MLBTR Originals

A look back at the original reporting and analysis found on MLBTR the last seven days:

• In celebration of Back to the Future Day, host Jeff Todd spoke with Back to the Future screenwriter and longtime Cardinals fan Bob Gale on the MLBTR podcast.  A new episode of the MLB Trade Rumors Podcast is released every Thursday and can be accessed on iTunes, SoundCloud, and Stitcher.
• Two-time home run king Chris Davis is set to hit the free agent market and Tim Dierkes looked at his strengths and weaknesses in a comprehensive profile.  Tim sees the Astros, Mariners, and Padres as some possible fits but he can also envision scenarios in which the Angels, Marlins, or Giants could make a play.
• In the last year, five franchise contract records were toppled and we could see more fall this offseason with nine potential $100MM free agents.  Recently, Tim ran down the largest contract in franchise history for every MLB team.
• The Pirates will have to replace a number of key free agents and resolve several key arbitration cases this winter if they want to continue as contenders.  Charlie Wilmoth looked at some of their offseason options.
• Mark Polishuk says that the Yankees might want to prioritize adding young depth to their veteran core rather than spending big on one free agent.
• Mark also examined Braves hurler Shelby Miller as a potential extension candidate.  The 25-year-old hasn’t proven that he’s a frontline ace yet, but as a former consensus top-10 prospect, his very best baseball could still be in front of him.
• The Giants have money to spend on a pitching-heavy free agent market and Jeff looked at what else it will take for SF to get back to World Series contention.  As Jeff notes, the team has a fair amount of cash on the books already for next year (about $120MM, before arb) and 2017 (~$73MM, pre-arb), but little thereafter.
• Recently, MLB Trade Rumors launched a brand new official Instagram account:@TradeRumorsMLB.  Each day, we’re€™ sharing conversation-inspiring images about the hottest topics in baseball.  From there, we invite you to give us a like, weigh in with your thoughts in the comments section, and even share the link with a friend.  So, what are you waiting for?  If you don’€™t have an Instagram account, this is the perfect excuse to sign up and get one.  Follow us on Instagram today!
• With Al Avila now atop the baseball operations pyramid, the Tigers will again act as buyers this winter in hopes of returning to the top of the AL Central, Steve Adams writes.  The bullpen has been a problem area for Detroit over the years and Steve looked at several avenues the Tigers could take in order to correct their late-game pitching.
• MLBTR hosted chats on Wednesday (link) and Thursday (link).