Bob Nightengale Reveals the Latest MLB Offseason Buzz & Trade Rumors

USA Today insider Bob Night and goal covering the GM meetings right now joining us on FT not just today but more regularly. Bob, we’re excited about it. You know, we love having you on here. So, I just wanted to tell the world you’ll see more Bob. Bob, it’s great to have you. Do you enjoy these appearances? I hope you do because you’re going to see us more now. Love hanging out with you guys. Love watching you guys. So, yeah, it’s a it’s a pleasure. Bob, I’m just happy we got you off the crabs table to get you up here to do this interview. So, thank you for taking a five minute break to come see us. I love craps. I do love black. I know. There you go. Well, Bob, we’re excited. Yeah, we love doing these. So, let’s dive right in and let’s pick some things out from your latest notes column. Let’s start with the defending champs, the Los Angeles Dodgers. The storyline with them is always, oh, spending, spending, and they’re outspending everyone, but I I thought you took a different turn that was interesting. News flash, there’s actually a lot of money coming off the books for this team, right? Yeah, they got $87 million coming off, you know, going back to Chris Taylor no longer there. Michael Korto will be gone. Clay Kershaw will be gone. So, yeah, 87 million bucks coming off the books. They need to get that bullpen right. Obviously, they’re not going to pitch starters, you know, in relief like they did uh in the postseason. You can’t do that in the regular season, but I think they got to go get a big time closer and kind of end the nonsense that happened last year. They got away with it, you know, last year. I don’t think they get away with it this year. Edwin Diaz, Bob Diaz to the Dodgers. Are we talking big like that or are we are we talking smaller? Hopefully Tanner Scott who has a new butt coming back and some of these other guys, Blake Try in another year. Like is is there are we talking go out and sign a big name again? I think that you’ll go get a big name. I think they’ll be in the Diaz thing. You know, he can do it. I don’t know if they’d bring back Kennley Jansen. I think he’d be a cool story. Uh if he did come back, uh but they’d love to get some stud. Uh tell you what, and if wasn’t for Emanuel Claw gambling thing and they would be all in on him getting him to LA, trading for him. So that type of guy, they need a guy that they don’t worry about. I think Dave Roberts is losing his mind having to pick and choose night after night. What about Pete Fairbanks? He just got he just got DF8 or non-tendered or whatever the heck they get, however you want to. He I mean he’s he’s pretty good. He he likes pitching in warm weather because he gets the finger thing when it’s too cold. And LA is about the same every day. LA and San Diego, San Francisco, you know, it’s Well, San Francisco not so much, but the other two are pretty good. Arizona’s inside. That’s a good division. Yeah. No, that’s a good call. Andrew Freeman love loves his Tampa guys and uh obviously they got a relationship there and they got you know Blake Snell from there and they got Tyler Glass now from there. Why not? So that’s a good call. The trade the trade part of it because you just said they got Tyler Glass now and then everybody thinks oh they signed him as a free agent. Well they traded for him and then they extended him. Are there any candidates for the Dodgers out there where it’s like a team that needs maybe some money coming off their books and the Dodgers are like, “Hey, we’re willing to take that because, you know, we see the value in it.” Yeah, I just don’t know if there’s that one reliever out there, but uh I think they’ll be on everybody. I don’t, you know, I don’t see Kyle Tucker going there. He’s from the, you know, Tampa area. I think he still stays, you know, like to stay back east. Uh but I think they’ll make him honest. Yeah, they weren’t ever in on, you know, they were never going full-blown at Juan Sodto. They but they wanted to make sure the Yankees and Mets had to pay pay fair price or overpay to get the guy. I think the same thing with the uh you know with him as well where you know they’ll say you know what we need an outfielder. We got a hole here but we don’t need to spend 350 for 400 million for Kyle Tucker. Okay. Well then my next question that leads me into my next question. you kind of brought up the Mets and and in your column you said the Mets were one of the biggest disappointments and they’re going to have to spend again. But then you also mentioned the Orioles who did the bare minimum in free agency, right? So, who’s under more pressure? The Mets to make the playoffs with the huge payroll or Mike Elias to get it right with the new manager and everything else they have going on there and also the window for the Orioles kind of starting to shrink a little bit as these guys keep adding years. Well, I think Elias is under more pressure just because I think his job is more on the line where I don’t think, you know, David Sterns is going anywhere. But no, it’s embarrassing to have that kind of payroll and not make the playoffs or even the Mets. The Orioles, you know, you’re right, AJ. I mean, you got to take advantage of those young guys. You got to have them step up. So, you know, they got to make a big move. They lost Corbin Burns. They got to replace him with a star. So, I think that they got to go get one of the top, you know, pitchers. And hey, you know, the guy, you know, new ownership, you got to spend some money. He hasn’t spent any big money yet. All right. You talk about in your in your article, you talked about the lockout and how teams might be stashing money away for the lockout. You got a full season here. Are there any teams that are going to say, you know what, if there is a lockout, we’re going to kind of be behind the eightball a little bit because our our young players are going to get older. Are there any teams that are going to say, “Screw the lockout. We’re pushing all in for this next season because there could be a lockout.” And not just say, “Ah, we’re pulling back because we’re fearful of the lockout.” Yeah, I think they’re all fearful, but I haven’t heard any GM saying, “Hey, I got for my owner to say we’re going to uh scale back here.” I think what’s going to be interesting in in these free agent contracts is how they’re structured. I think we’re going to see more contracts frontloaded. Hey, if there’s only a half a season in 2027 or what have you, make, you know, make that more money lost. The Diamondbacks kept kicking themselves. They backloaded Madison Bumgardner’s contract. So during the COVID season, it only cost, you know, Bumgardner a couple million dollars and he still got all the money in the back end. I think we’ll see more front-loaded contracts because of the potential lockout. Bob, I want to get to the trade market. Let’s start here. You put scoo and skins no and no for getting traded. Skins. I get it. You don’t think TKO gets traded this off seasonason? I don’t. I mean, you you know, you push it to the limit there for the uh in the playoffs. I think the Tiger fans are going nuts. They’re well below the luxury tax. So, you’re not going to get fair value. I mean, what are you going to get for uh Jared Scoo? You know, nothing compared to what he’s worth. Now, July, you know, they they can listen, say, “What? You know what? We got to move him. We’ll still get a lot back in return, but I just think that the fan uh push back would be so intense. You just can’t trade this guy. Just too valuable. I mean, it’s the number one guy out there. Counterpoint, what if they’re good next year, which they should be. I mean, if you’re a contending team, how can you trade one of the best starters in the sport? You can’t. Yeah, I just think ride with it. You know, worse comes to worse, you get a uh you know, a draft pick in return. But I think you gota, you know, go with it for him and uh see what the price is. Is someone going to pay 400 million and then it’s up to you whether you want a match or not? I don’t think he’s going to take a hometown discount. I think he like to stay in Detroit right, but he’s not going to take less money to stay in Detroit right Bob. Why can’t they sign him? Do we need do we need to raise Mr. Illich back up and get him to sign this guy? This guy needs to stay a Tiger. They have the money. You mentioned the they’re under the luxury tax. I mean, I know Glaver Torres is a free agent, but they have some young guys that are on their way and they’re on their way fast. Why can’t they just I know Boris doesn’t do it, but I’m talking about after the season. Wouldn’t they You think they’d be the favorite to sign him back? And why not try to get something done now to give your fans hope? They should. I don’t know what it would take now. It would take over 400 million uh to do it at least a ner to do it now. It would probably take 10 years, at least 450 million. I don’t see the Tigers doing that. But yeah, I mean I agree AJ if uh you know Mr. Ilich was still alive, he would get it done. He would do whatever it takes, but you know the the rest of the family with Mr. Vich isn’t you know built the same way. Uh they still haven’t been over the luxury tax where when Mulich was alive, you know, he was spending as much money as the Steinberg family and everybody else. Hey Bob, you ruffled some feathers in San Diego when you threw out the name Fernando Tatis Jr. for the Padres’s and the trade block. Can you explain what you wrote about? Well, they got so many backloaded contracts where, you know, they’ve lost money the last few years. Uh when you talk to GMs around the land, they say these guys are in big- time trouble. Uh you know, they’re losing money even though they’re back in the place. So, you you can’t trade Manny Machado, you can’t trade Xando Bogarts. Tatisa’s contract, as big as it is, is actually movable. I don’t think they’ll trade them this winter, but I think at some point, you talk to GMs, at some point you’re going to have to move them. You’re going to have to get rid of one of these big contracts. You know, you’re you’re not moving Darvish. You’re not moving Musgrove or Machado or Bogarts. He’s a guy that’s actually still has value even with that big contract. This episode of FT is brought to you by Square. 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Again, that’s square.com/gofoul to learn more. You know, everyone’s talking Bragman, everyone’s talking Tucker, everyone’s talking Bashette as free agents, but the guy that I’m interested in is Pete Alonzo. Pete Alonzo went through hell last year, right? To go back to a team he should have, it shouldn’t even have been close. Is he going to end up back in New York again and on a short-term deal? Why will no team go out on a limb and sign Pete Alonzo to a long-term deal? All this guy does is play 150 plus games every year. Hits you 40 homers, drive in a 100. Bob, like this is the guy you would think he doesn’t get in trouble. You would think this would be the guy that you just say, “Hey, we’ll give you five year 20 million or what?” I mean, just random numbers, but and go play first base for the next five years and hit us 200 homers. You would think so, but some tells you that Davis Sterns just doesn’t want him back. I mean, his last press conference ending the season kept talking about run prevention, run prevention a million different times. And uh obviously, you know, beat’s not the best defensive first baseman. I just don’t I think they would rather plug in holes different ways. And I think Sterns has got to talk the owner, you know, Cohen and say, you know what, let’s use the money. We don’t have to have Pete Lonzo back. If they want him back, they would have made him go through all the hoops he did last year. I think he I think he walks. I think they’d rather go somewhere else. Uh I think Alonzo would be a great fit in in Boston. All right. Well, what about Kyle Schwarber? Because Kyle Schwarber was a great fit when he was in Boston. Is there any way the Phillies let him go? I don’t see it. I don’t. You just Everybody you talk about Phillies just say forget what he does, you know, on the field, but off the field, he just means everything. I think he’s the one most indispensable player in that whole clubhouse. He’s our clubhouse leader. Everything goes through him that run things past him. I mean, you know, Bryce Harper is still a guy that I think Dave Dowski runs trades through or freeze and say, “Hey, what do you think about this guy?” But Schwarber is right there, too. I just can’t see no matter what kind of money he’s going to get offered that they let him want. I think just too valuable. Is it a case where he takes somebody else’s offer and takes it back to the Phillies and the Phillies match it or exceed it? cuz that could get pricey for a DH with a team who has a lot of guys who are getting up there in age on extended contracts. Yeah, I think they do do that. Remember the Yankees who used that with Starbur they want to try to lock him up to let him hit free agency say okay whatever you see out there let us know it it won’t match it or go above it. I think the same thing here Tom Schwarber go ahead and see what you get out there. Uh, I know they tried to sign him to extension last spring. Weren’t even close. So, I think they say, “Okay, whatever you think your value is, go find out and come back to us.” I just And I think he loves Philadelphia, too. I think it’s a perfect fit where he where he ends up filling for the rest of his career. Bob, but everyone’s saying Cincinnati because he’s from Ohio. Come on. I mean, come on, Bob. You got to keep up here, Bob. Everyone’s saying Cincinnati even though they’ll never pay him, but they want him to go there so badly. Anyways, I I I earlier before you came on, we were talking about the rookie of the year. Okay. And and Drake Baldwin won in the Nally. Curts was is a no-brainer. Drake Baldwin won, but they have Shawn Murphy and then there’s Drake Baldwin. If you were the GM, if you’re Alex and of the Braves, do you try to trade one of those guys? Probably Murphy because he makes more money. And if you don’t, we we were kind of going back and forth. Do they split time like 81 81 and mix in some DH time? Because if you do it that way, no one’s going to really be happy. You you see what I’m saying? So, what do you think the Braves will do with their catching depth? I think it makes more sense to trade Murphy. They’re not going to trade Greg Baldwin. He just means too much to that franchise. And uh yeah, you could have Murphy, you know, being more DH. But I agree with you is that they need to develop this guy. I mean, this guy’s unbelievable talent and I, you know, I I think it’s cool. I mean, AJ, you know, you guys were both catchers, but the fact, you know, we haven’t had a a black catcher in 25 years. for this guy to do this. Uh I think it’s great for the sport, great for Atlanta and uh I could see Murphy on the trade block. Uh you know, if they want to go that route, but Baldwin’s a guy for the future and I think even both catchers stay, it’s going to be Bowwin that gets more the playing time than Murphy. Bob, I want to take us to something really relevant where to where you are right now. Fran Valdez made the trip to the GM meetings and he’s going to meet with teams. I think it’s pretty obvious why that is the case. There could be some questions about his character and it really is specifically linked to an incident a couple months ago that I believe initially was denied. So what do you know? Have you have you seen him? Have you walked by him? And what do you know about the conversations that might go on between and teams? I mean that situation went hyper viral. Our guys were all over that, but they didn’t really address it and they definitely didn’t admit it. No, they never admitted it. I think it’s a smart move on the agent’s part to have him meet with teams. I know with guys who have had kind of character issues, the issu the agents have done that. I think it’s very smart on this thing. What happened there? What kind of guy are you? Uh you don’t have to admit it publicly, but why did you do that? Why did you turn your back when you uh when your catcher got a hit like that? And I think it rubbed a lot of, you know, teams the wrong way. And I think any team that would sign him has got to find out why did that happen. Is it going to happen again? Uh, you know, they want to know about the character. So I remember even, you know, going back to Carl Ever days and that type of things. Guys that questionable character, you want them get in front of GMs to say, “Hey, here here’s my guy. You know, you could ask him anything you want.” So, I I think no team in baseball would touch Valdez without addressing what happened that night. Hey, take it easy on Carl Ever, okay? Just because you didn’t believe in dinosaurs or astronauts or a whole bunch of different things, Bob. Take care of my my my teammate on the 2005 World Series. That dude would fight for you, I’ll tell you that. So, take it easy on Carl. You know, he had a bad reputation, but that dude will fight for you. I’ll tell you that if you’re on his team. Now Bob, I want to know you have roots in Minnesota. That’s where I first got to know you was up in Minneapolis. What the heck’s going on with the Twins? Are they going to trade Joe Ryan? Are they going to sell the team? Are they going to try and move Pablo Lopez? Like Twins fans all the time and and people mostly know him for the White Socks, but I still have friends in Minnesota and they’re like, “What is going on with the Twins?” So help me out, Bob. What is going on with the Twins? I don’t think even their front office knows what’s going to happen. They still don’t have a budget. what’s going to happen next year. Yeah, I mean, they got the new ownership in there and say, “Okay, we’re going to cut down debt, but hey, forget about the debt. What you can do for us right now?” I think they have to spend money if they’re going to sell tickets. I think people are so disgusted there that the OLED family is still involved that, you know, it’s not going to uh get people go back in the stadium. I mean, I think Minnesota Target Field is, you know, right there behind, you know, PNC, uh, in Pittsburgh as far as most beautiful ballpark. So, but I think they got his spin. I think people are so disgusted there that they haven’t try to improve that team. So, when that release came out like, “Oh, good news. We’re keeping the team. We have more money coming in.” And the fans say, “Oh, man. We talking about good news. has horrible news.

USA Today MLB insider Bob Nightingale joins AJ Pierzynski, Erik Kratz, and Scott Braun from the GM Meetings to break down the biggest offseason storylines. Bob shares updates on the Los Angeles Dodgers bullpen plans, why Pete Alonso might not return to the Mets, and how the Orioles and Mets are handling pressure after disappointing seasons. He also discusses the Tigers stance on Tarik Skubal, the possibility the Padres could move Fernando Tatis Jr., and why Framber Valdez is meeting with teams to address recent concerns.

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28 comments

  5. This is what baseball and most major sports are all about these days. All the talk is about contracts, how long, for how much, who can afford who, who can't etc. Seems to be the only determination of who is signed and who is traded. Pretty sad.

  8. How about Skubal ,Bellinger, Edwin diaz , I heard that about Tucker, hes a Florida kid. And something about locker room issues , I dont know how accurate is that , you in baseball want to win or no lol

  11. How do Mets fans regard David Stearns? He's very smart, but he's made a few missteps such as seemingly throwing Senga under the bus in the recent press conference, his refusal to invest in starting pitchers, and the way he's treated Pete Alonso. Granted he might just be following Steve Cohen's instructions.

  12. O's should pay for Bregman, Tucker, King, and trade for Peralta, Ryan, and 2 quality BP arms. This is going in big time and creating a quality Post Season Team!

  18. Andrew Friedman doesn’t like to pay big for relievers. Last year was an anomaly& he got burned with Tanner Scott. Doubt he’s going to do it again with the many internal options and his love of cheap rehab projects.

  19. I’d bring back Kenley Jansen for the Dodgers as a set-up guy but not as the primary closer.

    Also, it’s amazing that the two big Dodger free agents were complete duds. Michael Conforto was paid $17M while for 2025, Tanner Scott was given a $20M signing bonus + $12.8M AAV. That’s ~$40M for *negative* 1.6WAR.

  23. Baltimore and Joe Madden seem like a Great Fit. Him or David Ross a Joe Madden guy would go great with that roster. Maybe both. Joe Madden would be like the Jack McCean move Marlins made to make an extremely young team win the World Series in, was is 09?

  26. 10:30 – So completely idiotic. Alonso to a long term deal when he's just a 2-3 win 1Bman who should be DHing but, so far, has refused? Ridiculous. How it is you can make part of a living yapping about baseball?

    Wilmer Flores would have knocked in 110 RBI hitting behind Soto, Lindor, Nimmo.
    As for the HR, great. Pete's line from May 6, 2025 to the end of the season, in 549 PA, was this: .253/311/485. Pete had a lucky five weeks to start the season, and was Dave Kingman the rest of the way, and that's the guy you prattle about paying 10/250m to. This defines "inane."

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