2023-24 free agency, trades, and signings

[imref]

Hector Gomez says Toronto is the front-runner for Soto.

[nfotiu]

Toronto seems to be making a push for Ohtani as well.   It seems surprising at first, but with all the talk of the future of RSNs, Toronto actually has a lot of people watching their games, which could be huge for the future.   

I'm not sure this is fully accurate
https://www.reddit.com/r/Torontobluejays/comments/11zxdg8/each_teams_average_regular_season_viewership/

But I know they average close to a million viewers per game, while the rest of the league is in the 50-60,000 range. 

[JCA-CrystalCity]

Rogers is a national canadian network, I think. They have all of canada as a market. Just think, they all have to listen to Buck Martinez.

[nfotiu]

Rogers is a national canadian network, I think. They have all of canada as a market. Just think, they all have to listen to Buck Martinez.

True, but Canada's population is not much larger than SoCal and NY teams, Red Sox, Texas, Was/Balt TV territories.  It is bigger than all of them, and more people tune in, so they are sitting pretty going forward, as they weren't relying on carriage fees/low vewership tv deals to the extent US teams were.   If only they could play in a reasonably nice ballpark!

[Slateman]

Ohtani and Soto would be cool

[JCA-CrystalCity]

Ohtani and Soto would be cool

I want to see them fight it out to dh

[imref]

Per nightengale, here’s what the padres asked of the Yankees for Soto:

Michael King
Clark Schmidt
Drew Thorpe (#5)
Randy Vazquez (#14)
Jhonny Brito
Two more prospects
And taking CF Trent Grisham

[Senatorswin]

.803 OPS in 510 ABs at AA, .851 in 21 ABs at AAA, he'll be 20 in March so he's way ahead of his peers.

He's playing in the Venezuela winter league and has posted a .984 OPS in 66 ABs. He has struck out as many times as he has walked.

Wood actually had a higher OPS in AA although with 368 PA and 323 AB's. Wood was at .827.

[imref]

Heyman:

Brewers deal with Jackson Chourio, 19, worth $142.5.M if options exercised and he hits all escalators. It’s $82M guaranteed over 8 yrs plus 2 $25M options and $2M buyout. Record deal for minor leaguer and teen-ager. Physical ongoing. Press conference expected at Winter Meetings

Dylan Crews, call your agent.

[nfotiu]

Heyman:
Dylan Crews, call your agent.

Boras wouldn't let him take a deal like that.

[Senatorswin]

Boras wouldn't let him take a deal like that.

I suspect you're right but what I don't understand is at what point did these agents stop advising clients and started dictating to them what they were going to do. I can't think of one instance where a Boras client signed early presumably against Boras's advice.

Rendon fat mouthed about he was the decision maker not his agent but at the end of the day he did what every other free agent to be player does.

[Slateman]

I suspect you're right but what I don't understand is at what point did these agents stop advising clients and started dictating to them what they were going to do. I can't think of one instance where a Boras client signed early presumably against Boras's advice.

Rendon fat mouthed about he was the decision maker not his agent but at the end of the day he did what every other free agent to be player does.

When they started setting records for most money in a contract.

Stephen Strasburg signed early. Harper signed his deal in Philly against Boras' wishes. It happens a lot more frequently than it should.

[Senatorswin]

When they started setting records for most money in a contract.

Stephen Strasburg signed early. Harper signed his deal in Philly against Boras' wishes. It happens a lot more frequently than it should.

I'm not sure what you mean by Stephen Strasburg signed early. He signed in December of 2019 when he was a free agent. He opted out of the remaining four years he had left on his contract because he knew he could make more.

As far as Harper you're right in he went against Boras in one aspect of the Philly signing. Harper didn't want a player opt-out option. The free agent experience was so unpleasant for Harper he didn't want to go through it again. In the end, as Machado showed, it has most likely cost Harper a lot of money and he should be commended for wanting to be loyal to one team at his own expense.

[Slateman]

I'm not sure what you mean by Stephen Strasburg signed early. He signed in December of 2019 when he was a free agent. He opted out of the remaining four years he had left on his contract because he knew he could make more.

As far as Harper you're right in he went against Boras in one aspect of the Philly signing. Harper didn't want a player opt-out option. The free agent experience was so unpleasant for Harper he didn't want to go through it again. In the end, as Machado showed, it has most likely cost Harper a lot of money and he should be commended for wanting to be loyal to one team at his own expense.

Strasburg signed an extension with the Nationals in 2016. It was just randomly announced right before a game in May. I remember a number of posters [responding] to Trump Tweets in 2012 saying Stras would never stay. And everyone swore that he wouldnt because he was a Boras client.

Harper shouldnt be commended for crap. He's being paid far below market value and has accomplished precisely nothing with. And at this point,  the Phillies are so bloated with albatross contracts, he likely never will.

[Senatorswin]

Strasburg signed an extension with the Nationals in 2016. It was just randomly announced right before a game in May. I remember a number of posters [responding] to Trump Tweets in 2012 saying Stras would never stay. And everyone swore that he wouldnt because he was a Boras client.

Harper shouldnt be commended for crap. He's being paid far below market value and has accomplished precisely nothing with. And at this point,  the Phillies are so bloated with albatross contracts, he likely never will.

Stras signed a contract in January of 2016 to avoid arbitration. Then you're right, he signed a contract in May of 2016 that would pay him an average of $25 million a year for 7 years. But because it had an opt-out after the first three years of the contract it was a no lose for Stras. If he was injured again or didn't perform he had the security, but because he did well he just did a do over. But again, you made a good point that it's one of the rare instances a Boras client signed prior to becoming a free agent. I'm sure Boras insisted on the opt-out but chances are Stras was making his own decision and not Boras. Good example.

As far as Harper I'm not sure what you were saying but again it's another example of a player not following the advice of Boras at least for a part of the contract.

[imref]

Big trade between the Braves and Mariners

The Braves and Mariners swung the first trade of the Winter Meetings late Sunday night, finalizing a deal that sends outfielder Jarred Kelenic, lefty Marco Gonzales and first baseman Evan White to Atlanta for right-handers Jackson Kowar and Cole Phillips.

Phillips, 20, ranks as the No. 7 prospect in Atlanta's farm system, according to MLB Pipeline. The deal comes just over a week after Seattle traded Eugenio Suárez to the D-backs for Seby Zavala and reliever Carlos Vargas.

https://www.mlb.com/news/jarred-kelenic-braves-trade

[nobleisthyname]

[responding]

It's been quite a few years since I've heard this term used 

[JCA-CrystalCity]

Trump Tweets in 2012 saying Stras would never stay.

Trump didn't comment on the Nats until much later. I'm not sure he commented until he was in office and he was talking about a playoff series, maybe the Cubs?

[nobleisthyname]

I also appreciate the edit 

[Senatorswin]

Shame on the Orioles if they don't offer the best trade for Dylan Cease. There's speculation that's where he may go. They could trade a couple of their prospects and not even miss them. Cease would fit into their stingy budget also.

[JCA-CrystalCity]

Cease is a hot commodity. There's going to be a bidding war for him. The Os have the ammo for it, but so do a few other organizations. Barves and Dodgers come to mind.

[Senatorswin]

Cease is a hot commodity. There's going to be a bidding war for him. The Os have the ammo for it, but so do a few other organizations. Barves and Dodgers come to mind.

Others do have ammunition but nobody comes close to the Orioles in prospects or even guys like Santander or Urias who are valuable. According to Bleacher report the Dodgers have the 14th ranked minor league and the Braves 24th. I would expect both to go after him but if the Orioles want him they could definitely get him.

Anybody going against the Orioles trying to provide more prospects would be like Festus going up against Matt Dillon.

[JCA-CrystalCity]

talking about an Os deal starting with Jordan Westburg

[blue911]

talking about an Os deal starting with Jordan Westburg

I really like Westburg. He and Bryson Stott have a lot to like.

[imref]

Morosi says the Cubs and Hoskins are discussing a deal.