hot stove 2019-20

Probably won't happen, but Billy H. is such a good athlete even a 10-20% margin improvement takes him up to handy player to keep around with his speed and defense. It will be interesting to see if he is still on a roster in a couple years.

I suppose you see pitchers figuring something out later on, but then you got the 'roid ragers like Luis Gonzales who went from average outfielder to super slugger in their 30s.

Mets signed Matt Adams and Eduardo Nunez to minor league deals

Otis Nixon's career arc might be the closest model you 'might' find for someone like Hamilton.

https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/n/nixonot01.shtml

Matt Adams has had a weird career. That guy has been a model of inconsistency as there have been more than once it looks like the guy is going to be come a big bat, but then the magic wears off.

That said, I would love to see Matt Adams in a foot race with Lucas Duda.

Similar players I both saw hit moonshots against the Reds at GABP.

More I think about it, both were off Homer Bailey too. Always bet against Bailey if he is pitching during the day, that's my Pete Rose tip of the day.

Pumped to watch Billy Hamilton hit 54 home runs in 2020

billy hamilton has always been a small step away from an above average player - being able to reach .300 OBP consistently, or .100 ISO - but now he's 29, going into his 7th full season. his speed is already diminishing. i loved watching him (destroy the cardinals and yadi) but i think he missed his window.

d-backs sign edwin jackson (and jon jay) to minor league deals

unfortunately, arizona is one of the 14 teams he's already played for

over the last seven seasons, jackson is 37-62 with a 5.47 ERA, 4.87 FIP, 1.517 WHIP and -4.9 WAR while making $39m

d-backs sign edwin jackson (and jon jay) to minor league deals

unfortunately, arizona is one of the 14 teams he's already played for

this must be some sort of mistake. wtf is jackson doing??

i thought the dbags would stop signing average cardinals from 2011-13 after la russa moved on, but it looks like they're still into it

Betts and Price to Dodgers, says Jeff Passan

slight correction

There could be a third team involved in the deal, as @Ken_Rosenthal reported. Significant cash will be going the way of wherever David Price lands. But the main player, Mookie Betts, will be a Dodger should medicals go as expected.

— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) February 5, 2020

baseball is broken

Oh wow, the dodgers have added one of the best players in baseball to their team again

like many things that are bad for baseball, this is great for the yankees!

fuck this. just fuck it.

Mookie in LA from a marketing standpoint is going to be sick

so final tally i believe:
Mookie/Price/cash to Dodgers
Maeda to Twins
Brusdar/Verdugo to Sox

dodgers are also trading pederson to LAA for rengifo. i have no idea why the angels would do this unless they intend on swinging pederson to someone else for pitching. or adell. i have no idea how LAA has made this many moves and they still don't have any pitching.

why is $$$ going to LA? wtf...

to cover part of price, i imagine

when’s the last time a player of betts’ stature was traded by the team that drafted him in the prime of his career? and didn’t demand to traded? just can’t believe this actually happened

Seems dumb to me — good luck Boston.

gets them below the luxury tax threshold which is the only thing that matters

The closest comparison I can think of is the Twins trading Johan Santana, which was also during the off-season before his walk year.

when’s the last time a player of betts’ stature was traded by the team that drafted him in the prime of his career? and didn’t demand to traded?

babe ruth, 1919?

the red sox were complaining about cash back then, too. ruth's salary was $27,000, same as betts', give or take a zero or three.

when’s the last time a player of betts’ stature was traded by the team that drafted him in the prime of his career?

griffey jr, although he was older (and kinda fell apart after his first year in cincy)

frank robinson, also a lil bit older

also a-rod to the yankees (although texas did not draft him)

supposedly if the red sox are paying $14-$15m per year to dump price, the *dodgers* can stay under the salary cap luxury tax

i don't understand rich people. or rich teams. or rich owners.

surprised the Twins are shipping a prospect like Graterol for a starter like Maeda.

Rays vet James Click is the new Houston GM

https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/28634922/new-astros-gm-james-click-seeks-quick-success-replacing-jeff-luhnow

• think the twins concluded that graterol didn't have the command/third pitch to start, and getting a reliable (and cheap!) starter helps them go for it now

• wilmer flores to sf (two years, $6m), fragile greg bird to texas (minors deal)

• it's worth noting how little the luxury tax actually costs -- only the yankees and dodgers have *ever* paid any significant money on it, and the penalty just isn't that much. (otoh, since almost half the proceeds from the tax go to the non-threshold breaking teams that refuse to spend their own money, it is probably galling to the big-spending clubs)

hey way to go red sox lol

when’s the last time a player of betts’ stature was traded by the team that drafted him in the prime of his career? and didn’t demand to traded? just can’t believe this actually happened

― k3vin k., Tuesday, February 4, 2020 10:38 PM (yesterday) bookmarkflaglink

since im not really up on baseball these days the only thing i cld come up with was that they didnt think they cld retain him, if its just a straight financial move my god

i think he had said he was planning on becoming a free agent next year, but getting alex verdugo and a RP prospect for the 2nd best player in baseball suggests the motivation was mostly financial

dear god the rockies signed ubaldo jimenez to a minor league deal

he's 36 and last pitched in 2017, when he had a 6.81 ERA over 142 IP for baltimore

maybe arenado has a point

dodgers are also trading pederson to LAA for rengifo. i have no idea why the angels would do this unless they intend on swinging pederson to someone else for pitching. or adell. i have no idea how LAA has made this many moves and they still don't have any pitching.

― ℺ ☽ ⋠ ⏎ (✖), Wednesday, February 5, 2020 3:08 AM (nineteen hours ago) bookmarkflaglink

The trade isn't finalized yet for some reason but the Dodgers are trading Joc, Ross Stripling and a dude who hit 19 homers in rookie ball for Rengifo and another prospect, maybe two.

ya, i'm more confused what the dodgers plan here is.

the motivation was mostly financial

― na (NA), Wednesday, February 5, 2020 12:00 PM (six hours ago) bookmarkflaglink

wild times

maybe Mookie's secret sauce was some secret Alex Cora shit

ha didnt even think of that

btw really looking forward to Astros being serenaded w/Bang the Drum All Day/Bang a Gong/She Bangs/etc all season long.

true lol

bang bang on the door, baby!
bang bang on the door, baby!

hopefully 3 other teams will be busted by April to spread the love

Execs referred to below are RIVAL execs, not from #RedSox. Their overriding point: For many years, Sox made short-term decisions with little regard for future. They were left with a depleted farm system and an expensive roster. They eventually needed to pivot - or crash. https://t.co/5TvJXNAvuP

— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) February 5, 2020

which of those rival execs have won four championships in the last 15 years

it sounds like the criticism is....extremely well-placed

cldnt they have like traded someone else