Episode 3 of the MLB Trade Rumors Podcast is now live on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and wherever you get your podcasts! Make sure you subscribe as well; use this link to find the show on Spotify and this one for Apple. You can also use the player at this link to listen, if you don’t use Spotify or Apple for podcasts.
This week, host Simon Hampton is joined by MLBTR founder Tim Dierkes to discuss a wide range of topics around the baseball world:
- We discuss Tim’s 2023-24 Free Agent Power Rankings article, including the contract Shohei Ohtani might command, as well as the markets for Aaron Nola and Julio Urias (3:26)
- The Cubs and Ian Happ agree to a surprising three-year, $61MM extension. So did the player or the club get better value out of this deal? (18:41)
- A busy week on the extension front includes the Twins agreeing to a four-year, $73.5MM contract with starter Pablo Lopez. We discuss the improvements Lopez has made this season and give our thoughts on the contract (23:04)
Plus, we answer your questions, including:
- Why do the Giants only seem willing to spend money on position players, and not starting pitchers? This question also includes our thoughts on the Logan Webb contract (26:59)
- As Juan Soto gets off to a slow start in 2023, is there any hope for him to return to his 2021 numbers and what does this mean for extension talks? (31:24)
- Are the Braves wasting a roster spot on Marcell Ozuna? (36:22)
Check out our past episodes!
- Rays, top prospect debuts, Angels, trade deadline, Gary Sanchez, Francisco Alvarez – listen here
- Early trade deadline preview, Jake Cronenworth extension and the Padres, Marlins trade ideas, Cardinals rotation, Dodgers – listen here
The podcast intro and outro song “So Long” is provided courtesy of the band Showoff. Check out their Facebook page here!
I called Anthony Jeff! Sorry Anthony! Also, Jeff Todd still rules.
This summary calls 2023 2021. Sorry, 2023! Also, MLBTR still rules.
😉
Jeff Todd future MLBTR podcast guest??
Ohtani is gone from Anaheim after this season and Urias is gone from the Dodgers after this season. GONE!
“As Juan Soto (Juan So-so) gets off to a slow start in 2023, is there any hope for him to return to his 2021 numbers…”
The answer about the Juan So-so question: NO. One of the dumbest/most lopsided trades in MLB history and he was already performing at his all-time worst last season before the trade (and has only gotten worse since then). Mike Rizzo is still laughing his ass off about the Juan So-so trade, and Mike is still chuckling about the Trea Turner trade (another Padres trade hahaha)
Ohtani, maybe. That’s a hard one to predict.
I think there’s an almost zero chance Urias leaves the Dodgers. He’s only 26, they’re competitive and it’s a club with the resources to retain him. That’d be an awful tough sell to the fan base if they let him leave.
They have tried to resign Urias (and Buehler) and it has gone nowhere with either of them.
Urias is a Boras client, and Boras clients rarely ever sign before hitting the market. That doesn’t mean he won’t sign with the Dodgers. He’s just not going to leave money on the table. If the Dodgers want to keep him, who do you see outspending them?
He might also just not like it that much with the Dodgers, might want to go to a championship caliber team, etc. Other teams can spend a lot of money too and on top of that Trea Turner turned down 10s of millions of extra dollars from SD to play in PH.
He might not like LA, I don’t know. That’s one speculative reason why he could leave, but I’ve seen nothing to suggest that. This isn’t Bryan Reynolds and Pittsburgh, where it’s obvious what will happen eventually.
Other teams can spend a lot of money, yes. LA money though? I’m not so sure. I feel like Turner is the exception to the rule, and they’ve mostly kept players they wanted to keep. Plus Turner didn’t have Boras as an agent.
The only thing I’m going to vehemently disagree with you on is you stating the Dodgers aren’t a championship caliber team. I’m not an LA fan, but I could absolutely see them in the picture.
Turned and JoRam have been by far the exceptions not the rule as it pertains to taking less $. Also factoring in state taxes on 81 home games the difference for Turner is much less. Turner also grew up and went to college on the east coast, which he even stated factored into his decision. As for Urias he is a native of Mexico so LA is one of the teams in fairly close proximity to his native country. And while the Dodgers might not b as strong of World Series contenders as they have been in recent years, they are by all means still a contender.
Juan Soto needs to sign a new contract ….. ASAP!!!
Soto of late has been playing like asap.
His long HR today was nice
2 for 4 with a HR. Tied for the team lead in HR and has the most runs scored. . I think Juan will be just fine. The pitch clock is a major adjustment, especially for those that payed in the WBC.
Juan Soto is Not Hitting His Weight. Maybe with the Arrival of Tatis JR Today he might get Going.
Soto is hitting the ball hard, as hard as he ever has, he has just been hitting it at people. His BABIP is .200 today. By the end of the season it will be closer to .300. His BA will go up right along with it. Juan will be just fine.
Looking forward to hearing more about the contracts for Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Jung Hoo Lee.
Yamamoto supposedly has a Canon for an arm and I hear Hoo Lee is fond of Seoul food.
I think it is VERY possible that when Harris comes back healthy that Atlanta will finally kick Ozuna to the curb. Marcell seems to be getting worse instead of better.
Hilliard and Rosario both could do better than Ozuna, but need a better right handed option instead of Eli White.
I agree he’s done when Harris and D’arnaud get back. At this point, I think almost anyone would be an improvement over Ozuna.
Ozuna is an embarrassment both on and off the field for the Braves. It’s amazing he still had a job after his dui but maybe the Braves are just banking on the fact he will keep getting suspended
Ozuna needs to go. Braves need to recognize they’re going to have to eat some cash in addition to crow.
Pillar is there
We can only hope they cut bait with Ozuna. It’s a sunk cost at this point. Just having the roster spot is about the only way to salvage any value. He’s beyond terrible.
Ozuna has almost logged as much NEGATIVE WAR already this year as he stunk it up the entirety of 2022. I agree, his salary is a sunk cost, bite the bullet and cut him.
Juan Soto looks washed
That 437 ft home run today sure looked washed. 4th of the season. He is tied for the team lead in HR and leads in runs scored. His OPS+ after today’s game is only 18% better than league average. Yup, he’s washed.
Pads Fans,
But his batting average…
/s
@gbs … but your sample size…. 275 ABs with Pads. 2000 ABs with Nats. I’m guessing the 2000 ABs are probably a better indication of him as a hitter.
Brew, that post was him being sarcastic. Hence the /s at the end. GBS gets it.
The South African accent is a surprise
New Zealand!
Again Tim, here’s hoping your Aukland A’s can recapture the glory!
In what hell is it that the Braves actually have a worse performing outfielder than Kevin Pillar? Ozuna is a media disaster and he is worse than he has ever been. AA, it’s time to admit the contract was a mistake and take the L.
Ozuna makes Pillar look like Babe Ruth by comparison. It is time to just take the L on Ozuna. No one is taking that contract with the poor performance and off field issues.
I think the Angels win it all and Shohei stays put. Money has never been an issue for Arte, and if Ohtani wants to stay, he’ll stay. I don’t think Shohei wants to take the same road as Ichiro. Bouncing around. He should look to enshrine his legacy with one team and one team only. Sometimes the Angels just need a minute to get all the right pieces in place. I love the way the club looks. And the issues they’re having early in the season are all correctable and some in house options are available and waiting for their call up
Pass that pipe this way, will you?
tried listening..couldnt do the accent!!
Intolerant?
Tim’s midwestern accent is hard to handle. So glad Simon was there with that cool Kiwi accent.
After listening to the podcast I looked up Soto’s BAbip. .186 going into the game today. I don’t think that will continue.
His barrel rate and hard hit % are higher than ever. His BA will come up. That is a scary thought for the rest of the league.
Loving the podcast. Are the Braves wasting a spot on Ozuna… the answer is 100% yes.
Is this available on Stitcher? Right now the most recent episode I see says 2016?