Hot Stove 2023-2024

More Jays

SIGNED: #BlueJays have signed UT Isiah Kiner-Falefa to a two-year, $15M contract, with $1M worth of performance bonuses included.

— MLB Transaction Tracker (@MLBMovesTracker) December 27, 2023

white sox signed ... martin maldonado

so disappointing how little they seem to care about being even halfway decent

(xpost) Utility player who hits .250 with no power--he'll fit in just fine.

I assume he’s going to zobrist his way around

if you don’t know
why don’t you go
where fashion sits—

isiah kiner-falefa

That doesn’t scan, traitor hand

I think the joke is that it doesn’t scan. As in, he doesn’t fit.

giving me far too much credit

The jays already have three utility infielder types with below average bats (with two more in the minors). This IKF signing is weird af and no one gets it. The only advantage is slightly better glove and better speed; but hardly worth the money when they have a massive hole at 3b they have yet to fill (there’s no way they think he’s the answer at 3rd) (I pray to god they don’t at least)

whit merrifield replacement essentially, i think

New stat: WAMWR (Wins Above Whit Merrifield Replacement).

You guys aren't getting it, they signed a free agent away from the Yankees, we might have lost out on Ohtani but this signing means Toronto is still a DESTINATION for top free agents!! ....
....

No, sorry, I've got nothing here.

BREAKING: Right-hander Lucas Giolito and the Boston Red Sox are in agreement on a two-year, $38.5 million contract that includes an opt-out after the first season, sources tell ESPN.

Boston lands its first big signing of the winter. The question now is: Will there be more?

— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) December 29, 2023

I’ll always root for giolito, he was basically the only white mlb player to express support for black lives matter. seems like a cool guy. also he’s mark frost’s nephew.

they should hand out free mitts to everyone sitting above the monster when he starts

The thing that you can say about Giolito and which is exactly one of the reasons they got him is that he will start every five days. His innings last season would have made a significant difference to the 2023 Red Sox precisely because of how strained the pen was and the whole collapse was a direct consequence of that. His splits last season after he a) got divorced around the ASB and b) got traded to the Angels and then waived and picked up by Cleveland in quick succession are notable. Deal itself is low risk & player is clearly betting on himself. Really interested to see what Andrew Bailey will do with him; that is, after all, exactly why they got him.

I’ll always root for giolito, he was basically the only white mlb player to express support for black lives matter. seems like a cool guy. also he’s mark frost’s nephew.

Happy #TwinPeaksDay from yours truly....Montana #InvitationToLove A pivotal role & the finest work of my short but consequential acting career. 🤦🏻 pic.twitter.com/2MauMnUCOo

— Rick Giolito (@RickGiolito) February 24, 2021

Lol J0rdan.
I hope it works out for him but yeah, Fenway a tough park for a pitcher to get their mojo back after giving up the most homers in mlb the year before. Stranger things have happened tho…..and there’s no way to go but up on the hr list!

This was the funniest shithousing I watched of the year and I just remembered the Red Sox are starting of their season in…Seattle!

some say when the moon is high in the sky, you can still see a seething giolito waiting for cabby to come back to the box until this very day pic.twitter.com/FOpUKpAEhD

— Sofie 🏳️‍🌈 (@sofieballgame) June 17, 2023

I remember this, so great

for the record i think this is a pretty decent shot for boston to take. the opt out makes it a bit less appealing but i’d still prob rather do this deal than the sonny gray one for example

Opt out a double edged sword but basically at worst it’s an overpay for a guy who will eat innings. Probably says a lot about where the SP market is as well but idc, let Henry crack open the wallet. Not exaggerating when I say that 150 ip from literally almost fucking anyone would have tipped them well over .500 because that collapse was related to the pen being cooked to death.

i’m not sure the sword points too sharply in the player’s direction unless in this case he left a gray-level deal on the table in order to try and rebuild his value and break the bank. but i do think pitching is so volatile that he could have another subpar season next year, feel like he needs to rebuild his value again, opt in to what is inherently a 1 year overpay for boston, and then be one of the top 15 or whatever SPs in baseball and return value on the deal. there’s just prob no way to get him at value next year unless he gets hurt, but then again if there was no way to sign him in the first place w/o the opt in i get how you’re giving to get. the scenario where this is some disaster is only if he eats innings w/ like a 5+ ERA for two years straight

I think based purely on his pre-divorce/upheaval stats from last year he should be due to be solid if not spectacular and yeah he’s got significant upside if he does at all well next year. I think the pitching free agency market is supposed to have more arms available but let’s be honest: everyone needs arms all the time

damn you’re locked in on his life, salute

fangraphs has him at 2.5 WAR for next year… not exactly sure what the price per WAR calculation is these days but if he lands close to that number i feel like both sides will be pretty happy with this deal

Yeah sorry the double edged sword bit was more like:

If he’s good he will opt out and might leave? Then you’re back looking for an arm.
If he’s bad he’ll stay, sad

Value of the contract isn’t really my concern it’s a total sellers market anyway. Obvs if he shoves that $18m he makes next year looks cheap. Really they need a higher end guy to pair with him and then his place looks a lot clearer.

What!!!!

BREAKING: The Atlanta Braves are acquiring seven-time All-Star Chris Sale in a trade with the Boston Red Sox, sources tell ESPN. Well-regarded infield prospect Vaughn Grissom is the return to Boston, which will send money with Sale, who waived his no-trade clause to join Atlanta

— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) December 30, 2023

huh!

The deal: Chris Sale and $17 million to Atlanta for Vaughn Grissom, who has the full 6 years of team control remaining.

— Alex Speier (@alexspeier) December 30, 2023

What am I missing--does Atlanta know something about Sale's health that no one else does? That looks extremely lopsided. (He says confidently, even though I googled Virgil Grissom and got taken to the astronaut.)

Okay, they got $17M too...I don't know how to factor that in; aren't Atlanta's key players all locked up for a few years anyway?

He’s coming off his first healthy offseason in about four years and they’ve been trying to get starters? I’m surprised by it too, but seems like a decent trade for both especially with some of that contract being paid down.

i get it from atlanta’s side their only goal is the title and the high end outcome of a good chris sale run in the postseason would prob exceed 6 years of whatever they can get from grissom who doesn’t really have a spot to play there anyway. great deal for the sox tho

Also, the guy with the highest k/9 rate in history mentoring Spencer Strider 🤤

BA just posted in their trade evaluation, here's their Grissom bit. pic.twitter.com/GC2X4AlVjP

— Red Sox Stats (@redsoxstats) December 30, 2023

i remember they opted to start 2023 with grissom in the minors, despite his solid 2022 season. really feel like they didn't value the guy very much.

xposts

absurd to me that he isn't related to marquis

xp isn’t it just that they don’t have a place for him? He’s blocked

Anthopoulos informed Grissom that Atlanta felt like it needed to trade for a pitcher. Informed of that, Grissom responded, “I can pitch.” Anthopoulos described himself as “incredibly fond” of Grissom, who he views as “a really special kid.”

— Alex Speier (@alexspeier) December 30, 2023

After I posted, I realized how incidental the money is--pocket change, really.

absurd to me that he isn't related to marquis

― mookieproof, Saturday, December 30, 2023 4:06 PM (yesterday)

i just did a bit of furious googling to confirm this wasn't the case too

tbf if he was related to marquis he should be traded to the blue jays

^^

Ah but there is one! he has a son, who’s a pitcher in the minors for the Nats!

What! pt 2

Left-hander Chris Sale and the Atlanta Braves are in agreement on a contract extension. The new deal starts this season and is for two years and $38 million, with an $18 million club option for 2026. Sale's previous deal was for 2024 with an option for 2025.

Essentially, Sale…

— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) January 4, 2024

Left-hander Chris Sale and the Atlanta Braves are in agreement on a contract extension. The new deal starts this season and is for two years and $38 million, with an $18 million club option for 2026. Sale's previous deal was for 2024 with an option for 2025.

Essentially, Sale gets $17-18M in new guaranteed money. He was due $27.5M — $17.5M this year, $10M deferred for 15 years — and the team held a $20M option for next year. The present value of his salary this season was in the $20-21M range. In the new deal, the Braves guarantee him $16M this year and $22M next year. Atlanta received $17M from Boston in the deal, so the cash will cover his entire salary this season.

The Braves clearly believe Sale’s performance last season portends well for his future, even as he enters his age-35 season, plus they get an extra year of control.

That seems needlessly spendy. I wonder if Anthopolous is lighting cigars with hundreds now.

I wonder if it was a condition of him lifting his no trade clause

Harrison Bader back in NY

1 year, approx $10 mil https://t.co/9nHMoJhmtg

— Andy Martino (@martinonyc) January 4, 2024

BREAKING: The San Francisco Giants and Seattle Mariners are in agreement on a trade that will send former Cy Young winner Robbie Ray to the Giants for outfielder Mitch Haniger and right-hander Anthony DeSclafani, sources familiar with the deal tell ESPN.

— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) January 5, 2024

Super busy at work but just heard about this. The Giants got a steal?