Hot Stove: 11/23

Record of the Day

Highest career on-base percentage by a catcher: Mickey Cochrane, .419. 

Widely considered the top offensive catcher of his time and comparable to the Joe Mauer of the '20's and '30's, Mickey Cochrane had a knack for getting on base.  He led the majors by getting on base 45.9% of the time (.459) in 1933 with the A's, and eight of his eleven full seasons did he reach the .400 mark. The only active players with higher career on-base percentages than Cochrane are Todd Helton (.421) and Albert Pujols (.420), both of which barely surpass him. Cochrane was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1947.

Free Agent Signings

Rangers signed Joe Nathan (2-1, 4.84 ERA, .222 BAA, 14 saves, 2012 age: 37) to a two-year, $14.5 million deal ($7.25 million per season). 

With this move, Neftali Feliz will move to the rotation for 2012 and Joe Nathan will take over as closer. Nathan has a huge track record of success, but Tommy John surgery wiped out his 2010 season and he never quite found a feel in 2011. However, Nathan can still deal, and if he finds the magic he carried with him in Minnesota, he can be a shut-down guy. He first emerged as a dominant reliever after moving from the rotation in 2003, where he was 12-4 with a 2.96 ERA for the Giants. He became a closer upon his move to the Twins in 2004, where he quickly cemented his place at the back end, saving 44 games and posting a 1.62 ERA. His ERA bloated to 2.70 in 2005, but he still saved 43 games. He only saved 36 games in 2006, but he dropped his ERA back to 1.58 ERA. He saw much of the same in 2007, setting up an amazing 2008. He dropped his ERA all the way down to 1.33 with 39 saves and a .179 BAA for the Twins. His ERA shot back up to 2.10 in 2009, but he set career highs with 47 saves and a .171 BAA. He missed 2010 because of Tommy John, then never got on track in 2011, posting a 4.84 ERA with only 14 saves. He looks for a rebound and possibly a Comeback Player of the Year award in 2012.  His career record is 48-23 with a 2.87 ERA, 261 saves, and a .202 BAA. 

Trades

Marlins traded John Baker (0 HR, 1 RBI, .154 AVG, 0 SB, 2012 age: 31) to the Padres for Wade LeBlanc (5-6, 4.63 ERA, .276 BAA, 2012 age: 27). 

LeBlanc gives Miami starting pitching reinforcement with the possibility of more. He has held his own in the majors, going 17-22 with a 4.54 ERA through 54 games (52 starts) in the majors over parts for four seasons in San Diego. Still only 27, LeBlanc has the potential to emerge as a middle of the rotation guy in 2012. His best season came in 2010, when he was 8-12 with a 4.25 ERA in 26 games (25 starts).  

In John Baker, the Padres get a catcher to team with Nick Hundley. Baker has missed significant time over the past few seasons to injuries, but he has proven himself at the major league level. He saw his most action in 2009 as Florida's primary catcher, hitting nine home runs and batting .271 through 112 games. Over parts of four seasons in South Florida, Baker has hit 14 home runs and batted .271 in 212 games.

Other News

MLB has announced the new labor deal that will last through 2016. The deal includes playoff expansion, an increase in the draft to a worldwide setting, increase in instant replay, and HGH testing.

With the signing of Joe Nathan, Neftali Feliz will be moved into the Rangers starting rotation. 

Mariano Rivera is contemplating vocal chord surgery. 

NL MVP

Ryan Braun: 33 HR, 111 RBI, .332 AVG, 33 SB at age 27.

Braun pulled off the biggest season of his colorful career, setting career highs in stolen bases, AVG, and on-base percentage. That may not seem that impressive with only three categories, but keep in mind Braun has shown incredible consistency throughout his career. He basically one-ups his 2009 season in which he hit 32 home runs, batted .320, and stole 20 bases. Braun shot out of the gate hot in April, hitting 10 home runs and carrying a .367 AVG with three stolen bases through the season's first month. Coupled with his 23 RBI and 24 runs, he was on track for 60 home runs, 138 RBI, 18 stolen bases, 144 runs, and 216 hits. He cooled off just a bit over the next couple months, but heated back up in the second half, where he batted .346 with 17 home runs and 14 stolen bases in just 67 games. He was even better in the postseason where he batted .405 with a couple of home runs and seven doubles in 11 games. He is a career .379 postseason hitter. 

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Teams followed in this update: Boston Red Sox, Washington Nationals, New York Yankees, Chicago Cubs, Tampa Bay Rays, Los Angeles Dodgers, Philadelphia Phillies, Atlanta Braves

If your team is not included, please leave a comment.

HR: home runs. RBI: runs batted in. AVG: batting average. SB: stolen bases. ERA: earned run average. BAA: batting average against. K's: strikeouts. WPCT: winning percentage
Zack Silverman