Well, we believe in exit velocity, bat flips, launch angles, stealing home, the hanging curveball, Big League Chew, sausage races, and that unwritten rules of any kind are self-indulgent, overrated crap. We believe Greg Maddux was an actual wizard. We believe there ought to be a constitutional amendment protecting minor league baseball and that pitch framing is both an art and a science. We believe in the sweet spot, making WARP not war, letting your closer chase a two-inning save, and we believe love is the most important thing in the world, but baseball is pretty good, too.
This week's panel includes Adam Weinrib, Eric Cole, Chris Landers and myself, Robert Murray.
The Pittsburgh Pirates are not trading Paul Skenes. That being said, if you were the Pirates GM and forced to deal him, what would it take?
Adam Weinrib: A Paul Skenes trade right now would be impossibly large, to the point where the team acquiring him might not even benefit from his arrival. They’d probably end up with a thinned-out husk of a roster looking like some kind of … 2025 Pittsburgh Pirates or something. If you’re Pittsburgh’s GM, the ask should start out with each team’s two top young big-leaguers, as well as three or four of their top 10 prospects. What about asking the Houston Astros for a package that starts with their ill-gotten 2017 World Series trophy? Kind of a “Gimme That” situation?
Eric Cole: This is one of those impossible trades that neither side would be thrilled about. The only world where I would trade Skenes right now is if some team wanted to give the Pirates two quality (top 100 or better) major league ready bats and three other high level prospects of varying stripes. Pittsburgh isn’t going anywhere with this offense and if a team like the Red Sox or Tigers wanted to start throwing top-level offensive talent in, I would listen. That said, Skenes isn’t getting trade for at least a couple years.
Chris Landers: I want to be very, very clear that trading Paul Skenes is a terrible idea, and if the Pirates are seriously considering it, they’re more or less punting on being a viable Major League franchise. It’s really hard to build a package for a player like this because, well, players this good with this much team control left hardly ever get traded. But based on past precedent, you’d need at least two young MLB pieces, plus at least two high-end prospects – and again, that’s just a starting point. The Nationals got three legit prospects (Robert Hassell, CJ Abrams and MacKenzie Gore) plus an intriguing low-Minors lottery ticket in James Wood in exchange for a year and a half of Juan Soto. The Pirates should demand much, much more for Skenes.
Robert Murray: The Pirates were not planning on entertaining a Skenes trade and trading the superstar right-hander would be the breaking point for a fanbase frustrated by a lack of spending. But if the organization was ever to entertain it in the future, and there are reasons they should (as outlined here), they should ask for the Herschel Walker trade package in return. Except, ya know, the baseball equivalent (aka prospects instead of a massive haul of draft picks).
Juan Soto was called out for a lack of hustle. Given the nature of the New York media, predict his next Page Six soap opera:
Adam Weinrib: Trouble in Pair-of-Dice? Soto Bets Mets in Vegas Scheme as Steve Cohen Fumes. “What the literal hell? I’m supposed to own this team!” Cohen sputtered while snapping a $1,000,000 stick figure sculpture in half.
Eric Cole: Ah, The $765 Million Dollar Problem. First of all, he is going to continue to be roasted as long as he continues to double-down on this, the saga is going to continue to be about whether or not the Mets made a mistake unless he goes on one of his tears. That said, I think the next part is when unnamed or named teammates start questioning his work ethic or desire to win. That feels like prime Page Six material.
Chris Landers: It feels like only a matter of time before we start breaking down the outfits that his mom wears, right? I mean, we’re already making up patently false things about him flying a private jet from ballpark to ballpark; New York media loves nothing more than pocket-watching, especially with a player that may or may not be occasionally dogging it on the bases. Add in rampant (unfounded!) speculation that Soto’s family were the ones really driving his decision to choose the Mets over the Yankees, and I’m bracing myself for weeks of back-page headlines about all the jewelry a $765 million contract can buy one’s mother.
Robert Murray: Is it bad that I don’t know what Page Six is? The fake rumors and gossip surrounding him feels like high school drama. He’ll be down in the dumps, overcome it, and lead the Mets in a deep postseason run while making a strong push for National League MVP. I don’t know if that’ll necessarily get Best Seller vibes but, like, it’s realistic! Unlike a lot of the reporting done around Soto recently.
The Baltimore Orioles fired manager Brandon Hyde last week. Do you still believe in Baltimore’s long-term outlook, or is this a years-long setback?
Adam Weinrib: As longtime president of the MLB Executive Burner - sorry, the “Mike Elias” Haters’ Club, allow me to welcome the rest of the world onto my little island. Brandon Hyde was the 2023 American League Manager of the Year. Why on earth did he have to answer for a Tomoyuki Sugano/Charlie Morton/Kyle Gibson offseason after losing Corbin Burnes? This malfeasance dates back to the Trevor Rogers deadline trade, and until David Rubenstein starts spending like the Old Bay-seasoned Steve Cohen that was promised (or convinces Elias to, you know, do something productive), Baltimore will only continue slipping. Quick Question: Which of the Orioles’ young pieces have already been extended? If you answered, “None of them,” congrats! You’ve earned yourself a Rubenstein bobblehead, a real thing that recently happened.
Eric Cole: I still like a lot of the guys they have, but they clearly have some organizational problems in Baltimore. Running a team like an accounting firm that minimizes risk and maximizes assets is fun to a degree, but the Orioles execution leaves a lot to be desired. I think if they get a proven manager, they will be in a much better position, but Mike Elias’ job is going to be in jeopardy at some point.
Chris Landers: I do still believe in the core of talent here; Gunnar Henderson, Adley Rutschman, Jackson Holliday, Jordan Westburg and Colton Cowser is a foundation that most other GMs would kill for. But I emphatically do not believe in Mike Elias as the man to turn that foundation into a legitimate contender, even if new ownership does eventually decide to open the purse strings a bit. Managing assets amid a rebuild is one thing; knowing how and when to get uncomfortable to get yourself out of that rebuild is quite another, and Elias seems like a man without answers right now. A former Astros exec, he of all people should know that Houston capitalized on its young stars by actually spending around them rather than perpetually hoarding for the future.
Robert Murray: I buy in the organization long-term but, like, they need to do a significantly better job at bolstering the rotation in the offseason if they want to turn this thing around. Hyde was the scapegoat here. But Mike Elias’ roster construction has been questionable and his moves on pitching have been laughably bad (except for Corbin Burnes). I’m not sure if he’s the right man for the job. That team is in bad, bad shape right now – and it’s stunning that it’s even gotten to this point.
Jose Alvarado tested positive for PEDs over the weekend and blamed diet pills. If you suffered the same fate, what would your go-to excuse be?
Adam Weinrib: I never meant to ingest performance-enhancing substances. In fact, my positive test came from (quickly checks own gut, shudders) anti-diet pills? I could also safely go the David Ortiz route and say I’m looking for the real killer/never actually check back in with the results of my extensive search. That seems to work nicely.
Eric Cole: How can you prove that that sample that tested positive belongs to me? Was it under 24 video surveillance? It doesn’t even look like mine? This is just Rob Manfred trying to silence me because I dared question his problematic tenure as commissioner. Also, if you are looking to take your game to the next level, I know a guy.
Chris Landers: “The dog ate my homework” is a time-honored excuse, so let’s go with a new-fangled spin here. My son, you see, he was working on his science fair project, and he decided to try and create a new meal pill that would provide your entire caloric intake for the day in a single capsule. What, do you want me to neglect my duties as a father?
Robert Murray: Chris, damn you. I was gonna go with something like that. I’d say that my division rival or another player switched them out while I wasn’t looking. That would get me nowhere, I know. But I’m a bad liar.
Around the horn: Share something you wrote in the last week!
Adam Weinrib: Oopsie, wrote about Juan Soto’s bad weekend in the Bronx and the Yankee Stadium crowd actually intimidating someone for the first time in decades. What happened?!
Chris Landers: Loath as I am to say something nice about the Cardinals, Masyn Winn is one of the most entertaining players to watch in baseball right now, and I had a lot of fun writing about his long-awaited breakout.
Eric Cole: Get ready for some MLB Draft chaos!
Inside Robert Murray's notebook: Royals, Royals and more Royals
- When the Royals signed Rich Hill, I had someone text that the 45-year-old left-hander believed that he was capable of pitching in the majors. After his debut in the minors, in which he retired all 12 batters (struck out seven), I’m tempted to believe him.
- Speaking of the Royals: it wouldn’t surprise people around the Long Island Ducks if John Gant pitched with the Royals in the majors this season. He was mightily impressive.