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MLBTR Chat With Mark Polishuk
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Mark P
8:37
With teams being less enthused about free agent spending, I'm not sure Cole can get to $196MM.  They'll do it for an elite position player (i.e. Harper, Machado), but I'm not sure teams will pony up for a pitcher who is still young-ish, but will be 29 on Opening Day 2020
John
8:37
How bad are these little league jerseys?
Mark P
8:38
They are.....not great
Barney
8:38
Eric Hosmer for Albert Pujols, who says no?
Mark P
8:38
Pujols and his no-trade clause say no to going to the DH-less National League
Walter
8:38
With Ramirez going down where do the Indians stand ???
Mark P
8:39
It's a huge loss for Cleveland, as Ramirez had been on fire for the last couple of months.  I can't say I love their chances at the AL Central or the wild card, but lots can happen over the next five weeks
Farhan Zaidi
8:41
What do I do w/ Brandon Crawford and Brandon Belt? Belt is a negative war corner guy w no power and Crawford who was more of a Glove guy has lost a step defensively. He’s slow and the bat is awful
Mark P
8:42
(Zaidi is the Giants' president of baseball ops, btw)

I'm not sure much can be done outside of a bad contract swap, and even that is complicated by no-trade clauses.  (Crawford has a full no-trade, while Belt has a 10-team list.)
Larry Caray
8:43
How massive an overhaul will the Cubs go through this offseason?
Mark P
8:46
Theo Epstein hinted at big changes last offseason but not a whole lot happened, so it's just a question of whether or not the team feels a bigger shakeup is required.  

My guess is that they'll indeed get a new manager.  A lot of money is coming off the books (Hamels, Zobrist, Morrow, Cishek, Strop, Castellanos, Kintzler) in free agency, and Addison Russell looks like a non-tender), so they'll get some flexibility under the luxury tax.
Bryan
8:47
After last years free agent signing problem with pitchers with QO on them. Which of the big name pitchers will take the QO and get rid of the draft pick on themselfs for next year??
Mark P
8:49
I can see Hamels taking one from the Cubs, if offered.  I believe he has stated that he cares only about winning at this stage of his career, so he might prefer to stay in Chicago (for still a nice one-year payday) rather than test free agency elsewhere

Wheeler could potentially accept a QO, if one is extended.
Mookie Betts
8:51
Can I go to the Braves and what is the package going back to the Red sox.  Will Ender Inciarte be in that package to get him off the books since he might be in my position?
Mark P
8:51
I have strong doubts that the Red Sox would actually deal Betts.  If they did, why would they want Inciarte back rather than just young players?
Steve
8:52
Will the Cardinals resign Ozuna? What will it take?
Mark P
8:53
My guess is Ozuna signs elsewhere.  As several writers have noted, the Cardinals tend to sign pending free agents to extensions if they really want to keep them, rather than letting them test the market
Phils phanatic
8:54
Why doesn't JT realmuto get the spotlight he deserves? I get why with the small market fish, but he's in a big market and hands down the best catcher in the game. Shouldn't he get some at least down the ballot MVP votes right after bellinger and yelich?
Mark P
8:54
If a writer put Realmuto in the top five of their NL MVP ballot, I wouldn't have any complaints.  In fact, Realmuto is currently sixth in the NL in fWAR, so it'd be perfectly justifiable.
James
8:55
Baez, Bryant, Rizzo, Contreras. Which one winds up being a Cub for life?
Mark P
8:56
I'll make the buzzkilling caveat that it's pretty rare these days to see any player stick with a team for his entire career, so the smart money is on none of these guys.

Of this quartet, however, I'll pick Rizzo
Ernie
8:56
With Lindor almost certain not getting re-signed by the Indians do you think they move him this winter with the logical spot being the Dodgers for a huge prospect package thus teaming him with Seager in the middle infield ?
Mark P
8:58
Lindor isn't a free agent until after the 2021 season, so dealing him this winter would probably allow Cleveland to max out their asking price.

But that said, Cleveland also still has plans to contend next season, and in 2021.  I don't think they trade Lindor unless they can get something back that can help them in the here and now.  Maybe the Trevor Bauer trade is a model of what they'd expect for Lindor, except obviously the Tribe would want a lot more
Braves Junkie
8:58
Watching the new guys play well for the Braves do you buy into the change of scenery line that's normally shelled out?
Mark P
8:59
I can certainly believe it.  Getting a chance to play on a contender has to be invigorating for any player, particularly when you're someone like Hechavarria who's bounced around from team to team over the last couple of years
P
9:00
How are you gonna say all that then pick the guy to be a Cub for life that started his career with the Padres
Mark P
9:01
lol, oh yeah.  Well, ok, I was just predicting which was most likely to remain a Cub from here on forward
King Kelly
9:01
If you were a MLB player, what would your walk-up music be?
Mark P
9:01
"No Surrender," by Bruce Springsteen
Cards
9:02
What do the Cards do with Carpenter? Besides the minor outbreak today, he is struggling.
Mark P
9:02
Not sure if there's much they can do at this point except, frankly, start benching him in September if they're in the heat of a pennant race.  It just looks like a lost season for Carpenter at this point, and no big turn-around seems forthcoming
Scott B
9:03
Do Dodgers resign Ryu and Hill or do they go with Urias Gonsolin and May
Mark P
9:04
This is just a guess, but I'll predict L.A. re-signs one of those two veteran arms
Walrus yes
9:04
Are the White Sox contenders next season? What about the Reds?
Mark P
9:05
Some of their young guys have made great strides, but they'll need to make some significant adds in order to compete with Cleveland and Minnesota.  

Reds are a better team than the ChiSox right now, but Cincy has arguably a tougher hill to climb since they're in a tougher division.
Brian
9:06
Who would guess will be the  Starting 3rd baseman for Yankees in 2020?
Mark P
9:07
Urshela.  I don't see how the Yankees can ignore what he's done this year, and Andujar was already a defensive question mark at 3B anyway (though Urshela hasn't been great with the glove himself, despite his excellent defensive rep prior to 2019)
Jordan
9:08
Do you think teams like the blue jays/Orioles/Tigers and so on should be trying to absorb contracts like Ellsbury /Cueto ect while getting good prospect(s) with them or do you think that slows down a rebuild? Do you think the sending teams would do that?
Mark P
9:09
Prospects are so cherished by teams these days that I think teams would rather eat the money of a bad contract rather than give up a promising young player.  If you're the Yankees, moving the one remaining year of Ellsbury's contract isn't worth a significant prospect
Royally Royal
9:10
Which KC team makes their respective championship (SKC, Chiefs, Royals)? Why that team?
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