2026 MLB Thread

[wadesworld]

Not finding those exact numbers, but assuming with the hitters you're talking about Shohei, Pages, Muncy, Freeman, Betts and Rushing (their top 6 by fWAR).

Shohei and Freeman obviously were big-money FA acquisitions.
But ...
Pages was a guy they signed for $300K out of Cuba.
Muncy they signed to a minor league contract after the As cut him.
Betts (like Skubal) is a guy they acquired leveraging their ability to develop young players, something certain Midwestern teams are afraid to do.
Rushing was a second-round pick.

Can you link the ERA+ leaders list you're looking at?
According to this, there isn't a single Dodger in the top 10.
https://www.baseball-reference.com/leaders/earned_run_avg_plus_top_ten.shtml

But, among the Dodgers ERA+ SP leaders this year are an 11th round pick (Wrobelski), a guy they acquired this offseason for a player to be named later (Lauer) and a sixth-round pick (Sheehan).

Sorry, missed that those numbers are "since 2023."

https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/49469642/mlb-trade-deadline-grades-2026-tarik-skubal-los-angeles-dodgers-detroit-tigers-blockbuster

[Hards Alumni]

Excuse my ignorance but how good are these Brewers prospects and can they all be signed for multiple seasons like Chourio? I know Made is supposed to be ultra elite.  That shortstop that's playing now has impressed me.  Tremendous arm. 

They're good, but baseball is fickle.  They can try to "pre-sign" their young guys to lock them up, but the Brewers do not have bottomless pockets.  Pratt (8-$50m) and Lara (7-$31m) were  locked up without having stepped foot on a major league field.  Is that smart?  If they're sure fire can't miss prospects, then yes... but baseball is fickle.  Guys flame out all the time.

But this is how the Brewers have to compete.  The front office, managers, and farm system in Milwaukee should be the envy of every team for the amount of talent and number of wins they are able to squeeze out of one of the poorest franchises in baseball.

When you compare that to what the Dodgers get to do (spray a fire hose of money at problems) you can understand why people are not in love with the current state of major league baseball.

[GB Warrior]

They're good, but baseball is fickle.  They can try to "pre-sign" their young guys to lock them up, but the Brewers do not have bottomless pockets.  Pratt (8-$50m) and Lara (7-$31m) were  locked up without having stepped foot on a major league field.  Is that smart?  If they're sure fire can't miss prospects, then yes... but baseball is fickle.  Guys flame out all the time.

But this is how the Brewers have to compete.  The front office, managers, and farm system in Milwaukee should be the envy of every team for the amount of talent and number of wins they are able to squeeze out of one of the poorest franchises in baseball.

When you compare that to what the Dodgers get to do (spray a fire hose of money at problems) you can understand why people are not in love with the current state of major league baseball.

The Lara and Pratt deals were as much about who those players were as prospects, which are high-floor defensive stalwarts. If they only meet their floor, they'll have value to the Brewers or elsewhere.

You won't see them do this with Fischer who could be Kyle Schwarber or Chris Davis or a complete flameout and every permutation in between.

[PointWarrior]

f' the Dodgers. f' MLB.   At least money can't screw up golf, oh., wait....

[Billy Hoyle]

f' the Dodgers. f' MLB.   At least money can't screw up golf, oh., wait....

https://x.com/i/status/2083931911253115316

[The Sultan]

https://x.com/i/status/2083931911253115316

Yeah I don't know about that. The deadline is Monday. Plenty of time to circle back to an earlier offer.

[Pakuni]

Uninspiring is an understatement.

https://x.com/i/status/2083910988651249858

They were never going to get a monster return for a rental who missed more than a month this season with elbow issues.
The Tigers effed this up by choosing not to deal him in the offseason or lock him up when they had the chance. Instead, they gave 3/$115 million to Valdez and 1/$13 million to Verlander, after offering Skubal only $19 million in arbitration.

[MUBurrow]

The Lara and Pratt deals were as much about who those players were as prospects, which are high-floor defensive stalwarts. If they only meet their floor, they'll have value to the Brewers or elsewhere.

You won't see them do this with Fischer who could be Kyle Schwarber or Chris Davis or a complete flameout and every permutation in between.

Yup yup.  Plus the Lara and Pratt deals help if a salary floor gets implementd in the new CBA because a floor/cap would almost certainly be calculated using AAVs.

[MUBurrow]

The conspiracy theorist I like to think I don't have in me wonders if the Tigers locked in on the Dodgers barring some can't pass on offer from another club for reasons.

But, yes, other clubs could have beaten that offer but the Brewers weren't moving Made or Henderson for a rental.  Dodgers system is as good and they can replace prospects by spending on free agents.

Yeah the only way this package makes sense is if you're really in love with River Ryan.  Which is obviously what Det will be saying. But he's about to turn 28(!) and currently has a 4.46 ERA in AAA.  Granted, that's in the PCL and his preiphery stats are much better, and Detroit has his T-75 overall prospect rating in its corner. But staking your Tarik Skubal return on River Ryan (they were always going to anchor the return with a T-50 bat) and making that deal late Saturday night is just confusing enough to support conspiracy theories.

[Pakuni]

Yeah the only way this package makes sense is if you're really in love with River Ryan.  Which is obviously what Det will be saying. But he's about to turn 28(!) and currently has a 4.46 ERA in AAA.  Granted, that's in the PCL and his preiphery stats are much better, and Detroit has his T-75 overall prospect rating in its corner. But staking your Tarik Skubal return on River Ryan (they were always going to anchor the return with a T-50 bat) and making that deal late Saturday night is just confusing enough to support conspiracy theories.

Word is Detroit asked for Sheahan, but the Dodgers wouldn't include him.
Not sure why anyone thinks the Tigers would want to help the Dodgers to their own detriment. Maybe Tigers' ownership wants everyone to get frothy about the need for a cap (in which case, well played).

[MU82]

Hope everyone who was telling me to get my house and bet 6 figures on the Dodgers to win the World Series got their same bets in before the deal changed their odds!

I don't gamble, and I don't think the Dodgers are a sure thing. You do gamble, and you are 100% certain the Dodgers cannot possibly lose. So congrats on having taken out another mortgage, having cashed in your 401k, and having bet 6 figures on the Dodgers to win the World Series. You'll enjoy that windfall three months from now!

[MuggsyB]

I don't gamble, and I don't think the Dodgers are a sure thing. You do gamble, and you are 100% certain the Dodgers cannot possibly lose. So congrats on having taken out another mortgage, having cashed in your 401k, and having bet 6 figures on the Dodgers to win the World Series. You'll enjoy that windfall three months from now!

It's definitely not a sure thing.  In fact Karma could very well bite them in the buttocks. 

[GB Warrior]

It's definitely not a sure thing.  In fact Karma could very well bite them in the buttocks. 

I was trying to find karma on Skubal's Savant page and couldn't find it.

[MU82]

It's definitely not a sure thing.  In fact Karma could very well bite them in the buttocks. 

Come on, man, there hasn't been this sure a thing in sports since the Golden State Warriors opened a 3-1 series lead in the 2016 NBA Finals, or maybe since the 18-0 Patriots prepared to crush the Giants in the 2008 Super Bowl, or maybe since Mike Tyson got ready to send Buster Douglas to the farm up north in 1990.

Then again, just two months ago, some were saying there was absolutely no way the Knicks could beat the Spurs, and they sure turned out to be right!

[Pakuni]

Mets trading Peralta to the Rays. Getting back the Rays' #15, #26 and #27 prospects, per Pipeline.
Yikes. Not much of a return for a guy who just cost you two of your top 5 prospects six months ago.

[MuggsyB]

The only sure thing in sports, is that we'll never see a hs basketball team like the '81-83 Dunbar Poets again.    Remember all these kids grew up Baltimore and many in the same neighborhood, this wasn't a hs all-star team that was recruited like Montverde.  59-0, 12 D-1 players, 3 first round NBA draft picks.  I will confidently state that will never happen again. 

[GB Warrior]

The only sure thing in sports, is that we'll never see a hs basketball team like the '81-83 Dunbar Poets again.    Remember all these kids grew up Baltimore and many in the same neighborhood, this wasn't a hs all-star team that was recruited like Montverde.  59-0, 12 D-1 players, 3 first round NBA draft picks.  I will confidently state that will never happen again. 

I'm too young - is that the team Ners was dunking for

[Dish]

That was the most impressive series win of the year for the White Sox.

[Shaka Shart]

Imagine the reaction from Wades if the Dodgers got a Time Machine and signed 2015 Jake arrieta

[TallTitan34]

Kevin Gausman to Cubs.

[Pakuni]

That was the most impressive series win of the year for the White Sox.

Sent out their #3, #4 and #5 starters, and allowed three runs all weekend.
Pretty good.

[SoCalEagle]

The other Sox are looking pretty good, too. Hope the dodgers don't have to face them in the WS.

[Pakuni]

Gausman to the Cubs for a couple of meh prospects.

D'oh. Missed TT's post.

[MUBurrow]

If it's true that the Padres turned down four-plus years of Will Warren for a month of Morejon, I wouldn't hold out much hope of anyone prying Mason Miller.

[Dish]

What Boston is doing is really something.