# MLB Hotstove: 2014-2015 Offseason **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [October 30, 2014, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-hotstove-2014-2015-offseason/703019 "2014-10-30T15:58:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 11
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2015, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-hotstove-2014-2015-offseason/703019/201 "2015-03-16T18:33:38Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > It is not at all certain he can still hit MLB pitching, btw. Spring ball doesn’t tell you anything. This is a guy coming off over a year away, injuries, PED detox, and the march of time. They can always cut him April 25. It’s financially irrelevant, since they pay him anyway. The Yankees are not exactly overrun by first rate ballplayers anymore. Rodriguez is in good shape. Who knows, maybe he’ll hit 30 homers. If he’s batting .170 with 2 homers three weeks in, they can get rid of him and have lost nothing. No great prospects are knocking the door down; if he was holding an grade A prospect back that’s one thing, but do the Yankees _have_ any grade A prospects? Is he a problem in the clubhouse? I don’t know, nor do you. He sure seems like a big asshole from here, but I’ve no idea what he’s like to work with. ---
**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 16, 2015, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-hotstove-2014-2015-offseason/703019/202 "2015-03-16T20:20:16Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > Beltran is neve healthy and A-Rod can hit a little, after all. Beltran averaged 148 games in 2012-2013. The biggest problem he had last year with his elbow was throwing. Why risk it for below-average fielding? Yeah, A-Rod can hit a little. Beltran can hit a lot more. ---
**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:** [March 16, 2015, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-hotstove-2014-2015-offseason/703019/203 "2015-03-16T21:27:06Z")
Well, it’s no secret that his relationship with Jeter deteriorated after they started playing together. Being that Jeter was universally well-liked in the clubhouse, we can draw conclusions about ARod’s reputation as a teammate. Not to mention ARod sued his own union. Right, wrong or otherwise, some teammates don’t like that. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2015, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-hotstove-2014-2015-offseason/703019/204 "2015-03-16T22:31:59Z")
I got another idea - just ignore him. The story is almost over anyway, if it isn’t already, and as it should have been years ago. More spring training stuff: The Grapefruit League is contracting geographically, just like the Cactus League already did. The Astros and Nats are moving to West Palm after next year, resulting in 3 clusters around there, Tampa Bay, and Fort Myers. Pressure will then be on the Braves and Tigers to move closer to their competitors. ---
**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:** [March 17, 2015, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-hotstove-2014-2015-offseason/703019/205 "2015-03-17T16:47:49Z")
The Braves are in Orlando, right? So yeah, they’re kind of an outlier geographically. But aren’t the Tigers only about 30 minutes outside of Tampa? ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2015, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-hotstove-2014-2015-offseason/703019/206 "2015-03-17T18:36:05Z")
They’re in Lakeland, which is further than you think. It doesn’t look far on a map but this time of year traffic in the Tampa metro area can be infamously horrible, and the spring training parks for some teams aren’t easily accessed from a freeway. The drive from Lakeland to, say, where the Phillies are in Clearwater cannot be done in less than an hour and at the wrong time of day it’s more than two. ---
**Author:** ![Asimovian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asimovian/32/172_2.png) [@Asimovian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asimovian)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2015, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-hotstove-2014-2015-offseason/703019/207 "2015-04-03T21:47:36Z")
And just in time for the regular season to start, [Ervin Santana suspended 80 games after positive PED test](http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/12613303/ervin-santana-minnesota-twins-suspended-80-games). ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2015, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-hotstove-2014-2015-offseason/703019/208 "2015-04-04T02:03:50Z")
> [@Asimovian](#): > > And just in time for the regular season to start, [Ervin Santana suspended 80 games after positive PED test](http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/12613303/ervin-santana-minnesota-twins-suspended-80-games). Great! My fantasy team down a man before the season even starts. In other news, substance abuser Josh Hamilton’s most recent relapse will [not](http://deadspin.com/josh-hamilton-will-not-be-suspended-for-relapse-1695497238) result in a fine or suspension, leaving the Angels on the hook for his $23 million salary this year. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-hotstove-2014-2015-offseason/703019.md?page=10)