MLB (Non-Phillies) Hot Stove, 2024-25

[bkox]

Shohei Ohtani suffered a labrum tear when he suffered what the Dodgers initially described as a slight dislocation of his left shoulder in Game 2 of the World Series. He underwent surgery today. The Dodgers say he will be ready for spring training.

— Alden González ( @Alden_Gonzalez ) November 5, 2024

[zambonir]

Always made the most sense

Hurricane-stricken Rays opt to play 2025 season at Yankees’ spring training...

[Callison]

the Phillies would love to see Walker figure it out

Got it right here - Walker is not strong enough. He's got to make a commitment to get stronger with more cardio and lots of reps with lighter wieghts. Maybe eat a level better, too.

Walker should be motivated to save his career. The Phils surely are.

[bkox]

Orioles messing with LF again.

The Baltimore Orioles are moving their left-field wall in by 9 to 20 feet and are lowering it from 13 feet to 8 feet, the Orioles announce today, as Orioles hitters wildly celebrate the news https://t.co/SLbKcr76OO

— Bob Nightengale ( @BNightengale ) November 15, 2024

[andyb]

Santander contract negotiations? He is a switch hitter but there would be some advantage for him.

[andyb]

I guess 142 decent innings from a 34-year-old is worth $21 million these days. Kind of feels like Jeremy Hellickson though from a small market team that can't afford to miss on that big a salary.

Martinez accepts Reds' $21.05M qualifying offer

[zambonir]

Imagine if we can get 2023 Taijuan back!

[zambonir]

Well we definitely didn't need this guy in CF (RHB, free-swinger, among the worst OBPs and BA in MLB).

Mets Acquire Jose Siri

[Philsmania]

I guess 142 decent innings from a 34-year-old is worth $21 million these days. Kind of feels like Jeremy Hellickson though from a small market team that can't afford to miss on that big a salary.

Martinez accepts Reds' $21.05M qualifying offer

Yeah, I remember that. KIentak fiercely clung to him at the trade deadline demanding first-round pick value that he didn't have.

[andyb]

Non-tender deadline tomorrow night. Austin Hays and Jose Ruiz on the list. Might be some cheaper outfield platoon bats to look into also.

2024 Non-Tender Candidates

[zambonir]

New free agent just dropped

Nationals Non-Tender Kyle Finnegan

[zambonir]

Angels To Sign Yusei Kikuchi

I get he's had a few very good seasons (and peripherals) and a great second half last year but three years $63 million for a 34 year-old pitcher who's never been worth more than 1.8 WAR and has a 4.57 career ERA and 4.53 career FIP makes it easy for me to see why the Phillies didn't really overpay for Walker and still hope to fix him.

[Taudawg]

https://www.mlb.com/news/juan-soto-rumors?partnerId=it-20241126-11828221-mlb-1-A&utm_id=it-20241126-11828221-mlb-1-A&lctg=94965632

5 teams have submitted offers to Soto/Boras

[zambonir]

Here's the original source. Former Phillies beat writer.

Juan Soto has offers from Yankees, Mets, 3 others

So, I guess Nightengale is right until proven otherwise (and they could also make an offer without getting a meeting).

[Taudawg]

and they could also make an offer without getting a meeting

That might be the best route. The odds to sign him being what they are, perhaps just decide on the top number you would go to and send that along. Saves everyone some time and energy.

[andyb]

Interesting that Boras is getting his offers together now rather than his former strategy of waiting out the market. Bryce was signed at the beginning of March for instance.

I think Boras realizes that big free agents require planning and ancillary moves by most teams to fit them within their long term salary structure. He has had bad luck waiting out the market in recent years (albeit for riskier players like Blake Snell) so he may now realize that the top free agents should sign early rather than wait out the market for desperate teams. If the Phillies were to get Soto for instance it probably would set in motion other moves like Castellanos and maybe even Bohm.

Might as well get the best free agent signed while most teams have more money to spend.

[zambonir]

It's different every year. Last year he thought he could control the market because he had so many players. In 2023 he had two of the four shortstops but the Phillies and Cubs were quick to get the ones he didn't have so he had to proceed (and then the Correa thing went sideways twice anyway). In 2019 it was clearly a competition between not only Harper and Machado but Boras and Machado's agent.

He's certainly been burned before. Arrieta was an earlier example, and so was Kyle Lohse.

I think Soto is also the one calling the shots here. He wants to be done.

[andyb]

I think Soto is also the one calling the shots here. He wants to be done.

If the choice was $600 million vs $625 million I think I would want to be done by the Holidays also.

[zambonir]

Hey it might depend on the tax year for the signing bonus (though they could slow play the actual signing if so I assume).

[Taudawg]

Nolan Arenado Reportedly Willing To Move To First Base

Makes little sense to me. What value Arenado has left is at third. His offense no longer fits the profile for first.