2017/18 Hot Stove Thread

[Natick to NC]

More than likely.

[Bellhorn04]

Honestly I think they are totally locked in on JDM and that's about it other than minor stuff. I think if they didn't feel totally confident in eventually signing him, they would have moved on to something else by now.

[Natick to NC]

I agree 100 % with you ...but Wow this is a different Dave isn't it ? I think Dave is really thinking about his position right now ....one would argue he's in a position to not just land 1 bat but 2 .I truly think Boston will land 2 .I also have no idea how . Edited January 21, 2018 by Natick to NC

[moonslav59]

Just a "why not " what if " .....Can't Dave still entertain trading Mitch? Is the Hosmer to Boston really dead ? Or is this 3 d chess to Dave ? . I'm just having fun with some of these ideas ..But Wow that would throw some for a loop.I just think it's possible .

 

It's no secret I was against signing Moreland, but the very best part about the signing was that it took us out of the Hosmer sweepstakes.

[jacksonianmarch]

Just a "why not " what if " .....Can't Dave still entertain trading Mitch? Is the Hosmer to Boston really dead ? Or is this 3 d chess to Dave ? . I'm just having fun with some of these ideas ..But Wow that would throw some for a loop.I just think it's possible .

 

I don't believe you can deal signed FA's until June

[Kimmi]

If the Red Sox are not careful they might end up with Hanley Ramirez as the full-time designated hitter

 

Which may be the better result ... or not.

 

I am 100% okay with that. Unlike many Red Sox fans, I like Hanley.

[Kimmi]

To me, it's more about most of the biggest spending teams resetting their luxury tax this year, and not so much about who will be free agents next winter.

 

Just taking LAD and NYY out of the big free agent sweepstakes is reason enough for a slow-to-develop or "cautious market."

 

No doubt that having those two teams out of the bidding is affecting the market.

[Natick to NC]

I don't believe you can deal signed FA's until June

 

Thankyou for clarification on that ...I will admit im not a Moreland fan .Mitchs swing is eerily reminiscent of Tek . I guess I'm in the change of scenery for Hosmer, would light a fire under him.

Edited January 22, 2018 by Natick to NC

[S5Dewey]

Disagree.

 

When someone points out "these players make too much," I don't get the counterargument "would you rather the money go to the owners?"

 

Absolutely!!!!

 

The owners are going to be the ones providing my entertainment during down years. How many players are going to do that?

 

Id also rather see owners buy their own stadiums instead of begging for tax money ( unless the stadium is public).

 

A free agent might help the team for a few years. Or he might hurt the team. But either way, many of them become insanely wealthy regardless of help or hindrance, and none of them will use that wealth for my (and your) entertainment. ..

 

The way the issue is framed I'm "meh" about who gets the money. It's just too much money, to begin with. My more specific grips is about how much money the fans "have to" spend to feed the egos and lifestyles of both the players and the owners.

 

In my more perfect world the players and owners would make a fraction of what they make and the fans would be paying a fraction of what they're paying now.

[moonslav59]

The way the issue is framed I'm "meh" about who gets the money. It's just too much money, to begin with. My more specific grips is about how much money the fans "have to" spend to feed the egos and lifestyles of both the players and the owners.

 

In my more perfect world the players and owners would make a fraction of what they make and the fans would be paying a fraction of what they're paying now.

 

Could kinda say the same about every Business.

 

The entertainment business is priced way out of whack for many people to enjoy live- not just sports.

 

Look at the price of a concert these days- even for crappy old fogey bands.

 

[Larry Cook]

February is shaping up to be a monster month.

 

Strikeback is back on Cinemax.

 

Patriots will win yet another super bowl!

 

Spring training starts!

 

JD signs with someone else!!!

[notin]

Thankyou for clarification on that ...I will admit im not a Moreland fan .Mitchs swing is eerily reminiscent of Tek . I guess I'm in the change of scenery for Hosmer, would light a fire under him.

 

 

But whose going to light a fire under the slightly-above-average Hosmer?

[moonslav59]

Hosmer will end up being the worst signing this year (per dollar).

[Bellhorn04]

Hosmer will end up being the worst signing this year (per dollar).

 

I'm going to wait for some actual signings before I even decide whether to argue this point or not LOL

[mvp 78]

Hosmer will end up being the worst signing this year (per dollar).

 

Maybe Cozart.

[moonslav59]

I'm going to wait for some actual signings before I even decide whether to argue this point or not LOL

 

Unless he signs for $39M/3, he'll be the worst.

[mvp 78]

https://www.overthemonster.com/2018/1/22/16918542/red-sox-winter-weekend-2018-kimbrel-cora-dombrowski

 

Notes from Winter Weekend:

 

Beni cut his hair. Bad!

 

Ortiz cut his hair. Good!

 

Thornburg's surgery took out a rib which is now sitting on his parents mantle. Weird!

 

Brock Holt looks terrible with a tucked in jersey. Chubby!

 

Pom wants an extension. Ok!

 

Porcello and Dana Levangie had an hour long phone call about ideas to turn next season around. Interesting!

 

Blake Swihart believes he's finally back and has something to prove. In!

[notin]

Maybe Cozart.

 

A Gold Glove caliber defender on a 3 year deal?

 

Once someone actually signs, that contract might look really sweet.

 

But as of now, there are about 180 unsigned free agents and only 66 days until the season opens. A lot of these players will retire (involuntarily?), but there is a lot of signing action that should start happening any day now.

 

In theory. ..

[notin]

Double post. Also lousy "Delete" feature. .. Edited January 22, 2018 by notin

[Bellhorn04]

A Gold Glove caliber defender on a 3 year deal?

 

Once someone actually signs, that contract might look really sweet.

 

But as of now, there are about 180 unsigned free agents and only 66 days until the season opens. A lot of these players will retire (involuntarily?), but there is a lot of signing action that should start happening any day now.

 

In theory. ..

 

I'm starting to wonder if any of them will sign. Perhaps something dreadful has occurred...'Invasion of the GM Snatchers'.

[Bellhorn04]

Double post. Also lousy "Delete" feature. ..

 

What's wrong with the Delete feature?

[mvp 78]

A Gold Glove caliber defender on a 3 year deal?

 

Once someone actually signs, that contract might look really sweet.

 

But as of now, there are about 180 unsigned free agents and only 66 days until the season opens. A lot of these players will retire (involuntarily?), but there is a lot of signing action that should start happening any day now.

 

In theory. ..

 

He's in his mid 30's and coming off a career year. He's only had 1 season as a top 10 SS. Projections have him as a negative oWAR guy in his first year of the 3 year deal.

[moonslav59]

He's in his mid 30's and coming off a career year. He's only had 1 season as a top 10 SS. Projections have him as a negative oWAR guy in his first year of the 3 year deal.

 

From 2012-2017, Cozart ranks as the 8th best SS, by WAR, out of 58 who qualified.

 

http://www.fangraphs.com/leaders.aspx?pos=ss&stats=bat&lg=all&qual=y&type=8&season=2017&month=0&season1=2012&ind=0&team=0&rost=0&age=0&filter=&players=0

 

That's big sample size. If you go by just the 28 SSs with 2,000+ PAs, he ranks 6th out of 28.

 

While his .714 OPS ranks 16th out of 28, his UZR/150 ranks 4th.

 

http://www.fangraphs.com/leaders.aspx?pos=ss&stats=fld&lg=all&qual=y&type=1&season=2017&month=0&season1=2012&ind=0&team=0&rost=0&age=0&filter=&players=0&sort=24,d

 

BTW, 32 is "early 30's" not "mid 30's".

[mvp 78]

From 2012-2017, Cozart ranks as the 8th best SS, by WAR, out of 58 who qualified.

 

http://www.fangraphs.com/leaders.aspx?pos=ss&stats=bat&lg=all&qual=y&type=8&season=2017&month=0&season1=2012&ind=0&team=0&rost=0&age=0&filter=&players=0

 

That's big sample size. If you go by just the 28 SSs with 2,000+ PAs, he ranks 6th out of 28.

 

While his .714 OPS ranks 16th out of 28, his UZR/150 ranks 4th.

 

http://www.fangraphs.com/leaders.aspx?pos=ss&stats=fld&lg=all&qual=y&type=1&season=2017&month=0&season1=2012&ind=0&team=0&rost=0&age=0&filter=&players=0&sort=24,d

 

BTW, 32 is "early 30's" not "mid 30's".

 

That's pumped up because of his abnormal 2017 where he had a .310+ BABIP that was very out of ordinary.

 

Also, your time period rankings are BS as they don't take into account people who either retired during that time, changed positions, or entered the league.

[moonslav59]

That's pumped up because of his abnormal 2017 where he had a .310+ BABIP that was very out of ordinary.

 

Also, your time period rankings are BS as they don't take into account people who either retired during that time, changed positions, or entered the league.

 

The sample contains all 58 SSs who qualified in that time period, including SSs who retired or just had one qualifying season (rookie and second year SSs.)

 

As for 2017 boosting his ranking, of course it did, but can I remove every other SSs best year from their ranking, too?

 

Here's the list of SSs from 2012-2016 (NO 2017):

 

Cozart ranks 14th out of 50. (He ranks 13th out of 23 among SSs with 2000+ PAs.) He ranked 4th out of 21 in UZR/150 from 2012-2016. +10.7 is awesome defense.

 

http://www.fangraphs.com/leaders.aspx?pos=ss&stats=bat&lg=all&qual=y&type=8&season=2016&month=0&season1=2012&ind=0&team=0&rost=0&age=0&filter=&players=0

 

Also, his BABIP was only 30 points above his career .280 mark.

 

His OPS increase was also largely fueled by his BB% being nearly double his career numbers (%12.2 to 6.4%) and his ISO number being 100 points over his career norm- neither is related to the "luck factor" associated with BABIP.

 

Edited January 22, 2018 by moonslav59

[Natick to NC]

You could very well be right ...but it's baseball ,who the heck knows .I know my visceral reaction for Mitch is both twisted and unearned .I guess I'd make an absolutely terrible GM because everything in me says Hosmer rakes at fenway.I certainly can't back that up with his past performance lol .yeah I'd be a terrible GM who goes by eye and feel ....not good.the anti Analizing GM . Edited January 22, 2018 by Natick to NC

[S5Dewey]

You know it's a slow Hot Stove season when the biggest news out of Fenway is that they're extending the netting on both sides of the field.

[moonslav59]

You could very well be right ...but it's baseball ,who the heck knows .I know my visceral reaction for Mitch is both twisted and unearned .I guess I'd make an absolutely terrible GM because everything in me says Hosmer rakes at fenway.I certainly can't back that up with his past performance lol .yeah I'd be a terrible GM who goes by eye and feel ....not good.the anti Analizing GM .

 

Everything in me says Hosmer would be a terrible signing.

[Natick to NC]

I can't win this argument today but you can with proof of past performance .I think Vegas would side with you .My favorite Red Sox ever was Nixon not Manny or David so I'm kinda odd I guess.The blast in that Oakland series and giving thanks was inspiring and something I show my daughter . Edited January 22, 2018 by Natick to NC

[bkzwhitestrican]

Hosmer isn't a star but I don't get all of the hate. He's a former top prospect entering his prime as a 27 year old coming off a career year hitting .318/.385/.498 w/ 25 HRs and 94RBIs on a pretty bad Royals team. His glove is overrated but I'd say it's still above average.

 

I think he'd be an upgrade at first for a lot of teams, including Boston. He'll probably get overpaid but so does pretty much everyone in free agency. At least he'll provide some value.