MLB (non-Phillies) 2025-26 Hot Stove

[fish]

On paper I guess they are the better team. But it was a 13-game gap last year, and 16 the year before (never mind the head-to-head).

Its a better mix, and their player dev is doing a much better job. Besides McLean and Tong, their centerfielder Benge could be a pretty good player for them.

[flyers19rw]

Peralta is starting to decline. His FIP last year was a run higher than his ERA ands whiff rate has been declining for the last two seasons. The Brewers have a strong history of knowing when a player is beginning to slide. That's when they move them along and usually for a quality return.

[zambonir]

That's the more frustrating thing. That they can not only buy players which allows them to trade an Acuna but also had players to deal for Peralta (who, if he's in decline off a 5.5 WAR season, I think I"d still take it). Between Luzardo, Duran and Bader feels like the Phillies fired a lot of bullets last year.

Seems like the Mets are kind of in "there's gonna be a lockout" mode too. Peralta, Robert and Bichette may only be there for one year, and Polanco and Semien are aging.

[andyb]

Seems like the Mets are kind of in "there's gonna be a lockout" mode too. Peralta, Robert and Bichette may only be there for one year, and Polanco and Semien are aging.

I don't think the Mets moves (or most team's moves) have anything to do with a lockout. We are just not going to have an immediate hard cap that forces teams to cut massive salaries. Wealthy teams are just trying to win every single year because that is what they do. The lockout may happen but who really thinks billionaires and millionaires are going to lose a year when everybody is winning.

It is like saying the Phillies gave Wheeler his contract extension because they hope they won't pay the last year. Which is silly. The Mets may have been a bit smarter lately on being able to buy prospects like Acuna. But they have been in "win now" mode since Cohen got them so all that is just them being smart. For the Phillies the move might have been to trade Bohm and sign Bregman but they decided against that likely for baseball reasons. The Mets will now probably trade someone like Baty for prospects like the Phillies thought about with Bohm.

[zambonir]

I assume they are keeping Baty now that they dealt Acuna.

Who knows how far the owners and players are willing to go this time, though I agree an entire lost season is unlikely. But whether it has anything to do with the lockout or not, the Mets are essentially going one year at a time (though they can keep Robert if he actually bounces back) except on older players and relievers (and Soto of course). And the Phillies' no opt-out policy takes them out of the market just as much as the (slightly) lower ability to play. They will get another shot at signing Bichette next year, as well as Skubal, plus Tucker the year after that, but will they really be players. I mean, hopefully they don't have to be (i.e. Miller and Painter and Crawford all work out).

[Philsmania]

Under Steve Cohen, the Mets have had a knack for "winning the offseason" but they have fewer WS appearances and division titles than the Phillies have. The Postseason crapshoot has been both good (2024) and bad (2022) to them.

[zambonir]

They hadn't hired Stearns in 2022 though. That team in retrospect almost looks like the '93 Phillies or 2018 Red Sox, a one-off, and they were smart enough to know it (or didn't have a choice given some of those pitcher salaries/injuries).

2024 was a bit lightning-in-a-bottle/ahead-of-schedule. It was fun to see them fail last year but it seems like they were already beating us in terms of minor league system even though they barely had a front office a few years ago, and Stearns is probably even better at that than he was at winning on a budget. If we can't beat them or the Dodgers at either thing (drafting/$$$$) the crapshoot is all you have. We'll see if the East is a race this year.

[andyb]

MacKenzie Gore to TX. Prospects ranked 2 and 6 in their system. Does not feel like that is enough but details still coming.

Nats are going to be bad.....

Rangers To Acquire MacKenzie Gore

Edit - 5 prospects. 2, 6, 12, 16, 18 on MLB list. Going for volume though Fein looks to be the only top 100.

[Philsmania]

When they fired Rizzo last summer, the Nats had pretty much signaled that the rebuild commenced in 2021 was a failure and that they would be starting over. Quality for quantity trades rarely work out well for the team getting quantity. NL East will have two tanking teams this season. Failed rebuilds are a bitch. Lee Thomas's masterful patchwork job in 1993 largely concealed that the rebuild he commenced after 1988 was a failure. As fun as '93 was (and no, I don't regret that season happened), it probably delayed the startover by three years.

Funny how in the long run so far, the Soto trade didn't really work out for either team The Padres didn't win their elusive title (or even get to a WS) and the Nationals, though they got three all-stars for him, didn't see the trade contribute to a successful rebuild. Maybe what the Padres got from the Yankees will make a big difference for them (Michael King has been good) or what the Nationals got from the Padres will be valuable assets for their new rebuild but, for now, that trade was a nothingburger for both teams.

[andyb]

Abrams will be the next deal for the Nats though they don't need to do it now. 3 years of control. 3 years of production that were all 3.4-3.5 WAR. Arguments about the quality of his defense though and now they have just drafted a SS 1-1 and acquired another middle infielder who was the 12th overall pick last year.

Hard to tell if he has plateaued or just needs a change of scenery and the incentive of meaningful games.

[Lucky_Beagle]

Major League Baseball has informed teams that this year’s trade deadline will be Monday, August 3 at 6:00 pm Eastern, reports Robert Murray of FanSided.

This might save teams acquiring players a few bucks in salary due to a couple of more games being off the schedule if waiting till the last day to make a trade.

[zambonir]

And keeps those wild card contenders on the fence longer. I guess they also didn't want it to be on a Saturday or Sunday.

[andyb]

Monday is actually a pretty good day with half the teams off and no day games on the schedule logistically. Time to get somebody in from your AAA team since they are all off too.

[zambonir]

Reds, slugger Eugenio Suárez agree to 1-year, $15 million deal: Source

[BaseballCat]

Mariners To Acquire Brendan Donovan

[bkox]

BREAKING: Two-time reigning American League Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal won his arbitration case and will make $32 million this year, sources tell ESPN. Skubal’s bet to go for the largest salary ever in the arbitration system paid off, as he’ll make $13M more than Tigers argued.

— Jeff Passan ( @JeffPassan ) February 5, 2026

[bkox]

Francisco Lindor will be evaluated tomorrow as he deals with a stress reaction in his left hamate bone

Surgery could be on the able for Lindor, which would mean a six-week recovery timeline

David Stearns and the Mets are "optimistic" he'll be ready for Opening Day pic.twitter.com/P7bEyqNNTX

— SNY Mets ( @SNY_Mets ) February 10, 2026

[zambonir]

That puts him out for at least 57 days one the season starts. But they can use the 40-man spot now.

Braves Put Spencer Schwellenbach On 60-Day Injured List

[zambonir]

Since he's already pitching this spring, why not?

Ex-Phillies pitcher immediately ends retirement at 37, signs with Blue Jays

[bkox]

Right-hander Justin Verlander and the Detroit Tigers are in agreement on a one-year contract. Verlander, 43 next week, returns to the team with which he spent his first 13 seasons and whose hat he'll wear in the Hall of Fame.

— Jeff Passan ( @JeffPassan ) February 10, 2026