You are viewing the chat in desktop mode. Click here to switch to mobile view.
X
MLBTR Live Chat
powered byJotCast
Mark P
7:03
The Weekend Chat is never late, nor is it early....regardless of daylight savings. We'll take a minute for some questions to file in (or for you to remember to adjust your clocks) before we get underway.
Pirates guy
7:05
Where do you see the pirates rotation falling in the NL Central? Is it the best
Mark P
7:06
A good chunk of the Pirates' rotation is still operating on potential more than proven MLB results, so I think I'll still put the Cubs slightly ahead overall.
Terry Pendeldon
7:07
I am crazy or can the marlins finish 2nd in the east (who knows who finish first) braves are cursed again, mets relying on a lot of young guys, phils 1 big injury. marlins have the bonus of zero pressure
Mark P
7:08
While Miami did finish third in 2025, even matching that this year will be a quality feat.  The Braves and Mets both had Murphy's Law years, and even then, New York will finished ahead of the Fish.
7:09
Not to say that the Marlins couldn't have another solid season, but their lineup has a lot more question marks than any of their big three NL East rivals
Silky Johnson
7:11
Did the Mets overpay for Peralta or did the Orioles underpay for Burnes? Seems like there’s a pretty big disparity in the prospect return
Mark P
7:13
Peralta is earning only $8MM in 2026, while Burnes was earning over $15MM in his final year of team control.  Peralta's salary meant he had a wider field of possible suitors, since he could've fit into any team's payroll.  An argument can be made that Burnes also could've easily fit into payroll for just a one-year commitment, but still, the Brewers probably had a slightly tougher time finding trade partners
Tito
7:14
I have the best rotation in the central and it’s not close
Mark P
7:14
Hunter Greene's elbow issue gives me pause about crowning the Reds' rotation.  But, it's a testament to their depth that even if they did lose Greene for any extended amount of time, their rotation wouldn't be devastated.
Atl
7:15
What move can the Braves make if any now that Profar has been suspended?
Mark P
7:17
Yastrzemski is already there, so the Braves have another quality everyday-ish type of outfielder who can take over left field.  White or Mateo can spell Yaz against left-handed pitching if need be.

Gamel, Azocar, and Dominic Smith are all in camp on minors deals, so the Braves probably feel they have enough position-player depth for now to fairly account for Profar's absence.  (Now that I've jinxed it, watch AA swing a trade in the next ten minutes.)  But since Atlanta now has a good chunk of payroll freed up by Profar's suspension, investing that money into rotation depth might not be a bad idea
Krally
7:18
Should the Reds have traded Greene in the offseason?
Mark P
7:20
This question might have some 20-20 hindsight attached given what happens with Greene's elbow, but I agree with the Reds' decision to hang onto him.

Obviously we don't know what exact offers might've been on the table for Greene, but it would've had to have a major return (or even a clear overpay) for the Reds to move a guy who has looked like a frontline starter when healthy.  Having rotation depth is one thing, but purposely dipping into that depth to account for trading away your #1 is another thing altogether
Garrett
7:21
Zack Littell to the Nationals makes sense for both sides and I'm surprised it didn't happen earlier.
Mark P
7:22
The Nationals have clearly not wanted to spend much money this winter, and were willing to wait out the market to see if they could land a relative bargain.  No word yet on what Littell is making in his new contract, but it's probably not a ton.
Little Texas
7:23
Relief pitcher Alexis Diaz as an example, how much should the Rangers play him in spring training games before knowing if he’s making the cut, 15 innings?
Mark P
7:26
This question varies from pitcher to pitcher and from team to team.  Basically it comes down to any club's roster needs, who else is in camp, what pitchers have or don't have minor league options, what pitchers does a team feel confident they can sneak through waivers, what veterans with outs in their contracts are content to stay put, etc.

In Diaz's case, he signed a guaranteed contract this winter, so he's basically a lock for the Opening Day roster barring injury.
A Royal signing
7:26
Starling Marte is the best hitting OF on KC now.  I understand he will likely mostly DH when Perez is catching, but do you envision him getting played in the OF more often if he is hitting well?
Mark P
7:27
Marte's health is the biggest factor in his outfield time, not how well he's hitting.  If he's doing well at the plate, obviously KC will want to figure out ways to keep him in the lineup, but that also means not over-extending him and perhaps causing an injury.
Art Rock
7:29
Talking Heads or DEVO?
Mark P
7:29
Talking Heads are one of my favorite bands, so they're the easy pick here.  No disrespect to Devo, or even to Devon White
Ed
7:30
Is Stearns the right GM for the Mets? When you have Steve Cohen money to play with and a mandate to win while Juan Soto is in his prime, who cares if you’re comfortable giving Peralta 7 or 8 years? Just do it. It’s not the Brewers. Even if the signing doesn’t work out, it’ll hardly cripple the franchise.
Mark P
7:33
Cohen pursued Stearns for years before hiring him, so I doubt Cohen is suddenly shocked by how Stearns approaches transactions, or isn't willing to give his PBO carte blanche in making decisions.

The Mets are no different than any other front office in that they'd "prefer" to not make any long-term signings.  It's not an absolute rule for the Mets (as we've seen with situations like the Juan Soto deal) so if Stearns is willing to go longer-term for a pitcher he knows well, a longer deal might happen.
It's also worth noting that Peralta may just be aiming high with a 7-8 year ask.  A year away from free agency, he might want a deal like that to keep him off the market.
Royals
7:34
Jac Caglianone is ths best hitting OF in KC
Mark P
7:34
He is a fine prospect, but there is so far zero evidence he can be productive at the MLB level.  Can't anoint him the best without any results.
That guy
7:35
Do you see Skubal signing before or after the CBA deadline?
Mark P
7:36
My hunch is slightly before.  Only a limited number of teams will be able to meet his sky-high asking price, and those teams preparing to bid on Skubal will make him their chief priority.
Red Sox
7:39
Any chance Masataka Yoshida can boost his trade value at the WBC? He doesn’t fit on the Red Sox bench
Mark P
7:40
A big showing in the WBC won't make teams forget Yoshida's first few big league seasons, nor will it reduce his remaining salary
Sodo Mojo
7:41
Wouldn’t AZ have gotten a bigger return for Marte if the dealt him this winter instead of (maybe) at the deadline?
Mark P
7:42
Marte's contract runs through 2031, so it probably wouldn't have made a ton of difference in his market.  If the D'Backs are thoroughly out of the race at the deadline and start selling, they'll consider Marte offers, but a trade is probably still unlikely unless they can get something that helps them quickly reload for 2027.
Ross Detweiler
7:42
Please give me hope that the Guardians won’t have a bottom 3 offense again this year
Mark P
7:44
If even one of the younger guys break out, that one bat and J-Ram's usual work might be enough for Cleveland to escape the bottom three?

Seems like the umpteenth time I've written this, but it still amazes me that the Guardians didn't get any kind of offensive help
King Felix
7:44
I know my later years hurt my HOF chances. But without them, they’d say I didn’t play long enough. I have 8 more tries. What are my odds?
Mark P
7:45
Hernandez is almost surely getting in.  His vote total already jumped from 20 percent to over 46% in his first two years on the ballot, so it's easy project more support growing to get him above the 75% threshold
RAGBRAI
7:46
Does Crews get optioned? He is having a terrible ST!
Mark P
7:48
This would be a bold move for the Nats, though sending Crews down to Triple-A at some point might be necessary if he can't get on track.  It's worth noting that Crews doesn't have a lot of upper-minors seasoning (71 games at Double-A, 62 at Triple-A) and he had only okay numbers at both levels, not dominant numbers.
7:49
Since the Nats are in rebuild mode anyway, just keeping Crews in Washington to let him adjust to big league pitching makes sense.  But, his development won't be helped by continual struggles, so a brief demotion just for confidence or tune-up purposes isn't out of the question
Load More Messages
Connecting…