MLB Mailbag: PTBNL, Brewers, Mariners, Romano, Pages, Baty

This week’s mailbag will get into PTBNL trades, the Brewers’ latest commerce historical past, the Mariners’ inactivity, and questions on gamers comparable 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 Purple Sox and Brewers, how is it decided which matches – a participant or money? Looks as if that must be predetermined to ease the negotiations, however the implication within the title implies it is a resolution to be made later?

I posed Scott’s query to an crew govt pal, and he kindly gave an excellent in-depth reply.  Right here it’s:

“There are two PTBNL / Money constructs which might be most typical. 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 checklist. The agreed upon checklist is set on the time of the preliminary commerce. The membership receiving the PTBNL has the correct to as a substitute obtain “different money issues” that can’t exceed $100k. The choice to obtain money comes into play provided that the membership with the correct to obtain the PTBNL decides they don’t need any of the gamers inside the beforehand agreed upon grouping. This end result may happen if a number of of these gamers suffers an harm or different plight whereby they’re not of curiosity to the membership holding the correct to amass them. By the use of instance, if Workforce A has the correct to choose 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 Workforce 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 absolutely only for money, however the crew set to obtain the money needs to “gown it up” slightly bit. This case may happen if the crew is buying and selling away a notable participant and must make it appear like there’s a extra vital return than merely cash coming again their approach. 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 will probably be money solely.

A PTBNL just isn’t at all times a low-level participant. The one restriction is {that a} PTBNL can’t be somebody who has appeared on an energetic 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 appears shaky when on the mound. Perhaps it is a mechanics concern he can work via? He appears like he is trying to find his type on the mound, I hope he can determine it out as we’d like him!

The robust 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 up to now, however he nonetheless was Dave Dombrowski’s principal 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 harm 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 probably been his identical $7.75MM wage.  Across the Winter Conferences, Dombrowski gave Romano about $750K greater than that.

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