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Mark P
8:37
The Statcast numbers are still a sea of red, and his xwOBA is far above his wOBA.  Could just be bad luck, since his .250 BABIP is pretty low.
Cubs Fan
8:38
do you think the Cubs could truly make a deep playoff run based on how their performing with no Steele, Belli, or Suzuki right now?
Mark P
8:39
Chicago was my preseason pick to win the Central, so sure, I think they could make some noise in October.  Not sure what qualifies as "deep" in the NL with the Phillies, Braves, and Dodgers all looming as bigger threats, but as we've seen, upsets happen all the time in the postseason.
Most improved players
8:40
Who is your most improved player in the last calendar year? I personally like O'Hearn.
Mark P
8:41
O'Hearn is a great underrated candidate for this question, since he's still kind of overshadowed amidst all of the young players on Baltimore's roster.  

If you weren't scared enough by the Orioles' potential to dominate the league, if they're good at drafting and developing players, AND good at unlocking struggling veterans like O'Hearn.....watch out
Splooz
8:42
Can the Nats realistically extend CJ Abrams or is it too late for that?
Mark P
8:42
If anything, his big year might make the Nationals more confident that is worth such an inevitably big extension.
Sad Reds Fan
8:44
Reds offense can’t be THIS bad? Right? Guys like India, CES, and Steer will turn it around, right!?
Redhaze
8:44
Can David Bell get the Reds out of this atrocious hitting slump? Where will their veteran leadership come from?
Mark P
8:46
This is kind of the nightmare scenario Nick Krall somewhat warned us about when he kept getting asked about trading infield depth last winter.  Krall's point was basically that Cincy has so many young players that it's erroneous to just assume all or even most will be good, given the learning curve and adjustments necessary for players getting used to the big leagues for the first time.  

That's why the Reds got Jeimer Candelario as a veteran guard against such struggles from the youngsters.  But, unfortunately, the early result is both Jeimer and most of the younger guys all struggling or getting injured.
8:47
I find it hard to believe that Cincinnati will be this lacking in offense all year, but that's also based on assumptions since so many of these players have limited MLB track records.
Os fan
8:47
Why hasn't chowder been sent down yet?
Mark P
8:47
/an enraged Freddie Quimby enters the chat
Cards
8:49
What is the trade value on some of the Cardinals older players?
Mark P
8:51
Goldschmidt's struggles make him a hard player to gauge at the moment.  If he turns it around and becomes his usual self, he'll be a valuable trade chip, and I'd imagine he'd be open to waiving his no-trade clause to join a contender.

Moving Arenado might be too tricky given his contract.  Lynn and Gibson would draw trade interest but moving either (or Arenado, obviously) would be the Cardinals announcing that they might be retooling in a bigger-picture way
8:52
It should be noted, the Cardinals haven't played great, but we've seen plenty of St. Louis teams have slow starts and bigger finishes over the last decade.  Obviously that didn't happen in 2023 so maybe a corner has been turned with this roster, since the Cards are another team that "should" be hitting so much better than they currently are
charlesco
8:53
Goldy, the beginning of the end?
Mark P
8:55
The near-total power dropoff and the big spike in strikeouts are major (Cardinal) red flags.  Goldschmidt has been so good for so long that I'm not going to write him off after a bad month, but a hitter suddenly declining in his mid-30's isn't unusual
Oswald P.
8:56
Is Bryan Ramos going to have a spot with the White Sox when Danny Mendick returns, or is he simply a fill in?
Mark P
8:56
There is zero reason Ramos shouldn't be getting regular playing time, since he projects to be a much bigger part of Chicago's future plans than Mendick
Bobbie
8:56
Long-term ceiling for Mason Black? He is making a start tomorrow.
Mark P
8:58
After the overview of scouting reports I just read, he might seem more like a reliever to me.  MLB batters might be able to figure out his two-pitch arsenal once coaches get a book on him.

Or, who knows, maybe he'll be the next Tom Seaver.
Guardians
8:59
Does Steven Kwan's absence deflate the Guardians chance to maintain their strong start?
Mark P
9:00
This has been kind of overlooked amidst ManzardoMania today, since Kwan has been red hot at the dish.  The secondary numbers suggest Kwan's start is a bit of a mirage so it's not like it's a critical blow, and in theory, Manzardo can help fill that offensive loss
Power ranks today
9:01
Top 5?
Mark P
9:03
The fifth one is tricky, since the top four of Orioles/Phillies/Dodgers/Braves in some order is pretty clear.

But for the fifth team, lots of options depending on how much one believes or doesn't believe in the Yankees, Brewers, Cubs, Guardians, Twins, etc.
McDuff
9:03
Who’s winning Lord Stanley’s cup?
Mark P
9:03
I forget if my pick was Avalanche over Panthers or vice versa, but I'll stick with that.
Phanatic
9:03
Do the phillies have prospects to help winning? Bullpen might be a problem.
Mark P
9:04
I agree that the relief corps is Philly's relative weak link, but adding relievers at the deadline is at least easier than adding a starter or a big bat.
Bryzzo
9:06
What would a Cubs trade offer for Scott or the Marlins look like?
Mark P
9:06
Scott will first have to get his walks under control, or else most/all teams will be scared off from meeting anything close to Miami's asking price.
Don
9:07
How soon do the Mets trade Pete Alonso?
Mark P
9:08
With his trade value at this low point?  Not soon.
Lt Data
9:09
Ok, here’s an O’s question: is it fair to say that the front office is middling at best?  Yes, they have a good team now, but they rolled out total garbage from 2018-2022 and that’s a long time for a fan base to endure noncompetitive baseball.  They were bad on purpose, spent no money, got high draft picks, and figured out a team.  Shouldn’t this method be disincentived, and the execs be critiqued for the bad four years as well as praised for the last two?
Mark P
9:11
"Actually, Mike Elias is bad" is a take I didn't expect to read today.

The new CBA has taken steps to address the Orioles' style of tank job, as in instituting the draft lottery to prevent a team from getting top picks year after year.  But to your broader point, I'd argue tearing things down and rebuilding basically everything the Orioles were doing in baseball operations was a necessary measure.  And "figuring out a team" isn't exactly easy, nor is it easy to hit on all these draft picks.
Who's Fabio?
9:11
Hi Mark, should the Jays extend Kikuchi?  Maybe 2 years for 36M plus an option at 20?
Mark P
9:12
The Jays already have so much invested in the rotation that retaining Kikuchi might be a bridge too far.  Especially if the team does retool things in the wake of a losing season.
Rookie Class of '24
9:12
Why are rookie hitters struggling more then they usually seem to?
Mark P
9:13
I forget where I saw this quote, but apparently in the view of most scouts and executives, the talent gap between the majors and minors has never been higher.  Pitchers are so advanced these days and have so many tools are their disposal that it isn't a surprise that young hitters are looking overmatched
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