AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez

The Rundown: Tucker Trade Talks Take Over Texas, Red Sox Land Crochet, Fried Joins Yankees

Photo of Michael Canter Michael CanterDecember 11, 2024

It’s difficult to write this column when the activity at the Winter Meetings picks up, but that doesn’t mean I’d rather write for the Diamondbacks or Rockies. I’ll try to keep up, and whatever I miss will be tomorrow’s stale date nut bread. While I’m at it, y’all should send Evan a tattoo parlor gift card for keeping up with all the news, rumors, and speculation. There is no quit in that man, obviously, and he’s been doing this for over a decade.

Ed. note: As a collector, I will gladly accept tattoo GCs from pretty much anywhere. My “home” shop is Ink Therapy in Plainfield, IN just in case.

While I’m handing out accolades, I applaud Jed Hoyer for letting the Red Sox outbid him for Garrett Crochet. White Sox fans will love Kyle Teel, but getting Braden Montgomery is highway robbery. I hope for nothing but the best for Boston, but if Crochet gets hurt, that’s a huge overpay.

All eyes now turn to Kyle Tucker and an alleged showdown between Hoyer and Brian Cashman of the Yankees. I want this one. Let’s get it done.

Here’s some remastered but still vintage Elvis Presley to add some positive juju to those trade talks. If nobody objects, let’s see a little less conversation and a little more action.

Cubs News & Notes

Odds & Sods

It’s a good thing Hoyer identifies as the lead executive of a smaller, mid-market team.

Central Intelligence

Wednesday Stove

Joel Sherman of the NY Post believes Tucker will be traded before or soon after the Winter Meetings end.

Lefty ace Max Fried signed with the Yankees for a whopping $218 million over eight years.

The Red Sox lost out on Fried but admitted they were “willing to get uncomfortable” to acquire a top-of-the-rotation starter.

Bob Nightengale of USA Today said the A’s were aggressively pursuing Fried, though Oakland GM David Forst denied that rumor.

The Mets will pivot to Sasaki and Sean Manaea after missing on Crochet.

Nathan Eovaldi is returning to the Rangers on a three-year deal worth $75 million.

The Blue Jays are considered the favorites to sign Corbin Burnes, but I wouldn’t count out the Giants.

The Nationals won this year’s lottery and have the first selection in the 2025 draft. Surprisingly, the Cardinals jumped all the way to No. 5.

The Mariners also fared well, jumping 12 spots to snag the No. 3 pick.

Thinking Out Loud

If Hoyer is really interested in getting a rental like Tucker, and if Paredes is involved, why not pursue Vladimir Guerrero Jr., too?

Extra Innings

Craig Counsell loves Wrigley Field and is very bullish on Pete Crow-Armstrong.

They Said It

  • “The term you’ll hear [about rental players] is the marginal value of a win,” Hawkins said yesterday. “Going from 85 to 87 is really, really important. That might be the difference between making the playoffs and not making the playoffs. You’re also going to put more leverage on those additional wins [when] they’re going to change the potential outcome for your team. When you do that, you’re willing to pay more for those. So, yeah, I think that definitely goes into the calculus. – Hawkins
  • “It’s no secret that Seiya’s a great player, and so, by definition, the bar to trade any great player is really, really high. We don’t want to trade Seiya, but, look, as [Joel] talked about, there are people interested in great players, and so if teams come asking, those are at least conversations that we’re willing to have, but I really don’t think much is going to come of it.” – Hawkins
  • “I think that if [Suzuki] was being posted in Japan and teams were presenting to them their opportunities and they said ‘you could come here and be our full-time DH,’ I don’t think he would have signed with that team.” – Wolfe
  • “I think that there’s an argument to be made that a smaller, mid-market team might be more beneficial for [Sasaki] as a soft landing coming from Japan, given what he’s been through and not having an enjoyable experience with the media. It might be — I’m not saying it will be — but I don’t know how he’s going to view it. It might also be beneficial for him to be in a smaller market. I really don’t know how he looks at it yet because I haven’t had a chance to really sit down and discuss it with him in great detail.” – Wolfe

Wednesday Walk-Up Song

On this day in 1951, Joltin’ Joe DiMaggio hung up his cleats for good. What’s that you say, Mrs. Robinson?

Photo of Michael Canter Michael CanterDecember 11, 2024
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