12/05/2019
Today has been a good day. After the rule 5 draft (where I haven't picked anyone) and the salary arbitration hearings (where most decisions went in my favor) the Free Agency Filing was today.
SP Jose Quintana, RP Glen Perkins, 3B Ruben Tejada and SP James Russell were the only MLB players on the Reds list and all of them weren't required anymore, as I have decided based on my analysis. Seeing James Russell leave might upset the fans a bit, but I can't help it. He is way below my requirements. His stamina seems to be good for 2 IP at best, which isn't enough for an SP.
In total I hope to get $12m free salary space by releasing all 4 of them, which I would like to invest in a good... Well, where do i see the weaknesses of my team?
Well, good are: Catcher, Second Base, Left Field and Closer.
There is a lot to improve, then. I think I will go for good RPs, as a good game stands or falls with the quality of the Pitchers.
While I read first messages of players filing for FA, I get a call from Steve Liddle, GM of Kansas City. He offers us CF Ender Inciarte for Brenden Webb and $1.6m cash. I check if Ender would fit in... Checked, and agreed. He might remove my weakness at Centerfield. At least he is a better batter than Randolph, but defensively slightly worse. Anyway, I agree and send my 4th RF in exchange for a 3rd CF, who can also play Left Field. I hope this one pays out.
While reading this chart, I fire up my database and check for Pitchers with a good potential, as I would need them for longer. Bingo, Jairo Pacheco from the LA Dodgers seems a good match, and he is just 23. I call Andrew Friedman, the GM of the Dodgers and ask him, if he would trade away Pacheco. He would, and when I ask him which player he would like to get, he throws a lot of names at me... I go for Sal Romano, who is, at least regarding to my own analysis, my worst RP. Andrew says he has no problem with that, so we agree on that deal. Perfect. I would just later realise that Pacheco is an SP, no RP as I thought. Well, he made it directly into my rotation.
We seem to still miss a starter, so I check which RP I don't need anymore, and my choice falls on Andy Beltre. I shop him around and Brandon Hyde of the Brewers offers me... Kendry Flores, an 28 y/o SP with quite good stats. We agree on the deal and I check where to put him on my rotation. He goes on second, and my pitching coach suggests that instead of removing RP Evan Mitchell from the rotation I should move Pacheco to the setup role. I check the stamina values and, no, Mitchell should go, as he would probably have just 2 or 3 innings before he's exhausted.
I lean back and think... That should have been enough trading, right? I let 15 players go and acquired 9 in return. And I still have to make a choice what will be my line up once the regular seasons starts. Well, I got enough time to check that, enough for today.
12/20/2019
Today I made some more trades.
RP Nick Howard and CF Heathcott went to the Cardinals in exchange for RP Mateo. Mateo might not be the big hit right now, but my scout says he got potential. So we hope for the best. The Rotation and Bullpen are adjusted accordingly.
main reason for this trade was to get Heathcott off the payroll, as he was taking $3.6m but wasn't worth it. At least I think he wasn't worth it, as he lost his starter place.
But now trading should be done, except someone offers us a great deal. X-Mas is coming, I should get some presents. And I should visit my parents. Or should they visit me this year, as it is going to be my first X-Mas as GM of an MLB-team?
I'll talk to them later. I have to go shopping now. No, no players, but christmas presents...