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Mark P
11:11
Good morning, let's talk Guardians! We'll wait another minute to get a few more questions flow in, and then begin
Jeff from Accounting
11:12
Some difficult decisions will need to be made this offseason. If you're the Cleveland FO, which prospects would you consider untouchable in trade discussions?
Mark P
11:13
Pretty much all of the top-100 guys, like Espino, Williams, Valera, Bibee, Naylor.  The one exception might be if Naylor was dealt as part of a trade for a veteran catcher, though the A's and Blue Jays (the most logical candidates to move an everyday backstop) already have other catchers in the mix.
11:15
It's worth noting, however, that the Guardians rarely move any of their top prospects, so it might be surprising to see anyone in their top, say, 10-15 head out in a deal.  Prospects are such a huge part of Cleveland's plan that you generally don't see the Guards make deals where they trade three good minor leaguers for a win-now piece
Darren
11:15
Abreu to a 2-year deal, trade for Murphy from A's and Burnes from Brewers and call it an off-season, right? They have the prospect capital to get it done and it's about time they took the shackles off if you ask me.
Mark P
11:17
The previous answer addresses this....acquiring one of Burnes or Murphy in a trade would be unlikely, but both seems far-fetched.  Also, this offseason scenario boosts payroll to a level I'm not sure the team is yet ready to go, even though ownership has allowed some (relatively) higher spending in pursuit of a title
William
11:18
Would a package of Jordan Walker, Masyn Winn, and Matt Rajcic get Shane Bieber?
Mark P
11:19
That would get the Guards' attention, at least, but I doubt they're trading Bieber.  Also, they'd probably seek out a more highly-regarded arm than Rajcic
Brandan
11:19
Poll Time: How will the Guardians fix the issue at catcher? Internally, free agency (includes Hedges), or trade
Mark P
11:19
How will the Guardians address the catcher position?
Internally (34.8% | 46 votes)
 
Free agency (including Hedges) (26.5% | 35 votes)
 
Trade (38.6% | 51 votes)
 
Total Votes: 132
Ryan
11:20
How concerning is the leftiness of the Guardians lineup? They already had some bad splits this year that were exposed in the playoffs, and that's without adding Bo Naylor, Nolan Jones, and George Valera to the mix. Can they avoid this haunting them for years to come, or is there a path to minimizing that Achilles' heel?
Mark P
11:21
This is a good point that I neglected to mention in my Outlook piece.  If the Guards were to add a bat to the lineup (whether at DH, catcher, maybe in the outfield), you'd think they'd prioritize a right-handed hitter to add a little more balance
Guest
11:22
Who would be your #1 extension priority for Cleveland? I rank McKenzie #1 and Gimenez #2.
Mark P
11:22
I'd agree with this.  I also wouldn't rule out an extension with Kwan, if the Guards are sold on him.
Mike
11:23
If the Guardians traded Bieber this offseason, what could be the expected return?
Mark P
11:23
For two full seasons of Bieber, the Guardians would want more than the Reds got for one year + two months and a postseason of Luis Castillo
Jay
11:24
Why do people think Clase could get traded? He just signed an extension and Cleveland won’t trade away arguably the best closer in baseball.
Mark P
11:25
Many fans seem to think the Guardians are perpetually on the verge of trading every good player on their roster.  Which, to be fair, they often do, but only when the timing is right.
Ryan
11:25
Rank these Amed Rosario possibilities: Trade him this offseason, extend him this offseason, keep him for the final year of his contract and let him walk or trade him at the deadline.
Mark P
11:27
From least to most likely, in my view...
4) Extension
3) Deadline trade (mostly because I think the Guardians will be in contention, and because I think Rosario will be gone before July if he is dealt)
2) Let him walk next winter
1) Trade this offseason
Kate
11:28
What kind of role do you think Will Brennan starts the season with next year?  Does he get everyday ABs with the big league squad?  Platoon role?  Or will he start in AAA?
Mark P
11:29
Platoon role, maybe getting some at-bats in place of Straw or O-Gon, or at the DH spot.
Benjamin, J
11:29
How much value would a Josh Naylor type player have on the open market? I like Naylor, but I feel like he's an injury risk and I would prefer to see a Jose Abreu at 1st than a Naylor. Could Cleveland get anything of value from Josh?
Mark P
11:30
Naylor has plenty of trade value.  Young, lots of power potential, and controlled through 2025.  It's for all of these reasons that Cleveland isn't likely to trade him, though
B
11:30
Bees?
Mark P
11:30
Beads?!
Allen
11:30
Any chance the twins could snag one of their SS in a trade?
Mark P
11:31
Never say never, though moving a prospect to a division rival carries some extra risk for Cleveland, and it might come at an extra cost for Minnesota
Jay
11:32
Why wouldn’t you extend Bieber over McKenzie or Gimenez?
Mark P
11:32
A Bieber extension would be way more expensive
Noah
11:32
Any potential FAs that Cleveland actually has a shot at landing?
Mark P
11:34
Depends on payroll.  As I noted in the outlook piece, bumping the payroll up by even $10MM would allow the Guardians to explore a lot more options this winter.  If they did move Rosario, then that's suddenly around $19MM of money to spend in 2023.
Duffy Scliff
11:34
Do you think this will be Tito’s last season as manager (due to age and health concerns)? Will the hire someone internally afterwards you think the carry on the foundation Tito has created?
Mark P
11:36
Only Francona knows that for sure, and while he'll manage for as long as he can, he's already hinted that he's nearing the end.  Wouldn't be surprising if 2023 is indeed his final year, and it's difficult to see him still in the dugout beyond, say, 2025 at the most.

On paper, you'd think Hale or Alomar would become the new manager, to keep that continuity intact.
Criznit
11:37
A reunion with Carlos Santana? Cost shouldn't be an issue.
Mark P
11:38
Santana hasn't been productive for three seasons now.  Familiarity aside, you'd think the Guardians would want more of a clear upgrade to the lineup
Taylor
11:39
Why should fans care about payroll?
Mark P
11:41
Generally a good idea to keep expectations realistic.  Like, signing Aaron Judge would help the Guardians add more power, but that's obviously not going to happen.

Spending doesn't equal success, obviously, but fans should care about a team's payroll as a broader scope of what to expect from the organization.  And, if spending is unusually low for no legitimate reason, this is certainly a reason to be critical.
Joey
11:42
Christian Walker seems like the perfect trade target to fill the power hole in this lineup. Do you think the D-Backs are open to dealing him?
Mark P
11:43
They'd be open for the right offer, but I suspect the D'Backs think they can contend for a playoff spot in 2023 if they play their cards right.  Walker would come at a high price tag.
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