The official Hot Stove League Thread 2025-26 Offseason

[D-train]

I don't know anything about this guy but he's a 6'8" lefty reliever with a good track record: https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/11/ ... ntges.html

Kind of disappointing to not see the Mariners jump on this guy but maybe they know better than I do.

He didn't even pitch last season

[GL_Storm]

I don't know anything about this guy but he's a 6'8" lefty reliever with a good track record: https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/11/ ... ntges.html

Kind of disappointing to not see the Mariners jump on this guy but maybe they know better than I do.

He didn't even pitch last season

You're right! I looked at his B-Ref page but I didn't notice that. I must be getting old.

[Bil522]

I don't know anything about this guy but he's a 6'8" lefty reliever with a good track record: https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/11/ ... ntges.html

Kind of disappointing to not see the Mariners jump on this guy but maybe they know better than I do.

He didn't even pitch last season

You're right! I looked at his B-Ref page but I didn't notice that. I must be getting old.

If you read the article you posted, he may not be ready for the start of the year.

[GL_Storm]

He didn't even pitch last season

You're right! I looked at his B-Ref page but I didn't notice that. I must be getting old.

If you read the article you posted, he may not be ready for the start of the year.

Yeah, I only read the beginning part of it. I'm on a real winning streak tonight.

[HawkandMariner88]

He literally said who he wanted from them in his post.

DT what would Milwaukee want from us. Gotta have one of those 2. You'd think they'd be looking to add salary so I don't know why Randy or Castillo wouldn't work especially for just the one year.

Why would they be looking to ADD salary????

Brewers payroll was lower than ours this year I believe. They could stand to take on 1 year of salary in exchange for a reliever. I was just curious what it would take to pry one of those high leverage guys away I'd figure they'd want a bat in return. Possibly a starter too.

[Donn Beach]

So I thought Id take a look at the Brewers. I don't think they are looking to take on salary. The big question seems to be trading Piralta. It might be a reliever could be had.

Milwaukee's management keeps a close eye, much like all MLB clubs, at its bottom line. Does the club have money to spend on big-time free agents, or do the Brewers have to make a move or two to rectify the problem?

Apparently, Milwaukee is dancing with these questions in mind.

According to a new article from The Athletic, the Brewers are in this quandary once again.

"In what has become an annual rite of autumn, the Milwaukee Brewers are fretting over their payroll, according to people briefed on their plans," according to The Athletic article. "The possibility exists that the team might need to subtract from their roster in order to add.

"Which again raises the question: Will the Brewers trade right-hander Freddy Peralta?"

Peralta's potential trade situation has been documented on Brewers Roundtable recently. He's a stellar starter for Milwaukee and might get a good price on the market.

"After right-hander Brandon Woodruff accepted the team’s one-year, $22.025 million qualifying offer, both owner Mark Attanasio and general manager Matt Arnold said they were excited about the rotation, indicating they did not view Woodruff’s decision as a prelude to moving Peralto," according to the article.

"At a salary of $8 million, Peralta is attractive not just to interested clubs, but also to the Brewers. A trade of closer Trevor Megill would save Milwaukee a projected $4.2 million in arbitration, according to MLB Trade Rumors, while a trade of righty reliever Nick Mears would save $1.6 million," The Athletic article continues.

"The Brewers likely would not trade both. And neither salary is particularly significant."

The article rounds out the Milwaukee discussion by saying, "The best way to create payroll flexibility, then, might be for the Brewers to re-sign Woodruff to a multi-year contract at a lower average annual value. Such a deal also would protect the team against the expected loss of Peralta as a free agent at the end of the season."

[HawkandMariner88]

So I thought Id take a look at the Brewers. I don't think they are looking to take on salary. The big question seems to be trading Piralta. It might be a reliever could be had.

Milwaukee's management keeps a close eye, much like all MLB clubs, at its bottom line. Does the club have money to spend on big-time free agents, or do the Brewers have to make a move or two to rectify the problem?

Apparently, Milwaukee is dancing with these questions in mind.

According to a new article from The Athletic, the Brewers are in this quandary once again.

"In what has become an annual rite of autumn, the Milwaukee Brewers are fretting over their payroll, according to people briefed on their plans," according to The Athletic article. "The possibility exists that the team might need to subtract from their roster in order to add.

"Which again raises the question: Will the Brewers trade right-hander Freddy Peralta?"

Peralta's potential trade situation has been documented on Brewers Roundtable recently. He's a stellar starter for Milwaukee and might get a good price on the market.

"After right-hander Brandon Woodruff accepted the team’s one-year, $22.025 million qualifying offer, both owner Mark Attanasio and general manager Matt Arnold said they were excited about the rotation, indicating they did not view Woodruff’s decision as a prelude to moving Peralto," according to the article.

"At a salary of $8 million, Peralta is attractive not just to interested clubs, but also to the Brewers. A trade of closer Trevor Megill would save Milwaukee a projected $4.2 million in arbitration, according to MLB Trade Rumors, while a trade of righty reliever Nick Mears would save $1.6 million," The Athletic article continues.

"The Brewers likely would not trade both. And neither salary is particularly significant."

The article rounds out the Milwaukee discussion by saying, "The best way to create payroll flexibility, then, might be for the Brewers to re-sign Woodruff to a multi-year contract at a lower average annual value. Such a deal also would protect the team against the expected loss of Peralta as a free agent at the end of the season."

Give me Mcgill or Uribe that's it.

[Donn Beach]

Look at cazone

That's pretty wild, there's a particular sweet spot you want to avoid pitching him

One in five pitches a lefty batter sees is over an interior square of the strike zone that stretches from middle-middle to up-and-in. Here are the three best batters of 2025 by xwOBA on these pitches:

Shohei Ohtani - .545
Juan Soto - .520
Dominic Canzone - .515
By actual wOBA, no batter was better in the region than Canzone. It didn’t matter if it was a fastball on his hands or a hanging slider at the belt, if it was there, he punished it. It’s an approach that made him massively productive in 2025. His 141 wRC+ was 15th among batters with at least 200 plate appearances.

On pitches that weren’t in that zone, however, Canzone was average or worse.

The Tigers and Blue Jays knew this. They attacked the holes in his swing to shut him down in the postseason. Most of his at bats ended on pitches low and/or away.

https://www.lookoutlanding.com/seattle- ... an-he-must

Hollander on Young

The Mariners got a taste of the rookie highs and lows last year when debuting Young, their first-round pick in the 2022 MLB Draft. While Young’s .211/.302/.305 slash line for a .607 OPS in 77 games was not dazzling, Hollander saw his progression after a 1-for-19 start pay off in both his development and contribution to the team.

“He made an adjustment and had a great six or seven weeks where he was in control of the strike zone,” Hollander said. “He played good defense. He was a sort of a vital cog in the bottom half of our lineup.”

Hollander acknowledged Young appeared to run out of gas following a nice run that ended in mid-August (and included the longest home run by any Mariners player in 2025).

“Cole Young last year is a great example of giving guys a little room, getting some benefits, and also understanding that maybe he did run out of gas a little bit at the end and being willing to adjust appropriately,” Hollander said. “We were fortunate enough that we (had Jorge Polanco), we have Leo Rivas that could go give him some room to breathe. And as we got into the playoffs, we weren’t counting on him to go catch his breath again.

“I’m confident next year when we get into the season that he will have caught his breath, he will have made the next adjustment, and he will be off and running. But you kind of have to have that balance.”

[Donn Beach]

Mariners are supposedly comparing Colt Emerson to Jrod. He could have that sort of impact in spring training. If they really are that high on him it seem hard to really commit to another bat beyond getting polanco signed. Or leaving it at Naylor and calling it good. Another Corey Seager, hype him like that they can rationalize not adding an additional bat

Rodríguez left little doubt during spring training, earning the opening-day job as the Mariners’ center fielder and, soon enough, becoming the face of the franchise. (You know the rest.)

Four years later, the Mariners are now taking the same tack with another precocious prospect, 20-year-old Colt Emerson.

The Mariners are convinced Emerson is that good, and they want to give him the chance in spring training to convince them he’s ready for an everyday role with the big-league club in 2026.

Long term, Emerson is widely viewed as J.P. Crawford’s successor at shortstop. Emerson is the Mariners’ No. 1 prospect and generally ranked as a top-10 prospect in the sport, drawing comparisons to Texas All-Star shortstop Corey Seager from some in the scouting community.

Short term, the Mariners are open to the idea of Emerson starting 2026 as their third baseman, potentially succeeding veteran free-agent Eugenio Suárez and supplanting 25-year-old defensive wizard Ben Williamson.

Emerson could also be in the mix at second base, along with 22-year-old Cole Young and the switch-hitting Leo Rivas (and any other expected roster additions this winter)

https://www.seattletimes.com/sports/mar ... son-plans/

I hadn't realized the Corey seager comp

AI Overview



Colt Emerson is a top prospect for the Seattle Mariners who is frequently compared to MLB star Corey Seager by scouts and the media. The comparison stems from Emerson's potential and skills, though some caution that it's a high bar for the young prospect. Corey Seager is an established MLB superstar who has won multiple World Series MVP awards.

[desbcoach]

DT what would Milwaukee want from us. Gotta have one of those 2. You'd think they'd be looking to add salary so I don't know why Randy or Castillo wouldn't work especially for just the one year.

Why would they be looking to ADD salary????

Brewers payroll was lower than ours this year I believe. They could stand to take on 1 year of salary in exchange for a reliever. I was just curious what it would take to pry one of those high leverage guys away I'd figure they'd want a bat in return. Possibly a starter too.

1. Financial constraints in Milwaukee

Will Sammon, Ken Rosenthal, and Katie Woo of The Athletic dropped a report yesterday about Milwaukee’s payroll concerns heading into next season. The trio wondered if financial challenges could lead to a Freddy Peralta deal. The right-hander is in the final year of his contract and is slated to make $8MM next season. Brandon Woodruff’s acceptance of the qualifying offer gives the Brewers another option in the rotation if they move Peralta, though both Brewers owner Mark Attanasio and president of baseball operations Matt Arnold described Woodruff’s return and a potential Peralta trade as “independent decisions.” There have been several instances of Milwaukee trading star players before they hit free agency, including Josh Hader, Corbin Burnes, and Devin Williams.