Orioles claim Yolmer Sanchez

[Can_of_corn]

3 minutes ago, wildcard said:

Does the claiming of Sanchez mean that Elias is going to try to win in 2021?

Up until now Elias has gone cheap.  And almost completely focused on the long term future.

Sanchez is not a long term addition but Elias seems to be willing to risk arbitration with him the might cost the team between 4m and 6m.  He made 4.6m in 2019 and was projected to make 6.2m last year before he  was DFA'd.   

This appears to signal a change in Elias' approach.    Its a bigger expenditure  than committing 2.5m plus a 500K buyout to Iglesias. 

While it certainly does not mean Elias will spend big on free agents it does look like he is spending to up grade the infield defense which will benefit the young pitchers and the team ability to win games.

Another item......

I see that Roch and MLBTR are reporting that the O's have control of Sanchez until after the 2022 season.   But Cots Contracts  and Baseball Reference both say he has 5.040 service time which make him a FA after the 2021 season.     Someone is wrong here.

Dude signed a minor league deal last season.  The O's are not going to pay him 4-6 million.

[VaBird1]

29 minutes ago, wildcard said:

Does the claiming of Sanchez mean that Elias is going to try to win in 2021?

Up until now Elias has gone cheap.  And almost completely focused on the long term future.

Sanchez is not a long term addition but Elias seems to be willing to risk arbitration with him that might cost the team between 4m and 6m.  He made 4.6m in 2019 and was projected to make 6.2m last year before he  was DFA'd.   

This appears to signal a change in Elias' approach.    Its a bigger expenditure  than committing 2.5m plus a 500K buyout to Iglesias. 

While it certainly does not mean Elias will spend big on free agents it does look like he is spending to upgrade the infield defense which will benefit the young pitchers and the team's ability to win games.

Another item......

I see that Roch and MLBTR are reporting that the O's have control of Sanchez until after the 2022 season.   But Cots Contracts  and Baseball Reference both say he has 5.040 service time which make him a FA after the 2021 season.     Someone is wrong here.

Iglesias, Sanchez, Valaika, Martin and whoever ends up at 1B feels like a better all around infield than last season.  I assume Bannon and Urias will get a chance as well.  Tavara is close too.

[wildcard]

33 minutes ago, Can_of_corn said:

Dude signed a minor league deal last season.  The O's are not going to pay him 4-6 million.

O's didn't acquire him to put him in the minors.   He is on the major league roster and is eligible for arbitration.  One of the  factors in arbitration include  service time and he has 5 years.   That he was injured last season will be  factored in also but I think its hard to see him get less than he did in 2019(4.6m) if he goes to arbitration.

[wildcard]

4 minutes ago, VaBird1 said:

Iglesias, Sanchez, Valaika, Martin and whoever ends up at 1B feels like a better all around infield than last season.  I assume Bannon and Urias will get a chance as well.  Tavara is close too.

I am not sure Alberto is gone.  He could be a platoon player.

[Can_of_corn]

5 minutes ago, wildcard said:

O's didn't acquire him to put him in the minors.   He is on the major league roster and is eligible for arbitration.  One of the  factors in arbitration include  service time and he has 5 years.   That he was injured last season will be factor in also but I think its hard to see him get less than he did in 2019(4.6m) if he goes to arbitration.

They will cut him before they pay him 4M.

[wildcard]

7 minutes ago, Can_of_corn said:

They will cut him before they pay him 4M.

I could see that happening.   They could try to work a deal with him prior to the non tender date and let him go if they can't agree.   

But he is an upgrade to the infield defense and that has to be a goal of the off season.

[Sports Guy]

They certainly could be thinking of Sanchez at second and Alberto to third..either Ruiz and him platoon or Ruiz is gone.

Sanchez won a GG at second and the IF defense has been an issue.  I don’t think this is a move just for the hell of it.

[Aristotelian]

Switch hitter, does not have major platoon split. He could play 3B vs LHP and 2B vs RHP if we elected to keep Alberto and Ruiz. Would Alberto be worth the $ to be weak side platoon starter and lefty masher off the bench? That would be is ideal usage.

[Moose Milligan]

Strengthens the middle infield defense, which I am a fan of.  But I'm not going to read into signing a guy like this as to what Elias' grand plans are.  That's just silly. 

[Frobby]

14 hours ago, wildcard said:

Kind of blows the "not spending" theory out the water.  He is projected by Cots contracts to get 4M.  And being arbitration eligible its could be higher or lower.

I don’t know how Arb values a guy who was non-tendered last offseason, signed a MiL deal and then got released, then re-signed by his original team in the middle of the season.   My guess is the O’s will negotiate with him and, if they can’t come to a satisfactory arrangement, they’ll cut him on or before the non-tender date.  

[Sports Guy]

1 hour ago, Moose Milligan said:

Strengthens the middle infield defense, which I am a fan of.  But I'm not going to read into signing a guy like this as to what Elias' grand plans are.  That's just silly. 

Yea because no one ever speculates on a message board!

[Tony-OH]

If he's cheap enough it improves the defense at 2B and I guess he could also become the utility guy with his ability to play 3B. Still, I'm not sure I get this move overall. He's not part of the future and he's not really much if any of an upgrade over what they have on the roster now. 

Basically, this is move that doesn't really move the needle in any direction besides potentially improving 2B defense.

[HowAboutThat]

3 hours ago, wildcard said:

I am not sure Alberto is gone.  He could be a platoon player.

Alberto would be too expensive to be a platoon payer, and his defense is bad, so he can’t really be used as a late inning defensive sub. Also the roster will be pretty full and that spot would most likely go to the utility infielder. Finally, if he’s not playing regularly, he won’t hit as well. We don’t know what will happen, but the vote here is that he’s gone.

[weams]

16 hours ago, wildcard said:

Kind of blows the "not spending" theory out the water.  He is projected by Cots contracts to get 4M.  And being arbitration eligible its could be higher or lower.

Gold Glove at 2B but he is probably better at 3B than Ruiz.  Spent a lot of time in the minors as a SS and is probably a good backup there.  If Iglesias is traded Sanchez may be the starting SS.

He could be a trade chip at the deadline and is a free agent after the season.

No it doesn’t. He will make 2 or 3. 

[Sports Guy]

54 minutes ago, Tony-OH said:

If he's cheap enough it improves the defense at 2B and I guess he could also become the utility guy with his ability to play 3B. Still, I'm not sure I get this move overall. He's not part of the future and he's not really much if any of an upgrade over what they have on the roster now. 

Basically, this is move that doesn't really move the needle in any direction besides potentially improving 2B defense.

Perhaps they are thinking that run prevention needs to be improved, so they want defense?

Defense is still largely undervalued throughout the league.