JotCast | Trade Rumors Front Office Chat

Trade Rumors Front Office Chat

Connor Byrne

1:51

Hey everyone. Welcome to my first subscription chat as MLBTR. We'll get going in a bit.

*at MLBTR. Great start!

Kirt Bennett

1:55

What do you think of the Clevinger deal from each side's perspective?

Connor Byrne

1:55

Here's the deal for those who want to revisit it: https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2020/08/indians-trade-mike-clevinger-pa...

1:56

I love it for the Padres, who had prospects to spare and didn't give up any high-impact big leaguers (their farm system's still great). The Indians didn't do a bad job, but I probably would've kept Clevinger from their POV and tried to ride a super-rotation to a World Series.

Theo

1:56

Hey there! Should I have gone after a solid starter and/or better LH relief than what I settled for? Or is it pretty obvious that we'll never get past the Dodgers- if we get that far?

Connor Byrne

1:58

(Cubs president of baseball Theo Epstein) - I don't think you can just concede to the Dodgers. Even though they're amazing, they still haven't won it all since the '80s. And in fairness to the Cubs, they did make a few moves (including in their bullpen), and their rotation looked quite a bit better before Quintana went back on the IL. Darvish, Hendricks, Lester, Quintana, Mills would've been formidable. Maybe Alzolay will seize the opportunity.

Guest

1:59

Taijuan Walker and Robbie Ray both free agents to be. What would a fair deal look like for an extension with the Jays for each of them?

Connor Byrne

2:00

I had far higher hopes for Ray before this season, as I'm sure many did. Maybe he'll just take a one-year, prove-it deal in the upcoming offseason. I think something like 2/20 for Walker would be reasonable, but we'll see how the next few weeks go.

2:01

I know weird things can happen in a 60-game season, but who thought Ray would have a 7.84 ERA and an 8.39 BB/9 on Sept. 3? Yikes

Jeff samardzija

2:02

Will I receive a major league contract this winter?

Connor Byrne

2:03

I think so, but not for much. I know Ray has been bad, but Shark has an almost 10.00 ERA/FIP. Not a big sample of innings, but still.

GangGreen23

2:03

Why did the A’s bother trading for pitcher Mike Minor when his ERA is higher than the 5 starters they already have? Is this a move purely to get through all the Double-headers they have coming up?

Connor Byrne

2:05

I don't mind it for the A's. The Rangers ate half of the money, Minor was really good just a year ago, and his spin rate's still near the top of the league. Pretty decent buy-low candidate. If it fails, so be it. The A's are WS contenders on a limited budget, so might as well take a shot.

Marc

2:05

How much traction is the "bubble" idea for the playoffs getting? It seems I read that the league made some kind of proposal to the players. Have they answered?

Connor Byrne

2:06

I haven't seen anything about it since last week (all the deadline stuff probably has something to do with it), but it's definitely an idea worth considering for MLB. Playoff bubbles have worked well for NHL and NBA, as far as I know.

2:06

Is there any hope for Kris Davis or cut bait now?

Connor Byrne

2:09

Guess you can't rule it out, as Davis is in the last year of a contract that has been a disaster so far. Between him and Billy Butler, maybe it's time for the A's to stop paying big money to DH-only types

Jon

2:09

Which team that didn't do anything at the deadline were you most surprised to see stand pat?

Connor Byrne

2:10

The Yankees come to mind. I thought they'd acquire a starter. Their rotation doesn't inspire much confidence, especially with Gerrit Cole's relative mediocrity.

You don't pay $324MM for 46 innings of 3.91 ERA/4.83 FIP ball in the first season of the deal.

PED Skeptic

2:11

Everyone seems gaga over Nelson Cruz still raking at 40, but as a twice-caught cheater why is no one addressing the likelihood he's just onto the next as-yet-undetectable or not-yet-testable PED? Seems pretty unlikely an athlete peaks in his late 30s and beyond. Thanks.

Connor Byrne

2:13

Couldn't you kind of take this approach regarding almost everyone who's successful, though? For all we know, just about anybody could be on something that's not yet detectable. I prefer to give the player the benefit of the doubt, even if he has had past issues. To me, Cruz is an MVP candidate this year, though it's not an award that's easy for a DH to win.

Rake Cronenworth

2:13

Care to take a stab at the shape of my production going forward? Seems like good BB and K numbers are likely, but how much HR power and SB speed will I offer?

Connor Byrne

2:15

Love the production and the K/BB numbers, though the .381 BABIP won't sustain itself. But Cronenworth has been one of the very best Statcast types in the league this year - his .477 xwOBA ranks in the top 1 percent of MLB. I think the Padres have a gem on their hands and someone who could be a well-above-average hitter for the long haul.

The team as a whole is very exciting. I'm glad to see them doing well after such a horrible run.

RMR

2:16

Any idea why traffic to the site is still down so much with baseball back in full swing? I know some people don't like you guys to talk about this kind of stuff, but I'm genuinely curious (and also hoping things turn around for you guys and other baseball-centric sites that are struggling with reduced traffic this year).

Connor Byrne

2:17

Not really my place to say, but it seems like sports have dwindled in popularity in recent months. MLB and NBA ratings are way down, I believe. There's a lot going on outside of sports right now & maybe most fans aren't too enthused about abbreviated seasons with no fans in the stands. It'll be interesting to see how the NFL fares when its season starts.

Ted

2:18

What is your take on the Padres’ flurry of trades? Smart moves, or Preller desperation? Reminds me of Trader Frank Lane.

Connor Byrne

2:19

For the most part, I like what they did, and I applaud a long-struggling team/GM for making a real effort.

Darrell

2:19

Thoughts on JD Martinez opting out after this season? Such a poor showing to date. Has that dented his open market value going forward?

Connor Byrne

2:20

I can't imagine him opting out at this point. His season has been terrible (as has the entire Boston team's). JDM's hard-hit percentage has fallen about 7 percent since last year, says FanGraphs

2:21

and his xwoBA has fallen about 60 points

not saying Martinez is done, but I don't know how you leave around $40MM on the table with the season he's having

SteveM

2:22

What is in the water that Cleveland Indians pitchers drink? That club produces pitchers like NY produces IL patients.

Connor Byrne

2:23

Whatever it is, every team in the league wants the recipe. The Indians are unbelievably good at finding viable starters who make relatively little money

Mariner Fan Wayne

2:23

What do you think of the return the Mariners got for Austin Nola et al? I was just glad to see Altavilla go myself.

Connor Byrne

2:24

This was one of the Padres moves I wasn't in love with, and I liked it for the Mariners. Nola's already over 30 and the M's aren't contending in the next season or two. I like Ty France, who's only 26

and Trammell, who's interesting, was also in there

still a high-end prospect

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