The Official 2024-25 MLB Hot Stove Thread

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A smart team would give skeins an extension now that covers his arbitration years and a year after, but it's the Pirates so I'm sure he'll be traded before then.

Teams like the Pirates are why a floor would be more effective than a cap.
The Pirates should do everything they can to lock up Skenes and Jared Jones. Because they both look extremely promising.
You can really anchor a rotation with just those two guys.

I don't think Oneill Cruz is a franchise type of player that you build around. Now that he's gotten a bit more time at the pro level, I think he's a volatile producer. He might even have a big year if things go his way but I see him kinda like Yoan Moncada (who I mentioned in an earlier post). A guy with a powerful bat. Might have a big .900 OPS year once or twice. Likely to be in that .750 OPS range though because he just doesn't have the bat skills and plate discipline to make consistent contact. That's still a good player.

The Pirates desperately need some bats, though.
 

Spidey Man

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Similarly, MLB has a “competitive balance tax” to discourage excessive player spending but no firm cap. That system makes the New York Mets the world’s most unprofitable sports team, with an estimated $292 million operating loss in 2023 after the club paid a reported $101 million in luxury taxes on top of a $375 million payroll.

Gotta spend a ton of money to dig out of the hole left by the Wilpons
 

Spidey Man

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The Pirates should do everything they can to lock up Skenes and Jared Jones. Because they both look extremely promising.
You can really anchor a rotation with just those two guys.

I don't think Oneill Cruz is a franchise type of player that you build around. Now that he's gotten a bit more time at the pro level, I think he's a volatile producer. He might even have a big year if things go his way but I see him kinda like Yoan Moncada (who I mentioned in an earlier post). A guy with a powerful bat. Might have a big .900 OPS year once or twice. Likely to be in that .750 OPS range though because he just doesn't have the bat skills and plate discipline to make consistent contact. That's still a good player.

The Pirates desperately need some bats, though.

Trade Jones and they can get all the bats they need. It'll hurt losing Jones, but the system has a ton of arms, and he's easier to replace than skeins.
 

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Browsing the projections for the Cubs, and while they appear the favorites to win the division, it's not looking too great offensively for Pete Crow-Armstrong.

It's looking pretty good for Kyle Tucker and Seiya Suzuki, though.

:coffee:

What could really hurt the Cubs in 2025 is Dansby Swanson grinding balls into the dirt. If this guy can't hit line drives and fly balls anymore, it's going to kill the Cubs because he's under contract through 2029.

Moises Ballesteros seems promising, although might not be a big league catcher.
Matt Shaw looks really promising, but it might take him a season to really get comfortable.
 

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Rubenstein when buying the O's at 75 years old - "I’ve got to speed up the effort to get to a World Series a lot sooner than maybe some younger owners would"

Rubenstein after buying the O's:
money-dollars.gif



tom-senya.gif
 

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Naturally strong. Saw a video as a kid he hauled cows and bays of hay everyday on his grandads farm in the DR
Bartolo Colon was also a very strong kid.

I once came across a video of him handcranking a machine...not sure if it was grinding coffee beans or some other crop, but it looked pretty tough on the hands and wrist. But I can't find it anywhere on youtube. Finding it on instagram would be impossible.

But I did find mention of it here:

 

Professor K.

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Awesome stats then, "wore 27 for his entire career" :dahell:

Not exactly a notable accomplishment in my eyes but hopefully kids of the future talk about his jersey number as well :mjlol:
:dead:

Like, you think Ichiro should've gotten that unanimous vote into Cooperstown but then you remember he wore 31 for the Yankees :scust:

:mjlol:
 
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