It might be an NFL Sunday, but Bob Nightengale sure added some spice to the pot on the MLB rumors side of things with his latest column. Here are three of the most important rumors, as I see them, from his latest column.
Blake Snell likely to become available this offseason
Blake Snell could very well be the NL Cy Young winner this year. His middle-of-the-road win-loss record and confusingly high walk rate (and thus, WHIP, too) are some of the only things standing in the way at this point (that and a white-hot Justin Steele). One would think it would be a priority for the San Diego Padres to bring him back.
Evidently not. The Padres don't plan to re-sign the 2.52 ERA pitcher this offseason, all but making it certain he will be one of the best pitchers available in free agency this season.
Nightengale reports that Snell could land up to $200 million on the free agent market this offseason.
The Padres are in an awkward spot. They have a ton of talent, but sit second-to-last in the NL West and do not appear in the running for a playoff spot. It may be that the talent doesn't fit well together, and as such, San Diego could look to retool various parts of the roster. Perhaps the starting rotation, and Snell's spot as the ace is part of that.
They may also be looking at that aforementioned walk rate and be worried that luck could run out sooner than later.
Angels indicate a Mike Trout trade is a huge possibility
Free agents are one thing, but most baseball offseasons there are hints and whispers about what is to come with stars around the league that could become available in trades.
Shohei Ohtani is already a free agent and could leave the team this winter, but could the Angels also be saying goodbye to Mike Trout?
It's possible. Trout has already indicated he plans to talk with the front office about the future direction of the team. That has implications of a possible trade request.
The Angels, according to Nightengale, are open to such a trade if that's what Trout wants.
The Los Angeles Angels, perhaps for the first time, are open to trading All-Star outfielder Mike Trout if he indicates to them that he wants out. Trout has exclusive no-trade rights and said recently that he wants to have a private conversation with the front office and ownership about their direction.
Should Trout request a trade, a big factor is how much of his remaining contract the Angels would be willing to pick up to make the deal more tenable for whatever team trades for him. He has about $250 million and seven years left.
Oli Marmol's best realistic replacement for Cardinals just became officially available
It's not very clear how safe Oli Marmol's job is as manager of the St. Louis Cardinals. It owuld not be a complete shock to see him return to the helm in St. Louis in 2023 simply because the Cardinals, as an organization, typically value steadiness and consistency. That's one of the reasons St. Louis has the third-best win percentage in MLB since the year 2000.
But this year has been a remarkable disappointment. They're on track for their worst win percentage season since 2007, and they're likely to finish last in the NL Central.
If there was ever an offseason to challenge the status quo, it would be this one.
The Cardinals open admission that they would be sellers at the MLB trade deadline was a change from how they normally do things. Might their tolerance for a losing manager be next?
Well, one candidate that just became available could convince them to switch things up.
According to Nightengale, Matt Holliday wants to become an MLB manager. Holliday was on the hook to be a bench coach for the Cardinals this offseason, but ultimately changed his mind. Now, he wants to re-open that door, but at the manger level.
Holliday spent eight years with the Cardinals and had his best offensive seasons in St. Louis. Second to perhaps only Yadier Molina, he's one of the many ideal former players that could replace Marmol.
Expect Holliday to be managing a team somewhere in 2023. Will it be St. Louis?
