2023 Around the League Offseason Discussion

[Christopher]

Red are non-tendering Nick Senzel, another sad note from the Worst MLB Draft Ever, in which the Phillies had the misfortune of having the #1 pick.

[Christopher]

Signing Lance Lynn and Kyle Gibson on back-to-back days is an amazing FU to your fans. Nice work, St. Louis.

[Christopher]

Orioles showing interest in Craig Kimbrel.

[Christopher]

Anyone else going to talk Hot Stove this winter?

My predictions
Ohtani: Dodgers (but don't count out Angels, with the comfort level)
Soto: traded to Blue Jays
Yamamoto: Mets
Bellinger: Yankees

I think the Phillies will surprise slightly and add a SP who projects around #3 in the rotation. For both depth and as a hedge against losing Wheeler next winter. They will enter season with 6 solid starting pitchers, and it's not bad to have a surplus. I have my thoughts on who that guy might be, but will keep quiet for now.

I don't have any spidey-sense yet on Snell, Hader, Montgomery. Obviously there are a lot of teams looking to spend, including Boston, Seattle, San Francisco and Chicago. Some FAs are going to do very well once Ohtani & Yamamoto are off the board.

[Captain Obvious]

Anyone else going to talk Hot Stove this winter?

My predictions
Ohtani: Dodgers (but don't count out Angels, with the comfort level)
Soto: traded to Blue Jays
Yamamoto: Mets
Bellinger: Yankees

I think the Phillies will surprise slightly and add a SP who projects around #3 in the rotation. For both depth and as a hedge against losing Wheeler next winter. They will enter season with 6 solid starting pitchers, and it's not bad to have a surplus. I have my thoughts on who that guy might be, but will keep quiet for now.

I don't have any spidey-sense yet on Snell, Hader, Montgomery. Obviously there are a lot of teams looking to spend, including Boston, Seattle, San Francisco and Chicago. Some FAs are going to do very well once Ohtani & Yamamoto are off the board.

I think (and fear) the Phillies may be too vested in Painter and Abel to take the load when they are ready in 25 which makes me think they are going to shy away from long term deals for a SP. If they can get a veteran on a 1-2 year deal that might be it.

They signed Nola, they hinted at an extension for Wheeler. Walker is locked up. They might hint at Suarez long term this year.

[Christopher]

Despite what the Phillies are paying Nola, I think Middleton/Dombrowski are smart enough to know he's not an October #1. ... He's a very good October #2.

This team needs a #1 for OCTOBER for 2025 and beyond. Whether that's keeping Wheeler or making something else happen.

[Christopher]

Soto officially a Yankee.
Will they get Yamamoto, too?
I root against both NY teams, but I almost want Yamamoto to go the Mets instead of the Yankees, which doesn't make sense on my part.

[Christopher]

Amazing that Padres had Soto-Machado-Tatis-Bogaerts together for a season and missed the playoffs.

Castellanos finished with a higher OPS than both Tatis and Machado!

[Christopher]

Eduardo Rodríguez is a nice pickup for the Arizona.
I think their offense is still extremely suspect, but they now a really nice Top 3 in rotation
Will be interesting to see if they can replicate the magic of 2023.

[Christopher]

Looks like Ohtani decision will come today, and it's down to Dodgers (have to think 90%) and Blue Jays (10%?)

Then all eyes will turn to the Yamamoto Derby, which I have to think will escalate into an absurd bidding war between Mets and Yankees.

Once those two deals are done, I think we'll see everything else that's clogged in the pipeline begin to fall into place. The curious one will be Bellinger, I think. Everyone had been saying Yankees, but they no longer make sense for him, with Soto there. Who will pay him $200M?