The latest episode 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! You can also use the player at this link to listen, if you don’t use Spotify or Apple for podcasts.
This week, host Darragh McDonald is joined by Tim Dierkes of MLB Trade Rumors to discuss…
- Sonny Gray signing with the Cardinals (1:40)
- Kenta Maeda signing with the Tigers (11:45)
- Dodgers, Braves, Orioles and Reds missed on Aaron Nola (14:30)
Plus, we answer your questions, including…
- Could someone like Frankie Montas as a one-year rental bounce back and/or Brandon Woodruff coming off an injury be of interest to the Orioles as a starting pitcher? (15:25)
- The Reds seemingly have a lot of payroll flexibility. However, I’ve been a Reds fan my whole life and I don’t want to set myself up for disappointment. Realistically, how much do you think they’ll spend? Has to be at least 35 to 40 million, right? Right? (19:10)
- Farhan Zaidi and the Giants are once again claiming to be “all-in” on the free agent market. Do you think that players not wanting to play in San Francisco, for a variety of reasons, is a substantial factor in past and future failures to bring in star caliber talent? (27:25)
- What would it take for the Mariners to sign Juan Soto to a long term contract if they can acquire him via trade? (33:55)
Check out our past episodes!
- Aaron Nola, Non-Tenders And The Pace Of The Offseason – listen here
- Top Trade Candidates, Bryce Harper at First Base and the Braves’ Raising Payroll – listen here
- Top 50 Free Agents Megapod (with Tim Dierkes, Steve Adams and Anthony Franco) – listen here
It’s funny how much mileage Media hacks are trying to get out of the Soto thing.
About the same as the M’s trading Gilbert.
We need to mix the 2, like we will trade you Soto and Campusano for Gilbert and the Big Dumper……lol
Its crazy how good Maeda is and that he only managed to come away with 14 next year and 10 the next.
That is definitely a lot of money, but compared to other guys in the league, I agree with Tim in thinking he was going to get more.
Dipoto operates a different way than most Pres/Gm’s. Instead of soto at 50m, he’d rather do 2 impact players and spend 40m .
The same could be said for ohtani. Yes he’s a 2 way player. If ohtani has another arm issue down the road and is bad enough that it prevents him from hitting……
@hoof hearted That’s a much better way to run most teams–keep more flexibility year to year, and avoid the worst of a long, long decline phase as the Angels suffered with Pujols and the Tigers endured with Cabrera where enough payroll is flushed away that it all but hobbles the team. Even the Yankees are feeling the pain of the Stanton contract and they have another four years to go.
You also avoid superstar contracts that are almost always of the “Heads we break even, Tails we lose” variety where you’re paying out an amount so close to the player’s upside that there’s little chance you’ll pick up some luck and add 8 wins while paying for 5. (See Lindor’s contract with the Mets.)
Soto’s probably the best bet for teams that are locks to make the postseason nearly every year and can afford to spend $35m a year for a 5-6 win DH, and can eat the last five years of a 15 year deal.
That’s not the Mariners, for example.
I find it rather bizarre that Darragh McDonald calls Kyle Gibson “not good” in this podcast. The guy had 17 quality starts last season. If that’s not good for a 4 or 5, then sign me up!
What about the other starts? You can’t have a guy that going to pitch well one day and blow up the next start.
Snell had 20 that’s 3 more
Good thing he didnt get blown up every other tart than isn’t it.
dhaab1937 In addition to the QS, his FIP over the last 3 years is 4.09. That’s more a middle of the rotation starter than a back end guy—it’s certainly a very good #4. 2022-23 in particular were unlucky, with a 4.88 ERA v a 4.20 FIP.
He’s almost the definition of a very durable, league average pitcher, given the league average FIP in 2023 was 4.28.
Pointing to Gibson’s fip as if it is proof he is better than a 5.00 ERA pitcher is foolish. The fip acolytes claimed Gibson would be a 3.50-3.75 ERA pitcher when he went from Philadelphia to Baltimore yet he didn’t; he was till close to a 5.00 ERA pitcher with a 4.00 fip in front of a far better defensive team. Fact is, many pitchers who give up a lot of hits do so regardless of whether the team behind them is good or bad defensively. Gibson is going to pitch to a ~5.00 ERA this year no matter what his fip is.
Gibson was a marginal #5 on the Orioles and held that spot mainly because they didn’t have six starters. To claim he is a “more a middle of the rotation starter than a back end is absolutely absurd. He wasn’t even a “very good #4” on an Orioles team that didn’t have a sixth starter.
I’m pleased with what the Cardinals have done so far. Some trades for relief arms are the next thing that needs to be done.
Like every other team out there, we need our guys to stay healthy and do their jobs. It’s a big gamble to expect the best from Mikolas and Matz, but if those two guys can step up their performances, 1-3 has the possibility of being fairly effective. I have to admit, though, I still feel like the rotation is a piece short, but that’s probably because I have so little hope in Matz’s ability to stay healthy and cool headed.
I see several young arms at Memphis for backup starters. I’d rather see some quality bullpen arms being brought in.
I agree. I was just stating my opinion about the rotation, but I realize the money is not there for another starter. Up next is a bullpen upgrade or two, then we’ll have to play our cards and see how it goes.
All this is well and good, but without someone to pair with Gray the Cardinals lose most playoffs series
I agree with you, notoe, but there’s not much anyone can do until/unless DeWitt will fund the investment. I recently saw somewhere the projected payroll in 2024 is already around $190mil, increased from $177mil (iirc) in 2023, so I doubt there’s much spending left to be done. Like most other fans, of course I wish they would spend more, but by now, most of us should already know that’s not how they operate. I think a reasonable solution for them is to search for and secure a solid trade/upgrade for Matz, if possible, but I’m guessing the chances of that happening are minimal.
You’re right to be concerned. Matz. He’s very erratic, though his FIP is respectable. 153 ip in two years, though? Don’t expect much.
@diggin4three I think you’re at least one top of the rotation starter away from doing much if you get to the postseason, but maybe the plan is to pick up a good starter at the deadline if the team’s doing well?
I’m not sure what their plans are, but I agree with you about the rotation. The only way I can see our club making serious noise is for the whole team to step up, which isn’t impossible. Maybe, just maybe, the sour taste of last place for most of a season will ignite a fire in some of our better players to perform up to their abilities. Ws don’t have to be pretty.
There’s no room left in the starting rotation for anyone else without a trade happening, perhaps someone like Matz, or an injury. I think (?) the Cards’ payroll for 2024 already exceeds 2023 (even though Gray will make only $10mil next season, and we still need help) so I doubt they will spend much more without cutting some costs, too. I think the most likely outcome will be another bullpen upgrade, maybe two, acquired via trade, but most of the pieces are probably already in place for 2024. That’s just my guess, all we can do is wait and see.
Sp is on the way with matz or Lynn going to pen
I have my doubts, but I still hope you are right.
Things that won’t happen with the Mariners:
Signing Shohei Ohtani.
Trading for, let alone signing Juan Soto.
Signing Cody Bellinger.
Signing any free agent over $5M per year until spring training
Trading Logan Gilbert.
Trading George Kirby.
Things that might happen:
Signing Blake Snell.
Trading for Randy Arozarena.
Trading for Mike Yastrzemski.
Things that should happen, but probably won’t:
Signing Go.
Signing Candelario.
Signing JD Martinez.
Increasing payroll to $200M.
Signing Merrifield.
Trading for Ha-Song Kim.
Finding the 3 batters with the best bWAR for the months of April, May, and September from games played in the marine layers in SD, LA, Anaheim, SF, and Oakland (not to mention visiting teams in Seattle) for the last 3 years and move heaven and earth to sign them, regardless of what position they play or the size of their contract.
Keeping Dylan Moore OR Sam Haggerty OR Jose Caballero OR Luis Urias but not more than one of them. We have enough .190 hitters already.
Making Ty France wear a suit of armor at the plate if he’s going to continue to put his torso in the strike zone.
I’m done now. That’s all. Going back to the psychiatric hospital now.
Without another top tier starter the Cardinals lose in the playoffs. They need someone to pair with Gray or they are just playing for owner profit. Can’t keep building ballpark village if they spend on better players!