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Mark P
9:45
As much as New York fans are down on Stearns at the moment, he has a long history of building good teams without free agency.  The Brewers were built by trades, drafting, and player development, and only occasional modest dips into the open market.
9:46
Granted, several of Stearns' trades with the Mets haven't worked out.  But taking a step back in free agency regardless of the state of the market might be a wiser move for the Mets anyway if they choose to retrench for a year
Alexander Hamilton
9:47
I knew there would be some regression and injuries happen but Atlanta has shown their lack of depth. Anything they could do or is it pray and wait time?
Mel is 100
9:47
Questions about the Jays could likewise be asked about the Braves. They sure don't seem like the third best MLB club. Any hope for a turnaround other than counting on better performance?
Mark P
9:49
I mean, the Braves have 10 more wins than the Jays, and have been a markedly better team in basically all areas all season.

AA will certainly be active at the deadline in addressing needs (SS, outfield, bullpen, probably the rotation), and Atlanta just has too much talent to entirely fade away.  Their rough stretch isn't helped by the Phillies or even the Marlins getting this hot and tightening up the NL East race, but there's no reason to panic in Atlanta just yet
2nd best Nationals fan
9:50
Speaking of Griffen, the Nats are a potential fringe playoff team that would need to do massive deals for SP to legitimately contend, do you see them moving Griffen at the deadline for someone with more control?
Mark P
9:52
The Nationals keep surprising me, but I do think they'll eventually fall out of the race and turn towards selling.  When and if that happens, Griffin will be a very interesting trade chip.
9:53
As disappointed as Nats fans might be by this development, this was the expected outcome when Griffin was signed.  Since Griffin is on pace to land a better trade return than expected, that's a nice bit of business for the Nats
Walter
9:54
Jo Adell or Soler the RH power bat for the Guardians .
Mark P
9:54
Neither is hitting all that well, and Soler is probably too pricey for Cleveland's liking.
Braxton Ashcraft
9:55
Say you were wrong on me please
Mark P
9:55
Longtime Weekend Chat regulars, help me out....have I ever had any kind of hot take on Braxton Ashcraft?  I don't recall ever expressing an opinion on him one way or the other, haha.  

My stance at the moment?  He's pitching great!
Pirates
9:56
Can we right the ship or are we selling at deadline
Mark P
9:57
Pittsburgh's only true issue is the bullpen.  If they add a couple of good relievers and Cruz/Horwitz are back pretty quickly after the ASB, that might be all it takes to really get this team on track.
Mets
9:58
I Believe they shouldn’t trade Luke weaver
Mark P
9:59
This is a fair take.  Weaver's been really good, and the Mets probably expect to reload and contend again in 2027, so they'll need bullpen help.  

That said, the Mets should be open to all offers and possibilities at the deadline.  If another team steps up with an interesting enough offer, the Mets shouldn't balk, especially given the volatility of relief pitching
Traveling
10:01
Im going to Wrigley tomorrow for the first time, any advise?
Mark P
10:02
Get there early and take their guided ballpark tour.  And, if this isn't part of the tour itself, take the full stroll around the entire ballpark, walking the streets of Wrigleyville.  There's a ton of fun stuff to do on a trip to Wrigley Field before even getting around to the experience of actually watching the game.
Bobby Cox
10:03
Alright what would it take to move Riley? He has been bad and a terrible contract
Mark P
10:05
Way too much money left on that deal for another team to take the plunge, and the Braves probably aren't keen on eating much of it just to accommodate a swap.  Things have gotten really rough for Riley and there's no easy fix apparent
Machiavelli
10:07
What do you make of the Astros position right now? Do you think a buyer's position is reasonable?
Mark P
10:08
The Astros have done well to get themselves almost back on top the AL West (uh, with the caveat that nobody in the division has a winning record).  They're definitely lining up as deadline buyers, and bolstering the outfield and the rotation seem like needs
10:09
As The Athletic's Chandler Rome noted this weekend, however, the Astros may not have the resources (financial or prospect depth) to fully address both needs
The Only Marlins Fan
10:11
Any word on what the Marlins may add at the deadline?
Mark P
10:11
Corner infield offense, first and foremost.  More power in general, and another starter to bolster the back end of the rotation
10:12
How aggressive Miami will be in going after these needs remain to be seen.  And, some level of buying and selling might go on here, continuing the Marlins' attempt to become Rays 2.0
How rare?
10:15
How many times has a team gone 162 with only 5 starters? Asking for the guardians haha
Mark P
10:17
The Mariners came pretty close to this a couple of years ago, with six pitchers making 161 starts and Jhonathan Diaz "starting" once as an opener
White Sox division winners?
10:18
On paper right now they have the best offense and pitching in the division.  Can they keep it up the rest of the season?
Mark P
10:20
Cleveland has better pitching than the Sox, in my view.  So Chicago will need some deadline help on the pitching front.

But after three months, I think the White Sox may be legit.  It helps that they're in such a weak division and maybe a weak league overall, but from what I've seen, it wouldn't be entirely absurd to see them reach the playoffs
Chris
10:21
Joe Ryan gets traded, right? I just don't think his value can gtlet much higher
Mark P
10:23
Minnesota's another team still on the fringes of contention due to AL parity, but they'll at least be open to hearing offers for Ryan.  If a team makes a Godfather offer, he'll go.  If not, the Twins might hang on until the offseason to open up the bidding to the entire league (though on a limited clock since the lockout begins in early December)
Dodgers 58
10:23
The Mariners in 2003 used only 5 starters.
Mark P
10:23
Good call!
Eduardo
10:24
If Arizona sells at the deadline, how far do you think they’d go in that direction? Carroll is under team control through ‘31, and you’ve gotta believe they can build a winner around him, but it seems like the roster is stuck and the pitching depth is zilch. My question: what should AZ do? Thanks.
Mark P
10:29
As a longtime believer in the Diamondbacks being better than their results would indicate, I still feel like this team isn't THAT far off?  Perhaps this is a foolish take on my part, but their position-player base is still strong.

The pitching, of course, is a big issue.  I don't know if it's personnel or bad luck with injuries, or if they need some management overhaul in terms of another new pitching coach (or "director pitching" for oversight or something).

Selling at the deadline, in this case, becomes tricky since they don't have a ton of rentals with great appeal.  Sewald or Clarke could be moved to teams in need of relievers, but Soroka is hurt and E-Rod probably is still too pricey for most teams.  

I also don't think the D'Backs will sell unless they absolutely have to.  This is a team that was expecting to and preparing to win in 2026, so they'd have to be very far back of the wild card chase to have any real sells.
Guest
10:31
Phillies have needed a right handed bat with some pop for four years now. Would the Orioles, do Taylor Ward for Dante Nori?
Mark P
10:32
That might be an interesting fit for both sides, though Nori isn't exactly doing well at Double-A
Pirate Parrot
10:33
Should we attempt to extend Lowe before he becomes a FA?
Mark P
10:35
Probably unlikely with Lowe this close to free agency, and how the Pirates would have to overpay to keep him off the market.  And we know how the Pirates feel about spending money.

One possible caveat....the impending lockout.  If Lowe has any reservations about free agency with a work stoppage looming, that could make him more amenable to an extension now.  If he's liking how things are going in Pittsburgh and if the Pirates make a fair offer, who knows, crazier things have happened.
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