If I Were Off Season Dana Brown

This is warm stove talk, just meant to generate conversation. If I were GM, this is where I would look to focus during the off season:

Major free agents – Maldy and Brantley. I would not bring either back and use the cash for other areas.

Injuries returning in 2024 – Lance and Garcia (probably late 24, possibly not until 25).

Trade-able major league assets – Urquidy, Myers.

Offseason targets – backup catcher, starter, centerfielder (hear me out), backup first baseman.

Questions to be answered – Is France for real? Will the real Hunter Brown please stand up?

What I would do:

I would not bring back either Maldy or Brantley. Both deserve our gratitude, but it is time to move on. I would give Lance another season at being productive. If he cannot make it, I would say good bye or move him to the bullpen. I would not make any plans around Garcia for next year, focusing on '25 instead. Hear me out on this next one….I would move Javier to the closer role. I think he would excel there. His brief history shows he is not a pitcher that will give you a lot of innings so let him focus in the closer role, stretching him out to 2 innings on occasion. I could see him being the most dominant closer in the league.

Proposed starting 5. (no particular order)

1. Framber
2. JV
3. Snell
4. France
5. Lance (if he is back) or Brown

Brown concerns me a little because I cannot figure out if the Brown of today is tired and the Brown of last year's short sample size is closer to the true pitcher, or somewhere in between.

Roster upgrades: Take a run at signing Snell and, again hear me out, kick the tires on a trade for Trout. I think the Angels would eat a chunk of that salary if it meant trading him to a contender. This is assuming he would accept a trade. Injury history is concerning, but I would pare back his playing time to preserve him and with a DH\LF\CF platoon rotation with Chas and Yordan.

Proposed lineup:

1. Altuve
2. Trout
3. Yordan
4. Bregman
5. Tucker
6. Diaz
7. Chas
8. Abreu
9. Pena

Now that is a true lineup of death.

Interested in seeing what other thoughts are. Again, this is just meant to be a fun conversation, no "thank god Dusty will be gone" comment please.

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