We're not even close to the worst team in baseball – we're just on an out of control losing streak.
The season is lost. My attitude is now that the more losses, the better pick we end up with, as well as the better chance Hurdle is dumped, and the better chance we really clean some house and get AAA players some looks. I think Hayes is still going to need to push for an earlier callup than September. He doesn't have a ton of AAA at-bats just yet.
Just have to sit back and see what happens. The worst thing would be flipping Vazquez for a mediocre return. Ruiz + May + Gray or something like that should be the least he does it for. Getting both of May and Gray in the deal would be an old school move, gathering as much pitching as possible, and line things up pretty well with Cruz, Bolton, Swaggerty, but there might be just a bit too much of a gap between some of the guys who have emerged recently. Still not a huge one, but it would make sense to use 2020 to continue rebuilding and gathering some pieces, albeit in a complicated way, because it wouldn't make much sense to gather a couple vet FAs to flip at the deadline, due to the need to play some young guys.
We'll see. I increasingly have the worry that we will simply blame injuries and do nothing. Huntington's other comments today do suggest that he has finally turned a bit of a corner with the approach, but I am worried about 2020 hanging out there, and then we'll always have another 2020 the next year, as a mediocre team (to put it dramatically). As risky as it is, I almost prefer the fuller-blown rebuild of moving Marte as well, because at least that's a clear direction. We don't have one yet and nibbling around the edges won't get us there.
There is a path back to a much better situation in 2020, but it begins with Taillon and Polanco being healthy, and requires us to spend the money on Grandal this winter, and probably a bullpen piece as well. In theory the Vazquez trade stands outside of this orbit, since at least some of the pieces would help out by next year at the latest.
As far as Vazquez goes, I think the Mets getting wild and grabbing Stroman is both a big help and potentially a hurt. Toronto is doing the smart thing and splitting him from Giles, which means Giles may very well be a viable target for Friedman, although apparently Giles now has some injury questions. The Mets are a surprise suitor, so the big help is that this potentially sends the other buyers into a frenzy, especially with the Giants winning again. The Giants could very well just hold tight on everyone and try to win in Bochy's last year. Even if they take a run to the playoffs and lose, they will probably have the good will from the fanbase to endure a longer rebuild, and trading guys now would only initiate what will still be a long rebuild.
