caulfield12

Not as much as Hays...but we still don't have an everyday SS in sight. He has a 3ish fWAR by late July and he's an?incredibly valuable community on the trade market compared to a deJong. "The deal, which will pay Kim $13 million this season, is the most Tampa Bay has guaranteed in free agency for a position player since signing outfielder Greg Vaughn for four years and $34 million in 1999. Before the partial tear of his right labrum required surgery, Kim was expected to land a free agent deal in the nine-figure range. With his opt-out, he can join a free agent class next year that's thin on infielders, with shortstop Bo Bichette and second baseman Luis Arraez the only players of Kim's caliber." https://global.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/43614016/sources-ha-seong-kim-rays-agree-2-year-29m-deal

https://sports.yahoo.com/chiefs-officiating-a-look-at-the-key-controversies-surrounding-kansas-city-this-season-163843973.html

When Cease is on a team competing with the Sox for a better trade return than what Getz got for two years of Dylan it will be just as much a talking point as Fedde Vargas Luke Keachsall.

They definitely will when Cease King Suarez Cronenworth Arraez and probably even Tatis Jr. get auctioned off to the highest bidders. Teams like LAD or Jays or Orioles or even the Twins...who have already been talking to Preller about trades. Might as well take Paddack back lol. At any rate, they will be the last example for years of a medium or small market team spending over $300 million on payroll...at least until a massive financial restructuring of the sport takes place. It might actually have worked until the owner died and RSN deals became unsustainable.

The Adames massive contract is the one that would scare me to death 2-3 years from now. It's going to look just like Bogaerts in that much bigger stadium/outfield that suppresses offense. The upside is the 4.5-6.0 fWAR guy from 2023 worth a pretty penny in a trade flip for prospects to a contender if the Rays get buried early. A lot depends on Caminero breaking out this season for them.

https://www.tampabay.com/sports/rays/2025/01/29/rays-agree-2-year-deal-with-former-gold-glove-winner/ Kim is projected to be available sometime in May now...

https://www.gaslampball.com/2025/1/28/24353543/good-morning-san-diego-sheel-seidler-comments-on-the-record#comments "They essentially have two choices: Fight over the team in court for the next five years. or Sell the team, then fight over the proceeds for the next five years. Hopefully they cash out and fight over the cash..."

Half that money in cash considerations for a Sox intl prospect and Getz has himself a deal for Brasier IMO. Brasier would be what Steven Wilson was intended to be last season, a veteran stabilizer/shock absorber.

Sasaki=Mahomes Daniels Stroud on rookie deals, the PPI pick for RoY while Sox are picking nowhere close to 1-2-3. Twins would mean doubling the payroll when it's $100 million less minus Benintendi and Robert Jr.

Banda's only $1 million...Yates Treinen Kopech and Vesia make up their back end now, with the pressure of carrying 6-7 starters also falling on that pen. Phillips is going nowhere for now. It's either Brasier or Banda. Just depends on the best possible deal they work out...White Sox could also "buy" Taylor for LAD prospects but they already added Rojas instead.

"The Dodgers are now on track for a $379 million payroll, per Fangraphs' estimate, which would be the largest payroll in MLB history. The 110% CBT surcharge would mean this deal is more like a $27.3 million pact for them. Yates is coming off one of the best seasons in baseball by a reliever, with a 1.17 ERA that ranked behind only Cleveland Guardians closer Emmanuel Clase for the best mark among relievers." https://sports.yahoo.com/dodgers-add-closer-kirby-yates-pushing-payroll-to-estimated-379-million-report-030528286.html Still doesn't include Enrique Hernandez and Clayton Kershaw...pushing them over $400 million soon enough and then the 3B Murakami contract for next off season. Plus the best Japanese starting FA pitcher available at the end of NPB season...so let's say/project $450 million, roughly.

The shoulder and falling from his 2023 fWAR peak and nearing 30. Might still miss first 2-3 months of the season.

Yet Chiefs are 5/6 Super Bowls now and everyone just lands the supposed parity of the NFL...same as hen Brady won 6 with NE. That parity tends to be in teams 2-22 though. Whereas in MLB, you now ha e a clearly defined Top 12...maybe the DBacks at 13 if they can afford the likes of Montgomery Bumgarner Burnes, and a bottom 17 with SD now sinking into oblivion.

See Crede, Joe.

Unlocking the Asian/Japanese market a huge key for untapped revenues... Why nobody has created a "Korean team" is beyond me...Giants might be the closest now with CF Woo if he can produce to justify that hefty contract. Could have gone with HaSeong Kim over Adames, for example.

The Rays and infielder Ha-Seong Kim have agreed to a two-year, $29MM contract, reports Jeff Passan of ESPN. The deal includes an opt-out after the first season for the Boras Corporation client. Kim will make $13MM this year and could unlock another $2MM via incentives, per Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. If he doesn’t opt out, he’ll make $16MM in 2026. https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/01/rays-to-sign-ha-seong-kim.html White Sox now only ahead of the Marlins' payroll number in the high $60 million range...

https://legacy.baseballprospectus.com/compensation/cots/ White Sox barely ahead of Rays and Marlins for projected payroll...will fall way under at 30 once Robert and/or Benintendi are gone. Rays moving into a High A stadium for at least one year obviously won't exactly boost their revenue generating ability.

https://www.mlb.com/news/ryne-stanek-mets-deal-2025 Mets sign reliever Stanek for $4.5-5.0 million depending on incentives.

"Here are some moves I would like to see - The Dodgers acquire a true CF. Tommy Edman plays SS w/Miguel Rojas backing him up. Mookie Betts plays 2B w/Hye-seong Kim backing him up." source: truebluela.com Long term...it's definitely dePaula or Hope in CF. Unless they (obviously) traded for/extended Luis Robert. Robert would need to be .275 20/20 heading into July to pry one of those two away...something like that. As well as massive rebounds in his defensive metrics. Maybe Pages and SS Emil Morales/2024 intl signing class...or Morales and Ferris???

Wilson with the A's (son of Jack) is the runaway early favorite...odds are sub optimal Quero would even get 100 games if he started right out of the gate in late March...and that's highly unlikely to happen due to his missed time last season due to injury in the second half and relative lack of AAA seasoning.

Bring back Amaya lol...

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/01/nationals-place-joe-la-sorsa-on-release-waivers.html Yet another LHP option for the pen based on the last paragraph...

Dodgers fans most worried about CF...still talking Luis Robert with Outman (much less value) and Pages both mentioned. Weakest spots are Chris Taylor, backups to SS/Rojas and Betts now at second instead of short. Which is why they still want Enrique Hernandez back...

owner Hal Steinbrenner admitted that the team known as the Evil Empire cannot compete with the Dodgers spending spree, per Meredith Marakovits of YES Network.

Roki Sasaki No. 1 on ESPN top-100 prospect list, which includes 8 Dodgers Sasaki, Rushing, De Paula all ranked in the top 20. Emil Morales, 18-year-old shortstop signed last year by LA, also made the top-100 after a strong pro debut. https://www.truebluela.com/2025/1/29/24354397/roki-sasaki-espn-top-100-prospects-dodgers