Preseason Double Stuffs sends: SP Lance McCullers ($30), 2017 5th Round Pick
Rocky Mtn Oysters sends: CF Manuel Margot ($1; cost controlled), SP Luiz Gohara, 2017 3rd Round Pick
Andrew’s thoughts: I like Lance McCullers, but he’s been hurt a lot and it’s hard to place trust in him to compile innings, at least in 2017. The most innings he’s thrown in a season was 125.2 in 2015. He only hit 81 last year. Is 150 a reasonable, maybe even optimistic, over/under for him in 2017? In a H2H league, can you trust him to be healthy come the postseason? The Double Stuffs need to cut salary, so someone had to go. Given the price here of a decent prospect and spare parts, I assume McCullers was a cut or at least on the bubble.
I mean, I like this for Dusty getting a talent like McCullers. I question a bit why he’s splurging his cap space on pitchers when that’s already his strength. Of course, McCullers probably has more re-sale value in season if he pitches well to start the year or even just after the auction, when people look at their teams and feel light on pitching.
But if the Double Stuffs were going to dump McCullers anyway, getting a cheap CF prospect with some upside is fine. The other pieces don’t amount to much, I don’t think.
Jordan’s thoughts: I think McCullers ends up being a bullpen pitcher, which in our league has some value, but not at that price tag. I’d probably shy away from paying his auction salary this year to see if I’m wrong.
I like Gohara for some reason. Probably because he’s in the Mariners organization and I hear his name more often than necessary. Is Margot going to amount to anything? Easy to pay $1 to wait and see for another year. I like this deal for the Double Stuffs.
The deal could work out for RMO, the didn’t pay a ton for McCullers, besides the presumed auction price tag.