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Bobby Cox
8:54
I think Mets make a play for Skubal. I hope not but would be good with the young pitchers
Mark P
8:56
As one of the few teams with the budget to meet Skubal's giant asking price, I fully expect the Mets to at least check in on his services.  One would have to consider the Dodgers the favorite for Skubal at this point, but nothing's stopping the Mets (or Blue Jays, or Giants, etc.) from trying
Ken
9:01
Does Brent Rooker have any trade value, or does he need to play and be healthy for half a season before teams would be interested?
Mark P
9:02
Rooker is owed $42MM through 2029, he was only ok in 2025, and he was both ineffective and injured for 2026.  Given that he's probably a DH-only type as well, he only regains trade value if he has a full season and returns to his 2024 form
9:03
And, if he does hit like that, the A's might well hang onto him anyway
Newseditor99
9:03
So, if you're the Jays' GM, how do you recover from the train wreck that was 2026? Can this team compete in 2027? Who do you bring back and who do you go out and get?
Mark P
9:05
I'm not just being a homer fan when I say that it probably wouldn't be very hard for the Jays to get on track for 2027.  Between all the injuries, Guerrero's terrible season, and maybe just a general "World Series hangover" vibe, 2026 was a Murphy's Law type of year.

Naturally a couple of bats and arms need to be added, but I don't think Toronto is that far away from at least a winning season in 2027, if not a run at a championship
The Name
9:06
The Cubs won’t be spending on Skubal, but who is a likely starter they’ll actually offer a competitive contract?
Mark P
9:08
I didn't mention the Cubs when discussing Skubal earlier because you're right, he's out of their self-imposed price range.  

Of course, the Cubs are a big-revenue team who plays in Chicago, and has a glaring need for starting pitching.  Plus the club has a lot of money coming off the books this winter.  One can easily argue that if the Cubs were ever going to splurge on a signing, it should be for Skubal, arguably baseball's best pitcher.  While the Cubs have almost a full rotation to fill, having Skubal on board as the cornerstone is a rising tide that can lift the whole enterprise
Joey
9:10
Could you see the Reds going after Arozarena or Robert Jr on a chance?  Or asking too much of ownership…maybe Bubic for starting support?
Mark P
9:12
The Reds were linked to Robert in past trade talks, so I can see them making some kind of play for him if the O's decline the club option.  Personally I think Baltimore just exercises the option and makes this moot, but perhaps the Reds could try again on the trade front.

Arozarena is definitely too expensive but probably shouldn't be, given how Cincinnati was ready to stretch their budget for Schwarber last year.  Bubic seems like a decent fit but a lot of teams will be looking at him as a lower-cost option
Jose’s regrets
9:13
The play off format leaves way too much time for teams on a bye. Cleveland struggles with hitting as it is, but then take a break and they are non existent
Mark P
9:15
I think the Guardians' lack of offense just has to do with their lack of offense, rather than some extra time off.  Plus the fact that the playoffs generally have a higher level of pitching that can more easily take care of a subpar lineup.

It's also just been one game in the ALDS so far, haha.  Maybe the Guards score 10 times in Game 2 and suddenly it's a whole new conversation.
Jade
9:16
Do the Rays extend Drew Rasmussen? Prior experience would suggest he gets traded in the offseason, but he feels like such a prime extension candidate; he’ll be a FA at 32 which might depress value yet he constantly overperforms many of his peripherals and he seems to benefit a lot from Tampa’s park
Mark P
9:16
MLBTR's Anthony Franco explored this topic for FO subscribers last month

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2026/09/the-rays-biggest-offseason-deci...
9:18
I tend to agree with Anthony that Rasmussen is more likely than not to be dealt, since that's just how the Rays operate.  Maybe a dream playoff run changes their minds and some kind of extension is worked out, but chances are Rasmussen is pitching elsewhere in 2027
McMahon
9:19
Ryan McMahon. What kind of trade value do I have?
Mark P
9:20
Owed $16MM in 2027, can't hit, and his elite glovework plummeted to middling at best.  In short, his trade value is pretty minimal apart from being some kind of salary offset throw-in in a larger trade
Playoffs
9:21
On the playoff format, I think it was Smoltz(maybe another analyst) who made this point on a broadcast, said if your stars are your pitchers, you want thw bye for rest, if your stars are hitters, you'd rather play in the wild card amd stay hot. Think there is anything to that?
Mark P
9:22
That makes some sense, but again, it's probably a case by case basis.  If players are playing through injuries or just came out of a grueling playoff race, five days' off can seem like a godsend.
Impossible dreams
9:23
Is there any scenario that could put Harper on a different team.  Philly needs a change.
Mark P
9:24
Harper has a no-trade clause, so he'd have to approve any deal.  Maybe the right destination would get him thinking if he is also getting eager for a change, but he's also owed $118MM through 2031.  That immediately limits the number of teams that would explore a Harper trade in the first place.
9:25
Not saying it's impossible since Dombrowski has been creative with trades in the past, plus you'd have Scott Boras involved in flexing Harper's no-trade protection.  But the much likelier scenario is Harper still being in Philly in 2027
Larry
9:28
Controversial take: I think it actually makes a ton of sense for Washington to trade Nasim Nunez to a perennial contender as soon as possible because he’s a player that is way more valuable in the postseason than in the regular season. In short bursts even the late Terrance Gore got rostered as mostly a pinch runner, and Nunez has that skill set plus a gilded glove at second base even if he can’t hit a lick (and there’s very little evidence to suggest that he’ll ever be able to)
Mark P
9:29
I doubt Washington views Nunez as a real cornerstone player, for the very hitting issues you mentioned.  Toboni is probably quite open to offers if the right deal is floated.
Cmosier
9:29
Do u think the cardinals will get real number one starter
Mark P
9:30
Nope, or at least not in the sense of bringing in an established ace type.  St. Louis is still going to be primarily in rebuild mode, so their goal this winter will surely be to add pitching, but at most perhaps a controllable young arm who has the potential to become a future No. 1
Brian Cashman
9:32
Can I trade for Austin Riley in the offseason?
Mark P
9:33
The Braves would certainly have interest in a deal that gets Riley off their books.  But, unless the Yankees' staff has a plan to get Riley on track, it's doubtful NYY acquires an expensive player whose numbers have been plummeting the last couple of years
Beff Jagwell
9:35
The various injuries this season undermined the “Astros have an IF logjam” narrative but the problem remains. Do they look at the way that depth evaporated this year and stay pat, or make a trade from that surplus?
Mark P
9:35
Pena, Walker, and Paredes are all free agents after 2027.  So it's only a "surplus" for one more years, and given how injuries could very easily emerge again next year, I wouldn't be surprised if Houston just stood pat with the infield mix
9:36
Now, if another team came calling with an offer for Walker in particular, the Astros would be all ears.  But barring that somewhat unlikely scenario, this season underscored the value of having extra infielders.
Don Kelly
9:37
Boring move but I think IKF fills some needs that the tigers have. Good defensive SS with little swing and miss
Mark P
9:38
I can see the logic, but it feels like Detroit already has multiple guys in the IKF utility mold.
Craig
9:39
Watching the wild card I can see why we traded Early for Mead.. we missed him in the middle of our lineup. Odds we lock him up this offseason given what we gave up and our lack of impact hitters at the plate?
Mark P
9:39
Mead doesn't need to be extended, as he is already under arb control through 2030
9:40
I mean, I guess the Red Sox could still extend him beyond that, but that would seem to be needlessly risky given Mead's lack of a track record
Bipolar Cubs
9:41
Who do you see the Cubs going after to vastly improve their biggest flaw, their bullpen? Via Trades or FA signing(s)
Mark P
9:44
The Cubs will probably spend some real money to sign one particularly strong reliever (Bednar, Morejon, etc.) as the anchor of their pen.  This is basically what I suggested earlier for Skubal except at a much lower price, thus making the tactic more feasible for the front office and ownership.  With their one "big" acquisition in place for the bullpen, the Cubs probably then turn to their usual tactic of less-expensive relief pickups, with the hope that more of them with hit
WILL hit, that is
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