MLB Offseason Moves/Rumor Thread

[One eyed Bird]

3 hours ago, OriolesMagic83 said:

Shades of 2014.  I guess nothing will change until the owner does.  I was watching part of a Nats classic on MASN a few nights ago and I'm guessing it was in the 2013-2014 range (Strasburg was a young starter).  The broadcaster mentioned that if the Nats had a reasonable shot at the playoffs, the owner had said money was no obstacle to doing what it took to win.  Words JA will never say.

JA also quoted as saying winning would be no obstacle in doing what it takes to make money, making money is the only thing that matters

[Just Regular]

Too bad Stroman seemed to value Cashman's brand over Elias' for picking a nest.    That's a nice price, but the Orioles Bats will just have to make him sorry....the lineup will out-perform better pitchers than him in time, though maybe not this year.

I'm guessing his deal won't have the Eovaldi escalators that make 3/60 more of a possible outcome than the ~2/37 sticker, but this feels similar to the Eovaldi moment last winter.

[CaptainRedbeard]

43 minutes ago, Just Regular said:

Too bad Stroman seemed to value Cashman's brand over Elias' for picking a nest.    That's a nice price, but the Orioles Bats will just have to make him sorry....the lineup will out-perform better pitchers than him in time, though maybe not this year.

I'm guessing his deal won't have the Eovaldi escalators that make 3/60 more of a possible outcome than the ~2/37 sticker, but this feels similar to the Eovaldi moment last winter.

Very similar to Eovaldi. Makes me wonder if any SP we acquire needs to both be on a short deal AND come off a season with a completely clean bill of health. Eovaldi and Stroman both had injuries in their platform years but still made 20 starts and were entering the next year fully healthy.

Does a SP need to be a Lyles/Gibson level workhorse churning out 30+ start seasons every year with no injury question marks for the Orioles to be willing to guarantee any sizable amount? Because if so and we’re also not willing to do long contracts, the only types of free agent SPs we’re ever going to sign are going to be Lyles/Gibson back of the rotation types. 

[sportsfan8703]

46 minutes ago, CaptainRedbeard said:

Very similar to Eovaldi. Makes me wonder if any SP we acquire needs to both be on a short deal AND come off a season with a completely clean bill of health. Eovaldi and Stroman both had injuries in their platform years but still made 20 starts and were entering the next year fully healthy.

Does a SP need to be a Lyles/Gibson level workhorse churning out 30+ start seasons every year with no injury question marks for the Orioles to be willing to guarantee any sizable amount? Because if so and we’re also not willing to do long contracts, the only types of free agent SPs we’re ever going to sign are going to be Lyles/Gibson back of the rotation types. 

We gave the Gibson/Lyles money to Kimbrel. Sadly, we could not even afford to sign Gibson and Kimbrel. 

I thought Stroman had the QO pick, and that’s why we didn’t sign him. It was past my bed time last night.

Stroman does give off those Eovaldi vibes of a missed opportunity. 

[bpilktree]

10 hours ago, interloper said:

Ehh. Costs a pick, injured a lot. I'm kind of relieved honestly. But I get wanting him too, especially at less than three years.

Don't know that a couple million more keeps him from the Yankees though.

He has made an average of 28 starts a year over the last 7 years.  He has made 25 starts or more in 6 of the 7 years and 32 starts or more in 4 of the last 7 years.  Where are people getting this idea he injury prone?  

[interloper]

1 hour ago, bpilktree said:

He has made an average of 28 starts a year over the last 7 years.  He has made 25 starts or more in 6 of the 7 years and 32 starts or more in 4 of the last 7 years.  Where are people getting this idea he injury prone?

That's fair. I guess I just heard so much about his injuries last season that it filtered in. I think people fear he will break down but you're right he hasn't been too injured in his career.

[murph]

Jordan Hicks to the Giants and they are going to try starting him.  
 

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2024/01/giants-to-sign-jordan-hicks.html

[interloper]

52 minutes ago, murph said:

Jordan Hicks to the Giants and they are going to try starting him.  
 

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2024/01/giants-to-sign-jordan-hicks.html

That's pretty surprising and I kind of like it. If it works out, he would be an extremely affordable starting pitcher for his age and the stuff he has. If it doesn't work out, he's back to being a good reliever with big upside. 

This is savvy little deal for the Giants who haven't had much success getting a SP. 

[OriolesMagic83]

3 minutes ago, interloper said:

That's pretty surprising and I kind of like it. If it works out, he would be an extremely affordable starting pitcher for his age and the stuff he has. If it doesn't work out, he's back to being a good reliever with big upside. 

This is savvy little deal for the Giants who haven't had much success getting a SP. 

Nobody wants the Giants' Confecerate money!

[Sports Guy]

What a dumb idea even if that park is favorable to pitchers.

[interloper]

3 minutes ago, Sports Guy said:

What a dumb idea even if that park is favorable to pitchers.

Well, you are a lot more sour on Hicks than most. When he's good, he's dominant. I thought his projected 4/$40 was definitely expensive, but if they are starting him (and it works out), that's insanely affordable. 

[Just Regular]

11 hours ago, Just Regular said:

I'm guessing his deal won't have the Eovaldi escalators that make 3/60 more of a possible outcome than the ~2/37 sticker, but this feels similar to the Eovaldi moment last winter.

Actually, it did.    Ben Clemens' story has the detail this evolves to ~3/55 relatively easily if Stroman can answer the bell for 28 five and dive starts next year.

There are two marginal monetary concerns worth touching on before I finish up here. First, there’s a third-year option in the contract for $18 million. That vests if Stroman reaches 140 innings pitched in 2025, which is a reasonable breakeven number; he just missed 140 in each of the last two years, but exceeded that number in his last two seasons of work before that. If he hits that mark and exercises the option, this deal will look a lot like both my and the crowd’s projections. 

[RZNJ]

4 hours ago, interloper said:

Well, you are a lot more sour on Hicks than most. When he's good, he's dominant. I thought his projected 4/$40 was definitely expensive, but if they are starting him (and it works out), that's insanely affordable. 

Can you provide us of some proof of these stretches of dominance?

[interloper]

16 minutes ago, RZNJ said:

Can you provide us of some proof of these stretches of dominance?

Well he had one rough month last season (April). In the other months combined he pitched to a 2.67 ERA. 

[RZNJ]

11 minutes ago, interloper said:

Well he had one rough month last season (April). In the other months combined he pitched to a 2.67 ERA. 

After the all-star break he had a 2.48 ERA
 

29 IP, 26 H, 9 walks, 26 strikeouts 

You consider that dominant?