MrCrowesGarden wrote:I'm really hoping the third year doesn't hold up a deal for Reed or even Holland.
Man, I don't really want either guy.
I guess I would take Reed, but to me, he is really just a 7th or 8th inning guy at best.
Why do you think that?
He's my #1 acquisition target. His HR-rate spiked this year causing his FIP to be a lot higher than his ERA, but he's durable, young (29), and has a great K:BB ratio. He also has over 100 saves. Of course, I would take Holland or Davis, but they cost us a draft pick. Right now, we are due three first round picks (#19, com balance pick~ #39, and Lynn comp pick ~ #40ish)
MrCrowesGarden wrote:I'm really hoping the third year doesn't hold up a deal for Reed or even Holland.
Man, I don't really want either guy.
I guess I would take Reed, but to me, he is really just a 7th or 8th inning guy at best.
Why do you think that?
He's my #1 acquisition target. His HR-rate spiked this year causing his FIP to be a lot higher than his ERA, but he's durable, young (29), and has a great K:BB ratio. He also has over 100 saves. Of course, I would take Holland or Davis, but they cost us a draft pick. Right now, we are due three first round picks (#19, com balance pick~ #39, and Lynn comp pick ~ #40ish)
Yeah, maybe I am being too hard on Reed. Probably a good 8th inning option. I would rather have a different option at closer, but there's no one that grabs my eye now that morrow and Davis are signed.
I'm not saying the Cards should sign any of these guys but they were pretty productive MLB players in the recent past. Will they go unsigned? Get a minor league deal somewhere? It wasn't long ago at all that I felt like Espinosa might be a nice utility player for the Cards.
The potential culprits are numerous. If you’re inclined to see owners as evil profiteers, it’s easy to talk yourself into a collusion theory. Or this is the consequence of the Players Association accepting a luxury tax that might be acting as a de facto salary cap. Or maybe it’s just that every team has figured out that prices go down as spring training draws closer, so now everyone is trying the same wait-it-out game plan. Or maybe these particular free agents just aren’t that good. Or maybe it’s that next year’s free agents are too good.
Each of those theories seem to have some validity, and I think there’s probably a bit of most of that going on. But I think there’s also an explanation that makes everyone’s passivity perfectly rational: a lack of sufficient divisional competition to create the sort of pressure that justifies high-risk free-agent signings.
pioneer98 wrote:Are these free agents basically done?
Jose Bautista
Danny Espinsosa
Mark Reynolds
I'm not saying the Cards should sign any of these guys but they were pretty productive MLB players in the recent past. Will they go unsigned? Get a minor league deal somewhere? It wasn't long ago at all that I felt like Espinosa might be a nice utility player for the Cards.
I still think Espinosa would make for a fine NRI for someone. Hell, he was a decent starting SS on a 90+ win WS contender appx. 15 months ago. He's got serious hitting problems but his glove is a good carry tool on a bench. Now... I don't want the CARDINALS doing that... but a mid-range/low payroll team looking for a decent gamble would be wise to buy the Espinooser lottery ticket.
Reynolds is a little trickier just because nobody wants to spend any money on 1B these days. I don't think he's totally useless- again, I think he'd be a reasonable bench guy like Espinooser. It's just a harder sale for a 1B.
pioneer98 wrote:Are these free agents basically done?
Jose Bautista
Danny Espinsosa
Mark Reynolds
I'm not saying the Cards should sign any of these guys but they were pretty productive MLB players in the recent past. Will they go unsigned? Get a minor league deal somewhere? It wasn't long ago at all that I felt like Espinosa might be a nice utility player for the Cards.
I still think Espinosa would make for a fine NRI for someone. Hell, he was a decent starting SS on a 90+ win WS contender appx. 15 months ago. He's got serious hitting problems but his glove is a good carry tool on a bench. Now... I don't want the CARDINALS doing that... but a mid-range/low payroll team looking for a decent gamble would be wise to buy the Espinooser lottery ticket.
Reynolds is a little trickier just because nobody wants to spend any money on 1B these days. I don't think he's totally useless- again, I think he'd be a reasonable bench guy like Espinooser. It's just a harder sale for a 1B.
Espinosa needs a job just because of his mustache.
Big Amoco Sign wrote:I think that's exactly what he was in 2017. Bad when the game was on the line. Good in mop up duty.
Oddly, almost exactly the same thing happened to him in 2016. He was fine before that.
BA OBP SLG OPS PA leverage
.370 .412 .630 1.042 52 high leverage in 2016
.289 .341 .395 .736 41 medium leverage in 2016
.180 .219 .295 .514 64 low leverage in 2016
Once is a fluke. Twice in a row is more concerning. He may need a mental coach.
Cecil was SIGNIFICANTLY better in the 2nd half of the season last year. Hopefully he figured something out mid-season, and it will carry over. I think he'll be fine.
