Hot Stove Thread 2014-15

I don't get this signing unless they think they are going to lose one of the other guys soon. That's just too many years and dollars for a spot that is so far from a need.

 

Fister and Zimmermann will both be free agents after the 2015 season.

 

Word is they will probably trade Zimmermann before long, possibly to Boston or Detroit.

Cubs and Astros complete a minor deal: Dexter Folwer to Chicago and Dan Straily/Luis Valbuena to Houston.

Astros trade Dexter Fowler to Cubs for P Dan Straily, IF Luis Valbuena - Ultimate Astros

Good trade for both, I think. Fowler's overrated for the most part, but he does get on base (.366 career OBP). Valbuena's days were numbered with the Cubs with Bryant on the way, and Straily's not far removed from being a good prospect.

 

Fowler and Valbuena are both supporting role types. Fowler can be frustrating because he seems like he has the tools to do more. He has some pop. He is a patient hitter with good ratios. He has the speed to steal more bases, but apparently he hasn't developed his technique in that area. He also gets hurt a lot. Nothing major, but enough to derail him every time it looks like he's going to take a step forward.

 

Interesting nugget on the Scherzer deal per Ken Rosenthal:

Ken Rosenthal on Twitter: "Source: Scherzer deal with #Nationals is seven years, $210M with half deferred. He will receive $15M per year for 14 years."

Like Publisher's Clearinghouse or something ...

 

If I were a player I'd do that -- structure the contract to get paid in retirement.

Bonilla was brilliant. (Unless his agent thought of the idea.)

 

Fowler strikes me as a good buy low candidate. I wouldn't be surprised if he were a late bloomer who became a valuable player. Theo's a smart guy. Valbuena I think might also be pretty valuable as a Jed Lowrie type who can play the IF & has some pop, but the Cubs have young IFs who can hit to spare. I actually think this will end up a less minor trade than you was suggested.

 

I'm sure that is what the Cubs are hoping for, but Fowler is 28 and he has six full seasons in the majors. I think he is what he has shown. A good player, but not the star some had hoped he would be.

 

We've seen this before (Chris Davis, Homer Bailey, Phil Hughes, Carlos Gomez etc.). No guarantees, but it wouldn't surprise me if he made a jump.

 

Oh, it's certainly possible. I think he is more likely a guy that will have a career year at some point, simply having a little better luck staying healthy, then go back to being the same guy he has always been. The physical tools are certainly there.

As it is, he gives the Cubs a hitter who can get on base at the top of the order and a decent defender in the outfield.

 

Fowler is also not a very good defensive center fielder. And he's got pretty significant home/road splits (even in Houston last year, his SLG was almost 100 points higher than it was on the road) and now he is heading to the worst hitting home park of his career.

 

Fair point. He has played in two parks very favorable to hitters.