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
Rays
9:15
Could the Rays shop Carson Williams for a pitcher or upgrade next month?
Mark P
9:16
Extremely unlikely.  The Rays might be far enough back in the race that they could look to retool at the deadline, not buy.

And it isn't in Tampa's style to trade top-tier prospects like Williams, especially when the Wander Franco situation means that the Rays suddenly need a future shortstop
Darrell
9:17
I get that the Braves are still trying to win, but do they really think they can go all the way, as constructed? Sale is overachieving, Lopez will be in uncharted waters soon enough, and Fried is just not a #1 pitcher, come playoff time. Can they reload with prospects and be better for it? Also, Ozuna in race for MVP, as of now?
Mark P
9:18
If any team isn't going sell and reload, it'll be Atlanta and its win-now core of talent.  Keep in mind, despite the Braves' struggles, they still have a healthy edge on the wild card field in a parity-driven National League
Kurt the Hurt
9:19
Who will be the leadoff Hitter for the Dodgers while Betts is out ?
Mark P
9:19
Roberts indicated that it'll probably be Ohtani
Matt
9:21
If this trade deadline is a seller’s market like everyone is predicting, could you see the Rays having a fire sale? Their payroll is higher than ever and they trade their stars even when they’re winning. How likely is it that they move on from Eflin, Arozarena, Civale, Litell, etc?
Mark P
9:23
The Rays' style isn't to have a true "fire sale," as the idea is to strategically unload increasingly pricey players while adding cheaper and similarly productive players, all the while remaining competitive.

That said, it would be interesting to see Tampa zig while the rest of the league zags, and having their version of a selloff in order to restock for 2025 and reduce their high (for them) payroll
9:24
It wouldn't have necessarily been a surprise to see Tampa move any of the names you mentioned even if the team was in first place, so anything could happen if July 30 rolls around and they're still in last
Brandon jenn
9:25
Off topic who do you like too take the NBA championship Boston or Dallas
Mark P
9:25
I'm going out on a limb and saying the team with the 3-1 lead wins
Twins
9:27
Should the Twins be upgraded as World Series contenders with that closer?   Do you see them adding on next month?
Mark P
9:28
Sure, I expected the Twins to contend this year, and that hasn't changed even if KC and Cleveland have gotten off to hot starts.  It's already been a roller coaster of a performance for Minnesota, but when they're on, they're as good as anyone.
9:29
Lopez and Ober need to figure it out on the mound and the lineup needs to stay healthy, so you could make a case for the Twins adding either a starter or another outfield bat (or both) come deadline time
Whosyourtiger
9:30
what would you shoot at the Pinehurst course?
Mark P
9:31
Pinehurst No. 2 is a par 70, so if I broke 140, I'd be delighted
Guest
9:31
Can the Twins move on from Buxton somehow this season? It sounds odd, but the Twins need a LH bat with power, they’ve got a CF in AA who matches that description and is running a 200 wRC while Buxton has needed a hot streak just to get to replacement level
Mark P
9:32
It would need to be an awfully creative trade, and very likely a deal that would see another team's problematic contract come back to Minnesota in return
Braves
9:33
Should we be trying to get a player to replace Acuna?   Who could we get ?
Mark P
9:35
The problem is now trying to replace Acuna AND Michael Harris, who will be gone for at least one month and probably closer to two with a Grade 2 hamstring strain.

There's no way to really "replace" either, of course, and trying a patchwork of multiple outfielders is also very tricky.  As soon as Harris went down, a lot of people started seeing Atlanta as a natural suitor for Luis Robert, which isn't out of the question even though the Braves have already dealt a lot of prospects in recent years
Mike jones
9:36
With mookie missing probably around two months, what do you think the dodgers do? Trade, waiver pickup ,or promote someone from the minors?
Mark P
9:37
They'll probably first try to make do with Rojas and company for a few weeks, just to see how things fare.  The Dodgers have a big enough division lead to afford to tread water like this, and then they'll decide if a bigger move is needed to get a shortstop.

As I noted in the post, this might not really change the Dodgers' plans all that much, since they were already looking to get middle infield reinforcements.  Assuming Betts doesn't miss too much time, that is.
Re: tradable draft picks
9:38
Do you really want to bring NBA-style tanking to MLB? Imagine if the Mets could punt on this season and then sell Alonso, Martinez, maybe even Diaz for a bunch of first round picks. It seems like proponents of trading draft picks want to sacrifice long term competitiveness for a more interesting draft night.
Mark P
9:39
Given baseball's salary structure and how it's entirely different than the NBA, I think trades of first-rounders would still be relatively rare.  

And geez, imagine a baseball team trading its top stars in order to tank?  Like, what if the Mets moved Scherzer, Verlander, Robertson, etc. at the deadline?  Imagine that!
Randy Jones BBQ
9:40
Why is our offense so hot or cold?
Mark P
9:40
The "Randy Jones BBQ" user name makes this a Padres question, but it could honestly be applied to like two thirds of the teams in baseball.  This has just been a dominant year for pitching all over the sport.
Pham to Braves
9:41
Is Owen Murphy enough to get Tommy Pham from Chi Sox?  Good fit?
Mark P
9:42
Murphy was Atlanta's first-rounder in 2022, and even though he just had Tommy John surgery, I'd imagine the Braves still probably consider him too valuable to be moved for a rental player
Mike
9:42
When will shane baz get called up,?
Mark P
9:44
Baz has banked eight Triple-A starts, and his most recent outing saw him pitch six innings (his most so far) and 73 pitches (his fourth-highest pitch count).

I'd say it seems pretty likely he'll be in Tampa soon.  Maybe an injury opens up a spot, or the Rays adopt a six-man rotation, or some trades clear out room in the rotation
Mariners Fits
9:46
Does Riley Greene make sense for the Mariners. Upgrades the OF with some pop. Hancock and another prospect or 2 get the job done?
Mark P
9:46
Riley Greene might be just about the last player Detroit would ever trade
Breslow
9:47
Are we going to be sellers at the deadline?
Mark P
9:47
The Red Sox have quietly put together a very solid team, and I'd imagine they'll be buying, if anything.  If you want a sneaky dark horse team to watch in the AL, it's Boston.
Smiling Friends
9:49
Mick Abel is walking the world in AAA this year, are we witnessing his fall into the “reliever risk” category or do you see the Phillies keeping him stretched out and hope the command comes around?
Mark P
9:50
Walks have always been Abel's biggest problem, so it isn't too surprising that control has been an issue against Triple-A batters.  There's no downside for the Phillies in letting Abel figure things out at Lehigh Valley, though since Dave Dombrowski isn't shy about moving prospects in the right deal, Abel might be a trade candidate this summer
Breddy
9:51
Losing Realmuto really hurts the Phils. So if you’re Dave D. what do you do?
Mark P
9:52
The Phillies are another team with a big enough cushion in the standings to withstand losing a key player like Realmuto.  Since he's only going to be gone a month, it might not be much of an issue at all.  Even if that timeline changes, that gives the Phils time before the deadline to re-assess the situation and see if they need to bring in more catching help or not
Go Guardians!
9:52
Steven Kwan is batting.398, why isn’t there any national attention?
Mark P
9:53
He spent four weeks on the IL, plus the Guardians don't have the high profile as other bigger-market teams.

But needless to say, if Kwan is still flirting with .400 in a month or so, it'll start becoming a very big deal
Connecting…