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MLBTR Chat With Mark Polishuk
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Mark P
9:41
In such a tight series, maybe.  But Stroman wouldn't have solved the Yankees' problems at hitting with RISP (or just hitting in general)
Joey
9:41
Strasburg to San Diego to play for his hometown team. Thoughts?
Mark P
9:43
Some players prefer to stay away from playing for their hometown team, to avoid the extra pressure.  Not sure if Strasburg feels that way, or if maybe he'd embrace the idea of being the guy to lead the Padres to a championship
Randy
9:44
A 2020 season equal to or worse than 2019, does Joey Votto back up his talk and retire?
Mark P
9:45
I have no doubt Votto's frustration is real, but I ultimately find it hard to believe that Votto would voluntarily walk away from $82MM
Mike
9:46
Why do some players get outrighted who are due for arbitration early in the offseason while some get non-tendered later on? Seems like its just a waste of a roster spot to keep a player just to non-tender them. Steven Wright for example.
Mark P
9:47
The non-tender deadline isn't until December 2, so until then, many teams like to shop their non-tender candidates around to see if they can get anything back in a trade, rather than just let them walk for nothing
9:48
In Wright's case, I'm guessing the Sox figured they might as well cut him now since he has no trade value
Mario
9:48
Am I foolish to think the white Sox will spend $275-300 million on free agents/Trades this offseason? (A little more then what they offered Machado last offseason)
Mark P
9:49
It seems like the Machado chase might have been a unique situation based on their interest in him specifically.  As we've seen otherwise throughout the team's history, they're not ones to go huge on a free agent contract
Dick Williams
9:50
I have said we will be in market for upper tier free agents.  Who will we realistically sign?  Grandal, Didi, someone, no one?
Mark P
9:51
Didi and Grandal each make a ton of sense for the Reds, though I'm not sure if their increased payroll is quite enough to accommodate both

(Dick Williams is Cincinnati's president of baseball ops, btw)
Dodgers fan
9:52
Any news on Andrew Friedman? Or are we waiting for end of the World Series to end for announcement?
Mark P
9:53
Probably, since Friedman himself has said he thinks a new deal is coming soon: https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2019/10/dodgers-rumors-andrew-friedman-...
Stiggs
9:54
We didn't really get to see Vladito's prodigious hit tool this year. How long do you think it takes for him to realize the highest grade put on that tool?
Mark P
9:54
His potential is so high that it wouldn't surprise me to see him have a huge 2020 season.  That said, Vlad Jr. is also still so young that it might take another year before he starts to really take off
Joey Bart
9:55
Am I making the major league roster for the giants this year, and if I do is buster playing 1b or am I?
Mark P
9:56
Brandon Belt will have something to say about the 1B position, unless the Giants unload him in a trade.

I can see Bart in the majors by September, as an audition at the very least.
Daniel Y
9:56
What's your favorite MLB video game?
Mark P
9:56
I'm not a big gamer, but my favourite childhood game was the old Ken Griffey Jr. game for SNES
WORD UP THOME
9:57
PETE ALONSO HIT A LOT OF DINGERS THIS YEAR BASED ON A LUMBERING PHYSIQUE LIKE MINE. HOWEVER I DO NOT BELIEVE ANYONE EXPECTED HIM TO BE THIS GOOD THIS FAST. WHO WILL BE THE PETE ALONSO SURPRISE PLAYER IN 2020 THAT ZOOMS PAST OTHER PROSPECTS?
Mark P
9:58
First off, does anyone else remember that old Dugout website from maybe 15 years ago?  The all-caps Jim Thome just makes me giggle like crazy.

Anyway, it's tough to predict "the next Alonso" since, by definition, your question targets prospects who aren't obscure, but who are more under-the-radar.  For instance, I think Luis Robert could be a big breakout rookie in 2020, but I'm not exactly going out on a limb by saying that
Guest
10:00
Are Yankees fans right to be upset with the org, given the passivity in July??
Mark P
10:01
It's hard to say what one move might have put the Yankees over the top, whether it was another starter, another hitter, etc.
I expected NYY to do more at the deadline, yet it's not like they were completely crushed or anything.  As many national writers pointed out today, the Yankees barely lost that series....standing pat with an already-excellent team might have been the right move, but they just lost a coin flip of a series to another excellent team
Boris
10:02
Do you have any idea why Beltran is only interested in managing the Mets?
Mark P
10:03
I believe he lives in New York now, and isn't interested in moving to another city and spending so much of the year away from his family
Jeff Bridich
10:04
What should I be doing this offseason? Slight rebuild or tweaking?
Mark P
10:05
(Bridich = Rockies GM)

I think more than just tweaks are necessary given Colorado's many roster issues, but having one mini-rebuild year (to wait out the RP contracts) also seems like kind of a tough sell
Ammiel
10:06
are other teams going to accept the fact that 1) the Nats won the offseason pitching stakes by signing Corbin and 2) Houston won the trade deadline pitching stakes by giving up plenty of prospect capital + cash to get Greinke, and spend big on reliable starting pitching this offseason???
Mark P
10:07
Well, sure, both teams are in the Series. Why wouldn't other teams accept it?
J
10:08
Do you think the last 2 years of rough summers for so many free agents will lead to some earlier signings from players not wanting to be left behind? Seems like it is risky to bet on teams competing to sign vets later in the winter/spring.
Mark P
10:09
I'm sure Kimbrel or (to go a few years back) Stephen Drew or Kendrys Morales are cautionary tales, but then again, Keuchel pitched well.  

If I'm a star player who feels I'm being unfairly squeezed by the free agent market, I might have enough self-belief to assume I'll be another Keuchel if I do have to wait until summer to sign
Nick
10:10
What will the Brewers do to replace Grandal and Moustakas this off season?
Mark P
10:11
I wouldn't write off the chances of Moose staying.  I don't think it would take a huge offer to re-sign him, maybe Milwaukee can stretch the budget a bit for a player they obviously like
10:12
Grandal, however, seems likelier to be playing elsewhere next year.  Catcher is a tough spot to fill, not a lot on the FA market unless the Brewers think someone like d'Arnaud has turned a corner.
Ed McWilliams
10:13
So cole is playing his last games as an Astro . Yes or no
Mark P
10:13
My guess is yes
CashMan
10:14
If I pick up the phone and offer Gleyber for Lindor straight up do the Indians take it?
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