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Mark P
10:21
It's a tough call.  Realmuto is still a solid catcher but his declining offensive numbers over the last couple of years hint that his days of being a true offensive threat might be over.  With all the big money already on Philly's books, extending a catcher deeper into his 30's seems like a risk.

On the other hand, the Phils don't have a catcher of the future lined up.  Marchan has had trouble staying healthy, and other catching prospects are still years away.  If JTR was willing to take a slightly reduced contract to stay in a familiar location it would help a lot, but he also might not want to sell himself short.

I somewhat doubt an extension is coming this spring, as the Phillies probably want to see how Realmuto fares over at least part of the season.
Kirby Yates
10:21
After Chris Young said that the Rangers could still use some support in the bullpen do you think they will resign me? Or could they trade around for some salary space possibly for someone like Helsley?
Mark P
10:22
Yates seems like the most logical call, yeah.  The Cardinals seem intent on keeping Helsley for unclear reasons, so he doesn't appear to be getting moved anywhere
Walleye Wade
10:24
Mustard Tiger or Cyrus?
Mark P
10:24
Mustard Tiger

(I'm allowed one question per chat that only Canadians will understand.)
Braves
10:26
Are we doing anything?
Mark P
10:28
Obligatory "Anthopoulos works in secret so it's hard to tell" comment

It's been a strange offseason so far for Atlanta, since it seemed like the team was cutting some payroll and gearing up for a bigger move....than just never came.  That said, I do expect the Braves to be aggressive now in this later stage of the offseason.  If some players are getting a little desperate about finding a new landing spot and want to play in a comfortable place, the Braves have a lot to offer
John
10:29
The longer Santander isn’t signed means the likelier he is to resign in Baltimore?
Mark P
10:29
Doubtful.  Seems like the Orioles are just ready to move on, and recoup the draft pick
Braves
10:30
Does Jurickson Profar in LF make sense for the Braves??
Mark P
10:31
Absolutely, Profar would be a big step up from what they have now.  

Caveat here, of course, is that the 2024 version of Profar sticks.  Profar has been so inconsistent throughout his career that teams are understandably hesitant about paying him bigger money if he's going to go cold again.
Nick
10:32
After the Leclerc signing, do you believe the A's are completely done spending this off-season or do you believe they might still try and add more?
Mark P
10:33
The A's are slightly over that $105MM-ish minimum tax threshold now, so technically, their "big spending" could be over.  

Adding another player on, like, $6MM or $7MM for a one-year deal wouldn't be considered big spending in most realms, but these are the A's here.  Such a move doesn't seem out of the question.
Bob
10:37
I believe one or two of Bohm, Castellanos, Walker and Suarez will be traded before the season.  Agree?
Mark P
10:38
I was thinking the same thing when the offseason began, yet here we are.  Lots of time left before Opening Day, of course, and Sasaki now being off the market might help the Phillies move Suarez (perhaps attached to one of the larger contracts)
Tiger Fan
10:40
Will Detroit ever make a grab for Bregman or will they just stay quiet
Mark P
10:40
Feels like a staring contest between Bregman and the Tigers over who budges first (or the most).  Detroit values Bregman at a particular price but I think the Tigers don't want to be bidding against themselves.
Rox
10:41
Does it seem like there are fewer and fewer everyday 2B types? If so, could it be second basemen historically haven’t hit as well as other positions and are being replaced with more utility guys?
Mark P
10:43
Second base has traditionally been seen as the position for guys who can't quite handle it at shortstop or third base and you're right that it's relatively rare to see players now firmly start as second basemen from day one in their pro careers.

With teams placing more of a priority than ever on multi-positional value, second base suddenly becomes a bit of an "open" position for rotating utility-type guys who can play a lot of positions but aren't really masters of any single one spot
Jmgomets
10:46
I know David Stern has earned some leeway here but AJ Minter and Jesse Winker do not make up for Pete Alonso. Is something more coming?
Mark P
10:47
Speaking of free agent staring contests, I think the Mets realize Alonso's market is pretty limited, so they're not willing to budge beyond a certain amount.  

The reports from earlier this week about the Mets moving on from Alonso might just be a smokescreen to get him to lower his asking price, or perhaps the club really only had a limited appetite for bringing Alonso back.
Ryan
10:48
Saw a rumor recently that KC inquired on Arenado at the winter meetings but talks didn't go far because STL didn't think he would approve it. Now he's opened up to more teams apparently, do you see a match?
Mark P
10:50
Arenado reportedly let the Cardinals know about six teams he'd be okay with joining, and already shot down some proposals.  So clearly he has a "no way" list, but I wonder how many teams might be in the middle between the "sure" and "no way" lists, and how much flexibility exists.  Keep in mind that Arenado wasn't ruling out the Astros entirely but just seemingly needed more time to ponder the idea, and then Houston moved on to Walker.
10:51
It also depends at this point, whether or not Arenado might be getting a little fed up with the situation and is broadening his trade horizons for that reason.  Seems to me that KC would be a pretty good landing spot....team is competitive again, he gets to spare the left side of the diamond with Bobby Witt, etc.
TxDude
10:54
If a salary floor were ever implemented, do you think some owners would sell their respective teams? Certain ones seem so against spending what it takes to compete that if they were actually forced to spend a certain amount then their heads might explode.
Mark P
10:54
There would absolutely be a ton of infighting amongst the owners over how high the floor would be, and some would definitely look to cash out and sell their teams
re: Nats
10:57
The Nats have 3 more years of Gore/Garcia, 2 years of Lowe... Are they in danger of "failure to launch" with this rebuild? I look ahead to the next few free agent classes and don't see the cavalry coming
Mark P
10:57
I think Wood/Crews are seen more as the biggest cornerstones of the Nationals' new era than Gore/Garcia
That one A’s fan
10:58
”officially” they’re simply the Athletics or A’s, but everyone will think of them as the Sacramento A’s for these three years, Agreed?
Mark P
10:58
It's still pretty jarring to me when I'm looking at a team list or dropdown menu and it's just "Athletics"
ATL
10:59
What’s your take on AA lack of spending? Does he think that one or two over pays will just tank the Braves?  It’s almost like he is regressing in this role the last couple years. He says he wants to spend but continues to get outbid. This is very concerning for Braves fans.
Mark P
11:02
"Lack of spending" isn't really the proper term here, given how the Braves have almost doubled their payroll during Anthopoulos' tenure.  Paying big money to free agents has never really been part of his strategy, even dating back to his days in Toronto....AA prefers to invest in long-term extensions, and in shorter-term strikes for certain veteran players.

Where the Braves are now, they've already got their core locked up for years, so this is basically the group they're going to ride or die with for the rest of the decade.  That leaves relatively little wiggle room for additional investments, but as I said, the Braves are a very attractive spot for veterans still looking for a short-term home.
Dan
11:02
Beads?
Mark P
11:02
Bees?!
Mariners
11:05
if I’m the mariners….doesnt winning and going to the postseason raise revenue more than the expense of a player to get you there? Seems like winning= more profitable
Mark P
11:06
I'm no economist, but that math seems to make sense to me.  Winning = more fans in the stands, more fans tuning into games on the TV station that the team itself owns, more merch sold, more revenue brought in via extra playoff games, more national exposure, etc.
Ricky
11:07
The Pads should trade Merrill & Cease with Xander & Cronenworth & Machado to play for a time when they could possibly win. Right? I’m a Padres fan.
Mark P
11:08
Hard no.  The Padres were a win away from ousting the Dodgers last October.
Scot
11:08
Are the Royals really going to start the same outfielders in 2025? Any chance they trade for an upgrade?
Mark P
11:09
The outfield is such a glaring weak spot for KC that I find it hard to believe that they won't make some kind of notable move between now and Opening Day.  Technically such a move might've already happened if India or Massey end up playing some left field, but that still leaves room for improvement, in my view
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