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Mark P
5:39
The Oscars red carpet has nothing on the pageantry of the Weekend Chat. We'll take a moment for the photographers to get in position, then get to the questions....
JeffyM
5:42
do you think MLB players will be in the Olympics?  Will that be part of CBA negotiations or separate?
Mark P
5:43
It has to be addressed in the CBA since it would naturally involve an adjustment to the 2028 season's structure.  Presumable the All-Star break would be elongated and the ASG maybe skipped altogether.
Ted Turner
5:43
Will I acquire another bat like Wilyer Abreu or another SP before opening day? Is Bello still available?
Mark P
5:44
I'm assuming this question related to the Braves, even though it's been an awfully long time since Turner owned the team.

Abreu doesn't appear to be going anywhere.  Adding another pitcher seems like a lot more of a priority than an outfielder since Yaz can at least hold the fort.
2005triumph
5:46
Chances of White Sox being buyers at the trade deadline?
Mark P
5:46
Quite low. While the Sox will be better in 2026 than in 2025, I don't expect them to be in contention.
Ben in Pittsburgh
5:47
Is Triolo really going to be the starting 3B in Pittsburgh? His defense is great, but three months of hitting shouldn't have won him a job when his track record suggests far less.
Mark P
5:49
Nothing wrong with devoting one position over to a premium defender, as long as the rest of the lineup has enough bats to make up for it.  The issue is whether the Pirates truly added enough hitting this winter to get away with having Triolo in there on an everyday-ish basis.

Ideally, the Pirates probably would've preferred to get another third baseman and used Triolo in a super-sub role.  But hey, maybe Triolo has a breakout in him at the plate.  And, his glove is good enough that if that "breakout" if even just in the 100 or 101 wRC+ range, that bat in combo with his glove makes for a fine everyday player
Allen
5:51
Birdsong is done for the next year+
Mark P
5:51
In all likelihood, yeah.  Brutal turn of events for him and the Giants
Bay Area
5:52
Does posey go out and get more depth after losing Hayden?
Mark P
5:54
It's possible, if another interesting name emerges when teams start making their late-camp cuts.  The issue might be that San Francisco already has a starting five in place, so a new signing would have be cool with being a pure depth starter.  A pitcher who has options might prefer signing somewhere with more of a real shot (barring injury) of working his way into a starting job
Dave
5:55
Is there any scenario where a team loses a pitcher for the season and is like “Oh, no! We have no choice but to offer Lucas Giolito a big multi-year deal!” I don’t have a problem with him shooting his shot. But it’s mid-March and I’m not sure what he realistically thinks is going to happen now.
Mark P
5:56
By this point, I doubt Giolito is holding out for a multi-year contract.  He's likely looking for a one-year deal as a bridge to next winter, and trying the market again (hopefully on the heels of a strong 2026).
Lucas Giolito
5:56
Does anyone want me at this point? Will I have to sign a short term deal even after a solid season?
Mark P
5:56
A rotation injury can happen at any time, so who knows what teams might unexpectedly emerge as a Giolito suitor
Guest
5:56
Dominican Republic or USA?
Mark P
5:57
Who wins tonight's WBC game?
Dominican Republic (49% | 424 votes)
 
United States (51% | 442 votes)
 
Total Votes: 866
6:02
Sorry for the delay folks, couple of technical issues arose that have now hopefully been sorted.  On with the chat!
Challenge System
6:02
I’m enjoying the extra layer of strategy it brings to the game (how about you?) but shouldn’t teams get at least 3 challenges? Baseball is about 3 strikes and you’re out.
Mark P
6:03
I do like that symmetry.  I think the league wants to prevent teams from getting too carried away with challenges, so two seems like an okay number for now.

And as for my take on the ABS in general, I like it.  Always a good idea to strive for accuracy.
CJ
6:03
Will I be moving to 2B with the Cats this season or will I have to wait until I'm traded to a new team to slide over?
Mark P
6:04
Washington's got no reason to shift Abrams yet, as if he improves his glovework at shortstop, that only increases his trade value.
Astros71
6:05
Is Jeremy Pena going to be ready for Opening Day?
Mark P
6:05
Seems to be pointing in that direction.  If he does go on the IL, it'll probably be a minimal 10-day stint
Walker Jenkins
6:06
Will I make the mlb roster?
Mark P
6:07
Jenkins got hurt in camp and hasn't played much, so that scuttled whatever thin chance he had of making the Twins' Opening Day roster.

He'll be up in the majors at some point in 2026, but some extra Triple-A seasoning was probably needed anyway
Your name
6:08
Any chance the Dbacks revisit the Ketel Marte trade talks if they're out of it by July?
Mark P
6:09
Marte will gain 10-for-5 rights early in April, so he'll have total no-trade protection.  Doesn't necessarily mean that a trade couldn't still happen if he approved his next destination, but it creates another obstacle to what is probably an unlikely scenario to begin with
Lefty
6:09
Oscar picks?
Mark P
6:10
Jessie Buckley is a lock for Best Actress.  Coogler and PTA will split the screenplay awards.

Other than that, this seem like one of the more open Oscar years I can think of in recent memory.  Best Picture and three of the acting categories are all up in the air.
REDSWIN76
6:10
Do you think it likely the Reds make a trade for a starting pitcher before the start of the season?
Mark P
6:12
The Reds' budget is slim enough that Giolito (even at a discount) probably isn't realistic, plus Cincy has a decent amount of starting depth on hand already.  Losing Greene for half the year is brutal for the team, but the Reds might feel they have enough pitching to tread water until he's ready to pitch
Soda
6:13
Wouldn't be cool if u could trade draft picks?
Mark P
6:13
Very!
Curious
6:14
Will the Angels, Rangers, Athletics or Cardinals employ a full time closer or committee this year?
Mark P
6:14
The plan for all of that group seems to be a committee to start with, and if one pitcher really stands out, they may be properly anointed "closer" at some point in the season.
Geraldo Perdomo
6:16
When will people recognize that I'm a top 10 ss?
Mark P
6:17
2025 was Perdomo's first truly elite year, so it's fair that some fans haven't gotten him on the radar yet.

But, here's a fun stat: Perdomo's 7.1 fWAR last season was fifth in all of baseball. Only Judge, Raleigh, Witt, and Ohtani were ahead of him.
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