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Mark P
7:13
Saturday night, time for a chat, right?  Let's take some questions
Guest
7:13
Any moves for Cards or are the done to start the season?
Mark P
7:14
Probably done in terms of big moves, maybe some tinkering in the bullpen or something.  Plans could change in the event of a major injury, but St. Louis looks more or less done
Joe
7:15
Update on JBJ?  Red Sox still a possibility?
Mark P
7:16
Nothing new in recent days.  The last Bradley item was a report from earlier this week saying the Brewers had some interest.

Boston is still possible, but between their other outfield moves and their close proximity to the luxury tax threshold, I'd say they're longshots to bring JBJ back
Mr. Peanut
7:17
What do you estimate are the chances that the Reds go full on fire sale if they're out of contention approaching the trade deadline? Grim portents all around this organization
Mark P
7:20
"Full-on fire sale" would imply the Reds would start another multi-year rebuild, which seems impossible to fathom considering they only just came out of such a rebuild.  Waving the white flag on the next few years would be a good way to ruin fan interest in Cincinnati, frankly.

I don't doubt that the Reds would look to make some deals if they were out of contention, but there aren't a ton of obvious candidates.  Lorenzen can be a free agent, Barnhart and Miley are under club options, Doolittle could gain interest if he has a rebound year.  Castellanos can opt out after 2021, so the Reds might trade him if they feel they can get more at the deadline than the draft compensation they'd receive via a qualifying offer
Luis castillo
7:21
Think I wind up in Toronto before the season starts?
Mark P
7:22
Nope.  To continue on the Reds, they might not move such big-ticket trade chips as Castillo until after the season, if they did decide on a rebuild.
Adell
7:23
I am not going to be traded so let's put this to rest.
Mark P
7:23
Getting in early with the Jo Adell trade talk, I love the promptness!
C-Daddy
7:24
Is “Homer at Bat” the greatest baseball-themed TV episode of all time?
Mark P
7:24
The Keith Hernandez episode of Seinfeld is right up there, but yeah, Homer At The Bat is my pick
Guest
7:25
Do you think Clint Frazier gets over 400 AB’s?
Mark P
7:25
Barring injury, definitely
CBA Question
7:25
When December hits and nothing has been done, how long would a lockout or strike possibly last? Months? A lost season? I grew up with the 94 strike and that was devastating.
Mark P
7:26
I would like to think that the two sides realize that a work stoppage would be crushing for baseball's popularity, but I am not super optimistic
Odorrizzi
7:28
How late into the Spring can I sign and still be ready to start the season?
Mark P
7:29
Hard to say, it depends on the pitcher.  You'd think Odorizzi would want to get some extra innings in after missing so much of last season, though he is also a veteran who undoubtedly has his offseason training regiment established by now.
Dave Roberts
7:30
Will Kershaw and Seager be back
Mark P
7:31
Kershaw I tend to think yes, he seems like he'll be a Dodger for life.

Seager I have my doubts.  There are enough other star shortstops available that the Dodgers might prefer someone else, while also getting a qualifying offer draft pick back from Seager signing elsewhere
Chris
7:31
The Yanks eschewed big money signings and went through some trickery w Gardner, Wilson, O'Day to stay under 210, but just barely.  Was this all for naught since theyre likely gonna add at the deadline anyway and go over?
Mark P
7:32
They can also make moves during the season to trim salary, if need be.  Given how the Yankees' direction about avoiding the tax seems pretty apparent, it would be surprising if they changed course midseason
tanyahl
7:33
Could cubs look at odorizzi?
Mark P
7:34
That would be a real pivot.  I kind of doubt that ownership's approval of extra spending for the Cubs included enough money to get Odorizzi into the fold (even if he does take a somewhat smaller deal than expected).
John
7:34
Sell me on the Mets. As crazy as it sounds, I don’t think they’re pitching has proved enough to me. Am I wrong?
Mark P
7:36
You're not crazy.  Stroman hasn't pitched in over a year.  The advanced metrics didn't like Walker last season.  Peterson is unproven as a long-term starter.  Thor might not be in top form coming back from TJ surgery.  Even Carrasco might struggle coming to a new team and a new league for the first time.
Now, ALL of those things going against the Mets is pretty unlikely to happen.  But one or two of those worst-case scenarios happening?  Quite possible, probable.
Los Gigantes
7:38
What outfielders crack the Giants’ Opening Day roster? Yaz, Dubon, Dickerson, Slater, Ruf, Wade, Davis, and Dugger all vying for spots right now
Mark P
7:39
Yaz, Dubon, and Dickerson are locks barring injury.  Ruf seems very likely.  Of the others, I would guess someone else with CF capability, so Wade or Duggar might have an in
The North
7:41
How many starts does Vlad get at 3B this season?
Mark P
7:43
Maybe between 20-25?  It'll depend how he looks at the position in Spring Training, so if the Jays are impressed, that number goes up.  If they aren't impressed, the number might be closer to zero
James Click
7:44
Would I be smart to buy low on Odorizzi this off season, with the potential of being without Verlander, Grienke, and McCullers in next year's rotation?
Mark P
7:46
(Click = Astros GM)

(Click = also, what Cam Jansen says when she's remembering something)

Houston makes a lot of sense for Odorizzi, except they're also up against it when it comes to the luxury tax.
Jim
7:47
Couldn't the Reds just as easily go the other way? Find themselves in contention, pull the trigger on a shortstop and a pitcher, and push themselves over the top? It's not like anyone else in that division is particularly trying to run away with it.
Mark P
7:48
It's possible, sure.  For all of the rumors and speculation about the Reds' cost-cutting, they ultimately held onto all of their really big names and just let go of Iglesias and Bradley.  They might give themselves a few months to properly access where they are, and then go from there
Elias A
7:48
Think Cabrera makes it to 500 HRs, 3000 hits this season, and if so where does that place him for HOF chances?
Mark P
7:50
Miggy is a slam-dunk HOFer.  He currently has 487 homers, so while his power numbers have been on the wane, there's a decent chance he hits 500 this year.  He needs 134 more hits for 3000, that one seems pretty attainable this year
Guest
7:51
What is your take on the Jays not having radio broadcasters for the 2021 season?  Hope it doesn’t lead to other teams copying them.
Mark P
7:52
As someone who listens to a lot of Jays games on the radio, I'm not a huge fan of the move.  It helps that Dan Shulman is an experienced radio voice, so I'm sure he can manage to call the game in a way that helps both the TV viewer and the radio listener.
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