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Art Deco · 11-06-2023, 05:13 PM

As always we start with the retirements.

Notable MLBers: Manny Machado, Gerrit Cole (Yankees retired his #45), Christian Yelich, Cavan Biggio, Lucas Giolito.

Former Rays: Brandon Lowe, Aaron Ashby, Diego Castillo.

November 11: Signed LHP Ryan Okuda to a 3-year, $8.1M extension.

A year ago I would have laughed in your face if you told me this would happen after his poor 2029. But he bounced back to have the kind of season we expected of him when acquiring him before 2029 and he gives us 1) a lefty reliever, 2) a multi-inning guy, 3) and someone who can start in a pinch. And if he stinks again the money isn't a big loss.

Awards season:

Gold Glove: No Rays, no surprise.

Silver Slugger: We had two winners: 3B Triston Casas, who did most of his damage with Baltimore, and LF Yordan Alvarez.

Reliever of the Year: AL winner was Houston's Nick Robertson, no surprise with 43 saves and 1.02 ERA, garnering 27 first-place votes. NL winner was Billy Sullivan of St. Louis with 17 first-place nods, saving 38 games with a 1.80 ERA and an eye-popping 3.9 WAR.

Rookie of the Year: White Sox 2B Justin Still was unsurprisingly a unanimous winner in the AL after a .282-43-122 year while the same applied to Washington CF Hector Juarez after his .329-31-86 year.

Cy Young: There is no doubt who the best pitcher in baseball is and Texas superstar and free agent-to-be Robert Ahlstrom took home the AL Cy Young for the third straight season, winning the pitching triple crown going 20-6, 2.42 with 263 whiffs in 215 innings and earning 7.6 WAR. As far as the mere mortals go, Tampa Bay's Luis German and Donye Evans finished 2-3 which ain't shabby. Also winning unanimously was Washington's Parker Detmers in taking the NL award thanks to a 17-8, 3.01, 6.3-WAR season.

MVP: Houston star RF Kyle Tucker, whom the Rays "borrowed" for a season in 2025, won his second MVP thanks to a 331/407/607 season that saw him bang out 200 hits, 39 HR and 130 RBI, leading the majors with 8.6 WAR. Tucker took 24 first-place votes. Rays Triston Casas and Yordan Alvarez finished a distant 11th & 12th. In the NL Atlanta's Ronald Acuna Jr. finally won his first, nosing out 2-time winner Fernando Tatis Jr. 320-301 in the voting and 13-9 in fragmented first-place voting. Acuna hit .293-37-98 and earned 8.1 WAR.

Some big Rays news:

I can tell you it's a 4-year, $80.6M extension. It would likely cost us much more than this in money and/or players to replace him, so hopefully he continues the good health he showed in 2030 and is a middle-of-the-order force for us in the years to come.

Big trade incoming:

The Yankees had Henderson on the block and we were happy to trade with them as he's averaged 30 HR and 4.6 WAR over the last three seasons and fills our Triston Casas-sized void. And the price was right as Wood has been a perennial tease for us, putting up pedestrian numbers despite above-average ratings for the last several seasons. And he's out until May but watch him thrive with the Yankees. This move of course keeps Marco Luciano on the bench despite his guaranteed contract but he'll spell Henderson against some tough lefties and back up Wander at SS.

So how 'bout another trade?

Not exactly a blockbuster but Cedillos is being eyed as our SS for 2032 with Wander a free agent after this season. He's nowhere in Wander's league as a hitter but runs rings around him defensively:

Although he rocketed through the Nationals system to play 60 games with the big club last year, I see him ticketed for Durham. Nevertheless that's an elite glove across the infield and far from a total zero at the plate. Rodriguez is an intriguing power bat but a 1B who's a ways away.

And the wheeling and dealing continued:

Like James Wood before him, Robby Castillo was another conundrum for us who hit 196/282/380 in 179 AB in stretches over the last three seasons but had ratings that showed him to be a potential 3rd-hole hitter. He did excel at Durham, hitting .305 with 53 homers combined over the last two seasons but there was no path to the big league roster for him with Junior Caminero manning 1B and Nelson Haro DH. So it was time to shop him while the bloom was still on the rose and we did quite well, addressing a need in CF by acquiring Solano. The 25-year-old was the 8th overall pick in 2027 and made his MLB debut last year with Minnesota. While he didn't set the world on fire with the Twins he had 5 and 6-WAR seasons in the minors in 2028 and 2029 and had a great couple of months in AA before being called up:

These are quality ratings with the potential for more. The deal probably means Mitsuyoshi Arakawa is on the block.

And there goes Arakawa:

Arakawa brings a bullpen arm in the person of Armenta, who earned 2.3 WAR with Seattle last year in a swingman role, going 6-8, 2.41 in 103 IP including 14 starts. He's ticketed for our pen but it's nice to know he can fill in as a starter.

December 7: First big free agent signing of the offseason as division rival Boston inks former Ray and most recently former National star OF Spencer Torkelson to a 4/90 pact. With the exception of 2027 when he hit 25 for the Rays, Tork has hit 40+ homers four of the past five seasons.

December 10: And here's the free agent signing I didn't want to see. All-everything pitcher Robert Ahlstrom has joined the Yankees on a 5/170 deal, the club's biggest pitching signing since Gerrit Cole prior to the 2020 season.

December 11: Signed Cuban free agent 1B Ruben Solis to a minor league contract.

Solis was part of the international pro free agent class and boasts good power (60 per my scout, 70 per OSA) but not a lot else (45s across the board). He'll give us some 1B depth lost when Robby Castillo was traded.

December 11: The Twins signed CF Daulton Varsho to a 4/100 deal and the Phillies nabbed top closer Will Vest for 2/22.

December 13: Milwaukee retained the #1 pick in next year's draft as the lottery results were announced. The big mover was San Antonio (formerly Pittsburgh) jumping from 8 to 3.

December 16: The Yankees continue to collect starting pitchers as they added veteran Tarik Skubal on a 1/5.3 deal.

December 17: Wasn't planning on making another trade so soon but Seattle made me a good offer which I accepted:

Armstrong is a righty groundball reliever who pitched well in 30 IP for the Mariners last year although we'll have to try to keep him away from lefties. The real prize in the deal is Jeffery, a 23-year old OF who was Seattle's 2nd round pick in 2026. He has potential 60 contact, 70 gap power and 50 HR power and can play the OF corners well. Tizzard is not much of a prospect but why not? Carmichael was our 2nd round pick in 2022 and has been Durham's starting C the last couple of years. Although he isn't going to hit much and he's only decent defensively, trading him away does leave us thin at the position in the organization and I'll be probably be looking to sign a vet or two.

December 26: Added OF Chad Jeffery and 1B Evan Bell to the 40-man roster.

Not much I was worried about losing in the Rule 5 draft and with some 40-man slots open we may make a pick if something catches my eye.

December 26: Kind of shocked the Yankees signed our free agent reliever Trey Riley for a whopping 3/22 deal. Meanwhile, another former Ray signs a minor league deal as JP Sears, whom we non-tendered, joins the Mets organization after a season in which he put up a 7.01 ERA for us.

December 27: 32 players taken in the Rule 5 draft but none from our organization, nor did anyone intrigue me enough to select. Meanwhile St. Louis signed veteran closer Emmanuel Clase, who spent the last couple of seasons with the Dodgers and is coming off surgery for bone chips in his elbow, for 3/31.

11-06-2023, 05:13 PM	#736
Art Deco Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2020 Posts: 7,841	2030-31 Offseason: Part 1 As always we start with the retirements. Notable MLBers: Manny Machado, Gerrit Cole (Yankees retired his #45), Christian Yelich, Cavan Biggio, Lucas Giolito. Former Rays: Brandon Lowe, Aaron Ashby, Diego Castillo. November 11: Signed LHP Ryan Okuda to a 3-year, $8.1M extension. A year ago I would have laughed in your face if you told me this would happen after his poor 2029. But he bounced back to have the kind of season we expected of him when acquiring him before 2029 and he gives us 1) a lefty reliever, 2) a multi-inning guy, 3) and someone who can start in a pinch. And if he stinks again the money isn't a big loss. Awards season: Gold Glove: No Rays, no surprise. Silver Slugger: We had two winners: 3B Triston Casas, who did most of his damage with Baltimore, and LF Yordan Alvarez. Reliever of the Year: AL winner was Houston's Nick Robertson, no surprise with 43 saves and 1.02 ERA, garnering 27 first-place votes. NL winner was Billy Sullivan of St. Louis with 17 first-place nods, saving 38 games with a 1.80 ERA and an eye-popping 3.9 WAR. Rookie of the Year: White Sox 2B Justin Still was unsurprisingly a unanimous winner in the AL after a .282-43-122 year while the same applied to Washington CF Hector Juarez after his .329-31-86 year. Cy Young: There is no doubt who the best pitcher in baseball is and Texas superstar and free agent-to-be Robert Ahlstrom took home the AL Cy Young for the third straight season, winning the pitching triple crown going 20-6, 2.42 with 263 whiffs in 215 innings and earning 7.6 WAR. As far as the mere mortals go, Tampa Bay's Luis German and Donye Evans finished 2-3 which ain't shabby. Also winning unanimously was Washington's Parker Detmers in taking the NL award thanks to a 17-8, 3.01, 6.3-WAR season. MVP: Houston star RF Kyle Tucker, whom the Rays "borrowed" for a season in 2025, won his second MVP thanks to a 331/407/607 season that saw him bang out 200 hits, 39 HR and 130 RBI, leading the majors with 8.6 WAR. Tucker took 24 first-place votes. Rays Triston Casas and Yordan Alvarez finished a distant 11th & 12th. In the NL Atlanta's Ronald Acuna Jr. finally won his first, nosing out 2-time winner Fernando Tatis Jr. 320-301 in the voting and 13-9 in fragmented first-place voting. Acuna hit .293-37-98 and earned 8.1 WAR. Some big Rays news: I can tell you it's a 4-year, $80.6M extension. It would likely cost us much more than this in money and/or players to replace him, so hopefully he continues the good health he showed in 2030 and is a middle-of-the-order force for us in the years to come. Big trade incoming: The Yankees had Henderson on the block and we were happy to trade with them as he's averaged 30 HR and 4.6 WAR over the last three seasons and fills our Triston Casas-sized void. And the price was right as Wood has been a perennial tease for us, putting up pedestrian numbers despite above-average ratings for the last several seasons. And he's out until May but watch him thrive with the Yankees. This move of course keeps Marco Luciano on the bench despite his guaranteed contract but he'll spell Henderson against some tough lefties and back up Wander at SS. So how 'bout another trade? Not exactly a blockbuster but Cedillos is being eyed as our SS for 2032 with Wander a free agent after this season. He's nowhere in Wander's league as a hitter but runs rings around him defensively: Although he rocketed through the Nationals system to play 60 games with the big club last year, I see him ticketed for Durham. Nevertheless that's an elite glove across the infield and far from a total zero at the plate. Rodriguez is an intriguing power bat but a 1B who's a ways away. And the wheeling and dealing continued: Like James Wood before him, Robby Castillo was another conundrum for us who hit 196/282/380 in 179 AB in stretches over the last three seasons but had ratings that showed him to be a potential 3rd-hole hitter. He did excel at Durham, hitting .305 with 53 homers combined over the last two seasons but there was no path to the big league roster for him with Junior Caminero manning 1B and Nelson Haro DH. So it was time to shop him while the bloom was still on the rose and we did quite well, addressing a need in CF by acquiring Solano. The 25-year-old was the 8th overall pick in 2027 and made his MLB debut last year with Minnesota. While he didn't set the world on fire with the Twins he had 5 and 6-WAR seasons in the minors in 2028 and 2029 and had a great couple of months in AA before being called up: These are quality ratings with the potential for more. The deal probably means Mitsuyoshi Arakawa is on the block. And there goes Arakawa: Arakawa brings a bullpen arm in the person of Armenta, who earned 2.3 WAR with Seattle last year in a swingman role, going 6-8, 2.41 in 103 IP including 14 starts. He's ticketed for our pen but it's nice to know he can fill in as a starter. December 7: First big free agent signing of the offseason as division rival Boston inks former Ray and most recently former National star OF Spencer Torkelson to a 4/90 pact. With the exception of 2027 when he hit 25 for the Rays, Tork has hit 40+ homers four of the past five seasons. December 10: And here's the free agent signing I didn't want to see. All-everything pitcher Robert Ahlstrom has joined the Yankees on a 5/170 deal, the club's biggest pitching signing since Gerrit Cole prior to the 2020 season. December 11: Signed Cuban free agent 1B Ruben Solis to a minor league contract. Solis was part of the international pro free agent class and boasts good power (60 per my scout, 70 per OSA) but not a lot else (45s across the board). He'll give us some 1B depth lost when Robby Castillo was traded. December 11: The Twins signed CF Daulton Varsho to a 4/100 deal and the Phillies nabbed top closer Will Vest for 2/22. December 13: Milwaukee retained the #1 pick in next year's draft as the lottery results were announced. The big mover was San Antonio (formerly Pittsburgh) jumping from 8 to 3. December 16: The Yankees continue to collect starting pitchers as they added veteran Tarik Skubal on a 1/5.3 deal. December 17: Wasn't planning on making another trade so soon but Seattle made me a good offer which I accepted: Armstrong is a righty groundball reliever who pitched well in 30 IP for the Mariners last year although we'll have to try to keep him away from lefties. The real prize in the deal is Jeffery, a 23-year old OF who was Seattle's 2nd round pick in 2026. He has potential 60 contact, 70 gap power and 50 HR power and can play the OF corners well. Tizzard is not much of a prospect but why not? Carmichael was our 2nd round pick in 2022 and has been Durham's starting C the last couple of years. Although he isn't going to hit much and he's only decent defensively, trading him away does leave us thin at the position in the organization and I'll be probably be looking to sign a vet or two. December 26: Added OF Chad Jeffery and 1B Evan Bell to the 40-man roster. Not much I was worried about losing in the Rule 5 draft and with some 40-man slots open we may make a pick if something catches my eye. December 26: Kind of shocked the Yankees signed our free agent reliever Trey Riley for a whopping 3/22 deal. Meanwhile, another former Ray signs a minor league deal as JP Sears, whom we non-tendered, joins the Mets organization after a season in which he put up a 7.01 ERA for us. December 27: 32 players taken in the Rule 5 draft but none from our organization, nor did anyone intrigue me enough to select. Meanwhile St. Louis signed veteran closer Emmanuel Clase, who spent the last couple of seasons with the Dodgers and is coming off surgery for bone chips in his elbow, for 3/31.