2019-20 Offseason Rumors/General Chit-Chat

[Derwood]

I still don't get how this adds up at all:

 

- He's supposedly the perfect fit for the Cubs

- He's supposedly a CF option at a time when the league's short on CF options as a whole (47 games there in the MLs btw, 31 in 2020)

- Even if not a full time CF, he's an upgrade at 2B for sure

- I'll take a wild guess and assume he's also viewed as a leadoff option

- He's cheap

- He's cheap for multiple years

- He's certain

 

Despite all this, Merrifield should be valued by the Royals in a trade with the Cubs as any 2.5 WAR player might be? Anything more and they're...overvaluing Merrifield?

Did you read my post?

 

He doesn't read any posts

[Post Count Padder]

Hey remember the dark times when Trey McNutt was a top prospect for us? Well he's still pitching apparently and just signed with the Giants.

 

[tweet]https://twitter.com/OneGun45/status/1198306257880285185[/tweet]

[Deeg]

Merrifield had a .308 BABIP in 2017 and ended up with a .784 OPS and 3.9 WAR. I'd certainly take that from him for the next three seasons.

 

I agree Merrifield isn't a star, and a team shouldn't give up a star package for him in trade. But I think he's habitually undervalued by a lot of Cubs fans. He's going to be 31 but he has low miles, and was a late bloomer. His defense may decline a bit but he's still going to be a good 2B and average CF for the next three seasons. His skill set is a lot like Zobrist with better speed and less power (not that much less), and as we know, Zobrist aged very well.

[Cubswin11]

That’s a team to take off the list for Willy. Also 2/16 seems like a lot for guy who recently has a 0 and 1 win season and has surpassed 2 WAR since 2015.

 

[Transmogrified Tiger]

Merrifield had a .308 BABIP in 2017 and ended up with a .784 OPS and 3.9 WAR. I'd certainly take that from him for the next three seasons.

 

I agree Merrifield isn't a star, and a team shouldn't give up a star package for him in trade. But I think he's habitually undervalued by a lot of Cubs fans. He's going to be 31 but he has low miles, and was a late bloomer. His defense may decline a bit but he's still going to be a good 2B and average CF for the next three seasons. His skill set is a lot like Zobrist with better speed and less power (not that much less), and as we know, Zobrist aged very well.

 

It was 2.8 fWAR that year and good for a worse wRC+ than Kolten Wong had this year. Also, and admittedly I didn't give him credit for this, he stole 34 bases at 81%. That could be a very good source of hidden value, but he was only 20 for 30 last year and again he's turning 31, so I'm not overly optimistic of him stealing a bunch of bases at a good rate going forward.

 

On his defense, he's a career +1 2B and in 130 games of innings in the OF he's a -4 outfielder, he doesn't have a whole lot to lose. Lastly, his walk rate and plate discipline in general are dramatically worse than Zobrist's, I wouldn't consider them to be comparable skillsets at all.

[Tryptamine]

Merrifield would be a great add if you can get him for a package where Happ or Alzolay is your lead piece, but from everything that has been rumored they're looking for a stud package and he just doesn't warrant it.

[Bertz]

Merrifield had a .308 BABIP in 2017 and ended up with a .784 OPS and 3.9 WAR. I'd certainly take that from him for the next three seasons.

 

I agree Merrifield isn't a star, and a team shouldn't give up a star package for him in trade. But I think he's habitually undervalued by a lot of Cubs fans. He's going to be 31 but he has low miles, and was a late bloomer. His defense may decline a bit but he's still going to be a good 2B and average CF for the next three seasons. His skill set is a lot like Zobrist with better speed and less power (not that much less), and as we know, Zobrist aged very well.

 

It was 2.8 fWAR that year and good for a worse wRC+ than Kolten Wong had this year. Also, and admittedly I didn't give him credit for this, he stole 34 bases at 81%. That could be a very good source of hidden value, but he was only 20 for 30 last year and again he's turning 31, so I'm not overly optimistic of him stealing a bunch of bases at a good rate going forward.

 

On his defense, he's a career +1 2B and in 130 games of innings in the OF he's a -4 outfielder, he doesn't have a whole lot to lose. Lastly, his walk rate and plate discipline in general are dramatically worse than Zobrist's, I wouldn't consider them to be comparable skillsets at all.

 

Whit's MUCH better by DRS, +25 at 2B and +3 in the OF. And even most of his poor outfielding is attributed to his arm in RF....he's got a noodle out there.

 

I think that's why I like him more than you. I don't think I disagree with a word you've said on the offensive side of things, but on defense I expect he's a +5 guy at second or center.

[Bertz]

 

One of the catchers from that second tier is gone.

 

Another positive sign about the FA market though. Knock on wood but every signing to this point has been commensurate with a not-broken FA market.

[Tryptamine]

The Ray's throw something like Mcclanahan, Brujan and Ryan on the table and I'd be pretty happy. Fairly safe to assume McKay and Franco are going nowhere.

[Brian]

This has been out there for an hour and nobody made a vague 'Cole signs' post, for shame.

 

[tweet]

[/tweet]

[Deeg]

Scratch the Rays off the Willy list.

 

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Mike Zunino and Rays have deal in place. 4.5M for 2020. 1 year plus option year.

[Clem Fandango]

Zunino was their backup option last year. I'm sure they're not content with starting a guy who had a .544 OPS and are willing to acquire a better catcher to fill the starting role. He's certainly capable of putting up better numbers, but $4.5 million is only worth what... 0.5 fWAR? That seems right in the middle of what he was worth and what he could provide realistically in terms of cost/value. I doubt that puts the Rays out of the catcher market.

[David]

I still don't get how this adds up at all:

 

- He's supposedly the perfect fit for the Cubs

- He's supposedly a CF option at a time when the league's short on CF options as a whole (47 games there in the MLs btw, 31 in 2020)

- Even if not a full time CF, he's an upgrade at 2B for sure

- I'll take a wild guess and assume he's also viewed as a leadoff option

- He's cheap

- He's cheap for multiple years

- He's certain

 

Despite all this, Merrifield should be valued by the Royals in a trade with the Cubs as any 2.5 WAR player might be? Anything more and they're...overvaluing Merrifield?

Did you read my post?

 

He doesn't read any posts

 

This is either the absolute height of irony, or the ultimate case of takes one to know one

[Deeg]

Zunino was their backup option last year. I'm sure they're not content with starting a guy who had a .544 OPS and are willing to acquire a better catcher to fill the starting role. He's certainly capable of putting up better numbers, but $4.5 million is only worth what... 0.5 fWAR? That seems right in the middle of what he was worth and what he could provide realistically in terms of cost/value. I doubt that puts the Rays out of the catcher market.

 

On their budget? They’re not spending 4.5 on a guy and then trading for another guy to marginalize him.

 

I think the Rays - or any team that prioritizes advanced stats - were always going to be a tough sell for the Cubs with Contreras.

[Bertz]

Zunino was their backup option last year. I'm sure they're not content with starting a guy who had a .544 OPS and are willing to acquire a better catcher to fill the starting role. He's certainly capable of putting up better numbers, but $4.5 million is only worth what... 0.5 fWAR? That seems right in the middle of what he was worth and what he could provide realistically in terms of cost/value. I doubt that puts the Rays out of the catcher market.

 

Yeah I think they're still a good fit, maybe even better now. Zunino's a solid bet to bounce back, but hardly a guarantee. If they acquired Willson, he could split time between Catcher and 1b/DH, where they're currently very left handed. If Zunino is good, that's more time for Willson at a bat-first position, if he's still bad then Willson's the fulltime catcher.

[Derwood]

Did you read my post?

 

He doesn't read any posts

 

This is either the absolute height of irony, or the ultimate case of takes one to know one

 

Why not both?

[Deeg]

$4.5 million is what Contreras is projected to make in arb and the Rays are looking to win in 2020 so I don't think this shuts the door on a trade. The Rays might prefer the certainty on offense and health Contreras offers at the same price and have no issue paying one of the glove first FA backups a couple million late in the offseason. The Cubs really want to upgrade their C defense and Zunino was the poster boy for C defense most of this decade. Since the Cubs aren't necessarily looking to dump Contreras' salary so much as turn things over a little bit, there's always the scenario where they take on Zunino's $4.5 to get another lottery ticket still young C to pair with Caratini and opens the door to more of the Rays' other players or prospects.

 

Something like Zunino, Brujan/Liberatore, Lowe, Beeks, and Ryan for Contreras, a AAA pitcher, and a notable full season arm not Marquez (Riley Thompson? Kohl Franklin?) would be fun for both sides. Personally the Rays could use a trade where they're the wacky buyer, especially if they want those sweet sweet public funds soon

 

Edit: I joke about stealing taxpayer money and still don't even ask for the house in a made up trade...the worst

 

So the theory is the Rays took on Zunino to salary dump him to the Cubs in a trade?

[Tryptamine]

Graveman signs with Seattle 1.5M. I honestly wish we would have grabbed him for that and filled the SP5 slot with a combination of Mills/Alzolay/Graveman/Cotton

[Cubswin11]

[Bertz]

According to Ken Rosenthal the A's are looking to cut payroll, so Treinen and Profar are non-tender candidates who could be had for very little prospect-wise.

[Bertz]

[Post Count Padder]

The Padres and Brewers have broken open a quiet trade market with an interesting swap of young big leaguers. Outfielder Trent Grisham and righty Zach Davies are heading to San Diego, with second baseman Luis Urias and southpaw Eric Lauer going to Milwaukee in exchange.

[Brian]

Pomeranz also signed with the Padres

[Cubswin11]

Pomeranz signs with the Padres. Glad he didn’t go back to Milwaukee.

[Cubswin11]

Hopefully the Padres think Grisham can play CF and it makes Margot more available for us. That’s the only care or takeaway I have on this trade. None of the guys traded seem all that good and it’s just some re-shifting guys around. I guess it’s also a nice bonus to have Davies gone seeing as 3-5 of his starts against us every year he’d shut us down.