MLB hot stove discussion 2018/19 off season

[MU Fan in Connecticut]

Play ball!

[Jockey]

I take my Rotisserie league very, very seriously, and I'm happy about my draft but worried about my OF.  I also have below-average RP, but spend April/May being a vulture until bullpens settle down.
C: Sanchez
1B: Goldschmidt
2B: Albies
3B: Rendon
SS: Bregman
OF: Puig
OF: Castellanos
OF: Pollock
UTL: Segura
UTL: Encarnacion
SP: Scherzer
SP: Snell
SP: Mikolas
SP: Castillo
SP: Quintana
RP: Hicks
RP: Strop
RP: Barnes
Bench: Brantley (OF), Peraza (SS), Moustakas (3B), Moncada (2B)

You are a little light on speed. Especially with Peraza and Moncada on the bench.

You right about the pen. Most unsettled year I have seen in a long time for closers. Stay alert and you'll be able to grab a couple guys to help you out.

If you're in a 10 team league, you may be a little light on power: could be OK there if it's 12 teams.

[MUBurrow]

You are a little light on speed. Especially with Persia and Moncada on the bench.

You right about the pen. Most unsettled year I have seen in a long time for closers. Stay alert and you'll be able to grab a couple guys to help you out.

If your in a 10 team league, you may be a little light on power: could be OK there if it's 12 teams.

Yeah, not sure how deep your league is and whether you use OBP or AVG, but the areas you're light should hopefully also be the easiest to find, relatively speaking. Runs and steals via guys that hit early in the order in fine enough lineups and bust up their platoons can pop up out of nowhere the first couple of weeks - Leonys Martin, Jesse Winker, Brandon Nimmo (all OFs). I think Segura is going to be a stat monster at the top of that lineup. If your closers end up actually closing they'll be awesome because they all play for teams that could win 95 games. If they don't you can just cut bait and balance closers on bad teams/injury replacements and a high K/low WHIP innings middle reliever to balance out Castillo and Quintana, who will light your ratios on fire from time to time.

[WI inferiority Complexes]

You are a little light on speed. Especially with Peraza and Moncada on the bench.

If your in a 10 team league, you may be a little light on power: could be OK there if it's 12 teams.

It's only 10 teams.  And you're correct.

[Jockey]

Yeah, not sure how deep your league is and whether you use OBP or AVG, but the areas you're light should hopefully also be the easiest to find, relatively speaking. Runs and steals via guys that hit early in the order in fine enough lineups and bust up their platoons can pop up out of nowhere the first couple of weeks - Leonys Martin, Jesse Winker, Brandon Nimmo (all OFs). I think Segura is going to be a stat monster at the top of that lineup. If your closers end up actually closing they'll be awesome because they all play for teams that could win 95 games. If they don't you can just cut bait and balance closers on bad teams/injury replacements and a high K/low WHIP innings middle reliever to balance out Castillo and Quintana, who will light your ratios on fire from time to time.

I though about mentioning that, but Scherzer, Snell, and Mikolas are such WHIP monsters, I think he will be OK.

[MUBurrow]

I though about mentioning that, but Scherzer, Snell, and Mikolas are such WHIP monsters, I think he will be OK.

That's true. And everyone but Mikolas strikes out a ton of dudes, so there's good balance without sacrificing Ks. Its a well balanced staff.

[tower912]

Who signs Keuchel ?

[WI inferiority Complexes]

Who signs Keuchel ?

I think it's SD or ATL.

[MUBurrow]

Who signs Keuchel ?

I can't believe I'm saying this, but I think he either (i) signs a weird, long term deal around the trade deadline as teams realize all he'll cost is money or (ii) sits the whole year. With his injury history, his diminishing K/9 and the fact that he doesn't throw very hard, I think the gap is just too wide between what he wants and what teams are looking for when they pay for pitching.  He's got the look of a guy who would finish even a 4 year deal as a back end innings eater - but he can't stay healthy. Plus, now he's looking at simulated games to ramp up before you can actually deploy him, and the whole thing just gets too complicated for anyone to invest real money in.

[MU82]

WHIP monsters

Interestingly, that's the name of the dominatrix group Benny used to employ.

[SaveOD238]

He's waiting for 100 mil.  Brewers offered him about 40, unfortunately he didn't bite.

1st year was about 5 mil
2nd was 7mil
3 was 27 mil

IF this is true, it says a lot about the Brewers current payroll situation.  The big Grandal contract (and Moustakas to a lesser extent) is hamstringing them, but only for one year.  Moustakas will be replaced by a much cheaper Hiura next year.

Brewers need this guy too.  I love Woodruff, Peralta, and Burnes, but moving all of them to the rotation leaves the middle part of the bullpen wide open.  Would rather see one of them shift back to the bridge guy to get to Hader (and Jeffress/Knebel, if when they return).

[jsglow]

IF this is true, it says a lot about the Brewers current payroll situation.  The big Grandal contract (and Moustakas to a lesser extent) is hamstringing them, but only for one year.  Moustakas will be replaced by a much cheaper Hiura next year.

Brewers need this guy too.  I love Woodruff, Peralta, and Burnes, but moving all of them to the rotation leaves the middle part of the bullpen wide open.  Would rather see one of them shift back to the bridge guy to get to Hader (and Jeffress/Knebel, if when they return).

They're not hamstrung saveO.  Stearns wants some ammo available at the trading deadline.  He's a master at getting max production for the dollar.  He's not going to over commit to anything.  And perhaps just as importantly, he's willing to walk away from a bad decision (Schoop).

On the pitching front, let's consider the possibility that Anderson and Nelson form the backbone of the middle relief corp for '19.  Both can be multiple innings guys effectively pitching at least once through the batting order.  I'm a proponent of asking Woody, Peralta and Burnes to step up in this next phase in their development.  We want their best years to be low priced and for the Crew.

[MUBurrow]

He's waiting for 100 mil.  Brewers offered him about 40, unfortunately he didn't bite.

1st year was about 5 mil
2nd was 7mil
3 was 27 mil

If this is true, I think its a blessing in disguise he turned it down. I like Kimbrel a lot, but I don't want to commit the payroll flexibility of Braun's first year off the books for Kimbrel this far in advance. Especially if Knebel's TJ is a big reason for the move.

[jsglow]

Damn. Tommy John surgery confirmed.  Probably the right decision.

[MU82]

Damn. Tommy John surgery confirmed.  Probably the right decision.

That's another $100 royalty for Tommy John. No wonder he's rich!

[Jockey]

Juiced ball this year?

Or should I say re-juiced?

[wadesworld]

Nice immaculate inning save.

[jsglow]

Nice immaculate inning save.

Throwing only fastballs.  Only one was even touched.  Dude is amazing.  I hope Couns uses his best weapon (maybe except Yeli) carefully.

[cheebs09]

Alex Wilson looked good last night too. I think he's got a decent track record. Maybe a nice reliable guy to take over for Knebel. I'm still going to hold out hope for Kimbrel until he signs elsewhere.

[Jockey]

C'mon. Again?

[wadesworld]

Is the MVP race over?

[jsglow]

   This Yelich kid might end up being okay.

[Jockey]

Is the MVP race over?

Yellich or Hader?   

[CreightonWarrior]

Back up the Brinks truck please

[Dish]

You guys are still using the offseason thread.