The Unofficially Official 2025-26 Hot Stove Thread

[2muchcoffeeman]

I feel like it’s time to heat it up.

 

[Baron Scicluna]

“People ask me what do I do in winter when there’s no baseball. I’ll tell you what I do. I stare out the window and wait for spring.” — Rogers Hornsby

 

[Shropshire Slasher]

With the way the playoffs are stretched out these days, there’s not much of an offseason anymore — 95 to 100 days to pitchers and catchers.

Plus there’s also all the FA action — the regular FA season, followed by the Boras season.

 

[UNCGrad]

We get the World Baseball Classic in 2026 as well. Pool play starts March 5.

 

[2muchcoffeeman]

I’m not going to link to all of these, but MLB Trade Rumors is reporting that

 

[HanSenSE]

Marlins promote Gabe Kapler to GM.

 

[micropolitan guy]

Bo Bichette and Josh Naylor two prominent names to elect free agency.

The Mariners really need to lock down Naylor.

 

[HanSenSE]

 

[Deskgrunt50]

Boras is asking for a 7-year deal again for Pete Alonso. I don’t see that happening.

Alonso had a great season. But I don’t see the Mets offering more than 4 or 5. He didn’t have much of a market last year. It might be better this time.

He’s a great power hitter and his work with RISP was really good. He’s perfect for the Mets and a fan favorite. But I think now that he holds the franchise home run record, he probably ends up elsewhere in 2026.

Resigning Edwin Diaz might be a bigger priority too.

 

[MTM]

Awards finalist named. Some are slam dunks -- Ohtani NL MVP. Skenes and Skubel Cy Youngs. ROY votes should be close.
All three NL Manager of the Year finalists lost to the Dodgers in the postseason.

MVP

American League

• Aaron Judge (Yankees)
• Cal Raleigh (Mariners)
• José Ramírez (Guardians)

National League

• Shohei Ohtani (Dodgers)
• Kyle Schwarber (Phillies)
• Juan Soto (Mets)

Cy Young

American League

• Hunter Brown (Astros)
• Garrett Crochet (Red Sox)
• Tarik Skubal (Tigers)

National League

• Cristopher Sánchez (Phillies)
• Paul Skenes (Pirates)
• Yoshinobu Yamamoto (Dodgers)

Rookie of the Year

American League

• Roman Anthony (Red Sox)
• Nick Kurtz (Athletics)
• Jacob Wilson (Athletics)

National League

• Drake Baldwin (Braves)
• Caleb Durbin (Brewers)
• Cade Horton (Cubs)

Manager of the Year

American League

• John Schneider (Blue Jays)
• Stephen Vogt (Guardians)
• Dan Wilson (Mariners)

National League

• Terry Francona (Reds)
• Pat Murphy (Brewers)
• Rob Thomson (Phillies)

 

[justgladtobehere]

Boras is asking for a 7-year deal again for Pete Alonso. I don’t see that happening.

Alonso had a great season. But I don’t see the Mets offering more than 4 or 5. He didn’t have much of a market last year. It might be better this time.

He’s a great power hitter and his work with RISP was really good. He’s perfect for the Mets and a fan favorite. But I think now that he holds the franchise home run record, he probably ends up elsewhere in 2026.

Resigning Edwin Diaz might be a bigger priority too.

He is 30 and strikes out a bit much. 4 years might be pushing it.

 

[UNCGrad]

Mets have a lot of future DHs. No way he gets seven from them (or anyone else).

 

[maumann]

ZiPS has him regressing rapidly by age 35, worth just 0.7 WAR then. Maybe he'll buck the odds but seems like 2025 will be the outlier more than 2023 and 2024.

 

[Della9250]

 

[Shropshire Slasher]

I didn't know Darvish was still in the league.

 

[Jake from State Farm]

Flaherty returns to Tigers

https://www.detroitnews.com/story/s...turns-to-detroit-tigers-for-2026/87093801007/

 

[maumann]

Flaherty returns to Tigers

https://www.detroitnews.com/story/s...turns-to-detroit-tigers-for-2026/87093801007/

He wasn't really going to get much more than the $20 million player option in free agency. A win-win for the Tigers because they still need rotation help.

 

[BYH 2: Electric Boogaloo]

Marlins promote Gabe Kapler to GM.

Weird and not all that successful in two managerial stops but he keeps getting gigs. Nobody falls up like this guy (though one could argue being the Marlins' GM is actually a punishment). They should rename it the Kapler Principle.

 

[Cosmo]

Nice to see the Orioles get Kittredge back. Sounds like it was the plan all along to flip him for a piece midseason since they were out of contention and scoop him right back. He's a really versatile bullpen piece.

 

[MTM]

Weird and not all that successful in two managerial stops but he keeps getting gigs. Nobody falls up like this guy (though one could argue being the Marlins' GM is actually a punishment). They should rename it the Kapler Principle.

Kapler was thisclose to getting the Dodgers job when they hired Dave Roberts.
How would history be different?