade Rumors reports is his final year of team control (despite Flexen currently sitting on two years and 107 days of MLB service).

 

I like 2 year sample sizes.

 

Can you explain why BTV values him so lowly?

[harmony]

I like 2 year sample sizes.

 

Can you explain why BTV values him so lowly?

Some projections on Chris Flexen are bearish apparently because of weak peripherals this year:

 

https://www.fangraphs.com/players/chris-flexen/13896/stats?position=P

 

... but another is not:

 

https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/f/flexech01.shtml

[redsoxrules]

Looks like Matt Straham to the Phillies

[iortiz]

DD knows how the get things done.

[moonslav59]

Looks like Matt Straham to the Phillies

 

$15M/2 Quite a raise.

[a700hitter]

DD knows how the get things done.

He doesn’t sit around waiting for things to happen.

[moonslav59]

Is Walker better than Nate or Taillon?

 

Is Strahm better than Rogers, Jansen, Fulmer or others?

 

Are we sure jumping the gun is the better strategy?

 

Do you really think Bloom is "sitting around?"

[redsoxrules]

Cubs pushing hard for JT

[notin]

Cubs pushing hard for JT

 

That would leave Senga, Eovaldi and Kluber as the top options remaining…

[jacksonianmarch]

What is Bloom doing? He’s acting like a guy trying to get fired. Sox need pitching and they need to replace JD and Bogey. All they’ve done is sign a s***** lefty in Joely and a reasonably good but elderly reliever in Martin. I’m not sure what Bloom’s plan is, but he’s working with the urgency of a guy who thinks he’s got a safe job

[moonslav59]

Unsigned Free Agents (MLBTR Rankings)

 

QO: Non Red Sox

QO: Red Sox

 

1. Judge

2. Correa

4. Bogey

5. Swanson

6. Rodon

9. Nimmo

10. Contreras

11. Senga

13. Bassitt

14. Taillon

15. Benintendi

17. Manaea

21. Syndergaard

23. Eovaldi

24. T Rogers

25. JD Martinez

26. Vazquez

27. Jansen

30. Quintana

33. Profar

37. Drury

38. Stripling

39. Chafin

40. Segura

41. Wacha

42. Robertson

43. Brantley

44. Conforto

45. Ottavino

47. J Turner

48. Kluber

50. Rucinski

Others: Andrus, Belt, Carpenter, Cueto, A Diaz, Fujinami, Fulmer, Gallo, Greinke, Kiermaier, Kimbrel, Longoria, Lugo, Mancini, Moore, Peterson, G Sanchez, Smyly

 

Only a few are gone, and we really had no chance at deGrom, Verlander or Turner.

 

 

Updated.

[moonslav59]

What is Bloom doing? He’s acting like a guy trying to get fired. Sox need pitching and they need to replace JD and Bogey. All they’ve done is sign a s***** lefty in Joely and a reasonably good but elderly reliever in Martin. I’m not sure what Bloom’s plan is, but he’s working with the urgency of a guy who thinks he’s got a safe job

 

I'm not going to say I'm have no doubts, but there are a lot of the best players still out there.

 

Interest in guys like Seth Lugo scares the you know what out of me. I guess we need pen help, so I'm not against adding Lugo, but like most Sox fans, I'd like to see something substantial, soon.

 

The best guys are going fast. Unless he has a trade in the works, we need to get a top end SP'er, I think before we look for depth in the rotation and pen.

[harmony]

Criticisms will fill Seattle forums if the Mariners' rumored signing of free agent Wil Myers becomes official.

 

Is it better for front office executives to just sit on their hands during the winter meetings?

[moonslav59]

Criticisms will fill Seattle forums if the Mariners' rumored signing of free agent Wil Myers becomes official.

 

Is it better for front office executives to just sit on their hands during the winter meetings?

 

Good points.

 

No GM is sitting around, right now.

 

Some have bigger spending budgets. Some have very targeted needs: others have many needs.

 

I still think our biggest move will be a trade not a FA signing.

[a700hitter]

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2022/12/cubs-making-push-for-jameson-taillon.html

[notin]

Good points.

 

No GM is sitting around, right now.

 

Some have bigger spending budgets. Some have very targeted needs: others have many needs.

 

I still think our biggest move will be a trade not a FA signing.

 

But with needs at SS, RF, SP, RP and probably C and DH, I would think trading for all of them would be a tad difficult…

[redsoxrules]

But with needs at SS, RF, SP, RP and probably C and DH, I would think trading for all of them would be a tad difficult…

 

Who are we going to trade to get a decent return?

[redsoxrules]

That would leave Senga, Eovaldi and Kluber as the top options remaining…

 

Do we want to pay Nate for about the same as Taillon? That's what he will cost more than likely. The only difference is maybe shorter years but him being 32 he's probably looking for a longer deal.

[Bellhorn04]

That would leave Senga, Eovaldi and Kluber as the top options remaining…

 

And the Mets are one of the numerous teams in on Senga, so that probably ain't happening.

[Bellhorn04]

Like I said before, I'll take an Eovaldi or Kluber signing right about now. And I have doubts we're even going to get one of them.

[moonslav59]

But with needs at SS, RF, SP, RP and probably C and DH, I would think trading for all of them would be a tad difficult…

 

I just said our biggest move- not biggest 5 moves.

 

If we can get a SP'er via trade, and at a low cost on the budget, we'll have plenty to pay for the other 4-5 slots.

 

(That doesn't mean we'll sign Correa, just because we can.)

[moonslav59]

Do we want to pay Nate for about the same as Taillon? That's what he will cost more than likely. The only difference is maybe shorter years but him being 32 he's probably looking for a longer deal.

 

I'd have paid Taillon $68M/4 in this market. To me, that signing is the only one I feel that way about, so far.

 

I'd give Nate $16M x 3.[/b]

[Old Red]

Judge to the Yankees at 9yr/ $360M.

[redsoxrules]

Remaining top free agents will probably fall quickly now

[Old Red]

And I thought Bloom was waiting to the last very second, and run in, and snatch Judge away from everyone. Oh well back to the drawing board.

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

And I thought Bloom was waiting to the last very second, and run in, and snatch Judge away from everyone. Oh well back to the drawing board.

 

Bloom offered $9M at 360 years.

[mvp 78]

Criticisms will fill Seattle forums if the Mariners' rumored signing of free agent Wil Myers becomes official.

 

Is it better for front office executives to just sit on their hands during the winter meetings?

 

Depends on which front office and what deals they would have signed instead.

[mvp 78]

Judge to the Yankees at 9yr/ $360M.

 

Honestly, this is good for baseball.

[Old Red]

Honestly, this is good for baseball.

 

At least 1 homegrown is staying home.