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Mark P
8:18
Welcome to the Weekend Chat! We'll start up once a few questions start piling into the queue...
Pirates 2026 World Series Champions
8:20
Pirates are 3-0 in spring training. Are they the greatest team of all time??
Mark P
8:21
Yes. The next CBA will be built around how to level the competitive balance so powerhouse teams like Pittsburgh can be held in check.
Jason
8:21
What do you see with #4 and #5 starter for Braves.
Mark P
8:23
It'll be Holmes and I guess Elder as the fifth for now?  Holmes I think can deliver a decent season but there's a lot less confidence in Elder.  Martin Perez isn't a bad placeholder for the fifth spot, or maybe the Braves can use multiple pitchers to patch things up until (or if?) the injured guys are back.

Or, maybe the easiest solution is that Atlanta just signs a starter
Royals Fan
8:23
Local sports radio saying anything short of the playoffs for the Royals would be a disappointment.  I am not seeing it based on the lack of offseason movement.  Thoughts?
Mark P
8:24
The Tigers are the favorites in the ALC but I wouldn't be shocked if the Royals won the division.  That might be an easier path to the playoffs than a wild card, since there are lots of good teams battling for those extra AL slots.

The Royals have a good roster on paper, but I wish they'd gone bigger with their outfield upgrades.
Guards Fan
8:25
How much does Rhys Hoskins move the needle for the Guardians offense?
Mark P
8:28
Speaking of teams that should've done more to help their lineup.....

Hoskins has been decent over the last two years, with the caveats of injury rust and his thumb sprain perhaps preventing him from achieving greater heights.  Cleveland's not really asking him to be anything more than a platoon bat provided that Manzardo and Kayfus hit as expected, though even as a platoon specialist, Hoskins isn't exactly a lefty-masher.

In short, don't expect the Phillies version of Hoskins to suddenly re-emerge in 2026.  He's a logical signing for the Guardians but probably not a difference-maker for a lineup that really needs it
Is a 102 ops+
8:28
Really that much better than a 98 ops +
Mark P
8:29
/Nigel Tufnel voice

Yeah, it's four better.
Lloyd Dobbins
8:29
Suppose the Braves flop and miss the playoffs again in 2026. Does Alex Anthopoulus's seat start to get warm?
Mark P
8:30
Not likely.  AA is under contract through 2031, and his track record with the team is strong enough to withstand even two rough seasons.
Campbell Soup
8:32
Do you think teams around the league have asked the Sox about Kristian Campbell?  Or is the long-term agreement something that would turn teams off / be unwilling to send something of value?
Mark P
8:33
The Sox surely haven't given up on Campbell less than a year after making such a big financial commitment.  I'm sure some teams have made some creative offers, though you're right in that Campbell's extension kind of blocks out any "buy low" offers.
Marky Mark
8:34
Hey Mark, why not continue the trafition...what's on the Playlist tonight??
Mark P
8:34
"Victim of Luck" by Metric
nick krall
8:35
i usually talk about the reds but what do you think about danny coulombe to the red sox? perfect fit in that bullpen and they are in need of LH relievers.
Mark P
8:36
It'd be a good fit, sure.  Frankly, I'm not sure why Coulombe hasn't been signed yet, unless teams were scared off his age and his poor numbers after the deadline.
Ao
8:38
Jesus made debut this year?
Mark P
8:39
He doesn't turn 19 until May, though he has already gotten a handful of Double-A games under his belt.  If he just crushes it in Double-A and Triple-A, I could see Milwaukee maybe giving him a cup of coffee in September, but a 2027 debut is probably likelier.  The PPI will factor into the Brewers' decision, assuming that the PPI will continue to exist in some form in the next CBA
Joe
8:40
Surprised that the best that Hoskins could get was a minor league deal from Cleveland, why the lack of interest from teams that still need help at first base?
Mark P
8:41
Teams like the Nationals, Rockies, etc. aren't trying to win in 2026.  Could be that Hoskins preferred a minors deal with a contender rather than a guaranteed deal with a worse team, plus there's a strong chance Hoskins makes the Guardians' opening roster
Astros71
8:41
Christian Walker bounce-back!!!
Mark P
8:42
That would be a huge help to Houston's chances.  I love that signing for the Astros last winter, so I was as surprised as anyone that Walker struggled so mightily.  It's possible he needed a year to adjust, but it would be rough for the team if Walker suddenly hit a wall in his mid-30's
Slick Ric
8:43
Top to bottom, can you think of a pitching staff that is worse than Washington's?
Mark P
8:44
The 2025 Rockies had the worst rotation ERA in baseball history, so there's that.  But Washington's current rotation is indeed looking rough
Guest
8:44
Will the dodgers hold up health wise? Where do u see a potential problem area
Mark P
8:46
If they lost one of their real tentpole players (Ohtani, Betts, Smith, Freeman, Tucker), that's a big problem.  I'd say that a bunch of pitching injuries would also be a problem, but the Dodgers have such absurd pitching depth that they've been crushed by injuries to their arms in the last two years and still have two rings to show for it
PJ
8:48
What is your take on what the Astros do with Paredes? 2B? Trade? They cant possibly bench him right?
Mark P
8:48
The situation will resolve itself as soon as one of the Astros' infielders gets hurt, which will inevitably happen.  I can also see Houston using Altuve in LF a little more than they're letting on.
NL East
8:48
Mets or Phils. Which is the better team?
Mark P
8:49
Who has the better record in 2026?
Mets (40.3% | 378 votes)
 
Phillies (59.7% | 560 votes)
 
Total Votes: 938
Brewers
8:50
good job on the brewers write up. you mention saves increase arbitration costs, does the fireman role make Megill more, less, or no difference in how likely they trade him in 26?
Mark P
8:52
Having saves on his resume means that Megill will still get a decent raise next winter if he's this year's closer or not.  The Brewers might also be playing the long game in trying to limit Uribe's save totals, in order to prevent him from having too large a first-time price tag once he becomes arb-eligible.

All of this is next to the more obvious point that the Brewers are trying to win ballgames.  However Megill or Uribe are utilized this season, Megill probably isn't being dealt until next winter, since the Crew usually move guys when they're a year away from free agency (not two, as Megill is now)
Mike Elias
8:53
Do I trade Colby Mayo or keep him, since the Orioles have injuries?
Mark P
8:54
The Westburg/Holliday injuries probably close the door on a Mayo trade for now, given how Baltimore is suddenly short-handed in the infield
Baseball Savant
8:54
Jeff Passan thinks the history of the last time baseball was locked out will convince owners and players to compromise so that next season won't be lost. Do you think a salary minimum is a legitimate bargaining point from the MLBPA perspective when combined with a mild version of a salary cap? The teams that spend the least make quite a bit of money because they get the taxpayers' money. I don't like the idea of a salary cap because it will limit teams like the Yankees, Dodgers, Cubs, etc. from making the game exciting by creating great teams on paper. There is enough history to know that WS aren't won on paper.
Mark P
8:58
The MLBPA will resist a salary cap in any form.  What's interesting about a cap is that it has to have a salary floor as well, which (if I recall the NFL/NBA/NHL versions) is something like 90% of the cap high.

If you're referring to the same Passan column I'm thinking of, Jeff made the point that a salary floor will lead to a lot of consternation amongst owners.  Hypothetically, if a cap is something like $200MM, then an $180MM minimum spend isn't something the Pirates, Guardians, A's, Marlins, etc. are going to want to do.

So it creates a bit of a catch-22 situation for all parties.  Plus there's also the fact that teams would have to give the MLBPA full access to their books in order to accurately gauge a cap or floor based on league revenues, and teams don't want to do that
Guest
8:58
Baseball is still the greatest game!
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