Four Big Swings

[Pura Vida]

Most of these I have mentioned before. I've chosen specific targets for the Cardinals and tried to figure out how we could meet the other teams' needs.

Swing #1- Alec Burleson to Detroit for Josue Briceno. Briceno is a left handed hitting C/1B. He and Ivan and Rainiel should form the Former Catchers Club (FCC). He is 21 playing in AA and could make the majors by sometime next season. He has the power of Joshua Baez with less swing and miss. He would be Burleson's replacement with more team control and higher upside with the bat. The Tigers are notorious prospect huggers, but maybe this season being Tarik Skubal's last with them they will be more aggressive. Scott Harris could very well get fired if they don't make the playoffs. The Tigers are near the bottom in the majors in production from 1B, RF, and DH. Enter, Burly. I would add a smaller piece, or pieces to get this done. You wouldn't be sorry.

Swing #2- Dustin May, Lars Nootbaar, and Ryne Stanek to Houston for Xavier Neyens. Neyens is a 19 year oldLHH SS/3B who will end up at 3B. Like Rainiel Rodriguez, he has a power grade of 65. He is currently playing at high-A where he is battling swing and miss issues. It will be a couple seasons before he is ready to play in the big leagues. We don't have any 3B prospect with the ceiling he has. With better development from the get-go, maybe he can tame his K issues better than Gorman has. Houston needs rotation help due to injury. Their bullpen is pretty good, but needs RH help. They have a desperate need for a LH OF bat. Dana Brown is for sure getting fired if they miss the playoffs.

Swing #3- Riley O'Brien, Pedro Pages, Sebastian Dos Santos, and either Ryan Campos/Sammy Hernandez to the Dodgers for Zyhir Hope. Hope, like Joshua Baez, has played mostly corner OF, but also more than a little CF. He is a 21 year old LHH ready for promotion to AAA. For the Cardinals, Hope or Baez could man CF, with the other holding down LF.
Hope's scouting grades: Scouting grades: Hit: 50 | Power: 60 | Run: 55 | Arm: 60 | Field: 55 | Overall: 55
The Dodgers are looking for some catching help. Will Smith is out indefinitely. They want someone who is competent, but also someone they can move aside when Smith comes back. They are considering bolstering their pitching- both starting and relief (who has more pitchers hurt than the Dodgers?). They also want to fortify their farm system as they draft toward the back end and lose so many picks due to free agent signings. Heck, ask them for River Ryan while you are at it! (His BTV for some reason in down to 0.4)

Swing #4- I floated this in another thread and got very little (if any) traction, but the more I think about it, the better I like it. Jimmy Crooks to Boston for Jarren Duran. Duran would play CF for the Cardinals for 2 seasons until Tai Peete, or Trevor Condon was ready. The more I think about it, the more I am convinced (not something I can substantiate) that he would bounce back considerably in a better environment. Boston (and the Mets) are as toxic as it gets. His past two seasons he has put up 9 and 5.4 WAR. High ceiling if you can get to it. Moves Church into a more appropriate role as a fourth OF. I believe Crooks will have a good major league career, but I thing two years of what Duran can do for the Cardinals would be more valuable than what five years of Crooks will provide, simply because we have other options at C who could provide similar things. The same is not true of CF.

There you go, four big swings. What do you think? Thumbs up, thumbs down (no middle fingers please)?

You lost me at #1 trading Burly. This is silly he is only 27 and the best pure hitter on the team...top 10 in RBIs in the MLB on a team that is offensively anemic.

[scoutyjones2]

Most of these I have mentioned before. I've chosen specific targets for the Cardinals and tried to figure out how we could meet the other teams' needs.

Swing #1- Alec Burleson to Detroit for Josue Briceno. Briceno is a left handed hitting C/1B. He and Ivan and Rainiel should form the Former Catchers Club (FCC). He is 21 playing in AA and could make the majors by sometime next season. He has the power of Joshua Baez with less swing and miss. He would be Burleson's replacement with more team control and higher upside with the bat. The Tigers are notorious prospect huggers, but maybe this season being Tarik Skubal's last with them they will be more aggressive. Scott Harris could very well get fired if they don't make the playoffs. The Tigers are near the bottom in the majors in production from 1B, RF, and DH. Enter, Burly. I would add a smaller piece, or pieces to get this done. You wouldn't be sorry.

Swing #2- Dustin May, Lars Nootbaar, and Ryne Stanek to Houston for Xavier Neyens. Neyens is a 19 year oldLHH SS/3B who will end up at 3B. Like Rainiel Rodriguez, he has a power grade of 65. He is currently playing at high-A where he is battling swing and miss issues. It will be a couple seasons before he is ready to play in the big leagues. We don't have any 3B prospect with the ceiling he has. With better development from the get-go, maybe he can tame his K issues better than Gorman has. Houston needs rotation help due to injury. Their bullpen is pretty good, but needs RH help. They have a desperate need for a LH OF bat. Dana Brown is for sure getting fired if they miss the playoffs.

Swing #3- Riley O'Brien, Pedro Pages, Sebastian Dos Santos, and either Ryan Campos/Sammy Hernandez to the Dodgers for Zyhir Hope. Hope, like Joshua Baez, has played mostly corner OF, but also more than a little CF. He is a 21 year old LHH ready for promotion to AAA. For the Cardinals, Hope or Baez could man CF, with the other holding down LF.
Hope's scouting grades: Scouting grades: Hit: 50 | Power: 60 | Run: 55 | Arm: 60 | Field: 55 | Overall: 55
The Dodgers are looking for some catching help. Will Smith is out indefinitely. They want someone who is competent, but also someone they can move aside when Smith comes back. They are considering bolstering their pitching- both starting and relief (who has more pitchers hurt than the Dodgers?). They also want to fortify their farm system as they draft toward the back end and lose so many picks due to free agent signings. Heck, ask them for River Ryan while you are at it! (His BTV for some reason in down to 0.4)

Swing #4- I floated this in another thread and got very little (if any) traction, but the more I think about it, the better I like it. Jimmy Crooks to Boston for Jarren Duran. Duran would play CF for the Cardinals for 2 seasons until Tai Peete, or Trevor Condon was ready. The more I think about it, the more I am convinced (not something I can substantiate) that he would bounce back considerably in a better environment. Boston (and the Mets) are as toxic as it gets. His past two seasons he has put up 9 and 5.4 WAR. High ceiling if you can get to it. Moves Church into a more appropriate role as a fourth OF. I believe Crooks will have a good major league career, but I thing two years of what Duran can do for the Cardinals would be more valuable than what five years of Crooks will provide, simply because we have other options at C who could provide similar things. The same is not true of CF.

There you go, four big swings. What do you think? Thumbs up, thumbs down (no middle fingers please)?

You lost me at #1 trading Burly. This is silly he is only 27 and the best pure hitter on the team...top 10 in RBIs in the MLB on a team that is offensively anemic.

Unfortunately, RBI's are a collaboration of people being on base in front of him. He's not even a 2 WAR player and is not a good 1B. He is a FA in 2029, turns 28 this year. Trade!

Cards aren't going anywhere with him.

I want pitching. Seems there are some potential bats in the minors, plus Blaze that can take over 1b.

[rockondlouie]

Big Swing?

What about dealing M. Winn for....


Top Choice -B. Woo or B. Miller of the M's?

TOTR Starter - Quality #2 Upside and both have three years of control

I'd take either w/Woo being my Top Choice!

or

Next Best Option -S. McClanahan or R. Pepoit of the Rays?

(But they have Carson Williams waiting in the wings)

or

Least Likely -E. Sheehan or G. Stone of the Dodgers?

(M. Betts and M. Rojas seem to be comfortable with them)


If Winn is dealt, move JJW to Short Stop

[Talkin' Baseball]

Big Swing?

What about dealing M. Winn for....


Top Choice -B. Woo or B. Miller of the M's?

TOTR Starter - Quality #2 Upside and both have three years of control

I'd take either w/Woo being my Top Choice!

or

Next Best Option -S. McClanahan or R. Pepoit of the Rays?

(But they have Carson Williams waiting in the wings)

or

Least Likely -E. Sheehan or G. Stone of the Dodgers?

(M. Betts and M. Rojas seem to be comfortable with them)


If Winn is dealt, move JJW to Short Stop

Both of us are taking big swings, but we're swinging at different things for the most part. You're swinging at established big league talent with some of their team control gone, and I'm swinging at high end unproven prospects. We may both have some swing and miss in our game. What do you suppose the front office is swinging at?

[rockondlouie]

Big Swing?

What about dealing M. Winn for....


Top Choice -B. Woo or B. Miller of the M's?

TOTR Starter - Quality #2 Upside and both have three years of control

I'd take either w/Woo being my Top Choice!

or

Next Best Option -S. McClanahan or R. Pepoit of the Rays?

(But they have Carson Williams waiting in the wings)

or

Least Likely -E. Sheehan or G. Stone of the Dodgers?

(M. Betts and M. Rojas seem to be comfortable with them)


If Winn is dealt, move JJW to Short Stop

Both of us are taking big swings, but we're swinging at different things for the most part. You're swinging at established big league talent with some of their team control gone, and I'm swinging at high end unproven prospects. We may both have some swing and miss in our game. What do you suppose the front office is swinging at?

Loved your solid work so thought I'd take a "big swing" too.

And for sure, you don't deal a player like M. Winn for prospects, he'd have to bring back a potential TOTR (#1/#2) starter in a trade.

As for what C. Bloom is swinging at........

I think you're a lot closer than I am.

He's likely looking for those prospects who are a year, maybe two away from St. Louis.

But I wonder........

Is he possibly thinking about dealing Winn for that current major league starting pitcher with years of control and #1/#2 potential given the plethora of SS's he's drafted?

[RunSup]

Most of these I have mentioned before. I've chosen specific targets for the Cardinals and tried to figure out how we could meet the other teams' needs.

...

Swing #2- Dustin May, Lars Nootbaar, and Ryne Stanek to Houston for Xavier Neyens. Neyens is a 19 year oldLHH SS/3B who will end up at 3B. Like Rainiel Rodriguez, he has a power grade of 65. He is currently playing at high-A where he is battling swing and miss issues. It will be a couple seasons before he is ready to play in the big leagues. We don't have any 3B prospect with the ceiling he has. With better development from the get-go, maybe he can tame his K issues better than Gorman has. Houston needs rotation help due to injury. Their bullpen is pretty good, but needs RH help. They have a desperate need for a LH OF bat. Dana Brown is for sure getting fired if they miss the playoffs.

...
There you go, four big swings. What do you think? Thumbs up, thumbs down (no middle fingers please)?

I have Nootbaar for Neyens straight up. Could throw in Stanek. But I'd lift a pitcher from their system.

You are right to target Neyens as a power 3B bat with contact issues. If solved, he arrives around 2028 opening of competitive window.

May and Jo Jo to the Dodgers. A Catcher or 2 and O'Brien in the deck waiting for a deal.