2020-21 Baseball Offseason Thread

That one has been rumored for a while. Watch him suddenly bounce back and become a useful starter for the Rays again.

I remember hearing that then-Cubs GM Jim Hendry mocked the Pirates after stealing Aramis Ramirez and Kenny Lofton from them in 2003. I'm guessing they are doing something similar in Tampa. Of course, the 2003 trade was a salary dump. Ownership didn't just force the front office to cut payroll during that season. They were stupid enough to say it publicly, making it impossible for the Pirates to get fair value in return. The result was Aramis Ramirez and Kenny Lofton for Jose Hernandez, minor-league pitcher Matt Bruback, and a player to be named later. That player was former prospect Bobby Hill, who was damaged goods.

Hernandez was gone by 2004. Bruback never made it to the majors. Hlll stumbled through a couple of crappy seasons with the Pirates before his major-league career ended. Ramirez and Lofton were both great for the Cubs that year, and Ramirez was a cornerstone of that team through 2011.

The Archer deal is already that kind of bad, and it could get a hell of a lot worse before the players the Pirates traded for him are done.

 

I'm still stunned by the Arenado trade.
Monfort Inc. strikes again.

 

Some here (I have no idea who) will remember another controversial Aramis Ramirez trade from way back in the day. No one cares about my fantasy team, but the history of that team is nostalgia.

 

They were so sabremetric.

 

Bauer signs with the Dodgers

 

Seriously, how does he still have a job?

 

I suspect this signing is going to backfire on the Dodgers. I don't think he'll pitch to the contract and he's likely to cause headaches in the clubhouse at some point. They're paying him to pitch like a 2.25 ERA pitcher when he's only pitched one full season with an ERA below 4.00 (plus a great short season last year). If he pitches to a 3.50 ERA over the full season, I'll be surprised.

 

This contract is ridiculous

 

How are the Dodgers getting this money? Seriously curious.

 

They get a ton of local TV money and still a lot of lower paid players who haven't reached or just reached arbitration.