Who Do We Need to Lock Up?

[MarylandAaron]

We must be watching different players. I see Schoop as a guy who will eventually OPS .700 or so and hit 20-25 homers per year. Very much above average for a 2nd baseman. Not to mention he's a great defender and has a cannon attached to his right shoulder. I think he'll make All Star games. Just my opinion.

I agree with you. This is pretty much how I view him. Just want to see him continue making strides this year and maybe next before I'd consider an extension.

[Guest gausman37]

We must be watching different players. I see Schoop as a guy who will eventually OPS .700 or so and hit 20-25 homers per year. Very much above average for a 2nd baseman. Not to mention he's a great defender and has a cannon attached to his right shoulder. I think he'll make All Star games. Just my opinion.

Schoop may hit 20 homers in the occasional year, but his strikeout and infield-fly rates lead to so many banked wasted plate appearances. The defense makes his overall package playable at the moment, but it's not worth locking up long-term.

[Crazysilver03]

Manny isn't getting locked up. Not going to happen. At least long-term.

Tillman is the guy you need to lockup. Been saying that for 2 years. I think it happens, should have happened already and they would have saved money. Price just keeps going up and up.

Schoop? Really? Still too early there.

Why no love for Pearce or De Aza?

Pearce is an interesting case. No real comparisons for him. If you extend now you have to still guess if he is legit or if he is an extended fluke. Personally, I am thinking he is the real deal. But how do you progress money and years wise.

Half this board wanted to cut DeAza already. No reason to extend him since he won't cost much in free agency. Better to stay on one year deals with him. Or just let him walk after this year. Snider will still be on the team. Move Alvarez or a new FA addition into LF.

[Crazysilver03]

Schoop may hit 20 homers in the occasional year, but his strikeout and infield-fly rates lead to so many banked wasted plate appearances. The defense makes his overall package playable at the moment, but it's not worth locking up long-term.

Schoop would be a good candidate to lock up over his arbitration years if you can get them at a discount over what the team values them at.

[ArtVanDelay]

Loved that one; I've never seen it before.

It was from tonight.

[SteveO]

I think you have to be pretty selective about how you throw your money around. It should be about keeping talent that is extremely difficult to replace. I like DeAza but I think in any given year you can find a reasonably priced replacement on the market even if a guy Alvarez could not fill his shoes. Tillman and Machado would be my first priority. Getting KG and Schoop signed would be in my financial planning picture also if I were DD.

[mdbdotcom]

The Porcello contract, with its AAV over $20MM for a #3 pitcher, makes it near impossible to lock up any pitcher long term.

Manny is the one and only guy I'd like to lock up long term, but it may be too late already, as he will be arb eligible after this season. Good chance he's a free agent at 26. Kid's going to make a lot of money.

It could be tempting to offer Chris Davis a four year deal, but someone will give him six or seven years at a ridiculous figure.

[Can_of_corn]

Schoop may hit 20 homers in the occasional year, but his strikeout and infield-fly rates lead to so many banked wasted plate appearances. The defense makes his overall package playable at the moment, but it's not worth locking up long-term.

May hit 20?

As a 22 year old rookie he hit 16 in 455 at bats. You think that is his ceiling?

I am not saying he is the second coming but you are underestimating the kid's power.

[Crazysilver03]

The Porcello contract, with its AAV over $20MM for a #3 pitcher, makes it near impossible to lock up any pitcher long term.

Manny is the one and only guy I'd like to lock up long term, but it may be too late already, as he will be arb eligible after this season. Good chance he's a free agent at 26. Kid's going to make a lot of money.

It could be tempting to offer Chris Davis a four year deal, but someone will give him six or seven years at a ridiculous figure.

I am not so sure the Porcello contract will be as trend setting as some think. People were worried after Jayson Werth got his insane contract, but his was a clear outlier. Just like I think Porcello's will be.

Of course a key difference was that the extension covers free agent years only. Carrasco just signed for 4/$22M with Cleveland but did so for the security. And also because he was in arbitration years.

Tillman might be hard to extend because he doesn't have much of a injury history and might not feel like sacrificing money for years.

[weams]

We must be watching different players. I see Schoop as a guy who will eventually OPS .700 or so and hit 20-25 homers per year. Very much above average for a 2nd baseman. Not to mention he's a great defender and has a cannon attached to his right shoulder. I think he'll make All Star games. Just my opinion.

He's talking about being Cano. Or how secondbasemen used to hit when they could take PEDS easier.

[Reboulet'sStache]

I'd try to lock up Manny. The rest I'd let walk/give them QOs.

[oriole]

Manny still has some time but eventually I'd love to see him locked up.

I think out of the upcoming free agent class you have to take your pick from the Pearce/De Aza tier. I could see a possible Pearce extension to fill out 1B while staying flexible in case Walker ever turns into a major league option. I think Snider might be an option as well even though he is an extra year away.