Submitted by: johnbitzer
June 15, 2019
Cardinals
| Name | Age | Level | P1 | P2 | Availablility | Years | AFV | Salary | Surplus | Low | Median | High |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Duffy | 30 | Majors | SP | Very high | 2.7 | 30.9 | 40.7 | -9.8 | -16 | -9.8 | -3.6 | |
| Kennedy | 34 | Majors | SP | Very high | 1.7 | -1 | 27.6 | -28.6 | -28.4 | -27.5 | -26.6 | |
| Merrifield | 30 | Majors | 2B | OF | Medium | 4.7 | 75.2 | 25.7 | 49.5 | 47.5 | 49.5 | 51.5 |
| Cash | 20 |
Okay, bit of a crazy blockbuster proposal between two Missouri teams. Royals dump two underwater contracts in Duffy and Kennedy by offsetting them with Merrifield and $20M in cash. All three of those players help the Cardinals now: Duffy has value as a mid-rotation starter; Kennedy has transformed himself into a surprisingly effective reliever; and Merrifield is a versatile upgrade anywhere they want to play him. On the Royals’ side, they get not only significant salary relief, but also a decent package of prospects led by Montero, Carlson and Torres, along with two longer-shot additions. The whole thing seems unlikely, but crazier trades have happened.
Dayton Moore is not Jerry Dipoto. He might use his best trade chip to dump one bad contract, but I’m not sure about both, and certainly not for a quantity over quality package. Merrifield was supposed to be a building block, but Moore knows that he could fetch a king’s ransom in a hypothetical trade.
Zero chance this would happen. Duffy is way better than this rating system and KC doesn’t get an impact prospect for Merrifield.
Duffy’s been average for a year and a half.
I agree it wouldn’t happen. It was just a thought exercise. To your point about Duffy and the system, this valuation is not saying whether he’s bad or good — it’s clear he’s a decent pitcher, as you can see in the 30.9 number above (which means he’s worth $30.9M) — but rather, what he’s worth relative to the salary he’s earning (he’s still owed over $40M). The valuation is based on that difference.