Starting Pitching candidates

[davell]

[Cubswin11]

Good for him, I guess. He was passable for a good chunk of the second half. If he wants to pitch and is reasonable in his demands I think someone will sign him (Angels, Padres, Phillies, Braves, Mets, Marlins all seem to make some sense off the top of my head for teams needing some innings eaten).

[Cubswin11]

One of my favorite 2nd starter addition options....

 

[JennieGarthAlgar]

if we could get cozart or neil walker at a decent price, what pitcher (if any) would you be willing to give up russell for?

Probably just Stroman but as I’ve made clear I’d rather go a different route and keep Russell.

 

I hate the idea of trading Russell or Schwarber who seem very likely to increase their value this season.

 

Happ and Baez seem about as high as their value is going to get. I’d like to trade one of them (preferably Happ since I’m not as attached to him) for a Gausman/Teheran type.

 

Keep Russell as part of the core and trade Schwarber after his 40hr/950ops season to make room for Harper.

 

I, for one, think that the value of Happ and Baez can get higher.

[Transmogrified Tiger]

I don't think Chatwood is going to throw enough strikes for the front office to bet on him for a 3 year deal or for 8 figures per. Same goes with Chacin. Maybe you get one of them without that restriction, but it's one of the reasons that I do think Cobb is a likely target.

[Cubswin11]

I don't think Chatwood is going to throw enough strikes for the front office to bet on him for a 3 year deal or for 8 figures per. Same goes with Chacin. Maybe you get one of them without that restriction, but it's one of the reasons that I do think Cobb is a likely target.

Fair enough, I agree there are certainly red flags but there are also some things I really like that he's a top target of mine if we go the FA route for that 2nd or 3rd starter.

[Cubswin11]

Probably just Stroman but as I’ve made clear I’d rather go a different route and keep Russell.

 

I hate the idea of trading Russell or Schwarber who seem very likely to increase their value this season.

 

Happ and Baez seem about as high as their value is going to get. I’d like to trade one of them (preferably Happ since I’m not as attached to him) for a Gausman/Teheran type.

 

Keep Russell as part of the core and trade Schwarber after his 40hr/950ops season to make room for Harper.

Can we please have an off season without people thinking of Teheran as an attractive target?

I don't really like him but a Happ for him or Folty + Inciarte intrigues me a bit.

[Transmogrified Tiger]

I don't think Chatwood is going to throw enough strikes for the front office to bet on him for a 3 year deal or for 8 figures per. Same goes with Chacin. Maybe you get one of them without that restriction, but it's one of the reasons that I do think Cobb is a likely target.

Fair enough, I agree there are certainly red flags but there are also some things I really like that he's a top target of mine if we go the FA route for that 2nd or 3rd starter.

 

I don't even necessarily disagree, but I do think that Theo means business about limiting the walks. Not only the stuff about the bullpen, but the guys he's targeted for the rotation(Anderson, Hammel, Feldman, Jaxon, Lester), the way he's treated Montgomery who has similar issues with being effectively wild, all of that points to wanting a lot of strikes to go with your stuff if you're gonna make 30 starts for the Cubs.

[Tim]

 

I hate the idea of trading Russell or Schwarber who seem very likely to increase their value this season.

 

Happ and Baez seem about as high as their value is going to get. I’d like to trade one of them (preferably Happ since I’m not as attached to him) for a Gausman/Teheran type.

 

Keep Russell as part of the core and trade Schwarber after his 40hr/950ops season to make room for Harper.

Can we please have an off season without people thinking of Teheran as an attractive target?

I don't really like him but a Happ for him or Folty + Inciarte intrigues me a bit.

He had an FIP of 4.96 this year. The whole "consistently beats his FIP" thing doesn't really work when that's the baseline.

[Transmogrified Tiger]

No one who wants Teheran thinks a FIP near 5 is his new baseline. His career line is a FIP of 4 that he has consistently beaten his FIP by .35 or more every year. Interestingly enough, there's at least a slight reason to think his drop off was related to pitching half his games in Sun Trust park instead of Turner field. That can be a positive or negative thing depending on your outlook, but worth noting if the counterpoint about his 2016 being the new norm is related to the juiced ball.

[Bobson Dugnutt]

 

I hate the idea of trading Russell or Schwarber who seem very likely to increase their value this season.

 

Happ and Baez seem about as high as their value is going to get. I’d like to trade one of them (preferably Happ since I’m not as attached to him) for a Gausman/Teheran type.

 

Keep Russell as part of the core and trade Schwarber after his 40hr/950ops season to make room for Harper.

Can we please have an off season without people thinking of Teheran as an attractive target?

I don't really like him but a Happ for him or Folty + Inciarte intrigues me a bit.

 

I’ve been a big fan of Enciarte as an option for the top of the order for a few years. Good (although not stellar) OBP, strong contact skills, and a positive on the base paths to go along with good fielding. Super team-friendly contract too. Not sure the Braves are inclined to deal him though.

[Cubswin11]

Looking at the A's roster, since they seem to always be open to trades, Daniel Mengden looks intriguing for a Monty type under the radar acquisition. He will be 25 around the time Spring Training starts, looks like he has a nice mix of pitches FB (92 MP), CT, CB, CH (throws the FB about 55% then the latter 3 about 15% of the time each). He had the 8th best wCB/C of pitchers who threw at least 40 IP. I know Manea has been mentioned as a higher level add but this guy could/should be had for non-Happ (maybe some combo of Caritni, Zagunis, LaStella even, Zas or other minor dudes) or other ML guys like Manea would maybe cost.

[CubinNY]

Who doesn’t think Arietta is going to sign with the Cardinals?

[Sammy Sofa]

The Cardinals can sign whoever they want; it simply doesn't matter. Dead Cardinal Hell has already opened up and swallowed them.

[Cubswin11]

Who doesn’t think Arietta is going to sign with the Cardinals?

I think Angels, Rangers or Mariners for him

[davell]

I think Jake signs in February, after a perceived contender loses a front line guy.

[Tryptamine]

Who doesn’t think Arietta is going to sign with the Cardinals?

I think Angels, Rangers or Mariners for him

 

I would love if Arietta signed with the Angels. I always kind of root for them for Trout's sake, so it would be nice to see if Jake could help them out.

[Cubswin11]

Fangraphs top 50 FAs and salary predictions is out, Cameron has Arrieta at 4/96 and their crowd source median is 5/110 and average is 4.6/102.5. If his market is the 4/96 Cameron guessed I'd be all over that if we are going to spend any sort of real money on FA pitchers and not go cheap/through trades for it.

[David]

I just don't really think Jake has much left (as far as being an above average starting pitcher), even with him sort of reinventing himself and having success late last year.

[Cubswin11]

I just don't really think Jake has much left (as far as being an above average starting pitcher), even with him sort of reinventing himself and having success late last year.

I get the worry and 2015 god mode is never coming back, might get 2-5 start stretches close to it but never for long periods. The reinvention last year kind of encourages me that he can sustain a decent level of success during his next contract, I think he learned how to be more of a pitcher than just rely on pure stuff (which yes it was forced since his stuff diminished) and his stuff is still pretty damn good and he showed he can adapt and learn to be a smarter pitcher to me. I’m not jumping to give him more than 4 years or more than 110 million but this is the second guess I’ve seen now putting him at 4 years and around $100 million, I like that deal for him and would be fine with it.

[Bertz]

I love Jake and wish him the best but I'd avoid him like the plague in FA. His peripherals were pretty mediocre even in his strong second half. He's done enough for long enough that we can comfortably say he's a FIP beater, but Matt Cain and many others have shown that's a skill with an expiration date. Maybe that date is not til like 2020 but there's just as good of a chance it's next year.

 

Honestly i don't want Wade back either, as he's a very similar case except worse since you don't have durability to fall back on.

[toonsterwu]

Who doesn’t think Arietta is going to sign with the Cardinals?

 

I wouldn't be stunned if there's some truth to the Dodgers talk. It'll probably come down to years for Friedman.

 

As a darkhorse, I wouldn't rule out the Nationals. I expect them to do something big ... with the way their contracts are staggered, they could probably fit something big. Gio's off the books in a year, and Arrieta as a 3rd starter is fine.

[Cubswin11]

Law wrote this about Hellickson in his "FA Bargain" article, as a 1 year buy low guy for our 2nd or 3rd SP addition to get reunited with Hickey to try and re-find the changeup he intrigues me....

 

Hellickson lost his changeup in 2017, turning him from a league-average-or-so starter into a replacement-level one, which really killed the Phillies at the trade deadline.

 

But Hellickson's changeup was one of the best in baseball before then; from 2011 to 2016, it ranked as the 10th-most-valuable changeup in MLB by FanGraphs' pitch values, his only above-average pitch over that span. With it, he's at least a good fourth starter, and without it, he's probably going to post another 5.00-plus ERA. I'd be willing to bet on him rediscovering the pitch, given the upside.

[CubsWin]

I wonder if, given the extreme restrictions the Braves face over the next 3 years in signing IFAs not to mention the ones they recently lost, they would value players like Jonathan Sierra, Yonathan Perlaza, Brailyn Marquez, Yovanny Cruz, Fernando Kelli, Luis Diaz, Luis Verdugo, etc. as sweeteners in a larger trade for pitching than other teams would?

 

Say a trade from surplus (for both teams) like major league ready offense (Happ and Caratini) plus someone like David Bote (or whomever) and three IFAs for Julio Teheran (coming off a down year with 20 million still owed), one of their younger pitching prospects (Wright, Soroka, Anderson, or Wentz) and AJ MInter (a lefty reliever with a good FB and control with minor league options left - 20th ranked prospect per MLB) who could ride the Iowa shuttle and provide relief depth.

 

That would leave the Braves with Newcomb (25) Foltynewicz (26), Fried (24), Gohara (21) and Sims (24) as starters with major league experience along with Allard and 3 other remaining top notch starting prospects (out of Wright, Soroka, Anderson and Wentz). They have two catchers over 30 in Tyler Flowers (32) and Kurt Suzuki (34) under contract thru this year only with Caratini waiting in the wings. Happ would replace Markakis (34) who could easily be traded with one year at 11 million left on his contract.

 

Am I in the ballpark or way out beyond the LF wall...?

[CaliforniaRaisin]

 

So, here's an interesting development....

 

A little background, in case some don't know this guy.....He almost became the first player to come over from Japan BEFORE getting drafted over there. He's lost some off his FB, it was 97-98, in his younger years. But, he's still throwing low 90's, and has a solid repertoire. Has had some shoulder issues in the past.

 

He's not Ohtani, or Fujinami(the next best guy over there), but he's 3rd. And if he's coming over, he's probably in the same range of prospect, as Kenta Maeda was.(my opinion only) Now, that's not insanely special, but its a very legit option to be inserted into our rotation.

 

https://sports.yahoo.com/japanese-pitching-star-yusei-kikuchi-173900611.html?src=rss

 

Edit, for new article. Never mind, he's evidently not going to be posted until after next season.

 

Sup davell:

 

Davell Eric, what kind of impact pitchers are Shintaro Fujinami and Yusei Kikuchi? I'm guessing they'll make it over to the US at some stage, just curious what they'd project as, in the majors?

Eric A Longenhagen Fujunami is probably a reliever. Low-90s might play up out of the 'pen. Plus split. Kikuchi is like 92-94, touch a 6, avg changeup and curveball. I like him.

 

LA Times on Kikuchi, who is likely coming over next year: http://www.latimes.com/sports/dodgers/la-sp-dodgers-yusei-kikuchi-20171212-story.html