You are viewing the chat in desktop mode. Click here to switch to mobile view.
X
MLBTR Live Chat
powered byJotCast
Mark P
10:01
It's a somewhat late-night edition of the MLBTR chat, at least in my time zone. Still, it's never too late to talk some baseball! Let's open up the question box....
Padres
10:03
German Marquez?  Really?  Are they really that cash strapped to dive this deep into the dumpster?
Mark P
10:04
Marquez is still relatively young, just a few days away from his 31st birthday.  The Padres have seen plenty of Marquez after facing him for so many years in the NL West, and might very well see some untapped potential now that Marquez is out of Colorado.

For a low-cost flier, it's a decent enough risk for a team that needs rotation depth.
Sean
10:05
Lars Nootbaar makes too much sense for at least a half dozen competitors. Is a May trade a legit possibility once health is proven?
Mark P
10:06
Probably closer to the trade deadline, just so the Cards have more time to gauge offers.  An earlier trade wouldn't be out of the question since Nootbaar has had some suitors in the past, so STL might have some idea of what certain teams are willing to give up in return
Tim L
10:07
Given there’s some questions on the back end of the Giants rotation and Scherzer is there waiting for an opportunity, is that a situation where there needs to be an injury first or he signs regardless?
Mark P
10:09
Scherzer and Vitello's close friendship has made the Giants a popular speculative choice as Mad Max's next team, yet there haven't really been any actual reports linking the two.  It could be that Scherzer would prefer to play for a more clear-cut contender, i.e. a return to Toronto.

Scherzer has said he's willing to wait until after Opening Day to sign.  That might give him more time to access his options, and perhaps wait and see if an injury or two creates more of a market for him.
Keith
10:09
AA absolutely has to do something now with the Waldrep injury right......right
Mark P
10:10
For instance, one might wonder if Scherzer could be an option for the Braves now that Waldrep and Schwellenbach are both out.
Sox Fan
10:10
Do the White Sox have under 100 losses this season?
Mark P
10:10
Will the White Sox lose fewer than 100 games in 2026?
Yes (73.5% | 701 votes)
 
No (26.5% | 253 votes)
 
Total Votes: 954
Oops all RH 1Bs
10:12
Given the reporting earlier, is there an actual market for Os 1Bs Mountcastle or Mayo?
Mark P
10:13
The Marlins and Rangers stand out as a couple of teams that could use help at either CI position, though who knows if they've had any real talks about either Baltimore player.  Mountcastle's market is pretty limited but there is likely still a good deal of interest in Mayo
Rossy Atkinz
10:14
Is running 162 games with a middle infield of Gimenez and Clement a mistake?
Mark P
10:16
From a defensive standpoint, not at all.  From a hitting standpoint, definitely.  Clement's great playoff run (and even Gimenez's multiple clutch hits in October) shouldn't overshadow their subpar offensive numbers during the season.

Davis Schneider will be chipping in at 2B as well, but the Jays are really rolling the dice here on their middle infield plan
Ryan mountcastle
10:16
How am I still on the team?
Mark P
10:17
Feels like the O's were caught between a rock and a hard place.  They felt Mountcastle was too good to just non-tender (given how injuries might've been the key factor in his 2025 slump), yet he is also not good enough to trade for what they'd deem to be a decent return
Keeping Mountcastle also gave the Orioles some cover in case they didn't make a big move at first base, but once Alonso signed, Mounty became even more expendable
Brad
10:18
How many more seasons without the Phillies winning a World Series until trading Bryce Harper suddenly makes sense for both sides?
Mark P
10:19
Harper has a no-trade clause, so the ball would be in his court on this subject.

And blaming Harper for the Phillies' lack of a championship is a wild take
Matt D
10:21
Much like TB, the Brewers tend to win most of their trades. What needs to happen in order for Milwaukee to ‘win’ the Durbin trade? I was very surprised to see Milwaukee give up on Durbin so soon for unproven prospects and a utility IF.
Mark P
10:22
The deal also struck me as surprising, but it could be that the Brewers see Hamilton (and new signing Luis Rengifo) as being able to replicate much of what Durbin brought to the table
Long time first time
10:23
Currently sat in the hospital appreciating the fact I've got a chat to read.  So thank you and all the guys who do these weekly. Very enjoyable.
Mark P
10:23
Our pleasure.  Get well soon!
Piratus maximus
10:25
Are Suarez and Lowe enough offensive upgrade for the reds to win the Central?
Mark P
10:26
Kinda confused by this question since Suarez signed with Cincinnati and Lowe was dealt to Pittsburgh.

I still favor the Cubs and Brewers over either CIN/PIT in the NL Central race, but the other two should at least be in wild card contention, and will make things interesting in the division
Chris
10:26
Is Griffin Canning a sneaky good move from the padres?
Mark P
10:27
I think so.  The Padres generally do a good job at helping pitchers find new levels of performance, so I wouldn't be shocked if Canning has a solid season (if healthy)
Eric G.
10:27
I assume the Reds question was about Nathaniel Lowe - which is odd considering he's just on a minors deal at the moment.
Mark P
10:29
It's a sign of how forgettable Nate Lowe's season was that I'd already blanked on him signing with the Reds, oops.

I doubt Lowe will be a needle-mover for the Reds, though stranger things have happened.  Maybe getting back into a winning environment will help him regain his old Rangers form.
Mike
10:30
Do you see Atlanta adding to it's rotation.
Mark P
10:31
It may depend on what happens with Waldrep's visit to Dr. Meister, but I thought the Braves should've gotten another starter even before the Waldrep news broke.  Feels like they could use another back-end starter type to soak up innings.
Cool Mama Bell
10:31
Bees?
Mark P
10:31
Beads?!
Cleveland
10:31
Thoughts on Chase Delauter?
Mark P
10:33
Very promising young player, but if I'm the Guardians, I go out and get a veteran OF rather than putting extra pressure on DeLauter to be good right away
DeLauter doesn't have a ton of Triple-A experience, and while he has hit well in the minors, some more seasoning might be needed before he's ready for the Show
jeff
10:34
I can't see MLB getting a salary cap but do you think that they can eliminate deferred contracts in the next agreement?
Mark P
10:35
Some kind of limit on deferred money seems reasonable.  The MLBPA will resist since they (rightly) will view it as a way of curbing spending, but in lieu of an actual salary cap, addressing deferrals could be seen as a bit of compromise.
Chaim Bloomin’ Onion
10:36
If there’s one thing I’ve never understood, it’s the way new GMs will put certain players lower on their charts because he’s not “his guy”, he was the previous regime’s guy. You understand what I mean? The Granillo thing felt like that, he wasn’t “Chaim’s guy” so maybe he was more expendable to him than Mo. We’ve seen Bendix do it a few times too. I’m sure there’s tons of behind the scenes to it, but from a fans perspective I’ve always thought that was odd.
Load More Messages
Connecting…