"not worthy of its own thread" offseason thread

[Momo]

The A's payroll is lower than it was in 2004. It's at 59 million. The BAMTech money they got covers 85 percent of their payroll.

I still side with the thesis that the A's "poverty" is overstated and used to the benefit of owners.

[MrCrowesGarden]

Absolutely agree.

[InvincibleCakeEater]

Umm, ok

[misterManager]

Urias + Kemp for Braun and the salary relief from Kemp? Might be able to slip under the tax line with Braun instead of old man Kemp. Still only makes sense if it's Urias or better.

[Popeye_Card]

How in the world do teams keep trading for Matt Kemp's contract?

[MrCrowesGarden]

I would be surprised to see the Brewers do it, but as mistermanager pointed out, you could do it to buy a prospect. Just release Kemp, you're done paying him earlier than Braun, and you could keep Domingo Santana.

[ZigZagCardsFan]

[SHOW]

[MrCrowesGarden]

In the three years I’ve been doing this, I’ve written plenty of articles that have praised teams for taking the long view — for trading two wins now for 10 later; for properly understanding their place on the win curve; for locking up young players on the cheap; for getting a good bargain on dollars per win. I’ve written plenty of articles that have praised teams for being very clever.

Too clever by half. It’s possible that some of the slowness of this offseason to date has come from a small handful of teams simply being unwilling to spend and using the powerful legacy of honest-to-God rebuilds in Houston and Chicago to cover for plain and simple grift. But more of it, I think, has come from a sort of mass intellectual narrowing that has captured, to one extent or another, even the 20 or so teams that are, actually, trying to win.

https://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/the-opening-bell/

[BottenFieldofDreams]

I don't know what kind of offer he would accept, but I'm a little surprised no one would want to at least have Ichiro in camp. So far, at least.

I'm being more wistful than anything else. But remember that time we threw Juan Gonzalez a bone? Shouldn't the Angels bring him in to show Shohei how to surf the circus? Unite the legendary 01 ROYs?

I love you forever, Ichiro.

[JoeMcKim]

I don't know what kind of offer he would accept, but I'm a little surprised no one would want to at least have Ichiro in camp. So far, at least.

I'm being more wistful than anything else. But remember that time we threw Juan Gonzalez a bone? Shouldn't the Angels bring him in to show Shohei how to surf the circus? Unite the legendary 01 ROYs?

I love you forever, Ichiro.

It seems like Ichiro might have to return to Japan if he wants to play until he's 50.