Seattle Sports Insider

Specific Names for the Rotation

if you're not willing to go large for Tom Wilhelmsen, that is

Posted by

11/24/16

MLB Trade Rumors sez,

As for the lost rotation depth, Dipoto expressed confidence that the organization has enough remaining talent to survive a full season, but he also acknowledged that he’ll pursue additional help. “We are going to look at the free agent market,” he said. “We are certainly not opposed at potential for trades. We still feel like in the big picture that we are 10-11 deep with guys that we feel secure in starting a Major League game. We are comfortable with that group, but we’d like to augment it.”

While the trade market offers a limitless number of avenues for upgrade, free agency brings a lesser supply. Rich Hill, Jason Hammel and Ivan Nova are the top three starters on this year’s free-agent market, though Seattle’s pitcher-friendly environment could certainly be an appealing setting for one of the numerous rebound candidates that are available. Names like Brett Anderson and Derek Holland are both available, as are former Angels C.J. Wilson and Jered Weaver, each of whom pitched for Dipoto’s teams in Anaheim.

1) First of all, due credit to Billy Zoom who, after we were despondent :- ) about the Valencia/Ruiz 'fix', reminded us that Dipoto is an adrenaline junkie in the winter. The evidence is coming in on his side.

2) Rich Hill is SOOOOO much fun to watch. Estimates on his contract range from 2/$28M to 5/$80M and he's 36.

3) Dipoto has established that he could announce an UNEXPECTED trade for anybody at any time. Don't assume there will be visible smoke before the fire burns down the blog-o-sphere.

4) SP's available in trade are supposed to include:

Drew Smyly

Jeff Samardzija

Chris Archer

Jose Quintana

Chris Sale

Zack Greinke (maybe)

Justin Verlander (maybe)

5) Given C.J. Wilson's rebound last year, and Dipoto's affinity for guys he knows, that sounds feasible

6) James Paxton is ours and you can't have him

BABVA,

Dr D

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Comments

Trading for TOR

You give up O'Neill AND Gohara.

Plus.

Walker and stuff was our swag for a front-line starter. Not now.

Unless the guy we trade O'Neill and Gohara for is named Sale then I'm not liking it very much. Maybe Archer. Maybe. More later. OK...Quntana is darn good, too. Really good. But A decade of 30 HR's in RF kind of gets me tingly.

Rich Hill will get you a guaranteed 80 innings next year. We may need more. :)

Samardzija gets $19M per. Verlander $27M per. Not sure we spend that kind of dough now. Wilson is cheaper.....and not as good. Sigh.

Archer is cheap. And good. The next 5 years cost you $39M. That's cheap. I'm in. Gohara is easy to give up for this kid. But you have to give up somebody close to the bigs, as well. That's Moore. Then your farm arms are depleted. But if I can keep Moore (who may be on a fast-track to the bigs) and O'Neill, then they can have their way with our minors. Go to it.

But I'm betting Archer has lots of suitors right now. Don't blame them. Quintana is 4 years for $38M. Whew. Gimme some. But he's costing about the same as Sale in terms of bodies shipped.

There is no free pitching lunch right now. But we need to add a starter. Right now #6 is Andrew Moore. #5 is Karns.

O'Neill and Gohara for Archer

Do the Segura and Valencia adds soothe your jangled nerves on Tyler O'Neill? We've still got quite a bit of interesting talent at corner OF.

Verlander and Samardzija appear to be non-starters as you say. Rich Hill you'd have to trust the medical staff, agreed, leaving Archer as a prime target ... who stands on a podium at a NYSE-style frenzy :- )

G-Money suggests a legit bullpen arm instead of Archer, and just let Edwin Diaz be Archer ... for about three times as long ...

Nope

I'm having my cake and eating it, too.

An Archer add would be really cool but I'm becoming a big believer in Tank's raw power. Were we the Astors he would be up in June or July and we would just tell the kid to relax and hit the ball.

So Archer for Gohara and stuff soothes my jangled nerves, but I'm laying the pitching field and dating/wooing all the guys before I part with O'Neill.

Could Diaz give you 150 innings as a starter? Maybe.

I'd take a shot at the

I'd take a shot at the Hollands, Derek and Greg for cheap reclamations. Dealing for Sale is priority #1, Archer is #2. What about Sonny Gray? I'd like to get him while he's down AND off of the A's roster.

Drew Smyly, PLEASE!

Unfortunately, despite being at the top of the Rays' speed dial, I can't see a fit. If Seth only hit righthanded...

Would be stoked about Drew Smyly

His 1.5, 1.6 homer ratios the last two years have probably camoflaged a Grade A starter, and Safeco is just the place to help him with that. A 2-year club controls player just like Sagura.

Agreed. A fantastic trade-and

Agreed. A fantastic trade-and-sign target IMO coming off a down year.

Flyball lefty with K stuff and homer issues. Perfect fit for Safeco, especially with Haniger in LF and Martin in CF. :-)

Also can be realistically acquired, unlike the others.

So

So, let's say the rest of the off season is something like Brett Anderson on a one-year deal, Boone Logan for three and a bunch of NRI/rehab case guys. Success? Or does he need to trade some of his OF depth for another draw at the Karns/Miranda BOR game? Maybe all of the above?

For me, Segura has already exceeded my winter expectations

It's the equivalent of a Bautista/Encarnacion add, in context.

Your first SP scenario is probably Dipoto's minimum from here. And in my book he'll have pushed an 86-win team a long ways forward.

The scenarios past that, Hill, Smyly, whoever, would make the M's pretty elite on paper for me. They were toe-to-toe with anybody in the AL before even the Valencia deal.

After awhile ....

Jerry DePoet, hey, that guy, I would never get in a poker game wit him, as you jes don no whatzup.

On radio 2 days ago, he got me smiling with his elusive comments ... and the only thing I believe out of them was that Larson and Stanton would pony up big bucks for the right guy.

But, after several post turkey days, I remain just as confused after driving into a bright Arizona sunset and picking up a shortstop.

While I hear y'all on Archery and Smiley, I think Archer will be hot at winter meet and half at least 4 clubs opening up their prospect pokes to get him. Smiley, not so much.

But, then, there are leaks about Lister-een, and he killed a lot of germs after he got out of Seattle a few years back.

While DePoet has played "Back to the Future" with some of his former jigsaw pieces, I can't come around on Wilson or Weaver.

In that interview, the GM also said (paraphrase) "We intend to win now, but, by building up our reserves who are close to the majors we can extend the five year window" (and he said he never used that 5 year thing previously).

I can see the Hollands, particularly Derek, as a possibility.

I can't see the Orcs trading Sunny Grey until the summer deadline nears, but, then I was blinded while driving into that Arizona sunset.

My top guess right now is Jaime Martinez, from the Cards. I'd like one of their young phenoms (and they've got 24 pitchers on their 40 man), but I don't see Reyes or Martinez going anywhere and I don't trust Wacha, but the fog machine saying they are seeking another starter is beyond me ... but, who we got that they want (no, no Tank, no).

Lewis??? Doubtful, but don't absolutely count it out

I still think we will get a surpise, but, we will get a recognizable starter.

Meanwhile, I'll flap my wings again on MC CLUTCH. How about L. Martin and Cishek, and possibly a lower than top ten prospect. Pitts would get their CF and move S. Marte back to left and wait for Meadows to fully percolate. And they are sniffing about a closer. The Pirates will not deal him to St. Loogy.

A few days behind, and time for some more leftover turkey ... but I ain't accepting a gizzard.

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