2017-2018 Hot Stove

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

yeah, they really are. not just any staff but some of their best writers

O'S HIRE SZYMBORSKIS CATS AS ASSISTANTS TO THE GM

"I will still see you around, but not on these pages." Sounds like maybe Sarris will just be writing elsewhere?

Mookie Betts won his arbitration case against the Red Sox on Wednesday, meaning the star outfielder will make $10.5 million in 2018.

The Red Sox had offered Betts $7.5 million.

nice

Welcoming @Angels star @Andrelton Simmons to @wembleystadium this evening! 👋#COYS pic.twitter.com/RAjstPx2bW

— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) January 31, 2018

andrelton to spurs

Chicago Cubs Co-Owner Todd Ricketts Named New RNC Finance Chairman

next GOP memo controversy will center on Kyle Schwarber

A most welcome development: MLB announces that all major-league ballparks will have protective netting extending to at least the far ends of both dugouts by Opening Day.

— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) February 1, 2018

last ballgame i went to with my kids we were on third base line. i brought my glove with me, which my kids thought was cool, but they didn't know it was so that i could stop the ball hitting their face if necessary. every LH batter and my ears pricked up like fuckin Scooby doo

from the head of the CAA agency

A rising tide... @MLB_PLAYERS pic.twitter.com/jwkoiiI0yt

— Brodie Van Wagenen (@bvanwagenen) February 2, 2018

perhaps the 1200 alpha males at the pinnacle of their profession should just physically beat the shit out of the 30 owners

Should happen across all professions tbh

^^

"Two men enter boardroom, only one leaves."

BULLPEN CARTS

https://www.sbnation.com/2018/2/2/16964690/mlb-bullpen-cart-return-2018

Good job Miami

http://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/community/miami-dade/article198019154.html

we have the billionaires we deserve.

happy marlins 25th anniversary

Well gee he lost 140 million of his own money on the sale, what more does the greedy Miami public want?

Bartolo Colon: minor-league deal with Texas

...and now the rest of the dominoes will fall