MLB 2024-25 Hot Stove Thread

There definitely seems to be some buzz for Bellinger to the Yankees.

 

I think part of it is the thought that the short porch in Yankee Stadium would be a good fit for Bellinger, who is also a better and more versatile defender than Alonso.

I wouldn't sleep on Walker. He has been a beast for the last two seasons. He had a higher on-base percentage than Alonso the last two seasons and a higher slugging percentage in 2024. His counting stats were down only because he missed a little over a month with an oblique injury and struggled when he returned.

 

There is a very big gap between what the Cubs gave up and those two guys.

 

Chit chat and rumbling here in the Northwest that if the Mariners are willing to deal one of their stacked rotation, it would be Luis Castillo. Not least because he’s due to make $24M the next three seasons.

Seattle badly needs at least one corner infielder who hits for power. You know, like Eugenio Suarez … oh, wait.

 

Seattle needs new ownership.

 

Agreed, but I didn’t see any reports indicating that the Astros were willing to deal Tucker without receiving Gil in a package. And, again, after getting burned by Soto, Yanks weren’t looking to give him up for a rental.

I meant more league wide than just New York. Bellinger does make more sense in the Bronx than Pete (though it would be fun to stick it to the Mets fans).

 

I'm a fan of Alonso and would love to seem him back with the Mets (I sort of doubt that will happen).

But as far as "sticking it" I don't think that will balm Yankee fans over losing Soto to Queens. They are really not taking it well.

And most Yankee fans seem to hate Alonso since he was the best Met for a few years, before Lindor came along. But I'm sure they'd come around if he hits 40 homers for them. He does have good oppo power for the 200-foot fence in right field in the Bronx.

 

I moved on pretty quickly from Soto. Far faster than I expected, honestly. I loved watching him play. He was one of my favorite players even before he put on pinstripes. Watching him come onto the field at the start of Game 4 to pump up the fans is a baseball memory I’ll keep forever.

But seeing him leave that offer on the table — and knowing the other opportunities it presented — I was fine with it. Because as much as I liked him, I know if he accepted, the Yankees wouldn’t have added much else. And he wasn’t going to be enough.

That said, if they don’t do more than what they have so far, it will be an offseason failure. They could still add Bellinger and Burnes for less than they would have paid Soto.

 

Just because there weren't reports of the Astros trading Tucker without getting Gil doesn't mean they wouldn't have done it.

 

I never like to agree w/OOP but I think the White Sox did the best they could w/selling high on Crochet. As good as he was last year, he really only did it for half a season. When can the Red Sox reasonably expect a true ace-caliber workload from him? Probably not until 2026. And when he was being bandied about at the deadline, I wasn't impressed when he said he wouldn't pitch in the playoffs w/o an extension from his new team. I get he was protecting himself but it came off really bad. Not sure he's a guy who equipped to be an ace in any way.

 

Flip side: Astros surely wanted more from the Yankees to not only trade Tucker w/in the league but to their most bitter rival.

 

Do the Yankees see the Astros as a bitter rival? I know Yankee fans hate the Astros, but do the teams see it that way?