hot stove 2018-19

Team Willing to Entertain Trade Offers for Player Season is my favorite season

As great as he is, I can definitely see where Cleveland might want to trade Kluber. Clevinger and Bauer are both 27; Carrasco's 31. Bieber's 23--he didn't pitch especially well, but his K/BB ratio suggests better things ahead. Their bullpen was mostly lousy, and they finished seven games under their Pythagorean last year. I would think a good return on Kluber, maybe some bullpen help and a starting outfieder, could put them back in 100-win range.

are there rumours about Kluber?
i don't think they need to do much in the offseason. a guy like Pollack would be a great fit in their outfield and they sign a new closer and lefty specialist and they're as good as new imho.

kluber is on an absurdly team-friendly deal, but his salary jumps from $10m to $17m next year and cleveland is a small market and larry dolan can barely scrape two dimes together etc. etc.

(xpost) There seem to be, yes.

http://www.si.com/mlb/2018/11/09/corey-kluber-paul-goldschmidt-madison-bumgarner-trade-candidates
http://www.espn.com/mlb/insider/story/_/id/25224490/buster-mlb-buzz-corey-kluber-blockbuster-teams-the-mix
http://www.wkyc.com/article/sports/mlb/indians/5-reasons-why-the-cleveland-indians-should-consider-trading-corey-kluber-this-offseason/95-612264504

tot missed Chris Woodward hiring

another srsly hot skipper imho

Woodward?!

In this next chapter- looking ahead. #OurColores pic.twitter.com/v9DIrqp94o

— Miami Marlins (@Marlins) November 15, 2018

FanGraphs editor Carson Cistulli joins the Toronto FO

One veteran market reader today predicted a larger-than-usual number of non-tenders at the end of this month. With free agent volume so high, adding more players to the market could depress prices even more and drive players to accept what in the past would've been subpar deals.

— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) November 16, 2018

Free the MLBPA

let's get stoopid

If anyone had any doubt about Philadelphia Phillies owner John Middleton’s intentions this winter, he made it abundantly clear before leaving the Major League Baseball owners’ meetings.

“We’re going into this expecting to spend money,’’ Middleton told USA TODAY Sports. “And maybe even be a little bit stupid about it.’’

Middleton laughed, then said without smiling: “We just prefer not to be completely stupid."

Gritty has infected the city

kurt suzuki to the nationals for two years

https://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/astros-and-jays-both-win-diaz-thornton-deal/

james paxton to yankees

#Padres have discussed a trade with #Mariners in which they would acquire SS Jean Segura and RHP Mike Leake for OF Wil Myers, sources tell The Athletic. Leake would need to waive his no-trade clause for deal to occur, and also is weighing other potential options, one source says.

— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) November 20, 2018

Mike Leake says please god yes

I somehow missed the Paxton news til now

Mets release Jenrry Mejia

CJ Cron dfa'd

https://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/c-j-cron-got-dickersoned/

it's funny how 2 WAR 1B/DH types are a dime a dozen but the pirates haven't had a first baseman do better than that since 1999

legendary tiger/point park university product DON KELLY is the astros' new first-base coach

Mets are shopping Thor around?! i feel like it's a bit premature to commit to a rebuild (if that's what's going on)

brian mccann back to the barves

i'd missed the Thor rumors til now, a blessing of the holiday

the aforementioned cj cron to the twins

phillies 'have discussed' paul goldschmidt with arizona as part of their plan to run out a lineup of first basemen

#Braves showing strong interest in free-agent 3B Josh Donaldson, sources tell The Athletic. Close to finalizing one-year deal, per @StevePhillipsGM.

— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) November 26, 2018

wau donaldson gets $23m for one year

Can't wait to hear how his calf responds.

brian mccann staying with the braves

Even on a one-year deal, I never thought Donaldson would get that much.

First and foremost, the Braves are getting a player with considerable offensive ability. Donaldson posted an .801 OPS last year, when shoulder and calf injuries limited him to 52 games, but there’s reason to believe he can bounce back offensively. The typically conservative Steamer projections at FanGraphs forecast a .257/.366/.485 batting line with 27 home runs and 4.6 wins above replacement for Donaldson in 2019.

That projection sounds to me like they're splitting the difference. I'd be more inclined to project either/or--if Donaldson's healthy, he's back to the 6.0-7.0 range (i.e., some decline from his peak, not much), if he's not, more of last year.

http://www.sportsnet.ca/baseball/mlb/braves-donaldson-deal-upside-another-big-win-anthopoulos/

I don’t think I’ve ever seen a one year deal over 20 million before

it is the largest-ever one-year deal for a free-agent position player, i'm told

Mets bench coach: Jim Riggleman

lonnie chisenhall to the pirates, one year/$2.75m

i don't think this guy has been mentioned here

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2018/11/seibu-lions-to-post-yusei-kikuchi-in-early-december.html

the Red Sox are said to be “lukewarm” on the lefty...

They've been burned by the Seibu Lions before!

should be quote not bold there, whoops.

tigers nearing a one-year deal with the charred remains of matt moore

that guy was supposed to be the proto-blake snell, which *really* didn't happen. someone's always willing to take a flier on a lefty tho

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DtCCnSmWsAAouX2.jpg:small

no idea, why another aging star

that's...interesting

hm

cano is a good bet to be productive for another 2 years or so, but i'd guess that diaz and maybe smith would provide more value overall? paying cano $24M a year through his age 40 season, though, yikes

i can't see the mets taking on cano's salary (he has five years/$120m remaining), and the deal makes no sense for the mariners unless they do

Introducing the manager of your 2019 Long Island Ducks: Wally Backman!

The 1986 World Series Champion brings 14 years of @MLB playing experience and a 20-year managerial career in professional baseball to the club. Please join us in welcoming Wally!

📰: https://t.co/snM2ju7wR0 pic.twitter.com/0LwzUsNSXW

— Long Island Ducks (@LIDucks) November 28, 2018

Source: Two former first-round picks are among the #Mets prospects under discussion in talks with #Mariners for Cano-Diaz: OF Jarred Kelenic, 6th overall in 2018, and RHP Justin Dunn, 19th overall in ‘16. ”Significant momentum” in talks, per @JeffPassan.

— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) November 29, 2018

Chili Davis as Mets hitting coach it seems

“I’m excited to be back with Alex and a lot of the training staff with the Toronto Blue Jays because they know me and they know how to keep me on the field,” Donaldson said at his introductory press conference at SunTrust Park. “And that’s the biggest part.”

I'm rooting for Donaldson to have a great season, but give me a break--he's blaming the team for last year?

http://torontosun.com/sports/baseball/mlb/unveiled-in-atlanta-ex-blue-jay-josh-donaldson-takes-shot-at-former-team?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Facebook#Echobox=1543429365

angels have acquired tommy la stella for $/ptbnl; wonder if he'll retire

cubs extend ... david bote? through ... 2024?

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/D208mp_X0AAi8g4.jpg:small