Recently, MLB insider Mark Feinsand posted a column exploring offseason trade candidates that included names that were both fun and intriguing. However, in that same article, Feinsand mentioned Spencer Strider as one such potential trade candidate and cited the fact that the Braves discussed including him in a trade for Jacob deGrom at the deadline. All of a sudden, outlets everywhere started reporting this Strider-deGrom connection as if it was a revelation and postulated what it could mean for the Braves' plans for the young starter.
There are two problems with this. One, this report is not new at all, and those pretending that it is are embarrassing themselves by doing so right now. Second, now we are left with a lot of people talking about trading Strider as if moving him with his contract and amount of team control is going to be a snap.
Bizarre new fascination with old Spencer Strider trade rumors is completely divorced from reality
Some of the reactions we are seeing are at least understandable. Feinsand is a national reporter that fanbases across the league read, while beat writer Mark Bowman is obviously Braves-centric, and he didn't jump up and down about Strider's inclusion in his report at the time because, well, it didn't really warrant doing so. It would be nice if writers/bloggers/talking heads would do a modicum of research before they get all hot and bothered, but that is not the world we live in.
The bigger issue is that everyone is throwing around trade possibilities as though Strider's trade candidacy isn't ridiculously complicated. Some think that the Braves should be willing to send Strider to their team for free because of his injury issues, and others think the Braves should command a king's ransom for him. The reason WHY Strider was included in those trade talks for deGrom is largely due to his situation being similar to deGrom’s and his warts.
The truth is somewhere in between, and that makes any Strider trade extremely difficult. On one hand, Strider has shown the ability to be a bona fide Cy Young candidate in the past and is under team control through 2028 with a club option for 2029. On the other hand, Strider's arm troubles are well-documented, including those that cost him most of this season, and he is making $22 million a year for the next two seasons.
Does anyone out there have a real idea as to what Strider's trade value should be or what he will even look like over the next couple of seasons given that context? Spoilers: there isn't a definitive answer, even if some are acting like all of this is new and that Strider’s trade market is completely cut and dry.
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