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Mark P
2:29
To this point, I'm not sure signing after Dec. 26 counts as "signing early."  Also, we've seen such Boras clients as Soto, Snell, Manaea, Kikuchi, Tyler O'Neill, and others already come off the board, plus Nick Martinez (took the qualifying offer from Cincy) and Matt Chapman (extension with SF) sidestepped free agency.

This is a reminder that while Boras certainly has preferred strategies, he still operates on a client-to-client basis based on each individual's desires and their particular market.  Undoubtedly the "Boras Four" situation from last winter got many players (not just Boras clients) more aware of the pitfalls of signing late in the offseason, but this isn't exactly new news.  Given their druthers, virtually every free agent would love to have their next contract settled well before Spring Training so they could properly prep
Michael Young
2:30
54.1 WAR for Kinsler, better than many hall of famers.
Mark P
2:31
To be clear, Kinsler was a very good player.  But I don't consider him good enough to meet my personal Cooperstown threshold.
Guy that never gets an anwser
2:32
Cards World Series……… in 2030. How long is the rebuild?
Mark P
2:32
Will the Cardinals return to the World Series by the 2030 season?
Yes (18.2% | 110 votes)
 
No (81.8% | 493 votes)
 
Total Votes: 603
QUBE
2:33
What would it take for the Dbacks to send Monty to the Giants?
Mark P
2:34
Based on division alone, I'm not sure I see this happening.
Josh
2:35
I’m worried the Reds will just hope for no injuries and do nothing to improve their abysmal offense.
Mark P
2:37
It's more than just "hoping for no injuries," but also not knowing exactly where they stand with so many of their young players.  The Reds' improvement in 2023 might've jumped the gun a bit on expecting them to contend immediately, and unfortunately 2024 was in many ways a lost years in terms of both competing and getting more data on who's a building block and who isn't
Mike
2:37
Could the Phillies use Ranger as trade bait and then sign a cheaper 5th starter until Painter is ready
Mark P
2:39
Many people have suggested attaching Suarez to Castellanos in a trade package, as a way of trying to get Castellanos' salary off the books.  This ties back to what we were discussing earlier about trading from pitching depth, since having Suarez in the rotation makes things more solid that relying on some combo of Walker/Ross to fill the fifth spot until Painter is ready.  That scenario also puts a lot of pressure on Painter to not just get healthy and get ready to pitch in the majors in the first time, but also the expectation of stepping in to immediately fill a hole on a contender.
Breslow
2:41
Teoscar for 75M sounds a lot easier to swallow than Bregman for 200M. Why have I not pulled the trigger?
Mark P
2:41
I wonder if the Red Sox have reservations about paying Teoscar that kind of money, or if they're trying to line up some kind of outfield/DH-related trade in order to create roster space
liptowi
2:43
If Bichette bounces back to his pre-2024 performance level, what does he get next off-season? More than Bregman will now get or less or far less?
Mark P
2:45
This is hard to answer since we don't yet know what Bregman will sign for, but going by MLBTR's projection of seven years/$182MM, I think slightly more.  Bichette's injuries and inconsistency over the last two years will surely be factors, as if his lack of glovework, but he is also three years younger than Bregman.  If Bichette stays healthy and is very productive in 2025, he'll still cash in big
Eddie Plunk
2:46
Yankees done buying offense yeah?
Mark P
2:46
They still need another infielder
Ms
2:47
When does Hyeseong Kim's window run out? We haven't heard much from him lately
Mark P
2:47
4pm Central on January 3
Skenes Effect
2:49
Do you think FA players would actually be enticed to come to Pittsburgh to play with Skenes?
Mark P
2:50
If all things are equal in terms of money, playing with Skenes could be a tiebreaker. But lots of teams have exciting players, so playing with one particular guy might might not move the needle much for free agents
Speaking of the reds
2:51
I finally got to go to their ballpark and it's absolutely amazing! At least fans have that going for them
Mark P
2:51
The GABP is an awesome place to see a game.  I greatly enjoyed my trip to Cincinnati years ago.
JDP
2:52
Ryan Weathers and Xavier Edwards are the brightest of spots on a Marlins team with a very, very dim outlook. Extension candidates?
Mark P
2:53
Extensions could be a way for Miami to bump up their tax number, but I doubt the Marlins are far enough along the rebuilding process that they're already looking to lock up cornerstones
Astros Fan
2:54
Do you see any scenario where the Astros pay for a more expensive outfield piece this offseason? example :Teoscar , or Santander
Mark P
2:55
They'd have to unload a salary to fit either guy and still remain under the luxury tax line.  Of the two, Santander is the better fit since his switch-hitting bat would add balance to a lineup that is overloaded with righty hitters
Lane Thomas
2:58
Any chance Lane Thomas is moved?
Mark P
2:59
There's a chance, but his trade value is somewhat limited.  By this point the Guards might be done moving significant salary, plus if anything they can use outfield depth
3:01
We're at the two-hour mark, so let's wrap things up like the presents under the tree.  Thanks to everyone who submitted a question, and the regularly-scheduled version of the Weekend Chat should be taking place on Sunday.
3:02
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