Phillies shortstop Jimmy Rollins tells Jim Salisbury of CSNPhilly.com that he isn’t sure when his team will contend again, but he’d like to see the club spend to work toward that in the offseason. Rollins has a specific target in mind, as well, having read up on Cuban slugger Yasmany Tomas. Rollins feels that if Tomas is the next slugger to follow in the footsteps of Jose Abreu, Yasiel Puig, Yoenis Cespedes and Jorge Soler, then “We’ve got to get our hands in that market.” Rollins continued, speaking more generically about spending to improve rather than just spending on Tomas: “We have enough money so you can’t say we don’t. … We’re in a big market, a big-market payroll. So you have to go out there and make it happen.”
Here’s more from Salisbury and more from the NL East…
- Jonathan Papelbon didn’t appeal his seven-game suspension because he didn’t want it to carry into next season, the closer tells Salisbury. Papelbon maintains that the crotch-grabbing gesture he made toward the fans was simply an adjustment: “I truly feel like if the fans really got to me and they wanted something I would have given them a little bit more than that.” Papelbon isn’t sure if the Phillies will try to limit his games finished to prevent his $13MM option (2016) from vesting, but he expects to be on the mound in save situations “regardless of what team” he is on.
- While there’s been plenty of speculation about the Mets trading Bartolo Colon this offseason, ESPN New York’s Adam Rubin wouldn’t be surprised to see the team trade Jon Niese or Dillon Gee instead (Twitter links). While neither would save the Mets as much as shedding Colon’s $11MM salary, Niese will earn $7MM in 2015 (and is guaranteed $16.5MM through 2016), while Gee’s arbitration salary could clear $5MM. Rubin feels if the Mets do indeed make trades to shed salary and free up room for free agent pursuits, the most likely candidates are those three pitchers and second baseman Daniel Murphy.
- Marlins lefty Brad Hand has made a good deal of improvements in terms of strike-throwing, writes Christina De Nicola of FOX Sports Florida, and he’ll enter 2015 with another chance to compete for a rotation spot. The out-of-options hurler and 2008 second-rounder finished the season with a 4.38 ERA in a career-high 111 innings. However, he was better in the second half, posting a 3.89 ERA over his final 13 appearances (11 starts). I’d imagine that, given the Marlins’ pitching depth, Hand could face an uphill battle in securing a rotation spot.
- While he didn’t elaborate much, David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution gets the sense that there will be significant roster turnover for the Braves this offseason (Twitter link). The Braves have struggled as a whole in 2014, but particularly at the plate, where the team has batted a combined .241/.306/.360. Each of those rate stats ranks 24th or worse in Major League Baseball, and the team’s 562 runs are 29th in the Majors, leading only the Padres.
Hand better not make the 2015 rotation. Cosart, Alvarez Koehler are all guranteed a spot. So is Jose once he returnes from TJS. Heaney also be at the top of the depth chart for the 5th spot. That means that Jose’s 1st half spot is the only open, DeSclafani, Nicolino, Flynn or any offseason aquired SP should get the spot over Hand. everytime Hand went out we all assumed that we were going to lose that game.
Agreed that he shouldn’t make it (hence my own “uphill battle” comment following De Nicola’s article). You’re also not even including Eovaldi in that bunch, who I think should be assured a spot as well.
right, I meant to include Eovaldi as well but I’ve been talking with some other marlins fans on the topic of making eovaldi into a reliever and I already forgot to include him as a starting option.
Hopefully the Braves get rid of BJ and Chris Johnson and sign at LEAST one of Justin or Jason to long term contracts.
Johnson had a fantastic year last year, hopefully he can rebound. He regressed, but this season hasn’t been a complete disaster at least (although it does make that extension look like one). I don’t think there’s any way they get rid of BJ without paying him most of that contract no matter how they do it.
Johnson’s two best seasons have come with BABIPs north of .380. Even for a guy who is a big line-drive hitter (which he is), that’s not sustainable. He BABIPed above .800 on liners each of those seasons, even though league average is about .690, and his BABIP on grounders in each of those seasons was well above league-average (.286 in 2010, which is staggering for a guy without much speed).
I liked so many of Atlanta’s offseason extensions, but I cringed at that one. I’d call .265/.295/.360 pretty disastrous, and I don’t love his chance of rebounding.
I should have said, “not BJ or Uggla-level disastrous”
Good morning Steve, how are you today joined the chat
Session yesterday, that was fun, but was fairly llate to the party so my questions did not make it on the air. So
I guess my one glaring question would be are you going to continue the chat session for the rest of the year?
Yep — I host a chat every Tuesday at 2pm CT (with the exception of a couple of missed dates recently as I recently moved and had to take some time off as a result).
Hopefully you can join in on future editions as well!
So the chat sessions are every week even through the off season. I have a trade scenario posted above what do you think?
Can we appeal to MLB to have 2 budgets for 2015: one for released players and one current players? Unless we have a better option – which we don’t necessarily better than Johnson – we shouldn’t consider paying someone not to play.
What does Rollins expect to “make happen” by spending money. The team has spent money. It just hasn’t been very smart about it.
Exactly. It was their reckless spending that got them in this mess in the first place.
I guess Jimmy Rollins isn’t familiar with the Howard and Lee contracts and the 50MM owed them next year. The Phillies payroll is maxed out.
Here’s a trade scenario for you Mets fans: Elvis Andrus, Robbie Ross, Luke Jackson(minors) and 15mm over 3 years for Daniel Murphy an either Jon Niese or Dillon Gee. What say you??
Really?
You aren’t going to dump a $120MM contract on a team with a decent prospect and get back 2 everyday regulars.
Giving you what you need a ss a s/p to replace the one I get from you and a b/p piece you need and you can slide the Flores/Herrera combo to 2b to replace Murphy and giving a years worth of salary in the deal..
Ruben Tejada has a career 81 OPS+. Elvis Andrus has a career 84 OPS+. Even factoring in Andrus’ better defensive reputation [though the metrics didn’t like him as much in 2014 and Tejada has been a positive defensive contributor as well], I don’t see how anyone could justify taking on $120MM in salary for such a minor upgrade.
This isn’t even factoring in Flores possibly manning SS and providing a more potent bat.
Not only that, but Flores (1.2 fWAR and 0.1 rWAR) has been worth almost as much as Andrus this season (1.2 fWAR and 0.9 rWAR). Flores has only played in 73 games to Andrus’ 153 and costs $500k.
We wouldnt need to replace the s/p as we have a surplus in pitchers. And the Mets currently have one of the top bullpens in baseball
absolutely horrible deal for the Mets.
Why??
Elvis Andrus and his monster contract along with Ross who has an ERA in the 6s and a PROSPECT with a 5.40 ERA for a solid everyday player who made the all-star team (Murphy) and a solid pitcher in either Gee or Niese…. Niese also has a team friendly deal.
You are going to lose 1 if not 2 of either Niese, Gee or Murphy especially if you want to sign Tomas. I am up for a different option, say the Rangers want just Murphy
or Gee or Niese as a GM what would you do …
If I was the Mets GM (I am an Angels fan) and that was all that was offered from the Rangers… I would go to any of the other 28 teams in baseball. Free agent signings do not mean you are just going to give away good ball players. It might have an impact financially but, it does not put the rest of your team on the clearance rack. I guarantee they could get more than that from just about any team in baseball. Anyways… you are saying if I sign a big free agent I have to give away other players who are owed decent money then you would want to give the Mets a monster contract in Andrus… Im not even sure unless Texas eats almost all of Andrus’s contract that the Mets would be willing to take that contract in a trade for nothing…
Take Andrus out of it!! Now play GM for each. I actually see a better fit for Andrus in Cleveland anyway. I am a true Ranger fan, but a true baseball fan also. I am extremely proud that the Angels are on top of our division they worked really hard to make that happen, and truly hope they go all the way to the WS. Good luck!
I at least hope a team from the West wins the WS. Honestly I would not trade any of the 3 guys you said as one of them is a decent offensive piece for a team that struggles with offense. With DeGram Gee and Niese and that they have Harvey returning along with some very good pitching prospects, I would leave the rotation alone. They have the potential to have one of the best rotations in baseball. The Mets if they could address the offense this offseason could be a very good team.
Baseball fan, Ranger fan, Division fan, League fan in that order. The Angels should and will be the team from the AL West no other way around just to strong. Wild card as stands right now A’s at KC. Royals win!!!!!
Very true and I hope they can hold on to all those players. Real surprised if it happens though..
How is Andrus a fit in Cleveland when they have Francisco Lindor ready to take over? Not to mention the $120 million and all…
This is coming from a Mets fan but if I’m the Rangers GM I don’t want Murphy. They have Adrian Beltre for 3B, Profar will be back for 2B and if he doesn’t pan out Rougned Odor (not sure if spellings right) looks promising for kinda being thrown into the Majors this year. And the other possible positions for Murph are 1B and possible the outfield. 1B is going to have to be Fielder and the outfield is taken by Martin and Choo in the corners.
Andrus isn’t a real upgrade. Once you factor in the contract, it’s actually a huge downgrade. If you replace Andrus, the money, and the mediocre prospects with a guy like Odor or Sardinas, it gets more realistic. The Mets don’t need to add bad prospects or salaries.
You’re way overating Andrus. He’s really not that good. Yes he plays good defense but he doesn’t hit for power, he has a .260-.270 avg and can steal 25 bases. But with the steals his percentage is awful (he has the most CS in the AL). He is better than Tejada but Wilmer Flores has more upside than Andrus with his bat for the amount of money he’ll be paid.
DOB is supposed to be the right hand man for the Braves front office/clubhouse when it comes to getting the scoop on internal happenings. However, with that being said, if I had $1 for every time he was right about information that either couldn’t be elaborated on or things he claimed to know, I’d have enough money to get the Big Mac combo at McDonalds. O’Brien isn’t the Holy Trinity of reporting some people think he is. So I’ll believe this “significant roster turnover” if/when it actually happens.
I sure hope he’s right in this case, though
He plays to his readership. DOB’s comments section makes any level-headed person ashamed to be a Braves fan.
As for Braves – I’d like to see ’em make a play for Adrian Beltre, include Johnson in the deal, or if Texas won’t take him, make Johnson backup (expensive but not exorbitant) at 3B and 1B, where he could spell Freddie against tough lefties (or just the Marlins). Johnson seems to hit better when he has competition for playing time. Beltre’s $18 mil would definitely eat up a sizable chunk of the budget – so we’d have to offset some salary elsewhere as Texas is likely to want prospects.
Texas would not want Johnson…. Bad contract paying him well into his 30s along with Texas already having their 3rd basemen of the future in Joey Gallo. Texas would likely want pitching and a power bat along with prospects for a still very very good borderline hall of famer in Adrian Beltre.
Gallo will probably end up in the o/f he is much taller than your prototype 3b, but definitely do not see Beltre leaving the Rangers
I agree that Texas will look at Gallo in the outfield although he does play a decent 3b and if Beltre is traded (and I don’t think he will be traded) It would not surprise me if he stays at 3rd.
Yes, Beltre will definitely get at least 120-130 starts at 3b and the rest of his games at d/h. Gallo will start next year at AA and play mist of season there, might make AAA in late July or early August will MLB call in September.
Maybe package Minor and Gattis for Beltre (owed $18M in ’15 and a $16M voidable option in ’16). Texas picks up $10M of the money owed to Beltre. We can then eat a little money in a BJ Upton dump, and make Chris Johnson the backup to Beltre and Freeman. Your lineup becomes (in random order):
CF: Bonifacio (or a trade)
RF: Heyward
3B: Beltre
1B: Freeman
2B: La Stella/Gosselin platoon until Peraza is ready
SS: Simba
LF: Justin Upton
C: Bethancourt
Pitcher’s spot
We’d need another starter, though. Hopefully Beachy or Medlen makes it back.
Beachy and medlen should not be counted on. If they come back great but they should be plan b or c at best. Braves will need pitching. Tehran, wood, hale, harang, ??? Isn’t going to cut it.
Jonathan Papelbon and Fernando Rodney are my least liked people in all of baseball…
Yasiel Puig disagrees.
Puig’s a showboat, but it’s really tough to question his effort. I wish we had 5 of him in Atlanta.
Is Nyjer Morgan still playing? He’s done what Pap did to every away crowd he’s ever played. He even did it – on beat, no less – to La Macarena.
….id give Carlos Gomez my least-liked award over Rodney…That guy seems to think he’s God’s gift to baseball…Paps is definitely in second
So Papelbon’s defense for grabbing his crotch at the fans is, if I were really making an obscene gesture at the fans, it would have been a whole lot worse that that? Stay classy Jonathan.
Jonathan Papelbon, always a class act.
Why would the Mets need to “shed salary'” next season?
To free up space for arbitration and/or free agent signings/trades acquiring salary.
The Phillies unintentionally limited Papelbon’s save situations this year, and seem likely to do the same next year.
Pap: “I would have given them a little more than that”. Dare I ask you would go there, Pap? You should be wearing a trench coat.