Post by Strategist on Dec 27, 2019 10:55:23 GMT
With the Post season a crap shoot that you never know how is going to turn out all you can do is put the best team together and get to the playoffs. After that anything can happen. With that in mind I wanted to write a review about my 2019 AL Central Champion Cleveland Indians.
Starting the Off-season these were my thoughts:
Lineup:
Jose Ramirez 2B, Christian Yelich CF, Matt Chapman 3B, and Matt Carpenter DH all had very good to elite offensive projections to build my lineup around.
Souza Jr RF, Adam Frazier LF, Marcus Semien SS, Danny Jansen and Mitch Garver C, and Eric Hosmer 1B Rounded out might lineup with all had average to slightly above average projections. With all of them also being at least average defensively at the position I had them playing. I also felt it had pretty good balance of left and right handed bats. I did think my bench needed an upgrade with only Jung-ho Kang 3B. So I went out and signed Brandon Guyer as a small side platoon with Frazier in LF. He had above average defense and good ratings against LHP. I also signed Stephen Vogt Mainly because I thought he was a good value and he had a higher hitter ratings against RHPs than both of my current catchers.
Both players signed 1 year deals for less than 1.2 mil each I felt like I supplemented my lineup on the cheap.
Starting Pitching:
The most glaring weakness of my team. I had Kenta Maeda who projected out as a SP2-3 type pitchers as my only solidly above average SP. After that I had Jimmy Nelson, Andrew Heaney (out of options), Vince Velasquez, Domingo German (out of options), Josh James, and Chris Paddack all who were average to slightly below average projections. I came into the Offseason with like 60 or 70 million in cap space I wish I had the exact number but I don't remember so when Tyler Glasnow became available I pounced. Signing him to a 8 yr contract worth 228.5 mil $ deal. With both Yelich, Ramirez, and Maeda all signed to extremely team friendly deals for like the next 5 years I figure I could risk signing the long term deal even if it didn't work out I wouldn't be crippled. I also went out and signed Edinson Volquez to a 1 year 9 Mil $ deal. Honestly looking back I really don't know why I fought so hard to sign him. It looks like a really dumb signing in context as he was more of the same type of starting pitching I already had. I think maybe I didn't realize that I wouldn't be able to put German and Heaney in the minors. On top of this I also signed Manny Banuelas to a 2 year 3.2 Mil $ contract. This I think I remember he started out the real life season strong so I was trying to get him on a 2 year deal in the hopes he would be helpful next season. Volquez got hurt in spring training so starting the season I went with a rotation of:
Maeda
Glasnow
Nelson
Heaney
Velasquez
I am sure not a rotation that scared anyone in my division.
Bullpen:
I also didn't feel like my bullpen was very good. I had Kirby Yates and Hector Rondon as the only significantly above average RPs. So with all my cap space I went out and signed David Robertson to a 2 yr 27.5 Mil $ to be my closer. I also signed Brad Brach who was on the same level as Yates and Rondon. So with those additions plus the extra SPs I had that would be my long relievers I figured my team was set for the regular season.
Early Season Thoughts:
As expected my team came out completely crushing, Averaging 5.7 runs per game and was 1st in most hitting categories.
With the expected Yelich, Ramirez and Carpenter all leading the way. On top of that Vogt, Souza, and Frazier all hit way above their heads all completely crushing what was expected of them. My lineup was just insane to face.
Also as expected my starting pitching left a lot to be desired.
Maeda pitched very well but got hurt for the season on May 3rd.
Glasnow pitched well but didnt provide my depth often not making it out of the 5th inning.
The rest of my starters all pretty much sucked. I had like 8 SPs and I gave them all a chance to seize a starting spot.
My Bullpen with the additions pitched amazing and kept my pitching staff as a whole afloat.
In real life Glasnow and Paddack were pitching like aces. With German also quite dominate to a lesser degree. With Maeda coming back next season I figure if I was patient I would have a pretty amazing Starting Rotation next season. I did have 3 top 100 hitting prospects in Kieboom, Sanchez, and Turang that I had been shopping trying to get starting pitching. Was in the Kershaw talks, talked heavy with the Pirates about Corbin, and contacted just about every non contender about there elite starting pitching that were on short term contracts. I especially ramped this up after Maeda's injury. Alas after many conversations I just couldn't ever come to that perfect combo that would make both teams happy on a deal. Although was very close on Kershaw at one point right before Kris Bryant got offered for him. Which I agree with the Jays that what I offered wasn't as good as Bryant. Finally I saw the Brewers were looking for a 1B so I approached him about Hosmer as I had Carpenter that could also play 1st. We came together on a deal very fast. Eric Homser 1B and Alberto Figuereo SS For Collin McHugh SP and Marwin Gonzalez UT. The salaries were almost exact. McHugh became my best SP and I like Gonzalez's utility as he has a decent fielding rating at 5 different positions.
Mid Season thoughts:
My team continued as an offensive juggernaut ranking in the top 1 or 2 in almost every category except K's (near the bottom) and SB (4th to 5th). Starting pitching still as a whole sucking and my bullpen pitching very well.
So I was still constantly talking to people about starting pitching. I would guess 1 of the big hold ups to a lot of my deals was the value I put on Paddack. In real life he had came back a little bit after a torrid start but was still pitching very well but at his age with averaging over a K per inning and with 6 years of team control still left I felt like he had amazing value. A lot of teams didn't really agree. Finally 6 weeks after I had made my first trade I was able to agree to terms with the Red Sox's. Chris Paddack SP, Pablo Reyes OF, Santiago Espinal SS, Edinson Volquez SP and Manny Banuelos SP for Syndergard SP and Liam Hendriks RP. Volquez and Banuelos were just salary dumps. I finally had my Ace and also boosted an already solid bullpen. I like that I at least got 3 yrs of control of Syndergaard and there is some upside that he could turn back into that elite starting pitcher again. Although Hendriks was a rental so didn't have a whole bunch of value. After a week more of talks trying to move Kieboom (who was absolutely killing AAA and was 21 yrs old) for another top flight SP no deals really even came close to happening. So I changed tactics and made a move with the White Sox for one of the best pure hitters in the sim. Carter Kieboom SS, Cal Mitchell OF, WIlli Castro SS, and Nick Gordan SS for JD Martinez (2019 Salary Covered). With Martinez's opt out after the season I may look back on this trade and regret it. I am hoping he just opts in like IRL and I dont have to worry. This gave my lineup some amazing depth. Ramirez had gotten hurt for 3-4 weeks so I figured this would help my offense not miss a step and while he was hurt. In restrospect this trade helped me even more that I thought because Yelich went on to get hurt for 5-6 weeks and Ramirez would have a set back and end up missing 6 weeks. While they were hurt it was Martinez, and Carpenter that really carried my lineup. After the Martinez trade I figured I was mostly done. I wasn't really talking any big with anyone else as I had already traded my top 2 trade chips. I was still poking around for some help at the bottom of rotation but it was slow going. The Giants then got a new GM and they put Scherzer on the block. I was kinding of kicking myself wishing I still had Kieboom to build an offer around but I messaged them anyway with a bunch of different players that I could build an offer around and asked what they thought. They instantly wanted Glasnow in any offer. On top of that they wanted my other 2 top 100 prospects and another high ceiling prospect. I really hated moving Glasnow especially after how well he had pitched but the reality was that his projection for this season was only slightly above average and Scherzer may have had the single best projection (Don't want to go back and compare all the top pitchers projections) in the game. And I figured that since I had already made several moves that should just go all the way in. So Tyler Glasnow SP, Jesus Sanchez OF, Brice Turang SS, and Grant Lavigne 1B for Max Scherzer (6 mil salary covered for life of contract). The deal came together very fast. So now that I had a true Ace I decided I really wanted to upgrade my team in any and every way that I could. I went out and traded Bruce Zimmerman SP, Will Toffey 3B, and Nick Maton SS for Dellin Betances RP (Salary Covered). I did this to give me a truly elite 1-2 punch at the back end of my bullpen. Of course Robertson a month later gets hurt for a month so it ended up being a good fall back closer to have and Robertson will be back for the playoffs so that is when it will become the most important. Then after what felt like a million messages back and forth finally agreed with the Rockies to trade Josh James, Sam Haggerty, JJ Montgomery SP, and Jimmy Nelson SP, for Anibal Sanchez SP and Tyler Skaggs SP. Both pitchers were upgrades to the back end of my rotation and with Sanchez being signed super cheap for next season I figured it wasn't bad value for me.
So after a flurry of moves my starting rotation looked like:
Scherzer
Syndergaard
McHugh
Sanchez
Skaggs
With the likes of Heaney, and Domingo as long relief and 6th starters which I needed a few times due to double headers and Sanchez getting injured for 3 weeks.
So what was a major weakness at the beginning of the season became a strength to compliment what was a dynamic lineup and good bullpen.
End of the Regular Season Thoughts:
Lineup:
Yelich and Ramirez both played like MVPs but unfortunately both had significant injuries. Yelich accumulating 7.2 war in just 114 games. Ramirez 5.5 in just 102 games. Martinez also hit to an MVP level but only 57 of those games coming with the Tribe. Carpenter also finished top 10 in several offensive categories. Frazier and Souza both preformed slightly above their projections. The biggest surprise was the production I got our of my catcher position. My 3 catchers combined to hit .300 with 25 HRs, 79 RBIs, and 7.5 WAR. Vogt absolutely crushing his projection. The only disappointment was Semien who was mired in a season long slump even against LHPs hitting .201 with 150 Ks in 144 games. Marwin Gonzalez has replaced him as the starter at SS for the rest of the season and the playoffs. So that trade turned out better for me than I originally thought it was. Overall all nothing that I can complain about with my hitting.
Starting Pitching:
Well after all the moves I made in season I now have a completely different starting rotation than I started with. It has been overall great. My starter ERA and overall ERA have steadily decreased since the trade deadline. Only Skaggs has struggled with the Indians and will be the one dropped from our Playoff rotation.
Bullpen:
All of my additions of Robertson, Bach, Hendriks, and Betances have all pitched amazing on top of a couple of the holdovers has created a pretty great bullpen. Consistently top 5 in Bullpen ERA.
Overall obviously very happy with how the season turned out. Put in a lot of effort in trying to upgrade my pitching staff and couldn't be more happy with how it turned out. Can't wait for the playoffs!
TRADES Overview:
Eric Homser 1B and Alberto Figuereo SS For Collin McHugh SP and Marwin Gonzalez UT - This one has turned out well for both teams. Hosmer has hit for 138 OPS+ in 100 games for the Brewers. Giving them that left handed power bat in the middle of their heavy right handed lineup. While Gonzalez has hit for only 110 OPS+ but with his positional flexibility has given me another option at SS that I wouldn't have had and McHugh 107 ERA+ in 20 starts helping to solidify my starting rotation and will be my #3 in the playoffs. Figuero is a young prospect that is hard to tell what he might turn out to be.
Chris Paddack SP, Pablo Reyes OF, Santiago Espinal SS, Edinson Volquez SP and Manny Banuelos SP for Syndergard SP and Liam Hendriks RP - This was obviously a trade that gave future value for value this year. Chris Paddack was a very good pitcher this season in the majors, got a good projection and under team control for the next 6 years. Pablo Reyes is a player that always has hit great in the minors and has been a top 15 pirates prospect the last several years. He sucked in the majors this season but still has upside. Espinal is similar to reyes in that he has always hit well in the minors and he is in AAA so close to the majors. Volquez and Banuelos were both just salary dumps. The Red Soxs are looking at quick rebuild and are looking to compete next year I think this is why he wanted the players that he did. I got an Ace with 3 yrs of control left and a rental bullpen piece. 2020 will go a long way to determining how this trade turns out. If Syndergaard keeps declining and Paddack keeps improving this could look like a very bad trade for me. If Syndergaard can help pitch me to a WS win this year or next then I won't feel too bad.
Carter Kieboom SS, Cal Mitchell OF, WIlli Castro SS, and Nick Gordan SS for JD Martinez (2019 Salary Covered)- Unfortunetly it will be hard to tell how this trade until this offseason and if Martinez opts out. If he does and I can't resign him then it will probably mean I gave up too much for him. If I would have known that I was going to make the Scherzer trade then I probably wouldn't have done this. Kieboom is a consensus top 20 prospect and crushed AAA. Struggled in a cup of coffee in MLB but at just 22 yrs old that doesn't mean much. Mitchell has tremendous upside, ranked top 10 pirates prospect and only 20 yrs old. Castro and Gordon are very similar players both top 100 prospects as late as 2018 and both produced enough that they are going to get a shot in the majors in 2020. Martinez has played great for me in 57 games. Hitting 152 OPS+ and 53 RBIs in 58 games. Doing Exactly what I got him for.
Tyler Glasnow SP, Jesus Sanchez OF, Brice Turang SS, and Grant Lavigne 1B for Max Scherzer (6 mil salary covered for life of contract)- I think Scherzer was just about the perfect pitcher for my team. Although I think most people would say that. He has an elite projection for this season and pitched great again this season so will get another great projection next season. He is signed for only 2 more season after this one so 2 of the 3 seasons I have him he will be elite and unless he just falls off the earth next season which for pitchers is possible shouldn't be bad at just under 30 mil. Obviously to get this type of pitcher you have to give up a lot. Glasnow as mention pitched like an ace in his 12 starts this season. In those 12 starts he had the best ERA and best FIP of any starter. His 8 year contract makes him a little less valuable but if you pitch like that it will be a steal. I really have no idea what kind of projection he will get just guessing I would bet somewhere around a SP2-3 for upcoming season. Sanchez a concensus top 50 prospect is young and already in AAA. Turang a top 100 prospect is young and playing well so far. Lavigne young with a ton of upside too. Glasnow by himself could make this a great trade for the Giants to get these prospects on top of him could make them a very scary team in 2-3 years. Scherzer has been absolutely dominate for the Tribe, going 9-0 with a 1.89 ERA in 10 starts. Obviously couldn't ask for anything more from him. Really need him to be that dominate #1 starter in the playoffs.
Bruce Zimmerman SP, Will Toffey 3B, and Nick Maton SS for Dellin Betances (Salary Covered) RP- Betances being a rental hurt his value. Still I gave up 3 prospects that are all top 15 in their prospective organizational lists. Betances has been great for the Indians. Going 0-2 with 5 saves and a 2.25 ERA in 20 games. Extra value gained because of the injury to Robertson.
Josh James SP, Sam Haggerty 2B, JJ Montgomery SP, and Jimmy Nelson SP, for Anibal Sanchez SP and Tyler Skaggs SP- I got what I wanted in a 4th and 5th starter for my rotation. Josh James is the best value going back as a previous top 100 prospect and insane strikeout rates in the MLB so far. If the Astros let him start and he can harness his stuff he could be a scary good starter. Otherwise should at least be an above average to great reliever year after year. Haggerty and Montgomery are top 15 organizational guys that have some upside. Nelson just include for salary purposes. Sanchez has pitched well for Cleveland going 2-3 with a 3.59 ERA in 8 starts. He has a 1 mil team option and should have at least an average projection that should allow me to plug him in to my 4th or 5th spot in the rotation. Skaggs has pitched like crap going 3-1 with a 5.65 ERA in 9 starts. Will be dropping him to a bullpen roll for the playoffs.
Trades will be easy to assess as time goes on and I hope to look back maybe a year from now and update how the trades have turned out. For the short term they have worked out just like I have hoped.
Free Agency Overview:
Tyler Glasnow 8 yr 228.56 Mil - Pitched Great in the half season and but biggest thing was flipped in the Scherzer trade so I will give it an A+.
David Robertson 2 yr 27.5 Mil - 55 games 1-3 35 saves 2.17 ERA 95 Ks in 49.2 IP 212 ERA+. Pitched great for me. The 2nd year is a team option so depending on what kind of projection he gets will determine if I pick it up. Worked out perfect for me but he is a reliever and got hurt for a month so I will go B+.
Brandon Guyer 1 yr 1.08 Mil - 49 games hit .213/.379/.324 3 HRs 91 OPS+. Was ok but because of trades needed a roster spot. Really not impactful one way or another so I will go C.
Stephen Vogt 1 yr 1.2 Mil - 83 games hit .315/.379/.523 with 14 HRs and a 138 OPS+. Performed way better than I imagined. As a part time player and short term contract will go with a B+.
Edinson Volquez 1 yr 9.5 Mil - 8 games 2-1 with a 5.71 ERA. Really have no idea what I was thinking. Luckily only a 1 year deal or would have given this a F. Instead will go D-.
Manny Banuelos 2 yr 3.26 Mil - Never pitched for me. Was hoping that he would pitch well this season and be useful next season alas that didnt happen. Small contract so that prevents it from being an f. D-.
Brad Bach 1 yr 3.8 Mil - 49 games 4-0 2.45 ERA. 69 Ks in 58.2 IP with an 188 ERA+. Signed to bolster pen and that was exactly what he did. Relief pitcher on short term contract prevents this getting to an A. B+.
Overall only 1 bad contract. No long term money after flipping Glasnow for Scherzer. The Volquez signing prevents this overall grade from being an A-. With boosting my 2 weaknesses in my rotation and turning my bullpen into very good along with the Vogt I say B+ overall.
Starting the Off-season these were my thoughts:
Lineup:
Jose Ramirez 2B, Christian Yelich CF, Matt Chapman 3B, and Matt Carpenter DH all had very good to elite offensive projections to build my lineup around.
Souza Jr RF, Adam Frazier LF, Marcus Semien SS, Danny Jansen and Mitch Garver C, and Eric Hosmer 1B Rounded out might lineup with all had average to slightly above average projections. With all of them also being at least average defensively at the position I had them playing. I also felt it had pretty good balance of left and right handed bats. I did think my bench needed an upgrade with only Jung-ho Kang 3B. So I went out and signed Brandon Guyer as a small side platoon with Frazier in LF. He had above average defense and good ratings against LHP. I also signed Stephen Vogt Mainly because I thought he was a good value and he had a higher hitter ratings against RHPs than both of my current catchers.
Both players signed 1 year deals for less than 1.2 mil each I felt like I supplemented my lineup on the cheap.
Starting Pitching:
The most glaring weakness of my team. I had Kenta Maeda who projected out as a SP2-3 type pitchers as my only solidly above average SP. After that I had Jimmy Nelson, Andrew Heaney (out of options), Vince Velasquez, Domingo German (out of options), Josh James, and Chris Paddack all who were average to slightly below average projections. I came into the Offseason with like 60 or 70 million in cap space I wish I had the exact number but I don't remember so when Tyler Glasnow became available I pounced. Signing him to a 8 yr contract worth 228.5 mil $ deal. With both Yelich, Ramirez, and Maeda all signed to extremely team friendly deals for like the next 5 years I figure I could risk signing the long term deal even if it didn't work out I wouldn't be crippled. I also went out and signed Edinson Volquez to a 1 year 9 Mil $ deal. Honestly looking back I really don't know why I fought so hard to sign him. It looks like a really dumb signing in context as he was more of the same type of starting pitching I already had. I think maybe I didn't realize that I wouldn't be able to put German and Heaney in the minors. On top of this I also signed Manny Banuelas to a 2 year 3.2 Mil $ contract. This I think I remember he started out the real life season strong so I was trying to get him on a 2 year deal in the hopes he would be helpful next season. Volquez got hurt in spring training so starting the season I went with a rotation of:
Maeda
Glasnow
Nelson
Heaney
Velasquez
I am sure not a rotation that scared anyone in my division.
Bullpen:
I also didn't feel like my bullpen was very good. I had Kirby Yates and Hector Rondon as the only significantly above average RPs. So with all my cap space I went out and signed David Robertson to a 2 yr 27.5 Mil $ to be my closer. I also signed Brad Brach who was on the same level as Yates and Rondon. So with those additions plus the extra SPs I had that would be my long relievers I figured my team was set for the regular season.
Early Season Thoughts:
As expected my team came out completely crushing, Averaging 5.7 runs per game and was 1st in most hitting categories.
With the expected Yelich, Ramirez and Carpenter all leading the way. On top of that Vogt, Souza, and Frazier all hit way above their heads all completely crushing what was expected of them. My lineup was just insane to face.
Also as expected my starting pitching left a lot to be desired.
Maeda pitched very well but got hurt for the season on May 3rd.
Glasnow pitched well but didnt provide my depth often not making it out of the 5th inning.
The rest of my starters all pretty much sucked. I had like 8 SPs and I gave them all a chance to seize a starting spot.
My Bullpen with the additions pitched amazing and kept my pitching staff as a whole afloat.
In real life Glasnow and Paddack were pitching like aces. With German also quite dominate to a lesser degree. With Maeda coming back next season I figure if I was patient I would have a pretty amazing Starting Rotation next season. I did have 3 top 100 hitting prospects in Kieboom, Sanchez, and Turang that I had been shopping trying to get starting pitching. Was in the Kershaw talks, talked heavy with the Pirates about Corbin, and contacted just about every non contender about there elite starting pitching that were on short term contracts. I especially ramped this up after Maeda's injury. Alas after many conversations I just couldn't ever come to that perfect combo that would make both teams happy on a deal. Although was very close on Kershaw at one point right before Kris Bryant got offered for him. Which I agree with the Jays that what I offered wasn't as good as Bryant. Finally I saw the Brewers were looking for a 1B so I approached him about Hosmer as I had Carpenter that could also play 1st. We came together on a deal very fast. Eric Homser 1B and Alberto Figuereo SS For Collin McHugh SP and Marwin Gonzalez UT. The salaries were almost exact. McHugh became my best SP and I like Gonzalez's utility as he has a decent fielding rating at 5 different positions.
Mid Season thoughts:
My team continued as an offensive juggernaut ranking in the top 1 or 2 in almost every category except K's (near the bottom) and SB (4th to 5th). Starting pitching still as a whole sucking and my bullpen pitching very well.
So I was still constantly talking to people about starting pitching. I would guess 1 of the big hold ups to a lot of my deals was the value I put on Paddack. In real life he had came back a little bit after a torrid start but was still pitching very well but at his age with averaging over a K per inning and with 6 years of team control still left I felt like he had amazing value. A lot of teams didn't really agree. Finally 6 weeks after I had made my first trade I was able to agree to terms with the Red Sox's. Chris Paddack SP, Pablo Reyes OF, Santiago Espinal SS, Edinson Volquez SP and Manny Banuelos SP for Syndergard SP and Liam Hendriks RP. Volquez and Banuelos were just salary dumps. I finally had my Ace and also boosted an already solid bullpen. I like that I at least got 3 yrs of control of Syndergaard and there is some upside that he could turn back into that elite starting pitcher again. Although Hendriks was a rental so didn't have a whole bunch of value. After a week more of talks trying to move Kieboom (who was absolutely killing AAA and was 21 yrs old) for another top flight SP no deals really even came close to happening. So I changed tactics and made a move with the White Sox for one of the best pure hitters in the sim. Carter Kieboom SS, Cal Mitchell OF, WIlli Castro SS, and Nick Gordan SS for JD Martinez (2019 Salary Covered). With Martinez's opt out after the season I may look back on this trade and regret it. I am hoping he just opts in like IRL and I dont have to worry. This gave my lineup some amazing depth. Ramirez had gotten hurt for 3-4 weeks so I figured this would help my offense not miss a step and while he was hurt. In restrospect this trade helped me even more that I thought because Yelich went on to get hurt for 5-6 weeks and Ramirez would have a set back and end up missing 6 weeks. While they were hurt it was Martinez, and Carpenter that really carried my lineup. After the Martinez trade I figured I was mostly done. I wasn't really talking any big with anyone else as I had already traded my top 2 trade chips. I was still poking around for some help at the bottom of rotation but it was slow going. The Giants then got a new GM and they put Scherzer on the block. I was kinding of kicking myself wishing I still had Kieboom to build an offer around but I messaged them anyway with a bunch of different players that I could build an offer around and asked what they thought. They instantly wanted Glasnow in any offer. On top of that they wanted my other 2 top 100 prospects and another high ceiling prospect. I really hated moving Glasnow especially after how well he had pitched but the reality was that his projection for this season was only slightly above average and Scherzer may have had the single best projection (Don't want to go back and compare all the top pitchers projections) in the game. And I figured that since I had already made several moves that should just go all the way in. So Tyler Glasnow SP, Jesus Sanchez OF, Brice Turang SS, and Grant Lavigne 1B for Max Scherzer (6 mil salary covered for life of contract). The deal came together very fast. So now that I had a true Ace I decided I really wanted to upgrade my team in any and every way that I could. I went out and traded Bruce Zimmerman SP, Will Toffey 3B, and Nick Maton SS for Dellin Betances RP (Salary Covered). I did this to give me a truly elite 1-2 punch at the back end of my bullpen. Of course Robertson a month later gets hurt for a month so it ended up being a good fall back closer to have and Robertson will be back for the playoffs so that is when it will become the most important. Then after what felt like a million messages back and forth finally agreed with the Rockies to trade Josh James, Sam Haggerty, JJ Montgomery SP, and Jimmy Nelson SP, for Anibal Sanchez SP and Tyler Skaggs SP. Both pitchers were upgrades to the back end of my rotation and with Sanchez being signed super cheap for next season I figured it wasn't bad value for me.
So after a flurry of moves my starting rotation looked like:
Scherzer
Syndergaard
McHugh
Sanchez
Skaggs
With the likes of Heaney, and Domingo as long relief and 6th starters which I needed a few times due to double headers and Sanchez getting injured for 3 weeks.
So what was a major weakness at the beginning of the season became a strength to compliment what was a dynamic lineup and good bullpen.
End of the Regular Season Thoughts:
Lineup:
Yelich and Ramirez both played like MVPs but unfortunately both had significant injuries. Yelich accumulating 7.2 war in just 114 games. Ramirez 5.5 in just 102 games. Martinez also hit to an MVP level but only 57 of those games coming with the Tribe. Carpenter also finished top 10 in several offensive categories. Frazier and Souza both preformed slightly above their projections. The biggest surprise was the production I got our of my catcher position. My 3 catchers combined to hit .300 with 25 HRs, 79 RBIs, and 7.5 WAR. Vogt absolutely crushing his projection. The only disappointment was Semien who was mired in a season long slump even against LHPs hitting .201 with 150 Ks in 144 games. Marwin Gonzalez has replaced him as the starter at SS for the rest of the season and the playoffs. So that trade turned out better for me than I originally thought it was. Overall all nothing that I can complain about with my hitting.
Starting Pitching:
Well after all the moves I made in season I now have a completely different starting rotation than I started with. It has been overall great. My starter ERA and overall ERA have steadily decreased since the trade deadline. Only Skaggs has struggled with the Indians and will be the one dropped from our Playoff rotation.
Bullpen:
All of my additions of Robertson, Bach, Hendriks, and Betances have all pitched amazing on top of a couple of the holdovers has created a pretty great bullpen. Consistently top 5 in Bullpen ERA.
Overall obviously very happy with how the season turned out. Put in a lot of effort in trying to upgrade my pitching staff and couldn't be more happy with how it turned out. Can't wait for the playoffs!
TRADES Overview:
Eric Homser 1B and Alberto Figuereo SS For Collin McHugh SP and Marwin Gonzalez UT - This one has turned out well for both teams. Hosmer has hit for 138 OPS+ in 100 games for the Brewers. Giving them that left handed power bat in the middle of their heavy right handed lineup. While Gonzalez has hit for only 110 OPS+ but with his positional flexibility has given me another option at SS that I wouldn't have had and McHugh 107 ERA+ in 20 starts helping to solidify my starting rotation and will be my #3 in the playoffs. Figuero is a young prospect that is hard to tell what he might turn out to be.
Chris Paddack SP, Pablo Reyes OF, Santiago Espinal SS, Edinson Volquez SP and Manny Banuelos SP for Syndergard SP and Liam Hendriks RP - This was obviously a trade that gave future value for value this year. Chris Paddack was a very good pitcher this season in the majors, got a good projection and under team control for the next 6 years. Pablo Reyes is a player that always has hit great in the minors and has been a top 15 pirates prospect the last several years. He sucked in the majors this season but still has upside. Espinal is similar to reyes in that he has always hit well in the minors and he is in AAA so close to the majors. Volquez and Banuelos were both just salary dumps. The Red Soxs are looking at quick rebuild and are looking to compete next year I think this is why he wanted the players that he did. I got an Ace with 3 yrs of control left and a rental bullpen piece. 2020 will go a long way to determining how this trade turns out. If Syndergaard keeps declining and Paddack keeps improving this could look like a very bad trade for me. If Syndergaard can help pitch me to a WS win this year or next then I won't feel too bad.
Carter Kieboom SS, Cal Mitchell OF, WIlli Castro SS, and Nick Gordan SS for JD Martinez (2019 Salary Covered)- Unfortunetly it will be hard to tell how this trade until this offseason and if Martinez opts out. If he does and I can't resign him then it will probably mean I gave up too much for him. If I would have known that I was going to make the Scherzer trade then I probably wouldn't have done this. Kieboom is a consensus top 20 prospect and crushed AAA. Struggled in a cup of coffee in MLB but at just 22 yrs old that doesn't mean much. Mitchell has tremendous upside, ranked top 10 pirates prospect and only 20 yrs old. Castro and Gordon are very similar players both top 100 prospects as late as 2018 and both produced enough that they are going to get a shot in the majors in 2020. Martinez has played great for me in 57 games. Hitting 152 OPS+ and 53 RBIs in 58 games. Doing Exactly what I got him for.
Tyler Glasnow SP, Jesus Sanchez OF, Brice Turang SS, and Grant Lavigne 1B for Max Scherzer (6 mil salary covered for life of contract)- I think Scherzer was just about the perfect pitcher for my team. Although I think most people would say that. He has an elite projection for this season and pitched great again this season so will get another great projection next season. He is signed for only 2 more season after this one so 2 of the 3 seasons I have him he will be elite and unless he just falls off the earth next season which for pitchers is possible shouldn't be bad at just under 30 mil. Obviously to get this type of pitcher you have to give up a lot. Glasnow as mention pitched like an ace in his 12 starts this season. In those 12 starts he had the best ERA and best FIP of any starter. His 8 year contract makes him a little less valuable but if you pitch like that it will be a steal. I really have no idea what kind of projection he will get just guessing I would bet somewhere around a SP2-3 for upcoming season. Sanchez a concensus top 50 prospect is young and already in AAA. Turang a top 100 prospect is young and playing well so far. Lavigne young with a ton of upside too. Glasnow by himself could make this a great trade for the Giants to get these prospects on top of him could make them a very scary team in 2-3 years. Scherzer has been absolutely dominate for the Tribe, going 9-0 with a 1.89 ERA in 10 starts. Obviously couldn't ask for anything more from him. Really need him to be that dominate #1 starter in the playoffs.
Bruce Zimmerman SP, Will Toffey 3B, and Nick Maton SS for Dellin Betances (Salary Covered) RP- Betances being a rental hurt his value. Still I gave up 3 prospects that are all top 15 in their prospective organizational lists. Betances has been great for the Indians. Going 0-2 with 5 saves and a 2.25 ERA in 20 games. Extra value gained because of the injury to Robertson.
Josh James SP, Sam Haggerty 2B, JJ Montgomery SP, and Jimmy Nelson SP, for Anibal Sanchez SP and Tyler Skaggs SP- I got what I wanted in a 4th and 5th starter for my rotation. Josh James is the best value going back as a previous top 100 prospect and insane strikeout rates in the MLB so far. If the Astros let him start and he can harness his stuff he could be a scary good starter. Otherwise should at least be an above average to great reliever year after year. Haggerty and Montgomery are top 15 organizational guys that have some upside. Nelson just include for salary purposes. Sanchez has pitched well for Cleveland going 2-3 with a 3.59 ERA in 8 starts. He has a 1 mil team option and should have at least an average projection that should allow me to plug him in to my 4th or 5th spot in the rotation. Skaggs has pitched like crap going 3-1 with a 5.65 ERA in 9 starts. Will be dropping him to a bullpen roll for the playoffs.
Trades will be easy to assess as time goes on and I hope to look back maybe a year from now and update how the trades have turned out. For the short term they have worked out just like I have hoped.
Free Agency Overview:
Tyler Glasnow 8 yr 228.56 Mil - Pitched Great in the half season and but biggest thing was flipped in the Scherzer trade so I will give it an A+.
David Robertson 2 yr 27.5 Mil - 55 games 1-3 35 saves 2.17 ERA 95 Ks in 49.2 IP 212 ERA+. Pitched great for me. The 2nd year is a team option so depending on what kind of projection he gets will determine if I pick it up. Worked out perfect for me but he is a reliever and got hurt for a month so I will go B+.
Brandon Guyer 1 yr 1.08 Mil - 49 games hit .213/.379/.324 3 HRs 91 OPS+. Was ok but because of trades needed a roster spot. Really not impactful one way or another so I will go C.
Stephen Vogt 1 yr 1.2 Mil - 83 games hit .315/.379/.523 with 14 HRs and a 138 OPS+. Performed way better than I imagined. As a part time player and short term contract will go with a B+.
Edinson Volquez 1 yr 9.5 Mil - 8 games 2-1 with a 5.71 ERA. Really have no idea what I was thinking. Luckily only a 1 year deal or would have given this a F. Instead will go D-.
Manny Banuelos 2 yr 3.26 Mil - Never pitched for me. Was hoping that he would pitch well this season and be useful next season alas that didnt happen. Small contract so that prevents it from being an f. D-.
Brad Bach 1 yr 3.8 Mil - 49 games 4-0 2.45 ERA. 69 Ks in 58.2 IP with an 188 ERA+. Signed to bolster pen and that was exactly what he did. Relief pitcher on short term contract prevents this getting to an A. B+.
Overall only 1 bad contract. No long term money after flipping Glasnow for Scherzer. The Volquez signing prevents this overall grade from being an A-. With boosting my 2 weaknesses in my rotation and turning my bullpen into very good along with the Vogt I say B+ overall.