MLBTR Originals: 3/23/20 – 3/29/20

Even with the baseball world shut down, MLB Trade Rumors is still covering any breaking news and also exploring some other topics.  Here’s the roundup of the week’s original content from the MLBTR staff….

• Jeff Todd profiled different topics every weekday on MLBTR’s YouTube series, with this week’s entries covering the agreement between players and the league about how baseball’s business will be conducted during the 2020 season, looks back at both Joe Mauer’s 2010 extension with the Twins and the 2015 trade that sent Troy Tulowitzki to the Blue Jays, plus career retrospectives on Noah Syndergaard and Yoenis Cespedes.
• Speaking of looks back, the GM Trade History series allows us to review the trades made by past and current general managers from around the game, detailing years’ worth of major and minor deals…not to mention some seemingly minor trades that suddenly look major in hindsight.  The first five executives featured are Jeff Bridich (Rockies), Billy Eppler (Angels), David Stearns (Brewers), Mike Hazen (Diamondbacks), and former Astros GM Jeff Luhnow.
• The White Sox and Cubs don’t often link up on trades, but the most recent swap between the Windy City rivals was a doozy.  Anthony Franco breaks down the July 2017 trade that sent Jose Quintana to the Cubs for a four-prospect package headlined by Eloy Jimenez and Dylan Cease, a deal that now looks like one of the cornerstones of the White Sox rebuild.
• MLBTR’s Offseason In Review series continued with examinations of what the Brewers and Rockies each did over the winter.
• Since the offseason has now been unexpectedly and indefinitely continued due to the COVID-19 pandemic, MLBTR is looking at how the delayed season will impact individual teams.  This week’s featured clubs: the Phillies and Angels.
• The delay is also pushing back our first extended look at several rookies who could be impact players for their teams.  Steve Adams, Darragh McDonald, and Jeff Todd fired up the Rookie Radar to seek out some of the top youngsters in the NL East, NL West, AL West, and AL Central.
• Rangers slugger Willie Calhoun and Reds right-hander Robert Stephenson have already walked the path from star prospect to established big leaguer, though could either player be primed to take a further step if or when the 2020 season gets underway?  Connor Byrne profiles Stephenson, while Anthony Franco examines Calhoun.
• From breakout candidates to rebound candidates, as Connor Byrne looks at three veterans hoping to bounce back from disappointing 2019 seasons.  Reds star Joey Votto is looking to get on track in his age-36 season, while Justin Smoak is looking for a fresh start after signing with the Brewers, and Alex Wood is likewise hoping to recover his past form on a new (old?) team, the Dodgers.