JotCast | MLBTR Live Chat

Jeffrey Todd

2:02

Hey everyone. Things are finally happening! Let's discuss them.

Drop some questions and we'll get moving here in a few minutes ...

Bret

2:05

Do the Cardinals and/or Giants push for a Stanton resolution before the Winter Meetings?

Jeffrey Todd

2:06

It's possible one of these teams could give an ultimatum and try to force Stanton's hand. But it's on his timetable, ultimately.

ThomasJ

2:06

Now that the Rangers have signed Minor, how much is Jake McGee is going to be sought after as the LH Reliever to go after....Shouldn't my Astros be the top contender?

Jeffrey Todd

2:07

It is definitely good news for the other lefties, with McGee possibly being the chief beneficiary. Since Minor is going to start, he won't really occupy a slot that might have gone to another top LH reliever.

2:08

And yes, the Astros have to be considered a top contender for McGee or others, including trade possibilities.

Bartolo Colonoscopy

2:08

If you had to bet on where Ohtani lands who would you go with?

Jeffrey Todd

2:08

I would not place such a bet. Just all speculation at this point. His camp has kept a tight-lipped ship.

Puzzled Fan

2:09

Is Wily Peralta a good fit for the rebuilding Royals?

Jeffrey Todd

2:10

Sure. As I noted in the post, could either be an interesting relief arm in a "let's try to contend" scenario, such as if they manage to bring back Hosmer, or a cheap starter in a "let's fill the rotation like we're the Padres" scenario. Possible trade chip, etc, and there's an option to give some upside. Sensible move.

2:10

What do Rays get from Cardinals for both Archer and Colome?

Jeffrey Todd

2:10

Start writing down the most interesting young Cardinals players and take like the top four or five. It would be a huge haul.

2:11

brb going to update the site real quick ...

@JeffPassan
26s26 seconds ago
More
Sources: Shohei Ohtani is done interviewing the seven finalists to sign him. His last meeting was actually Tuesday night with the San Diego Padres. Next, presumably, will be his decision. Timetable is not clear yet, but it could well be soon.

Meantime here's a poll ....

2:12

Who signs Otani?

Padres (19% | 297 votes)

Dodgers (7.6% | 119 votes)

Angels (13.1% | 205 votes)

Rangers (4.5% | 70 votes)

Mariners (35% | 547 votes)

Giants (11.1% | 173 votes)

Cubs (9.6% | 150 votes)

Total Votes: 1,561

2:14

Lots of people like the Ms, same as when I put that poll on the site.

And look at those Padres! The little engine that could.

2:15

That's my last discussion on Ohtani landing spots, b/c I have no idea.

Guest

2:15

you think the dbacks trade one of their middle IF? Owings or Ahmed more likely to go.. im saying CO for a good reliever

Jeffrey Todd

2:16

Not sure I really see that. Think they felt the need for depth last year and I'm not sure they'd bring back a big return. Cheap, also. But they certainly will need to be creative to make any roster improvements so I suppose it can't be ruled out. Preference, of course, would be to move salary.

Justgene

2:16

Any thoughts on the Astros progress for some bullpen help?

Jeffrey Todd

2:17

Luhnow said recently he doesn't really expect to just target a guy and get aggressive. Seems they'll be patient. I expect they'll be in on all the big names -- or, at least, those who they like.

Jeff from Minnesota

2:17

Dayton Moore says the rebuild is probably 3 years for the Royals, but all the "experts" say their farm system is in the bottom third of the league. Assuming they don't sign any of their top 5 or 6 FA this offseason, what is a realistic time frame for them to be competitive again?

Jeffrey Todd

2:18

A few good breaks can move things in one direction or another. But KCR can't ramp up payroll the way that, say, the Phillies or perhaps the Astros can. And they passed on a chance to deal their 3 big free agents over the summer. So I'd generally expect it to be on the longer side.

2:19

Let's remember that, even if they really do embark upon a rebuild, we don't know exactly what it will look like. The Royals also have some hard-to-move veteran money on the books (Gordon, Kennedy). And their best veteran trade chips (Herrera, Duffy) had less-than-great 2017 seasons.

Jeff

2:19

What are your thoughts on the Marlins handling of the potential Stanton trade? How do you see these trade discussions playing out?

Jeffrey Todd

2:20

Well, it's interesting. Putting deals in place with two teams and allowing them both to chat with him ... can't say I can recall a similar process in the past. But he's a unique player to trade and they can only work with what they can. Best case scenario was that the Dodgers would come in strong, but that hasn't happened.

Proof will be in the pudding here, so I'm reserving judgment.

Brian

2:20

Why doesn’t LA get Stanton? With him in the lineup, the Dodgers are gonna be a death lineup.

Jeffrey Todd

2:22

They value financial flexibility. And it's important to remember that great young players turn costly quickly, while a few veteran deals that go south can really hamstring a team. I'm sure they'd love to have Stanton, but perhaps aren't willing to just take on that full salary. Or, perhaps, they are acting strategically to see if Stanton really just decides he wants to be a Dodger.

Andy

2:22

What you think about the cardinals signing the lizard King?

Jeffrey Todd

2:23

That'd be Miles Mikolas. From a value perspective I can get behind it. Obviously they liked what they saw from a scouting perspective and the numbers were there in Japan. I have been saying I didn't really think they needed to deepen the rotation, but if they foresee a trade involving one of their better young starters that could change. Suppose Mikolas could also bump into the pen, though that'd be a pretty big payday in that case for a guy who'll necessarily come with some uncertainty as he transitions back to the majors.

baseball gods

2:24

Do you think the Mets will start 2018 with a better roster than they had on opening day in 2017?

Jeffrey Todd

2:25

On paper ... no, not really. Mostly because this time last year their rotation still looked firmer than it does now, and they are dealing with uncertainty w/r/t Conforto and some others (Rosario, despite his good showing, Familia, 1B still open, etc). Also, it seems payroll may trend south. There are going to be some questions with that roster.

Connor

2:25

Thoughts on Mike Minor signing? Six man rotation for Rangers to facilitate Ohtani could be possiblility

Jeffrey Todd

2:26

Yes but they also just needed good starters regardless. There's some health risk, of course, but this seems more promising than finding a back-end type for nearly the same annual rate on a shorter term.

Noah

2:26

What do you think about the news about the A's trying to find a new home????? MTL?

Jeffrey Todd

2:26

I've seen no suggestion that this stadium problem means they are suddenly shopping new locales.

Load More Messages

Connecting…