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
Sad Reds Fan
11:49
How big of a loss is losing Marte for half the season? The Reds purposely built depth for if/when something happened, but Marte was primed to be a big part of that lineup
Mark P
11:50
It's certainly a setback, but the Reds still have more than enough infielders to fill the void.  Keeping India and signing Candelario are looking like very wise move at this point.
Marky Mark
11:51
Davis woukd seem like a fit for the Cubs but they're close to the tax line & Ricketts won't pay it, unless you've heard something I haven't?
Mark P
11:53
The Cubs are just a touch under the $237MM tax threshold, so acquiring Davis would put them over by a similarly slight amount.  The Cubs have paid the tax a few times in recent years so I doubt it's any huge barrier for the team.  Even if Davis might not be a player they view as "worth it" to exceed the tax line to obtain, certainly other players who might be bigger needs at deadline time could fit that description
BhamBrave
11:54
Kelenic hasn’t hit much yet this ST. What’s your opinion of Anthopoulos’ LF gamble?
Mark P
11:56
The mechanics of the trade were a little odd in my view, but I guess the Braves thought highly enough of Kelenic's potential that they didn't mind taking on extra salary.

Atlanta's lineup is so deep that if Kelenic struggles, it's probably not going to be a huge setback.  He'll get some time to garner consistent at-bats, and if he isn't producing, the Braves can get someone at the deadline
Dodgers
11:58
With regard to the Dodgers IF situation. Everyone is getting this wrong. It isn't Lux who is the problem. Truly, the issue is their over reliance on Heyward. He had an "ok" season last year, but it was an anomaly. They should have never moved Betts for him to play. Simple fix. Put Betts back to his best position in RF. Leave Lux at 2B. Put Vargas at SS as a glove first option who is likely to contribute more offensively than Heyward. THAT is the logical solution that nobody seems to get.
Mark P
12:00
You're not wrong in thinking that Betts might ultimately end up back in right field, or at least he might move around the diamond more frequently than staying in just one position.  There's some risk in having a superstar as a super-utility guy, but that speaks to Betts' special quality as a player.

If Heyward falters, the Dodgers have other outfield options on the roster and on the farm.  Andy Pages hitting so well this spring is a big plus for te team.
Kut-Spenda
12:01
Are the Padres really going to go into the season with Merrill at CF? Profar in Lf?
die hard fan here, but good lord, we could end up in 4th place in the west this season.
Mark P
12:02
It's not an ideal situation to be sure.  The early returns on Merrrill as a CF have looked pretty good, yet there's obviously some risk in putting your top prospect into an entirely new position as he's entering the majors for the first time.
12:03
Signing an Adam Duvall type (or really any kind of veteran more reliable than Profar) would help San Diego immensely, but we might be underestimating how tight things are payroll-wise
Prisoner of WAR
12:03
What would AA have to do to earn your criticism? The Braves off-season was an objectively bizarre mess.
Mark P
12:04
There were certainly some unusual moves, but Atlanta is in a great position to win it all in 2024.  And Anthopoulos has a long history of under-the-radar moves that pan out.
Kjerstad
12:05
He hasn't looked great in spring, and the Os have fellow lefty outfielders Cowser and Stowers. Could we see a late spring trade of one of these guys and if so, who makes sense?
Mark P
12:06
As noted earlier, the Orioles have more young up-and-comers than they know what to do with.  There's no urgency to make a trade immediately since Triple-A is still an option, and who knows, injuries or slumps might change the playing time situation in a hurry.

Remember, Santander is a FA after this season, and Hays/Mullins after 2025.  The Orioles might be more likely to trade from that trio than they are from their outfield of the future.
Jim
12:08
With Medina going down, do the A's give Joe Boyle his spot in the rotation? Or do they turn to Rule 5 pick Mitch Spence or former top Atlanta prospect Kyle Muller?
Mark P
12:11
Spence has looked pretty good this spring, and his Rule 5 status means he'll likely make the roster in some capacity.  Oakland is in a position where they might as well see what they have in some of these younger guys, so I lean towards Spence being the choice.

Keep in mind that Stripling and/or Wood are prime candidates to be dealt before the deadline, so probably all of the Athletics' depth starters will end up in the rotation at some point.  The A's could go with Boyle to start, and use Spence in the bullpen to get his feet wet in the majors, and then look to perhaps start him in July or August
12:12
That is one of the longer baseball-related answers I've given about the A's in a long time, ha.  95% of the Oakland questions are just about the move to Vegas.
Mister E. Person
12:12
Do you think the ownership change in Baltimore will change their approach to the trade deadline and offseason?
Mark P
12:13
It remains to be seen how big a splash Rubenstein wants to make right away, but green-lighting payroll increases is an easy way to quickly win favor with the Baltimore fans.
Concerned Giants Fan
12:13
Do you genuinely believe Zaidi starts the season without adding one starter?
Mark P
12:14
Depending on how they approach this Davis release vis a vis salary, it could be that SF is freeing up some money to increase their bid for Snell or Montgomery.  Or, even a Lorenzen or a Clevinger would help at this point, rather than relying so heavily on the younger pitchers and Webb.
Ortegananda
12:15
What's your take on the Giants putting J.D. Davis on waivers?...Giants angry because he beat them in arbitration?
Mark P
12:17
I doubt "anger" has anything to do with it.  Chapman has been linked to the Giants all winter, so it was just a matter of finding common ground on a contract (or, maybe the Giants winning the staring contest and getting Chapman down to a three-year deal).  There's probably little doubt that they've been quietly shopping Davis for a while, and while it could be argued that the Giants could've just non-tendered Davis, that would've left a hole at third base if Chapman hadn't signed.  And, it would've given Boras more leverage in negotiations.
RAGBRAI
12:23
As it stands right now is there a favorite in the NL or is it still completely up for grabs? Though some teams seemed to have improved over the offseason.
Mark P
12:23
The Dodgers and Braves seem like pretty clear favorites on paper.  Obviously anything can happen in the playoffs, but it would be a surprise if those two aren't the NL's top seeds heading into October
Padres Fan
12:24
Since the Pdres have some room under the cap do you think they will Kim to an extension lets say 5 years for $75M with some opt outs?
Mark P
12:25
Given how the Padres seem to be tightening the budget, extending Kim might not be in the cards
Jim
12:25
Why haven't the Pirates jumped in on Michael A. Taylor or the Lorenzen/Clevenger markets?
Mark P
12:26
Good question, on the pitchers in particular.  Well, it's not that big a mystery since the answer is that the Pirates rarely spend, but Lorenzen or Clevinger would've been substantial upgrades over Perez or Gonzales.
12:28
It's maybe one thing if a team like Boston or SF doesn't sign one of the Lorenzen/Clevinger tier if they think they can get Montgomery or Snell at a relative discount.  But if you're the Pirates and won't be shopping on the top shelf anyway, I don't see why they couldn't have explored more deeply into the second or third tier of rotation options
Buyer beware
12:28
I’ve been an Angels fan since they signed Reggie Jackson. I’m the first one to admit, the Angels need starting pitching. I don’t see Snell as a solution. Front line starters should give you at least 6 innings per start. Snell is not that guy. If he will take a 3 or 4 year deal, yes sign him. Am I crazy for thinking this way?
Mark P
12:31
It's a fair criticism, and probably one of the chief reasons Snell is still unsigned despite being the reigning Cy Young Award winner.

Expecting pitchers to log innings like Bob Gibson or someone is a thing of the past, but Snell's somewhat limited usage does tend to stand out.  That said, the Angels have already shown a willingness to adjust to a pitcher's needs, as in the last several years with Ohtani.  So in some ways, Snell might be a better fit with them than with most other teams.
Chris
12:31
How many WS titles will the Dodgers win during Ohtani’s 10-year deal?
Mark P
12:32
My hot take is less than 10

My relatively cold take is that they'll win at least one.  Obviously a lot of variables in play here, but the Dodgers are so consistently good that I like their chances of breaking through again in at least one of the next 10 Octobers
RAGBRAI
12:35
Dang I meant favorite in the NL Central.
Mark P
12:37
Aha, now your question makes a little more sense!  

The Cubs feel like the tentative favorites to me, though I wouldn't be surprised if the Reds, Brewers, or Cardinals ended up in first place.  St. Louis perhaps moreso now that the injury bug seems to be hitting them, but all of these teams have questions.
FrankT
12:38
Do you see the Mets making any moves
Mark P
12:38
Only eight or nine more relievers
Cleveland
12:39
Why would they not trade Rameriz at his peak if they are not going to compete?
Connecting…