Finally! Official Hot Stove League Thread

[D-train]

The AThletic
https://theathletic.com/3779965/2022/11 ... a-yoshida/
Highlights
top BB/K ratio in NPB
1. Masataka Yoshida — 1.95
2. Toshiro Miyazaki — 1.26
3. Munetaka Murakami — 0.92

He is #2 in both highest walk rate and lowest K rate.

I think extreme plate discipline translates well.

He did not initially excite me because in near 800 games 21 steals/ 10 caught
He is listed at 5'8" 176# and has a .212 ISO but is that power going to translate to Safeco?

There is a cool video where he upper tanks one in the Japan series.

Last year a lot of us had Suzuki on the wish list and he was a 2 WAR 116 OPS+ player in Cubbie land.

.327 .421 .539 .960 Yoshida 7 NPB seasons
.315 .414 .570 .985 Suzuki 9 NPB seasons

And Suzuki left after age 27 (RH) vs Yoshida LH will be leaving after age 28 season. So there is one more older age season for Yoshida and 2 more really young years for Suzuki. I would think you would have to discount Yoshida a bit between the age and slightly lower performance.

Yoshida is a Harper Phanatic so maybe a moot point.

[Seattle or Bust]

The AThletic
https://theathletic.com/3779965/2022/11 ... a-yoshida/
Highlights
top BB/K ratio in NPB
1. Masataka Yoshida — 1.95
2. Toshiro Miyazaki — 1.26
3. Munetaka Murakami — 0.92

He is #2 in both highest walk rate and lowest K rate.

I think extreme plate discipline translates well.

He did not initially excite me because in near 800 games 21 steals/ 10 caught
He is listed at 5'8" 176# and has a .212 ISO but is that power going to translate to Safeco?

There is a cool video where he upper tanks one in the Japan series.

Last year a lot of us had Suzuki on the wish list and he was a 2 WAR 116 OPS+ player in Cubbie land.

.327 .421 .539 .960 Yoshida 7 NPB seasons
.315 .414 .570 .985 Suzuki 9 NPB seasons

And Suzuki left after age 27 (RH) vs Yoshida LH will be leaving after age 28 season. So there is one more older age season for Yoshida and 2 more really young years for Suzuki. I would think you would have to discount Yoshida a bit between the age and slightly lower performance.

Yoshida is a Harper Phanatic so maybe a moot point.

If he's part of the 2x OF bats Jerry has talked about, I would have no problem... so long as that other OF bat is an impact player. Trade for Bryan Reynolds and Brandon Lowe + sign Yoshida? Sign me the F up. We'd have our new leadoff and no. 2 hitters in the lineup.

I'm just worried that Yoshida would be viewed as THE move... which tends to happen with this FO.

Saw a clip of Herold Reynolds who was not high on the idea of the M's adding Nimmo. He wants the M's to seek power in the corner OF and thinks Nimmo isn't really a match for the current makeup of the lineup. Not that he's a particularly strong authority, but he reacted pretty negatively to it. I have to imagine he'd think the same for Yoshida if these are the BIG moves.

[D-train]

The AThletic
https://theathletic.com/3779965/2022/11 ... a-yoshida/
Highlights
top BB/K ratio in NPB
1. Masataka Yoshida — 1.95
2. Toshiro Miyazaki — 1.26
3. Munetaka Murakami — 0.92

He is #2 in both highest walk rate and lowest K rate.

I think extreme plate discipline translates well.

He did not initially excite me because in near 800 games 21 steals/ 10 caught
He is listed at 5'8" 176# and has a .212 ISO but is that power going to translate to Safeco?

There is a cool video where he upper tanks one in the Japan series.

Last year a lot of us had Suzuki on the wish list and he was a 2 WAR 116 OPS+ player in Cubbie land.

.327 .421 .539 .960 Yoshida 7 NPB seasons
.315 .414 .570 .985 Suzuki 9 NPB seasons

And Suzuki left after age 27 (RH) vs Yoshida LH will be leaving after age 28 season. So there is one more older age season for Yoshida and 2 more really young years for Suzuki. I would think you would have to discount Yoshida a bit between the age and slightly lower performance.

Yoshida is a Harper Phanatic so maybe a moot point.

This is Pharmabro's post btw.

[D-train]

The AThletic
https://theathletic.com/3779965/2022/11 ... a-yoshida/
Highlights
top BB/K ratio in NPB
1. Masataka Yoshida — 1.95
2. Toshiro Miyazaki — 1.26
3. Munetaka Murakami — 0.92

He is #2 in both highest walk rate and lowest K rate.

I think extreme plate discipline translates well.

He did not initially excite me because in near 800 games 21 steals/ 10 caught
He is listed at 5'8" 176# and has a .212 ISO but is that power going to translate to Safeco?

There is a cool video where he upper tanks one in the Japan series.

Last year a lot of us had Suzuki on the wish list and he was a 2 WAR 116 OPS+ player in Cubbie land.

.327 .421 .539 .960 Yoshida 7 NPB seasons
.315 .414 .570 .985 Suzuki 9 NPB seasons

And Suzuki left after age 27 (RH) vs Yoshida LH will be leaving after age 28 season. So there is one more older age season for Yoshida and 2 more really young years for Suzuki. I would think you would have to discount Yoshida a bit between the age and slightly lower performance.

Yoshida is a Harper Phanatic so maybe a moot point.

If he's part of the 2x OF bats Jerry has talked about, I would have no problem... so long as that other OF bat is an impact player. Trade for Bryan Reynolds and Brandon Lowe + sign Yoshida? Sign me the F up. We'd have our new leadoff and no. 2 hitters in the lineup.

I'm just worried that Yoshida would be viewed as THE move... which tends to happen with this FO.

Saw a clip of Herold Reynolds who was not high on the idea of the M's adding Nimmo. He wants the M's to seek power in the corner OF and thinks Nimmo isn't really a match for the current makeup of the lineup. Not that he's a particularly strong authority, but he reacted pretty negatively to it. I have to imagine he'd think the same for Yoshida if these are the BIG moves.

Have you seen Nimmo's splits?? Citifield is as bad for lefties as T Mobile is for righties:

bn.JPG (27.45 KiB) Viewed 462 times

[D-train]

True power in the available OF bats is Judge and that's it. I guess Teoscar or Renfroe in a trade are options.

[D-train]

Arkins on the SSs.

https://prospectinsider.com/mariners-sh ... y-swanson/

[D-train]

[GL_Storm]

I think the reason they gave JP all that money is so they have an excuse to not pursue one of the shortstops. My guess is that fundamentally, JD views contracts like the Corey Seager deal as a trap, and I have a hard time disagreeing with that. The Seager deal in particular is such a massive overpay for an above average player that gets hurt a lot. The other shortstop contracts last year were more reasonable but still overpays. Texas will get a lot more for their money on the Semien contract than they will with Seager.

[bpj]

I had heard Rizzo was accepting the QO.

If he doesn't, he'd look great as DH/1B for us.

[D-train]