jtstanley4621 said:
Isn't Yelich under a somewhat team-friendly long term deal? I feel like you'd have to give up so much to get him, and it doesn't feel like the Rangers would be smart to do that. We need to hang on to our prospects and let them build quality depth in the farm system.
Yes, somewhat. He has 2 more fairly cheap years, then 3 more higher cost years.
He went .282, 18 HRs, 16 SB, .369 OBP.
The question is at 26, how much more upside do you think he has. Those aren't terrible numbers... but they are also not organizational changing. Not sure he defense.
Delino (24) went: .269, 6 HR, 29 SB, .347 OBP. <- Terrible arm
Yelich (24) went: .298, 21 HR, 9 SB, .376 OBP (2016)
So, he'd likely be a big upgrade, inters of power and overall contribution...
Delino: Serf (2018), Arb, Arb, Arb
Yelich: $7M (2018), $9.75M, $12.5M, $14M, $15M
Unless he is spectacular in the OF, I just hate seeing this mid-tier players getting contract money like that.
Rangers of the '90s used to pay huge FA money to hitters and skimp on pitching. They'd draft 20 hitters, 3 3rd basemen and 3 1st basemen, and forget to get pitching.
JD has done it right. Draft P, P, P and then figure out the field. When he goes big on FA/trade hitters, ir rarely works out. Fielder, Napoli, Choo, etc. Beltre is an exception. Bargains trying to make a come-back have been mixed.