Winter Meetings Thread

[Just Regular]

If it is Kimbrel, for me he'd be fundamentally similar to Adam Frazier in this way.

Arguably, the Adam Frazier outlay will help cost contain Westburg-Ortiz salaries in the medium term.

Arguably, a Craig Kimbrel outlay would help cost contain Cano-Hall salaries in the medium term.

To the extent we're all watching the organization for a signal whether current ownership is open to investing more money in the on field product, Kimbrel alone for me would not be it.    I do believe at the mile-high level some demonstration of competitiveness with money would be helpful to ongoing efforts to buying FA seasons from one or two of the team's most talented players.

Looking at the full 3-year sample since covid, Kimbrel among ~200 qualified RP is 10th in fWAR, 57th in ERA, 13th in k-bb and 37th in Stuff+.     His Savant FB Velo 3-year percentile trend is 90-81-80.    

Is he a Hall of Famer?    Billy Wagner career is 900 innings of 187 ERA+.    Kimbrel is now at 750 innings of 171 ERA+.

 

[sportsfan8703]

9 minutes ago, Can_of_corn said:

Would he be OK with being the set up guy for Cano?

If he's not hard set in the Closer role this looks a bit better to me.

 

I think the selling point of racking up saves on the all time list probably gives us an advantage here.  If he comes here... he's the closer.  Cano really struggled in the 2nd half.  He was starting to stall out just before the all star game.  

[Sports Guy]

1 minute ago, sportsfan8703 said:

Kimbrel is a good move to get us through 162, but shouldn't be viewed as the "stopper" "fireman" that Bautista was.  He's going to blow some saves and probably give up runs sometimes in extra innings.  Bautista was such a weapon in extra innings, and he really propped up Cano in the 2nd half.  Bautista stranded alot of Cano's runners.  

Kimbrel leads me to believe we're not going to pay the price for Luzardo/Cease.  

Kimbrel has absolutely zero to do with what they do at starter. 

[RZNJ]

9 minutes ago, Can_of_corn said:

Would he be OK with being the set up guy for Cano?

If he's not hard set in the Closer role this looks a bit better to me.

 

I don’t see much of a difference.  Someone else will close if it’s 3 days in a row or something.

[Moose Milligan]

Great. 

[btdart20]

6 minutes ago, Can_of_corn said:

Would he be OK with being the set up guy for Cano?

If he's not hard set in the Closer role this looks a bit better to me.

 

Maybe.  I believe he started his PHI tenure as a set up guy for Alvarado.

I agree with the set-up preference, but think he'll be the closer FWIW.  (Though I tend to lean toward no closer and play the match-up/game situation in general anyway.)

[oriolediehard]

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2023/12/orioles-sign-craig-kimbrel.html

O's are close to deal with Kimbrel!

[CanadianOriole]

So there's a handful of games in April and May we have to live with being blown until he gets removed from the role. Given his veteranosity and the likely dollar commitment, probably best to root for him to be really putrid early and force our hand to get him banished to lower leverage.  If he manages just mediocre for a while he'll still be in high leverage roles in the critical parts of the season and we'll end up with him blowing key games down the stretch.    Being a fan of this franchise is exhausting some times.

[oriole]

Assuming this is a one year deal, I think it makes sense. Cano showed he isn’t a closer and it’s probably too much to expect Wells or Hall to step into that role. Not saying they can’t, it’s just dangerous to make any assumptions. Personally, I think Wells would do great in that role though. Kimbrel is cool too I guess. 

[Sanity Check]

12 minutes ago, Can_of_corn said:

Would he be OK with being the set up guy for Cano?

If he's not hard set in the Closer role this looks a bit better to me.

 

He wants closer money, not setup money.  Plus, do we really trust Cano in this role for a year?  His swing and miss stuff tailed off a bit last year as the season progressed.

[StottyByNature]

11 minutes ago, Can_of_corn said:

Would he be OK with being the set up guy for Cano?

If he's not hard set in the Closer role this looks a bit better to me.

 

I think it'd be a mistake going into the year thinking Cano is going to close.  As great as he was last year, his numbers are skewed by an other-worldly start.  I expect he's more of the guy we saw in the second half.  Still good, but not dominant.

Kimbrel makes a ton of sense.  It's not exciting but he adds stability to the pen and allows Cano to be in a lower-leverage spot which suits him better.  I will admit I can't stand that weird stance that Kimbrel does and he has struggled a bit with the pitch clock.  I'm not looking forward to watching him but I completely get the rationale.

[clapdiddy]

Not a fan of this, though:

Yankees Have "Intensified" Efforts To Acquire Juan Soto - MLB Trade Rumors

[Orange]

Kimbrel got 1/10 last year coming off of a worse season... This year he's coming off of a better season (FIP is weird these past two years though... The Philly defense propped him up a bit)... So, I imagine he'll get something like 1/12 or maybe a little more. I'd love to see a team option for a second year, too. (Since it's an option it needs to be more... so like another $18m if we pick it up. So, I'd be cool with 2/30 with the second year as an option... might have to do a $2m buyout, but that's cool.)

[Can_of_corn]

1 minute ago, Sanity Check said:

He wants closer money, not setup money.  Plus, do we really trust Cano in this role for a year?  His swing and miss stuff tailed off a bit last year as the season progressed.

I didn't say that I would have Kimbrel set up and Cano close.

I asked if he would be willing to come into the season as something other than the designated Closer.

 

[Can_of_corn]

1 minute ago, clapdiddy said:

Not a fan of this, though:

Yankees Have "Intensified" Efforts To Acquire Juan Soto - MLB Trade Rumors

I am.

San Diego is asking for a lot for a one year rental that's going to be making 30M.