Finally! Official Hot Stove League thread!

[D-train]

Divish cracks me up. LOL

[Donn Beach]

I imagine if he was guaranteed to win a WS with another team and not to if he stays he would reconsider. He would also go to another team and not win one and then have the Angels win one without him. Highly unlikely but possible.

His odds are about infinity higher if he crosses town to the Dodgers and reunites with Ohtani.

I am sure the Dodgers could rework his contract so he gets $72.33 each year for the next 6 years, and then $299,750 in his seventh year.

I believe him, he's not interested in switching teams to raise his odds of going to a WS. Don't really see anything ulterior about it. If he wanted to be traded he'd say so. If he wanted to be a Phillie he be there by now. They'd get it figured out

[GL_Storm]

This is one of the best articles I've ever read on the inner workings of a baseball organization and their struggles with transformation: https://theathletic.com/5286289/2024/02 ... mlb-owner/

[Donn Beach]

Can't open it, like to. Read the first part about being cheap with facilities. That's something the Angels get accused if. Artie Moreno and all his big spending I guess is cheap about everything but baseball stars. Read a quote about the Angels, it's like buying a Ferrari and taking it to a jiffy lube. I bring it up because I wouldn't put the mariners in that group. They spend on facilities, not so much on players

[GL_Storm]

Chapman's 2023 season month by month. It's not pretty.

[D-train]

Chapman's 2023 season month by month. It's not pretty.

5 of the 6 months were better than what Urias just did in the Mexican league.

[Donn Beach]

He had a month that was worse? Yikes

[D-train]

Urias month in the Mexican league was 100 PAs and a .582 OPS

His last season splits

Screenshot 2024-02-23 10.33.49 AM.png (23.1 KiB) Viewed 385 times

[D-train]

Rojas was decent for us but absolutely sucked with the D Backs.

Screenshot 2024-02-23 10.37.12 AM.png (30.01 KiB) Viewed 391 times

[Big_Maple]

Rojas was decent for us but absolutely sucked with the D Backs.

Screenshot 2024-02-23 10.37.12 AM.png

The idea, I guess, is to follow the Rays model: that a platoon at a position will give you similar stats to a single stud at that position. And two "meh" guys will be cheaper than one, expensive stud.

The obvious stud out there that the M's could get is Chapman.

I am not sure platooning will work, though - a Rojas/Urias platoon is not an obvious offensive upgrade. From MLB Trade Rumors:

Since the start of the 2021 season, Chapman has posted a 110 wRC+ over 1824 plate appearances, while Urias has a 107 wRC+ in 1219 PA and Rojas a 99 wRC+ in 1410 PA. Urias and Rojas both hit so poorly in 2023 that it obscures their very solid numbers in the previous two years, albeit in less playing time than Chapman received as a true everyday player with the A’s and Blue Jays.

Chapman's biggest tool is his glove - even as he gets older, he is still a potent defensive weapon (gold and platinum gloves galore).

If the M's weren't stuck in this salary rut, OR if Chapman could be had for a shorter, cheaper contract, I would take him over the Rojas/Urias shitshow any day of the week and twice on Sundays.