You are viewing the chat in desktop mode. Click here to switch to mobile view.
X
MLBTR Live Chat
powered byJotCast
Prev Page View Full Chat Next Page
Bobby cox
10:44
Kimbrell reunion with Bravos a must for AA??
Mark P
10:46
They definitely need some bullpen help, but Kimbrel's contract could be a bit of an issue.  Anthopoulos traditionally likes to keep a bit of payroll space available for potential midseason adds, but it remains to be seen how much he'll have to spend (or whether they'll allocate that money towards a reliever or towards another need)
Greg
10:46
Why did this thing start at 7am pacific?
Mark P
10:47
I usually try to time the chat for a somewhat "quiet-ish" part of the weekend, which happens to be now since we're still well ahead of most of today's games getting underway.
10:48
If I started a chat later in the day, there would be constant interruptions due to any roster moves/injuries/call-ups, etc. that would have to be covered on MLBTR.  And a slower chat and interruptions would be frustrating for both the chat audience and myself.
10:49
Not ideal for the West Coasters, granted.  But in a season where there are multiple notable injuries and roster shuffles virtually every day, it's a difficulty.
Mr Z
10:49
Are the three best teams in MLB all located in the  NL West?
Mark P
10:50
I'm not sure I'd put the Giants in quite that rarefied air just yet, but they've been a nice story.  Giants/Dodgers or Giants/Padres in the wild card game would be a blast.
Giants ownership
10:50
what Kind of prospects would I need to send over to Arizona for Bumgarner?
Mark P
10:52
Well, if the D'Backs did decide to sell, they might accept a lesser prospect return to get Bumgarner's contract off the books, and....

....nah, probably not.  As amusing as it would be to see MadBum return to San Francisco, I doubt it happens.
Unwritten Rules
10:53
Do you agree with my OLD Friend LaRussa? Or are you in the Yermin camp when it comes to 3-0 counts up 10?
Mark P
10:54
I'm in the Yermin camp.  For La Russa to publicly call out his player over something so innocuous was mind-boggling, and it got even worse that he doubled down by not having an issue with the Twins throwing at Mercedes the next day.
Trout
10:55
Should I ask to be traded? What teams could afford my contract? Philly or Yankees?
Mark P
10:56
While I can't imagine Trout is satisfied with the Angels' struggles, there hasn't been any indication that he is frustrated to the point of wanting out.
If Trout was made available, I think several big-market teams would make an exception in stretching their payroll to acquire him.
Wiffle Ball Star
10:57
What's your thoughts on managers that constantly move players around the diamond and never seem to have the same lineup 2 days in a row.  How you feel that impacts the players.
Mark P
10:59
The lineup shuffle is less of an issue than the positional issues, in my view.  I mentioned this recently in regards to players like Kingery or Senzel....just because a player "might" be a multi-positional type doesn't necessarily mean that's his ideal usage, especially early in his career.  Teams are in love with the idea of having multiple super-utility guys who can be shifted all over the place, but that puts a lot of extra stress on those players to have to learn different positions.
Joe
11:00
With Arizona being so bad and going no where could the Dodgers get Marte or Peralta in a trade and what would it cost?
Mark P
11:02
The division-rival factor might be an obstacle to a deal, but Peralta definitely seems like a possible trade chip if the D'Backs go into sell mode.  Since Peralta is under contract through 2022, Arizona could ask for a pretty decent-sized return....not an elite prospect or anything, but a couple of good young players with maybe a borderline top-100 type.
Padres Diehard
11:04
Yoan Lopez (3 options) seems like a good add for the Padres with easy to make room on their 40man, if he makes it that far on waivers.... Loading up on arms like the Rays are doing seems like something that will pay off over the summer
Mark P
11:05
Lopez hasn't been very good in two seasons, but I do expect him to get claimed by somebody.
11:06
Maybe La Russa can convince the White Sox to give his old pal Yoan another shot!
Richard
11:07
I would like to see the league experiment with moving in the bases. That would force infielders to play shorter and open up more groundball base hits. Of all the experiments, any thoughts as to why this didn't make the list?
Mark P
11:07
The absolute last thing I want to see is adjustments made to the actual field of play.
For Love of the Game
11:08
Would the Tigers be able to draw enough return to warrant trading either Boyd or Turnbull to pick up young position player(s)?
Mark P
11:10
Boyd I think will almost certainly be traded.  Turnbull would get some interest and I think Detroit would move him in the event of a particularly good offer, but he seems like slightly more of a building block (despite his age)
Phillies Fan
11:11
It's time to admit that the rebuild was a failure and it's time to trade everyone and rebuild again.
Mark P
11:13
The Phillies' "rebuild" was unusual, since it isn't like they had a big group of promising youngsters.  It was basically Nola, Hoskins, and Kingery on the horizon when they collectively decided it was time to start trying again.  It seemed more timed around landing one of Harper/Machado in free agency rather than timed around the team actually being on the cusp of winning.
Atkins
11:13
Do you think I should trade one of Gurriel or Biggio for rotation help?
Mark P
11:13
(Ross Atkins = Jays GM)

It's possible, though it would be a real sell-low move
Playoffs
11:15
Will the playoffs this season have ghost runners at 2nd in extra innings?
Mark P
11:15
Nope, playoff games are still under the traditional rules
Eye Test
11:16
How accurate do you think all these defensive metrics are at rating players?  I do not think they pass the eye test in many cases.
Mark P
11:18
I think 90% of the time, the metrics and the "eye test" line up pretty accurately.  You don't need advanced metrics to tell that Kiermaier or someone elite like that can catch anything within a square mile of his glove.

But the metrics are helpful in perhaps shining a light on which guys aren't necessarily flashy in the field but are just solidly productive.  Or, by contrast, which guys seem better than they actually are because they make the occasional highlight-reel play
PS
11:19
What could Ryan McMahon bring back in a trade, if he keeps doing this? Rockies are going to nuke their team at the deadline anyways
Mark P
11:21
I don't think McMahon would get a premium return or anything, but he's probably the kind of player the Rockies should be trading along with the more obvious veterans.

The trouble is, we don't yet know if the Rockies are willing to make such a scorched-earth rebuild, or if they think they can reload pretty quickly.  Given how overly optimistic Monfort always is about his team, I'm not sure they'd stomach a true rebuild
Tom
11:23
Why are the Twins so bad?
Mark P
11:23
Looks like a Murphy's Law kind of year for the Twins, who just can't catch a break due to injuries, guys underperforming, COVID absences, etc.
11:25
One interesting stat, as recently noted by the Athletic's Joe Posnanski.  Minnesota is 15-16 in regulation nine-inning games, but 1-5 in seven-inning games and 0-7 in extra innings.  So the Twins are average at "normal" baseball and terrible in adjusted rules
Lt Data
11:25
why does everyone assume the Cubs will be sellers?  I think it’s much more likely they’ll just stand pat - they’re not a hopeless case for the division at all
Connecting…