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Bobby Cox
6:01
Im glad we didnt include Fuentes for skubal. Gray to Braves would be a good fit, how much 2 yrs? Also we move Murphy this offseason?
Mark P
6:03
A two-year deal seems reasonable given Gray's age and the fact that he has floated the idea of retirement.  Signing with Atlanta in particular (close to Gray's home in Nashville) probably has some extra appeal, as it streamlines Gray's ability to keep pitching while also having more time with his family.

Murphy's trade value is close to nil at this point, so a deal probably only happens if the Braves eat money or swap him for another team's unfavorable contract
Phineus Gage
6:04
Mark, if for some reason Ohtani was hitting like a lame duck the first 2 games of the NLCS, would you say it was probable and fair that De Paula gets a start in his spot?
Mark P
6:04
Find it hard to believe that Ohtani would be benched, no matter how deep the slump
Las Vegas
6:06
Who is the Athletic most likely to get moved to clear room for De Vries knocking at the door?
Mark P
6:08
This is a moot point for now since DeVries is recovering from shoulder surgery, so he won't even be playing until late April or early May.  The A's will want to make sure he's full healthy and naturally DeVries will have to be hitting well in what will be his first taste of Triple-A ball.

As to his positional future, the second base position is open right now since the A's won't be retaining Jeff McNeil.  Jacob Wilson can move over to second to open up shortstop when DeVries is ready for prime time
Trades
6:09
Bryce miller for Steven kwan. Who says no?
Mark P
6:09
Kwan is only under control through 2027, whereas Miller is controlled through 2029.  Therefore the Mariners pass, unless this is a multi-player deal more than a straight one-for-one.
Dennis
6:11
What will the Tigers do this winter? Possibly trade for a bat or perhaps go after Suzuki or Jazz?
Mark P
6:13
Suzuki is the bigger upgrade of those two, and Suzuki's ability to play right field creates room for both Torkelson and Carpenter to stay if the Tigers wish.

As to whether or not the Tigers would make such a big splash for Suzuki, that remains to be seen.  Detroit has been cautious about spending too heavily on free agents, and such reluctant teams might point to Suzuki's age as a reason (or an excuse) to look elsewhere
Reginald M Jackson
6:14
Who ya got in their prime: Frank Thomas or Sammy Sosa?
Mark P
6:14
I'll take the Hurt, that's a pretty easy call in my view
Al
6:17
Make sense to you that the Brewers will look to deal Mitchell this winter, as he is only under team control for 2 more years (sadly, he's been on the IL for much of his career until this season)? Vaughn looks like a non tender candidate too, as his projected number is over $7M.

Finally, Bauers offered a QO or not? If he is, think he will he accept it? I think he'll 2-3 year offers for $15M+ per, even though he only has had a single year of being more than a reserve/platoon guy. His ability to play 1B/LF/RF means a dozen teams will have some degree of interest.
Mark P
6:18
Milwaukee's usual tactic would be to trade Mitchell next winter, not this winter.  There might be some logic in selling high now, but if Mitchell (who had a sky-high BABIP, for what it's worth) is actually figuring things out at the plate, then a solid bat who can play excellent CF defense is immensely valuable to the Brewers themselves.
6:19
Bauers would almost surely accept a QO if offered.  As good as Bauers was in 2026, the Brewers probably won't want to commit such a big chunk of their payroll to a player with Bauers' limited track record, so I doubt they make him the offer.
Guardians
6:20
  • Will Foster Griffin get a qualifying offer? Would the Guardians be eligible for a draft pick if he declines and signs elsewhere?
Mark P
6:21
Griffin isn't eligible for a QO since he was traded during the season
bmcferren
6:21
Is Shota out of the budget for the Pirates this offseason? PNC has been known to elevate left handed pitchers
Mark P
6:24
I'll be interested to see what kind of contract Imanaga lands, but you're probably right in guessing that he'll be out of Pittsburgh's price range.  One would imagine Imanaga might specifically look for a team in more of a pitcher-friendly park, but PNC isn't the only stadium in that category.

It's also amusing to think of the Pirates wanting to sign Imanaga just because he has completely owned them throughout his career.  An 0.61 ERA over seven starts and 44 innings!
si
6:25
On that note, would signing Shota Imanaga be a good plan for the giants, considering his fly ball rate would be not as big of a problem in Oracle?
Mark P
6:25
This would be a good fit, yes
Ken
6:26
Should the A's deal prospects to get a starting pitcher for next season, or should they use next year to evaluate what they have (e.g. Morales, Perkins, Barnett, Lopez, Morris)?
Mark P
6:28
The problems are twofold.  If the A's were to make a relatively major trade for an established pitcher with years of control, they're still kind of burning one of those years on a season at Sutter Health Park.  Evaluating the in-house arms in such a hitter-friendly environment is also problematic, since the ballpark is so skewed.

This isn't to say that the A's won't be pursuing pitching this winter, since obviously they badly need rotation help.  But given their situation, I think they're probably stuck with reclamation types on one-year contracts, since most pitchers who have offers elsewhere will take those deals over pitching in Sacramento
Pday
6:30
Seiya Suzuki to the Yankees. While they have other needs, since when does that stop them from signing the player than can most
Mark P
6:32
That does create the obvious question of where Suzuki would play.  The 2027 outfield looks like Judge, Jones, and Bellinger, and both Suzuki and Judge might balk at splitting RF/DH duties.  Garcia could be moved to 2B with Rice at 1B, but that creates the question of whether or not Garcia can show any defensive improvement as a second baseman again.  Plus, adding Suzuki turns Stanton into a glorified pinch-hitter, unless the Yankees were to release him entirely.
6:33
Bottom line, Seiya isn't a great fit for the Yankees' needs.  I don't doubt that they'll check in on him out of due diligence, but other teams figure to make bigger pushes for a signing
Maikel and Vinnie
6:36
Obviously 2026 was injury plagued for Garcia and Pasquatch but can these guys be part of the foundation they were meant to be after 2025?
Mark P
6:38
In an odd twist, both guys started hitting better after the injuries started to pile up.  So, it could be that both were hit by the Slow Start bug that hit most of the KC team
6:39
Particularly given the money already invested in Garcia's extension, the Royals need him to be more than just "good."
Paul Tobini
6:40
Is this the year the Nats jump back into free agency and hand out a multi year deal?
Mark P
6:42
There's more than enough space to do so given the Nationals' wide-open future payroll.  But, it's more likely the team stays pretty modest in its offseason work, though I could see a two-year contract being given to a starter or even a reliever.  The latter would address the Nats' more pressing issue, and the pen has been so bad that the team might be more compelled to spending some actual money as a fix
Dave
6:42
who has a more active offseason Miami or Washington?
Mark P
6:43
I love this question!  In terms of "active," I think it's the Marlins, since Bendix doesn't need to spend all that much in order to make a bunch of trades, waiver claims, etc.
Adley R
6:43
Do the Sox extend me or am I just a very expensive 1.5 year rental?
Mark P
6:46
Given what the Red Sox gave up for Rutschman, surely they have some designs on keeping him long-term.  But, extension talks probably aren't a priority given how poorly Adley played post-trade.  

Unless the Sox make a particularly large offer, Rutschman is probably eschewing an extension anyway in the hopes of having a big 2027 season and then scoring a big contract in free agency next winter.  Accepting an extension now and then having a big year means that Rutschman might've left some money on the table.
Alan53
6:48
Suzuki would be a great acquisition for any team that wants to have its rallies killed by lightening-fast noncompetitive strikeouts.
Mark P
6:48
"Our ears are burning!" --- the White Sox
Ohtani
6:49
Do you forsee a scenario in the next few years where Ohtani finally gives up on pitching? If so, does he remain a DH or return to the field?
Mark P
6:52
Only Ohtani knows the answer to this question.  As much as he'd obviously prefer to remain a two-way player, if the health impact takes a toll on his performance on both sides of the field, he'll stay off the mound.  Maybe the 2026 season will be a step in this direction.

Just to help his versatility, Ohtani probably becomes an outfielder.  People have said for years that Ohtani could easily be a good or even fielder if he took up the position full-time, and while that might be a bit trickier as he ages, Ohtani would surely embrace the challenge
Will
6:52
Will there be a trade or free agent signing completed before the potential lockout clock strikes?
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