As I understand it... -Machado wants to go to the Yankees. - The Dodgers want Bryce Harper so that they can clear Puig out of RF and send him to Cleveland for Bauer or Kluber. They're going to lose Puig anyway when he becomes a free agent next year. I DO NOT want to lose Verdugo. He'll be somebody's CF for the next 10 years. - The Cardinals have made the best move so far, acquiring Goldschmidt. He's a special player.
Dodger killer Charlie Morton signed with Tampa Bay for 2 years 30 million. That's a risky move by TB, Morton was excellent for the Astros but he's not durable and I'd bet a dollar to a donut that no matter how well he pitches for TB that he won't give them a full season.
Brian Cashman seems to be in love with Machado. Most fans want nothing to do with him. Yankees should close on Happ today which we are very happy with. Rumors flying around of Sanchez to the Mets for Syndergaard. Also talk of Sonny Gray to the Reds as part of a three way trade designed to bring Realmuto to the Bronx. And I don't think they are completely out of the Harper game yet.
Cashman having some fun at the winter meetings with the Yankees "Evil Empire" persona.... “If something doesn't make sense today, it doesn't mean it won't make sense tomorrow," Cashman said. "All I can keep telling you is, you know where my current focuses are, but at the same time we're a fully operational Death Star."
WOW! I got my first choice! The Dodgers just signed Joe Kelly to a three year contract! Giddy up! We couldn't hit that guy anywhere he's played and now we don't have to worry about it. His 100 mph thunder will be somebody else's problem. He's also a local guy who lives near my son, Eric, and he's married to the daughter of one of Corey's friends, Derek Parks.
Astros pick up Michael Brantley from the Tribe when Cleveland decided to not offer him for 2019. Should be a good addition to the Astros, he's a lefty in a lineup of a lot of right handed hitters. He's had health issues but played the whole season last year, almost 600 AB's and hit .309. I like it.
Machado meeting with the Yankees today. Praying talks do not go well or that the Phillies throw a bundle at him.
BLOCKBUSTER! Dodgers trade Puig, Kemp, Wood and Farmer to Cincinnati for Homer Bailey and two prospects Giddyup! This clears nearly $50 MILLION in salary cap money! Here comes Bryce Harper!
Yikes! That is a blockbuster deal. BTW Homer Bailey is from La Grange, Texas, I pass through there all the time on my way to Austin. La Grange was the location of the infamous "Chicken Ranch" whore house back in the day.
Just sitting around the hot stove during the off season talking about my favorite sport. The Dodgers traded away 2 part-time/most-time players who combined in 2018 for 44 HR and 148 RBI. Together they had a .819 OPS (OBP+SLG). They also traded a solid starter. In return, they got a couple of A-level players and cleared a lot of cap space. By my calculation, given the net salaries they shed, the $7mm they sent to Cincy, and the buyout paid to Homer Bailey, they came out roughly $3mm ahead. Intangible considerations: Kemp is 34-35 yrs. old and is a free agent after 2019; Puig always has been a wild card and also is a free agent after 2019. For Cincy, it certainly strengthens their batting order in HR friendly GAP and provides protection and support for Joey Votto who had a down season for him in 2018. If I was prone to conspiracy theories, which I'm not, I'd think that the Dodgers are trying to undermine the balance of power in the NLC. Now all the Dodgers need to do with the freed up cap space is sign a player who in 2019 can hit more than 44 HR, produce triple digit RBI, achieve an OPS of around .820, and who has a lot of years remaining in his career. I can think of only one available player who has that potential and who happens to be - I think but am not sure - a SoCal native.
Its clear that the Dodgers are going to sign Harper. It is more about the money than the production. They have a good team. You can pencil them into the playoffs right now. But do they have the pitching to finish the job? That remains to be answered but so far... no. The Reds are hoping to catch lightning in a bottle; they are not inclined nor able to sustain a large payroll for any length of time. Outside of Votto's getting some protection, I see limited upside to this for the Reds.
Here is what the Dodgers want: 1. Realmuto 2. Kluber 3. Harper The two minor leaguers who were obtained from Cincy are good players, but they're trade bait. They will be offered as part of a package for Realmuto or Kluber. Harper can be signed outright with the $43 million saved by getting rid of Puig and Kemp. The team is still loaded with pitchers and outfielders that they can't use. They want to thin those herds without losing kids like Verdugo... Puig and Kemp had no future here. They were being platooned. Wood had been relegated to the bullpen. The team had no need for him. If they can use this trade to acquire two of the three players that they want, they will be in beast mode right from opening day.
I wonder why the Dodgers haven't figured more prominently in the Realmuto rumor mill. That never means anything, but a major player like LA is hard to hide at times like this. If the Dodgers now don't sign Harper, I'll be shocked. I don't know how they are going to get Kluber because I thought they were going to use Puig as trade bait for him.
I hadn't seen my Cardinal fan buddy who plays golf in our group, he's been out with health issues and he was back this weekend and I of course asked him about the Dodgers and what they are building. His comment was, they can put together what ever all-star team they want but they still have Dave Roberts as the Manager!