Arbitration-eligible (with projected salaries from MLBTR):

• Todd Frazier, $13.5M - Tender
• Brett Lawrie, $5.1M - Tender
• Avisail Garcia, $3.5M – NON-Tender
• Miguel Gonzalez, $2.6M – Tender
• Dan Jennings, $1.2M - Tender
• J.B. Shuck, $1M – NON-Tender
• Jake Petricka, $900K - Tender
• Zach Putnam, $900K - Tender
• Daniel Webb, $600K - Tender

Explain the toughest calls if necessary:

Contract options (pick up or buy out)

• Matt Albers: $250,000 buyout - Buyout

Impending free agents (re-sign, let go or qualifying offer)

• Austin Jackson: Made $5 million in 2016. – LET GO
• Alex Avila: Made $2.5 million in 2016. – LET GO
• Justin Morneau: Made $1 million in 2016 – LET GO

Elaborate if needed:

Free agents

- Cut James Shields (RHP), eat the money

- Sign Tommy Milone (LHP) to a 1 year, $4 million plus incentives contract.

- Sign Andrew Cashner (RHP) to a 1 year, $4 million plus incentives contract.

- Sign Adam Lind (1B/DH) to a 2 year, $15 million contract with a mutual option.

- Sign Colby Rasmus (OF) to a 1 year, $8 million plus incentives contract.

Trades

- Trade Chris Sale (LHP) to the Boston Red Sox for Jackie Bradley Jr (OF), Yoan Moncada (2B/3B), Michael Kopech (RHP), Sam Travis (1B), and Jake Cosart (RHP)

- Trade Jose Quintana (LHP) to the Pittsburgh Pirates for Tyler Glasnow (RHP), Elias Diaz (C), Nick Kingham (RHP), and Alen Hanson (2B/OF).

- Trade Jose Abreu (1B) to the Colorado Rockies for Raimel Tapia (OF), Kyle Freeland (LHP), and Yency Almonte (RHP)

- Trade Todd Frazier (3B) and David Robertson (RHP) to the New York Mets for Gavin Cecchini (2B/SS), Merandy Gonzalez (RHP), and Josh Smoker (LHP)

Summary:

Eventually, bring up guys like Fulmer and Moncada to play, and trade any veterans who might have built up some value at the trade deadline (Melky, Lawrie, Lind, Rasmus, etc.). I tried to put some thought into this and give it my best shot, but I truly have no idea what I'm doing.

C: Elias Diaz

1B: Adam Lind

2B: Gavin Cecchini

SS: Tim Anderson

3B: Brett Lawrie

RF: Adam Eaton

CF: Jackie Bradley Jr

LF: Colby Rasmus

DH: Melky Cabrera

Bench: Omar Narvaez (C), Tyler Saladino (INF), Charlie Tilson (OF), Carlos Sanchez (INF)

SP: Carlos Rodon

SP: Tyler Glasnow

SP: Miguel Gonzalez

SP: Tommy Milone

SP: Andrew Cashner

CL: Nate Jones

SU: Zack Burdi

SU: Dan Jennings

RP: Josh Smoker

RP: Zach Putnam

RP: Michael Ynoa

RP: Tommy Kahnle