2025 MLB Trade Deadline - Rumors, pontificafions, innuendo, zdk, and deals

[IanRubbish]

In that case, hopefully Rizzo'll stop drafting Boras clients in the future if he/Mark have no intention of signing/extending them.


SkinsNatFan, I hope you're right.

It all began when they had the first pick with Stras and Harper.  Boras then built a relationship with the old man and they drafted Rendon.  Boras tends to get a lot of the very high picks so it's an issue when you draft near the top.

[IanRubbish]

Oddly enough I think the buck stops at James Wood. I think they get something done with him. I know history suggests otherwise and I have no real reason to believe it will happen but its just a feeling I have. I think they do it within the next two years.

He'd have to drop Boras like Keibert did before he signed his extension.  Boras probably sees Wood as a half billion+ guy. 

[imref]

He'd have to drop Boras like Keibert did before he signed his extension.  Boras probably sees Wood as a half billion+ guy. 

Stras extended as a Boras client iirc.  Vlad Jr too.

[SkinsNatFan21RIP]

He'd have to drop Boras like Keibert did before he signed his extension.  Boras probably sees Wood as a half billion+ guy. 

The major difference is Wood grew up here. All of his family is here so I think he would be more inclined to get something done to stay here. My guess would be if they approached him right now and offered him $290M for 10 years he takes it. $29M a year for a power hitter who could then hit free agency again as a 32-year old where he could get another $200M+ contract. Maybe I'm crazy thinking that gets it done but I can only imagine how difficult it would be for a guy who's making like $800K a year and doesn't see arbitration for 3 years to turn down nearly $30M a year.

[Slateman]

The time to sign Wood was this offseason. He's a 40+ homer bat now. Boras is gonna get him to free agency.

[Smithian]

I spent a decade worried about Harper contract, then spent a year worried about Rendon and Strasburg, then spent a couple years panicked about Juan Soto.

After spending a full decade of contract panic when Nats won a World Series after Harper left, would have been better off letting Strasburg and Rendon walk, and flipped Soto for an incredible package, I’m done worrying about contracts. Life is too short and games too few to panic about a contract. But to each their own.

[Natsinpwc]

I spent a decade worried about Harper contract, then spent a year worried about Rendon and Strasburg, then spent a couple years panicked about Juan Soto.

After spending a full decade of contract panic when Nats won a World Series after Harper left, would have been better off letting Strasburg and Rendon walk, and flipped Soto for an incredible package, I’m done worrying about contracts. Life is too short and games too few to panic about a contract. But to each their own.

Well yea.  I'm more worried about the fire straight losing seasons which looks about to become six.  And no end in sight.  You can lose players if you have replacements. 

[Slateman]

Well yea.  I'm more worried about the fire straight losing seasons which looks about to become six.  And no end in sight.  You can lose players if you have replacements. 

I'll worry about it if/when we have new ownership. At this point, it's fait accompli with the current group.

[Natsinpwc]

I'll worry about it if/when we have new ownership. At this point, it's fait accompli with the current group.

Yes it is.  Last night tuned in to watch Hassell and Lile.  That and Wood and a few others is all we got.  And short lines at the rest rooms if you go in person. 

[JCA-CrystalCity]

Yes it is.  Last night tuned in to watch Hassell and Lile.  That and Wood and a few others is all we got.  And short lines at the rest rooms if you go in person. 

stayed the whole game, took metro home to CC, in the apartment at 9:45.

[SkinsNatFan21RIP]

The time to sign Wood was this offseason. He's a 40+ homer bat now. Boras is gonna get him to free agency.

Wood hits arbitration in 28, correct? So until then he’s making less than a million a year. The opportunity to turn $800K a year into $30M a year RIGHT NOW has to be enticing, no? I’m not even saying I disagree with you just that I don’t think the opportunity is completely gone.

[JCA-CrystalCity]

The major difference is Wood grew up here. All of his family is here so I think he would be more inclined to get something done to stay here. My guess would be if they approached him right now and offered him $290M for 10 years he takes it. $29M a year for a power hitter who could then hit free agency again as a 32-year old where he could get another $200M+ contract. Maybe I'm crazy thinking that gets it done but I can only imagine how difficult it would be for a guy who's making like $800K a year and doesn't see arbitration for 3 years to turn down nearly $30M a year.

shorten that to 7 years (2026-2032), $210 million, and he should think about it. that buys out 2 years of free agency. I don't think you can buy out 5 years.

[Mattionals]

Wood hits arbitration in 28, correct? So until then he’s making less than a million a year. The opportunity to turn $800K a year into $30M a year RIGHT NOW has to be enticing, no? I’m not even saying I disagree with you just that I don’t think the opportunity is completely gone.

He hits FA at 28 I think.

[SkinsNatFan21RIP]

He hits FA at 28 I think.

"A second-round pick of the Padres back in 2021, Wood has elevated his status to the point that he’s widely regarded as the top yet-to-debut prospect in the sport. Baseball America and MLB.com both rank him as the game’s No. 3 prospect, but the players ahead of him between those two lists (Paul Skenes, Jackson Holliday, Junior Caminero) have all reached the majors at least briefly. Based on the timing of his promotion, Wood will now be under team control through at least the 2030 season and won’t be eligible for arbitration until the 2027-28 offseason."

-MLBTR

I think he would hit FA in 30' unless I've been reading things wrong?

[SkinsNatFan21RIP]

shorten that to 7 years (2026-2032), $210 million, and he should think about it. that buys out 2 years of free agency. I don't think you can buy out 5 years.

That works for me as well

[IanRubbish]

I think he would hit FA in 30' unless I've been reading things wrong?

He's an FA after '30.  At this point we just have to enjoy what he brings, Boras does not do buyout early FA year deals.  Even though Boras is not Aaron Judge's agent, he must still hate that deal at "only" $360 million, which is in part because Judge hit FA at a later age.  Boras does not want to shop around a 30 year old when he could sell a 28 year old.  There will be a new CBA in 2027, but I wouldn't hold out too much hope that it will add to the incentive for someone like Wood to stick around.

[JCA-CrystalCity]

He's an FA after '30.  At this point we just have to enjoy what he brings, Boras does not do buyout early FA year deals.  Even though Boras is not Aaron Judge's agent, he must still hate that deal at "only" $360 million, which is in part because Judge hit FA at a later age.  Boras does not want to shop around a 30 year old when he could sell a 28 year old.  There will be a new CBA in 2027, but I wouldn't hold out too much hope that it will add to the incentive for someone like Wood to stick around.

I do think the 28 year old vs 30 year old at the time of free agency does cut against Boras making a deal. While there's no way Wood will make $210 million before he hits 30, the contract he's likely to get at age 28 would be longer and higher AAV than at 30. It becomes an expensive insurance policy not only for the Nats but also Wood

[Mattionals]

My mistake, I thought you meant his age 28 season. You are correct.

[OfftheBat]

It all began when they had the first pick with Stras and Harper.  Boras then built a relationship with the old man and they drafted Rendon.  Boras tends to get a lot of the very high picks so it's an issue when you draft near the top.

You have to wonder, how's the relation between Boras and Minime lol...

[HalfSmokes]

It's the reality with Boras guys, and why the Braves don't sign them so they can extend their players into their early 30s.  Good news is Brady House is not Boras and would be a good extension candidate.  Hassell isn't either. 

The solution is stashing them in the minors until you're ready to compete. You can keep a prospect in the minors and then have them cost controlled through their late 20s/early 30s depending on high school vs college and there is nothing Boroas could do about it. There is no reason to promote a boras client until you have to - why bring them up after two or three years at the cost of their prime years?

[Natsinpwc]

The solution is stashing them in the minors until you're ready to compete. You can keep a prospect in the minors and then have them cost controlled through their late 20s/early 30s depending on high school vs college and there is nothing Boroas could do about it. There is no reason to promote a boras client until you have to - why bring them up after two or three years at the cost of their prime years?

We would have our guys all stashed in the minors until 2030. 

[IanRubbish]

The solution is stashing them in the minors until you're ready to compete. You can keep a prospect in the minors and then have them cost controlled through their late 20s/early 30s depending on high school vs college and there is nothing Boroas could do about it. There is no reason to promote a boras client until you have to - why bring them up after two or three years at the cost of their prime years?

The Cubs allegedly did this with Kris Bryant years back, and Boras filed a claim against them for service time manipulation.  If James Wood was still in AAA he would probably do the same.  That said, it would have also made sense to let Dylan Crews develop more before calling him up. 

[JCA-CrystalCity]

It's tough to stash high schoolers and international amateur signings. A Dominican signed at 16 needs to be added to the 40 man or exposed to rule 5 by the time he's 21. If he's Soto Robles quality, you can't stash. Of course, those guys were up when the Nats contended. Crews I think was up to chase the RotY incentives.

[Slateman]

The solution is stashing them in the minors until you're ready to compete. You can keep a prospect in the minors and then have them cost controlled through their late 20s/early 30s depending on high school vs college and there is nothing Boroas could do about it. There is no reason to promote a boras client until you have to - why bring them up after two or three years at the cost of their prime years?

Then then solution is you have to be ready to compete

[Smithian]

Listening to a recent national podcast about what the O’s could have done differently this offseason, I did not hear a lot of things the Nationals could have done differently. The pitching options were unappetizing or unaffordable, and this season so far hasn’t changed that. Position wise, we didn’t want to block our OF guys. Lowe was a good move, Christian Walker would have been worse. DH was a disaster, I wanted Santander but he isn’t setting world on fire.

The only real change I wish Nats had made — other than going back to being a top 5 payroll and grabbing a guy like Corbin Burnes — is making drastic moves faster in the bullpen.

Past that, we need guys on roster to start producing and for Trevor Williams to be shuffled to bullpen asap.