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Mark P
9:57
Arenado is one of the more difficult players to move, so if anything, it would've been more surprising if the Cardinals had dealt him by Dec. 14
Caught
9:57
Answering CBA question, you snuck in a 67. I caught ya
Mark P
9:57
lol, that was pure happenstance.  I am too old for that meme stuff.
JB Reds
9:58
I'm upset Schwarber didn't sign with Reds obviously.  But ownership saying the main reason they tried is because he would boost ticket sales it about as bad as "where are you gonna go"....
Mark P
9:59
Wouldn't the Reds signing ANY major player bring in extra attendance?  Like, what fan is saying "well, I'll order a season ticket package because Schwarber is from the Cincy area, but I won't do it for Cody Bellinger"?
John
9:59
Alonso the fix to the orioles underperforming lineup?
Mark P
10:00
It makes retaining Mountcastle look like even more of a head-scratcher, but I like the signing.  Perfectly fair to wonder if Alonso will be productive over the full five years, but he should absolutely make the O's a better team in 2026.
Giants
10:04
There was a lot of talk that the Giants aren't interested in spending long term on a pitcher, but now we have reports from a trustworthy local Giants reporter Susan Slusser that she spoke to agents and the Giants are in fact talking to agents and pursuing the "top starters". I'm assuming she meant Framber Imai and Ranger. Were the Giants just throwing out a smokescreen with all the "we arent going to commit to long term 100 mil+ starter deals", or is Posey just doing his own thing separate from ownership
Mark P
10:06
I think every owner/chairman would prefer to not sign pitchers (or anyone) to pricey long-term contracts.  And, Greg Johnson didn't expressly say that the Giants would never sign such deals, just that it wasn't his preference.

This is a team that has added Chapman, Adames, and Devers just within the last 15 months, so it's not like the Giants are adverse to spending.  It's just that SF may be more willing to open the checkbook for a hitter than for a pitcher.  As to the reports of the Giants checking in on available starters, that's at the very least a due diligence move, or maybe some explorations to see if any of these pitchers are open to a shorter-term deal.
Ebenezer_Batflip
10:09
Do you think the Padres move Miller?
Mark P
10:11
Doubtful, after giving such a ton to the A's at the deadline.  Miller is both controllable and relatively inexpensive for now, plus he is both the anchor of the Padres' bullpen and still a potential candidate to move back into the rotation if SD wants to roll the dice.

The fact that credible reporters like the Athletic's crew were noting that story makes it at least some kind of a possibility, but I do enjoy how most reports about the Padres include some version of "A.J. Preller floats a lot of wild offers or trade ideas, so bear with us."
Stros
10:12
Where do you think Christian walker plays next year? Seems like the Astros have get rid of him given the logjam at the corners. Would a McNeil for walker trade make sense for the Mets?
Mark P
10:14
Since the Mets plan to use Polanco at first base, Walker probably isn't realistic at this point.  McNeil-for-Walker doesn't totally work either since that locks McNeil into just OF work, which is a slightly inefficient use of his skillset.

Walker is another player that probably isn't being dealt outside of "unfavorable contract swap" territory.  Which leaves the Astros in kind of a bind unless someone gets hurt in Spring Training.
Rays Fan
10:14
It seems like the Nationals have exactly what we need in Abrams and Ruiz.  What kind of a package would they require back for that duo?
Mark P
10:16
Ruiz is owed a lot of money on his contract, and his bat has gone ice-cold over the last two seasons as he's dealt with injuries.  Doesn't seem like a fit for Tampa at all.

Abrams is a better fit in theory, but I don't see the Rays meeting the Nats' big asking price for the remaining three years of Abrams' control.
Colton T
10:17
Do you think Seattle was smart by not matching Met’s offer for Polanco?
Mark P
10:18
Polanco had a good season and would've been a good fit returning to Seattle's lineup, plus there's the added value of what he brought to their clubhouse. For a $20MM AAV, however, I'm not sure I'm too broken up if I'm a Mariners fan.

Really, retaining Naylor was the biggest need for the Seattle offseason.  Polanco or Suarez would've been gravy, and we shouldn't rule out Suarez still possibly returning.
Guest
10:20
Tork for hunter greene. Who says no
Mark P
10:20
Cincinnati.  Greene is far more valuable
Guest
10:20
Poll results- have you ever had a poll closer than the Kurtz/Anthony poll?
Mark P
10:21
Currently 50.7% for Kurtz, and that's about as narrow a margin I can remember in any pure 1-v-1 poll question
Philly Love
10:22
The Phils are an extremely loyal organization always looking to bring back their aging stars.  Although I love the loyalty, mixing in young players is the biggest key to any organization.  I’d love to see Crawford be able to play CF instead of settling for LF and Miller start at 3rd but ultimately play SS moving Turner out to the OF.  Thoughts?
Mark P
10:23
Philly will give Crawford every chance at sticking in CF, and he can play at least a decent center field, that's a particularly enormous win for the team.  Given all the big contracts on their books, getting help from the farm system is key to adding some inexpensive depth and quality to the roster, since the Phillies can't just spend their way to filling every roster hole.
Trip
10:23
Are the Braves done adding to the bullpen?
Mark P
10:24
I thought they were done just by re-signing Iglesias, so the Suarez deal really caught me off guard.  One would imagine the rest of Atlanta's bullpen adds will be minor league signings or very low-guarantee MLB deals, given how much has already been invested in Iglesias/Suarez
Ritch
10:25
Is Detroit going after Verlander?
Mark P
10:27
Strangely no buzz at all about Verlander thus far, though perhaps he's taking his time to evaluate what I'm guessing are a limited amount of preferred landing spots.  Verlander's not going to sign with the Rockies or someone just to keep pitching --- he wants to join a team with a decent-to-great chance at contending in 2026.

The rotation market as a whole hasn't really picked up steam yet apart from Cease.  Probably a few more of the bigger names need to find contracts before teams start to really look at second-tier, shorter-term options like Verlander
MoonBeamMcSwine
10:28
GE Mark...Who gets the accolades as GM for signing the most valuable extension during this offseason.. runner ups?
Mark P
10:28
Last year's title went to Jerry Dipoto, for wisely locking up Cal Raleigh just before Raleigh had the season of his life.
10:29
I'll provide more of an answer in April, since most extensions get worked out once the bigger offseason business is through
Bobby
10:30
Scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being the most likely. How likely is it that the Dodgers will trade Teoscar Hernandez this offseason? I feel like he would not yield a great return (propects at most) and his postseason bat carries a lot of value.
Mark P
10:32
Teo's postseason numbers aren't great, just a career .792 OPS.  LA probably wouldn't mind flipping Hernandez elsewhere to open up an outfield spot and free up some money, since even the Dodgers have a budget.  Now, the Dodgers would then surely re-invest those savings into another name player, potentially another outfielder L.A. thinks is a better long-term investment.
Friend
10:32
Severino for Cronenworth straight
Mark P
10:33
I feel like this was mentioned in a recent chat.  Makes sense on paper, but it could be that the A's are wary of locking Cronenworth in at second base, since Kurtz/Rooker have 1B/DH spoken for
Me
10:34
Verlander to Detroit HAS TO happen, right?
Mark P
10:36
Oh yeah, I guess I didn't address the Verlander/Detroit possibility in that last JV question.  Oops!

It would be fun to see it happen, and the Tigers both need pitching and have a preference for shorter-term signings.  It's a match on paper, but who knows how Harris and company might feel about Verlander, or if Verlander has interest in returning to Motown
Chatman
10:36
Have you seen running man?
Mark P
10:37
The new one, not yet.  The old one, several times.  Richard Dawson was legit robbed of an Oscar nomination.
Curious A's Fan
10:37
Trading Severino would mean having to overpay for another SP. Why do that?
Mark P
10:38
Severino openly hates playing at the ballpark, the A's can't love that he is so public with his displeasure, and Severino doesn't pitch well at home anyway, so his value to the team is limited.
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