How the Red Sox can Counter the Yankees / Stanton Acquisition

    The Yankees made a surprise move this weekend by acquiring the National League MVP for Starlin Castro, and two Single-A Prospects. While the Yankees added the man who led the majors in homeruns (59) to a lineup that already led the league in homeruns, The Red Sox sat on their hands and tweeted about the “Rivalry”, and new beer sponsorship.  The Yankees continued to make moves Tuesday by dumping Chase Headley’s contract, by sending him back to the Padres along with Bryan Mitchell. They acquired Jabari Blash in return, but this was purely a contract dump, and nothing else. The Yankees are now $30 million under the luxury-tax threshold according to Ken Rosenthal, meaning they are still in the race for Manny Machado or other trade candidates. I’m not going to sugar coat it, this is bad for the Red Sox, who to this point have not done anything. However, Winter Meetings is upon us, and Dave Dombrowski will not just sit there as the Yankees build a dynasty.

              Evan Drellich reported that the Red Sox have a spent 90% of their time pursuing J.D. Martinez, the top free agent in this year’s class. If the Red Sox are going to go almost all in on one player, I’m glad it’s the man who has had almost identical numbers to Giancarlo Stanton since 2015:

               Most people do not realize that Stanton and Martinez are almost a wash. Stanton is younger, but Martinez does not cost any prospects or MLB talent, and he does not even have a qualifying offer, due to his mid-season trade to the Diamondbacks. I would love J.D. Martinez and expect the Red Sox to pony up and get him, but one player will not fix the teams lack of offensive production. The question is, who else should the Red Sox target?

Eric Hosmer:

               Eric Hosmer is coming off his best season in 2017, hitting .318, with 25 homeruns, and 94 RBI’s. He is a career .284 hitter, with inconsistent power. He is not the guy that is going to fix the Red Sox’s offensive production. That being said, he is a great five-tool player that can help the Red Sox win. Hosmer was the 2016 All-Star game MVP, 4-Time Gold Glove award winner, (2013-2015, 2017) and a 2017 Silver Slugger. He played in all 162 games last season, and has only missed significant time in 2014, when he broke his hand. Hosmer does not have a multitude of teams competing for him, so should be bought for a discount, even with Boras as his agent.

Jose Abreu:

               Jose Abreu would be my favorite trade target now that Ozuna is gone. I would take him over any other realistic trade target. Abreu is already 30, entering his age 31 season. Abreu hit .304, with 33 homeruns, and 102 RBI’s in 2017. He has been one of the most consistent hitters in the league over the last four seasons, since arriving from Cuba. He has never hit lower than .290, and has two seasons where he hit over .300. He plays almost every day, averaging 154 games a season. He has only had one season where he hit under 30 homeruns, (25 in 2016) and has hit up to 36. (2014) He also has been between 100 and 107 RBI’s in all four seasons. From a consistency standpoint, there is nobody better.

Making the Case for Hosmer:

               Eric Hosmer is the better all-around player. He can hit for average, and has enough power to hit in the middle of the order. The problem is that adding Hosmer would not fix the low power numbers for the Red Sox. Mitch Moreland hit 22 homeruns last year, only three less than Hosmer, and battled numerous injuries all season long. Eric Hosmer would still be a great fit to the Red Sox lineup because he can keep the line moving, while driving in his teammates. If we land J.D. Martinez, then I would put Hosmer on the top of Dave Dombrowski’s shopping list. As long as J.D. can hit for power, adding a guy that hit .318 last season can only help. Hosmer has proven that he can hit in the clutch (.276 BA and 29 RBI’s in 31 postseason games) and, would allow Hanley Ramirez to continue to DH. The formula that sent the Red Sox to the playoffs last year was clutch hitting and keeping the line moving. The reason they Sox won so many games is because they could score five runs at any moment, and never gave up. Martinez alone could help boost our homerun ranking to the middle of the pack. I also would expect bounce back seasons from two or three of the following players: Mookie Betts, Hanley Ramirez, and Jackie Bradley Jr. We also get a full season of Rafael Devers, and year two of Andrew Benintendi. We also need to remember that homeruns are not the only way to win ballgames. The Sox won the division over the team with the most homeruns last season. Hosmer is the best overall first basemen available, he is only 28-years-old, and for some reason people do not want to pay up for him.

Making the Case for Abreu:

               Jose Abreu is one of the most consistent performers I have ever seen. I highly value consistency, which is why I would be willing to deal a guy like Jackie Bradley Jr. to get land him. Abreu has two years left of arbitration, compared to Bradley’s three. We would have to give up more prospects, including Michael Chavis, who as I mention later is blocked at 3B anyway, and is not as safe a bet at 1B as Abreu. He would fix the power issue and solidify the middle of the order. The White Sox claim they are content on keeping Abreu and need to be blown away to deal him. If this truly is the case, I am totally fine with the Red Sox going after Hosmer and keeping the few prospect Dombrowski hasn’t already traded.

Here’s what I wrote before the Cardinals ruined my dreams and traded for Marcel Ozuna:

Marcel Ozuna:

               Marcel Ozuna broke out in 2017, batting .312 with 37 homeruns, and 124 RBI’s. That’s good for the 7th best NL batting average, third in homeruns and RBI’s. Ozuna has been overshadowed by Giancarlo Stanton in Miami, but had a phenomenal year. Ozuna participated in his second All-Star game, won a Gold Glove, and a Silver Slugger. He is entering his age 27 season, and has two years left of arbitration. Ozuna is projected to make $10.9 million in arbitration, which is why the Marlins are shopping him. Marcel Ozuna would by far be my top target to pair J.D. Martinez with, assuming we sign him. There were multiple reports that the Red Sox were willing to trade Jackie Bradley Jr., so I would offer him as the centerpiece of the trade. Based on what the Marlins got for Stanton, that might be the only known name we would have to give up. However, there seem to be lots of teams interested in Ozuna, so I would offer 3B prospect Michael Chavis if needed. Chavis is one of only two big names left in our farm system (Jay Groome is the other), but he is blocked by Rafael Devers, who appears to be a rising star. If the Red Sox traded Bradley, we could move Benintendi to CF, and keep Ozuna in LF. Now remember, in this scenario we are assuming Martinez signs as well, so in that case J.D. would DH and Hanley would slide back into first base, where he produced the most in a Sox uniform. Out of all possible scenarios that could play out in the next coming days, this would by far be my favorite.

Scott Neville – WTF Sports

Giancarlo Stanton to the Yankees, Which is the worst thing in MLB History

Giancarlo Stanton is headed to the Yankees for Starlin Castro and prospects. The Yankees will absorb $265 million of his $295 million-dollar deal. The prospects were Jorge Guzman and Jose Devers, cousin of Rafael Devers. The fact that Gleyber Torres was not included in the deal means that the Yankees have also replaced Castro with the top prospect in baseball. Stanton and Judge will most likely split Right Field and DH duties, while keeping Brett Gardner in left and Frazier/Hicks in Center Field. Ellsbury will have a small platoon role.

 

Everyone is going to treat this team like the Golden State Warriors are treated now. ESPN and MLB Network will probably talk about Judge, Stanton, and Sanchez hitting back-to-back-to-back every possible opportunity they can. For them this is a dream because they have been comparing these two freak of nature human beings together for years, even when Judge was in the minors. They are going to let the whole world know every time one of them hits a homer, which will be on a near daily basis. There will also be Gleyber Torres hype, which will be slightly overshadowed by this homerun watch. For Yankees fans, Christmas has come early, and for non-Red Sox or AL East fans, this team will be a blast to watch on national television, which they will be on quite frequently.

 

As a Red Sox fan this news is just about the worst thing that could happen. I wanted to go all out on how bad this is, but I don’t have to, because Barstool Stud Jared Carrabis already said it perfectly: “Meanwhile, after hitting the fewest homers in the American League this year, the Red Sox continue to stand idly by while the best offensive performer on the open market just went to their greatest threat in the American League East. And they just let it happen.” Based on what the Marlins took in return for Stanton, it does not make any sense why Dave Dombrowski didn’t have much interest in the NL MVP. It sounds like the Sox could have traded Jackie Bradley Jr., some lower level no-name prospects, eaten the contract, and acquired a man who hit 59 homeruns last season to balance out the lack of overall power in the lineup. For the Red Sox, this is inexcusable, there is no argument to counter letting the Yankees build the scariest lineup in baseball when we appeared to be the favorite to land the reigning MVP just weeks ago.

 

The Yankees now have a brutal lineup to face, and they have a top-tier bullpen, with quality starters in front of them. With that said, this team is not the Golden State Warriors as I previously noted. Judge was wildly inconsistent and could be in line for a sophomore year regression. As for Stanton, he is not as superhuman as most people assume. Over his eight-year career, he is a .268 hitter. He averages 84 RBI’s a season, which is impressive, but not exactly top of the league. How many homeruns did he average? 40? 50? Nope — 33, which in this day in age is no longer even elite. Granted the Yankees are allowed to use a stadium that most Little League World Series players could hit bombs out of, so expect him to get closer to 40 homers a year. The reason for his .268, 33 HR, 84 RBI average: he also averages 123 games a year. He is extremely injury prone and projects to miss ¼ of every season. There is no doubt that Giancarlo Stanton is an absolute stud, and the Yankees will lead the league in homeruns. The Yankees got a lot better today, that is a fact. However, this is not the time to give up hope. The Red Sox could still get J.D. Martinez, Eric Hosmer or both. If they were to get both, I’d say bring on the Bronx Bombers, because this title race is going to be a tight one.

Scott Neville – WTF Sports

 

Nightmare: Stanton on Track to join the Yankees

I hate Giancarlo Stanton, I think.

Giancarlo Stanton is about to ruin every Red Sox fans offseason. He is about to make me want to punch a damn wall. There are sources stating that Giancarlo to the New York Yankees is almost a done deal. Every single part of me hates this and doesn’t want to be a fan of baseball for a day. This one will hurt. Why? Because at the beginning of the offseason, and for most of the postseason even, Giancarlo to Boston seemed liked a legitimate possibility. Even a few weeks ago I gave my thoughts on where Stanton may go, and felt Boston made so much sense that it’d be almost impossible for it not to happen. But also in that, I said that the Yankees aren’t out of this like everyone thought they were. Take a look:

And what is putting even more salt in now the huge wound is the fact that the Red Sox supposedly were not even that interested:

Stupid, just plain stupid. Yo Dealin’ Dave, you are about to lose that nickname, because you are passing up the opportunity of getting the REIGNING, DEFENDING, 2017 NATIONAL LEAGUE MVP. How are you somehow not interested in that. What you need this offseason is Power. You need power. POWER. Oh, so let’s not be interested in a guy who would hit 60 bombs in Fenway alone, but let’s hope to waste money on a certain outfield answer who has power in free agency. Like if your plan is to sign Bryce Harper next offseason or something, I guess we can be friends again, but until then, you have a lot of explaining to do. You started it off so well, so awesome. Signing the stud Alex Cora as your next manager. But now you may just blow it. And sure, it was not definite you could have got Stanton, but dammit, at least give it a shot. Now you’re letting the rival of the biggest rivalry in sports get him and team him up with Aaron Judge:

I’m not mad Dave, actually I am. But I am more so disappointed. Sure, I know you have got us Chris Sale and David Price, but you know what you didn’t do? You never replaced David Ortiz. You went into the season replacing the idea with thinking Hanley could match those insane numbers, and Mitch Moreland could also help the gap. Well weren’t you wrong pal. And now you had a chance to write the wrong, go for the absolute best hitter on the market! And what happens? YOU’RE NOT EVEN INTERESTED. Disappointment is probably and understatement, but I am trying to be respectful Dave. Just wake up Dave. WAKE. UP.

I hate this. It is unfair, not even a little fair actually. Can’t wait until Sale strikes them both out 150 times next season.

Okay, now let me get away from the Red Sox bias for two seconds. If we think about it, it is probably great for baseball to have Giancarlo Stanton and Aaron Judge join forces on the biggest team in the sport, especially after the biggest foreign signee, Shohei Otani, since Ichiro went to the smaller market Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in the past 24 hours. I probably am wrong to compare Kevin Durant and Giancarlo Stanton, because it is completely different situations, but the amount of hate that will grow for a once loved player inside of me will probably match my feelings for Durant soon enough. I hope talks fail and Stanton literally goes anywhere else, I don’t even care if he goes to the Astros. But the problem here is the New York Yankees. They would just steal another player from the Red Sox that the Red Sox faithful have felt to be theirs (ex. Alex Rodriguez, Mark Teixeira) (also, love ARod, imagine if he wore a Red Sox uniform, a real dream). Yeah, I know, the bias thing didn’t last too long. All I want is to wake up and see anything besides “BREAKING – Giancarlo Stanton acquired by the New York Yankees”. That is all I want, but we don’t always get what we want, right Dave?

Alright, I’m done going on, I hope you have enjoyed my piece on the Giancarlo Stanton/ New York Yankees situation, and I am sure to wake up and have to go all in again.

But until then, please enjoy and share this post.

-Scott Edwards, The Creator of WTF Sports

The Stanton Effect

Outlook to the Giancarlo Stanton Sweepstakes

Giancarlo Stanton is a once in a lifetime hitter, in the idea that any at-bat could bring the crowd to their feet. He leaves the fans on the edge of their seats every time Stanton steps into the batter box. The way he is able take any pitch over the wall makes you feel the same way fans did during the steroid era. Home Runs make fans love the sport of baseball more than anything, and most general fans mostly watch games for only homers. That is why Stanton is a generational hitter that just finished his best career season, finishing with 59 home runs, while leaving fans stunned throughout. Now, Stanton looks to be on the move. He stated towards the end of the season, “I don’t want to rebuild… I’ve lost for seven years.” Three off-seasons ago, Stanton signed a huge 13 year, $325m dollar deal with the Marlins. This is the only downfall to any Stanton trade, as they will have to commit to Stanton for 10 total seasons while paying him the main amount of his deal. So in this, we discuss potential fits for Stanton, and I will give my prediction on where I believe he will end up when Spring Training comes around.

 

First, let’s talk about how crazy it is to see a player like Stanton be on the open market. Stanton, entering his age 29 season, is in the prime of his career and is now coming off his best season as a pro. There is a chance that he also wins the 2017 NL Most Valuable Player award, just to add to the craziness that is the Giancarlo Stanton sweepstakes. When you are a perennial all-star, who can drive in 100+ runs, while hitting 50+ homers, and also be in the MVP conversation. So really, if you can be in the conversation to acquire him, get on in there. Multiple teams have already had preliminary talks with the Marlins to try and acquire this superstar slugger. Let’s also remember, Stanton can void any trade to any team with his no trade clause. Now let us get to the teams that may have the best chance of acquiring him…

St. Louis Cardinals:

Baseball insider Jon Heyman had a report today stating, “Cardinals are prime candidates for Giancarlo Stanton.” The Cardinals may have the most to gain in this, as after a down season for a Cardinals franchise that has usually been a playoff team, they are looking to get a new face of the franchise. Cardinals also have pieces that may interest the Marlins, with the likes of top pitching prospect who is coming off Tommy John Surgery, RHP Alex Reyes. In his first 12 total appearances (5 starts) during the 2016 season, went 4-1 with 52 K and a 1.57 ERA in 46.0 IP. Reyes, now 23, has a chance to be a big-time pitcher in this league and would possibly give the Marlins a huge building block in their rebuild process. And while that would be the key part to the Cardinals trade package, the Cardinals get a bona fide superstar to lead their team for the next decade. So all in all, both teams have a chance to help what they plan to do – for the Marlins, enter a massive rebuild, and for the Cardinals, enter championship contention once again.

Los Angeles Dodgers:

If the Dodgers want to get back to the World Series, they may need to make a splash for a bat. With the biggest payroll in baseball, the Dodgers are completely okay to take on the contract of Stanton. The only difficult part in this may be the fact they have the lesser of the prospects for most trade contenders. They may need to put a package together that involves some MLB ready players, along with some of their top prospects. There is also a chance that the Marlins ask for LHP Julio Urias, who had shoulder surgery that prematurely ended his 2017 season. Urias has been looked at as a possible ace for a ball club and has even been considered the best pitching prospect in baseball. Urias, only 21 years old, could be almost enough alone to make Derek Jeter and the rest of the Marlins top guns to agree to a trade. The Marlins may also be interested in OF Joc Pederson as a part of any trade. Pederson seemed to have been able to revamp his once all-star prospect status. So the Dodgers have the parts, and the money. It is just a matter of what they’re willing to part ways with for a stud like Stanton. Just imagine a 3-4 combo of Giancarlo Stanton and Cody Bellinger for the next 10 years.

San Francisco Giants:

The Giants is an interesting case, in the aspect that they have such a watered-down farm system, but are still among the top contenders to acquire Giancarlo. What they do bring to the table, however, is the ability to take on the entire contract of Stanton, rather than leaving the Marlins to pay some of it to move on. In a trade to acquire a player like Stanton, they would obviously have to include top prospect SS Christian Arroyo. At 22 years old, Arroyo managed to hit .396 in 25 games in AAA. When he was called up, he did struggle. But he only managed to play 34 total games. Arroyo’s season ended with a broken hand, but he should be good to go when Spring Training comes around. This would be the most tempting part of any trade for the Marlins, as Jeter and co. may want a shortstop to build around for the future. Along with Arroyo, one would expect the Giants to have to add in more. The Giants seem to want to keep the core of Buster Posey, Madison Bumgarner, and players like Brandon Belt intact, so expect the Giants to give up every prospect they hold. In this case, the Giants go for it all, leaving the farm system empty, but for Stanton, that may be worth it.

New York Yankees:

At the beginning of October, Yankees GM Brian Cashman said he plans to cut costs and get under the $197m threshold next season. Not for one second do I believe that the New York Yankees are out of the question when it comes to Stanton. They could form the biggest and best trade package, while just adding to a roster that will be coming off a Game 7 appearance in the ALCS against the World Series champion Houston Astros. The would be able to form the most powerful 3-4 combo possibly ever in Stanton and Judge as well, which is just scary to think about. The Yankees have among the best farm systems in the entire MLB, with one of the best prospects. If the Yankees were to go to Jeter and the Marlins for a potential Stanton trade, it would be smart for the Marlins to ask for Gleyber Torres or Clint Frazier. Torres is the number one ranked prospect in all of baseball, and he would be a huge piece for the Marlins to consider when moving their MVP worthy superstar. Frazier is another young prospect who made his major league debut during the season for the Yankees. He may even be a reason that the Yankees hold back for going for a player like Stanton. But, it would be hard to pass up on the leagues best power hitter. Frazier only managed to play 39 games during the regular season, in which he smacked a .231 AVG with 17 XBH. At age 23, Frazier has a lot to offer and could also be a key part in any trade package for Stanton. So to those who think there is no chance the Yankees go for it all with Stanton, understand that they have all of the ammunition to go and make a huge move like this.

Boston Red Sox:

This is a huge one right here. Stanton and the Red Sox have been together in every rumor for years now, but both have stayed leveled, neither biting. The Marlins, until the season, seemed adamant to keep the slugger, but now with rebuild in site, it seems as if it is imminent to occur. And simply, what the Red Sox were missing this season was a bona fide power hitter. After losing David Ortiz, they tried to replace him in other ways, rather than going straight for the source, which is a new power hitter. Last offseason, they traded for 2017 AL Cy Young candidate Chris Sale, but now they may look to make another big splash. They could be in the best position, as owner John Henry stated that he expects GM Dave Dombrowski to go over the $197m, entering the tax penalty. So that means, they certainly are okay with taking on most of the Stanton contract. The Sox may be in the biggest position to get Stanton more so because of their GM, as Dombrowski has never been afraid to make big moves. Now, as a Red Sox fan, I may be more scared of the trade package more than anything. Last offseason, Dealin’ Dave had no problem trading number one prospect Yoan Moncada and now number fourteen prospect in baseball, SP Michael Kopech. With this in mind, the one-time best farm system in baseball has almost completely been gutted, but there is still some to move. The first name to come to mind that the Marlins may be asking for is LF Andrew Benintendi. To me, this is a huge NO. There is no way, I would ever be okay with a trade if Benny Biceps (shout out to Barstool’s Jared Carrabis) is included. EVER. But to understand why he may be the first to be asked for, in his first full season as a big leaguer, Benny hit .271 with 20 HR and 90 RBIs. He is a player that many, including myself, see as a future all-star and maybe even face of a franchise. So if we could avoid trading him, that would be AWESOME. Anyways, the Marlins could also ask for 3B Rafael Devers. Devers is another guy that is tough to trade in my eyes, more so due to the fact the Sox have been looking for a 3B for years, after players like Pablo Sandoval (awful, worst signing ever) and Travis Shaw (didn’t fail, just a shit move by Dealin’ Dave). Devers came on to the MLB scene as hot as could be, ending the season batting .284 with 10 HR and 30 RBI in just 58 games. That would be a season average of batting .284 with 28 HR and 84 RBI, which is fantastic. I am not one to be lobbying to get Devers out of here, but he is a real option to get Stanton to Boston. The ideal trade package in my eyes would involve a deal centered around fan favorite CF Jackie Bradley Jr. and #2 prospect 3B Michael Chavis. Bradley Jr. seems like he may be on his way out regardless, as the excellent defensive star seems to be the odd man out for the outfield. This would allow Benintendi to move back to his college position of centerfield, and have Stanton man the monster or even DH. Chavis or Devers, you would have to think one would be on their way in any big-time trade. Chavis is expected to be a solid third baseman at the major league level, like former Sox 3B Will Middlebrooks once was expected. So the idea is, send Bradley Jr and Chavis in a package, while also agreeing to take on the entire Stanton contract. It is one way to move, and you improve the major league roster in the long term as well. Just, DO NOT TRADE Benintendi, Devers, or Groome. That’s all I will ask from you, Dave.

So, I laid it all out for you, come the 2018 MLB season, expect Giancarlo Stanton to be wearing one of these jerseys. Stanton in any of these would be an improvement for each team, as well as a chance for Stanton to finally see some playoff baseball. I have a feeling where he may end up, it just all comes down to who really wants him most. More than likely, Jeter and the Marlins will be looking to send him to a team that takes on the entire contract. That isn’t something most clubs in the major leagues can do, which is why the four top budget teams are in the discussion. So with that, my choice to who will end up with Stanton…

The Boston Red Sox – I feel after a year of struggling on the offensive side, Dombrowski will be itching to get the best hitter on the market. The scary thing is however, he would probably move on of the key people I said not to. But out of all the available players that I stated, Benintendi has the best chance to be the piece that the Marlins would want to build around. So in the aspect of simply that, it looks as if Stanton may be hitting moon shots over the monster soon enough… for too much, which is the scariest part.

So this concludes my Giancarlo Stanton outlook for the season, and why I feel he will for a fact be on the move, and why the Boston Red Sox will be taking his talents on, especially if they are unable to sign a free agent slugger like Eric Hosmer or JD Martinez.

Thanks for reading, please give this a share as it would mean the most.\

– Scott Edwards, The Creator of WTF Sports

Where the Top 10 MLB Free Agents will Land

This list is of the top tier free agents in the upcoming free agent class. These players are about to make some serious dough, and deserve every penny. I will be making predictions on where I believe they will land, and explaining my reasoning behind it.

Yu Darvish: Los Angeles Dodgers

Yu Darvish has been an ace over the course of his career but has had a slightly down year for his own standards. Darvish went 10-12 with a 3.86 ERA over the course of 31 starts and 186.2 IP. He is also already 31 which is typically the age where players begin to regress. With that said, has a career ERA of 3.42 and has proven to be a very impactful player over his five-year MLB career.

Why the Dodgers?

Darvish was traded to Los Angeles at the deadline for three minor league prospects, 2B/OF Willie Calhoun, RHP A.J. Alexy, and SS Brendon Davis. Calhoun was the Dodgers 4th best prospect according to MLB.com as a former 4th round pick in 2015. He made his debut with the Rangers on September 13th, has hit .265 and got his first major league homerun off his bucket list. The Dodgers would not trade away a guy like Calhoun and more for a three-month rental. Darvish is expected to sign a deal worth roughly five-years, $114 million ($22.8 million/year) according to spotrac.com. A contract of that size is manageable for the Dodgers massive payroll, while still knocking many teams out of the running. It is also a major factor that the Dodgers will get to negotiate with him before he is an unrestricted free agent. He also has never pitched in a cold climate, going from Japan to Texas so a place like Los Angelis should be very appealing to him. The Dodgers are going to re-sign Yu Darvish to get the one-two punch with Kershaw that they have been missing since Grienke left for Arizona.

J.D. Martinez: Boston Red Sox

J.D. Martinez went on an absolute tear this season, especially since joining the Diamondbacks. Martinez hit .303 with 45 homeruns and 104 RBI’s in only 119 games played. 45 bombs and 104 RBI’s is a phenomenal season period. The fact that he only played in 119 games and put up those numbers cannot be understated. He had a .690 slugging percentage which was the best in the MLB this year. J.D. hit 29 homers and drove in 65 batters since joining the Diamondbacks post-season surge on July 18th. Had Martinez not switched leagues at the deadline he would be in the MVP discussion right now. J.D. is one of the most underrated players in the game and should finally get his big payday at some point this offseason. Martinez will be going into his age 30 season, so this will be his only shot to break the bank.

Why the Red Sox?

The Sox struggled mightily to get the ball out of the park in 2017, coming in last place in the homerun department for the American League. There is no better way to increase that number than to sign a guy that hits for power like Martinez. The Sox are sick of getting pummeled in the ALDS every year and proved that by firing John Farrell. Dave Dombrowski will be ready to make more changes, so don’t be surprised to see Jackie Bradley dealt to free up a spot for an offensive superstar.

Martinez is projected to sign a five-year, $130 million contract according to spotrac.com. Boston is one of a few teams that can afford to pay $26 million a year for a slugger like J.D. Martinez. Stick J.D in left, move Benintendi over to CF and keep Betts in right and we are looking at a Red Sox outfield that could produce around 80 homers, hit for average, and play above average defense. Martinez is often criticized for his lackluster defense, but having that short wall could really make up for his lack of range. Expect Martinez to draw a lot of interest from these teams: Diamondbacks, Red Sox, Giants, Cardinals, Angels and possibly even the Yankees.

Jake Arrieta: Texas Rangers

Jake Arrieta will hit free agency as a 32-year-old RHP which could be a problem for a long-term deal. However, the MLB pays people for what they have done, not what they are expected to do. Arrieta posted a 14-10 record and 3.53 ERA in 2017, logging 168.1 IP. While his numbers are not ace-worthy, his stats were inflated by a rough start of the season. Since May 21st, Arrieta put up a 2.68 ERA in 18 starts, which shows his ability to be frontline starter has not diminished. Since becoming a Cub in 2013, Jake has a 68-31 record and a staggering 2.73 ERA in 128 starts. Based on his large sample of success and his incredible 2015 Cy-Young season (22-6, 1.77 ERA) he should make a somewhere between $25 to $30 million a year. He is already 32 so a four to five-year deal should be expected.

Why the Rangers?

The Cubs and their entire fanbase seem to expect him to move on this offseason. Arrieta was born and raised in Texas and attended TCU before being drafted by the Baltimore Orioles in the 5th Round of the 2007 MLB Draft. He currently lives in Austin, Texas in the off-season making the Rangers a perfect fit from Arrieta’s perspective. The Rangers need a new frontline starter after trading Yu Darvish at the deadline. Arrieta is the only free agent pitcher capable of replacing Darvish. Spotrac.com expects Arrieta to sign a five-year, $130 million deal.

Eric Hosmer: Boston Red Sox

Eric Hosmer is the by far the best option at first base this free agent period. He hit .318 with 25 homers with 94 RBI’s. He is a 28-year-old left-handed hitter that has had sustained success in the big leagues over the last seven seasons. Hosmer is a three-time Gold Glove Award winner, and 2016 All-Star. He is a legitimate five tool athlete. He is a career .284 hitter and hit 25 homers each of the last two seasons. Hosmer has 60 career stolen bases and is a premier defender which proves his ability as a five-tool machine.

Why the Red Sox?

The Boston Red Sox will have to be aggressive this offseason if they want to catchup to the 2017 World Series Champion Houston Astros and edge out the up and coming New York Yankees for the division title. Hosmer would be a huge boost in the lineup without sacrificing any defense. He would be that guy in the middle of the order that scares a pitcher, something the Red Sox did not have in 2017.

Eric Hosmer’s agent is Scott Boras, who is known to go for the most money over all other factors. He will try to get a lot more money than expected for Hosmer meaning the big market teams are going to be the most involved. The Yankees are content with developing Greg Bird, The Dodgers have young superstar Cody Bellinger, and the Cubs have a perennial All-Star in Anthony Rizzo. Even the Giants have Belt locked down until 2021 and the Nationals have Zimmerman until 2020. I do not expect many other teams to get into the running except for the Royals who will be laughed at by Boras. Spotrac.com expects Hosmer to be worth six-years, $98 million, but expect Boras to get that number over $100 million. The Red Sox President of Baseball Operations Dave Dombrowski should make this negotiation a quick one as both sides should get what they want here.

Jay Bruce: Colorado Rockies

Jay Bruce is a three-time All-Star and two-time Silver Slugger Award winner as a 30-year-old corner outfielder. He can also play first-base as he played the position 12 times in 2017. He hit .254 this season with an impressive 36 homers and drove in 101 baserunners. Bruce will provide a spark to the lineup wherever he lands and could have a major impact up in the Colorado mountains.

Why the Rockies?

The Indians do not expect to re-sign the 30-year-old left-handed power bat. They already have four lefty outfield options in Brantley, Chisenhall, Zimmer, and Naquin. Cleveland poses a great playoff atmosphere, but they are not a large market by any means, so they are not expected to retain Bruce or Santana this offseason.

The Rockies are not expected to re-sign Carlos Gonzalez after an abysmal season in 2017. Not only will that clear up Right Field, but it also frees up $20 million to spend this free agency. Greg Holland has already declined his option, so they will not be throwing $15 million his way, though he expected to get a qualifying offer. Holland will be searching for a multi-year deal meaning he is almost certainly moving on. The Rockies could use Desmond and Bruce interchangeably at 1B and RF. They could also platoon Desmond with Gerardo Parra in Left Field, and keep Bruce in Right Field to let top prospect Ryan McMahon play First-base. Regardless of how the lineup shakes out, Bruce should go to a contender after tasting the post-season with Cleveland this season. Jay Bruce is worth a contract of five-years, $113 million ($22.6 million per year). Every year there are certain players who have to wait out free agency and are forced to settle for less than what they deserve. Bruce has not garnered a ton of interest to this point and looks to be one of those unfortunate players. The Rockies have freed up money and could get Bruce for less than he is worth. He would maximize his value playing 81 games in the most hitter friendly ballpark in the league and could make a run at 40 dingers in Colorado.

Mike Moustakas: San Francisco Giants

Mike Moustakas is a fan favorite in Kansas City. He was part of the core that led the Royals to World Series Championship in 2015. Moose is a two-time All-Star who broke out in 2017. He hit .272 with 38 homeruns and 85 RBI’s. He shined in 2015, but was injured almost all of 2016 which halted his rise to stardom. He hit .284 with 22 homers and drove in 82 baserunners in 2015. Moose is a career .251 hitter with sporadic power numbers in his career but has shown that he is on the upswing of his career at 29-years-old. Moustakas is an above average defender and can provide some power in the middle of the order.

Why the Giants?

The Giants need a third-baseman, unless you believe in Pablo Sandoval long-term. For the record you shouldn’t. The Giants have a phenomenal market and currently own the second highest payroll in the Majors behind the Dodgers. While San Francisco had a terrible year, the team still has a strong core that includes the best catcher in the game (Posey), as well as one of the greatest post-season pitchers of all time (Bumgarner). The fans would love to get behind a workhorse like Moose and they would sell a lot of merchandise with the whole “Moose” brand, cite Panda years ago. If the Giants add a guy like Mike Moustakas to a lineup and get some outfield help, they will be contenders once again. Moose is projected to sign a six-year, $99 million contract ($16.6 million per year). San Francisco can afford this contract making Mike Moustakas a good fit for the Giants. The Giants should watch out for the Yankees, Red Sox, and Angels.

Lorenzo Cain: Seattle Mariners

Lorenzo Cain was a 2015 All-Star with a career .290 batting average and is an elite defender. Cain hit an even .300 with 15 homers and 49 RBI’s. He is already 31-years-old and struggles to provide power and drive in runs which will hurt his chances of landing a large paycheck this winter. With that said, he is an elite contact hitter and can provide 25 to 30 steals a season with the potential to hit 15 homers. He will play elite defense even as an older free agent.

Why the Mariners?

Seattle will lose Jarrod Dyson to free agency, and need a boost in CF the get into the post-season. Cain could upgrade that outfield that already has Mitch Haniger and Ben Gamel in the corner spots as well as Guillermo Heredia coming off the bench. Cain can get on base for guys like Cruz, Cano, and Seager. Segura and Cain could swipe some bags with the power guys knocking them in and create a potent lineup. Lorenzo is expected to get a four-year, $59 million deal ($14.8 million per year). This is a reasonable contract for both sides and should get done this offseason.

Wade Davis: Chicago Cubs

Wade Davis has been a forced to be reckoned with since becoming a closer in 2014. As a reliever he has a 28-7 record,1.65 ERA and 79 saves in 87 attempts. In 2017 Davis posted a 2.30 ERA and converted 32/33 save opportunities. He has been an All-Star three times, from 2015-2017. The only remotely negative thing about Davis is that he is 32-years-old.

Why the Cubs?

Chicago will need a lock down closer to maintain dominance in the NL Central Division. There are rumors that the Cubs have Carl Edwards Jr. and Justin Wilson waiting in the wings to replace the perennial All-Star, but I just do not buy it. Davis will not break the bank because he is handicapped by his age. Retaining Wade Davis is the easiest decision to make this offseason and Theo Epstein is known to be a pretty smart guy. Speaking of Theo, this is what he had to say when asked about Davis earlier this season: “We hope every good player we have now is back. But that’s a discussion for another day.” Well today is that day Epstein and Wade Davis, I’d say he’s a pretty good player. Spotrac.com has Davis valued at three-years, $44.9 million. That’s a contract that the Cubs can afford and would be quite the steal for a first-place team trying to get back in the World Series. If the World Series is not enough motivation by itself, the Cardinals would be the most likely landing spot outside of Chicago. Cubs fans would not love to see Wade Davis in a Cardinals uniform, neither should the players or the organization.

Lance Lynn: Houston Astros

Lance Lynn went 12-11 record with a 3.43 ERA in 186.1 IP.  Lynn is a 30-year-old RHP. He has a career ERA of 3.38 in 183 games, 161 of which were starts. He has sustained success at the big-league level for six-seasons and can boost a rotation.

Why the Astros?

When asked if he would be making his last start as a Cardinal on September 28th Lynn responded with “it certainly looks that way”. The Cardinals know Lynn will be chasing a deal north of $15 million a year, which they do not want to pay. Spotrac.com expects Lynn to sign a four-year, $67 million contract ($16.9 million per year) this offseason with the Houston Astros.

If the Astros could roll out Verlander, Keuchel, Lynn, McCullers, and Brad Peacock they would be primed for another deep post-season. Lynn would be the perfect three on almost any team. The Astros need to have a stellar rotation if they are going to roll out an average at best bullpen and contend. Houston was very interested in Lance Lynn at the deadline and will continue to have interest even with the addition of Verlander.

Zack Cozart: Arizona Diamondbacks

Zack Cozart had a breakout season in his contract year. He hit .297 with 24 homeruns and 63 RBI’s. Cozart made his first All-Star game as a 32-year-old right-handed Shortstop. While this season was magic, he is a career .254 hitter and never hit more than 16 homers before this season. He has also never exceeded 63 RBI’s, but he has reached that mark twice. His lack of sustained success has affected his market, as no team has stood out as a team that will go after him this offseason.

Why the Diamondbacks?

I am basing this prediction purely on what I believe would be a good fit. The Diamondbacks used seven players at shortstop in 2017. Cozart would bring stability to the position. He is only expected to sign a three-year, $41 million contract according to spotrac.com. $13.6 million a year is reasonable to lock down the captain of the infield.

Scott Neville – WTF Sports

John Farrell Fired: Was it the right move?

It was announced earlier today that John Farrell will not be returning for the 2018 season. Farrell has had an inconsistent five seasons with the Red Sox that started with a World Series Championship and ended with two straight division titles. John Farrell lead the Sox to three Division Titles in 2013, 2016, 2017 and two last place finishes in 2014 and 2015. The Red Sox have had finished at 93-69 the last two seasons, both of which ended in disappointing ALDS losses. The big question is whether Farrell deserved to get canned after two first place finishes in a row, something the Red Sox have never done before. I also wonder how that same person survived two last place finishes in the years prior. While I believe that the manager does not have as much to do with team’s records as people seem to think, I do actually agree with the move. Unlike most I do not hate Farrell and I was not rooting for him to be fired, however now that the deed is done I’m starting to come around on the idea. Farrell is a below average game manager who never seems to light a fire and pump up his team. It is not Farrell’s fault that guys like Betts and Bogaerts had down years compared to last season. It is Farrell’s fault for not getting on Hanley Ramirez every once and a while because he is a guy that can rake when he is determined to. In the post-season Hanley hit .571 compared to his regular season average of .242. While the sample size is completely unfair, there are many examples this season of reporters calling him out which lead to weeks of production until he went back to his nonchalant self. I also blame Farrell for letting the Red Sox come out flat in the post-season in two consecutive years. He also does not seem to react to players making bad baserunning plays or any type of mental error at all. He has the “don’t worry about it, you’ll get him next time” mentality that should no longer be tolerated. Instead of fixing Benintendi’s baserunning blunders, he just labels it aggressive baserunning when approached by media. Overall the Red Sox just need a new vibe in the clubhouse, because they are too relaxed when they should be fired up and on a mission, that does not start down 0-2 in a five-game series.

 

Now that Farrell has been let go, we need to find a replacement that will not drive this team into the ground. The most common names floated around are: Brad Ausmus, Jason Varitek and Alex Cora. Brad Ausmus was hired by Red Sox President of Baseball Operations Dave Dombrowski in 2013 when he was the General Manager of the Tigers. The relationship between Dombrowski and Ausmus is there, but I firmly believe he is the worst option for the Sox going into the 2018 season. Ausmus seems to make head scratching decisions on a nightly basis and would have the fans outraged by May. Varitek has the potential to be a phenomenal manager in the future. He is a catcher that has lead his team to a World Series Championship on the field as the last Captain in history. Tek understands how to approach hitters and will know how to use his bullpen which is the most important part of a manager’s job. Lineups and pinch-hitting situations have analytics to back up decisions. Managing a bullpen takes more than numbers. Sadly, Dombrowski has stated that he wants a manager with experience, Tek has none. Although Varitek would be my top choice, Alex Cora will be the top managerial “free agent” according to most. Cora is currently the number two man for the Houston Astros and has drawn rave reviews. He is geared up to be the next Torey Lovullo no matter where he lands. Cora played for three seasons with Sox including in 2007 where he won a World Series in Boston. Alex Cora is the best fit and my top choice assuming Varitek has been taken out of consideration. One other name to look out for is Joe Madden’s right-hand man Dave Martinez who would fit in well in Boston and has plenty of coaching experience.