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

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.

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.

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

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

Tanaka just be homesick. Homesickness is a big deal.

Might just be, sorry.

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

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

Congrats to the NL Central winners St Louis Cardinals.

Happy for KM.

Whoa!!!

Just saw this, here! Ok...

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

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.

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)

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.

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.

Career Home/Away:

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

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

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.

i'm jealous that in the NL central, all a team needs to do is exist to have a respectable chance at making the playoffs.

incredible take

Rockies trading away Arenado is big step towards following the Rays model. Rays traded away Longoria, then Archer in past three years and wound up in World Series last season. Then Snell dealt. Not saying this will happen for Rox. Just saying Rays have influence here. #9sports

— Mike Klis (@MikeKlis) January 30, 2021

just saying! lol

Colorado would be a .333 team in the AL East.

christ. who is that idiot? that was so dumb i'm seriously annoyed

cardinals should have demanded a couple prospects too

be nice to mike he literally just learned what a "trade" is

Feeling for Story.

Pulling for these two.

https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/30800732/san-francisco-giants-outfielder-drew-robinson-remarkable-second-act

https://www.ocregister.com/2021/02/02/andrelton-simmons-opens-up-about-depression-and-thoughts-of-suicide/

chris archer back to tampa lol

courageous of both of them to share that stuff publicly, and very glad that they did. it's not an option that everyone has, but it's a good thing when people are able to talk about it

xp

gonna be pretty disappointed when the mets sign bauer

nm

so not the A's then

Per Spotrac, Bauer's 2021 salary is more than the total payrolls of the Pirates, Indians and Orioles. https://t.co/ss1nIUOPdd

— Josh Norris (@jnorris427) February 5, 2021

Kolten Wong to the Brew Crew

That's overpaying for Bauer imo

yeah, but it's only two years (after which he'll opt out unless he blows out his elbow or something)

also dexter fowler traded/dumped to anaheim

it *is* a lot of fuss for a guy with a career 3.90 era

curious about whether they'll let him go every 4 days like he wants to

I doubt it. It would get in the way of developing May and Urias.

Agreed with Craig Goldstein on twitter that it's a bit dumb to go above the luxury tax for Bauer when they had so many better options prior.

wong's a great pickup for the brewers, imo. also, he has more power than people think. in Busch it played more like doubles in the gaps, but a lot of those might clear the fence in milwaukee. wouldn't surprise me to see him hit 15HR and win another gold glove

Are the Brewers the true model of a small market franchise? It seems to me they do spend more and somehow keep trying.

dexter fowler to angels?

along with $12M, so it was a salary dump. surprised and VERY pleased that the cardinals managed to get rid of him! dang, cardinals might win 88 games now

i do think that gives them the best defense in MLB, though. the last remaining defensive negative was fowler

88 games will be more than sufficient to win the division.

jesus that Bauer contract. Dodgers are gonna be praying he opts out

it's absurd, and barring injury he will absolutely opt out after the second year (the third year is cheap) . . . which is fine!

i mean yes they overpaid for a guy who has one full season at an all-star level. but it's just money; they have plenty. kinda surprised they didn't snag arenado as well, since it only took a willingness to spend money.

but it's just a three (really two) year deal. it's not like they're paying prince albert $30m every year until he's 45 -- they get two presumably good years, he turns 32, and everyone moves on

otoh he's an utter asshole; wonder if the dodgers have some sort of out in circumstances

Has that ever been a thing before with ball players?

probably a union thing, so probably not

Bauer is such a galaxy brain he probably doesnt care about the union even as his contract status is pro(ish)-labor

bauer is such a galaxy brain that he demanded all the opt-outs lest his 'friend' shoot him in the nads with a paintball

doesn't seem to have depressed his market tho