MLB Hot Stove

[YankeesFanboy]

Well, the World Series is over and the offseason has officially begun. GM Meetings take place in a little more than a week with the Winter Meetings to follow a month later.

The Hot Stove will soon be heating up. Who do you think your team will sign? Let's start talking baseball!

 

[MoMo]

Cubs will no doubt go after Lester. Especially since they don't have to give up a draft pick to sign him.

 

[YankeesFanboy]

Are you a Cubs fan? What do you think of the Maddon signing?

 

[Grenouille]

-Firstly, the Sox need starting pitching. The rumor mill is saying they're going to be in big for James Shields. That's a take it or leave it proposition for me. He's an inning eater, but not exactly top of the rotation guy. Personally, I'd love to see Lester back, but I think that ship sailed when they failed to sign an extension.

-Pablo Sandoval's name is coming up quiet a bit in Boston. I wouldn't hate this move as long as it's in the 3-5 year range.

-Koji Uehara got 2/18 to come back. I really didn't like this move. The guy will be 40 right around opening day and showed signs of slipping last year. We'll always have '13, but I think we've seen the best of Koji already.

-I'm not a Maddon fan, but I think the Cubs made a hell of deal there. The guy knows how to get the most out of a young team which is exactly what he'll have in Chicago.

-Tampa is sinking again. Stu Sternberg is talking Montreal which would be great. I'd love a MTL team in the AL East. Another park for Sox fans to take over. Now it's a question of if they can get out of the lease in St. Pete.

 

[MoMo]

I think the Maddon signing was perfect. I never saw Renteria as the guy that was going to take them deep. The only reason the had to bring in Renteria was because Dale Sveum was so incompetent that the younger players on the roster (Rizzo and Castro) were regressing.

So they just needed someone to cultivate the youth without destroying until they got to point where they were ready to compete.

 

[YankeesFanboy]

-Firstly, the Sox need starting pitching. The rumor mill is saying they're going to be in big for James Shields. That's a take it or leave it proposition for me. He's an inning eater, but not exactly top of the rotation guy. Personally, I'd love to see Lester back, but I think that ship sailed when they failed to sign an extension.

-Pablo Sandoval's name is coming up quiet a bit in Boston. I wouldn't hate this move as long as it's in the 3-5 year range.

-Koji Uehara got 2/18 to come back. I really didn't like this move. The guy will be 40 right around opening day and showed signs of slipping last year. We'll always have '13, but I think we've seen the best of Koji already.

-I'm not a Maddon fan, but I think the Cubs made a hell of deal there. The guy knows how to get the most out of a young team which is exactly what he'll have in Chicago.

-Tampa is sinking again. Stu Sternberg is talking Montreal which would be great. I'd love a MTL team in the AL East. Another park for Sox fans to take over. Now it's a question of if they can get out of the lease in St. Pete.

James Shield is going to be a very pricy third-fourth starter. Also, when do you think Sandoval's poor health will finally begin to betray him?

I think the Maddon signing was perfect. I never saw Renteria as the guy that was going to take them deep. The only reason the had to bring in Renteria was because Dale Sveum was so incompetent that the younger players on the roster (Rizzo and Castro) were regressing.

So they just needed someone to cultivate the youth without destroying until they got to point where they were ready to compete.

Million dollar question - Do Theo/Maddon bring a title to the North Side?

 

[MoMo]

If the kids pan out, then maybe. It's so hard to say when you're relying on youth. Though Kris Bryant looks like a franchise changing hitter.

First and foremost they need elite starting pitching.

 

[YankeesFanboy]

I'm terrified the Yanks give Scherzer a $200+ million deal and he blows his arm out two years from now.

 

[MoMo]

The thing about Scherzer is that he's nothing more than the best long reliever in baseball. I say that because he never goes any deeper than 6 inn per game. With that in mind low innings will preserve his arm.

 

[Grenouille]

James Shield is going to be a very pricy third-fourth starter. Also, when do you think Sandoval's poor health will finally begin to betray him?

That's my exact feeling on Shields. Whatever he signs for it'll be too much. Also, the "Big-Game James" name needs to go away especially after this post-season. Sandoval is hard to project. I think 3 would be preferable taking through his age 31 season, but I'm sure he wants more. In the end you want to avoid something too long where a big guy has broken down and you're stuck like the Phils with Ryan Howard.

I'm terrified the Yanks give Scherzer a $200+ million deal and he blows his arm out two years from now.

I'm willing to bet the Yanks may be in on Lester if for nothing else to murk things up for the Sox. I wouldn't be shocked if the Yankees also give Kenta Maeda a look if he gets posted. Tanaka certainly helped take away the sting Kei Igawa left.

 

[YankeesFanboy]

That's my exact feeling on Shields. Whatever he signs for it'll be too much. Also, the "Big-Game James" name needs to go away especially after this post-season. Sandoval is hard to project. I think 3 would be preferable taking through his age 31 season, but I'm sure he wants more. In the end you want to avoid something too long where a big guy has broken down and you're stuck like the Phils with Ryan Howard.



I'm willing to bet the Yanks may be in on Lester if for nothing else to murk things up for the Sox. I wouldn't be shocked if the Yankees also give Kenta Maeda a look if he gets posted. Tanaka certainly helped take away the sting Kei Igawa left.

The health of Tanaka's arm worries me. Where do you think Lester ends up? Is Boston out of the question.

 

[YankeesFanboy]

The thing about Scherzer is that he's nothing more than the best long reliever in baseball. I say that because he never goes any deeper than 6 inn per game. With that in mind low innings will preserve his arm.

It seems like he mentally? shuts down as soon as he hits 100 pitches. Couldn't he at least throw another 10 or 15?

 

[imthebestatwhatido]

I would love to see Lester back, but I really doubt it. I don't want shields or hamels ( Philly is reportedly shopping him along with others). Cespedas didn't really impress me all that much for the short time he was here. Plus management is already starting the usual smear campaign that the coaches dislike his commitment and work ethic. Laying the ground work to ship him out of town per usual. I am not too optimistic about our off season. On a side note congrats San Fran hell of a series!

 

[azurepred]

I think it's fairly obvious SF needs starting pitching. Hudson and Peavy weren't any good in the postseason. Time for them to retire, which I bet at least one of them will. They will have Cain back. As long as they don't overpay to keep Panda, I would welcome him back, he's defn a fan fav. He's always upped his game in the Postseason and he's been a solid defender at his size.

 

[yodasan]

It would be fun to see Panda back but it might make more sense for him to go to an AL team and become a DH. In the long run the Giants should spend the money on starting pitching which as you say they really need for next year. After MadBum and Cain who can they rely on? maybe Petit and thats about it. Then again, 2015 is an odd year so it doesn't really matter what they do.

 

[YankeesFanboy]

Panda is indeed postseason-proven, but the Giants likely got most, if not all, of his productive seasons. Let some other team overpay him.

 

[azurepred]

they learned their lesson with Barry Zito , but one could argue they got their moneys worth with his 2012 Postseason wins.

 

[Grenouille]

The health of Tanaka's arm worries me. Where do you think Lester ends up? Is Boston out of the question.

I don't think it's completely out of the question, just unlikely. There may be some bad feelings left over from the extension negotiations from earlier this year. As to where he lands, that's tough. The easy guess would be the highest bidder. If I had to pick a team I'd go with the Cubs.

 

[The Josh]

The Cards I think need to add a bat to the LU and one more pitcher. I think the Royals need to basically do the same. Hopefully it happens and a pretty damn good October can be more and more a regular in KC.

 

[Rambler]

Brewers took care of a need by trading for Adam Lind. Not bad IMO. Now all we need to do is trade Carlos Gomez. I can't stand him. He's not a "smart" baseball player and his stock will never be higher.

As a brewers fan, I hate seeing the Cubs getting better. They will be a force in the division soon.