Here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world headed into the weekend:
1. Will the Nationals sell off more pieces?
The big news around baseball yesterday was the Nationals swinging a trade that sent star lefty MacKenzie Gore to the Rangers in exchange for a package of five prospects headlined by Texas’s 2025 first-rounder, infielder Gavin Fien. President of baseball operations Paul Toboni hasn’t been shy about the fact that the team remains in a rebuilding period after five years near the bottom of the standings under GM Mike Rizzo, and the deal indicates Toboni doesn’t see things turning around in the next two years. Reporting has indicated that the team has also fielded offers for infielder CJ Abrams and center fielder Jacob Young. Abrams has three years of team control remaining, while Young has four. Nats fans will surely be watching the trade market for those players with significant interest in the run-up to Opening Day, as Toboni’s decision on whether or not to hold a player like Young could serve as a sign for just how long he expects the team to remain out of contention.
2. Who’s left on the trade market?
Gore was one of the most obvious trade candidates of the offseason, and with both him and Freddy Peralta off the board the pickings are starting to get slim when it comes to pitchers teams can look to trade for. The Royals could make someone like Kris Bubic available and perhaps the Red Sox would listen on some of their depth options like Patrick Sandoval, but the majority of the smoke on the trade market figures to center around position players at this point. Brendan Donovan has been the big name on that front, and the Cardinals still seem more likely than not to move him before Spring Training given persistent interest from teams like the Giants and Mariners. Whispers of the fit between Isaac Paredes and the Red Sox don’t seem likely to go away until Boston resolves the hole in their infield, and the possibility the Cubs trade a player from their infield like Nico Hoerner or Matt Shaw after Alex Bregman‘s arrival created a logjam remains very intriguing as well. Meanwhile, Jarren Duran and Wilyer Abreu have seen their names in the Boston rumor mill for years at this point. Who will be the next to move?
3. Fan events this weekend:
While Spring Training is still a few weeks away, teams around the game have started holding their annual offseason events to hype fans up for the upcoming season. The Twins, Astros, Rockies, and Pirates are all hosting fan events this weekend, with details on the linked pages courtesy of MLB.com. The Rangers were set to host one as well, but the team announced that the event will be cancelled in light of the weekend’s inclement weather forecast. The Orioles, meanwhile, announced that Saturday’s events will be cancelled while today’s events will be limited in scope as a result of the coming weather. Fans planning to attend any of these events should keep a close eye on the team’s respective event pages (and club social media accounts) in the run-up to the event to stay updated in case inclement weather causes further cancellations.
Is Abrams still in the doghouse over his antics last season in Chicago? I haven’t seen much about it.
that was in 2024 so I would guess that it’s water under the bridge
Anyone he was in the doghouse with is no longer in the clubhouse
There usually is water under that bridge. 😁
Please explain why Boston would want to trade Duran.
OF logjam. He’s not a better CFer than Rafaela, not a better RFer than Abreu and Anthony needs to be in the lineup ahead of him. As the Sox roster is currently constructed he’s a part time player. He represents more value to them in what he can bring in a trade for someone who will play full time than being a part time player for them.
Sad, but true. By the other hand, other teams love to have Duran in his lineup everyday.
Almost true. He’s a full-time player but forced to DH more than he should as the roster is presently constructed. He also is not signed beyond the arb years that will get expensive compared to Abreu as Anthony and Rafaela both are long term inked.
Why not DH him?
Then they’d be eating Yoshida’s $18M salary. Maybe they’re willing to do that and just call it even but the Red Sox have a strange position where they have a glut of outfield talent and a super-expensive bench piece that I’m sure they’d like to try to get some value out of.
If they didn’t have Yoshida, they could utilize the four outfielders, taking turns as DH. It’s a problem caused by players being good. As the saying goes, you can never have too many outfielders. Oh wait, wrong saying.
As of now, he is the DH when not playing. Against righties, Rafaela will sometimes sit allowing Yoshida to DH. This will resolve itself by opening day based on injuries and who looked good in spring training should there not be another trade.
Duran was the DH in 1 game in 2025. Don’t expect much more in 2026. Abreu will sit more against LHP if he is not traded.
Kingken: thanks. Seems to me Duran is a big talent and the Sox are rich.
Joel, kingken stated the situation perfectly, and I’ll add that it’s my belief which is not very common, that Duran as a physically gifted player, will slow down as he reaches his early 30s.
He’ll want to get paid on his next deal and I’d hate to be the team that does so for a guy who will probably slow down as each year passes.
Again, this is not a popular opinion amongst my Red Sox cohorts, but to me you trade him now while he’s hot and not next season or later as his effectiveness declines.
The closer we are to that statistically excellent 2024 the better.
I’m a Met fan and I’d take him gladly. Only problem is that it’ll rob Baty of playing time now that Bichette’s taken his position away.
Gary, KK doesn’t have a clue what he is talking about.. Duran gives the Red Sox more chance of winning and that is why he won’t be traded. He is only in his 1st year of arb eligibility and he is a top 10 OF in baseball. The Red Sox are not going to nickel and dime themselves out of a playoff spot by trading him unless its for a Soto like return.
The part time players is Abreu… not Duran.
👎
Why Cooper? Abrue is gold glove and 20+ bombs. Very necessary as the lineup sits today.
See my reply below.
Abreu is a platoon player. He is not as good as Duran. Winning means having the best players in the lineup. Duran is that player.
KK, Duran is the best OF in that lot. As a CF he was both one of the top 3 defensive CF and put up an 8.7 WAR in 2024. That is unicorn territory.
Abreu is a platoon player and missed a month to injury last season. He is the one in that OF most likely to be traded and Breslow only said they were going to give him at bats vs LHP to increase his trade value.
No rookie deserves to be in the lineup in front of one of the top 10 OF in the game. Maybe in front of Abreu, but not Duran.
Are Red Sox fans really stupid enough to think that he has to or even should be traded? Or is it just shiny object syndrome?
They don’t. They probably won’t unless some team is willing to give up their entire farm for him.
What the trolls don’t seem to want to admit is that since 2024, Duran is a 6+ WAR player. Over the past 3 seasons he has had a higher WAR than Tucker (5.2 vs 4.9), ranks in the top 10 of all OF, and still has 3 years of relatively inexpensive team control. He is the type of player teams looking to contend build around, not trade.
Looking at this from the other side, trading for him would break the bank and would be exceedingly hard for even the Red Sox to replace. To acquire him would take something like what the Padres gave up for Juan Soto. Yes, that much.
Here is why. While Duran is older, he has been that good. The last 3 seasons Duran has 15.5 WAR. In the 420 games prior to the trade to the Padres Soto had 15.9 WAR. I used 420 games instead of 3 seasons for 2 reasons. #1 – The Red Sox did not start playing Duran full time until mid-April 2023. #2 – Because the shortened 2020 season fell in the middle of that period for Soto. 2019 and the juiced ball that season did also, but I didn’t ding Soto for that. soto only had 2 years 2 months of team control when the Nationals traded him. That 2/3 of a season of extra control has value.
For Soto and 2 months of Josh Bell the Nationals received 2 MLB players that had been top 10 overall prospects at the end of the previous season in Abrams (#8) and Gore (#6), another top 100 prospect would be a top 20 overall prospect within a year in Wood, another top 100 prospect in Hassell III, plus another a prospect in the Padres top 15, and Luke Voit.
To recap that is 4 top 100 prospects including 2 that were top 10 overall, a promising pitcher who was projected to be a reliever, and a major league player.
What teams have that type of young MLB players and prospect capital to send the Red Sox for Duran?
The Dodgers, Brewers, Mariners. Possibly the Mets, Yankees, Orioles and Tigers but that would require taking players off their MLB rosters. I know my Angels would not have a chance to get Duran. i left off a few like the Reds, Rays, and the Twins because even though they might contend for a WC, I don’t see them wanting to add even the relatively small salaries Duran will earn of the next 3 years of arbitration.
Now the question becomes which of that group both needs an OF enough to give up the farm and has a willingness to make the trade?
Well done sir…. Amazingly it takes a fan of the Angels to explain to the moronic Red Sox fans that Duran is an extremely good player and the way the fan base undervalues him is just stupid…. but they would rather keep Abreu over him who is basically a part time player because he can’t hit LHP.
Moronic Red Sox fans? The discussion points provided above is appreciated. The use of choice words not so much.
Gary… it’s a general statement at the fan base. The same fan base that wanted to trade Duran for a bucket of Sunflower seeds 4 years ago when he misplayed that Inside the park grand slam versus the Blue Jays. The same fan base that has no patience for the young kids coming up and expects them to be superstars right when they arrive, and if they struggle bail on them quicker than a greyhound.
I’m truly shocked Isaac Paredes hasn’t been attached to the Yankees. He crosses off so many things they could use. He’s a righty with power. He doesn’t destroy LHP but his. 800+ OPS is better than McMahon and Rice vs lefties, although I think Rice should be allowed reps vs lefties to improve. He has great positional flexibility, as does Caballero and Rosario, and offers a ton of added value to a 25 man roster. And he’s a relatively good contact hitter. Makes too much sense to not be linked to the Yanks.
Well the book on him is that fenway is suited for his type of hitting as a pull hitter if that is true without looking my guess is that he would not fair well in yankee stadium as those parks play kind of opposite with the short wall in ny in rf vs lf..so anyone gaining unusual benefit from one may be hurt by the other if that makes sense
@Pool
Fenway’s dimensions from LF to dead center is 310, 379, 390. Yanks stadium is 318, 399, 408. Paredes is a dead pull hitter. 81 of his 92 career homers have been dead pull LF homers . The other 11 were to LF – centerfield. His homers aren’t wall scrapers. He would get a few cheap doubles that would’ve been outs in most stadiums but his homers on Fenway would absolutely clear Yankee Stadium’s LF wall too.
The cubs traded him bc his swing didnt do well in their park and the Astros took the chance that their LF would play well for him. Yanks are probably scared his swing would result in cub like statistics
@negan
Wrigley Fields’ left- Fields wall is 358 ft. Yanks is only 318. Not an issue.
Knicks..I hope the yanks trade for him…seems average defensively and home park limited on offense.id prefer the sox put mayer at 3b and get someone good for 2b
@Pool
To each his own. 51/41 home/road home split across 4 different home fields doesn’t scream any issues but ok. A dead pull hitter would take in Fenway tho.
The Yankees have shown no interest. But kind of surprising.
Nationals got a haul of prospects from the Rangers. Good move back.
Anybody home at MLBTR? The link about the changes in the Orioles’ fan festival goes to the Rangers’ event.
Are these writers dumb? Astros have 5 infielders for 4 spots yet leave this off their “who is left on trade market” everyday lol. Obviously Paredes/Walker are out there for a trade immediately.
No interest in trading Nico Hoerner, thanks.
If the Astros can’t get an outfield talent like Duran for Paredes +, maybe the better play is to wait it out and rotate DHs in the packed early schedule (running a 6 man rotation) with few days off until someone has a DH or 1B with a season long injury.
Then trade Walker who really should be the guy moving, since Paredes is a perfect hitter for their park.
Only problem. How to trade Paredes.
The other problem. No
One wants Walker. No one.
Seems like the Astros are content with running Sanchez/Cole/Meyers/Smith/and sometimes Altuve? In the OF. They traded away Melton and haven’t been linked to anyone all winter. Doesn’t seem like the OF is a concern. I have to believe if they deal Paredes it will be for a starter. But do they really need to deal Paredes? With his ability to cover 1B/2B/3B as well as DH AB’s there is probably still at least 400 AB’s on this roster for him
They are fine with running out with that group but would like to add to it. Melton wasn’t going to change the game too much either.
The Red Sox should find a team that needs to add offense any way they can but doesn’t have much money to spend, like the Pirates, Reds, Royals, or Marlins, and offer to eat all but like $5 million of Yoshida’s salary as part of a pure dump trade, then just keep Duran and play him everyday, or even better still, platoon him with somebody who mashes lefties since he doesn’t.
Would the Astros trade pena? He should be bostons target over someone like paredes..trade duran, one of the young pitchers and maybe arias
Lol !!
Wilyer Abreu for Mark Vientos.
discuss
Hahahahahahahahahah no way crazy overpay by Red Sox hah.
The infatuation with Abreu is sickening….. he can’t hit LHP, gets hurt and misses significant time, goes on 1 week heaters here and there where he accumulates most of his stats and goes stone cold for weeks after the heater.
Again, the Manager is telling you he can’t hit lefties by playing Utility players in RF when they face Lefties. Just watch, Nate Eaton will be playing a bunch this year in RF.
With that said, I agree that Vientos for Abreu is not in the Red Sox best interest. Only place to play Vientos would be 3B… and he is not good enough defensively.
Respectfully disagree. Vientos is a perfect fit for Fenway. If you’re saying that Yoshida will be the DH everyday, well ok. But I find it hard to believe that the Sox don’t have room for a young RHed power bat. Might even get the Mets to add a young arm.
Yoshida would have to be part of the deal
Pena’s is their best position player and free agent in 2028. If they don’t plan on keeping him, not a terrible idea to entertain moving him at some point this year.
He will probably cost them 15 mil arb next year.
I like the Brewers approach; we know we aren’t signing free agents, our fans know it, thats our business model, and sell high.
These prospect-heavy trades are an interesting way to assess farm systems on a relative basis. In MLB Pipeline, Texas’s 2/6/12/14/16 (or something like that) became Washington’s 5/11/12/17/24 or something like that. I don’t think the Nats have a great farm, so Texas’s must be really really bad.
Apart from Walcott, Texas has no farm. Just like Houston.
Doubtful there is much interest in Sandoval at the moment. He hasn’t been very good when healthy so right now his value should be below 0. Crawford might be a guy teams look at, Harrison too. Not sure what they could get back for either
Toboni states the obvious, “The Nationals stink right now and we are going to stink to high heaven for at least 2 more seasons. Probably much longer than that when we trade away Abrams, Wood, Ruiz, Gray, and anything not nailed down by the end of the 2026 season.”
I’m a Nats fan, and this year is going to be excruciating. I predict 106 losses.
Montreal could have an expansion team and they’d be better than the Nats.
“Meanwhile” should start the sentence, not come in the middle between commas.