2016-2017 Hot Stove

I remember that fiasco well.

Chris 'No-Hit' Heston to Seattle

http://mlb.nbcsports.com/2016/12/07/report-mariners-acquire-chris-heston-from-the-giants/

Blackmon dangled for Jays

http://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/mlb-hot-stove-trade-rumors-rockies-blue-jays-talking-blackmon-stroman-deal/

no one will probably care about this but the padres grabbed allen cordoba from the cardinals in the rule 5 draft. cordoba is promising but he's never played above the rookie league level. as i understand it, the padres would have to keep them on their roster all year or the cardinals get him back through waivers?i know the padres are rebuilding but it wouldn't make much sense to have play cordoba way above his level all year or let him rot on the bench and stunt his development

the padres let alexei ramirez accumulate -2.4 WAR at shortstop for them last year, so if cordoba can simply field the position he can barely be worse.

they don't really have anything to lose -- they're not going to contend, he's cheap, they have the roster space, and if they can stash him on the bench this year they can send him back to the minors next year -- he just turned 21. or they can send him back, which is not a huge deal.

also a fair number of these guys develop mysterious injuries that require them to 'rehab' in the minors hmmm

holy shit, -2.4 WAR! i didn't realize he was that bad!

welp, cordoba's signing bonus was $7,500, so i'm sure he's pretty happy about getting a bump up to minimum MLB salary

Blackmon for Stroman would be super super super dumb.

Toronto wants more

lots more.

cubs 'on the brink of' signing koji uehara

http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2016/12/cardinals-nearing-deal-free-agent-with-dexter-fowler.html

hmm might end up being the first cubs player to leave for the cards to get a standing O during his first visit back to wrigley

if the cardinals sign justin turner as well i'll be officially a-ok with the cardinals offseason

Fuuuuck. I really wanted the jays to land Fowler. Fuck.

Sheff is a bit of a modern Dick Allen player that ticked off quite a few people over his career and with his nomadic career, I think he might find it more difficult than the other steroid era players. Dude was a beast of a right handed power hitter.

Kenley Jansen back to the Dodgers, 5 yrs/$80 million. wtf imo.

encouraging

Major League Baseball created an Anti-Hazing and Anti-Bullying Policy that covers the practice. As part of the sport's new labor deal, set to be ratified by both sides on Tuesday, the players' union agreed to not contest it.

The policy, obtained by The Associated Press, prohibits teams from "requiring, coercing or encouraging" players to engage in activities that include "dressing up as women or wearing costumes that may be offensive to individuals based on their race, sex, nationality, age, sexual orientation, gender identify or other characteristic."

http://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/18266346

whew finally we can get Corey Kluber out of this getup

http://itspronouncedlajaway.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Corey-Kluber2-FI.jpg

2017 competitive balance draft pick order announced:

Competitive Balance Round A

Tampa Bay Rays (No. 31 overall)
Cincinnati Reds (32)
Oakland Athletics (33)
Milwaukee Brewers (34)
Minnesota Twins (35)
Miami Marlins (36)

Competitive Balance Round B

Arizona Diamondbacks (No. 67 overall)
San Diego Padres (68)
Colorado Rockies (69)
Cleveland Indians (70)
Kansas City Royals (71)
Pittsburgh Pirates (72)
Baltimore Orioles (73)
St. Louis Cardinals (74)

There's no such thing as a small-market team
Just because an owner doesn't want to spend more money doesn't mean they can't.

catcher swap

http://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/18272418/milwaukee-brewers-get-jett-bandy-deal-martin-maldonado-angels-catcher-swap

Turner back to Dodgers

derek holland to the white sox

ppl are being weird about the hazing ban, of course

gonna go check to see if curt schilling has a take on this

@VernonWells10 1h1 hour ago
BREAKING NEWS: Players are now allowed to enter your workplace yelling you suck and should be fired.

Assuming we're being paid $20-25 million to perform below average, cool.

not gonna read Huston Street's pro-hazing column

According to a pitcher who said he'll retire if he's assigned only high-leverage situations, MLB has become too sensitive.

j0rdan on Loria's case

http://deadspin.com/jeffrey-loria-is-having-a-bad-day-1790071258

ManWithOneChopstick
12/13/16 6:39pm
Have you ever considered introducing yourself over the phone as “Sargent, J0rdan?”

the incredibly rare example of a funny gawker comment, though i'm sure he's heard that one before

the orioles have reportedly signed former expo great tomo okha to a minor league deal

he'll be 41 in march, last pitched in the majors in 2009, last pitched anywhere in 2014 (a 5.15 ERA in the indy atlantic league)

"Great"?

all former expos are greats

this is true. Rob Ducey 4 evah!

http://www.springtrainingcountdown.com/

jimmy rollins has a minor-league deal with the giants

Omar Infante and Brendan Ryan to Detroit.

that's terrible

how many players have had three-plus separate stints with the tigers?

https://usatftw.files.wordpress.com/2013/10/clay.gif

to phillies

ManWithOneChopstick
12/13/16 6:39pm
Have you ever considered introducing yourself over the phone as “Sargent, J0rdan?”

the incredibly rare example of a funny gawker comment, though i'm sure he's heard that one before

― Karl Malone, Wednesday, December 14, 2016 4:26 PM (six days ago) Bookmark

sometimes when i was a kid someone would say "hey do you know if you join the army you could be sgt. sargent." and i would say "yes i do know that"

has Loria had it with the crank calls?

http://www.fishstripes.com/2016/12/20/13994960/will-jeffrey-loria-sell-the-marlins

DiComo sez nope on McCutchen to Mets, but

MLB.com's Jon Paul Morosi reported late Monday that the Mets remain engaged with the Blue Jays on deals for Bruce and Granderson, though Mets officials prefer to keep Granderson due to his center-field ability.

http://m.mets.mlb.com/news/article/211927054/mets-likely-to-stay-in-house-for-center-field/

ivan nova returns to pittsburgh, 3/$26m

Tribe in hot pursuit of EE

http://mlb.nbcsports.com/2016/12/21/report-indians-pulling-out-all-the-stops-for-edwin-encarnacion/

ee to cle

EDWINDIANS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I can't believe it!! I only thought he was only using the Indians as leverage to get a better deal. We'd seen it so many times before.

ender inciarte signs insanely cheap extension 5 years/$30.5m with barves

that buys out several arb years but jeez

Great deal for the Barfs.

Cheap ass jays management blows it with yet another free agent.

Alex Avila: another once-former Tiger

glad the jays management didn't go for it, i believe it's all about donaldson and the rotation at this point.