This week's mailbag gets into the Cubs' remaining payroll space, how MLBTR's arbitration projections came to be, what the Padres, Reds, and Rangers might do, possible fits for Marcus Stroman, the Jeff Hoffman situation, what the Cardinals could get for Erick Fedde or Ryan Helsley, and much more.
Walter asks:
With roughly $45 million left until the bottom threshold, how do you see Jed Hoyer spending it? Do you think he is being handcuffed because he is in the last year of his contract?
No, I can't see the Ricketts family putting boundaries on Hoyer because of his lame-duck status. According to RosterResource, the Cubs' CBT payroll sits at $198MM, which indeed puts them $43MM shy of the first threshold. I'm not convinced Hoyer will spend all of that, but he figures to spend a good portion.
The Cubs waited out Cody Bellinger until late February last year to get the short-term deal they craved. It's not hard to see the Cubs being opportunistic on Alex Bregman, Jack Flaherty, or Nick Pivetta should they move into short-term deal territory. The Cubs giving $5MM to Colin Rea probably reduces the odds of pursuing another starting pitcher, however.
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The Front Office again, Heavens to Murgatroyd! Ahahahahaha!
Forgot which cartoon that saying was from. Have not heard it for a long time.
@Pacblue, it’s Snagglepuss. Don’t know why I thought of it but I did. Ahahahahaha
Yesterday it’s the hit piece about the Cardinals half measures. Then an article about how the Cubs could sign Bregman and now today talking about how the Cubs have 40 million more to spend.
Good gosh folks
You have not read two of the three articles you cited
Yeah I am not giving you money. I had to change my name because some loser was trolling me I flagged the losers posts and you messed with my account. Reporting trolling doesn’t make me a bad person. I understand moderating this site can be a headache at times but when someone creates a username to copy another poster they are a troll. It’s obvious.
The Cubs didn’t trade Paredes so that they could sign Bregman.
Just like baseball on TV I grew up on this stuff because it was free. If you start chanrging that’s a choice you can make but I didn’t become a baseball fan by paying to watch games and read articles.
I am fine with you not giving me money.
You have been putting out a lot of strong opinions based on stuff you haven’t read, however, and that’s a good place for me to bow out of any back-and-forth about those articles where you’re guessing about what was written. Way too much assuming going on.
I just searched my inbox for the email address associated with this commenter account and I see nothing you’ve sent me directly. I do see two reports where you violated our commenting policy in an obvious way.
I know what’s going on with the Cardinals. I follow what’s said publicly as much as anyone does. They really haven’t said anything new since the season ended at the press conference.
I stopped sending you reports of the trolling because like I said when I do you end up doing something to my account instead of actually stopping the troll. It’s happened twice already. Whoever is moderating this stuff doesn’t do anything until I report it.
What did I do to violate the commenting policy? Good gosh man just say so. I imagine everyone has not read the commenting policy.
People report and flag my comments because I have a lot of comments. Sometimes people flag my comments because I muted them and they are mad they aren’t getting my attention anymore.
I understand moderating a site like this can be a pain. But don’t penalize me for reporting the trolling and you guys have done that to me twice already.
You’ve never sent an email about whatever you’re on about with the commenting.
If you do, I’ll paste your violations there.
No one should comment without first reading the policy, which we send to all new sign-ups. But your violations are obvious: don’t insult people.
I did send an email about that but it wasn’t from the email address I am using now it was from a different email address. I explained in detail what was going on.
Don’t insult people? That’s kinda vague. Specifically what are we talking about here? I am not perfect and I don’t have a lot of patience for stupid people or trolling. But I don’t insult people unless they deserve it.
You’ve got an open invite to try again using the email address associated with this account.
We do not have a carve out for insulting people if you think they “deserve it.” Don’t insult people here. Ignore, mute, flag if necessary, but we recommend you just move on from “stupid people or trolling.”
Some dude with a fake account pretending to be me just liked my comment.
You want to look into that? It’s your site……
If you want to go here and lay out the commenting thing in a clear and concise way:
mlbtraderumors.com/contact
I’ll take a look.
Removed your last comment.
Just going to post one last time that you should use the contact form for this grievance. Lay it all out in a clear, concise manner using the email address associated with BITA, and I will take a look.
Dude I am not going to do that because thats what happened twice before and why I had to start a new account for the third time. Whoever does the moderating thinks the person flagging posts is the problem.
Look you have a great site. The Cubs bias gets annoying at times but still great site there isn’t another site like it. I appreciate you taking the time to reply even if we aren’t seeing eye to eye.
I can’t look that up because I don’t know what email address it came from. I moderate the comments here and I do not “think the person flagging posts is the problem.”
What has happened twice before is someone starts trolling me creating an account with a username that sounds just like mine. I report that person for trolling and I get banned or something or other for doing so. That has happened twice now
There is a guy with the screen name Blackpinkinthearea he’s an active user on this site with an account. He’s a troll. I am telling you he’s a troll. He’s running around TODAY liking my comments.
I don’t believe you personally had anything to do with what happened in the past. And I understand this is a strange problem and moderating is not easy to do. I get it but what I am saying is the truth.
lol is trolling even a bannable offense? I get that it can be extremely annoying, but you can troll someone without insulting them. I think the more appropriate solution is just to mute the troll. They tend to go away if you just ignore them. This whole convo is just massive troll feed.
If someone starts and account and copies your screen name and pretends to be you thats wrong.
You don’t know what you are talking about Compo.
Well I know for a fact that you can’t just copy someone’s screen name on this site, so maybe you don’t know what you’re talking about.
It’s happened to me where a person trolled my screen name. They can’t copy your screen name EXACTLY so they just change 1 number or letter and at quick glance it looks like yours. In my case they didn’t copy the clown picture right and changed 1 letter. But Tim took care of it and he’s gone. As for the column however Tim expects Hoyer to do more to address the bullpen but the only help it needs right now is an established Closer and the mice running around in Hoyer’s head won’t let that happen. Letting Arias go was another lack of vision as there were at least 5 other guys he could have launched from the 40 man. Sorry Tim, Not happening. Hoyer shouldn’t be allowed to lose any more young talent as a Lame Duck POBO.
It’s one thing to not pay if you can’t afford it. It’s another to use it as your bully pulpit and complaint forum. For free.
To me that’s like the guy who drinks with you but disappears when the bill shows up.
Thank you for these posts. It’s all very amusing.
I can afford what I want to afford. The point is I will not give a site money that allows trolling.
The site existed for years and years and didn’t need money. Now all of the sudden it does. I didn’t change.
Femboy- I’ve made enemies because I say what I mean and I mean what I say. Sometimes it ruffles feathers. So be it. What I can’t stand is there are guys on this site( And other sites probably) who create multiple e-mail addresses and screen names and then they hide behind them. Ultimate in cowardice. Even if Tim and the guys wanted to erase all the e-mails and screen names it would probably take up more of their time than it’s worth. The guys like that Beshens fool who are just here to cause a problem with absolutely nothing to say are annoying on purpose. They think they’re funny. He’s never really made any cognizant baseball point ever. If you get copied you just tell them and it might take a bit to find them, But chances are the idiot probably has 10 or more screen names already.
Joel take the Ls and move on. You know how you claim to not have patience for stupid people? Me either.
LB, Ikr? I’d be lying if I said that I’m not perusing the comments on any cardinals/cubs related post I see with popcorn for the latest chapter of the BITA soap opera lol!
Tim, Steve, Anthony, and Darragh are all HOF vote worthy BBWAA writers. I also read their articles daily and far more often than any other current BBWAA writers including those in my home town of Chicago. 🙂
Right! I can’t stand Ken Rosenthal’s blather, and there are worse…
Jon Heyman for instance.
You don’t think someone like Lodolo or Abbott would land the Reds Kjerstad? How much value do you think he has?
Clearly, the Orioles don’t think he’s an everyday outfielder because they signed Tyler O’Neill this winter. He’ll also be 26 on Opening Day.
What sounds better for the O’s right now? A young controllable mid-rotation arm or a fourth outfielder?
I think Kjerstad has the value of a top 50 prospect, which is a lot. Six years of a “potential middle of the order hitter,” as BA put it.
I agree that the Orioles have not acted entirely like a team that loves Kjerstad. I know Steve Adams is more in your camp.
In Lodolo, you’re getting three years of a guy who has never topped 115 1/3 innings in the Majors. He’s had some flashes of brilliance. I still think he’s pretty interesting but I would not trade Kjerstad for three years of him, no.
Five years of control of Abbott matches up better, but his K% just fell off a cliff, he’s very HR-prone, and his season ended on Aug 18 with a shoulder strain. His ERA might be closer to 5 than 4 this year.
If I’m the Orioles I don’t really see why I’d give up Kjerstad and boot Dean Kremer for the rotation for those guys. I don’t think your ideas are crazy, especially if other parts are involved, but that’s where I sit on it.
Appreciate the response back, Tim. You guys do great work for the Front Office subscribers.
I’m just curious what the Orioles will do with their rotation and, seeing that Kjerstad won’t be a full-timer at 26, I feel like that could be their easy ticket to finding that rotation help. The Reds have said rotation help, but have done absolutely nothing to address their outfield woes.
Just seems like a match made in heaven, but you make valid points.
Superb analysis of Padre options Tim. Honestly, given Sasaki‘s stated priorities, Wolfe would be guilty of malpractice as an agent if he did not connect the dots for Roki and steer the kid away from this mess.
What mess? Frivulous lawsuits?
Espn has already reported
“A statement from a spokesperson for the Peter Seidler Trust, which controls the Padres, called Sheel’s complaint “entirely without merit.”
“Peter had a clear estate plan,” the statement continued. “The plan specifically named three of his nine siblings, with whom he had worked closely for many decades, as successor trustees of his trust and Peter himself prohibited Sheel from ever serving as trustee. The trustee is exclusively responsible for designating the San Diego Padres’ next control person.”
The statement alleged that Sheel agreed in a sworn document in 2020 that she had “no right to be or to designate the control person and that she would not interfere with the designated control person.” The statement also alleges that Sheel stated in May 2024 that John Seidler “would be the best control person for the Padres.”
Her changing her mind or her trying to get Peter to change his plans in the waning time he had (possibly not of sound mind) he made while obviously coherent sane and of sound mind (cause if he wasn’t there wouldn’t be a trust to begin with or plan signed into action legally) doesnt mean its some hot mess thats gonna take years to sort through.
If the trust has the documentation they claim
Peter naming his 3 siblings as trustees
Peter prohibiting his wife from being being a trustee
Sheel herself signed a sworn document saying she had no right to be or interfere with deciding a new control person
Sheel stating a year ago John would be best control person for the Padres
Itll be less than a year before this goes away.
You should look at the actual lawsuit. Matt Seidler has not filed any documents that show what he claimed in that statement released to the Los Angeles Times is true even though hearings have begun to determine if he will be removed as trustee.
The trust documents have been filed by Peter Seidler’s widow.
If I had a lawsuit against me that could take away my livelihood like Matt Seidler does I would file those documents on the first day of hearings. Wouldn’t you?
1. Hearings have begun but the current hearings are currently to see whether the lawsuit has any grounds to proceed or not. Called preliminary hearings where a judge decides if the lawsuit can proceed. This process is to ensure lawsuits are filed in “good faith” not just some weak attempt at extorting a party or person.
2. If the judge rules in favor of Matt Seidler theres no reason to publish every single piece of evidence you have. Just waste of time and effort and lawyer fees on your side to produce evidence if you dont need to
3. If the judge rules the lawsuit can proceed then youll start seeing both parties submiting evidence for their side. Of course the prosecution side will submit evidence first before the defense team will. Sheel has to convince a judge this should proceed and shouldnt be thrown out before it begins.
In Texas that is not how probate court works. If a lawsuit is filed in probate court with a request for expedited temporary injunction(s), it goes before the judge immediately to rule on those requests. After the Judge rules on whether the plaintiff will be awarded those injunctions, then the Judge will start hearings that are designed to gather information to rule on whether a trial will begin on the fraud charges in the lawsuit.
The Travis County records indicate that the ongoing hearings are regarding the requests for expedited temporary injunctions by Sheel Seidler.
One is almost certain to be granted and that is the removal of Matt Seidler as trustee and the appointment of an reciever. In Texas there are several conditions that merit the removal of a trustee and this one meets three of those. Contentious relationship, not acting in interest of beneficiary, acting to sell trust assets without express written permission of the beneficiary.
The other is to block John Seidler from becoming the Padres control person which seems to be a moot point because MLB has delayed the vote on his approval indefinitely. To block that temporary injunction, Matt Seidler would have to submit the documents he claims he has showing Sheel Seidler cannot be control person and has no say in who is control person.
Something else to keep in mind, Matt Seidler claimed that the documents he has were signed in 2020, but the Peter Seidler Revocable Trust was amended twice after that. Those amendments could make that document moot.
Sheel Seidler already filed the trust papers. What accounting records she claims were all she had recieved were also submitted. As were communications with Robert and then Matt Seidler including what appear to be transcripts of phone calls. There are also text and email communications.
The injunctions will be ruled on quickly. Typically within a few days to a few weeks. The rest could take years.
If you want a good read to put you to sleep, pick up a copy of Texas Estates Code. The laws governing estates and trusts. Here is a link to it in pdf format. statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/SDocs/ESTATESCODE.…
First of all the Trustee doesn’t get to name the control person. The trust owns 25% of the padres. They can vote those shares one way but it would still require other votes. There are also other reports that’s the brothers combined own more than the trusts 25%, even if the 25% is the largest single shareholder.
Also Sheel states the she is the sole beneficiary of the trust. Which also means Matt the trustee must act in good faith to the benefit of Sheel with decisions about the trust.
Matt, Bob and John are the three brothers Peter left to run the trust. Bob went first, did some shady stuff and then was removed. Matt took over and now here we are. John has never ran the trust but was the one the brothers decided to nominate to be the chairperson for the padres. John isn’t being sued, it’s against Matt and Rob.
Matt will almost certainly be removed from being the trustee. Sheel filed in Texas and all she really has to do is say he isn’t acting in her best interest and he will be gone. Court will assign someone else to oversee it. John’s nomination to be the chairperson will be put on hold until the rest is settled.
This is all a pretty big mess that will take some time for the courts to figure out. The padres will run as is until resolved.
From what has been published the Seidler and O’Malley family including Peter Seidler owned 45% in total.
Yeah the family does but not a single person.
I am trying to determine what mess they are in. As far as I can see they have the same control person, the same CEO, and the same GM. The lawsuit guarantees nothing will change for the team until it is ruled upon which could take a long time.
They have a few minor issues with their lineup, but are set at 7 of 9 positions and their bullpen is very good and has depth. They need a catcher, but have 2 with major league experience on the roster and a history of making moves late in the offseason. They need a LF but are the only team that has been mentioned in connection to their previous LF who is working out with two other Padres players. I think he will go back to the Padres. They are one of three teams with a shot at signing Roki Sasaki. Sasaki chose them and he and his agent would have asked about the lawsuit before choosing them as a finalist.
Apparently there is no money crunch because their payroll is $40 million higher than last season and their GM is talking about adding players, not subtracting players.
So fill us in on what the mess is.
All of this wreaks of another Angelos family situation where the best outcome might be to sell the team and spare everyone the family drama
Sox, I believe you are right about that. In the coming weeks the courts will provide some clarity, but long term I cannot see how Sheel Seidler, the sole beneficiary of the trust that holds 25% interest in the Padres and the rest of the Seidler family which holds a smaller percentage but no more than 20% interest in the Padres can co-exist in that general partnership. One or both will have to go.
One point I have picked up from reading here and then researching the source is that Peter Seidler and now his trust have first right of refusal on purchasing the interests of any of the partners in the team that choose to or are forced to sell. That could make it very interesting as Robert (Bob) Seidler, Matt Seidler, and John Seidler may be contractually obligated to in essence sell their interest in the team to Sheel Seidler.
Bring SD, it’s not about whether the lawsuit has merit or not. From everything I have read, I see no reason to dispute anything you or others have said about the merits of the lawsuit.
The issue is that the current state of the team (ownership priorities, disagreements among owners, lack of consensus among owners, etc.) has clearly impacted the ability of Preller and his team to make moves this winter to improve the roster. That is significant because the Padre core is very competitive and could conceivably compete for a championship. The fan base couldn’t be more supportive and revenues have got to be as strong or stronger than ever. So why has Preller been unable to spend this winter?. I agree, it’s not the merits of the lawsuit. It’s a deeper problem.
To Preller’s credit, he seems to be making a really good case to Rokie to come to San Diego. If he’s successful, I give him credit for that. My point is that, there are things going on right now that should be suspicious and concerning to a young free agent with options based upon the stated goals and priorities that Roki’s agent has articulated.
Norc- that’s just guess work. People need to stop acting like the padres aren’t spending any money.
The padres are one of the very few teams whose tax payroll has increased from last year to this year. Over 242m.
Their current payroll is 40m more than last years right now. Over 208m.
They also have the second highest amount of future payroll only to the dodgers.
The padres have no local tv deal. Almost all of their money is coming from attendance and national tv money.
They are a mid market team (small media market) who cannot afford to spend at the same level as the big market teams like the dodgers, Mets ect. People expecting them to have a 250-300m payroll yearly have unrealistic expectations.
The most logical reason Preller hasn’t made any moves yet is they are at or near where they will be Payrol wise (which is still high). He is likely waiting out the market. He is also likely waiting on Roki to decide to see where he wants to spend his resources. None of which has anything to do with ownership disputes.