MLB Rumors: How hot is Padres GM AJ Preller's seat?
In a recent article by Ken Rosenthal and Dennis Lin for The Athletic (subscription required), it seems likely that San Diego Padres general manager AJ Preller is on the hot seat after years of failing to meet expectations, even when they are one of the biggest spenders in MLB.
While many around the organization praise him for being one of the best general managers who can spot talent from miles away, many are getting tired of his antics. In the article, Rosenthal and Lin say that, while many praise Preller, they feel he has "poor communication and a lack of feel."
"As one former high-ranking official said, the Padres' guiding philosophy under Preller — if there is one — might boil down to this: 'Do more than everybody else at all times.'"
Per the report, a player called the Padres' 2023 season an "institutional failure". With many in the organization, including the players, getting fed up with Preller, how much longer will the owner put up with him?
Many need to remember that the Padres aren't a large market team, but they spend like they are. They've kept supplying Preller with money despite the fact that he has only gotten them to the playoffs once in his whole career, while also trading away most of the farm for Juan Soto and others.
The San Diego Padres currently hold the third-largest payroll in MLB, according to Spotrac, which says they have a 2023 payroll of $253,287,946. The other two teams ahead of them are the New York Mets and New York Yankees, both of which will also miss the playoffs.
It's at least possible that, like Billy Eppler with the Mets, Preller pays for these shortcomings with his job.
MLB Rumors: Marlins acquire Matt Moore off waivers from Guardians
According to ESPN's Jeff Passan, the Miami Marlins are claiming veteran pitcher Matt Moore off waivers from the Cleveland Guardians. This will be his third team in 2023 after the Los Angeles Angels decided to DFA him in an attempt to stay below the luxury tax threshold.
After getting DFA'd by the Angels, everyone was shocked when the Cleveland Guardians claimed him, only to release him after barely pitching.
Passan also stated that Moore will not, in fact, be postseason eligible if the Marlins make it to the playoffs by clinching an NL Wild Card spot. The Marlins currently hold a record of 78-73 and are a half-game behind the Chicago Cubs and Cincinnati Reds in the wild card race.
While he won't be eligible to play, the Marlins are hoping that having Moore in their bullpen could help them win enough games to clinch a postseason spot. To make room for him on the team, they recalled pitcher Tommy Nance from Triple-A and then placed him on the 60-Day IL.
In the 2023 season, Moore has pitched in 48.2 innings with both the Angels and Guardians and holds a record of 4-1 with a 2.77 ERA.
MLB Rumors: Mets best plan doesn't include Ohtani?
There have been many teams interested in signing Shohei Ohtani. It seems now even the New York Mets, who are willing to constantly run the team at a loss, are now seeing it's not worth signing one player -- or at least one MLB insider believes so.
In a recent column by Jon Heyman for the New York Post, the insider stated that Steve Cohen's only goal is to win and is willing to do whatever it takes for that. There has been a problem recently with the Mets. They have noticed that wildly spending money doesn't win games by itself. As such, Heyman believes it's more worth it for the Mets to sign multiple players instead of paying one.
According to Sports Illustrated's Matt Wagner, some think that Shohei Ohtani could receive a massive contract this offseason worth upwards of $700 million. This would be the largest contract in baseball history, making him the highest earner in baseball history.
This offseason, if the Mets truly want to become contenders, the organization probably needs to sign two starting pitchers, as well as extend Pete Alonso to pair along with a possible free agent like Cody Bellinger, Teoscar Hernandez, or Matt Chapman, as Heyman asserted. They also could use more relievers in the bullpen and could try to reunite with Trevor May, while also trying to possibly acquire David Robertson again.
The Mets could use the fact that Ohtani could want between $50-70 million a year as a reason not to sign him, but to instead start spending money more wisely. The Los Angeles Angels showed you can't win with one or two good players but instead need a whole team.
