By Yours Truly
http://throneberryfields.com/2017/11/03/be-not-surprised/The World Series is all over except for the Astros’ victory parade today. The hot stove is at 375 degrees
and climbing, little by little. And anyone who isn’t thinking about what’s going to go into the oven either
a) wants to be surprised come spring training (which is a mere 102 days away, thank God); or, b) is
a baseball fan for the postseason alone.
For real baseball fans, however, be not surprised . . .
* If the (doesn’t it sound sweet to say, Astroworld?) world champion Astros are sour enough on the
hapless Ken Giles that they make a run at Wade Davis, assuming the Cubs elect not to try to bring
him back. Cubs manager Joe Maddon sent him out for multiple-inning assignments more than a couple
of times this postseason, and Astros manager A.J. Hinch isn’t liable to make the same mistake if and
when his team returns to next year’s postseason. (And don’t bet against the Astros making a run for
a second straight World Series title with most of the team they now have.)
MLB Trade Rumours sees the Astros offering Davis $60 million for four years. It’s not unreasonable
for a guy who’s still one of the best closers in the business.
* If the Cubs decide their ways to tighten up for another run toward the Promised Land include reeling
in pitching by way of trading Kyle Schwarber and even Addison Russell, since Jake Arrieta and Wade
Davis are likely to hit the free agency market, and since a) the Schwarbinator can hit a ton when he’s
right but plays defense like a cement truck; and, b) Javier Baez can be moved to shortstop no muss,
no fuss.
* If Gold Glove critics don’t get more fodder by way of Ben Zobrist and not Baez becoming a finalist at
second base. As the
Chicago Tribune‘s Steve Rosenbloom cracks, “They should find Gold Glove voters
who watch baseball.”
* If five players turn out to have gotten first place votes in the National League’s Most Valuable Player
award voting: Giancarlo Stanton, Paul Goldschmidt, Charlie Blackmon, Nolan Arenado, and Joey Votto,
even if Stanton has the best shot of the five at winning it.
* If the Royals elect not to make Eric Hosmer the face of their franchise by re-signing him and the Red
Sox make a big play for him should Mitch Moreland opt for free agency. Hosmer would fit the Red Sox
both because he’s an above-average defensive first baseman and, more important, because he has
something the Red Sox really didn’t have in 2017—home run heft.
* If the National League champion Dodgers find a way to move Adrian Gonzalez, who has one year
left on his contract but no place on the Dodgers with Cody Bellinger’s emergence at first base. Since
Gonzalez only played 73 games with a mere three bombs, thirty steaks, and 56 hits most of which
were singles, and the Dodgers want to cut payroll, it won’t be easy to find that way.
* If the Mets make a run at another Royals free agent, Mike Moustakas, who had a terrific bounceback
2017 after missing most of 2016, and who’s improving defensively at third base. It would mean
finding a way to ease captain David Wright into a backup role, to which he’s suited best if he comes
back at all, considering the injury toll taken on him the past few years. But the Mets could make a
sensible four- or five-year deal with Moustakas that would take him through his age 33 year . . .
which just so happens to be Wright’s age now.
* If the Giants pass on a run at Moustakas because they think their top third base prospect Christian
Arroyo is ready to play for the job in spring training.
* If Lorenzo Cain not only rejects a qualifying offer from the Royals but finds himself being romanced
heavily by the Giants. Cain won’t hurt for suitors because he’d be the best center fielder on the market,
being a plus defender and the only such one among center fielders who has above average skills at the
plate and on the bases. But the Giants would be foolish not to make a run at Cain while entertaining
offers for weaker incumbent Denard Span.
* If the Indians say farewell to Michael Brantley and the Blue Jays make a run at him, considering the
Cleveland ties of Blue Jays president Mark Shapiro and general manager Ross Atkins.
* If the Angels—having extended Justin Upton for five years and secured much-needed lineup protection
for Mike Trout at last—don’t get to work on a pitching overhaul. Their rotation and their bullpen need
bigtime help. Since Upton gladly took a little pay cut and agreed to backload his contract, the Angels
have some payroll flexibility. With their farm system not quite back on the good foot, the Angels have
to play the free agency and trade markets.
They could make a run at Davis or at Davis’s former pen mate Greg Holland. They could even make a
run at Jake Arrieta for rotation help, though it’s also possible Arrieta might end up returning to the
Cubs on a new deal if, as several analysts say, his market doesn’t prove as encouraging as he hopes.
They’d have competition for Arrieta, though—the Cardinals, Nationals, Astros, Rangers, Phillies, Yankees,
Mariners, Braves, Twins, and Dodgers may have eyes for him, too. If it proves too much, the Angels
could play for Lance Lynn or Masahiro Tanaka, for openers.
* If Japanese two-way prospect Shoshei Otani plays one more year in Japan, the better to maximise
the money he could get from a major league team in America, rather than sign now for far less money
because, since he isn’t quite 25, he’d be affected by the pool cap MLB imposes on players below that
age. But when he does finish that year, there’ll be a lot of American League teams itching to sign the
pitcher who can also DH for Aaron Judge-like power on the days he isn’t pitching.
* If Yu Darvish is allowed to walk into free agency, and he signs a lucrative new deal somewhere on
condition he lets his new coaches work with him to correct the flaw that ruined him in the World Series
—pitch tipping, which was apparently an issue the Rangers had with him in the past but the Dodgers
didn’t quite catch in time. When the Astros caught on to him keeping his glove still while preparing
his fastball grip but letting it wiggle just enough of a hair while preparing his slider grip, they battered
him.
Darvish still has enough upside that correcting that problem would make him big enough for whomever
signs him; his performance in Game Three of the National League Championship Series proved it.
Contenders won’t and shouldn’t be afraid to look his way, fix that flaw, and make a run to the postseason
with him.
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