Will Teams Treat this like a Real Season?

[revo]

In other words.....will a team consider this 60-game shortened season like any other, and trade away top talent for veteran players to win this year? My guess is no, they won't. Maybe that will change as we get into late August, but with the trade deadline just 5 weeks after the season starting, and with this anything can happen year, I would highly doubt we see any major deals like we do at the deadline in other years.

[Sour Masher]

Hard to say. A championship is a championship, right? Maybe some of the good teams see the chaotic nature of the season and stand pat. But maybe some teams that normally would have no shot over 162 games start hot and see a rare window to compete and go for it.

[revo]

Hard to say. A championship is a championship, right? Maybe some of the good teams see the chaotic nature of the season and stand pat. But maybe some teams that normally would have no shot over 162 games start hot and see a rare window to compete and go for it.

I dunno. If you were the GM or owner, would you trade away a top prospect for 6-7 weeks of a pending free agent, to win in a year that most will say should be asterisked?

[Sour Masher]

I dunno. If you were the GM or owner, would you trade away a top prospect for 6-7 weeks of a pending free agent, to win in a year that most will say should be asterisked?

Asterisk or not, any team that wins this year will be flying that banner and wearing those rings, and touting this championship. You are probably right that there will be less deals, but if a team knows they can't win and another team thinks they can, I still see some deals being made, even if the seller doesn't get the top prospects they'd hope for.

[cavebird]

I imagine that it will be interesting. Remember, there will be two draft classes for next year's minor leagues, so some teams might have a logjam of prospects. I doubt the top prospects move, but I could see a bunch of B- and C+ prospects changing teams. Assuming the season isn't aborted by then.

[Kevin Seitzer]

I imagine that it will be interesting. Remember, there will be two draft classes for next year's minor leagues, so some teams might have a logjam of prospects. I doubt the top prospects move, but I could see a bunch of B- and C+ prospects changing teams. Assuming the season isn't aborted by then.

I don't follow. There are a lot of roster spaces to be filled even in a contracted minors before you get to the B- and C+ prospects. Most teams added 10 or 15 new players through the draft and undrafted signings post-draft. Even if there is a limit of ~150 players in a domestic player development system next year, which isn't clear yet, C+ prospects in a deep system might go 40 players deep?

I do imagine there are going to be some weird dynamics at the low-A level, and maybe that's what you're referring to, where there will be a logjam from the 2019 and 2020 drafts plus international players ready graduate to a full-season affiliate. That will push some of the college players from 2019 and 2020 up to High-A or even Double-A sooner than they might normally go there. But as far as prospects trades resulting from that logjam, I can't imagine that happening. Teams just don't make those kind of trades. They'll rather stockpile prospects and find a place to play them.

[cavebird]

I don't follow. There are a lot of roster spaces to be filled even in a contracted minors before you get to the B- and C+ prospects. Most teams added 10 or 15 new players through the draft and undrafted signings post-draft. Even if there is a limit of ~150 players in a domestic player development system next year, which isn't clear yet, C+ prospects in a deep system might go 40 players deep?

I do imagine there are going to be some weird dynamics at the low-A level, and maybe that's what you're referring to, where there will be a logjam from the 2019 and 2020 drafts plus international players ready graduate to a full-season affiliate. That will push some of the college players from 2019 and 2020 up to High-A or even Double-A sooner than they might normally go there. But as far as prospects trades resulting from that logjam, I can't imagine that happening. Teams just don't make those kind of trades. They'll rather stockpile prospects and find a place to play them.

That's what I was thinking about. And, no, they won't move them just to move them, but if they think it will help them win this year, I don't see why they wouldn't move a B- or C+ guy to give it a shot.

[virgonomic]

I'm with the majority here. Assuming the 60 games are counted as a year of service time, some teams with pending FA who don't compete and don't plan to resign them will be looking to move them. And while the return will be lower, there will still be a market.

[revo]

I'm with the majority here. Assuming the 60 games are counted as a year of service time, some teams with pending FA who don't compete and don't plan to resign them will be looking to move them. And while the return will be lower, there will still be a market.

I agree. The market will be very low. For instance, if the Dodgers aren’t in it, will they be able to get what they paid for Mookie, if they tried to move him? I doubt any package would come close.

[Don Quixote]

I agree. The market will be very low. For instance, if the Dodgers aren’t in it, will they be able to get what they paid for Mookie, if they tried to move him? I doubt any package would come close.

I think virgo was talking more about guys who are about to enter free agency this off-season. The question is how much the contenders and would-be contenders will lowball their offers for such players.

I'll admit that I haven't looked at who will become a free agent after this season. Is there anyone who strikes anyone here as a difference-maker?

[revo]

I think virgo was talking more about guys who are about to enter free agency this off-season. The question is how much the contenders and would-be contenders will lowball their offers for such players.

I'll admit that I haven't looked at who will become a free agent after this season. Is there anyone who strikes anyone here as a difference-maker?

Well, there's.....Mookie Betts.

[Hornsby]

I think virgo was talking more about guys who are about to enter free agency this off-season. The question is how much the contenders and would-be contenders will lowball their offers for such players.

I'll admit that I haven't looked at who will become a free agent after this season. Is there anyone who strikes anyone here as a difference-maker?

It's a pretty crappy class overall...Realmuto, Semien, Springer, and then it drops off pretty steeply. It'll give owners a good excuse not to pay big.

[cavebird]

Well, there's.....Mookie Betts.

The odds of the Dodgers thinking that they are not contenders 30 or so games into the season when the deadline hits is pretty small. That's another factor. Almost everyone could theoretically be a contender. Except the Orioles, but they don't have anything to trade anyway.

[GwynnInTheHall]

Well, there's.....Mookie Betts.

Padre in 2021

[madducks]

Yankees GM Brian Cashman said Tuesday that it's his understanding that teams won't be able to reveal when players go on the IL for COVID-19 this season.

MLB is going to try to play by privacy rules here, which is going to lead to plenty of speculation every time anyone is missing from the lineup. Let confusion reign.
Source: Bryan Hoch on Twitter