moonslav59

I'd love to get Sasaki, but I am not convinced he can step right in and be a better SP'er than Bello.Gio/Craw. I also included Yoshida in with Mayer, which would bring Castillo's cost to about $3M a year.

Bregman would certainly make us better, but at what cost and vs who else at a similar cost? I'm not a fan of Arenado, and I still want Casas in our line-up, maybe as a co-1B/DH w Devers, but a trade with STL might make sense. Somehow including Helsley and or Yoshida would clinch the deal, for me. It's just 1 year for Helsley, so the return package should not be too high. 1. Duran CF 2. Soto LF 3. Devers 1B/DH 4. Casas DH/1B 5. Campbell 2B 6. Anthony RF 7. Story SS 8. Arenado 3B 9. Wong & ____ C Bench: C, DHam or Grissom, Rafaela & Refsnyder (assuming we trade Abreu)

Mayer and Castillo makes the Castillo contract chump change. We do not have an unlimited budget.

add more.

STEAMER projects 4.9 fWAR (He was 4.7, last year.) Maybe, I'm too hung up on the risk of trading for a guy who has only pitched over 65 innings once, including college and the minors.

Higgy signs for $13.5M/2 with the Rangers. (That includes the the $1M buyout for the year three $10M option.) I kinda liked him as an option to bridge to Teel, but I'm not sure how good he is on defense, and that is what we need.

That's a pretty good team, and follow those signings with an Abreu trade and maybe a very good team. If do not get Soto, I'd like to see... Fried (or Burnes) Teoscar Trade Abreu and Arias for Crochet Scott Hoffman, Estevez or Holmes Higgy or D Jansen

Soto was a 9 fWAR guy, this year. Burnes or Fried were at about 3.5. Scott, ____, Hendriks & Fulmer replacing Jansen & Martin might not add much. Get a defensive catcher and add Crochet or someone like him and why not think 15+ wins more is possible?

This about where we might look, on paper. That usually assumes normal injuries to all teams, and I like our bench. The return of Story is a big need, unless Mayer/Campbell shine. Seeing what Gio and hendriks can do might make a difference. Fulls years from Casas, Slaten, Devers and others might be a big boost, but we know someone will get hurt. I'd still like to see someone else at 3B, with Devers and Casas sharing 1B-DH duty. Abreu or prospects + Yoshida + for Arenado is one solution, but maybe Campbell/Mayer/Grissom/Meidroth can cobble together to handle 3B in 2025. I do think this could be a top 4-6. COULD. Fried, Houck, Bello, Giolito, Crawford (Criswell/Priester/Fitts/Dobbins) Scott, Holmes, Whitlock, Slaten, Hendriks, Wink, Guerrero, Wilson/Bernardino 1. Duran CF 2. Soto LF 3. Casas Dh/1B 4. Devers 1B/DH (Refsnyder) 5. Story SS 6. Anthony RF 7. Campbell 2B (DHam/Grissom) 8. Arenado 3B 9. Wong- D Jansen You may say I'm a dreamer...

I'm not a huge FIP fan, but it has some value. I agree, Pivetta has been about a #3 or #4 for us. At times, he pitched like a 2 and others like a 5. I will say, I'd rather have him starting than Bello or Crawford and probably even Giolito, but I do not like the idea of trying to improve the rotation by upgrading the #3, slightly. I'm not for signing Pivetta. We need and ace, because I'm not sure Houck can even be a #2, next year. I think we have to hope he can be, or someone else jumps up a slot or two. I'd prefer Fried. I'd like to get Fried and Crochet/Castillo/Lopez vis trade and then sign Scott and a catcher, but that's a dream. It is likely too much to ask for Soto, Fried, Holmes and D Jansen, with maybe an Abreu trade for another RP'er.

Top 6 or 8, yes. Do more and maybe top 4-6. On adding a catcher, I'm looking for a defensive upgrade not offense.

Say we sign Soto, and not Burnes or Fried, what would it take to make us top 4-6 contenders? Two SP'ers from Nate, Flaherty, Manaea (one along with Severino or Pivetta?) Two RP'ers from Scott, Hoffman, Esteves and Holmes. Is 3 from these lits enough, assuming we add a catcher, too? Which 3? I suppose we could trade for someone like Crochet and subtract a FA signing.

We won't be trading any starters, except maybe Abreu. Let's say the trade is Mayer for Crochet. We also add Soto, Scott and Higgy. I'd say we'd be a top 6-8 team, on paper. - O'Neall + Gio & Hendriks and the 4 players listed above. I won't mention full seasons by Story, casas, Slaten and others, as there will be other injuries in 2025. I'm not a big Crochet fan. He's only gone over 65 IP, once in his whole baseball career, including college. If we also added Holmes, Hoffman or Estevez, I might say we are top 4-6 in MLB.

You are Mr. xFIP man, right? 2023-2024 250+ IP 18. Pivetta 3.52 19. Nola 3.54 20. Gallen 3.54 & Ragans 22. Kirby 3.60 25. Flaherty 3.64 26. Burnes 3.67 28. Nate 3.70 30. Cole 3.72 Others below this: Cease, Houck, Castillo, Lugo... (I'm not saying I want to bring back the same rotation + Gio, but if we spend on Soto and the pen, I'm not sure how much JH will give to a SP'er. Nick has a 3.92 xFIP over the last 4 seasons, while ranking 23rd in IP.

I'm not saying I'd be happy with that plan. I was just trying to see at what level you'd say no. You did not answer about Soto, Crochet, Scott & Higgy.

The only thing I assume about STORK is he is full of BS. If he's right about the option, it's a blind squirrel on a broken clock.

I'll take that as a resounding, "No."

I agree, but would this be enough? Soto, Crochet, Scott & Higgy? Soto, Pivetta, Holmes & Jansen?

Castillo contract - Yoshida contract make him very affordable. Including msayer is an obvious overpay, agreed.

It could be Soto is asking for another guaranteed year, and BOS is insisting on a team option year w buy ouy.

FA Pitchers still around. MLBTR has been hot and cold on $$$ projections, but here they are: $200M/6 Burnes (might take $250M/7) (Snell $160M/5- after dererals, pretty close) $156/6 Fried (might take $190/6) $115/5 Flaherty (might take $150/6) $60M/3 Manaea (Might take $85M/4) (Kikuchi $60M/3 went for $61M/3) $51M/3 Severino (maybe $76M/4) $44M/4 Eovaldi (maybe $60M/3) (Boyd $25M/2 got $29M/2- pretty close) $24M/2 Heaney (maybe $33M/3) (Montas $22M/2 got $34M/2) $21M/1 Pivetta (might get $60M/3) $20M/2 Quintana (maybe $22M/2) $16M/1 Scherzer, $15M/1 Buehler, $13M/1 Gibson, $12M/1 Bieber & Verlander RP: $56M/4 Scott (maybe $64M/4) $44M/4 Hoffman (maybe $48M/4) $30M/3 Holmes ($33M/3?) $27M/3 Estevez ($30M/3?) $16M/2 AJ Minter (LHP) maybe gets $21M/3 $14M/1 Yates (maybe gets $20M/2) $14M/2 Soroka & Kittredge, Kahnle $11M/1 Robertson

"pivot" was an obvious joke. They could still sign Soto, Burnes and Scott.

I just listed all 40 man roster players and top prospects. "Foundation" can have many connotations.

Again, I would never be for a plan where bauer was the best SP'er we add. I'm thinking Fried & Bauer. I'd also want Scott & Holmes, or at least 2 from Hoffman, Estevez and Holmes. We also need a catcher who can catch. We can trade for one of two of these slots, but if money gets short, we will need some signings like Criswell, last year. Bauer has more upside than most minor league signings.

Boyd at $29M/2 is scary high. Guys like Pivetta and Severino are smiling.