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

As one legend leave us, another returns:

https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/3503548467/23d93ae8ec7b802718a234c75b19ea21_400x400.jpeg

BREAKING: Tony La Russa named #WhiteSox manager. @MLBNetwork @MLB

— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) October 29, 2020

honestly wtf

fuck

Another sign of this offseason being a brutal market for free agents and arbitration-eligible players: Cleveland isn't picking up a $10 million option on Brad Hand, a three-time All-Star closer coming off a great season for a playoff team.https://t.co/KV4Q6Kn1qH

— Aaron Gleeman (@AaronGleeman) October 29, 2020

Oh god.

xpost

Tony La Russa is 76 years old. He should be running for President, not managing a baseball team.

— Write Sox (@WriteSox) October 29, 2020

how long before tim anderson gets suspended for calling la russa a "weak ass n*gga"?

— sugar shake (@curlyfro) October 29, 2020

i am anti-la russa in general but he seems like a particularly bad choice for this set of players

yeah the only thing i can take from this is that they want someone who will bench anderson et al for flipping bats and/or kneeling

@whitesox email announcement appears to have AJ Hinch Signature. Looks like it was corrected on Twitter. @SoxOn35th @SouthSideSox @SoxMach_pnoles pic.twitter.com/m64LcrshZG

— Gabe (@GabeNotDave) October 29, 2020

White Sox could have been cool.

In my five decades as a baseball fan, there have been very few players or managers I have actually disliked. Two come from the late-'80s A's teams that used to beat up on the Jays: La Russa and Eckersley. Roberto Alomar helped fix that, a little.

Huh.

Tony La Russa was in the White Sox dugout as manager when Jack Morris threw his no-hitter for the Tigers on April 7, 1984. Now, La Russa is back.

AJ Hinch was in the Tigers' dugout at Comerica Park as a backup catcher when Detroit avoided a historic 120-loss season by beating Ron Gardenhire’s Twins on the final day of the 2003 season. Is Hinch about to return in a different post?

https://www.mlb.com/tigers/news/aj-hinch-tigers-manager-search

what was wrong with renteria again?? and don cooper for that matter?

love the thread title.

renteria has now gotten dicked over twice by chicago baseball teams in favor of bigger names

After firing Rick Renteria as manager after the Sox bowed out of the expanded postseason, Hahn said he wanted to do a deep dive into the pool of available coaches and managers, interview people from forward-thinking organizations and find the right fit for a young, up-and-coming team. When he described the manager he was looking for, it sure sounded like former Houston Astros manager A.J. Hinch, who was fired for his role in the sign-stealing fiasco that rocked baseball, pre-pandemic.

But Hinch was never formally interviewed and instead, they wound up with the boss’ friend. It helps that said friend is a Hall of Famer, but this search put a monkey wrench in the White Sox organization’s image renovation.

sounds like jerry reinsdorf just . . . hired his buddy

#Rays Neander said they will not pick up either Mike Zunino or Charlie Morton's options. They will be free agents.

— Juan Toribio (@juanctoribio) October 30, 2020

Mark it down -- Oct. 30, 2020, one of the most significant days in franchise history. The Wilpon era is over. The Mets have a new owner, Steve Cohen.

— Marc Carig (@MarcCarig) October 30, 2020

Invite user @david_j_roth to thred

aj hinch is the new tigers manager

BREAKING: Brodie Van Wagenen, Omar Minaya, Allard Baird, Adam Guttridge and Jared Banner are all leaving the Mets.

— Anthony DiComo (@AnthonyDiComo) November 6, 2020

Sick

Alex Cora new manager of the Red Sox.

Every big/risky trade Brodie made flopped big time. Even if no one could have predicted Diaz would have such a bad year, and that Stroman would opt out for the entire 2nd year, he probably should have held back a bit. Things will be worse if any of the traded prospects become stars.

(That said, JD Davis was a great pickup and now one of my faves.)

i appreciate that brodie didn't fuck around with alonso's service time and let him start on opening day last year. and that he got degrom re-signed despite the wilpons' cheapness. but yeah

jeff luhnow has sued the astros for breach of contract

Chicago White Sox manager Tony La Russa was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence in February and charged with DUI a day before the team hired him, according to court records obtained by ESPN.

News with @pinepaula and @MoynihanCharles: https://t.co/C1lHlik4Zl

— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) November 10, 2020

Just mind boggling.

How many DUIs does he have (or do we know about?)

Only two I think

Here is the full Stroman thread... pic.twitter.com/8nxWzLYRsl

— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) November 10, 2020

ESPN obtained the full arrest report for Chicago White Sox manager Tony La Russa's DUI charge.

"Do you see my ring?" La Russa said to the arresting officer. "I'm a Hall of Famer baseball person. I'm legit. I'm a Hall of Famer, brother."

News at ESPN: https://t.co/C1lHlik4Zl pic.twitter.com/GnqS5k7V9e

— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) November 10, 2020

nice of him to use the non-gendered "person" rather than "man"

looooool

Marcus Stroman tweets that he has accepted the Mets' $18.9 million qualifying offer. He'll be back in the rotation in 2021.

— Anthony DiComo (@AnthonyDiComo) November 11, 2020

!

Making history by bringing a lifetime of excellence, Kim Ng steps to the helm as GM. #JuntosMiami pic.twitter.com/UrYESbjTHe

— Miami Marlins (@Marlins) November 13, 2020

Tight

Pretty sure either I or Morbs linked to this 2003 interview somewhere on this board, worth a rescreen imho:

https://www.baseballprospectus.com/news/article/2460/prospectus-qa-kim-ng/

She was mentioned as a candidate for several GM jobs this off-season.

Only took 18 seasons...

Miami #Marlins GM Kim Ng also believed to be the first GM of any North American men’s sports league in history.

— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) November 13, 2020

(tbf there are more than a few female minor league GMs, but the job is very different)

How overdue is the hiring of Kim Ng? I blogged about her as my candidate of choice for the Dodgers' GM opening that went to... Ned Colletti, in November 2005. 15 years ago today https://t.co/oDlobxGVEs

— Jay Jaffe (@jay_jaffe) November 13, 2020

Theo Epstein has resigned as president of baseball operations for the Chicago Cubs. Jed Hoyer is the new president of baseball operations.

— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) November 17, 2020

whoa

Ground Chuck back to ATL, 1/15.