OFFICIAL OFF SEASON THREAD ( 2017 )

[Kelleyman]

With Gomez now back in the fold, here is what I'd like to see:

Trade Jeffress (who the Reds covet for some weird reason) along with 2-3 prospects for DeSclafani and Hamilton. DeSclafani would immediately upgrade the rotation and give them a very legit #3 starter behind Hamels and Darvish. Put Gomez in LF, Hamilton in CF, Mazara in RF, and have Choo DH. Then trade for Matt Szczur from the Cubs (who have a surplus of OF) to serve as the 4th/platoon OF. He's a quality player who had very solid offensive numbers last season and would be able to give our other OF'ers days off without the team suffering much in production (unlike a certain worthless bench outfielder who was just recently released).

Then sign a big power bat to play 1B. There are multiple options available, from Encarnacion to Napoli all the way down to Chris Carter. I know EE is a pipe dream, but I could live with another Napoli reunion. That would yield a lineup of something like this:

CF- Hamilton
DH- Choo
3B- Beltre
1B- Napoli
2B- Odor
C- Lucroy
RF- Mazara
LF- Gomez
SS- Andrus

I could live with that for sure. Basically it's trading Desmond's power for Hamilton's ridiculous speed and defense, Moreland for Napoli, and Hoying for Szczur.

That would still leave question marks regarding the #5 starting pitcher spot (assuming Hamels-Darvish-Disco-Perez makes up the top 4) and what to do with Profar and Gallo (though one of them might have to go in the proposed Reds trade).

Very doable esp getting 2 in trade filling SP role and elite CF or IMO a LF spot to move Mazars to right. Regardless, I like Gomez routes and climbing the wall over Des.

Have to think getting a 1B may come later and even at a discount but have to think regardless we find a way to have Choo mainly at DH. Loce the CReds trade scenario. Also like shot at getting Shelby Miller. There is some upside there

 

[Bmurph]

Very doable esp getting 2 in trade filling SP role and elite CF or IMO a LF spot to move Mazars to right. Regardless, I like Gomez routes and climbing the wall over Des.

Have to think getting a 1B may come later and even at a discount but have to think regardless we find a way to have Choo mainly at DH. Loce the CReds trade scenario. Also like shot at getting Shelby Miller. There is some upside there

Not sure I have any interest in Shelby Miller, unless it was on the cheap. AZ got jobbed on their trade for him.

 

[DT LUNA]

What is the over/under on errors by EA without MM at 1st base next season?

Dang Murph I was just beginning to feel a little bit better.

 

[Duane1952]

DONE!

Rangers To Re-Sign Carlos Gomez

By Charlie Wilmoth | December 6, 2016 at 10:39pm CDT

Veteran center fielder Carlos Gomez has agreed to a one-year deal with the Rangers, pending a physical, FanRag’s Jon Heyman tweets. He will receive $11.5MM, according to the New York Post’s Joel Sherman (on Twitter). Gomez is a Scott Boras client.

That Texas would have wanted to re-sign Gomez perhaps isn’t surprising — the Rangers, who were set to lose both Gomez and Ian Desmond to free agency this winter, were short in the outfield and had lately had talks about a variety of off-the-beaten-path outfield options, including Travis Jankowski and Matt Szczur. They’ve also shown interest in Jarrod Dyson.

Gomez gives the Rangers a more obvious solution to their hole in center field, where he’ll be flanked by Nomar Mazara and Shin-Soo Choo. After struggling with the Astros to start 2016, Gomez signed with the Rangers as a free agent at midseason and hit a terrific .284/.362/.543, looking a lot like the Carlos Gomez who played his way to the fringes of the NL MVP race with the Brewers in 2013 and 2014. While advanced metrics suggest Gomez isn’t quite the defender he once was, he’s also still very much a legitimate center fielder. MLBTR ranked Gomez 19th on its list of the top 50 free agents this winter, predicting he’d re-sign with the Rangers. (Desmond also looked like a candidate to return, but Gomez re-signing would seem to suggest Desmond will sign elsewhere, although that’s not yet certain.)

That Gomez, who’s still just 31, would receive only a one-year deal is surprising, but perhaps he’s hoping to continue rebuilding his value after his ugly performance in Houston. If he were to do so with another strong year in Texas, he could position himself for a big payday next winter. The deal is a favorable one for the Rangers, who are assuming very limited risk despite Gomez’s somewhat erratic performance history — even given Gomez’s success with the Rangers, his total line for 2016 was still just .231/.298/.384. If, for whatever reason, Gomez’s 2017 looks more like his Astros performance than his 2016 Rangers performance, the Rangers are still only out $11.5MM.

SB Nation’s Chris Cotillo wrote that Gomez and the Rangers met today (Twitter links), with Yahoo! Sports’ Jeff Passan tweeting that a deal could come together quickly. Yahoo!’s Tim Brown tweeted the length of the deal.

Good. I sure didn't want to see DDJ has the Rangers everyday CF.

 

[DT LUNA]

Good. I sure didn't want to see DDJ has the Rangers everyday CF.

This is a good thing. I think he really wanted to play for Rangers and if my memory serves me right, he said so last year.

 

[saddles]

 

[saddles]

 

[True Rangers Fan]

I think Adam Morris' point was that between being a team that can contend and being a team that needs to be blown up, they are much closer to contending.

 

[saddles]

I think Adam Morris' point was that between being a team that can contend and being a team that needs to be blown up, they are much closer to contending.

Yes, he didn't understand the "blow it up" talk. What I didn't agree with him about was that he thought we were bringing basically the same team back intact. That doesn't appear to be the case at this point at all.

As far as the contending goes, they may be close, but I don't think they are nearly close enough to winning a WS. If that is the goal then they have a lot of work to do.

 

[True Rangers Fan]

Man, if EE would take 3/54, I probably do that.

 

[saddles]

Ian Desmond Focused On One Team, Working To Finalize Deal Today

Free agent outfielder/infielder Ian Desmond has narrowed his focus to one team, and his representatives are “in the process of finalizing his deal today,” reports ESPN’s Jim Bowden. Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch hears the same (Twitter link), adding that the Cardinals have been been discussing Desmond. However, Goold isn’t sure if St. Louis is the team on which Desmond is focused. Barry Svrluga of the Washington Post also tweets that Desmond is likely to sign today, but he won’t be returning to the Nationals.

 

[darrylgann]

Ian Desmond Focused On One Team, Working To Finalize Deal Today

Free agent outfielder/infielder Ian Desmond has narrowed his focus to one team, and his representatives are “in the process of finalizing his deal today,” reports ESPN’s Jim Bowden. Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch hears the same (Twitter link), adding that the Cardinals have been been discussing Desmond. However, Goold isn’t sure if St. Louis is the team on which Desmond is focused. Barry Svrluga of the Washington Post also tweets that Desmond is likely to sign today, but he won’t be returning to the Nationals.

Nor the Rangers, it seems.

 

[True Rangers Fan]

Desmond to Rockies.

 

[Xx srs bsns xX]

Man, if EE would take 3/54, I probably do that.

I would do a 3yr/60 million. With an opt-out after 1 year (similar to Cespedes had this past season).

Nor the Rangers, it seems.

Rockies.

 

[Duane1952]

Desmond to the Rockies. 5 years 70 million.

 

[True Rangers Fan]

Desmond to the Rockies. 5 years 70 million.

Good for Des.

 

[True Rangers Fan]

Good for Des.

Reading that we get COL's #11 pick.

Also, can I not edit my posts anymore?

Weird, I can edit THIS one but not others. We get a supplemental pick, not COL's #11.

 

[saddles]

Desmond will play mainly at 1B for the Rockies.

 

[romeo212000]

Why did EE's market crater?

 

[Bmurph]

Dang Murph I was just beginning to feel a little bit better.

My apologies DT, just popped in my head as to who would miss Mitch the most