MLB 2020-21 Hot Stove

canderson

Mr. Brightside
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Jul 16, 2005
39,447
Harrisburg, Pa.
First female GM in major American profession sports. Amazing, well earned and I hope she gets plucked away by a better franchise soon!
 

B H Kim

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Oct 24, 2003
5,719
Washington, DC
It doesn't cause me to reevaluate my opinion of Jeter the player, but this is a great job by Jeter the executive. This is a great hire. I feel like I've been reading stories for 20 years about how Ng is incredibly qualified and well thought of and yet no one would give her the job. It's long past due.
 

Sad Sam Jones

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May 5, 2017
2,499
I feel bad that for all of Clevinger's talent, he's never going to pull in anything close to what he was worth. He was a low minors project when the Indians acquired him for the carcass of Vinnie Pestano, partly because he spent his high school days pursuing professional skateboarding instead of professional baseball. He was 26 before he locked up a spot in the majors. Now he'll have one season, post-TJS, to reestablish his value as he heads into free agency at age 32.
 

RedOctober3829

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Jul 19, 2005
55,300
deep inside Guido territory
A reigning Cy Young Award winner is currently available on the free-agent market, but could another former winner be on the move via trade this winter?
According to multiple sources, the Rays have told other clubs that they’re open to the idea of trading Blake Snell, presenting a realistic possibility that a deal could be consummated this offseason.

A source noted that Tampa Bay is not actively shopping Snell, who has three years and $42 million remaining on his five-year, $50 million extension, but given the financial losses the Rays endured during the pandemic-impacted 2020 season, trading the 27-year-old represents the club’s best chance to create some much-needed flexibility.
Snell will earn $10.5 million in 2021, $12.5 million in 2022, and $16 million in 2023.
Fresh off the second World Series appearance in franchise history, dealing Snell would be a bold move for the Rays, though the club has made similar moves in the past with the trades of David Price and James Shields.

“I’m guessing they think this is the best chance to kill it on the market,” a rival American League executive said.
https://www.mlb.com/news/blake-snell-trade-scenario-rays
 

DeadlySplitter

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Oct 20, 2015
33,260
can the Rays just move to Montreal already? If they can't afford to keep Snell on a more than fair deal, what is the point?
 

VORP Speed

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Apr 23, 2010
6,633
Ground Zero
The point is that they might not want to keep him. The defending AL champs seem to kind of know what they’re doing.
They’d like people to think they’re open to moving him because they’re cheap, just like they moved Chris Archer because they’re cheap. In reality, they don’t think he’s elite anymore and they’re trying to sell high, especially coming off his World Series performance.
 

Bob Montgomerys Helmet Hat

has big, douchey shoulders
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They’d like people to think they’re open to moving him because they’re cheap, just like they moved Chris Archer because they’re cheap. In reality, they don’t think he’s elite anymore and they’re trying to sell high, especially coming off his World Series performance.
Yep, Archer was the first comp I thought of. That turned out ok.
 

DeadlySplitter

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Oct 20, 2015
33,260
he'd have to have declined to a #5 starter for that contract to not be a positive.

selling at the highest point on every player might check out the "optimization" box in the program, but it's a rough way to run a baseball franchise.
 

sean1562

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Sep 17, 2011
3,620
Ive been saying this for awhile re: Rays. Half their roster is hitting their arb years this year and next year and their payroll is set to spike dramatically.

https://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/TBD/tampa-bay-rays-salaries-and-contracts.shtml
They have never had a team payroll higher than like $80 million and they are set to sail past that after 2021. Their future success depends on their farm as it always has. Franco is supposed to be the next ARod which should be a huge boon and then they have Brendan McKay, Shane Baz, Shane McClanahan, and Brent Honeywell in the wings to reinforce their rotation. Considering the fact that their 2nd best position prospect is a SS/2b I wouldn't be surprised to see Adames and Lowe shipped out relatively soon either. Those cheap deals are what enables them to get great prospect packages that completely reset their farm system. Snell is easily the biggest name guy they have and would rightfully bring back some fairly significant prospects. It is also possible they dont see him as "elite" anymore but can lean on the "cheap team" and "Snell wants out after what happened in the WS" angle to gloss over their internal evaluation.
 

VORP Speed

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Apr 23, 2010
6,633
Ground Zero
Rays misread the market on Morton. All indications were that they wanted him back, but got cute and thought they could get him for maybe $10m instead of picking up his option at $15m. Braves swooped in and gave him the $15m and that was that. Perfect is the enemy of good.
 

jon abbey

Shanghai Warrior
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Jul 15, 2005
70,745
Mike Minor signs for 2 years with KC, money not announced yet.
 

DeadlySplitter

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Oct 20, 2015
33,260
some notable non-tenders so far: Brian Goodwin, Jose Martinez, Carlos Rodon, Nomar Mazara, Tyler Naquin
 

jon abbey

Shanghai Warrior
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Jul 15, 2005
70,745
Kyle Schwarber too, the Yankees have been after him since 2016 although unless he can back up Voit at 1B (he has almost no experience there), he’s not a great fit for their current roster although they really could use the LH power.
 

E5 Yaz

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Kyle Schwarber too, the Yankees have been after him since 2016 although unless he can back up Voit at 1B (he has almost no experience there), he’s not a great fit for their current roster although they really could use the LH power.
There'll be plenty of at-bats during the injury downtime for Stanton and Judge
 

DeadlySplitter

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Oct 20, 2015
33,260
here's a hot rumor from Olney. Although the Phillies are publicly denying it after Olney's report, apparently they have told other teams their finances are way down from the pandemic, and they could move Zack Wheeler (5 year / 119 million contract signed last offseason) to get those finances in line.

https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/30462167/sources-philadelphia-phillies-open-trade-offers-right-hander-zack-wheeler
This is NOT the first time the Phillies' owner has tried to cry poor, either:

https://www.thegoodphight.com/2020/11/29/21724884/the-phillies-are-in-trouble-with-the-fanbase
 

jon abbey

Shanghai Warrior
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Jul 15, 2005
70,745
The Philly owner walked that back immediately and publicly but in the non PR-spin world, they should be 'open to trade offers' on him as should all teams on most if not all players, that doesn't mean they have to trade him.