MLB Trade News: A LOT Of Smoke Around A Cubs & Mariners Trade.

[@troyjohnson3795]

Only way I see the M’s moving Miller, Woo, or Gilbert is for an insane return. Especially with what SP free agents are getting, Severino 3 year 67 mil, and Matthew Boyd of all people getting 15 mil a year. Hoerner is a nice piece but him and spare parts for Bryce Miller or Gilbert is crazy.

[@Zach-ls1if]

Hopefully you are correct.

[@kpak76]

Yea that package seems light for a cy young caliber pitcher with cheap club control.

[@plus790]

Cherry picking the high price of pitching. Oops--Conforto gets $15M for 1 and Soto $765M/15. Guess those bats the Ms need aren't coming cheap either.

[@adamb3422]

@@plus790are you comparing Nico Hoerner to Juan Soto? Lol

[@frankbrown8882]

As a Mariners fan Luis Castillo is the only pitcher who will be traded . For the young stuff will cost dearly. Castillo isn’t free either

[@Teremei]

I think Cubs would be happy with Castillo. I don't think they want to give up the tippy top guys like Shaw, PCA, and me personally, Cam Smith is my guy. So I don't think they want to target your top SP.

[@S_Over_Street]

Castillo will have to agree with the trade as he has a no trade clause

[@brianpowers2315]

⁠​⁠​⁠@@Teremei Ballesteros, Shaw, Smith, Wiggins, Horton would be who wouldn’t trade. PCA I only trade to a team in the AL or COL. Teams with big ballparks. His defense plays better in those parks. But my ask for him? Would prob equate to untouchable. But L. Castillo B. Miller C. Raleigh For C. Bellinger N. Hoerner J. Taillon K. Alcantara M. Mastrobuoni M. Mervis P. Aliendo Minor league pitcher….or reliever like Thompson or Maybe it takes a H. Wesnescki

[@shawnuel]

@@brianpowers2315 Dipoto/Hollander have repeatedly said they aren’t planning to touch the rotation, though most think they’d send off Castillo if the right deal presented itself. 2 pitchers and the team MVP (Raleigh) aren’t being traded.

[@andrewingram9076]

Agreed

[@GregBanish-dg7ju]

As a Cubs fan I would not give up anything good for Castillo. Seattle is an EXTREME PITCHER'S park. Castillo had an ERA a run higher on the road in 2024 ..his Strikeout to walk ratios almost 6 at home in 2024 and measly 2.3 on the road ...you want to pay 24 million for that???? ( Well Hoyer Probably would because he is CLUELESS when it comes to ballpark adjustments) ( traded for Parades who never hit well outside Florida.) ( Also the guy hosting this video said there is an option in a given future year. .You can't say that WITHOUT SAYING WHETHER IT IS A TEAM OPTION OR PLAYER OPTION.... ... GIGANTIC DIFFERENCE THERE)

[@kylesmith8383]

It's a team option

[@Zach-ls1if]

As a Mariners fan I’d only be okay with the first trade. I would not trade Miller or Gilbert unless the package coming back was insane. I think Castillo will be the one of the four to regress this year or next.

[@andrewsorensen3460]

But Castillo has a no trade clause in his contract

[@matthewhollod2630]

He would need to waive it

[@jamesnevsimal2359]

If I was to guess it would be Nico going to the Mariners for prospects. I don’t see the Mariners trading any starters for that rotation. I see the Cubs pivoting to the White Sox for Gerrit Crochet after the Mariners trade.

[@rk9wolverine810]

Doubt cubs move any prospects that ChiSox want.

[@corrystalcup8390]

The Cubs are loaded with prospects already. If they move Hoerner it will be for people that can help at the big league level.

[@SixGodHobbs]

I don’t see the Cubs going after another lefty. That would be 4 lefties in the rotation

[@Commenter007]

Bellinger should have a much better 25 than he did last season! He broke some ribs early on, last year, and then he came back much too soon to try and give his team a boost. He also had a thumb injury, so he played hurt, almost the entire season. He's a good hitter and very good fielder.

[@ignite_sports48]

the main problem for seattle is going to. be the fact that they only have 16 million dollars to spend this offseason due to cheap ownership. they need to fill at least 3 positions on offense, so you have to take into account the net salary in each trade, not just straight up trade values

[@cristiandiaz9415]

As an Ms fan. The Castillo/Bliss for Bellinger/Hoerner is the one. Not sure it would be enough for cubs though.

[@Dwayne4007]

Nah, we're good. I'd rather have bryan woo tbh

[@golfmaniac007]

u kidding right? Top of rotation pitcher trumps position player

[@cristiandiaz9415]

@@golfmaniac007 if they take it, I’m in. Don’t get me wrong I love Castillo, but we need the hitting and he’s the oldest and most expensive

[@benjames4502]

​@@cristiandiaz9415Bellinger's lack of power at Wrigley Field going to T-Mobile ballpark, you sure about that? Lol

[@Wranglerf82]

I’m ready for things to get moving leading up to winter meetings and it’s looking interesting

[@scotalexander9568]

I think Castillo is undervalued; especially with some of the deals that are getting done for average free-agent starters this year. Castillo and Bliss feels realistic, but Seattles ownership unlikely to take on all of Bellinger’s salary this year, plus his option

[@teko1020]

Looking at 2024, what makes Castillo so much better than the pitchers that have currently signed? I bet if I blindly showed you the baseball savant pages of Luis Castillo, Luis Severino, Yusei Kikuchi, and Michael Wacha, you wouldn't be able to pick out Luis Castillo. Maybe, just maybe... Luis Castillo isn't 26 years old any more. Just maybe, though.

[@zayuhhhhhh]

Trade 1 seems the best Win-Win wise

[@raymondjones616]

Matching up Trade Values sometimes is accurate. But other tines they are way off what happens

[@SixGodHobbs]

That’s why it’s just a toll to use to see what a trade could look like. Sometimes irl trades are different because teams value players differently

[@jogumby]

As a Cubs fan I don't really want to see Nico go BUT, if it moves Bellinger it's kind of worth it. Castillo's money kind of cancel's out Belli's so they may not have to eat any of that horrid contract (or as much anyway).

[@SixGodHobbs]

Nico is gonna be gone. Matt Shaw is going be the replacement

[@jogumby]

@@SixGodHobbs You are probably correct. If so I hope Shaw will be good because I already know Nico is.

[@Sportswithmailgaming]

Nico is insane and belli is a star it would be stupid as a cubs fan to trade Cody bellinger and it’s not worth trading Horner

[@micnak3574]

The Seattle Rotation is just a little below the rotation of the 1990s Atlanta Braves. Dealing Castillo is the only thing that I would consider. Getting Bellinger is silly. LA didn't resign him for a reason. What the M's need is a potent bat from the 3rd base position.

[@Tom-hc5iv]

Deal number 3...cubs fan...SOLD!!! i think Caissie is the OF we keep... making Alcantara expendable...i dint wanna grt rid of Ballesteros ...hes a serious bat with DH and backup catcher potential. Which brings me to a request...i like the first deal...but the prospect i want is Harry Ford...Bellinger, Hoerner...what else to get Ford and Castillo?

[@Michael-id9bw]

Bellinger is wildly inconsistent and T-Mobile is not a great park to prove yourself. No thanks. Also, Severino just signed a $66 million contract. So starters are being highly overpaid this off-season. If I'm the M's I'm asking for the moon for any of the starters.

[@Mike-G-15]

Here is the trade - M's get Hoerner and Bellinger, Cubs get Castillo and Harry Ford. Cubs eat a bit of Bellinger's contract to bring it to equal value with Castillo's, and Hoerner/Ford are approximate value. Ford is near-MLB ready but will be blocked in Seattle by Raleigh, and Cubs need long-term upgrade from Amaya (can't really count on Ballesteros to be that behind the plate). Cubs' Shaw takes over for Hoerner at 2B and M's get the middle infielder they have long "coveted". Cubs add 5th piece to their rotation in Castillo to go with Steele, Imanaga, Taillon, and Boyd, and M's get another versatile defender and offensive upgrade in Bellinger. M's can either backfill Castillo's spot in rotation with someone like Hancock, or ask for a Cubs depth arm (Wicks, Assad, Wesneski, Birdsell, etc.) which could also be a way to work Bliss into the deal.

[@bhock2730]

So the Mariner gave up and Ace and the #4 prospect and the 41st ran ked Minor league prospect in the top 100 for. A player with a negative rating and a guy coming off a Major surgery. Man get the heck out of here with that garbage.

[@Mike-G-15]

​@@bhock2730Tf are you talking about? Did you even read my comment? 1) Who is still calling Castillo an ace? The guy is still a very solid SP, but he put up less WAR than Jameson Taillon last year. In the last 3 seasons, his WAR dropped from 3.9 to 3.4 to 1.8, and his ERA climbed from 2.99 to 3.34 to 3.64. Again, he's still a very solid pitcher, but that's trended to a #3 starter on an average team - not an ace. 2) Castillo is still owed $24M per year for 3-4 more years (vesting option on final year), which has also lowered his value. The only reason he is still valued at a slight positive overall, even with that contract, is because of how crazy the FA pitching market is. 3) Yes, Bellinger now has slightly negative value with his contract, which is specifically why I said the Cubs would have to eat enough of his contract to match Castillo's value - this would be anywhere from $8-12M based on some valuations. 4) Assuming Bellinger and Castillo are brought to equal value by the Cubs covering some of Bellinger's $, we can now look at Hoerner and Ford. First off, Hoerner's "major" surgery still has a reported recovery timeline with him available by mid-April. Obviously, the M's would need to review medicals and be comfortable with that to move forward. Second, Hoerner has put up WAR of 4.2, 5.1, and 3.7 the past 3 seasons. He's a gold glove defender who can play all over the infield, has stolen 94 bases the past 3 seasons, and a consistent contact hitter. There's a reason the M's have "long coveted" him (via Seattle Times), along with reported interest from the Yankees, Braves, and Dodgers. The only reason the Cubs are considering trading him is because they need to make room for top prospect Matt Shaw, and they have said they are looking to upgrade pitching depth and catching talent via trade. 5) Speaking of making room, as I also said in my initial comment, the Mariner's have no room for Harry Ford with Cal Raleigh behind the plate in Seattle. He is by far the most likely M's prospect to be traded, and sorry to break news to you but that level of prospect is what it will take to land a proven and valuable MLB player on an affordable contract like Hoerner. The BTV site used in this video actually has Hoerner with a slightly higher value over Ford, which lines up with other sources that measure them at approximate value. 6) Both the national and local Seattle/Chicago media have reported the M's heavy interest in both Bellinger and Hoerner. It didn't just get made up out of thin air. That's the whole reason the guy made this video that you took the time to watch. And literally, the only way the Mariners can take on Bellinger's contract is by sending out Castillo's. Your own Seattle GM has said they can only add about $16M to total payroll this offseason. If your offense has sucked for years, and your team isn't willing to spend big in FA or trade any of your 4 younger SP's (understandable), how exactly do you expect to add impact to the offense and defense without making your only other SP (least valuable) and prospects available? Do you think other GM's are just going to send proven MLB players for free? Do you think the Mariners are the only team with some highly ranked prospects that makes you special? The Cubs have 8 of those top 100's... Did it feel good to pop your mouth off with your disrespectful response to my comment and expose how uninformed you are? I'll take out the "garbage" for you.

[@ceeg-ve2xu]

The first trade is the only one that is a possibility

[@ryannorris3769]

As a mariners fan I would say add in gravers contract to the first trade. This also would open up money to go get Sasaki and have an even better rotation than with Castillo. Then we go get a 3rd baseman or bring up Arroyo to play third.

[@Dman425]

If I were Dipoto, I would make that first trade. But, Mariners ownership won’t allow it

[@derrickclinton2757]

Why wouldn't ownership allow the first one? They are actually wiping more money since castillo contract is longer then Bellinger and almost as much per year.

[@Dman425]

@ because you would have to take on Hoener’s contract also

[@golfmaniac007]

cuz its a bad trade for the M's. Don't forget Castillo top of the rotation pitcher....ace on most teams in MLB on a very team friendly contract.

[@Dman425]

@ it’s not that team friendly. Castillo has peaked and will start to decline soon.

[@teko1020]

@@golfmaniac007 If you think Luis Castillo is the ace of most pitching staffs, you are delusional. There is nothing team friendly about his contract. His contract is hopefully net neutral going forward, but more than likely it's going to be in the red. Going into 2025 as of 12/7/24, Luis Castillo would unquestionably be the ace of the Orioles, Athletics, Rangers, and Rockies. Everyone else has at least 1 pitcher that is at the very least as good as current day Luis Castillo. That doesn't look like "most" teams, to me at least.

[@kylekriegsman4270]

The problem with all of these is that the Mariners don't have a 6th starter that I think they're willing to rely on. Hancock hasn't worked out, and I don't think they trust Evans to take 32 starts. Any FA will cost nearly as much as Castillo, while not being as good (eg. 4th/5th starters getting 20M in FA right now), so that's a net negative for the team. Castillo also has a NTC until January 1, 2026, so he could decide he doesn't want to go. This will be a more interesting discussion next off season, when the Ms prospect SPs have had a year to develop, and Castillo's NTC expires.

[@andrewallstar2719]

As a Cubs fan I would immediately do that Bryce Miller trade. He’s so good and has 5 years of control. We give up a blocked prospect, a non notable SP who gets injured all the time, and Nico, which lets us play Shaw.

[@Dwayne4007]

Hell I would take bryan woo for nico

[@shawnuel]

As a Mariners fan, I wouldn’t do the Miller trade in any form whatsoever.

[@shawnuel]

@@Dwayne4007 Mariners wouldn’t take just Nico for Woo, though. 2 years (Nico) control for 5. and Woo is 2 seasons from even arbitration. And an almost certain top of the rotation arm.

[@Dwayne4007]

@@shawnuel maybe we could sweeten the pot a little?

[@Blackrain7920]

Cubs need a superstar

[@greenyboy3926]

As a mariners fan, I don’t rlly want to trade with the Cubs in general. We need actual impact bats and Bellinger hasn’t looked good and Hoerner never was known for the bat. Also we would never trade any of our young starters. I’d be fine with Castillo leaving but we need actual impact.

[@kylelowe4618]

Trade offer 1 makes a lot of sense. It might take getting the white sox involved sense Seattle is reluctant to give up its pitching. Ms get Hoerner and Bellinger plus RB Varland. Cubs get Crochett and Harry Ford, White Sox get a few prospects like Celestine, Logan Evans and Alcantara. Ms will have to cut payroll in another trade.

[@steveburlo8010]

Bellinger was injured in 2024 when he ran into wall in Wrigley Field. That's why his numbers were down from ,2023

[@bluehole8691]

I am a Cubs fan and I like option #3. The other options do not quite work for me.

[@CubsBL]

Bliss might be expendable for the Mariners but they have Shaw that will slide into 2nd if Hoerner gets traded. They have several other infield options I think they would like better than Bliss in the farm system. Castillo would be nice in the rotation though. Think they’d be more open to trading a couple prospects for a Miller or Gilbert.

[@carterhawkins113]

Great video Jim! I think Cubs would gladly take Castillo if they were confident they could move Jameson Taillon

[@S_Over_Street]

Mariners don’t need a starting pitcher in return if they traded any from their starting rotation currently. They already have Emerson Hancock, who’s already a back of the end starter in a rotation anyways. Unless they get in return another up/coming starter who still is developing.

[@nicholascampbell7334]

I proposed a trade on Baseball Trade Values that sends Miller and Harry Ford to the Cubs with almost the same players as your Miller trade but with Paredes included. The idea being they’d they sign Bregman too.

[@craigrideout490]

Castillo is the pitcher most likely getting traded. M's won't want Bellinger's contact, but the M's may throw Henry Ford in the deal to get back Horner and another player.

[@jerryharrington1034]

St. Louis is a natural trade partner for Seattle. Donovan ? Nootbar ? Gorman ? Any of those three improves their line up. St Louis needs young cost controlled top of the line pitching. Good fit for both sides.

[@shawnuel]

@@jerryharrington1034 Except not one of those guys is worth one of Seattle’s pitchers. I’d speculate that the only one they’d give up is Castillo who is owed $72M the next 3 seasons and St. Louis has been vocal about cutting payroll. That wouldn’t fit for either team.

[@NaoShouaFamily]

Jerry should just say all starter pitcher up for trade. Bring your best offer. Any low ball will get denied. Then you’ll see who’s serious and go from there. No need to call no one when everyone want what you got

[@benjames4502]

Billenger makes no sense in T-Mobile ball park, his lack of power last year will become no power in that stadium

[@usveteran9893]

I don't know why M's fans want power hitters. T-Mobile is the place hitters come to die. What T-Mobile needs is gap hitters.

[@Tony-q9m-z1g]

The Castillo and Bliss trade is the only one that works even on paper. The other two are not close. First, Wicks has no fit in this trade. M's have Hancock as their #6 starter, MLB ready. They have Logan Evans, Michael Morales, and Brandyn Garcia in AA rising quickly and are projected to be making MLB debuts as early as mid-2025 as they've been jumping most of their pitching prospects up from AA in recent years. They don't need a 2nd -.5 WAR pitcher coming back. They have Hancock to do that. Taking Wicks out of the deal makes the values themselves lopsided. Second, the M's contention window is solely because of their staff. Breaking that up for prospects does not make any sense with this teams contention timeline and how the roster is constructed. As for the Castillo and Bliss trade, even that doesn't work and I would be VERY surprised if it happened. I wouldn't hate it, but I still would be very surprised. While it would make sense in a vacuum, the M's have rumored to only have $16m in payroll flexibility this offseason. They need answers at 3rd, 1st, and 2nd in that order of importance. 3rd being the most critical as they have no MLB ready talent (Moore is the do-it-all UTL designed to give everyone a day off) and they also have no internal options ready for opening day due to the release of Josh Rojas. This deal would have them spending ~14.5m of that 16m to take on those contracts and they would have no answer for 3B. 3B on opening day would be a black hole. 2nd actually has the most "depth" with Bliss ready to make his opening day debut, Moore to take over should he struggle, then waiting for the #2 prospect Cole Young to make his debut halfway through the year (or opening day) with the trade deadline as an option should 2B still be a black hole with all three of them failing to cover it. I think Castillo, with his no-trade clause really only lines up with a team like Baltimore in combination with Tyler Locklear, to go get Ramon Urias, and Ryan Mountcastle to play 3B and 1B while saving ~14m this year. This would give them about ~30M to work with, so overpay Yoan Moncada to a 1 Year/5M deal to platoon with Urias at 3B, and then use the rest of those funds to go after and overpay Anthony Santander at 5 Years, $125M or $25m a year, who also is a Victor Robles insurance option in case he turns back into a pumpkin and takes a little bit of pressure off Raley to be either an every day 1B or everyday corner OF or opens up Raley to be traded at the deadline. Then, in 2026, Haniger, Garver, and Moncada will be off the books, freeing up 35M a year in payroll space. Hopefully, my numbers add up.

[@nickpanelli1391]

Here’s the catch. The Mariners have 16M of expected increase in payroll to work with. They have to trade a contract and cannot give away cheap pitchers for hoerner making 12

[@usveteran9893]

The one issue that is not being considered is payroll. Bellinger would kill the M's, if they only have $16m to play with they cannot afford him.

[@GageHoefs-j6l]

You can have Emerson Hancock, Ryan bliss and another piece for Nico

[@TouchingBasesPod]

No, if those cubbies move, it's gonna be a third team rotation arm and that team will get mariner prospects while Seattle gets Nico/Cody/Suzuki/ect

[@dylanwharton9395]

Kirby’s trade value being twice as much as Miller and Woo makes zero sense. Miller and Woo have more years of control and the difference in performance isn’t significant enough to warrant that difference in trade value. Miller and Woo should be much higher. Castillo’s makes zero sense either. Based on the contracts signed this offseason for pitchers (Kikuchi $21M AAV, Boyd $14.5M AAV, Severino ~$22M AAV), Castillos contract looks borderline team friendly at this point.

[@jacobchase483]

Seattle isn’t trading Gilbert, Kirby or Miller. Maybe Castillo and possibly Woo. Also lots of reports the Cubs want to dump the Bellinger money which Seattle won’t do either. Nico fits in Seattle but not for Gilbert, Kirby or Miller.

[@nunzi83]

The Mets would be a nice trade partner with Seattle for Castillo. Seattle always looking to cut payroll. Mets don’t need Seattle to pay down Castillo contract. Mets need Pitching and is under control for the perfect amount of time for Stearns liking. Mets have some interesting pieces then can send to Seattle. Baty might be someone that they’d like. Mets can also send Marte while eating majority of his remaining year.

[@nickuber2573]

The cubs will only get castillo. Cubs dont have anyone they would want for the young guys.

[@kevinkucera5338]

How about Hoerner, Wicks and Suzuki for Logan Gilbert?

[@derrickhensley7898]

Rather move Paredes than Nico, bring Shaw up

[@coachmullen1]

4:10 That current lineup is depressing. Mostly, the Dylan Moore part of the lineup. Show me a move that addresses Third Base, and I'll be excited. Trading Castillo seems like the only answer... the degree of penny-pinching mismanagement that led to this position is unforgivable. I can't say whether this trade would work out for the Mariners. Nico sounds like the right kind of player. Bellinger is expensive but maybe he'd solve T-Mobile. When they find a major league 3rd baseman, I'll... nothing. I'm not sure I can ever get excited for baseball again. They keep adding stupid rules like ghost runners and golden at-bats. The speed up rules make the game move too fast. I don't have ADHD. If people have better things to do, they should go home in the 7th inning like they always did before. The casual fan cares more about getting back home than they do about the result of the game. MLB should ban the 7th inning stretch. The lyrics to Take Me Out To The Ballgame are a dammed lie now anyway. They're making the game gimmicky. If the Mariners win the World Series, it'd be cool, but fuck major league baseball.

[@markoostra8649]

Besides that, Seattle ain't in selling, or rebuilding mode. None of Seattles starters r going nowhere, they wanna send Chicago prospects for Hoener and r hoping to get Bellinger in a salary swap which will include Hanniger or Garver...the only pitchers u'll all get is Hancock or Morales...lol

[@FrodohTBaggins]

Miller was the best pitcher last year and Logan was a close second. Seattle would only trade Castillo especially cause of money but if you had the O’s in this, I can see Kirby and young for westburg and Holliday

[@usveteran9893]

No M's pitcher alone will get Jackson Holliday.

[@craigrideout490]

​​@@usveteran9893you really don't know baseball if you think the O's wouldn't trade Holliday for Gilbert or Kirby. Holliday would just be the starting point

[@usveteran9893]

@@craigrideout490 Maybe you don't know how the O's value Jackson Holliday. Not all value is based off of FanGraphs or whatever platform you use. Teams also value them in a different way.

[@frankbrown8882]

I liked the first trade best

[@kylesmith8383]

As a cubs fan i hate all of these (mostly because i really wanna see Alcantara play at Wrigley, but he may be too late on the development cycle to make this next core) having said that, i have no interest in Castillo. Id accept the other deals

[@miatalon]

Mariner fan here. First one not too bad, the other two...now way! Mariners need way more infield help if they trade a pitcher, no prospects. If they trade a pitcher it needs to be castillo or kirby. Gilbert is the one to extend, not sure kirby wants to stay long term...feels like an east coast guy. Miller and Woo, young good and way too soon to trade.

[@patrickmorehouse4918]

First trade works best for both teams evenly

[@BALLCAPSports]

@@patrickmorehouse4918 agreed

[@dustinlenz8325]

Do a couple packages involving H. Ford

[@collectasaurusrex1344]

I wouldn’t pay $15m for Belly, let alone $27m. He’d be a disaster in Seattle. I’m fine with letting Castillo go, but moving Miller would be a mistake.

[@timothyjannsen9275]

Cubs say no on the first trade even though it makes sense because cubs want to shed money and it’s only a 5 million dollar shed

[@plus790]

Castillo has value as a decent innings eater, but doesn't do much for the Cubs, where he would be their 3rd, 4th, or 5th best starter, and the Cubs are already 9 deep in rotation options. Also, the Ms would be unlikely to add Bellinger's salary and the Cubs unlikely to eat much of it. He's a luxury for them, but still usefull even just playing good defense all over the field and putting up 2024 numbers. And there's still the 2023 upside. A less complicated trade like Hoerner for Harry Ford and Brandyn Garcia is more likely. Or one of the non-Castillo arms and Ford, for Hoerner, Triantos, and Alcantara.

[@golfmaniac007]

Castillo as cubs 345? 😂 😂 what kind of pitching does cubs have?

[@plus790]

​@golfmaniac007 Steel and Imanaga are clearly better. Taillon and Castillo are close, and Boyd was a better pitcher in 2024, he's just a significant health risk. Then the Cubs have Assad, Wicks, Brown, Wesneski, Killian, and Horton. The point is that if Castillo replaces Assad in the rotation, that only nets the Cubs +1 WAR. Is that worth adding over $24M to the payroll? The Cubs are better off adding a couple good relievers or a Catcher with that money.

[@golfmaniac007]

@@plus790 forgot about imanga but I would think Castillo and steel would be tied....i would take Castillo over steel if I had to choose so u can't say Castillo would be 3rd in cubs rotation

[@teko1020]

@@golfmaniac007 You would say Castillo is better than a guy that has put up 1 fWAR more than Castillo in the last 3 years while pitching just about 100 less innings? Bold move. For some reason people seem to think its still 2019 and Castillo isn't a guy that's 32 years old and regressed the last 2 years.

[@craigrideout490]

You are on some good drugs. It's going to take a haul for anyone not named Castillo (maybe Woo), and Ford wouldn't be a part of the deal.

[@actionvj]

🫡 I think this is the last Friday you’ll have to speculate for a while Jim. The real deals are going to break soon. Great job. 👍🏾

[@ceeg-ve2xu]

the only way the Cubs get someone other than Castillo is picking up a bunch of Bellingers contract

[@jakethejaguar6849]

I REALLY want to deal bellinger so I think I would do the first one

[@tomczech6383]

Numbers are numbers but when you get to these trade value numbers they’re crazy they make no sense hopefully these teams ignore them

[@kevinburch2191]

So we trade 2 of our best hitters and 2 gold glovers to the Mariners with no one to replace their bats in our lineup and give their spots to minor leaguers who have never played a day in the majors or faced major league pitching...this sucks! Jed Hoyer and Tom Ricketts need to be run out of Chicago!!!

[@Blackrain7920]

Cubs need a star

[@tylerhaskins-n3o]

Bliss makes no since for the cubs, as much as id love to see him flipped for that kind of value but he's just not that good and the Cubs don't need a young infielder they have Shaw and he's why they want to move on from Horner. this deal is a lot easier to put together if there is a third team involved like the White Sox who could be interested in eating some money like say Mitch Haniger as long as they are getting prospects along with him/ this would make it some the Mariners would be able to take on more of Bellinger's contract and would help lower the cost the Mariners would need to send to the Cubs to get both Horner and Bellinger

[@verbalkint5450]

Aren't the Cubs trying to improve their offense or bullpen, instead?

[@Blackrain7920]

I will believe it when I see it

[@eshep71]

Jays fans are dumb for criticism of the FO. Since they signed Belt, it's been Hold for Ohtani, then Hold for Soto. It's happening right in their face and they can't see the plan. The also forget the previous half decade of playoffs where they built a team around Vlad only to watch him go 3/23, 1rbi in 6 playoff losses...and they take the blame. Weak. They are geniuses for not pivoting to Bellinger, or Soler , or anyone else who, in hind sight, wouldn't have helped. Where would we be right now if we had to deal with Bellinger after accepting his loser option? Not on the hunt for top FA outfielders.

[@adamb3422]

Dipoto would be fired on spot if he made any of these trades

[@adamb3422]

Why would the Ms make any of these trades “they get back an arm that can work into the rotation”? Ms have a dozen arms that can slot into the rotation at any point next season. We don’t need washed up prospects that are struggling in AAA, especially C/1B/OF. We need an everyday 2B/3B and depth. The Cubs don’t have that of value that would bring back any of our arms. Maybe Evans or Hancock, but stop it with the rest. It makes 0 sense.

[@gregthegroove]

Cubs aren’t touching Ballesteros or Alcantara.

[@Mike-G-15]

They have 6 top 100 prospects already at AAA, including those 2. As a Cubs fan, they very much would/should be open to moving them if the right deal presents itself. For example, let's say you include those 2 as the main pieces in a package for Crochet (probably would take a bit more but those would be main pieces). You will have gained an ace and will still have Shaw, Caissie, Horton, Triantos, Smith, Rojas, Wiggins, etc.

[@modder15]

Trading Michael Busch would be super dumb if anything i see them moving Nico

[@jimdecker4760]

Bryce Millrr the one I like

[@macks517]

not trading him

[@joeymcmurchie8793]

Mariners aren’t trading a starter for 1 and if they where its gonna be for mlb proven bats not prospects also castillos contract compared to what these guys like matt boyd are getting is a great deal

[@foxfamily2hi324]

Idk, only one year on these batters man, hopefully Mariners can get some cash as well, Miller has 5 years of control and is still on his roomie deal. Fuckin spend ownership

[@michaelmanwiller1869]

I swear, if the Dodgers are allowed to build the type of roster they have and still sign Juan Soto, I'm done following professional baseball. This has gotten way out of hand.

[@GameinHistory]

Wow, a potential Cubs and Mariners trade could really shake things up! If Nico Hoerner or Cody Bellinger ends up in Seattle for someone like Bryce Miller, that could be huge for both teams. Excited to see if this actually happens during the winter meetings!

[@kpak76]

Nico Hoerner and Cody Bellinger is nowhere near enough to land Miller. Also the Mariners will never add on nearly 40 million in payroll when they only have around 16 million for this years additions. the Cubs would have to take on contracts like Mitch Hanniger AND Mitch Garver and they will still need to add on more. Even then the Mariners might decline that trade because why in the world would they trade Miller?

[@GameinHistory]

@@kpak76 Good points! The Mariners’ payroll and Miller’s value make this tricky. Maybe the Cubs would need to take on contracts or add prospects to make it work. Trade rumors like this are always fun to speculate about!

[@bhock2730]

​@@GameinHistoryso a guy with a negative trade value and a guy coming off a Major surgery in his arm for an ace type pitcher in Miller 🤔🤔 how about hell no. Those 2 Cubs players are the equivalent of walking into a dealership and sayin I'll give you my pinto with a gas leak for that brand new hellcat. Good luck with that one.

[@briand524]

Jim like your show but your stoned with these ideas. None of those are happening. Thanks for the try.

[@bhock2730]

Seattel doesn't want a FAT catcher who lets 80% of peope steal on his ass. With what contracts teams have been giving to less pitchers. It will take being blown away to do a deal. And sorry injured goods in Nico and Cody doesn't move the needle.

[@brentswenson4091]

Nah seatle not trading any starter but Castillo

[@dbblues.9168]

Ms fan here. Leave Miller, take Castillo

[@briancaslavka6979]

Nothing in the works, it's just rumors and more likely nothing gonna happen

[@taylor73887jj]

Crazy thought we trade j rod Let him put on a show somewhere else the Ms can't develop bats.

[@taylor73887jj]

It's crazy to break up the pitching. the one thing the Ms have going And not look else where

[@coachmullen1]

Did you just pronounce Al-can-tara as Alcantra? Also, you don't say anything about Alcantara as a player or how he would fit into the Mariners 2025 plans. Does he play 3rd? Is he major league ready? This isn't rotisserie baseball. Please do real research.

[@jakethejaguar6849]

I’m a cubs fan and i wan t this

[@michaelplowman8674]

Another trade the Cubs could make to get Miller is package Hoerner, Parades, and BJ Murray for him. Cubs could then pivot to Bregman to man 3B. I'd offer him 3 years and 90-100M to take a shorter deal until Cam Smith would be knocking the door down, hopefully. Cubs would still have room to offer Tanner Scott 5Y75M and be under the CBT.

[@Austin-un4hs]

Miller is not establishing nothing😂😂 he just finished top 10 in cy young voting in his 1st full season

[@jennifertimlin1371]

No to any of that

[@DerbyKnowledge93]

Castillo is an ace ?? You dont have a clue, just the usual blabber.

[@lavonwatson8814]

All these talking heads or exhausting. Mariners could move Castillo and prospects but look any deeper than that in their system or among their other four starters. Another guy wasting our time.

[@FatherFirst]

Logan Gilbert and George Kirby are absolutely OFF LIMITS!!!! As well as Bryce Miller. Woo would be hard to say bye to and so would Luis Castillo. But ultimately, those are the 2 I see the Mariners willing to wheel and deal with. But Logan Gilbert, George Kirby, and Bryce Miller are non starters.

[@plus790]

Oh, then you should just trade Haniger for Nico. What the H, ask for Cade Horton too.

[@corrystalcup8390]

Seattle has to improve their offense and have little money to do it with... if reports are accurate. I dont know if any of these deals specifically work... but Seattle's most likely path is by trading from their pitching.

[@TheSteelers4190]

Have to trade value to get value

[@FatherFirst]

@@TheSteelers4190 I do not disagree with you.

[@JohnApicella-r4d]

Cubs acquire garret crochet bryce miller logan gilbert luis castillo cole young mariners acquire cade horton kevin alcantra moises ballestros luis vazquez nico hoener isaac paredes michael busch jameson tallion justin steele jordan wicks luis roberts whitesox acquire Harry ford emerson wesneski

[@kevinburch2191]

You have the Cubs trading away have their team, i don't f'ing think so. Stupid trade!

[@JMA824]

As an Ms fan the pitcher i think the Ms will be willing to move is Castillo. Dipoto said trading one of the young 4 was plan Z. However with only around $16 million after arbitration to spend he might have to do it. I'd love the Castillo for Hoerner and Bellinger trade!!! Hoerner and Happ or Suzuki would be much better. Murmurs of Arozarena being traded are out there. Some people weren't to happy with his attitude day in and day out. So maybe he get thrown in to make to Happ or Suzuki part work. (Castillo does have a not trade clause too) GO Ms!!!

[@boomustdie3406]

Parades and Wicks for Castillo. There are second baseman and outfielders in free agency.

[@andrewallstar2719]

Cubs would give up way too much for that contract lol

[@kenproksa1725]

Using this statistical analysis is ridiculous.

[@boomustdie3406]

Seiya Suzuki is also a possibility. He has a no trade clause but Mariners would likely be of interest for him because of the west coast bias Japanese players atleast seem to have.

[@larryromero3374]

I agree, and wouldn't the mariners want bats that are ready now. I'm thinking seiya, Horner, and belli for a Bryce Miller. The thing is, the mariners don't have the bats, and they have five great starters. I think this trade helps both teams. The cubs could also then sign a couple of bats in free agency while knowing they have the pitching.

[@JeremyVasquez-pj4ic]

Those trades ain’t gonna happen plus if you want miller you would get alcantra and that other prospect

[@Gabrielavila-q5s]

Yeah Lots of smoke, but no fire.. 😮😮

[@boomustdie3406]

Bellinger seems like the perfect consolation prize for the loser of the Soto sweepstakes between the Yankees and Mets. Both teams have holes at first and in the outfield.

[@Standdividedfalltogether]

Mets will bring back Pete and they fine on the IF. Def don’t need or want belli

[@boomustdie3406]

​​Bellinger is less money committed, puts ball in play more, is vastly superioir defensively, is better on basepaths. If they need to find a spot for Baty or Mauricio because their bats are playing you can move Bellinger to center. Bellinger is a better fit for Mets than Alosno. Also allows the possibility of signing Vladdy next off-season. Just my opionion. ​@@Standdividedfalltogether

[@golfmaniac007]

Emerson hancock is only pitcher to offer in trade. Offer him for nick straight up

[@CautionHighWavesAhead-]

The Mariners should ask the Mets about Luke Ritter. He's rotting away in the minors and has no path to MLB.