Gio has been a really steady pitcher for the past 10 seasons, I think he will be a great vet presence and really need LH in the rotation. He is better than Nova IMO
Tim Anderson walked 15 times last year in 50 more PAs, do you want to get rid of him? Eloy had the same amount of walks has Nomar and he is 23, want to get rid of him?
I went to college with him, watched him pitched a lot and have seen most of his starts since coming up. Like you said he is a very strong competitor and is always working to get better but his stuff is a bit limited. I think he would do well his first season in the AL but after that I am not sure. I think he is the perfect guy to be an "Opener" and throw 3-4 innings. He usually struggles in the 5th/6th.
That 26th man will be huge this year. Keeping Collins or Mercedes as the 26th man allows for both McCann and Grandal to be in the lineup when Grandal needs a break behind the dish. A lot more flexibility with the line ups now (just have to trust Ricky)