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Jeffrey Todd

4:54

For someone who goes by "metsbro," you framed that question with surprising nuance. I think you put it well: "new reality of free agency" is a key consideration here, b/c the market isn't producing results in the way it was before. And it is absolutely critical that the MLBPA think hard about what kind of structural changes would make a real difference. To this point the negotiations have just involved tweaks -- to the QO system, say -- and those have actually tended to reduce player earning power.

4:55

Having not thought about the full ramifications (that's the caveat), I wonder if they'll consider trying to boost the pie by improving the earning ability of more players. Part of the reason teams are cheaping out on mid-level FAs is that they can get not-so-bad alternatives for cheap in the person of rising, pre-arb/arb players. If those players were able to earn more, that' boost the total pie and to an extent reduce the squeeze on veterans.

Nick Leyva

4:56

Do you get the sense Yankees see Arenado in 2020 as Plan A and Machado at HUGE numbers as Plan B?

Jeffrey Todd

4:56

Honestly, while I'm sure the Yankees do consider the potential availability of a guy like Arenado in the future, I doubt they would allow that to get in the way of their immediate plans/needs. If they really felt they needed a star-level 3B now, why would they sit and wait?

4:57

Maybe the response is, "because Manny just isn't THAT guy." In that case, that's the real reason they are holding off, not b/c Arenado (whether or not he is THAT guy) will likely be available next winter.

4:58

Now if they could trade for Arenado, different story ... but I'm far from convinced that's really plausible. Would be ballsy for the Rox.

Chad

4:58

Was West Coast Ryan banned?

Jeffrey Todd

4:58

Can I tell you how much I love commenter controversies?

4:59

To the small number of people that constantly debate and bring this stuff up ... man, I just honestly hope that you are able to find something more worthy of your time.

Baseball is fun. Let's just all talk baseball.

Old Greg

4:59

Is Steve Adams just your alter-ego?

Jeffrey Todd

5:00

Pretty much, actually. We share quite a few similarities, moreso in how we view baseball than life in general (but life in general also).

Cashman

5:00

Am I confused? Why would I give Gardner 7.5 million for a year when Markakis signed for 1 yr, 6 million? Why give Didi 12 million in arbitration when he won't even play for most of the year and is a free agent at the end of the year. Why give CC 10 million for 1 year? DJ 12 million? That's 41.5 million...I could have gotten Marchado/Harper and still had 10-15 million more to spend...

Jeffrey Todd

5:01

Well you don't know how the deals will shake out. And they know what they want in a player. Mostly just wanted to say ... don't sleep on a late drop of Didi if they made a big infield move. They are only committed to 1/6 of that money.

5:02

Not saying that Didi isn't well worth the salary, but he's hurt and not on a certain timeline, so if they bit on Machado, it'd make some sense to just view that as a $2MM sunk insurance cost.

Cito's Mustache

5:03

Does it feel like the Tigers are shopping Castellanos as a big corner OF bat while other teams view him as a pricey DH? Would his trade value really be higher than someone like Smoak, for instance?

Jeffrey Todd

5:04

I think that may put it well. Not to say a team wouldn't use him in the OF -- might well do so. But will they pay for him (in trade ... and don't forget he's earning nearly 10 mil) as if he's a premium corner OF? Eh. The guy can obviously hit, but he isn't exactly JD Martinez in terms of his track record. Smoak isn't a bad comparison.

5:05

That said I do think Castellanos is an easier fit since he at least can struggle through a season in the OF. And maybe there's some reason to think he can still improve. I honestly don't see a big return, though.

There are those who call me Tim

5:06

Any chance Moose returns to the Brewers and they put Shaw back at 2nd?

Jeffrey Todd

5:08

If they did it last year, then I think they'd do it again. They seemed reasonably pleased with the outcome and it sure didn't stop 'em from going to the postseason. Honestly I expected something different, though. With the options now off the board ... I don't know. A guy like Asdrubal would have seemed to make a lot of sense, not that he's any gem of a fielder at second. Still quite a few possibilities, including trades. They could go with a multi-player rotating unit of sorts.

Tarvarious

5:09

have the angels simply given up?

Jeffrey Todd

5:10

They just signed Cody Allen, who was arguably at least as good if not a better bounceback high-leverage candidate than Trevor Rosenthal and Kelvin Herrera. Got him for much less money, too.

5:11

I know that's not what many fans would like to hear. And I get it, believe me. It's frustrating to see Trout not being surrounded by additional talent. But the org is in a tight spot and is bound by its prior choices. That includes not only Pujols but also Justin Upton, who was the kind of splurge that some would advocate now. (You could throw Cozart in there, too.)

Anthony B

5:12

Are the Reds a legit NL Central contender?

Jeffrey Todd

5:13

As things stand, I could probably imagine any team winning the division. Can't say that about any other in baseball. BUT I would put the Reds with the Bucs as the two far less likely candidates, with the other three teams bunched together as more likely.

5:14

Just ... a lot has to go right to see it. There's probably a path there, but more things have to add up than would be the case for the Cubs/Cards/Brewers.

Daniel

5:15

Do you think NYY got a fair value for Sonny Gray? I thought he would have been a perfect fit at Petco Park and was wondering why SD did not pursue him.

Jeffrey Todd

5:17

I thought they did pretty darn well for one year of a guy who wasn't himself in 2018. Obviously they preferred to flip Long, probably due to the 40-man factor as much as their view of him as a player, but they ended up getting a recent high draft pick who performed well in his first taste of pro ball as well as a chance to make their own early pick this summer. I can't judge the actual prospects, but it seems like a strong haul.

Deep Dish

5:18

There was chatter over the weekend about some teams interested in Joc. He's been the larger side, pun intended, of a platoon in LA but seems like he could be a solid every day type in the right setting. Thoughts on Joc as an every day RF/CF type?

Jeffrey Todd

5:19

Platoon splits matter. His are yawning. Dude rakes against righties and sucks against lefties. That isn't necessarily the worst thing, since it makes it pretty easy to make a fantastic platoon pairing.

Maybe the right team can just throw him in there every day and hope for the best. But I wouldn't count on it working.

JNogle

5:20

What kind of offer do you expect Pollock to sign? I feel like the Lorenzo Cain deal is a longshot...

Jeffrey Todd

5:21

Cain money was always a huge longshot. We predicted far less. Can he still get 4/60+? I mean, maybe. Let's suppose Harper goes to the Nats or a surprise team, and the Phillies and Dodgers end up on Pollock with perhaps another team or two as well. You can see a path to a long-term deal perhaps.

5:22

Feels like a lot of games of chicken still going on right now.

Keegan

5:22

An economic recession is on our horizon. Is the stinginess we're seeing from clubs due to fear of an economic downturn or is it just standard billionaires being greedy?

Jeffrey Todd

5:23

That is an interesting thought. This is an unusual industry in that you are investing huge sums well into the future (for a select few players). Possible future revenue drops would be of no little importance. But ... there are other explanations as well.

MLB420

5:25

is MLB headed towards a strike?

Jeffrey Todd

5:25

I am sure there are some less drastic steps that would come first.

Insert GM Name Here

5:26

I like the Tigers' move -- signing Gordon Beckham is a shot across the bow at the White Sox.

Jeffrey Todd

5:26

The AL Central is getting INTENSE