hot stove 2018-19

Markakis had offers for more money and more years elsewhere. But he wanted to return to the Braves.

— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) January 22, 2019

i guess he really loved the tomahawk chop

ichiro to the mariners on a minor league deal. i assume this is just so he can play in japan but who knows

former red sox great drew pomeranz to the giants, one year/$1.5m

#Dodgers in agreement with free-agent outfielder A.J. Pollock, pending physical, sources tell The Athletic. Terms of deal not known.

— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) January 24, 2019

brad brach to cubs

So the Dodgers traded a three win outfielder (Puig) to clear out salary and bid on another three win outfielder (Pollock)?

idgi

Pollock is a better defender and a better on-base guy. They need that more than they need another slugger imo.

Puig was one of those human trafficking cases that the DOJ was looking into, maybe related to that?

the yankees are fun now

Adam Ottavino will wear No. 0 for the #Yankees, becoming the first player in franchise history to sport the uniform number.

— Bryan Hoch (@BryanHoch) January 24, 2019

This fan does not approve. What's next, *negative* numbers?

Also, get a haircut.

pollock is older and a worse hitter (even OBP-wise) than puig, and has been essentially average the last three seasons (when he hasn't been hurt)

but maybe the dodgers didn't think they could re-sign puig, or were tired of the spectacle. it certainly suggests they're out on harper tho

I really think Machado and Harper still being unsigned means the players might need to strike before a new CBA

i would be ok with a strike if the world baseball classic just replaced it for a year

wonder if/when harper and boras will blink. supposedly he rejected 10/$300m from the nats already; would he take that now? is he willing to sit if he doesn't get $40m or whatever a year?

Dodger's have had pretty good run of talent coming up out of their minor leagues the past couple of seasons, so I got to figure they might have someone they are eyeing to make the jump to Chavez Ravine to play outfield.

pollock is older and a worse hitter (even OBP-wise) than puig,

Puig is definitely going to love hitting in Cincy. The Reds will be fun this year.

Alex Verdugo is the guy they're trying to make room for, their #1 prospect according to BA. He hit reasonably well last year in the majors, but hasn't shown any power.

I wish the Reds could have gotten Joc Pederson instead of Kemp. Joc could handle CF in GABP and probably hit 40 dingers playing there 1/2 his games instead of in the Ravine.

former pirate great justin wilson to the mets

former pirate/met great oliver perez returns to cleveland

the padres are gonna bring back the brown unis in 2020

so i see

https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/sports/padres/sd-sp-padres-brown-official-mlb-uniforms-0125-story.html

love it

i liked the all-yellow ones

the twins have signed jordany valdespin to a minor league deal for no earthly reason i can fathom

from the 2015 BP annual:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Dxyawj4VAAADwyV.jpg:small

btw i quizzed a couple of alleged Twins fans last weekend who had not heard of Willians Astudillo

re the Dojers

https://www.theringer.com/mlb/2019/1/22/18192483/los-angeles-dodgers-slow-offseason-yasiel-puig-bryce-harper

Of such little interest, it was hard to find a link:

http://www.athleticsnation.com/2019/1/25/18197886/oakland-as-sign-marco-estrada-free-agent

He was pretty solid in '15/16, especially in the postseason--not much left, I don't think.

lefty reliever Justin Wilson to Mets, 2 years $10 M

Whit Merrifield (MLB leader in hits and SB last year) gets 4 more years from KC

https://blogs.fangraphs.com/whit-merrifield-and-royals-seek-safety/

Where's Adam Jones gonna go?

Rumors are the Reds are still in on trying to get JT Realmuto from the Fish. Reds first round pick/Florida Gator Jonathan India seems to be the name being one player of interest.

sandy alderson has been named a senior advisor to the oakland a's

guess i don't really understand the details of his departure from the mets

looking like NL Central is gonna be the most fun division by far

well Alderson was just reported cancer-free

he said he thought he had not earned a return

(to Queens)

If we've learned anything these last couple of offseasons, it's that the only real answer is to get all $1 players and pocket the other $22 https://t.co/jBlLItH8fv

— Patrick Dubuque (@euqubud) January 29, 2019

brisbee to the athletic

FUN FACT: I got him to post here once (twice?)

The Athletic, OTOH, is garbage.

all the good baseball writers disappearing behind a paywall, cept for Fangraphs holdouts

pittsburgh's own neil walker to the marlins (one year/$2m)

freddie galvis to the jays (one year/$4m)

The Nationals hired Jack McKeon as a (very) senior adviser.

Jimmy Rollins is returning to the Phillies as a special adviser.

Jenrry Mejia agreed to a minor league deal with the Red Sox.

https://deadspin.com/mlbs-luxury-tax-became-a-salary-cap-because-of-decades-1832200596

wade miley to the astros for a year

Normandin is way off in his reasoning there, the problem has little to do with the tax threshold. For the first fifteen years or so, only the Yankees paid any luxury tax and only a handful of other teams have since then. Most teams are so far under the threshold that it doesn't affect their decision making at all. Analytics have shown exactly how overpaid most free agents are, and how to find talent more efficiently through other means. This has completely upended the unwritten salary structure that's been entrenched over the past thirty years of labour agreements, and the strike to correct it is going to be really, really ugly I'm afraid. (if the players choose to go that route)

dunno how to read into Miley's surprisingly fine 2018 season (only 80 IP, but still), especially given how cooked he looked on the Orioles, but 4.5m seems like a good deal

rumours

When I checked on this, I did not get the same information Hunter did. https://t.co/M4uGTRTDFk

— Mark Saxon (@markasaxon) February 1, 2019

as a perpetual 15-year-old, i don't know if i trust this 12-year-old with this rumour

https://i.imgur.com/8IsFZIn.png

Gio Gonzalez is apparently on the Mets’ radar.