MLBTR Originals

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

• After catching up on the league’s pre-Thanksgiving Day trades and signings, host Jeff Todd welcomed veteran left-hander Wade LeBlanc on the latest edition of the MLB Trade Rumors podcast.  A new episode of the MLB Trade Rumors Podcast is released every Thursday and can be accessed on iTunes, SoundCloud, and Stitcher.
• MLBTR’s Brad Johnson ran down some of the best fits for free agent Jason Heyward.  In a poll with readers, more than 21% of you said that the Cardinals would wind up inking the outfielder.  The Angels and Yankees also got a significant share of the pie.
• The MLB deadline to tender contracts to arbitration-eligible players is coming up on Wednesday and Pedro Alvarez of the Pirates is one of the more notable non-tender candidates out there.  Charlie Wilmoth examined the pros and cons of letting Alvarez go.  The Bucs could also retain Alvarez at his projected $8.1MM salary and try to move him later, but that would be something of a risk for Pittsburgh given their budgetary constraints.
• The Blue Jays’ five-year, $65MM extension for Jose Bautista back in 2010 was widely panned, but years later, it turned out to be a savvy deal by then-GM Alex Anthopoulos.  Now, it’s time for Toronto to consider another extension for the slugger, as Mark Polishuk writes.  Bautista is still hitting at an elite level as he enters his age-35 season, and thus he doesn’t really have any comparables among past players with at least 6 years of service time who signed multi-year extensions.  It’s hard to peg his value, but Mark envisions a four-year deal in the range of $80-$100MM for Bautista since that’s likely what he would get if he were a free agent this offseason.
• The Mets are hardly assured a return trip to the World Series in 2016, but they’re as well situated as any for another run, Jeff writes.  Jeff ran down some of the Mets’ options to get back to the top, including scenarios involving their stellar pitching.
• 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!
• In the latest edition of the MLBTR Mailbag, Steve Adams fielded questions on Trevor Plouffe, Brandon Belt, Darren O’Day, and more.
• The Dodgers’ new-look front office has done a lot of wheeling and dealing already, but there’s more to come as it continues to overhaul the league’s most expensive roster, Jeff writes.  Jeff looked at the many paths the unpredictable Andrew Friedman could take this offseason, including a major shakeup in the outfield.