SportsNet article on FA and trade targets for hitters:
OF FA
- Reddick
- Jay
- Desmond
- Fowler
- Cespedes
OF Trade
- Bruce
- Inciarte
- Eaton
- Blackmon
1B FA
- Pearce
- Napoli
1B Trade
- Votto
Personally, those OF trade candidates look mint. Inciarte/Eaton/Blackmon would all make an excellent OF replacements.... if we had the trade chips.
I'd love to see Blackmon here. Not sure we have remotely close to the assets to acquire him though unless they are willing to part with Guerrero or the new guy they signed.
Rumor is that the Yanks are super interested in Trout. If he's somehow available, I don't see how any one particular player on the team is untouchable. If the price is right, for a guy like that ANY prospect you have is available.
The Yankees did load up the prospect pool last year trading Chapman and Miller. Still don't see Trout going anywhere though, at least not yet. If the Yanks get anyone I expect they'll get Harper but even then it seems doubtful.
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If the price is right, for a guy like that ANYEVERY prospect you have is available.
FYP
Mike Trout is not available. If his career has longevity Mike Trout will probably end up being legitimately considered alongside the G.O.A.T. Ruth, Cobb, Mays, Aaron... if he (Trout) doesn't have some career limiting/ending injury he'll be spoken of in the same breath.
It's a cryin' shame that he's being wasted on the Angels.
The only way it would happen would be if there was a significant (huge) payoff (cash) involved and MLB approved. We're basically talking about the Yankee's sending any and all prospects the Angels want + Gary Sanchez + Taking back all the bad money contracts on the Angels + a massive cash transfer. Even then the league might say no due to the cash transfer. Even then the Yankee's would still win the deal.
I would be very surprised by that. Morales is a black hole defensively and the thought of him being their full time 1b is just down right scary.
I think Beltran would have made sense pre Morales but not now. Could technicaly play RF but his declining defence makes that pretty risky. Maybe they figure he's still athletic enough to play 1b or something but that again s a pretty big risk for a team that has been publically stressing defence.
I think the bat is a great fit, the player though not so much.
I would be very surprised by that. Morales is a black hole defensively and the thought of him being their full time 1b is just down right scary.
I think Beltran would have made sense pre Morales but not now. Could technicaly play RF but his declining defence makes that pretty risky. Maybe they figure he's still athletic enough to play 1b or something but that again s a pretty big risk for a team that has been publically stressing defence.
How many defensive runs does an average 1B save vs. a bad one, or even an elite 1B defensively.
The Red Sox were able to transition Hanley Ramirez to 1B last year, but I haven't really looked at his defensive numbers.
My gut feeling is that first base defence likely doesn't save a huge amount of runs. Range at the position isn't as important as other places on the diamond, throwing is often limited so a plus arm at first doesn't get utilized that often. To me it's about covering up the bad throws by the other infielders. So for how many bounced throws occur, and how many a good one gets vs. an average one...what does that add up to.
Put it this way, I don't see any world in which a black hole bat like Smoak is worth keeping because of his stellar defence at that position. Get a guy who can produce runs, and live with below average defence instead.
So if a guy like Beltran would consider the move, and they feel he can still offer enough offensively, why not?
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How many defensive runs does an average 1B save vs. a bad one, or even an elite 1B defensively.
The Red Sox were able to transition Hanley Ramirez to 1B last year, but I haven't really looked at his defensive numbers.
My gut feeling is that first base defence likely doesn't save a huge amount of runs. Range at the position isn't as important as other places on the diamond, throwing is often limited so a plus arm at first doesn't get utilized that often. To me it's about covering up the bad throws by the other infielders. So for how many bounced throws occur, and how many a good one gets vs. an average one...what does that add up to.
Put it this way, I don't see any world in which a black hole bat like Smoak is worth keeping because of his stellar defence at that position. Get a guy who can produce runs, and live with below average defence instead.
So if a guy like Beltran would consider the move, and they feel he can still offer enough offensively, why not?
I'll be honest I don't know that data on that but you make a fair point. For the record if Beltran was open to it and the Jays felt he could do it I would entertin it but it would make me nervous. Donaldson doesn't exactly have the most accurate arm in the world from 3rd.
What I should have said is it doens't seem to fit the profile of how the Jays are publically saying they want to play, but that doesn't always mean everything either.
That's not going to happen. Morales' agent is already on record saying he does not play the field.
The Blue Jays should likewise say he does not play the field. Kendrys Morales can hit... what he can't do is throw, catch, or run. Let's not ask him to do any of those (other then run which is unavoidable).
Speaking of which Morales shouldn't hit anywhere other then 3rd or 5th in the order IMO. He's a baseclogger so you don't want him leading off the 2nd inning if the team goes 0 for 3 in the 1st nor do you want him directly or near directly in front of the faster 8-9 guys. He's a very good hitter but the team will need to work around his limitations on the basepaths.
Beltran had spent much of the season in RF last year until the deadline.
Old man Beltran probably shouldn't be in the field much. Only way It makes sense would be if the Jays first sign Steve Pearce to be a super utility man and used him at 1B to spell Smoak against lefties and then split his remaining PA against righties spelling Beltran in RF (who would in turn spell Morales at DH some).