drewski6

Great news - deal just became Campbell for Kelly AND Bednar. BTW Grissom is outplaying Campbell in AAA.

Ive got Vida Blue, Bob Feller, and an auto-generated dude I drafted in like 2028 (its like 2032) and Rollie Fingers as my closer and none of them can win any postseason hardware! (Vida blue does have a reg season MVP , but that should have went to Elly who went 40HR/70SB that year, granted Vida did have 27 wins).

Sure, and this is my point. Its hard for a pitcher to put up a body of work that looks as sexy as a red-hot position player over an 11-20 game sample (depending on postseason games played). I assume if you heard that they were doing one pitcher-only postseason trophy, it wouldnt ruin your day. We have an MVP for ALCS, NLCS, WS, AL Playoffs, NL Playoffs and maybe others too - as you just showed, when its a small sample size, its hard for a pitcher to outshine a red hot bat. So why not add a trophy for pitchers only for the playoffs. Im sick of Vida Blue not getting any playoff hardware in my Show Franchise. Every year its 25 IP, a WS ring, an ERA under 2, 3-5 wins and he cant get anything (I turned on legends this time).

If 15 IP is 3 wins out of 11 games or 5-6 includes 2-3 big time clutch closeouts, why not? And it wont be like that every year. Thing about 11 postseason games vs more, it also makes the resumes on the positional player side less eye-popping as well.

This is why all of you armchair GMs should be playing the show. Not only can you get Skenes but you can get him for a poo--poo platter of replaceable talent. And its so fun. Just dont let it convince you that its that easy to quantity dump for quality in real life just cuz you can do it in the show. Or youll be setting yourself up for disappointment.

To me the age/contracts of your big club matter when assessing farm strength. If we had a struggling team filled with 34 yr old dudes struggling to hold on and on short deals, we'd need a very strong farm and absolutely should be selling off. But Duran/Abreu/Mayer/Anthony/Cedanne/Nav all have control beyond this year. And between Bregman, Romy, Toro, Casas, Yoshida, and even Grissom (who is looking good in Worcester btw) - some of them are going to occupy positional player slots and fill those spots well. So on the positional player side, we dont need as much from the next group up. Not saying we should gut it, but I move for Campbell for Keller if it gets it done.

If Keller allows us to keep our OF'ers (or at least put it off until after this playoff run) but would have to give one up for Ryan, than Ryan would have to be MUCH better than Keller for it to be worth moving an OF (for me). And I honestly just dont know. I havent pitched with either enough times in the show.

I was hoping so.

I think Ryan is a lot more likely.

Why not just trade Campbell? I dont trust Yoshida, Bregman, Mayer, Toro to stay healthy and productive through playoffs. You can use OF overflow to cover in any event. Im not sure Mayer is on our playoff roster. Im not sure Yoshida is either. Or even Toro. Bregman has a high re-injury risk right now. Id rather keep the depth. Keeping Duran allows you to play Cedanne in INF in playoffs should Mayer look overmatche or Bregman get reinjured or Toro continue to fade. If we trade from Abreu or Duran and wind up with Campbell (or Toro) in a key playoff role, that is a mistake. And Mayer is not a lock either. Playoffs arent the time to focus on anything but winning the next game.

I think we go three man rotation in the playoffs, you expressed that you are very happy with our top 3. A SP acquisition, in my opinion is help getting to playoffs, and also protection against an injury to pitchers #2,3 (I think no way to protect against a Crochet injury). It also helps pen in playoffs, because whomever gets bumped out of Crochet, Gio, Bello, this SP to be acquired would drastically help pen. EROD was the #4 pitcher on this team for years and made like 2 career postseason starts for us. Whomever that #4 pitcher is , is getting bumped for Crochet on short rest (unless we can afford to drop a game) To me the more time that ticks, the less valuable that SP becomes. I want him now. Because we are coming up on a grueling stretch. And the more time goes by, the less likely there will be a new injury (knocks on wood) and the less reg season starts a #4 pitcher will have. But dont get me wrong , I would love a pitcher who is better than everybody not named Crochet. I just trade Campbell and yes even Mayer (not both) before I trade Duran. Because Duran is a guy who I want on my side in the playoffs. Hes an energy / spark-plug / small ball / sh*t-talking alpha. The value of that goes up in playoffs. The value of a #4 pitcher goes down in playoffs.

I think you are making some great points also, and if Duran was an upcoming free-agent , i would be less against it. But Im honestly struggling to understand why trade Duran over Campbell if you think Campbell steps in at LF. Is it a trade value thing? Do you think Campbells trade value went down the tubes while Duran maintains very high trade value? How many years until you think Campbell is a better LF than Duran? Im thinking at least 2-3. So keep Duran and flip Campbell for Ryan. Can someone give me a BTV check on Duran vs Campbell?

Stop prioritizing 5 years from now when we are in the playoff race. This awesome team you are envisioning 5 years from now will be weakened as you trade the players that were making that team better in order to keep guys who would help us 5 years from then (10 years from now) If you are always planning for the future, the future never comes.

Give up Duran ( three years control) for a guy who does not project to be in your playoff rotation?

Eovaldi made 8/17 starts for Texas in playoffs. Or something. That doesnt deserve an award? The idea came to me because of the video game, but the real reason why Im suggesting it is: "why not" I dont want a WS pitching MVP trophy because not enough innings there. But due to rotations shortening an ace can get quite a bit of work in during a soup to nuts playoff run, and my reasoning falls back to "why not?" I know that "why not?" is not earth-shattering logic but honestly: "why not?" Why not have a playoff trophy for just pitchers. A cy young of the postseason. We can have an MVP for every series but not one pitchers only trophy for the entire playoffs?

Fair, Im not against some major pitching acquisitions. Im just against moving Duran OR Abreu to do it, when I want both on my postseason roster and there are guys who I dont think will be on our postseason roster who can be moved. This is quickly looking like a team worth keeping together.

Didnt seem to stop em last year.

Skenes is a generational talent, I make the Anthony for Skenes swap.

F yes!

The crux of my disagreement with you is you are thinking about 162 game season, and I am thinking about go-forward only. That phrases it in a way that makes it appear where I am calling you "wrong" and that is not my intent. So better phrasing probably exists. But I worry more about my 6th and 7th starter during the reg season, but when the clock approaches late season, its time to start thinking about playoffs. In the playoffs, three man rotation. So if you get Ryan , Bello becomes a BP workhorse. And Id pitch him with confidence in a tied game in the seventh inning if my rotation is Crochet, Ryan, Giolitto. In the playoffs , your #5 OF is way more important than your #5 pitcher. Theres subbing all over the place. Your #5 pitcher doesnt usually make your playoff roster. Im not sure I want Mayer as a full time starter in the playoffs. Cedanne may be playing some infield. Campbell and Garcia? You are comfortable with trotting them out there in the playoffs? You sure that youre gonna want Toro out there at 1b in the playoffs? You can maybe use some OF overflow to cover that too (as well as DH). There are ways to add to the pen and the rotation while keeping your OF/DH depth. Abreu and Duran both have multiple years of control beyond this year. The deeper we get into the season, the less your pitching depth matters. And we are already deep and only getting deeper as the clock only moves forward.

You claim to love it, but you are willing to throw it all away in lieu of dipping into Arias, Garcia, Clarke, Valera, Campbell for a SP upgrade, when we already have 3 SP (Crochet, Giolitto, Bello) and thats all you need for postseason (granted we need a #4 to help us get there). Our #4 pitcher will make 0-1 postseason starts. Nixon, Campbell, Yoshida, Ref (other than in platoon) isnt quality depth in 2025. You also in this case lock Cedanne into the OF (while I prefer him there, the versatility is important because Bregman doesnt seem healthy and Mayer is not a big plus in 2025). You are making us worse to improve our #3 pitcher (bello -> Ryan) and drastically improve our #4 pitcher (Fitts -> Bello) and this is 0-1 postseason starts. You are also weakening us for 2026 and 2027. Its just not worth it. Trade KC for Ryan or trade a lower prospect for a non "co-ace".

Bregman is limping and wincing every game. You trade from this position player group, and you are one likely injury + one likely slump away from having 2 massive downgrades in your lineup. Im with Kimmi, keep the depth. Twins are hesitant to trade Joe Ryan anyways. You dont give up a better player (who has multiple years of control beyond this one, who is an integral part of this team) for a lesser because of too much depth.

sorry for the weird spacing and formatting.

Even with Toro cooling off, we have too many good players for me to want a 1b. People are telling me that we cant keep both Duran and Abreu because a) one can be moved for a pitcher and b) not enough spots for both But I see a path to keeping both and still getting that pitcher. We dont NEED to subtract from strong areas to address weak areas. What has been holding this team back is too directionless. Make up your mind if this is a go for it year. If it is , you do NOT trade Duran or Abreu because you are worried about long term. Mayer only playing 70% of the time for 2 months is not going to ruin him. Its not like Abreu and Duran are upcoming FA. If you are ready to ship out Duran instead of Campbell you are hurting the team for the next 2-3 years but better off 3 yrs down the road. Is that where we are? And dont give me the hopium (not you but others) but dont tell me that Mayer and Campbell will be studs next year. We dont know. Enough kicking the can down the road. Enough trying to prioiritize so many things that you prioritize nothing. Right now, our focus should be 2025. Thats Mayer playing against righties only (if at all), thats shipping KC out for Ryan. Thats keeping Duran and Abreu because otherwise you are not only hurting 2025, you are also hurting 2026 and 2027. vs righties: Duran (1b or DH , dont care) Anthony (OF) Bregman (3B) Abreu (OF) Story (SS) Yoshida (1B or DH , dont care) Nav (C) Mayer (2B) Cedanne (OF) Bench: Toro, Romy, Wong, Refsnyder Vs lefties: Romy (lead off, 2B) ANthony (OF) Bregman (3B) Refsnyder (DH) Story (SS) Nav (C) Abreu (OF) Duran(1B) Cedanne (OF) Bench: Mayer, Yoshida, Wong, Toro Rotation: Crochet, Ryan, Giolitto, Bello, Dobbins This can be our core for the next 3 years. And you can continue to tweak it. Mayer gets hot, great, move Romy to 1b and play him everyday. Yoshida gets hurt or struggles? Fine, Toro gets back in vs righties. Duran continues to struggle against lefties, fine save him to pinch run in playoffs. You have depth here. And I really dont think that the defensive differential at 1b between duran or whomever we have there vs someone who has done it before is that big.

I dont want to plunk him and find myself running for my life.