ArmchairGM's Offseason Plan (aka start spending)
Arbitration-eligible (with projected salaries from MLBTR):
<!--[if !supportLists]-->· <!--[endif]-->Tyler Flowers, $3.5M - tender
<!--[if !supportLists]-->· <!--[endif]-->Avisail Garcia, $2.3M - tender
<!--[if !supportLists]-->· <!--[endif]-->Nate Jones, $900K - tender
<!--[if !supportLists]-->· <!--[endif]-->Zach Putnam, $800K - tender
<!--[if !supportLists]-->· <!--[endif]-->Dan Jennings, $800K - pass
Contract options (pick up or buy out)
<!--[if !supportLists]-->· <!--[endif]-->Alexei Ramirez: $10M for 2016 or a $1 million buyout
We’ll need that 9 mil for free agents
Impending free agents (re-sign, let go, or qualifying offer?):
<!--[if !supportLists]-->· <!--[endif]-->Jeff Samardzija: QO – if he accepts, he’ll be a mid-tier #5 when I’m done here
<!--[if !supportLists]-->· <!--[endif]-->Matt Albers: let go
<!--[if !supportLists]-->· <!--[endif]-->Gordon Beckham: let go
<!--[if !supportLists]-->· <!--[endif]-->Geovany Soto: let go
Free agents
No. 1: David Price (seven years, $215M)(give him the Max Scherzer deferred money deal w/ the same base salaries and $5M on the back end). He’s an ace, he’s familiar with the division, Reinsdorf will be dead by the time the real money starts going out, and Carson Fulmer loves him.
No. 2: Zack Greinke (six years, $180M)(27;28;34;34;29;28)(lose the comp pick) Same reasons as price. I don’t know if Fulmer loves him, but I know Kansas City would hate this.
No. 3: Hisashi Iwakuma (one year, $13M). Dude’s solid. And I figure you’d want to see at least one guy on a relatively cheap deal here.
No. 4: Scott Kazmir (three years, $48M). Played in the divison before, great clubhouse presence, and if his arm tires out he can be the most expensive reliever. Screw it.
Trades
No. 1: Erik Johnson and Avi Garcia for Billy Hamilton. Reds are rebuilding and Jesse Winker is about to push Billy out the door. On this offense he doesn’t have to be the table setter. He’s still crazy fast, and he didn’t post horrible defensive numbers in the infield when he was developing
No. 2: Jose Quintana, Carlos Sanchez, Thad Lowry, and Jacob May for Yasiel Puig, Cody Bellinger, and Jordan Paroubeck. Minor league OFs are a wash; pitching and defense for offense. We take away a guy Friedman thinks is a distraction and stop them from trying to market Alex Wood as a number 2 starter. We get the player Avi Garcia should be and re-stock some prospects in light of the following deal.
No. 3: Melky Cabrera, Carlos Rodon, Spencer Adams, Courtney Hawkins, and Jordan Guerrero for Kyle Schwarber and Starlin Castro. This is terrifying. Theo might say no because he likes Schwarber’s defense and doesn’t believe in cost-controlled pitching (I guess I don’t either). If he does say no, the alternative in the lineup is Melky DHing and Anderson getting a trial by fire at SS.
Summary
If this doesn’t result in the fanbase showing up to games consistently, I don’t know what will:
C: Tyler Flowers (R) – 3.5M
1B: Jose Abreu (R) – 11.7M
2B: Billy Hamilton (S) – 550K
SS: Starlin Castro (R) – 7.85M
3B: Tyler Saladino (R) – 550K
DH: Kyle Schwarber (L) – 550K
LF: Yasiel Puig (R) – 7.2M
CF: Adam Eaton (L) – 2.75M
RF: Trayce Thompson (R) – 550K
Bench:
A league-minimum salary catcher – 500K
Leury Garcia (S) – 500K [or Adam LaRoche (L) - 13M]
Micah Johnson (L) – 500K
Jason Coats I guess? (R) – 500K
Rotation:
David Price (L) – 17M (He’s on the Scherzer deal)
Chris Sale (L) – 9.15M
Zack Greinke (R) – 27M
Hisashi Iwakuma (R) – 13M
Scott Kazmir (L) – 16M
Bullpen:
David Robertson (R) – 11M
Nate Jones (R) – 900K
Jake Petricka (R) – 550K
Zach Duke (L) – 5M
Frank Montas (R) – 500K
Zach Putnam (R) – 800K
John Danks (L) – 15.75M
Screw your budget. Around 170M this year.
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