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, Steve Adams and Anthony of MLB Trade Rumors to discuss…
- MLBTR recently turning 20 years old (1:00)
- MLBTR’s Top 50 Free Agents and the general vibe of the offseason with a likely lockout looming one year over the horizon (2:45)
- Kyle Tucker’s prediction and market (9:30)
- Bo Bichette (24:50)
- Dylan Cease (37:25)
- Munetaka Murakami (48:35)
- Tatsuya Imai (1:03:00)
- Cody Bellinger (1:12:50)
- Pete Alonso (1:22:30)
- Josh Naylor (1:28:50)
- Zac Gallen and Michael King (1:29:45)
- Devin Williams (1:38:05)
- Robert Suarez and Brad Keller (1:45:50)
- Gleyber Torres, Brandon Woodruff, Trent Grisham, Shota Imanaga, recorded prior to those four accepting their qualifying offers (1:53:20)
Check out our past episodes!
- Surprising Option Decisions, Qualifying Offers, And Paul DePodesta – listen here
- Offseason Preview Megapod: Top Trade Candidates – listen here
- Bo Bichette’s Health, Kazuma Okamoto, And Dylan Cease’s Market – 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 Dan Hamilton, Imagn Images
I think Tim has it right on the Tucker contract. I can see a team like the Giants or Jays maybe even the Dodgers throw out $325 mill to $350 for his services. I didn’t realize how weak next year’s class of outfielders were. He may try and go short term high value and re enter the market next year. Then the question is what about the lockout and how will that impact his decision
Knowing Tucker played with injury last season, I wish he would have stayed on IL. It’s kind of a moral killer to see Veteran Players not running out ground balls, it appears they are just lazy or giving up. Tucker was not his best with the Cubs, I’m happy he’s leaving and wish him luck.
It’s common for veteran players not to run out ground balls.
Just ask Manny Machado.
Is it because after making tens of millions it becomes a pride thing and they don’t want to look like they are desperate and still have to hustle for their first bag ?? I don’t get it, really. Are there guys who have already secured their 200-300mill bag who still run hard to first??
I think it is something like a perverse-pride kind of thing. It’s like they’re saying, everyone knows I’m great, so I don’t even have to BE great….Tucker is drastically overrated in any case, and the Cubs will be better without him.
I was hoping he would get a walk-off hit at home–he never did–just to see whether they’d give him a Gatorade bath. I suspect they wouldn’t–not because they wouldn’t want to, but because he has conveyed to his teammates that he wants them to keep their distance.
I think he’s a head case.
@Alan I completely concur on Tucker. He’s a weirdo. I’ve watched him a lot being a Mariners fan and with him on the Astros. Doesn’t seem to be much of a leader, not charismatic, rarely if ever smiles, very aloof and stand-offish. He is not someone I would pay hundreds of millions to be a franchise cornerstone. Sucks in the playoffs. Weird injury history. So many red flags.
Juggs – It’s easy to say with hindsight that Tucker shouldn’t have continued playing, but as a general rule players often try to play through injuries because they are team players. For instance Devers has played through serious injuries each of the past two years because his teams needed him.
The important lesson here for everyone, don’t be quick to condemn a player’s lack of hustle or poor performance ….. because you never know if he’s secretly dealing with some health or personal issues.
Get that temperature down and re-read my comment, trying to understand, the first sentence states, I understand Tucker was playing with an injury! Understanding that, would also imply I understand players perform with injuries.
Juggs – Temperature down? Fred Rogers couldn’t have written my comment any calmer and friendlier than I did! (I don’t expect you to know who he is)
Re-read your first sentence, you end it with “I wish he would have stayed on IL”.
That is what I was responding to.
I thought my response was respectful as well. I wish he would have stayed on IL, did you know what I meant by that? You didn’t ask or maybe you just assumed?
Juggs – All good, but telling someone to calm down without a valid reason to tell them that is kinda unfair.
What is there to interpret? You didn’t like the fact he continued playing. This is a messageboard dude, sometimes people will disagree with you ….. don’t take it personally.
No where did I say I didn’t like it, Tuckers decision to play hurt. I did say I wish he would have stayed on IL. Nothing taken personally, it’s discussion. Isn’t that why we comment, to discuss baseball?
Juggs – If you told 5 dentists “I wish he would have stayed on IL”, at least 4 of them would agree that means you don’t like the fact he continued playing.
You’re very good with my thoughts, if you’re are being respectful and just want discussion, why you calling me Juggs? It seems you want to me catch your fever and get hot?
Juggs – No offense but your responses are becoming increasingly bizarre.
You expressed your thoughts, in typed words, posted on this messageboard. Now you’re saying what you typed doesn’t represent your opinion? So you don’t want to be held accountable for anything, not even what you typed? I’ve seen backtracking here before, but never to this degree. It makes attempted discussion with you kinda pointless, doesn’t it? All this time wasted because of your backtracking attempts?
As for my Fever Pitch handle, it wasn’t my goal to have you catch Baseball Fever and get hot for the sport I love. So again, that’s quite a bizarre comment.
I do appreciate your civility, but there’s no point in continuing this attempt at a baseball discussion any further. Not when anything you write you’ll just deny that it’s your opinion. Would have saved us both time if you had simply claimed your account was hacked or something.
You don’t even know my opinion, you never inquired, you just assumed. Read it all, it’s there for everyone to see. Have a good day and last word is yours until the next time.
Juggs – Have a good weekend.
99 days with the past lock out? I’ll take the over on the upcoming CBA negotiations. My guess is 2027 season will have less than 100 games played.
tiger – The owners will pull the exact same crap they pulled in 2020. They don’t give a damn about first half regular season games, the big money is derived from late regular season games and of course postseason games. So they will likely drag out negotiations and come to an agreement in June or July. They learned their lesson in 1994 when the players got paid through August and then they went on strike so the end of the regular season and all of the postseason was cancelled.
I did listen to the whole two hours, but I have no life.
Also, don’t downplay the “ability to play in New York”. That skill probably only matter to teams like the Yanks, Mets, Red Sox and maybe the Phillies, but it’s a real thing.
A significant percentage of athletes, who are supremely gifted physically, struggle mentally with all sorts of demons. Drop them in an environment like New York and some will not be able to perform at their expected level;
Sausage-The next Podcast I listen to will be the first Podcast I listen to. It’s time where you’ll learn nothing and never get back. Do a crossword or something and keep your mind sharp. LOL
I rather have the Jays prioritize Bo Bichette, then if there’s room, Kyle Tucker.
Addison Barger is set at RF, Varsho in CF and Luckes/Schneider in LF. Of course it’ll be ideal to add Tucker but if Bichette leaves, it will create yet another hardship between friendships with Vlad and this time, even deeper.
The Tigers NEED to hire the Superfife!
I don’t quite suffer from oniomania but I don’t suffer from chrometophobia either….
This is kinda like looking the Sears’ Catalog at Christmas….
all the stuff I’m not gonna get…..