PREAMBLE:Why make lots of trades when you can make one big one to solve all your problems? We need to get more left-handed while improving pitching and defense. Here is one move that will help a lot. Take on some injury risk..,.but the upside!
ARBITRATION-ELIGIBLE PLAYERS
Write “tender,” “non-tender” or “rework/extend” after each player and their projected 2022 salaries. Feel free to offer explanation afterward if necessary.
- Lucas Giolito: $10.8M: Tender
- Dylan Cease: $5.3M: Tender
- Reynaldo López; $3.3M: Tender
- Adam Engel: $2.3M: Non Tender
- Michael Kopech: $2.2M: Tender
- Kyle Crick: $1.5M: Non Tender
- José Ruiz: $1M: Tender
- Danny Mendick: $1M: Non Tender
CLUB OPTIONS
Write “pick up” or “decline” or “rework” after the option.
- Tim Anderson: $12.5M ($1M buyout): Pickup
- Josh Harrison: $5.625M ($1.5M buyout: Buyout
PLAYER OPTIONS
Write “exercised” or “takes buyout.” The question here is whether you think Pollock could do better than one year and $8 million on the open market. I’m filling it in with “exercised” unless you can provide a compelling argument against it.
- AJ Pollock: $13M ($5 million buyout) — EXERCISED
OTHER IMPENDING FREE AGENTS
Try to retain, extend qualifying offer, or let go?
- José Abreu (Made $18M in 2021) Let Go
- Johnny Cueto ($4.2M) Let Go
- Vince Velasquez ($3M) Let Go
- Elvis Andrus ($14.25M) Let Go
MANAGER
Its Grifol. Seems fine.
FREE AGENTS
List three free-agent targets you’d pursue during the offseason, with a reasonable contract. A good example of a bad idea:
No. 1: David Peralta: 1 yrs 8 Mil ought to do it. He can play a solid left field and hit bombs.
TRADES
All of these passed the trade simulator with no more than a slight advantage to the Sox
No. 1: Trade Andrew Vaugn, Cespedes, Jose Rodriguez, and Jarred Kelley to the Rays for Brandon Lowe and Tyler Glasnow. (Costs Sox $9 Million in Salary additions)
It's time for the Rays to get younger again. Glasnow has a cheap year in 2023 but a very expensive year in 2024 which works great for the Sox. He has big upside but the Rays were fine in the pitching department without him last year. They get an immediate impact bat in Vaughn another dynamic young OF in Cespedes and two high-upside guys in Rodriguez and Kelly. It's the kind of trade that keeps the Rays good year in and year out while giving the Sox two big contributions for right now without breaking the bank. There is a big salary commitment for 2024 but if he pitches well and the Sox win it will be worth it, if he is bad and the sox are bad there will be plenty of places to shed payroll next year.
No 2. Kendal Graveman to the Dodgers for Catching prospect Jesus Galiz (or a similar flier): (Clears $8 million)
The goal here is to clear some money. The dodgers could use the arm and Reynaldo's emergence makes Graveman expendable.
SUMMARY
C: Yasmani Grandal
1B: Sheets/Burger Platoon
2B: Lowe
3B: Moncada
SS: Anderson
LF: Peralta/Eloy
CF: Luis Robert
RF: Colas/Pollock platoon (There is nothing for Colas to prove hitting in Charlotte.)
DH: Eloy
IF: Burger, Leury,
C: Zavala
OF: Pollock
Pitchers
Starters: Cease, Lynn, Glasnow, Kopech, Gio
Bullpen: Same as last year with Marin filling Gravemans Roster spot until Crochet is ready.
