2017-2018 Offseason Thread

[Mexi]

Gonna miss Woodward if he manages the yanks

Hes into the metrics
And he was an excellent 3b coach

Also was in charge of infield defense and shifts. Look at Seager, he was always in the right spot on defense. Huge reason is woody

 

[JZsportswhiz]

I hope the Cubs sign Darvish. Should be a good arm for 5 more years, their window should be open 3 more as it currently stands. Also could help them net Otani. I would rather sign Darvish than Arrieta assuming the contracts are the same. I think Darvish will age better, and Arrieta has already begun to lose velocity

 

[A.E]

I hope the Cubs sign Darvish. Should be a good arm for 5 more years, their window should be open 3 more as it currently stands. Also could help them net Otani. I would rather sign Darvish than Arrieta assuming the contracts are the same. I think Darvish will age better, and Arrieta has already begun to lose velocity

 
It's extremely unlikely the Cubs make a big money signing and convince Ohtani to come to Chicago on a $300k per year salary. Cubs are still under penalty for exceeding the IFA signing cap, meaning the can't sign any IFA for more than $300k this year.
 
If Arrieta is too costly for Theo than Darvish is def out of the price range. The team remains a bit handcuffed by the Lester, Heyward, and Zobrist deals. I think they'll make a run at Alex Cobb and perhaps bring back Samardijza in trade. Making the pitching coach change from Bosio to Hickey also means Theo is expecting to get more from their younger arms than in recent seasons.

 

[JZsportswhiz]

 
It's extremely unlikely the Cubs make a big money signing and convince Ohtani to come to Chicago on a $300k per year salary. Cubs are still under penalty for exceeding the IFA signing cap, meaning the can't sign any IFA for more than $300k this year.
 
If Arrieta is too costly for Theo than Darvish is def out of the price range. The team remains a bit handcuffed by the Lester, Heyward, and Zobrist deals. I think they'll make a run at Alex Cobb and perhaps bring back Samardijza in trade. Making the pitching coach change from Bosio to Hickey also means Theo is expecting to get more from their younger arms than in recent seasons.

I don't think it's the money the Cubs are worried about with Arrieta, it's the decline he's had over the past couple of seasons.  I think Darvish will age way better.

Also, I know the Otani deal is a huge shot in the dark, it's extremely unlikely but a man can dream.

 

[A.E]

I don't think it's the money the Cubs are worried about with Arrieta, it's the decline he's had over the past couple of seasons.  I think Darvish will age way better.
Also, I know the Otani deal is a huge shot in the dark, it's extremely unlikely but a man can dream.

 
I wouldn't have a problem at all passing on Arrieta. Lester is still a huge guy to have in a must-win game but he's going to be the club's overpaid and aging former-ace. Extremely risky to take on another one. If I'm Theo, I'd bring in Cobb and start working on a Chris Archer trade package. A rotation of Archer, Hendricks, Lester, Quintana, Cobb would be phenomenal. 
 
What do you think about talks the Brew Crew are going to get in on the Arrieta bidding?

 

[PWNdroia]

I don't think it's the money the Cubs are worried about with Arrieta, it's the decline he's had over the past couple of seasons.  I think Darvish will age way better.
Also, I know the Otani deal is a huge shot in the dark, it's extremely unlikely but a man can dream.

What decline? Guy had only two spectacular seasons and everyone expects him to pitch with a 2.50 ERA or lower.

And honestly, he's not that old to be declining.

A 3.50 ERA isn't half bad either. I wouldn't call it a decline, I'd call it a fall to normalcy.

 

[A.E]

What decline? Guy had only two spectacular seasons and everyone expects him to pitch with a 2.50 ERA or lower.
And honestly, he's not that old to be declining.
A 3.50 ERA isn't half bad either. I wouldn't call it a decline, I'd call it a fall to normalcy.

I should specify velocity. His fastball velocity is on the decline, which makes plenty of GMs skiddish. Arrieta will be 32 this March and asking for Scherzer-type money. He will have to continue to reinvent himself; add another breaking pitch and lean less on the fastball to remain atop a rotation.

 

[Mexi]

The braves got killed man
Idk what they even did

Coppy banned for life

 

[JZsportswhiz]

What decline? Guy had only two spectacular seasons and everyone expects him to pitch with a 2.50 ERA or lower.

And honestly, he's not that old to be declining.

A 3.50 ERA isn't half bad either. I wouldn't call it a decline, I'd call it a fall to normalcy.

Fair point, I was referring to his velocity. Not that I expect anything other than his CY Young season to be a decline.
 

 
I wouldn't have a problem at all passing on Arrieta. Lester is still a huge guy to have in a must-win game but he's going to be the club's overpaid and aging former-ace. Extremely risky to take on another one. If I'm Theo, I'd bring in Cobb and start working on a Chris Archer trade package. A rotation of Archer, Hendricks, Lester, Quintana, Cobb would be phenomenal. 
 
What do you think about talks the Brew Crew are going to get in on the Arrieta bidding?

I don't care about the Brewers, I think last year was a flash in the pan. They aren't much of a threat and them signing Arrieta would destroy them at the back end. They don't have the payroll the Cubs do to take on a bad year of Lester in Year 6.
 
I'm not really even worried about Lester tbh. Only 3 years left on the deal, I think this season he was just tired. Give him the offseason to recoup and I think he will be a solid #2 guy next year. Lester was a big signing but he has earned his money in each of his 3 seasons thus far. I agree on Cobb, I would really like to see him replace Lackey in the rotation. Would be an ideal #4 or 5 starter. As for Archer that would be perfect, Stroman too. Depends on the ask tho, if they could do a Addison Russell swap or get them with Schwarber as the headliner that'd be great.

 

[PWNdroia]

I should specify velocity. His fastball velocity is on the decline, which makes plenty of GMs skiddish. Arrieta will be 32 this March and asking for Scherzer-type money. He will have to continue to reinvent himself; add another breaking pitch and lean less on the fastball to remain atop a rotation.

Okay, that makes much more sense.  I hadn't watched him, so I wouldn't know about the velocity.

 

[A.E]

The braves got killed man
Idk what they even did

Coppy banned for life

 
So in 2016, Braves signed Kevin Maitan for $4.25M and then a bunch of others for a combined $15M. This was an eye-opener b/c the Braves only had $4.75M in pool space to spend. 
 
What they did was circumvent International signing bonus rules by signing players under the system for far less money and then kicking them additional monies under the table.  The additional monies came from inflated bonuses the Braves gave to players signed as "foreign professionals".  By rule, "foreign professionals" aren't  subjected to the international signing bonus system,  In other words, they aren't prospects and have no chance in hell at making the biggs. 

 

[BrewCrewFan]

Rangers signed Doug Fister

 

[catman]

Not a bad signing.  He won't be the answer to the hole at the top of a rotation, but he is steady.

 

[Phil The Thrill]

eh i wouldn't get too excited.

 

[CameronCrazy06]

Rangers signed Doug Fister

PWNdroia is now a rangers fan!

 

[PWNdroia]

PWNdroia is now a rangers fan!

 
You're really funny.
 
Actually, I think it's a bad signing for the Rangers.  Fister is a groundball pitcher.  Only way he can be successful is with the sinker and if he's in a hitter's ballpark, that may not be the best idea.  Fenway is a hitter's park too, but it's just so different from other stadiums.
 
Maybe it will be an advantage, who knows.  I just don't see the fit right now.
 
I don't know why everyone thinks that I believe Fister is like some pitching God.  The thought into that is so frustrating.  The only reason people are saying that is because I bashed Porcello instead of Fister.  I don't think Fister is a pitching God by any means, believe me.

 

[Phil The Thrill]

Red Sox have been involved with Jose Abreu apparently
 

 
The Red Sox are among the organizations “in active talks” with the White Sox regarding veteran slugger Jose Abreu, according to Jon Heyman of Fan Rag (via Twitter). It is not clear at the moment which other teams might be involved or how far talks might have progressed.
 
MLBTR’s Mark Polishuk recently examined the potential market for Abreu, citing Boston as one of the major possible suitors. Of course, there are also quite a few other organizations that would likely see merit in his contract rights, too.
 
Unlike top trade candidate Giancarlo Stanton and the slate of available free agents, Abreu can be controlled for a limited financial commitment. MLBTR projects that he’ll earn $17.9MM in arbitration for the coming season, a large sum but also less than what other top sluggers would command on the open market. And there’s another season of control that amounts to a floating club option; should he perform well, Abreu will be entitled to (and will likely deserve) another big raise in his final year of arbitration eligibility. If not, he can be allowed to walk.
 
In all likelihood, it’s something like a two-year, $40MM contract commitment without any possibility of a long-term commitment gumming up future balance sheets. That’s an appealing contract situation for a player that just smacked 33 long balls and slashed .304/.354/.552 in the 2017 campaign. Abreu will not turn 31 until January of next year.
 
There’s a fair bit of excess value here for the White Sox, who also won’t feel compelled to move Abreu for less than a compelling return. Putting Abreu in crimson hosiery will likely not be cheap, then. Red Sox president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski has suggested his organization is hesitant to part with significant prospect value to land a slugger, so getting something done here will likely require some creativity and/or tough choices.

 

[A.E]

This Hot Stove is ice cold thus far.  Freaking Stanton and Ohtani holding the shit hostage. 

 

[Mexi]

Ohtani just arrived at LAX
Its lit

All things equal, i dont see why he would choose any other team. But no hard feelings if he does

 

[elcheato]

Where else was he gonna land on a flight from Japan?