The Orioles signed 41 years old Charlie Morton RHP for 1 yr/$15 M and the way things are going, Morton just might still command $15 M/yr on one year contracts when he's 51 yo!
2024(Braves): 8-10, 4.19, 165.1 IP, 9.1 K/9, 3.5 BB/9.
Again, Morton was never linked to the Giants and he seems like a guy who is more comfortable playing on the east coast but the list of veteran pitchers who can eat innings continues to dwindle. Perhaps Buster Posey means what he says that he is ready to roll with the Giants stable of young pitchers?
The Dodgers made a somewhat surprising move by signing Hyeseong Kim to a 3 year contracts for $12.5 M with a club option for 2 additional seasons for $9.5 M. Note this is not Jung Hoo Lee's good friend Ha Seong Kim. This is another player with a similar name who was posted by his KBO team. This is a curious signing in that the Dodgers were never mentioned as being interested in Kim and they don't appear to really have a need for him. The Dodgers are set at all positions and have Miguel Rojas, Chris Taylor and Tommy Edman as excellent utility players. I mean, if you've got it, flaunt it!
Kim is reportedly an excellent defender at multiple positions but has mostly played 2B recently. He's a contact hitter but with much less power than Ha Seong Kim which makes you wonder how he will fare against MLB pitching. At one point I thought about putting his name out there as a fit for the Giants to play 2B since he bats left, but every time I looked at those power numbers I just said "nah", so we'll wish him luck with the Dodgers..... or not.
Addendum: To make room on the 40-man roster for Hyeseong Kim, the Dodgers DFA'd Diego Cartaya C. This is interesting and kind of sad because just 2 years ago, Cartaya was widely considered the Dodgers top prospect and possibly the top prospect in all of baseball. His numbers cratered in the upper minors and now he's DFA'd. Another example of how prospect evaluation is an inexact science at best.
Susan Slusser speculates in her recent article that the Giants really want Sasaki and may be waiting on his decision before moving on to alternatives. Trades are also possible maybe Luis Castillo.
ReplyDeleteThat seems like a very small basket to put all your eggs in.
DeleteThe Sasaki odds are probably around 1 in 20 at this point so the Giants will need to proceed as if he were not coming but look at Sasaki as a nice cherry on top.
ReplyDeleteCateya might be worth taking a look at. He surely could not be worse than Tom Murphy.
ReplyDeleteMurphy is a 1-year rental. Bailey will play 75% of the time, if not more. Murphy has been a good backup. He got hurt early last year. It could happen again, but unlikely. Spend the money next year. It's not going to change 2025.
DeleteNot sure why you would say unlikely since Murphy has suffered major injuries in 2016, 2020, 2022 and 2024.
DeleteMurphy's main skill is accumulating time on the IL. His bat has pop but not considered a good fielder.
DeleteZaidi's deal for Murphy had a ripple effect on the roster. Bart had to be DFA'ed to make room for Murphy. Bailey did not get enough rest in the second half, Sabol was kept in Sacramento, they had to resort to the weak hitting Curt Caselli, and cold have signed Austin Wynns to a fraction of what Murphy got. Murphy is a CBT hit of over $4 million /year for two years. The best predictor of future injuries is past injury history and no one would be surprised if he spends most of 2025 on the IL.
DeleteAfter being DFA, Carteya will have to pass through waivers first before becoming a free agent and a team that wants him can bypass the waiver process by making a trade with the Dodgers. The Twins and Red Sox are said to be interested so he probably will not pass through waivers. Giants are just ahead of those two teams but still might have to swing a trade if they want him.
DeleteI'd like to see a pillow contract for Ha Seong Kim, even if it is short and/or contains an opt-out. It would be high-end insurance for the upcoming Fitz/Schmitt experiment at 2B. If it works pretty good chance Buster can work out an extension with someone already in the building.
ReplyDeleteI realize Dr B is leery of signing Ha-Seong Kim and from a baseball standpoint, he is probably right. Labrum tears are not minor injuries and he might not be able to play at SS any longer. The Padres were using Kim more as a revenue generator because he is popular in his home country (lots of endorsements like Ohtani in Japan but on a smaller scale) and Sports Business Journal says Kim is a "good logistical fit" with fans and businesses and Padres games were televised a lot over there. The Padres recognized that Kim opened up a lot of business opportunities for the team in South Korea. The Dodgers probably see a similar situation with their signing of Hye-Seong Kim. If they look at the signing of Ha-Seong in a broader picture, it might make more sense and it remains to be seen if Buster has a blind eye toward the Asian markets that the organization and his predecessors have had. Couple with J-H Lee, they could get a real foothold in South Korea.
DeleteI am really concerned about Fitzgerald's high BABIP and high strikeout and low walk rate. I suspect he will not be able to continue to hit for decent batting average. He might need adjust his approach. Krukow said he liked what he saw from Schmitt at the end of the year and seems optimistic about him. If Fitz craters, I'm not excited about the Wisely/Schmitt platoon.
DeleteThe Hye-Seong Kim signing is strange because he actually turned down more money and a guaranteed starting role with the Mariners and Angels to become a utility player with the Dodgers. It might be that Kim is prioritizing winning or business opportunities over a starting job?
DeleteLooking at the Giants' depth chart as published by MLB
ReplyDelete(https://www.mlb.com/giants/roster/depth-chart),
they are very thin on position players — how badly was Adames needed!
The 13 players listed aren't exactly what one would want to compete for a playoff spot given that there are two non-division winners in the West who are by any expectation better than SF: it seems that all three wildcards would have to come from the West for the Giants to have a chance, meaning only one of New York, Philadelphia, and Atlanta make it by winning the East.
The rotation sans Snell will depend on 2 very young, inexperienced pitchers, a converted reliever, and a TJ-rehabbing one-time ace who has started 8 games since 2022, all to back up the guy who has started 98 games in the last 3 years.
That said, the pitching depth doesn't look bad, but you have to squint to see this working, to believe the Giants can score enough runs to win ten of the games they lost last year. They were 24-24 in 1-run games: could they go 30-20? Probably not.
The guys who debut'ed the last year, or 2 or 3, (Bailey, Lee, Ramos, Fitzgerald, Wisely, Schmitt, Encarnación, McCray — and Meckler?) must play a full and successful season this year.
The wise predictors don't give them much chance.
For those who are not sure what a "pillow contract" here in Scott Boras speak is the definition > “A pillow contract is, basically, you lay down, it's comfortable, it's soft, it's there. But the fact of the matter is it's not with you all the time. That's a one-year contract. Your pillow, you leave it, you come back, it's there,” said Boras. “Short-term, you use it for a little bit, then you move on.”
ReplyDeleteOn a nostalgic look > if FZ had played his card right we could have a rotation of Webb , Gaumann, Rodon, Maneaa, and the kids.
Still need a innings eater at this point!
Whats up Buster?
Richard in Winnipeg
The term, coined a few years ago by Scott Boras, refers to a one year deal that allows a free agent coming off a disappointing season to land in a particularly friendly environment, re-establish his value, and then hit the market again the following winter. https://blogs.fangraphs.com/how-the-opt-out-could-improve-the-pillow-contract/
DeleteI don't think pillow contracts are necessarily always one year anymore. The two year deal we signed with Conforto feels similar.
DeleteBuster and Minasian have been active on the trade front but the other GMs were trying to take advantage of their inexperience. Wasting everyone's time.
DeleteBaggs. wrote that about Buster and Miniasen. His words were "hyberactive". Its seems that's how the game is played when other teams try to take advantage of a new inexperienced front office, but Bustet is smart and Minaisan although an experienced FO person, this is his 1st GM gig. Let's just hope that they stay strong and don't give in to the pressure of making a move where the other team 'takes them to the cleaners'. Bagga also wrote Giants refused to include Bryce Eldridge in trade offers for Kyle Tucker and Garrett Crochet. Smart move.
DeleteDid the Giants? Buster? Minasian? did they say "anyone but Eldridge?"
Delete2. Grant McCray OF
3. Trevor McDonald RHP
4. James Tibbs III OF
5. Jhonny Level SS
6. Rayner Arias OF
7. Walker Martin SS
8. Carson Whisenhunt LHP
9. Carson Ragsdale RHP
10. Carson Seymour RHP
11. Mason Black RHP
Anyone?
For a one-year rental?
It should NOT be all about 2025.
Welp. I, for one, would be willing to include any 1 or two of the players on this list for 1 season of Kyle Tucker. Heckuva player!
Delete