The official Hot Stove League Thread 2025-26 Offseason

[seattlefan-daBronx]

So another day of looking at Mariner news and seeing just pictures of crickets and tumbleweeds.

Help me understand their logic.
We pick up two veteran ball players at the deadline which pushes us to one game from the prize.
We sign one vet and yet lose two others to FA.

The front office cannot expect the same production or expertise to win. We ARE a different team today.

So we'll wait until all the proven bats are off the table and maybe sign some mediocre AAAA utility bat left over for cheap.

They proved to themselves a winning strategy and refuse to follow it. Can't make it up.

[Big_Maple]

So another day of looking at Mariner news and seeing just pictures of crickets and tumbleweeds.

Help me understand their logic.
We pick up two veteran ball players at the deadline which pushes us to one game from the prize.
We sign one vet and yet lose two others to FA.

The front office cannot expect the same production or expertise to win. We ARE a different team today.

So we'll wait until all the proven bats are off the table and maybe sign some mediocre AAAA utility bat left over for cheap.

They proved to themselves a winning strategy and refuse to follow it. Can't make it up.

Yep.

54%

[D-train]

So another day of looking at Mariner news and seeing just pictures of crickets and tumbleweeds.

Help me understand their logic.
We pick up two veteran ball players at the deadline which pushes us to one game from the prize.
We sign one vet and yet lose two others to FA.

The front office cannot expect the same production or expertise to win. We ARE a different team today.

So we'll wait until all the proven bats are off the table and maybe sign some mediocre AAAA utility bat left over for cheap.

They proved to themselves a winning strategy and refuse to follow it. Can't make it up.

And the dopey fans on X think it is a lock we can just scape by again for FOUR months and then make Moves at the deadline to save the day. It is just a ridiculous plan.

[D-train]

So another day of looking at Mariner news and seeing just pictures of crickets and tumbleweeds.

Help me understand their logic.
We pick up two veteran ball players at the deadline which pushes us to one game from the prize.
We sign one vet and yet lose two others to FA.

The front office cannot expect the same production or expertise to win. We ARE a different team today.

So we'll wait until all the proven bats are off the table and maybe sign some mediocre AAAA utility bat left over for cheap.

They proved to themselves a winning strategy and refuse to follow it. Can't make it up.

Yep.

54%

54 was my number again this morning at McDonalds. I can't escape it!!!! lol

[Big_Maple]

54 was my number again this morning at McDonalds. I can't escape it!!!! lol

A self fulfilling prophecy.

On paper, we aren't much (any) better than we were last year at this time. Rinse and repeat.

I guess we stand pat, hope we are competitive at the All-Star break, and then drain the farm for some loaners and hope for the best.

Worked last year...

(whoops - read your penultimate post and realized we said exactly the same thing...helps to be thorough...)

[Seattle or Bust]

So another day of looking at Mariner news and seeing just pictures of crickets and tumbleweeds.

Help me understand their logic.
We pick up two veteran ball players at the deadline which pushes us to one game from the prize.
We sign one vet and yet lose two others to FA.

The front office cannot expect the same production or expertise to win. We ARE a different team today.

So we'll wait until all the proven bats are off the table and maybe sign some mediocre AAAA utility bat left over for cheap.

They proved to themselves a winning strategy and refuse to follow it. Can't make it up.

The M's signed Polanco on Feb 3rd 2025.

They just genuinely believe they can address holes at the AS break and make a run.

[D-train]

So another day of looking at Mariner news and seeing just pictures of crickets and tumbleweeds.

Help me understand their logic.
We pick up two veteran ball players at the deadline which pushes us to one game from the prize.
We sign one vet and yet lose two others to FA.

The front office cannot expect the same production or expertise to win. We ARE a different team today.

So we'll wait until all the proven bats are off the table and maybe sign some mediocre AAAA utility bat left over for cheap.

They proved to themselves a winning strategy and refuse to follow it. Can't make it up.

The M's signed Polanco on Feb 3rd 2025.

They just genuinely believe they can address holes at the AS break and make a run.

Just a dogshit strategy. I would call it half ass but it isn't even that. It is 1/3 ass because you only get them for 2 of 6 months.

[Big_Maple]

Just a dogshit strategy. I would call it half ass but it isn't even that. It is 1/3 ass because you only get them for 2 of 6 months.

Stanton et al. are earning interest on the contracts they aren't paying.

Wait until the last minute, sign what jetsam and flotsam there is left, and pocket a few hundred grand interest on the $20MM you waited to pay.

[DavidGee24]

I'm really starting to think that we're going to let everyone else come off the table and then at the last minute re-sign Suarez under the logic that he'll do what Polanco did last season even though it's totally obvious that he won't. Hopefully somebody signs Suarez soon so that we don't do it.

[GL_Storm]

At this point I wonder if the Cardinals will trade Donovan at all. Right now it seems they want some sort of major league starting pitcher with significant upside, but if they're ultimately going to settle for prospects, they might prefer to do that at the deadline. It seems odd though that he hasn't been moved yet considering that he would fit on almost any contender's roster.