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2019-20 MLB Hot Stove Thread...

Always thought that Madison Bumgarner would sign with an NL team as he has been the best hitting pitcher over the past few seasons, and saw no reason why he would give up that edge (Zach Greinke hates pitching in the AL for that reason). D'Backs won 85 games and finished only 4 games out of the WC with a ton of injuries, and now they add Bumgarner. Ketel Marte may be the most under-appreciated/under-publicized star in the game. People like to hype the Padres as team most-likely to challenge the Dodgers, but its the D'backs.

Bumgarner also had an ERA of 5.29 (4.51 FIP/1.41 WHIP) and 4.91 (4.99 FIP/1.45 WHIP) on the road the last two years. I'm not sure this is going to work out too well.
 
Those are nice deals for Ryu and Keuchel from the Jays and White Sox. Keuchel looking savvy AF with last season's holdout.
 
There has been a run on starting pitchers to begin free agency. With the Keuchel and Ryu signings, hard to say who the best remaining FA pitcher is. Just risky options left.
 
Red Sox caught in the sign-stealing cheating net. That's the 2017 and 2018 WS champs, both of whom beat the Dodgers.
 
Sounds like Astros are about to get dinged, and they may be trying to expose other teams to lessen the severity of the punishment.
 

The Cards traded Martinez, who can hit lefties, but is a below average fielder and Arozarena, who is a great athlete and great defender - and also happened to be the dude who leaked the Mike Shildt video from he playoffs last year. A couple of bench guys that clear room for an Ozuna reunion and give them a solid prospect that could also be flipped if they want to make a run on Arenado.
 
Jayson Stark posted a predictions article for the next decade in baseball. There are some gems in there, but I love this the most:

The universal DH

Did you know the designated-hitter rule has been around in the American League for nearly 50 seasons now? So apparently, this isn’t going to be a short-term fad. In fact, it’s hard to find anyone in the game who doesn’t believe that one of these years — possibly as soon as 2022, once the new labor deal is done — every team will be writing a DH into its lineup.

But wait! Here’s one possible wrinkle that has been kicked around in behind-the-scene brainstorming sessions: How about a rule that would allow teams to use their DH only as long as their starting pitcher remained in the game? Then, once the starting pitcher exited, that game would revert to old-school rules.

The more we think about this idea, the more we like it. Starting pitchers would no longer hit, which would eliminate some teams’ injury paranoia. It would create incentives to keep starters in the game longer, which could lead to more offense. And it would preserve some elements of late-inning managerial strategy that fans of “NL rules” still love.

OK, so this part of the plan might never happen. But it’s at least worth having a long conversation about – even if it’s just a segment on “MLB Now.”

https://theathletic.com/1521278/202...eball-will-be-like-at-the-end-of-this-decade/
 
What about the teams that use relievers to start games?

Given that pitch count rules supreme, the DH won't bat more than twice in a vast majority of games.
 
The Cards traded Martinez, who can hit lefties, but is a below average fielder and Arozarena, who is a great athlete and great defender - and also happened to be the dude who leaked the Mike Shildt video from he playoffs last year. A couple of bench guys that clear room for an Ozuna reunion and give them a solid prospect that could also be flipped if they want to make a run on Arenado.

The Rays are crazy good in acquisitions like these. Watch Martinez have a great offensive year.
 
Rumored Cards offer for Nolan Arenado - Dakota Hudson, Carlos Marinez, Tyler ONeill and Matthew Liberatore. It's a strong offer, but would imagine the Cards would need to get Arenado to waive his 2021 opt out.
 
Astros got absolutely smoked. Expecting Cora (and the Red Sox down the road) to get a similar punishment.
 
Astros GM & Mgr each suspended for a year, $5M fine, lost 2020/2021 1st and 2nd Round picks.

WOW!
 
Seems light to me. The draft picks will be late each year. I would trade $5m & 4 picks for a World Series. I guess the suspensions are fair but not “smoked.”
 
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