You are viewing the chat in desktop mode. Click here to switch to mobile view.
X
MLBTR Chat
powered byJotCast
Prev Page View Full Chat
Mark P
9:45
Wash's health is the biggest factor, so hopefully is given full clearance from his doctors.  The Angels probably exercise his option year and bring Washington back for at least one more year.
Billington
9:46
Chandler Simpson leads league in SB and also caught SB??
Mark P
9:47
Caballero leads in steals, but Simpson is the leader in CS.  This isn't that surprising to see Simpson so high in both categories given that he's such a baserunning specialist with elite speed.
rusty
9:47
With Wheeler's move to IL is Painter's call up coming soon?
Mark P
9:48
Painter hasn't pitched great at Triple-A, so it seems like the Buehler signing was in part the Phillies way of adding a rotation option and lessening the pressure on Painter to even be part of the MLB picture this year
9:50
I'd be surprised if Painter wasn't called up at all for at least a cup of coffee in the majors, but I don't see him getting any major role on the roster (or in a playoff roster)
Realignment
9:50
what do you think is more likely, 8 divisions of 4 teams, or 4 divisions of 8?
Mark P
9:52
It depends on how the geography works out with two expansion cities, plus any lingering possibility that the Rays or A's might be playing elsewhere than Tampa/St. Pete or in Vegas.

I'd probably prefer four divisions of eight just to add more cache to being a division championship.  Yet the league may prefer more divisions and fewer wild card teams, even if some of the wild card clubs' records will inevitably top some division winners more often than not
Hungry
9:53
What’s for supper?
Mark P
9:54
I haven't eaten since lunch, since that flurry of transactions earlier kept me busy on the site.  Post-chat, I might have to hit the fridge for a snack.
Mike DeBartolo
9:54
Why on Earth would I want to trade Mackenzie Gore?
Mark P
9:55
You might not want to, but the next Nationals PBO might be open to the idea.

If you don't think Gore (a Scott Boras client) is a long-term candidate to stay in Washington and 2026 is another rebuild year anyway, than there's some merit to the idea of selling high on Gore in a trade this offseason.
Al Kaline Battery
9:56
I know you guys did a poll this week on regional realignment if the league expands. What are your personal feelings on the subject?
Mark P
9:58
There is so much tradition within the AL/NL that I want to see that preserved, rather than the weirdness of a "West League" and "East League."  You can rework the geography within the current league alignments and incorporate expansion teams into the mix, but I want to see the AL and NL groupings generally remain intact.

Then again, as a Jays fan, my main priority in any alignment would be to see the Blue Jays get out of any division with the Yankees, Red Sox, and Rays.  So if this means the Jays in the NL, bring it on!  :)
Lou Brown
9:59
Mark, I always ask of you think Trout really has 6 years left in him/will play out his contract...And you never wanna comment..I get that you don't wanna jinx the man, but come on! Whadaya think??
Mark P
10:00
I doubt Trout would walk away from a year or two of guaranteed money and retire early, but only he knows the state of his body, or how much longer he wants to keep playing.  Since this is shaping up as one of his healthiest seasons in some time, if anything, you'd think Trout might have more confidence in his ability to stay on the field
O Brother Where Cart Now
10:00
Is Carter Jensen is, or is Carter Jensen ain’t, a long term glove option behind the plate versus another 1B/DH bat?
Mark P
10:02
The scouting reports seem to think his glovework is pretty good, so there's no immediate to reason to think that Jensen can't stick as a catcher.

Whether he's the heir apparent to Salvy remains to be seen, in no small part because Blake Mitchell might ultimately have that role.  It gives the Royals some interesting options for the future once Perez decides to hang it up.
What to do with Marcus Semien
10:04
I know Marcus Semien is a fan favorite for his hustle, defense and durability. However he is clearly in decline and not worth his contract which was definitely a Scotty B special. Do you think the Rangers could get him to agree to a restructuring or pay cut and assuming that’s a no, is it worth eating a chunk of his salary to get a couple of mid to lower level prospects and move on?
Mark P
10:07
A restructure is clearly a no.  Semien is owed $72MM from 2026-28, and other teams are just as aware of Semien's offensive dropoff, so the Rangers would have to eat a big chunk of that contract in the event of a trade.

Barring some kind of bad contract swap, all the Rangers can really do with Semien is hope that he rediscovers his old form at the plate.  This seems like an odd suggestion for a player who is still a very good defender, but perhaps some DH days to help keep him fresher might help?  It could be that Semien's durability is a bit of a hindrance at this point, and a few more breaks might help him re-adjust.
Reds country
10:08
will Sal Stewart be available for the postseason if the reds get their act together and make it?
Mark P
10:09
Yep.  The August 31 rule only applies to players coming into the organization.  Teams can and have called up prospects well after September 1 who have gone to play big roles in the playoffs.
10:10
Time to call it a wrap on tonight's chat.  Thanks for all of your questions, and the Weekend Chat will re-open in, oh, let's say six or seven days' time.
If you're interested in more baseball Q&A, one of the many benefits of our Trade Rumors Front Office subscription is the exclusive weekly live chats. The more limited field means you're about 10 times more likely to get a question answered, as opposed to battling for space with hundreds of other questions in today's chat. For more on our memberships, check out this link: 

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/membership?ref=chat-8-31-25
Connecting…