2017-18 MLB Hot Stove League!

[paul secor]

They don't need him.

[BERIGAN]

1 hour ago, paul secor said:

They don't need him.

Yankees fans, right next to Red Sox fans, the happiest folk in the world....

[ghost of miles]

Outside of picking up a lot of his salary (but still managing to stay under the luxury tax limit), we got Stanton for a song. This also opens up second base for Torres. Surprising development, but I'm excited about it... Stanton and Judge in the same lineup?! (Not to mention Gary Sanchez.)  We didn't give up any of our top prospects? Whoa! I wonder if this makes Boston more likely to sign J.D. Martinez (though they're possibly  pursuing Eric Hosmer as well?).

[ghost of miles]

Suggested 2018 batting order by a poster at Pinstripe Alley:

Gardner
Judge
Stanton
Bird
Sanchez
Didi
Hicks
Headley
Torres/Torreyes

If all four stay healthy, I think Judge, Stanton, Sanchez and even Bird could each hit 40+ home runs next year. Heck, Stanton and Judge hit 111 combined last year.

I do think Boston's top three starting pitchers outmatch NY's. I'll be interested to see how Jordan Montgomery does next year, and whether or not Chance Adams gets a shot at MLB roster time. Resigning CC would be a one-year stopgap for a fifth-starter solution.

Also interested to see how the Angels fare with Otani, both as a pitcher and a hitter, and if they can start building a contending team around Mike Trout.

Edited December 9, 2017 by ghost of miles

[Dan Gould]

Stanton for Castro and two low minor leaguers?

The fucking commissioner's office should investigate this as a fucking gift from a former Yankee to his old team. That's better than "for a song". That's a fucking joke. Don't tell me the fucking Red Sox couldn't have put together an equally 'enticing' offer.  Big sloppy BJ for his old team.  Fuck you, Jeets.

When do the Cubs report? that's all I fucking care about now.

[JSngry]

[BERIGAN]

Edited December 10, 2017 by BERIGAN

[BERIGAN]

Sadly, the Oakland lifestyle didn't suit Harvey at all...

[ghost of miles]

Good move and the price is right IMO:

Yankees resign CC Sabathia to one-year, $10 million deal

[paul secor]

The fat man should pay them $10 million to come back.

[ghost of miles]

Better this than giving up both Clint Frazier and Chance Adams for Gerrit Cole, who had an ace season in 2015, was injured in 2016, and then gave up 31 HRs last year pitching in the National League. A huge risk of a deal for NY, and unfortunately apparently still in the works. I'd be OK with giving up Frazier but not anybody else in our top-prospects bracket, and certainly not a pitcher. 

[Soulstation1]

I was hoping the tribe could have signed CC on the cheap 

[paul secor]

That makes two of us.

[Soulstation1]

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.cbsnews.com/amp/news/jerry-kindall-former-arizona-baseball-coach-dead-at-82/

 

RIP 

Former University of Arizona Baseball Coach  

JerrY Kindall

[ghost of miles]

Red Sox have made five-year offer to J.D. Martinez

Meanwhile, the Yankees are evidently interested in Yu Darvish.  Much admiration for Yu, but he's 31 and also seemed to develop an unfortunate penchant for tipping his pitches this past year.  I'd be wary of the Yankees offering him anything like the six-year, $160 million dollar deal MLB Trade Rumors thinks he might get.  I also don't see how they can sign him and get under the luxury-tax reset cap, unless he's willing to take less money the first year of the contract.  (Is that even permissible?  I have next to no knowledge of what MLB and Players' Union rules are when it comes to the luxury-tax salary cap and how teams might structure contracts to come in under it.)

[JSngry]

I'd love to have Yu back here, but realistically, a six year deal is not going to pay off. He's not Adrian Beltre, nobody is, and questions linger about his arm post-surgery.

For the record, I do love the guy forever, but if he becomes a Yankee, I hope he helps them like he helped the Dodgers.

[JSngry]

Nick Martinez is now a Ham Fighter

[ghost of miles]

Slooooowwww off-season--many teams waiting for free-agent prices to drop, I presume?  Meanwhile, the Yankees, having failed to land Gerrit Cole, may now be aiming for the Rays' Chris Archer.  Given his contract and age (29, owed $34 million over the next four seasons), I'd rather see them pick up Archer than hand Yu Darvish a long and expensive deal.

[Aggie87]

I met Joe Musgrove (and Chris Devenski) last Thursday, so of course Musgrove would get traded two days later to the Pirates.  

Devenski won Game 2 of the WS, and Musgrove won Game 5.

I'd be happy if Cole can equal Musgrove's World Series win/loss record, for the Astros.

 

[Dave Garrett]

I'm really sorry to see Musgrove go. Without his performance in key high-leverage situations, the Astros don't win the WS. But I'd also be lying if I said I wasn't excited by Cole joining the rotation. Can't wait to see if Brent Strom can work his usual magic to help Cole regain the form he had in 2015. 

[ghost of miles]

Looks like MLB could see the introduction of a pitch clock and limited mound visits in 2018.

[Patrick]

Jim Thome!

[Dan Gould]

9 hours ago, Patrick said:

Jim Thome!

Jim Thome, yes! but I just found out Jack Morris is going in via some committee and this happened six weeks ago?  Ugh.

There ought to be a rule, if you miss out thru the writers vote, you wait another 15 years before anyone else gets to consider you.

[ghost of miles]

Cubs front-runners to land Yu Darvish?

[Patrick]

RIP Oscar Gamble. Only a few seasons in CLE, but was there when I first started to pay attention to baseball.