MLB Chatter Thread

E_D_Guapo

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Our lineup needed some good contact guys because it was too prone to slumps and strikeouts last year.
That is exactly why I think he is such a good fit. The Cubs had the same issues of too many swing and miss guys so they went out and got Heyward and Zobrist to help counter that. Obviously Heyward's first season was a disaster but traditionally he has been a good contact hitter who takes walks, and Zobrist still is. Have to have a few of those types in the lineup to supplement the all or nothing types.
 

E_D_Guapo

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They should probably offer Kris Bryant for Alex Colome.
I still think they are likely trade partners with the Rays for a starting pitcher but I would have thought Soler was a guy that could have been part of a deal. I am significantly less interested in Cobb now because I don't want to move more guys for a pitcher on the last year of his deal. Smyly is a guy that I would try to get to compete with Mike Montgomery for the 5th starter slot. I think he would be ideal as that 6th starter type—a guy that can make spot starts, step in when a starter hits the DL, and be the long man in the pen. A Travis Wood replacement, basically. Might be able to keep him off the DL that way. I would not give up any of my top prospects for him but maybe someone like Jeimer Candelario and some other redundant pieces that may be useful to the Rays.
 
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Jiggyfly

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Astros Rumors: Beware the price of a Jose Quintana deal.
by Eric Huysman1 day agoFollow @Eric_CTH
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Are the Astros in talks for Jose Quintana?

Most talking heads around baseball feel like the Astros need to update the rotation to win big. While the current rotation is good enough to win in the regular season, will it be enough for potential playoffs? Despite the question marks surrounding Dallas Keuchel and Lance McCullers, you have to count on them. The latest Astros rumors have them chasing Jose Quintana, but will they land him?


I don’t want to discount the emerging Joseph Musgrove, Collin McHugh, or Charlie Morton. These three pitchers could be good with Musgrove potentially becoming the better of the three. If you are going into a Game 3 of the ALCS versus the Red Sox, you confident in any of those three versus their big 3? Musgrove might fit the bill, but will he be on a innings limit this year?

People keep on asking me who I think the Astros will trade for. If Chris Archer is really not available as people are saying, the next best option would be Jose Quintana. There are other cheaper options, but he is a workhorse pitcher, pitching 200 plus innings the past four years. With a better offense behind him, he could become one of the top pitchers in the game.

Is he better than Chris Sale? Probably not, but he is in high demand with Sale off the market. Quintana has a 46-46 career record with a career 3.41 ERA with 781 strikeouts in 951 innings. Last season, he pitched well in 2016 for a bad White Sox team with a career-high 5.2 WAR. His career WAR of 20.5 in five years is good. The left-handed pitcher is under team control for four years.


A look at Quintana.

Quintana has $15.85 million guaranteed over the next two years plus two club options for $22 million. In this market, that’s a fairly reasonable price for a proven pitcher. When the White Sox traded Sale, it opened the door for any other players. However, Astros fans must be cautious of the price it would cost to trade for him. The White Sox have overhauled their minor leagues with two deals so far. The rankings were from MLB Pipeline.


Adam Eaton for…

Lucas Giolito (Nationals #1)

Reynaldo Lopez (Nationals #3)

Dave Dunning (Nationals #6)

Chris Sale for…

Yoan Moncada (Red Sox #1)

Michael Kopech (Red Sox #5)

Luis Basabe (Red Sox #8)

Victor Diaz (Red Sox #28)

Brian McTaggart tweeted, “As far as acquiring Jose Quintana, the price is really high from what I’ve heard.” It has been said that more teams were interested in Quintana than Sale. The Nationals were interested, but they just gave up that haul for Eaton. We may have been given a sneak peak today by Jon Heyman as to what the price would be.




While the Astros don’t have a Hunter in their minor league system, you would have to assume that it’s either Derek Fisher or Kyle Tucker. They are both outfielders, which is what Heyman said Hunter was. So the highlight of the package would be Francis Martes and Fisher or Tucker among others. That’s a steep price, but look at what the White Sox have acquired thus far. The Nationals were interested in Quintana, now the Astros considered the favorite.

NEXT: Astros miss out on Sale, they wanted Alex Bregman
Phil Rogers just said on MLB Network that Quintana could be on the move soon, the Astros are involved. He said that they are far along, but haven’t said they were close. Get ready if that is true.

***Stats and salary from Ba
 

E_D_Guapo

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Phil Rogers just said on MLB Network that Quintana could be on the move soon, the Astros are involved. He said that they are far along, but haven’t said they were close. Get ready if that is true.
If the Astros are prepared to go all in the Quintana is a good target. I wonder if there is a way for them to get creative without having to gut their system of what is left of top level talent. Think they would send George Springer packing if that is what it would take as a centerpiece? Not that I think that would be a great idea, I am just wondering how far they are willing to go to upgrade their rotation if the prospects they have to offer are not enticing enough.
 
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Jiggyfly

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If the Astros are prepared to go all in the Quintana is a good target. I wonder if there is a way for them to get creative without having to gut their system of what is left of top level talent. Think they would send George Springer packing if that is what it would take as a centerpiece? Not that I think that would be a great idea, I am just wondering how far they are willing to go to upgrade their rotation if the prospects they have to offer are not enticing enough.
Springer has been thought of as not untouchable but I think they have enough prospects to get a deal done.
 

Jiggyfly

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The White Sox wanted Astros’ top prospects for Jose Quintana

By Ashley VarelaDec 10, 2016, 2:33 PM EST

The Astros, Braves and Nationals came sniffing around White Sox left-hander Jose Quintana during the Winter Meetings, but each appeared to find the Sox’ asking price well beyond what they were willing to give up for the starter. On Saturday, Peter Gammons revealed that the White Sox had floated Francis Martes, Kyle Tucker and Joe Musgrove as a possible return for Quintana.

It’s a strategy that worked well for Chicago in the past, most recently when they dealt Chris Sale to the Red Sox for Yoan Moncada and Michael Kopech, among others, and flipped Adam Eaton to the Nationals for a trio of pitching prospects. Astros’ GM Jeff Luhnow didn’t appear eager to sacrifice some of his core talent to net a high-end starter, however, and told the Houston Chronicle’s Jake Kaplan as much on Wednesday:

We’re prepared to trade players to improve our club right now. […] We’re just not prepared to trade away players that are core to our production in 2017, and those are sometimes the players that are required to get these deals done.
While Lunhow was speaking specifically to the inclusion of third baseman Alex Bregman in future deals, it’s not unrealistic to think that top prospects Francis Martes and Kyle Tucker would also be considered instrumental to the Astros’ plans for the next few seasons.

Martes, 21, currently sits atop the team’s top prospect list on MLB.com. The right-hander blazed through his first full season in Double-A Corpus Christi, posting a 3.30 ERA and career-best 9.4 K/9 over 125 1/3 innings in 2016. Tucker, meanwhile, profiles as the Astros’ second-best prospect and made a successful jump to High-A Lancaster last season, slashing .339/.435/.661 in 69 PA. Rookie right-hander Joe Musgrove is the only player left off the top prospect list, but he got off to a decent start with the club in 2016 as well, going 4-4 with a 4.06 ERA and 3.44 K/BB rate in 62 innings during his first major league season.

___________________________________

Take out Tucker for a couple of other prospects like Fisher and Cameron and I do that deal.
 

Jiggyfly

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Three things you need to know about starter Jose Quintana:

1. He's really good. Over the past four seasons, the left-hander is seventh in the majors in WAR among pitchers, right behind Corey Kluber and just ahead of Felix Hernandez.

2. He's durable. He's one of just six pitchers with at least 200 innings each of the past four seasons.

3. He's signed to a team-friendly contract that covers four more seasons. He makes $7 million in 2017 and $8.85 in 2018, followed by team options for $10.5 and $11.5 million. So there's basically no financial risk given the salaries and options.

Maybe Quintana isn't Chris Sale, but he's pretty close to Chris Sale, and he'll cost only a few million more than what the Cardinals will pay reliever Brett Cecil the next four seasons. As we saw in particular with the Adam Eaton trade, making a deal isn't simply an exchange of talent but also involves the surplus value attached to a player's contract, and Quintana has a lot of potential surplus value.


White Sox lefty Jose Quintana is durable and has a friendly contract. AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast
So if the White Sox continue to dismantle their roster to acquire even more young players, Quintana is their third huge asset. As Buster Olney wrote on Friday, however, general manager Rick Hahn doesn't have to trade Quintana:

But before White Sox trade the left-hander to Houston or some other team for another boatload of prospects, it might be worthwhile for Hahn and his staff to think about this: Sooner than expected, the White Sox might need somebody exactly like Quintana.
Through the trades with Boston and Washington, Chicago has added young players who already will make an impact with the White Sox next year, including Yoan Moncada, Reynaldo Lopez and Lucas Giolito, who already have major league service time. Pitchers Dane Dunning and Michael Kopech are a little further away, more likely to reach the majors in 2018.

Meanwhile, the Royals are crashing headlong into the financial limitations of their market and have started a measured sell-off of assets that might continue through the coming summer because of the wave of K.C. players eligible for free agency next winter. The Twins are early in their rebuilding process. The Tigers have an older, bloated roster with almost no financial flexibility and, according to rival evaluators, a relatively thin farm system.

Unlike Sale, whose fastball velocity declined in 2016 (perhaps because he made more of conscious effort to pitch to contact, but perhaps because he simply wasn't throwing as hard), Quintana averaged a career-high 92.0 mph with his fastball. There are no signs he's due to regress. And Buster's right: In what looks like a weak AL Central aside from the Indians in the coming years, the White Sox might be contenders sooner than most rebuilding jobs, especially if they can dig into the lucrative free-agent market that will arrive after the 2018 season.

Anyway, Quintana remains a valuable trade chip, and deals will be discussed. Let's see if we can find one that might work.

Houston Astros: This is the team everybody mentions as a potential trade partner. The Astros have improved their lineup, and adding Quintana alongside Dallas Keuchel, Collin McHugh and a healthy Lance McCullers would make for a nice rotation. Any deal would have to start with Francis Martes, Houston's top prospect and one of the top pitching prospects in the minors. He pitched in Double-A last year, so he isn't far away. Outfielder Kyle Tucker was the team's first-round pick in 2015, and outfielder Teoscar Hernandez, who already reached the majors, would start for the White Sox in 2017. A.J. Reed bombed in his first big league trial but is the kind of high-OBP bat the White Sox need. So something like Martes, two of Tucker/Hernandez/Reed and maybe another lower-level prospect might work.

Seattle Mariners: They'll looking for another starter with experience to replace Taijuan Walker, but I don't see the prospects here to entice the Sox.

Baltimore Orioles: They're in the same boat as Seattle: They could use another starter -- the O's had a 4.72 rotation ERA -- but have an even worse system than Seattle. No match here.

Pittsburgh Pirates: Unable to deal Andrew McCutchen, maybe they flip the switch and decide to add a veteran. Even the Pirates can afford Quintana, and they have a highly regarded farm system. The White Sox would want right-hander Tyler Glasnow and outfielder Austin Meadows, ranked eighth and ninth on MLB.com's top 100 prospects, and the Pirates have other interesting prospects like first baseman/outfielder Josh Bell and shortstop Kevin Newman.

Atlanta Braves: They were rumored to be interested in Sale, and while they have a system viewed as having a lot of depth, I don't see a sure thing, top-end talent here (not counting Dansby Swanson). Shortstop Ozzie Albies doesn't have much power and hit just .248 in Triple-A; he's very young and should improve but could be more Elvis Andrus than Francisco Lindor. Sean Newcomb is a huge lefty with a huge fastball and control issues. Are those two and something else enough? Probably not, given the uncertainty of Newcomb.

Colorado Rockies: Shortstop Brendan Rodgers is a top-10 overall prospect after hitting 19 home runs at age 19 in the South Atlantic League with solid contact skills. If the Rockies believe in Trevor Story, Rodgers could be bait to acquire that front-end starter they're always unable to sign in free agency. Outfielder Raimel Tapia has already reached the majors and right-hander Riley Pint -- the fourth overall pick in 2016 -- could complete the deal.

Texas Rangers: The Texas system isn't as strong as its been in the past. I don't see anything here.

New York Yankees: They've added some strong depth with the likes of outfielder Clint Frazier and shortstop Gleyber Torres. Shortstop/second baseman Jorge Mateo is a ways off from the majors but has power and speed potential. But given Frazier's strikeout issues, none of these three is a sure bet. (The Yankees actually had Quintana at one point, losing him as a six-year minor league free agent.)

Los Angeles Dodgers: They're trying to decrease their payroll, but Quintana doesn't break the bank. Right-hander Jose De Leon and outfielder Alex Verdugo would be an interesting pair to start with.

Chicago Cubs: Don't even think of a deal with their crosstown rival.

The Astros still seem like the best best, given their system strength and desire to add a final piece for 2017 and beyond. The Rockies are a sleeper team, as they seem to making a push for playoff contention. Will another team value Quintana on the same level as Sale or Eaton? If so, I think he starts the season in a new uniform.
 

Kbrown

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At this point, I think I just roll into the season as is and see what happens closer to the deadline. If Keuchel heals up and gets anywhere close to his Cy Young self, I think it will be fine till then.

I think the White Sox have gotten a little greedy.
 

Jiggyfly

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Royals starters Danny Duffy and Yordano Ventura are two of the pitchers on the Astros’ list of rotation targets, MLB.com’s Brian McTaggart reports. The two K.C. arms join several other previously-known names (i.e. Jose Quintana, Chris Archer, Jake Odorizzi and other Tampa Bay’s starters) as potential trade fits for a Houston team looking to upgrade its starting pitching.

Kansas City is known to be open to dealing notable players in order to cut short-term payroll, and the Royals have already made one big move in this regard by dealing Wade Davis to the Cubs for Jorge Soler. Even with Davis gone, however, the Royals have several more possible trade chips who are only controllable over the next one or two seasons before hitting free agency.
 

Carp

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So I saw a rumor of Bruce for Smyly. zzzzzzzzzzzzz
 

Rev

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Encanarcion and the Rangers keep getting paired up in rumorville.


Stop teasing me like this....
 

Carp

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I really wish we'd find a way to shed some money and make a run at Encarnacion. They have to be creative...like offering up Bruce and a high level prospect, so teams would willing to take the rest of his deal. The Madoff stuff happened a long time ago, they have to quit acting like a small market team.
 

Rev

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Everything is right in the world again...


Congrats Pudge!!
 

Cotton

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So sad.
 

Cotton

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Rev

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Seen several that are disputing this and think it's just to try and put more pressure on the Astros to get a deal done.
 
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