2024-25 MLB Hot Stove thread

[miami_fan]

What a game, what a series. WORLD CHAMPIONS.

Blue jays are a heck of a team

Indeed. I hope that is the beginning of an era for the Blue Jays. That is a fun squad to watch play.

Clayton Kershaw goes out a champion.

[Ksyrup]

I didn't see it at the time and the broadcast didn't highlight it (I don't think), but IKF had a very small lead and barely moved for his secondary lead coming off 3B on the force-out at home and likely cost his team the WS.

Plus, I know it's not the normal play at home, but he didn't need to slide - just run through the base! It was no different than a play at 1B at that point.

[Thomkal]

Congrats to the Dodgers and oh-so close to the Blue Jays, wasn't expecting it to go the full 7 games, so well done to them


This is the Anti-dynasty part of me speaking where I got sick of always winning teams like the Yankees, so kinda hoping Dodgers don't even make the playoffs next season or get eliminated early.

[JonInMiddleGA]

This is the Anti-dynasty part of me speaking where I got sick of always winning teams like the Yankees, so kinda hoping Dodgers don't even make the playoffs next season or get eliminated early.

Ah, my opposite.

Without those teams, or at least without the threat of them, how much does a title even mean? If anybody can do it, not exactly special. Parity is the absolutely dullest thing ever.

[Mota]

I personally think a title means less when the same teams win it year after year.

I was sad about the result, but as a baseball fan in general, it was an amazing series.

[Danny]

I personally think a title means less when the same teams win it year after year.

I was sad about the result, but as a baseball fan in general, it was an amazing series.


You must hate Will Smith. 6 titles in a row. Hasnt lost this decade.

[Mota]

I would make sure I have a bat boy or equipment manager named Will Smith if I was any other team.

[PilotMan]

I personally think a title means less when the same teams win it year after year.

I was sad about the result, but as a baseball fan in general, it was an amazing series.


As a Dodger fan, this is where I was before game 7. Even if we'd lost, I'd have been sad, but the series was incredible. And we were so bad in so many other areas throughout the year. It was nice to have enough depth that as guys rose and fell that the team could still persevere, but getting to game 7 of the series is the best you can ask from any team at the start of the year. To just get into a position to make it is a big success. The Jays were a very dangerous team. They'd been a threat all year, and playoffs just accentuated that. Aside from Springer (and Max), great team to watch.


As for same teams, I think in general, I agree. However the way this team and last years team's played, the path to get there, the challenges all along the way, were quite different. They tried, they failed in so many areas, and yet still got there. 65 different players all year, that's not just a few guys dominating.

[cuervo72]

We've had similar discussions before; my general take is that I do like teams to have competitive "arcs" and I like these to not always be the same team. Overlapping arcs are good for fostering rivalries of the era that can be remembered later (Celtics/Lakers, Bulls/Knicks, Yankees/Dodgers, Patriots/Colts, Chiefs/Bills, etc.) but I don't think its any good if these are dominated by one team or if the team's arc is too long. (Patriots were too long. Yankees were too long. Chiefs are about there now. Dodgers probably now too.)

[JPhillips]

The Cubs not taking the 3/57 option on Imanaga is the problem with baseball.

[miami_fan]

This is going to sound weird but I hope people get what I am saying.

The Dodgers feel more like a team that has won three titles since 1989 than a team than has won three titles since 2020. They don't feel like the Yankees from the mid 90s to like 2010. I am not sure they even feel the same as the Red Sox of the early 2000s. Sure, they have a expensive payroll but a team that has had too long of a reign? Not for me. Pilotman hit on something. This has not been a dominant team. This has not been a team that has been clean sweeping awards dominating All Star games. It's Shohei, Mookie, maybe Freddie Freeman and then a bunch of good baseball players. I know Blake Snell has won a Cy Young but he was just a guy for the Dodgers this season.

They probably need a 114 win regular season 2 loss postseason ending in another title to reach the stage of me wanting them to lose. Oh and some of the players have to exhibit more a-hole behavior. Throw a broken bat at an opposing player or encourage the fan base to be more annoying. Something to become more unlikable.

[Mota]

I think the problem with the Dodgers this season has been injuries. That problem went away at the perfect time. If they had Snell, Ohtani and Glasnow all season, they would have won 114 games.

Glasnow, 18 starts. Snell, 11 starts. Ohtani, 14 (very abbreviated) starts. They were into their 7th and 8th starters at points in the season, and still made the playoffs because of their depth. And they could afford to let these guys fully recover. But they have incredible depth, they could afford to bring Kershaw along for the ride without needing to use him barely at all. That team is so much better than their regular season record.

[Ksyrup]

The Guardians pitchers threw away their MLB careers for $12K each. Make it make sense.

[Lathum]

The Guardians pitchers threw away their MLB careers for $12K each. Make it make sense.

they didn't think they would get caught.

[Ksyrup]

For $12K? Now, I'm sure these weren't the only pitches that earned them money, just the ones they must have some proof for, but sheesh. Clase especially, making $4M/year. $12K is close to pocket change.

[Ghost Econ]

I mean, Shohei tried to throw it away for less but had someone who could take the fall.

[GrantDawg]

I mean, Shohei tried to throw it away for less but had someone who could take the fall.

This is all feels like just a very small tip of an iceberg.

[CrimsonFox]

The Guardians pitchers threw away their MLB careers for $12K each. Make it make sense.

so what EXACTLY did they do wrong? Just now saw this story. They placed pitches in the same place every time and there was a betting place you could bet on where they would throw the pitch?

[JonInMiddleGA]

so what EXACTLY did they do wrong? Just now saw this story. They placed pitches in the same place every time and there was a betting place you could bet on where they would throw the pitch?

Never mind the tipping, Clase is accused of placing bets on his own bad pitches.

[JPhillips]

It's weird to me that Francona finished second in the Manager of the Year ballots when he wouldn't have been in the top five had the Mets gone 29-35 after the break instead of 28-36.

[Drake]

Skenes winning the Cy Young just insures that by the time he hits his prime, he'll be playing for a big market team.

That was probably true anyway, but maybe this way it comes a little sooner since the Pirates will need to trade when his value is high.

[Ksyrup]

Nothing like MLB to turn post-season awards into a "when will they be traded?" talk.

[Swaggs]

I don't think any Pirates' fans are under the illusion that Skenes will be playing in Pittsburgh by the end of his rookie contract. He's almost certainly going to end up in Southern California or New York by 2029.

He is super diplomatic and respectful, so I cannot see him trying to force a trade or anything, but unless the Pirates go on some unexpected run of being highly competitive (they won't because they won't increase payroll) or he gets injured, I doubt our cheap ass owner will even want to pay his arbitration figure by 2028. I'd imagine he'll get dealt prior to the 2028 season or possibly mid-season there, if he stays healthy.

He's so good. I'd love to see what type of win numbers he would put up with an above average offense.

[Atocep]

Mets trade Brandon Nimmo for Marcus Simien. That likely means Jeff McNeil is next. Not a surprise at all. The defense had to improve and Nimmo was a negative in left while McNeil can play a lot of positions, but none of them particularly well.

[Lathum]

If they let Pete walk that is a lot of offensive production to replace and Semien isn't getting any younger.

[Lathum]

Just told my 12 year old Mets loving daughter and she was in hysterics. If Pete doesn't come back she may need to be institutionalized.

[Ksyrup]

Suppose we need a 25-26 thread at some point.

Anyway, just wanted to point out that the Nationals and Mariners made a trade - Jose Ferrer for Harrison Ford. I chuckled.

[miami_fan]

My guess is Beltran is still paying the sign stealing penalty. Not as severe as the PED penalty but severe enough to keep him out this year. No disrespect to Beltran but I would have been pissed if he got in before Andruw Jones. That is not to say Beltran is not deserving, just to say Andruw Jones should have already been voted into the Hall.

At least some of the wrongs in the world can be rectified.

Carlos Beltran, Andruw Jones elected to Baseball Hall of Fame - ESPN (https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/47675537/carlos-beltran-andruw-jones-elected-baseball-hall-fame)

[Ksyrup]

The next wrong that needs to be righted is that Lou Whitaker should be in. I know there are different WAR calculations and I don't know how this compares to the others (good or bad), but...

Career bWAR for this year's HOF inductees and Lou Whitaker:

Lou Whitaker 75.1 (tied for 85th place with Johnny Bench)

Carlos Beltran 70.0 (105th place)

Andruw Jones 62.7 (165th place)

Jeff Kent 55.4 (253rd place, 6 places behind Chet Lemon)\


The Chet Lemon reference is because this came off a Tigers subreddit.

[miami_fan]

Guardians' Clase allegedly rigged pitches in 48 games, document says - ESPN (https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/47842376/guardians-clase-allegedly-rigged-pitches-48-games-document-says)

This part right here is shocking to see in words.

Clase appeared in 197 regular-season games from 2023 to July 2025, when he was put on non-disciplinary leave by MLB over the gambling inquiry. If the allegations are true, Clase would have manipulated his performance in a quarter of those games.