2022 MLB Spring Training & resumption of free agency

[headclown]

Jon Heyman
@JonHeyman
Rockies are aggressively pursuing Kris Bryant. Talks are at ownership level. @Ken_Rosenthal and @nickgroke on it


BURN IT ALL DOWN.
This ownership approach isn't going to cut in a division with the best GM/development team (Braves) and the highest-spending owner (Braves). And the Nationals will eventually be back.

If he signs with the Rockies, then he has zero interest in winning baseball games. The Rockies have a shell of a roster and they play in the NL West

There are three things that a major league professional wants to achieve (in no particular order):

1) Win a championship
2) Win a league MVP
3) Win the mother lode

Kris has done #1 & #2 already. He's accomplished those at a young age. He's looking for dollars now. Those three I listed are also why we ask "why would team A sign this guy who's nearing 40 years old". It's likely that he's got two of the items but needs the title to satisfy his goals. Happens all the time.

Right now, Bryant is a merc going to the highest bidder. Nothing wrong with that.

Fair points...but why not get it all and play with a great friend!

[headclown]

A kid like Painter is ideal to move to a team like Pittsburgh in a Reynolds deal. Let them develop him since they seem to be better at developing pitchers. Let him make his debut and start towards arb - where the Pirates tend to sell their players off. The Yankees, for years, have used ML teams like Pitt & Minny as optional farm systems. They go after arb-eligible players from those teams in exchange for 3-5 minor leaguers from their system. It's kind of how to work if you're a larger market.

The issue with the Phillies is that they can't seem to develop their own. IF that's the case, let somebody else do it for you and then you buy back those players from these cash-strapped teams once they actually prove they can play in the MLB.

The Phillies a) haven't proven they can develop their own, and b) don't go by that model which could help immensely. That's why 80-83 wins is their consistent projected outcome year-in and year-out.

The haul for Reynolds would be 4 of the Phillies top prospects...they would want a package like, Painter Rojas O'Hoppe and Stott.

For a 27 year old CF with a .900 OPS and above-average defense. Yeah. I'd probably do it. One of the reasons is that shortstop is actually much more plentiful than it was just 10 years ago. It makes this team that much more dangerous in the lineup for the next five years and helps the pitchers out since now we'd have a legitimate CF who can track balls.

I think the Phillies are out on any CF trades. All the more reason I dont get signing Odubel, why not wait to see if there is a move that could be made. I would think that all the rest of their eggs are going to a LF stud and maybe a 6th starter type.

[awfulstack]

Feel like Harper was pretty strong today with his expectations that they spend at least to the 230 number.

Also praised Steve Cohen.

Think if Mids doesn’t, this is gonna become a problem.

Kind bummed that my favorite team signing my favorite non Phillie ended up with a front office and ownership who can’t do anything right. Sad when he demands that trade

[Ben Grimm]

The haul for Reynolds would be 4 of the Phillies top prospects...they would want a package like, Painter Rojas O'Hoppe and Stott.

For a 27 year old CF with a .900 OPS and above-average defense. Yeah. I'd probably do it. One of the reasons is that shortstop is actually much more plentiful than it was just 10 years ago. It makes this team that much more dangerous in the lineup for the next five years and helps the pitchers out since now we'd have a legitimate CF who can track balls.

I think the Phillies are out on any CF trades. All the more reason I dont get signing Odubel, why not wait to see if there is a move that could be made. I would think that all the rest of their eggs are going to a LF stud and maybe a 6th starter type.

I get what you're saying, but I'm not on board with a "LF stud". There's no such thing really. LF's are put there because they have deficencies. And the "studs" available to play LF are exactly that - guys who can sort of play the position but can't really field well. I'd rather invest in 3B and sign a cheap CF to play LF since I know they can track balls. You can't have #3 hitters in the lineup at every position. Adding somebody to play 3B with a good bat means you don't need such a bat in LF right now. Simple tradeoff - especially for a team with already too many DH's in the lineup.

[Ben Grimm]

Feel like Harper was pretty strong today with his expectations that they spend at least to the 230 number.

Also praised Steve Cohen.

Think if Mids doesn’t, this is gonna become a problem.

Kind bummed that my favorite team signing my favorite non Phillie ended up with a front office and ownership who can’t do anything right. Sad when he demands that trade

I'm thinking they hit around the $210-$215 mark and the message will be that they want to be agile enough in July during the trade deadline.

[Christopher]

July's not going to matter if they don't add another All-Star bat before the season starts. Where we're at:

C: Realmuto
1B: Hoskins
2B: Segura
SS: Stott
3B: Bohm
LF: a scarecrow or mannequin
CF: Herrera/Vierling
RF: Harper
DH: Gregorious

[headclown]

Feel like Harper was pretty strong today with his expectations that they spend at least to the 230 number.

Also praised Steve Cohen.

Think if Mids doesn’t, this is gonna become a problem.

Kind bummed that my favorite team signing my favorite non Phillie ended up with a front office and ownership who can’t do anything right. Sad when he demands that trade

I'm thinking they hit around the $210-$215 mark and the message will be that they want to be agile enough in July during the trade deadline.

If the Phillies go into the season without one of the top LF FA, then they will truly lose this fan base and perhaps their own stars. So if they dont spend up to the tax, then who plays LF?

[headclown]

July's not going to matter if they don't add another All-Star bat before the season starts. Where we're at:

C: Realmuto
1B: Hoskins
2B: Segura
SS: Stott
3B: Bohm
LF: a scarecrow or mannequin
CF: Herrera/Vierling
RF: Harper
DH: Gregorious

Change that around just a bit:

Segura
Bryant
Harper
Hoskins
JT
Didi
Bohm
Stott
Herrera/Vierling

OR

Schwarber
Segura
Harper
Hoskins
JT
Didi
Bohm
Stott
Herrera/Vierling

[Christopher]

Part of LF calculus might be how they feel about Gregorious. If he bounces back, the lineup probably has enough L-R balance in the middle, and you can go for either a RH hitter or the best available bat. ... But if they are down on Gregorious, I think it makes sense to go after a LH bat, right?

[mrmountie]

They're stuck in a circle of hell with this tax stuff. Every year it's "pay up to the tax but don't go over it" which means they have a bunch of holes that need fixing so at the trade deadline they need to make moves that will either put them over the tax or they don't make enough moves to be worth anything.