Dodgers' 2023-24 Hot Stove League

Happy Turkey Day everyone! But for me, the dinner will be postponed cos a family member has COVID bad and we're hoping he'll heal in 2 weeks.

MLB rumors: A dark horse contender for Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto's expected timeline after posting

Story by Matt Snyder • 9h

As expected, Major League Baseball news the past few days has been slow. Now that we're past Thanksgiving, the expectation should be that things pick up here in the next few days. Generally speaking, the time between Thanksgiving and Christmas is when the most player movement happens.

With the hope that the deluge of transactions happens soon, let's dive into today's news and rumors.

Braves a dark horse for Ohtani?

We've heard plenty about several teams in connection with two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani. The Dodgers are thought to be the favorite while the Cubs, Mets and Rangers have been heavily connected. The Blue Jays have been mentioned as a sleeper candidate and, of course, the Angels would love to bring him back. Jon Morosi of MLB.com throws another sleeper team into the mix: The Atlanta Braves.

When asked for a "dark horse" team, Morosi mentions the Blue Jays and the Braves, saying they "appeal to Ohtani from a competitive perspective."

The Braves have won at least 100 games in back-to-back seasons after taking the 2021 World Series. They have a strong foundation of young talent and money to spend. It certainly makes sense that Ohtani would have interest.

Timeline for Yamamoto signing

NPB ace and three-time Sawamura winner (the equivalent to the Cy Young) Yoshinobu Yamamoto has officially been posted and can sign with any MLB team. It's difficult to know how the process will unfold, but SNY reports the following expected timeline:

[He] will begin meeting with interested teams via phone or Zoom next week, as he is expected to travel back to Japan, according to two league sources briefed on his free agency process.

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According to those league sources, Yamamoto will narrow down the teams after those initial remote meetings. He will then return to the United States to meet with finalists in person after MLB's Winter Meetings, which take place from Dec. 4-7 in Nashville.

He has until Jan. 4 -- 45 days from posting -- to sign with a team, but is not expected to require that much time.

As for what teams will be involved, it's basically any team with pitching needs and even slightly deep pockets. Yamamoto's agent has publicly stated that around a dozen, or more, teams have been in contact. Among the teams we've seen reported to have interest are the Yankees, Mets, Cardinals, Phillies, Blue Jays, Giants, Red Sox, Dodgers and Diamondbacks.

In 24 starts last season in Japan, Yamamoto was 17-6 with a 1.16 ERA, 0.86 WHIP and 176 strikeouts in 171 innings.

Mike Trout's Angels future is uncertain, here are three reasons why now is time to waive his no-trade clause

Story by Mike Axisa • 6d

The 2023-24 MLB offseason will be dominated by a recent Los Angeles Angels player: Shohei Ohtani. Ohtani, the AL MVP, is a free agent and positioned to sign the largest contract in baseball history. There's a case for all 30 teams signing him, though some are more serious candidates than others. Until he signs, the offseason will be all Ohtani, all the time.

There is another Angels great who deserves attention this offseason: Mike Trout. Trout's future with the Angels is in some doubt. At the end of the regular season, the Angels were reportedly open to trading the three-time MVP and the generation's greatest player, assuming he wants to be traded. However, recent hot stove rumors indicate the Angels are telling teams at the moment they plan to keep Trout heading into the 2024 season.
Trout is signed long-term and has a full no-trade clause, so he is in complete control. He has the final say on where he goes.

"I go through this every year," Trout said in September. "These are private conversations I have with (Angels owner Arte Moreno and team president John Carpino). I'm doing the same thing I've done the last 13 years. Going into the offseason, clearing my mind, going into spring wearing an Angels uniform."

That's how Trout felt in September. How will he feel in December or January? Who knows. He's allowed to change his mind. For now, all we know is the Angels are potentially open to trading Trout, and that some teams are more likely landing spots than others. Trout is owed nearly $250 million through 2030. Not every team has the stomach for that.

The 32-year-old slugger authored a .263/.367/.490 batting line with 18 home runs in 82 games around a hand injury in 2023. That's a career year for most players, though it is the worst full season of Trout's career. Also, the injuries are piling up. Trout has played only 237 of 486 possible games since 2021, or 49%. The money and injuries will be an obstacle in trade talks.

That all said, until Trout definitely says he will remain with the Angels, he will be viewed as a trade candidate. Here are three reasons Trout should consider waiving his no-trade clause to join a contender this offseason. Consider this a look at how the Angels could try to convince Trout to accept a trade.

1. The Angels are heading for a down period
Frankly, I'm not sure 2023 could have gone worse for the Angels. They didn't make the postseason, they're almost certainly going to lose Ohtani to free agency, and GM Perry Minasian emptied out an already thin farm system at the trade deadline. And, when those trades didn't work out, those players (Lucas Giolito, Reynaldo López, etc.) were given away on waivers to save money. Yikes.

The Angels went 73-89 this season and that was with Ohtani playing at an MVP level. The MLB roster has some interesting young players (Reid Detmers, Zach Neto, Logan O'Hoppe, Nolan Schanuel), but not nearly enough to be considered a championship core, and Baseball America ranked the farm system the worst in baseball in August. There's not a whole lot to get excited about here as Ron Washington takes over as the team's new manager.

Only once in Trout's 12 full seasons have the Angels made the postseason, and that was a three-game sweep at the hands of the Kansas City Royals in the 2014 ALDS. The Angels have the longest postseason drought in baseball and it doesn't look like they will play October baseball anytime soon. They're heading for a down period if not an outright rebuild. This is not the place to be if Trout wants a shot at a World Series.

2. Trout only has so many prime years remaining
On that note, Trout is 32 and the injury troubles are mounting. How many prime years does he have remaining? How much longer can he be a foundational player for a World Series contender? Trout is a special player and special players tend to age differently than everyone else. Maybe he'll continue mashing dingers into his 40s like Nelson Cruz and wasting the rest of the his prime on a bad Angels team is not a concern. It's possible.

The fact of the matter is Trout's best shot at winning a World Series will come when he's still in his prime, and can be a difference-maker. He's the kind of player who can swing the balance of power in a division race or a postseason series, but he won't be that player forever. Joining a contender now, while he's at his peak, will maximize Trout's chances of winning a championship because he's among the best players in the game. The longer he waits, the further he'll be into his decline.

3. The AL West is stacked
The Texas Rangers just won the first World Series championship in franchise history and there are reasons to believe they will be even better in 2024. The Seattle Mariners are on the rise and figure to be in the postseason mix for years to come. You can never count out the Houston Astros. The Oakland Athletics are a punchline, sure, but the other three teams in the AL West are legitimate contenders. The Angels play in a difficult division and have a long way to go to become postseason-caliber. Trout's best shot at winning a championship in joining a team with a better roster and a less daunting path to the postseason.

I can't remember all the math & won't do it again now. 

It seems like Gibson had something like 304-305 innings pitched in 34 starts. So he AVERAGED a complete game. 

I think Luis Tiant had a 1.60 ERA. Tommy John didn't pitch the whole year, but was under 2.00. Sam McDowell might have been under 2.00. Not sure about that. Probably a few others. 

I have Danny Cater's baseball card. He finished second to Carl Yastrzemski in the AL batting race with a .290 average. Yaz won it at .301. 

Then they lowered the mound & an explosion happened in 1970. Johnny Bench was 22 years old when he won his first MVP award. He hit .293-45-148. His teammate, Tony Perez, had 40 homeruns. Lee May had something like 34. One of my all-time favorites was Billy Williams. He hit .322-42-129, I think. In the AL, Frank Howard hit .283-44-126. Yaz hit .329-40-102. Harmon Killebrew was at .271-41-113. That was his last great year. The next season he hit .254-28-119. Then it was all downhill for him. Rico Carty hit .366. I think he had 25 homers & 101 RBI's. Hank Aaron hit .298-38-118. Willie McCovey was at .289-39-126. Reggie Jackson inexplicably fell from 47 homeruns to around 23. Tony Conigliaro had 36 homers & 116 RBI's. 

If any of this is wrong, my memory isn't what it used to be. 

Changing circumstances make a BIG difference.

Let Peralta walk.

Get Trout.

Re-sign Martinez.

Pass on Ohtani.

Heyward is depth.

As long as the Dodgers keep asses in the seats like they do, there's no incentive to spend on big time, difference making players that get you deep into the playoffs. All this BS about the Dodgers being all in on Ohtani, Yamamoto, etc is just that, Bullshit. Same shit every year. Reclamation, 1 year contracts. They'll make the playoffs again and that's good enough for them.