Finally! Official Hot Stove League thread!

[Big_Maple]

How I read it is winning a WS isn't what's important, it's winning one with the Angels that makes it important

Weirdly principled.

[Donn Beach]

Might be weird these days but I like it. He signed a contract to play there for a reason. The easy way out as he puts it would be to demand a trade to a team closer to a WS. He doesn't see himself as a mercenary. Like I said, sort of the opposite of ohtani

[GL_Storm]

How I read it is winning a WS isn't what's important, it's winning one with the Angels that makes it important

Weirdly principled.

I kind of doubt it but I guess it's possible. I just think he's pretty comfortable.

[Donn Beach]

That's another way to phrase it. Would he be interested in going to the dodgers to win a WS? He committed to the angels because he likes it there, he's an angel. Going to another team just to win a WS doesn't seem to interest him much

[D-train]

That's another way to phrase it. Would he be interested in going to the dodgers to win a WS? He committed to the angels because he likes it there, he's an angel. Going to another team just to win a WS doesn't seem to interest him much

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.

[GL_Storm]

And since he has a no trade clause, they can't get rid of him unless he wants to be traded. And Trout can't carry the entire franchise on his shoulders. So either he plays his nuts off for the Angels hoping for a miracle, or he wises up and asks to be traded to a team that has a chance of winning their division.

What seems to happen a lot is the team goes to the player with the deal. And this might be what Trout is actually hoping for. In other words, publicly, he says all the right things about wanting to win a championship with the Angels, but in the background the team is working on a deal to one of his favored teams that they'll present to him. And since he lives in South Jersey in the offseason, the Phillies would likely be #1 on his list. The Phillies are above the Luxury Tax threshold, but they might not care about that, or you could see a deal where it's a partial salary swap and the Angels take back maybe Schwarber or Taijuan, or both, and then additional money changes hands in the later years of Trout's contract. Or a similar deal could happen with another team. But there probably are only a few teams that he would accept a trade to and where something can be worked out financially.

[Big_Maple]

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.

[D-train]

Shocking: Hollander says they are basically done adding. 57,937 posts on X debating signing Chapman all for naught..

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2024/02/ ... rgins.html

[Big_Maple]

Shocking: Hollander says they are basically done adding. 57,937 posts on X debating signing Chapman all for naught..

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2024/02/ ... rgins.html

Saw that. Damn him.

This article lists a bunch of other teams that are done for the offseason and unlikely to add more.

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2024/02/ ... omery.html

That really narrows down the market for Boras's last 4 big free agents. Seems like these dudes will likely settle for shorter contracts - possibly weeks after the season has started.

I understand Snell has an offer on the table from the Yanks, but I think the other 3 are still waiting patiently.

[GL_Storm]

Shocking: Hollander says they are basically done adding. 57,937 posts on X debating signing Chapman all for naught..

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2024/02/ ... rgins.html

Saw that. Damn him.

This article lists a bunch of other teams that are done for the offseason and unlikely to add more.

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2024/02/ ... omery.html

That really narrows down the market for Boras's last 4 big free agents. Seems like these dudes will likely settle for shorter contracts - possibly weeks after the season has started.

I understand Snell has an offer on the table from the Yanks, but I think the other 3 are still waiting patiently.

I think we're seeing that the major league money bag has it's limits.