# MLB Hot Stove / Offseason 2018-2019 **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [November 2, 2018, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-hot-stove-offseason-2018-2019/823890 "2018-11-02T14:28:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 23
**Author:** ![Barkis\_is\_Willin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a183cd/32.png) [@Barkis\_is\_Willin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barkis_is_Willin)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2019, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-hot-stove-offseason-2018-2019/823890/441 "2019-02-25T21:28:33Z")
> [@What\_Exit](#): > > Seems like a good deal at that price for the Yanks. It is through age 35 but these days $10 million per year is fairly cheap, especially for the caliber of player he is with his defense. Apparently, there is also a Yankee held option year for 2026. I do also think this is good deal for the Yankees because it looks like pretty good upside and not a ton of downside. But the more I think about it I’m not sure Hicks would have done much better on the FA market. I mean, that’s probably why he agreed to this deal in the first place. Who knows, he might have his best year yet and could have commanded $15M a year, but I’d say it’s unlikely. Reports are Philly is the only team talking long term deal with Bryce Harper. So just sign and lets move on with our lives. Reminds me a bit of the JD Martinez saga last year. We knew he was going to Boston, just sign the deal already. Matter of fact, tomorrow is the one year anniversary of JD’s signing with Boston. ---
**Author:** ![Barkis\_is\_Willin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a183cd/32.png) [@Barkis\_is\_Willin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barkis_is_Willin)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2019, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-hot-stove-offseason-2018-2019/823890/442 "2019-02-26T21:46:21Z")
The Bryce Harper saga may continue even longer now that Nolen Arenado has signed for 8 yrs at around $260M to stay in Colorado. Interestingly, Arenado is a \*former \*Scott Boras client. It seems like a win/win/win deal. Good for the Rockies, good for the player and frankly, good for MLB. Hopefully there won’t be so much noise about good players not able to get paid. ---
**Author:** ![BlankSlate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blankslate/32/80_2.png) [@BlankSlate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlankSlate)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2019, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-hot-stove-offseason-2018-2019/823890/443 "2019-02-26T23:08:50Z")
Boras makes just over $100 million every year from his MLB contracts (or has for the past few years, not sure farther back.) Nobody asked, I just found it interesting. There are rumors that the Yankees are working on extensions for Didi Gregorius and Dellin Betances. Adding those to the already finished deals for Luis Severino and Aaron Hicks would be fantastic. This is so much better than signing Harper or Machado. I don’t want a team cobbled together with ageing free agents; seeing young players come up and then flourish is one of the most enjoyable parts of being a fan. Yes, Gregorius and Hicks came in trades, but they were both young and before their primes. Come to think of it, the Yanks gave up Shane Green and John Ryan Murphy to get those two. Cashman should be arrested. He’s really done his best work in the past five years. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2019, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-hot-stove-offseason-2018-2019/823890/444 "2019-02-27T01:44:35Z")
> [@Barkis\_is\_Willin](#): > > The Bryce Harper saga may continue even longer now that Nolen Arenado has signed for 8 yrs at around $260M to stay in Colorado. Interestingly, Arenado is a \*former \*Scott Boras client. It seems like a win/win/win deal. Good for the Rockies, good for the player and frankly, good for MLB. Hopefully there won’t be so much noise about good players not able to get paid. I’m surprised at the number of people snorting at the Arenado deal. Say what you will about the wisdom of such deals but you’d think a guy still on the right side of 30 who can hit and field a hard position is the kind of guy you’d want to take that chance on. He’s a rock solid, consistently great player. I’ll pay for 6 WAR a year, year in year out. Yes, his numbers are a bit inflated by Coors. Even accounting for that he’s gotta be one of the ten best position players in the game. I can’t name ten better ones. I could name five maybe, but I can’t get to ten. Who else ya gonna pay? ---
**Author:** ![Barkis\_is\_Willin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a183cd/32.png) [@Barkis\_is\_Willin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barkis_is_Willin)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2019, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-hot-stove-offseason-2018-2019/823890/445 "2019-02-27T14:16:23Z")
I haven’t seen much reaction one way or the other, but I can’t understand why anyone would snort at the Arenado deal. Like I said, seems like a win/win/win. I don’t know if Bryce Harper is one of the five or so position players you’d rank ahead of Arenado, but definitely not for me. I’ll take Arenado over Harper all day. I’ll take him over Machado, too. Yes, the splits indicate he’s a hell of a lot better hitter at Coors, but so what. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2019, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-hot-stove-offseason-2018-2019/823890/446 "2019-02-27T14:41:38Z")
Absolutely no way Harper ranks ahead of Arenado. He is not one of the ten best position players in baseball. Maybe he will again get to his 2015 level, and then he would be, but he isn’t there right now. The only players I am confident I would rank ahead of Arenado are Mike Trout, Mookie Betts, and probably Francisco Lindor. I can also see arguments for or against Machado, Jose Altuve, Jose Ramirez, and Christian Yelich. Aaron Judge with another huge year might get there. I’m not talking pitchers just because that’s too different a kettle of fish. Of course Arenado is a better hitter at Coors, but everyone is, and if Arenado is particularly adept at taking advantage of Coors, that is not an illusion; it’s real value that wins ballgames. Last year on the road he batted .248 with 15 homers. the year before that, on he road, he hit .283 with 18 homers. The year before on the road he hit .277 with 16 homers. So if my in-my-head math is right, in a neutral park, Nolan Arenado is approximately a .270-.275 hitter with 30-35 dingers a year and Gold Glove defense at a hard position, who stays healthy and does that stuff every year like clockwork, and he’s only 27, and that’s assuming he doesn’t have a small, normal home park advantage. Uh, yeah, I’ll take guys like that. Send them right over. ---
**Author:** ![Barkis\_is\_Willin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a183cd/32.png) [@Barkis\_is\_Willin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barkis_is_Willin)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2019, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-hot-stove-offseason-2018-2019/823890/447 "2019-02-27T19:11:14Z")
And yet, you can be damn sure the Arenado deal just upped Harper’s price tag. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2019, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-hot-stove-offseason-2018-2019/823890/448 "2019-02-27T21:31:29Z")
The Harper hysteria is, well, hysteria. He’ll get far more money than he’ll likely be worth. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2019, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-hot-stove-offseason-2018-2019/823890/449 "2019-02-28T14:37:21Z")
The market is crazy, that’s for sure. But it IS the market. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2019, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-hot-stove-offseason-2018-2019/823890/450 "2019-02-28T20:08:27Z")
So 13 years for $330 million. Harper made out pretty well. Philly, maybe not so much. ---
**Author:** ![jaycat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jaycat/32/3015_2.png) [@jaycat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jaycat)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2019, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-hot-stove-offseason-2018-2019/823890/451 "2019-02-28T20:09:43Z")
Reports are Harper has signed with the Phillies for $330 million for 13 years. I think the Nats will be fine without him, but I would have preferred that he had gone to another division. ---
**Author:** ![Caldris\_bal\_Comar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ce7236/32.png) [@Caldris\_bal\_Comar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caldris_bal_Comar)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2019, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-hot-stove-offseason-2018-2019/823890/452 "2019-02-28T20:24:39Z")
Congratulations everyone, we survived the great free agencies of 2018-2019. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2019, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-hot-stove-offseason-2018-2019/823890/453 "2019-02-28T20:27:38Z")
> [@Caldris\_bal\_Comar](#): > > Congratulations everyone, we survived the great free agencies of 2018-2019. The horrible Blot on MLB has been removed. :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![Dale\_Sams](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/779978/32.png) [@Dale\_Sams](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dale_Sams)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2019, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-hot-stove-offseason-2018-2019/823890/454 "2019-02-28T21:01:38Z")
FUCK…Mookie is going to cost a trillion dollars to keep ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2019, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-hot-stove-offseason-2018-2019/823890/455 "2019-02-28T21:03:26Z")
> [@Caldris\_bal\_Comar](#): > > Congratulations everyone, we survived the great free agencies of 2018-2019. Keuchel and Kimbrel left to go. ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2019, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-hot-stove-offseason-2018-2019/823890/456 "2019-02-28T21:28:21Z")
> [@jaycat](#): > > Reports are Harper has signed with the Phillies for $330 million for 13 years. > > I think the Nats will be fine without him, but I would have preferred that he had gone to another division. Over\Under on how long before the Phillies are whining because they are hampered by this enormous contract for an underachieving player? My guess is 3 years. ---
**Author:** ![Barkis\_is\_Willin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a183cd/32.png) [@Barkis\_is\_Willin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barkis_is_Willin)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2019, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-hot-stove-offseason-2018-2019/823890/457 "2019-02-28T22:07:46Z")
Friend says, you think he’ll really play in Philly for 13 years? I say, don’t know but pretty sure they’ll be paying him for 13 years. Not trading that contract ever. ---
**Author:** ![Damuri\_Ajashi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/898d66/32.png) [@Damuri\_Ajashi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Damuri_Ajashi)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2019, 5:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-hot-stove-offseason-2018-2019/823890/458 "2019-03-01T05:49:36Z")
Wait. So 330 over 13 years is really that much better than 300 over 10? ---
**Author:** ![BlankSlate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blankslate/32/80_2.png) [@BlankSlate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlankSlate)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2019, 6:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-hot-stove-offseason-2018-2019/823890/459 "2019-03-01T06:10:16Z")
I guess it would be if you believe that Harper wouldn’t be able to earn $30 million after his age 35 season. It appears that the most important factor was topping the $325 million deal Stanton signed. In other words, both sides are idiots. I don’t believe Harper will age well. Hell, I think he may have already peaked. ---
**Author:** ![Damuri\_Ajashi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/898d66/32.png) [@Damuri\_Ajashi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Damuri_Ajashi)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2019, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-hot-stove-offseason-2018-2019/823890/460 "2019-03-01T15:09:56Z")
Breaking a dollar record (that will be broken by mookie or trout the following year)seems like the worst possible reason to sign to play for 13 years in a city you dont particularly like. I wonder how much of that decision was driven by Boras. I think it’s a risk for the Phillies but not dumb. You can use Harper’s long term commitment to attract more talent. And you get all that for paying 30 million for his 36 to 38 years. Probably as a designated hitter. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-hot-stove-offseason-2018-2019/823890.md?page=22) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-hot-stove-offseason-2018-2019/823890.md?page=24)