Hot Stove League 2023 Version
mfpark said:
Um, me?
If you can get Steve Cohen to give you $100MM, you've got my full support.
I think there should be a minimum salary cap. Ideally there would be some sort of relegation so teams like the A's and Pirates would try to compete. Tell them if they don't win 75 games for 3 consecutive years they get sent to AAA. It is odd to me that the NFL players get paid less considering they're pretty much sacrificing their lives.
regarding the sums of money players today receive, here's the reply Stan Musial got from the Cards in 1943 when he asked for a raise:
ml1 said:
regarding the sums of money players today receive, here's the reply Stan Musial got from the Cards in 1943 when he asked for a raise:
DiMaggio got the same treatment in 1938 when he asked for $40,000 a year, about $500,000 in 2022 dollars (the 2023 MLB minimum salary is $720,000). In 1937 he hit .346 with 418 total bases and 167 RBI
The Yankees told him it would be $25,000 or he could stay home and not play. He chose to sign and said he was the happiest guy in the world because baseball was in his blood and he needed to play. He went on to hit .324 with 32 HR and 140 RBI.
Its great that now guys can play and get a piece of the action. Thank you Curt Flood.
DanDietrich said:
Its great that now guys can play and get a piece of the action. Thank you Curt Flood.
Absolutely. The sport generates billions of dollars. The people who play the game deserve their share.
Mets to make Qualifying Offers to deGrom, Nimmo, and Bassitt. I get it with deGrom--he is going to wind up getting more than the $19.5MM QO for sure, so in the odd chance he accepts the offer it is a good deal for the Mets. The Mets will get at least a 4th to 5th round draft pick if he signs elsewhere--not a great compensation, but it is because they are a luxury tax team.
But tying up $19.5MM apiece for Nimmo and Bassitt, if they accept the QO's? Yikes, that is a lot of hedge fund money going to two decent but hardly star players. Word is Steve Cohen has a budget, but, geez......
Meanwhile, they are letting Walker walk without a QO, which makes a ton of sense. Maybe they can re-sign him at reasonable numbers? He is a decent back end of the rotation pitcher and seems to have gotten past his surgery. Word is he is looking for 4 years (he is 30 years old), but I bet he gets two plus a team option.
Verlander opted out of a $25MM salary to hit the market again. He turns 40 soon, but had a great year in terms of low ERA and solid starts. After Tommy John surgery he still notched 175 innings.
Look for him to get over $30MM per year on a two or three year deal, with player options. Kind of like Scherzer, only less because he is older.
mfpark said:
Mets to make Qualifying Offers to deGrom, Nimmo, and Bassitt. I get it with deGrom--he is going to wind up getting more than the $19.5MM QO for sure, so in the odd chance he accepts the offer it is a good deal for the Mets. The Mets will get at least a 4th to 5th round draft pick if he signs elsewhere--not a great compensation, but it is because they are a luxury tax team.
But tying up $19.5MM apiece for Nimmo and Bassitt, if they accept the QO's? Yikes, that is a lot of hedge fund money going to two decent but hardly star players. Word is Steve Cohen has a budget, but, geez......
Meanwhile, they are letting Walker walk without a QO, which makes a ton of sense. Maybe they can re-sign him at reasonable numbers? He is a decent back end of the rotation pitcher and seems to have gotten past his surgery. Word is he is looking for 4 years (he is 30 years old), but I bet he gets two plus a team option.
I doubt any of them will accept the QO. I think all of them are almost certain to get deals of at least 4 years. So why settle for one?
NL West doings:
Dodgers decline option on Justin Turner. At 38 years old, he still showed a good bat the second half of 2022 (after not doing well the first half). Wonder if the Dodgers figure they can resign him at a number below his $16MM option (net of $14MM after the $2MM buyout)? If not, he will likely get close to that for a two year deal elsewhere.
Padres resign Robert Suarez, a feel-good story late inning reliever who came back to the US from Japan and paid off really well for the Padres on a two year deal with a one year out. Great arm on the guy, excellent set up man for Hader and Pomeranz. Amazingly, a four year deal (with an out in 2025) for a non-closer.
Mets pick up Carlos Carrasco's one year option at $14MM (versus an $3MM buyout). A no-brainer given that deGrom, Walker, and Bassitt are all free agents. Maybe in a different year the Mets would have let him walk, but as of now he slots in as their #2 starter behind Scherzer. Mets also have a lot of free agents leaving the bullpen, so tying Carrasco down frees them to focus on other starters and relievers. When Carrasco is not injured he is a good middle-of-the-rotation pitcher.
If Carrasco ends up being the Mets’ No. 2 starter, I’ll be happy.
The Mets did not offer Walker the QO. I hope it is because they are trying for a three year deal. I like the guy.
DanDietrich said:
The Mets did not offer Walker the QO. I hope it is because they are trying for a three year deal. I like the guy.
yes. The QO amount is a little high for Walker, so I'm not surprised the Mets didn't want to take a chance he'd accept it. He'll probably get a 3 or 4 year deal at an AAV a bit below the QO level.
DaveSchmidt said:
If Carrasco ends up being the Mets’ No. 2 starter, I’ll be happy.
Says a Phillies fan????
mfpark said:
DaveSchmidt said:
If Carrasco ends up being the Mets’ No. 2 starter, I’ll be happy.
Says a Phillies fan????
i think that's the point. He's good as a 4 or 5 starter. We are screwed if he is 2
If Carrasco is #2 it means every pitcher on the market didn't want to be on the Mets and/or got paid $50 to $100 mil more than they should have been paid.
jfinnegan said:
If Carrasco is #2 it means every pitcher on the market didn't want to be on the Mets and/or got paid $50 to $100 mil more than they should have been paid.
I will be very very surprised if the Mets' #2 starter next year isn't deGrom, Verlander, or Rodon.
ml1 said:
I will be very very surprised if the Mets' #2 starter next year isn't deGrom, Verlander, or Rodon.
Agreed. I would actually be surprised if Carrasco isn't the #4 or 5 starter. Kodai Senga may be an option as well. I would be hesitant to sign with the Rangers. It seems to be where careers go to die.
Rizzo resigned with the Yanks for 2 Yrs/$34 mil. Seems like a reasonable deal.
jfinnegan said:
Rizzo resigned with the Yanks for 2 Yrs/$34 mil. Seems like a reasonable deal.
Agreed. Given that the Astros were hot on his trail, and he had a good bounce-back year in 2022. Two years (with that buyout in year 3) at this price makes sense in this market for a guy who will likely be productive for one to two more years. In fact, the new rule prohibiting extreme defensive shifts will help Rizzo be more productive--a dead pull hitter with slow feet.
I'm wondering if the lack of shifts will help Joey Gallo. Not that I want the Mets to find out. I thought Rizzo had better career numbers. He's not even at 1,500 hits. Goes to show how impressive 3,000 hits is.
jfinnegan said:
I'm wondering if the lack of shifts will help Joey Gallo. Not that I want the Mets to find out. I thought Rizzo had better career numbers. He's not even at 1,500 hits. Goes to show how impressive 3,000 hits is.
Well, if you play 15 years you have to average 200 hits a year. Few players make it 15 years, fewer still make it 15 full seasons without injuries, and fewer yet get to 200 hits in any year, let alone multiple years.
Getting to 3,000 hits is a rare mix of production and longevity.
Clemente and Boggs did it in 18 years; Carew and Ichiro in 19 years; everyone else over 3,000 took 20 years and more.
Astros sign Jose Abreu to a 3 year deal at a bit under $20MM per year. This is a huge signing for one of the already best teams in baseball. Last year one of their few weaker points was production from first base, so this is a nice upgrade. Abreu has become more of a contact-line drive hitter than a power hitter, and this will fit in very well with a lineup that hits in bunches and focuses on moving runners--but that also has other power hitters.
To me this signing means the Astros have decided that Verlander will pitch elsewhere. Verlander is looking for a Scherzer-like deal, and the Astros decided instead to spend that money on an impact position player, with about $20MM a year or so left over (under the CBT) to be able to go after other parts of their puzzle.
Degrom goes to the Rangers, 5 years 185 million. Nothing deferred, full no trade. Damn. But that is a huge contract with his injury history. I wish him well, I guess.
DanDietrich said:
Degrom goes to the Rangers, 5 years 185 million. Nothing deferred, full no trade. Damn. But that is a huge contract with his injury history. I wish him well, I guess.
The Phillies happen to open 2023 at Texas, so it’ll be just like old times. The Rangers visit Citi at the end of August. (No comment on the likelihood of deGrom’s availability by then. I, too, wish him nothing but the best.)
Um, me?