If they can add one OF bat that will help lengthen the lineup. I'm fine with Shewmake as the utility infielder. Dana will probably have to trade out another 5-6 mil in salary to make this work, I wonder what the prospect cost will look like. No way I trade K. Alvarez.
Moniak can't hit lefties to save his life, and his OPS is 300+ points better at home than the road. Taking him out of Coors is going to make him a pretty mid platoon bat. He'd certainly be an improvement over Matthews, but not a big difference maker.
Hard to imagine nobody else gets hurt as those guys come back. I'm going Brown/Arrighetti/Blanco/Imai/Lambert as my 5 if everyone is healthy. Though Imai could easily go to the pen, but want to be patient with a guy we have for 2 more years and is experiencing a lot more change and having a higher ceiling.
Larnich is the guy I would be looking at. Maybe Nootbar. Add Larnich, get Wade back as a platoon guy and the OF will look a lot better.
Moniak is an above average hitter against RHP for his career (108 wRC+) and is absolutely crushing them this season (wRC+ 160); that's a park adjusted stat, although that doesn't account for the potential that Moniak is particularly suited for Coors relative to other players. Depending on the cost, Moniak could be a good add; he's been a superstar level hitter against RHP this season. He's a good defender in the corners and has another year of control.
Imai requires 5 days rest. I agree they're basically married to keeping him as a SP so that means they need 6 guys. I would have Brown, Lambert, Arrighetti, Javier, and Imai as my 5 SP in that order, with Teng stretched out to piggyback with Imai (if he gets knocked out early or the game isn't close) or as the 6th SP (when there isn't a day off that allows Imai to stay on 5 days rest). McCullers and Blanco would be in the bullpen. Burrows and Wesneski would be optioned.
I’m well aware of this. It’s hard to win when you don’t have at least two really good options in the playoffs, especially in a 7 game series. It better be a great bullpen arm that we add if you’re going with that strategy.
Buxton having a no-trade clause, if he wanted the Astros, could we make room in the cap? Would we? Maybe C1 can recruit him, right?
Why does Buxton keep coming up, the Twins aren't any more out of it than we are. In fact very few teams are which is a new quirk of the expanded playoff.
Good point about Imai. I'd like Wesneski as my 6th guy, but I think it will be too late to work him in if we are in a pennant race (I don't have a huge preference between Javier/Burrows as a 6th/swing guy). I think 100% of us are in favor of LMJ to the bullpen, but have a feeling the team won't do that at least initially. I really like the idea of this bullpen: Hader Abreu King Teng Okert LMJ Blubaugh I honestly don't know why we are even that concerned with bullpen help, unless they don't expect at least 2 of those guys to come back. Abreu has struggled early this year, but has the track record and been his normal self as of late. Hader has been lights out. King, Okert, & Blubaugh have been great since they've arrived in Houston. Teng was great until moved into the rotation (where he has been a mixed bag). Biggest question mark would be LMJ, and I'd chance him over just about anyone we would realistically acquire (not health wise of course). Maybe its because they know acquiring an OFer might cost them one of their pitchers in a help both teams kind of deal (or Blubaugh to a non-contender).
Start Matthews in left field every away game and put Yordan in left every home game. That way, we only need to find one bat regardless of position. If they can play the infield, then you put Altuve at DH. If they can't, then they DH. And find the best eye doctors to figure out why the hell Matthew can't hit anything at Daikin.
De Los Santos has been extremely good, and Pearson has been pretty good too. And there’s always the chance Abreu gets back on track. The bullpen is in fine shape.
Imai has started 6 of his 10 starts on 5 days rest (other 4 on 6+, including post-injury/braincramps/etc). The overall results are almost exactly the same either way. Last year, for comparison, Hunter Brown started 20 of his 31 starts on 5 days rest (5 on 4 days, 6 on 6+)
Over the last 18 appearances, he has only given up a run 3 times. One of those games was a 3-run disaster, but other than that, he's been pretty good.
de los Santas have been huge (as have King & Okert) in covering the massive hole Abreu left in the pen.
