With the start of spring training now just a few days away, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day today:
1. Arenado talks picking back up?
After weeks of radio silence on Nolan Arenado’s trade market, it appears there may be renewed movement on that Cardinals’ top offseason priority. Reporting indicated yesterday that St. Louis has had “recent communication” with the Red Sox regarding Arenado after talks had stalled last month. The Cardinals would surely prefer to move him in the next two weeks and avoid a potentially distracting storyline as the club opens camp. Of course, it remains possible (and perhaps even likely) that Arenado’s market will remain fairly stagnant until Alex Bregman signs somewhere in free agency.
2. Lefty relievers coming off the board:
Yesterday saw two of the top remaining lefty relief arms land contracts as the Twins brought in Danny Coulombe while the Yankees re-signed Tim Hill. For teams looking to add a southpaw to the bullpen, the market is becoming increasingly barren. Veteran lefty Andrew Chafin is the best option still on the board with Colin Poche, Drew Smyly, Jalen Beeks, and Ryan Yarbrough highlighting the remaining depth options. One other notable name on the market is veteran Brooks Raley, who has generally pitched quite well as a late-inning arm since returning to the majors from the KBO in 2020 but will not be ready for Opening Day after undergoing Tommy John surgery last summer.
3. DFA resolution expected today:
One week ago today, the Reds designated right-hander Owen White for assignment to make room for southpaw Taylor Rogers on the 40-man roster after acquiring him from the Giants. The one-week window for a player who’s been designated for assignment to either be moved or clear waivers is closing today, so a resolution can be expected this afternoon. White was placed on waivers by the Rangers earlier this offseason, leading to his claim by the Reds, but has not previously been outrighted in his career. That means that if the right-hander clears waivers, Cincinnati will have the opportunity to outright him to the minors as a non-roster depth option headed into the season.
1. Arenado talks picking back up?
How many months of that same question…
And Bregman… enervating…
Let’s not forget Alonso….sapping
don’t forget about a new Dylan Cease trade article every 3 hours, plus every other chat question being about him as well
Neither of these are true.
Don’t forget blue jays are in on everyone.
Boston is possibly in on options regarding things and stuff, potentially…vexing.
Communication between Cardinals and Red Sox? So Breslow called Mo and was like, “So, how’s Nolan doing?”
Does Nolan “like-like” me? 😮 /
OK, this cracked me the eff up. Thank you,
Hahaha, comment of the week, no doubt
Prom?
You know who I feel bad for here in the Arrenado situation most is Jordan Walker today. My god this one heck of a way to expect a player to sink or swim.
HEHEHATE: That’s what I was wondering. Walker was the heir apparent to Arenado, yet there’s been no mention of him. Last I heard his hitting was regressing, so maybe that’s the issue.
The problem with Walker is the league figured out the book on him quickly. Cardinals knew this made their own adjustments and have just kept him back and forth over cementing him anywhere.
It’s not a player issue more so than organizational fumbling and out right a lack of confidence of both sides.
The problem is Walker needs to be Michael Harris today and he’s not even close to that. It’s infuriating if you ask me.
Walker isn’t playing 3b no matter where Arenado is playing in 2025. And Walker needs to EARN the job this time not be handed anything.
At this point on the organizational depth no I think that’s out of the cards. Pun intended.
Carlson, Goldy and Arrenado are or will be gone. And there’s no room for Walker but if there is he needs to be borderline knocking the door on as votes for any consideration.
They owe him the keys like it or not. He should have demanded a trade last year, but again that’s out of the cards.
He’s such a great personality for the game you really hate seeing the business side of things ruin a ball players promising career.
Really rooting for this kids future it’s bright, but it needs to fly the coup just like the rest of the veterans gone for brighter and better opportunities.
Jordan Walker has never earned his job. Great personality? What the f are you talking about??? Walker should be at AAA until he figures out how to hit AAA pitching. And his defense hopefully is improving there too because it was terrible.
Walker should be a rising star in this league. Not an afterthought on a rebuilding ball club. Who today is lost for lack of a better word.
For me blames on the front office vs player development alone.
You can’t take candy from a baby and expect them to be at your jurisdiction in justification.
It’s a shame that he’s being subjected to any of this on a team with no answers to any of their problems and the floundering divisional placement during his career.
You can’t help an mlb team in AAA win games. You can help them lose for draft positioning though.
BITA, how do you figure that Walker “never” earned his job? He did well enough in the minors and spring training 2023 to win an MLB spot, and then put up a 113 OPS+ at age 21 in that first MLB season. He definitely earned that shot.
If you want to say that his 2024 unearned it back, sure, fair argument. But not “never”.
I don’t think he saw the recall up numbers before mlb. Walkers legit. He just needs to find his footing in another organization. It will not be St. Louis sadly.
the Menendez brothers had great personalities also!
Walker was ABSOLUTELY TERRIBLE on defense in 2023. He was the worst defensive player in all of baseball up until September when he finally improved. There is more to baseball besides hitting.
They can’t hit a fastball though unfortunately.
I can’t get into the debate because I really don’t know Walker but this reminds me of Boston and Bobby Dalbec who consistently hit at AAA but after a good beginning, the more he played, the more he was exposed.
The Walker situation is a big mess. The team desperately put him on the 2023 team when he didn’t earn the job. He hit well bit he was awful on defense. Then last year he forgot how to hit. What is he moving forward? Who knows.
Walker plays OF. Arenado makes no difference to his playing time.
Arenado has never been the same player since leaving the Pet Rocks. At age 33, he makes too much money to justify a value trade.
nevermind the fact that he had the best season of his career with the Cardinals in 2022…..?
Yes. A single season. He had 8 with the Rockets.
Best year of his career. Kinda debunks that silly point you were trying to make.
Arenado is still a solid two way player that if traded to Boston would force Devers off third. Win-win in my book.
I wonder if Arenado’s list is still tied to those teams that he named earlier in the off-season.
You have to figure it’s been expanded or there were teams not made public. Doesn’t make sense for the Cardinals to do all that work to line up a trade with Houston if they already knew he was anti-Astro.
He wasn’t anti-Astros, he was anti- non-competitive team is his eyes. The Astros haven’t moved that needle since then.
Makes sense. Maybe he was okay with Houston until they traded Tucker. Point being I would think the Cardinals would know before approaching a team and putting a deal together if he’d approve them or not?
It’s also the other way around which Arenado has stated this offseason – approach him with a tentative agreement first before I’d consider waiving my NTC. That’s part of the reason why the Cards haven’t been able to trade him yet.
It’s called the, “Scott Harris Syndrome”.
What doesn’t make sense is for the Astros to trade their best player and then think Arenado wants to go there.
It made total sense to trade Tucker. He will make 400+ million next year and there’s no way in hell they would pay that. So instead they got their new 3rd baseman, a back of the rotation pitcher and their new top prospect who was just named #64 on the recent top 100 list.
Astros will be competitive as usual so it was more likely the timing.
Then why not trade Valdez too?
Win now teams don’t trade away all star studs for prospects. It made no sense at all. Smoke another one man. It still won’t make sense.
Because there’s actually a chance Valdez will accept a lower deal. He has shown he gets shaken on the mound when things don’t go his way maybe other teams are wary of that. Tucker on the other hand just saw back to back years where Ohtani and Soto reset the market completely and knows he can get a big piece of the pie. Not to mention Tucker missed half the season last year and the Astros still won the division. I will smoke another one thanks but you’re still completely wrong
Real quick do you actually think the Astros didn’t kill it in the Tucker trade ? They had a hole at 3rd base and really needed a pitcher with all the injuries they have. The #64 prospect in baseball is no slouch either.
You are making stuff up.
Win now teams don’t trade superstar players for prospects. That’s dumb.
I think the value of what the Astros got back was fair. But they decreased their chances of winning in 2025 and that’s not what a team like the Astros should have done.
What did I make you please inform me? As an Astros fan I appreciate what Tucker did for them but I’m stoked about what the Astros have now minus the outfield that’s a rough patch
So if you ran the Astros you’re totally cool with Tucker walking next year for only a 2nd or 3rd round pick ?
Yes because the Astros are playing to win now. They have traded away most of their farm system over the last few years. Why all of the sudden are prospects important now?
The Astros have won a couple championships since their big rebuild so they are doing alright regardless. But trading Tucker was a mistake. Their window appears to now be closed.
I get what you’re saying @BITA but honestly, it’s about money for them and instead of using it on Tucker they are spreading it around to fill in holes and add to that depleted farm system you mentioned. Though they aren’t as strong as other years, they must figure that the AL West is winnable at about 85 wins.
Why even trade him especially if the return won’t be anything of value? He along with Contreras are their best two players. Outside of their pitching (three of which will be off the books after this year) only their 1b and 3b make over 3 million. Just keep the dude and hope for the best.
Arenado to the Red Sox makes less sense than Bregman to the Red Sox unless there’s a Casas (or Yoshida – lol) trade in the works.
Brian: Maybe both. Yoshida would be a salary dump.
Prediction: Arenado will have a bounce back season wherever he lands. Mark my word, this future HOFer is ready to perform above most people’s expectations.
OR…Arenado’s market will pick up because teams are getting sick and tired of waiting on Bregman. That may well be what is happening with the talks picking up again with Boston. But Arenado also needs to be clear with STL regarding what teams he’ll waive his NTC. No sense in working out a deal only to have him say no at the end.
It makes no sense but Arenado is entitled to it so the Cards have the extra work to do. It was the Cards who approached him first about trading him as he seems perfectly comfortable staying in STL if he can’t go to a competitive team.
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If one is to believe the reports of 4- and 5-year offers, Bregman is really coming off as kind of a diva. The whole concern over the AAV drop from $28M to $25M is laughable. Coming off a $100M contract and going into another $120-130M+…?!? Dude, seriously?
He’s always had a very punchable face and the trash can saga took a toll on his rep throughout the league, but this whole ordeal is painting him as a real butthead.
If he signs with Boston today… well, he’ll be our butthead.
Can you find a single Boras client who isn’t a diva? Gerrit Cole included.
Josh Bell.
Bregman still annoyed Boras can’t get anyone close to whatever Toronto is offering. Just go there if top guaranteed money w/o betting on yourself any further is the goal…..guy got his titles.
The better teams that will make or should make playoffs next several years clearly have grown tired of the dance and won’t be squeezed like he’s a 26-27yo 5 tool player in his prime.
I don’t understand the problem with Chafin. I haven’t followed his whole career but he seems like a decent reliever everywhere he goes. And he’s a lefty.
If the Red Sox can dump Yoshida or move Cassas for something big then yes our defense on the infield would improve immeasurably which in my opinion needed more improvement than the rotation. So yeah, don’t really care how much Arenado’s bat has diminished if he can just stop the infield from looking like a little league team could out field us.
But still, defense at second and short were a joke for us last year. Not sure how Campbell is as a fielder at second but if he’s even just league average it would also be a huge improvement.
Saber, I agree on much of what you posted but Story solves on defensive position if he can stay on the field. I wish I could convince Henry to spend because I’d love to have Alonso at first with Arenado at third. Story then takes one middle infield spot with Campbell and Mayer fighting for the other. Casas and Yoshida then get traded and Devers becomes the DH.
Chaim Bloom is transitioning to the role in STL. It seems too obvious that a deal with Boston makes sense. 1B incoming soon.