The hot stove is burning already.  As soon as the World Series ended, the White Sox and Royals initiated this year’s hot stove fever, and quickly spread it to the Dodgers, Mets, D-backs, Angels and Red Sox.  In total, there were seven moves of interest yesterday, I’ll break them down individually, one per paragraph.

Royals trade UT Mark Teahen to the White Sox for 2B Chris Getz, and 3B/LF Josh Fields

For once Dayton Moore completed a good trade for Kansas City.  Mark Teahen has done nothing terribly useful in his five seasons with the Royals.  He’s been average at best hitting wise, excluding a fantastic 2006 season that likely won’t reoccur.  Why the White Sox would want a player who has hit .270/.330/.407 over the past three years, with 381 strikeouts as well is baffling.  Defensively, Teahen’s solidly below-average in right field, where he we probably play with the ChiSox, sporting a -2.9 UZR/150.  Teahen also is a horrid third basemen, the only posistion where he’s at least average is first base, a posistion that his bat can’t carry.  As for the return package for the Royals, Getz should go straight into the starting lineup, and Fields will compete with Alex Gordon for the third base job.  Getz’s 2009 rookie year was nothing spectacular, with WAR rating him an 0.0, exactly average player.  Getz’s .261/.324/.347 line doesn’t seem to inspire much hope, but his minor league OBP numbers were strong, and when he gets on base, he runs, compiling 25 steals in 27 attempts in 2009.  Josh Fields is one tough player to figure out.  He showed flashes of brilliance in 2007, with 23 HR’s in 418 PA’s, but he’s gone downhill since.  His low walk rates, and high K rates hold the key to his career, if they don’t change he goes nowhere.  Fields is in addition, useless defensively.  Fields should not be starting in the majors, but hey, he’s not that much worse than Alex Gordon.

White Sox re-sign 1B/OF Mark Kotsay

White Sox OF Mark Kotsay (Wigstruck)

In the White Sox’s second questionable move of the day, they opted to bring back a veteran who hit .278/.327/.390 last year, on a $1.5 million one-year deal. 

He gave San Diego and Oakland some strong years, he’s a gritty player, widely regarded as a great bench player, but the fact is, he can’t play anymore.  His hitting is gone.  His once stalwart defensive skills are starting to leave him.  And he suffered reoccuring back injuries in ’09.  Kotsay was a solid player, but he’s done now.

Dodgers decline RHP Jon Garland’s 2010 option

Free Agent RHP Jon Garland

Jon Garland is a dependable mid-rotation starter.  He eats innings, and is remarkably consistent, his ERA has hovered right around 4.50 in his career.  $10 million is too much to pay for him, which is why the Dodgers bought him out.  I predict that Garland gets another two-year deal this offseason, probably worth about 16 million.

Mets decline RHP J.J. Putz’s 2010 option

Free Agent RHP J.J. Putz

When the Mets acquired J.J. Putz, they believed they were getting a top quality closer, at a discount, who they would use to set up Francisco Rodriguez. 

Putz was coming off a poor, injury-filled 2008 season, but just a year earlier Putz had recorded a 1.38 ERA, and saved 40 games.  In 2009, Putz’s walk rate didn’t recede, his strikeout rate plummeted, and he lost 1.5 mph off his fastball. 

He was limited to 29 innings for New York in ’09, thanks to elbow problems.  With so many question marks, the Mets were wise in not picking up his 9.1 million dollar option.

D-backs decline 1B/3B Chad Tracy’s 2010 option

Chad Tracy was a dependable part on the ’05-’06 D-back teams, but an injury-riddled history, steadily declining OBP and SLG, and plenty of younger players in the system, made this deal a no-brainer.  No way Arizona wanted to pay him 7 million in 2010.

Angels re-sign RF Bobby Abreu

Angels RF Bobby Abreu

Excellent, excellent move by the Angels.  Bobby Abreu provides a much needed spark in the Angels lineup. 

He still has 15-20 homerun pop, he consistently works the count, walks, and has and OBP of around .400.  He managed to steal 30 bases in 2009, expect that to regress to around 25. 

His defense was terrible as usual in ’09, but his bat more than cancels that out.  Bringing him back on a 2-year $18 million contract was a good move.  Even if his offense decreases, at the very least he’ll be a veteran presence on a young, talented, team.

Red Sox acquire OF Jeremy Hermida from the Marlins for LHP Hunter Jones, and LHP Jose Alvarez

Red Sox OF Jeremy Hermida

Another Marlins salary dump steal.  Hermida has been a league average hitter in his career with Florida.  He doesn’t walk, he strikes out a lot, and he can’t run.  His career hitting line is .265/.344/.425, and he can’t play defense, be it in left field, center field, or right fielder.  Why would the Red Sox want a corner outfieler who can’t hit, can’t field, and is a notorious slacker in terms of his work effort?  Answer: they shouldn’t.  As for the return the Marlins got, they essentially got two serviceable pitchers, while giving up nothing.  The 25-year old Hunter Jones got his first taste of the majors this year, giving up 13 runs in 12.2 innings.  Jones as been a solid minor leage player, and probably starts out 2010 as the LOOGY (Lefty One-Out Guy) in the Fish ‘pen.  Alvarez has a lot of potential as  starter or as a reliever.  He threw 107.2 innings of 2.26 ERA ball combined at A-level this year as a 20-year old, and has strong peripheral rates.  He could see the majors as soon as 2011.  Marlins win this trade, hands down.

Cover Photo by: Mel B.

Photos by: Wigstruck (Mark Kotsay)  mwlguide (Jon Garland)  ajagendorf25 (J.J. Putz)  farmerbuzz (Bobby Abreu)  kla4067 (Jeremy Hermida)