The step after the next step

[Mex17]

What I really wanted to title this thread was "Depth at second base, clearing salary, and making up for losing a first round pick". Unfortunately, character limitation prevented me from doing so. Whatever. . .

Anyway, assuming that the next move will be a trade for a shortstop using pitching as bait (forget Tulo. . .too expensive and injury prone. I say either Syndergaard or Wheeler for Castro or Gee or Montero for Alexei Ramirez), then you can very comfortably leave second base to Flores and Herrera to compete for. You can save quite a bit of dough by moving Murphy and I would have to think that he would be worth one or several prospects that can make up for losing the 15th overall pick.

Do those two things, on top of this Cuddyer signing, and we are pretty much in business.

[Ceetar]

Mex17 wrote: What I really wanted to title this thread was "Depth at second base, clearing salary, and making up for losing a first round pick". Unfortunately, character limitation prevented me from doing so. Whatever. . . Anyway, assuming that the next move will be a trade for a shortstop using pitching as bait (forget Tulo. . .too expensive and injury prone. I say either Syndergaard or Wheeler for Castro or Gee or Montero for Alexei Ramirez), then you can very comfortably leave second base to Flores and Herrera to compete for. You can save quite a bit of dough by moving Murphy and I would have to think that he would be worth one or several prospects that can make up for losing the 15th overall pick. Do those two things, on top of this Cuddyer signing, and we are pretty much in business.

Maybe they don't actually need to clear salary to trade for a SS. Especially as Flores and Herrera are hardly proven commodities.

[Frayed Knot]

While salary considerations are always going to be A consideration, I don't think it's the big one right now -- IOW, I don't think Murph's salary is the reason to dump him so much as it's the fish or cut bait decision they'll have to make a year from now about him that is, and if they're not going to give him a long term deal (and at age 31 by OD 2016 with limited walks and power plus a bad glove and kooky base-running skills I don't think they will) then the more logical move would be to move him now.

So (as hinted at in the Cuddyer thread) I'm predicting a package trade* involving some combo of Muffy, a starter, a reliever, and Tejada for a ML-ready SS plus one or more young'uns thrown in to make up for the lost draft pick** depending on the size of the package we're giving up.
I have no earthly idea WHO this SS will be but I believe someone named not-Tejada/not-Flores will be our primary starting SS in 2015




* of course I predicted a multi-player last winter too but that idea obviously went nowhere so you've got to consider the source here

** although do remember that when the Ike deal finally did go through it brought back a recent draft pick. OK it was the previous year's 51st overall pick rather than the 15th that we're giving up w/the Cuddyer signing, but considering that that player (Blake Taylor) comes without having to pay his signing bonus (probably 1/2 mil $$) and after a good partial season in the low minors, there was already a hint of success in pro ball with him which is more than you can say for the yet to be determined amateur still on the board after 14 picks next June.