Phillies Sign 1B Carlos Santana

[California_Dreamin]

Well, Jones is leaving the O's after 2018 and they need a CFer. Herrera has cost certainty. Would you do Herrera and Sanchez for MM?

[flyers19rw]

Williams + Franco + Lively for a year of Machado? Too much?

Probably not enough. I believe that MM will sign a deal and be a Phillies. Baltimore needs a CF since Jones will be a FA after '18. They can play Schoop at 3B. Herrera or Altherr + Crawford + Kilome for MM? The Phillies seem adamant about keeping Sanchez out of the trade.

[julio]

[Squire]

In addition to forfeiting their 2018 second round pick, they also forfeit $500,000 in International Allocation Money (in 2018-2019 period I think)

[Lawman]

I think feel good about the move, understanding there very well maybe something else coming down the pike.

[phillychuck]

Trade for allocation money if we need it. I want to keep mining the INTL market since we seem pretty good at it.

[Austinfan]

Santana is a better fielder than Hoskins at 1B right now.
If you're going to play two rookie IFs, that might be part of the logic.
And he's a switchhitter with power, stabilizes the lineup.

[andyb]

I wonder if the Phillies are going to see how Santana looks at 3B in the Spring. Clearly they just wanted to place a high OBP hitter in their lineup but maybe his 3B defense is as good as Franco's. And hey, he actually played some RF last year. Probably moves as well as Hoskins.

[Slinging_Southpaw]

Last played 3B in 2014 and struggled.

[zambonir]

Williams in a deal for a pitcher seems more likely than Machado. But also you don't have to trade him. You could still find 400 ABs for him at all three positions particularly since Hoskins and Altherr are both right-handed.

Unless they're trading Hoskins for Machado...

[Lawman]

And I doubt he goes back to catching. So Santana is the new 1B.

[Slinging_Southpaw]

The Orioles already have a first baseman playing LF(Mancini).

[Slinging_Southpaw]

Concussions.

[zambonir]

I remember when Chooch played 3B. And Biggio was a catcher. Seems unlikely this late in his career and with the greater emphasis on defense but they've also said they plan to move guys all over the field a la the Dodgers.

[andyb]

Unless they're trading Hoskins for Machado

That clearly would make some sense now. Not that I advocate it but there is a logic to trading Hoskins at the top of his value.

[gmwannabe]

Will they have enough allocation money for the 2 high priced kids they are linked to in '18? or maybe it doesn't matter now, since the rebuild is ramping up.
gm

[FMcB]

If they trade Hoskins, I'm out (unless it's for Mike Trout).

Machado - he doesn't even like baseball (said he can't watch it when he was out with injury because its too slow). No thanks.

Oh, Carlos - at first I was like no. Then I read he doesn't strike out much for a power hitter and walks. Seemed to work well for the Indians. I'm in.

[zambonir]

Right, and a 1B. I wasn't thinking about the match really, just that Hoskins probably has the most value on the team besides Herrera, and that we'd have to trade somebody we don't want to get Machado. Though in reality Hoskins is probably not that valuable, at the end of the day he's still an unproven, right-handed power bat 1B and lots of teams will either have one of those or want a lefty or both.

[andyb]

Will they have enough allocation money for the 2 high priced kids they are linked to in '18? or maybe it doesn't matter now, since the rebuild is ramping up.
gm

I am sure they do. It is unclear if the allocation amounts have a baseball inflation adjustment, but assuming they do not the Phillies start at $4.25 million and could trade for 75% more next year ($3.19 million) for a total spending ceiling of $7.44 million. They are only at $7.0 million this year though I expect allocations to be a bit more expensive next year with a couple of teams coming out of the penalty.

[andyb]

One under-the-radar bonus is that Santana is a switch hitter. Last year he was a bit better left-handed but over his career it is pretty balanced (808/815 OPS). A little more power left-handed and OBP right-handed.

The lineup does not have much left-handed power as Hoskins, Franco, Altherr, and Alfaro are all right-handed. And if Williams is being pushed into a 4th OF role we have even less left-handed power.