The results of this year’s Gold Glove Awards voting came in earlier this week, and in the American League it was Brian Dozier taking home his first career Gold Glove at second base. Dozier took home a standard $25K bonus for that distinction, but the more notable financial component of the award is that Tigers second baseman Ian Kinsler did not take home the $1MM bonus he’d have received for capturing a second Gold Glove honor. Kinsler’s 2017 option vested based on plate appearances back in September, but his salary would’ve risen from $11MM to $12MM had he landed the extra hardware. The $1MM difference in his salary won’t have much of an impact on his overall trade stock, but it’s still of minor note for both the Tigers and interested parties as Detroit explores trade scenarios for its longtime second baseman this winter.
More from the AL Central…
- The Twins have already reached out to right-hander Brandon Kintzler about a possible reunion this winter, tweets Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer Press. Minnesota is one of a “handful” of teams to show early interest in the 33-year-old Kintzler, per Berardino, who also notes that the Nationals have interest in retaining the sinkerball specialist. Kintzler has turned in an ERA just over 3.00 in the past two seasons despite averaging scarcely better than five strikeouts per nine innings, thanks largely to his excellent control, lofty ground-ball rates and a dearth of hard contact allowed.
- Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times takes a look at the difficult decisions facing White Sox GM Rick Hahn and his staff this offseason as they determine what to do with Jose Abreu and Avisail Garcia. Both are controlled through the 2019 season and are affordable for the Sox (who have extremely limited payroll commitments as they rebuild), but Van Schouwen notes that the team views 2020 as a more reasonable target date for a return to prominence in the AL Central. “Any player who isn’t controllable through the bulk of our window, we have to make an assessment,” Hahn tells Van Schouwen.
- Also of note, Van Schouwen writes that the Sox will likely field a payroll in the vicinity of $75MM next year. Including arbitration projections from MLBTR, the Sox are projected to pay roughly $50MM to a dozen players next season. They’ll need another 13 players at or near the league minimum to round out the roster, which would take them just north of $57MM. That’d leave around $18MM to add some reclamation projects and/or veteran stopgaps in the rotation or bullpen if the Sox find opportunities to their liking. A trade of Abreu (projected at $17.9MM) or Garcia ($6.7MM) would obviously alter their capacity for additions.
I believe Hahn will opt to keep both Abreu and Garcia going into the 2018 season. Abreu is seen as the veteran anchor to the rebuild and a mentor to the young Spanish-speaking players coming through the minors, which will result in him being kept. Garcia is the wild card for me on whether he is dealt, given an extension, or just plays through his contract and leaves via free agency. I think that decision hinges on how their younger outfielders develop in ’18 and ’19. Luckily, Hahn doesn’t have to make a decision right away with payroll being very low going into this year. In 2020, I definitely think Hahn wants Robert, Eloy, and Rutherford manning the outfield if everything goes according to plan.
Perfectly said.
Especially with the market for 1st basemen i think he would have a hard time getting fair value for Abreu.
I hope they are able to trade Avi. I don’t think the return gets any better by waiting.
If Abreu can pull a top 50, or a top 100 + a top 150 prospect, you gotta pull the trigger. Can always re-sign him in 2020 if he ages well.
Word from Cub insiders Eloy doesn’t get along with everybody, possible bad chemistry especially if Abreu and Garcia are traded. Someone may have to mentor him.
Sox don’t have to trade this winter, so it might be best to trade at the All Star Break. Sox started out OK last year but relied on some veterans who eventually couldn’t cut it and they started to fall. Had they gone with Delmonico from the start there would have been a lot more energy on that team. I’d wait and see what Renteria can do with a fresh look early on, if they are somehow close, no need to trade Abreu and Garcia especially if they are playing well. I like Danny Hayes from the left side as a DH/1B backup. Him, Delmonico, Moncada all played together at AAA, loots of potential there, hustle, and heart.
Might be Robert, Eloy, and Avi if he keeps playing like he did this year and the Sox sign him to an extension sometime next year. I definitely agree on keeping Abreu. I’d be ok with keeping Avi or trading him if they return is fair, but I doubt they let him walk. Even with the compensatory pick, that’s not very much for a FA worthy of a QO. Hahn would trade him as a rental before he does that.
If a team wants to just high these guys Hahn will pull the trigger, they didn’t have to trade Q but got a good offer. It seems that rookies are taking over the game these days so a window may be sooner than expected.
Trade Kinsler back to Texas for Ordor
Lol I’m sure the Rangers would hang up the phone if that conversation ever took place
Yeah,JD wouldn’t take Kinsler back if Kinsler begged him on his knees.
Ordor? What about Law?
that broadcasting school is really paying off
Odor is terrible.
What’s the latest on that no-good punk Brett Lawrie? Somebody tweet him and see what he says.
Position players are easier to foresee and develop, much like what the Cubs and Astros were able to do. What separates the White Sox form the rest of the “rebuilders” is that they have both the position players AND a plethora of pitchers(appx 6) in the MLB top 100 prospects. There is a lot to be excited about, but remember a prospect is exactly that. It all depends on the development of these players. Even without an Abreu or Avisial trade, the White Sox have the most stacked farm talent in MLB.
maybe they had 6. Now they only have 3.
Kopech, Cease and Hansen
Well um I guess you’re correct if you don’t count 2/5 of our rotation in Giolito and Reynaldo Lopez mmmm yea I guess
They also have Dunning. There are other sleepers as well. Add to that the fact that they draft #4 overall and #4 in the following rounds and they will add even more pitching. They’re stacked and Fulmer looked great at the end if the year. Rodon is also only 24. They will be unstoppable sooner than many think.
Would not hold your breathe on Carson fulmer. Maybe he turns into a back of the rotation piece. Big maybe
You must not have seen his last few starts. He was outstanding and beat Kluber while shutting the Indians down. People judge these rookies far to quickly. I’ll start holding my breathe after he’s 30+ starts in. Until then he’s shown great progress so I’ll go with that trend.
Kintzler? I hardly know her!
I approve of your corniness
Jaime Garcia – lefty for the rotation
Robbie Ross – lefty for the bullpen
Jonathon Aro – righty for the bullpen
and either Maybin or Dyson for centerfield. Get’r done Hahn!
I would like to see White Sox move both Abreu and Garcia (and Yolmer). Potential trade partners include Cards (if they don’t sign Stanton), Boston, Colorado and Toronto. WS still need to fill several holes and balance their pitching staff with a couple of LH starters.
I agree, I wouldn’t mind seeing Abreu, Avi, Davidson, Anderson, Fulmer and Leury Garcia traded if the right deal comes their way. Yolmer is perfect for a bench/utility role. I really want Realmuto from Miami and maybe we could get Gordon for 2b too. Those 2 could plugs holes IMO for next 3-4 yrs or however long they’re under contract. Collins seems to be more known for his bat so he could DH and backup at catcher if he forces his way up.
Wow, it’s way too early to discuss trading a lot of those guys you mentioned.
Move Moncada to 3b which I think will eventually happen anyways but yeah we have Clarkin & Guerrero but not much else in pipeline for stud lefty starters. Pretty sure Rodon will be around for next 3-4 years too. IMO power is still huge factor in game but look at types of players that Dodgers & Astros had this year. Most were 5 tool or “toolsy” type players.
Yeah, cause Moncada played so well at 3rd with the Red Sox, you leave him where he is comfortable IMO. Rodon should not be counted on either IMO, not after the injuries to his arm/shoulder this season.
I would say use Sanchez at third if you cannot use Davidson (who did not play horribly at third last season) there, as Sanchez should to be in the lineup everyday with his bat. Should be Sanchez/Davidson at 3rd, Anderson at SS, Moncada at 2b, and Abreu (or maybe Davidson if he is godawful at third) at 1b
I agree with nrd1138, Yolmer has not been appreciated by many Sox fans but is now ready to be a steady long term option as an everday player. Why they put up with Anderson’s horrible fielding record at the major league level is beyond belief. This is the majors, not AAA. Put Anderson in CF, if he can hack it.
You must have missed how well Anderson fielded his position in the 2nd half. It wasn’t just his hitting that turned around after he received therapy.
Not to mention that he was ranked very highly in 2016… Errors aren’t the only way to evaluate a defender…
You gotta have some veteran presence for these young players to learn from. Who better than Jose & Avi. Hahn should have got back a Xander or Mookie plus Kopech for Sale, time will tell if Moncada pans out. I would look to trade Anderson, Rodon, Yolmer & look to free agency to fill other positions of need. Sox should be eyeing the playoffs in 2019 in a weak division with Tigers & Royals rebuilding
Kinsler not winning the Gold Glove is a plus for the Tigers. Most reasonable fans would agree that Kinsler was the more deserving of the two for this defensive award simply because of his superior defensive stats. Dozier’s bat (not glove) he got him the award. Any Minn. fan who thinks otherwise is simply blinded by “Homerism”. It’s too bad for Kinsler this year that the GG has become a joke to its name. Dozier deserves a Silver Slugger at 2B, not a GG.
That being said, Detroit will have more surplus value dealing a 2..1 WAR on an $11MM salary than $12MM. All the GM’s know he is now a durable veteran clubhouse leader who has legit offensive upside from last year’ numbers. Even being a year older, it is not hard to see him produce at a 3 to 4+ WAR level in 2018.
If I’m correct Minnesota fans do not vote for the GG award and I highly doubt you paid attention to Dozier’s defense so enjoy you’re sour grapes
You’re just straight up wrong. The gold gloves were voted by a committee and sabermetric stats. Dozier was just better.
I’m a Cleveland fan and have no bias towards Detroit or Minnesota.
Deal with it
Dozier wasn’t better than Kinsler defensively this year though. Kinsler had a DRS of 6 while Dozier had a DRS of -4, on top of that, Kinsler had an UZR of 6.1 while Doziers was -1.3. Now you can say Dozier was better offensively but just looking at just defense, which the gold glove is supposed to do, kinsler was miles ahead of dozier this year
Kinsler was anything but a clubhouse leader in Texas. Maybe he changed in Detroit though.
The Cardinals could solve their offensive woes in one fell swoop if they pulled the trigger for both (Avi & Abreu) and only be on the hook for 2 seasons if it didn’t work out with either player.
In other words they won’t be hamstrung long term if it went south…
Thats exactly what I was thinking. Gonna cost either Reyes or Flaherty for starters but it makes sense.
Carson Kelly would also be a potential target IF St. Louis had serious interest in Abreu since jury out whether WSox own Zach Collins can handle being an adequate defensive catcher when ready for big leagues in a couple years.
I’d imagine Carson Kelly would be their top target, as I thought with a potential Sale or Q trade last year. At that time, he was considered “untouchable” by the majority of Cardinal fans around here. After his poor showing in the majors last year, and with how well Knizner played in the minors, I’d imagine many fans changed their opinions on potentially moving him in the offseason.
Personally, I’d happily take Kelly and another lesser piece (preferably a pitcher) or a solid pitching prospect and someone like Sierra (assuming that pitcher isn’t Reyes; if so, they wouldn’t be getting Sierra as well).
I can see the ChiSox wanting to trade away Jose Abreu and his $18M salary. In 2020, Abreu will be 33. That’s the age where players begin to decline.
Avisail Garcia is probably NOT on the trade block, at least not until the July 2018 deadline. I can’t tell if Garcia had break out season in 2017 or his peak season in 2017. I assume the ChiSox will want to “wait and see”.
Keeping Abreu is about FAR more than his performance in 2020.
That being said, both guys are absolutely on the block. Just like the deadline last year, I don’t see them ACTIVELY shopping Abreu, but if the right deal comes along, I’m sure Hahn would happily take it. If not, he’d happily keep Abreu for at least another year. He’s significantly more important to this team that just the numbers he puts up (which are also very good).
Avi, on the other hand, will probably be a “wait and see” approach as you said. But it’s not going to be because the White Sox want to wait and see if his breakout was real – it’ll be because other teams want to see it. I don’t see anybody buying into 2017 enough to offer Hahn a legitimate package for Avi this offseason. If he continues to hit up to next year’s trade deadline, then it could be a different story. At this point, there’s no reason to sell him off and just take whatever is available. He’s still too young, too talented, and too cheap just to ditch him for scraps. If my assumption is correct about the kind of offers they might receive, Hahn is much better off holding onto him for the time being and reassessing at the deadline.
Currently, the Gold Glove Award doesn’t mean the player is the best fielder at his position or even a good one. Its a popularity vote. IMO, DJ LeMahieu is the only player in MLB deserving of Gold Glove at 2B. However, at 1B, two NL players, Joey Votto and Anthony Rizzo both deserve Gold Gloves. In RF, Mookie Betts, Kole Calhoun and Giancarlo all deserve Gold Gloves. My point is that the current Gold Glove Award is a very shallow award. You just wonder why someone will get $1M or not get $1M for being voted a subjective and arbitrary award .
That’s been true about all of the awards since they day they decided to hand out awards.