MLB Hot Stove / Offseason / Lockout 2021-2022

Well I imagine Oakland was willing to lt him go, becuase he required actual cash to keep and they tend to be allegeric to that.

One nice thing about the impending lockout is that it has given players incentive to sign before it starts. Mets added Marte and Escobar as well all pretty much in line with market expectations. It a shame Thor didn’t stay, but sounds like Mets are going to get a couple of big pitchers too . Cohen seems to be using the Dodgers model of spend to get instantly competive while you wait for the system to be ready.

https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/32745735/sources-new-york-mets-max-scherzer-finalizing-3-year-deal

Never thought I would see it.

$43M/year for 3 years. For a guy who will be 37. He’s shown no signs of slowing down, but this is just silly money at this point.

I’m glad the Dodgers weren’t that silly.

The Dodgers will be paying Mookie Betts more than $103 million over the last three years of his mega-contract (ages 37-39).

I guess we’ll see if they get as much value from Betts for those last three years as the Mets get from Scherzer.

That’s a lot of baksheesh for a guy who couldn’t start in the Series due to a ‘dead arm.’

The National League Championship Series?

Anyway, the Rangers gave Corey Seager $325 million for ten years. Wow.

Meanwhile, the Blue Jays did not give Robbie Ray a contract, instead signing Kevin Gausman to almost exactly the same deal that Ray got from Seattle.

Man that’s a bummer. Seager has been fun to watch as a Dodgers fan. I’m glad the Dodgers didn’t chase that deal or Scherzer since that would have been a crazy amount of money. Based on rumors it looks like Chris Taylor might be heading up to Seattle. It would really start to feel like a rebuild if we lose him too.

The Dodgers could win 95 games even without Taylor.

The Seager deal just strikes me as being truly crazy. He is a really good player in his prime, but he gets hurt a lot and he’s not Honus Wagner.

Yeah, but ultimately, from a fan’s perspective, who cares? It’s Steve Cohen’s money and he’s definitely not going to run out. For a guy like Cohen, “cost-effective” isn’t really even on the list of things that matter, let alone near the top.

Javier Baez to the Detroit Tigers for 6/$140.

And in no surprise the owners have voted unanimously for a lockout

And I think both side are playing a vastly over-blown confidence that they were prepared for anything that came from covid, so they are prepared to outwait anything in general.

Yankees tender a contract to Gary Sanchez. Dumbest move ever. What pitcher is going to want to come to New York to pitch to a sieve? Yes, like every year we’re going to hear about how hard he’s worked on his defense. And like every year he’s going to be a passed ball machine. And like every year, he’ll have two weeks where he’s a blazing hot hitter and the rest of the year is an automatic out (or DP),

I think the idea that this would be a long labor stoppage was already in place before Covid. The players have been saying for years that the owners have been colluding especially in the Free Agency market, which really doesn’t help with labor negotiations.

There are rumors that the Yankees have been shopping Sanchez, and they can’t trade him if they don’t sign him. Either way, the market is so thin getting an upgrade is a tall order. Look at the bright side: even if he stays, it’s his walk year. He’ll probably have the best year of his career (funny how that often happens.)

I’m assuming this happened yesterday before the lockout? My understanding is that no player moves or signings can happen until the CBA is settled and the lockout (or strike) is lifted.

So, as the OP, would a Mod be so kind as to edit the title to add " / Lockout" to the thread title in front of “2021-2022”. So: “MLB Hot Stove / Offseason / Lockout 2021-2022”

Yeah, Covid or not, I’ve know a lockout or strike was inevitable. Sports are really trying to do everything to kill my interest. I work in the financial markets and deal with money all day. Last thing I want to hear about is a bunch of billionaires and millionaires bickering over money.

There seems to be a baffling belief on the part of both sides that their public insistences they’re the side who just wants what’s fair will be taken seriously by any fan.