Finally! Official Hot Stove League Thread

[D-train]

Pretty much down to Wil Myers and trades at this point.

[desbcoach]

Well they shelled out $22M and gave up four players in order to do it so $12M and no players doesn't seem like a lot relative to that. I guess they don't have to pay Winker or Swanson or Toro now....

You're making the assumption that the front office has the ability to make tradeoffs within their budget. I'm telling you that's not the case. The Mariners have never spent money on players like Brantley to fill holes in the roster and I don't think it's because Mariners GMs and their staffs don't understand roster construction and the value of proven bats on the bench, it's because the organization doesn't believe in spending any kind of significant money on middle-class free agent types, especially ones that aren't projected to start every game. Next one to go will probably be Wil Myers. Like I've said several times, I don't think Myers is awesome, but he would fill that platoon need that they've identified and could backup at 1B and DH as well. He wasn't worth what the Padres were paying him, but he's probably worth $10 million to someone. Do you think the Mariners would spend that kind of money on a player projected as a backup/part-time starter?

No I bet they sign a RH platoon bat for about $5M or trade for one making about that. btw Wong is expected to platoon with Moore.

Not sure if Hosmer plays more then 1st base but I could see them trying get,him for league min after being cut lose by Red Sox. No one will waiver claim that contract.

[bpj]

Pretty much down to Wil Myers and trades at this point.

Yep, they may be hoping Conforto comes hat in hand.

Pretty underwhelming offseason as far as year over year improvement. Wish it was a surprise, but seems to be their standard operating procedure.

Last offseason it was that they were still looking for a #2 SP. Then nobody fell to them, and they ended up having to hand out prospects to fill the hole mid-season. And then they still didn't get the bat they told us they were looking for at that point.

This offseason they were looking for "one, maybe two" outfield bats, a middle infielder, and somebody that could back up France at 1B and fill some DH at bats, and even said they were interested in Senga, implying they were open to improving the rotation also.

They've gotten 2 out of 5 done.

Now almost everyone that would have helped is gone and when we're close to the Wild Card with a few other teams at the deadline, Dipoto will have to send off more prospects to fill obvious holes again.

But point it out and apparently we're greedy, spoiled fans.

[Donn Beach]

Hey, I know I'm the last guy to be talking about taking a dipoto comment seriously but still, the one I posted the other day, I said at the time, that's not Myers he is talking about. He is talking about looking for a player, "they don't grow on trees", if anyone is hanging from a tree it's Myers. Scoff all you want, but he has laid hints before. He talked about a pItcher that slotted at the upper part of the rotation before trading for Castillo. I think he is talking about another Jesse Winker trade but from the right side this time

Something else I find interesting is his willingness these days to take on one season of control, seemed like before he needed multiple years. I thought he had even stated that at one point. But now that he has embraced a one season rental it broadens the possible players he might be looking at for a right handed masher

[bpj]

Hey, I know I'm the last guy to be talking about taking a dipoto comment seriously but still, the one I posted the other day, I said at the time, that's not Myers he is talking about. He is talking about looking for a player, "they don't grow on trees", if anyone is hanging from a tree it's Myers. Scoff all you want, but he has laid hints before. He talked about a pItcher that slotted at the upper part of the rotation before trading for Castillo. I think he is talking about another Jesse Winker trade but from the right side this time

Something else I find interesting is his willingness these days to take on one season of control, seemed like before he needed multiple years. I thought he had even stated that at one point. But now that he has embraced a one season rental it broadens the possible players he might be looking at for a right handed masher

The problem is he was talking about adding that SP2 last offseason, then didn't.

And because of that he had to trade off prospects to acquire Castillo.

And now, he's talking about an impact bat, but they're few and far between now at the tail end of free agency, and he'll have to trade prospects away to get it instead of just spending cash.

And because nobody really wants to part with impact bats right now, he's probably going to be stuck with what we've got until teams fall out and turn to trading off players at the trade deadline.

This is exactly why people wanted him to grab a Josh Bell, or JD Martinez, or Michael Brantley before they were all gone.

"But they'd have had to pay more!"

Yeah, that's literally how free agency works. No matter who it is, our offer's probably going to have to be the best one they receive.

Like an offer to Michael Brantley at 1/15M plus incentives instead of the 1/12M he got. But that would be 3x the Mariners biggest free agent bat signing. So, can't do that, obviously

They're starting to look even more pathetic than I give them credit for.

[Donn Beach]

Sure, those are the issues, but I believe it's what he is talking about. He isn't interested in FA but he is willing to trade. I think he is intent on a trade. Yeah, I think $15 mil is significant for them and their budget.

[bpj]

Sure, those are the issues, but I believe it's what he is talking about. He isn't interested in FA but he is willing to trade. I think he is intent on a trade. Yeah, I think $15 mil is significant for them and their budget

He's also made it clear that ownership has said they're willing to spend on the roster when the time is right.

Well, it's right.

Which leads to my long-standing point, that it's not (just) ownership/management that want to avoid spending. Dipoto's neck deep in the philosophy. He just knew he had no chance at winning without adding a couple great starting pitchers. Bare minimum is all we get.

[Donn Beach]

Brantley is left handed, other than that seems he would have fit. Thinking the reason Myers isn't a fit is he's looking for multiple years. Dipoto probably wants it to be a single season, bridge to JK being the stud he bound to be. Thinking that's it, why he is going trade rather than FA

[Donn Beach]

You're making the assumption that the front office has the ability to make tradeoffs within their budget. I'm telling you that's not the case. The Mariners have never spent money on players like Brantley to fill holes in the roster and I don't think it's because Mariners GMs and their staffs don't understand roster construction and the value of proven bats on the bench, it's because the organization doesn't believe in spending any kind of significant money on middle-class free agent types, especially ones that aren't projected to start every game. Next one to go will probably be Wil Myers. Like I've said several times, I don't think Myers is awesome, but he would fill that platoon need that they've identified and could backup at 1B and DH as well. He wasn't worth what the Padres were paying him, but he's probably worth $10 million to someone. Do you think the Mariners would spend that kind of money on a player projected as a backup/part-time starter?

No I bet they sign a RH platoon bat for about $5M or trade for one making about that. btw Wong is expected to platoon with Moore.

Not sure if Hosmer plays more then 1st base but I could see them trying get,him for league min after being cut lose by Red Sox. No one will waiver claim that contract.

Hosmer is strictly first base

[D-train]

Sure, those are the issues, but I believe it's what he is talking about. He isn't interested in FA but he is willing to trade. I think he is intent on a trade. Yeah, I think $15 mil is significant for them and their budget.

Which is a pathetic joke given:

1. They saved about $200M since the start of the rebuild
2. They are getting a $30M windfall from the Disney deal
3. Their payroll is still $30M less than it was in 2018