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If the Pirates deal McCutch without getting a top 25 prospect back.. that is textbook selling low.
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King Corran Sez,
I'm more interested in watching JeDi at work than trying to generate my own roster ideas. (Not that I've completely stopped the latter, you understand - just a shifting of priorities). If you know me at all, that probably shocks you.
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Half the time that's how I feel about it too. Rather than pleading for the family doctor to see reason, as with Bavasi and Zduriencik at times, we've got a doctor whose every word is instructive. How sweet it is. As Denizens we're livin' the dream.
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KONSPIRACY KORNER
Here is the SSI index to all KK's of the last coupla years. The ones from 2016 are almost all politics and philsophy; the ones from 2015 were more into science. At one time we had dozens of suggestions for KK topics ... Syrian refugees, crop circles, cold fusion ...
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EDWIN DIAZ
G-Money sez,
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If Diaz had EVER had problems with health or stamina or late-game performance. He hasn't - he just LOOKS more fragile, as a couple of other great starters have. But DiPoto had a need and he filled it with Diaz. There's nothing wrong with that per se, but when the Ms tell us they just don't have the money for a good starter I'll once again be asking if they have the money for a good reliever, so that the starter we have closing for us can get into the rotation.
Until then, I'll keep enjoying the sight of Diaz overwhelming the opposition - as Sale did, and Archer would have. There are worse things.
At least we didn't trade him!
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Which puts the finger right on the problem. Dipoto is entitled to his intuition. If his "intuition" is along the lines of, "I don't like the way he labors at 60 pitches," fine. But if his "intuition" is nothing more than, Diaz is as skinny as Pedro Martinez was .... then, asked and answered. Would like to see a detailed conversation on this issue. It's worth investigating.
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THE QUALIFYING OFFER
Question came up, how much would that change the market, if the QO disappears. The right answer to that starts with this link rat cheer. And here is the money graph:
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You'll notice that the picks 1-10 are exempted from the system; a club cannot lose those picks. Right where the lines stops falling and starts running, THAT's when the picks are swapped for free agents. Clever fellows, these.
A 1st-round pick is worth about $20M in club-controls performance ... but remember!, as Fangraphs never does, that if you lose that $20M net rookie then another rookie steps in behind him. This one worth what, $14M?
So the attachment of the pick is mostly an annoyance to mid-level agents trying to hawk free agents who are themselves only worth a limited contract. $10 or $20M, more like $10M after the delta, does come off the top of a contract offered to a free agent if a QO is attached. Agents resent every penny bitterly, but don't buy into their passion. The impact isn't as much as they'd like you to think.
Which isn't to say that Kendrys Morales wouldn't much rather have no pick attached. But I personally think the system makes a lot of sense for the team losing its player. Perhaps a system in which the QO only applies to home-grown players?!
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McCLUTCH
Billy sez,
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After this action which could be consumated very shortly, I am back to MC CLUTCH, if the Washington's have not picked him up.
The "deal" is suposedly down to a top 5 prospect and another prospect and all the argument about him staying in Pirateville seems to suggest he is already half way out the window. I'm giving up Gohara and S. Smih (who can hold down a corner outfield until Austin Meadows is ready, which should be very soon, leaving Starling Marte in CF and Polanco out there) without any hesitation.
And if S. Smith doesn't do it for them, I deal Volksburger and Gohara.
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And the counterpoint is noted, that the M's needed pitching LAST year. They had a 102 ERA and a 106 OPS+.
Dr. D is hopelessly biased towards shiny objects... er, Stars & Scrubs. Still and all, you've got the Bill James Maxim "you don't need a certain kind of good player. You need good players period." Andrew McCutchen's 7 WAR (?!) versus Doug Fister? Come. Onnnnn.
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Or not,
Jeff
Comments
2
That's the best kinda risk to take. If he comes back healthy he's an ace. Missed all last year with a shoulder but he's easily the most talented starter on the market now. Jedi do ya thing!
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Top-15 NL pitcher who had a procedure for "Thoracic Outlet Syndrome," which is very similar to a leg problem I myself have had. G-Money will have to chime in but my impression of that injury is:
(1) If the surgery goes well, quick recovery
(2) No earthly idea whether the surgery will go well
It can be awfully difficult, according to my doctors, to identify the right nerves/veins/whatever that are being impinged. But assuming they do, would imagine that Ross will be ready to roll in 2017.
Maybe the Padres' doctors aren't so confident about how things went. Good catch amigo.
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Was very good not too long ago. And he's cheap for one year: $9M and change. FA's in '18. Surgery was in October, it makes no sense that he's just thrown to the wind....unless the surgery didn't go that well. That's my bet.
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Not his style of pitcher. Too many walks, trending back up towards 4 per 9 in healthy 2015 season. Maybe Jerry could overlook the BB's for solid resutls, but Ross has been a health risk his entire career. We already lean on a couple of those in Kuma and Paxton. Too much uncertainty to rest our playoff hopes on. Wouldn't mind cycling through some of the younger arms first half to see who clicks.
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I think Jerry has got one more big move left. He's going to get his starter.
--It's going to be a bigger name, rather than a #3
--he knows who he wants
--it's probably no one who's been mentioned
--he's willing to part with younger players we wouldn't want to lose (O'Neill?)
--there will also be one rehab/rebound addition (e.g., Fister)
The addition of Scrabble at that price seems to me to say it's 'all in' time.
Go get 'em, Jedi.
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Remind me and I'll send a Starbucks package :- )
80's era GM, about the M's: "they're only two players away from being pretty good."
Other 80's GM: "Right, and those two guys are Gehrig and Mathewson."
Add Jean Segura and a TOR to last year's squad? Yes please. Not even talking about the 1B and C and the three MLB-ready POY's.
I would take DiPoto more seriously about Diaz...