MLB NEWS/RUMORS Thread

Darth has a schtick. He does certain things.
Its kinda like me putting up a long lineup post for seemingly random reasons.
Or villar.
Be progressive, just lean forward and go with it. You will get used to it, hell you might like it.

 

mine is a recurring one
i keep screaming at roberts to take darvish out after he walks mccann...
but he doesn't listen

 

i trust the nerds, especially on under the radar moves
low risk, possible high reward... what's not to like?

 

completely agree
and i'd argue that acquiring stanton would actually make them much worse...
it would deplete what little talent/depth the [don't] have

 

Should Dodgers Sign Arrieta, Cobb, Darvish or Ohtani?
by Matt Borelli | Dodger Blue — 2 hours ago



As was the case for 2017, the Los Angeles Dodgers arguably boast the Majors’ best starting pitching depth heading into next season. Prominent players under contract include Clayton Kershaw, Rich Hill, Alex Wood, Kenta Maeda, Hyun-Jin Ryu and Brandon McCarthy.

The club’s staff extends beyond those names, with Scott Kazmir and Julio Urias figuring to contribute at some point next season as they return from lengthy injuries. Other arms such as Walker Buehler, Brock Stewart and Ross Stripling are primed to get looks as well.

That being said, the Dodgers could very well acquire an elite arm this offseason to pair with Kershaw at the top of the rotation. The club did just that at the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline, landing Yu Darvish from the Texas Rangers in exchange for a trio of prospects.

Now a free agent, Darvish is slated to sign one of the winter’s largest contracts. It remains to be seen if the Dodgers will commit the resources to bring him back, but there are other alternatives on the table should they choose to go the free-agent route.

Jake Arrieta: The 2015 National League Cy Young winner hits free agency after an up-and-down season with the Chicago Cubs. He posted a 3.53 ERA, 4.16 FIP and 1.22 WHIP over 168.1 innings but put up elite numbers in the second half.

After the All-Star Game, Arrieta pitched to a 2.28 ERA and 1.09 WHIP with 61 strikeouts over 67 innings. He allowed just one run and five hits in 10.2 innings across two postseason starts — further improving his free agency stock.

Arrieta is just one of two elite-caliber starting pitchers with Major League experience on the market, along with Darvish. The Cubs extended him a qualifying offer, which Arrieta rejected, meaning if a new team signs him they must yield some form of compensation.

The Dodgers could potentially pursue Arrieta, who figures to sign a deal just short of Darvish’s value. But the right-hander is entering his age-32 season, which could limit the club’s interest.

Los Angeles has historically shied away from inking pitchers on the wrong side of 30 to lucrative deals.

Alex Cobb: The longtime Tampa Bay Rays starter is a cheaper solution on the market for clubs that miss out on the higher-end names.

In 179.1 innings this season, Cobb posted a 3.66 ERA, 4.16 FIP and 1.22 WHIP with 128 strikeouts to 44 walks. He accumulated 2.4 WAR (Baseball-Reference) for his efforts — his highest total since the 2014 season (3.9).

Cobb won’t command a contract close to what Arrieta or Darvish fetch, which makes him an appealing option for teams in need of a rotation upgrade. However, the Rays extended Cobb a qualifying offer, which could hinder his market to some degree.

Health is a concern for tams looking to sign Cobb, as well. He underwent Tommy John surgery in May 2015 and logged a total of 22 innings in 2016 as a September call-up.

Cobb has strong ties with Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman dating back to their days with Tampa Bay. Friedman served as the club’s general manager when Cobb was drafted in 2006 and they spent four seasons together from 2011-14.

Despite this, Dodgers general manager Farhan Zaidi hinted that the Dodgers will look improve its roster in the form of elite talent. While Cobb is a solid arm, it’s fair to wonder if he’d even place among the top-five on the Dodgers’ depth chart for starting pitchers.

Yu Darvish: The 31-year-old struggled during the first half with the Rangers, posting career-highs in ERA (4.01) and FIP (3.99) while striking out a career-low 9.7 batters per nine innings.

With the Dodgers, Darvish rebounded and pitched to a 3.44 ERA, 3.38 FIP and 1.15 WHIP over 49.2 innings with an improved 11.1 strikeouts per nine ratio.

He allowed just one run over his final 19.1 innings and carried that success into the NL Division Series, where he yielded one run over five innings in a win against the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Darvish built on that outing and dominated the Cubs in Game 3 of the NL Championship Series, allowing one run in 6.1 frames with seven punch outs. The right-hander faltered in two World Series starts against the Houston Astros and allowed nine runs over 3.1 innings — earning losses in Game 3 and the deciding seventh contest.

Despite his World Series struggles, there won’t be a shortage of suitors for Darvish. The St. Louis Cardinals and Minnesota Twins are among teams to already express strong interest in signing him.

With the absence of a qualifying offer attached to him, Darvish is far and away the most popular option on the open market.

Unless he accepts a discount to return to Los Angeles, Darvish will likely be pitching elsewhere next season. He’s the same age as Zack Greinke when the Dodgers allowed him to sign a record deal with the Diamondbacks.

Shohei Ohtani: Arguably the most enticing free agent, Ohtani is expected to sign with a Major League club this winter after spending the previous five seasons with the Nippon-Ham Fighters in the Japan Pacific League.

Though, momentum toward his being posted took a hit and now Monday looms as an important deadline.

Ohtani is a supreme talent in the form of a two-way player. As a hitter, he owns a career slash line of .286/.358/.500 in 1,170 plate appearances, with 70 doubles, 48 home runs and 166 RBI.

On the mound, Ohtani has pitched to a 2.52 ERA and 1.08 WHIP over 543 career innings with 624 strikeouts — good for a 10.3 strikeouts per nine ratio. If posted by the NFighters, interested teams such as the Dodgers will submit bids upwards of $20 million.

Should a team sign Ohtani, the posting fee would then be paid to the Fighters. As it stands, he likely will not receive a signing bonus larger than $5 million. In the Dodgers’ case, they’re limited to offering a $300,000 bonus because of exceeding their international bonus pool in the previous signing period.

Speaking in general terms, Friedman said he is intrigued by the thought of a player looking to succeed in the Majors as a pitcher and hitter, further leading to speculation that the Dodgers will be a major player for the 23-year-old.

If the Dodgers are able to secure Ohtani’s services, it will be interesting to see how they deploy him over the gruesome 162-game regular season. With the club’s excellent pitching depth, he wouldn’t necessarily have to take the mound every five days.

On days where Ohtani doesn’t pitch, he could instead see some time at left field or first base and focus on hitting in the middle of the lineup.

 

might not sound like a lot
but a couple weeks ago they were saying there would only be minor tweaks [additions]
i don't know if this means stanton or ohtani...
but it sounds like their outlook has changed

Zaidi: Dodgers seeking impact talent to upgrade roster
by Matt Borelli | Dodger Blue — 18 minutes ago



The Los Angeles Dodgers fell one win short of ending their 29-year World Series drought, but nevertheless enjoyed a historic season that featured multiple double-digit winning streaks and a Los Angeles franchise record 104 victories.

The club saw seven players reach the open market at the conclusion of the Fall Classic and must determine who fits in their long-term plans. Among the most prominent free agents are midseason acquisition Yu Darvish, Brandon Morrow and Tony Watson.

With most of the Dodgers’ young core in tact for the foreseeable future, the club will likely approach the free-agent period with a selective mindset. Unlike last season, there aren’t as many glaring needs that must be addressed.

Dodgers general manager Farhan Zaidi hinted that any sought-after improvements to the roster will need come in the form of elite talent, via Andy McCullough of the L.A. Times:

“We just have a pretty well-balanced roster, where any improvements are going to likely have to come in the form of real-impact talent,” Zaidi said, “and that’s not easy to go after.”​

Though the offseason is still in the early stages, there hasn’t been a shortage of Dodgers rumors on both the free-agent and trade front. The club is reportedly in the mix to acquire Miami Marlins superstar Giancarlo Stanton, though there hasn’t been much traction in those talks yet.

What’s more, the Dodgers are among the clubs to inquire on Baltimore Orioles star closer Zach Britton. Los Angeles attempted to acquire Britton at the non-waiver deadline before settling for a pair of southpaws in Tony Cingrani and Watson.

The Dodgers could ultimately bring back Darvish, though with such a weak market for starting pitching, he’s projected to sign a lucrative contract that may be beyond comfort. Depending on the price, the club could make a play for Chicago Cubs free agent Jake Arrieta as an alternative option.

The Nippon-Ham Fighters are also expected to make Shohei Otani available, if a posting system is put in place. Speaking in somewhat general terms, Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said he was intrigued by the thought of managing and crafting a schedule for a two-way star.​

 

see the 3rd to last paragraph...

 

Looking for a match in a Brad Hand trade
by Kyle Downing | MLB Trade Rumors — 12 minutes ago

After entertaining offers from a handful of teams leading up to the 2017 non-waiver trade deadline, the San Diego Padres opted not to trade reliever Brad Hand. But discussions are sure to heat up once again heading into the hot stove season. While the elite lefty is no sure bet to be dealt, the Friars look like a long shot to contend in a tough NL West division and could be well-served to exchange Hand for a package of young talent.

Hand followed a breakout 2016 campaign with an equally phenomenal 2017 season. Among major-league relievers this past year, he finished 14th in ERA (2.16), 11th in xFIP (2.90), 21st in K/9 (11.80), 6th in innings pitched (79 1/3), and 4th in Win Probability Added (3.89). The former second-round pick accrued 21 saves despite not taking over the closer role until late July, and was valued at 1.7 fWAR.

Every team in the major leagues would look better on paper by adding Hand to their bullpen. Relievers of his caliber are difficult to come by, let alone left-handers. He wouldn’t even be a rental; Hand is controllable through 2019 via arbitration. MLBTR projects him to be awarded just a $3.8MM salary in 2018, making him an incredibly payroll-friendly alternative to some of the big name free-agent relievers.

Not every team can afford Hand in terms of prospects, however, which is how we can begin to eliminate some teams from the mix. When the Indians acquired lefty Andrew Miller from the Yankees at the 2016 trade deadline, they forked over four minor leaguers, including top prospects Clint Frazier and Justus Sheffield. While nobody would argue that Miller is the superior (and more established) relief pitcher, the two come with similar amounts of team control, while Miller’s contract guaranteed him $9MM per season.

If the asking price for Hand is anything close to the return the Yankees got for Miller, then we can firmly remove the Cubs, Diamondbacks, Angels, Giants, Mariners and Orioles from the picture. Teams like the White Sox, A’s, Phillies and Reds are probably too far away from serious contention to consider a run at Hand. But beyond that, there would still appear to be a vast pool of potential suitors, leaving the Padres firmly in the driver’s seat.

On paper, there are a few matches that make loads of sense. The Astros have a powerful roster that lacks only the presence of a dominant left-handed bullpen arm, and they certainly have the prospect depth to swing a trade. Likewise, the Dodgers would certainly benefit from another elite reliever to back Kenley Jansen, and their farm may be better than that of the Astros. The Brewers have a strong rotation that would benefit from another elite reliever who could help shorten games.

My favorite potential match is the Cardinals. St. Louis has so many outfield prospects that it’ll be hard to roster them all when the Rule 5 Draft comes around, while the Padres would probably love to add some upside young talent at that position. Meanwhile, the Cards are in definite need of a closer. I expect the two teams will at least discuss the possibility of a Hand trade.

Some other teams in dire need of bullpen help include the Twins, Rays, Rockies and Braves, though those teams might have other issues to address before thinning out their farm systems for a relief pitcher.

Whether a trade materializes or not, it’s fair to expect Hand’s name will pop up in trade rumors a fair number of times this offseason. It would surely be exciting to see how a contender might utilize him in the playoffs.

 

Outlook has not changed, only story in the paper has changed because we need to sell more papers.