Addition By Subtraction

No, this is not a course in the “new math.” Five out of four people struggle with math anyway. However, sometimes you can get better by deleting some pieces. You don’t always have to add pieces to get better. These pieces that you subtract may be pieces that most people view as essential, but in reality, they may not be that at all.

Now, I am certain that Andrew Friedman is not done dealing, but even if he were and with all due respect to Kyle Farmer, Yasiel Puig, Matt Kemp and Alex Wood, the 2019 Dodgers might be better than the 2018 model… and that even includes the possible likely loss of Yasmani Grandal.

I can cite you a current case whereby a team became better after subtraction, simply because that subtraction allowed other players to flourish. That case is the 2018-2019 Indianapolis Colts, who, before the season started, were picked by many to be the worst team in the NFL. Of course, a lot of things had to happen first:

1. Josh McDaniel, who was to be introduced as head coach, abruptly withdrew on the day he was to be introduced as head coach;
2. Frank Reich, who not one of the five finalists for head coach was quickly hired;
3. With it’s first pick, the team drafted a guard “A guard – what the what? You don’t draft guards that high.” The local media was aghast!
4. They also drafted a unheralded linebacker named Darius Leonard in the second round. The local media ridiculed the pick.
5. Then, on the last days of training camp they cut (YES, CUT) their best defensive player (John Simon). The local media wanted someones’ head. “Cutting your best defensive player, what are they thinking?

The Colts started out 1-5, but in one of the losses they were in a position to tie the game… but went for the win instead… and failed. That would prove to be a huge turning point. The team knew the coach had their back, and believed in them. The Guard taken in the first round, Quentin Nelson, set the tone for the offensive line and they went from allowing the most sacks in 2017-2018, to allowing the fewest sacks in 2018-2019 in the entire NFL. Of course, it didn’t hurt that Andrew Luck was back after two years and better than ever.

Darius Leonard stepped in as their defensive leader. He is called The Maniac and he led the NFL in tackles… by 19! Both he and Nelson are All-Pros and Leonard is the Defensive Rookie of the Year and should be the Defensive MVP. The Colts proceeded to go 9-1 after the 1-5 start and play Saturday in the first round of the playoffs. They are a team that no one wants to face and in fact, some of the national media are predicting they will play in the Super Bowl.

They were not supposed to be this good, this quick. Of course, I am a big Colts fan, but even I predicted 6 or maybe 7 wins… because I am an optimist. No one saw this coming. No only did they jettison John Simon, but they released or let go most of the team from 2017-2018. They let the youngsters play… and play they did.

Now, I am not saying The Farmer Trade is like this, but even if the Dodgers stay the same, they are young and have plenty of room to grow. There is a great blend of youth and experience on the team. Kaybear Ruiz, Gavin Lux, Alex Verdugo, Will Smith and a plethora of rookie pitchers are nearing ready. Losing Puig and Kemp may be a great blessing. Wood may be a push and Farmer is not a loss.

If nothing else happens, it will still take two or three years to determine the success of the trade… UNLESS the Dodgers make another trade or signing. I’m talking about Alex Castellanos or some such player. Bryce Harper is going back to DC (I told you that a couple of days ago). The Indians want too much for Kluber and the Marlins want too much for JT Realmuto (at least right now), and I can’t see another 2B helping the team.

Let them play. Friedman has confidence in this team. So does Roberts, and they are giving them more tools to play the game starting with RVS and the creation of a new hitting culture. The guys in the Colts front office, led by Chris Ballard sure as heck knew what they were doing and the Dodgers Front Office has even more experience, led by Andrew Friedman.

You can point to all the Kazmirs, McCarthys, Andersons, Oliveras, Reddicks and Grandersons and say “SEE HE’S NOT SO GREAT!” REALLY?  In his four years he has rebuilt a lagging farm system, over 70% of the roster were players acquired under his tenure, and taken his team to the World Series the past two years. All without blowing up the team or tanking. NO OTHER TEAM IN ALL OF BASEBALL CAN SAY THAT!

To those of you who dislike Friedman, I suggest you get on the train. He’s driving it and it’s headed the right direction, no matter how you slice or spin it. The Royals, Marlins and Padres are looking for fans. Go for it.

FINAL PARTING SHOT: Don’t bet against the Colts!

This article has 58 Comments

  1. Sitting here waiting for the authorities to release us to walk the gangplank. While I am waiting, would you trade Verdugo and Rios for Realmuto?

    That’s a tough one. Would Miami? I doubt it. But Detroit might take that for Castellanos.

    Bellinger might have to play RF in that case. His arm plays well there.

    1. Taylor CF
    2. Seager SS
    3. Turner 3B
    4. Casty LF
    5. Belli RF
    6. Kike 2B
    7. Muncy 1B
    8. Barney C

  2. The Dodger site had a link to the fastest player in each team’s organization. Morales was the top Dodger down in Class A. The Nats have made a few trades and signed a couple of free agents and still have a chance to re-sign Harper. They have speed as well:
    .
    Nationals: Victor Robles, OF, (WSH No. 1; MLB No. 4)
    Robles’ near elite sprint speed of 29.3 feet per second was the second-best Statcast™ among Nats big leaguers last season, trailing only Trea Turner (30.1). Those wheels make the 21-year-old a true burner out of the right-handed batter’s box as well as in center field, where he has range for days. On the basepaths, Robles is an aggressive but unrefined basestealer with a 74 percent success rate (129 steals in 174 attempts) in five Minor League seasons.
    Likely 2019 level: Washington Nationals

  3. 1. Taylor will play second unless there is a trade or a signing.
    2. Bellinger will be either CFer or 1B and no where else.
    3. Muncy will be the first baseman unless a new player joins the team and then he might move to 2nd.
    4. Ruiz, Alvarez, and White seems to best match up to Miami’s 2021 needs and thus have the best chance to land Realmuto.
    5. Verdugo, Rios, and Maeda would help Seattle more than Haniger would alone.

  4. 1. Why do people think Taylor is a good 2B? He has very little experience there and his fielding percentage there is bad.

    2. With his arm he may be better in RF. His arm is like Puig.

    3. OK
    4. They would like Ruiz but the Dodgers won’t trade him. Alvarez is a head case and White has never been healthy so I doubt Miami would want either as a centerpiece.
    5. If you put one more piece in that trade, Seattle might do it. That piece is Pederson.

    1. I wouldn’t include Verdugo in a trade for Haniger. I’d want my outfield to be Haniger/Bellinger/Verdugo. They could certainly use Rios. Maeda would really help them as well as being a mentor for Kikuchi. How about putting Smith and May in the deal, although I’d rather put Joc in and remove one of the others if I could get away with it. Everyone keeps saying they don’t want to trade Haniger. I keep saying everyone has a price. Just not sure they would be satisfied with what AF would offer, but we really need to try.

    2. 1. I agree with you on CT3 at 2B. 2B is his worst defensive position. He has started all of 31 games in his career at 2B, and he has a negative DRS and negative UZR/150 (-11.1). Muncy has started 32 games at 2B with a positive UZR/150 of 5.4 and a 0 DRS. CT3’s best defensive position by far is LF which might give you an indication as to why Bums has CT3 at 2B. Kike’ is marginally better than CT3 but does not score as well as Muncy. But he has more experience at 2B (453 innings) vs Max (250) and CT3 (276).
      .
      Someone please tell me again why having a GG 2B to pair with Corey up the middle is such a bad idea. DJLM at 2B makes much more sense unless one does not believe in being strong defensively up the middle. I understand about his BA away from Coors, but he does not K much and he altered his swing last year to more align himself with the Daniel Murphy and JT mode, which should fit in just fine with RVS. Give him 2 years plus a club option to see how Lux progresses. I like Lux (a lot), but he is a prospect vs a 3 time GG 2B and a former NL batting champ. The worst thing is for Lux to be with LAD in 2020 and learn from DJLM, and then take over full time in 2021.
      .
      Put CT3 out in LF where he is best suited defensively and scores better than Joc with DRS and UZR/150 in a similar # of innings. CT3 has 8 DRS and 15.4 UZR/150 in 553 innings and Joc has 4 DRS and 6.1 UZR/150 in 693 innings.
      .
      2. Belli can play 1B, CF, RF, LF – just leave him in the lineup and leave him at 1 position.
      .
      3. Muncy is actually a better 2B (grade wise) than either CT3 or Kike’ and he is not a good defensive 1B. So maybe some do not like the idea of DJLM at 2B. OK, sign AJ Pollock to play CF, move Belli to 1B and Muncy to 2B. Keep CT3 in LF and Kike’ is once again the super utility guy.
      .
      4. I think if Miami would take Verdugo, Ruiz, and White for Realmuto, it might already be done. But Miami is holding tight on Belli, and Friedman is not going to take the calls. Michael Hill is not the sharpest tool in the baseball shed, and he does not want to budge from his starting point. The chances of JT Realmuto in Dodger Blue are not very good.
      .
      5. I might do a Verdugo, Rios, Maeda, and Joc for Haniger deal. I think that is too much. I would probably want something back in the form of prospects. Lower level high reward type prospects. Andrew do what you do best…find that nugget(s) down in low A and rookie ball waiting to bust out.
      .
      6. After #5 and sign either DJLM or Pollock, trade for Cervelli and trade for Castellanos Wrap it up and let’s go to Camelback.

  5. Evidently Verdugo’s biggest obstacle is still himself. According to BA:
    He stays dialed in at the plate, but an indifferent attitude affects the rest of his game. He has average speed and gets good jumps in right field when he’s focused, but he often isn’t and lets balls drop that shouldn’t. His slow motor also shows up on the bases, frustrating teammates and coaches alike.
    _
    The Future: Verdugo has the potential to be a high-average, moderate power outfielder like Nick Markakis, but only if he improves his effort.

    1. I’m not disputing the comments from BA but if that were the case I would think Friedman would have taken advantage of all the offers he’s gotten for Verdugo and would have traded him by now. Maybe they feel that he’s still young enough that they can improve his work ethic, but those comments have followed him ever since he was first drafted.

        1. They don’t, most teams aren’t relying on the words of sports writers from BA, they go off of their internal scouting and coaches. What I hear is that scouts believe he is a very good player, but does have a certain “confidence” about the way he plays, which a lot of scouts like but some also don’t. Usually depends on what type of scout you talk to, some prefer the more traditional approach to baseball, others like the new style of baseball, with the “swagger” and style just as long as the player performs. I wouldn’t put to much thought into what BA writes mainly because if it was as bad as they claim then no team would want Verdugo, which isn’t the case at all, thus the reluctance for AF and even Z when he was here to trade him. I spoke to Zhadi during the WM and he had nothing but praise for Verdugo saying if he isn’t starting for the Dodgers this year then he needs to be traded, but he doesn’t see the Dodgers trading him so expect him to be starting. People need to realize when you play another year in AAA when you should of had 500+ ABs in the bigs in 2018 it sometimes messes with a players mind. But Verdugo has been working with Gil Reyes , Andre Agassi’s strength coach who helped Andre become the Great he is today, the last few years and he has been hammering the mental side of how to succeed and deal with adversity to be great. Reyes continuously mentions the similarities between Andre at 22 and Verdugo at 22, but he knows how to help a player grow. I think people especially writers will be extremely surprised when they see the difference physically and mentally Verdugo will have going into spring training knowing RF is his spot to lose. From what I’ve been hearing he has been working with the UNLV track team and their sprinting coachs on increasing his speed significantly, so expect to see a entirely different player come ST with a more professional attitude.

          1. From your lips to Verdugo’s performance, I hope you are right. Right now he is the RF, and unless Friedman can coax Seattle to trade Mitch Haniger, I do not see him moving. I will be most interested to see any change in attitude. He is 22 with a gift of bat to ball skills, an absolute cannon of an arm that will not miss cutoffs, and an ability to read the ball off the bat. He does not possess the power it takes to be a RF, but if he is improving his speed as you indicate then Belli can move to RF with Verdugo in CF. Not that I matter much, but I agree with Zaidi that Verdugo belongs in MLB. Based on what I saw last summer in Sacramento, I will never be a big fan. But I do recognize his skill set.

      1. I witnessed Verdugo’s attitude first hand in Sacramento this past year. I came away very disillusioned. If you were upset about the lack of hustle from Manny Machado, you will be sorely disappointed in Verdugo. He has a very high sense of entitlement. To me there is a difference in cockiness and arrogance/entitlement. Verdugo has the latter. I am not a fan of the non-hustle by Machado, but at least he has earned the right to play the way he wants at the ML level. Verdugo has not.
        .
        I still believe that if the Dodgers were offered JTR for Verdugo, Rios, and White, the deal would be done. I think that most baseball people recognize the bat to ball skills that Verdugo has and may be willing to take a chance, but the BA analysis is right on, and there may be a lot of teams that may shy away from that type of player. Friedman is not going to give the talent away, but I do not think he is as untouchable as Ruiz, Lux, or May. Verdugo’s skills score better than Lux, but I get the idea that BA considers Lux the better prospect overall when attitude and desire are factored in.
        .
        One other item – There certainly seems to be a reason why Joc is still with LAD. It would have made more sense to include Joc and not Puig in the Cincy trade.
        Somebody (other than Bums) in the FO likes Joc. Are they waiting for the right offer for Verdugo? I do not know, but it sure seems strange to me why Joc has not yet been traded.

  6. I lost interest with the Colts analogy, it took a lot of words to paint that picture (and yes I read a lot). Then when you turned to the Dodgers you had these two statements:

    Ruiz, Gavin Lux, Alex Verdugo, Will Smith and a plethora of rookie pitchers are nearing ready……

    if nothing else happens, it will take two or three years to determine the success of the trade…

    The two logically don’t go together; nearing ready and two to three years?

    I’m hoping Freidman keeps the Dodger train pointed in the right direction, but I don’t have as high opinion of A. Freidman as some, and I have a somewhat low opinion of the group that owns the Dodger train and gives direction to the driver (Freidman).

  7. Maybe the reason Verdugo hasn’t been traded is that other teams don’t want him… not that Friedman won’t trade him. His attitude has always been questioned.

    I know someone who knows his dad and says he’s a piece of … work.

    1. Even if Friedman does have doubts about Verdugo, he is not going to just give him away.

      That just isn’t Friedman.

  8. Both Mark and AC are right about Taylor at second base!

    Actually Taylor is a better shortstop then second baseman, and because he has played shortstop so much, he is much more comfortable on the left side of the infield.

    I think Taylor is a good centerfielder too, and really, Cody is just a little bit better, if that.

    But remember Cody played in center much more then Taylor did last year, and Taylor played more in the infield then Cody last year.

    And that does make a big difference.

    I prefer Cody at first because he is such an athletic first baseman, and because of that, he makes our infield even better.

    And I think Cody’s bat might be better if he is playing first regularly too.

    I also wonder if Cody can stay in center after he gets a little older, and fills out more.

    And like AC pointed out, Muncy had better numbers at second then Taylor and Kike.

    And Muncy is not as slow as some think, in fact Muncy is faster then both Joc and Verdugo, and just behind Kike, so his extra weight is deceiving.

    I would have Muncy play second, and have someone replace him defensively, in games we have a decent lead.

    But really Muncy didn’t hurt us at second much at all last year, even though he didn’t always look as athletic, as some second baseman.

    I saw that article in Baseball America too, thanks to Bluto, and I wondered out loud, like some here today too, about Verdugo.

    I didn’t see Verdugo on the Taxi club during the post season, and I thought that was odd, unless I just missed him.

    But Hawkeye had already said the other big prospect guy from ESPN I believe, said that Verdugo was the most over rated prosect in baseball.

    He is so young so I truly don’t know what to think, and I have not seen him play everyday, so I can’t make a fair judgment myself.

    But of course, this is not the first I have heard something about Verdugo, when it comes to this stuff.

    I did remember AC saying Verdugo was messing with Toles in between innings, when the outfielders throw the ball around, after Toles first came back, after being out.

    1. He is so young so I truly don’t know what to think. That to me is the key. He is young, extremely immature, and has a sense of entitlement, but his bat to ball skills have been described as the best in the organization. He could be a tremendous player. I would have zero problem if he played to the level of Nick Markakis. A career slash line of .288/.358/.424/.782 – Averages 14 HRs over a 162 game season. A good not great RF. 13 years in MLB. A very good clubhouse presence. Not HOF, but neither is Verdugo. Atlanta players and fans want Nick back. Nick is 35 and may want a 2 year deal, and Atlanta has Christian Pasche a year away.
      .
      So if Verdugo becomes a Dodger regular and mirrors the career of Nick Markakis, are we really going to start complaining? But his attitude has to change to become that player, and maybe Dan Lozano can knock some sense into the kid. Lozano is a good agent for the player, and while he has an ego, it is not at the level of Scott Boras.
      .
      I am not anti Verdugo or pro Verdugo. I doubt that he will ever be a favorite of mine. I recognize his skills, and acknowledge his blemishes. He can be an AS or a bust. I will cheer for him as long as he is a productive Dodger, but will not lose any sleep if he is traded.

        1. AC

          To tell you the truth, I think that guy at Baseball America, was trying to get that point to Verdugo, himself.

  9. 1. Okay, I acquiesce regarding Taylor at second. I was thinking that if he had more time there his defense would improve.
    .
    2. I seem to be more right than most everybody else on Puig and Verdugo. MJ was also never all that high on Verdugo either.
    .
    3. Okay again, I have been convinced, Muncy should be the second baseman and Taylor the CFer and Belli the 1st baseman.
    .
    4. If it is true that Friedman likes Joc then I would rather have him in agreement with me than all of the naysayers here.
    .
    5. Great BA article in the last thread and I learned a lot from it. I learn from everybody here as well. But, I still prefer defense up the middle over offense from the catcher position. That position gets banged up and worn out to be a key offensive key. I will take Smith over Ruiz at catcher. Always have, always will.
    .
    6. Ruiz, Barnes, Rios, Alvarez for Realmuto. Realmuto and Smith to start the season for the Dodgers.
    .
    7. Verdugo, Maeda, White, Peters, Santana for Haniger.
    .
    3B Turner
    SS Seager
    RF Hanager
    1B Bellinger
    C Realmuto
    LF Pederson
    CF Taylor
    2B Muncy
    .
    Kershaw, Buehler, Ryu, Stripling, Hill with Urias, May, Stewart (yes, put him on the 25)

    1. Bum

      To tell you the truth, once you commented that you didn’t think Verdugo looked that confident, in his at bats, when runners were in scoring position.

      And the next time Verdugo came up in this situation again, he bunted the runner over on second to third, but there was already one out.

      And that didn’t exactly show me much confidence from Verdugo, in himself.

      And I don’t think anyone would ever accuse Verdugo, of not looking confident.

      And that is why I looked at his numbers in AAA, in these situations, more carefully.

  10. The more I hear random trade suggestions from you ladies and gents on this board the more I’m glad Andrew Friedman is in charge of the Dodgers and not half of us!

  11. The addition by subtraction model works if the players who leave are replaced by better players.

    So we are to believe that :
    1 – Verdugo will be better than Puig in RF?
    2 – The payroll cleared by the Farmer trade will go to players who will contribute more than Puig, Kemp and Wood.

    No evidence of any of that yet. It may happen but hasn’t yet. And as frustrating has Puig has been at times, he has been the Dodgers best RF since Raul Mondesi and Shawn Green.

    As far as 2B is concerned, all of the defensive ratings are in small sample sizes. Muncy doesn’t pass the eyeball test at 2B. He has a limited range and lacks the body flexibility needed to play well at 2B. Of the 3, Kike plays the best 2B in my opinion. Think about it this way – AC says Muncy is a bad defensive 1B – but he’ll be able to play the tougher position at 2B, a position requiring more speed, agility, better hands and better foot work?

    1. Rick

      I have been wondering where you have been, so it is good to hear from you.

      I checked Muncy’s defensive numbers at second when he was with the A’s, but that is not as recent.

      But there has to be more then we see with Muncy, because only Cody, Taylor, Toles, Puig, and Kike, have faster sprint speed then Muncy.

      Maybe he has twinkle toes, and that is why he is more comfortable at second.

      Of course I am joking, but I don’t think most anyone who watched Muncy enough this year, would think he has the sprint speed, he does.

      But not every big leaguer laughs at himself like Muncy did, when he fell over that short wall going for a ball, at Dodger Stadium either.

    2. Rick, Muncy was a bad 1B. There is no other way to look at it. As a 1B, he has 7 errors in 693 innings. That is a -6 defensive runs saved/year at 1B. Maybe he can grow into it. I do not know why he doesn’t pass the eyeball test at 2B. His natural position is 2B. He has a good UZR so his range is at least ML average. I keep reading that with the shift, that the 2B range is not that important anyway. He makes the plays he gets to. He is not DJLM or Javy Baez. But how many 2B are?
      .
      Other than how he looks in a uniform, Kike’ does not play the position better than Max. Maybe as well as, but not better.
      .
      Kike’ – 453 innings, 2 errors, 27 DP , -5 Rtot/yr, -13 Rdrs/yr.
      Muncy – 250 innings, 1 error, 17 DP, 6 Rtot/yr, 0 Rdrs/yr.
      .
      Per Baseball Reference:
      Rtot/yr = Total Zone Total Fielding Runs Above Average per 1200 innings
      Rdrs/yr = Defensive Runs Saved Above Average per 1200 innings
      .
      Maybe you are right that Muncy cannot play 2B, but neither Baseball Reference nor FanGraphs agree with your eyeball test. As far as DP, Max (.068)has a better DP/inning ratio than does Kike’ (.060). Max has a lower error per inning ratio as well. I am just trying to find where Kike’ is a better 2B than Max other than your eyeball.
      .
      Defensively, the Dodgers are better with Muncy at 2B and Belli at 1B, than they are with Kike’ at 2B and Muncy at 1B. Kike’ is best at being a super utility player. Why does everyone want to take him away from that role?
      .
      However, I read that Belli prefers the OF, and it has been hinted that Max will be the regular 1B. So as the roster sits today, Kike’ will be the 2B, as he is better at 2B than CT3.
      .
      Get DJLM at 2B and Pollock in CF, and defensively the team is better. Maybe Pollock goes to right and and Belli stays in CF, and Muncy at 1B. Sign DJLM and Pollock and the options are plentiful, and the potential trades increase, including moving Verdugo. I would like to see what it would take to get Haniger out of Seattle. I would include Verdugo and Maeda as the primaries. I do not know what else it would take, but if it did not include Lux, Ruiz, or May, all other prospects should be considered. That is 6 years of Verdugo, 5 years of Maeda, for 4 years of Haniger. If Verdugo is that valuable, that should not be hard to sell. If he isn’t, then scouting reports really missed on Verdugo

        1. I assume you are referring to my comment on Kike’… “Why does everyone want to take him away from that role“? You are right. I should not have stated everybody.

  12. So I’m confused…….
    If other teams don’t want Verdugo, or he is valued higher by the Dodgers than other teams (something I asked a few days ago), why did the Dodgers trade Puig (one of the best defensive RF’ers in MLB) and essentially tell Verdugo RF is yours to loose.

    And if Verdugo is anything close to Tony Gwinn (Mark) he should be un-touchable from the Dodgers perspective.

    But if Verdugo is the most over rated prospect in baseball (ESPN), there must be two different Verdugo’s everyone is talking about!

    1. You’re confused because you believe what you read on a silly blog.
      `
      You are so confused you misused loose instead of lose.

      1. Bluto,

        I agree with premise #1. 😉

        Premise #2 is a little snarky, because we all make typos… especially me.

  13. What if we offered to take Castro and his 12MM salary in a trade for Realmuto? Certainly Marlins demand would lessen because we saved them $12MM + Realmuto’s salary whatever that may be in 2019($5MM?) Would that total still keep us under?

    1. Interesting idea Richie. Castro’s 2019 salary plus 2020 buyout (total 12MM) plus Realmuto’s estimated 2019 arbitration salary (6MM) is almost exactly what we would have paid Grandal if he had taken the QO. Bring Castro to spring training and see if he’s worth using at second base. If not, pick up a major chunk of his salary and offload him or at the very worst just release him. You still have Realmuto playing for the same salary as you would have paid Grandal. Only question is how much would the Marlins reduce their ask price to save 12 MM. They might just prefer to pay Castro and get better prospects. Certainly worth a try, although we have no way of knowing if teams haven’t already tried it and had a “no” answer from Miami.

    2. With a projected 2019 salary of $73MM, I do not think that Miami is concerned with payroll. They want prospects. They already got hammered last year for not spending enough on payroll. I am not saying that the Dodgers would not look at that kind of trade, but it will not be because Miami is getting rid of payroll.
      .
      The Dodgers are currently $24MM south of the CBT threshold. So that trade would not put them over the threshold.

  14. Danny presents some good points and I would hope that Verdugos changing agents and his working with Reyes signals that he wants a change. I have said that his upside is Tony Gwynn and I really believe he posseses that unique Bat-To-Ball Contact that few players posess. However, his coachs and teammates (who have been reluctant to say much due to his demeanor and status) are very frustrated at him many times.

    I think he is capable of being better than Nick Markakis, and I think his power is higher than we have seen and that does not include what RVS might do with him.

  15. OK, this is for Ritchie:

    Marlins trade Realmuto and Castro for May, Barnes, Peters, Alvarez and Carrillo-
    … and overpay to keep Verdugo and Ruiz.

      1. And now we understand why lots of trades are never made. You think that’s an overpay and I’m guessing there is no way the Marlins do that trade. Lots of quantity but not nearly enough quality. May (good get), Barnes (who knows which Barnes they wind up with), Peters (probably never be an MLB starter – too many holes in his swing), Alvarez (head case and bad k/bb ratios), Carillo (too far away to gamble on considering the other pieces in the trade). As AC pointed out above, their payroll is now at a level where it isn’t a major concern to them as opposed to getting real good prospects. But I may be in the minority here. Maybe most think the Marlins would be happy with that deal.

    1. AC

      That was a good analysis like Vegas said!

      Good point about being a better defensive alignment for the team too.

      Muncy has a good enough bat, he could probably play second and not really hurt us much if he was not perfect, anyways.

      And his numbers with the A’s were not bad there either.

      Along as he gets the job done, that is all that matters.

      And I agree with you, that Kike’s real value to this team is super utility, and in baseball in general too

      I don’t think Cody necessary likes playing in the outfield better.

      Because of the way he said it.

      It sounded more to me, like he was talking himself into liking the outfield better.

      Because he said he liked playing in the outfield, because he could take advantage of his speed more.

      That sounds like someone told him that, to me.

      1. You may be right about Cody’s just giving the company line in saying he preferred center. I could swear I once heard him say he preferred first because there was more action.

        1. Singing the Blue

          It sounded like someone told him, his speed would be more valuable to the team in the outfield.

          But if Muncy had not broke out, I still think Cody would be playing first base.

          Also I bet Cody’s offensive numbers last year, looked much better for a centerfielder then a first baseman.

          Because as you know, first base is more an offensive position, then anything.

          And I bet a good centerfielder, could probably pick up more points, towards war on defense, then a first baseman.

  16. NYY is signing Zach Britton for 3 years at $39MM plus an option ($14MM). There is an opt out after year 2. But that contract will take NYY over the CBT threshold. That by itself is no big deal, but it sure will make NYY think hard about Machado or Harper. NYY is also in on Ottavino.
    .
    Apparently NYY believes in a lock up bullpen.

  17. Maybe the Yankees have decided to eschew the CBT and will blow by it with the signing of Britton, Machado and Ottavino. The Yankees realize they cannot allow the hated Red Sox to win the division again and it appears they are willing to do just about anything to position themselves into at least winning the off season and then the regular season.

    Meanwhile at 1000 Vin Scully Way we hear “crickets” but hey we’ve got Quackenbush, Joel Ibarra, Eric Carter, Cameron Perkins, Shane Patterson and Adam McCreery to look forward to seeing what they can do in ST and at OKC.

    Like others I realize this team doesn’t need “sweeping changes” and I don’t want the team to make a move to just make a move, but lets get real for a moment….do we really think Barnes is an everyday ML catcher? Many one year- “stop-gap” catching options have been signed, the team could use LeMahieu at 2B and perhaps some more SP. I’m hoping Friedman is playing poker with someone and a move or two is being worked out.

    1. If we didn’t need Hill, he would might bring good value back from the Yankees.

      Because he is the Red Sox killer, at least curves seem to be their kryptonite.

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