MLB 2023/2024 Free Agency Thread

[wiguy94]

 Figured it was time to start a FA thread where we can talk about general FA signings.

[wiguy94]

Lance Lynn to the Cardinals for $10M guaranteed. With a signing like this you can guarantee 4th place in the NL Central for Milwaukee in 2024.

 

[owbc]

49 minutes ago, wiguy94 said:

Lance Lynn to the Cardinals for $10M guaranteed. With a signing like this you can guarantee 4th place in the NL Central for Milwaukee in 2024.

 

If that's what $10 million buys you in free agency, I want nothing to do with it. The best I would have offered Lynn is a non roster invite. 

[DR28]

Yesterday... Nola back to Phillies 7 yrs, $172 M

Today... Reynaldo Lopez to Braves 3 yrs, $30 M

[wiguy94]

38 minutes ago, owbc said:

If that's what $10 million buys you in free agency, I want nothing to do with it. The best I would have offered Lynn is a non roster invite. 

Really makes the Colin Rea deal look pretty nice.

[CheeseheadInQC]

3 hours ago, owbc said:

If that's what $10 million buys you in free agency, I want nothing to do with it. The best I would have offered Lynn is a non roster invite. 

Wasn’t this expected? I don’t know that I would do it, but $10 million was the Fangraphs projection for him.

[owbc]

1 hour ago, CheeseheadInQC said:

Wasn’t this expected? I don’t know that I would do it, but $10 million was the Fangraphs projection for him.

My objection is that market rate for someone like Lance Lynn is absurd. 

[torts]

Lance Lynn to the cardinals is going to help us more than hurt us

[tmwiese55]

Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't pay him this and I assume he's washed.   But 2022 he did pull a sub 4 era and was sub 3 the year before and was 3rd in CY.   So, he's only been trash for one year and even in that year he was ok/competent for LAD to finish the year.   With how stupid money is in the MLB it doesn't surprise me he got that much hoping for a bounceback year.     White Sox were a trainwreck all year

The annoying part is if any team is gonna get one more good year out of him you know its the cardinals.

[wiguy94]

3 minutes ago, tmwiese55 said:

Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't pay him this and I assume he's washed.   But 2022 he did pull a sub 4 era and was sub 3 the year before and was 3rd in CY.   So, he's only been trash for one year and even in that year he was ok/competent for LAD to finish the year.   With how stupid money is in the MLB it doesn't surprise me he got that much hoping for a bounceback year.     White Sox were a trainwreck all year

The annoying part is if any team is gonna get one more good year out of him you know its the cardinals.

Eh he really hasn't been good since 2021 and he turns 37 in May. In 2022 he had a 102 ERA- and 93 FIP-. The surface numbers look pretty good but you have to take into consideration the offensive environment in 2022 was really bad league wide because of the dead baseballs so while the ERA might not look bad it was below league average. Plus he's lost velo on his FB since 2021. He lost about 1.5 mph on his FB from 2021 to 2023 and he's not getting any younger.

[wildcat2237]

4 hours ago, wiguy94 said:

Really makes the Colin Rea deal look pretty nice.

This is why I chuckled at the folks who objected to the Colin Rea deal. Veteran starting pitching is insanely priced. 

[Underachiever]

15 hours ago, wildcat2237 said:

This is why I chuckled at the folks who objected to the Colin Rea deal. Veteran starting pitching is insanely priced. 

I loved the Colin Rea deal

[wildcat2237]

1 hour ago, Underachiever said:

I loved the Colin Rea deal

Agreed. Rea likes Milwaukee and the crew swooped in and got him early. Is Rea going to take this team to a world series? No. But does signing him for $2 million free up money elsewhere? Yep. 

[SF70]

26 minutes ago, wildcat2237 said:

Agreed. Rea likes Milwaukee and the crew swooped in and got him early. Is Rea going to take this team to a world series? No. But does signing him for $2 million free up money elsewhere? Yep. 

I believe Rea signed for $3.5M plus the club option. Tremendous signing. Guessing Rea believes the MKE PDS can get another gear out of him this year like they did last year after coming from overseas.

[wiguy94]

St. Louis really going for broke in FA! Another mid to late 30's SP who isn't very good. Probably should slide the Brewers down to 5th in the division in 2024 with St. Louis breaking the bank like this!

 

[nate82]

Is Doug Melvin the new GM for the Cardinals?  This seems like the Wolf, Garza, Looper, Capuano and Suppan signings.

[wildcat2237]

3 minutes ago, nate82 said:

Is Doug Melvin the new GM for the Cardinals?  This seems like the Wolf, Garza, Looper, Capuano and Suppan signings.

Only a little. Its a one year deal, so in fairness its hard to go after anyone too much for a one year deal.  I believe the Brewers gave Garza/Suckpan 3+ year deals. 

[DR28]

At least Cards are trying to improve.... Honestly wish we were more aggressive in FA.

[wiguy94]

1 minute ago, DR28 said:

At least Cards are trying to improve.... Honestly wish we were more aggressive in FA.

Is signing 2 bad SP really trying to improve? Gibson has had 1 good season since Yelich won his MVP and is 36 years old. Lynn was one of the worst SP in baseball last year and turns 37 in May.

[DR28]

1 minute ago, wiguy94 said:

Is signing 2 bad SP really trying to improve? Gibson has had 1 good season since Yelich won his MVP and is 36 years old. Lynn was one of the worst SP in baseball last year and turns 37 in May.

Guess better than what they had last year?? Either way, still wish we were more active in FA.

[wiguy94]

1 minute ago, DR28 said:

Guess better than what they had last year?? Either way, still wish we were more active in FA.

Last year their planned rotation to start the year was this:

Mikolas 

Montgomery

Flaherty

Wainwright

Matz

Their projected 2024 starting rotation currently looks like this:

Mikolas

Gibson

Lynn

Matz

?

Is that actually improved? I mean Gibson and Lynn are better than Wainwright but clearly worse than Flaherty and Montgomery.

[wallus]

28 minutes ago, DR28 said:

At least Cards are trying to improve.... Honestly wish we were more aggressive in FA.

Let me know when a FA that doesn't suck gets signed first.

[wiguy94]

Rosenthal puts Burnes as least likely to be traded of the Glasnow, Bieber, Cease, Burnes group. 

 

[brewers888]

I can't think of too many things dumber than the Brewers not trading Burnes unless somehow the value isn't there which I doubt will be the case.

[SF70]

18 minutes ago, brewers888 said:

I can't think of too many things dumber than the Brewers not trading Burnes unless somehow the value isn't there which I doubt will be the case.

The team likely believes they can win the central with Burnes-Adames. If they get a return that blows the comp pick/pool money AND Burnes potential Brewers performance out of the water, they likely take it.

It would very likely have to include player/players ready to help the big-club in ‘24, imo, or they hold and give this team’s tremendous amateur draft department the pick and the money. Same with Adames.