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MLB Common Sense Guy

8:16

I don't see any world where the Yankees should be the favorite to sign Juan Soto. Steve Cohen will make 3x Hal Steinbrenner's net worth this year alone. He is worth $20b more than Hal. And Soto is going where the money leads him and not where the mystique and aura is. With that said, I'd rather the Mets sign Santander and pitching like Burnes & Snell. Do you really think David Stearns has much interest in Soto at such a high price tag? Sounds like only Steve Cohen would want Soto. Stearns might have other plans.

Mark P

8:16

I'm pretty sure Stearns would love having Soto on his team. Who wouldn't?

Dave H.

8:18

Any rumors on who buys the Twins or way too early?

Mark P

8:18

Way too early. I can only imagine that MLBTR's own Steve Adams is putting together investors to make a bid.

Pitchers Mound

8:18

Have you heard anything about researching the prevalence of pitching injuries? Seems the MLBPA as well as management would be trying to evaluate this more. It also seems like it's being left to individual orgs to do it on their own. Thanks.

Mark P

8:19

Teams have invested millions upon millions in trying to figure out ways to keep players healthy, as has the MLBPA

And the players' own agencies, personal trainers, nutritionists, doctors, etc.

Diamond Sports

8:20

Am I showing any MLB games next year?

Mark P

8:20

Diamond is keeping Braves games, and they just recently worked out a new deal with the Marlins. I'd expect maybe the majority of the teams dropped to work out new contracts for 2025, though there's a lot of unknowns about this whole situation

Ned Flanders

8:23

Hi-diddly-ho, Mark! After Soto and Pederson, who do you think is the best left-handed hitter available via free agency (or might be)?

Mark P

8:23

Bellinger, though a few other guys with comparable playing time are ahead of him in wRC+ (O'Hearn, Winker, Conforto)

8:24

Which is my way of saying that I think Bellinger will be better than that group in 2025, though perhaps not by enough of a margin to justify the big gap in salary he'd demand

Garrett

8:25

Favorite minor league team name?

Mark P

8:25

Savannah Bananas!

Brandon Lowe

8:25

Do the Rays pick up my option? Do they try to trade me? What would I cost on the trade market and what on the open market?

Mark P

8:25

They'll pick up the option and I suspect Lowe stays because the Rays need some offense.

8:26

Nobody would be shocked if Lowe was traded since that's just how the Rays operate, but overall, I suspect he'll still be there on Opening Day

Rick

8:28

Your gut feeling….Reinsdorf is putting out “I’m selling” rumors just to get free stadium money. Or, is he finally throwing in the towel?

Mark P

8:30

MLBTR's Tim Dierkes is putting together a group of investors to try and buy the White Sox, so it'll be awkward when Tim's Sox are battling Steve's Twins for the AL Central title in a few years.

My guess is that Reinsdorf is open to selling for the right price, since if someone comes along with a gargantuan offer, maybe he just decides to cash out. All things being equal he'd probably prefer to get a new ballpark built as a legacy piece, which is a better way to be remembered than as the owner of the 121-loss team.

Phillies

8:32

Any chance we sign Kim as a buy-low guy as backup for Stott/ in case we move turner to LF?

Mark P

8:33

If I'm the Phillies, I'm considering moving on from Stott and Bohm and reshaping the infield entirely. Moving Turner to another position has to be some kind of option at this point given how his defense has really sharply gone backwards. Not sure Kim is necessarily the best fit due to his shoulder health, however.

Grrr

8:34

Tigers are a bottom third revenue team without a TV deal for next season. They have also been largely unprofitable over the past decade. I don’t care what their payroll situation is, they simply do not have the resources to go after the big name free agents, and probably not the medium name ones either. So why do you fan the flames on a guy like Bregman? He ain’t coming to Detroit.

Mark P

8:35

The TV situation is a new wrinkle, but it was just a few years ago that ownership was comfortable enough to splurge on Baez and E-Rod. I don't think it's out of line to suggest that the Tigers would make one big signing this winter.

Also, was "Grr" the screen name based on anger over my comment, or a stealth Tony the Tiger reference? If the latter, well struck!

Andre Thee Giant

8:36

Do the Nats have interest in old pals Soto or Scherzer this winter?

Mark P

8:38

Soto returning to DC would be a fun storyline for everyone besides New York fans, and I guess also fans of the other NL East teams since then the Nats are another club to worry about.

The Nationals have the payroll space to go after pretty much any one big free agent, if they really decided to turn the corner and start planning to contend again. But, my guess is Soto is the only guy they'll make a push for, based on past history.

8:39

As for Scherzer, that's another fun story. If the Nationals did make a big "going for it" move in some respect, that might what attracts a veteran like Scherzer to Washington, though obviously he has a lot of particular familiarity with the team.

M’s

8:41

Could Adames make sense if they moved Crawford to SS?

Mark P

8:42

I assume you mean "from" shortstop, though that wouldn't be a great move based on last year's defensive metrics. After a couple of down seasons with the glove, Crawford had excellent fielding numbers in 2024, while Adames was suddenly very poor in the field.

Regardless, Adames probably wants to stick at shortstop and isn't likely to change positions unless it's some very particular situation. He's heading into the open market with a lot of leverage and plenty of suitors, so surely he intends on remaining at short.

8:43

Also, Seattle hasn't pursued major free agents under Jerry Dipoto, apart from Robbie Ray

Cold Stove

8:44

Between the RSN problems and the Ohtani/Yamamoto chases, we saw a much slower trickle of signings and trades this last offseason than usual. Will the stove heat up again this off-season or will the TV deals and other factors make for another slow off-season market?

Mark P

8:46

Good question. The Diamond Sports Group situation will gum up the works for several teams, but since a lot of the bigger spenders aren't involved in that anyway, the top of the market shouldn't be overly affected

Kurt the Hurt

8:46

Who is the best centerfielder in baseball now ?

Mark P

8:48

Judge, who is so awesome with the bat that it overcomes his limitations on defense.

Best CF defender is probably Varsho. Best center fielder in terms of plus value as both a hitter and fielder might actually be Jackson Merrill, which is wild for a rookie who at this time last year had never played the position.

Josh Naylor

8:53

What jersey am I wearing next year?

Mark P

8:54

Naylor will be a popular target for teams that miss out on Alonso and Walker. This is speculative on my part since the two teams have combined on a lot of trades before, but the Guardians need starting pitching, and the Rays need hitting.

I think I phrased that in a way that implied Tampa will be in on Alonso and Walker, which won't be the case.

Go Guards

8:56

Will Clase and/or Josh Naylor be available this offseason?

Mark P

8:57

Naylor is a free agent next winter, so yes. Clase won't, since he's still very much a bargain on that contract.

Guardians likely won't overreact to a tough postseason.

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