Astros took no one and lost no one in the major league rule 5 draft.
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I see I Cabrera’d this.
Happy about both moves. Caratini fits the Astros like a glove and Coleman is a low payroll move on a pitcher with stuff that the Astros think they can coach up.
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Now that they have signed Candelario, it looks (on paper) like the Reds need to trade away some position players for pitching.
They have Candelario, De la Cruz, McClain, and Encarnacion-Strand penciled in at the 4 infield spots, leaving India and Noelvi Marte as back ups.
That bumps Steer to starter at an OF spot. He plays all over but is best suited as a corner.
That leaves: Friedl, Fraley, Benson, Nick Martini, and Fairchild for 2 remaining OF spots and DH.
Many of these are young superstar prospects who won’t be moved and Friedl is the only true CF among them so less likely to be moved.
But Benson, Fraley, and Martini all are above average hitters both overall and vs RHP, have at least 3 years of control, and play the corner OF positions.
None project for more than 1-2 WAR per season so should be affordable.
How many GMs use projected WAR as a scalar variable for salary? This is not a video game.
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It’s absolutely the newest and bestest sqeaky chew toy for the internet GMs
huh…
Dana Brown on Jose Abreu:
“The first thing we are going to do with Jose Abreu is give him more time off. Maybe DH him some, give Singleton some at-bats… I think if we would have rested him more… It will give him more production.”
Abreu played in 141 games last year.
https://x.com/michaelschwab13/status/1740067572979044460?s=20
Singleton?
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Caratini? Diaz?
More production than 100+ RBI?
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With most of it coming at the back end of the season?
The story that his back was jacked up in the first half makes way more sense.
He was really good in the second half.
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Yup
Not surprising, at all. Despite the conventional un-wisdom in here, as noted a platoon-like assist for Abreu is a key augmentation to be made.
Platooning Abreu is nuts. Platooning him with Singleton is even more batshit crazy. He needs to be in the lineup every day.
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I think Abreu needs to be the starting 1B next year, not part of a platoon.
He has earned that status in this league, he gets paid based on that status. But that does not mean he needs to be an everyday player.
Last year he was on the I.L. for 12 games and played 141 of the 150 games he was active.
I think a bit more rest is prudent considering he is a big guy who will be 37 and has had back issues, but I’m thinking 5 starts per week at 1b (130 starts) and a start at DH every other week (13), not reducing him to 100 or even 125 games. He plays 1b, not SS or CF.
He would still start 143 instead of 141 games but his off days would be spread out.
I also would like to see Diaz play more of the remaining 32 games at 1b than Singleton.
That’s an everyday player. And Diaz needs to be the every day catcher, not a backup first baseman.
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Why not both?
An everyday backup?
Because if he’s playing 1B every fifth day, and getting his usual days off, he’s not catching enough.
Or did you mean he can catch and play 1B at the same time? Cause that’s exactly the kind of out of box thinking that wins championships.
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Yainer Bugs Bunny Diaz