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Ian
9:43
Who wins the AL West this year?
Mark P
9:44
Seattle is the clear favorite. Astros/Rangers/A's should all be competitive, with the A's a tier below the Texas clubs since I don't trust the Athletics' rotation.

As for the Angels, well....uh, it's an affordable experience at your ballpark?
9:46
Anecdote about the Anaheim ballpark experience!

My parents were vacationing in California years ago (maybe around 2011?), and on a night when their tour group was doing something they weren't interested in, my folks decided to randomly just take in an Angels game.  They remembered nothing about the game itself, but said the ballpark was nice, and there was a pregame promotion where two Angels players squared off in a cow-milking contest.
Rick Rude
9:46
Was the Twins FO delusional to think they could be competitive this season (at least before Lopez injury)? Do you think Buxton may eventually agree to a trade?
Mark P
9:48
Buxton's irritated comments the other day were perhaps some indication that he is rethinking his decision to stick it out in Minnesota.  That said, I'd still put a Buxton trade at at least 95% unlikely.
Ebenezer_Batflip
9:49
2013 red sox had no business being that good
Surprise
9:50
The 2019 World Champion Washington Nationals.
Mark P
9:50
If we're looking even more recently, the Blue Jays were terrible in 2024 before winning the pennant last year.
Don Zimmer
9:51
Have the Cubs done enough? Asking for a friend.
Mark P
9:52
Chicago should reach the postseason at the very least.  Given how the Brewers took a step back on paper, winning the NL Central is certainly within the Cubs' reach.
Tom
9:54
I thought JoJo Romero would have been traded by now?
Mark P
9:54
Same here. Could easily still happen before Spring Training is over.
Yu
9:54
Is there any chance Murakami traded this year or next year?
Mark P
9:55
Unlikely.  It probably wouldn't be great for the White Sox reputation-wise if they branched out for this notable international signing, Murakami plays well, and the Sox immediately dealt him as part of the rebuild.
Brian
9:56
Will the Phillies decline this year after losing Ranger and the star players getting another year older?
Mark P
10:00
As per that survey from earlier, roughly 60% of Weekend Chat participants feel Philadelphia will still be better than the Mets, fwiw

What's interesting about Philly is that technically, they keep getting better. They've increased their win total in each of the last full (not counting 2020) MLB seasons.  The success just hasn't paid off with a championship yet, and the playoff results have stalled out since their pennant in 2022.

Phils fans could care less about regular-season wins, of course, since it's title or bust.  There is some fear of the Phillies regressing due to the roster's overall age, but the idea is that Crawford can give the lineup a jolt in the arm.  It also seems like not having Castellanos will help the team both on and off the field, so Adolis' contributions will be welcomed.
Dan
10:00
Brewers didnt take a step back. This is right where all the beat writers had them last year toom.
Mark P
10:01
Ah, that's why I said "on paper"
Milwaukee just keeps figuring out ways to win, no matter how many stars they trade
Nick2112
10:03
What do you think of the job bloom is doing in the Lou ?
Mark P
10:05
Too early to tell, naturally.  Felt like Bloom has been going for quantity of prospects over quality, with the Cards also eating a good deal of money to ensure that they have gotten some quality in return.

It'll be years before we can gauge Bloom's work properly, since so much of it depends on how the team drafts and develops, as well as future bigger-ticket moves like trades or signings.
Zakis
10:06
You spoke of Buxton having irritated comments earlier.  What exactly are you talking about?
Mark P
ROYALS
10:07
If think people are really underestimating just how much of an upgrade the Royals OF will be this year.  They were SOOOOOOOOOO bad last year.  You could put a swarm of bees out there and it'd be an upgrade.
Mark P
10:08
This a fair point.  Collins/Thomas don't need to be world-beaters to top the dismal numbers posted by the 2025 Royals outfield (apart from Yaz).

The issue is that Thomas is also coming off a dreadful 2025, and Collins had a promising rookie season but is far from a sure thing.  My preferred Royals offseason would've been Collins, and then a proven OF bat rather than Thomas.
10:10
There's also the Jac factor (or the Jac-tor, if you will), of hoping Caglianone will be markedly better.  It would be hard for him to be worse than his rookie year, yet counting on him to improve is a risk for a Royals team trying to win
Basket ball GEEK
10:11
Marlins may surprise people if the kids hit and pitching staff stays reasonably healthy…may give the Braves a run at least…also, Phillies pitching is suspect until Wheeler returns and pitches…. What do you think?
Mark P
10:13
The Marlins are one of the more interesting teams to watch in 2026.  Trading two starters doesn't seem like the usual tactic for a team that truly plans on making a playoff push, but it's still ultimately a building year.  Getting to a .500 record doesn't seem out of the question for Miami, though I think it'll take (another) perfect storm of struggling rival teams for the Marlins to get close to the playoffs.
10:14
The Phillies are a team I'd consider as contenders for Giolito or Littell.  This moves Walker to the pen and adds some depth until Wheeler is ready, or if Painter isn't ready for the Show
German Marquez
10:16
Am I a dark horse candidate for Improved Player of the Year in San Diego?
Mark P
10:17
Stranger things have happened.  Ruben Niebla has worked some wonders in the past, but this would be his masterpiece.
Wally
10:17
Red sox #5 starter is?
Mark P
10:18
Likely Oviedo
I'm not entirely ruling out a Bello trade, which opens the door for one of Early/Tolle
Blake
10:19
Does Paredes to the Orioles make sense?
Mark P
10:20
For the moment, but Paredes would be going from one crowded infield to another once Westburg and Holliday returned.
10:21
We've passed the two-hour mark, so it's time to call it a night.  Thanks for all your questions, and more chatting will commence next weekend!
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