This week’s mailbag will get into PTBNL trades, the Brewers’ current commerce historical past, the Mariners’ inactivity, and questions on gamers similar to Jordan Romano, Andy Pages, and Brett Baty.
Scott asks:
When a commerce occurs that features a Participant to be named later or money issues, like between the Crimson Sox and Brewers, how is it decided which works – a participant or money? Looks like that must be predetermined to ease the negotiations, however the implication within the title implies it is a determination to be made later?
I posed Scott’s query to an staff government good friend, and he kindly gave a fantastic in-depth reply. Right here it’s:
“There are two PTBNL / Money constructs which are commonest. The primary is the place one of many golf equipment concerned within the commerce will get to decide on a number of gamers from an agreed upon record. The agreed upon record is set on the time of the preliminary commerce. The membership receiving the PTBNL has the precise to as a substitute obtain “various money issues” that can’t exceed $100k. The choice to obtain money comes into play provided that the membership with the precise to obtain the PTBNL decides they don’t need any of the gamers throughout the beforehand agreed upon grouping. This end result might happen if a number of of these gamers suffers an damage or different plight whereby they’re now not of curiosity to the membership holding the precise to accumulate them. By the use of instance, if Staff A has the precise to select both Participant X or Participant Y because the PTBNL, however each gamers have suffered vital accidents because the time the commerce was agreed upon, then Staff A would possibly relatively take the money relatively than an injured participant.
The second major assemble the place you see a PTBNL or Money concerned in a commerce happens if the commerce is basically only for money, however the staff set to obtain the money needs to “gown it up” slightly bit. This case might happen if the staff is buying and selling away a notable participant and must make it seem like there’s a extra vital return than merely cash coming again their method. In these conditions, the 2 golf equipment concerned within the commerce can conform to phrase the commerce as a PTBNL or Money regardless of each golf equipment agreeing that the return might be money solely.
A PTBNL shouldn’t be all the time a low-level participant. The one restriction is {that a} PTBNL can’t be somebody who has appeared on an lively Main League roster between the time the commerce was agreed to and the time he’s despatched to his new membership.”
Zack asks:
How lengthy of a leash ought to the Phillies have with Jordan Romano? He has misplaced velocity on his fastball and slider and he seems shaky when on the mound. Perhaps it is a mechanics situation he can work via? He seems like he is trying to find his kind on the mound, I hope he can determine it out as we want him!
The powerful factor is that Romano arguably hasn’t been an efficient reliever since June of 2023. Rob Thomson hasn’t used Romano within the membership’s highest-leverage conditions to this point, however he nonetheless was Dave Dombrowski’s fundamental offseason bullpen addition.
Romano’s elbow irritation surfaced in March 2024. He debuted in mid-April final yr however was performed after 15 appearances as soon as the damage resurfaced. He wound up having arthroscopic elbow surgical procedure in early July. The Blue Jays, who knew Romano finest, did not need him again at what would’ve doubtless been his identical $7.75MM wage. Across the Winter Conferences, Dombrowski gave Romano about $750K greater than that.
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