Hot Stove

This is by far and away, my favorite part of the baseball year. 'Why? The World Series is over, there won't be baseball until March, you insane twit!' Yes, that would be a normal reaction. But see, this is the time for hope. It doesn't matter if your team is the defending Champion Yankees, or the lowly Nationals, spring comes early to baseball. Now is the time for rebirth, not March. Now is the time for key trades, genius free agent grabs, and rookie risings. Failure can be forgotten, because all 30 franchise clouds have a silver lining right now. 'We didn't win the pennant, but we got rid of those costly contracts.' 'Sure we were cellar dwellers last season, but look at those prospects we got!'
It's not always easy to see, but there is opportunity out there for any and every team. This is the time where general managers earn their millions. Minnesota traded Carlos Gomez to the Brewers for J.J. Hardy. So what, right? But who knows, J.J. Hardy could have a reemergence after being sent down by the Brewers last year. Carlos Gomez could put the tools together to be a high on-base percentage lead-off man to go with his already stellar speed. With Ryan Braun and Prince Fielder hitting behind him, maybe you're looking at a 130-runs guy. That's where the beauty lies, in the potential. Maybe both guys will tank and you'll never hear from them again, but maybe not. This is the chance for teams of all shapes and sizes to rebuild, become better, or repeat. There is a certain degree of parity in Major League Baseball that is a rare.
Four years ago, where were the Tampa Bay Devil Rays? They were losers who constantly took beatings from the best division in baseball. Now, well besides a amputated, lackluster name, they are contenders. Why? Because of good off-seasons. They managed to keep quality prospects, make deals for dynamic up-and-comers like Carlos Pena, and put veteran pieces together. The San Francisco Giants of just two years ago were supposed to be one of the worst teams going, with no hope in sight. Now, they have the reigning Cy Young winner who has an excellent chance to repeat this year, and a high average, power bat with possibly the best nickname of the decade: Kung Fu Panda. I must also note Pablo Sandoval's other nickname that I hadn't heard of until I read it off www.baseball-reference.com; Round Mound of Pound. That is brilliant!
Now my girlfriend says that I'm a pessimist, but even I see the potential in just about every trade. There is hope out there folks, you just have to be open-minded enough to see it. The Padres might not be horrendous next year. The Mets may actually have a player stay healthy for more than two weeks. The off-season Hot Stove gives us all something to look forward to. And if that doesn't get you excited at all, then April is only four and half short months away.