2019-2020 MLB Hot Stove Thread

[ghost of miles]

OTOH somehow I had never seen this photo until now--an 11-year-old Gerrit Cole holding up this sign at the 2001 World Series:

    OTOH again, he's gonna sign with the team that offers him the most money.  Patrick Corbin was a longstanding Yankee fan and he still signed with the Nats in a nanosecond when they offered him an extra year and $20-$40 million more than NY did.  Plus Cole already passed once on the Yankees when they drafted him out of high school--even his late-adolescent self was already making decisions based on what would be best for him in the long run, as opposed to the team he loved as a kid.  It's a business, etc etc.  One thing that might tip him towards NY is the likelihood that they'll be a perennial playoff contender, whereas the Angels, even with Joe Maddon at the helm and Cole in the rotation, might still be straining to get beyond 85 wins.  What are the plans for Ohtani?  Are they going to try to use him as a starting pitcher as well as DH again, now that he's far enough removed from his TJS?

Edited December 10, 2019 by ghost of miles

[ghost of miles]

Yikes, just took a gander at the Angels' 2019 pitching stats--that was a gadawful rotation, and one of the better starters is now dead.  Thinking they'll almost have to try to work Ohtani back into it.  Signing Cole alone won't make them into a contender, IMO.  

[JSngry]

But they still got Pujols signed for another two years, there's a synergy there just waiting to be leveraged.

Moreno playin' that long game!

[Brad]

24 minutes ago, ghost of miles said:

Yikes, just took a gander at the Angels' 2019 pitching stats--that was a gadawful rotation, and one of the better starters is now dead.  Thinking they'll almost have to try to work Ohtani back into it.  Signing Cole alone won't make them into a contender, IMO.  

Yes, it’s a pretty bad rotation. Ohtani has started to work on his pitching again. It all depends upon how much Arte wants to spend. 

[soulpope]

Didi Gregorius agrees to contract with Phillies

https://sports.yahoo.com/report-didi-gregorius-agrees-to-contract-with-phillies-224409925.html

[ghost of miles]

20 minutes ago, soulpope said:

Didi Gregorius agrees to contract with Phillies

https://sports.yahoo.com/report-didi-gregorius-agrees-to-contract-with-phillies-224409925.html

Gonna miss him.    Glad he's landing with Joe G again though at Philadelphia.  They'll be a fun team to follow next year on the NL side of things.

[ghost of miles]

Rumors that Red Sox are looking to move David Price? And Astros possibly putting Correa on the trading block?! It’s all about the payroll benjamins, baby.

[ghost of miles]

Gerrit Cole to the Yankees, 9 years/$324 million. Holy f’n $#%*.  

 

Edited December 11, 2019 by ghost of miles

[soulpope]

37 minutes ago, ghost of miles said:

Gerrit Cole to the Yankees, 9 years/$324 million. Holy f’n $#%*.  

What more to say .... not even assuring to buy one championship.... this is way out ....

[ghost of miles]

20 minutes ago, soulpope said:

What more to say .... not even assuring to buy one championship.... this is way out ....

Already reading that the Dodgers offered roughly the same. An overpay for sure, but one of my main thoughts right now is the 2020 rotation:

1.  Gerrit Cole

2.  Luis Severino

3.  James Paxton

4.  Masahiro Tanaka

5.  Domingo German or Jordan Montgomery

I mean, damn. And remember, NY won 103 games this year despite having the statistically-worst injury rate of any team in modern MLB history. There’ll be immense pressure now, though, to win the World Series.

And still bummed about Didi’s departure. Such a joyous and classy guy, in some ways the heartbeat of the team for the past several years. 

Back to the signing—reading that Andy Pettitte, one of my alltime favorite Yankees, evidently played a significant role in bringing Cole aboard. So glad to see him still involved with the team.

 

Edited December 11, 2019 by ghost of miles

[soulpope]

2 minutes ago, ghost of miles said:

Already reading that the Dodgers offered roughly the same. An overpay for sure, but one of my main thoughts right now is the 2020 rotation:

1.  Gerrit Cole

2.  Luis Severino

3.  James Paxton

4.  Masahiro Tanaka

5.  Domingo German or Jordan Montgomery

I mean, damn. And remember, NY won 103 games this year despite having the statistically-worst injury rate of any team in modern MLB history. There’ll be immense pressure now, though, to win the World Series. 

And still bummed about Didi’s departure. Such a joyous and classy guy, in some ways the heartbeat of the team for the past several years. 

Yep .... and the pressure is on .... as always ....

[BERIGAN]

It's nice to see a plucky, small market team like the Yankees finally sign a top flight starter! where do they get the money to pay him though? I heard Jeff Passan say the Yankees only bring in $800,000,000....a year.

Edited December 11, 2019 by BERIGAN

[Dan Gould]

5 hours ago, ghost of miles said:

Gerrit Cole to the Yankees, 9 years/$324 million. Holy f’n $#%*.  

 

I'll say JFC instead.

Obviously the Steinbrenners have decided they can never have another full decade of utter futility ever again while the family owns the team. This is a reaction to that, I am sure. I'll remind you all that six weeks ago he wouldn't wear his uni or hat because his contract had ended minutes earlier and wore that f-ing Boras hat instead.

[Brad]

Cashman said at the end of the season that the reason they didn’t beat the Astros was not because of their pitching but a lack of timely hitting. Hmm. 

[ghost of miles]

The 29-year-old may have championship rings and dollar signs in his eyes, but I think the 11-year-old kid with pinstripes in his soul is still there as well:

Newsday editor's 2001 photo of Gerrit Cole at World Series goes viral

I cannot freakin' wait for the 2020 season to begin.  

 

 

 

[ghost of miles]

Rendon to the Angels for 7 yrs/$245 million.  Angels first MLB team to have handed out three $200 million-plus contracts (Pujols and Trout are the other two).

Edited December 12, 2019 by ghost of miles

[soulpope]

1 hour ago, ghost of miles said:

Rendon to the Angels for 7 yrs/$245 million.  Angels first MLB team to have handed out three $200 million-plus contracts (Pujols and Trout are the other two).

And still not sufficient pitching in sight ....

[soulpope]

AP source: Brett Gardner, Yankees reach $12.5M, 1-year deal

[ghost of miles]

1 minute ago, soulpope said:

AP source: Brett Gardner, Yankees reach $12.5M, 1-year deal

Wow, that's a 5 or 5.5 million increase over this past year.  I doubt that Gardner will put up anything close to the HR numbers he did in 2019 if the ball is de-juiced.  But they need him in centerfield, what with Hicks not returning until late in the season.  Rumors that other teams were offering him two-year deals, so maybe NY decided to pay him extra to keep it at one.  He definitely wanted to come back to the Yankees.  

[soulpope]

Tigers sign Austin Romine to one-year, $4.1 million deal

AP source: Porcello, Mets agree to $10 million, 1-year deal

[Brad]

9 hours ago, soulpope said:

AP source: Porcello, Mets agree to $10 million, 1-year deal

Plus Wacha on a 1 year deal. Nothing to get excited about. Waiting for new ownership. 

[ghost of miles]

13 hours ago, Brad said:

Plus Wacha on a 1 year deal. Nothing to get excited about. Waiting for new ownership. 

Still, the Mets have a pretty damn good rotation for 2020, even though they lost Wheeler.  The NL East is gonna be a dogfight.

[Brad]

1 hour ago, ghost of miles said:

Still, the Mets have a pretty damn good rotation for 2020, even though they lost Wheeler.  The NL East is gonna be a dogfight.

The rotation is ok but they need to improve the bullpen and obtain a CF to compete. The East will be competitive.  With Rendon gone I don’t see the Nats repeating. 

[Soulstation1]

tribe gonna trade Kluber to the Rangers 

next up Lindor 

[JSngry]

12 minutes ago, Soulstation1 said:

tribe gonna trade Kluber to the Rangers

What did he do to deserve that?