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Mark P
7:42
Let's see what the MLBTR readership has to share in the latest edition of the Weekend Chat. We'll take a minute for some questions to file in, then get cooking....
Squints
7:43
Can the White Sox actually win the division.?
Mark P
7:46
Despite being 19-21, the ChiSox hold a wild card slot, and are just a game back of Cleveland for first place in the AL Central.

Realistically, this won't keep up.  Either the Sox play down to their talent level, or the many (many!) AL teams underachieving right now start to get things together.

But...."realistically," you see surprise teams emerge almost every season.  The AL's almost league-wide funk has kept pretty much everyone in the race, and maybe the Sox could at least take advantage of their weak division to make things interesting.
Red Wright Hand
7:46
Mets season is pretty much done. Are we the most disappointing team ever?
Mark P
7:47
Is this even the most disappointing Mets team in the last four years?
Mike trout
7:47
Do you really think I will be traded
Mark P
7:47
Nope.  The contract is still too large, Arte Moreno refuses to rebuild, and Trout hasn't shown any appetite for waiving his no-trade protection.
Buster
7:48
I’m sending a full Brinks truck to Skubal this offseason, right?
Mark P
7:49
The Giants are on record as not wanting to give lengthy, expensive contracts to pitchers.  So they're not the team I'd see as the likeliest suitors to give Skubal a record-setting contract, and such a deal is certainly now in question since Skubal will miss such a big chunk of 2026.
Cohen
7:50
Will we decline Robert’s $20million option?
Mark P
7:50
Most definitely
Reds Nation
7:52
Demote McLain, promote Arroyo and Marte and bench Hayes. I believe the Reds are better off with Ashcraft or Johnson closing. Will that fix their problems?
Mark P
7:54
It won't get the rotation or Suarez any healthier, but sure, getting McLain and Hayes out of the lineup seems like a pretty obvious answer for a team struggling for offense.  Not to say that Arroyo or Marte are necessarily game-changers, but it would be hard to do worse than McLain/Hayes.

It also doesn't help that Sal Stewart has drastically cooled down after his hot start, but that's not unexpected.  The key is if Stewart can bounce back and at least be consistent the rest of the way.
Neale
7:54
Do the Red Sox have any chance recovering from their early season woes?
Mark P
7:55
Absolutely.  Like I said earlier (and have been saying for a few weeks now), the American League as a whole has been mediocre. The Red Sox are one good week away from being in playoff position.
Blue Jay Bobby
7:56
He'll probably been almost universally remembered as an Atlanta Brave, for me the first turning point in the history of the Toronto Blue Jays was the hiring of Bobby Cox as manager for the 1982 season.
Mark P
7:58
No doubt that Cox played a huge role in the Jays' first competitive teams, and their first AL East title.  It's funny....I wonder how many fans ever remember Cox even managed the Jays, or worked anywhere other than in Atlanta
1st place Rays
7:59
Huge fan of Chandler Simpson and the style of ball the Rays are playing (bunting, stealing bases, small ball).  Can they keep it up the rest of the season?
Mark P
8:00
Smallball is hard to sustain over a long amount of time, and the Rays' offense has been helped by the fact that their pitchers are keeping opponents in check.

The very nature of low-scoring games means Tampa can't catch all the breaks all the time, barring a whole lot of good fortune.  I'd like to see them add a more proven bat with some pop by the deadline, and then this team might really be able to make some noise.
Andujar
8:02
When are the A's scheduled to have their park done and move in?
Mark P
8:02
The plan is Opening Day 2028
DOOOM
8:02
How can the Tigers right the ship? Keith has no power, Torkleson is what he is, Greene has been amazing, but the support platoon is just not working anymore.
Mark P
8:04
The support platoon has been hampered by the fact that the Tigers have basically half the roster on the injured list right now, even if the pitching has been hit harder than the position players.

The challenge for the Tigers is to just at least tread water until they start getting healthier.  They're far from the only AL team struggling right now, so as long as they can keep within striking distance, another late-season surge is possible
Gloves
8:06
Is Buster in over his head?
Mark P
8:08
Not much is working for the Giants right now, and in a sense it's inexplicable because (on paper) the lineup shouldn't be this bad.  But, coming off a relatively quiet offseason and the controversial managerial choice, it's easy to wonder whether or not Posey's plan for the team has already gone off the rails.
8:10
This being Posey's first time running a front office isn't necessarily the issue, as he has plenty of experienced people working with him. But his misses have outnumbers the hits thus far.
Eric
8:11
If The Cardinals somehow stay in the race at the deadline what do you see them doing
Mark P
8:11
Add starting pitching.
Josh E
8:12
You said that small ball isnt sustainable, could you elaborate on that a bit?  Im guessing it is more sustainable than needing to depend on power.  That seems to come and go more than a walk, a stolen base, a sac bunt and a sac fly..very curious to know your insights though
Mark P
8:14
Put it this way...the sequence you just described requires four things to score one run.  Whereas a home run gets a run with just one swing.

Consistently keeping the ball in play is certainly a recipe for success, as that contact can either go for a hit or the defense perhaps makes an error.  But playing in a constant state of having to grind out runs relies on multiple players staying reasonably productive over a longer period of time.
B
8:15
You buying Mickey Moniak all the way through the season? What kind of value would he have at the trade deadline?
Mark P
8:16
Moniak is having a terrific season, but he is also drastically outpacing his peripherals.  His .337 xwOBA is still above average, but far below his .434 wOBA.
8:17
There's also the Coors Field factor, as Moniak's home OPS is about 400 points above his road OPS.

All in all, rival teams are certainly taking Moniak's success with a whole pillar of salt.  The Rockies aren't likely to get that much for him on the trade market, even if Moniak can somehow sustain this type of production into July.
Type a URL
8:20
Will the Pirates make the playoffs?
Mark P
8:21
It doesn't help that the entire NL Central has been competitive, making it tougher on the Bucs to really break through.  Pittsburgh fans probably won't want to hear this, but posting a winning record is still a nice step forward for the Pirates, playoff berth or not
Eric
8:23
Will Schlittler be able to keep these numbers up?
Mark P
8:23
The ERA is bound to spike upwards from 1.35, but Schlittler's Statcast page is a sea of red.  His production has been for real, and he looks like an absolute find for the Yankees and their minor league pipeline
Bernardo
8:24
When Daniel Susan returns, and with Bailey being traded, who starts at the backstop position for the giants?
Guards4Life
8:24
With the addition of Bailey, does Bo Naylor learn 1st base and share it with Manzardo in 2027?
Bernardo
8:24
With Bailey being traded, is this an early sign the Giants are sellers?
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