Predicting where the Top 30 MLB free agents will wind up

[Clayton]

Nobody has even mentioned Chapman. He would modify the spread in the NL-C by 5 games if he signed with the Cardinals.

He might be the first domino thats going to be fall because its definitely going to come down to who wants to spend the most money. Cardinals are on the list of big spenders but all of their payroll is in pitching so Im not sure if they're the favorite when they are 100% going to sign a centerfielder.

Oh was also solid in relief once he actually go the opportunity. Whether or not it was because no one had tape on him is debatable but between him and the fact that they'll likely give Rosenthal another chance...I think someone else will bid higher on Chapman. Chapman also has built in negative press and maybe they dont need that right now. I dont think the Cardinals will land Chapman but the important part is getting him out of the NL-C.

I think their #1 target is Carlos Gomez. Dexter Fowler makes a lot of sense but I doubt the Cardinals part with a draft pick if they dont need to. If they did get someone like Chapman, I could see them settling with Jon Jay at CF again.

But I think the Cards lock in on Gomez. He fits the mold of veteran CF with gold glove potential.

 

[StanMarsh51]

We over paid him to begin with. He never had a season batting over .300, 30 HR's or 100 RBI's. Yes he had solid defense but you don't pay a man that's been a slightly above avg hitter for his career 22 mil a year. At most he was maybe worth a little more than what we gave Zorbrist who out performed him by a landslide this season. We can't have this guy holding us back for much longer. He did nothing in the postseason except his game 7 rain delay speech and was a bench player in the reg season. If he fails again next year he's gone. He will be 28 next year actually. That's the middle of the prime of his career and he's playing like dog shit.

The odd thing with Heyward is that he's shown very good/elite skills in just about every aspect of the game at some point, but never put it all together in a single season:

He's already shown he can:
-get on base at a high rate (.393 OBP in his rookie year)
-hit for power (27 HR in 2012)
-hit for average (.293 in 2015)
-steal bases and at a good rate (43/50 in steals from 2014-2015)
-play elite defense (every season)

So he's done all of that in his career already, but never most/all of them concurrently. Any player who can do all of in a season wouldeasily be an elite player like he's getting paid, and maybe that was some of the logic in giving him that deal (hoping that he can find a way to put all of those together in the same season).

 

[scoutyjones2]

Heyward and his elite defense...big deal..it's Right freaking field. You average like 2 plays a game out there...

 

[navamind]

No thank you... even as a dh... I just don't think he has much left and I would prefer a dh who could actually run... Granted hitting homers you don't need to run

I'd be cool with taking a flier on Holliday. His injuries do scare me and he is coming off one of the worst seasons of his career, not to mention he'll be turning 37 soon. But his BABIP (.253) was also way below his career norm (.333), and he still seems to have some pop and he's always had good on base skills. I don't think he'll hit like pre-2014 Holliday again, but 2014-15 Holliday is still a pretty damn good hitter (132 wRC+ in 2014; 124 in 2015).

 

[navamind]

The odd thing with Heyward is that he's shown very good/elite skills in just about every aspect of the game at some point, but never put it all together in a single season:

He's already shown he can:
-get on base at a high rate (.393 OBP in his rookie year)
-hit for power (27 HR in 2012)
-hit for average (.293 in 2015)
-steal bases and at a good rate (43/50 in steals from 2014-2015)
-play elite defense (every season)

So he's done all of that in his career already, but never most/all of them concurrently. Any player who can do all of in a season wouldeasily be an elite player like he's getting paid, and maybe that was some of the logic in giving him that deal (hoping that he can find a way to put all of those together in the same season).

The only problem with the .393 OBP is that he hasn't come remotely close to repeating it. A .346 career OBP is still solid, but the closest he's come to 2010 was a .359 OBP in 2015. He also hasn't come close to repeating his 14.6% walk rate that year (2nd highest was 11.2% in 2011) and his walk rate was under 10% over the last two years.

Heyward did have a BABIP well below his career norm (.266 in 2016; career average of .302). I do expect his bat to rebound, but I'm not sure he'll ever really hit well above his career norm at this point. Not that that's a bad thing, a RF with a 110~ wRC+ and elite defense is still a very good player. And if he does go back to being a 4-5 WAR player, the Cubs should have a pretty decent chance at another 100+ win season IMO.

He has to be one of the most difficult players to project at this point. Just a very weird career arc.

 

[navamind]

The biggest FA in MLB history right now is Shohei Otani. The dude might get a 300 mil contract. He can either hit for 40+ HR's and bat .300+ and win MVP or be a full time pitcher and win the Cy Young and the MVP. Cubs should lock him up and drop Hammel.

lol

 

[Clayton]

I'd be cool with taking a flier on Holliday. His injuries do scare me and he is coming off one of the worst seasons of his career, not to mention he'll be turning 37 soon. But his BABIP (.253) was also way below his career norm (.333), and he still seems to have some pop and he's always had good on base skills. I don't think he'll hit like pre-2014 Holliday again, but 2014-15 Holliday is still a pretty damn good hitter (132 wRC+ in 2014; 124 in 2015).

Fenway is a weird park for him. He is a right handed line drive power hitter. The green monster would eat his HR stats alive.

 

[Great Dayne]

lol

He's Ichiro on Roids.

 

[navamind]

He's Ichiro on Roids.

You should post some more hyperbole.

 

[navamind]

Blue Jays, Lourdes Gurriel Jr. Agree To Seven-Year Deal

 

[Great Dayne]

You should post some more hyperbole.

The 22-year-old Otani is the best pitcher in the world not currently under contract with an MLB team. He went 10-4 with a 1.86 ERA and 174 strikeouts in 140 innings in 2016 -- he also hit .322/.416/.588 with 22 homers -- and broke his own record for the fastest pitch in Japanese baseball history

Check his $tats.

 

[jeffro151]

The O's are going to go after a speedy OF first before Trumbo. It won't be Fowler with the BS he pulled last year. Reddick, Desmond or even Saunders would make a nice addition.

 

[Great Dayne]

You should post some more hyperbole.

He's a half the age of Ichiro but he's bigger, stronger and faster. Here's him as a 20 year old kid destroying MLB ALL stars

 

[navamind]

Jays Sign Kendrys Morales To A 3 Year, $33M Deal

 

[redseat]

I'd be cool with taking a flier on Holliday. His injuries do scare me and he is coming off one of the worst seasons of his career, not to mention he'll be turning 37 soon. But his BABIP (.253) was also way below his career norm (.333), and he still seems to have some pop and he's always had good on base skills. I don't think he'll hit like pre-2014 Holliday again, but 2014-15 Holliday is still a pretty damn good hitter (132 wRC+ in 2014; 124 in 2015).

Maybe him but even that is pushing it. I would prefer the Red Sox to get younger when getting players, with the exception of a Sale type pitcher

 

[Fountain City Blues]

Rasmus is a player I'd like the Royals to look at. Can DH or play COF competently, and is lefthanded. Has highly variable results, but given limited resources and what seems likely to be a closing window, a 1-2 year deal for Rasmus makes sense as a calculated risk.

 

[Clayton]

Rasmus is a player I'd like the Royals to look at. Can DH or play COF competently, and is lefthanded. Has highly variable results, but given limited resources and what seems likely to be a closing window, a 1-2 year deal for Rasmus makes sense as a calculated risk.

I always thought he was a DH when I saw him in STL. He missed some routine plays but he was really young at the time so maybe he has improved.