MLBTR Chats

Stafford

• Why aren’t more teams tanking/rebuilding with the lack of parity in MLB.  Specifically the Angels…they can’t even outspend their problems!

Mark P

• Over the last three seasons, 22 of MLB’s 30 teams have made the playoffs at least once.  There’s plenty of parity.

Ross Atkins

• Do I have any interest in a Brendon Donovan/ Jojo Romero sweap

Mark P

• Both would fit in Toronto, but the Jays have enough utility infield types that Donovan probably isn’t a priority (and especially not at the Cardinals’ asking price).  Romero would be the better fit of the two.

Mike

• Wilbur wood passed.  I saw him pitch for the seattle rainier.  He had a nice mlb career.  He pitched 300 innings plus a number of times.  Will we ever see a pitcher get 300 innings again?  I was 9 when I saw him in the old six stadium

Mark P

• Barring a major sea change in how teams develop and handle pitchers, we won’t see anyone even approach 300 innings again.  It’s rare to see a pitcher even crack the 200-inning mark these days.

o-birds

• The Orioles rotation still needs help is Elias going to do something Verlander is not the answer either

Mark P

• …does the strikethrough mean you disagree with your own take?  I agree that Verlander isn’t a huge upgrade over what the O’s already have, but he would be a decent add

Dread Pirate Roberts

• I think the Mariners should roll with Young and Williamson again in the early part of the season and evaluate at the deadline.

Mark P

• This might be what Seattle just ends up doing.  Between these two and Emerson making his MLB debut at some point, that could be enough for the M’s to get by, providing that the rest of the lineup delivers.  If not, and Young/Williamson still aren’t hitting, it’s a problem.

Dave Dombrowski

• How badly did I miscalculate?

Mark P

• The Phillies did what everyone expected in re-signing Schwarber and JTR.  And, Adolis was added for RF and the bullpen was shaken up a little via the Keller signing and the Strahm trade.

  So far, I’m not sure this Philly offseason counts as a “miscalculation” in any major sense.  If you’re talking about the team’s approach with Bichette, a seven-year offer perhaps just wasn’t on Bichette’s radar….it was either a mega-deal, or a shorter-term pact with opt-outs.

• As much as Dombrowski has a history of big moves, it might very well be that he’s seen this Phillies team has essentially done in terms of heavy lifting for a couple of years now, to the point where the “new” additions are extending and re-signing the building blocks.  Obviously signing Bichette would’ve counted as a big shake-up, but perhaps coming to those talks somewhat late just didn’t give the two sides enough time to develop a workable arrangement

Dallas

• Pirates finished with 71 wins last year with barely any hitters over 100 wRC+. Adding in OHearn and Lowe should really help them. Could they realistically content for a WC spot and if not, what is holding them back?

Mark P

• I think they’ve got a decent shot at a wild card as presently constructed.  I’d like to see one more notable bat added to really spark things upwards, however.

Guest

• Any chance the Jays make a push for Framber or Bellinger after missing out on Tucker?

Mark P

• Ben Nicholson-Smith’s report the other day indicated that the Jays’ contact with Valdez happened two months ago, before Cease or Ponce signed.  So Valdez likely isn’t happening, unless somehow Berrios is traded.

  Bellinger I can still see as a viable maybe, but the Blue Jays are probably there with the NY teams in being wary about giving Bellinger six+ years

• (I almost wrote “6-7 years” there.  Sorry, kids.)

Mets Infield

• Polanco at 1st for the first time and Bo at 3rd for the first time; is the Mets’ infield going to be a calamity? There are sure to be growing pains, no?

Mark P

• It’s an odd arrangement for a team that went into the offseason preaching better defense.  The open DH spot can do a lot of heavy lifting in giving people partial off-days and allowing for some better glovesmen to get into the field, but it’ll be a work in progress.

The Big Q

• You being bombarded with Dodgers/lockout/salary cap questions right now?

Mark P

• Not any greater extent than usual

Guest

• I hear the Yankees viewed Imai as a reliever too, which they probably didn’t want to spend too $$$ on.

Mark P

• That’s true, Jon Heyman had that item in a recent report

Mitchell

• Saw people in the Nationals online community discussing Rhys Hoskins as a possible signing for 1B. That kind of move would make sense to me, what do you think?

Mark P

• That makes sense as a stopgap, sure.  One-year deal with an eye towards trading Hoskins to a contender at the deadline.

Champdo

• So the Tigers aren’t going to try to upgrade their offense?

Mark P

• It’s been puzzlingly quiet on the offense front for Detroit.  I get that they don’t want to block their prospects, but that doesn’t mean they couldn’t add at least short-term help.

Just a question

• Correct me if I’m wrong, doesn’t a salary cap also cap tax revenue?

Mark P

• Depends on the type of cap.  If it’s a hard cap like the NFL or NHL, there’s no tax involved.  If it’s a soft cap like the NBA with various levels of aprons and whatnot, there will be some tax revenue available.

  The MLBPA is almost certainly not going to accept any kind of salary cap in the next round of CBA talks.  But, in the very remote chance they did, it would have to be a soft cap that still allows for some level of overages.

Guest

• The RedSox are in a world of hurt

Mark P

• They’re signing Frank Thomas?!

C

• What could the Yankees get if they made JC Escarra available to the Red Sox? Kyle Harrison?

Mark P

• I realize that Harrison hasn’t done a ton yet at the MLB level, but that is an absurd overpay for Escarra

Warrens baseball

• Is there a good chance some kind of heavy deterrent to spending at dodgers  levels will be put in place during this upcoming cba?

Mark P

• I suspect there will be some kind of crackdown on deferred money.  The MLBPA might (very big might) be open to that, but more realistically they’ll still view it as an attempt to limit salaries, and they’ll be correct

Trey

• Isn’t this a good time for Cards to rebuild – especially with the pontential stoppage

Mark P

• Last year seemed like an even better team for the Cardinals to rebuild, yet they didn’t.  Notwithstanding how their hands were tied by some no-trade clauses, it still makes me scratch my head about how even guys like Helsley, etc. weren’t dealt.
• Weren’t dealt last winter, that is

Kyle

• Chances Hoerner gets moved this offseason?

Mark P

• Pretty low.  The Cubs aren’t moving him unless they get a huge offer, plus Nico has a no-trade clause
• Oops, wait, correction, I forgot that he’s one of the few Cubs that didn’t have a NTC in his deal

Huckleberry

• Do all these cast-offs the Angels have acquired equate to a competitive baseball teamv

Mark P

• Nope. Sorry Angels fans, you’re in for another rough year.

I’m back!

• Jo Adell for Brett Baty?

Mark P

• Ah, a Jo Adell trade question….feels like old times!

  This deal makes a decent amount of sense for both sides, but I think the Mets want an actual center fielder, not a guy who can play center field but with poor glovework

Red Sox

• How high of a ranked prospect will we need to add to trade Yoshida ?

Mark P

• Considering those trades with the Cardinals, I wonder if the timing had worked out better (i.e. if Contreras had been more willing to waive his no-trade clause earlier), if Yoshida could’ve just been dealt to St. Louis as salary offset as part of a package for both Gray and Contreras.  Probably still no, since while the Cards were eating money in the trades anyway, they still wanted players back

Guest

• Super Bowl predictions

Mark P

• At this point it’s probably foolish to pick anyone but the Patriots, who are having one of the luckiest seasons in the history of sports.

Former Giants Fan

• Are they really going to stand Pat and literally do basically nothing to upgrade their roster this year? Tell me they still have a move or 2 coming.

Mark P

• It occurs to me that these chats have had messages like these from Giants fans for the better part of two months now, and I keep writing things like “still plenty of time….”

  And it’s still true, but y’know, it is January 18 and the Giants still have sizable holes in the outfield and at second base.

• As I’ve written before, I find it hard to believe that the Giants won’t do SOMETHING noteworthy beyond adding Mahle and Hauser to the rotation.

Guest

• Bubic to Mets for jet williams

Mark P

• No chance Williams is dealt for one season of Bubic.

Angels

• It’s obvious halos are not going to spend this off season, is Arte going to sell?

Mark P

• Moreno walked back his past attempts at exploring a sale, but he could revisit things after the next CBA is finalized. Only Moreno knows the question to this question, of course.

Greg

• Do you see the Pirates moving Henry Davis or Endy Rodriguez to one of these catcher needy teams?

Mark P

• Endy is the likelier of the two, just because the Pirates might not be able to bring themselves to move a 1-1 player just yet

Andrew

• Suppose the owners get their salary cap. What happens to contracts like Ohtani’s, Soto’s, etc? Would they be grandfathered in and the Dodgers and Mets would just be  mostly unable to sign free agents until they come off the books?

Mark P

• As noted earlier, if the MLBPA did somehow agree to any sort of a cap, it would be a soft cap with some sort of luxury tax still attached for overages.  So depending on how stiff the penalties are, the Dodgers/Mets/etc. could decide they don’t really care about the penalties and keep spending big.

  But, the league would certainly create a year or two of grace period for teams to get under this new cap

Chip

• SF Giant suggestion: trade Heliot Ramos and his horrible defense to STL for Donovan. Sign Bellinger and Bader to fix that outfield D, and still stay under the tax. Thoughts?

Mark P

• Ramos probably isn’t the kind of player St. Louis is targeting in Donovan trade talks.

Ari

• do you think the rays will sign a catcher or infielder or trade for someone

Mark P

• Trade seems much more like Tampa’s style

JRam

• I don’t really have a question but I think that with the events of this year’s off season baseball should celebrate one of the few non-mercenaries in the sport who stayed with his team because he understood that he can live off of a couple hundred million dollars. Probably the last player to ever do it.

Mark P

• I don’t blame any player for trying to maximize their earning potential, nor do I blame Ramirez for being content in Cleveland and being okay with a below-market deal.

  I do have to put some blame towards Guardians ownership for having this rare scenario of a superstar-level player on a relative bargain deal, yet still not being particularly aggressive in trying to win during Ramirez’s prime

Hami

• Id the Trop going to be ready for the Rays to play in or are they playing at Steinbrenner field again?

Mark P

• The Trop is on track to be ready for Opening Day

Phillies offseason

• So in other words, the Phillies off-season has not been elite?

Mark P

• “Ah ha ha!” — Family Guy ostrich voice

Mark S

• Noise and impatient fan bases aside when it comes to offseason moves, what is your current power ranking in the NL East and how close/similar are the top teams to each other?

Mark P

• Phillies are the clear #1 and Nationals are the clear #5. In between I’d go Braves, Mets, Marlins in that order, for now.

Tim

• Has anyone thanked the Dodgers for the lockout that will wipe out the 2027 season?

Mark P

• A lockout was always happening no matter who’d won the last two World Series

George Brett

• What’s up with Jac Caglione? Kid was as highly regarded as they come last year and now he may not even make the opening day roster?

Mark P

• He just wasn’t ready for the majors.  While he was crushing minor league pitching, Caglianone clearly didn’t have enough seasoning yet to adjust to the Show.  Doesn’t mean he can’t or won’t be very good in the future, but counting on him even for 2026 is a risk for the Royals.

  This is where KC’s failure to upgrade their outfield last offseason cost them.  If they’d brought in at least one good OF last winter, perhaps the Royals don’t feel as much urgency to promote Caglianone so soon.

Scoots McGoots

• Why do you think Bassitt hasn’t signed yet?

Mark P

• The offers probably aren’t there yet, for whatever reason.  Maybe he’s not getting anything beyond a one-year guarantee due to his age, or teams are waiting until later in the offseason to bump up their offers if Bassitt is widely viewed as sort of a backup plan rotation option.

  Speculatively, maybe he’s even waiting to see if the Jays can step up with a late offer, even if fitting him into the 2026 rotation seems tricky.

Bill

• I know Hazen said he’s not trading Marte – but hasn’t Marte’s trade market changed in the past week? For instance, why not Duran to NYM, Bello, Baty, Sproat to AZ, and Marte back to Boston? That seems a possibility now that NYM acquired Bichette.

Mark P

• As I noted in the Marte post yesterday, Hazen isn’t hanging up the phone if a team emerges with a truly lopsided offer.  But barring such a Godfather offer (and Bello/Baty/Sproat isn’t it), Marte’s not going anywhere.

Trading Draft Picks

• Why is it the MLB does not allow you to trade draft picks when all of the other sports do? In the NHL you are also a few years away as a prospect so why doesn’t MLB let you trade draft picks?

Mark P

• I’ve been beating this drum for years.  You probably would only rarely see top picks actually traded, but it would happen just enough to make the MLB draft a lot spicier.

  The league is always looking for ways to make the MLB draft more of an event, while overlooking the simple answer of traded picks.

Bendix

• On a scale of 1-10 how much do you believe in Marlins youth this upcoming season?

Mark P

• I think Miami is going to be pretty decent.  While I did pick them for fourth in the NL East a few posts up, another third-place finish wouldn’t shock me.
• And a winning record is definitely possible.

Rookies

• Are the Phillies taking too big a risk turning center field over to the rookie Crawford when the aging roster has only so many chances left?

Mark P

• Guys like Kemp, Rojas, and Wilson are still around for OF depth purposes, so Marsh could be moved back into center field if Crawford struggles.  It is a risk on the Phillies’ part, but they’re high on Crawford, and he’s looked awfully good in the minors

Your Name

• Seen some Cardinals fans hoping for Marcelo Mayer as part of a Brendan Donovan return. Unrealistic, no?

Mark P

• Very

Garr

• Luis Robert to KC? They need to upgrade in CF

Mark P

• Intra-division trade, so that’s one obstacle right there.

  The issue with Robert is that the White Sox still want to get a noteworthy return for him, while rival teams are understandably wary about giving him too much for a guy who has struggled for the last two years.  And, Robert’s salary would be an issue for a mid-level spender like KC

Guest

• Is Cody Bellinger actually good?

Mark P

• Sure, he’s a very good player.  The problem is that Boras is looking for a contract befitting the Dodgers MVP version of Bellinger, and that guy doesn’t appear to be coming back.

OZ

• The passing of Wilbur Wood and a glance at his out-of-this-world stats from 1971-1975 should convince some team to try to develop knuckleballers, especially with the rash of Tommy John injuries affecting practically every organization.

Mark P

• In fairness, Wood was an anomaly even by knuckleballer standards.  And while it would be cool to see more knucklers in the modern game, it’s also a very difficult pitch to learn, let alone master.

Buster

• Giants pull a surprise and out of the blue sign Cody B. 6 years at $30. Pipe dream?

Mark P

• He’d be a great boost to a questionable Giants outfield, but it’s unclear if SF is willing to go to those spending lengths (on anyone, let alone Cody)

SouthJerseySteve

• Nick Castellanos (1/$20M) for Tanner Scott (3/$50M). Who says no?

Mark P

• In just a pure salary dump for LA?  I don’t think the Dodgers are ready to just give up on Scott entirely, nor are in any need to pare salary

Cutch

• I still want to finish my career as a Pirate. Am I not worthy anymore?

Mark P

• It’s tricky because Cutch is such a legend and so beloved in Pittsburgh.  But in terms of what a player can produce in 2026 or how much playing time he should get, it’s tough to argue apart from pure sentiment that McCutchen should be part of a team serious about winning

Blue

• Feels like Padres are in a good spot to try and move Cronenworth with Hoerner/Marte both seeming unlikely to move

Mark P

• Cronenworth’s contract is a huge negative in trade talks.  Hoerner is just for one year and Marte is a superstar, so they both have way more trade value.

question

• Correct me if im wrong a no trade clause is where a player can’t get traded unless he agrees?

Mark P

• Correct. Some clauses are for any trade, some players have clauses that allow them to block trades to only a certain number of teams.
• If a player has 10-and-5 rights (10 years of MLB service time, five consecutive years with the same team), they get automatic no-trade protection

Belli Button

• Does Boras really have offers for Bellinger other than the Yankees?  It looks like the Yankees aren’t moving.  Will Bellinger be one of those February signigns like Alonso and Snell?

Mark P

• I suspect this is exactly what the Yankees are thinking — they already have the best offer on the table for Bellinger, and they aren’t budging.

Trip

• Is the Kim injury a sign that the Braves injury issues will continue?

Mark P

• Falling on ice and hurting your finger is too much of a fluke to assume the Braves are in for another snake-bitten injury year.

  Three misfortunes? Sure.  Seven misfortunes?  There’s an outside chance.  But NINE misfortunes?! I’d like to see that!

Atkins

• Bichette and Guerrero should have both been Jays for life. The Jays needed to make that happen earlier in their careers. Also extend Barger

Mark P

• As the sons of wealthy ballplayers, Bichette and Guerrero had the financial comfort to bet on themselves early in their careers, rather than seek out an extension.  Also, their play was just inconsistent enough from year to year that it’s understandable why the Jays weren’t totally comfortable breaking the bank for either until extending Vlad last spring.
• It seems very likely that Toronto will be exploring an extension with Barger this spring, if they haven’t already

Bill

• Would the Phillies be interested in Yoshida for Castellanos?

Mark P

• Yoshida doesn’t have any real utility in Philly with Schwarber locked into the DH spot.  Yoshida is a part-time left fielder at best.

Guest

• Hoyer said at Cubs Con that they weren’t done yet. Bellinger?

Mark P

• To be fair, it would’ve been pretty unlikely to see Hoyer stand up in front of a crowd of Cubs fans and announce “that’s it! I’m going on vacation!” and then run offstage with an overstuffed suitcase.

Tyler

• As a Reds fan I wouldn’t be on board with this, but I’ve seen multiple fellow Reds fans recommend dealing Brady Singer and Tyler Stephenson for Jarren Duran. Is that something Boston would even consider? Feels very light to me when you consider years of control and Duran’s ceiling.

Mark P

• Boston definitely wants a lot more than that for Duran

Guest

• What offers could Xander Bogaerts expect if he were a free agent today?  How much $ for how many years?

Mark P

• Entering his age-33 season, coming off 5.2 fWAR and an exact 100 wRC+ offensive performance over the 2024-25 seasons, mixed reviews on his defense but best served as a second baseman at this point….

  I can see a two-year contract based on track record, at maybe something like $18MM total?

• “What would this guy make if he was a free agent now?” is a fantastic way of gauging current value, btw

Oakland

• I see many similarities between the Oakland situation and Washington’s struggle to get back in the game.

Mark P

• The Nats aren’t in any danger of moving, nor is their ballpark (which is very nice, I’ve been there in person) any sort of detriment.  Don’t forget, the A’s were a winning team as recently as 2021, so their rebuild is already coming along way better in a shorter timespan than Washington’s, despite numerous more obstacles

Michael

• What makes you think Gore’s such a near-lock to stand pat this winter? Imagine an analytically driven FO like Toboni and co would want to capitalize now/avoid risk of injury? Gore’s already shown multiple times he can put up a big first half. What’s doing that again going to accomplish?

Mark P

• My stance has been that Toboni will take some time to retool the front office and evaluate things before really making a lot of big roster decisions, i.e. “should we reboot the rebuild, or try to build on what we already have?”

  If another team steps up with a big enough offer, Gore will indeed be moved this winter.  But, given how the Nats are asking for a haul in return, it remains to be seen if any rival clubs will meet that price.  Admittedly, the whole situation is hard to access because Toboni is a first-time PBO, so we have no idea about how he’ll operate

Balloon Man Dan

• How close to 100% are the tigers to trading Skubal at the deadline?

Mark P

• Not if the team is winning the Central or contending for a playoff berth

Bernie Brewer

• Andrew Vaughn is a free agent after this season. Do you think the brewers resign him or let him walk?

Mark P

• Probably let him walk.  The Brewers aren’t likely to spend a significant amount on the first base position.

Sid the Kid

• With a few hall of fame careers winding down, where does Jr Griffey place on your top 10-15 of all time list?

Mark P

• I wouldn’t have Griffey in my top 10-15, but he’s not far outside that range
• We’re well over two hours now, so I should wrap things up.  Thanks so much for all the activity tonight….it was so busy that there’s still a full page of questions and comments I didn’t get to, because of the jam-packed queue.  The participation is very much appreciated!
• fyi, 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-1-18-26

Steve Adams

• It’s about what I expected. The Cardinals ate 70% of the money and got basically no return. Arenado at two years and $11MM is a fine value for the D-backs. It works for all parties.
• Also, not trying to disparage Jack Martinez there, but he was an eighth-round senior sign who took below slot value last summer in the draft. He’s not a big get for the Cardinals. Hopefully they can turn him into something, but this trade was about clearing as much cash as possible and putting Arenado in a spot that’s better for him, his family, and his career goals.

Jays Fan

• How much money do you think Jays would have to retain to move Berrios? 3/66 left but a 37 year old Merill Kelly just signed for 2/40. Guessing there’d be more interest near the end of spring when injuries start happening.

Steve Adams

• Kelly is just better than Berrios, period. Berrios is durable, but he’s had a K% under 20 in three of the past four seasons. His command is more good now than great like it once was. His average fastball last year was 93 mph — a career-low and a full mile drop from the prior season.I don’t think he’d get half what he’s making right now on the open market, but due to scarcity and the difficulty of winning a free agent bidding, maybe some team would take him if Toronto ate 50% of the contract. At that point, they might just be better off keeping him though. It’s not like they’re 12-deep in genuine rotation options or anything.
• For the record, my vote in that Tucker poll was also for the Jays
• So I am with the majority here, it seems.

Bader

• Am I good fit for the Dbacks or will they go with Alek Thomas in CF?

Steve Adams

• Good on-paper fit, sure, but the D-backs are within $20MM or so of last year’s payroll and still need multiple relievers — all while trying to scale back their spending. I don’t think Bader works there. He should get $10MM+ annually on a multi-year deal (at least in my view, though the market has thumbed its nose at him a bit in the past)

O’s Fan

• Is the hold up on Valdez and Suarez due to teams not being willing to get close to the Cease deal and agents like Scott Boras marketing their client as equal to Cease thus leading to a stallmate?

Steve Adams

• Boras doesn’t rep Valdez.He does rep Suarez, but he also has to know Ranger was never going to be as desirable as Cease.Holdup is more just about waiting for anyone to meet the asking price. In some cases, they might be told they need to wait to see how the Kyle Tucker/Bo Bichette etc markets play out, as those clubs could pivot to run prevention if they don’t get their guys.

  We’ve already seen some reports that the Red Sox might look back at pitching now that they missed on Bregman. But no way they were giving out 100+ for a starter while they were still trying to keep Bregman there.

Philly Billy

• Sign Bichette and trade Bohm to the Angels, unless Bichettes defense wouldn’t offset his offense.

Steve Adams

• This scenario makes perfect sense to me, and I think Bichette would be fine at either second base or third base (though for arm strength purposes, the former seems a better fit)
• Pirates make some sense for Bohm, too.

bmcferren

• Pirates are in on Lawler? Is he a better bet than Vientos?

Steve Adams

• Both seem like reasonable targets, although I will say, Lawlar does not seem like he’s going to be a capable 3B defender. That’s also probably true of Vientos, though.Both are more along the lines of the Jhostynxon Garcia addition — high-upside, limited/no MLB track record — than the type of more established bats the Pirates were hoping to acquire though.

JD

• Colby Thomas from the A’s for Alec Bohm, who says no?

Steve Adams

• I’m the perennial down guy on Bohm. I just wouldn’t trade much of value to get him. I think he’s a decent player who’s better utilized in a more selective role against LHP. Thomas wouldn’t be a big sacrifice, but I’d probably keep the optionable guy who can play multiple spots and has a big track record against minor league pitching. I’d rather just sign Moncada for the same $10MM Bohm is owed, honestly.

DiPoto

• Am I really going into the season with an infield of Ben Williamson/Colt Emerson at 3rd, JP at Short, and Young at 2nd?  Doesn’t bringing Suarez back on a 2 year, $45 mil deal (which seems gettable now) make sense to play some 3rd, DH, and backup 1st to Naylor?

Steve Adams

• I’d be shocked if the Mariners went into the season with that infield arrangement. There’s still a month before pitchers and catchers report. Seven weeks before spring games begin in earnest. They’ll make some changes.

Andrew Bernard

• Does Sal Stewart break camp with the Reds?

Steve Adams

• That’s my expectation

Rich

• Do you think a 2nd baseman deal is likely for SF?

Steve Adams

• They’ll get someone. Don’t think it needs to be Hoerner or Donovan specifically, despite Passan reporting recent/ongoing talks for both. Donovan is the far more likely of the two to be traded.Would be interesting to see if they throw their hat in the ring for Bryson Stott if the Phillies sign Bichette and put him at 2B.

Miami Steve

• Weren’t the Marlins going to spend some money to avoid angering the luxury tax payers?

Steve Adams

• Hey! They uh… signed… Pete Fairbanks… and Christopher Morel!…Yeah they haven’t lived up to that so far, haha. But still plenty of offseason left, and they could use another reliever, a veteran starter for some depth, maybe an infielder or catcher.

Chris

• Re: Nico Hoerner’s availability – would you expect it to cost the Yankees the same player cost as Bellinger last year?

Steve Adams

• No way. The Cubs were trying to dump Bellinger’s salary and took almost no return. Hoerner has immense surplus value and would cost immediate, meaningful major league help

Mets

• We keep hearing the Mets are focused more on the trade side for starting pitching.  Give me a few players besides Peralta that are legitimate options.

Steve Adams

• Freddy Peralta, MacKenzie Gore, Kris Bubic, Jose Berrios, Brady Singer, maybe Nick Pivetta. I could see one of Andrew Abbott or Nick Lodolo if they send the right bat back to Cincinnati. Mitch Keller. Kyle Freeland.Obviously not all great names, and the Mets probably aren’t interested in adding more back-of-the-rotation types, but just running through some names off the cuff. I’m sure with a big enough offer you could get the Twins to reconsider their “We’re not trading Joe Ryan or Pablo Lopez” stance.

Me

• Tigers in on … no one? “Win now mode”, my ummmmm.. fanny.  Harris gotta go..

Steve Adams

• Tigers are following up their “most disappointing trade deadline from a contender” award with a run at “most disappointing offseason from a contender” — though I do like both the Jansen and Finnegan deals, and Flaherty coming back seems fine. Still pretty underwhelming as a whole, though.

keith

• If the blue jays sign Tuckerdo you think they should trade Santander

Steve Adams

• Was never a big fan of the Santander signing in the first place, so sure, if you can fine a taker, by all means.

AbeFromanJr

• Does Lenyn Sosa fit as a 2B option for SF? Not good defender but seems like they could use the bat.

Steve Adams

• I don’t think he’s much of an upgrade over what they have in house. More power than Casey Schmitt, but Schmitt’s a better defender who probably ends up with comparable offensive value

My name

• Guards flip Logan Allen to Phil’s for Bohm ?

Steve Adams

• Cleveland wouldn’t do that.

Guardians

• Gaddis for Hoerner?

Steve Adams

• Cubs wouldn’t do that.

Louis

• Larger contract: Bichette this year or Chisholm Jr next year?

Steve Adams

• I’ll go Bo this year. Jazz is going to be a year older as a free agent and hasn’t been as consistently good with the bat as Bichette. He’s also had quite a few more injuries.

AA’s burner

• Is 1/$12 or 2/$20 enough to get Bassitt to join ATL?

Steve Adams

• If I’m Chris Bassitt, I look at Merrill Kelly’s 2/40 and say “I’m as good as he is.”

John

• Now that the Red Sox are in panic mode, who will the overpay for?

Steve Adams

• Probably no one? If they were willing to overpay, they wouldn’t be in panic mode. They’re here because they habitually refuse to sign guys in their 30s to long-term deals.

Terry

• When are the O’s going to trade Mayo and Mountcastle? Can they get a bucket of balls for them?

Steve Adams

• For Mayo, they can absolutely get a return. I’m still surprised they tendered a contract to Mountcastle.

LA fan

• Do you think Jack Leiter is a good breakout candidate?

Steve Adams

• He kind of already broke out in 2025, but I assume you mean elevating his status from “solid No. 3-4 guy” to a more clear cut playoff caliber starter. I do think that gear could still be in there. Command doesn’t seem like it’ll ever be great, but Leiter bumped his K%, SwStr% and other encouraging traits down the stretch last year. I don’t think he’s an ace, but a step forward from the 2-3 WAR, upper-3.00s ERA guy he finished the season as still feels possible.

Derek Falvey

• Why did I tender Trevor Larnach?

Steve Adams

• I don’t know. One of the more surprising players to be tendered a contract. I thought he was a surefire NT.

My name

• How does DD make the money work for Bo in Philly, thanks for taking my question.

Steve Adams

• I touched on this the other day when writing about their meeting. It’s not really that hard. It’d take a big hike in payroll for 2026, but you could backload the deal to offset some of that. By ’27, they only have $170MM-ish on the books and don’t have a particularly daunting arb class. By ’28, they’re down to Schwarber, Turner, Harper, Nola and Sanchez’s cheap extension on the books. Harper’s deal is already frontloaded; his salary will decrease within the next few years. Neither Turner nor Nola has a super-premium AAVV

mnfireman

• If I’m Chris Bassitt, I look at Merrill Kelly’s 2/40 and say “I’m as good as he is.”  – but younger

Steve Adams

• Not really. Kelly turned 37 a couple months ago. Bassitt turns 37 in Feb

Nats

• Nats shock everyone and sign Tucker to a 11 year deal, leading the rebuild – Jayson Werth 2.0!

Steve Adams

• Won’t happen, but as a perpetual advocate for unmitigated baseball chaos, let me go on record as saying “Yes please.”

Dave D.

• Bichette to Phillies serious or a negotiating tactic to make JT sign?

Steve Adams

• Serious

Bucco Basement

• If Skubal wins his arb case, this surely increases the likelihood that the Pirates trade Skenes this offseason, right? if the Pirates underperform this season, this bumps up even more to the trade deadline. there’s no way they start paying him $30M+ this early in his career.

Steve Adams

• I don’t think so. Skubal is only able to even attempt this “blow up the arb system” because he has 5+ years of service. Skenes will set records in arb but do so more incrementally. Pirates will probably still trade him at some point … but probably not for another three years.

FU Jobu

• Where do you see Daniel Espino contributing this year?

Steve Adams

• Would love that, but the kid has barely pitched in the past three years due to multiple surgeries. I wouldn’t be holding my breath.

CJ Red

• Have the Red Sox positioned themselves as a team no longer attractive to free agents?

Steve Adams

• No. They’ve just positioned themselves as a team that doesn’t like to outbid the field for free agents. If they’d matched Chicago’s offer, he’d be there.

Richard

• hey Steve, which of the ms pitchers do you see getting an extension? With Anderson, Sloan and Cijante coming up maybe this year what do they do with their starting rotation?

Steve Adams

• Woo is the only one who really seems like a prime candidate for me. Gilbert is only two years from free agency. Kirby doesn’t seem like he’d want to sell low on himself. Miller, I just wouldn’t extend after this year unless it was on really friendly terms (and, from his vantage point, why do that?)Injuries will probably sort a lot of that out organically, but none of those three prospects is ready for the majors or all that close right now. They all feel more like 2027 guys to me, and even if they push for the majors in ’26, the Mariners will probably have some starts available when the current quintet gets hurt. It’s all under the “good problem to have” cliche.

BeBopCola

• Your latest guess on who Peralta gets traded to or do you think he remains a brewer?

Steve Adams

• I lean toward him staying, but if I’m forced to pick a team that trades for him, I’d lean Mets.

Joey B

• Here’s an odd fit that could make sense: Verlander to the Yankees on a incentive-rich deal.  They need a veteran depth piece and he finished the season strong.  Yes/no/maybe?

Steve Adams

• I don’t think it’s an odd fit from a roster/team need perspective. But I also don’t see why he’s taking an incentive-laden deal. Verlander got $15MM guaranteed last year as a 42-year-old coming off a 5.48 ERA in 17 starts/90 innings. Yeah, he’s 43 now, but he made 29 starts, pitched 152 innings with a 3.85 ERA, and finished on absolute fire.Why’s he taking a pay cut?

Cute Lady

• Is it safe to say that William Contreras is upset with the Brewers for lowballing him?

Steve Adams

• No. This is just arbitration.

Brian Davis Christian

• Do you see the Tigers trading Skubal or riding the season out with him and ending up with a draft pick when he signs somewhere else

Steve Adams

• Have said for months now that while it’ll of course be talked about ad nauseum this winter, I see an almost 0% chance he’s traded. Still my mindset. They’ll either get a pick or re-sign him to a monster contract  next winter.

High Aav

• With Tucker now being open to a 3 year 40m AAV deal. Do you think its an overall league trend to do inflated AAV contracts instead of longer deals with multiple down years in late 30s

Steve Adams

• Just because that’s where the Mets’ offer is does not mean that he’s necessarily open to it. Plus, multiple reports during this chat have said that their offer is actually worth more than $50MM annually. Let’s get weird!

Ebbets Field.

• AAV for Bo?  My friend says $30+, I’m at $25

Steve Adams

• Depends entirely on the years. I’d be closer to 25, but if he ends up going for 7 or fewer years, then 30+, yeha.

Angels fan

• Angels are stuck in no-man’s land again. Is it too much to ask them to target Bohm in a trade after Bichette goes to Philly?

Steve Adams

• It’s not too much, no, but Alec Bohm isn’t moving the needle much for them.

Ketel Marte

• Does the addition of Arenado to the Diamondbacks put trading me back on the table?

Steve Adams

• No. They got Arenado for the price of basically a middle reliever.

TxDude

• Is a Castellanos trade still likely or no?

Steve Adams

• I have thought all offseason that he’ll just be released, and I still think that.

E. Suarez

• E.Suarez, in your mind: team, contract (Salary and Years)?

Steve Adams

• At this point I’d probably guess something like two years and $48MM. I was very much on board with our three-year prediction back in November, but I think that was only going to be there if someone made him a priority, which clearly hasn’t been the case.Not saying I’d be stunned if he signed for three years and $54-63MM total or anything, but I think two feels safer now.

Rick

• Rules question:  if the white sox signed Tucker would they lose the #1 pick?

Steve Adams

• Here you go:
  https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/10/each-teams-penalty-for-signing-…

Cool Mama Bell

• Tucker is not worth $50M AAV.

Steve Adams

• The Mets agree! They’d be paying a 110% tax on his contract’s AAV, so they think he’s worth $100MM+ annually.

JankyLeg

• The Rangers seem like they are one deGrom/Eovaldi/Seager major injury from falling off the map. With limited payroll, do you see them pivoting to a youth movement in short order if things don’t work out?

Steve Adams

• I can see that more in 2027 if things don’t work out in 2026.

Skubal

• What does a Free agent deal look for Tarik? Gotta assume it starts with at least a 3 and has a lot of zeros that follow.

Steve Adams

• Not convinced it starts with a 3.
• But that’s because I think it might start with a 4.
• I’ve got to call it for the week. I’m on X @Adams_Steve and Bluesky @adams-steve.bsky.social for more questions.We had 900+ people in here today, so no chance to get to all the questions, but thank you all for chatting and participating! If you want more opinions and analysis from the MLBTR team, plus ad-free viewing, exclusive articles and access to our tools (Contract Tracker, Agency Database, GM Tracker), you can check out our Front Office subscription package!

  Have a great week, everyone!

Framber & Ranger

• When and where are we finally going to sign?

Mark P

• This is a purely speculative pipe dream of mine, but I wonder if the Marlins could be a dark horse for either of these guys.  Miami can add another frontline starter to replace Cabrera, and boost the payroll enough to avoid an MLBPA grievance.

  But, in a more realistic world, the Orioles make a lot of sense for either guy.  Can’t rule out the Mets, maybe the Padres if they move some money, maybe even the Yankees or Red Sox.

Bo

• Bichette to Phillies seems like a SOLID fit

Mark P

• It’s not a perfect fit since it then essentially means the Phils have to move Bohm or Stott.  But, since Bichette is also way better than either of these guys, you’re right.

Enrico Pallazo

• With Ketel reportedly off the trading block, what do you think the timing and return of a Donovan trade would be?

Mark P

• Bregman’s signing might open things up for a Donovan trade in the next couple of weeks, since now you figure Boston might make a larger push (not that the Sox are the only Donovan suitor by a long shot).

  I also have my doubts that Marte is truly off the market.  That might be a little bit of gamesmanship from Mike Hazen to try and spur better offers.

Carl

• Who says no, Brendan Donovan for Bryce Eldridge?

Mark P

• Giants in a heartbeat. They’re not moving a top prospect for two years of Donovan.

Tony Fernandez

• Wouldn’t the jays be better off trying to get a deal done with Bo as opposed to Tucker?  Tucker is clearly the better player, but in addition to costing more his arrival would mean one of springer, varsho, Santander, okamoto or Barger would have to take a seat.  Bringing Bo back lets those big bats all stay in the line up and Clement moves to the bench…which also solves the jays need for a bench bat that can play SS and 2b

Mark P

• Toronto has enough multi-positional guys that they’d sign Tucker and let the rest figure itself out.  If that means keeping Santander as a very expensive part-timer, so be it.

John

• Followup – Bellinger to the Mets all but guaranteed now?

Mark P

• They seem to be a pretty interesting contender, since the rest of his public suitors (Cubs, Dodgers, Jays, Phillies, Giants) have either made other moves, are imperfect roster fits, or are the Angels (Angels).
• If this Yankees/Bellinger stalemate is for real and neither side is blinking, that opens the door for the Mets to perhaps swoop in on Bellinger, who checks a lot of boxes on that team.

  It also might free up the Yankees to spend their dollars on a Suarez or Valdez rather than on Bellinger.

Tim

• So the Tigers are just going to let Skubal walk after next season and take the pick?

Mark P

• Probably, unless the team isn’t in contention at the deadline and moves him then.

  But, I expect Detroit to contend for the AL Central again, and perhaps beyond.  If you’re a Tigers team trying to win, why not keep Skubal, since having arguably the best pitcher in the world on your team gets you a lot closer to a World Series

rockies

• the McCarthy trade means Doyle is gone? Or do they run it with Moniak, Veen, Doyle, Beck, Freeman, AND McCarthy?

Mark P

• There’s probably as much of a chance that the Rox move any of Moniak/Veen/Beck than they do Doyle.  Remember, DePodesta didn’t draft Veen or Beck, so if he doesn’t evaluate them highly, he might be more inclined to move them while they have some “top prospect” sheen.

Guest

• Do you see a chance the yanks get Bo to play 2nd and extend Jazz but move him to 3rd?

Mark P

• That creates the question of what’s to be done with Ryan McMahon.  Also, the Yankees generally don’t do extensions, as a franchise rule — I’d be stunned if they locked up Jazz or anyone to an extension.

Skubal arbitration

• Reports say Boras is going to use a seldom used clause that allows final arb eligible players to comp to free agent contracts. How much would Skubal get on a 1 year free agent contract? Do you think Skubal wins his arbitration hearing?

Mark P

• I think the Tigers win, just because I’m not sure the panel will want to give Skubal such a precedent-shattering salary.

  This is another reason why a Skubal trade might be unlikely, at least until the hearing is over.  It would be mighty awkward for a team to trade for Skubal, then immediately go into a contentious arbitration and arguing “well, he’s not THAT good…”

  If Skubal was magically a free agent now and was limited to one-year deals, he would also easily clear $32MM.

Your Average Terrified Mariner Fan

• How many mlb games do you think Colt Emerson plays next year?

Mark P

• I can see him being up pretty early in the season, if perhaps not by Opening Day.  Obviously this equation changes if the M’s bring in an everyday 2B/3B type to crowd up the infield picture.

  Maybe 81 games for Emerson?

Bob

• Who gets the better return? One year of Hoerner or two years of Donovan?

Mark P

• Donovan

Tim

• is Alec Burleson the Cardinals first baseman next year? Or did the Cardinals spend 5 to 6 million for rhys hoskins?

Mark P

• Burleson will get every opportunity for everyday at-bats.  St. Louis is in a rebuild and will prioritize giving their younger guys chances.
• Put another way, the Cards aren’t moving Contreras to open up first base just to sign someone like a Hoskins to cut into Burleson’s playing time

A.Judge

• Realistically how many solid years do I have left before my inevitable decline? One, maybe two?

Mark P

• Define “decline.”  Judge is one of the biggest multi-year heaters in baseball history.  If he drops back to being only (only!) the 155 wRC+ player he was from 2017-21, that’s both a decline on paper, and still numbers that put Judge into the MVP race.

  The point is, Judge is such a special hitter that he may be beyond the realm of normal aging curves.

David

• Why don’t the Dodgers just make Rushing the full-time LF and sign a true backup catcher?

Mark P

• Rushing played 31 minor league games in left field in 2024, and two in 2025.  It seems like the experiment is probably over, plus it’s asking a lot of Rushing to take on an everyday role at what is still a new position while he is still figuring out how to hit MLB pitching.

Beano

• What’s the latest on Louis Robert and K Tucker? I really thought the Sox would’ve move Robert by now and I certainly thought Tucker and Bellinger would have new homes by now?  I can’t recall – is it odd that the some of the  top names in the FA/to be traded group are still out there?

Mark P

• It’s not at all unusual, especially since Boras represents so many top guys and he is not shy about letting his clients’ markets play out deeper into the winter.  And even then, you saw Boras clients Cease and Alonso both sign relatively early.

Guardians

• What do you expect from Cleveland for the rest of the offseason?

Mark P

• One or two low-tier acquisitions, probably one for the lineup and for one for the rotation.

Chicago Fan

• Better chance of winning a championship in the year 2026: Cubs or Bears?

Mark P

• As a Packers fan, this question really made me grit my teeth.  My answer is the Cubs, since the Bears’ next opponent probably won’t decide to phone in a half of football.

Bendix

• What would you grade the Marlins in the Cabrera trade? Caissie seems like another young player to add to a nice young core.

Mark P

• I like the deal for Miami.  Caissie is the kind of blue-chip prospect you want to get back for a pitcher with Cabrera’s upside and years of team control.

Southside Sox Fan

• Good evening Mark, Go Bears first off.  I think the White Sox take a few steps forward this season and possibly (with some luck) challenge for a wild card entry in the playoffs. Do you see the White Sox winning 80+ games this season?

Mark P

• The Sox will need to do a lot more with their roster to get anywhere close to 80 wins.  This club still lost 102 games last year, don’t forget.

Dodger Dog

• Do you think transitioning Shohei to play 1st base when Freeman’s contract expires would work? It would free up a spot for another bat at DH, and he could still pitch.

Mark P

• Ohtani is a good enough athlete that he could probably adjust to 1B pretty easily (/insert Moneyball clip here), or play some outfield.  But, the Dodgers also aren’t going to do anything to overload Ohtani’s already-historically unusual workload

Nationals Fan

• There was a lot of buzz earlier this offseason that MacKenzie Gore would be traded, but there hasn’t been much news about it since. Do think it is still likely?

Mark P

• My stance on Gore hasn’t changed.  Washington isn’t going to move him unless they get the moon and stars in return, since the Nats have no immediate need to move him now.

Baffled by the Bay

• Darragh and Steve laughed about the Giants’ offseason during the most recent podcast.  Do you think they’ll do anything that isn’t laughable this offseason?

Mark P

• I find it hard to believe that the Giants won’t do anything kinda notable, but it has been an extremely quiet offseason.
• Maybe they’re lurking in the Bellinger (or even the Tucker?) markets. Acquiring a second baseman also suddenly makes their winter look at lot better.

WSoxFan

• Any chance the White Sox trade Robert before the season begins?  I’d really like Braden Montgomery to have a chance to break camp as the new Sox CF, but with Robert there is no need for the additional OF.

Mark P

• Montgomery has only 34 Double-A games under his belt, so bringing him right up to the Show by Opening Day seems aggressive.  As with the Rockies and Condon earlier, Chicago should be in no huge rush to get their top prospects in the majors in early 2026.

  If Robert is still the White Sox beyond the trade deadline, Montgomery could be called up to play another outfield spot, to ease him into the big leagues.  Or, Robert could be moved into a corner spot.

Teddy

• Christian Walker for catcher Keibert Ruiz and infielder Luis Garcia (INF)? Astros get luxury tax relief, a backup catcher and a solid bat. Nationals clear their books and make room for Harry Ford behind the plate.

Mark P

• Walker has $40MM left on his contract and Ruiz $35MM, so the Nationals wouldn’t be saving all that much money, even with Garcia added.  Also, the Nats have barely anything on the payroll ledger anyway, so it’s not like they need to clear salary space.

  The answer to the Ford/Ruiz situation will just be that Ford starts and Ruiz is (an overpaid) backup.  While the Nats do need a 1B, they’re more likely to pursue a Rhys Hoskins type as a stopgap.

• And, not to pile on, but another flaw in this proposal is that Garcia doesn’t have a place to play in Houston

Guest

• Do you think the Royals stand pat, or is there a legitimate trade partner for Kris Bubic or Noah Cameron?

Mark P

• Plenty of teams would or should be in on both pitchers.  It’s just a question of finding a match that also lines up with what KC wants (i.e. offensive help)

Arthur Rhodes

• Luis rengifo the perfect buy low for the M’s to help the young guys at 3rd and 2nd?

Mark P

• I may be the president of the Rengifo fan club, so I’d personally like that signing for the M’s.  Seattle fans may be underwhelmed considering the alternatives of Polanco, Donovan, Marte, etc., and I wonder if the Mariners’ own front office evaluates Rengifo highly enough to give him playing time over the in-house prospects

G

• Braves are going to get a SP right????? Who you got going to Atlanta for their staff?

Mark P

• At this rate, I think the Braves will simply sign every reliever in baseball, and solve their run-prevention issues that way.

Lylesbay

• whats the holdup with tucker, with soto last year it got done quickly, are teams mulling over tucker’s projection? it seems what reporters said about him has many gm’s scared, even his supposed $400M ask is slipping into $300’s

Mark P

• Soto has a much stronger track record than Tucker, plus several big-market teams involved in his bidding war.  This offseason, the Mets, Yankees, etc. aren’t as keen to spend big money, leaving Tucker’s market more than a little uncertain.

  For all of the reports that Toronto might be a frontrunner for Tucker, for instance, the Jays might not be willing to offer him a desired contract if they feel they’re bidding against themselves.

Johnny 5

• Shouldn’t the Rockies of all teams be the team willing to take on bad contracts for prospects? They have room and roster space. Take fliers to pick up lottery prospects and if any value is recouped flip the player?

Mark P

• Agreed.  Bryant/Tovar are the only players under contract beyond 2026, so the Rockies should be trying to get talent into the system even if it means eating some money.

  Like, the Phillies aren’t going to attach a top prospect to Castellanos or something, but for someone in their second or third tier of prospects? Sure.

Nick S

• Do you think the A’s will be able to sign one of Chris Bassitt or Lucas Giolito for their rotation?

Mark P

• I have trouble believing any pitchers with options elsewhere will sign with the A’s, barring a drastic overpay.

Patrick

• Are the Pirates done with adding to the lineup? I know it’s not great but it’s much improved especially considering they have the top offensive prospect in baseball. If money is tight, I’d rather add a veteran starter.

Mark P

• Cherington said the other day that the team is still looking for a third baseman or shortstop.  Adding such a player on a short-term deal could work, while still allowing for enough dollars to bring in a veteran arm. (Jose Quintana, come on down!)

Alec bohm

• What’s my trade value?

Mark P

• Not that much.  I even listed Bohm as a non-tender candidate back when I did the Phillies offseason outlook last fall, because just cutting him seemed like a better idea than struggling on the trade market or paying him $10.2MM

Green Monster

• Is Bregman’s signing with the Cubs at all a reflection of ownership cheapness or front office incompetence in Boston, or did the Cubs just overpower the Red Sox with a great offer?

Mark P

• According to reports, Boston’s offer also had a lot of deferred money but spread out over a much longer period of time.

  And, the lack of a no-trade clause seemed like an issue of Bregman.  This is speculative on my part, but I wonder if seeing what happened with Devers last year made Bregman wary about committing with the Sox unless they gave him no-trade protection.

Bloom

• Who’s taking jojo Romero off my hands?

Mark P

• Hard to say, since tons of teams could use a solid lefty reliever.

PhilsPhansince1965

• Has the JT Realmuto / Phillies standoff become a real concern, or is it still strictly business?

Mark P

• As noted in a recent chat, Realmuto’s last free agent deal with the Phillies wasn’t signed until late January 2021.  We’re still over a couple of weeks away even from that point, so I wouldn’t get too antsy about things yet.  Until Realmuto actually signs elsewhere or the Phils obtained another catcher, the greatest likelihood is that JTR will be back in Philly

Guards fan

• Guardians reporter for the Athletic, Meisel, has been linking Austin Hays to them as a right handed OF bat to try to help balance their lefty heavy lineup. Have you heard any thing about this or another right handed bat, perhaps?

Mark P

• Hays would be a really good fit to give the Guardians some cover in case the kids aren’t ready for the majors yet.

Larry Wayne

• AA has systematically addressed all the needs and the roster looks Opening Day ready. He has said he wants a little more starting pitcher depth but our starting 5 are really good IF they stay healthy (one of these years they have to, right?). We also have Holmes, Elder and about 10 minor league starters who could get a look and chance to stay. Some with big upside. Another experienced starter would be a luxury and not a necessity at this point. All of that being said, he will not sign anyone with a draft pick attached so give me a best shot FA name other than Bassit that could fit the mold.

Mark P

• I kinda joked about this earlier, but the Braves having such a deep bullpen now makes their need for a starter a little less glaring.  As you noted, Atlanta has a lot of rotation options at least from a pure depth perspective, even if obviously adding another proven starter would help alleviate the injury concerns over Sale, Lopez, etc.

  Bassitt would basically a perfect fit for Atlanta.  Verlander too.

WBC

• I know a lot of fans bellyache about the Classic but I really enjoy it and think it’s great for the game. What are your thoughts?

Mark P

• I’m a big fan of the WBC, and am eagerly looking forward to this year’s tournament

Mark P GM

• You need an ace-type SP.  Would you feel more comfortable signing Framber Valdez or Ranger Suarez if the contract were the same?

Mark P

• I’d prefer Suarez.
• Imagine a team of five Ranger Suarezes in the rotation and nine Luis Rengifos around the diamond. I’d never lose!

Guest

• Barger to the Pirates? Good move?  Or is Bohm more likely?

Mark P

• There is basically zero chance the Jays would trade Barger.  Bohm is vastly more likely, and while that’s technically an upgrade for Pittsburgh, I think they can do better.

Jh

• guardians picking bazzana first overall instead of nick kurtz has to get some ppl fired right?

Mark P

• Seems drastically early to be making that call

Cool

• Is it just a weird coincidence that the Red Sox have not signed a free agent to a major league deal, or is there something deeper there?

Mark P

• Boston has gotten weirdly conservative in free agency, but it’s not like they haven’t been actively making notable moves on the trade front.

  Tonight’s chat queue has plenty of “the Sox are doomed” types of messages, but I disagree.  Maybe this is 25 years of watching things just seem to work out for Boston sports teams, but the Red Sox are still a good team as presently constructed, and there’s still plenty of time left in the offseason to make a few moves.  Bregman leaving is hardly the end of the world.

Drew Rasmussen

• Will the rays let me throw more pitches this year? I’m sick of being pulled on low pitch counts.

Mark P

• “Twice through the order, then out” has become a common tactic throughout the sport, but in Rasmussen’s case, the Rays were naturally being cautious given his health history.  Rasmussen still tossed 150 innings last year, so if all goes well, he should be used somewhat more normally in 2026

Hunter Green

• Do I play for Cincy or somewhere else

Mark P

• Cincinnati. The Reds aren’t moving him unless they got an absolute haul in return.

Elias

• Why am I not adding more to the bullpen given all the other additions I’ve made?

Mark P

• Helsley and Kittredge are already notable additions.  Still plenty of time for the O’s to get after more relievers, if even some lower-cost types

Blue Heaven

• Was it the toughest PO lost for Packers, especially lost against Bears?

Mark P

• Green Bay’s season was over the moment Parsons got hurt, so I didn’t think they beating the Bears anyway.  It’s funny, people don’t usually mention the Packers when it comes to gut-wrenching playoff losses, but they’ve had some doozies in the last 20 years.  Granted, that one Super Bowl win eases the pain a bit…

AJ

• Who should I reasonably ask Breslow for Tatis?

Mark P

• 1. Tatis has a no-trade clause, which might turn off the Red Sox as much as Tatis himself might it use it to block any deals
  2. The Padres aren’t moving Tatis, as Preller said last month.
  3. The asking price would be so high that I don’t see the Sox meeting it, even if Preller threw in Yoshida/Hicks as salary offset.

Zach

• What kind of contract is Marcell Ozuna going to get?

Mark P

• If anything, a one-year deal worth maybe $8MM or so?
• Reflection of his age, down numbers in 2025, and lack of defensive value

Guest

• How come guardians and dodgers hardly do a deal together?

Mark P

• Because I’m a big baseball nerd, I’ve absolutely spent time on B-Ref’s baseball trade histories page, to idly check out which teams are or aren’t common trade partners.

  The Amed Rosario/Noah Syndergaard deal from 2023 is the only player-for-player swap between the two teams in the last 11 years, though they’ve had some cash considerations deals.  I can only assume the lack of action is lingering hate from the 1920 World Series.

Tony Vitello

• If the Giants signed Bichette would the talk of their poor offseason flip completely? Would that move be enough?

Mark P

• No question.  These chats all winter have been full of comments ripping on the Cubs for their lack of action, but unsurprisingly, those have dried up this week.

Mike Trout

• Doesn’t seem like we’ll be good anytime soon. Any other HOF caliber players to play on such bad teams their entire career?

Mark P

• Ernie Banks leaps to mind

Luis Arraez

• Am I still an option at 2B? While they should be concentrating on power, the Red Sox have a need at second base…

Mark P

• Arraez can play 2B, but he’s just not a good defender.  In addition to providing zero power and few walks, Arraez’s limited skillset makes him a tough sell

Angels Fan

• After restructuring the Rendon contract to pay out over five years and shedding Taylor Ward’s salary, Angels fans were hopeful Arte Moreno would sign an impact free agent. Instead, he has so far committed less than $15M in free agent spending this year. Perry Minasian refuses to discuss payroll or spending levels but it certainly seems the Angels are reducing payroll, possibly significantly. Am I right?

Mark P

• You’re right.

  I’d stated in the past that the Angels are in the position where they’d have to overpay a premium player to sign, since a premium player who has options elsewhere will or should naturally have misgivings about playing for a franchise that is stuck in such a rut.  And if you’re the Angels with their track record, “overpaying” for a free agent target is a particular risk.

  So now they’re in this limbo of not really wanting to pay big prices in the first place, but needing to in order to attract even second-tier free agents, let alone top-shelf guys.  And, the cupboard is pretty bare in terms of trade chips.  Tough situation for the Halos (and, even moreso, their fans)

• I lost track of time, and only just realized we’ve sailed over the two-hour mark.  Time to wrap things up for this week’s chat.  Thanks so much to everyone who sent in a question, it’s greatly appreciated!
• fyi, 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-1-11-26

Steve Adams

• I’ve said repeatedly that I don’t think Marte will move — even if I am admittedly working on something regarding which teams are the best fits in a trade based on need/payroll/young pitching supply — and I’d be shocked if Donovan is a Cardinal on Opening Day
• On Marte: I don’t think it happens, but it’s obviously being discussed, and it’s of immense interest to our readers, so I think it’s worth looking at without overplaying the likelihood. There’s obviously a non-zero chance he goes … I just think it’s far likelier he stays put.

Cory

• So I assume a reliever or 2 on major league deals or trades, as well as at minimum a Trevor Larnach trade at some point. After that, what would you expect the Twins to do the rest of the offseason? For example, do you think they listen on someone like Wallner too? Thanks!

Steve Adams

• They have to sign (or trade for) at least two relievers. I don’t know who’s giving up anything for Larnach. I was surprised they tendered him a deal. Maybe someone sees an OF go down this spring and shows some interest.No reason they wouldn’t listen on Wallner, in my eyes.

Donnie

• If the Phillies dont bring back JT, Is Adley a reasonable fallback option?

Steve Adams

• Baltimore president Mike Elias has been pretty clear that he thinks having Rutschman and Basallo on the same roster is a strength. They’d be selling low on Adley, and Basallo hasn’t really proven himself as a major league catcher anyhow.I just don’t think a Rutschman trade is all that likely.

Reds

• Is Spencer Jones a legit ROY candidate and what are the chances he gets traded?

Steve Adams

• Yankee fans probably hate every time I take a Jones question, because I’m about as bearish on his outlook as anyone at MLBTR (and probably at other sites… FanGraphs, PitcherList, etc.)I just don’t see how someone who swings and misses THAT much in the minors can produce in the big leagues. The tools are huge, the physicality is impressive, all that … but he fanned in 37% of his AAA plate appearances. That’s Joey Gallo levels of minor league strikeouts.
• Obviously Gallo had a few really good years, so maybe that’s not an unrealistic outcome for Jones, but I just don’t think he’s going to be a star and think there’s a larger-than-usual chance (relative to other top prospects) that he just isn’t productive at all in the majors.

Dbacks Rotation

• Mike Hazen cannot be done adding can he?  Kelly, Nelson, Pfaadt, Rodriguez, and Soroka – I don’t see the quality or the quantity of innings.  Not a ton of help in the upper minors either.

Steve Adams

• No, I don’t think the Dbacks are done adding to the staff (or the roster as a whole)

Tim

• Any new rumors involving Skubal?

Steve Adams

• Probably shouldn’t be so down on the idea of trading Skubal … we’d draw in more traffic if we played it up and focused on it consistently haha. But everyone here has said since Day 1 of the offseason (beforehand, really) that we think the Skubal talk is overblown.I know people will keep writing about it until the season begins, but I’ve been of the “less than 1% chance this happens” mindset all winter

Jay

• Berrios, Schneider, and Adam Macko for Mason Miller.  Who says no?

Steve Adams

• If that were all it took to get Miller, he’d be a Blue Jay
• Actually, no, he’d be with another club, because another team would happily blow that package out of the water. It’s a nonstarter. Berrios has negative trade value. Schneider is a bench piece. Macko might be like a fourth or fifth piece in an actual Miller package, but this doesn’t even get the ball rolling.

Pirates

• Does Pittsburgh have a realistic shot at signing Geno? What other FAs/ trades could they pull off to field a competitive team while they still have Skenes?

Steve Adams

• Sure, I don’t think Suarez is unreasonable there. At this point, I’d take the under on our 3/63 prediction from November, and even if that were the stopping point, the Pirates could make that offer.

mike

• why is  Luis Arráez market so quiet??

Steve Adams

• Most front offices just don’t think he’s that good. He has an elite hit tool — probably the best in MLB — but zero power, declining OBP skills, poor speed and little to no defensive value. He’s a fun throwback, but it’s not a skill set that is valued in today’s game

Andujar

• Can’t wait until I am splitting time at DH and right field for Cleveland this year.

Steve Adams

• Hey we can mock the Guardians’ thrifty ways, but Andujar is probably going to be a nice bargain for someone as long as his new club uses him properly (minimal time in the field, more PAs versus LHP than RHP, etc.)

AstrosFAN

• 1 of 3 Christian Walker, Issac Paredes, and Jesus Sanchez is traded. I feel like 2 of 3 are traded, what do you see each fetching us?

Steve Adams

• I don’t actually think any of the three are traded. Dana Brown is about as candid and straight-shooting as a GM gets, and he’s openly said he doesn’t think he needs to trade anyone from the group. I tend to agree. I’d be looking to move Walker, but he doesn’t seem to want to eat half the contract and sell low, which is perfectly defensible.Paredes is the only one of the three with positive trade value, and he’s obviously the one they’d be least inclined to trade away.

Blue Jays

• Convince me that Cody Ponce is for real or one season wonder.

Steve Adams

• Velocity is up from his MLB days. Stuff is better in general. I was talking to a scout (not from the Jays) about Murakami, Imai, Okamoto, etc. prior to the offseason and he unprompted told me “You need to have Cody Ponce on your top 50 list, too. He’s going to make more than $20 million”He had real interest from several big-market teams. I’m not saying he’s an ace or anything, but I do think he’ll be a perfectly viable midrotation arm.

Ryan Ripken

• Coby Mayo + Povich = Gore?

Steve Adams

• If you could dial the calendar back to 2023, perhaps! Both guys’ stock is down too far for that to move the needle on Gore.

MarioSoto

• Am I wrong to be upset with the Reds penny pinching ways?

Steve Adams

• I’d be pissed off if I were a Reds fan. Plenty of offseason left, so maybe they pull a rabbit out of the hat, but this team’s rotation is off-the-charts talented, and they seem committed to just spending notable money on Emilio Pagan and taking a bargain-bin approach to the lineup… all coming off a postseason berth.Given the apparent lack of spending power this winter, I’m all the more perplexed as to why they acquired Ke’Bryan Hayes. Love the glove, of course, and there’s something to be said for bolstering run prevention when you already have such a talented pitching staff, but allotting $7.5MM annually to a glove-only third baseman is a weird move for a team in dire need of some real offensive help.

Mehts

• If offering some combo of Acuna/Mauricio/Vientos would MItch Keller be a logical trade target for Stearns to address SP?

Steve Adams

• Could see Vientos having some appeal, but I wouldn’t move Keller for him alone and don’t think the others have a ton of value right now.Also feel like if the Mets are trading for a starter, they should aim for more ceiling than Keller anyhow.

Buster Posey

• Out of Nico Hoerner, Brendan Donovan, or Bo Bichette, who is most likely to come over to the Giants? With the fact that we’re afraid to spend big on pitching, we’re poised to bring over a big bat… right?

Steve Adams

• I’d be so surprised if the Cubs trade Hoerner, and even more surprised if the Giants met Bichette’s asking price.Donovan seems realistic and attainable, so he’s the easy answer for me

Orioles

• What is the hold up with Ranger Suarez/ Framber Valdez? Are you still confident we get one of the two?

Steve Adams

• I think they’ll add another notable starter, whether it’s one of those two, Zac Gallen, or someone via trade (Edward Cabrera, MacKenzie Gore, etc.)

Ryan

• There have been reported offers for Donovan from the Giants being Whisenhunt, Kilen and a lottery ticket low A pitcher. Your thoughts on that as the return?

Steve Adams

• That’s not really what Katie Woo reported at The Athletic. She said Whisenhunt and Kilen had been discussed with the Giants — not necessarily in the same trade package.If the Giants offered both players and a lower-level prospect, I think it’d be a strong offer.

Tyler McDuffie

• Are the Angels serious about having Christian Moore play 3B even though he hasn’t had any reps there in his pro career?

Steve Adams

• I’ll be surprised if they don’t add a 3B from outside the org

Rowland

• None of the big free agent Japanese players got nearly the projected contracts expected. What happened?

Steve Adams

• Okamoto landed right where we thought he would.Murakami and Imai had notable flaws that were available in public scouting reports and that scouts expressed in private conversations. The general thought was that both are young enough and had appealing enough top tools (Murakami’s power, Imai’s velocity and K’s) that teams would overlook those concerns and go long-term.

  Some of the projections — certainly ours — were clouded by placing too much weight on the Dodgers’ Yamamoto signing. Yamamoto was essentially a flawless, perfect free agent. He didn’t have any of the red flags seen with Imai and Murakami.

  The market clearly had more prominent concerns about Murakami’s glove/strikeouts and Imai’s command and ability to miss bats with his secondaries

Camelback Ranch

• White Sox and Dodgers have a history of lining up on trades. Does a framework of Rushing and Treinen for Robert and Quero move the needle?

Steve Adams

• Not making that move if I’m the Dodgers

O’s Fan

• Assuming the same contract (unrealistic but bear with me), who would you rather have between Framber and Ranger if you’re the O’s?

Steve Adams

• Framber

Eugenio Suarez

• What sort of contract do you think he’ll get at this point, and is a reunion with Seattle still on the table?

Steve Adams

• We predicted 3/63 in November, and we had to talk Tim Dierkes into it since he wanted more like 2/50. In retrospect, I now prefer his prediction, but 3/60 doesn’t seem impossible to me. We’ll see where Bregman lands and how motivated some of the teams that miss on him are.

Dylan

• Are we getting a new podcast episode tomorrow? I love the show. Thank you for the content.

Steve Adams

• Darragh and I just recorded this morning! Kyle will edit tonight, and it’ll run tomorrow. Thanks for listening!

Kyle tucker

• where will he sign

Steve Adams

• I doubt Kyle himself knows the answer to this question right now!

Bob “Hammerin” Hamelin

• I keep reading reports that the Royals are still on some OF help.  I’ve heard Duran, but what other possibilities are out there for them, via trade?  They can’t roll out the current OF that they have.  Thanks!

Steve Adams

• Yeah they definitely need more help in the OF. Duran and Abreu from Boston make sense, of course, but other names I could realistically see on the market include Alec Burleson, Lars Nootbaar, Brenton Doyle, Mickey Moniak, Trevor Larnach, Matt Wallner, maybe one of Dylan Beavers/Colton Cowser (if the O’s are getting a quality starter back), Nathan Lukes, Jake Meyers, Teoscar Hernandez … plenty more I’m sure I’m spacing on.

Brady

• Do you buy the Phillies as real contenders for Bichette?

Steve Adams

• I buy them as a team hanging around the periphery — not so much an aggressive pursuer.

Samsung user

• Will MLBTR ever make an app for android??

Steve Adams

• We have an Android app and have had one for more than a decade. We’re in the process of redoing the app for both iOS and Android. The former is available for beta testing right now:
  https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2026/01/join-the-beta-test-for-the-new-…

Previous Dodger trade

• Wait wait wait. Why would you not make that trade if you are the Dodgers?

Steve Adams

• I don’t think Edgar Quero is going to be a catcher in the long run, and Robert would be a $22MM tax hit for a team that’s paying 110%, so he’d cost them $46.2MM in 2026. Even when subtracting the money owed to Treinen ($11MM AAV and a net $23.1MM expenditure), they’re still taking on an extra $23MM and giving up the much better all-around catching prospect — all to take on a center fielder who is immensely talented but even more injury-prone and with a pretty worrying recent track record of actual performance.

Sleepless in Milwaukee

• For a team that finished with the best record in baseball last year…what’s the catch?…trade away a versatile utility player who finished 4th in ROY voting and a leverage flamethrower arm…rumors swirling about moving our ace…help me make sense of this…

Steve Adams

• Standard operating procedure for the Brewers. They’re always going to be open to trading stars as they approach free agency. More often than not, they’ll probably do it. (Hader, Burnes, Williams, Lucroy) Sometimes they don’t (Adames)Collins was a great story in ’25 but a clear regression candidate at the plate (somewhat heavy BABIP, poor batted-ball metrics, etc.) They’ve liked Zerpa forever and clearly think they can make him a big weapon. I wouldn’t bet against Milwaukee’s pitching development (or player development in general)

  I’m sure there are some modest additions in the offing, but the Brewers are only rarely going to be a team to make a huge splash in free agency, and they sort of did that by making the QO to Woodruff and keeping him at $22.05MM.

Jays Fan

• Do you like Tucker or Bo better for the jays??

Steve Adams

• Sure. Or the Mets. Yankees. Lots of teams.

MLB is fun

• Are the Yankees concerned with Edward Cabrera’s medical, what’s the hold up with him?

Steve Adams

• I’m sure every team is mildly concerned about his medicals. He has a huge injury history. But there’s no agreement in place between the two teams, so there’s no “holdup” of which to speak. I suppose the “holdup” is that the Yankees haven’t offered enough for the Marlins to move him (nor has any other team)

Doodahman

• Are the Rays looking for an upgrade at catcher–Caritini or Heim ?

Steve Adams

• They should be! I don’t think Heim is a clear upgrade over either Fortes or Feduccia after the two seasons he’s had, but Caratini would be a nice, reasonably priced fit. He might be waiting on  Realmuto, though.

PLEASE

• Alcantara for Casas, straight up?? Who says no??

Steve Adams

• Marlins

Guest

• Should the reds trade elly in his last year?

Steve Adams

• He’s controlled for four more years.
• Unless you’re asking me if they should trade De La Cruz in like… the 2028-29 offseason. In which case, my answer is, “Who knows what the team, payroll, league, etc. will look like by then”

Chad

• Do you see the Cardinals making anymore moves?

Steve Adams

• They’ll trade Donovan and Romero at least.

redrum

• don’t you think Geno Suarez would be a perfect d.h. in Cincy?

Steve Adams

• He’d be a fine fit there. I doubt the Reds are spending at the necessary level to get him, but it’d be a perfectly sensible reunion, sure

Scoops McGee

• As a Rockies fan, give me something to be excited for in 2026

Steve Adams

• The team is finally overhauling the infrastructure of the entire operation! Welcome to the 21st century.
• Also, Brenton Doyle will be better than he was in 2025.

Wittman

• Possible fallback plans for the Pirates at 3B other than Suarez?

Steve Adams

• There’s just not a lot. Look to the Rangers and see if they’ll move Josh Jung? Try to pry Addison Barger out of Toronto?

Cardsfan1984

• I have seen reports the Cardinals may simply release Arenado if a trade is not worked out. Could you see them actually doing this?

Steve Adams

• Chaim Bloom has said definitively, on record, multiple times that releasing Arenado is not an option.
• I know Buster Olney wrote today that “it’ll be interesting to see if they do it.”They will not.
• I suppose if Arenado asks for his release so he can go sign somewhere else, maybe that changes things, but short of that, there’s no reason not to trust Bloom when he said it’s not a consideration.It’s so rare for a baseball ops leader to make a definitive statement like that on the record, and he’s done it multiple times now.

Rocky

• In your opinion, is Hunter Goodman’s emergence sustainable?

Steve Adams

• I buy the power but am skeptical, based on his chase rate and contact rate when he does chase, that he can keep the strikeouts down to a manageable level.He could still be a starter behind the plate even with more K’s and lower rate stats, though. So … buying it to an extent but expecting a downturn with the bat still.

Etrain

• What would a Severino trade bring back for the A’s

Steve Adams

• Some salary relief?

AstrosFAN

• What will Jesus Sanchez get us?

Steve Adams

• Don’t think he has any real trade value. I was surprised they tendered him a contract.

The Willies of SF

• Do Hayden Birdsong, Casey Schmitt and Erik Miller get (1-year rental) Nico Hoerner from the Cubs? Who says no?

Steve Adams

• Not taking that offer for Hoerner if I’m the Cubs

A.A

• Braves need a starter….. Trevor Bauer is out there.

Steve Adams

• We still doing this? He’s 35 and posted a 4.51 ERA with a below-average K% in Japan last year (at a time when NPB has been said to be using somewhat of a dead ball)

Top 5

• Who are your top five players whose injuries stopped them from being truly great?

Steve Adams

• Grady Sizemore immediately comes to mind
• Mark Prior
• Byron Buxton … still good, but imagine if he wasn’t on the IL for half the season every year
• Tons more, I’m sure. Just going off the cuff  here and focusing more on recent names than delving back into my childhood years in the 80s/90s

BrewCrew

• Freddy Peralta is pitching for what team by opening day?

Steve Adams

• The brewers

Yandy Diaz

• Am I a Ray on opening day, or am I more of a deadline deal?

Steve Adams

• Ray on Opening Day

Bosox Fan

• Am I the outcast Red Sox fan who likes the idea of Bichette over Bregman? Not from a leadership standpoint but they were both injured and Bichette offers higher upside at the plate.

Steve Adams

• Probably an outlier since Bregman has already endeared himself to fans while Bichette has been a rival player for the past seven or eight years. But I don’t think it’s crazy at all to prefer the 28-year-old to the 32-year-old, no.

Injured guys

• Justin Morneau? David Wright?

Steve Adams

• Two good ones — Wright more so than Morneau, but man, that season Morneau was having when he took that concussion at second base. Oof. Joe Mauer, too, if we’re talking about Twins from that era. Hell, throw Francisco Liriano in the mix.

CHISOX FAN

• Bo Jackson

Steve Adams

• Indeed
• Fun and useless fact — I went to college with Bo’s son! Bo was at my graduation from my tiny D-3 college in southern Minnesota. My then-brother-in-law almost passed out when he saw him.

Pat

• Should I be concerned that Ryan O’Hearn hasn’t officially signed yet?

Steve Adams

• Nah, deals struck around the holidays are always kind of wonky
• We’re still getting DFA resolutions for guys who were designated like three weeks ago. It’s the one time of the year where all rules regarding the timing of moves seems to go out the window

OHearn

• Ryan just had his first kid. He’s locked in

Steve Adams

• Oh there you go. I didn’t realize this. That certainly would help to explain the slower-than-expected timeline of his deal becoming official, too.
• And hey, good for him!

Blooming Chaim

• Which jersey will Arenado play his next game in?

Steve Adams

• Honestly, I’d guess the Cardinals first and foremost. I just don’t see any trade value. Angels probably next on the list, but St. Louis will need to be eating like $30MM of the $37MM they owe him.
• Going to wrap up here, but lots of good names from the crowd on some potential greats who were cut down by injuries

Eric Davis

• I could’ve been one of the best to ever do it.

Adam Steves

• Josh Hamilton

MoonBeamMcSwine

• Travis PRONK Hafner

Jim C

• JR Richard

AO

• Rocco Baldelli could’ve been great too if he wasn’t hurt all the time…

Jake

• Ben Sheets was incredible when he wasn’t injured, still one of the greatest curve balls I’ve ever seen. You knew it was coming and just couldn’t hit it.

Montana Illini

• Tony Conigliaro – for the injured list!

MKE Fan

• top 5 players injuries stopped from being great? PRINCE FIELDER?!

Steve Adams

• Alrighty. I’m on X @Adams_Steve and Bluesky @adams-steve.bsky.social for more questions. We’ve got 1200ish people in here right now, so no way I was getting to even a small fraction of all today’s questions! Thanks for chatting, though.If you want more opinions and analysis from the MLBTR team, plus ad-free viewing, exclusive articles and access to our tools (Contract Tracker, Agency Database, GM Tracker), you can check out our Front Office subscription package!

  Thanks and enjoy your week!