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Wilton
9:04
Do you think Jung-Hoo Lee lands with a west coast team or do other teams have a chance there? Asking because I think'd be a great fit for the Mets
Mark P
9:04
Nothing is yet known about Lee's geographic preferences, if anything.  All things being equal, the Mets would certainly seem like a decent candidate for a signing.
Del Mario
9:05
What do you think the odds are that Schumaker will leave the Marlins, and then what are the odds he goes to San Diego?
Mark P
9:06
If the reports about the behind-the-scenes dysfunction in San Diego are to be believed, Schumaker got a first-hand look at things when he was the bench coach in SD.  Would he want to go back?
Wayne
9:07
One year into Scott Harris’s tenure in Detroit, what are your feelings about him and do you see any major moves for DET this offseason?
Mark P
9:08
It's a little hard to evaluate since Harris purposely took things pretty slow, which is understandable given all the tumult the Tigers went through in 2022.  I do think the club has some nice young talent in place that could be starting to break out, so the 2024 Tigers might have a 2022 Orioles type of season in them
Mark Polishuk, PhD
9:09
Do you think small market teams like the Pirates and Royals check in on the top tier guys like Ohtani? Or would it be a waste of time?
Mark P
9:11
That's a good question.  For as much as we talk about front offices doing due diligence on players, obviously there are some cases where calls aren't even being made out of common sense.  

Keep in mind that CAA represents tons of players, so a GM can check with a particular agent and discuss several of their clients in one call or e-mail.  So maybe Ben Cherington has a cursory conversation with Ohtani's agent just in case Ohtani loves Primanti Brothers sandwiches or something, and then moves onto more realistic business
BillMuellerLite
9:12
How short of a leash does Breslow have in Boston? Could this off-season really be the year the Red Sox start to act like the Red Sox?
Mark P
9:13
Breslow being a former Boston player perhaps gives him a bit more leeway than the other GMs, except you'd think that (you know) winning a World Series would've given Dombrowski or Cherington more breathing room.
FanOfAllTeams
9:14
Should we expect the Astros to trade Montero or Gravman with prospects in a salary dump?They are Neris taking a player option away from CBT and need to extend lots in the next two years.
Mark P
9:15
The Astros could always just take the plunge and pay the tax, as they did in 2020
9:17
Not to say that they wouldn't try to cut some costs, and Jim Crane has generally tried to shy away from the tax line.  But slightly topping the CBT for one or two years shouldn't be a big obstacle, and in terms of the long-term extension possibilities, Montero, Neris, Graveman, and (the much bigger salary of) Verlander will all be off the books by the time a new Altuve or Bregman salary becomes a reality
Ed
9:17
Why trade for Soto wait for free agency and save your prospects.
Mark P
9:18
Because teams want to win in 2024?  And, if you trade for Soto, the qualifying offer at least provides a mechanism for draft compensation if he leaves in free agency, so a team can recoup a prospect of some sort
Don
9:18
Does Naoyuki Uwasawa really get a shot on an MLB team? He seems to me like another Fujinani.
Mark P
9:19
Uwasawa probably isn't going to get a huge contract, and I agree that he projects more as a back-of-the-rotation type
Brewers Fan
9:19
Willy stay or Willy go?
GM Arnold
9:19
Saw the poll on Adames today. What do YOU think?
Mark P
9:20
I personally think they should keep him, since I think Adames is in for a big bounce-back season.  If he then leaves in free agency next winter, so be it, but at least he's helped the team contend for one more year
Big MLBTR fan
9:21
Could the cards pry bieber away from Cleveland without including Jordan walker? What might it take?
Mark P
9:21
The Cardinals aren't moving Walker period, let alone for one season of Bieber
Al Kaline Battery
9:22
Best Baseball book you've ever read?
Mark P
9:25
This is a nostalgic choice, but when I was in third grade, we had a book in our class library with some generic title like "Superstars of Baseball" or something.  It about 150 pages long, and comprised of little 10-page biographies of the top dozen or so legends of the sport --- Ruth, Aaron, Mays, Gehrig, etc.  It summed up their backstories, told some anecdotes, hit all the highlights of their careers, and eight-year-old me found it fascinating.

This book was one of the chief reasons I got into baseball as a kid, so it isn't a reach to say that book ended up forming the rest of my life.
Mr. Lucky
9:25
Is the disappointment among some of the Giants over the Zaidi extension justified or not? Thanks Mark.
Mark P
9:26
I think it's fair since the team hasn't been very good the last two seasons.  That said, it seems like the next three years might very well be Zaidi's final chance to turn the Giants into a consistent winner, or else he and Melvin will be out the door by the end of 2026
Byron Denniston
9:27
Jed Hoyer says the long term books are clear. Why aren’t the Cubs taken seriously for Ohtani? It’s not as if they haven’t signed big name and top FAs before or gone over the cap
Mark P
9:29
Well well well, Byron Denniston, as I live and breathe

The Cubs could be on Ohtani's radar, as they were another of his teams from the initial 2017-18 shortlist.  It's still not really clear who or what Ohtani is prioritizing this time, yet even if other teams seem like favorites to get him, Chicago shouldn't be ruled out entirely
Tim
9:29
The Braves are spending like a NY team. Do they really have the money to get up to the mid 200’s in payroll?
Mark P
9:31
Mid-200s would be a big increase, as part of the beauty of the Braves' roster construction is that they've got a good chunk of their team locked up on relative discounts.  Roster Resource has their tax number for 2024 at just around $206MM, so well under the $237MM threshold
9:32
Given how the Braves' attendance is up, their new ballpark and ballpark village are printing money, and revenues are just skyrocketing, you've already seen how the payroll has been boosted in accordance.
Another rise wouldn't be a total shock
Rickett's Family
9:33
Mark P, I love when you do these chats! You have great insights! You guys should do podcasts!
Mark P
Fish Fan
9:33
Have hardly seen a single rumor about Marlins’ FO search. Local rumors are that owner Sherman wants improved player development and analytics. Who does this point to and why haven’t we heard anything?
Mark P
9:35
It could be that they thought Ng would stay, so the front office is only now compiling names.  That said, if Sherman's plan was to have a PBO acting over Ng anyway, you'd think he would've had someone in mind beforehand.

In either case, some reports and rumors should start filtering in sooner or later.  Part of me wonders if the poor Marlins fans are going to be in for yet another rebuild, if Sherman and the new PBO are going to remake the team in Orioles/Astros fashion.
Amir
9:37
People are sleeping on his good the young SPs for the Dodgers are. I know you want a couple vets, but these kids are going to be AMAZING next year. The experience that gained this year will payoff huge for next year.
Mark P
9:38
I don't disagree that the Dodgers have a good crop of young pitchers.  Now, I don't think this will influence their winter plans too much, since they pretty much have to get two experienced arms and leave the youngsters battling for one or two rotation spots.  Miller is the only that looks like a lock for a rotation spot in 2024
9:40
We're over the two-hour mark, so it's time to wrap.  Thanks for the questions, and just think....next weekend's chat will be the first of the offseason!
fyi, if you're interested in more baseball Q&A, one of the many benefits of our Trade Rumors Front Office subscription is the exclusive weekly live chats. The more limited field means you're about 10 times more likely to get a question answered, as opposed to battling for space with hundreds of other questions in today's chat. For more on our memberships, check out this link: 

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