As MLB’s offseason continues, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day today:
1. Glasnow deal appears imminent:
Reports yesterday indicated that the Dodgers and Rays have agreed upon a trade that would send right-hander Tyler Glasnow and outfielder Manuel Margot to the Dodgers in exchange for Ryan Pepiot and Jonny Deluca. The deal hinges on an extension being finalized between the Dodgers and Glasnow. A deal is expected to come together, with Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times suggesting it could occur as soon as today. When completed, the deal will begin to address L.A.’s massive vacancies in the rotation, where Glasnow will join Bobby Miller and Walker Buehler as surefire starting options. Emmet Sheehan and Ryan Yarbrough are among the club’s depth options for the rotation, though the Dodgers figure to continue looking to reinforce the group after posting a 4.57 ERA that was 11th-worst in all of baseball last year.
2. Royals 40-man roster move incoming?
Yesterday, the Royals cleared space on their 40-man roster for right-hander Seth Lugo by trading right-hander Taylor Clarke to the Brewers in exchange for right-hander Ryan Brady and infielder Cam Devanney, neither of whom are on the 40-man. Lugo isn’t the only free agent signing the club will need to make room for on their roster, however, as Kansas City also got together on a deal with right-hander Chris Stratton earlier this week. The Royals, of course, could simply designate a player on their 40-man for assignment to make room for Stratton, though it’s fair to wonder if the club hopes to work out another minor trade to clear roster space as it did with Milwaukee yesterday.
3. SP market heating up?
In addition to the aforementioned agreement on a Glasnow trade, the starting pitching market lost a pair of free agents yesterday as right-handers Jack Flaherty and Tyler Mahle signed on with the Tigers and Rangers, respectively. The deals further heat up a middle-to-back of the rotation market that has seen plenty of deals come together so far this offseason. The upper tiers of the market have lagged behind in comparison, with Eduardo Rodriguez agreeing to a contract this month after quick-strike deals came together for Aaron Nola and Sonny Gray in November. Generally, it seems as though the top-of-the-rotation market is being held up by the Yoshinobu Yamamoto bidding. Yamamoto visited with the Phillies, adding a new team to the widely-known field of contenders for his services that already included the Dodgers, Yankees, Mets, Giants, Red Sox, and Blue Jays.
When the Padres we’re doing this over the past few years it was cute, and good for baseball
When the Dodgers do it, it’s bad for baseball, and not fair.
Life is short, go watch the NFL.
Meh I’d consider taking on the NBA as a second sport before the NFL. Hard to care as much when they play 16 games once a week. Go Giants though thanks for beating Boston and Brady twice it saved New York football.
I’ll be interested in that Glasnow extension. Dodgers have to be hoping to buy low in that contract.
In all, I’m not a fan of dodgers moves. They would have done better keeping the prior core in tact imo rather than dip for past couple seasons to massively overpay for ohtani.
Dodgers really aren’t that much better either. There will be days they run out 4 hitters in there lineup that will all be hitting 220 or less and their rotation is still suspect
Big whiffa- I’ll say this. The Dodgers somehow managed to get Ohtani for 2.9m with his contract deferred without INTEREST. Which was crazy to me. They now can make bank on his global marketing value which is vastly beyond 700M. Hard to thunk of that as a team friendly deal…but it is with the Dodgers wealth. This is how the rich get richer and can dominate with cash in hand. He owed them nothing.
We’re heading toward a player owned league.
Doc, So dodgers will get rich from Asian kids buying ohtani jerseys ? And that in turn gives them an unfair advantage ? I don’t buy that. All these teams are filthy rich. And w that ohtani contact – all he can do is live up to it in any given year. They paid him to be the league mvp and cy young winner every year. So when he’s not – they aren’t getting the return on the investment they made.
Dodgers are an elite franchise bc they have been great at trades and great at identifying and developing talent. Now they are overpaying in trades, their minor league system is weak as ever, and all that talent they have identified is now playing else where for the most part. That leaves them trying to buy championships like the Yankees have been trying to do for the past some 20 years.
I’m Not impressed
I get your point, but I think an AAV of earning and deferring $70M/yr for 10 yrs has the interest baked into it. The projection was ~$50M/yr….he almost got another 50% of that. They might not call it interest but the jump from $50 to deferring at $70M implies a vig was applied to the deal.
Big Whiffa. The Dodgers are not a baseball team. They are a business. They just deferred most of 700M at ZERO interest, and just made a very real stab at the Yankees for global marketing leadership. No, some teams are way way beyond the others. The difference between LA and KC in the golabl market is STAGGERING. This was a beachhead.
Is it risky? He’d have to implode and not be able to take the field. Will he PLAY to the contract on the field? Probably not.
But you’d have to be in denial to not see this as a projection by their financial analysts.
And NOW they have extra money to build around him.
You mention the system. They’ve kept a great system WHILE winning. This should flat scare baseball.
We are talking baseball- not global marketing empires. It’s irrelevant to the conversation the global marketing impact because it doesn’t impact the game on the field. It doesn’t matter it allows the dodgers to pay more when there’s 6/7 other teams that will still match that amount.
What does matter is ohtanis # vs performance. So if he’s a 46 mil cap hit – he’s the highest paid player in baseball. So to be worth that investment inside the system we are talking about – he’d have to be 1 or 2 in mvp voting every year just to be worth his wage.
As a reds fan – I love the idea that dodgers and Yankees are in competition for global marketing shares and that the competition creates decisions that impact their baseball operating procedures ! Bc those decisions can easily turn into massive losses.
Bc do u know who is worth every cent they are being paid and more ? Corey seager
whiffa,
Ohtani’s marketing opportunities will bring in lots of money for the Dodgers. If you can’t understand how that affects their bottom line and what they can spend on players, that’s unfortunate. It’s very much is a factor, a huge one.
We can’t have a conversation without acknowledging players are paid for their marketing ability. This isn’t fantasy baseball where value is commensurate with on field stats.
Ohtani is the highest paid athlete in the world. It’s not because he’s a DH in 24.
“massively overpay for Ohtani?”
Not at all.
Gbs42- people who believe the Dodgers overpaid for Ohtani are illogical. This is a global entity worth many billions BEFORE signing Ohtani. Now, is he going to PLAY to a 700M contract? Unlikely. But he’s worth BILLIONS in sales and brand reach. The Dodgers just made a SERIOUS stab at the Yankees for global branding. To think the Dodgers don’t have astute financial analysts is absurd of people. We play the game ON the field to much when we comp salary to stats
Bingo. This is the greatest contract in MLB history.
Deahires4-
Its absurdly team friendly. It could backfire on the Dodgers. They’re dealing with a player from a culture that would do this deal for the benefit of his team. If they don’t deliver on his wishes there could be bad blood. It’s not the Dodgers who took this risk. Its Ohtani by trusting in a corporate interest. Zero interest on the money. Ohtani owes them nothing.
This deal would be awful for some teams. I can’t begin to project the future value of the Las Vegas A’s….it might not have one. Chasing this would be awful for some teams. Deferred money beyond projections would be insane. Like taking out a 30 year mortgage and seeing your neighborhood crater.
Big whiffa: When you were proposing a lot of the trades between the Rays and the Reds, you were saying that the Rays would not get that much. In fact, in many of them you had the Rays also trading Randy Arozarena.
I said it was always possible that a trade could be with the Reds but that someone would be offering a better deal to the Rays then you had without Randy.
I am glad to see the Rays continue to be able to maximize their trading skill again and did not settle for the pseudo–GM Big Wiffa trade proposals.
I wasn’t aware the Padres deferred 95% of their player’s salaries. Where is your evidence they did that?
Leave it to a large market apologist not to tell the whole story.
You’re right, the whole story is that everyone can do it.
The tiny market teams might not be able to, and that’s life, but 15/20 teams can.
Reds, they still have to pay the money. It’s still a 46 million dollar hit on the lux tax. They also have to have the deferred money on hand even if Ohtani doesn’t get it for another 10 years.
And there isn’t anyone who cares about him sidestepping taxes. Millionaires and billionaires have been doing it for ever without much complaint.
Oh, there has been many complaints by the middle class footing the tax bill since the first tax scheme back in the 80s, but that’s a subject for a different site.
Guess you haven’t seen the ratings. Everyone is already wacthing football and basketball more then baseball. Tv ratings don’t lie
I understand that, but it has nothing to do with big market teams. Many small market teams compete and win.
It has everything to do with attention spans, and that everyone today has the same one as an insect.
That’s why I like baseball, it’s for the sophisticated mind, not the crackheads.
Dodgers did it for a while though and did a corny backloaded contract. Also the Rangers did the same, buying an all star infield and entire rotation. Worked for them, not the Padres.
Those who have no shot at Yamamoto should not be waiting, but some have made a career by sitting on their hands as others build their team.
Read “Cubs”.
@Reds – agree on the Free Agent front, but Cease and Burnes will most likely remain on the trade market and once Yamamoto signs, the losers will immediately look to the trade market. So – the Reds and Orioles may be ready to deal for a top line starter (hypothetically), but the White Sox and Brewers are not willing to make the deal until they know ALL the players in the market. That, of course, becomes much clearer once Yamamoto signs.
I expect both of those trades (and maybe a few others) to occur shortly after Yama signs, so hopefully that’s soon!
I hope you’re right concerning Burnes and the Brewers. If they want us to buy into the whole Rays/Guardians small market perpetual contention idea, they can’t afford to sit on Burnes/Adames this year. Other teams can’t offer the QO unless they trade prior to the season, so you have to do it now to recoup max compensation. Can’t just let them go for nothing, and (it’s still early of course) they haven’t bolstered the offense enough to justify standing pat and running the basically same team back out there again. The odds of Black, Frelick, Mitchell, Turang all stepping in with career years are just astronomical.
Hurt – The Brewers should move Burnes now, I don’t think holding him increases his value. He’s an Ace penciled at ~$13.5M next yr before being a FA. His trade value is pretty well set and he isn’t expensive for the 1 yr. Every yr there’s a team that holds to max value and gets screwed cause all the buyers say screw it I’ll just sign a FA next yr.
A stupid overpay trade for Cease seems more likely than Burnes. The Brewers cld look to be preemptive and maximize the value of 2 expiring players – Adames and Burnes – in a single trade.
Interesting, now that the Rangers have lost Scherzer for at least half of next year, I wonder if the market for SP gets even hotter.
Glad the Cubs passed on Glasnow because they were never going to take Margot as part of the package. Taking Margot, and 25 million for China Doll Glasnow ( 0r 21 whatever it is ) Is completely not worth it. They could just sign Imanaga or Montgomery for that money and move on. Plus they gave them 2 pretty good prospects so the Rays totally fleeced them. There is a sucker born every minute.
It feels like it’s Imanaga or bust for the Cubs. I’d definitely be on Montgomery but haven’t heard one rumor about Cubs. Montgomery was an absolute horse in the playoffs.
Trading for and extending a guy who can’t pitch over 120 innings is wild to me but things work out more often than not for the Dodgers.
Los Karens loading up!
Dodger fan here. Still scratching my head why you would give up two young prospects (Pepiot and Deluca), affordable and with “control” for a $25+ million a year dude who cant pitch over 100 inning and an outfielder who stinks,.
Grew up Dodgers and Angels fan and I’m concerned about throwing money at pitchers like Glasnow and Ohtani. Glasnow has thrown barely 500 innings in 8 years. Ohtanis 2 TJs and a ton of mileage on that body.
This offseason hype reminds me of how Arte has run the Angels. The Dodgers are usually about having their core players and system dominate other teams. I’m not liking this approach for the Dodgers.
And the Braves will probably sit back and rinse/repeat with the status quo and hope they either stay healthy or become consistent once again….
“And the Braves will probably sit back”…When you win 100+ games(at least 2 of the last 3 yrs if not more) and look like the best team in baseball most of the year, going mostly “status quo” makes some level of sense. That being said, the Braves have already made upgrades and several changes to their roster.
We’ve lost the Phillies 2 years in a row because we couldn’t match their starting pitching in the playoffs….what’s the definition of insanity again?
Aside from that G3 (Elder GS) where they won 10-2, they rest of the 3 games had a combined difference of 6 runs. They matched up pretty well, aside from Elder. ATL hit all of those pitchers well throughout the season and went cold during the postseason, esp on the road where they were good all season.
“Definition of insanity”..Teams don’t win the World Series every year, bro. I’m guessing literally every team in MLB, except maybe Houston, would trade their last 5 yrs for the Braves last 5 yrs. What’s it been since Atlanta last won the WS?..3 yrs?
I’m not asking for a WS every year, tho it would be great. Division titles are great and all, but let’s start with a playoff series win. I’m objective enough to admit when they won the WS it completely lightning in a bottle. How have playoffs gone before or after under AA?
Well, I’d say his winning percentage is a lot better than his HoF former-GM, John Schuerholz, so far. Lightning in a bottle, maybe — but what better way to establish a winning culture for a bunch of young franchise Braves players than for them to win one and experience and give them a taste?
If you’re going to acknowledge Braves winning the World Series in 2021 – you also must acknowledge how profoundly impacted they were by AA’s moves that helped secure that title for them. You can’t acknowledge the ring and not AA.
@braveshomer
One small advantage in the play-offs to sides similarly matched makes a massive difference.
If you think sitting down for 5 days or doing BP or playing sim games prepares you for play off baseball after playing 162, over a team that just played and comes in on momentum versus a team sitting down and cold, then I really don’t know what to say. The whole play off system is a farce. Any advantage should go to the top seed, unless you want to devalue regular season play, and as of right now Manfred devalued it. The Braves also should have played the lowest ranked team coming out of the play offs, not the #1 wildcard.
I’ve been saying for years now AA won’t be getting any top tier starters….I’m still surprised when they actually signed Ozuna from free agency. Fried will be gone by next year and then what?
Good, for the most part, those top-tier FA SPs are the highest risk of any contract in MLB. Yes, Cole won Cy, but is being paid 300M (4x higher than the franchise’s highest contract). NYY can afford that, but they still need pitching – even after throwing the bag at Rodon….
If you want to see ATL’s window close fast, start paying market rates for free agent pitchers rather than developing them in-house, even at the risk of the losing them 5 years down the road (Fried is not worth 200M, sorry).
*franchise’s highest FA contract: BJ Upton 75.25M
“Fried is not worth 200M”…I will say that Max Fried is a decent pitcher when healthy. Anyone that pays Max Fried 200M will surely regret it, because he’s essentially Dallas Kuechel 2.0. Fried is not as good or better than guys who themselves did not get 200M(Wheeler, Nola etc)
And it was an awful deal. You don’t need to go wild in free agency to win.
I agree Fried is not worth 200mil but what’s the backup plan when’s he’s gone? The Gausmans, Ordorizzi, ‘Ten-run Tommy’ Milone scrap trades aren’t going to help in the playoffs. I will happily eat-crow if/when something happens, AA is a good gm I’m just not a fan-boy like many I see on here
You can’t simply replace one guy. What’s the backup plan? How about extending Strider (done), continuing to develop in-house options at an expedient rate (Elder, AJSS, Waldrep, etc.), try and bring in a premium innings-eater via FA, but only the right fit (Nola, which didn’t work out, obviously). FA is not done and there’s still a lot of talent left that they could be a fit for.
And yes, it’s a luxury if your back-up plan is Kevin Gausman — who is a team’s Plan A, getting Cy votes.
It hasn’t worked the last 2 seasons, so let’s run it back a 3rd time and hope? Then, no Fried or Morton in 2025? Ooof ok I guess…RunDmc you agreed with me at trade deadline to get E. Rodriguez to help soften the blow when Frieid is gone. So we all know we need another starter, not sure why everyone giving excuses once it doesn’t happen?…and Gausman was terrible with the Braves btw
They’ve added Reynaldo Lopez as a potential SP piece — that’s more work (until today) than LAD have done on their ’24 rotation. Sure, that’s not enough (hence why they bid as much for Nola), so I think everyone is in agreement that there is a need in the rotation, but you’re kicking rocks like this is report day and free agency is over or ATL still doesn’t have some prospect capital to pull the trigger.
Yes, Gausman wasn’t great as a Brave, but look at him now. I get what you’re saying, but if you’re listing him as a ho-hum back-up plan in the same sentence as Milone – it doesn’t fly.
@Run: Absolutely agree on all of that DMC. I don’t believe the Braves should even consider trying to re-sign Fried. Besides not wanting to see the Braves pursue those pricey pitching deals, Fried’s extended IL stint due to forearm soreness last season was the capper for me. Thank him for his service, let him walk, take the draft pick. I never want to see the Braves sign big money FA pitching to long term deals. Grow your own, trade for them, or spend on short term contracts that the organization identifies as having upside value. Let others cripple their payrolls and futures w/those long term deals that turn into payroll nightmares halfway (or less) into the contract..
Don’t get me wrong I’d take Gausman right now in a heartbeat. He unlocked his Ace stuff once he grew his hair out lol….but we can’t say we shouldn’t sign FA pitchers to long term/high contracts, but then also say we barely missed out on Nola….However, I call b.s. on the 6year offer reported. If they wouldn’t go over 3years for Wheeler when he was a FA, they weren’t going 6years for Nola.
“It hasn’t worked”…So now winning 100+ games every year, but not winning it all every year, is “not working”?….I’m thinking you may have been spoiled by all the recent success in Atlanta and expect a title every single year. Even the best GMs, and AA is certainly that, are only right 65% – 70% of the time. So, that being said, be happy with 100+ win seasons, playoffs every year and a title every few years, my friend.
Honestly I don’t believe Glasnow signs an extension unless the dodgers overpay. I think he will bet on himself and hit FA next year. To me this trade is dead.
So what’s an overpay ? I think dodgers are going to get him to take less this season to help w cap. 4 years 90 mill ? Starting at 20 for this coming season ?
If the trade dies the Dodgers keep Pepiot . The kid is already better than Glasnow.
An interesting rule change coming out of Japan, they’re planning to have a runner start on 2nd base in the 10th inning. In Japan, games can end in a tie after the 12th inning so looks like they’re adopting this poor MLB policy. I’d rather they tie the game than get a cheap run just to finish the game.
news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/9d45cfdb978393f4d28d5824…
Here’s the official rules should you want to read them.
npb.jp/npb/2024rules.html
（2）9回が完了した後、10回以降は、走者二塁から、次のとおり始めることとする。
（A） 10回以降の延長回の先頭打者（またはその打者の代打者）は、前の回からの継続打順とする。
（B） 延長回における二塁走者は、その回の先頭打者の前の打順のプレーヤー（またはそのプレーヤーの代走者）とする。
たとえば、10回の先頭打者が5番打者であれば、4番打者（またはその代走者）が二塁走者となる。ただし、先頭打者の前の打順のプレーヤーが投手であれば、その投手の前の打順のプレーヤーが代わりに二塁走者を務めることができる。
交代して退いた打者および走者は、規則5.10により、再び試合に出場することはできない。
（C） 投手の自責点を規則9.16により決定するために、延長回を開始するときの二塁走者は守備の失策により二塁に到達したようにみなされるが、チームまたはプレーヤーに失策は記録されない。公式記録員は、延長回における打者および二塁走者についても、規則9.02により記録をする。
（D） 延長回が始まるたびに、球審は二塁走者が適正であるかを確かめるため、攻撃側チームの打順表を確認する。もし、その走者が適正でなければ、球審はただちに攻撃側チームの監督に知らせて、適正な二塁走者にさせる必要がある。また、プレイが開始された後に、審判員またはいずれかの監督が、走者が適正でないことに気付けば、その走者は適正な走者と入れ替わらなければならず、打順の誤りに起因したことにより、プレイを無効としない限りは、すべてのプレイは正規なものとなる。得点する前後に関係なく、適正でない走者に対するペナルティはない。
Did u copy and paste that off a wall from a pyramid ?
@Big whiffa
What does that mean? I provided the link.
The Manfred Man is the worst rule in baseball. It completely undermines the basis of the game.
Perfectly relevant place for this comment…
Yarbrough will have more GS than Glasnow in 2024.
I’m no Dodger fan but I like what the Dodgers are doing.
Everyone knew when A.F. took the Dodgers GM job, it was going to a problem/amazing. Watching what he’s accomplished in LA is remarkable. Watching the Rays model added to a rich and supportive Ownership group was terrifying for 29 other organizations.
That it worked out was no guarantee. Plenty of other franchises are capable of putting together such parts, and many have had great results in doing so (Seattle, St Louis, Atlanta, San Diego and Baltimore) rich and poor clubs have managed thier talents (front office and the field) and seemingly have good organizational goals and visions.
But there are just as many teams rich and capable organizations like the Dodgers that haven’t/don’t get the formula to work, Boston, Mets, Giants, Cubs, well at least to the extent that the Dodgers have had.
And that’s what makes what the Dodgers are doing so, well, cool. A.F. and Co. are playing brilliant baseball management. Playing a strong hand well isn’t as easy as the Dodgers are making it seem.
Then along comes the Unicorn. The top free agent in generations, and HE wants an organization that will not pay him so the organization can arm up for his contract lifetime. ((Uh, you think Othani learned from the LAA and Trout’s deal?!!?!!)) So the greatest player in lifetimes, happens to be a genius FO type in addition to being a 2 way player?! 3 way player?!!?
I’m jealous/envious of how it has worked out in Dodger land. I appreciate how rare it is to have the all the elements of modern sports organizations working as well together in the same direction.
Now, it’s still ‘winning the off season’ and paper lineups don’t win Championships. Balls go where-they-ain’t all the time, umpires will continue to #@*! up balls-n-strikes, injuries, 29 other teams, and surprise performances like CIN, BAL, and AZ make the best laid plans moot.
Still…it’s kinda cool in Dodger land.
A little confused reading that the trade was contingent upon Glasnow agreeing to sign an extension. Thought that wasn’t permitted under the past—-and current—-CBA. I’m not naive enough to think that teams don’t make these agreements on the sly, but to see it publicly declared makes me think that something changed in the newest CBA on this matter. Anybody here got any clarity on this?
As far as I know you’ve been able to make a trade & ask for a 48 hr(or so)window to negotiate an extension with the acquiring player for at least the last 20 yrs. I believe the Reds did this with Sonny Gray when they acquired him from the Yankees a couple years back. It’s not common but has happened a few times in the past.
@mlb fan – Thanks for the info. Can you remember any instances of a trade not going through b/c an extension wasn’t reached during said negotiating window?
Don’t know, but I don’t remember any instance of that happening under that condition. Like it if someone here could provide an example of that.