The True Cost of Draft, Develop & Trade

[Donn Beach]

As opposed to them going into the off season with their budget and then changing it? I don't see them changing course like that. To me they are s super tanker, change course slowly. I think you're seeing the outcome of a $150 budget. I don't think they went into the off season with a $200 mil budget and then lopped it off during the FA period

It's like trying to make excuses for them or something, reasons for them to change their minds. They went into the off season with the best of intentions but faltered. This is it, they didn't intend to do anything else. They feel they delivered. They spent money, they got a team to the playoffs, you're supposed to be grateful

[bpj]

That's exactly what it looks like. Dipoto went into the season with one idea, then reality set in.

He went into the offseason with big eyes like a kid in a candy store, with big talk about adding two outfielders, a DH that could play some corner infield, a middle infielder, and he even expressed interest in free agent starting pitching at one point.

Then he added two players, Teoscar and Wong that added a net $12.5M to the budget, and all of a sudden they hit a wall.

Dipotos eyes shrunk at that point to looking for a platoon outfielder, if that.

Nothing else happened in the meantime.

Now he's looking to finish the team by trading Flexen or Marco for the other piece like a cheap little bitch.

Either Dipoto was full of shit with all the big talk about taking a look at the SS's and OF's, Senga, etc., or something happened to change his tune. Being too rich for his blood isn't a good enough excuse with what they did to the team since 2018.

We all know they talked about adding free agents by around 2021 to finalize the team when they entered their window. Not a single person thought that meant Trevor Gott.

Now you're acting like this was the plan all along. Draft, develop, trade is just the BS line they came up with to justify pocketing the money when the time finally came to spend.

You're even parroting the 2026 budget crisis company line, as if they don't have only $44M committed in 2027. Or the fact that they could sign a couple short term guys and its not even an issue.

Don't simp for the deep pockets.

[Donn Beach]

I'm not parroting anything, I don't believe they went into the off season intent on spending more than they are doing now. I think the budget was set at $150 mil. They haven't reached it yet and there is more off season to go. If you want to believe that in the last few months they intended to spend more that's fine with me, but you're never going to convince me they changed their minds half way through the off season.

[bpj]

I'm not parroting anything, I don't believe they went into the off season intent on spending more than they are doing now. I think the budget was set at $150 mil. They haven't reached it yet and there is more off season to go. You're never going to convince me they changed their minds half way through the off season.

I don't think ownership changed their minds. There's no doubt they had already made their minds up.

It's Jerry that seemed to get ahead of himself.

[Donn Beach]

Yeah, can't speak to what goes on in his mind. I think he goes into the off season thinking he can cut deals. Every GM probably feels that way. Again, I think cutting deals on Hernandez and Wong early reduced the need to look at FA. He doesn't make one of those trades he is more likely signing a FA, but he isn't doing it over and above it

[bpj]

Yeah, can't speak to what goes on in his mind. I think he goes into the off season thinking he can cut deals. Every GM probably feels that way. Again, I think cutting deals on Hernandez and Wong early reduced the need to look at FA

And seeing the good players he has traded away to fill holes in the past probably means he should be more reliant on FA.

That's my other point. Thanks for making it.

[Donn Beach]

Maybe he should be, i don't problem with it, but it's not like he is going to be given $200 mil to do it

[bpj]

Maybe he should be, i don't problem with it, but it's not like he is going to be given $200 mil to do it

Yeah, certainly not after they watched how he wasted $180M on terrible players since 2016, which was my other point.

[Donn Beach]

So long as the budget wasn't changed and lowered this off season it's fine with me.

[D-train]

Yeah, I agree, that's pretty much what I'm trying to show in this post.

Nobody has a problem with the results of the draft and international signings. They definitely could have done worse. Other teams have probably done better. But, no complaints about their performance in those areas.

The clear problems have been the players that Dipoto has brought in and spent $180 million on that were terrible, while at the same time a few of the players he traded off for the underperformers went on to put up some fantastic numbers. Both of those have put the team in a weaker position. And here we are.

About where we were in 2018 in terms of wins, just with a lower payroll.

I disagree, we are way ahead of where we’re in 2018, better pitching staff locked up for next 5 years and better position -players overall with at least one superstar. Was there waste money and some bad trades made yes but we are still way better presently

I suppose, although the 2018 team didn't look all that bad. Lineup was probably better. Rotation may have been a bit worse. Closer was definitely better.

Segura
Cano
Cruz
Seager
Haniger
Healy
Span
Gamel
Beckham
Vogelbach

Paxton
Leake
Marco
Felix
LeBlanc

Diaz

I'm more concerned about this year and next year than having anybody under long term control personally. Those 5 year contracts can look like Felix's in a hurry.

They just wanted to cut payroll.

According to Fangraphs:

2018 Offense: 19.1 WAR
2022 Offense: 22.9 WAR

2018 Pitching: 16.5 WAR
2022 Pitching: 13.8 WAR

I had it backwards I guess. Either way, aside from salary, pretty comparable team imo.

Only reason you had it backwards is because of the current environment of lack of offense. If you looked at ERA and OPS it would flip flop.