Rays Re-Sign Gabe Kapler

I don't think that FanGraphs is very accurate if Gabe "I should retire" Kapler is valued at 5 million.

Hell, I make 40K a year where is FanGraphs for my job maybe I can get a 400K raise?

I know this site is just a joke to you Hellion, but you really should try harder at your humor.

Good deal for the Rays on this one. Kapler plays excelent RF and can play CF and LF if needed and hammers LHP to the tune of .276/.379/.552/.931.

Seems like the perfect fouth/platoon veteran outfielder for 1M to me.

I hate Fangraphs' system for evaluating players. There's no way anyone would pay Kapler over $5 million in 2009 or 2010, so how can it really be accurate? Maybe if they said "5.2 million fantasy player points" or something, I wouldn't mind.

That said, Kapler is a good guy to have around decent defense and decent pop in his bat. Not a bad deal for around a million.

Trade proposal I thought of, let me see if you Rays fans like it or not.

Rays get:
RP Jokahim Soria
RF Mark Teahan

Royals get:
C Dioner Navarro (assuming you tender him)
SS Reid Brignac
RP Calvin Medlock
RP Thomas Rafferty

"Fangraphs needs some serious work on their valuations."

Actually, you need some serious work on your understanding on FanGraph's valuations.

Kapler was worth 1.2 WAR in 2009, each win above replacement level is worth about $4.33M, so Kapler's value for the 2009 season came out to about $5.2M.

Just because he was worth $5.2M in 2009 doesn't mean that he'll be worth that amount in the future, and it doesn't mean that he actual talent level is that of a $5.2M player.

What it means is that his performance in 2009, regardless of how lucky he was, was worth X amount.

It offers little predictive value of what he'll be worth in the future, and the numbers can't really be applied to determining how much money a player should make in the future.

BUT, when talking solely about how valuable a player was during a previous period of time, purely during that time period, then the FanGraphs valuations are absolutely legitimate.

"Rays get:
RP Jokahim Soria
RF Mark Teahan

Royals get:
C Dioner Navarro (assuming you tender him)
SS Reid Brignac
RP Calvin Medlock
RP Thomas Rafferty"

Honestly, the Royals should be able to do better than Brignac, Navarro and some young relievers if they're dealing Soria AND Teahen.

Well, I deflated the asking price a bit since I figured that the Rays would not be willing to take on too much more payroll with Soria and Teahan's salary expected to be between 7-8 million dollars.

Well then would the Rays organization go for Navarro, Brignac, Hellickson and a low A ball prospect then or is Hellickson untouchable?

"Besides Betancourt is unfortunately entrenched at short (stupid Moore)."

Certainly a dumb move, but at least Moore could help it by accepting Betancourt as a sunk cost, eating his money, and not wasting SS playing time on him. I know that DM won't do it, but that would be the best solution.

"Well then would the Rays organization go for Navarro, Brignac, Hellickson and a low A ball prospect then or is Hellickson untouchable?"

I would be surprised if Hellickson was available, but the Royals could certainly turn to Matt Moore or Nick Barnese as an excellent alternative, both of those guys will be shooting up the prospect charts soon.

If Moore could deal Soria for a package based around Brignac and Moore/Barnese, then that would be one helluva deal for Moore.

Unfortunately, Dayton Moore is the worst GM in the game, and I have no faith in him to properly execute a Soria trade.

Well of course, it's Dayton Moore. He's decimated this team with his fetish for former Seattle players.

A trade between the Rays/Royals is a match made in heaven on paper though. The Rays can get an elite closer who is cheap (approximately 5 years for 30 million dollars) and a pretty good RF who can also play 3B/1B in relief of Longoria/Pena if need be.

In return, the Royals receive prospects they so desperately need to shore up the middle infield and bullpen.

Of course, Dayton will find a way to mess this up.

He wasn't even worth that in 2009 Scribble. Please stop defending moronic valuations. Obviously 1 WAR is being valued at too much money.

Trade proposal I thought of, let me see if you Rays fans like it or not.

Rays get:
RP Jokahim Soria
RF Mark Teahan

Royals get:
C Dioner Navarro (assuming you tender him)
SS Reid Brignac
RP Calvin Medlock
RP Thomas Rafferty"

anything that will get rid of brignac, only cause i would be very upset to see bartlet go for any reason.

1) I doubt the right-handed Gabe Kapler (who, at this point, can only hit lefties) will significantly impair the development of lefty Matt Joyce or switch hitter Fernando Perez. This is especially true if the Rays deal either Upton (unlikely) or Crawford (more likely) this offseason, leaving more holes to fill.

2) Perez is entering his age 27 season, having accrued a total of 58 professional at-bats this season. I don't think Gabe Kapler is what he should be worrying about.

3) Tampa Bay has always showed they've willing to play a young player over a veteran, *given* they are performing well. For example, Matt Joyce, a 24 year old corner outfielder essentially repeating AAA, had only an 855 OPS in the minors; is it really so surprising that he didn't have a spot on an ML roster of a contending team?

4) This move is pretty much inconsequential. It means that on Opening Day, the Rays will have Gabe Kapler. But based on the length and amount of the contract, he could easily be released / traded midway through the season, if there really is that much depth in the Rays' outfield. I seriously doubt $1 million is what's standing between Tampa Bay and, say, acquiring a "young closer" (anyway, young implies cost controlled, which implies money isn't a concern to begin with).