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…
- Munetaka Murakami to be posted for MLB clubs this offseason (2:20)
- Ten teams will go into 2026 with a new manager, with eight of those jobs currently vacant (18:50)
Plus, we answer your questions, including…
- Can the Mets get Tarik Skubal from the Tigers? (29:55)
- Would Pete Alonso return to the Mets if they offered $150MM over five years? (38:20)
- The White Sox have a lot of #4 or #5 starters. Which other teams might be interested in them? (40:00)
- The Nationals have lots of outfielders, one of whom is 6’7″ tall, and no first baseman. Is it stupid to consider James Wood for first base? (44:20)
- Will this finally be the Mariners’ year and can they keep Josh Naylor? (49:20)
Check out our past episodes!
- Rockies’ Front Office Changes, Skip Schumaker, And ABS Talk – listen here
- Mike Elias On The State Of The Orioles – listen here
- The Tigers And Astros Try To Hang On, And Brewers’ Rotation Issues – 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 Sam Navarro, Imagn Images
Way too much for Pete!
@AL B DAMNED 5/150m is way too much, and it misunderstands what you’re doing when you sign a free agent.
In this case the Mets wouldn’t be signing Alonso for 5/150m, they’d be signing the UPGRADE Alonso represents over someone like Ryan Clifford or Brett Baty at 1B in 2026.
Clifford projects to about 1.0 bWAR at 1B in 2026, while Baty’s a better bet at something like 2.1 bWAR and Alonso projects to around 2.5 bWAR.
Do the Mets really want to pay the additional $29m to Alonso in 2026 for the trivial upgrade, not to mention the $120m commitment to his age 32-35 seasons in 2027-2030?
Add to that Alonso’s mediocre season from May 6 to the end of the 2025 season, where he had 549 PA with a line of 253/311/485 and a 796 OPS and Pete doesn’t project to be other than a competent slugger with a weak OBP and lousy defense.
Opening Day 2025 to May 5, Alonso’s BABIP was an unrepeatable fluke, at .371, while for the rest of the season it was .286 compared with .262 for the rest of his career.
Who wants to pay Alonso $150 million because he had a lucky April?
Darragh, I think you guys completely missed on the Tigers and Skubal. The Tigers are owned by a Trust. Chris Ilitch is the Trustee, who has a legal fiduciary duty to his 5 siblings – NOT what’s best for the Detroit Tigers and their fans. When you say the Tigers are not the Rays, or Brewers, or Reds, or Royals – why not? What are you basing that on? Mike Ilitch was all in – but the Tigers have not been all-in since he died. They went to game 5 of the ALDS last season, and signed no one (ok, Alex Cobb and Jack Flaherty). They do not operate like a top 10 team. Any team owned by a Trust is at a financial disadvantage, because they can’t compete with actual owners with their own billions. I would be surprised if they did not trade Skubal, knowing they can’t afford him, and knowing he would generate multiple young, controllable assets.
The Tigers were complaining when they had Miggy’s deal on the books. Heck, they are complaining about Baez’s deal. Could you imagine how much they’d complain if they had a Skubal deal on the books? If Skubal signs, management would immediately be looking for the day the deal ends. “Sorry, we can’t add any talent, all the money is tied up in Skubal for the next 10 year.” They’d be signing the Cahna’s and Maeda’s of the league to fill holes. Or the Alex Cobb’s, LOL.
Harris keeps saying they don’t have a window, so I agree, I bet they trade Skubal. Cash him in for a few top prospects. They probably believe having 3 Alex Cobb’s is better than having 1 Skubal.
Per RosterResource, the Tigers had a $155MM payroll in 2025. They’re slated for $91MM next year. I don’t think they need to trade him just to save money.
I usually want the Mets to sign players from Japan and Korea, but to me they already have a much cheaper Murakami, named Mark Vientos.
And I expect Alonso to leave. Stearns seems to prefer cheaper interchangeable 1Bs.
If they don’t trade Vientos he would be a reasonable option at 1B as well as DH.
Don’t expect to see him playing much 3B moving forward.
The “H” in “DH” stands for “hitter.” And 1B is usually a position for a hitter. That’s why I don’t think Vientos would be a reasonable option for either position.