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Mark P
4:46
The weekend chat has begun!  Let's take some questions, since....well, since that's the entire point of the weekend chat.
Carlos correa
4:47
Do I land in Chicago ?
Mark P
4:48
Doubtful.  The length of Stroman's contract gives an indication as to what type of spending the Cubs are willing to do, and Correa's desire for a 10-year deal seems to run counter to that.

As for the White Sox, I don't see them making anything near that kind of financial splash
JW
4:49
Could Adell land Castillo from Cincinnati in some sort of package?
Mark P
4:50
Given how the Reds' asking price for Castillo is said to be gigantic, it seems like it would take an Adell-type of young player to get their attention.  Whether the Angels would be willing to move Adell in such a deal is yet to be determined.
Braves fan
4:50
Any possibly scenario where we could see Braves signing Freeman AND trading for Olson? Olson having some RF experience, and Ozuna does look OK in LF, more than what is generally perceived.
Mark P
4:51
Olson hasn't played outfield in four years, and it's kind of a waste of a Gold Glove-caliber 1B to turn him into what would likely be a below-average outfielder
Phil
4:52
True of False. We get regular season games before June 1.
Mark P
4:52
I will still say true.
CuddyFox
4:53
You see the Cardinals getting another starter, or you think they will wait tell teams start to release players that did not make their 40-man rosters to make a splash?
Mark P
4:54
Maybe a low-level or inexpensive SP, but I suspect Matz represents the Cards' biggest expenditure on starting pitching this offseason.  St. Louis does have quite a few arms that could end up contributing if healthy, so they might not want to block everyone off by acquiring another notable starter
Swiss Sox Fan
4:56
What is the likelihood of the Red Sox brass flipping Xander and Devers? Are there any indications from either player about movement on extensions, contracts etc? Am I crazy to think they could be gone sooner than any of us would like?
Mark P
4:59
If the Sox think Bogaerts is a lock to opt out, trading him now wouldn't be the craziest scenario in the world.  The presence of Story and Correa complicates matters, but if a team that was in on those two FAs happens to miss out and is still looking for a shortstop, a trade with Boston could be possible.  There's even a slim chance the Sox themselves sign Correa or Story, either to make Bogaerts a trade chip or just to have their next SS in place for when he opts out
5:00
The feeling seems to be that Bogaerts will indeed opt out next winter, and if healthy and productive, it makes all the sense in the world for him.  As for Devers, the Sox might not want to commit a big-money deal to a player they might see as a long-term first baseman.
Guest
5:00
Cincinnati both superbowl and world series losers in the same year?
Mark P
5:01
That depends, can Joe Burrow pitch?
John
5:02
Any chance with meetings all this week we get something done?
Mark P
5:02
Why it has taken until February 21 for the sides to start meeting regularly is beyond me, but I guess the frequent meetings are theoretically a good sign.  Maybe both sides are finally getting down to brass tacks.
Riverside
5:04
Now that the EIR report has been voted in and the A’s appear on their way to have a new ballpark in Oakland - any chance the A’s are going to add rather than subtract?
Mark P
5:05
Not in the short term, since there are still quite a few steps to be taken before the ballpark is a done deal.  Knowing how the organization operates, I wouldn't expect their spending habits to realistically change until maybe a year before this hypothetical new stadium opened
Worth it?
5:06
Do 9 figure salaries ever work out? Most seem like buyer’s remorse.
Mark P
5:07
Just about every World Series winner of the last 20 years has had at least one player on a nine-figure contract.  So just enough of those contracts work out that teams keep taking the plunge.
Fish Fan
5:08
Have we seen the beginning of the end of elite Mike Trout?
Mark P
5:08
I'm hoping not, and the fact that Trout has still been awesome whenever he's been healthy is a positive sign in that direction.
Ro
5:09
Could a team like the Phillies trade for both Buxton and donaldson in a package
Mark P
5:09
Buxton just signed an extension, he isn't going anywhere.  Donaldson is slightly more of a plausible trade candidate but it seems like Minnesota wants to contend next year, not further tear things down
L Dub
5:10
Mark: Good Afternoon? Who plays CF for the Fish?
Mark P
5:11
My guess is mostly Avisail, with De La Cruz getting some looks for defensive purposes.  In this scenario, Miami will have signed another notable corner outfield bat
Adam
5:12
How do you think the Mariners handle this glut of corner OFs they have?
Mark P
5:13
How about adding to the glut with another outfielder?  The M's don't yet know what they'll be getting from Lewis, Kelenic, or Rodriguez, so they might prefer a more proven veteran in a year when they want to contend.

This is where a Kris Bryant would be a valuable, as the M's can move him around the diamond if one or more of those aforementioned OFs take on a bigger rle.
Doug
5:14
Waiting until last minute is very common in negations, its commonly referred to as "brinksmanship". HBS has a good article on its applications and purpose. It should surprise no one that this is course talks took. Both sides would be sacrificing leverage and information to do it any other way. Why none of the big baseball writers thought to research negation strategy is beyond me.
Mark P
5:16
I don't think this is any great secret....even in a baseball context, we see this all the time with teams waiting until an hour before the trade deadline to finally swing a deal, or trying to wait out free agents on the open market.

The problem with waiting this long in a labor relations context is that it has led to almost three months of angering fans, not to mentioning leaving some Spring Training ticketholders hanging
Brazen Hazen
5:17
What can I legitimately expect for k. Marte? 1 top 50, another top 100 and a lottery ticket?
Mark P
5:17
That's a pretty realistic package.  Probably a fourth lower-level prospect added onto the deal as well.
Artie moreno
5:18
Do I need more pitching help
Mark P
5:18
Absolutely
Who's Fabio
5:19
Afternoon Mark - what's the current walk up music?
Mark P
5:19
By my usual standard of "the song that is playing on my iTunes at this exact moment," the answer is Valerie by the Zutons
Whitesox
5:21
Is second base the Whitesox first need to address after the CBA is signed? Since they have Sheets/Vaughn there, with Engle rotating in.
Could they also package burger, sheets and a pitching prospect for an impact piece.
Mark P
5:23
I agree that second base is Chicago's bigger need, and a Burger/Sheets/pitcher package would get the attention of a trade suitor.
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