Trade Ideas/Acquisition Ideas/Non-Cards Rumors – 2019

[jj-cf-stlParticipant Free]

NYY to sign DJ LeMahiue. Another middle infielder finds a home.

[OnyxgemParticipant Free]

Nice to see some teams still trying to get better and better…

[PadsFSParticipant Paid - Annual]

14NyquisT

Young’s ability to hit for power and his Fall League play put him ahead of the ones mentioned on nearly every list put out before the trade. I would have liked to see his potential rating from Brian for ’19 but he eliminated those traded before he put out the potential analysis

Of course, during our vote, both Urias and Edman received some top 10 votes. Edman, Urias, Schrock, Sosa, and Young got some votes in the #11-15 phase. They all wound up in that 20-26 range. It’s not all that clear.

Young only had 150 PAs at the AA level and will be 25 during the 2019 season. I don’t like his ML chances nearly as much as the other 4.

[Bob ReedParticipant Paid - Annual]

“Of course, during our vote, both Urias and Edman received some top 10 votes. Edman, Urias, Schrock, Sosa, and Young got some votes in the #11-15 phase. They all wound up in that 20-26 range. It’s not all that clear. Young only had 150 PAs at the AA level and will be 25 during the 2019 season. I don’t like his ML chances nearly as much as the other 4.”

Agreed, Pads, re Andy Young. I can’t see any way to rate him above Tommy Edman or Edmundo Sosa — and especially not above Ramon Urias. What Young did in Arizona may have made him more marketable, but it didn’t change his profile one jot.

The funny thing is that every year without fail, just before the Arizona Fall League commences, numerous national prospect-ranking voices (the scouty types, I mean) admonish us, their reading public, not to change our opinions of players based on events of the AFL. And then, every year without fail, they do that very thing themselves.

“Oh, I didn’t change my previous opinion. My previous opinion was correct. The player had changed, when I saw him!” is their standard rationalization. Kiley McDaniel in particular indulges in that one a lot.

Anyway, a quick comparison illustrates the multiple advantages Urias has over Young. (The head-to-head is very convenient, since they played on the same AA team at the same age within a handful of weeks.)

In Springfield, Urias walked twice as often as Young. That’s huge of course, as walk rate gets more and more predictive for prospects the closer you get to the majors. And Urias also struck out less often than Young, posted a slightly better batting average and higher isolated slugging than Young, and showed better overall glovework than Young, with some ability to play shortstop in a pinch, as well.

I’m not suggesting that Andy Young is negligible. But I believe that among position players Urias is the most underrated Redbird, and one of the 15 or 20 most underrated guys in all the minors, a plausible cusp-of-the-top 100 type. I expect him to rip through Triple-A in 2019.

[KylMssParticipant Free]

I was rolling through an MLB free agent tracker after reading another lovely story detailing the Cardinals clear content with their current, projected 88-win roster, and shook my head hoping the organization is working some phone lines. Some quality players are sitting on the open market. I understand the players will start to move once Harper and Machado finally decide to stop holding the rest of the league hostage, but I am very curious to see the deals some of players get before Spring Training. Last year, we saw the negative impact skipping spring training can have on a player – Moustakas and Holland both are still free agents, again (clearly no lesson learned). I imagine some of these guys will want to push their agent to find them something, which at this point will undoubtedly be short-term. The Cardinals have expressed a desire to avoid long-term contracts and they have money, so why not throw a high-dollar, one-year deal at some guys and sure up a few spots.

Here are some of the names I hope they are looking into:

INFIELD: Asdrubal Cabrera; Derek Dietrich; Wilmer Flores; Marwin Gonzalez; Josh Harrison; Jose Iglesias

CATCHER: A.J. Ellis; Caleb Joseph; Martin Maldonado

OUTFIELD: Melky Cabrera; Robbie Grossman; Adam Jones; Nick Markakis; A.J. Pollock

STARTING PITCHER: Doug Fister; Gio Gonzalez; Dallas Keuchel (not a bargain deal, but still a worthy free agent candidate); Martin Perez; Ervin Santana

RELIEF PITCHER: Cody Allen; Brad Boxberger; Brad Brach; Xavier Cedeno; Tyler Clippard; Zach Duke; A.J. Ramos; Tony Sipp; Justin Wilson

[gscottarParticipant Paid - Annual]

I think the Cardinals have at least one more move in them this winter. The payroll currently sits around $159M, which is slightly less than where we finished last year. There is budget room to spend for sure.

It could be one of the names you mentioned or could be a trade piece. Girsch mentioned the other day that they were still working to make improvements. I like Girsch.

[gscottarParticipant Paid - Annual]

#Yankees have a deal $27m/3 yr with Ottavino.

— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) January 17, 2019

The #Yankees bullpen is going to outrageous. They have officially agreed to deal for Adam Ottavino, per @JeffPassan

— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) January 17, 2019

#Yankees bullpen:

Chapman
Betances
Britton
Ottavino
Green
Holder
Kahnle#RedSox bullpen

Brasier
Barnes
Hembree
Wright
Thornburg?
Poyner?
Workman?
Brewer?

— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) January 17, 2019

[OnyxgemParticipant Free]

Nice to see some teams continue to make their team better instead of sit on their hands and pretend bad things are sudden going to be good….

[PadsFSParticipant Paid - Annual]

Yes, the Yankees did well in bringing in Ottavino much like the Cardinals nabbing Miller and Goldschmidt. Luckily, the Cubs brought Descalso in so they are good too.

[Brian WaltonKeymaster Paid - Annual]

You mean the Yankees spend more on payroll than the Cardinals? That is news?

[PadsFSParticipant Paid - Annual]

Kimbrel is starting to look quite appealling as his suitors drop like flies. Would a 4yr/$72M Deal work? I doubt he can do much better in this market.

[14NyquisTParticipant Paid - Annual]

4 years is too many. (see Cecil and Fowler) Nothing is worse than an albatross. I know that to obtain high quality guys you need to give in to what they are demanding. Maintaining solid production for the length of the contract is always the ideal. You also need to take chances sometimes to get what you are looking for.
Its a roll of the dice.

[Brian WaltonKeymaster Paid - Annual]

Is this what an albatross looks like? 😉

It may seem petty or unfair, but this has spoiled my view of Kimbrel forever.

[stlcard25Participant Paid - Three Months]

As someone who really wanted the Cards to go after Jansen two years ago, I’d be tempted to go after Kimbrel. That certainly could give us a super bullpen. Kimbrel’s high BB rate could end up causing his decline, but he should be elite for at least another two years.

[jj-cf-stlParticipant Free]

Kimbrel on 20ish-mil per, long term, is not budget $ well spent. When we try to lock up Goldy and Mikolas i dont want Kimbrel on the books.

Norris for 3mil gave us a 85% save %.
Kimbrel posted 89% last season. The $ it costs for that upgrade could be better spent.

[14NyquisTParticipant Paid - Annual]

Will Kimbrel still looks as imposing in 2022 is the question. Fowler was coming off that one good season with CHC. We’ll check back on him at the end of the 2020 season. Even if he has two marginal seasons, the signing will still be looked upon as a major flop. Plus he took a roster spot that most likely could have been filled by a more productive player.

Four years of Fowler… oy.

[gscottarParticipant Paid - Annual]

A long term Kimbrel deal might be an albatross but if his market collapses he would be worth a look for sure. I think a lot of agents are just waiting to see what happens with the Phillies because they are in the driver’s seat regarding just about everything. The might get Harper or Machado, both, or neither. If they get neither then they could swoop in and sign Kimbrel, Keuchel, and Pollock. Those agents know this so they aren’t going to give in and accept a pillow deal until the Phillies have shot of all their bullets.

• This reply was modified 4 months ago by  gscottar.

[Cardinals27Participant Paid - Annual]

I am thinking we should get Tommy Kahnle from the Yankees. WIth the Ottovino signing, and Kahnles poor 2018 season I think he could be had for very little.

[1964cardsParticipant Paid - Annual]

What is the downside to pursuing Cody Allen?

[CariocaCardinalParticipant Paid - Monthly]

I would have loved Allen on a one year deal. The downside is he already signed!

[1964cardsParticipant Paid - Annual]

Oops … I misread! Thanks Carioca!

[14NyquisTParticipant Paid - Annual]

FA Brad Brach, 2018=ATL, what’s the story on him?

[Brian WaltonKeymaster Paid - Annual]

One more big spending club’s door apparently closed to Harper…

#Dodgers in agreement with free-agent outfielder A.J. Pollock, pending physical, sources tell The Athletic. Terms of deal not known.

— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) January 24, 2019

[14NyquisTParticipant Paid - Annual]

One closes… one opens (SD).

[14NyquisTParticipant Paid - Annual]

Rosenthal via twitter:

#Cubs in agreement with free-agent reliever Brad Brach, pending a physical, sources tell The Athletic.

I posted my Brach comment 19 minutes ago! Cubs work fast.

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