re: 2020 MLB Offseason Thread

During Thursday’s annual postmortem press conference at Yankee Stadium, Cashman was asked if he or Yankees managing general partner Hal Steinbrenner had any regrets about passing on three top starting pitchers who have changed addresses over the past few years: Justin Verlander, Gerrit Cole and Patrick Corbin.

Clearly displeased with the phrasing of the inquiry, the GM pushed back.

“I didn’t pass on them,” Cashman said testily. “Why would you characterize it that I passed on them?”

All three pitchers were indeed on the Yankees’ radar before landing with new teams, causing Cashman to dispute the idea that he “passed” on them.

Garner will be a Yankee with Hicks under going Tommy John surgery...

Yankees OF next year Frazier, Gardner, Judge with Stanton at DH and Maybin/Tuchman as 4th

Yankees will offer him a 1 year 10-12 million deal which is similar to what he earned last l
Year with a slight upgrade for performance

I dont even know what this trade would look like. I guess theyd take Seager who they could then flip for a great return but idk why we would do that

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braves in on mookie

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I would hate to see what that would cost. I'm assuming one of Pache/Waters (not both; if Boston asks for both AA should hang up the phone because team control), Inciarte, and one of Wright/Anderson to even begin negotiations.

It would also hinge on whether or not the Braves could sign him long term. But goddamn he's good and I would love to see him in the outfield next to Acuna and one of Pache/Waters for the next 7 or so years.

Makes sense. They seem to have the most motivation to get a deal done

I guess. But am I crazy for wondering if the lineup probably looks good enough with lux in it to justify keeping him at 2nd?

Like I get it, its lindor, but this just screams making a move to make a move and will cost at least two major future pieces when we could just give cole a frick ton of money and keep those pieces

What

LINK

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HOUSTON — Once the World Series concludes, the World Series of poker begins — the high-stakes game to land an ace: Gerrit Cole.

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Angels — The ideal fit. They crave pitching, in general, and great pitching, specifically, and they already have wasted too much of Mike Trout’s prime failing to procure it. Cole grew up nearby, attended Angels games regularly and seems inclined to try to get back toward home.

What can derail this? Angels owner Arte Moreno has shown no appetite previously to negotiate big deals with Scott Boras or to tick over the luxury tax threshold. The Angels are one year away from getting out from Zack Cozart, two years from Albert Pujols, three from Justin Upton. So long-term, they would be building around Cole and Trout at about $70 million to $75 million annually. Does Moreno have the tolerance to run out the bad contracts while supporting a payroll around the two stars?

Yankees — You know the story: The Yankees drafted Cole in the first round. He went to UCLA. They pursued him in trades, but wouldn’t yield Miguel Andujar. Cole went from Pittsburgh to Houston. This is the Yanks’ third try. Without Giancarlo Stanton’s albatross contract on the books, New York would probably be certain to pursue the righty fervently. Does Stanton scare them further about long-term deals? Does Stanton plus Cole equal a near-luxury-tax delinquency for a while that scares the Yankees off? Like the Angels in the AL West, if the Yankees take Cole from the Astros, they are adding from a direct competitor in the superteam division.

Dodgers — Under Andrew Friedman, the Dodgers have stayed clear of long mega-deals, the philosophy is general: How would we know who is going to be good in 2026? But they have seven straight NL West titles and no championship since 1988, and Cole and/or Rendon make them better without destroying their payroll, especially because big pacts for Justin Turner (after 2020), Kenley Jansen and Clayton Kershaw (both after 2021) expire in the next two years. They can flex if they want to.

Rangers — They are opening a new park in 2020 and their competitors expect the Rangers to be among the most aggressive teams this offseason. You hear them aligned more with Rendon (a native Texan). But perhaps they go short-term with a third baseman such as Josh Donaldson and try to nab Cole away from their state/AL West rival to team with Lance Lynn and Mike Minor in a strong top of the rotation.

Phillies — No team spent as much in free agency the past two offseasons ($572.25 million). The hiring of Joe Girardi as manager by aggressive owner John Middleton suggests Philadelphia is still in go-for-it mode. The Phillies need pitching, lots of it. So perhaps they diversify. But a 1-2 of Cole and Aaron Nola sure will intrigue them, and as Harper’s $330 million pact reveals, the Phils can do this echelon of contract with Boras.

The field — The Astros could retain Cole, but they already have big-ticket items in Verlander, Jose Altuve, Alex Bregman and Zack Greinke tied up and probably want to get George Springer done before his 2020 walk season. I suggested the Mets go for Cole, but this has not been waters in which their ownership wants to swim.

The Cardinals talk annually about using financial heft, but even if they did so, a hitter such as Rendon would fit them better. The White Sox danced with Bryce Harper and Manny Machado last year, but does Cole want to spend the rest of his career with Chicago’s other team? Giants president of baseball ops Farhan Zaidi might not undertake a traditional tear-it-down reconstruction, but this level of commitment when they are still at least two years from real contention feels unlikely.

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