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 Pirates getting Brandon Lowe, Jake Mangum and Mason Montgomery for Mike Burrows in a three-team trade with the Astros and Rays (Recorded prior to the news of the Pirates agreeing to a deal with Ryan O’Hearn) (1:10)
- The Astros trading away Jacob Melton and Anderson Brito to get Burrows (10:10)
- The Rays trading away Lowe, Mangum and Montgomery for Melton and Brito, in addition to trading Shane Baz to the Orioles for four prospects and a draft pick (13:30)
- The Orioles giving up four prospects and a draft pick to get Baz (19:05)
- The White Sox signing Munetaka Murakami (25:40)
- The Red Sox acquiring Willson Contreras from the Cardinals (45:40)
- The Padres re-signing Michael King (54:35)
- The Athletics acquiring Jeff McNeil from the Mets (58:55)
Check out our past episodes!
- The Mets Sign Jorge Polanco, And The Braves, Blue Jays And Royals Make Moves – listen here
- Winter Meetings Recap – listen here
- An Agent’s Perspective with B.B. Abbott – Also, Cease, Williams, Helsley, And Gray – 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 Wendell Cruz, Imagn Images
I can understand trading Lowe for TB but Baz and Magnum and others makes no sense. Some of them are still cheap and decent young players. However great trade for Pittsburgh. Good luck keeping Skenes long term.
The Baz trade was good for the Rays because of all the prospects. That seems to be how they survive. Get prospects build them up then trade them before free agency for more prospects.
I guess I’m not surprised by your surprise that the Pads could afford to sign King. Happy Holidays!
Cost to Pirates to sign Suarez
I’ve got a couple more worrying texting signs!
FWIW – FSG Will Increase Wealth
BTS – Bello To StL
NBD – No Bregman, Diamondbacks
FOMO – Framber Orioles Mets Only
BTW – Breslow Trades Welcomed
Bosom sign Suarez 2/40
Suarez has 2 40 inch bosoms?
Too bad MLBTR missed Murakami going to White Sox, but good for White Sox to poke them in the eyes. Nobody know what he will do until after season, then if he likes it in Chicago he just might re-up
The pirates definitely did good in this trade for the most part. As. Rays fan with our history of getting better end of a trade, we need a little pixie dust added to one or both of the guys we got in return to see it worth it but we essentially gave Lowe away for a middle of the road type haul for him.
Just cut payroll and flushed a name to be rid of.
Just remember Pirates Fans, when Brandon Lowe gets hurt ( and he will ), imagine him saying “L-OWE my back hurts, L-owe my foot hurts, LOWE my everything hurts”.
Instead of owe it’s Lowe. Guy is injury prone but if you can squeak 400ab’s out of him he will hit you 18/29 homers and give you a .250 avg with 50/70 rbi with an obp of .313 or So.
LOWE, I stubbed my toe!
That was a truly half-witted Mets move wrt McNeil. He was a 2-win 2Bman / LFer / RFer / bench bat who can handle CF in a pinch, and the Mets payroll is at $293m after paying the A’s $7m to take him.
Meanwhile the Mets need:
—a LFer
—a 2Bman who can actually hit.
—a 2Bman whose platoon-handedness complements Semien.
—a platoon CFer on occasion vs. RHP
—a solid bench bat especially vs. RHP, and with a solid OBP vs. LHPing.
The Mets, with the richest owner in the game, decided to dump the player fitting all five needs, above. to save $10m. McNeil’s also the kind of player most postseason-bent teams need: A fringe starter / 4th OFer who can play 2B/1B, is good enough to DH–especially against RHP–and come in off the bench.
Is this really a guy you give up to do… what, exactly? Save $10m because that’s the difference between adding a competent LFer on a one-year deal? Or because McNeil was occasionally upset when he K’ed? Or because you added a 17 yo reliever who might marginally help the team in 2033?
—As for one of the ‘casts remarks, McNeil cannot play 3B.. He hasn’t had the arm for it for years and hasn’t played more than 5 innings there since 2020.