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

[Sexymarinersfan]

I honestly think it would take an act of congress or a class action lawsuit to make them change their ways or sell the team. They look at attendance and think, why should we change///

If this is their stance going into 2025, I'm not attending a single game this season.

I will be going to a game in Anaheim.

And I'm happy for you. Glad that you can still stomach them, because I refuse to.

[D-train]

It is still baseball which I love. I am not going to cut off my nose to spite my face and deprive myself of the game because of those pricks. Besides the offseason isn't over. We could sign Bregman Alonso and Sasaki tomorrow.

[DavidGee24]

It is still baseball which I love. I am not going to cut off my nose to spite my face and deprive myself of the game because of those pricks. Besides the offseason isn't over. We could sign Bregman Alonso and Sasaki tomorrow.

You misspelled...well, as soon as I think of three scrubs I'll list them. And we will DEFINITELY go to a game.

[Hasslecracked]

89 pages in and all we have to show for it is an overrated former prospect we once traded away

[Pharmabro]

Another day, another day of nothing!

46 Days until game 1 of Spring Training!

[Donn Beach]

It is still baseball which I love. I am not going to cut off my nose to spite my face and deprive myself of the game because of those pricks. Besides the offseason isn't over. We could sign Bregman Alonso and Sasaki tomorrow.

You'd be attending an angel's game

[Pharmabro]

There looks like a lot of reports/pods speculating on Castillo to Baltimore trade.

The bats mentioned with no sourcing include:
1B/3B Mayo #8 overall prospect. He flopped in his first exposure to MLB.

1B Ryan Mountcastle 114 OPS+ career 6.6M in 2025 and one more arbitration year in 2026

And the pitchers they were speculating going back for #5 duty in Seattle was:

Dean Kremer 94 ERA+ career with 3.5M in his 1st of 3 arbitration seasons (0.5 WAR in 24 starts in 2024)
or
Cade Povich He was worth -0.5 WAR in 16 starts at the MLB level. He was not a good prospect from what I read (4.36 ERA in 71 games across 4 years in the minors) but has options and is pre-arb controlled and happens to be a lefty.


I could see a deal coming together here. Luis makes 22.5M but is worthy of making playoff starts and if you pull Kremer out and his 3.5M and Mountcastle who will make 6.6M in 2025 that is 10.1M so there is only 12.4 difference in 2025 and that shrinks every year.

I think the better deal for the M's would be to get Mayo coming back, He is the #8 overall prospect at a position of need. #1 3B prospect in MLB.com.

Mayo has a 46.3M trade calc. and Kremer is about 14M. Luis is around 8M.

I think based on the contracts signed this year that Luis as a 120 ERA+ career guy has a soft evaluation. Kremer is coming off a 0.5WAR 92 ERA+ year. I think 14M is spar value is a little high. And Mayo was garbage in MLB in 42 ABS. So, instead of 52M in value let's basically 1/2 it and throw in Evans at 13M and send 13M in cash over the next 3 years to help cover Castillo.

With this done, the 19M added gets you to 35-40M. That would allow you to go big, Pete Alonso+ AJ Minter, or Lowe, Yandy, and AJ Minter.

[Pharmabro]

The Baltimore trade with Mountcastle and Kremer. The trade calc says 14M and 9MM vs 8M for Luis. I think Kremer has basically a zero value. He was worth 0.5 WAR last year and is slated for a 3.5M dollar salary. I would not be willing to send much if any cash. But I would do it so adding 12.4M would make my budget around 30M, and I could go get Yandy, Lowe, and AJ Minter with that. OR, Brandon Donavan, Bohm, and AJ.

I think Kremer could be a place holder until Evans comes up. And I really don't see him with the M's even though he could be controlled for 3 years.

[Pharmabro]

And another trade partner option for Haniger has emerged. Miami is under the same pressure from the players union as Oakland is to put the roster together at a min of 100M.

Roster resource has them at 82,846,667 for salary tax purposes. Haniger has a perfect amount to add to the payroll to put them over the edge.

[GL_Storm]

The Baltimore trade with Mountcastle and Kremer. The trade calc says 14M and 9MM vs 8M for Luis. I think Kremer has basically a zero value. He was worth 0.5 WAR last year and is slated for a 3.5M dollar salary. I would not be willing to send much if any cash. But I would do it so adding 12.4M would make my budget around 30M, and I could go get Yandy, Lowe, and AJ Minter with that. OR, Brandon Donavan, Bohm, and AJ.

I think Kremer could be a place holder until Evans comes up. And I really don't see him with the M's even though he could be controlled for 3 years.

I would veto Kremer in the deal just because of his name. But really, he and Povich are basically nothing replacement-level players. I would much rather get a prospect from their system than either one of them. Hancock can take the #5 slot, or maybe Evans. Or you can just sign some guy.