Updating the Hottest Questions of the 2015-2016 MLB Offseason, Week 3
Even though Thanksgiving dominated Week 3 of the 2015-2016 MLB offseason, there was still plenty of buzz surrounding stars like David Price and Jose Fernandez.
When it comes to the chase for Price, a heavyweight has emerged from the American League East. Meanwhile, some clarity has been provided on the future of Fernandez in South Beach.
As you enjoy your Thanksgiving leftovers, here's a look at all the biggest questions and answers from the week that was.
Will the Boston Red Sox Reel in David Price?
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As the runner-up for the AL Cy Young Award, David Price is drawing plenty of interest on the free-agent block.
Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports tabbed the Boston Red Sox, Chicago Cubs, Los Angeles Dodgers, San Francisco Giants and St. Louis Cardinals as the clubs who have demonstrated "the most interest" in the lefty.
As ESPN's Buster Olney noted on Twitter, it appears that the Red Sox are ready to break out the checkbook: "There's a high expectation among execs involved in David Price bidding that Boston will generate highest offer."
Tom Verducci of Sports Illustrated also pegged the AL East squad as a serious player in the Price Derby.
"I believe David Price is going to Boston. [President of baseball operations] Dave Dombrowski is all in,” Verducci said on MLB Network, via CSNNE.com.
As Rosenthal argued, one of the most important factors for Price in the decision-making process will be "comfort." And the 30-year-old has certainly been comfortable whenever he takes the mound at Fenway Park. In 11 career starts in Boston, Price has produced a 6-1 record and a 1.95 ERA.
Based on the Red Sox's reported willingness to spend and Price's track record of success in Boston, this looks like the ideal landing spot for both the starter and the club.
The Answer: Yes
Which Closer Will the Houston Astros Land?
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The Houston Astros really want to bolster the bullpen.
"Clubs talking to Astros say they seem 'hell-bent to get a closer.' Checked in on [Aroldis] Chapman, [Andrew] Miller, [Ken] Giles, [Brad] Boxberger, plus free-agent options," ESPN's Jayson Stark tweeted.
Giles isn't the most prominent pitcher on that list, but the 25-year-old is the best fit for the upstart Astros. With Dallas Keuchel, Carlos Correa and George Springer headlining the impressive young core, there's no question that the Astros are one of the rising powers in the AL.
Giles would be the perfect late-inning ace to grow along with Houston, as the right-hander is under club control through the end of the 2020 season.
According to Stark, the Astros are looking for a "high-octane, swing-and-miss power arm." And that's exactly who Giles is. Last year, Giles recorded an 11.2 strikeout-per-nine ratio for the Philadelphia Phillies, and his fastball averaged nearly 97 mph, per MLB.com.
The Answer: Giles
Where Will Aroldis Chapman End Up?
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It would be shocking if Aroldis Chapman ever throws another pitch for the Cincinnati Reds.
President of baseball operations Walt Jocketty told C. Trent Rosecrans of the Cincinnati Enquirer that he's hoping to move the four-time All-Star by the Winter Meetings.
According to Jon Heyman of CBS Sports, the Los Angeles Dodgers, who have dealt with all sorts of late-inning problems in recent campaigns, have placed Chapman on their list of bullpen targets.
If Chapman were to land in Southern California, it's difficult to say who would close: the Cuban lefty or the incumbent Kenley Jansen. For the Dodgers, the shrewder play would be to aim for an eighth-inning stopper and leave Jansen in the closer's role.
As Jayson Stark of ESPN reported, the Washington Nationals are yet another team with a problematic bullpen situation that could look to add Chapman.
“I've now heard from 3 teams in the last few days that Nationals want to deal both [Jonathan] Papelbon and [Drew] Storen, while chasing [Darren] O'Day, Chapman and others.”
That's a lot of moving pieces for general manager Mike Rizzo to put into place. Still, it's difficult to think of a better way for the Nats to upgrade the pen than to import Chapman. Last season, the 27-year-old was downright brilliant for the Reds, sporting a 1.63 ERA in 65 games and piling up 116 strikeouts.
If Chapman winds up with the Nats, he'd be playing for a familiar boss. He and new manager Dusty Baker spent three years together in Cincinnati.
The Answer: Nationals
Are the New York Yankees Actually Going to Trade Brett Gardner?
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There aren't a lot of big leaguers like Brett Gardner. The left-handed hitter has the speed to set the table (at least 20 steals in six of the last seven seasons) and the power to clear it (16 home runs and 26 doubles in 2015).
Thanks to that skill set, Gardner is one of the New York Yankees' most valuable trade chips as the club searches for "controllable" starters, as Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports argued.
Gardner is also a chip that the Yankees shouldn't deal.
One of the primary reasons that Gardner is such a compelling piece on the trade block is that he's locked in at a reasonable cost. Over the next three seasons, the left fielder is set to make $37.5 million. The vet also has a $12.5 team option (with a $2 million buyout) for 2019. Gardner's contract situation makes him exactly the type of player who the Yankees need to be keeping around—not jettisoning in a trade.
The timing of a potential deal also doesn't make sense, as the Yankees would be selling low on the outfielder. As Rosenthal noted, Gardner logged just a .206 average in the second half of 2015, while struggling with a wrist injury.
The Answer: No
Will the Miami Marlins Make Jose Fernandez Available?
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Right now, it sounds like the Jose Fernandez trade talk is much ado about nothing.
“Executives from a few teams in the market for high-end starting pitchers have told me Jose Fernandez is not currently available,” Joel Sherman of the New York Post wrote.
But that's not all.
“That could change, of course, since no organization pivots from one plan to the next quite like the [Miami] Marlins.”
Making just such a pivot in the not-too-distant future could make a ton of sense for the Fish. The owner of a 2.40 ERA and a 10.5 K/9 ratio in his three years in the bigs, Fernandez is an unusually electric pitcher—the kind of pitcher who will make a mint when he hits the free-agent market following the 2018 season.
As Sherman noted, “Boras clients generally go to free agency to determine their value. Thus, Miami could be thinking already about how they maximize the value of Fernandez.”
With Fernandez under team control for three more seasons, the Marlins have no urgency to start fielding offers just yet. But if the team turns in another dud in 2016, Fernandez could become a popular target during the summer trade season.
The Answer: Not just yet.
Note: All stats courtesy of BaseballReference.com and MLB.com. All salary information courtesy of Cot's Baseball Contracts on BaseballProspectus.com.
If you want to talk baseball, find me on Twitter @KarlBuscheck.
