Five Annoying MLB Hot Stove Trends

We’re days removed from the inevitable declining of ALL qualifying offers and in the middle of the final day of the initial GM/owner’s meetings and there are some extremely annoying trends evolving with the MLB Hot Stove.

Trend #1 – If you’re not doing it like Team X, you’re doing it wrong

Yeah, I love this one. Everyone had to emulate the San Francisco Giants after 2012 right? The Giants finished 76-86 in 2013. Did their strategy change? Nope. So now the Boston Red Sox are the picture-perfect organization, one year removed from being the joke of the league.

Fans INSIST general managers and owners find their very own Jonny Gomes and Koji Uehara. By the way, Uehara was third on the Red Sox closer depth chart at best when signed. Sometimes, stuff happens and great events come out of it, not because the Red Sox were so smart to sign Uehara. Come on, we all know it was the beards.

Trend #2 – Suggesting free agents want loads of cash

Great, here’s another obvious statement from the writing elite. Has there been an offseason when free agents want less money? There are plenty of years in which the owners didn’t want to dole cash out, but free agency is all about the player trying to get maximum value for his services. Oh, and yes, Robinson Cano wants the world – and guess what – he should ask for it while he can.

Trend #3 – Professional baseball writers get tweet happy

Look, I understand that we are a 24/7 consumption universe and professional baseball writers are expected to fill their timelines with information. But please don’t tell me that if the Orioles decide to trade Matt Wieters, they can fill the void by looking at free agency. Really? Thanks for the heads up Mr. Rosenthal.

Keep in mind with #Orioles: If they trade Wieters, they can replace him by signing one of the free-agent catchers.

— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) November 13, 2013

Trend #4 – Citing sources is a lost art

This one is for a few in the professional media, but mostly for bloggers. If you’re going to quote a "source," give us something interesting from the source. Also, when I think of a source, I think of first-person discussions, not secondhand garbage. We don’t want something that the writer next to you just uttered or something that you read on your timeline. We follow that writer too. Also, easy does it with the confirm tweets – “I can confirm that so-and-so is talking with Team X per @soandso.”

Trend #5 – No one really knows anything at this point

As of Nov. 13, we only know there is a lot yet to happen via free agency and the trade market. Some transactions will be uninspiring and unsurprising. Other moves will force writers (professional and otherwise) to run to their laptops in a frenzy due to the shock and awe of the player/team combo.

For the most part, much of what we read and hear leading up to a signing is hearsay. So take it with a grain of salt when the knucklehead with a handful of Twitter followers rocks your timeline with a big breaking news tweet. We all know if it hasn’t been confirmed by Rosenthal, Jon Heyman or Jon Morosi it can’t be true.

Photo of Ken Rosenthal courtesy of Keith Allison

Christopher Carelli is a freelance sports writer/editor and the Director of Content Strategy for Sportsideo. Besides his work here, Chris is a New York Yankees contributor for Yahoo Sports. Connect with Chris on Twitter, Facebook, Google+ and LinkedIn.