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MLBTR Chat With Mark Polishuk
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Mark P
8:05
Minor is an interesting trade candidate, since you can make an equally strong case that Texas should keep him.  I guess it all depends if the Rangers plan to contend in 2020 or not, since if they do, keeping Minor seems like a smart move.

Then again, I can't see the Rangers saying no if some team presents a very good offer for Minor before the trade deadline.  If I had to guess, I'm leaning maybe 53.6% in favor of Minor being dealt before August 1
Tom
8:06
A lot of fans are sick of franchises that refuse to field the best possible team in the interest of “rebuilding.” What changes do you foresee the league making to account for this problem?
Mark P
8:10
Changes could be made in the next collective bargaining agreement that make free agency more open, i.e. removing the qualifying offer, or removing the draft pick/international money compensation tied to free agents.  The luxury tax rules could also be adjusted.

These changes will be easier said that done, since the owners are ultimately giving up salary control.  But if baseball's bottom line (attendance, TV ratings, general fan interest) starts to wane due to a feeling that not enough teams are competitive, the league will take steps.  These sorts of structural problems are bigger issues facing the game than, for instance, shaving five minutes off of the average game time
8:11
I also like some ideas other have suggested, like changing the draft order so a team that just misses the postseason gets a top-five pick as a reward, or a team that gets the #1 pick is prohibited from getting a top-five pick the next season to avoid sustained tanking
Free agent frenzy
8:11
Are these guys really sitting out another month (kimbrel keuchel) are they doing any extended spring training to be ready or sitting on the couch? Seems like they wont add much for awhile.
Mark P
8:12
The two pitchers are absolutely working out and staying as close to game readiness as possible, though any player will tell you that some type of proper preseason work against pro hitters (extended Spring Training, minor league work, etc.) is necessary.
QUEUEBD
8:13
what percentage do you put on Bumgarner getting traded?
Mark P
8:13
Pretty high.  If he stays healthy, I'm guessing he's pitching elsewhere by August 1
Bryan
8:14
No way anyone signs Dallas K and Craig K till after the June draft is it?
Mark P
8:14
At this point, I'd agree
VISITOR
8:15
CAN YOU SEE THE RED SOX TRADING BRADLEY?
Mark P
8:15
NEVER SA...er, wait

Never say never, but there won't be much interest in a guy hitting as poorly as Bradley is, defense notwithstanding.
Matt
8:16
Seriously, peanut butter is the best!
Mark P
8:16
No arguments here!
Doug
8:17
What is the talk re: Votto?  Has he fallen off the cliff?  10-15 HRs and 50-60 RBIs his present day reality?  Are the Reds wearing blinders here when they continue to bat him 1st or 2nd in the order?  7th seems more suitable if you are slow and can only hit 15 HRs.
Mark P
8:19
The Reds aren't getting much offense from anywhere, so there are worse ideas than just keeping Joey Votto near the top of the order.  He's still walking at a decent clip, if below his career norms.

The power dropoff has to be a big concern, however.  Between last season and now the early results this year, Votto simply isn't generating much thump
O's Fan
8:20
Your thoughts...Givens to Cubs for Addison Russell?
Mark P
8:21
No way the Orioles do that.  Givens is one of their top trade chips.
Tony Horton
8:22
What will Cleveland do to improve their offense?
Mark P
8:23
Figuring out what's up with Jose Ramirez has to be the biggest concern at the moment.  Beyond that, the Tribe isn't getting consistent offense from anyone outside of Santana and a still-warming up Lindor, so there may simply be too many holes to fill
Billy Eppler
8:23
Any chance I get Stroman/ Sanchez/ Bumgarner/Keuchel/ or Kimbrel
Mark P
8:24
(Again, Eppler is the Angels GM)

There's a chance, sure.  But for the first three pitchers, are the Angels willing to give up the young talent necessary in a trade?  Especially for Bumgarner, who is only a rental.
Enrique Martinez
8:26
Speaking of trading bradleys.... do the dbacks trade archie?
Mark P
8:28
If presented with a great offer, maybe.

But Bradley has a ton of value for the D'Backs, especially since they're not in rebuild mode.  Controlled through 2021, and as a reliever who doesn't record a lot of saves, his arbitration number will be kept in check by a lack of counting stats.  Bradley is only making $1.83MM this year.
Al Avila
8:29
Let's try again. I believe that you're out of your mind saying there's no downside to allowing the trading of draft picks. Witness the Orioles essentially giving away their international pool money for little to no return. If not for the trading of draft picks being prohibited, what would have stopped the O's from trading their next 3 first round picks for Albert Pujols? If you say that it's foolish and would never be done, please refer back to my first point. A 120 loss franchise without a first round pick for three years would be a real problem for MLB.
Mark P
8:30
Hmm, I somewhat doubt this is the REAL Al Avila.....

I'm not saying provisions couldn't be put in place.  The NBA has a rule preventing teams from dealing first-round picks in consecutive seasons, for example.  

And I'm sure you'd see some instances of a team trading a high pick to land an established star, only to see that trade blow up in their face.  But is that scenario really all that removed from a team dealing current prospects for a star, and having the move backfire?
Moonarc
8:31
Chris Davis retires because of embarrassment before his contract is over?
Mark P
8:32
Fun fact: since breaking out of that hitless drought to begin the season, Davis has an .886 OPS.  

Now, I don't expect Davis to keep that up the rest of the way, but I also don't expect him to retire.  That's a lot of money to just walk away from.
Chili Davis
8:33
Am I on the hot seat?
Mark P
8:34
I doubt it.  If you're blaming Davis for some slumping Mets, don't you also have to give him credit for Alonso, McNeil, JD Davis, etc.?
Rich B
8:35
With Shane Greene’s incredible start to the year what is his trade value if he can continue it thru the deadline?
Mark P
8:37
Greene is getting a ton of peripheral help (97.8% strand rate, .188 BABIP), so if those numbers continue into July, teams will still see him as something of a mirage.  If those numbers stabilize and Greene's real-world results are still good, however, he'll definitely get some interest.  But I wouldn't expect any major trade haul for the Tigers based on Greene's overall career track record.
MDLionzFan
8:38
Has Walker shown enough to push Lamb to 3rd when he returns?
Mark P
8:39
Not if it means displacing Escobar.  If I'm the D'Backs, I give Walker a long leash to see what he's got, and if he and Escobar keep hitting, Lamb might become a glorified bench guy.  That said, Arizona has some flexibility since Escobar and Marte can change positions.
Jerry A
8:41
Fun fact: Mike Trout is about to overtake Zack Greinke in bWAR. Greinke threw his first pitch in MLB when Trout was 13 years old.
Mark P
8:42
The number of guys Trout has already surpassed on the all-time WAR lists is pretty incredible.  Trout really might end up as the best player ever.
David, Sydney, Aus
8:43
With a Keuchel aigning almost certainly to be poat draft, it would then take 3-4 weeks to ramp up. If he signed a minor league deal now with a player option of $15M (or whatever) able to be taken up one day post draft, would that still require loss of a draft pick but allow the MLB club to get him ramped up now?
Mark P
8:43
I don't have the official rules in front of me, but I'm pretty sure that kind of loophole isn't allowed.
MiamiTireFire
8:43
I kinow its only a year and change since, but is the Yelich trade the most lopsided in recent memory?
Mark P
8:46
It's high on the list, no doubt.  The Marlins' inability to get much back for Yelich, Ozuna, and Stanton (though they were hampered by his no-trade clause there) is a huge blow.
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