2018 Hot Stove League

[Docwaukee]

4 hours ago, DMVol said:

And there will be trades....they are overloaded in the INF...

could be as simple as sending Voit down and moving Andujar to 1b.  

[Broad Street]

16 hours ago, AngelsLakersFan said:

I remember reading something after the deal was made where a reporter asked Tony Clark if he was concerned about not getting any concessions from ownership in the area of salary structure. Clark reacted as if he didn’t understand what he could possibly be talking about. His focus was clearly on the top tier contracts and little else.

That's because he's a fool

[Lou]

20 hours ago, Second Base said:

To be fair, the MLBPA only acts as a representative of the players wants and needs. They do not dictate the direction front offices and ownership goes because they're designed for smaller picture needs, and not larger scope needs.

 

huh? 

[AngelsLakersFan]

46 minutes ago, Kody Mac said:

That's because he's a fool

That was my take away as well... even more so when he screamed 'collusion' in the following offseason where many players were having troubling finding work.

[Angel Oracle]

Attention Machado, Harper, and Keuchel…..Judge Smails and MLB say......

Well?   We're waiting!!!!

[Troll Daddy]

Here are the Vegas odds for Harper.

 

 

Giants 1/1

 

 

Padres 5/2

 

 

Phillies 4/1

 

 

Dodgers 15/2

 

 

Nationals 10/1

[Angel Oracle]

Snorrrreeee, tic toc, tic toc, snorrrreeee

[Troll Daddy]

 

[Troll Daddy]

 

[Docwaukee]

44 minutes ago, Troll Daddy said:

 

this is why the players are delusional.  through age 36 as a good performance window.  sure.  If you're a HOF candidate.  

really?  you have to play with him to know if he's a good teammate?  I'm sure collecting intel has no bearing.  

Your union collectively bargained for you to have gourmet meals in the clubhouse when they should have been analyzing data to help predict how every single team in baseball in functioning.  How they are all throwing millions of dollars at crunching numbers.  How business people are looking to make efficient use of their money.  

And you cry foul because your representation (MLBPA and agents) has decided to focus on the wrong things?  

How about you work to have the people who can actually enact change focus on your professional career as a business and not as a commodity.  

The players have the owners herding divas instead of respecting their importance and appropriately compensating their abilities.  They could have easily avoided this if they had recognized where their representation should have been fighting for them.  

Instead, they can enjoy their post game lobster buffet and suite at the plaza.  

Major league players and all profession athletes are not novelties.  They are business owners.  They need to act as such.  If you are paying 10-20% of your salary for someone to run your business and they are feeding you BS then they better find someone who won't.  

The players are likely not being compensated as much as they should but to blame the guy with the checkbook for not paying more when they don't have to is just plain dumb.  

This problem is on the players, the mlbpa, and the agents.  Not the business owners who see an opportunity to obtain value.  

[WeatherWonk]

Then again, it's not like you can take your services elsewhere as a player, with comparable compensation. The MLB anti-trust exemption insures this. The media contracts cement it. 

The owners are holding most of the cards.

 

[Docwaukee]

26 minutes ago, WeatherWonk said:

Then again, it's not like you can take your services elsewhere as a player, with comparable compensation. The MLB anti-trust exemption insures this. The media contracts cement it. 

The owners are holding most of the cards.

 

which is why they have a union.  the structure is there for stuff like this not to happen.  

[arch stanton]

It's not like those two, or Keuchel or Kimbrel, haven't had offers. From what we've heard they've had pretty huge offers including a 10 year offer for Harper to stay with Washington. If they're all holding out for the best possible situation then good on them and I hope they get it but they should be recognizing that the times they are a changin

[Stradling]

When did Verlander play with Machado?

[Troll Daddy]

21 minutes ago, Stradling said:

When did Verlander play with Machado?

When have you heard that Machado is a cancer in the clubhouse?

[Docwaukee]

1 hour ago, Troll Daddy said:

When have you heard that Machado is a cancer in the clubhouse?

it happened to your favorite team.  

[Stradling]

1 hour ago, Troll Daddy said:

When have you heard that Machado is a cancer in the clubhouse?

Jeff Fletcher alluded to it.  Not sure how that’s relevant.  

[Troll Daddy]

40 minutes ago, Stradling said:

Jeff Fletcher alluded to it.  Not sure how that’s relevant.  

I’m didn’t realize @Jeff Fletcher was a reliable source regarding Machado in the clubhouse. 

[Jeff Fletcher]

14 minutes ago, Troll Daddy said:

I’m didn’t realize @Jeff Fletcher was a reliable source regarding Machado in the clubhouse. 

I talked to some people who were around him with the Dodgers. 

[Inside Pitch]

4 hours ago, WeatherWonk said:

Then again, it's not like you can take your services elsewhere as a player, with comparable compensation. The MLB anti-trust exemption insures this. The media contracts cement it. 

The owners are holding most of the cards.

The players have a collectively bargained contract, and nobody pays better than MLB.  There is nothing keeping players from signing with a Japanese team once they have reached free agency other than the lack of $$$$$.  The Curt Flood Act of 1998 also protects players and their right to FA.

Most of the antitrust stuff limits what teams can do vs what the league will allow them to do... As in moving a team to a new city like we see in the NFL.  Also minor leaguers are bound to the team that drafted them.

Edited February 12, 2019 by Inside Pitch

[Lou]

3 hours ago, Troll Daddy said:

When have you heard that Machado is a cancer in the clubhouse?

 

2 hours ago, Stradling said:

Jeff Fletcher alluded to it.  Not sure how that’s relevant.  

 

1 hour ago, Troll Daddy said:

I’m didn’t realize @Jeff Fletcher was a reliable source regarding Machado in the clubhouse. 

 

1 hour ago, Jeff Fletcher said:

I talked to some people who were around him with the Dodgers. 

 

[Troll Daddy]

1 hour ago, Jeff Fletcher said:

I talked to some people who were around him with the Dodgers. 

Can you be more specific  ... do you think the Angels should sign him to a short term deal if it was financially feasible? 

[Jeff Fletcher]

7 hours ago, Troll Daddy said:

Can you be more specific  ... do you think the Angels should sign him to a short term deal if it was financially feasible? 

What’s your idea of financially feasible?

[Blarg]

Verlander is living in his own past where owner's ignored aging data. Harper and Machado are living in the present that has too much information regarding both their projected value and in Machado's case the volitility of his temperament. 

Harper, if he wanted maximum dollars, should have taken the Nationals living in the past offer. Machado should have thought about his image in the post season if he wanted maximum dollars. Now there is no going back for the both of them.

Both choose the position they are in. 

[Blarg]

In context of how player salaries and length of contracts are progressing, Trout, if he wanted maximum years and dollars, should not have hitched his valuation on what Machado and Harper will settle for. His agent should have presented his best offer the week after the World Series ended while speculation about the other free agents value was still unresolved.