Dodgers' 2023-24 Hot Stove League

I mean that fuckin' idiot has the balls to actually say that he's learning and getting better at managing in post season and NO ONE called his ass on it. These are the majors damn it you do that shit in the minors.

Nuttin' new? I took a Valium, Benadryl & melatonin before passing out last night. I have $84.00 for a $100.00 dental procedure today. Just HAD to pass out.

Cody Bellinger free agency: Ranking top 10 landing spots for resurgent former MVP with Yankees, Cubs in mix

Bellinger is one of the top free agent bats available this offseason

By Mike Axisa
Nov 13, 2023 at 8:31 am ET
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8 min read

What a difference a year makes. Last year at this time, Cody Bellinger was at best a reclamation project. A former MVP who had fallen so far that the Los Angeles Dodgers non-tendered him and sent him out into free agency rather than spend another year trying to fix him. As recently as 2020, that would have been unthinkable. Then it become a reality.

This offseason, Bellinger, who is still only 28, is one of the best free agents available, and not only because it's a thin class. He authored a .307/.356/.525 line with 26 home runs in 130 games with the Chicago Cubs in 2023, a 4.4 WAR performance that figures to earn him MVP votes. Bellinger will be one of the most sought-after free agents this winter.

Our R.J. Anderson ranked Bellinger the No. 3 free agent available this offseason, and No. 1 among full-time position players. Here's his write-up:

There are three parts to a magic trick. First, showing something to the audience. Then, making that something disappear. Finally, making that something reappear. A lot of magicians use rabbits, coins, or planted volunteers. The baseball-minded among them, such as Bellinger, use their offensive output. He began his career in brilliant fashion, culminating in winning the 2019 National League Most Valuable Player Award. That production then vanished, to the extent that he was non-tendered last winter by the Dodgers. Bellinger has pulled off the final leg of the trick this season, reestablishing himself as a well-above-average hitter, albeit in inexplicable fashion. His ball-tracking data does not align with what you would expect from someone who once threatened 50 home runs: his average exit velocity puts him in company with Jean Segura, Yan Gomes, and Miguel Rojas. The secret to Bellinger's reemergence seems to be that he traded quality of contact for quantity of contact. It worked this season. Teams must now decide how confident they are in Bellinger's new trick, or if the sustainability of his resurgence is a matter of magical thinking.

A 28-year-old who hit like Bellinger did this season, has the MVP track record Bellinger has, and plays Gold Glove-caliber defense in center field like Bellinger does is easily a $100 million player. Bellinger has a chance at $200 million, though some clubs may be hesitant to go all out to sign him given his poor 2021-22 seasons and unimpressive exit velocities.

You can make a case for each of the 30 teams signing Bellinger. He's so young that he fits any contention window. Realistically, clubs that fancy themselves contenders in 2024 will pursue him most aggressively. Here are the 10 best landing spots for Bellinger as he heads back out into free agency, albeit under much different circumstances than last year.

9. Los Angeles Dodgers
By all accounts the Dodgers and Bellinger ended their relationship on good terms last offseason. The non-tender was a business decision, not personal, and there's no reason to think Bellinger would be unwilling to return to Los Angeles or that the Dodgers are not open to bringing him back. That said, Bellinger would at best be Plan B for the Dodgers. They are expected to pursue Shohei Ohtani very aggressively, and landing Ohtani would close the door on a Bellinger reunion. Los Angeles also figures to prioritize pitching in addition to Ohtani, not another bat. This is a never say never situation more than a distinct possibility.

3. Chicago Cubs
On paper, Bellinger and the Cubs are an excellent match. He just had a resurgent season on the North Side, so he's comfortable there and can be a productive player, plus the Cubs are a team on the rise with top prospects like Pete Crow-Armstrong and Jordan Wicks debuting in 2023. Crow-Armstrong is a gifted defensive center fielder himself, but there's no rule against having two top notch defenders in the outfielder. Put Crow-Armstrong alongside Bellinger in the outfield and enjoy watching all those fly balls turn into outs. The Cubbies have the money to retain Bellinger. This relationship seems like one worth continuing.

2. New York Yankees
Bellinger's father, Clay, played three of his four MLB seasons with the Yankees, and won World Series rings in 1999 and 2000. When Bellinger visited Yankee Stadium with the Cubs this past July, he called it a "really special place to play," and said the Yankees "obviously mean a lot to our family," according to NJ.com. Good feelings only count for so much though. The Yankees are an obvious landing spot for Bellinger because they need a center fielder and a middle of the order lefty bat, two things he provides. After a disappointing season that saw them go 82-80 and finish in fourth place, it feels like the Yankees will do something big this offseason to change the feeling around the franchise. Signing Bellinger would qualify.

1. San Francisco Giants
A year ago, the Giants whiffed on Aaron Judge and had their deal with Carlos Correa fall apart over a medical issue. For whatever reason, San Francisco has really struggled to sign star free agents. Bellinger fits their needs and ballpark -- a middle of the order thumper who can go get it in Oracle Park's spacious outfield -- plus he has a history with president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi dating back to their time with the Dodgers. The Giants went 79-83 this year and replaced manager Gabe Kapler with Bob Melvin after the season. Zaidi & Co. are trying to change the vibes and importing Bellinger would help accomplish that, in addition to improving the team on the field.

Yoshinobu Yamamoto free agency: Ranking landing spots with Mets, Yankees, Giants eyeing Japanese ace
Yamamoto is the most coveted free agent available who's not named Shohei Ohtani

By Dayn Perry
3 hrs ago
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4 min read

Major League Baseball's free agency is open for business, and that means the time is nigh for speculation, waking dreams, and wish-casting. That's why CBS Sports will be spending the next few weeks attempting to identify the market for several of the winter's top free agents.

Assuming the position this time around is ace right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto. He'll be available to MLB teams through the posting system, which means, on top of whatever contract he signs, his team in Japan – the Orix Buffaloes – will be entitled to a posting fee that's well into eight figures. On the other hand, since he's obviously not subject to MLB's qualifying-offer system, Yamamoto won't cost his new team a draft pick.



Yamamoto is just 25 years of age, which makes him exceptionally young for a free agent, and he's been utterly dominant in Japan. That's why we ranked him behind only Shohei Ohtani in the 2023-24 free agent class. Here's part of our write-up on Yamamoto:

Yamamoto is a five-time All-Star, a three-time ERA champion, and a two-time Triple Crown champion in NPB. Last year, he won the Pacific League's equivalents of the MVP and Cy Young Awards. He is, in our estimation, the best pitcher in the world to have never suited up for an MLB team. Oh, and he just celebrated his 25th birthday in August. Talent evaluators have raved to CBS Sports about Yamamoto for years, citing his high-grade command over a good arsenal as the most impressive part of his game. He throws a mid-90s fastball about half the time, complementing it with a swing-and-miss splitter and a high-spin curveball. Each of those pitches went for a strike at least 65% of the time this season, reinforcing the notion that he paints with a fine-tip brush. There's more than enough precedent to feel confident in Yamamoto making an easy adjustment to the MLB ball and schedule. In turn, there's no reason for teams to hold back in their bidding, rendering it highly likely that he shatters Masahiro Tanaka's record $155 million contract.

So who's most likely to land the coveted moundsman? Educated guesses forthcoming …

4. Los Angeles Dodgers
The chronically mighty Dodgers managed yet another 100-win campaign despite a rotation that was a concern pretty much all season. Walker Buehler should return to the fold in 2024, but he's at least a bit of an unknown quantity coming off his second Tommy John surgery. As well, Tony Gonsolin will likely miss all of 2024 after his own TJ, and Dustin May (also Tommy John) figures to miss at least the first half and change. Maybe future Hall of Famer Clayton Kershaw returns, but he'll be coming off shoulder surgery and carrying with him a pronounced lack of durability in recent seasons. The Dodgers' top priority will likely be signing Ohtani, but they have more than enough resources to land Yamamoto, as well. They badly need rotation help to take the pressure off their young starters, and no one fits the bill in 2024 like Yamamoto.

2. New York Yankees
Under-pressure GM Brian Cashman has said the Yankees will be looking to add multiple outfielders this winter, but they're also going to be very much in the Yamamoto fray. Given the uncertainty surrounding Carlos Rodón coming off his disastrous 2023, the Yankees need someone like Yamamoto to pair with ace Gerrit Cole at the front end. The club of course has vast coffers, but Hal Steinbrenner's reluctance to use them fully and, more specifically, to get in a bidding war with the owner of the next team on our list must be acknowledged. The Yanks are absolutely one to watch on Yamamoto, but it's hard to call them the early favorites.

1. New York Mets
New president of baseball ops David Stearns has signaled that addressing the rotation is a priority this winter. At the deadline of the lost 2023 season, they parted with veteran front-liners Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer, and now they have Kodai Senga and José Quintana at the front end. Senga in particular is a high-quality starting pitcher, but in a division with the Braves and Phillies in it, the Mets need more. Yamamoto certainly qualifies as "more." Owner Steve Cohen is nothing if not a willing spender, and given Yamamoto's promise and the club's pronounced need of more starting pitching the Mets figure to be highly aggressive on this front.

I hear Bauer’s looking to return to the states. I’m also guessing the last place he would sign would be LA.

It’s amazing that he and his lawyers haven’t as yet filed a suit against the Dodgers and MLB.

I got a feeling that is coming, though.

GO DODGERS!!!

I’d agree that they will likely sue anybody and everybody that was a part of this fiasco.

I think the Dodgers made it pretty clear that they wanted nothing to do with Bauer and perhaps even leaked falsified information regarding his likability within the clubhouse and teammates.

Mookie has shown a pair by saying he loved the guy and hopes he gets another chance to pitch in MLB.

It’s funny how not a SINGLE PLAYER was quoted at the time this was all going down as having issues or problems with Bauer.

But I’m sure they were all under a gag order not to comment and now that’s it’s all said and done (other than the pending litigation), I wonder who else besides Mookie might be called to testify and what else might actually come out by the players themselves?

If their STAR player didn’t have a problem with him, how many others felt the same way yet haven’t come forward for fear of what management / ownership might do to them?

Should be an interesting trial. Of course, knowing how deep the pockets of MLB are, they may just pay him off in addition to the $50 or $60 mil LA already paid him during his “leave” and eventual release.

What a freaking waste of money for a dude that very likely could have helped and been a factor for this team last month.

Although six or seven innings of shut out pitching would have still required a few hits and runs in support, something LA forgot about somewhere along the way.

GO DODGERS!!!

.217? Might as well keep what we have.