Passan: Bellinger (finally) to the Yankees

[Bertz]

 

[squally1313]

Whatever. Go spend the money. 

[Stratos]

For Cody Poteet and cash.

[17 Seconds]

Only 5 

[Dfan25]

Not that i was expecting much , but they got hot garbage back 

[Dfan25]

I think Bellinger will do well for them . He has been told CF is Where he will play 

[jersey cubs fan]

10 minutes ago, Stratos said:

For Cody Poteet and cash.

I’d rather have Poutine than Poteet

[mul21]

What an odd return.  This dude hadn't pitched 10 innings in a season since 2019 before last year when he got in like 75 between the minors and majors.  He pitched much better in MLB (results wise anyway) than MiLB.

[17 Seconds]

Just now, mul21 said:

What an odd return.  This dude hadn't pitched 10 innings in a season since 2019 before last year when he got in like 75 between the minors and majors.  He pitched much better in MLB (results wise anyway) than MiLB.

how is it an odd return? everyone knew they weren't getting anything if they were only paying something like 5 million

[NorthsideAvenger]

I know it is weird but I still remember his father playing for the Yankees.

[jersey cubs fan]

1 minute ago, mul21 said:

What an odd return.  This dude hadn't pitched 10 innings in a season since 2019 before last year.

[KCCub]

 

 

[Dfan25]

Cubs will cover only 2.5 this year , so they open 24 million in payroll

[The_Achiever]

I haven't kept up on this but I wish they'd keep Bellinger for one more year.  I'm not sold on Busch being a long-term answer at 1B, and Cody was one of the better hitters on the team.  

[squally1313]

Random thoughts:

• Another trade where we trade away a guy with a particular skill set that seems ideal for the stadium we're trading him to
• Saw a tweet that says we're covering $2.5m this year and $2.5m of either the opt out payment or the salary next year. Does that matter for luxury tax purposes?
• Cody Poteet. I don't understand question and I won't respond to it. 
• In terms of the luxury tax situation, I think where I'm at right now, looking optimistically, is that Jed and Tom know they're going to be over the tax in 2026 (and then likely under in 2027 when all those contracts fall off) and so there has always been a pretty strict directive to stay under this year to reset the count. Now, them going over by a rounding error in 2024 started the clock in the first place and made it marginally more important to stay under this year so that the 2026 penalty would be 30% instead of 50% if they went over in 2025. But, I still don't think it mattered much. 
• With Luzurdo in tow, roughly $32m for two bench bats and a reliever. If that falls apart...things get a little interesting. If that goes through, as mentioned elsewhere, we're basically done with a team that should be comfortably favored to win the division and project in the upper 80s by Christmas. 

[squally1313]

3 minutes ago, The_Achiever said:

I haven't kept up on this but I wish they'd keep Bellinger for one more year.  I'm not sold on Busch being a long-term answer at 1B, and Cody was one of the better hitters on the team.  

Not considering anything else, sure. But you can't keep the $27m guy around as a fallback option for the league minimum dude who outhit him last year in over 550 PAs while being 5ish years younger. If Busch falls apart somehow (and there's not really much to say he should, his worst month was a 97 wRC in August and he put up a 117 wRC in September), then you hand out 1B gloves to Caissie and Ballesteros and go from there. Plus we're probably looking at a league average bat at minimum that can cover first being signed for the bench. 

[UMFan83]

Meh, I understand the arguments for trading him but I thought he could have been quite useful next year. Glad that we're mostly completely wiping his salary away though, assuming its used to improve the team elsewhere.  These kinds of moves have the potential to tank seasons when you are trying to build upper 80's win teams with less margin for error though.

Edited December 17, 2024 by UMFan83

[Bertz]

So if our former assumptions hold, there's now $40M to address SP, the bench, and the bullpen.  If Luzardo is the SP, that's enough money to do pretty close to whatever you want for the reserves.

[Rcal10]

52 minutes ago, squally1313 said:

Random thoughts:

• Another trade where we trade away a guy with a particular skill set that seems ideal for the stadium we're trading him to
• Saw a tweet that says we're covering $2.5m this year and $2.5m of either the opt out payment or the salary next year. Does that matter for luxury tax purposes?
• Cody Poteet. I don't understand question and I won't respond to it. 
• In terms of the luxury tax situation, I think where I'm at right now, looking optimistically, is that Jed and Tom know they're going to be over the tax in 2026 (and then likely under in 2027 when all those contracts fall off) and so there has always been a pretty strict directive to stay under this year to reset the count. Now, them going over by a rounding error in 2024 started the clock in the first place and made it marginally more important to stay under this year so that the 2026 penalty would be 30% instead of 50% if they went over in 2025. But, I still don't think it mattered much. 
• With Luzurdo in tow, roughly $32m for two bench bats and a reliever. If that falls apart...things get a little interesting. If that goes through, as mentioned elsewhere, we're basically done with a team that should be comfortably favored to win the division and project in the upper 80s by Christmas. 

I’m not seeing room for 2 bench bats. I have Kelley and probably Canario. Do you think they sign 2 infield bats? Or are you suggesting Canario gets moved and they add someone like Grichek and then someone to be insurance for Shaw? I think there is only 1 bench stop available. Kelly, Canario and then either Mastrobouni, Cowles or Workman. Leave one spot. 

[Rcal10]

6 minutes ago, Bertz said:

So if our former assumptions hold, there's now $40M to address SP, the bench, and the bullpen.  If Luzardo is the SP, that's enough money to do pretty close to whatever you want for the reserves.

That is how I see it. I would guess two pen arms (Yates and Minter) and one guy who can play 3rd and maybe 1st on occasion) Moncada, Dejong, Solano, Rojas, Polanco, Ursehla????? Or if they can trade Canario in the Luzardo deal maybe they can add Grichek too.

[Randall Simon]

1 hour ago, The_Achiever said:

I haven't kept up on this but I wish they'd keep Bellinger for one more year.  I'm not sold on Busch being a long-term answer at 1B, and Cody was one of the better hitters on the team.  

Sign Rizzo as a fall back option! 

[Rcal10]

1 minute ago, Randall Simon said:

Sign Rizzo as a fall back option! 

I assume you are kidding, otherwise YUCk! 

[WhyCantWeWin]

Terrible return but nice to get out of that awful contract. 
 

Hopefully Jed actually spends those dollars

[Backtobanks]

38 minutes ago, Rcal10 said:

I’m not seeing room for 2 bench bats. I have Kelley and probably Canario. Do you think they sign 2 infield bats? Or are you suggesting Canario gets moved and they add someone like Grichek and then someone to be insurance for Shaw? I think there is only 1 bench stop available. Kelly, Canario and then either Mastrobouni, Cowles or Workman. Leave one spot. 

Jed had better hire a doctor with the money to keep our regulars healthy with that bench.

[squally1313]

27 minutes ago, Rcal10 said:

I’m not seeing room for 2 bench bats. I have Kelley and probably Canario. Do you think they sign 2 infield bats? Or are you suggesting Canario gets moved and they add someone like Grichek and then someone to be insurance for Shaw? I think there is only 1 bench stop available. Kelly, Canario and then either Mastrobouni, Cowles or Workman. Leave one spot. 

I don't see any need to give Canario a roster spot unless you run out of money doing other things (and even then, if we suddenly needed an outfield starter, he's probably third on my list of non-Happ/PCA/Tucker/Suzuki options).

A Luzardo trade leaves you with a complete, but very injury prone starting 5. Probably two of Assad/Wicks/Brown are your long guys/6th starters, Hodge/Miller/Pearson are locks, three spots for Keegan/Morgan/Little/Merryweather/Palencia/Roberts/almost assuredly a free agent, maybe two. AAA rotation of Wicks (to pick a name from above)/Horton/Birdsell/Poteet/Kilian/whatever is good starting depth. This is basically me trying to decide between 2 relievers and a bench guy or 1 reliever and 2 bench guys. I think you aim high for a Tanner Scott or as close as you can to that. If you get him, then it's Moncada/Canario call it a day. If you have to settle for a lesser reliever, go get two solid bench bats?