Nunez DFA

[gfrank]

I don't like the move at all. I'm probably guilty of being an optimist, but I always got a bit of a Nelson Cruz vibe from Nunez. Granted that's more of a best-case scenario, but Nunez is only 26(actually more accomplished than Cruz was at that age), there's definitely some real life in that bat, and we're lucky enough to have a hitting coach who has a pretty impressive track record of hitters under his watch hitting or exceeding their ceiling. He's averaged 35 HR and 97 RBI per every 162 games over the last year and a half, and that was for his age 25-26 seasons, and it's not at all unreasonable to think he could have surpassed those over the next two years(as most players traditionally do during their traditional 27-30 peak years), particularly considering we're starting to accumulate more competent bats throughout the lineup. And it's not like our 40 is that jam-packed with unmovable talent who are definitively worth holding on to, I could name a couple other guys without a particularly compelling longterm outlook that would have been a better fit to move on from during such a roster crunch instead of a guy who could have gotten you 35 home runs and 100 RBI. Plus, while in years past DH-types had ever-declining value across baseball for trades, I think you're going to see at least a slight change in that given that it looks increasingly likely that the DH rule will stick on the NL, creating the necessity for 15 more starting lineup spots with guys that roughly fit a Nunez profile.

Really the best argument here is playing time, though every configuration people present of that playing time automatically seems to presume that Trey Mancini is going to be well enough to run out there 162 times next year. I'm totally pleased with the sheer optimism of that sentiment, and would make next year a special one even if we run out there and only put up a .277 winning percentage as a team or something, but it still feels like a bit of a reach to presume that somebody with a year off from sports who just had to endure what he had to endure is going to have the sheer endurance for an entire baseball season so soon after something like that. But it's something I'd be overwhelmingly happy to be wrong about, so whatever.

But it was important that we keep 30 year-old Cole Sulser and 35 year-old Cesar Valdez for some reason, I guess.

[Philip]

1 minute ago, Sports Guy said:

Thanks for the analysis.  

I was looking for some five dollar words to throw into my explanation…

The conundrum is that when you have five guys doing the same thing, only one can play at a time: the other four, in addition to being wasted, because you cannot use them at the same time, are taking roster spots from someone who could be productive at the same time, or are forced into positions where their negatives negate their positives. Trumbo was an adequate first baseman, but a miserable outfielder, and yet where did we put him?

We have too many guys doing the same thing. Nunez was the most limited and the most expensive, and had no trade value, because as of 4 hours ago, several guys just like him were cast adrift.

[Just Regular]

2 hours ago, wildcard said:

I guess Elias feels Mancini will be ready to play next spring.

Agree here.  Appropriately all we get are tea leaves, but I've felt Renato and Mancini's early next year statuses with the team were on a seesaw.

It's a minor baseball judgment call, with a heartwarming chaser.

[coe76]

Kind of expected to see Nunez go.  Ruiz and Wynns may be next.  A few pitchers might need to contact a moving company too.  Also wish we had not lost Alvarado to the A’s after not re signing him.  I feel he may be an effective BP arm.

[Aristotelian]

No problem with this move. Nunez has plus power and that is about it. OBP is meh, hit is meh, fielding is terrible, and he is not left handed. He is just not a good enough hitter to be a DH and has no other position. Just not worth giving up a promising player like Wells. Could have made a case for getting rid of Ruiz but I think with the current roster Nunez is more expendable. DJ can do everything Nunez did (identical 121 OPS+ last year) but he is lefty and has a high OBP. Don't forget, we have Mancini coming back as well as Diaz ready. 

[Jammer7]

I am one who expected this move. When all you can do is DH, you have to really be elite. Renato is not Edwin Encarnacion in his prime in Toronto. He is not a .900 OPS and a 150 OPS+ guy. He may be that some day, and I hope he succeeds. But he is plainly the odd man out. On this roster, we should be rotating the DH to give guys some rest. 

It should be interesting to see what the market is for him.

[Sports Guy]

2 hours ago, Philip said:

I was looking for some five dollar words to throw into my explanation…

The conundrum is that when you have five guys doing the same thing, only one can play at a time: the other four, in addition to being wasted, because you cannot use them at the same time, are taking roster spots from someone who could be productive at the same time, or are forced into positions where their negatives negate their positives. Trumbo was an adequate first baseman, but a miserable outfielder, and yet where did we put him?

We have too many guys doing the same thing. Nunez was the most limited and the most expensive, and had no trade value, because as of 4 hours ago, several guys just like him were cast adrift.

I don’t see it as a conundrum because you have no one who is a definite and you should be cutting Davis as soon as you know when the season is starting.

You could have gone to arbitration, agreed with him on a number and then cut him in ST and only be on the hook for 20% of the salary.  Without knowing what’s happening with Mancini or several of the COers, that’s a small price to pay for a productive insurance policy.

I agree he’s the lowest upside in terms of being an all around player but he has value and 800 OPS/30 homer guys don’t grow on trees.

[wildcard]

3 hours ago, Sports Guy said:

Yes, the position is plentiful but that doesn’t mean you dump production for nothing.

Elias will try to trade him.    Let's see what the return is.  Probably young player(s) that don't need to be on the 40 man roster.

[Frobby]

5 hours ago, Sports Guy said:

Yes, the position is plentiful but that doesn’t mean you dump production for nothing.

I suspect they tried and found no takers.   

[Sports Guy]

3 hours ago, Frobby said:

I suspect they tried and found no takers.   

I would agree...then you keep him.  
 

You have time to wait and see what happens with other guys between now and the start of the season.

I have been saying that moves needed to be made with that cluster of guys.  There is no questioning that.  I just don’t think that this exact move combined with the timing is the smart way to go.

I don’t think it hurts us that bad in the long run or anything like that though.

[Bahama O's Fan]

If we didn't have Davis on the roster, I might not have so much of a problem with it. Davis brings far less to the table than Nunez. So what if we had three 1B/DH? Injuries happen. Keep him till Opening Day. Maybe one of them becomes valuable in a trade for a contender that needs a bat or has an injury. I also don't think I would keep Wynns over him and maybe a couple of the middle relief pitchers.

[InsideCoroner]

20 minutes ago, Bahama O's Fan said:

If we didn't have Davis on the roster, I might not have so much of a problem with it. Davis brings far less to the table than Nunez. So what if we had three 1B/DH? Injuries happen. Keep him till Opening Day. Maybe one of them becomes valuable in a trade for a contender that needs a bat or has an injury. I also don't think I would keep Wynns over him and maybe a couple of the middle relief pitchers.

I think you have to keep Davis on the roster until you see what the Covid situation will be like in 2021. If it looks like a lot of games will be canceled again, you keep him, as the team saves over $100,000 from his salary for every canceled game. If half the season is missed, they save $8.5 million, but only if he’s on the roster. But if it looks like there’s going to be a full season, that’s when I would cut him. 

[VaBird1]

24 minutes ago, Bahama O's Fan said:

If we didn't have Davis on the roster, I might not have so much of a problem with it. Davis brings far less to the table than Nunez. So what if we had three 1B/DH? Injuries happen. Keep him till Opening Day. Maybe one of them becomes valuable in a trade for a contender that needs a bat or has an injury. I also don't think I would keep Wynns over him and maybe a couple of the middle relief pitchers.

Hopefully they think Nevin and Diaz are ready to move up.  I would have gotten rid of someone like Sulser first if they just wanted a roster spot

[forphase1]

Good move.   The spot to protect potential future contributors was more valuable than  Nunez.  Folks are talking here like he's not replaceable while the facts are with what we have returning he had no place in the team,  and we needed that roster spot to protect guys that do,  hopefully, have a place on the team soon. Frankly, I love the fact we are getting enough talent that needs protecting that a guy like Nunez is on the chopping block.  Shows progress IMO.

[Bahama O's Fan]

Future potential like Wynns and Susler?