More Smoak and Mirrors on Free Agency

[wildcard]

I'd want to see what the O's have to give up to get Morse before trading for Smoak. Morse is in the opening day lineup. Smoak is at AAA. However Norfolk is not a very good place for a hitter to turn his career around.

Arrieta may have a longer leash than many think. He has two options left which Britton and Matusz have one.

[UpstateNYfan]

Does JTrea have an opinion?

[LookinUp]

Does JTrea have an opinion?

You can follow Jonathan French (JTrea) on twitter at https://twitter.com/JTrea81. Not much on Smoak, except a mention of him going to HS with Wieters.

[Edit: bonus points if you can identify JTrea's new posting handle on OH. I obviously don't know for a fact that he's here, but I have my suspicions. ]

[LookinUp]

I obviously don't know what the O's plan to do, but I figure I'd list a few things that have happened lately that could be coming together.

1. Seattle signs a catcher (Jaso), trades for a 1B/DH (Morales), traded last year for a C/1B/DH (Montero) and have Smoak (1 option left).

2. Seattle just traded away a LH starter and innings eater (Vargas).

3. Seattle doesn't appear to have the arms in-house to fill out their rotation and eat innings, unless they turn to some of their young guys right away.

4. Seattle also has a top catching prospect (Zunino) in AA.

5. Seattle's farm system is very deep.

My take away: Smoak is expendable in the right deal for pitching, but only in the right deal. His option gives Seattle time to wait for the right deal.

1. Baltimore has been looking for a potential MOO bat, preferably one who is RH and doesn't cost a draft pick or much money. (FWIW, Smoak was better as a RH hitter last year)

2. Baltimore has indicated a willingness to trade some of our pitching, particularly the cavalry.

3. Baltimore has recently signed a lot of pitching depth, particularly LH pitching depth.

4. Not that it matters, but Baltimore and Seattle already made one deal this offseason (Andino/Robinson).

My take away: It's obvious, but Baltimore is willing to trade pitching, potentially LH pitching, for a bat. DD doesn't appear willing to reach for a bat, so price might be an option.

My prediction: In a multi-player deal for both teams, Baltimore trades Matusz + for Smoak +. The + from Seattle could be Stefen Romero, a 23 y.o. 2B in AA. This would move Schoop's future position to 3B. The + from Baltimore could be Britton over Matusz, or it could be a guy like Steve Johnson/Tommy Hunter (e.g., someone who could likely eat innings in Seattle this year), or maybe a 4th OF type who could give them innings this year.

[Hank Scorpio]

Ummmmmmm...Georgia Tech?

I believe Smoak was a Gamecock.

[wildbillhiccup]

You can follow Jonathan French (JTrea) on twitter at https://twitter.com/JTrea81. Not much on Smoak, except a mention of him going to HS with Wieters.

[Edit: bonus points if you can identify JTrea's new posting handle on OH. I obviously don't know for a fact that he's here, but I have my suspicions. ]

Would that suspicion be MSK?

[ChaosLex]

Would that suspicion be MSK?

No, but MSK has posted under a couple of other aliases in the past, per one of the mods (I think either McLovin or PaulFolk, something to do with the IP addresses).

[LookinUp]

I believe Smoak was a Gamecock.

I was wrong. They went to HS together in SC, but different colleges (SC and GT).

Would that suspicion be MSK?

Definitely not, unless he was carrying multiple personalities here for a long time. It would be a relatively newer poster, but not extremely new.

[LookinUp]

Just acknowledging that this is apparently correct.

Being reunited with his team mate from Goose Creek' date=' SC (Wieters) might help.[/quote']

[hendu]

Typo, but regardless he's a mess of sorts close to his prime years. Thats not a good combination. If he were a few years younger and had been taken his lumps and bruises I might have room for some excitement.

No, it wasn't. It was just another example of a pointless reply from you.

[waroriole]

No, but MSK has posted under a couple of other aliases in the past, per one of the mods (I think either McLovin or PaulFolk, something to do with the IP addresses).

Haha, I forgot about that. Whatever the name was (I forget) he would put the initials (i.e. MSK) at the end of every post, and then try to pretend it wasn't him. I think he was trying to avoid LuckyJim because he kept welching on their bet.

[waroriole]

My prediction: In a multi-player deal for both teams, Baltimore trades Matusz + for Smoak +. The + from Seattle could be Stefen Romero, a 23 y.o. 2B in AA. This would move Schoop's future position to 3B. The + from Baltimore could be Britton over Matusz, or it could be a guy like Steve Johnson/Tommy Hunter (e.g., someone who could likely eat innings in Seattle this year), or maybe a 4th OF type who could give them innings this year.

That is a lot more than I feel comfortable giving up. If Matusz fails as a SP, he at least can be valuable out of the pen.

[LookinUp]

That is a lot more than I feel comfortable giving up. If Matusz fails as a SP, he at least can be valuable out of the pen.

True, but you're also getting a pretty good (though not elite) prospect back in the deal, and Matusz's profile isn't all that different from Smoak's at this point.

[Corolla35]

My prediction: In a multi-player deal for both teams, Baltimore trades Matusz + for Smoak +.

Trade Matusz for Smoak. Now that would be ironic. We'll hear lots of "should've just drafted him" comments.

[Enjoy Terror]

Patton is more likely to be traded than Matusz.