2013-14 MLB Hot Stove thread

That's because it is absurd for any pitcher. Hell, it's absurd for any player.

 

Starting pitchers get the big money, and Kershaw is the best there is and he's young. He's worth it if anyone is.

 

He's not. No one is and certainly no pitcher. Pitchers are more likely to break down and that's a chance teams can't afford to take with that kind of money. That doesn't mean some team won't be stupid enough to do it, but it's a terrible idea.

 

The Dodgers have signed Cuban 2B Alex Guerrero to a 4-year, $28 million deal with a $10 million signing bonus. So that's one team out of the Cano sweepstakes:

https://twitter.com/JonHeymanCBS/status/392320944678502400

 

Teams are sitting on big piles of money based on a wave of new RSN deals. That money will find its way to the player market.

 

It seems like this is the type of year that GMs end up screwing themselves because they just have to spend that money. Inevitably, in a weak FA market, GMs overpay so-so players just so they can say the signed "the biggest" FA out there.

I would think that middle payroll teams could help their fortunes tremendously by staying out of the FA market in a weak year and saving that cash to make a big offer the next time there are legit big-time FAs available. Nothing kills a middle market team more than an albatross contract for a guy everyone knows is a mid-tier FA who gets a top-tier contract because he's the best of a weak bunch.

 

Reds expected to name pitching coach Bryan Price as new manager:

http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2013/10/21/reds-expected-to-name-bryan-price-as-manager-on-tuesday/

 

Tim Lincecum re-signs with the Giants:

http://blogs.mercurynews.com/giants/2013/10/22/breaking-lincecum-signs-two-year-deal-with-giants/

Two-year deal for $35 million, plus a full no-trade clause:

https://twitter.com/JonHeymanCBS/status/392774537630064640

 

Boy. Hmmm ... huh ... I don't know what to think.

I like the fact that it's two years. Guess the Giants want to take a little more time to figure out what's up with him. $17M per is not an unreasonable price, and is actually a pay cut. I don't know about that closer talk, the Giants have definite holes in their rotation and he is probably still be the best guy to fill them.

The flashes of brilliance are compelling, but the guy has barely been able to put together two decent starts in a row for two years now. This one might have as much to do with marketing as performance. A bit like Jeter's last deal, maybe.

 

It means baseball is as healthy as ever and the Giants are rolling in it.

 

I think it's actually a better risk than the Pence deal, given that it's only 2 years.

At least if you have to bench Lincecum halfway through his contract, you're not stuck paying him until 2018.

 

Hey I'm loving it, because Timmy pulled me (and my fellow fans) out of the darkness of post-Bonds, helped deliver the first 2 WS championships in SF Giants history (he was the STUD in 2010 who stared down the Braves, then post-season aces Halladay and Lee). Go ahead, give him as much $$ as you want, I'm happy to see Timmy in a Giants uni; well at least until he becomes the unwatchable Zito.