2013-14 MLB Hot Stove thread

I like Cano, and he's a very good player, but does anyone think he has huge marketing potential:

Very few MLB players have national marketing appeal. Cano doesn't seem to have the personality, nor the individual numbers, to be one of them.

 

They could base an entire ad campaign about him not running out ground balls to first.

 

National marketing appeal is a judgment call by marketers. Athletes have it when brands decide they do. Wes Welker couldn't get local car dealership ads as a Patriot. As a Bronco, all of a sudden he's in several national ad campaigns. Maybe a similar switch of teams would do the same for Cano.

 

But, as we've discussed on the various baseball vs. football threads, baseball's appeal is much more regional. The breakout stars -- as few as they've been -- have been guys with home run records or game streaks (Ripken), or some other individual accomplishment.

 

Maybe they could squeeze him into one of the those Subway group ads, like Mike Trout and Ryan Howard have been in in the past.

 

Jay-Z asked for the meeting and the Mets ownership granted it. It likely was a marketing ploy to get the Yankees' attention. With his current demands, Cano's not as coveted as he thinks he is.

 

I like the signing. Hudson will be a good No. 3.

 

Josh Johnson to the Padres for one year, $8 million:

http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/10003949/josh-johnson-san-diego-padres-agree-one-year-8m-deal

I love this move for SD. There are no bad one-year deals.

 

It was reported Johnson wanted to go to the West Coast, and that looks like a bit of a discount because of it. I thought he'd get two years or more money or both.

David Murphy on 2/$12 to the Indians, another nice buy-low sort of move.

 

Johnson also has a clause in his contract that if he makes fewer than 7 starts, the Padres get a 2015 team option at $4 million. That's another reason it's a great deal for SD.

 

Yankees follow the Jeter protocol, tell Cano to find a better offer elsewhere if he can.

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article/nyy/new-york-yankees-awaiting-robinson-canos-response-to-offer?ymd=20131119&content_id=64037360&vkey=news_nyy

Glad to see they aren't bidding against themselves. If someone wants to commit $30 million a year to Cano in his late 30s and early 40s, God bless 'em.

 

“@theScore: St. Louis Cardinals pitcher, and former Cy Young Award winner, Chris Carpenter officially retires. http://thesco.re/1c3jk3S”