2017/18 Hot Stove Thread

[Bellhorn04]

I heard they were all encased in carbonite...

 

Boras has been showing them Bill Belichick press conferences as training videos.

[notin]

Boras has been showing them Bill Belichick press conferences as training videos.

 

That can't be legal. I'm sure he's just encasing them in carbonite...

[Natick to NC]

Kind of odd the resentment I'm feeling toward player and Team now ....I know it's all apart of it .I kind of don't care though.

[oldtimer]

Each morning I look at the Official Boston Red Sox website only to find the kind of on-news articles posted. Kind of frustrating to see so little action. Kind of gives me a feeling that the entire FA market situation is totally screwed up and needs some kind of a reset in rules and incentives. I plan to take a time out from looking at the Sox for a week as there are other more interesting things happening with college basketball and with the Super Bowl on the horizon.

[mvp 78]

Each morning I look at the Official Boston Red Sox website only to find the kind of on-news articles posted. Kind of frustrating to see so little action. Kind of gives me a feeling that the entire FA market situation is totally screwed up and needs some kind of a reset in rules and incentives. I plan to take a time out from looking at the Sox for a week as there are other more interesting things happening with college basketball and with the Super Bowl on the horizon.

 

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2018-mlb-free-agent-tracker

 

There are about 140 guys still waiting to be signed. It's frustrating for us, but is even harder for them.

[moonslav59]

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

 

I used to check MLBTR 3-4 times a day. Now, I sometimes skip days.

[Bellhorn04]

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2018-mlb-free-agent-tracker

 

There are about 140 guys still waiting to be signed. It's frustrating for us, but is even harder for them.

 

Starting to get the feeling owners are making some kind of statement, and there's big labor trouble brewin'.

[moonslav59]

Starting to get the feeling owners are making some kind of statement, and there's big labor trouble brewin'.

 

I'm not so sure. There are many reports of players having multiple offers, but I think everyone is waiting for the first shoe to drop and the market price, to some extent, will be set (or reset).

 

I can see Darvish and Cain signing soon, followed quickly by Hosmer and Arrieta. This will squeeze DD into needing to force the JD signing issue (maybe).

 

I'm seeing Moustakas and Morrison ending up settling on numbers way below expectations, and it makes me wonder, if we should swoop in on some "bargains" and leave JD & BorA$$ hanging in the wind.

[moonslav59]

What if Moustakas ends up signing a pillow contract for $15M or settling on $39M/3? I'd have much rather had him at that price than Moreland.

[mvp 78]

Starting to get the feeling owners are making some kind of statement, and there's big labor trouble brewin'.

 

Contract runs until December 2021. Not sure what the players can do about it until then.

 

Per the contract, it looks like the players can only strike if the owners violate the debt service rule and then don't reach an agreement to fix the level of excludable debt.

[mvp 78]

Literally nothing exciting going on:

 

@sdutdennislin

 

Padres team official: The club's social media accounts, which posted and deleted Eric Hosmer items late last night, were hacked. As of now, it is unclear how that happened. Although teams run their respective accounts, they technically are assets controlled by MLB Advanced Media.

[Spudboy]

Starting to get the feeling owners are making some kind of statement, and there's big labor trouble brewin'.

 

I saw a report yesterday by Rosenthal.

 

He said with over 130 FA as yet unsigned it is very doubtful that they will be signed by spring training. That would require about 4 each day to sign.

 

He said that clubs are looking to be more "efficient" using analytics. They don't want to pay players for so much of their decline years.

 

This sounds like a big mess to me.

 

We keep talking about JD but there are a bunch of guys looking at either not having MLB jobs or signing for far less that they had expected and for fewer years.

Edited January 25, 2018 by Spudboy

[moonslav59]

I don't see all 130 signing. Some may retire.

 

I don't think many big names will be unsigned on opening day.

[Carpin]

I'm not so sure. There are many reports of players having multiple offers, but I think everyone is waiting for the first shoe to drop and the market price, to some extent, will be set (or reset).

 

I can see Darvish and Cain signing soon, followed quickly by Hosmer and Arrieta. This will squeeze DD into needing to force the JD signing issue (maybe).

 

I'm seeing Moustakas and Morrison ending up settling on numbers way below expectations, and it makes me wonder, if we should swoop in on some "bargains" and leave JD & BorA$$ hanging in the wind.

 

I think Arrieta will be one of the last to sign. He's with Boras

[moonslav59]

I think Arrieta will be one of the last to sign. He's with Boras

 

Yeah, the losers in the Darvish competition might join in or raise their offer for Arrieta. Boras will wait it out.

[dgalehouse]

Starting to get the feeling owners are making some kind of statement, and there's big labor trouble brewin'.

 

Bells , You mean , " Turn out the lights , the party's over ? "

[jacksonianmarch]

The problem with this year is that there are a fair amount of good players but the best guys aren’t transcendent yet they want to be paid like transcendent types. Darvish is a weak #1 but he’s also north of 30. He’s not getting the years he will want. Arrieta is even older and had a velo drop in season. Martinez is a butcher with a glove and has injury issues. Hosmer has run hot and cold and doesn’t have plus power for a plus power position. Cain is old for a player who makes his hay with speed and athleticism. These guys would all be second tier in next year’s class. The only two guys who should see $20 mil AAV based on the market are Darvish and Martinez, but I could at least see Darvish drop under $20 mil if teams are scared of signing a pitcher long term starting in the 30s. Boras can be as rankled as he wants to be about teams tanking or a better term, rebuilding, but with steroids out of the game, it doesn’t make sense to sign someone into their 40s anymore

[harmony]

I respect Scott Boras but this year's market probably is hindered by Boras as the agent of three of the top four (and four of the top six) free agents, according to MLB Trade Rumors:

 

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2017/11/2017-18-top-50-mlb-free-agents-with-predictions.html

 

None of those four has signed to date.

 

Just as the market might be ripe for collusion, the market might be ripe for an agent's conflicts of interest that drop below that traditional acceptable level.

 

At any rate I suspect MLB and the MLBPA will investigate means to avoid an annual recurrence of this slow offseason.

[jacksonianmarch]

It’s annual gripe about something time for Boras

[Kimmi]

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

 

Well obviously something will happen sooner or later, I'm just not coming home to the expectation that I'll be reading about the Sox (or any team) signing anyone big.

[Kimmi]

Each morning I look at the Official Boston Red Sox website only to find the kind of on-news articles posted. Kind of frustrating to see so little action. Kind of gives me a feeling that the entire FA market situation is totally screwed up and needs some kind of a reset in rules and incentives. I plan to take a time out from looking at the Sox for a week as there are other more interesting things happening with college basketball and with the Super Bowl on the horizon.

 

It's times like these that make me wish I were a basketball or football fan.

 

At least I have figure skating.

[Kimmi]

I used to check MLBTR 3-4 times a day. Now, I sometimes skip days.

 

Yup, this is what I mean.

[Natick to NC]

Ok I'm depressed now ...The Brewers are wheelin and dealing and now Padres are getting Hosmer ? I'm losing faith in this GM and Ownership ...Theo where art thou ?

[moonslav59]

Ok I'm depressed now ...The Brewers are wheelin and dealing and now Padres are getting Hosmer ? I'm losing faith in this GM and Ownership ...Theo where art thou ?

 

Hosmer to anyone but the Sox is reason to rejoice!

[Michigan adam]

cain to Milwaukee for 5 and 16 per=80m along with yelich from marlins for 4 prospects

[Natick to NC]

Agree to disagree ...I like Hosmer more for Boston than any other team Edited January 26, 2018 by Natick to NC

[Natick to NC]

Good for the Brewers that fan base needed this

[moonslav59]

Agree to disagree ...I like Hosmer more for Boston than any other team

 

He'll be a horrible signing for any team at the price he will get.

 

Being the top Red Sox fan in the world makes me rank the Sox 30th in deserving of Hosmer & his bloated & lengthy contract.

[a700hitter]

It's times like these that make me wish I were a basketball or football fan.

 

At least I have figure skating.

Figure skating hasn’t been the same since Tonya Harding.

[a700hitter]

Nats are reported to be pursuing Reamulto. I want the Red Sox to get him. I am trying to send my thoughts to Dave.