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The Hot Stove: A User’s Guide

The phrase calls up images of baseball fans gathering around a hot stove during the cold winter months, discussing their favorite baseball teams and players. The term has also come to refer to the wave of MLB player transactions (contract negotiations, re-signings, trades, free agency, etc.) that occur between seasons. Since most free-agent signings and trades occur during the off-season, this time of significant player transactions (including rumors and speculation about possible trades), is often referred to as the hot stove league or more simply, the hot stove.