Winter Meetings 2017 thread

[Post Count Padder]

I seem to recall we do a separate Winter Meetings thread every year, so here we go.

Richard Justice with some lolzy predictions: https://www.mlb.com/news/7-predictions- ... -263204514

Has us dealing Schwarber for Price straight up

[Post Count Padder]

9:00pm: The Indians made Santana a contract offer, the Cleveland Plain Dealer’s Paul Hoynes reports. While the offer wasn’t taken, the Tribe have been informed that they will get a chance to counter any offer Santana receives from another team that he considered acceptable.

6:32pm: Carlos Santana is already drawing quite a bit of interest this offseason, and Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer adds the Rangers and Padres to the list of other teams (including the Phillies, Red Sox, and Mariners) already linked to Santana on the rumor mill.

[Tryptamine]

I seem to recall we do a separate Winter Meetings thread every year, so here we go.

Richard Justice with some lolzy predictions: https://www.mlb.com/news/7-predictions- ... -263204514

Has us dealing Schwarber for Price straight up

So we're giving up a very good young player and eating an awful contract? Apparently that is his definition of "Win win".

[Old Style]

If the Winter Meetings are ever in your city, go over and check it out. I went in Dallas several years ago on the advice of a co-worker. I didn't get there until things were winding down but I still got to meet a bunch of people. Larry Bowa was kind of a dick and was buying a beer in front of me shortly before going on MLB Network. Saw Tommy Lasorda hanging around the lobby and so on. Never saw Theo or Jed though, unfortunately.

[Bertz]

I know Nightengale is comically bad at this stuff, but I found this interesting. Especially since there were rumors the Sox like Schwarber a few days ago.

I don't think I like Scharber for Bradley, but I feel like it's interesting enough that I could be convinced.

[Cubswin11]

I feel fairly confident we will get at least JBJ level production (2.5-3+ WAR) out of CF this year with the Almora/Happ/Heyward/maybe a FA rotation. Don’t think he makes us any better.

[The Logan]

So do people think JBJ's 5.0 fWAR season in 2016 was an aberration or something and he'll never do that again?

[Transmogrified Tiger]

So do people think JBJ's 5.0 fWAR season in 2016 was an aberration or something and he'll never do that again?

From his call up in 2015 through Memorial Day 2016, JBJ had 458 PA with a .384 wOBA. His BABIP was high, but the production was so good that even with regression he looked like a 4ish win player considering position and defense, give or take.

Since Memorial Day 2016, JBJ has 974 PA of .317 wOBA. His BABIP looks a bit suppressed, but that's also a pretty large sample and is probably more indicative of adjustments pitchers have made to control his contact. I believe he's also had some injury problems that may cloud this more.

I would then think of Bradley in a similar light as I do Baez. He's going to give you a pretty high floor with position and defense, and not hurt you with the bat while also having potential for a star turn. I don't think that's something to bank on though, and as a result I don't see a great fit on a team that already has no shortage of players with that type of potential they can bet on(Baez, Russell, Schwarber).

[Transmogrified Tiger]

This is a fascinating article on what it's like to cover the winter meetings: https://theathletic.com/180861/2017/12/ ... ning-door/

It’s hard for a beat writer to break major news at the winter meetings. So much of it gets funneled to the national guys, who earn every bit of what they get because they are utterly tireless and work year round to build and maintain sources across the league.

I’ve gotten a scrap of news here and there, though. I was first to report the Angel Pagan trade at the 2011 meetings (with Ramon Ramirez and Andres Torres going to the Mets) — a scoop I got merely by connecting a few dots. Another reporter, Joel Sherman if memory serves, had reported earlier in the day that the Mets were close to making a trade for an outfielder and a relief pitcher. I knew the Giants were targeting arbitration-eligible outfielders, and Pagan fit the description of the player they wanted.

After we finished our session in the suite with Brian Sabean, I was able to get a private moment and pretended to know more than I did. I asked him to confirm that Ramirez and Torres were the right names going to the Mets for Pagan. He looked surprised, nodded, and said, “pretty close,” because, I presume, “bless my whiskers, right on the nose!” isn’t something he makes a habit of exclaiming.

Another time, during one especially slow winter meetings, I got the only scooplet of the first day when I asked a Giants scout about the chances of re-signing Brad Penny.

“We tried,” came the response. “He’s going to the Cardinals.” A pause. “Haven’t they announced that yet?”

[Cubswin11]

Any truth to the rumor that every liquor store within a 60 mile radius of Disney ran out of Jager within an hour of Theo's arrival?

[Cubswin11]

[Ding Dong Johnson]

https://twitter.com/jonheyman/status/940319246650920961

jesus, what year is this?

[Cubswin11]

[Cubswin11]

[Bobson Dugnutt]

[Bertz]

Gotta be Brad Hand, right?

[Post Count Padder]

[ScrubMD]

Gotta be Brad Hand, right?

For Baez or Russell?

[CaliforniaRaisin]

Gotta be Brad Hand, right?

Plus more for one of Báez or Russell. I wouldn't trade either for Hand and Lamet, for example.

[Post Count Padder]

Gotta be Brad Hand, right?

Hand would be a great get but I really really really really really don't want to trade Baez and Russell, if traded, should be used in a much bigger deal.

[Bertz]

Gotta be Brad Hand, right?

Plus more for one of Báez or Russell.

For sure. But they've got enough prospect power to make something work. Their system is killer.

[David]

trading baez or russell for a reliever + prospects is not something i'd at all be excited about (and yes, i very much am aware of how wrong i was about soler/davis last year)

[CaliforniaRaisin]

Meh

[Bobson Dugnutt]

yeah I don’t see a Baez/Russell deal with the Padres that I wouldn’t hate. And I really like Brad Hand. (I too was wrong about Soler/Davis last year.)

[Bertz]

trading baez or russell for a reliever + prospects is not something i'd at all be excited about (and yes, i very much am aware of how wrong i was about soler/davis last year)

For Russell I absolutely don't do it, for Baez I most likely don't do it but I'd be willing to listen.