Headlines

Go To Pro Hockey Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Transcript Of Our Chat With Former Two-Time MLB All-Star Shea Hillenbrand

By | at

Drafted in the tenth round in 1996 by the Red Sox out of Mesa Community College, Shea Hillenbrand made his MLB debut for Boston in 2001 at the age of 25.  In his sophomore season with the Red Sox, Hillenbrand hit .293/.330/.459 with 18 home runs and 83 RBI, starting for the AL All-Star team at third base.  He finished 10th in the AL in hits in ’02 and sixth in doubles.

In May of ’03, Hillenbrand was traded to the Diamondbacks for reliever Byung-Hyun Kim.  Not long after that, he hit three home runs in a game against the Rockies.  Hillenbrand hit .310/.348/.464 with 15 home runs and 80 RBI the following year for the D’Backs, with his batting average ranking 13th in the NL.

Dealt to Toronto after the ’04 season, Hillenbrand hit .291/.343/.449 with 18 home runs and 82 RBI en route to his second All-Star nod.  Hillenbrand managed to lead the AL by being hit by a pitch 22 times in ’05 as well.  He’d go on to play with the Giants, Angels, and Dodgers.

Hillenbrand wound up with a fine .284 batting average over the course of his career.  His 108 home runs included shots off Mike Mussina, Mariano Rivera, Zack Greinke, and Jake Peavy.

Today, we were proud to host a live chat with Shea.  Click here to read the transcript!  Shea was honest and forthcoming and the chat is well worth reading.  And be sure to check out his website, Your All-Star Life, here.  Shea is also on Instagram @shea_hillenbrand.

If you’re a former or current MLB player and you’d like to do a one-hour chat on MLBTR, reach out to us through our contact form!  It’s a fun and easy hour where you choose which questions to answer, and we’ve had great success with Chipper Jones, Paul Sewald, Chad Cordero, and many others.

Testimonials From Trade Rumors Front Office Subscribers

By | at

The benefits of a Trade Rumors Front Office subscription include ad-free browsing on all four of our websites, my MLB mailbag, a weekly live chat with Anthony Franco, exclusive articles from Anthony and Steve Adams, fantasy baseball chats and articles from Brad Johnson, a private Slack discussion community, and early access to our live chats with MLB players.  We also do weekly autographed baseball card giveaways.  If you subscribe before Friday, you’ll be entered to win an autographed Wander Franco card.  Click here and subscribe today!  You can try it even just for one month, which costs only $2.99.

Rather than take my word for it, check out these real quotes from our current subscribers!

I read MLBTR for ten years before I became a subscriber. I realized that it was about time that I invest a token amount in one of my favorite baseball writers’ collectives. And, it has been well worth it. No ads, chats where my questions get answered and the mailbag that Tim responds to each week are my favorites perks. What else can I say? I love these guys and I’m happy to give them my support! – Michael

If you’re like me (and you’re here, so you’re probably a little like me), you’re on MLBTR all the time. I joined the Front Office because things are uncertain in the baseball world and I want the site to succeed. What I didn’t realize was how much I’d get for my subscription: chats, fantasy articles, the mailbag and maybe best of all…blessedly no ads. My only regret is not signing up earlier! – Alex

I am proud to have just renewed my TR Front Office subscription after thoroughly enjoying my first year. Besides the fact that my mood is better because I never see an ad (boy, do i hate ads!), but more importantly the benefits keep expanding. The exclusive articles, chats and mailbag are no small bonuses; they are fantastic value. And every one of my questions gets answered by the wisest journalists on the planet. – Charlie

MLBTR just gets better and better! With exclusive chats, articles and other content, the subscription is a great value. Check it out! – Lloyd

If you’re a pure baseball fan, but you’re not a Front Office subscriber, you’re doing yourself a huge disservice! I have already received the Ty Cobb best-seller book “A Terrible Beauty” as well as had all my questions answered in the Subscriber only chats (multiple times). These are just a few of the things that make this a must have for me, but the Slack membership is slowly taking over as my favorite part of this entire experience. – Keith

MLBTR Front Office certainly is worth the price. There are weekly exclusive subscriber chats for general baseball questions and now fantasy-focused questions, articles covering a variety of topics, Tim’s weekly mailbag, and more. I know this sounds like a commercial, but Trade Rumors certainly provides plenty of bang for the buck. Supporting their efforts was an easy decision. – Greg

The subscription service is well worth the price. The content and depth of analysis the writers provide on a plethora of issues is fascinating and eye opening. Adding the fantasy component too is a godsend for us fantasy junkies. It’s also wonderful to get to participate in the private chats and more often than not get my questions answered with responses that demonstrate great attention to detail and insight. I highly recommend the subscription. If you like baseball, you’ll love this service! – Jason

MLBTR has been the best in the business for years. Their writers and analysts are always addressing the issues that face the game now, as well as in the future. None of this is a secret, and everyone wants to know more about “their” team, or “their” favorite player. Having the dedicated chats is the best chance I’ve had to steal a couple minutes of top notch insight and opinion into my team’s and player’s outlooks. Worth every penny just for that. The rest is surplus value. – Rick

Finally! A premium subscription worth having! MLBTR’s Front Office makes a great website even better. Essential service for the die-hard sports fan. – Phillip

Having a paid subscription has made a great experience with MLBTR even better. My questions in chats get answered frequently, and the additional content for subscribers has been a great way to weather the lockout. – Joshua

My favorite part of my MLBTR subscription is the weekly mailbag hosted by site founder Tim Dierkes. With his years of industry knowledge, Tim always crafts thorough and well thought-out responses. It’s like reading a miniature MLBTR feature, but tailored specifically to the question you’ve had! – Chris

The delight of my day, and the first thing I do in the morning, (after brewing my coffee), is to check in on whatever has arrived from MLBR Front Office. Addiction warning: hard to stop myself from checking in during the day … and often something has happened that just feeds the addiction. For any knowledgable, serious fan, the best entertainment dollar one can invest! – Paul

Click here to subscribe to Trade Rumors Front Office!

Pro Hockey Rumors Seeking Part-Time Writers

By | at

We’re looking to add multiple part-time contributors to the Pro Hockey Rumors writing team. The positions pay on an hourly basis.

Applicants must meet all of the following criteria:

  • Exceptional knowledge of all 32 NHL teams, with no discernible bias. We want you to be as comfortable writing about Janis Moser and Connor Dewar as you would be writing about Connor McDavid and Auston Matthews.
  • Knowledge of the salary cap, CBA, and transaction-related concepts.
  • Strong weeknight and weekend availability, with the ability to work at least two regular shifts per week. Flexibility to work on short notice and/or on weekdays is a plus.
  • Extensive writing experience, with professional experience and a background in journalism both preferred.
  • Keen understanding of journalistic principles, ethics, and procedures. Completion of basic college-level journalism classes is strongly preferred.
  • Attention to detail and an ability to self-edit.
  • Ability to follow PHR’s style and tone.
  • Ability to analyze articles and craft intelligent, well-written posts summing up the news in a few paragraphs. We need someone who can balance creating quick copy with thoughtful analysis.
  • You must be able to add value to breaking news with your own insight, numbers, or links to other relevant articles.
  • Ability to use Twitter, Tweetdeck, and other relevant platforms. In general, you must be able to multi-task.

If you’re interested, email prohockeyrumorshelp@gmail.com and include the following:

  • A few paragraphs to explain why you qualify and stand out.
  • A description of your availability going forward.
  • At least one or two writing samples. NHL-related pieces are preferred, but not mandatory.

We understand that many of those who read this have applied in the past. If you have previously submitted an application for PHR and are still interested, please submit it again. Many will apply, so unfortunately we cannot respond to every applicant.

Read The Transcript Of Brad Johnson’s Fantasy Baseball Chat

By | at

Brad Johnson has been writing about fantasy baseball for more than a decade and has considerable experience in Roto, H2H, dynasty, and experimental formats.  As an expert in the field, Brad participates in the Tout Wars Draft and Hold format and was crowned the league’s winner in 2020.  Brad’s writing experience includes RotoGraphs, NBC SportsEDGE, and this website, and he’s presented at the First Pitch Arizona fantasy baseball conference.

In other words, the dude knows fantasy baseball.  If you play, we welcome you to read the transcript of today’s live chat.  Brad will be chatting on Mondays at noon central time every other week here at MLBTR from now until the regular season begins.  You can find Brad on Twitter @BaseballATeam.

How Many $100 Million Contracts Are Left This Offseason?

By | at

23 years ago, the Dodgers signed righty Kevin Brown to a seven-year, $105MM deal in advance of his age-34 season.  It was the first baseball contract to break the $100MM barrier.  The deal famously included a charter jet to fly Brown’s family from Georgia to Los Angeles 12 times per season.  Sandy Alderson, then working for the commissioner’s office, called the deal “an affront and an insult to the commissioner of baseball.”  Rivals were also displeased with Dodgers GM Kevin Malone, believing other bidders were not close.

Due to inflation and increases in MLB revenue, $300MM is now the top of the market round number, and nine players have crossed that barrier.  $100MM is the realm of the very good, not superstar territory.  Still, that round number still holds some psychological significance.  This winter Corey Seager signed for $325MM, while Marcus Semien, Javier Baez, Max Scherzer, Robbie Ray, and Kevin Gausman have signed in the $110-175MM range.

That’s six $100MM contracts so far this winter, which we haven’t seen since seven players broke the barrier following the 2015 season.  How many more $100M deals will be struck once the lockout ends, with 20 of our top 50 free agents still on the board?

There’s a general expectation that we’ll see a free agent frenzy of sorts when the lockout ends, with the possibility that most signings will have to occur in a period of less than one month.  That pressure should make for an action-packed spring training/hot stove period.  In theory, we could see increased spending once new competitive balance tax thresholds are known and 15 National League designated hitter jobs are potentially added.  But for the most part, I think teams already have an idea of what they think each free agent is worth, and I don’t think that’s going to change much post-lockout.

I see a total of eight remaining free agents with at least some plausible chance to reach $100MM, if I’m generous.  Carlos Correa and Freddie Freeman are locks.  Other candidates include Kris Bryant, Trevor Story, and Nick Castellanos, who were all projected by MLBTR in November to top the $100MM barrier.  We’ll also throw Kyle Schwarber, Carlos Rodon, and Seiya Suzuki in the mix, even though they seem like long shots.   In the poll below, vote for all the players you think will sign a contract worth $100MM or more before the season begins.  Click here for a direct link to the poll, and here for the results.

Create your own user feedback survey

Read The Transcript Of Our Chat With Hall Of Famer Chipper Jones

By | at

This is a big one.  Chipper Jones needs no introduction; you can simply read his Hall of Fame plaque.  Chipper is one of the best switch-hitters of all time.  Drafted first overall in 1990, he was the offensive centerpiece of the Braves dynasty in the 90s and early 2000s mainly as the team’s third baseman.  Chipper’s first full season was 1995, when the Braves won the World Series and he finished second in the Rookie of the Year voting.  His accomplishments are too numerous to list, but Jones was the 1999 NL MVP and received votes in 12 other seasons.  He hit 30 home runs in six separate seasons, including 45 in ’99.  He also reached the century mark in RBI nine times.  Even as he battled injuries later in his career, Jones’ production stayed strong, and he won the 2008 batting title by hitting .364 at age 36.

Jones finished his career with a .303/.401/.529 line, hitting 468 home runs in his 19-year career.  He became a first-ballot Hall of Famer in 2018.  We were honored to host Chipper today for a live chat.  Click here to read the transcript.  You can follow Chipper on Twitter @RealCJ10.

If you’re a current or former MLB player who would like to do a chat with MLBTR readers, reach out through our contact form!  We’ve also had requests for a chat with a former MLB general manager, if there are any out there who would be interested.

Our Lockout Lottery Is Now Closed

By | at

UPDATE: The contest is now closed.  We’ll be rooting for the lockout to end as soon as possible.

You’re here on this website, waiting for some sort of news indicating the MLB lockout will soon end.  We’ve got nothing: no indication of recent talks or progress.  Transactions are frozen, so we’re left to do our best talking about what happened in November and what might happen post-lockout.

That means our free agent prediction contest is frozen too, with Scott Schum standing alone atop the leaderboard with a .433 batting average.  Scott has been able to pull off this Nap Lajoie-like feat by correctly predicting the destinations of Corey Seager, Marcus Stroman, and Starling Marte, among many others.

I thought it might be fun to make the best of a bad situation by creating a contest to predict the date on which the lockout officially ends.  Everyone who guesses correctly will receive a free one-year subscription to Trade Rumors Front Office, or a one-year extension if you already have one.

By “officially ends,” I mean the date on which a press release from MLB goes out declaring the lockout over.  If there winds up being some subjectivity on the official date, the MLBTR staff will deliberate and decide.

If you’re interested in signing up for Trade Rumors Front Office right now, click here to learn more about the benefits.

Passan On CBA Negotiations

By | at

On Monday, USA Today’s Bob Nightengale wrote that no negotiating sessions were scheduled between MLB and the players’ union.  That remains the case, but ESPN’s Jeff Passan writes today that “MLB is working on proposals to bring to the table.”  Passan’s sources believe the “earliest negotiations will ramp up this time is late January.”

Passan suggests MLB is hoping to determine what tops the players’ list of priorities: the oft-repeated “competitive integrity” anti-tanking buzzword, getting players paid earlier in their careers, or raising the competitive balance tax thresholds.

As has been reported previously, MLB’s most recent proposal had the CBT threshold starting at $214MM in 2022.  MLB’s proposal had the thresholds progressing only to $220MM by the end of a presumed five-year deal.  Going from $210MM in ’21 to $220MM in ’26 would be a 4.8% increase.  As I’ll explain, that’d represent the union’s biggest failure yet in increasing the CBT.

Last month, I documented how the CBT thresholds have changed with each new CBA, after this tax was introduced in 1997.  In 2003, the threshold was increased by 98.6% from the previous mark, jumping from $58.9MM in ’99 all the way to $117MM in ’03.  That was the first of four collective bargaining agreements where CBT increases were on the table, once it was initially set at $51MM in ’97.

That set of negotiations had the CBT ending at $136.5MM in ’06.  In the CBA spanning 2007-11, the players were able to get a 30.4% increase by ’11, jumping up to $178MM.  But in the CBA spanning 2012-16, the players had a major loss.  They succeeded only in taking the CBT from $178MM to $189MM, an increase of about 6.2%.  Compared to that $189MM point, the 2017-21 CBA ended with an 11.1% bump to get to $210MM.

The players have reportedly set their opening bid for the CBT at $245MM.  That implies they might hope to see it progress to around $260MM by the end of the deal.  A jump from a $210MM starting point to a $260MM ending point would represent a 23.8% increase, falling neatly between the player-favoring 30% increase of ’07 and the MLB-favoring 11% increase of ’17.

The CBT is a major issue, but it remains to be seen whether the players will abandon some other more aggressive asks to prioritize it.  As Passan sees it, if the two sides don’t make progress by February 1st, a spring training delay is likely.  He feels that a lack of progress by March 1st “sets off the alarm” in terms of not starting the season on time, given all that must be done to be ready to play.

Read The Transcript Of Our Chat With Mariners Reliever Paul Sewald

By | at

Righty reliever Paul Sewald signed a minor league deal with the Mariners about a year ago.  On May 13th, when his contract was selected by the club, the promotions of Jarred Kelenic and Logan Gilbert got all the headlines.  Little did we know, Sewald would become one of the year’s best stories.  From the point of Sewald’s season debut on May 16th, he’d go on to lead all MLB relievers in strikeouts by a wide margin, with 104 in 64 2/3 innings.  Among relievers with at least 60 innings on the season, Sewald’s 39.4 K% ranked second in baseball.

Born in Las Vegas, Sewald was drafted in the 10th round by the Mets out of the University of San Diego in 2012.  He made his big league debut against the Marlins at Citi Field on April 8th, 2017.  Sewald logged 147 1/3 relief innings for the Mets before landing with the Mariners.

Deploying a sweeping slider, elevated fastballs, and a deceptive delivery, Sewald ascended to the top of the pecking order in the Mariners’ bullpen by August.  Sewald pitched in 19 of the Mariners’ last 32 games as they pushed for a playoff spot, always in the highest-leverage situations.  Sewald’s breakout 2021 season included 10 wins, a 3.06 ERA, 104 strikeouts, 11 saves, and 16 holds.  He’s slated to hold a prominent role in Seattle’s pen again in ’22.

Sewald is currently locked out by MLB, but he agreed to come chat with MLBTR readers today!  Click here to read the transcript.  And be sure to follow Paul on Twitter @ItsPaulSewald.

If there’s been one good thing for this website to come out of the lockout, it’s been these live chats with MLB players.  If you’re a current or former MLB player with some stories to tell, contact us here to set up a chat!  It’s fun and easy, and you get to choose which questions you answer.

Adam Eaton Considering Retirement, Possible Coaching Position With Angels

By | at

About a year ago, the White Sox signed Adam Eaton to a one-year, $7MM deal to be their right fielder.  By July, Eaton had been designated for assignment.  The Angels picked him up for the league minimum, and he lasted about a month with them before being released.  The 33-year-old Eaton is “at least considering retirement,” according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, in part because the Angels discussed a coaching position with him prior to the lockout.  However, MLB’s stance is that Eaton is locked out from discussing employment as a coach.

Minor league free agents like Jake Bauers – even with plenty of MLB time this year – have been able to sign minor league contracts during the lockout.  Though he was released by the Angels on August 20th, Eaton become a free agent via unconditional release waivers, and is therefore covered by the lockout.  That means Eaton is unable to sign with a team as a coach or a player.  “The union does not necessarily agree” that Eaton should be locked out, according to Rosenthal.

Rosenthal has more on the Angels’ coaching staff, including their addition of Bill Haselman as a catching instructor.  Haselman had a 13-year MLB career spanning 1990-2003.  Phil Nevin and Benji Gil are also known to have roles on Joe Maddon’s staff.

MLB Trade Rumors is not affiliated with Major League Baseball, MLB or MLB.com

Do not Sell or Share My Personal Information

hide arrows scroll to top