2024-25 MLB Hot Stove

[Pakuni]

New thread in honor of the offseason's first trade.

The Angels and Braves wasted little time hammering out the first significant trade of the offseason, as the teams announced Thursday that they've agreed on a swap sending designated hitter Jorge Soler to Anaheim in exchange for righty Griffin Canning.

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2024/10/braves-trade-jorge-soler-angels.html

[Pakuni]

NEW YORK (AP) — After 42 seasons, Bob Costas is retiring from baseball play-by-play.
Costas had done games the past couple seasons for MLB Network and TBS Sports. His final games were the American League Division Series between the New York Yankees and Kansas City Royals.

https://apnews.com/article/bob-costas-retires-baseball-1ce422d7c087c3fc162f4a535fa1f7f0

[CTWarrior]

NEW YORK (AP) — After 42 seasons, Bob Costas is retiring from baseball play-by-play.
Costas had done games the past couple seasons for MLB Network and TBS Sports. His final games were the American League Division Series between the New York Yankees and Kansas City Royals.

https://apnews.com/article/bob-costas-retires-baseball-1ce422d7c087c3fc162f4a535fa1f7f0

He lost his fastball a while ago, but in his prime I really enjoyed Costas in the booth.  He obviously loves baseball.

[Pakuni]

Interesting situation in Tampa.
Tropicana Field won't be ready until 2026, but that will cost almost $56 million. With a new stadium expected to be ready for 2028, the Tampa city council might not want to invest that much on a two-year stopgap.

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2024/11/tropicana-field-can-be-fixed-for-2026-season.html

[This is what Orwell warned us about…SMH]

Hearing rumors the White Sox are going to low ball offer Santander and then say "well we tried"

[Pakuni]

Hearing rumors the White Sox are going to low ball offer Santander and then say "well we tried"

I hope you're right, I guess.
The only 30-year-olds they should be signing are guys on 1- or 2-year contracts that can be unloaded for prospects at the deadline.

[This is what Orwell warned us about…SMH]

I hope you're right, I guess.
The only 30-year-olds they should be signing are guys on 1- or 2-year contracts that can be unloaded for prospects at the deadline.

They should build the entire team out of Tommy Phams

[Pakuni]

They should build the entire team out of Tommy Phams

There can be only one.

[WhiteTrash]

Hearing rumors the White Sox are going to low ball offer Santander and then say "well we tried"

What's the point? They have made it clear they are cutting payroll, so why even go there? Plus if they did actually sign him they will alienate the fans even more.

On second thought, this is exactly what they will do.

[tower912]

Reports are the Tigers also low-balled Skubal.   With Boras as his agent.   Dumb.

[The Hippie Satan of Hyperbole]

Reports are the Tigers also low-balled Skubal.   With Boras as his agent.   Dumb.

My guess is the Tigers don't want to pay what he's going to get, and this is their way of saying "hey, we tried."

[tower912]

I said this during their run and during the playoffs.   Making the playoffs and defeating the Astros with an $18.8 million payroll may not have been great.   Instead of biting the bullet and paying market rate for a Cy Young award level pitcher, they may take the Tampa path, thinking their farm system and coaches are enough.
  OTOH, they have been hamstrung by big contracts gone bad.  Cabrera, Baez.  And they do have really good prospects in the pipeline.
   I would rather they reward the good players they develop.

[The Hippie Satan of Hyperbole]

They still hold his arbitration rights for two more years. It will get figured out. 

[Uncle Rico]

I said this during their run and during the playoffs.   Making the playoffs and defeating the Astros with an $18.8 million payroll may not have been great.   Instead of biting the bullet and paying market rate for a Cy Young award level pitcher, they may take the Tampa path, thinking their farm system and coaches are enough.
  OTOH, they have been hamstrung by big contracts gone bad.  Cabrera, Baez.  And they do have really good prospects in the pipeline.
   I would rather they reward the good players they develop.

They probably offered to buyout the arby years and added on a few years with an opt-out.  Boras doesn't take those deals typically.  He'll almost certainly hit the open market post-arby years as a Boras agent. 

[Hards Alumni]

They should build the entire team out of Tommy Phams

Best they can do is silly putty

[Uncle Rico]

Pat Murphy is your NL MOY

Jackson Chourio finished 3rd in NL ROY voting behind Paul Skenes and Jackson Merrill

[Lennys Tap]

Pat Murphy is your NL MOY

Jackson Chourio finished 3rd in NL ROY voting behind Paul Skenes and Jackson Merrill

Skenes also a finalist for the Cy Young. He won't win it but as a rookie on an innings limit that's really special.

[tower912]

Skubal's price tag just went up.   Congratulations, young man.

[WhiteTrash]

Some thought my predictions of the White Sox being even worse next year were hyperbole, but the Sox #1 priority of the off season was to sign 32 year old Austin Slater ( .209/2 HR/ 18 RBI)
"The White Sox were the first team to reach out. They told me I was their top target," said Austin Slater.

[PGsHeroes32]

The Dodgers have a lot of money

[Apolitical Warrior]

Such a dumb league.

[Jockey]

Some thought my predictions of the White Sox being even worse next year were hyperbole, but the Sox #1 priority of the off season was to sign 32 year old Austin Slater ( .209/2 HR/ 18 RBI)
"The White Sox were the first team to reach out. They told me I was their top target," said Austin Slater.

LaRussa knows ball.

[Billy Hoyle]

I said this during their run and during the playoffs.   Making the playoffs and defeating the Astros with an $18.8 million payroll may not have been great.   Instead of biting the bullet and paying market rate for a Cy Young award level pitcher, they may take the Tampa path, thinking their farm system and coaches are enough.
  OTOH, they have been hamstrung by big contracts gone bad.  Cabrera, Baez.  And they do have really good prospects in the pipeline.
   I would rather they reward the good players they develop.

The problem is nepobaby Chris Illich is more interested in making profits, not bringing home a championship to Detroit like his dad was. The Tigers have always needed to be selective with big contracts, they can't spend like the Dodgers, Yanks and Mets. Skubal is the guy they need to lock up.

[WhiteTrash]

LaRussa knows ball.

LaRussa has forgotten more everything about baseball...

Truly an ownership issue of driving the franchise into the ground on purpose. Is there some plan for MLB contraction and JR wants to be first in line for the check?

[tower912]

I want them to lock up Skubal.  And you aren't necessarily wrong.  What I see as more of a determinant is that disaster that is the Baez contract.

[Lennys Tap]

Some thought my predictions of the White Sox being even worse next year were hyperbole, but the Sox #1 priority of the off season was to sign 32 year old Austin Slater ( .209/2 HR/ 18 RBI)
"The White Sox were the first team to reach out. They told me I was their top target," said Austin Slater.

I still think it's hyperbole. Are you by any chance a man who likes to gamble?

[WhiteTrash]

I still think it's hyperbole. Are you by any chance a man who likes to gamble?

Well I am not a gambler, but I can see the logic of having me put my money where my mouth is.

I don't think it is guaranteed, but I think 110 loses is and I see a decent possibility that the will surpass 121. But hey, maybe they "catch lightning in a bottle" and only lose 105.
(crazy, every other team views 105 loses as "the wheels coming off")

[Billy Hoyle]

I want them to lock up Skubal.  And you aren't necessarily wrong.  What I see as more of a determinant is that disaster that is the Baez contract.

The only optimism I have regarding signing Skubs is he's a homegrown guy they developed; they're not bringing in a guy from the outside like Baez.

[tower912]

Golden at bat?  Nononononono.   Play the game.

[Jockey]

Golden at bat?  Nononononono.   Play the game.

Could be interesting..., or a complete cluster****?

[BM1090]

Golden at bat?  Nononononono.   Play the game.

Agreed. Not even a little bit interested in that.

[cheebs09]

We keep getting closer to MLB Slugfest.