You are viewing the chat in desktop mode. Click here to switch to mobile view.
X
MLBTR Live Chat
powered byJotCast
Mark P
4:52
Chat time!  It's a rare Sunday with no football and (sigh) still no baseball developments, but that won't stop us from plenty of questions
Giants fan
4:54
How many games will MLB Teams play this season?
Mark P
4:55
As I become increasingly pessimistic about this lockout, 162 games seems like more and more of a longshot.  Maybe they go really old-school and have a 154-game schedule?
Keep in mind, that with copious doubleheaders, they can still squeeze 162 games into a shortened window of, say, mid-April to the end of September
Angels
4:56
What would you do? keep Angels young outfielders and sign a free agent SP or trade away young controllable outfielders for cheaper controllable SP?
Mark P
4:57
I'd keep the outfielders and sign a pitcher.  Having both Adell and Marsh could be necessary if Trout's health is no longer a given.

Plus, I dunno what I'd do in these chats if Jo Adell was actually traded somewhere.  My question volume would drop by about 50 percent
Harry Doyle
4:58
Will the Phillies be able to adequately address their other needs if they sign Correa? Also what do you think the plan would be for Stott if that happened?
Mark P
4:59
I would assume the Stott plan would to convert him to 2B as Segura's eventual replacement, or maybe third base depending on whether or not Bohm rebounds.  I'd lean against a trade, since the Phillies aren't really in a position to be trading what little premium young talent they have
Arizona Moves
4:59
Besides Kendrick’s historic spending habits, do you see the potential for the Diamondbacks to trade for Josh Donaldson and/or Hosmer to obtain prospects alongside the contracts? They fit on the empty corners Arizona has now and getting Gore/Duran would fit the youth movement timeframe.
Mark P
5:01
Don't really see a fit.  Getting Donaldson is a win-now move, and I don't think his contract is so onerous that the Twins would want to add prospects to unload him.  Getting Hosmer, on the other hand, can't be called a win-now move given his lack of production over the last few years, so landing both players would seem like an odd hedge for the D'Backs
JR
5:02
What do you think of the Phillies trying to solve their LF/CF needs by trying to obtain Anthony Santander from the Orioles?
Mark P
5:04
Seems like a good move, though I suspect the Orioles might not trade him now coming off a down year.  Barring a big offer, the O's are probably more likely to let Santander rebuild his value in the first half and then if all goes well, he can be shopped for a higher ask at the deadline
Bonjour
5:04
How does Freddie make sense for the Yankees when the rotation has no stability?
Mark P
5:05
It's never a bad idea to want Freddie Freeman in your lineup.  Plus, the Yankees can then always acquire pitching afterwards....maybe dealing Voit?
Dp
5:07
How do you think the writers will respond to Carlos Beltran next year on the hall of fame ballot considering his role in the cheating scandal? Without 2017, would he have been considered a lock?
Mark P
5:07
I don't see Beltran getting in on the first ballot, but I do think he'll eventually wind up in Cooperstown.
NL Central
5:08
Brewers or Cardinals the favorite and which one move do you see each team making to improve?
Mark P
5:09
I'd lean towards Milwaukee at the moment but it's close.  The Cards need a left-handed bat, the Brewers need basically any kind of bat in general (probably a 1B/DH type, or an outfield-capable player).
Lonesome rider
5:11
Hello, what would it realistically take for the Reds to pry Bichette away and give them a cornerstone to build around?
Mark P
5:12
I highly doubt the Jays would move Bichette for just about anything realistic
Gavin Lux
5:13
Do I have to be a superstar and nothing less next year?
Mark P
5:14
"Superstar" is a big ask.  Just a solid season and the Dodgers will be pleased.
Mo
5:14
Which division you see most likely to have a surprise winner?
Mark P
5:14
Is it really a "surprise" if it's the AL Central and I can feasibly see a case for any of the five teams winning?
Brett
5:15
The players are upset their salaries aren’t going up while revenues go up. Understandable but unless they have a % of revenue, they will have the same issue in 5 years when gambling, jersey sponsors, and streaming revenue are sky high.  Why don’t the players want the successful system the NBA has where there is complete revenue sharing with a cap and floor?  Salaries are constantly going up in NBA.  I understand why some owners would never want this but feel like it makes complete sense for players.
Mark P
5:16
The players don't want a cap on salaries in any form, even the "soft cap" that is the luxury tax threshold is being manipulated to keep salaries lower.  Adding a salary floor also won't help matters, since I assume the MLBPA has crunched the numbers and figured out that a floor wouldn't do as much to put more money in more players' pockets.
5:17
Also, players might be more amenable to a total revenue sharing system if the owners actually opened their books, which they aren't willing to do
Oakland A's
5:18
I'm going out on a limb and saying that the A's will NOT move Olsen this winter, contrary to what most people believe. They have one or even two starting pitchers they can move, plus Chapman, so I just think he's a keeper (for now at least). What say you Mark?
Mark P
5:19
It depends on just how stressed their payroll is, but I tend to agree that the A's won't go into a full fire sale.  Manaea and Bassitt are the likeliest to go since they're in their final year under contract, but Olson/Chapman/Montas are all controlled through 2023.
Carlos Beltran
5:19
Wouldn't it be pretty hypocritical to let Carlos Beltran in the hall but keep Shoeless Joe Jackson out? Unlike Jackson, Beltran actually cheated.
Mark P
5:21
There's a pretty distinct difference between "cheated" and "did something to undermine the very idea of competition."

Plus, I'm not the first to point this out, but Gaylord Perry was happily welcomed into the HOF and treated like a lovable rascal, when his claim to fame was throwing an illegal pitch for years
Dale
5:21
I don't get the Cardinals as a serious contender. They way outplayed their projected record last year, and it's highly unlikely that either Wainright or Matz are as good as last year. Yadi is on his last leg and you never know what Reyes is gonna do.
Mark P
5:23
On the other hand, a case can be made that Flaherty should be better than he was last year, and the O'Neill/Carlson/Hader trio might be even better.

The Cardinals' defense is an interesting X-factor that I think projection systems tend to underrate.  When virtually everyone on the team is at least a plus fielder, that's a huge help that can overcome shakier pitching or a lack of run production
EL
5:23
What do you think about Zaidi's reported strategy of not wanting to pay more than 100M on a player?
Mark P
5:25
I think every exec would "prefer" to not pay nine-figure salaries, but in general, attaching a strict dollar amount might be a misread of Zaidi's feelings.  Basically it just amounts to Zaidi not wanting to pay top dollar for players that he doesn't feel are true difference-makers.  If, say, Carlos Correa told the Giants he'd sign with them for $200MM, Zaidi would recognize that deal for the bargain it is and make the signing
Guest
5:25
When did the Cards acquire Hader? You have him in the trio. You mean Bader?
Mark P
5:26
Oops, my mistake.  I'm going to assume the Brewers wouldn't deal Hader to the Cards, of all teams
Revenue Sharing?
5:26
Isn't it the owners business if they want to share their revenue with each other? Why do the players have a say?
Mark P
5:27
The players want to see some kind of mechanisms put in place so the revenue sharing money is actually put towards payroll.  Right now, there doesn't seem to be any accountability for what the lower-revenue teams are doing with this extra money.
I'll bet some big-market teams have this same opinion, frankly
Load More Messages
Connecting…