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 discuss…
- The Red Sox extending Aroldis Chapman (1:10)
- The Red Sox releasing Walker Buehler, who then signed with the Phillies (4:05)
Plus, we answer your questions, including…
- What will the Braves do this winter after claiming Ha-Seong Kim? (10:10)
- What can the Rangers do this winter? (22:05)
- What can the Pirates do for left field next year? (31:30)
- Who will the Marlins make available in trades this offseason or at next year’s deadline? (36:40)
Check out our past episodes!
- A Conversation With Pirates GM Ben Cherington — Also The O’s, Zack Wheeler, And The Rangers – listen here
- The Pohlads Aren’t Selling The Twins, Nathaniel Lowe, And Service Time Manipulation – listen here
- Walk-Year Performances, Roman Anthony’s Extension, And More! – 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 James A. Pittman, Imagn Images
Anyone know if the podcast can be downloaded?
If you have a podcast app on your phone that lets you download podcasts, then yes it can be downloaded.
Just click “share”, the download icon is there.
Thanks, Crime Dog Long Ball!
The Pirates need to figure out a way to add a few quality bats. To waste the Skenes years is criminal.
Pirates need about 5 quality bats & that’s assuming Bryan Reynolds goes back to his old self and O’Neill Cruz isn’t a bust. That’s a horrible core of position players.
Pirates are 49-44 since May 20. They just need to get rid of dead weight. The desperation tryouts to find someone. With their pitching a team of average to above average players is enough to hang around. A big bat would really help but how would they get that.
That record I posted is playing the entire season without any hope of winning. After selling at trade deadline. And treating the season as a quad A development season. If they were trying to make the playoffs you can’t afford to give Suwinski Canario Simon and now Devanney these opportunities.
I guess hope Sox want Keller? Trade Keller for prospects and sign Grisham Robert and hope for best?
Then find another team to follow and buy some more tissues.
Outfield is a seller’s market in the upcoming offseason, which puts the Pirates in a tough spot for upgrades there. I think at this point, you have to start looking at the idea that either in free agency or in trades, you get the best hitter you can afford, regardless of position, then figure out how to move people around to play those positions.. If you sign or trade for a CF, move Cruz; if you get an SS, put Triolo out in LF. If the O’s offer Adley, get creative with the other catchers and 1Bs to see what you can do.
I think a position-specific hunt (3B, SS, OF) might force a situation for a less-than-desirable return on a trade (with FA options pretty limited). Get the best guy you can and figure out who can play where after that.
Best player in free agent they can afford isn’t much of a upgrade. Grisham would be if the bidding doesn’t get insane and if he isn’t using ped. Hope someone has a bat for Keller.
Was 2021 that long ago?
Pirates probably run same team back maybe a small upgrade or 2.
RF Reynolds
CF LF Cruz who has been awful for months but you can’t give up on him.
1b Horwitz n platoon
2b Gonzales
SS Triolo
C Davis Bart Endy
Hope someone wants Keller for outfielder if not free agency but who is going to be much better than Pham has been? Maybe bring him back.
3b I have no idea. Triolo but then you need SS or put Peguero there.
Give KG SS and Triolo 3b.
Biggest issue is Cruz and Davis have so much potential. If they just hit like they could it solves everything.
TJ is getting close so maybe get Gonzales some LF playing time. Trade TJ and something for a bat.
I’m pretty much looking at the same thing. I don’t see a massive overhaul There are a couple of big swing baseball trades which could be made (particularly with the Orioles).
I’d check in with TX to see if either Evan Carter or Wyatt Langford could be had for one of our pitchers. Keller would be ideal, but I’d listen on guys like Harrington, Burrows or Ashcraft. Clearly the O’s have Cowser, Mayo or maybe even Adley available. To me, that’s the path to a realistic upgrade.
I’m not so concerned about any FAs, I’d much rather that money get thrown into offers to lock up a few of the younger guys. You can only do that if the player is also interested, I’m not sure why any of them would be at this point — particularly Skenes — who would probably command a $40M AAV contract (at least) right now. Tell me what you’d offer him to lock him up that even remotely makes sense for him at less than that number.
Skenes 6 years 140m. Odds are you will be alright but in case you get in car accident or blood clot or whatever you and your family are set for life. Then move onto Bubba KG SH. Someone is going to want to avoid risk and the other 3 will be cheaper than Skenes. Do it during spring training when there is excitement for the new team well if you do anything this off season.
Trades is wait and see. Won’t know who is available. Get some names that will turn out not available.
Harrington backend starter so little trade value. Burrows Ashcraft much more but haven’t proven to go deep.
I don’t think that term and salary gets it done for Skenes, at least not without options, incentives and probably an opt-out. Considering that Vlad Jr. and Soto were around $30M AAV for their arbitration, you have to consider that Skenes is going to get that, at least in his final year. I’d guess that his total arb numbers will be close to $90 million over his 4 years of eligibility, meaning he’d essentially be playing at 2/25M over the two FA seasons. I think your number is a little low, but close. It might be enough to get him to the table, and as far as I’m concerned, if he bites on anything less than $30M AAV for that kind of term, you take it and don’t look back.
As for the trades, I guess the point is that you aim high and you have to assume risk on both ends. Ashcraft, Burrows and Jared Jones could all be very good starters, but they might not, just like a guy like Mayo might be great or just another high-pedigree flameout. Baltimore and Boston both will be looking for pitching and have bats to spare, Baltimore seems more likely to be a trade partner because they generally aren’t players in the FA market and probably aren’t going to take a stab at Cease or Framber Valdez.
All that being said, the market is full of mids and bounce-back guys, and pitching-poor teams are going to have their pick at reasonable prices. Do you go after a controllable arm with high upside while subtracting from your own talent, or roll the dice on Jon Gray or German Marquez on a one-year show-me deal without losing anything?
There’s a lot to play out over the next two months that should give the Pirates a clearer picture, but from a realistic sense, the odds of swinging something big aren’t terribly high.
I don’t think Skenes will sniff 90m in arbitration. 60 or 70 maybe.
Don’t know about Mayo but thats the kind of guy your suggestions would return.