Post by Athletics GM (Daniel) on Oct 13, 2022 14:37:06 GMT -5
Edited on 11/07/2022 08:55 ET to add some new availabilities.
Welcome to the “under new management” fire sale!
My goal is to be a nuisance in 2023 and serious competition in 2024 so there may be some players you were hoping to see that don’t appear on this list. Nick Lodolo, Murphy, and other obvious building blocks are considered off-limits unless otherwise noted.
My primary goal at this point is infield prospects, particularly in the order of 2B, 1B, 3B; I feel pretty well stocked for the next 2+ years with what I've got right now.
*Those marked with an asterisk are players I wouldn’t mind keeping so as trades shake out they may come off the board if other trades don’t provide enough Major League talent to fill out that part of the roster for 2023.
Pitchers of all shapes and sizes
SP Alec Mills (Cubs) $1 5th
Coming back from an injury and could be a stout bullpen arm if that’s how the Cubbies decide to use him. Either way, he’s yours for two years!
RP Jeurys Familia (Free Agent) $1.5 2023
Did someone order a bounce-back candidate?! We got that. Take a shot and get lucky with a reliever that’s so affordable you probably won’t even notice he’s on the books and he’ll be off them next year anyway!
RP Will Smith (Astros) $4 2023
A year removed from almost 40 saves, this guys has the chance to be the best bounce back candidate on your team.
RP Adam Kolarek (Athletics) $1 5th
A cheap bet, Kolarek has a lifetime ERA under 4 and won’t break the bank.
RP Nick Wittgren (Free Agent) $0.9 2023
He went to St. Louis and his HR/9 dropped by 85%, what’s not to like?
*RP Jacob Lemoine (Athletics) $0.3 1st
After finally getting a taste of the show 7 years after being drafted, Jacob could end up being a great reclamation project for the Athletics and you’ve got plenty of time to see that come to fruition without breaking the bank.
SP/RP Devin Smeltzer (Free Agent) $1.0 4th
As a Twins fan it's a bummer to move on from the "Smeltzer, I hardly know her!" jokes, but he's not a large enough piece to cling to him for another 3ish years in hopes he gets some consistent time in the majors.
Bats without a home
Most of these players are free agents or looking for a new place to land. I feel that they're all likely to be useful to some major league team but they're either limited on control or fall into a category where I have other/better options so I'd rather risk regretting moving them than regretting keeping them.
RF Greg Deichmann (Free Agent) $0.3 1st FV35+
Greg was released by the Cubs at the end of the 2022 season after posting a 60 wRC+ at AAA but in 2021 he had a .300/.433/.452 line, .395 wOBA, and 131 wRC+ in 60 games at AAA with Oakland so I definitely believe there's a club out there still interested that can help him harness his 70 Raw Power tool grade and live up to the .739 OPS he posted over 5 years in the minors. Take a gamble and if doesn't work out you can always unprotect him and shed the salary.
LF/CF Steven Duggar (Free Agent) $1.0 5th
The Steven cleared waivers and chose free agency in September. he's a 29 year old that was picked in the 6th round 7 years ago but when he debuted in 2018 he did so at or above average on all 5 offensive tools (and a + arm in the field) with plus speed. He's struggled to play to that potential but I think he's still got a shot to get a chance in spring training with an analytically inclined team that thinks they can tap that. He's a cheap gamble on a short contract. To save you the search: no, the shift rule change won't help him, his vice is strike-outs.
Prospects
I know it's a little counterintuitive to move prospects in the midst of a rebuild but there's a few positions that I think I've got good depth and/or better options after so I think it's a good idea to fish them a little bit and see what kind of return I can get.
Newly signed Atlanta prospect! 70 Raw Power grade, from 2021 to 2022 he increased his Batting Average, BABIP, OBP, and SLG a respectable amount. He's 24, and was the 24th overall pick in 2016; I feel that he's primed for a break out!
And that’s it for now! I will continue to evaluate my farm system and update from time to time.