although the Sox have talked to the fish about Stanton so maybe they do plan on going big time...

JBJ's offense is going to continue to decline. I just don't think he has the necessary baseball IQ to make counter adjustments to the adjustments pitchers are making against him. Boston should trade him this off season. He isn't still very young like Mookie and Zanduh. He'll be 28 shortly after opening day. He should have had things figured out by now.

Yeah, I like Santana and he comes from a park which is pretty equivalent to KC's as far as favoring offense goes so there shouldn't be any park-attributed drop off in his stats.

Santana is going the wrong direction.

Gotta spend at some point.

Talks between the Marlins and Red Sox involving Stanton “may be heating up”, according to Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald. His source tells him that the Red Sox are “definitely in play”. Spencer also mentions that Stanton’s incredible power would play well at Fenway Park, adding that Boston hit the fewest home runs of any MLB team in 2017. The Red Sox certainly seem like a reasonable fit for many other reasons as well, and Spencer lists a small handful in his piece. They’ve been said to be interested in spending more money, even to the point of exceeding the luxury tax, while it has been said that Stanton prefers to play near a coast. President of Baseball Operations Dave Dombrowski is no stranger to making deals with the Marlins, having helped engineer a blockbuster trade to bring Miguel Cabrera to the Tigers back in 2007.

Stanton is the better than any of the FA and his contract is so big. FA is going to be very slow until he gets traded.  

JDM is suppose to set the market.  With Boras, it means he's waiting that out until Stanton is moved to maximize potential suitors.

Pitching Market might move if all the big pitching fish are going to teams who are not spending money on offense.

Right on cue...

anthopoulos braves GM

Current impact free agents from National League West teams that may be on the move.

The free agent market opens officially at 5PM today. Let the music start playing. Everybody try to grab a chair.

Yu Darvish, Los Angeles Dodgers: Curt Schilling is running his mouth again (surprise). He states in the attached video that Clayton Kershaw is "no "Big Game" pitcher. Lord, that may very well be true but to actually come out and say that much as a fellow pitcher (former or not) is insulting. If Kershaw is no "Big Game" pitcher, what does that say about Dodgers' trade deadline acquisition Darvish? The former Ranger sure flunked his audition with LA with that clunker of a Series. That performance probably ended any chance that LA would sign him in free agency. He's had a solid career but somehow, one is always left thinking that there should be more. New team? Surprisingly, a number of writers think the Brewers will pony up and sign him, in lieu of their surprisingly successful run last year. I don't see it. The team certainly has plenty of room to pay a large salary (the current payroll is a penurious $55M). But they are almost always outbid by one of the "big boys". The Twins even are mentioned in some circles but they are not nearly as close to being a real contender i.m.o, even in a division that has gotten significantly weaker as of late. And they are historically cheap. The Yankees are said to be moving under the salary cap in anticipation of the bumper crop of free agents coming up following next season. Still, they need help in the rotation big time and could make a pitch. Its a question of who wants to pay most, as usual. If the Brewers make an offer, expect strong competition from both the Cardinals and Cubs in the same division. If St. Louis is not able to, or chooses not to go after Jake Arrieta, I'd expect them to be a serious contender for Darvish.

Brandon Morrow, Los Angeles Dodgers: A man who possessed electric stuff earlier in his career has finally gotten over the hurdle of rehabbing his numerous injuries and is the top set up man in the free agent market. He has been quoted as saying that at age 33, he only wants to pitch for a contending team. I think this one is fairly easy. New team? Since he is said to be looking in the range of 3 years at $24M, he is affordable. Either he stays in LA with the Dodgers or the Cubs sign him. If you are a Cubs fan, a quick replay of Carl Edwards Jr.'s "efforts" in the postseason will get you on board here. Same will probably hold true for Theo Epstein and Jed Hoyer.


J.D. Martinez, Arizona Diamondbacks: Martinez recently announced that the bidding starts at $200M. Bet that elicited a gulp the size of that convenience store soft drink out of GM Mike Hazen. So this will be a signing by a "Big Boy" team. He is definitely a card carrying member of the "Big Time MLB Sluggers" club. On the other hand he is injury prone, especially if he is not being looked at as a future DH. That makes it almost foolish for National League team, including the D Backs, to sign off on that expenditure. J.D. was said to be interested in possibly rejoining the Astros. New team? You betcha. It will not be the Astros. They simply have enough firepower and don't need that salary added to payroll. Surprisingly, poker faced agent Scott Boras thinks he will stay with Arizona. A good barometer to the validity of that theory will be "How long will he remain on the market?" The longer he goes unsigned the better chance he returns late to the fold. Would not be the first time for a Boras client now, would it? I think still that Boston and former Tigers' GM Dave Dombrowski simply cannot resist both the temptation and the free spending policy of ownership and snaps him up for Beantown. The need and the fit make this reality. Red Sox it is.

Greg Holland, Colorado Rockies: I guess "Greggy Boy" decided he missed Kauffman Stadium after a year in the "Rocky Mountain High" Coors Field. He declined a $15M option to stay in the land of weed; and humidors that are used both to keep the stuff fresh and the baseballs from drying up. A strong return from injury by Holland, just a few ERA blowing-up outings at home. The guy had street cred as a closer. New team?: Reading the "tea leaves" here, it says he will sign with a team that plays in a "pitcher's park". The Cubs will make a bid if they do not retain their own former Royal free agent closer. I still think they keep Wade Davis though. In the NL, the Cardinals need a closer as their committee failed to come up with any answers last year. Any team that has Fernando Rodney in that role needs a replacement, so count the Diamondbacks in. I don't believe he's a fit there or in Houston with the Astros either. The Royals could use him but won't pursue him. My money has him becoming a St. Louis Cardinal.

Carlos Gonzalez, Colorado Rockies: The man is a product of Coors Field. A .330 hitter at home. A .255 hitter on the road. OPS is 1.1 at home. Only a paltry .735 on the road. Put simply, he is a fragile, zero win above replacement player on any team but the Rockies. New team? Heavens NO! Then again as P.T. Barnum would remind us if he could snatch one more breath "decades removed from pushing up daisies", there is a "sucker born every minute". The Rockies have the money and will likely retain Cargo. If Dave Dombrowski gets drunk enough at the winter meetings, he will give consideration. But Larry Lucchino will save the day by rushing after a bucket of ice cold water and dumping it all over DD's head...

Mark Reynolds, Colorado Rockies and Jhoulys Chacin, San Diego Padres: I just thought I'd better put in this disclaimer. Before somebody says I forgot them, I didn't. I do not consider either an impact free agent. Yes I know that Reynolds had a "nice" comeback season. But it was fraudulent. One it was in Colorado and two, he faded badly in the second half. Chacin? he's a break even WAR pitcher.

www.mlbtraderumors.com/yu-darvish
dodgerblue.com/dodgers-video-curt-schilling-doesnt-believe-clayton-kershaw-big-game-pitcher-mentality/2017/11/12/
www.mlbtraderumors.com/brandon-morrow
www.mlbtraderumors.com/arizona-diamondbacks

Cards & Giants leaders for Arrieta

I'd agree. But I think they keep Davis and go after someone like Brandon Morrow for a setup role.

also heard they're talking to (or will talk to) Lo-Mo. 

I'm JD or bust though