2026 MLB Thread

[Uncle Rico]

Shohei is the best fielder in the outfield in baseball

[Billy Hoyle]

I'm not ashamed to admit I owned a "Motre Bame" Brewers cap. I bought it in 1994 before I came to MU from out of state.

https://x.com/sportslogosnet/status/2080664550227984761

[cheebs09]

I'm not ashamed to admit I owned a "Motre Bame" Brewers cap. I bought it in 1994 before I came to MU from out of state.

https://x.com/sportslogosnet/status/2080664550227984761

I own one and still wear it. It keeps me humble.

[Shaka Shart]

Shohei is the best fielder in the outfield in baseball

Does that mean he can get the nice Fwar positional adjustment now which is the only statistic that matters?

[tower912]

If/when Detroit has their fire sale and you wonder why...
Bullpen, 21 saves, 24 blown saves.
Carpenter, Torkelson, Vierling, McKinstry all hitting <.210

[MuggsyB]

Misiorowski struck out 11 out of 12 today to start the game today.  That hasn't happened since 1920. 

[Uncle Rico]

If/when Detroit has their fire sale and you wonder why...
Bullpen, 21 saves, 24 blown saves.
Carpenter, Torkelson, Vierling, McKinstry all hitting <.210

American League is so bad, a hot 60-day stretch and you could make the playoffs going away.  With the Red Sox surge, they're almost certainly not selling now.

Detroit should sell.  Bullpen isn't good enough and the lineup is bad.  But selling this year really could set them up for the following 2-3 seasons since the market is so constricted.

[tower912]

Being me, I can make either case.  Detroit has certainly showed the ability to get hot for two months, with most of the current roster.  AND, Jobe is about ready to return and I can see him becoming a weapon out of the pen.

However, too many injuries, too much poor hitting, and too many blown saves.  Trade Skubal, plan on signing Mize, stock up on pitchers on the cusp of being ready and a right handed hitting center fielder. 

My prediction for what they actually do changes daily.

[Jockey]

Misiorowski struck out 11 out of 12 today to start the game today.  That hasn't happened since 1920. 

He sucked. ERA went up.

[Pakuni]

Being me, I can make either case.  Detroit has certainly showed the ability to get hot for two months, with most of the current roster.  AND, Jobe is about ready to return and I can see him becoming a weapon out of the pen.

However, too many injuries, too much poor hitting, and too many blown saves.  Trade Skubal, plan on signing Mize, stock up on pitchers on the cusp of being ready and a right handed hitting center fielder. 

My prediction for what they actually do changes daily.

They've inexplicably passed on chances to lock up Skubal the past two offseasons. Doing anything but trading him now would be malpratice. They should consider themselves lucky he came back and pitched this year so they could still get some assets for him.

[tower912]

They've inexplicably passed on chances to lock up Skubal the past two offseasons. Doing anything but trading him now would be malpratice. They should consider themselves lucky he came back and pitched this year so they could still get some assets for him.

Skubal forfeited any sympathy from me when he disclosed he was having elbow discomfort in January but hid it due to his arbitration hearing.

I said last November it would take an established starter, the best pitching prospect a team had, and a right-handed hitting CF to get Skubal. That doesn't feel far off, though substituting a closer with a team controlled contract may be sustituted for the established starter.

At this moment, I feel like they go all in and buy.  That opinion might change after a decent belch.

(Belches)

[Pakuni]

Skubal forfeited any sympathy from me when he disclosed he was having elbow discomfort in January but hid it due to his arbitration hearing.

I said last November it would take an established starter, the best pitching prospect a team had, and a right-handed hitting CF to get Skubal. That doesn't feel far off, though substituting a closer with a team controlled contract may be sustituted for the established starter.

At this moment, I feel like they go all in and buy.  That opinion might change after a decent belch.

(Belches)

Good for the Tigers if they can get that kind of return, but that's a big ask for a guy most teams will view as a rental.
The Athletic did a story last week on realistic returns for some of the players that might get dealt and said the Tigers should expect a top 25-50 prospect, another good prospect and a flier.
They comped it to their trade of David Price in 2015, which brought back Daniel Norris (top 25 prospect in baseball at the time), Matthew Boyd (Blue Jays #22 prospect at the time) and Jairo Labourt (Blue Jays #13 prospect at the time).
Anything can happen, but it would be a surprise if a team acquiring Skubal would give up multiple roster players for him.

[tower912]

Well, considering I speculated one established major league pitcher (starter or reliever), a top pitching prospect, and a right-handed hitting CF (unspecified) we aren't that far apart.

I don't know if they are going to trade him.   The worst thing they can do now is give him away.

[tower912]

Choice is a gamble.   Keep him, buy at the deadline, go all in, gamble.  Trade him, get an appropriate haul, gamble. 

[The Sultan]

Well, considering I speculated one established major league pitcher (starter or reliever), a top pitching prospect, and a right-handed hitting CF (unspecified) we aren't that far apart.

I don't know if they are going to trade him.   The worst thing they can do now is give him away.

You are far apart. An established major league starter and a top pitching prospect is way more than a 25-50 prospect and another established one.

MLB teams looking to add pitching aren't going to trade away an established starter prior to the playoffs anyway. There's not much point in that. You may get some bullpen arm that could project to a starter, but that's about it.

[swoopem]

I'd be shocked if they don't trade him and I'd be even more shocked if it wasn't for a bunch (3 or 4) of prospects

[Pakuni]

I'd be shocked if they don't trade him and I'd be even more shocked if it wasn't for a bunch (3 or 4) of prospects

The irony is they might have been able to get something close to tower's ask had they tried to deal him in the offseason. But asking for an established starter and a centerfielder, in addition to a top prospect, for a deadline rental? Good for the Tigers if they can do that, but if that's their ask, I hope they like comp picks.

[MUBurrow]

The Athletic's MLB windup email this morning included this gem:

Lance McCullers Jr. DFA'd: OK, this isn't a trade, but Milwaukee just traded for McCullers on July 15. This can't make Jadyn Fielder (yes, Prince's kid) feel great: The Brewers traded him for 4 2/3 innings of relief pitching.

Such lazy reporting.  The valuable part of that trade for the Brewers was always pre-arb Colton Gordon, with McCullers more of a flier/salary dump than anything. I get that "McCullers for Prince's kid" is a much more dynamic way to describe it than  "AAAA guy the Brewers might be able to get something out of with a bunch of team control" but yeesh. /endrant

[MuggsyB]

Are the Brewers trying to get Peralta back?  Also, would you trade Made in a package for Skubal or a big bat?  Is any power hitter available.   Mason Miller could be a good addition if they can pull that off. 

[The Sultan]

Are the Brewers trying to get Peralta back?  Also, would you trade Made in a package for Skubal or a big bat?  Is any power hitter available.   Mason Miller could be a good addition if they can pull that off. 

Made is untouchable. Luis Pina is not.

[MuggsyB]

The Brewers have had some very bad luck losing 2 pretty good starting pitchers for the season, but they're still killing it.  That said, I think they need to make a move to beat the Dodgers.  From what I've seen, their bullpen is worrisome. 

[Jockey]

Made is untouchable. Luis Pina is not.

Don't know who Luis Pina is,

Made is untouchable. Luis Pina is not.

Don't know who Luis Pina is (and obviously neither do you), but the Brewers aren't trading Luis Peña even for Skubal.

I would be shocked if they did.

[Pakuni]

Are the Brewers trying to get Peralta back?  Also, would you trade Made in a package for Skubal or a big bat?  Is any power hitter available.   Mason Miller could be a good addition if they can pull that off. 

The Brewers aren't trading a potentially elite everyday player with 6 years of control for a rental pitcher.

[MuggsyB]

The Brewers aren't trading a potentially elite everyday player with 6 years of control for a rental pitcher.

What do you expect if anything?

[MUBurrow]

What do you expect if anything?

My guess is roughly business as usual, maybe a bit more aggressive on rentals. Probably a mid-leverage lefty reliever and a mid rotation SP to keep things steady while they back off Miz and Harrison.  Ironically Peralta would be a fine fit, but I think giving a (relative) pittance back for him isn't a deal Stearns or Arnold would make.  I think the Brewers get one of Minter or Raley though.  Maybe they try to go after one of SPs on big money expiring contracts to make a team swallow some money and water down the return - Robbie Ray, Kevin Gausman, Jack Flaherty.