FA list

[soxfan1468927]

He threw 203 innings. That's a lot of innings, really. Considering it was the NL.

Yeah he was 3rd in the NL in innings pitched. He was average for it, but still, 200 innings of average pitching is valuable. I just think the asking price was too high when the Pirates were turning down the Yankees offers.

 

[JohnU]

Yeah he was 3rd in the NL in innings pitched. He was average for it, but still, 200 innings of average pitching is valuable. I just think the asking price was too high when the Pirates were turning down the Yankees offers.

Who knows what the front offices are seeing as value now. Depends on their farm system and how they view other contracts in their system. I think Cole is a nice 'get' for a team that can score runs.

 

[soxfan1468927]

Who knows what the front offices are seeing as value now. Depends on their farm system and how they view other contracts in their system. I think Cole is a nice 'get' for a team that can score runs.

Well it always depends on the return for me. Right now it doesn't look like Cole is going there. But even if Cole is a good get, I think you can manage your prospects better by getting someone more valuable. Obviously that just depends on what they would give up.

 

[JohnU]

Well it always depends on the return for me. Right now it doesn't look like Cole is going there. But even if Cole is a good get, I think you can manage your prospects better by getting someone more valuable. Obviously that just depends on what they would give up.

I don't think Houston needs to plug in a guy like that at the moment. They aren't in panic mode.
I like Cole a little though noticing him as a Reds fan, he always seemed to look a lot worse than the record he brought with him.

 

[steelparrot]

With all these rumors, its looks like he will be going somewhere pretty soon. I guess McCutchen goes too.

 

[navamind]

I don't think Houston needs to plug in a guy like that at the moment. They aren't in panic mode.
I like Cole a little though noticing him as a Reds fan, he always seemed to look a lot worse than the record he brought with him.

Not sure it's a panic move so much as it is them trying to add more pitching depth. There's a pretty good chance at least one of Keuchel/Morton/McCullers will spend some time on the DL, if not 2-3 of them. Not to mention McHugh had only 63.1 innings last year and Peacock hasn't thrown more than 132 innings in a season. Not that Cole doesn't have his question marks, but he does have a track record of being at least an above average pitcher.

 

[JohnU]

Not sure it's a panic move so much as it is them trying to add more pitching depth. There's a pretty good chance at least one of Keuchel/Morton/McCullers will spend some time on the DL, if not 2-3 of them. Not to mention McHugh had only 63.1 innings last year and Peacock hasn't thrown more than 132 innings in a season. Not that Cole doesn't have his question marks, but he does have a track record of being at least an above average pitcher.

II said it was NOT a panic move. Not sure why you asserted that I implied that.

 

[DirtDirtDirt]

Jay Bruce to the Mets

So the Indians lose Bruce, Santana and Kipnis this offseason

Interesting

 

[navamind]

Isn't Kipnis still an Indian?

 

[DirtDirtDirt]

Isn't Kipnis still an Indian?

Yeah that was my bad

Don't know why I thought he was a FA

 

[navamind]

Yeah that was my bad

Don't know why I thought he was a FA

There are a lot of trade rumors with him.

 

[Nasty_Magician]

Now sign Moustakas and Reed (Yeah right).

 

[navamind]

3/$39M for Bruce is a fair deal, but don't the Mets already have two corner outfielders? Bruce is coming off a decent year, but he also put up 0.2 WAR from 2014-16.

 

[DirtDirtDirt]

3/$39M for Bruce is a fair deal, but don't the Mets already have two corner outfielders? Bruce is coming off a decent year, but he also put up 0.2 WAR from 2014-16.

I think they are really down on Dominic Smith

My guess is that Bruce sees most of his time at 1st base, with Lagares manning CF

An OF of Conforto/Cespedes and Bruce would be the worst defensive OF in baseball, there has to be a different plan

 

[DirtDirtDirt]

Now sign Moustakas and Reed (Yeah right).

I think a more do-able scenario is that they acquire Starling Castro, and sign Todd Frazier to a deal much like what they gave Bruce

That would not be a bad lineup, and if someone besides De Grom can put together a full good season, not a bad team

 

[Nasty_Magician]

3/$39M for Bruce is a fair deal, but don't the Mets already have two corner outfielders? Bruce is coming off a decent year, but he also put up 0.2 WAR from 2014-16.

It's not a bad deal but It doesn't make sense. Rather than put him at first he'll stay in right and Conforto will play out of position in center. Because, you know, having subpar defensive play in center is much better than sub par first base defense...

 

[DirtDirtDirt]

According to Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports, the Mets nearly had a trade worked out for Jason Kipnis earlier this offseason.

Heyman writes that it was apparently "killed by someone at the top" of the Mets' front office, "very likely over money." Trade talks between the Mets and Indians probably won't fire back up given that the self-budgeting Mets just signed Jay Bruce to a three-year, $39 million free agent deal. Kipnis is owed $30.5 million guaranteed over the next two years. He figures to open the 2018 season as Cleveland's regular second baseman, with Jose Ramirez primarily playing third.

 

[navamind]

I think they are really down on Dominic Smith

My guess is that Bruce sees most of his time at 1st base, with Lagares manning CF

An OF of Conforto/Cespedes and Bruce would be the worst defensive OF in baseball, there has to be a different plan

I don't think they're down on Smith so much as they think he's just not MLB-ready yet. He's a good prospect, though I do wonder how much of his 2017 performance was aided by the PCL. I'm more worried that his power might not translate to the major league level.

 

[DirtDirtDirt]

I don't think they're down on Smith so much as they think he's just not MLB-ready yet. He's a good prospect, though I do wonder how much of his 2017 performance was aided by the PCL. I'm more worried that his power might not translate to the major league level.

Yeah, he seems to also go to the Prince Fielder school of conditioning also

Not that turning into Prince Fielder the player would be bad at all

 

[DirtDirtDirt]

People close to free agent slugger J.D. Martinez believe he is willing to "hold out certainly into spring training," per Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports.

Martinez and his agent Scott Boras want a seven-year contract worth between $180 million and $210 million, but his best offers right now are reportedly for five years and between $120-150 million. One of those five-year offers was made by the Red Sox, who have seemed like the most logical fit for Martinez since the offseason began. Heyman's sources suggest at least one other team has made a five-year offer too. Martinez, 30, batted .303/.376/.690 with 45 home runs and 104 RBI in 119 games between the Tigers and Diamondbacks in 2017.