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 Steve Adams of MLB Trade Rumors to discuss…
- Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns recently addressed the club’s financial situation (2:00)
- Does the spending capacity of the Mets make them favorites for Juan Soto? (16:00)
- The Rangers are reportedly hoping to duck beneath the competitive balance tax in 2025 (23:00)
Plus, we answer your questions, including…
- Which impending free agent has earned the biggest pay raise by his performance in the current postseason? (30:30)
- Could the Cardinals get Ryan Mountcastle from the Orioles in a deal for Ryan Helsley to fill the void at first? (36:40)
- Could Rowdy Tellez be a fit for the Tigers? (38:50)
- Should Justin Verlander switch into a closer’s role? (41:10)
- Details on what’s coming up soon at MLBTR, including the Top 50 Free Agents, top trade candidates and a megapod (43:25)
Check out our past episodes!
- The World Series, The White Sox Reportedly For Sale, And Tropicana Field – listen here
- Changes In Minnesota, Cubs’ Prospect Depth, And Possibilities For The O’s – listen here
- Previewing FA Starting Pitchers, TV Deals, And Potential Spending Teams – listen here
The podcast intro and outro song “So Long” is provided courtesy of the band Showoff. Check out their Facebook page here!
Mountacstle for Helsley? Uh no thank you. If Helsley is dealt it will be for prospects. 1b is deep Mountcastle is a decent player but teams can always find a 1b.
I would be alright with trading Helsley to the Rangers in a deal for Walcott. That would help the Rangers contend on a budget.
If the Cards do trade the MLB saves leader then it will be for some top prospects and not a first baseman/OF. Ever heard of Alec Burleson? No thanks
Yeah Burleson can play 1b he’s actually looked pretty good defensively there. It’s just not the kind of deal there makes any sense if Helsley does get dealt it wilp.be for long term help.
Mount castle is a great upgrade to Alec Burleson.
Burleson cant field isn’t a great hitter….and cant run…
-8 OAA, 10 percentile running speed.
Mount castle is a 2 OAA fielder who is faster, and a better hitter.
Maybe not for Helsly but for someone else.
Mount castle had a 2.6 WAR and Alec had a 1.2.
Mount castle also leads him in almost any other offensive stat
It’s not that I think Mountcastle isn’t a good player it just doesn’t make sense if the team trades Helsley. Burleson also could produce more WAR if he played 1b he’s a poor outfield defender.
Agreed, helsley is a generational closer
You get dumber by the post. Helsley is not a generational closer. Not even close. Leave the baseball talk to those of us who know baseball.
That’s enough from you Turnbuckle, you condescending shmuck.
Just like Anthony and Steve and everyone covering the cardinals we are trading for prospects the future and trimming payroll. Also not to mention just Burleson, they can actually let Luken Baker hack it up and see what he can do he’s hit other 30 hrs in the minors last two seasons and has hit a few in spare play. There could be a good platoon 1B/DH for these two guys. Let the young guys play and yes I know baker is a bit older but who knows what may happen it can’t be any worse than the aging veterans who haven’t helped us win enough to make the playoffs. Also it’s not entirely MO’s call luckily Bloom should get some say in anything that will affect his future term.
A Burleson/Baker platoon at 1B makes so much sense. I really hope they go that route. It’s the cheapest route too.
@User 277
You think you’re safe behind that screen don’t you?
Explain how helsley isn’t a generational closer.
What I was thinking . Burleson had an all star type of year and Walker is going to be given every opportunity in right. I would assume they want younger more controlable pieces back
All star type year is a bit of a stretch for a guy who was 5% above league average offensively and well below defensively.
I would take him over Mountcastle
The Cards are starting to resemble the Rox, with all due respect. They wait until a players value hits rock bottom before “trading” him.
Lol what? The Cardinals have never been a team that traded away talented players. Sure they trade away Edman and ONeill but the ONeill trade was because of the manager and Edman was hurt at the time of the trade. That worked out great with the Bader Montgomery trade but this trade looks worse because Edman has had a good postseason.
It’s not like the Cardinals traded away a superstar. Like Mookie Betts…….
They traded TON and Edman at probably their lowest value. They held onto Goldie and Arenado when they should’ve traded them. Matz had some attraction at the TDL last year. My guess is that Gorman is the next guy traded away for no return, and that Helsley will still be with the team to open the season.
ONeill was because of the bone head manager
Edman was hurt when he was dealt. Winn and Siani took over center and short. And they got Fedde who is a solid starter hopefully more.
Goldschmidt and Arenado never needed to be traded. They weren’t rebuilding until now and even this isn’t going to be a long term rebuild.
Why didn’t the Red Sox deal players at the deadline?
Goldschmidt and Arenado never needed to be traded.
They weren’t rebuilding until now and even this isn’t going to be a long term rebuild.
Why didn’t the Red Sox deal players at the deadline?
=================================
They had two guys making a combined $61M, in decline, on a last-place team. If they picked up a large chunk of salary, they could’ve gotten something in return.
If that wasn’t enough, they had players to play the positions. They could’ve tried Burleson, Edman, Wynn, and Gorman across the IF. TON, Nootbar and Carlson in the OF, and Walker at DH.
That would’ve been a much younger and cheaper team.
Gorman won’t be traded doofus he’s a youthful player who will get a full shot at playing for us to either boost value or also show he’s part of the future. Also he fits your objective as cheaper and younger
All due respect the cardinals have traded numerous good players like Gallen, Alecantra, Garcia, ect
Cardinals also made a lot of good trades too. I live in Colorado from St Louis. Comparing the Cardinals to the Rockies is off base.
Contending teams trade away young talent it happens all the time. And sometimes that young talent becomes big league talent. I don’t think the team has made a disproportionate number of bad trades.
I agree. They are no where near the Rockies. As a pirates fan I wish we could draft and develop players they way the cardinals historically have.
Pirates got the number 1 pick right with Skenes that’s for sure. Hopefully they spend some money to support him and the other young talent.
Blackpink: Keith Hernandez, Bernard Gilkey, and Andy Van Slyke say hello, because every team trades talented players.
Rowdy Tellez is not a fit for Detroit. He can’t defend well enough and can’t run. Spencer Torkelson needs more ABs, not less. The Tigers need good defenders with their type of team. The Tigers need a 3B and perhaps a LH RF/IB. Kerry Carpenter should be the primary DH and can backup RF. Colt Keith can alternate DH and get time at 3B. I want Jace Jung at 2B. Colt Keith seems a bit sluggish there.
No old free agents. They get some to trade but also get stuck with some they can’t. Their two biggest payroll hits are their worst two players. Javier Baez and Kenta Maeda.
I also dispute the ‘everyone likes rowdy’ dialog – SF hates him
Yeah, fortunately whoever suggested Rowdy Tellez isn’t running the Tigers. Tellez is mediocre garbage.
The Tigers are looking for a RH bat, first and foremost. They’ll get an arm or 3, and are likely to do well there.
The direction they choose as far as 3B & 1B is what intrigues me the most. I get the feeling they’ll go w/Sweeney & Javy @ SS to start the year, and they haven’t made any indication about moving Colt, although I think he eventually ends up at 1B unless his shoulder recovers and he goes to 3B. Not holding my breath.
I can’t wait to see how they revise the Tigers. Something in the infield has got to change..
NO hate (well sorta but I’ll tuck it in/sorta ) but dear lord Dodgers chill out with the Juan Soto talks.
Don’t like the guy, if I had about 10.000 free wishes I think Id burn one on getting to see Soto play slap ass in the box against the likes of Nolan Ryan, Randy Johnson and Rodger Clemens type hurlers.
You’re a baseball fan and don’t like one of the game’s great players? Whatever.
We’ve all got great players we don’t like. Nothing wrong with that.
Being a closer worked for Smoltz. Verlander can try it.
I’ve always thought he might have that same career trajectory.
OTOH, maybe JV would be interested in the Tigers as a bulk reliever, where AJ could pick & choose when to bring him in, i.e., W situations. The trip to 300 may be quicker.
As a Hinch-Harris bulk reliever., JV could stay seated if the opener gets blown out, or come on in if the opener shuts ’em down for an inning or two. Either way, his usage is more protected and he can pitch fewer innings to get to the decision.
Not one bit
don’t like a guy you’ve never met?
also “no hate” but then you proceed to want him to fight other people because you simply don’t like him.
you’re sad.
The money Soto is looking at will allow him to choose the team he wants to play for and that will be the Yankees. He’s already said as much. I haven’t liked him since he showed up in Pads uniform and failed to earn the money he was paid. He would be suited to the role of DH because he’s useless playing a position – doesn’t want to get his uniform dirty.
He’s said he loves playing for the Yankees but he’s also said he is leaving it all up to Boras. He’d play for the Savannah Bananas if they offered him a dollar more than the Yankees.
nosake: “…and that will be the Yankees.”
Unless, of course, it will be the Mets or some other team.
Soto was good in his first 1/3 of a season in San Diego and excellent in his only full season there. He more than earned the money he was paid. If you can’t see that, I can’t help you.
Teams should think twice about signing Soto, teams can get 3 good players for the price it’s going to take to sign him. The Mets/Yanks seem to be the likely spots!
Good players are good to have, great players are really great to have and difficult to find.
Soto is also looking like he will spend his career as a generational player. Teams don’t get many shots at those
The main upcoming free agent I’ve seen add the most to his earning capacity might be Gleyber Torres. Dude has turned it around in the second half and the post season. Soto has probably added another $50-$100mil to his already astronomical contract he will be getting. I’m also pretty sure that if the Yanks miss out on Soto after trading all those prospects, Cashman may want to upgrade his resume.
Rowdy goes home to Sacramento
So how much money is ever too much. Jokes on anyone that thinks unlimited amount of money to ball players is ok. We fans pay it in the end
So how much money is ever too much for owners? Joke’s on anyone that thinks player salaries determine ticket, concession, or parking prices. Those are based on supply and demand. Owners optimize pricing to maximize profits.
If there was suddenly a salary cap implemented, it’s not going to result in cheaper tickets or beers at the ballpark. The owners would simply pocket the savings. All of the owners are indescribably rich; the problems in the game are those who won’t spend to make their teams competitive.
Owners deserve to pocket all they can they take all the risk
Putting in your lot for the billionaire owners to get richer rather than the actual players is certainly a take. It’s a bad one, but it’s a take.
matt – Salary cap would lead to reduced revenue for the currently huge payroll teams. You think the Dodgers revenue would have stayed the same if Ohtani, Yamamoto and Mookie weren’t on the team? Not a chance.
ECO101 doesn’t work that way. Suppliers charge the most they think they can get away with in the long-run.
Owners deserve all the money the want, they take all risk.
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All I can say is….
IF the Tigers want to straighten all this out, forthwith, they SHOULD…..
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