The Dr. Morbius Memorial 2020-2021 MLB Hot Stove Thread

Message Bookmarked
Bookmark Removed
Not all messages are displayed: show all messages (352 of them)

... maybe. Or maybe not.
If it winds up happening, the have a logjam of corner OF/DH hitters. So the thinking is that if they do sign him, they’ll quickly deal Lourdes Gurriel for a starter.

FRAUDULENT STEAKS (The Cursed Return of the Dastardly Thermo Thinwall), Wednesday, 20 January 2021 21:01 (three years ago) link

sounds like he is instead re-signing with houston

mookieproof, Wednesday, 20 January 2021 21:43 (three years ago) link

former pirate great j.a. happ to minnesota

mookieproof, Wednesday, 20 January 2021 22:06 (three years ago) link

looks like brantley back to astros?

Kompakt Total Landscaping (Will M.), Wednesday, 20 January 2021 22:25 (three years ago) link

Ya that makes much more sense.

FRAUDULENT STEAKS (The Cursed Return of the Dastardly Thermo Thinwall), Wednesday, 20 January 2021 22:26 (three years ago) link

Astros steal another sign(ing)

Piven After Midnight (The Yellow Kid), Wednesday, 20 January 2021 22:43 (three years ago) link

Some speculation on (30-year-old) George Springer:

https://www.billjamesonline.com/a_connecticut_astro_in_queen_elizabeths_colony/

(Not James, Dave Fleming.)

clemenza, Friday, 22 January 2021 18:17 (three years ago) link

jbj to stros?

Li'l Brexit (Tracer Hand), Friday, 22 January 2021 18:47 (three years ago) link

profar returns to SD, 3/$21m

ryan zimmerman returns to WAS, 1/$1m

mookieproof, Friday, 22 January 2021 21:21 (three years ago) link

Quintana is an Angel for $8M

FRAUDULENT STEAKS (The Cursed Return of the Dastardly Thermo Thinwall), Saturday, 23 January 2021 01:21 (three years ago) link

pirates are expected to trade jameson taillon -- their only remaining player that means anything at all to me -- in the next couple days

might as well trade ke'bryan hayes too -- sure, he's only played 24 MLB games, but his stock will never be higher

mookieproof, Saturday, 23 January 2021 23:06 (three years ago) link

Craig Mish
@CraigMish
The Philadelphia Phillies and JT Realmuto are in agreement on a 5 year $115.5 million dollar contract. Pending physical. Per source.

Karl Malone, Tuesday, 26 January 2021 19:59 (three years ago) link

Semiens to the Jays!

What an offseason for the Jays (still think a mid-rotation pitcher would do wonders).

Van Horn Street, Tuesday, 26 January 2021 23:28 (three years ago) link

Infielder run!!!

FRAUDULENT STEAKS (The Cursed Return of the Dastardly Thermo Thinwall), Wednesday, 27 January 2021 02:32 (three years ago) link

Also love the Semiens signing for the jays. I was hoping they’d land him.

FRAUDULENT STEAKS (The Cursed Return of the Dastardly Thermo Thinwall), Wednesday, 27 January 2021 02:34 (three years ago) link

it's semien singular

but what does this mean for bo and/or cavan?

mookieproof, Wednesday, 27 January 2021 02:36 (three years ago) link

Tommy La Stella has never had 400 plate appearances in a season, but he just got a three-year contract a few days before his 32nd birthday. My latest on a truly unique player: https://t.co/R9L28BwTTI

— Tony Wolfe (@_TonyWolfe_) January 27, 2021

mookieproof, Wednesday, 27 January 2021 20:34 (three years ago) link

love that dude

na (NA), Wednesday, 27 January 2021 20:37 (three years ago) link

remember when the cubs tried to option him to the minors and he just refused (for a couple of weeks)

https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/mlb/2016/08/09/cubs-la-stella-refuses-to-report-to-minors/88494048/

na (NA), Wednesday, 27 January 2021 20:38 (three years ago) link

Semien playing 2B and I guess Cavin or Vlad at 3B depending how spring training goes. I imagine Biggio could gain a lot of at bats just filling in at LF/1B/2B to let guys rotate into DH or sit for a day. Could see Marcus moving to the left side at some point of Bo/Biggio/Vlad really stink it up.

And the Jays just shipped three slapdicks to the Mets for Matz. Not really sure he’s an improvement over any of their borderline AAAA starters, but what do I know.

FRAUDULENT STEAKS (The Cursed Return of the Dastardly Thermo Thinwall), Thursday, 28 January 2021 06:26 (three years ago) link

Matz had so much promise 96 mph lefty and local kid but he's gotten progressively worse.

Smokahontas and John Spliff (PBKR), Thursday, 28 January 2021 13:09 (three years ago) link

I haven't paid attention too closely, but why did the Jays give up on Sean Reid-Foley? He was such a big deal a couple of years ago. I see look at this stats and see control issues and the possibility he's coming off an injury, but also a lot of strikeouts and he's only 24.

clemenza, Thursday, 28 January 2021 15:59 (three years ago) link

Matz is super streaky. He'll have a few great starts and just when you think he's an ace the wheels will come off and he'll lose his starting role and then he builds it back up and sucks you in...

Jersey Al (Albert R. Broccoli), Thursday, 28 January 2021 16:34 (three years ago) link

why did the Jays give up on Sean Reid-Foley? He was such a big deal a couple of years ago.

i don't think he was ever a "big deal" – he was rounding out some of our top prospect list before Bo and Vlad etc came along because of a lack of depth at the time and his high draft level. i never had big hopes for the guy, his stuff never seem to develop and his control was all over the place. of all the guys who came up as a starter on the Jays right now, i liked him the least even out of the pen because he didn't seem to have any pitches that could blow anyone away. i'd rather see what guys like Zeuch or Merryweather or Borucki could do in our rotation. losing Josh Winckowski is the only thing that will keep me up at night about this deal (tho, i thought Diaz had some closer potential).

FRAUDULENT STEAKS (The Cursed Return of the Dastardly Thermo Thinwall), Thursday, 28 January 2021 18:35 (three years ago) link

In the coming days, we’ll presumably learn more about other offers on the table. For now, it’s remarkable that nobody valued Tanaka’s durability and track record enough to pony up. A model of consistency, Tanaka had posted 2.5 WAR or better in each of the past four full seasons, and if you prorate his 2020 numbers to a normal innings total, he’d have cleared that bar again last year as well. You can even dream a little bit on the velocity uptick he saw in 2020, and corresponding increase in swinging strike rate from 2019. Steamer had him as a three-win player in 2021, and while ZiPS is a little more pessimistic, we’re still talking about a good mid-rotation arm here. It boggles the mind that 30 MLB teams effectively passed on him.

Look, it’s no fun at all poking at MLB and its many problems these days. I don’t want to write about all of the ways the league is failing its customers any more than you want to read it. But we can’t take the Tanaka signing, or non-signing depending on your perspective, in a vacuum. Three of the last four free agent markets have been ice cold. For all intents and purposes, the league has a salary cap, and there aren’t many teams at risk of reaching it. A bitter collective bargaining dispute looms. Amidst that landscape, one of the world’s best pitchers is leaving the country in part because nobody in the world’s best league made it a priority to sign him.

That’s a choice, as much a collective one as a series of individual decisions. What that says about the state of the league, and MLB’s place in the broader sport and entertainment industry isn’t entirely clear just yet. But whatever it is, it can’t be anything good.

mookieproof, Thursday, 28 January 2021 19:20 (three years ago) link

link to the full piece?

I ask because I wonder if he was truly "passed" on or rather that his agent wouldn't accept an offer under "$x" as Tanaka could make that in Japan.

Jersey Al (Albert R. Broccoli), Thursday, 28 January 2021 19:33 (three years ago) link

Thanks, that was a good piece.

Jersey Al (Albert R. Broccoli), Thursday, 28 January 2021 21:01 (three years ago) link

i don't want to speculate on this, but IF tanaka was looking at offers in A) the united states, a country of obnoxious loud racist patriot science skeptics vs B) japan, MLB veteran returning home having pitched 1000+ innings for the yankees, ending his career with tributes among friends and family, etc

i'm not sure how many millions that is worth

Karl Malone, Thursday, 28 January 2021 21:05 (three years ago) link

also: i'm just assuming there will be a strike/lockout in 2022, not sure about anyone else. but maybe he's thinking that in a pandemic, he'd rather pitch 2021 in japan than the US, and 2022 might be a wash for MLB anyway.

Karl Malone, Thursday, 28 January 2021 21:09 (three years ago) link

I know Japan is revered in awkward whimsical ways in the west, but that country is perhaps as racist and science-skeptical as this one, maybe more!

Yes, they do wear masks when they are sick, but I suggest not talking to Japanese nationals about vaccinations.

Jersey Al (Albert R. Broccoli), Thursday, 28 January 2021 21:11 (three years ago) link

yeah, i didn't mean to emphasize that so much i guess. maybe he loves living here (who wouldnt?!?!). and as the fangraphs article mentions, most other players don't play in Japan until the end of their careers, after they can't get playing opportunity here anymore. so obviously it's not down to which country rules more (USA, obviously!!). that's why i wish i'd emphasized the factors in my second post more: pandemic + impending 2022 no mlb

Karl Malone, Thursday, 28 January 2021 21:20 (three years ago) link

Agreed it's a weird time and in a time of uncertainty he can be patient and spend a year back home and rack up another absurd stat season to bring back to the USA when the owners have bigger checkbooks.

Jersey Al (Albert R. Broccoli), Thursday, 28 January 2021 21:46 (three years ago) link

Okay, morning news in Japan says that the Jays were aggressively pursuing him but he decided to return to Japan instead.

Also mentioned that 2021 is the 10 year anniversary of the Tohoku earthquake (and subsequent nuclear meltdown) which is near where the Eagles play so Tanaka's homecoming will be a very symbolic return for the local fans.

Jersey Al (Albert R. Broccoli), Friday, 29 January 2021 01:20 (three years ago) link

joc pederson to the cubs, 1 yr/$7 million

na (NA), Friday, 29 January 2021 14:47 (three years ago) link

if you have to have this type of Guy, i'll take pederson over schwarber

mookieproof, Friday, 29 January 2021 15:19 (three years ago) link

Tanaka just be homesick. Homesickness is a big deal.

Van Horn Street, Friday, 29 January 2021 17:14 (three years ago) link

Might just be, sorry.

Van Horn Street, Friday, 29 January 2021 17:14 (three years ago) link

BREAKING: Cardinals have agreed to acquire Nolan Arenado from Rockies, sources tell @TheAthletic. Deal pending approval from both MLB and players’ union; Rockies sending Cardinals significant cash, believed to be in $50M range, and Arenado will be deferring money.

— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) January 30, 2021

reggae mike love (polyphonic), Saturday, 30 January 2021 02:45 (three years ago) link

The Rockies barely escaped last place last season, looks like they're just gonna phone this season (and the next few) in.

Jersey Al (Albert R. Broccoli), Saturday, 30 January 2021 02:50 (three years ago) link

Congrats to the NL Central winners St Louis Cardinals.

Happy for KM.

Van Horn Street, Saturday, 30 January 2021 03:02 (three years ago) link

Whoa!!!

Just saw this, here! Ok...

Karl Malone, Saturday, 30 January 2021 03:26 (three years ago) link

there's a real pipeline from colorado to st. louis, eh?

cards are also bringing back waino and yadi on one-year deals apparently

so many teams simply not bothering

mookieproof, Saturday, 30 January 2021 03:42 (three years ago) link

I’m trying to think of who else went Colorado >> St Louis. Walker, Holliday went to the A’s before landing in Col. Fowler had a couple teams between. I feel like there’s some obvious names I’m forgetting.

FRAUDULENT STEAKS (The Cursed Return of the Dastardly Thermo Thinwall), Saturday, 30 January 2021 05:28 (three years ago) link

the larry walker trade was pretty great, although it's been a while.

wainwright signed for $8M, I'd expect yadi will announce shortly then too. maybe they were holding off on those until arenado, to decide whether they were in on NL Central or not? the cards are no powerhouse that's for sure, but this does put them a little ahead this year (AKA div series exit)

Karl Malone, Saturday, 30 January 2021 05:57 (three years ago) link

as for the return, Austin Gomber is a MLB pitcher, 4th or 5th in most rotations, and Baker is a backup 1B. Jhon Torres could be the headliner of the deal, in a few years - he's very good.

Karl Malone, Saturday, 30 January 2021 06:01 (three years ago) link

I'm very interested to see what Arenado does outside of Colorado. Nothing to do with the Cardinals or KM, but I've always been a skeptic with him.

clemenza, Saturday, 30 January 2021 07:09 (three years ago) link

Career Home/Away:

@COL .322/.376/.609 = .985
Away .263/.322/.471 = .793

Jersey Al (Albert R. Broccoli), Saturday, 30 January 2021 07:17 (three years ago) link

@Busch
.278/.337/.511 = .848

Jersey Al (Albert R. Broccoli), Saturday, 30 January 2021 07:17 (three years ago) link

If they get that kind of away/Busch offense out of him plus his defense (I don't really see him, but supposedly Mike Schmidt-level), then that's an All-Star, for sure, if not an MVP candidate.

clemenza, Saturday, 30 January 2021 15:55 (three years ago) link


You must be logged in to post. Please either login here, or if you are not registered, you may register here.