2021 26 Man Roster Management?

[ScGO's]

It will be interesting to see who makes the team next year if we are going with 26.  Below is my attempt at it.  Now there could be trades that open up spots, but this is my best guess at what it will look like next year as I don't think we will try to add or move much over the offseason. There could be a couple tough calls, some young guys that step up in camp, some interesting DFAs, and I also wonder if really have much trade bait right now.  What are your thoughts?  Do you see us going after a FA?

Starting Pitchers

1. Akin

2. Kremer

3. Cobb

4. Means

5. Lopez

 

Relief Pitchers

6. Scott

7. Fry

8. Armstrong

9. Harvey

10. Tate

11. Lakins

12. Phillips

13. Valdez

 

Catchers

14. Severino

15. Sisco

 

Infielders

16. Alberto

17. Mancini

18. Nunez

19. Ruiz

20. Iglesias

21. Valaika

 

Outfield

22. Mountcastle

23. Hays

24. Santandar

25. Mullins

26. Stewart

 

Others to Consider: Sulser, Eshelman, Valezquez, Diaz, Zimmerman, Lowther, Bauman, Holaday, Wynns, Rutchman, Davis, Urias, etc

 

 

 

[ScGO's]

ugly post, sorry it didn't look like that when I submitted it.

[wildcard]

Will Cobb and/or Nunez be traded this off season?

Who will be the backup SS since Valaika has showed he is not that good there?

Will Elias want to go to arbitration with Alberto?

Will Elias find a better 3B?

[MurphDogg]

I would probably keep Sulser over Phillips, and would think about DFAing Nunez if Mancini proved healthy in spring training, with his spot going to a placeholder like Velazquez or a minor league free agent until Diaz is ready.

With Nunez DFA'd I would have Mountcastle, Santander, Mancini and Stewart rotate in the LF/RF/1B/DH. Once Diaz is up, add him to the mix and one of the five sits every game.

Mancini's recovery is obviously the biggest question mark, but I imagine it will be answered one way or another in Spring Training, and if he needs some time in the Minors to get back to speed (or if he physically is unable to play) then we go from there.

Would be nice to just plug in Zimmermann (with Lowther and Baumann behind him in the rotation pecking order) if someone would take on some of Cobb's salary, but I think Cobb will most likely be on the team until the trade deadline

[Sports Guy]

So, you are basically saying trade Trey for Davis and everyone else stays the same?

Lets hope not.

[MurphDogg]

3 minutes ago, wildcard said:

Who will be the backup SS since Valaika has showed he is not that good there?

If Valaika isn't the backup SS I'm not sure he is worth a spot on the roster, or at least I don't think both he and Nunez are rosterable if you need a backup shortstop.

[MurphDogg]

29 minutes ago, Sports Guy said:

So, you are basically saying trade Trey for Davis and everyone else stays the same?

Lets hope not.

It is a rebuild, they aren't going to spend any money.

Next year, they will go as far as the young pitching can take them. Hopefully better options for 2nd, short and third will emerge via trade, from the farm system (Vavra?, Adam Hall?), or free agency for 2022.

[Aristotelian]

I would not count on Phillips. "Elbow inflammation" is never a good sign. 

[Sports Guy]

13 minutes ago, MurphDogg said:

It is a rebuild, they aren't going to spend any money.

Next year, they will go as far as the young pitching can take them. Hopefully better options for 2nd, short and third will emerge via trade or from the farm system (Vavra?, Adam Hall?) or free agency for 2022

The rebuilding phase is basically over if you think about it.

You are now handing the keys to the young talent, some of which got real experience this year, even if it was a SSS.

Its time to supplement them.

But more than that, zero chance they basically bring back the exact same team. Guys will be nontendered, guys will be traded, new players will be brought in. 
 

They may not spend real money..I would anticipate they won’t but they should and there are som opportunities there.

[HowAboutThat]

Although it is way too soon, to absolute definites are that Nunez will be gone and Phillips will be gone. It’s not official yet but I expect that Davis will be gone as well.

[MurphDogg]

17 minutes ago, Sports Guy said:

The rebuilding phase is basically over if you think about it.

You are now handing the keys to the young talent, some of which got real experience this year, even if it was a SSS.

Its time to supplement them.

But more than that, zero chance they basically bring back the exact same team. Guys will be nontendered, guys will be traded, new players will be brought in. 

They may not spend real money..I would anticipate they won’t but they should and there are som opportunities there.

Yeah, I mean there will be some churn, but starting with the guys currently in the organization is really all you can do in making predictions.

I don't see them doing much trading but I could see potentially bringing in guys to challenge Valaika, Nunez, and Ruiz in spring training as well as a few more bullpen arms, but I would be surprised if they signed anyone to a MLB deal that would be immediately penciled into a roster spot.

There isn't a glaring hole that needs to be filled like with signing Iglesias, just some potential improvements in the margins.

If they wanted to spend money, they could sign a LeMahieu or Justin Turner, but that type of signing feels like a year off to me.

[wildcard]

13 minutes ago, MurphDogg said:

Yeah, I mean there will be some churn, but starting with the guys currently in the organization is really all you can do in making predictions.

I don't see them doing much trading but I could see potentially bringing in guys to challenge Valaika, Nunez and Ruiz in spring training as well as a few more bullpen arms, but I would be surprised if they signed anyone to a MLB deal that would be immediately penciled into a roster spot.

 

Elias has made moves to save money.  Traded Villar, Bundy, Cashner. 

This off season Cobb is in the last year of his contract.   Alberto has his 2nd salary arbitration year.

Santander, Severino, Armstrong, Valaika and Nunez are all arbitration eligible for the first time.

Will Elias make moves to keep the team cheap?

[MurphDogg]

49 minutes ago, wildcard said:

Elias has made moves to save money.  Traded Villar, Bundy, Cashner. 

This off season Cobb is in the last year of his contract.   Alberto has his 2nd salary arbitration year.

Santander, Severino, Armstrong, Valaika and Nunez are all arbitration eligible for the first time.

Will Elias make moves to keep the team cheap?

Alberto will make the most of those arbitration eligible guys at maybe $3 million next year. Those other guys made $10+ million.

Nunez and Valaika could be non-tendered, but not because of their exorbitant salaries. I don't think Armstrong will get non-tendered because he might make $800K rather than $600K. Santander, Severino and Alberto aren't getting non-tendered this year and none of them have enough surplus value to merit trading. Maybe Santander if he has a great 2021 is a trade chip, but he needs to show it for a full season to be a valuable trade chip. Trading Alberto or Severino would just be shuffling deck chairs and my guess is it would look bad if they traded EVERYONE that made over the minimum.

Cobb could be traded but they probably get a better return at the trade deadline, and my guess is that they would end up having to pick up the same amount of salary if they traded him in July as they would if they traded him in the offseason.

[HowAboutThat]

2 hours ago, MurphDogg said:

Yeah, I mean there will be some churn, but starting with the guys currently in the organization is really all you can do in making predictions.

I don't see them doing much trading but I could see potentially bringing in guys to challenge Valaika, Nunez, and Ruiz in spring training as well as a few more bullpen arms, but I would be surprised if they signed anyone to a MLB deal that would be immediately penciled into a roster spot.

There isn't a glaring hole that needs to be filled like with signing Iglesias, just some potential improvements in the margins.

If they wanted to spend money, they could sign a LeMahieu or Justin Turner, but that type of signing feels like a year off to me.

I suppose 2B is arguable. Alberto hits OK, but his defense is not very good. But do you really think a 500 or better team can have a third baseman like Ruiz? His defense is really bad, and I’ve been one of his big fans., But he doesn’t hit enough to compensate for his defense, or vice versa. He needs to go and we need to replace him with somebody competent.

[wildcard]

2 hours ago, MurphDogg said:

Alberto will make the most of those arbitration eligible guys at maybe $3 million next year. Those other guys made $10+ million.

Nunez and Valaika could be non-tendered, but not because of their exorbitant salaries. I don't think Armstrong will get non-tendered because he might make $800K rather than $600K. Santander, Severino and Alberto aren't getting non-tendered this year and none of them have enough surplus value to merit trading. Maybe Santander if he has a great 2021 is a trade chip, but he needs to show it for a full season to be a valuable trade chip. Trading Alberto or Severino would just be shuffling deck chairs and my guess is it would look bad if they traded EVERYONE that made over the minimum.

Cobb could be traded but they probably get a better return at the trade deadline, and my guess is that they would end up having to pick up the same amount of salary if they traded him in July as they would if they traded him in the offseason.

My guess:

If they trade Cobb at the deadline they will already have paid 2/3s of his salary.   If Elias can dump half of Cobb's salary for a Dominican player that will probably never make the majors......he is gone.

I don't know Elias plans for Diaz but if he think he will be promoted by some time in May he will need to find at bats for him.   Nunez  staying on a 30 homer pace means he could make 2 or 3 million in arbitration.   I don't see Elias paying that when he can replace him with a current O's prospect make less than 600K.  

Alberto will be a one and a half years from FA in July.  So if someone makes an offer that gets Elias a good return Alberto  is gone.  Valaika is almost the same player.   Hit lefties but not righties.  Plays a decent 2B with some versatility.  And Valaika will be cheaper by a million or two.

Davis probably stays on the 26 man roster so they can see if there is a work stoppage in the next two years that saves the O's part of his salary.   So the bench is Davis, a catcher, an outfielder and an infielder that can play SS well enough to backup Iglesias.   With Martin at AAA to start the season Elias has to go find that player.