Harpers a dodger. LA going to have one of the most talented rosters of all time especially if they get Realmuto. I don’t like this trend of teams trading contracts like the NBA trying to maneuver for cap space. Not good for the sport imho. Potential Dodgers roster: C Realmuto 1B Muncy 2B Taylor SS Seager 3B Turner RF Harper CF Bellinger LF Pederson Bench: Hernandez, Barnes, Freese, Toles Rotation: Kershaw, Hill, Buehler, Ryu, Maeda Bullpen: Jansen, Kelly, Baez, Alexander, Fields, Cingrani, Stripling, Urias That’s a crazy talented roster
It seems too me the Dodgers just traded Kemp, Wood and Puig for prospects. The Bailey part was just taking some salary back. Clearing the outfield for Harper. From the Reds perspective, I'm guessing they think they can flip Puig, Wood and possibly Kemp for more than they sent to the Dodgers.
Reds are keeping them all. That's the perfect park for those guys. Plus it's so hard to get FA to the Refs anyways. So yea they keeping them and hoping they can get Kluber or Keuchal
This. Also, if they make a another trade it may be for another bat as their batting lineup is SUPER lefty and their top Prospect Verdugo, in the outfield, is also a lefty. I've been listening to MLB Radio all day and they all think they're still seriously going after Kluber, not Realmuto.
Jesus Christ. If the dodgers can pull off that rosters, third time’s should be a charm. They’re basically adding Realmuto, Harper, and Seager to an already very good lineup from 2018.
I think they see that as the floor. CIN looks like they're trying to make the playoffs in 2019. I think they see their team, in many respects, like the 2015 Astros. They may very well be closer to the 2014 Astros, but the 2015 Astros is the recipe they're going after. Good, young players finally coming up the pipeline, and meshing it with the an environment more controlled by proven vets. Their lineup is legit, especially in that stadium. They underratedly have one of the best offensive infields in the game with Votto, Suarez, Gennett (due for regression?), and Peraza. And boy Senzel, if he could get over the vertigo issue from last year, watch out. CIN clearly needs a lot pitching. Descalfani and now Roark + Wood should be palatable. Really, they need Greene to be the real deal, and for Castillo to show improvements. Inglesias is a good closer as well. Now you add Puig in the outfield? Maybe this was just a move to get rid of Bailey and hope to flip. They went 67-95 last year, but the addition of Roark as well tells me they may be aiming to be an 85ish win team.
With good 1st halves, Wood and Puig could be marketed as premier rentals and bring back a significant return (same with Roark).
This is what I was getting at. You *have* to trade Reddick to make things work. But you are trading Tucker, right? So who plays RF?
I don’t think you can trade Tucker and Reddick without moving Springer to RF and using Marisnick as an everyday CF. That would be a bad scenario. IMO, if u move Reddick to make cap space, you are committing to Tucker full-time in RF. Not sure it’s the wisest move, but I’d take that gamble with Cruz as our full-time DH. That would probably be the best case scenario for Tucker’s future as an Astro. CF Springer LF Brantley 2B Altuve 3B Bregman DH Cruz SS Correa C Chirinos (Hopefully Realmuto) 1B Gurriel RF Tucker BN Stassi (Hopefully Chirinos) BN Diaz BN Marisnick Must moves for this to work: Kemp, Reddick, White
I was also thinking--for those of you that love Kemp, is there any way that we are able to keep him if we intend to roster Tucker? If he is our backup OF, he would have to be able to play CF, which would be a big defensive liability. It appears that Kemp in effect will block Tucker from the MLB roster until he is dealt or injured.
No guarantee that Tucker gets moved, at this the Astros have only been willing to move him in the right deal. Part of moving Reddick is to allow playing time for Tucker, if they keep him. For the most part they can just better utilize Reddick’s money elsewhere. Also what I was told is Brantley will play the outfield but also firstbase and DH a fair amount. The squeeze may be between Gurriel and White.
Yeah, and if we add Cruz, either White or Gurriel will be moved. My $ in on White being moved, as he is more financially and age appealing.
Maybe, but White isn’t a free agent for years and costs little. Usually the Astros want to keep those type of assets. Honestly, if White is dealt it is because the Astros don’t believe last year is sustainable. Last year White’s bat was at an all star level.
I agree. I have to believe if we are in strong pursuit of Cruz, it is because we don't have faith in White. And yes, White has more appeal to other teams than Gurriel for these reasons. I think it's likely that White and Kemp are being included in a play for Realmuto.
My best guess at the package on the table for Realmuto: Kemp, White, Stassi, Martin and Bukauskas for Realmuto and one or two mid-level prospects I think the only way we make this work for us is to sign Cruz as a White replacement. We would probably wait until Spring Training, see how Tucker has progressed in camp, then trade Reddick if Tucker is deemed ready for RF (for cash or a PTBNL). That or include him in a trade for a SP.
White would be much more tradeable than Yuli, given their salaries. I'd rather they go get a pitcher and roll with those two at 1B/DH/UT/RHPH. What I was saying was, you trade Reddick to clear salary to trade for a starter but maybe you're trading Tucker to get that starter. When is Alvarez ready? Put Straw in CF and Springer in right? I just want them to get a proper starter now and then figure the rest out in June.
It just doesn't feel like the market is right for a starter. Too rich. Alvarez MIGHT be ready for a cup of coffee in Sept. MLB has him projected in 2020. I love Straw's speed, but I think that would be Jake 2.0. I don't trust him as an everyday player.
