Mark P<\/p>\n
Am I tempting fate by starting a live chat when teams could very easily still be making moves on the eve of the roster expansion?\u00a0\u00a0I sure am! What might be an interrupted edition of the Weekend Chat begins now!<\/p>\n
Tigers<\/p>\n
Odds Kevin McGonigle gets called up tomorrow?<\/p>\n
Mark P<\/p>\n
Basically zero.\u00a0\u00a0The Tigers\u2019 GM already said it isn\u2019t happening, and calling McGonigle up past Triple-A entirely doesn\u2019t seem realistic.<\/p>\n
bmcferren<\/p>\n
Ketel Marte the top target to bat cleanup for the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2026?<\/p>\n
Mark P<\/p>\n
I find it unlikely that Marte will be dealt anywhere, let alone to a Pittsburgh team that will find his contract too pricey<\/p>\n
Mike Trout<\/p>\n
Poll: Do I get to 400 HR\u2019s this season?<\/p>\n
Mark P<\/p>\n
He only has 20, so Trout surely won\u2019t hit 380 home runs in just a month.\u00a0\u00a0Not even Judge or Jakob Marsee could do that.<\/p>\n
Real answer: Trout has 398 career homers, so despite the major slump he\u2019s currently in, he\u2019ll surely go yard twice more before the year is out.<\/p>\n
Padres and Preller<\/p>\n
Padres look to be going with what they have. SS and starting pitching huge holes and no moves when better options available. Has ownership told AJ to go with what he had and no more $ available for roster improvement?<\/p>\n
Mark P<\/p>\n
romorr<\/p>\n
So the Orioles just signed Basallo, and now have a hot Trevor Rogers to consider. What does that contract look like at the end of the year?<\/p>\n
Mark P<\/p>\n
Rogers is eligible for free agency after the 2026 season, making him a very interesting extension candidate for Baltimore.\u00a0\u00a0Don\u2019t forget \u2014 Rogers pitched poorly and battled injuries from 2022-24, making his impressive numbers this year all the more spectacular.<\/p>\n
This could make Rogers more open to signing a long-term deal and locking in some money now while his value is at its highest.\u00a0\u00a0He might have an eye towards a very lucrative free agent deal next offseason, but the possibility of a lockout could make Rogers prefer getting some security now rather than deal with the added obstacle of labor unrest when he\u2019s a free agent.<\/p>\n
Now that the O\u2019s have finally gotten the ball rolling on contract extensions, it opens up a whole new line of intriguing possibilities for future expenditures.<\/p>\n
Giants late run?<\/p>\n
Feels like they have run in them. Only 5 back. Your thoughts?<\/p>\n
Mark P<\/p>\n
Interestingly, the Giants only play four more teams for the rest of the season\u2026..two series each against the Dodgers, D\u2019Backs, Rockies, and Cardinals.<\/p>\n
Those extra games against Colorado in particular are a good chance to make up ground, but realistically, the Giants are probably too far out<\/p>\n
Drew<\/p>\n
Will the Nats come to regret not trading Gore before the deadline?<\/p>\n
Mark P<\/p>\n
Gore could be traded this winter for just as much if not more than he would\u2019ve gotten at the deadline, unless this shoulder problem ends up being something serious (and apparently the MRI was clean).\u00a0\u00a0So I don\u2019t think there was any particular rush for the Nats to make a move last month.<\/p>\n
tigertownBob<\/p>\n
With a little better season this year should the Tigers try to move Tork this offseason?<\/p>\n
Mark P<\/p>\n
Natitude<\/p>\n
With news of Susana being pulled from a start today due to the dreaded triceps soreness, (see Travis Sykora) is it fair to say that the Nationals front office should punt on 2026 and focus on being competitive in 2027 and beyond?\u00a0\u00a0Zero pitching depth for this poverty franchise right now and no immediate help on the way.<\/p>\n
Mark P<\/p>\n
Regardless of what happens with Susana, it already seemed like the Nats would be treading water next year.\u00a0\u00a0A new PBO\/GM will likely take a year to evaluate things and see what the organization has before deciding how to approach a return to contention.<\/p>\n
Reds fan<\/p>\n
Stewart being called a bit too late to provide the offensive spark the reds desperately needed over a week ago. Held down for some dumb financial\/playing time reason?<\/p>\n
Mark P<\/p>\n
The PPI factor was surely on the Reds\u2019 minds to some extent, but don\u2019t forget that Stewart didn\u2019t even make his Triple-A debut until after the All-Star break.\u00a0\u00a0It\u2019s understandable how a team would want to give a good prospect some real run at Triple-A before giving him the extra challenge of the big leagues<\/p>\n
Delman<\/p>\n
Buehler will be joining the Phillies rotation after 1 AAA start.\u00a0\u00a0Expectations?<\/p>\n
Mark P<\/p>\n
Not much. His ultimate role will be as a bullpen arm, if that<\/p>\n
Al Kaline Battery<\/p>\n
Watching the Royal play the Tigers this weekend, they have a pretty good team . What do they need to get to the next level?.The outfield still seems like the week point.<\/p>\n
Mark P<\/p>\n
Yaz has been hitting like his grandfather since the trade, so that\u2019s at least one outfield hole that has been filled.\u00a0\u00a0But long-term, the outfield should certainly still be the Royals\u2019 priority this winter.<\/p>\n
Bobby Cox<\/p>\n
Philly going to miss wheeler in post season<\/p>\n
Mark P<\/p>\n
Absolutely.\u00a0\u00a0I don\u2019t want to say losing Wheeler ends the Phillies\u2019 chances since their team is still so good, but I can\u2019t think of many examples of a club losing their best pitcher a month before the playoffs and still winning it all.<\/p>\n
Eric<\/p>\n
Do you think Bill Schmidt and Warren Schaffer are back next year as GM and as manager?\u00a0\u00a0Definitely not the right people for the job in Colorado.<\/p>\n
Mark P<\/p>\n
Because it\u2019s the Rockies, my default view is to assume both will return.\u00a0\u00a0Until ownership actually makes a seismic change like bringing someone in from outside the organization, I\u2019ll believe that the Rox will stick with the status quo.<\/p>\n
Rangers<\/p>\n
What is best case for Corey Seager? Comes back with 1 week left in season?<\/p>\n
Mark P<\/p>\n
It\u2019s tricky since an appendectomy is the kind of thing that doesn\u2019t come with a set timeline.\u00a0\u00a0Seager is probably likely to try and push it to come back sooner than later if the Rangers remain in contention.<\/p>\n
Corbin Carroll Fan Club<\/p>\n
Should AZ actually be excited about Blaze Alexander & Ryne Nelson?<\/p>\n
Mark P<\/p>\n
Nelson in particular looks like a rotation guy going forward, so yes.\u00a0\u00a0Alexander looks like a good multi-position bench guy, even if presumably Arizona\u2019s infield will still be crowded in the club\u2019s ideal scenario of Lawlar becoming an everyday 3B<\/p>\n
JeffyM<\/p>\n
Are you surprised the Rangers didn\u2019t put their bullpen arms on waivers?\u00a0\u00a0Or is there a chance guys were put on waivers and could be claimed before 11 that we don\u2019t know about yet?<\/p>\n
Mark P<\/p>\n
It\u2019s possible we don\u2019t know of some moves that might yet happen, but Texas is on a roll right now. They might\u2019ve been more aggressive in trying to cut salary if a wild card spot wasn\u2019t still such a distinct possibility.<\/p>\n
White Sox Fan<\/p>\n
Well, looks like we\u2019re still gonna hold the record for most modern day loses<\/p>\n
Mark P<\/p>\n
Noted White Sox fan Pope Leo can\u2019t work miracles this quickly<\/p>\n
Touch \u2018Em All<\/p>\n
Do you think the Jays can hold on to the division, and do you trust their bullpen in the playoffs?<\/p>\n
Mark P<\/p>\n
No and no.\u00a0\u00a0I think Boston\u2019s got more going for them right now, including at least one reliever in Chapman who is on the roll of his career.\u00a0\u00a0The Jays\u2019 bullpen is almost en masse in a slump right now, either due to overwork or the league just getting a book on some of these guys.
\nIt\u2019s the nature of relief pitching that the Jays pen could suddenly snap back to form, but I have my doubts<\/p>\n
Beat Em Bucs!!!<\/p>\n
What can you see the Pirates doing this offseason? They need bats and have a surplus of good young pitching. I would like to see them add two bats to their lineup.<\/p>\n
Mark P<\/p>\n
As much as \u201cyou can never have too much pitching\u201d applies, dealing a young arm for a young up-and-coming bat makes a ton of sense for the Pirates.\u00a0\u00a0I agree that they need multiple hitters to help get things turned around, and if ownership isn\u2019t going to spend in free agency, then the front office has to be more aggressive on the trade front.<\/p>\n
Jrmomo1000<\/p>\n
Do you think marmol will be the cardinal manager next year<\/p>\n
Mark P<\/p>\n
2026 is the last guaranteed season of Marmol\u2019s contract, so the Cards would be eating just one year of money in the event of a managerial change.\u00a0\u00a0Allowing Bloom to pick his own manager would make sense with Bloom fully taking over the front office, and Bloom might welcome this flexibility since he basically inherited Alex Cora in Boston.<\/p>\n
Still Miller Park<\/p>\n
Does this Brewers team have what it takes to win it all?<\/p>\n
Mark P<\/p>\n
Absolutely.\u00a0\u00a0The Brewers are a scary opponent for anyone in October.<\/p>\n
Dodgers fan<\/p>\n
The bullpen is scaring me what do you think<\/p>\n
Mark P<\/p>\n
It\u2019s certainly a concern, but the Dodgers seem to go into October every year with a patchwork pitching staff but have still made it work with two titles in five years.<\/p>\n
Mill Badlock<\/p>\n
Can we now consider Henry Davis a complete 1\/1 bust?\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0I see no hope for improvement at the plate.<\/p>\n
Mark P<\/p>\n
For the \u201cwhat should the Pirates do this winter\u201d question earlier, the answer maybe should\u2019ve been an overhaul of their hitting development strategies.<\/p>\n
Davis has a 57 wRC+ over 610 career PA, or a little more than the equivalent of one full MLB season.\u00a0\u00a0While it\u2019s early to write him off entirely, there haven\u2019t been many or any flashes that Davis is close to breaking out, so that\u2019s a very troubling lack of progress for a player that (as a 1-1 pick) had to be a key building block in a rebuild.<\/p>\n
Peter Bendix<\/p>\n
What happen to the Mets this weekend? Are the Marlins that good or the Mets are so bad?<\/p>\n
Mark P<\/p>\n
The Mets\u2019 pitching is so inconsistent that they\u2019re always prone to a rough series, or a rough week, or several weeks.\u00a0\u00a0The Mets\u2019 biggest plus right now is that so many other NL teams are kind of treading water, so New York is still in a wild card spot<\/p>\n
Nick Flack<\/p>\n
do you think the cardinals should move on from arenado?<\/p>\n
Mark P<\/p>\n
Jackson<\/p>\n
Will the Phillies fix their outfield come the offseason and 2026? Bader is an improvement, but he\u2019s a rental. It\u2019s just getting old watching the same lackluster platoons play out year after year<\/p>\n
Mark P<\/p>\n
Crawford\u2019s on the horizon, and it would help the Phillies a ton if he\u2019s able to be a productive rookie from the jump.\u00a0\u00a0Kepler obviously isn\u2019t returning and Bader is a BA, and I wonder if the Phils might try to explore any kind of \u201cunwelcome contract swap\u201d for Castellanos
\nThe trouble is that the Phils have a lot of money invested elsewhere in the roster, so there\u2019s less to spend on a big splashy outfield move.\u00a0\u00a0Now that being said, I won\u2019t rule the Phillies out on Kyle Tucker or someone since that\u2019s just how this team rolls, but to some extent Dombrowski\u2019s hands are a little tied in terms of obvious ways to help the outfield<\/p>\n
Bregman<\/p>\n
What are you thinking? 1) He opts out, becomes a free agent and signs elsewhere? 2) He opts in & plays another year under his current deal? 3) He signs an extension?.<\/p>\n
Mark P<\/p>\n
My guess is that he signs an extension to remain in Boston, either before free agency opens or just after the market opens.
\nThere\u2019s no way he opts in, and there seems to be enough mutual admiration between him and the Sox that I suspect both sides want to make a deal happen<\/p>\n
Bobby Cox<\/p>\n
Braves will pick up Albies option? I mean numbers are padded by last month but he has 0 range arm but 2nd market is weak.<\/p>\n
Mark P<\/p>\n
Albies\u2019 club option for 2026 is worth $7MM, but with a $4MM buyout.\u00a0\u00a0So the difference of just $3MM will almost certainly make Atlanta exercise the option, even if there\u2019s a chance Albies is then traded elsewhere<\/p>\n
I don\u2019t know\u2019s on 3rd<\/p>\n
Why don\u2019t the Phillies have to pick up all of Buehlers contract?<\/p>\n
Mark P<\/p>\n
When a team releases a player, they are responsible for the rest of any salary owed.\u00a0\u00a0A new team is responsible for just the prorated portion of the MLB minimum salary, subtracted from the remaining overall salary left on the contract (in Buehler\u2019s case, $3.4MM or so).<\/p>\n
Dave D<\/p>\n
I understand why they reduced the roster size in September, but 28 seems small\u00a0\u00a0Any discussion of may be expanding to maybe 30 at least ?<\/p>\n
Mark P<\/p>\n
I\u2019m sure the MLBPA wouldn\u2019t mind having more jobs available for a month.\u00a0\u00a0But, I think having having 30 roster spots still gets into the \u201ccompetitive advantage or disadvantage during pennant races\u201d territory the league and union looked to eliminate when cutting September rosters down from 40.<\/p>\n
Brewers Fan<\/p>\n
At what point does the evaluation of a particular player trait change? Asking re Bruce Turang, whose 40 power grade is looking ridiculous at the moment<\/p>\n
Mark P<\/p>\n
I dunno who this Bruce Turang guy is, but Brice Turang has been on an absolute scorcher for the last month.\u00a0\u00a0Don\u2019t be surprised if\/when Turang wins NL Player of the Month for August.<\/p>\n
different brewer fan<\/p>\n
yeah and can we adjust his fielding grade?<\/p>\n
Mark P<\/p>\n
DRS still has him at +9, but even that\u2019s down from +22 last year.\u00a0\u00a0I\u2019m not sure I\u2019ve watched the Brewers enough to make an eye test evaluation, but put it his way, if you\u2019re a Milwaukee supporter\u2026..you\u2019re pretty happily taking this better-hitting version of Turang, right?<\/p>\n
Brian<\/p>\n
Do the M\u2019s call up Harry Ford in September? With Raleigh not going anywhere, what do you think of his future in Seattle?<\/p>\n
Mark P<\/p>\n
I\u2019m on record as predicting Ford to have been a deadline trade piece, so I was a touch surprised to see him stay put.\u00a0\u00a0Then again, teams were loath to move big prospects in general midseason, so maybe we\u2019ll need to wait until the winter to see Ford dealt, since I still feel he\u2019s now an expendable piece.<\/p>\n
Bobby Cox<\/p>\n
Where does Nick Allen rate this season fielding had to be top 5. Can\u2019t hit at all, I would rather Raffy Belliard at plate.<\/p>\n
Mark P<\/p>\n
Allen\u2019s defensive metrics are elite.\u00a0\u00a0He should be at the very least a Gold Glove finalist, and probably a winner.<\/p>\n
Having a fantastic defensive shortstop who can\u2019t hit isn\u2019t really an issue if the rest of your lineup can pick up the slack.\u00a0\u00a0Allen\u2019s lack of offense has been magnified the fact that so many other Braves hitters struggled for much of the year, but if the front office improves elsewhere, I can see AA standing pat with Allen as the starter.<\/p>\n
Santana<\/p>\n
Is picking up Carlos Santana a difference maker for the Cubs?\u00a0\u00a0Could he help them get to the series?<\/p>\n
Mark P<\/p>\n
It\u2019s more of a talent floor raise over Turner<\/p>\n
Andy<\/p>\n
It seems like alot more players are getting released than in years past. Is this because teams are trying to save some prorated salary?<\/p>\n
Mark P<\/p>\n
Don\u2019t forget that the rules were changed a few years ago concerning August trades.\u00a0\u00a0So since teams can no longer move most players after the deadline, you\u2019re seeing more releases or waiver situations as teams try to clear roster space (and save money)<\/p>\n
Halos<\/p>\n
Do you think the Angels will bring back Ron Washington next year, make Ray Montgomery the manager or will they go look elsewhere for a manager?<\/p>\n
Mark P<\/p>\n
Wash\u2019s health is the biggest factor, so hopefully is given full clearance from his doctors.\u00a0\u00a0The Angels probably exercise his option year and bring Washington back for at least one more year.<\/p>\n
Billington<\/p>\n
Chandler Simpson leads league in SB and also caught SB??<\/p>\n
Mark P<\/p>\n
Caballero leads in steals, but Simpson is the leader in CS.\u00a0\u00a0This isn\u2019t that surprising to see Simpson so high in both categories given that he\u2019s such a baserunning specialist with elite speed.<\/p>\n
rusty<\/p>\n
With Wheeler\u2019s move to IL is Painter\u2019s call up coming soon?<\/p>\n
Mark P<\/p>\n
Painter hasn\u2019t pitched great at Triple-A, so it seems like the Buehler signing was in part the Phillies way of adding a rotation option and lessening the pressure on Painter to even be part of the MLB picture this year
\nI\u2019d be surprised if Painter wasn\u2019t called up at all for at least a cup of coffee in the majors, but I don\u2019t see him getting any major role on the roster (or in a playoff roster)<\/p>\n
Realignment<\/p>\n
what do you think is more likely, 8 divisions of 4 teams, or 4 divisions of 8?<\/p>\n
Mark P<\/p>\n
It depends on how the geography works out with two expansion cities, plus any lingering possibility that the Rays or A\u2019s might be playing elsewhere than Tampa\/St. Pete or in Vegas.<\/p>\n
I\u2019d probably prefer four divisions of eight just to add more cache to being a division championship.\u00a0\u00a0Yet the league may prefer more divisions and fewer wild card teams, even if some of the wild card clubs\u2019 records will inevitably top some division winners more often than not<\/p>\n
Hungry<\/p>\n
Mark P<\/p>\n
I haven\u2019t eaten since lunch, since that flurry of transactions earlier kept me busy on the site.\u00a0\u00a0Post-chat, I might have to hit the fridge for a snack.<\/p>\n
Mike DeBartolo<\/p>\n
Why on Earth would I want to trade Mackenzie Gore?<\/p>\n
Mark P<\/p>\n
You might not want to, but the next Nationals PBO might be open to the idea.<\/p>\n
If you don\u2019t think Gore (a Scott Boras client) is a long-term candidate to stay in Washington and 2026 is another rebuild year anyway, than there\u2019s some merit to the idea of selling high on Gore in a trade this offseason.<\/p>\n
Al Kaline Battery<\/p>\n
I know you guys did a poll this week on regional realignment if the league expands. What are your personal feelings on the subject?<\/p>\n
Mark P<\/p>\n
There is so much tradition within the AL\/NL that I want to see that preserved, rather than the weirdness of a \u201cWest League\u201d and \u201cEast League.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0You can rework the geography within the current league alignments and incorporate expansion teams into the mix, but I want to see the AL and NL groupings generally remain intact.<\/p>\n
Then again, as a Jays fan, my main priority in any alignment would be to see the Blue Jays get out of any division with the Yankees, Red Sox, and Rays.\u00a0\u00a0So if this means the Jays in the NL, bring it on!\u00a0\u00a0\ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n
Lou Brown<\/p>\n
Mark, I always ask of you think Trout really has 6 years left in him\/will play out his contract\u2026And you never wanna comment..I get that you don\u2019t wanna jinx the man, but come on! Whadaya think??<\/p>\n
Mark P<\/p>\n
I doubt Trout would walk away from a year or two of guaranteed money and retire early, but only he knows the state of his body, or how much longer he wants to keep playing.\u00a0\u00a0Since this is shaping up as one of his healthiest seasons in some time, if anything, you\u2019d think Trout might have more confidence in his ability to stay on the field<\/p>\n
O Brother Where Cart Now<\/p>\n
Is Carter Jensen is, or is Carter Jensen ain\u2019t, a long term glove option behind the plate versus another 1B\/DH bat?<\/p>\n
Mark P<\/p>\n
The scouting reports seem to think his glovework is pretty good, so there\u2019s no immediate to reason to think that Jensen can\u2019t stick as a catcher.<\/p>\n
Whether he\u2019s the heir apparent to Salvy remains to be seen, in no small part because Blake Mitchell might ultimately have that role.\u00a0\u00a0It gives the Royals some interesting options for the future once Perez decides to hang it up.<\/p>\n
What to do with Marcus Semien<\/p>\n
I know Marcus Semien is a fan favorite for his hustle, defense and durability. However he is clearly in decline and not worth his contract which was definitely a Scotty B special. Do you think the Rangers could get him to agree to a restructuring or pay cut and assuming that\u2019s a no, is it worth eating a chunk of his salary to get a couple of mid to lower level prospects and move on?<\/p>\n
Mark P<\/p>\n
A restructure is clearly a no.\u00a0\u00a0Semien is owed $72MM from 2026-28, and other teams are just as aware of Semien\u2019s offensive dropoff, so the Rangers would have to eat a big chunk of that contract in the event of a trade.<\/p>\n
Barring some kind of bad contract swap, all the Rangers can really do with Semien is hope that he rediscovers his old form at the plate.\u00a0\u00a0This seems like an odd suggestion for a player who is still a very good defender, but perhaps some DH days to help keep him fresher might help?\u00a0\u00a0It could be that Semien\u2019s durability is a bit of a hindrance at this point, and a few more breaks might help him re-adjust.<\/p>\n
Reds country<\/p>\n
will Sal Stewart be available for the postseason if the reds get their act together and make it?<\/p>\n
Mark P<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Mark P Am I tempting fate by starting a live chat when teams could very easily still be…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":58014,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[435],"tags":[49,48,462,82],"class_list":["post-111096","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-mlb","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-mlb","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/111096","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=111096"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/111096\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/58014"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=111096"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=111096"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=111096"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}