2009-11-12T11:50:40-05:00 <p>The Hot Stove is still fairly cool, as you may have noticed.<img style="float: right;" title="AP" src="http://img.fannation.com/upload/si_blog_post_images/ryan-dempster.jpg" alt="Ryan-dempster" /><br /><br />So far, there has been one major trade (<strong>Matt Holliday</strong> going to the surprising A's) and only one major signing (<strong>Ryan Dempster</strong> predictably going back to the Cubs for $52 million over four years) and not too many minor signings, either (<strong>Jeremy Affeldt</strong> was one good one; he went to the Giants for $8 million over two years) since the beginning of the full free-agent period.<br /><br />The reasons for the tepid beginning to the winter are many. Such as ...</p> Why the Hot Stove market is off to a cool start 2008-11-28T13:44:43-05:00 25 2008-11-28T13:44:43-05:00 1 3 10 2008-12-01T12:59:15-05:00 2 CT londonduck Old Greenwich 6082 28 Don't know why we bother reading Heymans stories. It is either old rehashed news or something that he got from yahoo sports. Time for SI to bump up some of the younger reporters who are more on the ball and have a real passion for all of the baseball teams out there. 3494703 2008-12-01T10:43:28-05:00 http://img.fannation.com/upload/user_profile/image/366/94/thumb/images.jpg 141 CA Celtics Beat Studio City 36814 27 Cano- Baseball owners are not politicians...not yet, anyway. Their personal holdings in the stock market are their personal and private business and no one else's. Hot Stove season is cool because of the economy and the fact that everyone is jockeying for position. 3491728 2008-11-30T11:00:12-05:00 19 CA Ariel777 Encino 463334 26 In negotiations it is commonplace to ask for more than you expect to get. If you don't, you are doing a disservice to your client. However, Boras takes it to another level. It is utterly amazing that he can fire his opening salvo with a straight face. He indeed is something else. 3483418 2008-11-29T20:04:59-05:00 5 WI 4forlife Milwaukee 485365 25 CC will be a brewer. He would already be a Yankee if it was the money. The Angels will get Teixera, and wont be able to get CC also. CC is a horse, and he is fairly young still. He wont start to breakdown at all until year 4 or 5 of the contract. Even then he will still have the skills to be an ace, with there being only about a handful of pitchers better than him in the league. But anyway i cant stand all the talk that is going on with nothing at all happening. It'll be interesting to see what the Brewers do, to keep pace with all the other teams that are sure to get better in the national league. Especially if the Cubs get Peavy. Go Crew! 3480288 2008-11-29T19:55:27-05:00 5 WI 4forlife Milwaukee 485365 24 CC will be a brewer. Like someone else said, its obvious its not the money, cause otherwise he would be in pinstripes already. No one can top the Yankess offer. I think the angels get Teixera, and therefore cant afford CC. 3480206 2008-11-29T19:10:16-05:00 14 NY lmcib Binghamton 118445 23 Everyone's an idiot. The free agent marketplace always plays out this way. Once CC signs everything else will fall into place. He will set the high mark and everyone else's deal will be based on that. 3479964 2008-11-29T17:32:50-05:00 1 NY bigsteve46 Pelham 620429 21 I am always amazed at how the average fan sympathizes with the club owners. Players who get big contracts are &quot;greedy&quot; or &quot;mercenary&quot; - why would they not play where they make the most money? Every owner charges as much for tickets as the market will bear and the same morons who rail against Boras and the players line up like sheep and pay up: for tickets, for &quot;official&quot;merchandise, for crummy overpriced ballpark food, etc. Its a business, guys; accept it and get ready for your minimum wage job on Monday - and hope you don't get a pink slip in the pay envelope on Friday. 3479390 2008-11-29T16:31:35-05:00 2 CT Cano Bantam 620440 19 &quot;some owners may have lost personal fortunes.&quot; What a lousy article! Do some research! All of the owners financial information should be relatively accessible. Any semi-serious baseball fan could have written this article off the top of their head. 3479085 2008-11-29T16:29:13-05:00 2 CT Cano Bantam 620440 18 &quot;some owners may have lost personal fortunes.&quot; What a lousy article! Do some research! All of their financial information should be available. Could any baseball fan not have written this off the top of their head? 3479082 2008-11-29T15:56:45-05:00 365 AZ yngwiescruggs Tempe 493642 17 I mean the Marlins made 2 trades with other bad teams--still not that interesting. 3478868 25 <p>The Hot Stove is still fairly cool, as you may have noticed.<img style="float: right;" title="AP" src="http://img.fannation.com/upload/si_blog_post_images/ryan-dempster.jpg" alt="Ryan-dempster" /><br /><br />So far, there has been one major trade (<strong>Matt Holliday</strong> going to the surprising A's) and only one major signing (<strong>Ryan Dempster</strong> predictably going back to the Cubs for $52 million over four years) and not too many minor signings, either (<strong>Jeremy Affeldt</strong> was one good one; he went to the Giants for $8 million over two years) since the beginning of the full free-agent period.<br /><br />The reasons for the tepid beginning to the winter are many. Such as ...<br /><br />1. The economy stinks. It wasn't that long ago that commissioner <strong>Bud Selig</strong> declared how healthy the game was, and while he was right, the U.S. economy has gone into tank since those declarations, possibly scaring some owners, who may have lost personal fortunes in the freefalling U.S. stock market. At the very least, it's an easy and very believable excuse not to spend freely. Even if the owners aren't personally feeling the pain, they may still be reluctant to do an early deal before the market's been established in hopes it may be established a lot lower than anyone previously thought. Eventually though, the dollars will probably start to flow. Compared to many other business people, baseball owners aren't hurting. Revenues, which zoomed past $6 billion in 2008, are mostly locked in for next year through already signed TV contracts and other prearranged deals.<br /><br />2. We're all waiting on <strong>CC Sabathia</strong> and possibly <strong>Mark Teixeira</strong>, two would-be market setters. Or at least the Yankees, one team that's clearly not afraid to spend, are waiting on Sabathia. And so are the next-tier starting pitchers, meaning <strong>Derek Lowe</strong>, <strong>A.J. Burnett</strong> and the others. Not too many big stars typically sign by Thanksgiving week (<strong>Torii Hunter</strong> 2008 and <strong>Bernie Williams</strong> 1998 are past exceptions), so we're not complaining. But we are waiting.</p> <p>3. Agent <strong>Scott Boras</strong> isn't often one for quick deals, and Boras has 14 free agents at last count. Though Boras client <strong>Kyle Lohse</strong> re-signed in October for $41 million over four years with the Cardinals, historically patience has been an ally for Boras, whose free agents this year include superstars Teixeira and <strong>Manny Ramirez</strong>, plus notables Lowe, <strong>Oliver Perez</strong>, <strong>Jason Varitek</strong>, <strong>Ivan Rodriguez</strong> and the newly-acquired <strong>Garret Anderson</strong>. (While teams have been slow to acquire players, the same can't be said for Boras.)</p> 27421 http://img.fannation.com/upload/user_profile/image/100/64/thumb/Heyman_Jon.png 0 NY Jon Heyman New York 10084