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- Thread starter NFBuck
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Zippercat
Legend
Here’s the career stats for Mike Zunino:
https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/z/zuninmi01.shtml
Here’s what happened to him last season:
https://www.mlb.com/news/kevin-kier...son-with-injuries?partnerID=web_article-share
He’s currently a free agent….and was paid $7M last year. And recently had Thoracic Outlet surgery on his throwing shoulder. PASS.
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Zippercat
Legend
Can’t really consider a backup until they have a starter. While the market price for a starting C seems to have really zoomed in the past month, some of the comments from the Cleveland front office have been very curious. Here’s what I mean :
) I have not read a single mention of Bryan Lavastida. He opened 2022 with a couple weeks on the temporarily larger 28 man ML active roster while Mille was on the IL, then split the rest of the season at AAA CBus, AA Akron and the IL. On paper it seems like a lost year after he had a pretty impressive 2021. Looks like he is the longest of long shots to start 2023 in Cleveland as the backup or starter.
) Antonette and Tito have both been quoted saying nearly the exact same things about Bo Naylor: that the future is so bright for him but they just “don’t know” whether he’s ready to start every day at the ML level for them yet. Reads like it is carefully scripted? Last time I saw this kind of talk about a Cleveland catching prospect was for Francisco Majia…. right before they traded him.
Know if he’s ready? Naylor has caught 56 games (and DH for 10 games) at AAA, all in 2022. Baltimore’s new C Adley Rutschman only had 55 AAA games before coming up in 2022 and so far has been pretty, pretty good! (Rutshman was drafted 1st pick, 1st round from college in 2019 and is about a year older than Bo, who was drafted out of high school by Cleveland in 1st round, 29th pick in 2018, so their experience levels are not exactly as close as just the AAA catching might suggest.) My guess is they are not nearly as unsure as they’re talking. They know. I think the odds that Bo makes the Opening Day roster in Cleveland are only slightly better than Lavastida’s chances.
) Which leaves the team with? Right now only somebody they acquire. If the reports of what Oakland is asking for Sean Murphy are accurate, it will be really out of character for Cleveland to bring him in. I’d love to see him join the team but if he does it might be coupled with Bo being traded ….maybe in another deal.
Toronto reportedly will trade a C, but none of them look like a long term solution and seem too expensive to give up major prospects (yep, plural). Here are the free agent Cs: https://www.mlb.com/news/mlb-2022-23-free-agents-by-position
See anyone better than Hedgy, from a value perspective?
Notice the Reds made an early signing that looks like a good value pick now.
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The A's asking price was high but currently it appears they are getting shit in return
Manny Pina, a 35 year old backup level catcher at best
RHP Freddy Tarnok. Whos the Braves #6 prospect, which isnt saying much since the Braves farm system is junk right now. And OF Esteury Ruiz who is Milwaukee's #8 prospect (3 team deal)
They wanted a kings ransom from us and this is what they get......lol.
Manny Pina, a 35 year old backup level catcher at best
RHP Freddy Tarnok. Whos the Braves #6 prospect, which isnt saying much since the Braves farm system is junk right now. And OF Esteury Ruiz who is Milwaukee's #8 prospect (3 team deal)
They wanted a kings ransom from us and this is what they get......lol.
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I guess Kyle Muller is headed to Oakland too, that makes it a bit better. But still a rather poor package in comparison to what they were apparently asking from the Guardians
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Eh Meijia was still trying to talk them out of making him catch up to the end. They usually pointed out that his bat was ML ready (and maybe it was) but - and I won't pretend to have followed the trials and tribulations of Francisco Meijia - but he's not ever become an everyday catcher at 2 stops. I think the Rays were inquiring on Sean Murphy as well, so...
But, that's really the takeaway here, the Catcher in Tito-land will always be a run prevention first position.
I'll be honest I don't see very many parallels between Rutshman and Naylor as they relate to right now... all that said, I think the big question is for Naylor, does he know if he's ready. They also know that there's a good chance he won't be on the MLB roster all season and may have to go back down to work on things if he needs to. Lavastida has played even less AAA than Naylor, so same possibilities.
So, you can't go in with just those 2 guys. Can you go in with a starter AND those 2 guys? Ummm.... I just don't think they would?
Now, if for some reason you see Sandy Leon (or Roberto Perez if he's healthy enough, though I assume he wouldn't want to play in Columbus) or other veteran back on a minor league deal, maybe you see one of the kids as the main back up. Then the other starting in Cbus. I just don't see them putting those guys in a position where need to have them in Cleveland if its not the best thing for them.
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bigdog3300
The G.O.A.T.
I'm all for Zunino at a good price, which it appears he can be had for on a friendly one year deal. Would be a great influence for Bo in my opinion.
I highly doubt they'd do it, but you could pursue D'Arnaud from Atlanta...he only has one year left on his deal for 8 million but has a club option at the same price for 2024. He's too inconsistent for me and why trade for him and have to give up something from the system when I'm not sure he's much different from Zunino anyways, but in the FO I trust.
I highly doubt they'd do it, but you could pursue D'Arnaud from Atlanta...he only has one year left on his deal for 8 million but has a club option at the same price for 2024. He's too inconsistent for me and why trade for him and have to give up something from the system when I'm not sure he's much different from Zunino anyways, but in the FO I trust.
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Zippercat
Legend
Headline in The Athletic sums it up: “Guardians Place Bet On Catcher Mike Zunino.”
Hope they have really researched his Thoracic Outlet surgery. Usually a pitcher’s injury; the only C I could find who had this surgery was Jarrod Saltalamacchia. While Salty did eventually recover and had a decent ML career after the injury, his first year back didn’t go very well:
https://mlb.nbcsports.com/2010/05/1...rouble-throwing-the-ball-back-to-the-pitcher/
With the rule changes next year making the bases bigger and limiting P throws to bases to try to hold runners close, it’s expected that base stealing will increase significantly. Zunino’s career 28% runners thrown out is almost exactly ML average. We can look for teams to test his arm early and often.
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Zippercat
Legend
Brantley made about $16M while mostly not playing for Houston last year. MLB Trade Rumors projected him to sign for 1 yr/$15M for ‘23; FanGraphs 1 yr/$10M. Big spread! But can you see Cleveland even spending $5M for a 4th OF/DH?
Maybe they can send a SS to the Twins?
Here’s the current 40 man roster:
https://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/CLE/2022-roster.shtml
Couple of names on there that are not too familiar, like Noel, Brito and Tena. Seriously, everyone knows Cleveland still has a 40 man crunch with too many infield prospects. If they’re patient other teams can probably get a couple of those guys when they’re DFA between now and June. To trade the IN prospects Cleveland will need to include a pitcher or Rosario in the deal. If they make a trade big enough to pry a pitching prospect away from Cleveland it would likely need to be for a back of the rotation starting pitcher.
I think they will sign another C or two, but to minors with invite deals, for depth. It would be a very rare Winter if they don’t find a couple dumpster dive pitcher projects that come in on minors with invite deals too.
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