#MLBVideos: Previewing the 2025 MLB Winter Meetings! (Schwarber, Tucker, Bellinger and MORE MOVES we might see!)

Previewing the 2025 MLB Winter Meetings! (Schwarber, Tucker, Bellinger and MORE MOVES we might see!)

Well, I’m John Paulosi joined by Joel Sherman, John Haymon, Mark Feinstein. Gentlemen, we start with the news of the day. Jeff Kent is a Hall of Famer. Joel, your thoughts on the ballot and Kent’s election. I was surprised. I thought this was going to be a Don Manningly election and I still believe that there were two Hall of Famers on of those eight. It was Barry Bonds who played with Jeff Kent and Roger Clemens. And I know what’s held against them. I still think they were two of the greatest players in the history of the game. I think there’s pretty good evidence, especially of Bonds, that he played very clean early in his career and was a historically great player. Those were the Hall of Famers on the ballot. You know, I’m going to differ a little. I kind of like the fact that the the steroid guys were were left out and they they they elected a guy that I did vote for and Jeff Kent. I was kind of hoping it would be Mattingly and Murphy. I I love them. I voted for them on every single ballot and I I do think they were deserving and I do put big stock in the sportsmanship and integrity part of the criteria. So I I was hoping they would count that as well. Uh I mean Kent hit 377 home runs. I get it. Uh I give these Hall of Famers credit. I give the executives credit. To me, if you cheated and you’re up against all these clean players, to me it’s a competition now, right? when you have you when you can vote for 10. You can you can vote for a steroid guy if you like, but to vote for a steroid guy over a clean guy with integrity, sportsmanship, I’m with them that they didn’t do that. Was there a list given of who the clean players were? We know who they were, Joe. We we know who they were. Well, John, I’m not old enough like these guys to have voted for Matt and Murphy, but I did vote for Kent every year that he was on the ballot. Also, Bonds, Clemens, and Sheffield. I understand why the last three didn’t get in. I’m glad Jeff Kent got his due. And by the way, as John alluded to, there is a limit of only three players that you can cast a ballot for. This is a very, very difficult ballot. From my perspective, guys, I look at one of the best series that we have ever seen played in baseball history now finally getting its due. The 2004 NLCS. Of course, a lot of us watching the ALCS that year. Kent, the dramatic walk-off home run in game five. He now becomes the third member of the Astros, the losing team in that series to be a Hall of Famer. Perhaps Beltron becomes number four later on this winter. Now, as the winner meetings get underway, we’ll start with Mark. Is there a big player who will sign while we’re here in Orlando? If there is, I think it’s Kyle Schwarber. He’s got the biggest power on the market. I don’t think there’s really competition for him. And Pete Alonzo is the closest thing to Schwarber on the market, but I think Schwarber is is a step above. And I so he’s not waiting for anybody. Schwarber has his market. There are teams that want him. Philly wants him back. Some other teams are definitely in on him as well. The Mets, the Red Sox. I think his market is starting to crystallize a little bit. And it would not surprise me if Kyle Schwarber is the first major domino to fall here. Yeah, that feels like the right answer to me. Uh, you know, with Philly, Boston, the Mets even in there, Pittsburgh, Baltimore. I do believe that’s the right answer, but C hometown Cincinnati. So, they got a shot. But I’m going to go off the board a little bit and go with Rangers Suarez. It feels like his pedigree in the postseason is drawing some attention. And I think Baltimore Cubs, some other teams are in there. And you know, I think he differentiates himself a little bit. He doesn’t have the mileage that some of the other pitchers have. He has that great postseason record. I think someone will jump up and get Roger Suarez. Yeah, he’s my favorite starting pitcher in the marketplace. He you could pitch him in any big market or any big game. I’m with Mark. I look at Kyle Schwarber as uh not only a guy who could go early, but a guy who has to go early because the marketplace is jammed up because John and Mark detail just how many teams Kyle Tucker is going to get a lot more money than Schwarber. But there’s a lot more teams on Schwarber and those teams have to have clarity on once to know like oh we’re not getting this bad so now we have to go to Alonzo or we got to go to Breman or we have to go to Bellinger etc. So, I think this has got to happen. I think there’s a decent shot it happens here. And Joel, to your point, the respect for Kyle Schwarber in this industry is so great that a player as accomplished as Pete Alonzo, his market, many believe is tied to Schwarber going first. My choice on this one though, Frober Valdez, I feel like he’s getting a little bit underrated perhaps. He did meet with multiple teams in person at the GM meetings, including the Baltimore Orioles, the San Francisco Giants, and also the New York Mets. All teams that are still to varying levels looking for some starting pitching help. So, a lefty as as John talked about, Ranger Suarez, I believe, in that category. Perhaps Framber is the one who may sign first. Now, trade activity, Joel, has carried the day so far in this hot stove season. Who is the trade name you’re watching here this week? Well, I’m just wa I don’t think TKO is going to get traded, but until he kind of doesn’t get traded, don’t you have to watch the greatest pitcher in the sport to see if it actually happens. If some team makes a godfather offer to the Tigers because I probably think that their executives on some level think the right thing to do is trade him, which I find unbelievable. I would try, you know, if they haven’t gotten the memo, they haven’t won his championship since 1984, and I would go ahead and try to win with him instead of without him, but he’s so good. Does somebody do something in this marketplace? Cuz we’re talking about Suarez, who I love, but he’s 150 inning, guys. There’s some warts on for Amber Valdez at this point. Does somebody just say, “I’m willing to move a lot of chips in for for for scuba.” I don’t think it will happen, but until it doesn’t and he’s pitching opening day, I’m going to keep an eye on it. Yeah. I mean, one executive told me that with a very good team, very smart team, said that he does believe that school will be traded. I, however, do not believe it. And I think they need to hold on to school. This is a playoff team, two straight years. They need to keep him. I’m looking at Freddy Peralta as a guy who could be traded. Milwaukee’s done this in the past. They are a smart team. They know how to operate. They can get something good back. They did it with Burns. They traded hater. They’ve traded a lot of people. Their their fan base can accept that. I don’t think the Tiger fan base would really accept school being dealt. And so that’s my guy. Freddy Peralta could be on the move. Well, Scubble and Peralta each are controlled for one more year before free agency. Teams are looking for controllable guys. Mackenzie Gore is the guy I’m watching. Washington is in the beginning of a rebuild under a new executive and Gore has two years of control left. Teams are very much in on him. And I can see Paul Tabone saying, “You know what? We’re going to tear this down to the studs. We’ve got some really good young players to build around and Mackenzie Gor’s got two years left. Let’s go. Because I think with Scubble, you look at the last couple years with Juan Sto with Kyle Tucker. Big trades for those guys and then they’re probably leaving their teams. I think some teams are going to be a little skittish about giving up huge package of talent with no certainty that you’re going to have Scooble beyond one year. The Nationals, by the way, Mark, already getting on the board to some extent this off season with the acquisition of Harry Ford from the Seattle Mariners. to Paul Tabone making a quick impact. I’m looking actually at the infield market, specifically Brendan Donovan, Catel Marte, and I think we’re all wondering when does Bo Bashette sign. I think he signs after perhaps one or two of those players are moved again. Bo Bette, there’s some question about where he’s actually going to play. Catel Marte and Donovan, gentlemen, both are on the radar of the Seattle Mariners. Talk about a team that wants to sustain momentum. They were nine outs away from the World Series. They resigned Josh Naylor and maybe one more move to make on the infield. Finally, Mark, we’ll go around the horn one more time. The under the radar team you’re watching most closely this week is you just said it, the Seattle Mariners. And my main reason for that, they still need a third baseman. There are some guys out there for them to get. And more importantly, Jerry Dotto could make a trade. He can make three trades tonight for all we know. That’s just how he operates. I’m going to go with the Pirates. Uh, look, they look like they’ve got money to spend. They’re interested in Schwarber. They’re interested in Real Mudo. Uh, you know, I think they’ll be interested in depending on who they at, maybe in Jeff McNeel and some trades. I know they’re interested in Catel Marte. I’m not sure that he would go there. I think he does have a no trade there. So, I I think the Pirates are going to do some things that they seem to mean business. Pirates. Pirates. Okay. Uh, just just because I I I think the executives, top executives are in some trouble there if they don’t start doing some winning. And that’s usually a big motivator. I am staying in the National League Central. The Cincinnati Reds. How about this? If the Reds can pull it off and bring back Kyle Schwarber, the pride of Middletown Ohio, it’ll be the biggest move they’ve made in free agency or a similar trade since acquiring Ken Griffy Jr., the Orlando resident a quarter century ago. Give me a bold prediction before we say goodbye that we haven’t heard before. Or maybe we have. Do you believe in it? Do you believe in your bull prediction? I do believe in it because when I talked about Boba shed in the World Series, I didn’t know he could come back and be that guy, but he he’s proven and he shut me up. And I I think when you look at his play, I’m going with him going to the Boston Red Sox to play second base. I don’t know what’s going to happen with Alex Bregman. I know they got some other options, but when you look at what Bobette can bring to that team in Fenway that the the the green monster staring at him and left, he can hit the ball all all over the place, play a really good second base. We saw that and healthy. That’s my bold prediction. Him going to the Red Sox. That would be painful for Blue Jay fans. Staying in the division and going to the Red Sox and out then. That’s bold. That’s Can I take Can I take some of the pain away? Because my bold prediction, Kyle Tucker going to the Blue Jays. I think it’s a great fit. You know me, I love that right left combination. Vlad and Kyle Tucker, where Kyle doesn’t have to be the the alpha guy in the lineup. There you go. I love Bo, but I I’ll take Kyle Tucker as a nice plan B. Well, you can’t afford you can’t afford Bo if you get that. If you get Kyle Tucker, you ain’t getting both. Who says they can’t? Look at the Toronto Blue Jays. They have a top five payroll. They went they went over 700 million for Showy Otani, reportedly. Well, if they got 700 million in that, don’t forget you had Dylan Cece, too. That’s Hey, my my bold prediction. My bull prediction. If the Reds are spending money, don’t give it to anyone before you give a bunch of it to Ellie de la Cruz. I think the Cincinnati Reds commit to their superstar. 10 years, $350 million extension, which will be such a club friendly contract. When you think about buying low, he came off a not not a great year. Ellie de la Cruz long-term extension with the Reds and I talked until we’re 15 seconds. So, you really can’t even respond. No, it’s called hosting, folks. Getting the last word. Lot of money. A great point guard for clip Tom. My name is Greg. Our coverage of the winter meetings never stops on MLB Network. Hit them in the face, not me. Hey, man.

@MLBNetwork previews the 2025 Winter Meetings and makes bold predictions on transactions we might see!

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