MLBTR Chat Transcript

Mark P

• How kind of the Mets and Rangers to make that trade before the Weekend Chat started! Let’s see if we can fit this chat in between any more breaking news items tonight…

‘Ners

• Who is the mariners starting 3rd baseman this season, not named Williamson or Suarez?

Mark P

• Colt Emerson

Guest

• Will the Cardinals target anything specific (i.e. young, controllable pitching over hitting) in the Donovan return? Seems like they have a large list of suitors for him, so they should be able to target what they want.

Mark P

• Probably pitching, but you’re right in that the Cardinals will be getting plenty of good offers.  If the best offer of the bunch involves a controllable young bat, the Cards will be open to it

Mr Met

• What is happening? What is the logic behind the trade for both teams?

Guest

• Thoughts on the Mets and Rangers trade?

Mark P

• It’s a fascinating trade for both sides.  I think both teams made the trade for the same reason — they think the player they’re giving up is a lesser long-term investment than the player they’re getting.  Given Semien’s declining numbers, Texas might think he’ll never get back to his old self at the plate.  The Mets might have soured on the idea of paying Nimmo for five more years, and Semien represents a shorter-term commitment.

Marlins Fan

• I know the Marlins will be in the market for late inning arms but why not convert Max Mayer to possibly close games out

Mark P

• It’s probably a little early to convert Meyer to relief pitching just yet, despite his injury issues

Guest

• Do you think the Astros trade Christian Walker at all?

Mark P

• Probably unlikely, given that Walker is owed $40MM and is coming off a very shaky season.  But then again, I wouldn’t have thought Semien would’ve been dealt in the wake of his unspectacular year, yet here we are

Troy

• Thoughts on the Brewers this offseason? Giving Woodruff the QO was not on my bingo card. Will Attanasio finally spend and go get a bat?

Mark P

• Trading a starter for a hitter might be the likelier scenario, given how the Brewers are still working with a limited payroll.  Having Woodruff back is a nice bonus for the team, and it makes it perhaps slightly likelier they’ll now be open to moving Peralta, but it’ll naturally still take a huge offer

TennesseeMG

• What kind of deal do you expect Imai to get and who ponies up for it?

Mark P

• The top 50 list had him going for six years and $150MM, and I agree with that general projection.  This is a rare instance where I don’t think the Dodgers will land him, since on paper, L.A. already has a ton of money invested in its rotation.  While it wouldn’t surprise anyone if Imai did just sign with the Dodgers, I can see the Giants or Red Sox swooping in there

Bobby Cox

• You see the Braves getting Diaz would help pen alot but with giving 16 mill to inglesias I thinking no

Mark P

• Iglesias’ return definitely shuts the door on any talk of Diaz to Atlanta.
• The Braves probably keep it relatively inexpensive with the rest of their relief acquisitions. Maybe trading for a reliever is a likelier scenario than a prominent signing.

Guest

• Ryan Helsley becoming a starter? Good idea?

Mark P

• I don’t really get the logic.  Helsley has never been a starter in the majors and he hasn’t started at any level since 2019.  If I’m the Tigers or any other team thinking about Helsley as a starter, I’d just play it safer and acquire an actual starter

Natitude

• Any chance the Nats make a run at Pete Alonso?  Similar to the Werth signing of years ago, the Nats may need to overpay in the market to lure a proven veteran commodity to join the youth movement in DC for the future.

Mark P

• That seems like a bolder move than I’d expect from the Nationals at this stage.  If anything, it seems like the organization is taking a step back to retrench after the disappointment of 2025, and to let Toboni have some time to remodel the front office to his liking.

Reds country

• If the A’s were willing to move soderstrom, what would a fair package from the reds look like?

Mark P

• I’ve written this before, but the ship has almost certainly sailed on the idea of the A’s trading Soderstrom.  He was a very strong defensive left fielder, so now there aren’t any questions about how he’ll fit into the Athletics lineup

Corbin’s Elbow

• Diamondbacks and Pirate lining up for a trade involving Lawlar and young pitching?

Mark P

• That would make a lot of sense for both parties.

Anonymous guy

• brewers sign Jona heim?

Mark P

• Heim should be able to find at least a timeshare with another team, just because the catching market is so thin.  Chances are he won’t have to settle for a backup job in Milwaukee or in any other spot with a set #1 catcher

MLBTR

• Was Iglesias really the best the Braves could do with $16m? Don’t they need more and even with potential spending it seems a misstep??

Mark P

• I disagree.  The signing made sense for the team, since Iglesias was still quite solid last season.  The shorter term also allows Atlanta to pivot next winter if Iglesias does start to decline.

JQ

• How much do you expect it will take for the Royals to bring back Yastrzemski

Mark P

• Not a ton?  Yaz is 35, so probably a one-year deal at most.  I’m not sure how busy his market will necessarily be since probably a lot of teams view Yaz as a fallback option.  The Royals are likely in that group too, but might have an edge due to their past relationship.

  If I’m KC, I aim to land a true upgrade for one outfield spot, and then aim a little lower for a decent semi-everyday type like Yastrzemski for another outfield spot.

Green Monstah

• Are you surprised the Red Sox didn’t non-tender Connor Wong?

Mark P

• Wong looked like a breakout just a year ago, so I’m not that surprised Boston wanted to hang onto him for a while longer.  As noted, catcher isn’t a position of great depth league-wide, so why not just bring back Wong in at least a backup role and see if he can rebound.

Concerned fan

• Woodruff called the Brewers bluff, and now the payroll is more than maxed out. What move can the Brewers make to improve the offense without spending money or reducing payroll from current levels?

Mark P

• If the Brewers were really concerned that Woodruff’s QO was going to throw their payroll out of whack, they wouldn’t have made the offer in the first place.  Given how Woodruff pitched in 2025, I think the team is pleased with the idea of having that kind of ace-level upside in the rotation, if (big if) Woodruff can stay healthy.
• As mentioned earlier, trading from their rotation depth could be one way for the Brew to add a bat without breaking the bank

MarioSoto

• I know the odds or the Reds signing Schwarber are low but let’s say they did. Would he and some bullpen additions be enough to put the Reds as front runners in the division?

Mark P

• “Frontrunners” may be a stretch since by this point, I’m just assuming the Brewers will always figure out a way to win the NL Central.

  But obviously sure, having Schwarber alone would put the Reds in very good position to at least back to the postseason.

Buster Posey

• Colton Cowser or Chandler Simpson to the Giants? Which one would move the needle?

Mark P

• Cowser has done more at the MLB level and he was a more highly-touted prospect. If I’m the Giants trying to upgrade the outfield, he’s the one I’d target.

  With Ward now in the mix and Baltimore’s outfield more crowded, there might be a better chance Cowser is available, but naturally the Orioles would still be asking for a lot

Padres

• Jake Cronenworth to Toronto for Lauer and a prospect.

Mark P

• Cronenworth doesn’t bring anything to the table that the Toronto lineup doesn’t already have, plus he’s expensive.  Lauer might end up being a valuable piece for the Jays again in a swingman role.

Detroit.

• Who do you think is detroit first priority in the relief market?

Mark P

• Adding pitchers who can miss some bats.  Frankly, Helsley would make way more sense for the Tigers’ bullpen than he would their rotation.

Guest

• Nathan Lukes trade for relief pitcher?  Maximize his value?

Mark P

• Lukes did a lot for the Jays last year, but he seems like the most expendable trade chip for the team to go out and get some pitching help

Guest

• Thoughts on what else Braves might do this offseason to fill needs, specifically the rotation as well lineup if they stick with Dubon as starting SS?

Mark P

• Dubon is probably the backup plan for the shortstop position.  He’ll do if the Braves can’t find anyone else, but I think the Braves are indeed still on the hunt.

Andy Asks About Mariners

• Who’d net the most in a trade, Bryce Miller or George Kirby? I think Gilbert and Woo are untouchable while Castillo would not net much.

Mark P

• Kirby’s the much more valuable trade asset.  Miller’s extra year of control doesn’t outweigh Kirby’s better track record.

Big John

• thoughts on why players sign so early in the offseason (ala Naylor).  do they leave money on the table for not letting teams really get into a bidding war?

Mark P

• For one, most players generally don’t sign early, as they take their time to gauge the market and enjoy (if that’s the right word) getting the opportunity to be a free agent.

  In Naylor’s case, it was a perfect storm of the team really wanting him back, Naylor having Seattle as his preferred choice, and the M’s immediately coming up with an offer that Naylor’s camp found acceptable.  If Naylor ultimately just wanted to stay in Seattle all along, why bother dragging things out for a few more weeks just to the test the market, since then he runs the risk of the M’s pivoting to someone else.

Pirates

• Which are we more likely to do…. Sign Schwarber, Extend Griffin, Extend Skenes

Mark P

• Extending Griffin is far and away the likeliest of those three scenarios

Mike

• Why doesn’t the league expand?

Mark P

• Rob Manfred has long stated that the league wanted to get the A’s and Rays’ ballpark situations figured out before looking more fully at expansion

O’sFanDan

• Could you see a trade centering around Cowser and Bubic?

Mark P

• Bubic is only under control through 2026, so probably not.  I realize that the Orioles just dealt a controllable younger player in Gray-Rod for a one-year player in Ward, but Cowser doesn’t have Rodriguez’s larger injury history

HOF

• Who’s getting in this year? Beltran and that’s it?

Mark P

• Beltran likely gets over the 75% line, and Andruw Jones might sneak in as well.  I can see the veterans committee electing someone (not Bonds or Clemens, though)

Nolan

• Are the Bucs REALLY in on Schwarber?

Mark P

• I’ve got no reason to believe they haven’t been in touch with his agent, or asked what kind of contract Schwarber is looking for.  How realistic their chances are remains to be seen, but I can believe Cherington is doing his due diligence.

My name

• Is there any way the Guards sign Alonso?

Mark P

• Find it hard to believe the Guardians spend that much, or that Alonso’s market would slump to the point that Cleveland would get involved

Kevin

• What does Jim Edmonds have to do to be elected to the HOF? His stats are very good

Mark P

• Edmonds absolutely needs to land on a veterans committee ballot someday, since I think he has a better case than half the guys on the current ballot.

  Still can’t figure out why Lou Whitaker isn’t on the ballot either.

MARCUS

• will the REDS actually trade HUNTER  GREEN

Mark P

• Doubt it.

Jorge Polanco

• Now that they have Semien, what would the Mets be looking for in a Jeff McNeil trade?

Mark P

• I’d think pitching, or perhaps a center fielder if one can be obtained.

Tiny Tigs

• It’s this a make or break year as fall as figuring out what kind of owner Ilitch junior really is? A lot of people thought the Tigers would spend last off season. Now, coming off a near complete collapse and another 2nd round exit, will the Tigers actually spend? Or is Mike’s son just not as committed to trying to win a world series as he was.

Mark P

• While I agree that the Tigers should be more willing to spend more and adopt more of a win-now attitude, your take is a bit of a “glass half-empty” perspective of the last two seasons.  Another way of looking at it is “hey, this team made the second round two years in a row, they seem to be on the right track.”

Jonny Venters

• What do you think it would take for the Angels to land Lars Nootbar?

Mark P

• Nootbaar is a question mark for Opening Day, so if I’m the Angels, I aim for an outfielder without as many health concerns.
  https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/10/lars-nootbaar-may-start-2026-se…

Your name

• Who will the Phillies sign????

Mark P

• Chalk answer, but I think the Phils re-sign both Schwarber and Realmuto.  Beyond that, bringing in a reliever or two seems feasible, but Schwarber/JT might be in terms of big-ticket free agents

Sentimentally

• I’d love to see Yastrzemski land in Boston.

Mark P

• If the Red Sox didn’t already have 15 left-handed hitting outfielders, it would be a fun story

DePodesta

• Do I begin the rebuild this offseason, at the deadline, next off season or wait until a new CBA

Mark P

• As soon as humanly possible.

Trent Girsham

• The Yankees didn’t expect me to take the QO, did they?  Am I blocking Dominguez and Jones?

Mark P

• Like with the Brewers/Woodruff answer earlier, the Yankees wouldn’t have made the QO to Grisham if they weren’t prepared for the possibility that he’d accept.

  If Grisham is penciled into center field again, that leaves LF for Dominguez and Jones if the Yankees were intent on seeing what either or both can do with steady big league playing time.

MVBees

• Can anyone beat Judge and Ohtani next year? Who has the best shot in each league?

Mark P

• If Ohtani is going to be pairing his usual offensive numbers with (health permitting) strong pitching numbers going forward, I don’t think anyone’s beating him in the MVP race for the rest of the decade.

  For Judge, Raleigh came within a hair of beating him in this year’s vote.  It did take a truly special season for Raleigh, of course, and who knows if he (or anyone) can get to that level in the future.  In theory Judge might slow down since he’s entering his age-34 season, but I’m not holding my breath.

I’m a player

• Chris Young has moved salary with the trade and non tenders, is he now a player in the free agent market? Alonso, Bellinger, Tucker, which one is the best fit?

Mark P

• None of those players seem like fits for the Rangers’ limited payroll.  Between Semien’s contract and the non-tender savings, that still saves only a little bit of money since Nimmo has a hefty contract in his own right

Kevin McGonigle

• Please convince me that I will be on the opening day roster. Gleyber’s return makes me doubt that it’ll happen

Mark P

• The Tigers’ GM has already all but officially said McGongile is starting the season in Triple-A

ivylander

• Hard to imagine the O’s carrying both Mountcastle and Mayo on their opening day roster. Which one is more likely to help bring in a starting pitcher?

Mark P

• Mayo has way more trade value.
• I’m a little surprised that the O’s tendered Mountcastle a contract, if anything

Your name

• Would the Athletics make sense as an Arenado suitor

Mark P

• In theory yes, since the A’s are so thin at third base.  But I have a hard time seeing Arenado waiving his no-trade clause to play in a minor league ballpark for a team that isn’t yet a contender.

Murakami and Okamoto

• I’ve seen mixed reports on whether these guys will stick at third in the majors or not. What say you?

Mark P

• Having not seen them play, I’m also going by scouting reports.  The feeling is that Okamoto is the likelier of the two to at least competently play 3B, as some teams might just put Murakami at 1B right away and not even experiment.

Willy Mays fan

• Will the giants make a change at 2nd base. Plus 10 guys on the 40 man who play the outfield isn’t sustainable especially with a few of them out of options. Plus the need pitchers. Your thoughts please.

Mark P

• Casey Schmitt isn’t a bad option at 2B, if the rest of the Giants lineup was more loaded.  But in general, Schmitt seems more to me like a good “first guy off the bench” than someone I’d rely on as a regular starter.

Coach L

• Could you see the Orioles trading Rutschman to the Pirates for pitching?

Mark P

• The O’s value Rutschman highly enough that I don’t see them moving him for anyone Pittsburgh has, unless it was somehow part of a package for Skenes

Giants

• Theres been a lot of talk about the Giants trading Eldridge, but does that really make sense? They’ve struggled to produce a position player prospect with Star potential tools, finally pull it off, and now people are talking about them trading him? Is trading Eldridge really the only way the Giants could make meaningful upgrades?

Mark P

• SF has about $168MM committed to next year’s payroll, and their tax number is $54MM under the threshold.  They can add to their roster in a ton of ways just be spending some money, rather than trading Eldridge

Braves Fan

• How valuable is that PPI draft pick. Is it better to use in a trade or keep?

Mark P

• PPI picks can’t be traded.  The only draft picks eligible to be traded are the Competitive Balance Round selections

Guest

• When will owners wise-up and figure out that these long term contracts that pay players past the age of 34/35 never work  out?

Mark P

• Enough of them do work out that teams will always keep making these signings as the price of doing business.

Sparky

• I know the Reds won’t be alone, but will they make a push in the Garcia/Bleday/Lowe/Morel market…plus maybe Geno Suarez, or is Geno too much and they go after a couple of the first group?

Mark P

• The past history makes me wonder if Suarez and the Reds could be a fit.  He’d be more of a clear-cut upgrade for Cincinnati than anyone from the non-tender crew.

My Name

• Albert Pujols was a hot candidate to manage a team. Now he isn’t. What happened?

Mark P

• It’s not uncommon for guys to be interviewed for several managerial openings over several years before finally landing a job.  Pujols draws more attention because he’s a huge game, naturally, but perhaps thinks just didn’t click for him in this hiring cycle.

  Managing in the WBC might raise his profile and make him more of a hotter candidate for next offseason’s round of managerial hirings

Kyle

• If the Rays and Mariners go back to the trading well. What do you think that trade looks like?

Mark P

• These two are such frequent trade partners that I’m somewhat surprised Harry Ford isn’t a Ray already.  I’ve got to believe Ford’s name has been floated in multiple talks between the two.

Joe

• Would the Angels be willing to take McMahon and Grishom from the Yankees

Mark P

• Grisham can’t be moved until May 15, so no.  As for McMahon, I’d prefer a better-hitting 3B if I was the Halos

A’s

• Does McNeil make sense for the A’s?

Mark P

• I can see that, with some money heading to the A’s to cover some salary.  McNeil fits right in at second base for the A’s, and he can chip in as a center fielder too

Buster

• Do you think this is the year Bonds and Clemens finally make it into the HOF?

Mark P

• Nope.  I guess it depends on who makes up the committee panel, but I have a difficult time seeing the “hard no” they received last time suddenly swing into 12 of 16 votes

Phillies

• Do we have time to let Justin Crawford show what he can do or should we move him now for a professional upgrade?

Mark P

• Let Crawford play.  Crawford coming at least a cromulent big leaguer on a minimum salary for a few years would be an enormous help to a Phillies team with their payroll commitments
• We’re just about to hit two hours, so let’s call it for the evening.  Thanks to everyone who submitted a question!
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