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Mark P
9:17
Perez, Pasquantino, and Garcia all declined at the plate, so KC didn't get any better offensively even though Jansen, Caglianone, and Collins have all been good to okay.  But the lineup has ended up being the stronger link, since the rotation and bullpen have both been borderline disasters due to injuries and underperformance.

There's enough talent here that the Royals shouldn't tear it all down, but it'll tricky to thread the needle of making more necessary adds while operating within their budget.  At least Estevez and India will be off the books this winter, though Witt is getting a bump in salary.
Andrew
9:18
Joc Pederson and prospects for  Hunter Goodman
Mark P
9:19
Colorado has zero use for Joc, and I dunno if Texas has the prospect depth to try Goodman away from the Rox
BigO
9:20
The Mariners are not giving up Hancock, correct? I’m hoping the Giants will dangle Heliot Ramos, but I don’t see many returns that makes sense on the pitching side.
Mark P
9:22
I don't think it's out of the question that Hancock is quietly shopped.  There's probably more likelihood that he's dealt than any of the top four starters, at the very least.  The advanced metrics don't really back up Hancock's surface performance, so the Mariners might view this as a chance of selling high if a really tempting trade offer involving a win-now piece (like a prominent hitter) is floated
Small Markets
9:23
Do teams with smaller payrolls like the Pirates, Rays, and Brewers that are in contention for the post season, push all theirs chips in and go for it?  Does the lack of a true favorite give hope to these teams and they get more aggressive and make a big move they wouldn’t normally make?
Mark P
9:25
The Pirates are acting with more aggression than usual since they really want to break the playoff drought.  The Rays might also be a little more aggressive than usual due to their new owner, or (as you mentioned) if they feel the AL is wider open than usual.

But in general, going "all in" carries a lot of extra risk for teams that rely so much on internal development.  If the Rays dealt some of their top prospects and the new acquisitions didn't work out, that sets back Tampa's plans for years, rather than just in 2026
Damon
9:29
Do the Reds trade Elly?
Mark P
9:30
Nope.  He's under arb control through 2029, so there's no rush or any real need for Cincinnati to deal him.  Moving Elly is the kind of burn-it-down move that signals a rebuild, and the Reds surely aren't moving in that direction
Chris Getz
9:31
We’re a pretty fun team in a weak AL Central. We’re not ready to be serious buyers. Maybe both can be true? Thoughts?
Mark P
9:32
Completely true.  The Sox aren't trying to "go for it" and win a title, but winning the AL Central is very possible.  Maybe even with just a couple of modest deadline additions.
Rays Up
9:34
What do you think the cost would be for the Rays to trade for a catcher like Adley Rutschman?  Would the Orioles trade in division?
Mark P
9:35
No way do the O's move Rutschman to an AL East team, and certainly not this season.  Boston's huge surge has kind of overshadowed the Orioles' own seven-game winning streak, so Baltimore's playoff hopes have suddenly renewed life
FJF
9:36
How likely are the A's to unload Shea Langeliers?
Mark P
9:36
Quite unlikely.  It would take a sweetheart trade offer to pry him away from Sacramento.
Phanatics
9:37
Do the Phillies have enough prospects to trade for a RH bat and pitcher or just one of the two?  Why not just give McFarlane and Wood a shot as relief pitchers. They certainly can’t do worse than what’s happening now.
Mark P
9:37
Using the young guys in the pen seems plausible, as the Phillies can then direct their attention to finding starting pitching or a right-handed hitter (or two)
TDF
9:40
Everyone knows the Giants will be sellers. What teams are buying who they’re selling?
Mark P
9:41
The Rangers, Rays, Red Sox, and some teams that don't start with the letter R could all use Arraez.  Ray will draw plenty of interest from a lot of pitching-needy teams.
9:42
I wonder if the Giants will really go all that big on their deadline selling, as while they'd be open to moving some of their bigger contracts, finding a suitor will be tricky at best.
Brewerdrunk
9:43
Does Sproat ever become a good SP than can command?
Mark P
9:45
Sproat doesn't turn 26 until September and he has all of 102 2/3 big league innings under his belt.  We may have been spoiled by the number of pitchers who seem to figure it out immediately after arriving in Milwaukee, but Rome isn't always built in a day.
who's on 1st
9:46
When is the Athletics new stadium To be ready
Mark P
9:46
The plan is Opening Day 2028
Gone Fishin
9:47
With Sandy Alcantara and Max Meyer  at the top, would the Marlins go get another starter that would make the rotation a playoff series nightmare or do they absolutely need to get a bat to be a serious contender?
Mark P
9:48
Eury Perez has been looking great and might be that third guy already.  Getting another starter for the back end of the rotation would make Miami that much more dangerous, however, plus they do need hitting
Jason
9:49
What are the chances Cubs end up with someone like Logan Webb or Mason Miller? And doing so without giving up Josiah Hartshorn?
Mark P
9:50
Posey already flatly shot down the chances of Webb being traded anywhere. Getting a long-term elite reliever in Miller would outweight Hartshorn's long-term potential, in my view.
Joe
9:51
Bohm and Sosa are both FA this year. Who do you think Phillies prioritize? I vote Sosa
Mark P
9:51
I doubt either is back in Philly in 2027
Ken
9:52
What kind of return could the A's get for Carlos Cortes?
Mark P
9:54
Cortes is an interesting and maybe underrated trade chip, probably because most players with his amount of team control aren't really "trade chips" for a team in seller mode like the A's.

As I noted in the post earlier today, Cortes is 29, so the A's might view his emergence as found money rather than putting him into their long-term plans.  With Soderstrom, Butler, and Rooker also locked up to extensions, there isn't much room anyway in the corner outfield or DH picture.

A team in need of an outfield bat (Brewers? Diamondbacks? Guardians?) can plug Cortes into their lineup tomorrow.
9:55
Oh, it occurs to me that I didn't actually answer Ken's question :)

I think an interesting pitching prospect or a pitcher who's already in the bigs is a feasible ask for Cortes.  Not a top-100 type or a frontline arm, but someone the A's can use as a long-term asset to try and bridge the gap until they get to Vegas
Os
9:57
Helsley and Bautista are injured. Do you see the Orioles trading for a closer?
Mark P
9:58
With Baltimore on a roll and suddenly back in the wild card hunt, they're another team on the lookout for leverage arms.  With this in mind, however, things are tenuous enough for the O's that we can't assume they're in buy mode just yet.  The next two weeks will tell that story, but credit to the Orioles for their recent solid play.
Guest
9:59
Do you think the Cubs should prioritize the rotation or bullpen at the deadline?
Mark P
9:59
Rotation.
The Cubs can push the excess starters into the relief picture more easily
Dana Brown’s decesion…
10:00
Astros- what can I get for Jeremy Pena? Janier Diaz? Josh Haden?
Mark P
10:00
I'll have to believe it when I see it before the Astros start selling.  Houston is still only four games back in a very winnable AL East, so I don't think they've moved out of buyer mode just yet.
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