#MLBVideos: Post-Winter Meetings Hot Stove Update! (Bellinger, Murakami, Bichette, Ketel Marte & MORE!)

Post-Winter Meetings Hot Stove Update! (Bellinger, Murakami, Bichette, Ketel Marte & MORE!)

Welcome back to the Friday hot stove. We are presented by Cone Resnick. We’re just stacking talent in certain divisions. JP Morosce, let the games begin. Leading the league in information. Our focus has been on the AL East, but the NL East padding their talent pool. Robert Suarez to the Braves perhaps. More on the way. Yes or no? Good Friday morning to you. Laura, good morning. We could certainly say the Atlanta Braves have had one of the best off seasons of any team in Major League Baseball. So far, the most recent addition of course, Robert Suarez, and the question now comes after adding Suarez and Mike Ystreky in recent days. They already traded for Mauricio Bubon as well. So, I think with those three players, they’re already off to a great start. Now, the question may come, would you add to a starting rotation that dealt with a lot of injuries last year? And actually the answer is the Braves like the group they’ve got right now. You see there at the bottom Smith Shaver expected to miss most of the year with Tommy John. But that’s a pretty good group. And I think one of the most important things that I heard was that Spencer Schwelach native of the great state of Michigan is painfree ready to go should be in good shape. They’ve got Chris Sale coming back. They’ve got Strider they believe is going to be healthy. That’s a pretty good group. So, if if they’re going to make any move, it will likely be for an everyday type shortstop that would put Dubon into more of a a super utility role. They’re not just going to look for depth. It would have to be a significant player. It might be Bo Bette. And we’ll get into Bashette a little bit later on, but I think overall, you’d have to say the Braves one of the best off seasons of any team in the National League. And certainly, Lauren, you’d have to say better than their division rivals from New York. I I would say that. I mean, just think of the scope of the NL East. Last year, the Braves weren’t even a factor. It was the Phillies and the Mets right there. And then with the arms getting healthy in Atlanta, watch out. Grab your popcorn. We have a new suitor. Sounds like a fairy tale for Catel Marte’s services. Who is it? And is it a foregone conclusion he’s out? What do you think, Lauren? I think the chances have increased that Catel Marte is going to be traded. And this possibility in particular really intriguing to me, the Tampa Bay Rays, according to Nick Pakoro of the Arizona Republic and the two names that he mentioned that could potentially go back to Arizona if this trade is consummated, Ryan Pepio and Shane Bos. Now, I think this is a really important data point and one that illustrates a lot of what we’ve been hearing about this potential possibility of a Catel Marte trade in general, which is if the Diamondbacks are going to trade him, they want to get at least one, if not two major league ready starting pitchers. That is the need on the part of the Diamondbacks. And again, we’ve talked about the Red Sox having depth. one of the reasons why they are a good trade partner for the Diamondbacks in this trade. Notably, the Dbacks and the Rays have done a lot of business in the past. A lot of trades between those two organizations. So, stay tuned. There was a good report by Nick. I I think that the Rays have what the Diamondbacks want. And when you think about the Rays trying to reformulate that roster, they’ve already signed Cedric Mullins. I like what this team in Tampa is building. Uh, and again, one of my favorite notes to bring it back to last segment, Ryan Pepio once traded for Tyler Glass. Now, for those that love connecting the dots here on Hot Stove on a Friday morning and Tory Lavella was asked about the future and he said, “I trust Mike Hazen, you know it. They have a very close relationship, front office and manager in the desert. We will see.” What’s the relationship between Bobette and the Blue Jays? Is it offer on the table? Is it you go find something? We’ll match it. Where do we stand right now? Mid December, that’s an excellent question. It’s hard to know exactly where the the offer stands at this moment in time for Bo Bette, but I do believe this. He fits into this equation with the likes of Bregman and others potentially. And I think his market does overlap a little bit with what’s going on with Catel Marte because there are some teams that do like him at second base. The Boston Red Sox are a natural fit for Bo Bette as are the Atlanta Braves. And I think that there are those conversations still ongoing. Bette still remaining, I believe, in contact with the Blue Jays to some extent. And yet the Jays are also certainly involved in the Kyle Tucker market. And if the Jays sign Kyle Tucker, the chances of Bob Bashette going back to Toronto are reduced further because that would mean Tucker and Wright. Barger moves to the infield. They’ve got Jimenez already and Ernie Clement. That’s probably their team at that point in time. So, if you get whispers of Kyle Tucker moving closer to a deal with Toronto, that means Bo Bashette is going elsewhere. And elsewhere could be Atlanta to play shortstop or Boston to play either second or third. And the timing of the deals are the most telling. I feel like at this point in the year, the clock is ticking on Munitaka Morakami’s window. What do we have now? How many days? What’s the mark? 10 days away. 10 days away. Diw as you would say in in Italian and I’m sure we’ll find a way 10 more days. So here’s here’s why I think the Murakami story is a really important one for us to cover right now in the show because Murakami is is connected to the Bregman market, connected to the the Bette market, connected to a lot of different infield pursuits that are happening and Murakami is of interest to teams like the Red Sox, the Mariners, the Tigers, the Phillies, the Mets, the Jays, a lot of different teams there. the pirates we have been told are connected to Murakami. And so if if you want to sign Murakami, you only have 10 more days to do it. And so if if the Bregman market is going to continue on into the to the new year and if you’re thinking about, okay, Bregman or the power of Murakami, there you see it. All the power that he’s had in the past, the 56 homer season, a really intriguing lefty bat. Yeah, there’s some swing and miss, but he’s a guy that a lot of teams like. You can’t wait forever on Bregman because Murakami is no longer a secondary option once you get past December the 22nd. So after the 22nd of December, the Murakami market is closed. So you need to pivot. If you’re not one of the the finalists for Bregman, you’d better find out in the coming days and then you’d better find a way to get with Murakami’s camp and work on a deal because that possibility expires in 10 days. Now, Embi Okamoto, those posting windows expire just after the new year, but Murakami, this is the next major deadline. I realize he’s only one player, but it’s almost as though it’s like a qualifying offer deadline all over again because of the way in which Murakami influences the rest of the infield market. So, stay tuned. We’ve got news even before Christmas. Lauren, we never stop working here. No, I’m going to stop working after today. You got a Monday. I’ve got hockey next week, Lauren. So, I’ve got one more hot stove show Monday and then it’s the World Junior Hockey Championships. My colleagues at the NHL Network side, I get to jump over. I’m not much of a a two sport athlete, but I am a two sport reporter, so I’ve got some hockey to work on that too. JP Mosie, Robert’s game, too. He’s in. Join me in Duth. Duth, Minnesota. Oh, Duth. It is a gorgeous place to be in the month of December. I promise. I spent time in mine out Northakota. I know all about Duth. You got it. Great town. Thanks so much. But I’m here. Let’s go to Vegas. Let’s fire up the slot machine. It’s the free agent slot machine. We’re going to randomly We already know. It It’s pretty funny that they had me at the uh poker game. I’m not a big gambler. So, if I go I sit at the poker game and try and try to just fool around for a half hour. So, that’s where I was at the Vegas night. I I am not a uh I’m not a card player. Yeah. I’m just I’m just not I’m paranoid. If I sit at a card table, I feel like they have two plants. Me, too. You know, and absolutely. Okay. So, we’re going to spin this uh the slot machine. It’s going to land on a player that uh that we have previously determined which player it’s going to land on. I’m just going to let you know, okay? Cuz we got to have things prepared. We got to have graphics. We got to have video. Where is it going to land? Oh, it’s going to land on Cody Bellinger. How about that? Wow. Best fit for Cody Bellinger. Versatility, talent, track record. When when I mean the best fit is is where he had an amazing season with the Yankees. I know the Mets are interested. Every team is interested in Cody Bellinger. One that people have not talked about yet, though, is your Houston Astros. They need a left-handed back. They do. and they need u they need the kind of versatility that he provides. Um I don’t know if the Astros are willing to um get up go up to that uh to that price point if they’re able to fit that under whatever luxury tax threshold they’re at. But yeah, that’s a great fit. But I think the realistic fit I think it’s the New York Yankees. Yes, you can. Yeah, 100%. And I I think though if the Mets were to steal them away, imagine Cody Bellinger, his career would be this. Dodgers, Cubs, Yankees, Mets. That would be the four teams he played with in his If he were to go to the Mets, is it primarily center field, first base or or more of a little of both? I I think that he would not play any corner positions. He would play center field and first base occasionally, you know, with a tough left-hander because he hit left-handers last year. Yeah. All right, let’s spin it again. Let’s see where it lands. No whammies. No whammies. No whammies. And do I yell stop or you guys stopping it on its own on your own? And stop. Prom Valdez. Um, easy. Baltimore Orioles. Yeah. Oh, good. Good. Yeah. I mean, I I think that’s a logical need there. I I I love From Um I love what he can do with the baseball. I think he’s got the best left-handed curve ball for a starting pitcher in the game. He keeps ball on the ground, does not give up home runs. Um, his he could be a little hotheaded on the field at times, and maybe that scares you off the sevenyear, $200 million contract that he’s going to get. I got one more place for him. The defense in Chicago with the Cubs is so good. Can you imagine him firing up uh ground balls with that infield of Swanson, her and Shaw, and BCH? I mean, nothing would get through. And with the way that he is able to induce ground balls, maybe he would not be spooked by the wriggly field when the wind is blowing out, that sort of. Yeah, he just doesn’t give up home runs. So, it’s a it’s a really good place for him to pitch. And they then they’d have three left-handers in the rotation with Steel coming back, Imanaga, who’s come back, and From Is that too many in your mind? No. No, because that cups with Kate Kate Horton who had a year last. Absolutely. No, that that’s a really interesting team. Uh, okay. Let’s spin it again. Let’s see where uh where it lands. I have a feeling that this player is going to be quite interesting. Now, people who play slots, don’t they hit it with their elbow? They dance a little bit. Everyone has their own kind of superstition thing. You want to you want to hit use your elbow? Done. Okay. All right. Uh JT Royal Muto, interesting case here. The leadership, the track record. What’s a good fit for It’s a hard one for me because I I I feel like Schwarber. He belongs in the uniform. He’s been in for such a long time. If he were to go someplace else, I think the problem is is JT has caught more innings than anyone in the game the entire time he’s been in Philadelphia. He’s going to want to continue to do that. So, he’s not going to take a lesser role as a as a guy that’s going to play 80 or 90 games. So, I think it’s very few places where he is going to find that mix. So, that’s why I think he goes back to Philly. Yeah, me too. I think it just makes too much sense that he would return to the Philadelphia Phillies and like you said, he just looks great in that uniform. So, um, yeah, we’re both with the Philadelphia JT Rumoto. All right, one more here. This is an interesting name here. I’ve peakedked ahead on the rundown. Let’s see where it lands and stop. And it’s Harrison Bader. Speaking of the Philadelphia Phillies, uh, I mean, I’m a big fan of Harrison’s. He’s one of those guys that you’ve always expected at some point was going to get a two or threeear contract. This might be his spot because he got some of the biggest hits, huge hits at the end of the year. And you know, the Phillies have been looking for some permanent traction in center field for quite some time. So going back to Philly might be a spot. Although they have Jesse Crawford, a young player that they’re ready to move in there. You know, he hit over 500 against the Mets down the stretch. So, the Mets maybe uh will look into him, but uh there’s a lot of spots he could go. I’m glad what you said about him. This is a guy that’s been worthy of a multi-year contract for a while now. He’s got some big hits not only in September and August, but also in the postseason. Uh so, he’s got he’s he’s definitely worthy of of a of a multi-year contract. Uh sales and research said, “What about the Cleveland Guardians?” Yeah. Well, the the Guardians are always looking uh for defense. Well, their defense is always good and strong, but they’re looking for some offense always from their outfield positions. And if Bader hit like he did for the last two months with the Phillies, boy, what a great option. Yeah. And uh lifetime 370 hitter. Remember when he was with the Yankees, he had a couple home runs. That’s right. In that championship series. Maybe the Cleveland Guardians will uh enlist the services of Harrison Bader.

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