Hot Stove 2013-2014

[Northern Star]

30M would leave 7/138.

That's still a lot for a one dimensional player. He has no defense and no base running skills.

 

Ergo, the highest-paid designated hitter in history. Good job, Detroit.

[Palodios]

... taking the title formerly owned by David Ortiz.

 

Player A's career .286/.389/.527/.916 with 35 HR a year.

Player B's career .287/ .381/.549/.930 with 36 HR a year.

 

I get it, the contract isn't great. But to get talent, you need to pay for talent. The Rangers just got a hitter who has better career numbers than every single free agent available. Every single one. Could you imagine if the Red Sox had two David Ortiz's in the lineup, one of which being only 29 years old?

 

 

Here's a quote from Jon Daniels -- apparently their scouts gave the thumbs up.

 

"We looked at it quite a bit. If he was coming off the best year of his career then [he wouldn't] be available. I think that's kind of the whole idea of this deal. If anyone feels like that's a sign of things to come, that he's slipping, you may not like the deal, we don't feel that way...based on what we got from our scouts, and some of the analysis we did, we think there's a lot more to come," the GM said, while also noting that he got a fair amount of his homework done two years ago when Fielder was a free agent and a Rangers target.

Edited November 21, 2013 by Palodios

[User Name]

Yeah but Fielder is 300+ pounds, coming off a career-worst season, and a prime candidate for BMS syndrome.

[Palodios]

Did anyone else think that Prince Fielder was a vegetarian? That myth has been going around for years, and apparently it is complete bull.

[User Name]

He was for a while.

[Palodios]

He was for a while.

 

I found about twenty articles talking about him as a vegetarian. In his first press conference with the Tigers he said that he was a vegetarian for about 3 months and that's it. Weird.

[jacksonianmarch]

Doritos and Nutella are vegetarian friendly. My guess is he went on a Dorito-Nutella diet

[Station 13]

or sugar coated veggies.

[User Name]

Some consider eating fish but not meat still being "vegetarian". I'm assuming Fielder ate a couple whales.

[Bellhorn04]

Fielder can't help being huge IMO. It's genetic. His dad had the biggest ass in baseball history.

[jacksonianmarch]

Regardless, this is a good deal for both teams. It fills big holes in their IF while allowing their top prospects to be unblocked.

 

For the Rangers, they play in a bandbox with a short RF porch. That should shoot Fielder's HR total up. The guy is 29 and had one bad year. My guess is he has a few more years left in the tank. It also allows Jurickson Profar to assume a spot in the big league lineup as the starting 2b.

 

For the Tigers, it allows them to move Cabrera back to his natural position, it replaces Infante with a better, more powerful player and it allows them to bring Castellanos up. It was surprising that the Rangers hadn't moved Kinsler sooner and the Tigers even went after Fielder in the first place.

[User Name]

Fielder can't help being huge IMO. It's genetic. His dad had the biggest ass in baseball history.

 

I was 315 pounds. Everyone in my family is huge except my dad, and i haven't been bigger than 267 ( my current weight) in years.

[User Name]

Regardless, this is a good deal for both teams. It fills big holes in their IF while allowing their top prospects to be unblocked.

 

For the Rangers, they play in a bandbox with a short RF porch. That should shoot Fielder's HR total up. The guy is 29 and had one bad year. My guess is he has a few more years left in the tank. It also allows Jurickson Profar to assume a spot in the big league lineup as the starting 2b.

 

For the Tigers, it allows them to move Cabrera back to his natural position, it replaces Infante with a better, more powerful player and it allows them to bring Castellanos up. It was surprising that the Rangers hadn't moved Kinsler sooner and the Tigers even went after Fielder in the first place.

 

Cabrera's natural position is 3B, but i digress. Otherwise i agree with most of this, especially the part about opening regular spots for Castellanos and Profar.

[redsoxfan3]

Fielder can't help being huge IMO. It's genetic. His dad had the biggest ass in baseball history.

 

I don't buy into that genetic BS. Sure, he could have a bigger bone structure due to genetics, but the pounds that he put on his something that he has some control over. I know there are exceptions to certain diseases that make people gain weight and it is harder to lose weight for some people that have a slower metabolism.

 

He is a professional baseball player. He has to put down the Twinkies and start running on the treadmill. Baseball Reference has him at 5'11 and 275. That might be right because he is not that tall. I am 5'11 and 190, so I can't imagine what carrying around 85 more pounds would be like.

 

In all seriousness, he really needs to make that extra effort to lose some weight. I am not talking about 100 pounds, but an extra 20 to 25 might make a big difference for him in the long-run health wise. I don't want to hear the genetics BS, because with a little hard work he can drop 25 pounds over the offseason. He is a little extra baggage. Instead of spending all of that money on the Hostess truck, he needs to spend some money with a personal trainer.

[Northern Star]

Dan Szymborski is an idiot. He says the Braves should trade Kimbrel because it's likely they've already received peak production from him because most closers have a short shelf life, then goes on to say what teams like Pittsburgh got for trading a closer, and concludes Kimbrel should bring a significant prospect in return. Did you miss the part where you argued it's likely his best days are behind him? Regardless of what reality may turn out to be, you just contradicted your own argument, you clown.

[redsoxrules]

Dan Szymborski is an idiot. He says the Braves should trade Kimbrel because it's likely they've already received peak production from him because most closers have a short shelf life, then goes on to say what teams like Pittsburgh got for trading a closer, and concludes Kimbrel should bring a significant prospect in return. Did you miss the part where you argued it's likely his best days are behind him? Regardless of what reality may turn out to be, you just contradicted your own argument, you clown.

 

He's just making up s*** as his team doesn't have a "real" closer. I bet he would take him on his team in split second.

[Palodios]

Jason Vargas to the Royals for 4/32. I kind of like that deal -- surprised about the years though. 8 million a year for a consistent arm like Vargas seems pretty good compared to some we've seen in the past.

[Station 13]

But 4 years? I guess KC need to overpay in years to get FA.

[Palodios]

But 4 years? I guess KC need to overpay in years to get FA.

 

Compared to Edwin Jackson's 4/52, Dempster's 2/26, and Buerhle's 4/58 it seems like a decent deal to me.

[seabeachfred]

... taking the title formerly owned by David Ortiz.

 

Player A's career .286/.389/.527/.916 with 35 HR a year.

Player B's career .287/ .381/.549/.930 with 36 HR a year.

 

I get it, the contract isn't great. But to get talent, you need to pay for talent. The Rangers just got a hitter who has better career numbers than every single free agent available. Every single one. Could you imagine if the Red Sox had two David Ortiz's in the lineup, one of which being only 29 years old?

 

 

Here's a quote from Jon Daniels -- apparently their scouts gave the thumbs up.

 

In that Texas heat Fielder is going to sweat a lot of those pounds off.....that could be good for him. Besides, the ball flies out of that ballpark and Prince could hit as many as 40-45 homers next season. As for Detroit they got a guy who can lead off, gives them so much needed speed and it enables them to drop Austin Jackson down to the nine hole where he can use his speed when he gets on base, which he didn't do all that well batting leadoff. Hitting ninth is better for him because of his poor OBA. Maybe less pressure down there will help him as well. I think this trade could work for both teams.

Edited November 21, 2013 by seabeachfred

[seabeachfred]

Jason Vargas to the Royals for 4/32. I kind of like that deal -- surprised about the years though. 8 million a year for a consistent arm like Vargas seems pretty good compared to some we've seen in the past.

 

I haven't had a chance today to ask Angels fans that I know what they thought of losing Vargas to the Royals. The Halos have two strong pitchers in Weaver and Wilson but the rest of their rotation is the shits, even worse now that they lost Vargas. Of course, I could have asked my wife Linda what she thought but she is so pissed off at her team I might have got a pair of daggers looking back at me instead of an answer. Looks to me they will have to trade one or two of their players to get the pitching they need. They cannot win on the cheap with piss poor pitching in the AL West. The one thing that division does have his pitching.

[jacksonianmarch]

Vargas is a steady back end guy capable of giving you innings and production. If it wasn't for a blood clot, he'd have reached 200IP again in 2013. From 2010-2012, he threw an average of 203IP per year with ERA's ranging from 3.78 to 4.25. Last yr his WHIP was high, but his ERA, K rate, and walk rate were all similar to his good seasons. The guy is a good pickup, but KC had to give years over AAV. I bet Vargas could have gotten $10 mil per annum from someone, but probably on a 2 year deal

[SoxSport]

I guess Texas is pretty hard up for power since Hamilton left. They are taking a big gamble with Fielder, who probably eats more than his salary.

 

I see the media diatribe against ARod has culminated with Gammons equating him to the Marathon Bombers. Time for Peter to hang 'em up.

[Northern Star]

I wish A Rod would just go away. He's one of a small bunch of people I loathe on a level as deep as the Mariana Trench.

[Palodios]

I guess Texas is pretty hard up for power since Hamilton left. They are taking a big gamble with Fielder, who probably eats more than his salary.

 

I see the media diatribe against ARod has culminated with Gammons equating him to the Marathon Bombers. Time for Peter to hang 'em up.

 

What is it with Texas being too cheap to sign its own players and then busting the bank for someone else's? We saw the same thing with Wilson/Darvish, and now Hamilton/Fielder.

[User Name]

What is it with Texas being too cheap to sign its own players and then busting the bank for someone else's? We saw the same thing with Wilson/Darvish, and now Hamilton/Fielder.

 

Look at the performances. Wilson's stuff and peripherals have declined significantly, and would probably be getting hammered if he was still with the Rangers. They predicted Hamilton was essentially "done" after his horrific second-half slump his last year with Texas, and he sucked balls with the Angels last year.

[Bellhorn04]

I wish A Rod would just go away. He's one of a small bunch of people I loathe on a level as deep as the Mariana Trench.

 

He's f***ed. He's just trying to take Selig down with him.

 

At this point the best case for us is the Yankees have to keep paying him.

[Palodios]

Look at the performances. Wilson's stuff and peripherals have declined significantly, and would probably be getting hammered if he was still with the Rangers. They predicted Hamilton was essentially "done" after his horrific second-half slump his last year with Texas, and he sucked balls with the Angels last year.

 

CJ Wilson has done very well so far. Darvish has been very good, but his signing was a huge risk.

 

Weren't you just arguing with me yesterday that Fielder is on the way to significant decline?

Edited November 22, 2013 by Palodios

[Palodios]

Chris Young (the outfielder) just signed with the Mets on a one-year deal. Kind of surprising the Red Sox let him go for that -- he would have been quality insurance for Bradley. There aren't many other good options out there, with the exception of Span who may cost a real prospect.

[User Name]

CJ Wilson has done very well so far. Darvish has been very good, but his signing was a huge risk.

 

Weren't you just arguing with me yesterday that Fielder is on the way to significant decline?

 

Yeah, and i still believe so, which is why i didn't say i thought he was a good acquisition. I was providing my rationale as for why they let go of the other two. Let's stick to what i'm actually saying.

 

As for CJ Wilson: His K/9 has declined, while his BB/9, WHIP have increased, and WAR has declined from his Texas days. Considering he's now pitching half his games in a much more forgiving stadium, do you not think his ERA and IP would have also significantly suffered had he stayed in Rangers Ballpark for around half his starts?