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Core
6:47
Do you see a scenario where the Pirates trade Joey Bart? He had a bad year and he can’t field. Henry Davis at every day sounds better plus Rafael Flores and maybe a Shawn Ross. Tell me your thoughts? What do they do if they trade Bart.
  1. Call up Shawn Ross.              
  2. Henry Davis Everyday and flores backup.
  3. or Sign a free Agent and let Spring decide
Mark P
6:49
What's up with the Pirates and all their catchers with two first names?  Henry Davis, Joey Bart, Shawn Ross, Omar Alfonzo, Rafael Flores....well, maybe not that last one, but come on, surely there's someone in the world with "Flores" as a first name

Anyway, onto the actual question!  I agree that Bart might be moved, as giving Davis another big dose of playing time seems like a more important big-picture decision.
Ang T
6:50
Do the TB Rays stay in St. Pete, move to Tampa Proper, or a different location in the future?
Mark P
6:52
From what I understand of Tampa/St. Pete geography, it seems like having a ballpark in actual Tampa is the much more preferable location for all parties.  It's just that it seems very difficult to find available land in an area that checks every box the team is looking for, not to mention the finances involved in actually getting the stadium built.
Guest
6:53
Two Braves notes: 1. Despite how much people like to speculate on a Murphy trade, the Braves have been perfectly fine playing two starter-level catchers alongside each other before. 2. Re: Bowman’s report for Lehmann, while I’m not opposed to him, worth noting that his wording was “his candidacy has seemingly strengthened over the past couple weeks”, and that may be just really mean he thinks Lehmann has a better argument simply because of the Dodgers’ World Series run. At the very least, that part seemed more speculative than other parts apparently backed up by sources.
Mark P
6:57
Anthopoulos has known Lehmann dating back to their days together in LA, so that seems like more of a factor than the Dodgers having another deep playoff run.  Bowman indeed didn't state that Lehmann was any kind of favorite or even that he was necessarily a top candidate, but it does seem like Lehmann is indeed a candidate.  This is basically all we've got to go on given how the Braves are keeping such a tight lid on things.

As to your point about the catching situation, it's also worth noting that Murphy's trade value isn't exactly at a high point right now.  If Baldwin continues to hit well and avoids a sophomore slump, Atlanta might look to move Murphy next offseason, but doing so now both leaves the club a bit thin at catcher and it's a bit of a sell-low on Murphy.
Tony Rendon
6:58
Do you think the Angels have any expectations for me in 2026?
Mark P
7:00
If Rendon didn't have a no-trade clause, he's actually someone I'd suggest in "bad contract swap" scenarios involving the Angels.  Even if the Halos were taking on more money overall, getting something back in the form of a player that is guaranteed to actually play in 2026 is more preferable to the team than keeping Rendon around
7:01
One drawback is that Rendon is both owed $38MM in 2026 and that would also be his luxury tax number, which is a bigger hit for teams trying to limit their tax bill
Kevin in Pa
7:02
Do starting pitchers like Quintana and Jordan Montgomery make sense for the Cards rotation this season or will they target lesser starters? Thanks
Mark P
7:02
Both make some sense, though Montgomery is recovering from Tommy John surgery and won't be back until closer to midseason
Card Fan 60+ years
7:03
I remember B Gibson pitching a no-hitter, Torre batting .363, Whitey ball in the eighties. Pujols departing was a major blow, but nothing was like being told we would not compete in 2025. Being told we are losers does not sit in the midwest and I would rather find something else to do than watch.
Mark P
7:05
I don't doubt that many Cards fans share your opinion, given the lower attendance numbers this season.  But, if the Cards actually had gone ahead with more of a proper rebuild last winter, at least you could've said "ok, this stinks, but at least I can see that they're trying to get better."

Having a 2025 campaign that was basically a year of stasis made little sense to me, and probably added to the discord amongst the St. Louis fanbase
John
7:08
Who is the best option for the Royals to trade for to shore up their outfield needs this offseason? Or do they go the free agent route?
Mark P
7:08
Since the Royals have a need in both LF and 2B, Brendan Donovan might be the best fit since he can play either position (or toggle between the two)
Bosox Fan 1
7:10
Will the Red Sox show an  interest in J. T. Realmuto?
Mark P
7:11
Narvez's bat cooled off a lot as the season went on, but the Sox seem fine enough with him as their 1a catcher that any pursuit of Realmuto wouldn't be a top priority
liptowi
7:12
Do you pull the plug on Volpe if he has a meh spring training and just go with Caballero or O. Cabrera until the trade deadline  (with Lombard in the wings for 2027)?
Mark P
7:14
Caballero did enough in his short time in the Bronx that the Yankees might want to give him a real look as their shortstop (at least) until Volpe is healthy.
Going out to get another veteran SS this winter is probably less likely due to Caballero's presence.  And, due to the fact that the Yankees themselves haven't given up on Volpe (even if it feels like 95% of Yankee fans have)
Sneaky
7:16
is the reason not many questions are about Cleveland because Cleveland is not going to do much beyond signing Hedges as C2 ? It sure seems when all the hype is pumping that they have several "extra" prospects that could fetch some help
Mark P
7:17
The Guardians almost surely won't be making any big signings, and it's trickier to try and predict which trades they "might" make. There aren't any obvious trade candidates on the roster (ala Naylor last year) going into this offseason, since chances are Kwan won't be shopped until either the deadline or next offseason.
Rick
7:19
I’m thinking the Dodgers may go for Murakami for 3rd/1st base as Muncy & Freeman are getting close  to end of their contracts. What do you think? Thanks
Mark P
7:21
This would suggest the Dodgers would use Murakami as a LF for at least one season, since Muncy's club option is very likely to be exercised. Can't be ruled out, but it feels like the Dodgers probably wouldn't be mentioned as a Murakami suitor if it wasn't for their long history with landing Japanese talent
Chopper to Chipper
7:21
Bees?
Mark P
7:21
Beads?!
7:22
And with the catchphrase now achieved, we can call it a wrap on the chat. Thanks to everyone for all the questions, and it's wild to think that this might be the last Weekend Chat of the 2025 season.  Enjoy the World Series this week, and let's hope my nerves can handle it.
7:23
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