MLB 2024-25 Hot Stove Thread

[MileHigh]

As a paper, did you ever use “The Allstate”
Sugar Bowl instead of just Sugar Bowl? I cut the advertising name every time in copy. We’re not required to be an advertising vehicle for sponsors; they get plenty of ball washing from TV people.

All of which is to say, **** the A’s.

Back when I was doing it years ago, yes, I would cut the sponsor name if I could.

 

[SixToe]

Is “West Sacramento” really the name of the city? Or is that a trendy/silly/semi-region-area name akin to SoHo, or The Gulch in Nashville, or “North Dallas.”

 

[dixiehack]

No, it is a separate city.

 

[Deskgrunt50]

Pete Alonso back to the Mets. Two-year deal, opt-out after first year. $30 million for 2025.

That’s a very good lineup. And they’ll need it in the NL East.

 

[BYH 2: Electric Boogaloo]

It's about ****ing time. What a dumb, useless standoff that was.

 

[Webster]

Polar Bear can’t be happy with Boras.

 

[Deskgrunt50]

If I had some sort of sellable talent, I’d want Boras as my agent. But this was definitely an odd saga with Alonso.

I certainly thought his market would be more robust. But it was super thin. I’m sure he now regrets leaving 7/$158 on the table a year or two ago.

He’s definitely now a one-trick pony, based on the last two seasons. But it’s a pretty good and important trick. Alonso has hit more homers over the last six years than anyone in baseball.

He’s a fan favorite and is great for the Mets lineup. And maybe he bounces back with a big year and gets a 4-5 year deal out of it.

Mets get the short deal they wanted. Alonso gets a big AAV year.

Seems like a very good job by Stearns.

 

[BYH 2: Electric Boogaloo]

Pete's about as nice as guy as he appears on TV, but he really ****ed this up. You're a cold corner guy with one real skill (he's turned himself into a perfectly fine first baseman, but nobody's paying for that) nearing your 30th birthday in an awful market for 30-plus first basemen. An absolutely blubbering idiot of a GM offered him about the same deal Freddie Freeman got off winning an MVP and the World Series in his last two years in Atlanta. You sign that contract while the words are still in Eppler's mouth. With Stearns coming in with no ties to Alonso, he had to know he wasn't gonna do better than that. But Boras sold him a tall tale and Alonso bought it.

 

[Guy_Incognito]

I just don't get why a team like Seattle wouldn't find $80 million over 3 years or $60 over 2. He would transform their lineup.

 

[micropolitan guy]

I just don't get why a team like Seattle wouldn't find $80 million over 3 years or $60 over 2. He would transform their lineup.

And he go there and hit 20 home runs. Nobody hits at that stadium.

 

[outofplace]

Pete's about as nice as guy as he appears on TV, but he really ****ed this up. You're a cold corner guy with one real skill (he's turned himself into a perfectly fine first baseman, but nobody's paying for that) nearing your 30th birthday in an awful market for 30-plus first basemen. An absolutely blubbering idiot of a GM offered him about the same deal Freddie Freeman got off winning an MVP and the World Series in his last two years in Atlanta. You sign that contract while the words are still in Eppler's mouth. With Stearns coming in with no ties to Alonso, he had to know he wasn't gonna do better than that. But Boras sold him a tall tale and Alonso bought it.

Yup. Boras screwed him and he screwed himself by listening to Boras.

 

[micropolitan guy]

Yup. Boras screwed him and he screwed himself by listening to Boras.

If I'm not mistaken, he did the same thing with Michael Conforto several years ago. Turned down a multi-year, reasonable offer from the Mets on Boras's advice, then he got hurt and didn't play at all or earn anything in 2022. Had two $18 million years with the Giants and he's signed a $17 million deal with the Dodgers, but in the long run he'll lose money from not signing the long-term deal in 2020 or 2021.

 

[outofplace]

If I'm not mistaken, he did the same thing with Michael Conforto several years ago. Turned down a multi-year, reasonable offer from the Mets on Boras's advice, then he got hurt and didn't play at all or earn anything in 2022. Had two $18 million years with the Giants and he's signed a $17 million deal with the Dodgers, but in the long run he'll lose money from not signing the long-term deal in 2020 or 2021.

At least in that case, there was an injury that diminished his value. Alonso was healthy. Boras either misread the market or lied to Alonso so he could sign him.

 

[micropolitan guy]

At least in that case, there was an injury that diminished his value. Alonso was healthy. Boras either misread the market or lied to Alonso so he could sign him.

True, but the injury occurred after he decided not to re-sign (supposedly hurt his shoulder at a bachelor party or wedding celebration, not game-related). Had he been under contract he would have been paid for 2022, and beyond.

 

[BYH 2: Electric Boogaloo]

Conforto not taking the deal turned out to be a really bad idea, especially if he got hurt in foolish fashion, but it was still more defensible than Alonso's decision. Conforto/Boras could spin his ability to play center in a pinch and his upward trajectory as someone still in his 20s...he had a lousy walk year in 2021, but he had an OPS+ of 134 from 2018-20 and looked like an MVP candidate during the pandemic season. And that's one sweet left-handed swing. You don't have to look too hard to think you're seeing a modern-day Will Clark. Of course, he's not, and now he's a .240-hitting left fielder who doesn't draw walks and didn't hit lefties until last season, so he's probably looking at one-year deals the rest of his career. He won't need a bake sale any century soon but still, that's a lot of money left on the table.

 

[BYH 2: Electric Boogaloo]

And he go there and hit 20 home runs. Nobody hits at that stadium.

Tying this all together...a lot of people believed Conforto, the Washington state kid, wanted to end up with Seattle while he was with the Mets. Don't know if that ended up being inaccurate dot connecting or if any chance of the return home evaporated due to the Mariners' thriftiness and/or Conforto's untimely injury. Of course, everyone thought Pacific Northwest kid Mathew Barzal was gonna end up with Seattle or Vancouver and he's signed thru 2031 w/the Islanders, so it was probably just inaccurate dot connecting.

 

[micropolitan guy]

Tying this all together...a lot of people believed Conforto, the Washington state kid, wanted to end up with Seattle while he was with the Mets. Don't know if that ended up being inaccurate dot connecting or if any chance of the return home evaporated due to the Mariners' thriftiness and/or Conforto's untimely injury. Of course, everyone thought Pacific Northwest kid Mathew Barzal was gonna end up with Seattle or Vancouver and he's signed thru 2031 w/the Islanders, so it was probably just inaccurate dot connecting.

His career would have died at Safeco. Nobody hits there. San Francisco wasn't a great spot for a left-handed hitter either, certainly not as welcoming as Citi Field.

 

[qtlaw]

Conforto not taking the deal turned out to be a really bad idea, especially if he got hurt in foolish fashion, but it was still more defensible than Alonso's decision. Conforto/Boras could spin his ability to play center in a pinch and his upward trajectory as someone still in his 20s...he had a lousy walk year in 2021, but he had an OPS+ of 134 from 2018-20 and looked like an MVP candidate during the pandemic season. And that's one sweet left-handed swing. You don't have to look too hard to think you're seeing a modern-day Will Clark. Of course, he's not, and now he's a .240-hitting left fielder who doesn't draw walks and didn't hit lefties until last season, so he's probably looking at one-year deals the rest of his career. He won't need a bake sale any century soon but still, that's a lot of money left on the table.

Admittedly I did not take much note of Conforto '18-22 but in '23-'24 even in the SF uniform I NEVER thought I was watching Will Clark. That's fantasy. Please give Will the Thrill a bit more respect!

 

[micropolitan guy]

Of all the MLB players I've seen at Microville Tech over the years (Rutschman, Conforto, Madrigal, Cole Gillespie, Ellsbury, Barney, Susac, Larnach, Stefen Romero, Jamie Burke) I never ever suspected that Steven Kwan would be the best hitter of them all.

And I've never seen a longer homer than one hit there by Cal OF Xavier Nady.

 

[2muchcoffeeman]

ESPN is pondering walking away from its MLB deal, and MLB is saying that would be a one-way trip.


If ESPN opts out of TV deal, MLB warns it could walk away: source — The Athletic