This week in baseball blogs…
- Redbird Daily regards Marlins outfielder Christian Yelich as a potential trade target for the Cardinals.
- BP Toronto doesn’t think extending Josh Donaldson would be as costly for the Blue Jays as some believe.
- Hardball via Hardcore shares an offseason plan for the Mariners.
- Pirates Breakdown asks if the Pirates can mimic the Twins’ turnaround.
- Rotisserie Duck highlights all 30 teams’ WAR leaders.
- Pop Culture Abstract checks in on where the Cardinals’ value came from this year.
- The Loop Sports is bullish on White Sox prospect Luis Robert.
- Jays From the Couch wants Toronto to trade for Marlins second baseman Dee Gordon.
- Call To The Pen names candidates for the Phillies’ last rotation spot.
- A’s Farm previews the Athletics’ Arizona Fall League squad.
- MetsMind explains how the club can improve its woeful defense next season.
- Clubhouse Corner looks at six storylines from the Yankees’ season.
- The Point of Pittsburgh reviews key checkpoints of the Pirates’ season.
- Jays Journal makes some early free agent predictions for Toronto.
- DiNardo’s Dugout (podcast) hands out National League awards and discusses the playoffs.
- Mets Daddy writes about the team’s unfortunate history since its most recent World Series title 31 years ago.
- Camden Depot analyzes Wade Miley’s 2017 struggles.
- The Runner Sports (links: 1, 2) offers Astros and Yankees playoff previews.
- Pinstriped Prospects interviews young Yankees outfielder Jeff Hendrix.
Submissions: ZachBBWI @gmail.com.
To me Yelich doesn’t make a ton of sense in STL. They really need a middle of the order bat like Ozuna or Stanton. Yelich is a tremendous player but I don’t see the fit.
Yelich (or “Helicopter” as autocorrect wants to say) probably signed an autograph for this guy, hence him trying to force a convincing argument by “writing” a blog post.
That was my article. I wrote it for two reasons.
#1. Yelich is a 4.5 war player that is a very rare combination of very good, young, and available.
#2. I believe he will be the feared middle of the order hitter that they currently need. I plan on a follow up post early this week detailing exactly why I think that.
I understand that he doesn’t meet their immediate needs. I’ve hardly seen anyone talk about him for that reason and that’s why I thought the post was necessary. He’s the type of player that in 2-3 years fan will be saying “Damn, I wish they would have gotten Yelich when he was available”. He’s a cornerstone player that leaves the payroll open for whatever else they need.
He put up a 115 wRC+ last season. Carpenter put up a 123+. Feared isn’t exactly what I would say, I agree he projects to hit better but a tremendous turn around could just as easily be there for piscotty who profiles similarly in age, and offensive upside if you take into account BABIP regression this season.
Agreed on all counts except I think his power numbers now, are where they will average moving forward!
Which coincidentally mirror Brett’s power numbers roughly and there’s nothing wrong with that not saying that Yellich will have the career that GB did..
However I do think Brett did have one season with 30 homers and I could see the same with CY with a peak season or 2!
Just not perpetually IMO which is no biggie because I would personally drive the moving truck down to Florida and being him back!
As a Marlins fan, Yelich and Realmuto are essentially the only 2 guys i wouldnt trade, unless something crazy is involved. I’d add Stanton to that, but the writing is on the wall on that one
Where’s your post? Easy to bash someone else (and without evidence or reasoning) when you’re unwilling to stick your neck out there. Try offering a respectable rebuttal rather than worthless speculation over his inspiration.
They might already have that middle-order bat in Martinez.
I don’t get it either. Is this the feared bat in the lineup Mo is going after? I hope he is only a piece possibly being added. If it is, then yeah, adding a career .290 hitter would be welcome.
Yelich hits a ton of doubles. He is only 25 so it’s not out of the question that some of those start turning into Hrs if he gets stronger. His ISO was slightly down this year though and at some point you have to take him for face value. I long thought Nick Markakis would become a power hitting middle of the order bat as well. Yelich is intriguing but I still don’t see the Cards. Ozuna already is that middle of the lineup bat and would seem to make a whole lot more sense for them.
To be fair, Yelich plays at Marlins Park, and the park has robbed him of a lot of would be opposite field HRs most anywhere else
Good luck with getting those trades done on the Mariners article.
Those are some of the most homer trade ideas I have ever heard
Try reading the explanations which detail the strengths of the players involved and the needs of both teams. Learning where the pitching market currently lies would be wise as well.
If any team values Chase DeJong at this point I would be shocked
He’s a year removed from an award-winning season in the minors and he wasn’t supposed to see the major leagues so fast. Injuries have a way of changing things. Most teams should know he needs more seasoning, but his potential is still there.
Or flipping 3 relievers, (granted good ones) for a top 3 pitching prospect in all of baseball????
Diaz, the centerpiece, is a closer that throws 102mph. Tampa has a real need for relievers and their competition in the AL East features two teams with shut-down set-up men and closers. This is an idea to put a team with budget constraints into the conversation. They would be dealing from an area of strength and of course other pieces could be involved.
If the rays are actually willing to give up Honeywell for a package with Diaz as the centerpiece, I’m all ears
Another reason I think that makes sense is because it would allow the Rays to possibly trade Colome. He’s likely going to make somewhere in between 5-6 million in 2018. Tampa could move him for a considerable haul, keep the pre-arb Diaz and save 5 million in the process. Wouldn’t be hard to find a suitor that would cough up an outfielder, among other solid prospects.
Thanks for the explanation, I think I agree with you now. Anyway, great article, keep it up
Thanks. That’s what this is all about: baseball talk.
Most of them would be tough, but more so from the Mariners’ standpoint. Dipoto seems set on sticking with players like Paxton and Diaz, and it’s hard not to blame him. They are dominant players. The Mariners would be taking a slight step backwards with these trades, as most of the players in these returns aren’t major league ready. But that’s kind of the point: proven players cost more than prospects that have yet to establish themselves. The proposal with Atlanta offers insurance, in way of a conditional PTBNL, which could be someone like Neidert if Paxton were to see considerable DL time. The pitching market is going to be brutal this offseason. If a team like Atlanta is serious about landing an ace and doesn’t intend to pay 6/120+ for Darvish, they’ll have to cough up talent to get talent, and it’s worth noting that Allard and Soroka are likely number 2 starters at best. Probably number 3’s.
I don’t think they’re bad ideas, I just don’t think it’s very realistic that they happen this offseason. I think that trading away Diaz would be the trade to hurt the Mariners the most. Vincent is good, but he’s not a closer. And playoff teams need a good closer, and since Dipoto says the Mariners are still all in, I can’t see them trading Diaz.
24, I actually made a note of that point in the conclusion and I believe it’s unlikely Diaz or Paxton will be moved in the offseason. If the Mariners were to fall out of it by the break, maybe then. But I also believe this is the key to their future, and Vincent may not seem like the stereotypical closer, but he was dominant last year: 29 holds and two blown saves. He was particularly dominant at home until running out of gas in the final couple of weeks. It’s fair to point out the potential risk in dealing away your closer, and I knew what your intent was with your comment, which a few people apparently misunderstood (which is funny). But a large part of this has to do with who we have on the horizon. Vieira has been getting his control in-check, which could be prove fatal to opponents with his kind of heat. Some of the AA pitchers we have flying under the radar (just as Diaz did) are climbing the ladder–fast–and I added another name to that list in this plan. We also have Phelps and Simmons, whom if healthy could potentially cover that role as well. If we didn’t have feasible alternatives and potential replacements near-ready, I wouldn’t have given this much thought. Anyway, thanks for responding and adding some detail. Much appreciated.