2017-2018 MLB Hot Stove Thread

[Sportsforever]

Re: 2017-2018 MLB Hot Stove Thread

Something I was wondering is, has the average age in the majors gone down in comparison to the last few decades? I have no idea, I just feel like I can't remember so many young players coming up and being great as often as it seems they are now.

If that's the case, I wonder if there's just more prearbitration talent to be used so teams don't have to go to the market so much. Like obviously for us, the plan was always just to get rid of our big contracts so we could sign guys to new ones. It just so happens that now, we've gotten one through trade and have a young star who doesn't need to get paid for a little while, so we don't need to address that via free agency necessarily. But we haven't locked up any of our young talent. I look at the Red Sox, they don't have Mookie, Xander, Benintendi, most of their guys signed to long term deals because it just hasn't gotten to be their time. So I don't know if the young guys are being locked up so much as maybe there's just a transition period from one era to the next...plus a lot of teams are cheap.

The story in the NFL a few years back was that the rookie cap was working backwards, making it so that instead of helping the veterans, it was hurting them because why sign an old guy when I can draft a young guy at a cheap price and have him for 4 years? Maybe it's the same thing here in a way.

I don't know if the average age of the league has changed (it could be checked easily), but I do know that the veterans that we saw hanging around and being paid big money to be productive into their late 30's and early 40's are gone. Just look back 10-15 years ago and guys like Bonds, Clemens, Finley, Johnson, Schilling, Mussina, Wakefield, Walker, etc, all played into their late 30's and early 40's while producing at a really high level.

For various reasons, that doesn't happen anymore...so teams are paying younger talent.

EDIT - I did check...the average age of a player in 2005 was 29, in 2017 it was 28. Not a huge change, but a change. I think a more accurate picture would be to look at the WAR by age in a league. I am willing to bet the WAR of guys over 35 in 2005 was much higher than it was in 2017.

[The Kid 24]

Re: 2017-2018 MLB Hot Stove Thread

Jeter's fire sale continues...

Marlins are engaged in trade talks on Yelich and Realmuto... Nothing close though.

[kenp86]

Re: 2017-2018 MLB Hot Stove Thread

Jeter's fire sale continues...

Marlins are engaged in trade talks on Yelich and Realmuto... Nothing close though.

Braves have called on Yelich

[Sportsforever]

Re: 2017-2018 MLB Hot Stove Thread

Braves have called on Yelich

YES...this has been my dream since the Marlins fire sale talks started. Somehow send Markakis plus some prospects to Miami for Yelich. I would be over the moon happy with that! Heck, if we get Realumuto as well that would be a bonus.

[SPTO]

Re: 2017-2018 MLB Hot Stove Thread

Jeter's fire sale continues...

Marlins are engaged in trade talks on Yelich and Realmuto... Nothing close though.

I think that's more due to Yelich and Realmuto making it known they want out rather than part of Jeter's grand scheme to destroy pro ball in Miami.

[WaitTilNextYear]

Re: 2017-2018 MLB Hot Stove Thread

Almost every team in baseball could use a Christian Yelich. He can play decent CF and be a 1/2 hole hitter with a rare combo of OBP/speed/20 HR power. Very cost controlled for 4 more years.

Wouldn't mind the Cubs inquiring on him; he'd fit nicely in CF.

All Stanton-to-the-Yankees-for-Big-League-Chew jokes aside, I wonder what Miami would consider in exchange?

[redsox4evur]

Re: 2017-2018 MLB Hot Stove Thread

YES...this has been my dream since the Marlins fire sale talks started. Somehow send Markakis plus some prospects to Miami for Yelich. I would be over the moon happy with that! Heck, if we get Realumuto as well that would be a bonus.

Say bye to Albies or Swanson then.

[WaitTilNextYear]

Re: 2017-2018 MLB Hot Stove Thread

Say bye to Albies or Swanson then.

Keep in mind who you're talking to, lol. He'd probably help Dansby pack and then drive him to the airport.

[Sportsforever]

Re: 2017-2018 MLB Hot Stove Thread

Say bye to Albies or Swanson then.

If that's what they ask, then it isn't happening. You actually think they are getting a better return than they got on Stanton?

[WaitTilNextYear]

Re: 2017-2018 MLB Hot Stove Thread

If that's what they ask, then it isn't happening. You actually think they are getting a better return than they got on Stanton?

They certainly should. There's a quarter of a billion dollar difference between their contracts. Plus, Yelich is arguably ~equally valuable.

[Sportsforever]

Re: 2017-2018 MLB Hot Stove Thread

They certainly should. There's a quarter of a billion dollar difference between their contracts. Plus, Yelich is arguably ~equally valuable.

It will be interesting to see. One of the things I read is that they might actually ask for salary relief (i.e. trading for a more established player like Markakis, but asking the other team to pay most of the salary) instead of prospects. We'll see what they end up doing, but I think they need prospects.

[redsox4evur]

Re: 2017-2018 MLB Hot Stove Thread

If that's what they ask, then it isn't happening. You actually think they are getting a better return than they got on Stanton?

100%. Yelich isn't signed to a 10 year $300M deal like Stanton is. He's got a 5 year deal at 58.7M. Stanton was a pure salary dump move. If the Marlins wanted to eat most of the money (ie 200M) on that deal they would've gotten a guy like Torres or Frazier from the Yankees but they didn't want to do that.

[kenp86]

Re: 2017-2018 MLB Hot Stove Thread

This is where the Coppolella debacle backfires for Atlanta. Think a Maitan couldve been a co-headliner of a deal for Yelich along with a few pitching prospects

Still think they can get it done without involving Acuna/Dansby or Albies honestly

[Sportsforever]

Re: 2017-2018 MLB Hot Stove Thread

The Braves' system is deep enough to get a guy like Yelich, even without Maitan It's all about how badly they want him...heck, they could give up 3-4 pitching prospects and not even bat an eye at this point.

[The Kid 24]

Re: 2017-2018 MLB Hot Stove Thread

YES...this has been my dream since the Marlins fire sale talks started. Somehow send Markakis plus some prospects to Miami for Yelich. I would be over the moon happy with that! Heck, if we get Realumuto as well that would be a bonus.

I guess the talks didnt advance at all tho.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G920A using Operation Sports mobile app