NEW YORK, NY – Are you ready for some football? You are? Well, you’d better hightail it the hell out of here today, because MLB’s Hot Stove is heating up. I mean, what’s the point of kibitzing about Baker Mayfield and yet another meaningless Thursday Night Football game on Amazon, when we can talk loads of sh!t about baseball players packing their bags and getting filthy rich. Let’s go!
Jacob deGrom. Like everyone else, I suppose, my phone blew up with texts this past weekend when mercurial Mets ace Jacob deGrom inked a 5-year deal with the Rangers that will pay him an average of around $37 million a year. Steve Cohen, by all accounts, was not going to offer him more than three years, and I respect that. How can you go long-term on a soon-to-be 35-year-old who has missed significant time with injuries over the last three seasons? Will I miss watching him pitch for the Mets? You know I will. Will deGrom be the piece that turns Texas into a contender? Not. Bloody. Likely. Texas is where you go to collect large sums of money, lose, and retire. Rinse, wash, repeat. I wish Jake well, but I’ve already moved on… and so have the Mets.
Justin Verlander. The Mets didn’t waste any time replacing deGrom, as they signed 3-time Cy Young winner, and soon-to-be AARP cover boy, Justin Verlander to a 2-year deal worth a mere $86.7 million. Who cares if maybe he and Max Scherzer hated each others’ guts when they played for Detroit? A little old man animosity can be just the combustible ingredient this team needs. Here now is your first look at the top of the Mets rotation.
Trea Turner. All it took was 11 years and a measly $300 million to get Trea Turner to abandon Tinseltown for all of the smiles and sunshine that come with being a professional athlete in Philadelphia. I salute his decade-long investment in a city known for both its cracked bell and its crackpot fans. Enjoy.
New York Yankees. You didn’t think I was going to forget the Yankees, did you? They’ve been plenty busy themselves. They’ve got much to consider. *For starters, they have an offer on the table to Aaron Judge in the neighborhood of 8 years and $300, and that probably won’t be enough to keep him. Sounds like maybe the San Francisco Giants are willing to go an extra year and get his annual salary up to $40 million a year. What’s a little pathetic is that the Yankees made their offer to Judge days ago, and are just sheepishly hanging around to see who will offer him more and what he’ll then do. Where’s that Bronx Bombers swagger, man? Look, I actually want them to sign him and for him to become a payroll albatross for years to come, but the “Boss” move here would be to pull the offer and tell him: “Best of luck elsewhere, Fella.” But, don’t despair, the Yanks still have Aaron Boone under contract for a few more years and they just locked up Brian Cashman for four more years of sleeping on sidewalks and rappelling down the sides of buildings. All they need to do now is extend Sterling and Waldman for four of five more years in the booth, and they’re set!
*It wasn’t. It took 9 years and $360,000,000.00
All. Rise.
Aaron Judge, Yankees are reportedly in agreement on a 9-year deal, according to MLB Network Insider @jonmorosi. pic.twitter.com/5xxG6cmjGP
— MLB (@MLB) December 7, 2022
That’s all for today. I’m outta here. Come on back tomorrow for Buddy Diaz, who just got inked to a single figure multi-year offer by MTM.
