Hot Stove Thread 2014-15

Sounds like total teardown and rebuild for the Rockies, probably not much else they can do.

The issue with Tulowitzki is that when healthy he is about the best player in the NL (or at least top3) but he is injured a lot and with age that probably won't get better. Someone might bite though with a player being as good as him.

I also think their park is a huge disadvantage for the Rockies because it just eats up pitchers (and there might even be a road hangover for their hitters but not sure about that). if you play in such a video game park you basically need 20% more pitching and no team can provide that.

 

I think it is fair to say there is some level of road hangover for their hitters. Sure, the park is a big advantage for any hitter, but the home/road splits for some of these guys is just so extreme, I think there has to be more to it. Maybe it is just a matter of developing bad habits and getting away with them at home.

There certainly is a mental aspect to the trouble for pitchers. I've had that conversation with guys who have pitched there and I'm sure many other board members have done the same. One in particular went on at length about the way the park got in his head. He would make what he knew was a good pitch, then watch it go out anyway. If a pitcher does the right thing and gets the wrong result often enough, he can easily lose confidence and/or try to make adjustments that will only worsen the problem.

 

Do you believe a team will take a chance on Ichiro?

I think Ichiro really wants 3,000 hits. In 2014 he hit .284. With the same BA in 2015 Ichiro would need 550 ABs to get the 156 hits he needs to reach 3,000. Is any team willing to give Ichiro that many ABs?

 

Tampa Bay? He could DH and turf is good for his batting style.

 

It probably depends on how badly he wants 3,000 hits and whether he would play on the cheap to do it. If he's a minimum guy, he isn't bad.

 

I think you have to look at his interview with Costas as a "will work for little" advertisement.

 

It would be incredible if he reached 3,000 hits. What a hitter/speedster he was. I hope someone takes a flier on him and he gets there.

 

He hasn't had 550 ABs since 2012. He hit .297 in the first half of this season, then .264 in the second half because he ran out of gas. He'll be 42 next year.

No team will give him that many at-bats unless they're absolutely desperate, and even then it'd be a stretch to expect he'd hit that average over 550 ABs.

 

He would have to do well enough in part time duty to get a team to try him the following season. Unlikely.

 

Bob Nightengale is reporting the Mariners are courting Hanley Ramirez very aggressively.
Also, from the FART pipeline, Jeremy Hellickson will be moved to an NL team this week.

 

Braves shopping Evan Gattis, so that could be a match.

Wonder if Tampa would take BJ Upton back?