“Padres-Dodgers-Angels—Decisions”

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The post season is over.
The off season began hours later.
We are headed towards the end of this week.

The opening of free agency.
Teams getting ready to make qualifying offers of (19.8M) for next year
Tender offers to arbitration players
Players-Teams, picking up options dropping options or players opting out

A quick look at where these teams are:

PADRES…Wil Myers is gone, his 83M contract expired.  His career in San Diego was not worth the 20M per year he was given after the trade from Tampa Bay.  His stay in San Diego (.258-98HR)…played lots of positions…had a bunch of injuries.  Will have to take a paycut somewhere else.

It took time, but Jurickson Profar finally found his strength as a left fielder, with some power, and a good glove.  AJ Preller rescued him from oblivion, and he is opting out of his (7.5M) contract to seek more money somewhere else.  Wonder if anyone aside from me thinks Profar owed Preller more than this?

Robert Suarez, global traveller, here one season, likely gone the next one.  Same storyline.  Preller’s people found him in Japan, after he had bounced from Mexico to Venezuela to the Pacific Rim.  He leaves a 7.5M deal to opt out for a better pay day somewhere else.  Maybe they double his salary to keep him here.  They developed him and this is the thanks they get?

Nick Martinez can opt out of his (7.5M)  deal by Thursday and may since he served so many roles.  Don’t think the Padres believe he is a 15M a year arm.

DODGERS…The real mystery decisions coming for this team.  The rumors say LA is preparing bids for both Aaron Judge-Yankees and Carlos Correa-Twins.

What do they do with longtime power hitting 3rd baseman Justin Turner and his (16M) contract?

Do they give up and trade Cody Bellinger, his (l8M) contract and (.210) batting average over the last three years and get talent in return?

Is there any hope they can convince shortstop Treu Turner to stay, but at what cost, 30-to-40M a year?

Is there another year left for Clayton Kershaw at a qualifying offer price of 19M?

The Dodgers might move dollars around, taking the combined money given to both Turners and Bellinger, and spend it on Judge-Correa.  Only times tells, but free agent offers start on Thursday

ANGELS…They have Ohtani…Trout and Rendon, and virtually nothing else.  They don’t have enough pitching.  They don’t have a ton of budget space because their three stars are making a combined 90M of their payroll.

Don’t know how GM-Perry Minasian can do this.  He has his hands full trying to configure how he can get a pitching staff put back in place.

it’s been so long since the Halos had quality starting pitching.  They pissed away so much money on bad free agent signings, the Josh Hamilton-Justin Upton-Vernon Wells-‘Gary Matthews of the world.  Gave the chas to those guys, not pitching.  Mark Langston and Chuck Finley and John Lackey were a long time ago.

The off season is just beginning,  Will be interesting to see how the Padres fill the holes showing up?  If the Dodgers make significant changes?  And how the Angels find pitching with limited budget space and few minor league assets to trade.

Stay tuned.
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