2017/18 Hot Stove Thread

[moonslav59]

Hosmer is not going to sign for $121mill for 6 years when he has already turned down $140million for 7 years. Unless he foolishly thinks he can get another deal worth $19mill at age 34...

 

Is the $140M/7 confirmed and still on the table?

[a700hitter]

Right now, nobody is talking to Moose. His price may drop way down. He could play 3B and Devers could DH/1B.

 

If we don't get JD, I'd look at LoMo or Moose with Duda as a secondary option. If we end up with Duda, I'd spend the rest of the money on Cobb or Lynn, despite their "issues".

I wonder if we will see any 1 year signings.

[Bellhorn04]

Or, add a $20M option with a $5M buyout, essentially making it a $130M/6 for tax purposes and $130M/5 in reality.

 

That doesn't work. They only include guaranteed years and money in calculating the AAV. Your proposed option would make it 5 guaranteed years and $130 M guaranteed money, so the AAV would be $130M /5 = $26 M.

[notin]

I wonder if we will see any 1 year signings.

 

Sure. Probably a couple dozen

 

But I doubt any of the higher tier free agents will and risk being lesser fallback options in next year's class...

[Bellhorn04]

Sure. Probably a couple dozen

 

But I doubt any of the higher tier free agents will and risk being lesser fallback options in next year's class...

 

Yeah, plus it makes no sense at all for a guy like Martinez or Hosmer to take a so-called 'pillow' contract when they just had the best season of their career.

[moonslav59]

Yeah, plus it makes no sense at all for a guy like Martinez or Hosmer to take a so-called 'pillow' contract when they just had the best season of their career.

 

Moustakas shouldn't either. He's coming off his best season and would be competing with Machado, Beltre and Donaldson next winter.

 

(This might be a reason why nobody he seriously interested in him this winter.)

[Spudboy]

I am not sure in which thread I mentioned Holt looking portly but I have found the photo in question.

 

I guess many men would look like this if they distended their bellies.

 

In any case he does look fat. Actual or not.

 

[Bellhorn04]

I'm not sure if Steve Adams of MLBTR is a Sox fan, but in his chat today he spoke for many of us:

 

"Boras went out looking way beyond reasonable expectations in this instance for a player that was already going to have a somewhat limited market. None of the usual big spenders are in on him outside of Boston, which makes it hard to drive up the price point.

 

I think the notion that his market has "collapsed" to the 5/125 range is silly. I didn't even love predicting 6/150 for the guy on our Top 50 list. He has serious defensive questions as well as uncertainty surrounding his durability. If 5/125 is there, take it already."

 

https://www.jotcast.com/chat/chat-with-mlbtrs-steve-adams-1-23-18-2939.html

[Kimmi]

Even if last year is somewhat of an outlier for Hosmer, I wouldn't say he's barely better than Moreland. MM has a 93 OPS+ over the past two seasons, Hos has 117. Plus he's in his prime coming off his best year whereas MM has been below average since 2015. I'm not arguing that he's worth $20M a year, but he would definitely improve the team and he is definitively better than MM.

 

I have nothing against signing Hosmer, I just don't want him signed for the type of contract that he's looking for. Yes, he'd likely improve the team. but is the improvement worth the added cost over Moreland? IMO, it's not.

[Kimmi]

Yet MLB and almost every writer worth there weight find Hosmer an Elite player ....and Mitch barely above league average .I would throw 21 million a year for 6 at Hismer and never blink an eye ...Mitch is a good Backup player .

 

Didn't Hosmer have two 7 year offers not too long ago?

 

What happened to those?

 

And if he did have those offers, why is he still unsigned?

[harmony]

I'm not sure if Steve Adams of MLBTR is a Sox fan, but in his chat today he spoke for many of us:

 

"Boras went out looking way beyond reasonable expectations in this instance for a player that was already going to have a somewhat limited market. None of the usual big spenders are in on him outside of Boston, which makes it hard to drive up the price point.

 

I think the notion that his market has "collapsed" to the 5/125 range is silly. I didn't even love predicting 6/150 for the guy on our Top 50 list. He has serious defensive questions as well as uncertainty surrounding his durability. If 5/125 is there, take it already."

 

https://www.jotcast.com/chat/chat-with-mlbtrs-steve-adams-1-23-18-2939.html

Did anyone else find that MLB Trade Rumors chat response confusing?

[Bellhorn04]

Didn't Hosmer have two 7 year offers not too long ago?

 

What happened to those?

 

And if he did have those offers, why is he still unsigned?

 

Yes, that's another puzzler.

[Kimmi]

So let's assume that the Sox offer to JDM is 5/125 and that it's the best offer and that Boras is just holding out as long as possible for more. What's the endgame? Maybe they could adjust the offer to 6/135. That's an extra year for 10 million, it would also reduce the AAV to 22.5 million.

 

I wouldn't increase the offer if the 5/125 offer is already the best offer.

[Bellhorn04]

Did anyone else find that MLB Trade Rumors chat response confusing?

 

You mean the one I copied here? Confusing how?

[Bellhorn04]

I wouldn't increase the offer if the 5/125 offer is already the best offer.

 

I understand. The idea behind my offer is that it might make him more disposed to sign now, and it represents a very small incremental cost to the Sox, and would also reduce their tax for this year at least.

 

Plus thinking of all that was something to do in this strange offseason.

[Kimmi]

I don't believe in bidding against yourself in a negotiation. If we feel $125 Mil for 5 is fair based on value to us we should stick to our offer and also set a deadline. If JD doesn't work out for us we can get a guy like Nunez (great for us last year) and a pitcher for the same price and probably not exceed 3 years commitment with either offer. I too believe that JD is our best get but not if he isn't interested at the value we have worked out for him. I would not offer any contracts over 5 years for guys entering their 30's.

 

I agree. If JD has a better offer, I'd up the AAV slightly if that would get the job done, but I don't see any point in bidding against yourself.

[Kimmi]

I am not sure in which thread I mentioned Holt looking portly but I have found the photo in question.

 

I guess many men would look like this if they distended their bellies.

 

In any case he does look fat. Actual or not.

 

[ATTACH=CONFIG]577[/ATTACH]

 

Yes, he is looking a little chunkier, particularly around the midsection.

[Kimmi]

I'm not sure if Steve Adams of MLBTR is a Sox fan, but in his chat today he spoke for many of us:

 

"Boras went out looking way beyond reasonable expectations in this instance for a player that was already going to have a somewhat limited market. None of the usual big spenders are in on him outside of Boston, which makes it hard to drive up the price point.

 

I think the notion that his market has "collapsed" to the 5/125 range is silly. I didn't even love predicting 6/150 for the guy on our Top 50 list. He has serious defensive questions as well as uncertainty surrounding his durability. If 5/125 is there, take it already."

 

https://www.jotcast.com/chat/chat-with-mlbtrs-steve-adams-1-23-18-2939.html

 

Agree 100%.

[Kimmi]

I understand. The idea behind my offer is that it might make him more disposed to sign now, and it represents a very small incremental cost to the Sox, and would also reduce their tax for this year at least.

 

Plus thinking of all that was something to do in this strange offseason.

 

This is presumably exactly what Boras is hoping will happen. Dombrowski or some other GM will get tired of waiting and increase his offer to get JD to sign now.

[Natick to NC]

Make an offer to Arieta now 21 X 3 or pillow 1 at???? Edited January 24, 2018 by Natick to NC

[Larry Cook]

This is presumably exactly what Boras is hoping will happen. Dombrowski or some other GM will get tired of waiting and increase his offer to get JD to sign now.

 

Stay strong dave!!! Don’t give an inch! Be the rock and not the turd!

 

You and la russa need to keep the shirley temple’s coming while you stroll down memory lane together and also keep a healthy supply of depends diapers handy, in case you old guys have an “accident” while waiting out Boras.

[notin]

64 days to opening day, 142 free agents remain unsigned.

 

The frenzy is coming any day now...

[mvp 78]

64 days to opening day, 142 free agents remain unsigned.

 

The frenzy is coming any day now...

 

The frenzy is coming for Tony Clark.

[mvp 78]

This offseason has been pretty terrible so far, but it could turn into such a wild signing period that could rival the excitement of the trade deadline.

[moonslav59]

I keep waiting for news of a big signing, but I hear are crickets.

[Kimmi]

Stay strong dave!!! Don’t give an inch! Be the rock and not the turd!

 

You and la russa need to keep the shirley temple’s coming while you stroll down memory lane together and also keep a healthy supply of depends diapers handy, in case you old guys have an “accident” while waiting out Boras.

 

LOL Stay strong Dave.

 

I had forgotten about the La Russa signing.

[Kimmi]

I keep waiting for news of a big signing, but I hear are crickets.

 

I have gotten to the point where I'm no longer expecting anything to happen.

[Bellhorn04]

If nothing happens, that could be a big problem in labor-management relations.

[Bellhorn04]

The only guy that there's any buzz on these days is Darvish. And some of that is coming from Darvish himself, he hasn't been shy about communicating with the public, he seems to have a bit of personality.

 

Meanwhile, Boras has all his clients locked in the Fortress of Solitude.

[notin]

The only guy that there's any buzz on these days is Darvish. And some of that is coming from Darvish himself, he hasn't been shy about communicating with the public.

 

Meanwhile, Boras has all his clients locked in the Fortress of Solitude.

 

I heard they were all encased in carbonite...