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Mark P
9:29
Trade seems much more like Tampa's style
JRam
9:30
I don't really have a question but I think that with the events of this year's off season baseball should celebrate one of the few non-mercenaries in the sport who stayed with his team because he understood that he can live off of a couple hundred million dollars. Probably the last player to ever do it.
Mark P
9:31
I don't blame any player for trying to maximize their earning potential, nor do I blame Ramirez for being content in Cleveland and being okay with a below-market deal.

I do have to put some blame towards Guardians ownership for having this rare scenario of a superstar-level player on a relative bargain deal, yet still not being particularly aggressive in trying to win during Ramirez's prime
Hami
9:32
Id the Trop going to be ready for the Rays to play in or are they playing at Steinbrenner field again?
Mark P
9:32
The Trop is on track to be ready for Opening Day
Phillies offseason
9:33
So in other words, the Phillies off-season has not been elite?
Mark P
9:34
"Ah ha ha!" --- Family Guy ostrich voice
Mark S
9:35
Noise and impatient fan bases aside when it comes to offseason moves, what is your current power ranking in the NL East and how close/similar are the top teams to each other?
Mark P
9:36
Phillies are the clear #1 and Nationals are the clear #5. In between I'd go Braves, Mets, Marlins in that order, for now.
Tim
9:36
Has anyone thanked the Dodgers for the lockout that will wipe out the 2027 season?
Mark P
9:36
A lockout was always happening no matter who'd won the last two World Series
George Brett
9:37
What’s up with Jac Caglione? Kid was as highly regarded as they come last year and now he may not even make the opening day roster?
Mark P
9:40
He just wasn't ready for the majors.  While he was crushing minor league pitching, Caglianone clearly didn't have enough seasoning yet to adjust to the Show.  Doesn't mean he can't or won't be very good in the future, but counting on him even for 2026 is a risk for the Royals.

This is where KC's failure to upgrade their outfield last offseason cost them.  If they'd brought in at least one good OF last winter, perhaps the Royals don't feel as much urgency to promote Caglianone so soon.
Scoots McGoots
9:41
Why do you think Bassitt hasn’t signed yet?
Mark P
9:42
The offers probably aren't there yet, for whatever reason.  Maybe he's not getting anything beyond a one-year guarantee due to his age, or teams are waiting until later in the offseason to bump up their offers if Bassitt is widely viewed as sort of a backup plan rotation option.

Speculatively, maybe he's even waiting to see if the Jays can step up with a late offer, even if fitting him into the 2026 rotation seems tricky.
Bill
9:43
I know Hazen said he's not trading Marte - but hasn't Marte's trade market changed in the past week? For instance, why not Duran to NYM, Bello, Baty, Sproat to AZ, and Marte back to Boston? That seems a possibility now that NYM acquired Bichette.
Mark P
9:45
As I noted in the Marte post yesterday, Hazen isn't hanging up the phone if a team emerges with a truly lopsided offer.  But barring such a Godfather offer (and Bello/Baty/Sproat isn't it), Marte's not going anywhere.
Trading Draft Picks
9:47
Why is it the MLB does not allow you to trade draft picks when all of the other sports do? In the NHL you are also a few years away as a prospect so why doesn't MLB let you trade draft picks?
Mark P
9:48
I've been beating this drum for years.  You probably would only rarely see top picks actually traded, but it would happen just enough to make the MLB draft a lot spicier.

The league is always looking for ways to make the MLB draft more of an event, while overlooking the simple answer of traded picks.
Bendix
9:48
On a scale of 1-10 how much do you believe in Marlins youth this upcoming season?
Mark P
9:49
I think Miami is going to be pretty decent.  While I did pick them for fourth in the NL East a few posts up, another third-place finish wouldn't shock me.
And a winning record is definitely possible.
Rookies
9:50
Are the Phillies taking too big a risk turning center field over to the rookie Crawford when the aging roster has only so many chances left?
Mark P
9:51
Guys like Kemp, Rojas, and Wilson are still around for OF depth purposes, so Marsh could be moved back into center field if Crawford struggles.  It is a risk on the Phillies' part, but they're high on Crawford, and he's looked awfully good in the minors
Your Name
9:52
Seen some Cardinals fans hoping for Marcelo Mayer as part of a Brendan Donovan return. Unrealistic, no?
Mark P
9:52
Very
Garr
9:53
Luis Robert to KC? They need to upgrade in CF
Mark P
9:54
Intra-division trade, so that's one obstacle right there.

The issue with Robert is that the White Sox still want to get a noteworthy return for him, while rival teams are understandably wary about giving him too much for a guy who has struggled for the last two years.  And, Robert's salary would be an issue for a mid-level spender like KC
Guest
9:55
Is Cody Bellinger actually good?
Mark P
9:56
Sure, he's a very good player.  The problem is that Boras is looking for a contract befitting the Dodgers MVP version of Bellinger, and that guy doesn't appear to be coming back.
OZ
9:58
The passing of Wilbur Wood and a glance at his out-of-this-world stats from 1971-1975 should convince some team to try to develop knuckleballers, especially with the rash of Tommy John injuries affecting practically every organization.
Mark P
9:58
In fairness, Wood was an anomaly even by knuckleballer standards.  And while it would be cool to see more knucklers in the modern game, it's also a very difficult pitch to learn, let alone master.
Buster
9:59
Giants pull a surprise and out of the blue sign Cody B. 6 years at $30. Pipe dream?
Mark P
10:00
He'd be a great boost to a questionable Giants outfield, but it's unclear if SF is willing to go to those spending lengths (on anyone, let alone Cody)
SouthJerseySteve
10:02
Nick Castellanos (1/$20M) for Tanner Scott (3/$50M). Who says no?
Mark P
10:02
In just a pure salary dump for LA?  I don't think the Dodgers are ready to just give up on Scott entirely, nor are in any need to pare salary
Cutch
10:04
I still want to finish my career as a Pirate. Am I not worthy anymore?
Mark P
10:05
It's tricky because Cutch is such a legend and so beloved in Pittsburgh.  But in terms of what a player can produce in 2026 or how much playing time he should get, it's tough to argue apart from pure sentiment that McCutchen should be part of a team serious about winning
Blue
10:05
Feels like Padres are in a good spot to try and move Cronenworth with Hoerner/Marte both seeming unlikely to move
Mark P
10:06
Cronenworth's contract is a huge negative in trade talks.  Hoerner is just for one year and Marte is a superstar, so they both have way more trade value.
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