2018-19 Hot Stove League

[Dave Garrett]

  On 2/5/2019 at 10:49 PM, Brad said:

I wonder if that’s true and, if so, whether that offer is still on the table. Jon Morosi was on the radio today and he estimated Harper’s chances of returning to the Nationals at around 30%. 

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At the end of last season it was all but a foregone conclusion that Keuchel had played his last game as an Astro, but the longer he has continued to remain on the free-agent market, the more speculation there seems to be about him eventually getting re-signed. For quite some time it seemed like Gonzalez had a far better shot at returning than Keuchel, but that possibility was significantly diminished as soon as the Astros signed Aledmys Diaz. 

[Matthew]

There comes a time when baseball stops being baseball and turns into something else.

Can't say I like too many of these proposed "improvements"

[Brad]

The universal DH is an idea whose time has probably come. The only idea I don't really like is the three batter minimum. I'm not sure what is meant by one trading deadline.  Perhaps they'll push it back to August 31. 

Edited February 6, 2019 by Brad

[Dave James]

Still no mention of the most significant change that baseball needs to make.  You want more offense?  Get rid of the shift.  

[Dan Gould]

  On 2/6/2019 at 2:10 PM, Dave James said:

Still no mention of the most significant change that baseball needs to make.  You want more offense?  Get rid of the shift.  

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Shifts have existed forever.  There should never be a rule saying that defenses cannot move anyone anywhere if that's where the hitter is likely to hit it.

Teach hitters to bunt, hit it the other way, or hit it out of the park where no one can be stationed.  

[paul secor]

  On 2/6/2019 at 2:10 PM, Dave James said:

Still no mention of the most significant change that baseball needs to make.  You want more offense?  Get rid of the shift.  

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You want more offense? Get some hitters in the game who can hit 'em where they ain't (to borrow Willie Keeler's phrase). What's in the game now are a large number of hitters who have the attitude - I'm a slugger, and I'm not going to change - shift or no shift. And what you get with that are some home runs, but a lot of strikeouts and a lot of outs hit into the shift.

[ghost of miles]

  On 2/6/2019 at 12:55 PM, Matthew said:

There comes a time when baseball stops being baseball and turns into something else.

Can't say I like too many of these proposed "improvements"

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I’m wary of some of them, but no out-and-out red flag for me, save the proposed starting-with-a-runner-on-second rule for extra inning games. That’s one I absolutely loathe, the idea of being awarded an unearned baserunner just because you want to get the game over with. Please don’t let that anywhere near a regular-season MLB game.

Edited February 6, 2019 by ghost of miles

[Matthew]

  On 2/6/2019 at 1:07 PM, Brad said:

The universal DH is an idea whose time has probably come. The only idea I don't really like is the three batter minimum. I'm not sure what is meant by one trading deadline.  Perhaps they'll push it back to August 31. 

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For me, the DH in the NL is close to being a deal breaker. I've watched and been a NL fan all my life; I think the DH greatly changes the style of play, and I'm not sure if I want to spend a lot of time watching that kind of baseball.

[Brad]

  On 2/6/2019 at 5:39 PM, Matthew said:

For me, the DH in the NL is close to being a deal breaker. I've watched and been a NL fan all my life; I think the DH greatly changes the style of play, and I'm not sure if I want to spend a lot of time watching that kind of baseball.

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Tom Verducci was on the radio today. He’s for having the pitcher hit. His point was that since a starting pitcher hits maybe twice a game and then pinch hitters hit after that, the issue is overblown.  Although I agree, the NL is the only league, major or minors where the DH is not used. 

[Dan Gould]

  On 2/6/2019 at 7:07 PM, Brad said:

Tom Verducci was on the radio today. He’s for having the pitcher hit. His point was that since a starting pitcher hits maybe twice a game and then pinch hitters hit after that, the issue is overblown.  Although I agree, the NL is the only league, major or minors where the DH is not used. 

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There is a huge performance difference between pinch hitters in the NL and DHs.  There may be one pinch hitter on the bench who is a power threat. Maybe one other with a sort-of knack for getting a base hit?  That doesn't remotely compare to what a league average DH does in the AL.

And let's not forget that games that go long can end up with the bench used up and a relief pitcher having to swing the lumber. Or be strictly forbidden from swinging the lumber, as the case may be.

[Brad]

I think that misses the point. It’s not so much that DHs may be more effective than PHs but that pitchers don’t actually hit that much. 

[ghost of miles]

  On 2/5/2019 at 10:49 PM, Brad said:

I wonder if that’s true and, if so, whether that offer is still on the table. Jon Morosi was on the radio today and he estimated Harper’s chances of returning to the Nationals at around 30%. 

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If Harper’s ultimate goal is the most years and most dollars he can get, he should swallow his pride and hope that the Nats are still agreeable to such a contract. He’s definitely not going to get a better or even equivalent offer to their 10-year/$300 million proposal.

[paul secor]

  On 2/6/2019 at 11:33 PM, ghost of miles said:

If Harper’s ultimate goal is the most years and most dollars he can get, he should swallow his pride and hope that the Nats are still agreeable to such a contract. He’s definitely not going to get a better or even equivalent offer to their 10-year/$300 million proposal.

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If I were the Nats, I wouldn't make the same offer that was on the table several months ago. Things have changed since then.

[Tom 1960]

  On 2/6/2019 at 11:33 PM, ghost of miles said:

If Harper’s ultimate goal is the most years and most dollars he can get, he should swallow his pride and hope that the Nats are still agreeable to such a contract. He’s definitely not going to get a better or even equivalent offer to their 10-year/$300 million proposal.

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As much as I dislike the Yankees, don't ever count them out on Harper. Forget the public statements.

[Dave James]

  On 2/7/2019 at 1:20 AM, Tom 1960 said:

As much as I dislike the Yankees, don't ever count them out on Harper. Forget the public statements.

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Aaron Judge is already on record as saying that he would move to center field if it facilitates the Yankees' addition of Harper.  Not sure where that would leave Hicks in the mix, but I'm sure he could be accommodated. 

[Matthew]

 

  On 2/7/2019 at 2:29 AM, Dave James said:

Aaron Judge is already on record as saying that he would move to center field if it facilitates the Yankees' addition of Harper.  Not sure where that would leave Hicks in the mix, but I'm sure he could be accommodated. 

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Think it still comes down to the Yankees or Philly. Boras is doing his usual thing now, having Harper meet with different teams, just recently, the Giants. It gives the appearance that there's an active market, but I don't believe it. Yanks or Philly is my call.

[Tom 1960]

Judge, Harper, then Stanton a pitchers nightmare.

[Brad]

  On 2/7/2019 at 5:12 AM, Matthew said:

 

Think it still comes down to the Yankees or Philly. Boras is doing his usual thing now, having Harper meet with different teams, just recently, the Giants. It gives the appearance that there's an active market, but I don't believe it. Yanks or Philly is my call.

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I don’t think he wants to play in Philly or else he would have signed with them because they’ve indicated they’re willing to overpay. I don’t think teams are willing to pay Boras’ exorbitant demands. 

Article on Harper and Giants

Edited February 7, 2019 by Brad

[Dave James]

  On 2/7/2019 at 11:51 AM, Tom 1960 said:

Judge, Harper, then Stanton a pitchers nightmare.

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I'm getting all verklempt.  That's not Murderer's Row, it's Assassin's Row.

[Matthew]

  On 2/7/2019 at 12:24 PM, Brad said:

I don’t think he wants to play in Philly or else he would have signed with them because they’ve indicated they’re willing to overpay. I don’t think teams are willing to pay Boras’ exorbitant demands. 

Article on Harper and Giants

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On the Giants: I can see it in theory, it makes sense, but is that what Harper wants? A team rebuilding with an older nucleus? The Giants farm system is a joke, no one coming up is any good, they are serviceable players, but not ones to take you anywhere, and certainly not beating the Dodgers. And that is a major thing; even with Harper, it will be a tough road to beat them in the coming years. However, they went after Barry Bonds, and that helped turned the team around. I'd love to see it, I always felt it was a good fit, but it seems if Harper comes to the Giants, money will be left on the table, and I don't see that happening. Maybe it will all add up to nothing and Harper winds up back with the Nationals, and it was all much ado about nothing -- we'll see.

[paul secor]

  On 2/7/2019 at 1:59 PM, Dave James said:

I'm getting all verklempt.  That's not Murderer's Row, it's Assassin's Row.

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Looks to me like a bunch of HRs and a lot more SOs - 532 among the three last year, and Judge only played 2/3rds of the season. The Yankees already have the hitting. They need pitching (as always) - and not the stop-gap repair that Cashman made.

[soulpope]

  On 2/7/2019 at 2:15 PM, paul secor said:

They need pitching (as always) - and not the stop-gap repair that Cashman made.

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Yep ....

[Tom 1960]

I've bitched and complained that the dodgers should have made an offer to Harper. With the money from that Spectrum contract and all the season ticket holders they get in LA why go cheap at this point? Again I'm not suggesting that the dodgers are cheap with one of the largest payrolls in baseball but really do they need to worry about the luxury tax threshold witth all the money they're bringing in? It doesn't matter now at this point.

Edited February 7, 2019 by Tom 1960

[jazztrain]

Frank Robinson has left us.  Sigh.  He was my boyhood baseball hero.  

I lived in Cincinnati my first 6 years and was a fan even then.

[Matthew]

  On 2/7/2019 at 9:49 PM, jazztrain said:

Frank Robinson has left us.  Sigh.  He was my boyhood baseball hero.  

I lived in Cincinnati my first 6 years and was a fan even then.

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Still feel he never got his due as a player (though what getting his due would look like, I don't know), he was a great one, but he played in an era that had Mays, Aaron, Clemente, Kaline, Mantle, all these great players. Fearsome baserunner, a good manager, just a great baseball guy. RIP.