Finally! Official Hot Stove League Thread

[D-train]

RE: D-Train

I'm trying to find ways for the M's to offload bad payroll + get rid of the logjam of nobodies we have in left field. There are some decent BP power arms with 1 year left of control who wouldn't take a ton to trade for and accomplish the goal of getting rid of Flexen/Marco + moving some dead roster weight like TT, Winker, etc.

Alvarado: He throws 99-101 with a 95 mph cutter. He had a 1.92 FIP w. one of the worst D's in baseball playing behind him. He fired a 2.81 ERA on the road and struggled a bit more at home with a 3.55 ERA in what is the 4th hardest ballpark to pitch in. This reared it's head even worse in 2021 with a 5.33 home ERA compared to 3.14 on the road. Something tells me coming to SafeCo would bring that home ERA way down and he'd have a killer year. In the trade you move TT who I'm just over... you shed $8 million from Flexen and get rid of sort of a middling bullpen prospect who should entice PHI due to the control they'd have. Not to mention the M's would net $4 million in the deal that they could use to land another reliever in f/a. It just seems like an awesome move to augment a bullpen for a year by not giving up a ton.

Barnes: The trade is simply a 1-to-1 swap of bad contracts. The M's don't want to be paying Marco a combined $19 million over the next 2 seasons. Is Barnes still a star? No. But he's also been drilled by pitching at Fenway. He had a 5.14 ERA at home this season compared to a 3.38 ERA on the road. Same thing happened in 2021 where he had a 4.50 home ERA and a 2.78 road ERA... again, seems like a guy who would really thrive pitching at SafeCo. He still throws 95-98 mph. Taking Barnes on nets the M's an $11ish million net gain in '23/'24.

Lowe: I don't really care who it is that the M's trade for Lowe so long as the move gets done. I will say that I prefer to keep the power arms over Dollard. I would prefer to keep players who are somewhat closer to helping the Mariners than players who are 4-5 years out. I like Montez but the kid literally just turned 18. I still think Moore is overvalued and I viewed him as more of a throw in for this deal... I'm not really operating under the assumption that JP is either so bad or injured that the M's need an emergency SS... but Sam Haggerty was literally a shortstop in college. Even if Lowe comes to Seattle and is a .750 OPS hitter with a 115 OPS+ who hits 20-25 bombs we've significantly upgraded the position and have 3 more years of somewhat cheap control past 2023.

Thanks for the Elaboration. Makes sense.

[Seattle or Bust]

You guys aren't going to love the Jerry interview today...

Sounds like Kelenic in left.

Sounds like he still believes in Abrahamas Shitto.

Called Teoscar their "top" trade target. Not saying that's wrong... but all this screams...

"WE'RE GOING TO BE CHEAP YET AGAIN! HAVE FUN!!!"

[D-train]

Coming up on the four year anniversary of JD's last FA Position player signing. The $1.75M Mega 1 year mega deal.

[D-train]

You guys aren't going to love the Jerry interview today...

Sounds like Kelenic in left.

Sounds like he still believes in Abrahamas Shitto.

Called Teoscar their "top" trade target. Not saying that's wrong... but all this screams...

"WE'RE GOING TO BE CHEAP YET AGAIN! HAVE FUN!!!"

F-ing unreal and not surprising at the same time.

[ddraig]

You guys aren't going to love the Jerry interview today...

Sounds like Kelenic in left.

Sounds like he still believes in Abrahamas Shitto.

Called Teoscar their "top" trade target. Not saying that's wrong... but all this screams...

"WE'RE GOING TO BE CHEAP YET AGAIN! HAVE FUN!!!"

No. Their plan is to HOPE and PRAY that the team who won 14 in a row can win enough games to get to 95 or 100. Faith, trust, and Pixie Dust.

[bpj]

I get the feeling that some here would have been happier if the Mariners added a star SS bat and then a solid contributor in the OF instead of the other way around.

Hernandez + Wong = 245 combined wRC+ in 2022 for a total cost of $24M

Bogaerts + Haniger = 247 combined wRC+ in 2022 for a total cost of $300M

They're going about it the right way imo.

[D-train]

I get the feeling that some here would have been happier if the Mariners added a star SS bat and then a solid contributor in the OF instead of the other way around.

Hernandez + Wong = 245 combined wRC+ in 2022 for a total cost of $24M

Bogaerts + Haniger = 247 combined wRC+ in 2022 for a total cost of $300M

They're going about it the right way imo.

I need to listen to the the interview but it was the JK in LF and believing in Toro comment that I was reacting to.

[desbcoach]

I get the feeling that some here would have been happier if the Mariners added a star SS bat and then a solid contributor in the OF instead of the other way around.

Hernandez + Wong = 245 combined wRC+ in 2022 for a total cost of $24M

Bogaerts + Haniger = 247 combined wRC+ in 2022 for a total cost of $300M

They're going about it the right way imo.

I need to listen to the the interview but it was the JK in LF and believing in Toro comment that I was reacting to.

I believe in Toro to not be worth a shit. He has had a lot of time, cannot play third with out putting 1st in danger with his arm. Reminds of Zunino with bat except no power. Hits for a bit and then forgets how to hit

[Big_Maple]

I believe in Toro to not be worth a shit. He has had a lot of time, cannot play third with out putting 1st in danger with his arm. Reminds of Zunino with bat except no power. Hits for a bit and then forgets how to hit

Toro seems only to be motivated to hit when playing the Astros. That's nice and all, but I'd like someone who doesn't look like a caveman swinging a club the other 90% of the games we play.

Je pense que tu pues, Toro.

[Seattle or Bust]

I get the feeling that some here would have been happier if the Mariners added a star SS bat and then a solid contributor in the OF instead of the other way around.

Hernandez + Wong = 245 combined wRC+ in 2022 for a total cost of $24M

Bogaerts + Haniger = 247 combined wRC+ in 2022 for a total cost of $300M

They're going about it the right way imo.

I love the Teo trade. Patiently waiting on an extension.

What I don't love is Jerry calling Teo "the big trade" of the off season. The trade was for a guy that had a sub $10 million value on MLBTV... that's the big trade?

If they're unwilling to fork over the cash to sign another big bat, whether that be the big SS's or another corner OF, how else are they going to add significantly at 2B or LF if not by trade?

Why Kolten Wong and why not Brandon Lowe? I hate that Wong was the name that got leaked... that should be a blip on the radar addition that pales in comparison to who they then add in left field if they're going the cheap route at 2B.

Why not try to pry Reynolds from the Pirates?

The team knows it just entered its contention window. Why do they continually aim so low and communicate that as their intention?