MLB Hot Stove 2009-2010

[mattstick]

http://www.thanksroy.com/

Some nice tributes there, but this made me laugh...

Hey Roy. Fuck you.

—Cliff Lee, Seattle

[Alumni]

10 players left worth watching.
http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/Ten-best-names-left-on-the-market-Perry

ETA

Pickin' up the slack for the NYY fans among us Melky Cabrera to ATL for Javier Vazquez

[antelope19]

10 players left worth watching.
http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/Ten-best-names-left-on-the-market-Perry

ETA

Pickin' up the slack for the NYY fans among us Melky Cabrera to ATL for Javier Vazquez

Think they'll keep Damon?

[thatfargone]

Think they'll keep Damon?

Who else would field that turncoat SOB!!! :-P

[metalzone58]

Think they'll keep Damon?

Who else would field that turncoat SOB!!! :-P

[Alumni]

Think they'll keep Damon?

Who else would field that turncoat SOB!!! :-P

The Royals?  :-P

[thatfargone]

Nah, the Royals have more class than that. :-D

[mehead]

Jason Bay to the Mets..he'll regret not re-signing w/ the Sox by June (if not b4)

[Alumni]

"A Surprisingly Sensible Signing?"
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/writers/lee_jenkins/12/29/jason.bay.mets/index.html

I have my doubts about whether Bay will rebound to hit .280-.300 and 34-38HR playing @ Citi, but the article has a point. The Mets needed someone to play the OF and provide a little power and there were only a couple guys left who fit the bill. Bay's one of them. And I'm not as sold on Holliday as others. He might not be a total creation of Coors Park, but his transition to Oakland was eye-opening to say the least...

[mehead]

"A Surprisingly Sensible Signing?"
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/writers/lee_jenkins/12/29/jason.bay.mets/index.html

I have my doubts about whether Bay will rebound to hit .280-.300 and 34-38HR playing @ Citi, but the article has a point. The Mets needed someone to play the OF and provide a little power and there were only a couple guys left who fit the bill. Bay's one of them. And I'm not as sold on Holliday as others. He might not be a total creation of Coors Park, but his transition to Oakland was eye-opening to say the least...

[/b]

IMO it's the AL vs NL..if I was going to be dishing out some serious cabbage I'll take Holliday over Bay

[Play_It_Leo]

Can't wait for my Cards to confirm the Holliday signing... should be within the week from the sounds of things. It's been a few years since we had somebody hitting behind Pujols consistently.

[Alumni]

Can't wait for my Cards to confirm the Holliday signing... should be within the week from the sounds of things. It's been a few years since we had somebody hitting behind Pujols consistently.

Have patience.

The longer Holliday takes, the better off the Cards will be. Delaying tactics (made infamous by Boras) only work when there's competition. The more this gets drawn out, the easier it gets for StL to obtain him at something like a rational price -- as long as Boston and New York stay quiet. And I've got a feeling they will.

[Alumni]

Forget patience. I heard on the radio yesterday that the Cards have told Boras that they're not willing to wait indefinitely -- that there's a sort of expiration date on their current offer. 5 years ago I would have laughed at the gambit. But it wasn't that long ago that Boras's stalling cost A-Rod money when he was forced to take a *cough* reduced *cough* contract offer...

Looks like Boston is going to take a flyer on Adrian Beltre. I don't think he's guaranteed to be productive, and I don't think he's guaranteed to get a ton of playing time if he's not productive. But he's a nice insurance option to have. I think it means Epstein & co don't want to play Youkilis at third. Memo to Casey Kotchmann: I'm not sure they were serious when they said they'd let you compete for a starting role. Better be hot as a pistol at the plate to start the season...

In other news, the Mets' offer to Bay apparently includes a 5th year option that can be triggered if Bay makes x number of plate appearances the preceding season. That fifth year: $17M. Wow. That's kind of silly money, but who knows . . . maybe it'll work out. Then again, it's the Mets. Maybe it won't.

[mattstick]

5 years from now, $17 mil will be like $12 mil now.

Beltre's D is what would scare me about Boston adding him.  But they won't be able to sign Beltre without trading Lowell (luxury cap), and nobody is going to trade for Lowell, so my bet is Beltre ends up in Oakland.

[Alumni]

I dunno -- Beltre seems to have signed a 1-yr deal w/ Boston. Seems kind of strange to sign a player to a 1yr deal and *then* trade him...
http://sports.espn.go.com/boston/mlb/news/story?id=4795915