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Mark P
7:01
It's time for the Weekend Chat!  Let's take a minute to let some questions queue up, and then dive into it
HTown713
7:02
Who should the Astros target to replace Justin Verlander
Mark P
7:03
Houston might be just about the only team that could lose Verlander and stand pat, given the depth in the rotation.  If they did want to add another hurler, they might wait until closer to the deadline.
Taylor
7:04
Do you think we're going to see less long-term deals given out this year than originally expected as teams are going to want to maintain flexibility
Mark P
7:05
Probably not.  Teams would love to have shorter-term contracts in theory, but when the rubber meets the road and 7-8 year deals are required to actually land a top target....
Chris
7:05
What’s the Giants off-season looking like? Been very slow for comfort
Mark P
7:05
It's only been a couple of weeks!
Cards
7:06
Who’s behind home plate for the season opener?
Mark P
7:07
Hard to say, umpires probably don't have their schedules yet

Non-snarky answer....Christian Vazquez was my guess to STL in the free agent picks contest, so I'll stick with that in lieu of more information.
Ron Hatter
7:07
Aaron Judge to the Giants ?
Hopeful Giants Fan
7:07
Do we truly have a shot to get Judge?
Mark P
7:09
The fact that we've never seen the Giants give out a big contract in the Zaidi era doesn't mean they don't have that capability.  It ultimately depends on ownership for a contract that large, and if the owners were also okay with SF pursuing Bryce Harper a few years ago, one would imagine they'd be okay with giving Judge a fortune
Harley
7:10
Any word on suitors for one of Dbacks young outfielders or just the normal speculation to this point
Mark P
7:10
Mike Hazen said a few days ago that "at least half the league" had been calling about the outfielders, so it's probably safe to guess that any team with any kind of OF vacancy was on the phone
Bill
7:11
Do Yuli re-signed in Houston and, if so, does he remain the everyday first baseman? Do Brantley and Dias return?
Mark P
7:12
Diaz might be the likeliest of that group to return, though since Houston is pretty set around the infield, he might seek out a team with more flux (and thus more opportunity for playing time).

One would imagine the Astros could add a bigger bat with fewer question marks than either Brantley or Gurriel.
Junny
7:13
For how many years and $$$ do you think Bellinger can get a contract?
Mark P
7:14
I'd say one year and $10MM.  It could technically be a multi-year deal, but with a player opt-out after that first season....Boras' idea would be that if Bellinger does return to form, he can quickly opt out and land a richer long-term contract next winter.
Mike Clevinger
7:15
What type of deal do you think I'll command?
Mark P
7:16
Coincidentally, one year and $10MM was also the staff consensus for Clevinger in the top 50 free agents post.  This could be another opt-out type of deal, or maybe even just a full guaranteed two years since teams always need pitching.
White Sox Fan
7:17
Which would be a better fit for the White Sox,  signing Quintana or trading for John Means even though the Means has a lost season?
Mark P
7:17
I tend to think Quintana, because he's a better bet to eat innings than a guy coming off TJ surgery.
Guest
7:18
When does the MLBTR free agent prediction leaderboard come out?
Mark P
7:18
I believe some time within the next week
Hugh Sezno
7:19
Are big market teams, like the Nats, leaving money on the table but not at least pretending to try to field a competitive team for the 3rd year?  At least fake try for a wild card to get seats and eyes on the broadcasts, no?  Thanks for the chat.
Mark P
7:21
It's still early to know what the Nats plan on doing, and they might indeed repeat their plan of signing veterans to one-year contracts in hope of a short-term bump.  But realistically, the Nationals have a long way to go to be competitive, and they seem to be aiming towards retrenching rather than spending more resources in a pretty vain attempt
Jorge78
7:21
Do you think Joc Pederson left money on the floor by accepting his Qualifying Offer?
Mark P
7:23
$19.65MM is such a big jump from his past salaries that it was the type of offer Pederson probably couldn't turn down.  Naturally, he'd hope to have a similar year in 2023, and thus still set himself up for a rich multi-year contract next winter....that way, he gets to bank the $19.65MM and then get an even bigger deal
Marlins man
7:24
Any predictions for the marlins? Where’s Pablo going to go?
Mark P
7:24
Maybe nowhere, given the recent (and logical) reports that the Marlins are first shopping Trevor Rogers rather than Lopez.
Chris
7:24
Reading your comment about the Giants trying for Harper made me realize if Stanton had approved a trade there theyd be saddled with the contract and not be able to pursue Judge and now its gonna be the Yanks losing Judge to SF and stuck with Stanton.
Mark P
7:25
Sometimes the best moves are the ones you don't make
Dale
7:25
Do you see the Phillies trading Hoskins , moving Bohm to first and signing Bogerts and or Turner?
Mark P
7:26
I do think the Phillies will make a big infield move, but they'll first wait and see what Harper's health situation is.  It's possible they won't move anyone, since if Harper ends up missing the first couple of months (or more) of next season, they'll need extra hitting
Darragh
7:27
Bees?!
Mark P
7:27
Beads?!
Frank
7:27
What is wrong with Christian Yelich? He’s just not putting up the numbers we are used to.
Mark P
7:29
It seems like the injuries really sapped his power, which is especially worrisome since back problems aren't usually the kind of injury that can be entirely corrected.
Finally
7:30
Will the Angels finally trade Adell for maybe a SS and who makes sense?
Mark P
7:31
If Adell is (a)dealt, it might not be for a shortstop, given the Urshela deal.  Between Urshela, Rengifo, and Fletcher, the Angels seem to have their middle infield depth spoken for
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