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 Anthony Franco of MLB Trade Rumors to answer your questions, including…
- Should the Red Sox trade Triston Casas and move Trevor Story to first base when Marcelo Mayer comes up? (1:30)
- Does Rafael Devers of the Red Sox need a change of scenery? (10:00)
- Should the Mets extend Pete Alonso now? (12:30)
- What can the Mets do about their bullpen? (16:40)
- Should fans of the Tigers temper the excitement or embrace the season as something special? (19:55)
- Should MLB bring back a livelier ball since hitters seem broadly overmatched by pitchers? (28:30)
- There have been a lot of historically bad teams in recent years. What can be done to discourage tanking? (39:00)
- Is there any way that the Braves can trade Jurickson Profar? (52:30)
Check out our past episodes!
- Justin Steele, Triston McKenzie, And Tons Of Prospect Promotions – listen here
- Free Agent Power Rankings – listen here
- Vlad’s Massive Deal, Extensions for Merrill and Marte, And Quinn Priester Traded – listen here
The podcast intro and outro song “So Long” is provided courtesy of the band Showoff. Check out their Facebook page here!
Photo courtesy of Matt Marton, Imagn Images
Yes, yes, no, play waiver wire to plug holes until trade deadline, embrace that kitty magic, no, drafts are a crapshoot and some cities aren’t desirable for certain players so tanking/incompetent teams will always be here, you can trade any player with enough money/prospects going the other way.
What does desirability have to do with anything? Tanking is all about money. That’s it.
If you think Casas should be traded, the question is for what. He doesn’t have much value right now. I don’t particularly feel attached to him as a player and would be fine if he was gone, but, it doesn’t seem like a smart move to sell now.
There’s no guarantee Mayer will be that good after making the jump and teams adjust… or that he even stays on the diamond. Seems a kneejerk reaction
If someone wants Casas, they pay. He’s not given away as despite his slow start, he has value. The reason to trade him is to improve the club. I also would not move Story to first. Campbell can apparently play almost anywhere but Story is much better at second than Campbell. Give Casas, Rafaella and Devers more time but listen if anyone any of their players.
I mean there’s no guarantee that any prospect will be “that good” after making the jump but I have faith in Mayer’s ability to do so. That doesn’t mean I’m in a rush to shove Casas out the door.
Similar mindset here acell on tristan. I’d just use Casas for what he is, on the cheap, and see what happens. But I don’t think he has that value right now teams would pay for. They’d want to buy extremely low.
I simply don’t know quite what to expect of Mayer. I’m literally on the fence. Upside is there, but so are a pretty decent number of red flags to temper expectations.
The entire conversation is a fantasy baseball conversation. Right now, the RS have no other 1B than Casas. If Anthony or Mayer were a 1B, then it would be a real conversation.
But they aren’t so it is automatic that Casas is our 1B. Not even discussion-worthy, imo.
but so are a pretty decent number of red flags to temper expectations.
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I feel the same. Good glove, but not elite. Worrisome K/W, and some injuries. I’m hoping that the Pirates get to thinking about their fine rotation and weak hitting, and offer up Bubba Chandler for Mayer.
all these questions about players that are under contract for 100’s of M$- whose performance is stinking it up; and people are asking about “trading’??? Do not people think that thru? Who would want a Devers or Bogaerts and their contract??
People overreact at this point to a small sample. Devers isn’t the first player to slump at the plate coming off significant injuries and missing spring training.
Acting like the contract is a sunk cost is ridiculous at this juncture. He’s actually 6-17 with multiple XBH lately and getting some HRs including a second decker in Toronto last night.
Devers is fine. Folks can complain all they want, but given what Vlad just got paid, Devers is a relative bargain.
Excellent podcast as always!
DMC – You said exactly what I was gonna write, it’s absolutely absurd how some people here (and I wouldn’t call them true Sox fans) have so quickly turned on Casas. But that’s the way they roll, no loyalty whatsoever and once a player sucks for a bit they want them instantly gone, without bothering to understand the possible reason why the player is struggling. I know Casas came off as jerky in the Netflix doc, but giving up on him now is absolutely ridiculous. And BTW Casas since April 22 is batting .313 with a 1.164 OPS, if Dave actually watched the games he’d know that.
And Tony is 100% correct, Devers should be given a shot at first base. it’s ridiculous he hasn’t.
Hey fever, in my defense, you know how I’ve felt about Casas since he was in Worcester, and it’s not about bat-ball skills ;)
Now, do you think *any* part of devers being blocked off 1B comes from cora punishing him for how he reacted when bregman was signed? Not the first time Cora would take that approach after being challenged by a player to put him in his place
GaSox – Are you pulling my leg about being Dave? LOL!!
No, I don’t believe it was Cora punishing him. Remember he wouldn’t even let Devers play first base in the last WBC. Maybe he just doesn’t want Devers putting on any type of glove unless it’s a batting glove? Honestly I don’t want to even *attempt* to get into Cora’s head ….. I picture it as one of those horror movie fun houses.
I think Casas should have been traded and Devers given the 1b job.
No one takes a good fielding, mediocre hitting SS and moves them to 1st. It’s not even a consideration.
Why would Devers need a change of scenery? He has an .887 OPS this month.
Simplest way to prevent tanking (to some degree) is a salary floor. Since there’s no salary cap you definitely need a salary floor. These teams not spending money isn’t because they can’t it’s because they’re cheap. Force teams like the Marlins, Pirates, A’s, etc. to run at least a $100M minimum payroll.