2013-14 MLB Hot Stove thread

Fielder for Kinsler "being discussed":

http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2013/11/fielder-for-kinsler-blockbuster-is-being-discussed.html?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

 

CBS says it's been agreed to.

http://www.cbssports.com/mlb/writer/jon-heyman/24250972/fielder-for-kinsler-bloickbuster-is-on-the-table

 

Rangers will also get $30 million, per Ken Rosenthal:

http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/texas-rangers-ian-kinsler-trade-detroit-tigers-prince-fielder-hot-stove-112013

 

Tigers can re-sign Peralta, have him and Iglesias man the left side of the infield, with Kinsler at second and move Miggy to first.

 

Or they just let top prospect Nick Castellanos take over at third. They converted him to left field last year, but could move him back now.

http://www.baseball-reference.com/minors/player.cgi?id=castel002nic

He's a .303/.359/.445 hitter in 1,700 minor-league PAs, and he'll be just 22 on Opening Day.

 

That's kind of an unimpressive line for a top prospect in the minors, but he's got good scouting reports so it'll probably be fine.

Deal makes tons and tons and tons of sense for both teams, afaict.

 

Effin' Rangers, crying poor again ...

 

He's rated No. 11 in the top 100 prospects on MLB.com. He was also Futures Game MVP in 2012. Also of note, he was learning the new position last year (3B to OF), which could account for lower numbers.

 

Any idea how good he is at third base? Was the move only because he was blocked by Cabrera or was he not great defensively at third?

I know Cabrera's lack of range is an issue at third base, but he took his game to the next level once the Tigers moved him back there. At the very least, it seems like playing third helped motivate him to get in better shape.

 

Castellanos is awful at 3B, his fielding average was .902 in his final partial minor league season at third. Castellanos is not the option at 3B; they'll keep Cabrera there if it comes down to that.

My bet now is they re-sign Peralta and he slides over to 3B.

 

Not sure how good he is at third, to be honest. I've seen him live in one or two games in low A ball.

He started 2010 in High A Lakeland, playing 3B. He got moved to AA Erie midseason and played a majority in RF, when it became clear that he was getting close to major league ready. He played all last year in LF (moved there because of the Torii Hunter signing).

But yea, the main reason he was moved to OF was after the Fielder signing.


Edit: Castellanos was at .902 fielding percentage when he started the season at Lakeland.

At Erie, he had a .974 fielding percentage at third and a .980 in right field.

Range factor at 3B was 2.74 at Erie. 2.35 at Lakeland. (Not sure if that's good or bad).

 

Am I alone in thinking that Cabrera seems to respond best to playing third and that might be reason enough to keep him there?