So it begins, The official Hot Stove League Thread 2024-25 Offseason

[Donn Beach]

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I would love Lowe but why would they trade him?

You'd have to pay through the nose one would think. Seems to be rumored Texas could look to save money but they don't seem to have a particular replacement. So then the rangers would be looking for a first baseman. I can't see why they would do it either

[Seattle or Bust]

Isn't it the same sort of criticism Crawford and Jrod would receive?

I don't think JP Crawford's attitude goes to that level. He's also not super far removed from a similar fate if he keeps up the bullshit performance that he put up last year.

Julio =/= France. One is a superstar projected to put up a HOF career. The other is an overweight, 1-tool 34th round draft pick. They've invested in Julio, France... no.

Does Julio need to mature up? I only said that about 1,000 times last year. I'm sure there are people in the M's clubhouse who thinks he needs to focus up a bit more. He turned it on last year when he gave up some of the kid shit... came off the heels of playing like dogshit and he did indeed put his head down.

[D-train]

Isn't it the same sort of criticism Crawford and Jrod would receive?

Yes might be a team culture thing that SS put up with. I wonder if things changed when he was canned.

[Seattle or Bust]

Isn't it the same sort of criticism Crawford and Jrod would receive?

Yes might be a team culture thing that SS put up with. I wonder if things changed when he was canned.

They are seemingly giving up on some of the class clowns if the performance isn't there.

Ty France, Jesse Winker, Geno Suarez...

Divish is on record saying the M's were pissed at Winker's lack of drive and attitude about his performance. Divish is on record saying the M's were pissed that Geno came into camp prior to the '23 season out of shape and was a reason why they decided to move on from him.

Thinking the M's aren't critical of players who seemingly don't care much about their performance is odd. I guarantee you France getting axed had a lot to do with attitude combined w. poor performance.

[Pharmabro]

Last year the M's had several big moves around the Holidays:

Thanksgiving was the Saurez deal

Make a gift day was the JK, Marco, white deal with Atl

Garver was in-between Xmas and New Years

Just after the New Year the Raley and Raley deals booth happened on the 5th

MLK Day was announced by about 20 IFA's and kinda dumpster dive FA signings plus Samad Taylor trade

Ground Hog Day celebrated the incoming of Gregory Santos

What are the odds the M's push something significant across the finish line in the next 2 weeks?

50-50?

[GL_Storm]

characterizing goofing off as being aloof?

Uninterested? Yes.

When it happens every day, your performance is suffering, and you're seemingly not in the head space to man up and compete... I'll call it aloof.

If your career was in jeopardy... would you not show up to the park, put your head down, quit the kid shit, and get to work?

This is the same level of analysis as blaming bad team performance on "clubhouse chemistry" or not having enough older players in the clubhouse to provide "veteran leadership". It's just pure confirmation bias. Now, if there was some hint of reporting that the Mariners weren't happy with the player's work ethic, then I might buy it. And that might still come out. Divish sometimes holds onto these things and then mentions something offhand on his podcast a year later. It's possible. But right now this is just you looking at a player and connecting those aspects of his personality that don't match with your internal mental model of what a baseball player should act like to that same player's problems at the plate.

And what's especially stupid about this is that the opposite interpretation of the player's demeanor is equally plausible, that the reason he's "goofing off" and not being so deadly serious all the time is because he knows he's running out of time to turn it around and he's desperately trying to keep his head up.

[D-train]

Last year the M's had several big moves around the Holidays:

Thanksgiving was the Saurez deal

Make a gift day was the JK, Marco, white deal with Atl

Garver was in-between Xmas and New Years

Just after the New Year the Raley and Raley deals booth happened on the 5th

MLK Day was announced by about 20 IFA's and kinda dumpster dive FA signings plus Samad Taylor trade

Ground Hog Day celebrated the incoming of Gregory Santos

What are the odds the M's push something significant across the finish line in the next 2 weeks?

50-50?

And last off season all their moves were on days of the week that ended in "day" so I predict if a move is made that will happen again. That is about as meaningful as what you just posted.

[Seattle or Bust]

characterizing goofing off as being aloof?

Uninterested? Yes.

When it happens every day, your performance is suffering, and you're seemingly not in the head space to man up and compete... I'll call it aloof.

If your career was in jeopardy... would you not show up to the park, put your head down, quit the kid shit, and get to work?

This is the same level of analysis as blaming bad team performance on "clubhouse chemistry" or not having enough older players in the clubhouse to provide "veteran leadership". It's just pure confirmation bias. Now, if there was some hint of reporting that the Mariners weren't happy with the player's work ethic, then I might buy it. And that might still come out. Divish sometimes holds onto these things and then mentions something offhand on his podcast a year later. It's possible. But right now this is just you looking at a player and connecting those aspects of his personality that don't match with your internal mental model of what a baseball player should act like to that same player's problems at the plate.

And what's especially stupid about this is that the opposite interpretation of the player's demeanor is equally plausible, that the reason he's "goofing off" and not being so deadly serious all the time is because he knows he's running out of time to turn it around and he's desperately trying to keep his head up.

Divish protects guys he likes and dishes on those he doesn’t.

Pretending he’s some objective reporter is funny.

And how did him acting like a 9 year old turn out? DFA’d, traded, then a worse 2nd half performance with the Reds.

Be an athlete. Be a man. Perform.

Anything else is just an annoyance. You know what I liked about the 90’s M’s? Plenty of jokes to be had off the field. The second they stepped on the diamond, all business.