MLB Trade Rumors Podcast

Steve Adams and Anthony Franco join Darragh McDonald to discuss takeaways from the World Series and use the site's lists of the Top 50 Free Agents and Top 40 Trade Candidates to springboard into a preview of the offseason. They talk about the overall scope of the offseason as well as what to expect from some individual player contracts. 

Steve Adams joins Darragh McDonald to discuss the uncertainty surrounding the Angels as their owner, manager and general manager are all changing. They also react to the news that Brian Cashman and Aaron Boone will remain with the Yankees. 

Listener email questions include whether the Giants will make moves to contend next year, such as trading young players or signing a big free agent like Tarik Skubal, what the Cardinals need to do this offseason, and whether owners and players are negotiating in good faith. 

Anthony Franco joins Darragh McDonald to discuss the World Series matchup between the Rays and the Brewers, whether the Dodgers will make big changes this offseason, how aggressive the Guardians will be coming off their ALCS appearance, how playoff teams are putting an increased emphasis on defense, and what having a low-payroll team in win the championship will mean for collective bargaining. They also talk about Taylor Smith getting hired as the Athletics' new president of baseball operations, Don Mattingly staying on as Phillies' manager, the Astros parting ways with Joe Espada.

Listener question topics include if...

Steve Adams joins Darragh McDonald to discuss the remaining playoff teams and the reality that at least one small-payroll club will make the World Series this year. They also recap the seasons of the teams who were recently eliminated and preview what their offseasons could look like. 

Anthony Franco joins Darragh McDonald to discuss the Diamondbacks' decision to bring back Torey Lovullo, comments from the team's owner that they're going to scale back payroll, and whether Ketel Marte could be on the trade block. 

They also take time to preview the offseasons of the Phillies, Cubs, Red Sox, and Astros following their respective eliminations from playoff contention and talk about some creative new pitching strategies, such as the Marlins using starters on their bullpen-throwing days, and the White Sox blurring the line between starting pitcher and reliever. 

Listener email topics include whether th...

Steve Adams joins Darragh McDonald to discuss Aaron Judge being left off the Yankees' Wild Card roster, the plan for Garrett Crochet to pitch out of Boston's bullpen, whether the Rangers will scale back their payroll next year, how the Diamondbacks could build around their core, and news that Ben Cherington expects to return as Pirates' GM following a winning season.

Listener email topics include what the Guardians' low-payroll success could mean for CBA negotiations, which managerial opening is the most appealing, whether Kyle Harrison is a good extension candidate, what teams would benefit most from a...

Anthony Franco joins Darragh McDonald to discuss this year's weak free agent class, the latest Free Agent Power Rankings, what kind of market to expect for Japanese star Teruaki Sato, the Nationals signing Cade Cavalli to a four-year extension, and how the playoff brackets are shaping up as teams play out the final games of the regular season.  

Listener email topics include whether the new postseason format is inferior to the old one, an idea for teams to get an extra ABS challenge during playoff games, if Casey Mize is at risk of being left off the P...

Steve Adams joins Darragh McDonald to discuss Shohei Ohtani landing on the IL and whether he should continue to pitch long term, Josue De Paula's callup, and Edwin Diaz's disastrous season. Other topics include the Diamondbacks claiming  Jesús Sánchez off waivers despite him not being eligible for the playoffs, the Mariners and Twins calling up many of their top prospects to finish the year.

Listener email topics include changes that the Brewers could make during the offseason and whether the MLBTR writers would prefer the proposed plan for specific signing windows.

Brennan McClain of Pro Hockey Rumors joins Darragh McDonald to discuss Stan Kroenke's purchasing the Los Angeles Angels. He shares insider knowledge about how Kroenke has run the Colorado Avalanche his other sports franchises. They also talk about what the future could hold for the Angels' payroll and potential real estate expansion around the stadium.  

Anthony Franco joins Darragh McDonald to discuss the approval for a new Rays' stadium in Tampa, whether league expansion could be coming soon, the Orioles claiming Luis Robert Jr. off waivers, and some prospect promotions, including Ethan Salas for the Padres, Walker Jenkins for the Twins, Lazaro Montes for the Mariners, and Leo Bernal for the Cardinals, and how JJ Wetherholt's injury could end up costing St. Louis a PPI draft pick.

Steve Adams joins Darragh McDonald to discuss the Astros firing general manager Dana Brown and how it's been been an interesting ride for the teams' front office under owner Jim Crane. They also discuss the Mariners promoting top pitching prospect Kade Anderson, Colt Emerson's season-ending wrist surgery, and how things might be different for the Padres now that their new ownership has officially taken over. 

Listener email topics include the chances of the Red Sox signing Adley Rutschman to an extension this offseason and whether the Tigers should have held on to Tarik Skubal and others to m...

Anthony Franco joins Darragh McDonald to discuss the Athletics letting GM David Forst go, the many questions surrounding the franchise as the get ready for their move to Las Vegas, the Nationals moving CJ Abrams from shortstop to second base, how the Reds will fare following Hunter Greene's UCL surgery, Max Fried going back on the IL with an elbow injury, what George Lombard Jr.'s promotion will mean for the other Yankees infielders, if the Rockies' recent decisions point seem different from their old braintrust, Joshua Baez's massive debut and how well things have worked out for the...

MLBTR's newest contributor, Ethan Hullihen joins Darragh McDonald to discuss his work on the Payroll Tracker that was recently launched by MLB Trade Rumors. He talks about how he got started doing such detailed work, how his partnership with MLBTR came to be, what he hopes for from the next CBA, and some clarifications of commonly misunderstood terms and rules that affect team payrolls. 

Steve Adams and Anthony Franco join Darragh McDonald to discuss the Dodgers acquiring Tarik Skubal, the prospect return that the Tigers received, why no other team beat that offer, how the Tigers stopped short of a full selloff, the Orioles returns from trading Adley Rutschman and others, the Red Sox not being afraid of dealing major assets such as Marcelo Mayer, the Rays shoring up their pitching and catching, the Angels actually selling pieces (unlike in past years), the Blue Jays trading away their rentals while also acquiring Jose Soriano, the Reds and Rangers not doing anything, the Giants...

Steve Adams and Anthony Franco join Darragh McDonald to set the table for next week's trade deadline. Topics include the Red Sox trading Connelly Early to the Nationals for Curtis Mead, if Boston could still make other moves to improve their middle infield, the tough decision the Tigers need to make about whether to trade Tarik Skubal or keep trying to compete, the potential suitors for Skubal, if the Padres should consider trading Mason Miller or Adrian Morejon, how big of a splash the Mariners could make, whether new trade candidates could emerge on the catching market after Shea...

Steve Adams joins Darragh McDonald to discuss the Reds signing Chase Burns to a long contract extension, the Reds looking to sell off their impending free agents, the Orioles extending Kyle Bradish, the Brewers acquiring Colton Gordon and Lance McCullers from the Astros to bolster their pitching depth, the Dodgers trading the Rockies for Seth Halvorsen, and what the Mets' selloff could look like.

Steve Adams joins Darragh McDonald to discuss the Cardinals signing JJ Wetherholt to a long-term extension, the Pirates acquiring Jacob Gonzalez from the White Sox to replace the injured Konnor Griffin, the great season the White Sox are having and the rationale for them to trade away assets in the middle of a playoff race, how the Marlins have put themselves in position to keep Sandy Alcantara and buy at the deadline, and if the Athletics will pivot to selling following their brutal past month. 

Anthony Franco joins Darragh McDonald to discuss how the Royals are not in a great position to capitalize on as a seller, who could be moved from Cincinnati's roster as the keep moving further away from contention, how the Cardinals will weigh short-term vs. long-term success, what bullpen moves the Marlins could make, if the Mariners could add a right-handed bat or a high-end starting pitcher, if the Padres will end up being buyers or sellers, and whether Mason Miller could be back on the trade block.

Anthony Franco joins Darragh McDonald to discuss Mets topics that include the firing of manager Carlos Mendoza, trading David Peterson to the Cubs, and whether Bo Bichette and other players could be available at the deadline. 

Other topics include the Angels firing general manager Perry Minasian and bringing on John Mozeliak as interim GM, and how recently-promoted prospect Cooper Ingle will fit into the Guardians' catching plans.

Steve Adams joins Darragh McDonald to discuss the plethora of injuries that the Diamondbacks are facing and potential trade chips that the Red Sox could deal at the deadline.

Listener question topics include the possibility of Atlanta trading for Sonny Gray, whether Cleveland would trade for Aroldis Chapman, if the prospect cost of acquiring Tarik Skubal is worth it, whether the Marlins could make Max Meyer available and if the White Sox are a good fit for him, and how the players and owners feel about the topic of expansion. 

Anthony Franco joins Darragh McDonald to discuss who the Giants could trade following reports that the team is getting ready to sell at the deadline, the Brewers extending Luis Lara and their trend of locking up prospects before they debut, Milwaukee's uncertain infield situation, whether surprise teams like the White Sox, Cardinals and Nationals should invest resources into competing this year, and what to make of the underwhelming AL Central.

Listener email topics include how Bo Bichette would need to perform to justify opting out of his contract and a trade hypothetical that would send Bryan Abreu...

Steve Adams joins Darragh McDonald to preview the 2026-27 free-agent class, discuss what has led this year's group getting weaker, and talk about some players who have climbed up the rankings, including Brandon Lowe, Luis Arraez and others. They also break down how the Yankees could fare while Aaron Judge recovers from a stress fracture. 

MLBTR founder Tim Dierkes joins Darragh McDonald to discuss the early CBA proposals put out by both the Players Association and MLB. Some topics discussed include a competitive integrity tax, a hard cap and floor system, shared TV revenue, how many games each side would be willing to sacrifice, how to improve competitive balance, the public nature of the negotiations so far, how the MLBPA could improve their PR, and how pragmatic the current collection of owners will be during negotiations. 

Anthony Franco joins Darragh McDonald to discuss the Athletics promoting pitching prospect Gage Jump, the Tigers' disappointing start to the season and whether they will look to trade players such as Tarik Skubal, Riley Greene and Casey Mize, the Twins demoting Royce Lewis and Matt Wallner and dealing with an injury to Ryan Jeffers as they try to stay in the playoff picture, whether the Red Sox will be able to add offense in a trade, and the trade value of some Padres' players including Fernando Tatis and Jake Cronenworth. 

Anthony Franco joins Darragh McDonald to discuss the Mariners calling up Colt Emerson, whether Patrick Corbin and Spencer Miles can keep the Blue Jays' rotation afloat, the state of the Dodgers' rotation with Blake Snell on the IL and the team acquiring Eric Lauer from Toronto, if the Mets can crawl back into contention despite the injuries to Francisco Alvarez and Clay Holmes, and Jose Altuve's oblique strain and the Astros overall struggles.

Listener email topics include who the biggest positive surprises have been so far this year, and if the Dodgers could leverage their glut of...

Steve Adams joins Darragh McDonald to discuss the Giants trading Patrick Bailey to Cleveland for a prospect and a draft pick, the Guardians' love of poor-hitting catchers, Carlos Correa's season-ending surgery, whether the Astros can turn things around, the Diamondbacks shaking up their outfield by calling up Ryan  Waldschmidt and trading Alek Thomas to the Dodgers, the Mets calling up A.J. Ewing, and the Marlins promoting Robby Snelling.

Listener question topics include what to expect from the TIgers moving forward, which starting pitchers the Cubs could target at the deadline, and if David Bednar is good e...

Anthony Franco joins Darragh McDonald to discuss the news of Tarik Skubal needing elbow surgery and what it means for the Tigers' season and his own free agency, the Marlins sending down catcher Agustin Ramierez, calling up top prospect Joe Mack and what to make of Liam Hicks, Chris Paddack getting released, the Giants promoting Bryce Eldridge and how he is an awkward fit on the roster, the Yankees optioning Anthony Volpe to Triple A to continue giving at bats to Jose Caballero, and how injuries to Garrett Crochet, Ranger Suarez and Sonny Gray have put the Red Sox...

Steve Adams joins Darragh McDonald to discuss the Red Sox firing Alex Cora along with five other coaches, what is leading to the lack of success in Boston, Lucas Giolito settling for a $3 million guarantee with the Padres, Taijuan Walker getting released, the Phillies firing manager Rob Thomson, and the Guardians promoting top prospect Travis Bazzana. 

Anthony Franco joins Darragh McDonald to discuss Kevin McGonigle getting an even bigger extension than Konnor Griffin, the Padres reported valuation of $3.9 billion and whether it will affect CBA negotiations later this year, and how Edwin Diaz missing extended time will affect the Dodgers. 

Listener question topics include how the Braves are thriving despite the injuries in their rotation, if Michael Wacha can continue his dominant performance, if the Reds will continue to play struggling players like TJ Friedl and Matt McLain, and whether the Nationals' offense is for real. 

Steve Adams joins Darragh McDonald to discuss the Blue Jays acquiring Lenyn Sosa from the White Sox to bolster their depth, the flood of injuries for the Astros  as well as the teams' poor start, the Cubs' Cade Horton needing UCL surgery and the shaky state of their rotation, and the mounting injuries that the Orioles are facing with Adley Rutschman and Zach Eflin being two of the latest to hit the IL. 

Listener question topics include why Konnor Griffin was willing to sign such a long contract extension, whether his discipline will be a long-term concern, wh...

Anthony Franco joins Darragh McDonald to discuss the site's first edition of the 2026-27 Free Agent Power Rankings. Topics include how big Tarik Skubal's contract could get, some safe bets like Freddy Peralta and Bo Bichette, and some guys with wide error bars like Jazz Chisholm, Trevor Rogers, Kris Bubic, Michael King and Dalton Varsho. 

They also discuss Konnor Griffin's debut and talks of an extension. 

Steve Adams and Anthony Franco both join Darragh McDonald for an offseason recap, but they first discuss a string of extensions, including Colt Emerson with the Mariners, Cooper Pratt with the Brewers (reported), Shane Baz with the Orioles, Nico Hoerner with the Cubs as well as the terms of the Pete Crow-Armstrong deal. 

After that, they have a big-picture conversation to recap the offseason and set the table for 2026. Topics include teams being more cautious about signing international free agents, chances of a lockout next year, how TV contracts will play out in the future, the trend o...

The PCA and Sanchez Extensions, And Prospect Promotions And Demotions
Anthony Franco joins Darragh McDonald to discuss Pete Crow-Armostrong's extension with the Cubs, the Phillies further extending Christopher Sanchez and how they have most of their rotation now locked up long term, Spencer Strider starting the season on the IL, the trend of teams putting rotation candidates into the rotation rather than Triple-A, the Nationals sending both Dylan Crews and Harry Ford down to the minors, some exciting prospect promotions, including the Mets' Carson Benge, the Cardinals' JJ Weatherholt, Konnor Griffin and Travis Bazzana not making their respective...

Steve Adams joins Darragh McDonald to discuss what makes the World Baseball Classic so great, how Hunter Greene's elbow surgery will affect the Reds, if the Braves should address their roster holes by trading for Jarren Duran or signing Lucas Giolito, if Kevin McGonigle could break camp with the Tigers, and young Twins, Mariners and Cardinals pitchers who are turning heads in spring training.

Anthony Franco joins Darragh McDonald to discuss Jesús Luzardo's five-year extension with Philadelphia, how the Phillies' outfield will look while Johan Rojas misses time due to a PED suspension, Jurickson Profar's second PED suspension in the past two years, if the Braves have enough depth to get through the season, Zack Littell signing with the Nationals, a trade that sent Kyle Nicolas to the Reds Tyler Callihan to the Pirates, Andrew McCutchen settling for a minor league deal with the Rangers, and whether Jeremy Pena's finger injury makes it less likely for the Astros to trade Issac Paredes.

Steve Adams joins Darragh McDonald to discuss how Max Scherzer fits into the Blue Jays' crowded rotation mix, some ways to increase parity other than a salary cap and floor system, if the Yankees have a tendency of holding on to their prospects for too long, whether Boston's lineup has enough power, if Masataka Yoshida could still get traded, and which players could get a contract extension before the season starts. 

baseball, MLB, Blue Jays, Yankees, Red Sox, Pirates, Athletics, White Sox, Brewers

Steve Adams joins Darragh McDonald to discuss Pablo Lopez's UCL injury and what it means for the Twins' roster, how the Orioles will deal with injuries to Jordan Westburg and Jackson Holliday, the Guardians signing Rhys Hoskins to a minor league deal and their surprising lack of offensive moves this offseason, Angels owner Arte Moreno's comments about how fans don't care about winning, Chris Sale's extension with the Braves, and the interesting details that led Tony Clark to resign as leader of the MLB Players Association. 

Anthony Franco joins Darragh McDonald to discuss Tarik Skubal's landmark arbitration decision, the Tigers signing Framber Valdez and Justin Verlander, the six-player trade between the Red Sox and Brewers that included Caleb Durbin, the Orioles signing Chris Bassitt to a one-year deal, whether Jackson Holliday's hamate surgery will change the team's plans, Arizona re-signing Zac Gallen, some factors that could help the Diamondbacks get better as the season goes on, whether the Braves will make a rotation move on the heels of some pitching injuries, and the initial report that MLBPA Executive Director Tony Clark resigned. 

Steve Adams joins Darragh McDonald to discuss the surprising news that Twins President Derek Falvey and the team mutually parted ways, the three-team trade that sent Brendon Donovan to the Mariners, prospects and draft picks to the Cardinals, and Ben Williamson to the Rays. Also, Eugenio Suarez signing a one-year deal to return to Cincinnati, what hitters are still available for the Pirates to bring in, the Giants signing Luis Arraez and Harrison Bader, the White Sox taking on the contract of Jordan Hicks to get Boston to throw in a prospect, Jacob Wilson’s extension with the Athletics, an...

MLBTR founder Tim Dierkes joins Darragh McDonald to discuss his recent post on the site and about whether a salary cap could be implemented, the potential of increasing revenue sharing, if deferrals should be limited, and how the players and owners could reach a compromise. 

Other topics include Cody Bellinger's five-year deal to stay in New York, the possibility of the Yankees trading Jasson Dominguez, the Mets acquiring Freddy Peralta from the Brewers and Luis Robert Jr. from the White Sox, the Rangers trading five prospects for MacKenzie Gore, and what moves the Nationals could make next.