This team is a few tweaks away from being World Series champs. It doesn’t make sense with this team to sign a big free agent as most of our positions are locked up except 2b and RF with a RF prospect in AAA a year away. It is also time to deal some bad contracts to another team’s bad contract.
Arbitration-eligibles
Jimmy Cordero non-tender
Adam Engel $2.2 million tender
Jace Fry $1 million non-tender
Lucas Giolito $7.9 million tender
Brian Goodwin $1.7 million non-tender
Reynaldo López $2.8 million tender
Evan Marshall (just underwent TJS, extremely unlikely to pitch in 2022) $2.3 million non-tender
Impending Free Agents
Leury García (2021 contract: $3.5 million) re-sign 2 years 8 million
Billy Hamilton (2021 contract: $1 million) re-sign 1 year 2 million
Ryan Tepera (2021 contract: $950,000) gone
Carlos Rodón (2021 contract: $3 million decline
Team Contract Options
Craig Kimbrel $16 million (or a $1 million buyout) pick up then trade
César Hernández $6 million (no buyout) decline
Free agents
SP Anthony DeSclafani (4 years, $44 million). We will need a LH SP with Rodon rejecting the QO. Anthony had a big bounce back year with SF and was a 4.0 WAR SP with a 3.17 ERA. He would slide in well as our #4 or 5 SP. He will 31 opening day hence the 4 year deal.
RP Ian Kennedy (1 year 3 million).
RP Colin McHugh (2 years 6 million).
C Martin Maldonado (2 years 8 million). Our defensive backup catcher
Trades
Will Myers and Adam Frazier to the Chicago White Sox for Craig Kimbrel and Dallas Keuchel. This is the swap of bad contracts for all 4 players that need a change of scenery. SD’s closer Mark Melancon is a FA and SD has too many long-term deals on the books to spend 3-4 years for a 36 year old closer. Kimbrel will be a logical 1 year replacement. Adam Frazier is the left handed 2b we should have traded for last season. He is arb eligible this year and is projected at 6.5 million in arb. SD is also desperate to unload either Myers or Eric Hosmer. Myers makes 22.5 million in 22, the last year of his contract. Last year he bated 256 wit a 334 OBP and 17 hrs with 442 at bats. He isn’t an all-star anymore, but at 30 has a lot in the tank and would do far better than either Eaton or Mazara. You could do far worse batting him 8th or ninth in the lineup. This trade also gets rid of Keuchel who will be owed 18 million in 22. Keuchel will fit well in SD as a #4/5 type on a team that had a ton of pitching injuries last year.
Summary
Lineup:
SS Anderson 9.5 mil
2B Frazier 6.5 mil
CF Robert 6.0 mil
1b Abreu 19.667 mil
C Grandal 18.25 mil
LF Jimenez 7.33 mil
3B Moncada 13.8 mil
RF/DH Myers 22.5 mil
RF/DH Vaughn/Sheets 600K
Bench
Engel 2 mil (proj Arb)
Garcia 2 mil
Hamilton 2 mil
Sheets 600K
Maldonado 4 mil
Rotation:
Giolito 8.235 mil (Proj Arb)
Lynn 18.5 mil
Cease 600K
DeScalfani 11 mil
Kopech 600K
Bullpen:
Hendrick 13.33 mil
Bummer 2.5 mil
Lopez 2.0 mil (proj arb)
Kennedy 3.0 mil
McHugh 3.0 mil
Crochet 600K
Burr 600K
This construction gives us a better blend of players with Frazier replacing Hernandez and Myers in RF. We don’t need a big free agent in RF as we have Cespedes a year or so away. Our rotation will still be our strength, DeScalfani will be a big improvement over Keuchel. The trade also unloads 2 of our largest bad contracts (Kimbrel/Keuchel) that pays for 1 year of Myers and allows Hahn to sign DeScalafini. We also needed to upgrade our bullpen and McHugh and Kennedy have experience and success in high leverage situations that will not break the bank. We also will be able to sign a veteran catcher in Maldonado who can throw runners out and is a great defensive catcher. Having a full season Vaughn and Sheets in some combo of DH should give a combined 600 at-bats and they could each hit 20 plus home runs. This keeps payroll just under the 180 million mark. This team would cruise in the AL playoffs
