2025-26 Offseason Around the League Thread

[Team Canada]

Feels like a serious miscalculation on the part of the Tigers. He just won 2 CY in a row, if they would have come out with a higher number they might've had a shot.

[Jopal78]

9 hours ago, Team Canada said:

Feels like a serious miscalculation on the part of the Tigers. He just won 2 CY in a row, if they would have come out with a higher number they might've had a shot.

Teams fight tooth and nail for the lowest arbitration salary. Offering more to Skubal raises the floor for everyone else years down the road and as you point out only gives them “a shot” to save some money in the here and now. 

Every team who heads to a hearing knows the figures if they lose. Each team has people who calculate these things for a living. They did offer Skubal nearly double his salary from last season, and a number which was consistent with prior comps. If Detroit was not comfortable with the worst case scenario they would’ve traded Skubal earlier in the offseason. 
 

If anything deserves criticism, it’s the rules for the panel of arbitrators who have no discretion but to choose one figure or the other. 

[Team Canada]

4 hours ago, Jopal78 said:

Offering more to Skubal raises the floor for everyone else years down the road and as you point out only gives them “a shot” to save some money in the here and now. 

Well, that's not quite accurate, and that's my point. What raises the floor are the actual awarded salaries. Given that Skubal has been historically good, offering a figure that was at the limit of historical records (unadjusted for inflation) was a miscalculation. Their choice wasn't to give Skubal 19M or 25M. It was offer 19M and almost assuredly lose and thus pay his requested figure which is much larger, or offer more and increase their odds of winning.

I completely understand the nature of the process and the motivations of the teams. This is a particularly interesting case of game theory and in my opinion, they should have anticipated that Skubal was going to ask for 30+M and increased their odds of winning by offering more. They didn't, and now they've successfully set a brand new record.

[owbc]

Apparently the Tigers just took MLB's recommendation on the offer which was essentially just a match of David Price's record-breaking $19.75M number from 2015. 

Price's contract adjusted for inflation is $27 million today.

It was such an egregious lowball that there was no choice but to take Skubal's number. A $25 million offer would have likely won it for the Tigers. 

The timing of the $38.3M AAV Valdez contract makes this all especially hilarious. 

[Roderick]

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2026/02/dodgers-designate-anthony-banda-for-assignment.html

A name from the past.  Anthony Banda designated for assignment, but since he has a $1.625M contract, no one might pick him up and the Dodgers can keep him.

[Roderick]

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2026/02/angels-sign-brent-suter-reliever.html

Brent Suter to the Angels.  Nice that he is still around.

[Team Canada]

6 hours ago, owbc said:

Apparently the Tigers just took MLB's recommendation on the offer which was essentially just a match of David Price's record-breaking $19.75M number from 2015. 

Price's contract adjusted for inflation is $27 million today.

It was such an egregious lowball that there was no choice but to take Skubal's number. A $25 million offer would have likely won it for the Tigers. 

The timing of the $38.3M AAV Valdez contract makes this all especially hilarious. 

Exactly.

[Jopal78]

On 2/6/2026 at 11:40 AM, Team Canada said:

Well, that's not quite accurate, and that's my point. What raises the floor are the actual awarded salaries. Given that Skubal has been historically good, offering a figure that was at the limit of historical records (unadjusted for inflation) was a miscalculation. Their choice wasn't to give Skubal 19M or 25M. It was offer 19M and almost assuredly lose and thus pay his requested figure which is much larger, or offer more and increase their odds of winning.

I completely understand the nature of the process and the motivations of the teams. This is a particularly interesting case of game theory and in my opinion, they should have anticipated that Skubal was going to ask for 30+M and increased their odds of winning by offering more. They didn't, and now they've successfully set a brand new record.

Do you believe Skubal filing for $32 million dollars took them by surprise?  Or that the Tigers have had no contact with Skubal’s representation since they agreed upon his salary last year? After Skubal filed at 32 million dollars months ago, the Tigers could always have negotiated with him for a lower number and chose not to. 

The reason why gos back to my original point, had the Tigers theoretically settled with Skubal at  say $25 million dollars before hearing; the sum would become a data point that every pitcher will point to in filing for their 6th year salary. Over time it will increase the arbitration salaries for all pitchers across MLB.

That Skibal used a narrowly defined clause to get 32 million dollars this year, to me means it’s less of a comp., and more of a one off situation because the majority of other players coming after him will not   have the same achievements to argue they’re similar.

I am sure the Tigers are disappointed with the results of the hearing, but satisfied they didn’t establish any new comps that players can use to argue they deserve more pay. 

[RWeeksFan23]

On 2/4/2026 at 7:57 PM, markedman5 said:

I guess the character concerns didn’t hurt him too badly 

 

what character concerns?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

*legit question*

[markedman5]

This is what I was referring to…….the consensus from former players seemed to be that this was intentional…….

 

[long ball]

Aside from our own trade, there have been a bunch of minor transactions this morning. Seems like the 1-year veteran contracts are starting to roll in. Probably continue throughout the week as teams report to camp. 
 

Fedde was interesting, but I liked him more as a swing man than a true rotation option. Adding Harrison and Drohan this morning orobably makes it less likely we add a veteran arm anyway. 

[markedman5]

Best of luck……he’s going to need it

 

[Outlander]

Old friend Reese Olson will miss the entire 2026 season after undergoing a right shoulder labral repair. Brutal for him, didn't look good when he never returned for the playoff run but wishing him the best.

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2026/02/reese-olson-to-miss-2026-season-following-shoulder-surgery.html

[KCBrewerfan34]

Montgomery to the Rangers

[TURBO]

11 hours ago, markedman5 said:

Best of luck……he’s going to need it

 

I have to think he had NO other offers if he is willing to play for the Rockies...

Pitcher's nightmare in hell...

[owbc]

7 minutes ago, TURBO said:

I have to think he had NO other offers if he is willing to play for the Rockies...

Pitcher's nightmare in hell...

At least he gets to be their ace and Opening Day starter!

(not sure if that should be in blue or not...)

[wallus]

Bassitt to the O's for 18.5 mil and can go higher with incentives. I can see why we are stacking as cheap starters as possible....

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2026/02/orioles-to-sign-chris-bassitt.html

[markedman5]

 

[Team Canada]

Phillies released Castellanos. So basically they're paying $30M this year for Adolis Garcia to play RF.

[wallus]

5 minutes ago, Team Canada said:

Phillies released Castellanos. So basically they're paying $30M this year for Adolis Garcia to play RF.

But I was told they were going for it when they signed Castellanos.

[Playing Catch]

47 minutes ago, markedman5 said:

 

The collective cognitive dissonance with this move will be too much for us, I fear.

[Fear The Chorizo]

On 2/6/2026 at 2:54 PM, Roderick said:

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2026/02/dodgers-designate-anthony-banda-for-assignment.html

A name from the past.  Anthony Banda designated for assignment, but since he has a $1.625M contract, no one might pick him up and the Dodgers can keep him.

Twins traded for him and sent Intl' bonus money to the Dodgers....I hate this for baseball and would much rather have the Dodgers be forced to release an arm like Banda because they're out of 40 man space, and then just have another MLB team pick him up for nothing in return to LAD.  The amount of bonus pool money is a pittance, but it gives the Dodgers a bigger bit of dough to play in that talent acquisition arena - which is one the Brewers have made a TON of hay in recently in large part due to MLB trying to even the playing field and restrict how much money teams can throw at those players who have not yet played professionally.

Screw the Dodgers

[Frisbee Slider]

25 minutes ago, Playing Catch said:

The collective cognitive dissonance with this move will be too much for us, I fear.

If Freddie Freeman gets hurt…

[Team Canada]

Great, yet another free agent to the Dodgers.

[Team Canada]

2 hours ago, wallus said:

But I was told they were going for it when they signed Castellanos.

This is a classic example of why payroll isn't the be all end all. Teams are stupid with money. It does mean they have WAY more room for error because mistakes can just be released and it doesn't matter, but it doesn't mean they're buying better players.