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Mark P
8:59
Agreed!
Bay Area fan
8:59
Don’t know too much about it, but I heard rumblings of the A’s having trademark troubles going to Vegas. Should they just abandon their name and start fresh going into their new city like the Expos did?
Mark P
9:00
I admittedly haven't been paying much attention to this story about the name trademark.  But for tradition's sake, I'd like to see the A's keep the name.  The "Athletics" brand is the only thing linking the franchise's long history from Philly to KC to Oakland to Sacramento to Vegas.
J2A
9:01
Out of Pages, Hererra, Crooks, and pozo who is the primary catcher and who DH’s?
Mark P
9:03
Herrera will catch as much as he can based on health and defensive capability, since he has a lot more value behind the plate than as a pure DH (even if he swings the bat well in any role).

Pages will probably be the primary backstop until the Cardinals have a better gauge on Herrera's situation, and the team will go from there.  For some of the talk about the Cardinals trading from this on-paper surplus, that depth suddenly dries up quickly if Herrera can't really catch
Loveable losers
9:04
How worrisome is it that the Cubs need to re-up with at Nico, Seiya, Happ, Steele, Boyd, and Taillon
Mark P
9:06
This is by design, since it feels like the Cubs are preparing for some changes to baseball's business structure in a new CBA.  How widespread these changes are remains to be seen, and of course there's still a still a month of the 2026-27 offseason that will happen before the current CBA actually expires.

Steele, btw, is a free agent after 2027.  The rest of the group are free agents after 2026.
Lou Whitaker's HOF resume
9:08
What, exactly, is missing?
Mark P
9:09
Your guess is as good as mine, since if I had my way, Whitaker would've been in Cooperstown years ago.
Jake Jortles
9:09
Assuming their average seasons (and that a QO is still a thing), does Toronto QO Bieber and Varsho?
Mark P
9:11
Yeah.  Maybe some slight hesitation over Varsho since his "average season" is below average in terms of wRC+.  But overall, it's a pretty safe call to think the Jays give a QO to a power-hitting center fielder with a superb glove
Zach
9:12
Where do you think Skubal will sign if not extended and is a free agent?
Mark P
9:13
The Dodgers are the obvious answer.  Having a rotation of Skubal/Yamamoto/Ohtani/Glasnow/Snell with Sasaki and all of the many younger guys as depth options sounds absurd, but this is the Dodgers we're talking about.

Beyond LA, it'll be the usual suspects of the Mets, Blue Jays, Phillies, and other big spenders who can afford the gigantic number Boras and Skubal will be asking for
Jill
9:14
Will Cleveland make any more moves?
Mark P
9:15
MORE moves?  Hey come on now, you want more than Hoskins AND Austin Hedges?!
Jack Lazorko
9:17
Do you think the loss of their local TV contract has caused the Angels to cut payroll?   I'm not optimistic about this season at all.   The roster looks thin and poorly constructed.
Mark P
9:19
It's a factor, but it feels like Moreno in his own way is trying to have a quiet rebuild without really calling it as much.  Or, you know, going about a rebuild in the normal way of tearing down a roster and focusing solely on young talent.
Brewerfan
9:20
Did I miss it or did you guys not report Pat Murphy's extension?
Mark P
Chris M
9:21
Why do you suppose it was so hard for the Royals to find a trade partner for their pitching depth? Like selling high on Noah Cameran
Mark P
9:22
KC might've been asking for too much in return, or other teams were offering too little.  Even for teams with an apparent pitching surplus like the Royals, it's tricky to line up on trades since teams are so loath to give up pitching
Brian
9:23
Do you think any of the Mets' moves were rage spending after missing out on other players?
Mark P
9:24
Stearns is a measured guy. He isn't operating out of spite.
Guest
9:25
After considering the injury history, does Luis Robert have anything to offer the Mets?
Mark P
9:26
Assuming he stays healthy, Robert is (at minimum) a good defensive center fielder who hits left-handed pitching well.  That's a useful player to have on the roster, even if it remains to be seen if he can recapture any of his past stardom
MoonBeamMcSwine
9:26
Can you provide a comment regarding "the Big Rig", Gavin Williams.. could he challenge for league ace status & Cy votes during the 2026 season?
Mark P
9:27
Some back-end Cy votes certainly seem possible.  Williams had a nice breakout last year and might be the latest frontline arm from the Cleveland pitching factory.
CY
9:28
Shouldn't I have sold them off instead adding Gore to the aging and injury prone DeGrom and Eovaldi?
Mark P
9:29
DeGrom and Eovaldi both have no-trade clauses, so they'd have to approve any deal anyway.  And, their ages and salaries and injuries are also obstacles to finding an acceptable return in a trade, though either would've certainly drawn interest if the Rangers had really shopped them
9:30
The bottom line here is that the Rangers are still trying to compete in 2026, albeit within payroll restrictions.  Trying to thread the needle by moving DeGrom or Eovaldi for salary relief and some win-now return and then still (either in the same transaction or in others) filling those new holes at the top of the rotation is mighty difficult.
Kurtz on 1st
9:31
Who’s closing games for my A’s?
Mark P
9:32
It'll apparently be a committee, though plans can change if one guy really stands out in a closing role.  Hogan Harris is probably (big if) the top closer choice at the moment, if the A's do give one member of the committee a larger share of the save chances.
Pablo Lopez
9:34
Now that my season is over, what do the Twins do about the rotation? I’m not sure that Giolito or Littell move the needle much…
Mark P
9:35
Littell is probably the better fit since he'll be less expensive. Since I was pessimistic about Minnesota's chances even with Lopez healthy, losing him for the season seems like it should already get the front office thinking about another deadline selloff
AJ Preller
9:37
Are the Padres done dealing ?
Mark P
9:37
Based purely on vibes, I feel like Prelller has one more notable addition still to come before Opening Day.
Dark 🐎
9:39
Which team has been the most surprising to go on a run that wasn't on anyone's radar throughout the season? Maybe 2006 Cards?
Mark P
9:39
Exactly nobody thought the 2023 World Series was going to wind up as Rangers vs. Diamondbacks, and yet...
Dark 🐎
9:41
Best under the radar off-season signing?
Mark P
9:42
Since I hyped him for months as a great darkhorse signing, Luis Rengifo going to the Brewers gives me a lot of hope that he's in for a very good year.  Milwaukee excels are under-the-radar adds, so the fact that they're in on Rengifo says something.
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