1. Problem clearly was not Maddon.
2. Too many of the same types of batters
3. Need SP
4. Need more offense.
I would do a rebuild...not that you don't keep some of the core, but at the end of the day, Theo was at his best signing project pitching and having Bosio build them for trade value. And also drafting hitting prospects. I'd go back and lower salaries. Hindsight is 20/20, but some of his trades were really silly. ex-DJ Lamahieu has a .305 batting average over his career, hitting .364 for 2020. I get the Torres for Chapman trade, but the Cease, Jiminez trade to the Sox for Quintana didn't work out. If I were Theo, I would see the error of my ways and see that I have too many swing and miss guys and not enough contact hitters. Home Runs are nice. Regular season wins are nice. Winning playoff games is even better. Can't do that with guys who can't hit against the top pitching and feast of 4/5's.
The rebuild is a option for sure. They are really missing a farm system and a reboot like the white sox is not a bad idea at all.
But the whole Bosio angle is not in place so rent a wreck is not a solid game plan.
1. Maddon loved to line up tinker. He was not strong with the staff.
2. That is true. They lacked contact hitters like Nico. I believe that they started to address with drafting Nico.
3. They need 2 to compete. Yu, Hendricks and Alzolay is a solid core.
4. They need the O to hit. The line up went into a collective funk at the same time. That is a coaching issue. If it was 1 or 2 then it would be case by case.
Like I said. What I believe happens. They extend Baez and Rizzo and trade Schwaber and Bryant. They will have to start the process of refilling the system with short term. Theo even said that 1 year players are attractive to contenders as they are geared for that season with out the long term commitment. So this most likely will happen.
The rotation could end up internal. Alzolay replaces Q and Mills replaces Chatwood. That is a 20+ mil savings to the rotation. Lester at 5 mil is a huge savings from the 25 mil that they were on the hook for.
So I believe that they will start the process next year but it will not be a reboot. It will be a retool to get rid of short term and get the staff cheaper. In general with 3 starters vets. 2 in adjustment is fine. They will have Marquez near ready to replace Lester and going into 2022 you might end up replacing Mills. But that will be when they are ready to compete again.
If I am investing it would be in DJ LeMahieu . He is worth the investment. He brings a solid hitting approach that should translate to runs.
LF Ozuna should be the top F/A and one of the top F/A period. I would avoid this.
George Springer will be right up with him and both would be looking a a major offer.
I would resign Cameron Maybin . They need a RH bat and to avoid a long term commitment. Another option would be Marwin Gonzalez who Theo let go in rule V.
It would be funny to see both him and DJ returning as the 2 that Theo let go with out evaluating them properly.
