Both are possible. They have no room for baez as it stands....

V happy with this but interesting that they chose to spend big. It's been the downfall of the two previous regimes that they have a plan to build, then can't help but spend that big market money.

You could deal Baez for pitching I guess. Possibly push Hammel out of the rotation. Or he's part of a package that includes Hendricks and/or Soler or Schwarber that brings back a CF too.

Mega deal for Chris Sale and Adam Eaton? :)

Schwarber, Baez, Hendricks, Almora and a PTBNL?

Jon Heyman reported the deal is less than $200million, and that the Nationals offered at or v close to that.

I'm interested to see what they do next. Soler has been linked to trade rumors, I'm thinking those pick up now.

lol Sale and Eaton defecting would be nuts. Make it happen.

Also I accidentally clicked on Facebook comments section on this deal. Hate everyone rn

Yeah. Everyone should take one look at the lineup and know that they have parts to move. You'd imagine it wouldn't take long for a deal to materialize under those circumstances but it's only December so they don't have to rush it. Could play the market and see who misses out on their FA choices.

<font color=goldenrod>There's still plenty of offseason left but it's tough to see the Cubs not coming out of it looking like the team to beat in 2016.

We'll see how it plays out.</font>

Agreed re: playing the market. Think it'd be better if they waited for at least Upton and Cespedes to sign. Someone will get "desperate" after they go.

Deal is reportedly 8/$184 per MLB. Club hasn't confirmed.

Wow Frank and I were pretty close to what Heyward actually got paid. Wonder what the Padres have to give up to acquire either or both of Soler and Baez.

Flip John Jay? Haha

<font color=goldenrod>So that leaves Upton and Cespedes as the big outfielders left on the market. Cards and Nats were supposedly the other two teams that went in on Heyward, so it's fair to think the Cards and Nats will be in on the other two.

I know I said Cespedes probably won't be worth what he ends up getting paid, but I'll probably cry if he is wearing a Nats uniform next year :'( especially if he ends up going for less than expected (like 4 years, $85 million)</font>

Cards rumored to be going after Alex Gordon to replace Jason Heyward. Also looking at Chris Davis and Rockies' Carlos Gonzalez as possible replacement options.

Seph has to eat a shit brick.

Per Ken Rosenthal on the tweeter, Heyward can opt out after 3 or 4 years, depending on "certain plate appearance thresholds."

For what it's worth, ESPN projecting Schwarber/Heyward/Soler from left to right.

Are the Rockies still actively trying to move Gonzalez? Or does he still want out, rather?

Seems to be more on the Rockies side for trading. A big chunk of money is still owed to him but he's also at his highest value for them right now. Market for him and his position has been hot this offseason.

They could risk keeping him for next season hoping he plays even better but could also backfire big time and they'd get stuck with $37 million in dead weight.

<font color=goldenrod>I'd be hard pressed to blame CarGo if he still wants out. That franchise is a trainwreck.</font>

If Cespedes goes to the Nats, Vito can bask in the glory of a 250/300 avg/un base hitter who can't draw enough walks or make enough contact into his mid 30s to go yard.

It'll all be ok Vito.

Cespedes is awesome.

Think of all the awsome throws he's going to make after misplaying the ball.

Reports show that Tommy Hanson dies with booze and blow in his system..... not a huge surprise when an athlete dies....

Or all "TEH RIBBIES" he's gonna leave on base because he has awful plate discipline.

If Albert Pujols hit the wall as hard as he did, arguably the greatest hitter of his time, what makes anyone think a one trick pony like Cespedes is going to age and decline gracefully?

His can-do attitude and will to win?

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CV_MRQVVAAAVb70.jpg

<font color=goldenrod>I just checked myself and this is actually on the Mets transaction page as of right now. If fucking only.</font> :(

Cespedes is awesome.

<font color=goldenrod>HOLY FUCK IT'S TRUE!!!</font> :eek:

<font color=goldenrod>I have to give it up for Cuddy. It remains to be seen if the Mets will be paying any portion of his contract as a buyout (I'd be somewhat surprised if he didn't get SOMETHING), but odds are he's still going to be leaving the bulk of his 2016 salary on the table. He could have simply slogged it through 2016 as a backup making $12.5 million, but he chose not to. Shades of Gil Meche retiring with a year left on his deal.

Much as I didn't like watching him play this year, I've heard nothing but good things of him as a teammate. Never complained when he was relegated to backup duty after the rise of Conforto. Mets have a bench coach vacancy and Collins has said he felt Cuddy is a manager in waiting somewhere...who knows, maybe he'll be with the team in a different capacity next year.

More importantly, this gives the Mets some more 2016 budget room to work with if they want to be more aggressive with Cespedes or maybe even Upton.</font>

Remember when you guys (other than Damian Ray were like "lol no way is Jason Heyward worth 200 mil"?

My uncle recently argued with me Heyward wasn't a star and that he wasn't worth the money. The easy counter was why are three of the best front offices in baseball trying to pay him like one?

<font color=goldenrod>I would have loved to have seen the Mets make a run at Heyward. I knew they wouldn't because the total price tag would have been heavy, but I was always under the assumption that there'd be an opt-out clause involved meaning the actual commitment was much less.

Unless Heyward falls off a cliff in 2018, you can pretty safely assume he'll be hitting the market again at 29. Opt out clauses are the new thing for marquee free agents. We'll probably only see it more frequently as the years go by.</font>

<font color=goldenrod>Steve Cishek to the Mariners. 2 years, $10 million.

All of a sudden the reliever market is looking really barren. Basically any reliever of any sort of name value has gotten multiple years and at least $10 million. Speaks to how important the late innings are now.</font>

Can you guys believe we're finally at the point where the FA market is so insane that 5 years and 55 mil for Gil Fucking Meche seems reasonable?

<font color=goldenrod>If you think it's crazy now, wait until the 2018 offseason. Factoring in potential free agents and guys with opt-out clauses, all of the following could be up for grabs:

Josh Donaldson
Jose Fernandez
Bryce Harper
Matt Harvey
Jason Heyward
Clayton Kershaw
Dallas Keuchel
Manny Machado
Andrew McCutchen
David Price</font>

Jesus. Bryce Harper is going to get the next Arod level contract. I'm calling 10 years $300 mil.

The Angels looks like geniuses for locking up Trout to a now ridiculously cheap contract for the best player in the game.

Manny isn't going anywhere..he'll get an extension soon

Highly unlikely.

Astros and Phillies trade involved 7 players swapping teams:

Moving Appel could blow up on Houston. As great as Giles is, a reliever throwing one inning is only going to provide so much value. Appel could be a 3 starter and provide more value.

Screech should be happy with this package. Also love that the new Phillies front office realizes you don't need a dominant closer as part of a massive rebuild.

Yeah. One of the cubs first moves was dealing 7th inning guy Sean Marshall for 3 prospects. You should have heard call in radio shows. "Whadr we gonna do witout Sean marshall??" Stupid. Bullpen guys are a luxury a contending team would want. Not the rebuilding Phillies.

I haven't checked in on Appell in a while. Is he still a bust or does he still have a chance to make a ML rotation?

He's inconsistent and as a result, so are his numbers, but he's still projecting to be a major league starter. Whether that's going to be top of the rotation or middle to back end is the question.

I remember Padres fans fuming when they let Trevor Hoffman and Heath Bell walk, traded Mike Adams, Huston Street and Craig Kimbrel. People will never learn and it's easier for talking heads to claim relievers are these huge assets instead of reading up that they're really not and, as the Royals proved, can be developed on the cheap.

Seems more like bust territory in terms of top pick status at least according to Yahoo Sports and Baseball America although to be fair he's only played 2 seasons of minor league ball so far.

Phillies probably believed or were desperate for him to be a Strasburg-like player needing very little minor league time and instead he actually needs more time which is probably why they got rid of him this quickly.

I don't know much about any of the pitchers (haven't had the time to look em all up). But as much as I like Giles, I'm happy with this. The rotation is the worst part about the Phillies right now, so getting help there - even if it's not immediate - is a plus.

No need to have a good closer on a team that will probably lose at least 90. Let him have a chance to wreck shit in the playoffs.

<font color=goldenrod>Braves and Phillies are killing it this offseason. Both are in total rebuild mode and rightly so, and both have brought in so many promising looking prospects.

While prospects are never a sure thing, there's every chance that those teams can be downright scary in a few years. All the more reason my Mets need to go all in on these next couple of seasons while they have their entire cost-controlled rotation in order.</font>

Pete Rose's reinstatement application has been denied.

<font color=goldenrod>Selig didn't want Rose back in baseball and was very outspoken about it. Manfred views Selig as his mentor and probably didn't want to immediately undo a suspension that Selig went out of his way to enforce.

Didn't really take an Einstein to see that Manfred wasn't going to reinstate him.</font>

JP Arencibia signs with Phillies.... still young, some MLB experience, tons of power and worth the gamble on a minor league deal.....

Seems like the biggest issue MLB still has with Rose is his ties to gambling. They tried to tell him to stop gambling on baseball games to have a chance at being reinstated but supposedly he doesn't care about stopping.

To be fair, he's probably making more in betting than he could ever get from MLB.... and he strikes me as the type not to give two shits about his reputation....

Giants land Johnny Cueto. 6-years, $130 mil.

<font color=goldenrod>Bumgarner
Cueto
Samardzija
Peavy
Cain

Even year prophecy

Congratulations Giants - 2016 World Series champions</font>

I dunno about all that. Peavy is done, who knows what you're getting outta Cain and Samardzija isn't exactly top notch after last year.

I think they'll be very good though and wouldn't be surprised if they signed an outfielder like Gordon or Upton.

Dodger fan must be fuming. You had two huge names in Price and Greinke out there, along with Zimmerman and Cueto, and their front office has landed none of them.

They signed the living corpse of Chase Utley, an iffy Iwakuma, and I think that's been it. While I'm aware that the current regime isn't known for being overly aggressive, I'm stunned at the minimal activity on the Dodgers' end. Of course there are still pieces to be had but no way do they even come close to replacing Greinke and the big dogs are all off the board.

<font color=goldenrod>Nope, Giants are winning it in 2016. Just as they will in 2018, 2020, 2022, and every other even year for the foreseeable future.</font>

http://reaction.club/r/61c493b51d862c39178f.gif

<font color=goldenrod>Wow, Cueto's deal has an opt-out clause after only 2 years.

Feel like opt-out clauses can end up causing some serious shit for MLB down the road. Imagine if it reaches the point where all the big free agents have opt-out clauses after one season, so every year just becomes a battle of what team wants to offer the most frontloaded contract possible. The same players changing teams every year. Shit would be ridiculous.</font>

Will Middlebrooks going to SD, always liked him (despite my hatred for the BoSox) and if anyone could use a fresh start, its any member of the San Diego roster from last year....

He got a fresh start when he came to San Diego. Middlebrooks' issue is he swings too much out of the zone and can't spell ball four. Changing scenery again isn't going to help.

As for opt out clauses, I think teams are more than happy to sign off one on them. The Sabathia deal has highlighted the risk in signing big names on the wrong side of 30.

For instance, James Shields has an opt out clause after this year. If he bounces back like I think he will, he could be the premier free agent pitcher in a dumpster fire of a free agent market.

That works for the Padres as they won't have to pay him $21 million a year into his mid 30s and Shields may get a longer an extra year or two out of the new contract.

I don't see it coming to a point of one and done. Though I had an idea of how a one and done could work for arbitration.

<font color=goldenrod>bah gawd 3-way deal

Dodgers get: 2B Micah Johnson, RHP Frankie Montas, OF Trayce Thompson

Reds get: 2B Brandon Dixon, SS Jose Peraza, OF Scott Schebler

White Sox get: 3B Todd Frazier</font>

Can't use a gif from a football show to decide baseball matters. DISQUALIFIED!

Bartolo Colon and Mets agree on a 1 year, $7.25 million deal.

Feel pretty underwhelmed for what the Reds got in return for Frazier. Peraza is a nice player, but he's s punches singles hitter who doesn't draw walks. For 2 years of a power hitting third baseman, that's not much if anything.

<font color=goldenrod>Bartoloooooooooooooooooooooo</font> :love:

The Os signed an of from Korea..yay

Indians sign Mike Napoli and Rajai Davis to 1-year deals.

:wavesad: Rajai

that walkoff grand slam against the A's last year was one of my fav moments of the season

I'd take Rajai as my 4th OF any day of the week....It's hard not to love Bartolo.....

Rajai screwed me over for fantasy this season. I was expecting ALOT of steals, but he saw very minimal playing time. Hopefully a change of venue does the trick.

He was just a fun guy to watch. Perfect 4th OF IMO, don't ask too much of him but was great in short bursts

<font color=goldenrod>Moreover, the Dodgers are thought to have received a considerably better haul than what the Reds got, including Frankie Montas, clearly the best prospect in the trade.

Reds got fleeced.</font>

I even question the Dodgers haul. But they made out better than Cincy.

<font color=goldenrod>The Dodgers' disastrous offseason continues. Turns out Iwakuma failed his physical, so the signing was nixed and he's now re-signed with the Mariners on a 1 year deal with 2017 and 2018 vesting options.

Also the Reds and Nats have agreed to a Brandon Phillips trade, but Phillips is holding up for more money for him to waive his no-trade clause.</font>

<font color=goldenrod>Some early 2016 World Series odds for the degenerate gamblers here. Aka Droford:

Chicago Cubs -- 6/1
San Francisco Giants -- 6/1
Boston Red Sox -- 9/1
Kansas City Royals -- 14/1
New York Mets -- 14/1
Los Angeles Dodgers -- 16/1
St. Louis Cardinals -- 16/1
Toronto Blue Jays -- 16/1
Houston Astros -- 18/1
Pittsburgh Pirates -- 18/1
Washington Nationals -- 18/1
Arizona Diamondbacks -- 20/1
Texas Rangers -- 20/1
Cleveland Indians -- 25/1
Detroit Tigers -- 25/1
Los Angeles Angels -- 25/1
New York Yankees -- 25/1
Seattle Mariners -- 33/1
Baltimore Orioles -- 50/1
Chicago White Sox -- 50/1
Minnesota Twins -- 50/1
Miami Marlins -- 66/1
Tampa Bay Rays -- 66/1
Milwaukee Brewers -- 75/1
Oakland Athletics -- 75/1
Atlanta Braves -- 100/1
Cincinnati Reds -- 100/1
Colorado Rockies -- 100/1
Philadelphia Phillies -- 100/1
San Diego Padres -- 100/1

Looks like the oddsmakers are buying into the Even Year Giants too. Not for nothing, but while I don't expect much from the Padres next year I'm pretty surprised they put them at the same level as the clear dumpster fire teams like the Phillies and Braves.</font>

Gonna go worst to first! Wooooo!

What am I missing with the Red Sox? Yeah David Price but what.

Curious to see the Tigers' odds so low. Love the moves they've made this offseason. A rejuvenated JV and Zimmerman at the top of the rotation, a bullpen that can't be any worse than it was last year, and a bounce-back-ish year from VMart... I think they'll be decent. Not great, but are people really drinking the Cleveland Kool-Aid again this year? (both listed at 25/1)

Not sure either. At this point just hoping for not another miserable season and dead last finish in the East.

Seems like whenever the Red Sox have been betting favorites for the AL in recent years, they decide to be extra horrible instead.

I mean, they'll obviously be better this year, but having the third-best odds for the World Series? Maybe people think Big Papi is gonna have some magic Cinderella sendoff season or something. Either way, I might have to hammer the under for their wins total if that reflects these odds

Just like the Giants winning it all every other year, Boston's pattern is worst/first/worst/first.

Red Sox could be beasts this year if the young guns develop like they should. Also David Price. Also the bullpen is grosssssss. Also here's hoping to Laser Show to be just that. Also Papi's final year. Weird Haircut Clay can hopefully stay healthy. Porcello was pretty good at the end of the season too.

I think the Red Sox look great.

Except for Hanley and Panda. I hope they get traded and we sign Chris Davis.

<font color=goldenrod>Wouldn't be surprised if a lot of Boston fans jumped on the Sox betting out of bias which in turn shifted the odds. It's probably not a coincidence that the 3 teams who have arguably made the biggest splashes this offseason (and who all have sizable fanbases) are the 3 favorites right now.</font>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">The Dodgers will pay an MLB record of over $43 million in luxury taxes this season. <a href="https://t.co/MIYZCeYYpw">pic.twitter.com/MIYZCeYYpw</a></p>&mdash; ESPN Stats &amp; Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) <a href="https://twitter.com/ESPNStatsInfo/status/678008382335373312">December 19, 2015</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

TONS of value in Detroit at 25/1.....If they can stay healthy, they'd be my pick to come out of the AL East if their pitching does what it's supposed to and all their sluggers can remain healthy most of the year....

<font color=goldenrod>I'll bet you $500 that Detroit doesn't win the AL East</font>

the Dbacks at 20/1? Hmmmmmmmmmm

Nationals backed off of acquiring Brandon Phillips. Wanted an extension on his deal for him to waive his no-trade clause and the Nats didn't want to do that.

What an idiot. Why would you not want to go with a winner and instead just mire in the mediocrity that will be Cincinnati Reds baseball for the next number of years.

Phillips doesn't have years left in the tank. Wonder why he wouldn't choose to spend the last of them on a winning club.

<font color=goldenrod>In a weird sort of way I respect Phillips because he's refused to waive his no-trade clause several times in the last few years. Even though the tea mis bad he genuinely loves playing in Cincinnati and has made his home there, and to get him to leave he'd need to be compensated via extension.

On the flipside though, he's only damaging the team by not agreeing to go.</font>

On the money.

Does the tax money go equally to every other team?

1993 called.

holy shit guys he said the wrong division

y'all know what he meant

Nope sorry. Your team is cursed to lose in 2016 because of this. At the end of 2016 blame NickyFives as a scapegoat!

After being gone for a week....lol white sox. All your problems are fixed.

AL Central, my bad.....Tigers have a better shot than the Jays unfortunately....

The Jays still have a good squad. Main loss is Price. But other than that a very similar roster.

<font color=goldenrod>The Jays lineup is still going to score a shitload of runs. I wouldn't be at all surprised if Donaldson comes back down to earth a bit but even if he does there will be more than enough bats to go around.

Think Michael Saunders will make them even deeper next year, too. 2015 was a lost year to him due to a fluke injury so I put no stock in that 9 game stint where he hit below the Mendoza line.</font>

<font color=goldenrod>Bartolo Colon's new contract includes a $50,000 bonus if he wins a NL Silver Slugger Award. That is amazing.</font>

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/f64A5T-4Pkc" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

As a Jays fan, I'd still take any of Tigers starters over what they have now to win "right now"....

You can take Pelfry if you're that eager :p

Biggest concern is the wildcard starting rotation. Shapiro was a touch stingy but I don't really know if he had other real options.