PREAMBLE
Lots of trades to get younger and better. Want to be ready for 2025 not 2024.
ARBITRATION-ELIGIBLE PLAYERS
- Dylan Cease: $8.8M - tender
- Andrew Vaughn: $3.7M - tender
- Michael Kopech: $3.6M - tender
- Touki Toussaint: $1.7M - tender
- Trayce Thompson: $1.7M - non-tender
- Garrett Crochet: $900K - tender
- Clint Frazier: $900K – non-tender
- Matt Foster: $740K - non-tender (sad, like him)
CLUB OPTIONS
Write “pick up” or “decline” or “rework” after the option.
- Tim Anderson: $14M ($1M buyout) pick up
- Liam Hendriks: $15M ($15M buyout, paid $1.5M annually over next 10 years) pick up (so he is off the books and if he can come back, might get a good prospect at the trade deadline)
MUTUAL OPTIONS
- Mike Clevinger: $12M mutual option ($4 million buyout) “exercised” but expect him to reject so not expected to keep him. Looks interesting.
OTHER IMPENDING FREE AGENTS
- Yasmani Grandal (Made $18.25M in 2023) – let go
- Elvis Andrus ($3M) – Keep if he takes $4M
- Bryan Shaw ($720K) – Let go
- José Ureña ($720K) – let go
FREE AGENTS
Need for pitching. Trading away the best pitcher. Need 6 starting pitchers. Most likely only get 3 out of the 4
No. 1: Michael Wacha (one year, $10,000,000). Most likely will take a 1-year deal and might want to get traded at the deadline to a team that is actually good.
No. 2: Lucas Giolito (one year, $10,000,000). Most likely will take a 1-year make good deal. He knows Ethan Katz and might respect Brian Bannister.
No. 3: Sean Manaea (one year, $10,000,000 might have to go up to $15). Most likely will take a 1-year deal and might want to get traded at the deadline to a team that is actually good. Knows Brian Bannister.
No. 4: Jack Flaherty (one year, $10,000,000). Most likely will take a 1-year make good deal. He knows Ethan Katz and might respect Brian Bannister.
No. 5: Austin Hedges (one year, $5,000,000). Wants to stay in the league! OK, he cannot hit but he frame (after next year that won’t matter most likely). Goal is to make the pitchers look good so they can get traded at the deadline. Youth might be ready.
TRADES
No. 1: Dylan Cease to Orioles for Joey Ortiz, Connor Norby, and Kyle Brnovich. Brnovich is rule 5, so needs a spot and they don’t have room. Joey Ortiz and Connor Norby will be starting for the Sox, both are blocked big time. Would love Coby Mayo instead of Norby but don’t think that could happen. Orioles really need a number 1, that is Cease.
No. 2: Trade Tim Anderson to the Dodgers for Andy Pages and Nick Frasso. Tim could play second or short stop for 1 year for the Dodgers. Again, 2 players that are blocked. Worth a try. Saving some money here.
No. 3: Trade Yoán Moncada to the Yankees for Tommy Kahnle and Domingo German. Yankees need a third baseman. They could at least dump Tommy Kahnle and Domingo German to the Sox (~13MM). Don’t think they want to get rid of D.J. LeMahieu (15M) as a salary dump.
No. 3: Trade Eloy Jiménez to the Brewers for Garrett Mitchell. Brewers need to make room for Jackson Chourio and they need a bat big time. So think this might work for both sides.
SUMMARY
Getting some pitching to trade. Getting a middle infield. Don’t need to bring up a pitcher until midseason when can trade or dump the free agents. Don’t expect to win but getting in a good position for next year. Can win some game but not a lot. Note I have Garrett Crochet in AAA trying to be a starter. Gavin Sheets is gone. Keeping Liam Hendriks so off the books after 2024 and might be able to trade if he comes back.
Team
Starting pitching: Michael Wacha, Lucas Giolito, Sean Manaea, Jack Flaherty, Touki Toussaint, Michael Kopech. Bad, but can work until mid-season (6)
Relief pitching: Gregory Santos, Tommy Kahnle, Domingo German, Jesse Scholtens, Aaron Bummer, Tanner Banks, Jimmy Lambert (assuming he is back if not Nick Nastrini). (7)
Catching: Austin Hedges and rotate between Korey Lee, Carlos Perez, and Adam Hackenberg. Only 2 catchers on the active roster. (2)
Infield: Joey Ortiz, Connor Norby, Elvis Andrus, Zach Remillard, Andrew Vaughn, Lenyn Sosa (6)
Outfield: Luis Robert Jr., Andrew Benintendi, Andy Pages, Garrett Mitchell, Adam Haseley (5)
Oscar Colas back in AAA. Colas will replace Haseley at some point. Don’t really have a DH, 3rd base (unless get Mayo instead of Norby), or backup 1st baseman. So not ideal roster. Expect at the break bring up Edgar Navarro, Nick Nastrini, Cristian Mena, or maybe one of the other AAA pitchers. Notice there will be many young pitchers such as Sean Burke, Davis Martin, Nick Nastrini, Cristian Mena and maybe Ky Bush or Jake Eder along with Crochet (goal is to have 6 starters). AA will have some real pitching also! Expect either Ramos or Montgomery will come up at some point. Think that Xavier Fernandez or Tim Elko could end up helping at 1st base by mid-season.
