Jeff Passan, Doug Mientkiewicz Engage in Heated MLB Trade Debate

ESPN reporter Jeff Passan and former MLB player Doug Mientkiewicz engaged in a heated exchange on X over Passan's scouting description of prospect Edgleen Perez, who was recently traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates. Mientkiewicz criticized Passan for calling Perez's swing decisions "excellent," citing Perez's low batting average and limited experience above Single-A, and questioned Passan's baseball knowledge as a non-player. Passan defended his comment by attributing it to a scout's assessment and criticized Mientkiewicz for clinging to outdated metrics like batting average. The argument escalated with both sides trading sharp remarks about the roles of players, scouts, and media in baseball analysis. This public spat drew significant attention on Baseball Twitter, highlighting tensions between traditional players and modern baseball media. Despite Mientkiewicz's criticisms, Passan's reputation as a leading MLB insider remains strong among fans and within the sport.