Mancini is a career 113 OPS+, Abreu is career 134 OPS+. Abreu won MVP a couple years ago and gets MVP votes every season (including this season). Nowhere close to the same player.
But it's not about any of that. It's about Dusty playing his favorites regardless of what the numbers say. And now the guy who constantly tried to get him to play other guys more - Click- is gone. I can hear Dusty now after Yuli is playing every day and Abreu is playing 1/2 the games at DH and sitting when Alvarez is there: "Yuli is a professional. You don't just forget how to hit. Besides we need him in there because he can scoop that ball and save errors " Meanwhile he has 4 HR and 23 RBI at the all star break with a .550 OPS playing 1B every day. The idea may be for Yuli to be a bench player but I doubt Dusty plays him that way regardless of " the plan" if he is on the roster. Time to move on.
You give more credit to Click than he deserves, and less credit to Dusty. Alvarez, Pena, and McCormick have become full time starters since he was brought in. He's not going to sit a big-name free agent for Yuli. He's never done that before. This is not the same situation, at all, as Mancini. But I'm with you about dropping Yuli. You can't waste a bench spot on a below-average bat without any positional versatility.
I went with other the first time and am sticking with it. The trade market is the best option available.
Same. I love Christian Walker's combination of power, decent K-BB rates, and elite defense. This is part of why I want us to keep JV - It allows us to trade a starter for a controllable 1B. A trade based around a swap of Urquidy/Walker is more or less a wash in terms of arb salary, and there is the Strom factor for the pitchers. Or, if we're going to try to aim high, try and go for Vinnie P (they have other lefty 1B options) from the Royals and try to do a Garcia + Leon + Bielak package (they need pitching + RHH).
Urquidy was on the table for half a year of Contreras. Urquidy may be a valuable piece in a trade, but nothing centered around him is getting an impactful player.
It was supposed to be urquidy for Contreras and a prospect. That is why Crane nixed it when it was straight up.
Abreu should be the clear cut choise All-Day, every day. .378 OB% and only 1 year removed from a 30 HR season. Career .354 OB% and 85 Runs scored last year. He's not afraid to walk to get on base and can be a solid contact hitter. L/R (.294 vs .307) Also hit .334 with 47 RBIs on the road last year. RISP with 2 outs he hit .286. Bell's stats weren't much better than Yuli's considering road percentages and with 2 Ks on the count. I'd rather have Yuli for 1 more year and deal with the 1bman situation in 2024 if Bell was the consolation prize. Walker reminds me of Rhys Hoskins in that he seems like an all or nothing player. You get Walker in a 2 strike count and the dude will flat out k about 60% of the time. Yuli can extend innings or ABs with 2 ks on him at least. After those guys I don't see anyone worthy. If we somehow picked up Nimmo and missed out on Abreu, then I'd be happy with resigning Yuli and moving him down in the order to #8. Of course 3 Lefty's in a row may not be ideal for Baker. Altuve 2b Pena ss Alvarez dh/lf Bregman 3b Tucker rf Nimmo cf Brantley lf/dh Yuli 1b Maldy c
Potential and a dollar will get you a cup of coffee. Brown tops out as a #2 starter that could also wash out. Walker is a 5 war gold glove 1st baseman that hits for 30 HR power and could be extended.
Browns ceiling right now is Cy Young contender not #2 starter. He’s got the build, the arm and the stuff to be the best pitcher in the league. Will he get there? Probably not bc it’s always smartest to bet against any pitcher on general principal, but there is nothing about the last year he out in that says he has a ceiling any lower than TOR opening day starter for a playoff team down the road if he maximizes.
First basemen are the easiest players to find and have the least trade value. Yes he is a 35hr bat and gold glover but 2 years of him is not worth 2 years of a #3 SP. I would CONSIDER Urquidy who is more of a #4 with 3 years remaining but not Garcia who is a #3 with 4 years left. 50/50 Whether I do it Who has the most trade value? Garcia, Urquidy, or Brown I think Brown showed enough in MLB regular and post season to be worth more than those two.
My dream is: ONLY IF JV RESIGNS Walker and Varsho for: Luis Garcia Pedro Leon Enoli Paredes Jaime Melendez Misail Tamarez