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Mark P
1:36
Since Saturdays are part of the weekend too, let's run the Weekend Chat today instead of the standard Sunday timeslot.  Fire away with the questions!
The Old Man
1:37
What are the Mariners going to do about the infield?
Mark P
1:38
They need to sign at least two starter-capable infielders.  Crawford can play everyday at shortstop and Raley/Moore are interesting part-time options but the M's badly need two proper everyday bats to shore up what was already a lacking lineup.
CashmanBurner
1:39
How do you think the A's make good on their promise to raise payroll?
Mark P
1:40
I'm not the first to suggest this, but the A's would be wise to trade for a bad contract or two in exchange for prospects.  I say "bad" contract but ideally one that is attached to a decent player whose salary no longer fits his team's payroll plan, for whatever reason.

The A's don't even need to have prospects attached to such a deal as a sweetener, if the goal is just to bump up their own payroll to more acceptable spending levels.
JR
1:41
What is up with the crickets around Pete Alonso?
Mark P
1:41
Like most of the position player market, Alonso is waiting to see what happens with Soto
Braves101
1:41
Turkey or ham
Mark P
1:41
Turkey all day every day.
Russ
1:41
What is your take on the Red Sox? Serious or posturing?
Mark P
1:43
I think they're certainly serious, since another quiet offseason would cause even more fan outrage in Boston.  The fanbase was already making their displeasure known in the form of lower ticket sales and TV numbers, and it seems like ownership has taken the hint
Leo
1:43
Is the Nats’ lack of any effort in courting Juan Soto a sign that they are once again planning to spend zilch this winter? I don’t think anyone expected them to sign him but I thought they’d at least make an effort, if only just for show.
Mark P
1:45
Scott Boras always seems to have a "mystery team" or two in the works for clients, so it's possible the Nats are just keeping quiet about things.

But, more likely, it seems like Washington wasn't ready to make such a huge splash just yet.  Now, there's a big difference between not wanting to pay Soto literally the biggest contract in baseball history and making some other notable signing, so I wouldn't yet rule the Nationals out on a bigger-scale ove
move
Hazen Proxy
1:46
What type of pitching additions do you see the Dbacks accomplishing? Eovaldi, Flaherty? Is someone on Burnes level out of the question? What trade targets do you think AZ could focus on?
Mark P
1:47
I'm not sure if obtaining pitching at all is really on Arizona's radar.  With Gallen, Kelly, and Montgomery all free agents next winter, adding another long-term arm makes sense, but the D'Backs already have so much committed to their rotation that they might save the pitching replacement endeavors until after the season.
Friar Faithful
1:49
What do you think it would cost the Padres to bring back Kirby Yates?
Mark P
1:49
The MLBTR top 50 list had Yates at one year and $14MM, owing to his age.  That's a bargain if he can replicate last year's performance, though obviously that's far from a given.
Joshua
1:50
If the Nats were to sign Alex Bregman for third base, do you think Brady House would be a big enough headliner of a prospect for the White Sox to consider dealing Crochet to the Nats? Maybe a House, Morales, Lile type deal? Thanks.
Mark P
1:51
House would be a good trade chip in this scenario, but I suspect the White Sox would want a lot more as the centerpiece of a Crochet trade package.
Buster in Charge
1:52
Are the Angels done or do you see move moves ?
Mark P
1:53
Kikuchi is a bigger name than I expected the Angels to land, and the contract indicates that they're prepared to be more aggressive on pitching than usual.  So another move now wouldn't surprise me, but their lineup needs more help
Steve A
1:54
How along until the Rox, Angels, or White Sox are relevant again? will any break the Mariners postseason drought record?
Mark P
1:55
The White Sox made the playoffs just three years ago, and the Rockies in 2018.  Things can turn around pretty quickly in baseball, so I suspect the Mariners' infamous record will stand for a while, especially in this era with a larger playoff field
Decoy
1:56
Will the Dodgers trade Lux after Edman’s extension? What would he realistically get in return?
Mark P
1:57
Edman is probably going to play more in center field than anywhere else, so that shouldn't necessarily carve into Lux's playing time.  Betts' move back to the infield probably will, but that still might not mean Lux is now a trade chip.  The Dodgers want to stockpile as much depth as possible to guard against injuries and to prep for what they hope is another long playoff run.
Former champ
1:57
Shane Bieber to Texas?
Mark P
1:58
The Rangers might sort of have enough starters already, but with so many injury concerns, I could see them adding another starter.  Eovaldi is still probably their top target but someone like Bieber is an interesting backup plan
Andrew Painter
2:00
Do I break camp in April or am I a May call up when schedule normalizes?
Mark P
2:01
It'll very likely be later in the season.  Keep in mind that Painter has yet to even pitch at Triple-A, let alone in the majors.
Logan
2:02
Eduardo Rodriguez and Jordan Montgomery to Braves for salary dump, Bryce Elder and another prospect. Dbacks use money to extend Gallen. Thoughts?
Mark P
2:03
Don't think that's a fit for either side.  That's more than Atlanta wants to spend on pitching, whereas losing both Montgomery and E-Rod suddenly leaves the D'Backs a little thin on the mound.
Justin
2:04
Sounds like the Jays and Vladdy still for apart..why don't they rebuild and trade the team away....seems like they would get multiple top 100 picks.
Will
2:04
I’ve heard through the grape vine that the Reds might be interested in trading for Vlad Jr. Is this realistic? Do the Reds have the pieces that the Blue Jays need to make this happen?
Mark P
2:06
The Jays aren't trading Guerrero this offseason.  The team has given every impression that they're going to try to make another run in 2025, and moving Vlad before Opening Day is essentially waving the white flag on that and starting the rebuild early.

If the Blue Jays struggle at the start of the year, moving Vlad at the deadline becomes plausible, though then the front office has to weigh the possible return against the weight of the compensation pick they'd get for Guerrero leaving in free agency.
Or, they might yet end up extending him, and no trade ever happens.
Aden
2:08
Should the Red Sox trade prospects for pitching or hold tight to sign free agents and keep prospects to have affordable players with a combo of free agents?
Mark P
2:09
No reason they couldn't do both.  As high as the Red Sox are on their "big four" prospects, someone's surely fourth on their internal evaluation.  If they dealt the prospect they're least high on to land a MLB-ready contributor and then made a signing on top of that to address another need, the roster looks a lot better
Bottom line
2:10
Do the top baseball players in Japan and South Korea earn almost as much as their MLB counterparts?
Mark P
2:10
Not even remotely close
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