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Red sox
8:15
Alex Cora’s recent quotes about the outfield logjam seem frustrated. They have to make a trade sooner than later, no?
Mark P
8:17
Cora's not going to come right out and say that Yoshida isn't really a priority, even though that's obviously the case.  Getting Yoshida playing time and hopefully production is the only way he can gain any trade value, however, which puts the Sox in a bit of a spot.

An injury immediately solves any depth problem, and it could be that the Sox don't want to find themselves short-handed if they made a trade and then someone else got hurt.
Scott boras
8:18
Have I ever let a client take a big money extension before hitting the open market
Mark P
8:20
"Plenty" is perhaps the wrong word choice since Boras has had tons of clients over the years, and the large, large majority have tested free agency.  There have been just enough extensions that it isn't a total guarantee, but by and large, you can count on "Boras guys" to become free agents
8:26
Had to pause the chat for a few minutes to update the Leo Jimenez post, as the deal is now official with Garrett Acton being DFA'ed
Ken
8:27
Should the A's keep batting Kurtz in the leadoff spot? Does it just not matter (not in an existential sense)?
Mark P
8:27
I don't think it really matters.  You want one of your best hitters going up top, and Kurtz certainly qualifies.
RobertM
8:28
Over/under on Murakami being traded at the July deadline?
Mark P
8:29
Highly unlikely.  If he's playing well, the White Sox are more likely to explore an extension than a trade.  I'm not sure it'd be a great look for Chicago's future recruitment of Japanese talents if Murakami was signed and then quickly dealt.
ChiTownMusicGuy
8:29
What tunes are you playing today?
Mark P
8:30
At the moment, my playlist has "Song of the Future" from U2's new EP
Cleveland
8:30
Are you aboard the Delauter train? He looks like Cleveland’s best hitting prospect since Sizemore.
Mark P
8:31
What a start, eh?  Again, it's only one series, so things could quickly turn once pitchers and coaches get more looks at him.
8:32
But if any team could really use one of their position-player prospects to finally stick in a big way, it's the Guardians
Am i wrong?
8:33
I’m a Yankees fan. I didn’t put the Mets in the top ten of my power rankings because of their question marks and also put the Yankees at two because of their high upside if everyone stays healthy. All of my friends are calling me “biased” and “crazy”. Am I wrong?
Mark P
8:33
Neither of those takes are outlandish at all
Quisenberry
8:33
Everyone says the royals have pitching depth, I disagree. Injured often or old..noah Cameron, the exception, or AAAA. Agree?
Mark P
8:35
KC may agree, which is why they didn't budge on moving any of their top arms or even a depth arm in exchange for hitting help.  

I'm higher on the Royals' rotation than you, just because even someone like Cameron just has to be a decent fifth starter at the MLB level.  They're not asking him to do more than that if everyone's healthy.
Cardinals
8:36
Are we capable of a playoff push with this roster?   What is a big area of need?
Mark P
8:38
Starting pitching, consistent hitting throughout the lineup, high-leverage bullpen help, and for at least two other NL Central teams to totally fall apart.

If you're thinking these are pretty big "areas of need," you're right!  The Cardinals would need a ton to go right to actually contend.  The aim should be getting close to .500 and establishing some players as clear-cut building blocks.
Cubs
8:39
Thoughts on the latest extensions
Mark P
8:40
Like both moves in a vacuum.  I think I wrote in a chat a few weeks ago that Nico was the likeliest of the trio of him, Suzuki, and Happ to be extended, even if I ultimately thought all three would probably leave.  Uh, do I get partial credit for being right?!
The PCA extension, in particular, could be a steal if he develops into a more consistent hitter.
Zach
8:40
With all the extensions going on lately do you see a Langford extension happening soon? If so how long would it be?
Mark P
8:44
Langford becomes arb-eligible next winter, and a free agent after 2029, when he's entering his age-28 season.  Texas would surely want an extension that covers at least 3-4 of those free agent years, but for Langford, he might want to go whole hog with a decade-long "face of the franchise" type of contract.

Maybe some opt-outs could also be part of the mix, but overall, I'd expect at least a six-year extension at minimum.  Who knows if a deal may or may not be reached, and the next CBA could be a factor.  Langford might prefer to lock in some money and security now before free agency or payroll structure is perhaps altered in some form.
Royals
8:45
Did anyone claim Luis Matos?
Mark P
8:45
Not yet
Zach
8:46
Are we seeing the Trout comeback? (Even though it is early)
Mark P
8:47
I think I speak for all fans* in saying that it'd be great for Trout to have more full and healthy seasons, in order to see if he has some more HOF-level years left in the tank

= maybe not Astros, Mariners, Rangers, or A's fans
Chaim Bloom
8:48
When do I start to get and consider offers on jojo Romero?  Blue Jays…..
Luke
8:48
Do the Blue Jays just go out and get JoJo Romero?  What would it take?
Mark P
8:50
Romero still being a Cardinal is one of the big surprises of the 2025-26 offseason.  Plenty of teams were linked to him in trade speculation, though the Jays weren't one of them.

Romero isn't a perfect pitcher by any means, as he has had control issues and has allowed more than his share of homers.  It could be that the Cards were simply asking for more than other clubs were willing to give up for a good (but not great) reliever
The Big Q
8:51
You've linked a lot of other MLBTR posts here, is it ever difficult to find them on the spot?
Mark P
8:51
Not with our handy-dandy search bar, located above the 'top stories' menu!
Ryan S
8:52
Seems like Estevez has something wrong. Who's closing for you? Lange or Erceg? I know the OF has been a subject since seems like 1901, but they didn't do enough. Can they fix it?
Mark P
8:53
Estevez's ankle contusion doesn't seem super-serious, but if he did need an IL stint, Erceg would be the next man up.
8:54
As for the outfield, maybe something shakes loose on the trade front well before the deadline, since waiting until the end of July might be too late.  Or, maybe I'll be surprised and Lane Thomas has a bounce-back year to prove me and many others wrong.
JR
8:55
What do you make of Baz extension?
Mark P
8:57
It was an awfully bold move, and one that I probably wouldn't have made if I was the Orioles.  Waiting for Baz to pitch well and stay healthy over the 2026 season would've upped the price tag on any extension talks, but also given the O's more security that they were making the right call in locking Baz up.

That said, the O's have signed so few extensions that it says something that they were willing to go the extra mile for Baz so soon after the trade.  They clearly love what they've seen, and think the big healthy breakout year is coming right away.
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