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Optimistic Giants Fan
8:25
Your opinions on the Bailey trade? It just feels...weird, although I do like the Giants getting a draft pick for him
Mark P
8:29
Lots of questions here about the very interesting Patrick Bailey trade, which I don't see entirely as a sign that the Giants are waving the white flag on 2026.  Getting both a draft pick (29th overall, no less) and a decent SP prospect is a nice haul for a player who can't hit, even if that player happens to be baseball's best defensive catcher.

Susac figures to start as long as his bat stays hot.  Rodriguez will get some looks behind the plate when he isn't being used elsewhere around the diamond, and Haase probably sticks around as traditional backup catcher.

For the Guardians, I wonder if Naylor might not be long for the organization.  The trade seems to signal that the Guards may be going with Bailey and Cooper Ingle, once they see what Ingle can do at the MLB level.  The addition of Bailey gives Cleveland some defensive support if Ingle's glove is still a work in progress.
Evening mark
8:30
If the Phillies are out of contention in July what would the reds have to give up for Duran?
Mark P
8:30
I don't think the Phils will be out of it, as the managerial change seems to have gotten things turned around.
Good Question
8:30
Can the Phillies and Yankees trade their first pick? It falls in the Competitive Balance Round range but it's delayed 10 spots.
Mark P
8:30
Only the picks officially designated as Competitive Balance Round selections can be traded
Roch
8:31
Do you see me falling?
Mark P
8:33
Roch Kubatko has been doing fine work for MASNsports.com for years, and I see no reason why his quality would drop off now.....

....oh, you probably mean Roch Cholowsky, prospective #1 overall pick in this year's draft!  It all depends on how the White Sox view Cholowsky, since if he doesn't go 1-1, I doubt he falls very fall.
Re: Nats
8:34
Assuming the Nats are sellers at the deadline, what type of team would be most aggressive in pursuing CJ Abrams? I assume a contender would be concerned about putting him at SS with his defensive metrics
Mark P
8:37
Abrams has played some second base in the past, but a midseason position change isn't necessarily the easiest adjustment to make, even if going from SS to 2B is easier on paper.  

Between a position change, changing teams, and jumping onto a team expecting you to be the final piece of a contending puzzle, that might be a lot to have on Abrams' plate, so there's a psychological element to consider.  Or, Abrams may fully embrace the change, and continue to play well once he gets away from rebuilding Washington and onto a contender.
8:38
Abrams' penchant for cooling off after hot starts is the biggest key to his deadline trade value.  If his numbers start declining in June or July, a suitor will have to think about paying the Nats a premium trade package for a player who might just keep declining in the second half.
Alvarez Landing Spots
8:40
If the Astros decide to trade Alvarez, who will be in the mix? And, who can afford Alvarez (prospect haul).
Mark P
8:44
Alvarez is more or less a full-time DH who can play some left field, plus he has over $65MM still owed to him through 2028.  

So that eliminates the Dodgers, Yankees, and Phillies since their DH spots are spoken for, and the Cubs are probably in the same boat.  The salary likely takes Milwaukee and Tampa out of the running unless the Rays' new ownership group decides YOLO.  This leaves the Braves and Padres as possible suitors within the NL, and it's hard to gauge the AL fully since mostly everyone isn't playing well.  The Rangers fit on paper except there is a zero percent chance Houston would trade Alvarez to Texas.
8:45
After breaking all of that down, I should've prefaced by saying that I doubt Houston trades Alvarez at all.  Even if the Astros are out of contention and decide to sell to come extent, moving Alvarez is the kind of move the team would only make if it was entirely blowing things up, rather than retooling for 2027
Rob
8:46
If the AL Central remains stagnant, do you see the White Sox being buyers at the deadline? Seem to have a logjam at SS/2B for prospects.
Mark P
8:47
If the Sox are actually in the running, I can see them being buyers to some modest extent.  But, they're not going to suddenly go all-out in loading up for a playoff run and short-circuit their rebuild.
Blue Jays
8:47
Could we be in the mix of Alvarez (if the Astros do decide to trade him of course)
Mark P
8:48
That would require one of Alvarez or Springer playing in left field every day, which seems risky.  It's not out of the question given how aggressive the Jays have been, plus Springer is a free agent after the season.
Trade Proposal
8:50
Eric Lauer for Cash Considerations…who wins?
Mark P
8:51
You know it's been a rough go for Lauer when I'm getting questions like this, just a couple of months after plenty of "why aren't the Jays giving Lauer a shot in the rotation?" queries.

If it wasn't for the other rotation injuries, Lauer would've already been out of the starting five.  Lack of depth notwithstanding, the Jays probably can't keep running him out there if he keeps having more performances like today.
Davis Martin
8:53
I pitched well again today against a good hitting Mariners team.  Am I top a top 20 pitcher right now?  If so, should the Sox try to extend beyond the 1-year deal I am on now?
Mark P
8:54
Martin isn't eligible for free agency until after the 2030 season, and he is already 29 years old.  From this perspective, there's no real rush for the White Sox to lock him up beyond his arb years, so the team might just keep enjoying Martin's work as a fantastic bargain
No Pop Dres
8:55
I like that they’re tied for first but why can’t the Padres hit?
Mark P
8:57
San Diego's record is remarkable given how virtually their entire lineup is struggling.  Surely you'd think at least a couple of Tatis, Machado, Merrill, etc. will turn things around based on track record alone, and it is perhaps worth noting that the Padres are near the bottom of the league in team BABIP.
Paws the Tiger
8:58
The team is stock piling injuries, when can we get a look at Max Clark?
Mark P
9:00
Clark's been only so-so at Triple-A, so the Tigers aren't going to rush him to the majors just for the sake of filling injury holes.  If Clark gets on a sustained hot streak and starts to look like he's ready, he will certainly be in Detroit before 2026 is over.
JD
9:02
I know Soto is a great player and all - but in your opinion would the Mets sign him today to that same contract given the opportunity?
Mark P
9:04
If the Mets were going through this disaster of a season and Soto (on another team in this reality) was a free agent after 2026?  The Mets absolutely still make that deal, since now they're even more desperate.

Even with 20-20 hindsight, Soto hasn't at all been the Mets' problem.
Angels fan
9:04
Is the GM in trouble It’s not his fault
Mark P
9:06
The Angels have a club option on Minasian's services for 2027, and I'd say it's a coin flip on whether or not it's picked up. With Kurt Suzuki also on just a one-year deal, Moreno might want to entirely clean house and bring in a new GM and manager.

You are also correct in saying that the state of the Angels isn't Minasian's fault.  Arte Moreno's ownership style is the problem, but Moreno isn't firing himself.
Dan B
9:07
At what point should Craig Breslow  be accountable for the Chris Sale trade, trading Kyle Harrison away  and acquiring Caleb Durbin who doesn't seem to be able to hit the ball in the air, instead of pursuing either Bregman or Paredes more agressively
Mark P
9:07
The heat is absolutely on Breslow, especially now that Cora has been fired.  Unless the Red Sox turn things around in a hurry, Breslow is very likely out of a job, maybe even before season's end
Arizona
9:09
So the pitching has been borderline great this week. But the offense fell off a cliff we thought they’d already jumped from…. Is the only good team in the state just going to always be flawed like this?
Mark P
9:09
I'm not sure what's more frustrating for D'backs fans....if the team had continued its trend of big hitting with struggling pitching, or this suddenly reversal of a team with a borderline terrific bullpen but with an ice-cold lineup.
Fighting Fish
9:10
I don’t understand why the Marlins keep Morel, when Ramirez should just DH full time, or even possibly transition to 1st Base
Mark P
9:11
I don't think Ramirez is really the answer either.  If Joe Mack can play well, having Mack as the starting catching and moving Hicks more or less full-time to 1B might work.  In general, however, Miami just seems like a team that should get a big corner IF bat if they're in contention at the deadline, but that might not be feasible for payroll or roster construction reasons.
Junior Caminero Jr
9:13
Do you find Tampa's small ball fun to watch?  Stat heads seem to despise it.
Mark P
9:14
Except when they're using it to sweep the Blue Jays, I like the Rays' style just fine.
O’s Fan
9:15
Your joke about Roch Kubatko was great and such a Roch Kubatko thing to do
Mark P
9:17
One more Roch Kubatko anecdote to share, which more a joke about me...

At a Jays/Orioles spring training game a couple of years ago, I'm leaving the concession stand with a big bag of popcorn when I happen to notice Roch Kubatko nearby, checking his phone.  After citing Roch for years on MLBTR, I felt it would be fun to introduce myself in person, so I started walking in his direction....and promptly tripped, spilling my popcorn all over the ground.  At this point, I decided this wasn't the best time for an introduction, and walked away.  :)
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