2020-2021 Hot Stove Thread

[Juliooooo]

Indeed! Do you have an awesome off season plan for us?

I'm still in the wait and see plan. Resign Walker, get a few cheap Bullpen arms, and see what we need at midseason.

1B White/Marmelejos
2B Moore/Long
SS Crawford
3B Seager/France
LF Fraley/Moore/Marmelojos
CF Lewis
RF Haniger
DH France

Utility Lopes Haggerty.

Kelenic/Trammell come up about May/June and Dfa whoever isn't cutting it from Lopes/Haggerty/Long

SP
Marco
Sheff
Dunn
Kikuchi
Marge
Walker

Gilbert comes up in June, Kirby July/August.

Make a trade when it's obvious where the weaknesses are.

Thanks. This is the first time I have realized how little you value catchers. Shouldn't we at least have a back up catcher if we aren't going to have a starter.

Touche. Murphy is the starter with Torrens backing up. Murph traded at midseason and Cal Raleigh comes up. Hopefully Murphy and a 2 relievers can bring back a top 50 OF prospect, a starting caliber 3B, a backup catcher, and a potential closer at midseason.

[bpj]

Brad Hand, a guy a few people around here had suggested adding last season- is now an interesting possibility for the M's at a cost of just money, but it is $10M.

Seems like an easy way to finish up the bullpen without losing any talent or handing out a long contract. If you're going to spend, at least do it on someone good, and Hand is good.

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2020/10/ ... ivers.html

[Bil522]

The M's need a veteran bat, besides Seager, to pull the lineup together. DJ LeMahieu would fit perfectly. His grit, determination, leadership and ability to grind would help show the kids how to play the game. I think a 3yr/$75 mill would get him here. The payroll would still be under $100mill with this type of signing with plenty of flexibility to take it to $120mill with the addition of pitching help.

[IStillLoveTheMs]

The M's need a veteran bat, besides Seager, to pull the lineup together. DJ LeMahieu would fit perfectly. His grit, determination, leadership and ability to grind would help show the kids how to play the game. I think a 3yr/$75 mill would get him here. The payroll would still be under $100mill with this type of signing with plenty of flexibility to take it to $120mill with the addition of pitching help.

Why wouldn't the Yankees re-sign him?

Why would he want to come to the M's?

Where would he play without blocking Moore and France?

He's 32, will be 33 during the regular season, will likely want to play for a team that's contending now. If the M's sign any position player to major cash it should be someone just coming out of their arb years who is hitting the middle of their prime.

[D-train]

The M's need a veteran bat, besides Seager, to pull the lineup together. DJ LeMahieu would fit perfectly. His grit, determination, leadership and ability to grind would help show the kids how to play the game. I think a 3yr/$75 mill would get him here. The payroll would still be under $100mill with this type of signing with plenty of flexibility to take it to $120mill with the addition of pitching help.

Agree, exactly why I went with Brantley. Just thinking that if we are going to spend $25M a year on one guy it should be an Ace. Of course we won't do either.

[D-train]

The M's need a veteran bat, besides Seager, to pull the lineup together. DJ LeMahieu would fit perfectly. His grit, determination, leadership and ability to grind would help show the kids how to play the game. I think a 3yr/$75 mill would get him here. The payroll would still be under $100mill with this type of signing with plenty of flexibility to take it to $120mill with the addition of pitching help.

Why wouldn't the Yankees re-sign him? FAs switch teams the VAST majority of the time

Why would he want to come to the M's? This argument baffles me. So we should never try to sign an FA again?

Where would he play without blocking Moore and France? Totally agree on this point. Not a good fit.

He's 32, will be 33 during the regular season, will likely want to play for a team that's contending now. If the M's sign any position player to major cash it should be someone just coming out of their arb years who is hitting the middle of their prime.

[Donn Beach]

if the issue is blocking somebody, isn't that why Dipoto has claimed they are not in the market in the first place?

[D-train]

if the issue is blocking somebody, isn't that why Dipoto has claimed they are not in the market in the first place?

Yes, that is why Brantley is so perfect. He wouldn't be blocking anyone. Even if Haniger is healthy and productive from day one, Brantley can be moved from LF to DH when JK comes up. I imagine they will want to give Haniger plenty of days off and DH rest as well so it wouldn't be like he would be stuck at DH. France then go to UT until 2022 when he becomes 3B.

[D-train]

Top 10 FAs

https://twitter.com/MLBNetwork/status/1 ... 4874232839

[IStillLoveTheMs]

The M's need a veteran bat, besides Seager, to pull the lineup together. DJ LeMahieu would fit perfectly. His grit, determination, leadership and ability to grind would help show the kids how to play the game. I think a 3yr/$75 mill would get him here. The payroll would still be under $100mill with this type of signing with plenty of flexibility to take it to $120mill with the addition of pitching help.

Why wouldn't the Yankees re-sign him? FAs switch teams the VAST majority of the time

Why would he want to come to the M's? This argument baffles me. So we should never try to sign an FA again?

Where would he play without blocking Moore and France? Totally agree on this point. Not a good fit.

He's 32, will be 33 during the regular season, will likely want to play for a team that's contending now. If the M's sign any position player to major cash it should be someone just coming out of their arb years who is hitting the middle of their prime.

1. Both LeMahiue and Brantley are in the back end of their primes. They'll go to teams who present them the opportunity to win right now. The M's, while they're set up for the future, are not yet enticing to free agents who are at the same stage in their careers as these two. The Yankees on the other hand, have a boat load of money, are in a position to win now, and LeMahiue fills a clear near. Honestly, I would be surprised if Brantley doesn't go to a team like the Cubs, Braves, Padres, Dodgers, White Sox, Twins... I see Brantley as a road block to this year's roster too... they're rolling with Haniger, obviously... if they sign Brantley and move him to DH, what would they do with France?

2. No. The M's will be in a position to sign a 33-year-old veteran (position player... can't emphasize this enough, pitchers are different) when it's clear that they're in the window to compete. I doubt you could convince any 33 year old that the 2021 M's is their shot to win ball games. That's why I said... if you sign any position player right now it better be some 26-27 year just coming out of their arbitration years who is part of the long-term compete window and you can sell them on that... I'm looking at 2022 for this assuming the M's don't make blockbuster trade because there's some serious studs who fit this description (Lindor, Baez, Rizzo, Bryant, Correa, Seager, Story). I propose the Lindor trade because it forces a superstar to us instead of relying on our shoddy chances in free agency is 2021 goes poorly - even though it was a free agent signing, it's similar to what the Padres did with Machado.

3. The M's are in a weird position where the bulk of their position players are young and MLB ready. Shortstop and catcher are the only 2 positions where I wouldn't be perplexed if they went out and sign somebody because JP sucks and I'm not sure our current catchers are part of the longterm plan. In the OF... Kyle Lewis and Jarred Kelenic have to be penned as starters for the next bulk of years... Julio is on the horizon and I'd just prefer the M's roll with Haniger until Julio is ready. + they have Trammel too... signing an OF just isn't in the cards IMO.