Buckle up, folks. For if the first two weeks of baseball’s offseason are any indication, the Hot Stove League is going to take us on a long, strange trip this winter.
Trades, and not free-agent signings, have dominated both the rumor mill and transaction sheets, which is certainly surprising when you consider the slew of high-profile names that are currently unsigned. Then again, we are still very early in the offseason. Things are sure to pick up from here on both fronts.
Has the trade of one elite closer changed the thinking of a team (or teams) looking to unload its own All-Star option in the ninth inning? Will a postseason hero deliver the only team he’s ever known a hometown discount? Are budget constraints forcing a contender’s hand?
We’ll tackle all of that and more in this week’s edition of “Fact or Fiction.”