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Mark P
9:14
If Jones keeps crushing Triple-A pitching, he'll be in the Bronx before too long.  If an injury arises, that solves any roster crunch, but sure, Grisham is the odd man out if he's struggling at the plate.  

This only turns into a bit of a logjam if both Grisham and Rice are both hitting well, and everyone is healthy.  If Rice was slumping, for instance, Bellinger could be moved to 1B to open up outfield playing time for Jones.
Loveable losers
9:18
What do think the Cubs do to back up 1st base?
Mark P
9:19
Giving Matt Shaw a few looks might not be a bad shout, as he matches nicely as a platoon with Busch.  Or, if not a true regular platoon, he can get some starts at 1B against lefties to spell Busch
Matt
9:20
If Miller has to miss some time should the M's sign another stopgap starter? Bring Hancock/Criswell into the fold? I'm a bit nervous about those last two.
Mark P
9:21
Dunning, Lawrence, and a couple of other SPs with experience are in camp on non-roster deals. The Mariners could also turn in that direction in a pinch, depending on how much time Miller if slated to miss (if any).
9:23
The rotation depth is a bit of a broader concern for the M's all season, yet obtaining another starter is also tricky because such a pitcher would be a clear #6 on their depth chart.  Unless a hole opens up in Seattle's rotation due to a true long-term injury, available pitchers are going to prefer to sign with a team that provides more of a clear-cut avenue to a regular starting role.
Nobody
9:24
Hi.  Thanks for the chat.  On a STL chat forum peoples heads are exploding with Oli's extension.  Is he really that bad a manager or has the lack of talent been the primary problem?
Mark P
9:28
Marmol is hard to evaluate.  Like with any manager, a lot of his work is done behind the scenes, plus he took over the Cardinals during a time when either the team was nearing the end of a competitive cycle, or the player development team was having more issues churning out prospects.

I can't say I've been particularly wowed by Marmol's work as a manager, but the fact that the team stuck by him through the Cards' struggles tells me that the organization trusts him.  It would've been very easy to fire Marmol and make him the scapegoat, but both Mozeliak and now Bloom view him as their choice in the dugout.
9:29
Also, this is just my read from afar on the St. Louis fanbase, but it also seems like the Cards fans give Marmol less leeway because they keep expecting Pujols or Molina to eventually take over as manager.
Orioles Ace
9:30
Could the Os trade for Gavin Williams or Tanner Bibee? They seem to have all the right pieces that Cleveland would need.
Mark P
9:31
Williams is arb-controlled through 2029, and Bibee was signed to an extension through at least 2029.  Seems very unlikely that the Guardians would deal either of them, barring a truly knockout offer from the Orioles that the O's probably aren't willing to make.
Bullpen help
9:34
Despite the Yanks "running it back", one area they've seen a noticeable dip in value is the bullpen. Should Yankees fans be worried about this, given their propensity for finding/creating value in often overlooked arms (Luke Weaver, Nelson Cruz, etc)?
Mark P
9:35
If the Yankees can turn Nelson Cruz into a good reliever, that'll be quite the story.

Having Bednar/Doval for a full season will help the pen.  Plus, if the rotation is relatively healthy, the Yankees will have excess younger arms they could deploy as relievers
Chris Getz
9:37
We are clearly going to draft Roch #1. He’s crushing it right now. Where would he be ranked in the top prospect lists right now? Top 25?
Mark P
9:37
The #1 overall pick usually slots right into the 25-30 range (at least) of the in-season top 100 rankings, so that sounds about right.
Alex
9:38
If Judge and Othani were in the same league in 2025 who would have you chosen for mvp?
Mark P
9:38
If Cal Raleigh is also in this league, he gets my vote
Littel
9:39
Wouldnt I be more sought after than Giolito? What's the knock on me?
Mark P
9:40
Littell allows a lot of homers and doesn't record many strikeouts.  He's got great control and he has been a workhorse since being converted to a starting pitcher, though some teams may still have some worries about his overall durability.  

It may be a case of teams viewing Littell as having a higher floor than Giolito but with a lower ceiling.
Larry
9:41
Breslow wanting Teel back would be sellers' remorse, not buyers' remorse .... right?
Mark P
9:41
Oops, you're correct
Record breaker
9:41
What do you see as the best destination for Tarik Skubal next fall/winter?
Mark P
9:43
I'm not "just" saying Toronto because I'm a Jays fan, but the Jays have a lot of money coming off the books and multiple starters (Gausman, Bieber, Scherzer) all heading into free agency.
Astros27
9:44
Hear me out: Astros sign Littlel to one year deal for a little more certainty in the rotation
Mark P
9:46
Houston has enough pitching that they might be able to run a six-man rotation.  Now, that's a very big if since it relies on everyone staying healthy, and that's hardly a guarantee with the Astros in particular.  

Littell in a hitter-friendly ballpark seems like a risk, though he held his own at Steinbrenner Field and at the Great American Ballpark in 2025
Curly W
9:46
Do you see any method to the Nationals madness this off season?
Mark P
9:47
They're more or less restarting the rebuild, so it's not a shock that they've done little to nothing in adding experienced talent.
9:48
Since it's now March and available free agents might now be getting desperate, I can see the Nats adding a couple of veterans on low-cost guarantees
Time to wrap things up for another week(end).  Thanks for all the questions!
9:49
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