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Mark P
2:39
It's possible, if Oakland decides to keep on selling.  Blackburn is controlled for two more years so the A's aren't under the gun to move him now, plus they might see Blackburn as a candidate to pitch well in 2024 and enhance his trade value.  Maybe a deadline deal is likelier
Issac
2:40
Do you think Atlanta has a chance with Cease post Chris Sale trade?
Mark P
2:41
Probably not.  The White Sox would want someone like Waldrep or Smith-Shawver, and Atlanta isn't likely to budge on either
Steve
2:41
Re: “That's a lot to ask for a top free agent who wants to contend ASAP.”
Aren’t there more remaining top 50 free agents than contenders with roster openings at this point? Maybe Snell and Bellinger can afford to be patient. But if you’re, say, Rhys Hoskins and Washington offers a five-year deal, can you afford to be picky?
Mark P
2:42
Well sure, if the Nationals make an absurd offer like that, then yeah they'll attract players.  But Hoskins can options, it's just that (once again) the larger market seems to being somewhat held up by one player, in this case Bellinger for 1B/OF purposes
Canada needs a WS
2:44
If Vladdy has a bounceback year, and is supported by Bichette's contact first hitting, would that be enough to make it to the playoffs again with our pitching staff? What do you think the odds are?
Mark P
2:44
If Vlad gets back to his 2021 form, that would alone be enough of a boost that the Jays are probably a playoff team.  Obviously still a lot needs to be done with the infield holes, but having an MVP-level bat solves a lot of offensive problems
Yo name
2:45
Could you see Seattle making a serious attempt at Bellinger? Historically Seattle is a little painful to pay attention to in the off-season, but I believe extra outfield help is needed.
Mark P
2:45
Given Seattle's seeming limited payroll, Bellinger doesn't seem likely
Sox Fan
2:46
What’s Tim Andersons market looking like? Could/should the Sox bring him back on a show me contract?
Mark P
2:47
It's been quite quiet on Anderson for most of the winter, so probably a lot of teams might have him penciled in as a backup plan if they can't find infield help elsewhere.

That place is probably not the South Side, since it felt like the Sox were comfortable in parting ways
Walter
2:49
Joey Votto as a Cleveland Guardian?
Mark P
2:50
Staying in Ohio would be a fun move for Votto, though it depends on a) money, of course, and b) how sold the Guardians are on Manzardo being able to contribute immediately as a big leaguer
Roki Sasaki
2:50
If I get posted next year, do I exceed Yamamoto's contract or was that just a factor of the Dodgers' promise to Otani that they'll spend? What's your prediction I sign for?
Mark P
2:51
If he gets posted next year, he's still under the age of 25, so he'd be limited to the normal international prospect rules.  So he'd only land a bonus of maybe a few million dollars
JT
2:52
Do you see Santander staying with the Orioles for the season or be part of a trade package since he is in the last year of his contract?
Mark P
2:53
Santander seems like an obvious trade candidate on paper, and if the O's were even fringe contenders, I suspect he would've already gone.

But, the Orioles have legit World Series aspirations.  So I can understand why they're wary of moving a solid contributor just in case the young guys aren't quite ready yet
Victor
2:54
With all the deferrals from Ohtani and Hernandez, how much does this harm the years when they’re paying 70 million? Are they going all out now and rebuilding in 10 years?
Mark P
2:54
I can't imagine the Dodgers ever "rebuilding."  They might cut spending in some years to duck under the tax line, but they're obviously in perpetual contender mode
Guest
2:55
Would Vottobe of any interest to the Rangers as a DH?  Also, can every team move their fences back 30 ft so we can get more action and inside the park HRs and triples?  Regular HRs have become boring.
Mark P
2:56
The Rangers might want to keep the DH spot open rather than locking it down with a 1B-only player
Gregoire
2:58
Why are prospect for prospect trades like the recent Dodger Cubs deal rare, and what did you think of the Busch/Ferris deal?
Mark P
3:01
We can assume that the Dodgers shopped Busch around a lot in offers for big leaguers, as Rosenthal reported they did in talks about Cease.  But it could be that the interest wasn't really there, either because LA was asking for too much, or because there's a greater worry league-wide that Busch is just a bat-only player.

It was still surprising to see Busch moved for "only" two long-term prospects, even if Ferris was apparently prized by a lot of teams in trade discussions.  But, it does serve as an example that teams can and often do gauge prospects (even top 100 types) differently than the general public or even outside evaluators
Carlos
3:02
Why hasn’t Arizona signed a DH yet?
Mark P
3:02
Gauging the market, it's only mid-January, asking prices from their top choices are still too high, etc.
Mystery Team
3:03
Given the financial constraints with a third of the teams due to Bally's/Diamond and majority of the big spenders already addressing their key needs, aren't all teams a Mystery Team at this point for the remaining top free agents?
Mark P
3:04
I prefer the idea that baseball players will be signed by a little-known Donald Glover movie from 2009
Pete
3:04
What do you think the Mets could actually get for Alonso if they moved him?
Mark P
3:06
They'd ask for something in the realm of the Soto trade package, and would probably settle for something slightly less.  But only slightly.

The Mets probably haven't given up hope for extending Alonso, but if they did move him, that's the kind of big-ticket deal that demands a significant return.  There's also the disappointed fanbase factor, though by this point, Mets fans probably get what the front office's plan is (as much as losing the Polar Bear would hurt)
Joe
3:08
Now that the Oakland and Tampa situations have seemingly been resolved, when do you think expansion chatter will start?
Mark P
3:08
After the next CBA
Or, more specifically, it might be part of the next CBA
TheColoradoKid
3:08
Two separate questions: A) Despite losing 100+ games this year, do you think the Rockies will have postseason potential similar to the Diamondbacks, as early as 2024/25? B) Do you think there will ever be another Rockies off-season acquisition in the future that would almost match Kris Bryant's contract?
Mark P
3:09
I am sometimes accused of being too negative about the Rockies, but no, I don't see a D'Backs-esque turnaround in their near future.  Arizona had a better core of talent in place, including some pitching that the Rox don't appear to have whatsoever.

Given how the Bryant signing has gone so far, another big splurge like that probably isn't in the cards for the Rox any time soon
Sam
3:10
Bees?
Mark P
3:10
Beads?!
Midwest Padres Fan
3:11
Please tell me the Padres have made progress on getting a new LF and CF; can't believe that with Spring Training a month away, these are still unsettled, and Preller is, as far as I can tell, laser-focused on pitching.
Mark P
3:11
I'd argue that pitching should be the focus, because it's harder to find even stopgap starters than it is to find stopgap outfielders.  But yeah, you're not wrong in saying that the Padres still have a lot of work to do all over the roster
Guest
3:12
Why haven't free agents flocked to the Rangers who want to be a part of a good winning organization?  It seems like those who are financially set or would want to prop up their resumes for future contracts would leave some money on the table now to play for the Bochy and the Rangers.
Mark P
3:13
The Rangers haven't been spending much this offseason, so that's a factor.  Also, Texas doesn't exactly have a ton of roster holes, so there isn't much playing time on offer.  Even if a veteran free agent is willing to take a reduced role to play for a contender, they still want to, you know, actually play
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