2017-2018 Hot Stove

#Mets in agreement with Jose Reyes on one-year contract, pending physical, sources tell The Athletic. Reyes returning with understanding he will fill utility role. Mets still looking for regular second baseman.

— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) January 25, 2018

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z7yePNyz-nc

yelich traded to the brewers

awesome. I assume we gave up Brinson, or is that not really clear yet?

There are some Reds fans going to have a conniption on that news as it seems on a couple sites that's the only player between them and the rebirth of the Big Red Machine, even though the team ERA was like 5 last year.

or is that not really clear yet?

it's not clear but that's the impression that i get /bosstones

if the marlins traded w/ that front office they definitely got fleeced

Marlins get Brinson and Diaz

Is that a good return?

The #Brewers have acquired OF Christian Yelich from Miami in exchange for OF Lewis Brinson, OF Monte Harrison, INF Isan Diaz and RHP Jordan Yamamoto.

prospects #1, #6, and #14 according to mlb.com (yamamoto not listed)

harrison is keith law's #85 overall prospect

cain to the brewers

5-year, $80M, physical pending

uh whooooa

sheesh. their outfield just got a lot better

Brewers goin SuperTeam

well maybe not

before today's moves, fangraphs projected them at 75 wins for 2018, which did admittedly seem a little low.

lol the marlins got more for yelich than they did for stanton

So is moving Braun the next step for the Brewers? Seems kinda odd signing Cain for 5 years right after getting Yelich and considering they got that guy Domingo Santana.

Their starting rotation is still pretty funky and not that scary.

once they get Yu Darvish though

Jeff Sullivan:

https://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/the-brewers-are-here/

brewers look pretty scary to me now as a cubs fan, they were already first in the nl central for half of last season and were in contention until right near the end. meanwhile the cubs haven't done much to improve yet this offseason.

and i was impressed by their young rotation

these are the steps the pirates refused to take. may or may not work out, but at least the brewers are going for it. totally rooting for them

this is kinda crazy: free-agent camp

Players believe the value dispute between the sides will last long enough that a number have discussed the possibility of staging a free agent training camp to mimic their typical spring work, according to sources.

https://sports.yahoo.com/sources-players-teams-digging-protracted-standoff-despite-lorenzo-cains-80-million-deal-060605804.html

that is insane, never will happen

Nelson/Davies/Anderson gives the Brewers three solid cheap starters, they obviously need to make a move or two yet. Guessing they'll flip Santana, but hold on to Phillips, then hopefully make one more big FA signing (Darvish!?!?)

Santana looks like he's about to emerge into a 40 HR guy. Yelich could be a top 5 NL ofer. Cain is extremely good, reminds me of Zobrist in how he flies under the radar with his all-around skill set. could probably shift Braun to 1B w/Thames as an option against righties (unless they move Braun.) Not sure what Broxton's status is, but he doesn't seem like a bad 4th OFer. Vogt at catcher, Arcia/Villar up the middle, Travis Shaw in his age 28 season should still be vv good.

i guess some of those guys could disappoint or collapse. and the rotation is still iffy.

as a Cubs fan I'm not terrified of them but I think they have a very good shot at taking the Central. they seem playoff ready at the very least.

you think they'd flip Santana? i haven't been keeping up, maybe there are issues there, but he's only 24!

*25 rather

he's not projected to be so good, but the decrease in strikeout rate kinda makes me think he's an emerging star. that said, you've still got 5 outfielders + Brett Phillips, makes sense to try to get a good starter for one of them and I don't think Broxton will get it done. I'd be more keen to offload Braun but IDK if anyone's gonna want him

braun is a 10/5 guy, which complicates their ability to move him

i'd guess either broxton or santana is going to be traded, and probably pretty soon

this is one of the guys miami picked up

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kaSwX9pJsI0

September 12, 2017	Minnesota Twins designated SS Engelb Vielma for assignment.
September 14, 2017	San Francisco Giants claimed SS Engelb Vielma off waivers from Minnesota Twins.
November 20, 2017	Philadelphia Phillies claimed SS Engelb Vielma off waivers from San Francisco Giants.
December 11, 2017	Pittsburgh Pirates claimed SS Engelb Vielma off waivers from Philadelphia Phillies.
January 18, 2018	San Francisco Giants claimed SS Engelb Vielma off waivers from Pittsburgh Pirates.
January 26, 2018        Baltimore Orioles acquire SS Engelb Vielma from San Francisco Giants in exchange for a player to be named later or cash considerations.

Engelb has passed his sellb ydate

My guess is Santana goes, but I think the team will probably keep him rather than sell low on him. The extra OFs gives the team some cover to ration Braun and Cain's playing time.

Where they really need an upgrade is 2B. Villar was atrocious last year, defensively and offensively.

Wouldn't they be selling high on Santana? He was terrific last year.

Yeah he was great, and they don't believe his success was a fluke. But I think some teams are going to try to put in low ball offers on him because of the narrative the Brewers have too many outfielders and have to move some of them. They were already struggling to get fair offers on him at winter meetings, and that was before their outfield became even more crowded.

iirc the giants were interested in santana (and still need an outfielder, even with mccutchen). not sure they have anything the brewers would want apart from joe panik tho

Francisco Rodriguez signs minor league deal with #Phillies that will pay him https://twitter.com/BNightengale/status/957426296799223808.5 million if he makes the big leagues per @JonHeyman

— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) January 28, 2018

ICYMI

The Major League Baseball Players Association is investigating whether to file grievances against the Miami Marlins and Pittsburgh Pirates for circumventing rules in the collective-bargaining agreement that call for teams to put revenue-sharing dollars back into baseball operations, sources familiar with the situation told Yahoo Sports.

https://sports.yahoo.com/mlbpa-looking-pirates-marlins-spending-habits-174042989.html

There is still Bunches of players still not signed. Got to wonder when the bow is going to break and sign players.

There is about enough available free agents out there to make a decent club.

Royals have traded LHP Ryan Buchter and DH/1B Brandon Moss to Oakland for right-hander Jesse Hahn and Minor League right-hander Heath Fillmyer.

deck chairs shuffled

Opens a spot for Hosmer.

Buchter was really solid on the Padres. A's bullpen isn't too bad.

jesse hahn is kinda decent

buchter is the only useful player involved; maybe it's worth taking on an $8m commitment to brandon moss to get him but it seems odd

despite watching brandon moss for an entire year, for some reason i can not imagine his face being anything else but exactly like mark mcgwire's. i'll look him up for a second and remember, but right now it's the weirdest thing

Matt Albers to Brewers btw

http://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/22255478/matt-albers-agrees-2-year-5-million-deal-milwaukee-brewers

eno out (presumably to an as-yet-unnamed team)

https://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/thanks-for-reading

Fangraphs hemorrhaging staff