It's Time to be a GM and Protect Your Players: AL West Version

by LaserVortex888 on Oct 9, 2011 12:43 AM EDT

To refresh:

There is a new expansion draft format and for one day you get to be a GM of all 30 teams. Here's the catch; you can only protect three players from each organization (sorry not 15, then 3 more, etc., that would take way too long). You get the player as is with his current contract (it makes things more interesting). Keep in mind each teams financial statuses.

Today's version: AL West

Much much more after the jump.

Angels protect: Mike Trout, Jered Weaver, Howie Kendrick

Analysis: Trout is a top prospect and you would be stupid not to protect him with all the talent he has. Weaver is an ace and signed a hometown discount. I was on the bubble about protecting either Kendrick or Mark Trumbo, but All-Star caliber second basemen are hard to come by, as compared to power hitting first basemen.

Athletics protect: Trevor Cahill, Gio Gonzalez, Brett Anderson

Analysis: The Athletics don't have much to desire, especially when it comes to healthy stars or top prospects. I decided to go with their three top pitchers who are young and have tons of talent. Let me know what you think here.

Mariners protect: Felix Hernandez, Michael Pineda, Dustin Ackley

Analysis: An elite pitcher, an ace in the making, and a sweet swinging middle infielder completes a pretty easy group to protect.

Rangers protect: Elvis Andrus, Martin Perez, Ian Kinsler

Analysis: I was very tempted to put Neftali Feliz in here, but until he is in the rotation then there is no chance that I am going to protect him. Shortstops that can field and hit are super rare so I have to protect Andrus. Even after a little rough patch in AAA this year for the Rangers, Perez still has a ton of potential and is very young. 30/30 second baseman who can play defense, enough said.

Critique away.

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Comments

I find it interesting

That Mark Trumbo came up in the discussion for LAA. I’d take Bourjos over him in a nanosecond, personally. Still, Kendrick was the right choice for the third slot.

Oakland is pretty interesting – might consider keeping Sonny Gray over Brett Anderson given Anderson’s inability to stay healthy, diminishing club control, rising arbitration salaries, and underwhelming 2011 results when he was on the mound.

As for Texas, I think Adrian Beltre certainly needs to come up in the discussion. Kinsler was phenomenal in 2011, yes, but he’s only under team control for two more (admittedly-cheap) seasons. Beltre, on the other hand, is locked in for another 4-5 years, plays Gold Glove defense at third, and has seen his bat come back alive in a two-year sample since leaving Seattle. The only reservation for me that might keep the scale tilted towards Kinsler is that Beltre is going to be 33 next year, but he’s shown little sign of slowing down.

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by Dan Strittmatter on Oct 10, 2011 5:52 PM EDT reply actions

Agreed on Bourjos

But I take Kinsler over Beltre. I’d rather have Kinsler through age 31 for $17 million and then have $51 million in payroll for those next three seasons. I would way rather avoid the long-term risk; long-term contracts are something I’d avoid unless the player is particularly great and it’s mostly through his prime. Beltre’s great, yes, but during those three seasons he’s 34, 35 and 36. I’d rather invest that money somewhere else after enjoying the bargain of having Kinsler for the next two years, who might be worth re-signing after that, too.

Yes, my real name is actually Satchel.
I'm a columnist for Beyond the Box Score and a writer for MLB Daily Dish.
Oh, I'm on Twitter, too.

by Satchel Price on Oct 10, 2011 11:38 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs

Probably right on Kinsler

You never know when that last, crucial drop of bat speed goes away and the guy plummets into offensive purgatory. Two years is a good amount of time to try to get an extension worked out.

Founder and Chairman of the Send Dan Some Pizzeria Bianco Commission. A totally, definitely for-profit organization.

by Dan Strittmatter on Oct 11, 2011 3:00 PM EDT up reply actions

Yup.

No need to take on an unnecessarily long contract like Beltre’s. I’d almost rather take a cheap 2-year deal over a relatively costly 5-year one, but especially in this case when the former is a better and younger player than the latter.

Yes, my real name is actually Satchel.
I'm a columnist for Beyond the Box Score and a writer for MLB Daily Dish.
Oh, I'm on Twitter, too.

by Satchel Price on Oct 11, 2011 3:59 PM EDT up reply actions

Bourjos is my fourth

My bad I left him out.

Baseball players are smarter than football players. How often do you see a baseball team penalized for too many men on the field? ~Jim Bouton

by LaserVortex888 on Oct 11, 2011 5:38 PM EDT up reply actions

I've got to take Bourjos

over Kendrick. Howie’s a free agent after 2012. Bourjos is under team control for 5 more years. It’s not even remotely close.

"That boy is our last hope" - Obi Wan Scioscia, as Francisco Rodriguez left for the Mets. "No, there is another" - Yoda Reagins.

by RallyMonkey5 on Oct 12, 2011 1:23 PM EDT up reply actions

I respect your opinion

but I think it’s tough to say that it’s not even remotely close.

Baseball players are smarter than football players. How often do you see a baseball team penalized for too many men on the field? ~Jim Bouton

by LaserVortex888 on Oct 12, 2011 5:21 PM EDT up reply actions

Why?

Bourjos is almost as good as Kendrick. Do you really think that one year of Kendrick is going to be worth more than five of Bourjos?

Yes, my real name is actually Satchel.
I'm a columnist for Beyond the Box Score and a writer for MLB Daily Dish.
Oh, I'm on Twitter, too.

by Satchel Price on Oct 12, 2011 9:24 PM EDT up reply actions

No of course not

I just don’t think it’s going to be a landslide

Baseball players are smarter than football players. How often do you see a baseball team penalized for too many men on the field? ~Jim Bouton

by LaserVortex888 on Oct 13, 2011 4:22 PM EDT up reply actions

I disagree about Kendrick

He’s solid, but I’d take Bourjos over him. He’s younger, has more room to grow, and is immensely useful in the outfield. Even if his offensive ceiling isn’t Kendrick’s, he’s young enough at this point that I imagine you’d get roughly the same overall value over the next however many seasons. Especially since you’re obviously keeping Weaver and Trout, putting a fly ball magnet in the outfield is a good step.

There was a time you could say Weaver/Trout/Morales and be done. I miss that time.

R.I.P. Nick Adenhart - Always an Angel

by Kernel on Oct 10, 2011 5:56 PM EDT reply actions

Morales was an MVP candidate

What happened….

Baseball players are smarter than football players. How often do you see a baseball team penalized for too many men on the field? ~Jim Bouton

by LaserVortex888 on Oct 11, 2011 5:39 PM EDT up reply actions

He broke his leg while celebrating a walk-off grand slam

And then had complications with his rehab, causing him to miss all of 2011.

Awful luck, just compounded by the additional unfortunate issues with his rehab.

Yes, my real name is actually Satchel.
I'm a columnist for Beyond the Box Score and a writer for MLB Daily Dish.
Oh, I'm on Twitter, too.

by Satchel Price on Oct 11, 2011 7:28 PM EDT up reply actions

I'd keep Gio, Gray & Weeks

by PL78 on Nov 7, 2011 11:39 AM EST reply actions

Some thoughts

Angels: Pujos, Weaver, Trout. Easy enough, Pujols probably wasn’t signed when you made this list, although 256 million is a lot of money
Mariners: Felix, Pineda, Ackley – I agree
Athletics – Jarrod Parker (from cahill trade), Jermaile Weeks, Brett Anderson
Rangers – Derek Holland, Elvis Andrus, Ian Kinsler. I seriousley considered Beltre here due to his extension, but I think the rangers will sign Kinsler to an extension

by Will Groves on Dec 18, 2011 1:59 PM EST reply actions