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MLBTR Chat With Mark Polishuk
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Mark P
9:01
After a few days to settle from a busy (well, busy-ish?) trade deadline, let's take some questions in the Sunday night chat!
Alex G
9:02
What do you think about the fall of Austin Riley
Mark P
9:03
"Fall" is maybe a bit strong.  He's a 22-year-old in his first MLB season....it's rare for these players to immediately tear things up from day one and never hit a slump
Ca$hman
9:03
Better left side of the infield, Arenado/Story or Bogaerts/Devers?
Mark P
9:04
Oh wow, there's no real wrong answer here.  Putting aside contracts and control years, which would you rather have?
Better left side?
Arenado & Story (75.9% | 540 votes)
 
Devers & Bogaerts (24.1% | 171 votes)
 
Total Votes: 711
Jeor Mormont
9:04
Cubs stick with Taylor Davis as backup catcher, or try to claim a more established veteran backup? Can’t help but think Martín Maldonado would be the perfect backup here........
Mark P
9:05
That Maldonado trade instantly looks pretty poorly-timed for the Cubs, eh?  Jonathan Lucroy seems like someone the Cubs might take a look at, assuming he isn't claimed first
AstroGlide
9:06
Your thoughts on the haul the D-Backs got from the Astros in the Greinke trade? To much/little?
Mark P
9:07
It's a good trade for both sides, and since payroll flexibility is such an issue for the D'Backs, getting Houston to eat so much of Greinke's salary was also a nice win
Enrique Martinez
9:08
Speaking for only this season...are the trades the Dbacks made going to hold them back or push them closer from reaching a wild card spot?
Mark P
9:09
Arizona is only 2.5 games out, but while stranger things have happened, I don't see them being a surprise wild card team this season
Halo Mark
9:09
Should the Angels have sold on Calhoun at the deadline?
Mark P
9:10
In theory, yes.  

But this deadline really underlined the fact that there simply weren't many buyers out there period, let alone for anything less than premium talent.
q
9:11
what do you think about the aaron sanchez trade did the bluejays give up on him top early
Mark P
9:13
My biggest question about Sanchez is why the Jays didn't move him back to the bullpen before deciding to be rid of him.  I guess they figured that Sanchez had more value overall as a starter, or perhaps Sanchez himself refused a move to the pen.  (Don't forget, Sanchez is a free agent after 2020.)

But based on Sanchez's track record since the end of the 2016 season, maybe the Jays were simply ready to be done with him.
Unclejesse
9:13
Does Tomas being dfa’d mean that any team that picks him up would need to take his salary as well? Can he even be traded since he was on a major league roster after the deadline?
Mark P
9:14
Only players signed to minor league contracts can be dealt after the deadline.  Since Tomas is on an MLB deal, he's not going anywhere
Nathan
9:15
Has any team sustained this many injuries like the Yankees have this season?
Mark P
9:15
Absolutely, except in virtually all other cases, those injury-riddled teams fall to the bottom of the standings.  Not the Yankees.
9:16
I think it was the 2017 Dodgers who had a similar run of terrible injury luck, yet it also didn't stop them from winning a pennant
Hammerin Cameron
9:16
Red Sox is the biggest dissapointment of 2019 so far?
J.H.
9:17
Have the Phillies been the most disappointing team this season?
Mark P
9:18
You'd think the World Series win from just last year would lessen the disappointment amongst Boston fans just a bit.  I also feel like beyond the Red Sox and Phillies, at least a half-dozen other fanbases would instantly step up to claim that they're most disappointing in their 2019 team
Kris
9:18
If Ken Giles is healthy enough to pitch Aug 4, why was he too unhealthy to trade July 31?
Mark P
9:19
I'm sure Toronto would've dealt Giles if they just wanted to unload him at any cost, but teams weren't willing to give up anything for a guy with injury uncertainty hanging over him.
9:20
Put it this way: had Giles been dealt, you would've heard even more criticism from the Jays fanbase asking why Giles wasn't kept until the offseason, when he would've been healthy
John
9:20
Do you see the mets sneaking into the wild card game? With that rotation it's possible.
Mark P
9:21
The Mets somehow claiming a wild card spot after all their drama of the first 3.5 months would be one of the wildest in-season turnarounds in recent memory.  It can't be ruled out!
Farhan
9:21
Thoughts on my job @ the deadline? Should I have traded more/less?
Mark P
9:22
Getting Melancon's contract off the books was a win in itself, so that's one positive.
9:23
If the Giants go on a nine-game losing streak in the next week, there will be a lot of "they blew it!" criticism directed their way.  But at the end of the day, I can't fault a team for deciding to be competitive and go for it when they're right in the thick of a postseason race.  

(btw, Farhan Zaidi is the Giants' president of baseball ops)
Tim
9:23
Do you think the next offseason will be as slow as the previous 2?
Mark P
9:24
This seems like the new normal for free agency as long as this collective bargaining agreement is in place.  Doesn't mean we won't see some big trades, but I'd expect another slow winter
Indians fan
9:25
We are a lock to make the Playoffs, right ?  ( strength of schedule is the easiest in baseball ).
Mark P
9:26
No such thing as a lock, but I like Cleveland's chances at winning at least a wild card
Rob
9:26
Are you surprised Franco was optioned?  What do you see in his future
Mark P
9:27
I was pretty surprised to see Franco even begin the season in Philly, given that it was so widely reported over the winter that they were going to move him if they got any other infield help.

My guess is that he won't be a Phillie in 2020.  As much as the team loves the idea of Kingery as a superutilityman, giving him everyday at-bats at a set position (3B) seems like a wiser move
Sad Red Sox Fan
9:29
What is wrong with the Red Sox, I just can't fathom what is happening at the moment
Mark P
9:29
The pitching just hasn't been there, plain and simple.
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