The Official 2024-25 MLB Hot Stove Thread

[god shamgod]

I was hoping Wood was going to be able to turn into a shutdown Closer the way Smoltz did for a period of time in his career. But, even that didn't happen.

He was the cubs closer for one season in 2008.had 34 saves then they traded him to Cleveland

Wood regarded as a cubs great no matter what, off the 20k game

 

[Trips]

He was the cubs closer for one season in 2008.had 34 saves then they traded him to Cleveland

Wood regarded as a cubs great no matter what, off the 20k game

I'm not arguing Wood's greatness.

Him and Prior both got shafted by the baseball gods

I just thought after that 34 save season it was a sign of things to come.

 

[ineedsleep212]

Let him live, Bob!

 

[blues_funk_reggae]

I think it was Derek Bell -- if I'm not mistaken -- who said that in the 20 K game, Kerry Wood was throwing a very hard curveball.

It wasn't your normal offspeed curveball, coming in at 88MPH, it was a high velocity curve.

That's what probably caused his arm injury.

 

[Remote]

Pitchers are going to get hurt. It happens.

I'm looking at Kerry Wood's game log from 1998.

102 pitches
102 pitches
53 pitches
107 pitches

Then he threw 122 pitches in the 20 strikeout game on May 6th.

And then he threw

107 pitches
101 pitches
115 pitches

When he got to July he got into the 120 range, but to me 120 pitches doesn't mean injury. Because if it did, we wouldn't see pitchers getting hurt now because these days NOBODY throws 120 pitches in a game. And pitchers are STILL getting hurt all the time.

So it's not about the pitch counts.
It's not about the innings.

What could it be?
The same shyt it has always been -- you go max effort all the time in a job that's inherently injurious....you're gonna get hurt.

Also - Kerry Wood was a guy who threw hard and threw a lot of sliders. I can't think of very many pitchers (except maybe Randy Johnson) who threw hard sliders and DIDN'T get hurt a lot.

 

[VegetasHairline]

 

[Remote]

My hot take right now is that Julio Rodriguez will cement himself as a bust in 2025.

Not a bust like, Brandon Wood. I mean in the sense that he's not going to be this MVP type player that a lot of scouts thought he would be.

I think, in some ways he's similar to Pete Alonso in the sense that he was a very highly rated prospect and he might even put together a very good year. But he will never be the kind of star player that carries a lineup.

@ me if I'm very wrong about this in the future.
I will stand by it.

 

[Remote]

Three players I'm looking at in 2025:

Wyatt Langford
Royce Lewis
Isaac Paredes

Langford can really shoot up to be a Top 25 hitter this season.
Possibly the same with Lewis, provided he's healthy.

Isaac Paredes does go to a better hitting ballpark in Houston but even without it, I think he's got a decent enough hitting profile that if more balls land in play, his average could shoot up 10 or 20 points. The ceiling isn't as high for him but this could wind up being a cheeky move by the Astros.

 

[god shamgod]

Bob Nightengale (@bnightengale.bsky.social)

Free agent third baseman Alex Bregman still has no interest in a short-term contract and seeks a 6- or 7-year deal.

bsky.app

Want no parts

 

[Remote]

Alex Bregman is 30 years old, very likely to just be a contact pull hitter going forward.

Wrigley has not been all that great a ballpark for any hitter, but even less so for singles hitters, which is what I expect Bregman to be.
Even if the Cubs got him, they might regret it in 2 years. Six or seven years is outrageous.

 

[god shamgod]

Alex Bregman is 30 years old, very likely to just be a contact pull hitter going forward.

Wrigley has not been all that great a ballpark for any hitter, but even less so for singles hitters, which is what I expect Bregman to be.
Even if the Cubs got him, they might regret it in 2 years. Six or seven years is outrageous.

The cubs are not signing him for 6-7 years

This is boras leaking shyt to the media as usual. A very credible source who has broken news about the cubs before ,said the cubs offering 4 years 120 with multiple opt outs. Higher aav than devers , cubs optimistic he’ll sign. I’m indifferent I don’t care if they get bregman or not cuz I think cubs are better as is but I guarantee you they aren’t offering 6-7 years to a 31 year old.

 

[VegetasHairline]

The cubs are not signing him for 6-7 years

This is boras leaking shyt to the media as usual. A very credible source who has broken news about the cubs before ,said the cubs offering 4 years 120 with multiple opt outs. Higher aav than devers , cubs optimistic he’ll sign. I’m indifferent I don’t care if they get bregman or not cuz I think cubs are better as is but I guarantee you they aren’t offering 6-7 years to a 31 year old.

He's gonna wind up taking a shorter, higher dollar deal like Pete Alonso did.

 

[god shamgod]

He's gonna wind up taking a shorter, higher dollar deal like Pete Alonso did.

The Cubs have "optimism" about signing free-agent third baseman Alex Bregman, a source said Thursday morning. As I reported Tuesday afternoon, the team has made a multi-year offer that would give Bregman multiple chances to opt out, creatively meeting his desire to be paid at a level commensurate with his track record as an elite infielder without locking the Cubs into a six-year commitment of which they are deeply wary.

Take this or go to Toronto.

Tigers are being cheap , Red Sox aren’t seriously pursuing ,Astros out

 

[2ATMsYouSteppinOrWhat]

some of the dumbest shyt ive ever seen

 

[K-Apps]