MLBTR Chats News & Rumors

Campbell Soup

• Do you think teams around the league have asked the Sox about Kristian Campbell?  Or is the long-term agreement something that would turn teams off / be unwilling to send something of value?

Mark P

• The Sox surely haven’t given up on Campbell less than a year after making such a big financial commitment.  I’m sure some teams have made some creative offers, though you’re right in that Campbell’s extension kind of blocks out any “buy low” offers.

Marky Mark

• Hey Mark, why not continue the trafition…what’s on the Playlist tonight??

Mark P

• “Victim of Luck” by Metric

nick krall

• i usually talk about the reds but what do you think about danny coulombe to the red sox? perfect fit in that bullpen and they are in need of LH relievers.

Mark P

• It’d be a good fit, sure.  Frankly, I’m not sure why Coulombe hasn’t been signed yet, unless teams were scared off his age and his poor numbers after the deadline.

Ao

• Jesus made debut this year?

Mark P

• He doesn’t turn 19 until May, though he has already gotten a handful of Double-A games under his belt.  If he just crushes it in Double-A and Triple-A, I could see Milwaukee maybe giving him a cup of coffee in September, but a 2027 debut is probably likelier.  The PPI will factor into the Brewers’ decision, assuming that the PPI will continue to exist in some form in the next CBA

Joe

• Surprised that the best that Hoskins could get was a minor league deal from Cleveland, why the lack of interest from teams that still need help at first base?

Mark P

• Teams like the Nationals, Rockies, etc. aren’t trying to win in 2026.  Could be that Hoskins preferred a minors deal with a contender rather than a guaranteed deal with a worse team, plus there’s a strong chance Hoskins makes the Guardians’ opening roster

Astros71

• Christian Walker bounce-back!!!

Mark P

• That would be a huge help to Houston’s chances.  I love that signing for the Astros last winter, so I was as surprised as anyone that Walker struggled so mightily.  It’s possible he needed a year to adjust, but it would be rough for the team if Walker suddenly hit a wall in his mid-30’s

Slick Ric

• Top to bottom, can you think of a pitching staff that is worse than Washington’s?

Mark P

• The 2025 Rockies had the worst rotation ERA in baseball history, so there’s that.  But Washington’s current rotation is indeed looking rough

Guest

• Will the dodgers hold up health wise? Where do u see a potential problem area

Mark P

• If they lost one of their real tentpole players (Ohtani, Betts, Smith, Freeman, Tucker), that’s a big problem.  I’d say that a bunch of pitching injuries would also be a problem, but the Dodgers have such absurd pitching depth that they’ve been crushed by injuries to their arms in the last two years and still have two rings to show for it

PJ

• What is your take on what the Astros do with Paredes? 2B? Trade? They cant possibly bench him right?

Mark P

• The situation will resolve itself as soon as one of the Astros’ infielders gets hurt, which will inevitably happen.  I can also see Houston using Altuve in LF a little more than they’re letting on.

NL East

• Mets or Phils. Which is the better team?

Mark P

• Who has the better record in 2026?

  ---

  Mets (40.2% | 378 votes)

  Phillies (59.7% | 560 votes)

  ---

  Total Votes: 938

Brewers

• good job on the brewers write up. you mention saves increase arbitration costs, does the fireman role make Megill more, less, or no difference in how likely they trade him in 26?

Mark P

• Having saves on his resume means that Megill will still get a decent raise next winter if he’s this year’s closer or not.  The Brewers might also be playing the long game in trying to limit Uribe’s save totals, in order to prevent him from having too large a first-time price tag once he becomes arb-eligible.

  All of this is next to the more obvious point that the Brewers are trying to win ballgames.  However Megill or Uribe are utilized this season, Megill probably isn’t being dealt until next winter, since the Crew usually move guys when they’re a year away from free agency (not two, as Megill is now)

Mike Elias

• Do I trade Colby Mayo or keep him, since the Orioles have injuries?

Mark P

• The Westburg/Holliday injuries probably close the door on a Mayo trade for now, given how Baltimore is suddenly short-handed in the infield

Baseball Savant

• Jeff Passan thinks the history of the last time baseball was locked out will convince owners and players to compromise so that next season won’t be lost. Do you think a salary minimum is a legitimate bargaining point from the MLBPA perspective when combined with a mild version of a salary cap? The teams that spend the least make quite a bit of money because they get the taxpayers’ money. I don’t like the idea of a salary cap because it will limit teams like the Yankees, Dodgers, Cubs, etc. from making the game exciting by creating great teams on paper. There is enough history to know that WS aren’t won on paper.

Mark P

• The MLBPA will resist a salary cap in any form.  What’s interesting about a cap is that it has to have a salary floor as well, which (if I recall the NFL/NBA/NHL versions) is something like 90% of the cap high.

  If you’re referring to the same Passan column I’m thinking of, Jeff made the point that a salary floor will lead to a lot of consternation amongst owners.  Hypothetically, if a cap is something like $200MM, then an $180MM minimum spend isn’t something the Pirates, Guardians, A’s, Marlins, etc. are going to want to do.

  So it creates a bit of a catch-22 situation for all parties.  Plus there’s also the fact that teams would have to give the MLBPA full access to their books in order to accurately gauge a cap or floor based on league revenues, and teams don’t want to do that

Guest

• Baseball is still the greatest game!

Mark P

• Agreed!

Bay Area fan

• Don’t know too much about it, but I heard rumblings of the A’s having trademark troubles going to Vegas. Should they just abandon their name and start fresh going into their new city like the Expos did?

Mark P

• I admittedly haven’t been paying much attention to this story about the name trademark.  But for tradition’s sake, I’d like to see the A’s keep the name.  The “Athletics” brand is the only thing linking the franchise’s long history from Philly to KC to Oakland to Sacramento to Vegas.

J2A

• Out of Pages, Hererra, Crooks, and pozo who is the primary catcher and who DH’s?

Mark P

• Herrera will catch as much as he can based on health and defensive capability, since he has a lot more value behind the plate than as a pure DH (even if he swings the bat well in any role).

  Pages will probably be the primary backstop until the Cardinals have a better gauge on Herrera’s situation, and the team will go from there.  For some of the talk about the Cardinals trading from this on-paper surplus, that depth suddenly dries up quickly if Herrera can’t really catch

Loveable losers

• How worrisome is it that the Cubs need to re-up with at Nico, Seiya, Happ, Steele, Boyd, and Taillon

Mark P

• This is by design, since it feels like the Cubs are preparing for some changes to baseball’s business structure in a new CBA.  How widespread these changes are remains to be seen, and of course there’s still a still a month of the 2026-27 offseason that will happen before the current CBA actually expires.

  Steele, btw, is a free agent after 2027.  The rest of the group are free agents after 2026.

Lou Whitaker’s HOF resume

• What, exactly, is missing?

Mark P

• Your guess is as good as mine, since if I had my way, Whitaker would’ve been in Cooperstown years ago.

Jake Jortles

• Assuming their average seasons (and that a QO is still a thing), does Toronto QO Bieber and Varsho?

Mark P

• Yeah.  Maybe some slight hesitation over Varsho since his “average season” is below average in terms of wRC+.  But overall, it’s a pretty safe call to think the Jays give a QO to a power-hitting center fielder with a superb glove

Zach

• Where do you think Skubal will sign if not extended and is a free agent?

Mark P

• The Dodgers are the obvious answer.  Having a rotation of Skubal/Yamamoto/Ohtani/Glasnow/Snell with Sasaki and all of the many younger guys as depth options sounds absurd, but this is the Dodgers we’re talking about.

  Beyond LA, it’ll be the usual suspects of the Mets, Blue Jays, Phillies, and other big spenders who can afford the gigantic number Boras and Skubal will be asking for

Jill

• Will Cleveland make any more moves?

Mark P

• MORE moves?  Hey come on now, you want more than Hoskins AND Austin Hedges?!

Jack Lazorko

• Do you think the loss of their local TV contract has caused the Angels to cut payroll?   I’m not optimistic about this season at all.   The roster looks thin and poorly constructed.

Mark P

• It’s a factor, but it feels like Moreno in his own way is trying to have a quiet rebuild without really calling it as much.  Or, you know, going about a rebuild in the normal way of tearing down a roster and focusing solely on young talent.

Brewerfan

• Did I miss it or did you guys not report Pat Murphy’s extension?

Mark P

• You missed it
  https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2026/02/brewers-pat-murphy-agree-to-ext…

Chris M

• Why do you suppose it was so hard for the Royals to find a trade partner for their pitching depth? Like selling high on Noah Cameran

Mark P

• KC might’ve been asking for too much in return, or other teams were offering too little.  Even for teams with an apparent pitching surplus like the Royals, it’s tricky to line up on trades since teams are so loath to give up pitching

Brian

• Do you think any of the Mets’ moves were rage spending after missing out on other players?

Mark P

• Stearns is a measured guy. He isn’t operating out of spite.

Guest

• After considering the injury history, does Luis Robert have anything to offer the Mets?

Mark P

• Assuming he stays healthy, Robert is (at minimum) a good defensive center fielder who hits left-handed pitching well.  That’s a useful player to have on the roster, even if it remains to be seen if he can recapture any of his past stardom

MoonBeamMcSwine

• Can you provide a comment regarding “the Big Rig”, Gavin Williams.. could he challenge for league ace status & Cy votes during the 2026 season?

Mark P

• Some back-end Cy votes certainly seem possible.  Williams had a nice breakout last year and might be the latest frontline arm from the Cleveland pitching factory.

CY

• Shouldn’t I have sold them off instead adding Gore to the aging and injury prone DeGrom and Eovaldi?

Mark P

• DeGrom and Eovaldi both have no-trade clauses, so they’d have to approve any deal anyway.  And, their ages and salaries and injuries are also obstacles to finding an acceptable return in a trade, though either would’ve certainly drawn interest if the Rangers had really shopped them
• The bottom line here is that the Rangers are still trying to compete in 2026, albeit within payroll restrictions.  Trying to thread the needle by moving DeGrom or Eovaldi for salary relief and some win-now return and then still (either in the same transaction or in others) filling those new holes at the top of the rotation is mighty difficult.

Kurtz on 1st

• Who’s closing games for my A’s?

Mark P

• It’ll apparently be a committee, though plans can change if one guy really stands out in a closing role.  Hogan Harris is probably (big if) the top closer choice at the moment, if the A’s do give one member of the committee a larger share of the save chances.

Pablo Lopez

• Now that my season is over, what do the Twins do about the rotation? I’m not sure that Giolito or Littell move the needle much…

Mark P

• Littell is probably the better fit since he’ll be less expensive. Since I was pessimistic about Minnesota’s chances even with Lopez healthy, losing him for the season seems like it should already get the front office thinking about another deadline selloff

AJ Preller

• Are the Padres done dealing ?

Mark P

• Based purely on vibes, I feel like Prelller has one more notable addition still to come before Opening Day.

Dark 🐎

• Which team has been the most surprising to go on a run that wasn’t on anyone’s radar throughout the season? Maybe 2006 Cards?

Mark P

• Exactly nobody thought the 2023 World Series was going to wind up as Rangers vs. Diamondbacks, and yet…

Dark 🐎

• Best under the radar off-season signing?

Mark P

• Since I hyped him for months as a great darkhorse signing, Luis Rengifo going to the Brewers gives me a lot of hope that he’s in for a very good year.  Milwaukee excels are under-the-radar adds, so the fact that they’re in on Rengifo says something.

Ian

• Who wins the AL West this year?

Mark P

• Seattle is the clear favorite. Astros/Rangers/A’s should all be competitive, with the A’s a tier below the Texas clubs since I don’t trust the Athletics’ rotation.

  As for the Angels, well….uh, it’s an affordable experience at your ballpark?

• Anecdote about the Anaheim ballpark experience!

  My parents were vacationing in California years ago (maybe around 2011?), and on a night when their tour group was doing something they weren’t interested in, my folks decided to randomly just take in an Angels game.  They remembered nothing about the game itself, but said the ballpark was nice, and there was a pregame promotion where two Angels players squared off in a cow-milking contest.

Rick Rude

• Was the Twins FO delusional to think they could be competitive this season (at least before Lopez injury)? Do you think Buxton may eventually agree to a trade?

Mark P

• Buxton’s irritated comments the other day were perhaps some indication that he is rethinking his decision to stick it out in Minnesota.  That said, I’d still put a Buxton trade at at least 95% unlikely.

Ebenezer_Batflip

• 2013 red sox had no business being that good

Surprise

• The 2019 World Champion Washington Nationals.

Mark P

• If we’re looking even more recently, the Blue Jays were terrible in 2024 before winning the pennant last year.

Don Zimmer

• Have the Cubs done enough? Asking for a friend.

Mark P

• Chicago should reach the postseason at the very least.  Given how the Brewers took a step back on paper, winning the NL Central is certainly within the Cubs’ reach.

Tom

• I thought JoJo Romero would have been traded by now?

Mark P

• Same here. Could easily still happen before Spring Training is over.

Yu

• Is there any chance Murakami traded this year or next year?

Mark P

• Unlikely.  It probably wouldn’t be great for the White Sox reputation-wise if they branched out for this notable international signing, Murakami plays well, and the Sox immediately dealt him as part of the rebuild.

Brian

• Will the Phillies decline this year after losing Ranger and the star players getting another year older?

Mark P

• As per that survey from earlier, roughly 60% of Weekend Chat participants feel Philadelphia will still be better than the Mets, fwiw

  What’s interesting about Philly is that technically, they keep getting better. They’ve increased their win total in each of the last full (not counting 2020) MLB seasons.  The success just hasn’t paid off with a championship yet, and the playoff results have stalled out since their pennant in 2022.

  Phils fans could care less about regular-season wins, of course, since it’s title or bust.  There is some fear of the Phillies regressing due to the roster’s overall age, but the idea is that Crawford can give the lineup a jolt in the arm.  It also seems like not having Castellanos will help the team both on and off the field, so Adolis’ contributions will be welcomed.

Dan

• Brewers didnt take a step back. This is right where all the beat writers had them last year toom.

Mark P

• Ah, that’s why I said “on paper”
  Milwaukee just keeps figuring out ways to win, no matter how many stars they trade

Nick2112

• What do you think of the job bloom is doing in the Lou ?

Mark P

• Too early to tell, naturally.  Felt like Bloom has been going for quantity of prospects over quality, with the Cards also eating a good deal of money to ensure that they have gotten some quality in return.

  It’ll be years before we can gauge Bloom’s work properly, since so much of it depends on how the team drafts and develops, as well as future bigger-ticket moves like trades or signings.

Zakis

• You spoke of Buxton having irritated comments earlier.  What exactly are you talking about?

Mark P

• https://www.startribune.com/minnesota-twins-byron-buxton-spring-traini…

ROYALS

• If think people are really underestimating just how much of an upgrade the Royals OF will be this year.  They were SOOOOOOOOOO bad last year.  You could put a swarm of bees out there and it’d be an upgrade.

Mark P

• This a fair point.  Collins/Thomas don’t need to be world-beaters to top the dismal numbers posted by the 2025 Royals outfield (apart from Yaz).

  The issue is that Thomas is also coming off a dreadful 2025, and Collins had a promising rookie season but is far from a sure thing.  My preferred Royals offseason would’ve been Collins, and then a proven OF bat rather than Thomas.

• There’s also the Jac factor (or the Jac-tor, if you will), of hoping Caglianone will be markedly better.  It would be hard for him to be worse than his rookie year, yet counting on him to improve is a risk for a Royals team trying to win

Basket ball GEEK

• Marlins may surprise people if the kids hit and pitching staff stays reasonably healthy…may give the Braves a run at least…also, Phillies pitching is suspect until Wheeler returns and pitches…. What do you think?

Mark P

• The Marlins are one of the more interesting teams to watch in 2026.  Trading two starters doesn’t seem like the usual tactic for a team that truly plans on making a playoff push, but it’s still ultimately a building year.  Getting to a .500 record doesn’t seem out of the question for Miami, though I think it’ll take (another) perfect storm of struggling rival teams for the Marlins to get close to the playoffs.
• The Phillies are a team I’d consider as contenders for Giolito or Littell.  This moves Walker to the pen and adds some depth until Wheeler is ready, or if Painter isn’t ready for the Show

German Marquez

• Am I a dark horse candidate for Improved Player of the Year in San Diego?

Mark P

• Stranger things have happened.  Ruben Niebla has worked some wonders in the past, but this would be his masterpiece.

Wally

• Red sox #5 starter is?

Mark P

• Likely Oviedo
• I’m not entirely ruling out a Bello trade, which opens the door for one of Early/Tolle

Blake

• Does Paredes to the Orioles make sense?

Mark P

• For the moment, but Paredes would be going from one crowded infield to another once Westburg and Holliday returned.
• We’ve passed the two-hour mark, so it’s time to call it a night.  Thanks for all your questions, and more chatting will commence next weekend!
• If you’re interested in more baseball Q&A, one of the many benefits of our Trade Rumors Front Office subscription is the exclusive weekly live chats. The more limited field means you’re about 10 times more likely to get a question answered, as opposed to battling for space with hundreds of other questions in today’s chat. For more on our memberships, check out this link:

  https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/membership?ref=chat-2-22-26

Steve Adams

• I could see them signing Giolito or Littell, sure. Their payroll is in the gutter after all the trades.Smaller scale like Tyler Anderson, Jon Gray etc. probably also in play. Doubt it’d be someone like Scherzer, who’s clearly going to be prioritizing playing for a winner.

White Sox

• Could the CWS finish the season in 3rd place or better?

Steve Adams

• Sure. Need some things to break their way, but it’s a young team with lots of upside and the AL Central is a dumpster fire. Cleveland has done literally nothing to get better. Minnesota just lost its best or second-best SP after an offseason of minimal upgrades (and still has no bullpen). Kansas City is … fine? Outfield and 2B still look terrible, though. Lineup is extremely top-heavy, so one notable injury to Bobby Witt and they don’t even look like a surefire .500 club.

Still an A

• Aaron Civale got $6M, Sugano got $5.1, and Quintana got $6M. All got around the same amount. Which pitcher will do the best?

Steve Adams

• I don’t like the landing spot for any of them, but Quintana is the best/most talented pitcher of the bunch for me
• A’s getting Civale for $6MM seems fine though. I assume you’re wondering if they’d have been better off giving that money to Sugano or Quintana.I’d take Civale over Sugano pretty easily, and while I’d prefer Q to Civale, we don’t know that Quintana would’ve been open to signing to play in a minor league stadium which has been a real turnoff for some free agents

Six feet of bubble tape

• Who replaces Tony Clark? Sean Casey? Gordon Bombay?

Steve Adams

• My assumption is that deputy director/lead negotiator Bruce Meyer just steps up. Based on Brent Suter’s comments, it doesn’t sound like they’re going to conduct a big search outside the PA and want to preserve some continuity. Meyer achieves that.

FA

• When do you think Giolito and Littell might sign ?  Any ideas with what teams ? thanks

Steve Adams

• I’d be surprised if either is still unsigned in two weeks. Just connecting the dots, I would imagine Giolito is on the Twins’ radar now. (They probably both are, but Giolito has the higher pedigree, throws harder, etc.)

Bloom

• So Do I make good on finding a decent Right handed hitting outfielder especially with Nootbaar’s health in question or do I roll with what is in Jupiter?

Steve Adams

• There’ll be enough guys bouncing around on waivers, to say nothing of yet-unsigned free agents like Grichuk/Pham, that I feel the Cardinals will bring someone in. Obviously isn’t going to be a huge, marquee acquisition.

Jacob D

• Would Ramon Urias be a good match for the Royals as a non roster invitee?

Steve Adams

• Sure, but he’d be a good fit just about anywhere as an NRI guy. Even on a team with established options at 3B/SS/2B, it’s fine to bring in a guy like Urias on a non-roster deal since you’re only ever one injury away from needing the depth.Fit in KC is maybe a bit better than in other spots, since the bench just looks really, really bad.

Met Ric system

• How do the Tigers fill the void left by the injury to Reece Olson ? Last season of Skubal so it’s now or never.

Steve Adams

• I feel like they sort of already did with the Verlander signing.Their top five is now Skubal, Valdez, Flaherty, Mize and Verlander, with Drew Anderson, Troy Melton, Keider Montero and Sawyer Gipson-Long as decent depth options. Never hurts to throw an NRI at a Wade Miley or Anthony DeSclafani, but the depth in Detroit looks decent as is.

Guest

• Any fits for German Marquez?

Steve Adams

• He’s already a Padre!
  https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2026/02/padres-german-marquez-agree-to-…

Patty O’Furniture

• What is the biggest trade you could realistically see happening between now and Opening Day?

Steve Adams

• Washington moving CJ Abrams for a bucket of prospects?
• I think the Twins will move a left-handed-hitting outfielder (Trevor Larnach?)Still think there’s a 50% or so chance the Cardinals deal JoJo Romero
• Isaac Paredes another candidate for “biggest feasible trade”

Tyler Anderson

• How about a one year deal for me for $2 million to the Twins or A’s?

Steve Adams

• Sure, but for $2MM you could drop Anderson on basically any roster and I’d say “Sure why not?” Haha

Bucs trade

• Bucs send Keller to Baltimore for 3B Westburg and minor leaguer Aloy then sign Littell to take Keller’s spot.  Thoughts?

Steve Adams

• I think if they could’ve gotten Jordan Westburg for Mitch Keller, they’d have done it on day one of the offseason haha. O’s aren’t doing that.

AA

• Am really going into the season with this rotation

Steve Adams

• I still think the Braves will add someone. As Anthony said his chat yesterday, I don’t fully buy the “We’re only looking at guys who’d fit at/near the top of the rotation” stance
• What I would buy is if the Braves were just right up to their budget limit and thus are going to try to piece it together with in-house options.

Snakes

• Lawler a breakout player for the snakes?

Steve Adams

• Breakout hitter, sure. I don’t have much faith he’ll be a good defender anywhere, but if you told me he ends the season as the primary LF who’s like 15 to 20% better than average in the batter’s box, I’d buy it.

Patrick

• What are the rules around trading a player that accepted a QO?

Steve Adams

• Can’t trade a player who accepted a QO without his consent until June 15
• Same as any other free agent signing. The CBA treats a QO like a free agent signing (as it should, since those players have a couple weeks to gauge the open market before determining whether to take that fat one-year deal)

barry bonds

• I think we can all agree that the cardinals have had a horrible offseason

Steve Adams

• I think they had a horrible offseason last winter. This time around, I think they’ve done well, given the organization’s goals.

Twins Guy

• Do you think Twins trade Joe Ryan before the season now that Lopez is out?

Steve Adams

• Nah. Pretty hard for Tom Pohlad to be out here doing semi-regular media appearances saying “We like our team! We’re going to compete!” (I disagree, but hey) … and then immediately say “Ah hell we lost one player, burn it all down”

Rhys H

• Who’s going to sign me?

Steve Adams

• Rhys Hoskins doesn’t even know the answer to this! The GM/president who’s going to eventually sign him probably doesn’t, either, haha.A few landing spots that make sense:

  Nationals, Marlins, Rockies, Guardians

Dodgers are Ruining Basketball

• Is the salary cap inevitable?

Steve Adams

• I’ve long been of the mindset that the opposite is inevitable
• Teams/owners talk a big game, but in the end, they can’t lose a whole season when business is booming like this, when there are so many streaming rights/national broadcast rights up for negotiation in the near future, and when Manfred’s lasting legacy would be “the commissioner who oversaw the first loss of games in nearly four decades after calling the World Series trophy a ‘piece of metal,'” haha
• If the MLBPA were going to go out and bring in someone new to run the ship in the wake of Clark’s resignation, I’d say maybe that changes my stance.But Brent Suter (executive subcomittee member) has already said they’ll name an interim head and prioritize continuity. If it’s Bruce Meyer taking over, he’s fully aligned with Clark in his “any talk of a cap is a complete nonstarter” mindset.

Ebenezer_Batflip

• Which Red Sox OF has the best season, Anthony, Abreu or Ceddanne? Bonus option for Duran

Steve Adams

• Roman Anthony is going to have a better season than most people, including those on all 29 other teams.
• I’m fully on board the hype train. He’s a monster.

Rox Optimist

• Out of the Rox FA signings this offseason, which one do you predict ends up having the most worth as a trade candidate?

Steve Adams

• Willi Castro and then Jose Quintana

Fire cashman and sell the team

• Dominguez Volpe and a pick for Skenes who say no

Steve Adams

• The Pirates say no to everything involving Skenes.

Nico Hoerner

• What would it take for me to sign an extension? I’ve seen 5/$90 floating out there but that feels like an obvious win for the Cubs

Steve Adams

• Anthony wrote about this at length last week:
  https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2026/02/ballparking-a-nico-hoerner-exte…

Joe

• Am I wrong that the Reds need a better corner outfielder? Steer is good but they could have done better than Bleday or Meyers, right?

Steve Adams

• Yeah I’d have preferred a better option than Bleday — and I say that as the guy on the staff here who seems to “like” Bleday more than the others (I don’t think he’s especially good, I just think there’s a chance he’s a reasonably serviceable 1.5 to 2 WAR guy)

G

• w does Skubal winning arbitration do to what Skenes could possibly get

Steve Adams

• Nothing until Skenes is also in his final year of arbitration eligibility

Ken from Steel City

• Do you see any teams taking a flyer on a Suwinski trade? Do you think the Pirates will find a suitor for Bart? If so, what would the return be?

Steve Adams

• I was surprised they even tendered him a contract. I guess I could see the Astros giving up cash to get him or something, since they really want a cheap LHH OF, but I can’t imagine he’s netting a player after hitting .169/.271/.297 over the past two MLB seasons. Even while he was putting up big rate stats in AAA last year, he was doing so with a 30% strikeout rate.
• Bart … shrug. I think most teams just few him as a backup with a hint of upside. Better than a total journeyman but probably not someone you’re starting for 70+ games without some notable injuries driving it.

Taylor57

• Friars appear to have a jog jam at 1b. Who is the odd man out? I don’t see France going back to El Paso.

Steve Adams

• Yeah I figure France just plays there during camp then opts out/asks for his release to sign with a better fit late in camp

Astros OF

• are there any NRI depth options the astros can sign? i was disappointed to see tauchman sign with the mets. astros need OF help desperately, right?

Steve Adams

• Conforto? Verdugo? Winker? All LHH OFs who haven’t signed yet

The bigger they are,

• I forget who but someone from MLBTR threw out some amusing “wild” takes for the upcoming season on a chat a few weeks back, and one of them was that neither Ohtani nor Judge will win MVP this year. Do you agree?

Steve Adams

• Tim was asked to come up with some “hot takes” in a recent mailbag, and he prefaced it by saying he doesn’t necessarily think any of those things are certain, he was just listing some unlikely opinions that he feels are plausible.If I had to bet on at least one of Judge or Ohtani winning, I would say that’s likely, of course. But not excessively so. Judge barely ousted Raleigh last year. Both he and Ohtani have notable injury histories. It’s not hard to see a scenario where neither wins an MVP.

Matt

• Even without Pablo, the Twins still have a lot of SP options and LHH OF (plus a clear need for a RHH IF bat). Does a SWR, Larnach, and Alex Jackson package get a deal done for Paredes?

Steve Adams

• I wouldn’t consider that enough of an upgrade to move Paredes
• Woods Richardson is a fourth/fifth starter. Larnach probably should’ve been non-tendered. Jackson is a third catcher.

Girsch

• How does MLB assuming local distribution rights affect teams’ financials?

Steve Adams

• They get less money than they would have under the RSN deals, but it varies from situation to situation.

Blue

• What’s the deal with Walker Buehler signed “minor” league? No team was interested in him?

Steve Adams

• Stuff is down considerably compared to where it was before his second Tommy John. He has a 5.10 ERA, 17% strikeout rate and 10% walk rate over his past 40 MLB appearances / 201 innings.I wouldn’t have given Buehler a 40-man roster spot, either. (Though I figured someone would give him like $5-6MM based on name value, admittedly)

Kris Bryant

• Do you think Kris Bryant will play baseball again or is his back issues just gonna be too much to recover from. I’ve got the same thing he was diagnosed with. Back pain at 34(when my tissues started) now 40 are no joke.

Steve Adams

• I tend to lean no, especially after some comments he made this morning. Which is a shame. Everyone will poke fun at the contract, and that’ll be the legacy for now, but man, what a great player early in his career. That he’s been reduced to this at a still-young age by a chronic condition that’s probably going to impact him for the rest of his life is just an abject bummer.

Ortiz

• Clase is toast, any chance I pitch again?

Steve Adams

• Doubt either ever throws a pitch in the majors (or minors) again

Tterb Ytab

• Thoughts on Brett Baty?

Steve Adams

• Nice solid regular — not a star but maybe winds up with an All-Star nod or two in his career since he’s talented enough to put together a real nice first half and get some fan support.

Sid

• Who gets more playing time this season, Mark Vientos or Matt Shaw?

Steve Adams

• There’s an easier path for Vientos to hit his way into a notable role on the Mets’ roster, even if everyone’s healthy, than there is for Shaw in Chicago. So I’d lean toward him, but obviously it just takes one injury for Bregman or Hoerner for Shaw to be in an everyday role.
• Or a Swanson injury, since Hoerner would slide to SS and Shaw would play 2B

M’s Fan

• If one of the top five starting pitchers for the M’s goes down in Spring Training, do they run out Hancock or roll the dice early with Anderson?

Steve Adams

• Kade Anderson didn’t even throw a professional pitch after being drafted last season! Love the optimism, haha, but it’d be Hancock, Dane Dunning or Cooper Criswell
• (Or an additional signing … Zack Littell, Tyler Anderson, Jon Gray, etc.)

Schanuel

• Do I develop any power throughout the next few years?

Steve Adams

• He’s never been projected to hit for power, and his batted-ball metrics thus far in the majors are … well, they’re not great.

Guest

• Who will be the Giant’s 4th Outfielder (or 5th) and who gets traded seeing Matos and Encarnacion are both out of options?

Steve Adams

• Drew Gilbert or Will Brennan are probably ahead of both? To your point, I have a hard time seeing both Matos and Encarnacion make the roster. I think there’s a chance they’re both off the roster by camp’s end.

I Pika-Choose U

• Does Cleveland know it’s almost time for baseball to start?

Steve Adams

• Hard to find a team that had a worse offseason. Maybe their ownership group thought the lockout started *this* winter.

Park M

• You’ve mentioned Jon Gray a couple times but won’t he be out for a while due to TOS?

Steve Adams

• Oh true. I just had our remaining free agent list pulled up and listed him a couple times off the cuff. Wasn’t thinking about his specific timetable. I haven’t heard when he’ll be ready or even if he plans to continue pitching — he was noncommittal last year — so I could’ve been using a better arbitrary example in those cases, oops. Can we pretend I said, I don’t know, Patrick Corbin instead? Haha
• Alright I’ve got to wrap up for the week. I’m on X @Adams_Steve and Bluesky @adams-steve.bsky.social for more questions.If you want more opinions, analysis, etc. from the MLBTR team, you can sign up for our subscription service, which includes two weekly subscriber-only chats, exclusive articles (including Tim’s weekly mailbag), access to our Contract Tracker, agency database, GM database, ad-free viewing, fantasy advice and more.

  Thanks for chatting, everyone!

Sox Fan

• Do the White Sox have under 100 losses this season?

Mark P

• Will the White Sox lose fewer than 100 games in 2026?

  ---

  Yes (73.4% | 701 votes)

  No (26.5% | 253 votes)

  ---

  Total Votes: 954

Oops all RH 1Bs

• Given the reporting earlier, is there an actual market for Os 1Bs Mountcastle or Mayo?

Mark P

• The Marlins and Rangers stand out as a couple of teams that could use help at either CI position, though who knows if they’ve had any real talks about either Baltimore player.  Mountcastle’s market is pretty limited but there is likely still a good deal of interest in Mayo

Rossy Atkinz

• Is running 162 games with a middle infield of Gimenez and Clement a mistake?

Mark P

• From a defensive standpoint, not at all.  From a hitting standpoint, definitely.  Clement’s great playoff run (and even Gimenez’s multiple clutch hits in October) shouldn’t overshadow their subpar offensive numbers during the season.

  Davis Schneider will be chipping in at 2B as well, but the Jays are really rolling the dice here on their middle infield plan

Ryan mountcastle

• How am I still on the team?

Mark P

• Feels like the O’s were caught between a rock and a hard place.  They felt Mountcastle was too good to just non-tender (given how injuries might’ve been the key factor in his 2025 slump), yet he is also not good enough to trade for what they’d deem to be a decent return
• Keeping Mountcastle also gave the Orioles some cover in case they didn’t make a big move at first base, but once Alonso signed, Mounty became even more expendable

Brad

• How many more seasons without the Phillies winning a World Series until trading Bryce Harper suddenly makes sense for both sides?

Mark P

• Harper has a no-trade clause, so the ball would be in his court on this subject.

  And blaming Harper for the Phillies’ lack of a championship is a wild take

Matt D

• Much like TB, the Brewers tend to win most of their trades. What needs to happen in order for Milwaukee to ‘win’ the Durbin trade? I was very surprised to see Milwaukee give up on Durbin so soon for unproven prospects and a utility IF.

Mark P

• The deal also struck me as surprising, but it could be that the Brewers see Hamilton (and new signing Luis Rengifo) as being able to replicate much of what Durbin brought to the table

Long time first time

• Currently sat in the hospital appreciating the fact I’ve got a chat to read.  So thank you and all the guys who do these weekly. Very enjoyable.

Mark P

• Our pleasure.  Get well soon!

Piratus maximus

• Are Suarez and Lowe enough offensive upgrade for the reds to win the Central?

Mark P

• Kinda confused by this question since Suarez signed with Cincinnati and Lowe was dealt to Pittsburgh.

  I still favor the Cubs and Brewers over either CIN/PIT in the NL Central race, but the other two should at least be in wild card contention, and will make things interesting in the division

Chris

• Is Griffin Canning a sneaky good move from the padres?

Mark P

• I think so.  The Padres generally do a good job at helping pitchers find new levels of performance, so I wouldn’t be shocked if Canning has a solid season (if healthy)

Eric G.

• I assume the Reds question was about Nathaniel Lowe – which is odd considering he’s just on a minors deal at the moment.

Mark P

• It’s a sign of how forgettable Nate Lowe’s season was that I’d already blanked on him signing with the Reds, oops.

  I doubt Lowe will be a needle-mover for the Reds, though stranger things have happened.  Maybe getting back into a winning environment will help him regain his old Rangers form.

Mike

• Do you see Atlanta adding to it’s rotation.

Mark P

• It may depend on what happens with Waldrep’s visit to Dr. Meister, but I thought the Braves should’ve gotten another starter even before the Waldrep news broke.  Feels like they could use another back-end starter type to soak up innings.

Cool Mama Bell

• Bees?

Mark P

• Beads?!

Cleveland

• Thoughts on Chase Delauter?

Mark P

• Very promising young player, but if I’m the Guardians, I go out and get a veteran OF rather than putting extra pressure on DeLauter to be good right away
• DeLauter doesn’t have a ton of Triple-A experience, and while he has hit well in the minors, some more seasoning might be needed before he’s ready for the Show

jeff

• I can’t see MLB getting a salary cap but do you think that they can eliminate deferred contracts in the next agreement?

Mark P

• Some kind of limit on deferred money seems reasonable.  The MLBPA will resist since they (rightly) will view it as a way of curbing spending, but in lieu of an actual salary cap, addressing deferrals could be seen as a bit of compromise.

Chaim Bloomin’ Onion

• If there’s one thing I’ve never understood, it’s the way new GMs will put certain players lower on their charts because he’s not “his guy”, he was the previous regime’s guy. You understand what I mean? The Granillo thing felt like that, he wasn’t “Chaim’s guy” so maybe he was more expendable to him than Mo. We’ve seen Bendix do it a few times too. I’m sure there’s tons of behind the scenes to it, but from a fans perspective I’ve always thought that was odd.

Mark P

• Any two executives (even within the same organization) will have differing views on their prospect base.  So if isn’t surprising that a new exec entering a team will look to get rid of the guys that his old team never valued, unless that exec learns some behind-the-scenes intel that changes his mind

carpathian florist

• Can you explain why the giants are so set on sticking to their current pitching staff? Pretty unanimously, people seem to believe they need another starter and the bullpen doesn’t inspire any confidence either

Mark P

• The Giants may well still be (and probably are) scouring the market for other pitching options, since teams are forever looking to add more pitching whenever possible.  Still plenty of time for some more arms to be brought in, on the rotation or bullpen side
• The pen in particular feels like it needs more work than the rotation at this point

Mlbfan

• Will there be baseball in 2027?

Mark P

• Yes

CY

• Should the Rangers go after TB Cleavinger ?

Mark P

• I think pretty much any team should be in on Cleavinger, but I highly doubt the Rays will trade him

J.R.

• Who do you see as the most disappointing offseason? For me it’s Cleveland. Even with Clase off the books they’ve practically spent nothing.

Mark P

• This is probably my answer as well, just because the Guardians’ needs (at least one quality RH bat) are so glaring, yet they have done almost literally nothing this winter.  Again, there’s still time before Opening Day, but it feels like the Guards will basically stand pat in a division that is open for the taking.

dale

• Did the Yankees overcorrect by building an elite bullpen (Bednar, Doval, Cruz) at the expense of rotation depth?

Mark P

• Having a team that can play a proverbial six-inning game is a huge plus, even though I’d hesitate before considering the Yankees’ trio a truly “elite” set of leverage arms.

Bryce Harper

• What do you think the chances of me playing for the LAS VEGAS Athletics in 2028 would be?

Mark P

• Zero

jeff

• Centerfielder for that Angels? They can’t seriously think Adelle can play CF. He can’t really play RF.

Mark P

• Even with Teodosio being liberally used as a late-game sub, I agree that the Angels’ OF defense looks dire.  Lowe’s not much of a right fielder, Soler can’t play LF, and Trout may not be able to physically hold up if he gets much time in the outfield.
• The answer would’ve been to acquire someone besides Lowe, but the market (in both trades and free agency) was very thin on good CF options this winter

Mariner fan

• The mariners are really high Kade Anderson. They have even mentioned publicly that they could possibly see him in a major league uniform this year. With that in mind, do you think the Mariners would be interested in trading a current starter to get another solid bat?

Mark P

• Unlikely.  The M’s already lost Logan Evans to TJ surgery, depleting their rotation depth.  Trading from the current starting five leaves Seattle even thinner, and then very thin if one of the remaining starters gets injured.  It also puts a lot of pressure on Anderson to continue developing at a rapid pace.

  For a team that has designs on winning the World Series this year, the Mariners will want to retain as much pitching as possible.

Bob

• what’s with the Bees and Beads every chat?  I don’t get that at all.

Mark P

• It is a longrunning joke based on an obscure old Arrested Development gag.  It has been going for so long in these chats that I forget how it even started.

Overconfident yankees fan

• can we see breakout seasons from Volpe, McMahon, rice, Grisham, Gil, and weathers?

Mark P

• At least you described yourself as overconfident!  A couple of these guys have already had breakout seasons, but overall, it doesn’t seem likely that all six will be productive.  Some or even most, sure, but not all six.

NOT MARK P

• The Brewers added and subtracted this offseason. I can’t tell if they got worse or are about the same. What do you think about their offseason?

Mark P

• On the one hand they signed my offseason dark horse free agent darling Luis Rengifo, so I have no choice but to predict Milwaukee will now win the World Series.

  On a more serious note, the Brewers had the kind of offseason I’d be worried about if they weren’t the Brewers.  Their track record implies that they’ll figure things out and still be contenders for another NL Central title, but on paper, I don’t love their moves this winter.

• It also doesn’t help that the Cubs, Reds, and Pirates have all theoretically gotten better

Blue

• Nationals feel like they could use Ramon Urias & Rhys Hoskins to balance out 1B & 2B

Mark P

• Seems like the types of low-level signings the Nats will probably have coming, since no major additions are on the way

Gregg

• The Nationals have been in a rebuilding phase for a while and should be on the rise by now. Any idea on what’s holding them back?

Mark P

• Many of the players the Nats felt would be big pieces of their rebuild (Wood, Gore, Abrams) have delivered.  The problem was that nobody else in the organization did much of anything, especially a lot of the Nats’ homegrown prospects.  Obviously the jury is still out on guys like Crews, but the utter lack of help in the minor league pipeline really stalled out the rebuild.

Barney Coolio

• Aren’t Nick Castellanos and Miguel Andujar incredibly redundant and not useful for the Padres?

Mark P

• Andujar brings a lot more to the table than Castellanos in my view.  But, Castellanos at the price of virtually nothing is worth a flier, and the Padres can always just release him if he isn’t hitting.

William Murdoch

• Why do you think the AL Central is open for the taking? The Tigers are heavy favorites, unless you think Skubal will be traded?

Mark P

• Signing Valdez and Verlander reinforced the Tigers as favorites, but their roster still has some flaws.  The gap would be a lot closer if the Guardians had done anything with their lineup besides re-sign Austin Hedges

Jim Thorpe

• Which current MLB player would be the best winter Olympian, and at what event?

Mark P

• Eddy Alvarez played in MLB as recently as 2024, and he literally won a silver medal as a speed skater in the 2014 Winter Olympics.

Alan Bundy

• Are the Royals ever going to get a star outfielder or even a more than serviceable outfielder?

Mark P

• The Royals are another team that didn’t wow me this offseason.  Collins is a good get for the outfield, but Lane Thomas is a roll of the dice.  Their pitching is strong enough that only a decent amount of extra offense could’ve put KC in there as real contenders, but I’m not sure Collins/Thomas/more of Jonathan India counts

Mike Trout

• How will I be remembered once my career is over? Will people remember me as one of the best ever in my prime?

Mark P

• Trout is a first-ballot HOFer, and he’ll rightly be remembered as an all-time great.

  Unfortunately, every discussion of Trout will inevitably include mention of his near-total lack of playoff exposure.  He’s this generation’s Ernie Banks, the superstar who never got a chance to shine in the playoffs

Chester Cheetah

• Mark, how do you prefer your burgers? Plain? The works? Mushrooms and cheese? What is your jam?

Mark P

• Ketchup, mustard, tomatoes, pickles, and (depending on the restaurant) relish.  This is the standard Mark Burger.

Watts

• Will Bryce Harper and the Phillies relationship improve or not?

Mark P

• I’m not sure it’s actually that bad.  Harper was surely annoyed at the phrasing of Dombrowski’s comments, and his most recent remarks indicate that he was more irritated that Dombrowski made the “not elite” statement publicly, rather than DD saying it at all.  Harper is the first to admit that the 2025 season wasn’t his best, but obviously he has every confidence that he’ll get back into “elite” territory in 2026
• As we saw with the Castellanos stories this week, seems like the Phillies had a lot more actual clubhouse issues to worry about last season than Harper or Dombrowski

Zach

• Which team that did not make the 2025 playoffs would you pick as a surprise playoff team for 2026?

Mark P

• Not sure how “surprising” either of these choices are, but I see Baltimore and Arizona returning to the postseason in 2026

The Dude

• Have you given up on Jac???

Mark P

• Nope.  But, Jac did so little at the plate that I can’t count on him for anything in 2026, or view him as a real win-now piece.

Scott H at the Copa

• Has my spending been related to the Jobe and Olsen injuries or am I really trying to improve by spending? I desperately need a right handed bat in the middle of the order to balance my lineup. What should I do?

Mark P

• On the offensive side, the Tigers seem to be willing to go into the season with their current roster, and see how things pan out with Keith at 3B, Vierling healthy, Baez given another shot, Jung maybe at 1B, etc.  It feels a little “house of cards”-ish, and ultimately I do feel Detroit will target a proven right-handed hitter prior to the trade deadline.

Hamate Bone

• Are you in quarantine to protect yourself from Hamate2026?  Stay say out there

Mark P

• I’m wearing protective wrist sheathes as we speak, though it’s really hard to type

Guest

• Please help me to believe that the Red Sox did enough to improve on last year’s Wild Card club.

Mark P

• The pitching is way better, Willson Contereras is a good hitter, and you get a full season of Roman Anthony and Marcelo Mayer.  The Red Sox should be in good shape to contend again.

Naylor Sailor

• Now that Donovan is onboard, it feels like it’ll be either Cole Young or Colt Emerson making the OD roster, not both (barring injuries). Do you agree, and if so, who’s your pick?

Mark P

• Young.  Emerson’s played barely any Triple-A ball, so Seattle will want to give him some more time in Tacoma before calling him up

Desert Blossom

• Am I just so desensitized that I automatically identify the DBacks Bullpen as awful, or is there actually anything there to start the season? It looks rough

Mark P

• It’s not great, but Gallen’s return also helps the pen for depth purposes.  Assuming (big if) everyone in the rotation is healthy, Soroka can be moved into a relief role, or swingman role.

Ben

• Twins seem loaded with veteran outfield lefties with poor defense. Any thoughts on maybe moving Larnach for a solidified bullpen arm or a right handed bat?

Mark P

• Good idea in theory, except Larnach doesn’t have much trade value
• He can’t hit lefties, is pretty average against righties, and as you noted, he’s not much of a defender.  Doesn’t add much to a very enticing trade chip.
• Time to wrap things up.  Thanks for all your questions, and for sticking it out for this later-than-usual edition.
• If you’re interested in more baseball Q&A, one of the many benefits of our Trade Rumors Front Office subscription is the exclusive weekly live chats. The more limited field means you’re about 10 times more likely to get a question answered, as opposed to battling for space with hundreds of other questions in today’s chat. For more on our memberships, check out this link:

  https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/membership?ref=chat-2-15-26

Matt

• Do you think MJ Melendez is the opening day left fielder, or is Benge still the favorite?

Mark P

• Feels like Mets will give Benge every opportunity to make the team.  If he doesn’t, frankly, I feel like there were better backup OF options out there than Melendez, who has yet to show he is a real Major League player

Brent

• Mountcastle and Honeycutt to STL for Romero?

Mark P

• The rebuilding Cardinals have no need for Mountcastle.

RocktheRed

• Are the Nats going to make a major league signing of note or are we stuck with the waiver wire shuffle?

Mark P

• Don’t expect anything too noteworthy from the Nats

Chat #15 same question

• Worst contract in baseball history?

Mark P

• Anthony Rendon or Kris Bryant come to mind.  In terms of dollars against virtually no return, Strasburg’s second contract with Washington should be #1, but Strasburg’s past history with the Nats at least adds a bit of “I get it” logic to that signing

Pirates fan

• We end up with Perades or Vientos?

Mark P

• Paredes would be a huge coup for the Bucs, but I’m not sure how well they line up with the Astros in terms of Houston wanting a LHH outfielder.  The Pirates could dangle another pitcher, potentially, or this might another case of the Pirates and Astros bringing in a third team to work out a trade

BMORE

• STL doesn’t have a first baseman after trading Contreras.  I could see them taking a flier on Mountcastle or pushing for Mayo for Romero.

Mark P

• Firstly, Burleson will be getting most of the Cardinals’ 1B playing time.  The Orioles aren’t moving Mayo for one year of a decent reliever.

Juan E

• Any guess on options for A’s to improve rotation and bullpen???

Mark P

• Scott Barlow’s on board now, but the A’s need more arms in both ends of the pitching staff, in my view.

  It could be that Forst and company are working on some kind of creative trade for a starter, and there’s also the x-factor of what’s going on with Severino.  By this point it is becoming less likely that Severino will be dealt, since then the Athletics just have another rotation hole to fill.  As for the pen, it’ll probably be lower-cost, Barlow-esque additions.

Blood Orange

• Who is your dark horse trade candidate before opening day?

Mark P

• What the heck, I’ll stick with Severino.

Posey

• Who can we get for Casey Schmitt ?

Mark P

• If I’m Posey, I keep Schmitt as depth.  He’s a decent injury fill-in at any infield position, so he’s a valuable guy to have on the bench.

Guest

• Will Donovan play 3rd for the Mariners?

Mark P

• Probably mostly plays 2B, but the plus of having Donovan is that the Mariners can now toggle him around the diamond (2B, 3B, or even in corner outfield slots) depending on how everything else plays out

Big game

• Seattle or New England?

Mark P

• I assume this is a Frasier-related question.

  I found Frasier to be a more entertaining character on his original sitcom (set in Seattle) than he was on Cheers or in the spinoff (both set in Boston).

Guest

• will the pirates aquire anybody to play third?

Mark P

• Triolo is a very good defender, so going glove-only isn’t the worst result in the world at third base.  But, Triolo works even better as a utility guy, so I’d prefer to see the Bucs add a bat

Rockford

• What about Nick Martinez to the Orioles? That would give them 3 pitchers S

Mark P

• Martinez raises Baltimore’s pitching floor, but doesn’t really raise the ceiling, which I think is the Orioles’ larger rotation issue.

Andy Asks About Mariners

• I feel like Jerry DiPoto doesn’t get enough credit for what he and his staff have accomplished. No GM or PBO is going to be perfect, but wow, how good a spot are the Mariners in considering their market, payroll limits, etc. Are there more than three clubs better positioned than the Mariners for the next 3-5 years?

Mark P

• I can’t blame Seattle fans for being critical, given how Dipoto’s tenure has been short on actual playoff appearances.  But, the M’s seem to have turned that corner in a big way, and it wouldn’t at all be surprising if they won the WS this coming year.

Gaurdians

• lineup really looks interesting. In a not so good way. Is there any hope to win the central against the royals and tigers who both got slightly better this offseason.

Mark P

• I’d never rule out Cleveland, who have found ways to win despite several subpar lineups in recent memory.  But, as written before, adding even one more prominent hitter would go such a long way to helping reinforce the Guards’ lineup and giving Ramirez some help

cam

• will the astros sign a outfielder

Mark P

• A trade is maybe more likely, but someone like Mike Tauchman is right there

Willy

• Castellanos for Joc, who says no? (Philly releases Joc and saves a couple of dollars)

Mark P

• The Rangers, because what’s in it for Texas?

Michael Kopech

• I was a pivotal piece of the 2024 World Series title. Why am I getting no interest this offseason?

Mark P

• A couple of teams have been linked to Kopech, but he has a lot of injuries and control problems on his resume.  It isn’t that surprising to see him still available as Spring Training nears.

cam

• can we get a good catcher to replace caratini for the astros like austin wells

Mark P

• The Yankees aren’t moving Wells, and he is overqualified as a backup or part-timer

Astros71

• What do you think about a Paredes trade?

Mark P

• I think the Astros should just keep him.  There is virtually no chance of Houston’s infielders all getting through the season healthy, so the “surplus” might not become much of a problem.

Sleepy

• Colt Keith for Cam Smith. Who says no?

Mark P

• Houston, since Keith has never played even an inning of outfield as a pro

Reds Fan

• Realistic opinion and grade on the Suárez deal?

Mark P

• Solid B+, maybe A- give the one-year commitment and salary.  The Reds badly needed a big bat and they’ve got one with upside.  There are some natural concerns over Suarez’s strikeouts and hot-and-cold nature, but in general, I really like the signing

SanDiegoPadresOfOakland

• Hey Mark, with the Padres ownership situation heating up, do you expect a resolution and new owner in place by the completion of the 2026 season?

Mark P

• Hard to predict, given all of the legal issues involving the team’s current ownership and the natural complications involved in finalizing a multi-billion dollar deal.  The impending lockout after the 2026 season might also give pause to any potential owners.  If I had to guess, I’d say a buyer does get found by the second half of 2026

Padres

• Padres need Gallen more than any other team??

Mark P

• I dunno about “any” other team, but he’d be a great fit for San Diego.  Surrendering two draft picks for what might be a short-term (or even a one-year) commitment might be an obstacle for the Padres beyond the cost

Spud

• Are the Brewers really going to pocket the 8 million they were going to pay Freddie, particularly when one considers the obvious lack of infield depth?

Mark P

• I wonder if the Brewers are one of the teams in on Paredes.  This is pure speculation on my part, but adding Paredes would be a very nice add

Lonnie

• Winner of NL Central this year ?

Mark P

• Who wins the NL Central?

  ---

  Brewers (25.7% | 200 votes)

  Cubs (46.7% | 363 votes)

  Pirates (12.7% | 99 votes)

  Reds (14.8% | 115 votes)

  ---

  Total Votes: 777
• (Sorry to Cardinals fans, but I’m realistically leaving them out of the mix.)

Michael

• Why won’t Mark P answer me. Are the yankees going to make another move this off-season? Are they going to trade either dominguez or jones at some point?

Mark P

• A big trade involving one of those two prospects is becoming less likely by the day.  NY will make some lower-level moves still, but the heavy lifting is probably done.

Thomas

• Pablo Lopez and Joe Ryan. Will the be on the twins at the end of the year? I feel like we are going to trade everyone.

Mark P

• Lopez is the likelier trade candidate due to his salary, but Ryan could very well also be moved if another team meets what is sure to be a huge asking price.

  The Twins are an odd team to consider, as they still seemingly view themselves as possible contenders despite, you know (/gestures at everything over the last couple of years).  If they struggle again in the first half, they might decide to go into a full-on fire sale.

Phanatic

• What are the Phillies doing with Castellanos? Spring training is closing in… Has the game passed Dave Dombrowski or is he waiting to sail into retirement soon and left the team for his replacement?

Mark P

• The lack of a Castellanos trade is no indictment on DD, though the decision to sign him was certainly a miss.  Castellanos has as little trade value as any player in baseball — the likelier outcome was always Philly just releasing Casty, rather than another team (somewhat inexplicably) stepping up as a trade partner
• If there’s a team out there that does have interest in Castellanos, why not just wait for the Phillies to release him, then sign him for a pittance?

CJ Abrams

• Where am I playing this year?

Mark P

• Still leaning towards the Nationals, but then again, I’m the same guy who thought Gore was also staying put.
• The Giants and Mariners both finding second basemen removes two suitors from the list of potential Abrams trade candidates, so that doesn’t help Washington’s chances
• I say second base even though Abrams is a shortstop, since I’m kind of assuming another team would explore a position change

Trout

• Where do I play this season?

Mark P

• Mostly DH, with some time in left field depending on how his health is holding up
• If you’re asking that question in the sense of “will Trout be traded?”, the answer is no

criper

• Is there a market for Patrick Sandoval with all the FA pitching still available?

Mark P

• Sure, because there’s always a market for starting pitchers.  Sandoval hasn’t pitched in well over a year now, however, so his value is limited

Bucco Basement

• Why isn’t Lenyn Sosa more highly regarded by teams looking for a power hitting infielder (Red Sox and Pirates)?

Mark P

• Because he doesn’t bring much to the table beyond power.  Sosa never walks, and his contact numbers are only so-so.

Dodgers

• Zhyir Hope, Jackson Ferris, and Alex Call for Yordan Alvarez. Who says no?

Mark P

• Despite Alvarez’s big bat, his only role in LA is to play every day in left field, since Ohtani’s got the DH spot locked up.  So this just isn’t a fit for the Dodgers.

Tiger Fan

• Why didn’t Casey Mize push the arbitration envelope like Skubal. For his final year of arbitration $6.1 million seems pretty cheap.

Mark P

• Beyond the obvious fact that Skubal’s track record is far better, Mize’s early-career injuries really dragged down his arb numbers

Guest

• Its getting to be extension part of the offseason, lockout looming and relative weak FA class next offseason. Any noise of the Yanks trying to lockup  Jazz, Bednar, or Grisham long term? What would Jazz get  as F/A?

Mark P

• The Yankees, as an organizational rule, don’t do contract extensions.
• I don’t expect that trend to change this spring

Grayson

• Wouldn’t playing Rafaela at 2B solve Boston’s outfield surplus and fix the hole in the infield?

Mark P

• Rafaela’s best asset is his outstanding CF glove. Moving him to second base negates that.

Jays fan

• i think the jays are done on upgrades till the tradeline.  If the blue jays have a good record after two month how much more can they spend?

Mark P

• Jays are all-in on spending and trying to win a championship with this core.  I don’t think money will be much of an issue (at least in 2026) in terms of adding salary and talent at the deadline.

goat

• Does Houston look at Bello as a return for Parades having a young controllable pitcher with Framber leaving

Mark P

• Bello may be too pricey for an Astros team that would prefer to stay under the tax line, if possible

Say Hey

• How much of a factor will moving in the fences affect the Royals?

Mark P

• We’ll need to see the season play out before we can make that call.  Ballpark renos are hard to predict, as any Orioles fan can tell you.
• In theory, it should help KC (and also opposing hitters) leave the yard a little more often, but that might well impact the rotation just as much

Kyle

• Any chance the Brewers extend Turang or Frekick?

Mark P

• Frelick has four years of control remaining, and he doesn’t reach arbitration eligibility until next winter.  Turang is making $4.15MM this season, and he has three arb years left as a Super Two player.

  Turang is repped by Excel, who usually take their clients to free agency rather than sign extensions.  So between that and the money Turang is already slated to earn through his arb years, Frelick is the likelier extension candidate of the two, since Turang’s window for inking a long-term deal may have already passed.

Mike

• Why haven’t the Rangers extended Langford? He will only get more expensive

Mark P

• Takes two to tango.  I have no doubt the Rangers have at least floated an extension with Langford, but with $8MM already in his bank account via his signing bonus, he might have more comfort in betting on himself via arbitration raises and eventually free agency.

  Langford will hit arbitration next winter, and is controlled through 2029.  So there’s no real rush on Texas’ part to lock Langford up, but as I noted, their window to extend him on what might be a truly “team-friendly” type of contract might’ve already passed

Angels

• Should halos have a complete rebuild? Trading Neto, Adell, Detmers, Soriano and any other pieces?

Mark P

• A proper rebuild should’ve happened after Ohtani left, yet the Angels have remained sorta (very sorta) trying to win.

Chaim Bloomin’ Onion

• I’m a little shocked Romero hasn’t been moved yet, you’d think he would of been the easiest

Mark P

• That’s actually more of a reason why Romero is still on the team, probably.  Because he’s a fit on so many rosters, the Cards are likely getting a lot of offers, and are comfortable waiting things out until teams start getting a little more desperate

Carrie Halas

• Do you see the Phillies getting another starter before camp breaks

Mark P

• I could see the Phils may making a late play for Gallen if he remains available.  Walker is pushed to a pure relief role, and (if everyone is healthy) the Phils could adopt a six-man rotation once Wheeler is back.
• This might be another decent landing spot for Nick Martinez, who could be toggled between the rotation or pen as situations warrant

Sleepy

• I’m thrilled the Tigers came alive with the signing of Framber. It feels to me like they’re still a right handed bat with some boom away from World Series contention. We saw how impactful a single run can be in the playoffs, and how crushing it can be if you don’t get it.

Mark P

• I haven’t been posting them, but there have been several “great job by the Tigers” comments in the queue, which is a marked change from….basically the whole offseason.  Goes to show how just one big move can change the narrative of a winter.

  Agree on Detroit still needing more hitting help.  I think the Tigers have the pieces to have a better (or more consistent) offense, but bringing in one more proven bat would solidify things.

Bears

• Bees?

Mark P

• Beads?!

Hits Like Rays

• Is this an “evaluation year” for the Rays?  It looks like their 2026 strategy is to cycle through cast-offs, hope some of them hit enough to compete, and if not then clear the decks and bring up their own AAA players for 2027.

Mark P

• I will never write off Tampa’s chances, and saying they won’t be in contention all but guarantees they’ll beat the Blue Jays like 10 times this season.

  But on paper, the Rays have turned over a big chunk of their roster but still have as many question marks as they did back in October.

ClarkeinCuenca

• Bryce Harper..,rebound year or bigger decline?

Mark P

• I’m predicting a very good Harper season, maybe a borderline MVP year if he stays healthy.  Maybe Dombrowski was being crazy like a fox with the “not elite” comment, knowing it’d light a fire under Harper

Walleye Wade

• Danny Coloumbe ever go back to MN?

Mark P

• All things being equal, you’d think Couloumbe would prefer to pitch for a contender, if he’s getting offers from those types of teams.

MoonBeamMcSwine

• Breakout pitcher you’d want more… Andrew Painter or Nolan McLean?

Mark P

• McLean, just because we’ve seen a bit of what he can do at the MLB level and because Painter is still an unknown quantity.

Jimmy Krak Korn

• Can you put into words the loss of Buck Martinez?

Mark P

• Buck has been involved with the team for basically the entirety of my Blue Jays fandom, and it’s been my pleasure to meet him on a few occasions.  His retirement is well deserved, but Jays broadcasts just won’t be the same without him.

Mariners fan

• Chances colt emerson breaks camp on mlb roster?( with a really good spring training)

Mark P

• The Donovan trade lowered Emerson’s chances. He has only played six Triple-A games, so I think it’d take a truly special camp for him to win an Opening Day job.  The likelier scenario is that he starts the year at Triple-A to get some more seasoning, and the M’s roll with Young/Bliss/Mastrobuoni until Emerson is ready
• We’re over the two-hour mark now, so it’s time to wrap the chat up.  Thanks for much for sending in your questions and participating, even though there’s not much to do toni…..wait, it’s Super Bowl Sunday?!  Huh, who knew?
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