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2018-19 Hot Stove League


JSngry

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30 minutes ago, JSngry said:

I might be misremembering, but I seem to recall the "not perfect" reasoning being used by some writer for Cobb and/or Ruth, and that kind of set the precedent.

Like I said, I might be misremembering on that.

that might have been the original reasoning (remember you be older than me ;)  ) but I think more recently its "Aaron wasn't unanimous so no one should ever be."

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I wouldn’t count out the possibility of Bryce Harper signing with the Yankees just yet:

Yankees reportedly in contact with Harper

The notion of Harper becoming a Yankee excites me. The notion of Machado becoming a Yankee depresses me. It would be the dawning of the A-Rod 2.0 era.

Edited by ghost of miles
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The notion is that Harper, a former catcher, would switch to first base.  Either that or he goes into left field and Stanton stays primarily at DH.  Brett Gardner will surely be used only as a backup outfielder (and don't even mention Jacoby Ellsbury, who's a pure salary dump at this point whether he's able to play or not).  Plus Harper would be a lefthanded hitter in a lineup that's currently stacked too much with righthanded hitting (he'd love that short right-field porch) who also has an excellent OBP whether he's having a good BA year or not, due to the sheer number of walks he's issued.  Machado is toxic and is who he is at this point, whatever he may say to Hal Steinbrenner about his playing approach.  

I also agree that NY should pursue more pitching--picking up Paxson was a huge help in that regard.  Sign Corbin next, and you'll still have money to sign Harper.  

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6 hours ago, ghost of miles said:

I wouldn’t count out the possibility of Bryce Harper signing with the Yankees just yet:

Yankees reportedly in contact with Harper

The notion of Harper becoming a Yankee excites me. The notion of Machado becoming a Yankee depresses me. It would be the dawning of the A-Rod 2.0 era.

I still think the Giants have a shot if they get serious about signing Harper. The Giants are a really good fit for him, and, for some reason, I don't think the Yankees are -- but what do I know! It's just that Harper is good, really good, but to give him so much money for so long, has that ever worked out to a clubs advantage?

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Harper is entering his age 26 season.  If anyone is worth ten years/gigantic money it's him.  A-Rod was 31 at the time the Yanks signed him to that stupid contract. Harper is likely to still be a very good ballplayer by the time a contract ends if its kept to 10 years.  Throw in opt-out clauses and what's the downside risk really?

And does anyone think the Yankees changed things up and got under the luxury tax threshold without having an eye toward Harper or Machado, or for that matter, if they somehow allow themselves to be outbid, Trout?

I think its an upset if at least one of Harper and Machado don't end up in pinstripes.

 

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If Trout ever became available, I can’t see him winding up with anyone but the Phillies. Being the Philly sports fanatic that he is, I don’t think he’d sign a long term deal with anybody with them and who’s going to take a chance on him without his signing a long term deal with that team. I think it would be crazy for the Angels to trade him; the fans would go crazy. 

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Nick Cafardo of the Globe is suggesting that the Yankees could move Stanton if they acquire Harper.  He has a full no-trade so that makes it complicated but its not a bad consolation prize since he's owed $260, way less than it will cost to get Harper.  And it would make the cost of Harper a lot more palatable without Stanton.

If you had to pick one or the other to start a roster, would anyone take Stanton ahead of Harper?  And specifically for the Yanks with the short porch. But on top of that one is strikeout prone, the other takes his walks.  Harper would be a monster at Yankee Stadium, methinks.

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If that should take place, the Yankees will be dealing from weakness due not only to his no trade clause but because other teams, like the Dodgers, know they have to trade him. Of course, the Yankees didn't pay a king's ransom to acquire him so maybe they'll accept lower level picks to replenish their farm system.  I hope that he returns to the Nationals; I think that's where he belongs. 

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I don't think Harper is going back to Washington.  They made their play and came up short,  Besides, if every player's non-financial goal is to win a World Series, the Nationals are unlikely to be at that level anytime soon.  I have mixed feelings about him...was last season a fluctuation or a trend and even though I have an acute case of short porch fever. he's still a roll of the dice.  Aside from that, I've always been a good pitching beats good hitting kind of guy, so I'd rather see Cashman spend someone else's money on more arms, not more bats.  

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To be clear I don't see the Yankees trading from a position of weakness. They can sign Harper, no problem and keep Stanton too.  I was just repeating what was stated in the Globe that they could work a Stanton trade if he is agreeable to a particular destination.

But I don't think the Yankees will have any problem putting Stanton at DH for the duration of his contract, if Harper is in the fold and Stanton is odd-man off the field.

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  • 2 weeks later...
On 12/4/2018 at 4:45 PM, ghost of miles said:

Corbin to Washington for six years/$140 million.  At that price & length of contract the Nats can have him.  Phillies and Yankees were not willing to offer more than five years.

Not to mention age and the fact that he really has only one year of sustained consistent success.  Better chance of sustaining that in the non-DH league. 

Supposedly the Red Sox are hot after Eovaldi which will please me, but nothing is done until its done.

Have we really not had any discussion of Cano's return to NY? Brad?  I think I read that both fan bases weren't terribly thrilled so maybe its actually a good deal all around? Even with salary relief, what do you do with Cano when he's completely unsuited to playing defense and there's no DH?

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33 minutes ago, Dan Gould said:

Not to mention age and the fact that he really has only one year of sustained consistent success.  Better chance of sustaining that in the non-DH league. 

Supposedly the Red Sox are hot after Eovaldi which will please me, but nothing is done until its done.

Have we really not had any discussion of Cano's return to NY? Brad?  I think I read that both fan bases weren't terribly thrilled so maybe its actually a good deal all around? Even with salary relief, what do you do with Cano when he's completely unsuited to playing defense and there's no DH?

Agree with you about Eovaldi--I'd rather have him at 4 yrs/$65-70 million than the Corbin deal.  And yeah, he's supposedly quite close to signing with Boston, which removes yet another option for the Yankees.  Glad we at least got Paxton, because this off-season is not looking promising so far in terms of bolstering the rotation.  I'm also worried that if we do make a big free-agent splash (no certainty, what with Hal S's evident concern for huge profits over making competitive offers--that perhaps combined with how badly the Ellsbury signing worked out for NY), it will be for Machado and not Harper, given the steady drumbeat of "his comments about hustle should not define him" chatter from Cashman, Boone, etc.  Also concerned that signing Machado would increase the chances of NY dealing Andujar and prospects for a non-ace, #2 or #3 caliber starting pitcher, which would be a huge mistake, IMO.  

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According to a couple of sources, Eovaldi has agreed to terms with the Sox, pending a physical. 

I’m not a big fan of the Cano deal. It sounds like the Mets has to take him as part of the price to acquire Diaz.  I see Cano as being good for a year or two and then who knows. Just what they need, a steroid player. 

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Lee Smith and Harold Baines elected to the HoF by the latest committee to correct the failures of the baseball writers.

Baines I am not sold on as I don't think he had the sustained peak of a true hall of famer but I applaud Smith's election, I think if you retire as a leader in a major category like Saves you deserve election at some point. And, it takes a little from the stink of putting Jack Morris in last year. That was no oversight by the writers but a perfectly defensible determination that he wasn't all that and a plaque too.

Edit to add this from mlb.com:

Smith pitched in an era when closers routinely pitched more than an inning. He got at least four outs for 169 of his 478 saves and had 12 straight seasons of at least 60 appearances, a Major League record. He's also the only reliever with 13 straight seasons of 25-plus saves and 10 straight of at least 30. He finished top five in Cy Young voting three times.

My instincts were always the Smith belonged but those stats really seal it. 35% of his saves of the four or more out variety. Today you worry about going to the well too much with that kind of usage of your closer.

Edited by Dan Gould
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Mets, Marlins and Yankees are talking trade where Realmuto winds up on Mets, Syndergaard on Yankees and Marlins receive Yankee prospects. Whether it happens is another question but from what I've read Syndergaard winding up on Yankees is a real possibility.  If that happens, can anyone say Happy Birthday David? :lol:

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I'll be praying hard to the baseball gods nothing comes of this.  And there's this too, from mlbtraderumors.com

As per Martino’s source, however, the Mets are also weighing “10 other scenarios” and it doesn’t seem like this trade or any other is necessarily close.  A “lot of smoke [but] not a lot of fire” is how one person familiar with the talks describes things to Joel Sherman of the New York Post.  It would seemingly take more than just Realmuto to pry Syndergaard away from the Mets, as Rosenthal notes that the right-hander has three years of control to Realmuto’s two, unless the Mets were also receiving more in the trade.  

Also the fact that they haven't made an intra-city trade of consequence since 2004 makes me hopeful this will pass by also.  I think the Mets should hold on to him or hold out for absolute top-line talent in return.

OH, and just realized its the Marlins involved?  This is, once again, a big old sloppy BJ to the Yankees from Jeter. Gave away Stanton last year, now engineering Syndergaard to go to the Bronx?  If this happens Bowie Kuhn will be rolling over in his grave.

Already gotten one gift this holiday season: Cashman says he's out on Harper, very much in on Machado.  Between the two of them I much prefer the latter in pinstripes. Harper would not only hit 50 homers in that stadium, but Machado just lines up another righty in the lineup for Eovaldi to mow down. :g

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