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Jeffrey Todd

2:03

Hey everyone! I'll let the room fill up and we'll get cookin'

Josh fishman

2:05

You think lackey signs somewhere or is he done

Jeffrey Todd

2:05

That's up to him. There will surely be offers. Honestly find it hard to imagine he wouldn't get a 40-man spot somewhere. Anibal Sanchez did. Jered Weaver did last year. Etc.

Mike Moustakas

2:05

Should I be crapping my pants right now?

Jeffrey Todd

2:06

Well, you're already rich and will be yet richer, so I'd recommend some perspective.

That said ... yeah, it's really bleak. If he ends up just settling for a one-year deal or a lesser 3-year pact or something, it wouldn't be unprecedented. Ervin Santana comes to mind.

2:07

Still like the idea of the White Sox giving him a lower AAV but 3 or 4 year term. Could be strong value and might not be the worst case for Moose.

Lasorda

2:07

Do you think the Dodgers will give Kemp a real shot at LF job or will they look at acquiring one instead of platoon situation?

Jeffrey Todd

2:08

Not inconceivable he ends up on the roster as part of the OF rotation, but he surely won't be given an everyday gig. Suspect they will be very aware of his defensive and OBP demerits.

2:09

That said, the Dodgers have held onto guys like Crawford and Ethier when they didn't seem to fit. The guy can obviously stick hit it out of the yard. Who knows ... maybe he's motivated and gives some value as a part-time player?

Erik Neander

2:09

Should I just embrace a rebuild and stock the farm rather than sitting on the fence?

Jeffrey Todd

2:12

This is what the Rays do. Now that we've seen the broader scope of the offseason, it makes some sense. Span's value as a player didn't really weigh into the Longo trade, but Denard is still probably capable of 2-2.5 WAR in a corner spot, esp if he's not asked to play every day. Carlos Gomez is a screaming value at 1/4. If they really did like the Souza return and felt it was a chance they couldn't pass up -- as the FO says -- then it's a pretty nifty trick to gather up the value and then get a high-quality player at such a bargain rate.

2:13

Bit surprised that Odorizzi didn't draw more, but I think they legitimately felt they could replace his output for less money. And Dickerson isn't all that good an overall player, though I guess I was a bit surprised they preferred nabbing Cron to keeping CD.

Anyway ... I just don't think the net of the moves suggests they ought to now turn around and blow it up.

Carol

2:14

Please explain the "signability concerns" that come with certain top draft prospects. Why wouldn't a first-round pick want to sign a multimillion dollar contract with an MLB club? Surely it can't be college, since that's another three years of injury risk and the probability that you won't get drafted much higher...

Jeffrey Todd

2:15

Bear in mind that everyone has a different family situation and different goals. Suppose, say, you come from a well-off family and really want to experience college. Maybe the downside scenario of losing a 1.5 mil signing bonus isn't all that scary to you.

2:17

Also these are 18 year olds. Not all of them are fully prepared, in all likelihood, to begin careers and begin traveling around on buses and whatnot. Point being: when you hear "signability concern," it really just means that the player and their family have given indication that they may prefer to go to school -- at least, unless the offer reaches a certain level.

fugazi

2:18

Hello Jeff, what do you think of the Hosmer deal for the Padres?

Jeffrey Todd

2:18

I do not like it particularly.

2:19

Not that it seems to be a wild overpay even. I get that there are some real reasons to value Hosmer beyond his WAR. And he is young.

2:20

But it's a big salary for that organization. And the biggest issue is Wil Myers. I'm sure he'll be fine in the corner OF but in combination it saps the Pads of so much flexibility. (Didn't really like the Myers extension either fwiw.) They are now locked for pretty big money in two bat-first positions. Just a sort of odd way to go at this stage of the rebuild, in my view.

Curt

2:22

There’s no way the Brewers really go into the season with the current rotation options, right?

Jeffrey Todd

2:23

I think there is at least some chance, yeah, but I still feel like something has to give. The OF still feels overloaded, even if Braun is going to see time at first, and they have money to use. Attanasio is obviously letting Stearns do it his way, but he also clearly feels anxious to put pieces around the core and make a real run at the postseason.

gordon bombay

2:24

Giants bullpen could be another tire fire... but they could also be really good? thoughts?

Jeffrey Todd

2:24

I think it could be a good-enough unit, but I have a hard time envisioning a scenario where it's like a top-5 pen. And there's definitely some significant downside in there, too.

2:25

SFG will probably be prowling for minor-league FA arms. But ... there's just only so much they could accomplish while staying under the luxury line. Understandably they prioritized other areas but sacrificed rotation depth and pen improvements to do it. Watson is a nice add, but the overall quality just doesn't hold a candle to quite a few other teams.

Zak

2:26

Somebody has to take a chance and sign CarGo soon, right?

Jeffrey Todd

2:26

Sure, but my expectations on pillow deals have gone way down after the other CarGo went for 1/4.

Dave

2:26

What kind of contract should we expect for Alex Cobb at this point?

Jeffrey Todd

2:27

I am not really revising my SP expectations yet, however. We are still seeing solid money for lesser guys like Cashner, Vargas, Garcia.

2:28

(So ... maybe 3/40, to 4/52 ... something in that ballpark.)

Jake

2:28

Will the Reds seriously consider Nick Senzel at SS or is trying him out there this spring just a façade for them to send him to the minors to get an extra year of control?

Jeffrey Todd

2:29

They don't need to mess with him to justify a stint in the minors. I think they want to give it a real look. Worst case he will have gained some new perspective when he bumps back to third (or second, I guess).

Jason

2:29

Think moustakas to the Twins makes sense? Allows sano to play 1B

Jeffrey Todd

2:31

Mauer will presumably stay at first, but I guess Sano could DH .. which he might do quite a lot anyway. But how much is it worth to add a guy like Moustakas when you are ultimately pushing out a bat like Grossman/Vargas? I mean, I could imagine a deal if Moose just really doesn't have a market, but even if we're talking like 1/15, that's a lot of cash that could be used to increase an offer to a SP or do something nice to the pen.

Yankees today

2:33

Why drury, I feel like there are better options like Jose Martinez from the cardinals

Jeffrey Todd

2:34

Martinez doesn't fit the need at all ... beside that, I think clearly they have identified Drury as a guy they specifically wanted. Perhaps in part that's b/c the DBacks had an obvious glut. Combined with the reasonable salary situation, there was value there. But the fact they were after him for months clearly suggests the Yankees had strong reasons to want this particular player. This wasn't just a move they made on a whim.

One guy

2:35

Arrieta to Phillies. Do you see it?

Jeffrey Todd

2:36

Some other possibilities, of course, but I do like the match. I don't see why they wouldn't at least consider stretching to four years.

Greg Holland

2:37

Who do you think is most likely to sign me? Will I have to wait for an injury to finally get my 2-3 year deal?

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