FanGraphs Weekly Mailbag: August 1, 2026
We’re less than three days away from the trade deadline, and aside from a challenge trade here and some minor swaps there, the only action we’re getting is inaction. Both Casey Mize of the Tigers and Freddy Peralta of the Mets were scratched from their scheduled starts Friday night, presumably as a precautionary measure to ensure that neither hurler would get hurt ahead of a likely trade.
Of course, we’ve known for a while that the Mets were going to be sellers this deadline season, giving their last-place standing for most of the year. They fired manager Carlos Mendoza at the end of June, and more recently, they’ve been giving every fan a $10 concessions voucher with their ticket, as both an apology for the poor performance on the field and an incentive to keep fans coming to the park to watch that poor performance — which in a few days could get even worse. In addition to Peralta, the Mets are also likely to at least some of their other pending free agents, such as Luis Robert Jr., Tyrone Taylor, Clay Holmes, and Brooks Raley 레일리, as well as high-leverage reliever Luke Weaver, who’s under contract through the end of next season. Detroit’s decision not to start Mize may have something to do with a groin issue that he’s been dealing with recently, as The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal and Cody Stavenhagen noted. The team let Tarik Skubal, the top pending free agent on the block, start on Thursday even as it is supposedly shopping him. That’s because the Tigers still have about a 1-in-4 shot to make the playoffs, as of the start of play Friday, according to our Playoff Odds. They reportedly haven’t made a final decision on whether they will trade Skubal and their other players on expiring contracts, among them Mize and second baseman Gleyber Torres. If Detroit ends up selling, closer Kenley Jansen, who has a club option for next season, could also be on the move.
In addition to answering your questions about the trade deadline in this week’s Mailbag, we’ll also cover Jordan Hicks’ resurgence with the White Sox, home runs hit slower than the pitch that was thrown, and odd Hall of Fame cap decisions. But first, I’d like to remind you that this mailbag is exclusive to FanGraphs Members. If you aren’t yet a Member and would like to keep reading, you can sign up for a Membership here. It’s the best way to both experience the site and support our staff, and it comes with a bunch of other great benefits. Also, if you’d like to ask a question for an upcoming mailbag, send me an email at mailbag@fangraphs.com.
Matt is the associate editor of FanGraphs. Previously, he was the baseball editor at Sports Illustrated. His work has appeared in The New York Times, Men’s Health, Baseball Prospectus, and Lindy’s Sports Magazine. Follow him on Twitter @ByMattMartell and Blue Sky @mattmartell.bsky.social.
Montgomery was traded to the Rangers, not Astros.
When someone asked about impactful rental trades that is the first one I thought of. That was maybe the clearest example of the rental player being the difference between a championship and not getting one.
Every team involved in the Montgomery trades probably feels pretty good, which is rare! Yankees got Bader, who hit some huge homers for them in a playoff run. Cards got Montgomery who helped them get to the playoffs, then got a strong package (even if it’s not lighting the world on fire now). Rangers rode him to a championship. Really seems like everyone won, except maybe Montgomery who had to move all the time.
I seem to recall Bader was very hurt in his second year with the Yankees, so it was a bit of a mixed bag for them.
Also for Montgomery, who won a championship but who bet on himself, looked terrible immediately after that decision, and then blew his arm out. He’s doing rehab starts right now after not pitching for quite a while and he seems a little rusty.
Jordan Montgomery has had an incredibly weird up-and-down career. 4th round pick, down-ballot ROY, WS ace, literally salary dumped, injuries, publicly called out by the team owner, part of the Boras Four, etc.
I wouldn’t be shocked at this point to see him go to Asia, have a dominant season, come back, sign with an also-ran, and try to get flipped for the fourth time at the deadline.
Davy: I am Mailbag and I cannot see into the hearts of men.
Matt: I do what to your mouth? Have you ever heard of sleep when the baby sleeps?
(Okay that last part was from me)
Buster Posey will wear the Giants Pride Night cap, obvs.
When Harold Ramirez tucks an 85.4 mph fly just inside the foul pole at the Trop, the announcer exclaims “Back to back homers from Paredes and Ramirez!” The camera then cuts to Paredes in the dugout with an expression that says “You think you can come for my crown, kid?”
[I am aware that Ramirez is older than Paredes and debuted earlier. I stand by “kid.”]
Although since that was 2022, Paredes’s breakout first season with Tampa Bay, the expression probably reads better as “I’m taking over from here, old man.” Especially since Paredes would hit two more homers that game. (Sadly for my bit, they were both relatively normal left-center power alley shots.)
Ayy thanks, Mailbag! That response was 1,000x better than I was expecting when I sent that in
Chapman for Ragans?
That should be “a championship in the second of those years.” The Tigers beat the Cubs in 1935, lost to the Cardinals in 1934.
In the Willie Keeler table, why does it have AG instead of BA or AVG/AVE? He played after the one season (1887) that counted walks as hits, so that’s not it.