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Mark P
8:49
Howdy folks, welcome to the Weekend Chat!  Let's see if we have time for some questions amidst all these first basemen changing teams....
Dabrow
8:50
What other teams have engaged in Pete Alonso? Should the Mets be worried
Mark P
8:51
If anything, the Mets' negotiating leverage may have improved now that the Astros, Diamondbacks, Yankees, and Nationals have addressed their first base positions.  Not a ton of places left for Alonso to land, apart from the ever-popular "mystery team" candidates
Sweezo
8:51
I’m a Mariners fan. When do I need to start looking for a therapist?
Mark P
8:52
Still plenty of time left in the offseason for the M's to make some moves.  Though if you're in Seattle, I can think of at least two prominent psychiatrists....
Hans Manfrenjenzenden
8:53
Yankees: great off-season, or greatest off-season?
Mark P
8:54
I am here all day for obscure Fish Called Wanda references.

It felt like the Yankees' two paths this winter were to a) re-sign Soto, or b) make a bunch of moves in lieu of re-signing Soto, and clearly door number two has been opened.  The other infield spot is still a question mark, but New York looks like a better overall team now than they did at the end of the World Series
InAntonettiWeTrust
8:55
Better end of the Naylor deal: D-backs or Guards?
Mark P
8:56
I can see a case for both teams.  I expect Naylor to have a very good year in Arizona, but the cumulative impact of signing Santana, plus whatever they can get from Cecchoni or the draft pick, plus the possible impact of Manzardo and Noel in the 1B/DH slot....it's easy to see why the Guards might come out ahead in the overall
Bret
8:57
Are the Jays going to sign/acquire anyone from this 1B carousel to be their DH? Or more likely to stay out of that market?
Mark P
8:57
With the caveat that Vlad might play some (but not a lot of) third base in 2025, signing a 1B/DH type kind of locks up that position.  Ideally a DH/OF type allows for more lineup flexibility, plus Toronto badly needs outfield help anyway
Patty P
9:00
any talk on the Pirates in free agency? Are they linked to anyone?
Mark P
9:02
McCutchen will re-sign eventually, but it's been pretty quiet on the FA front for the Pirates.  I wouldn't expect any high-end deals, as one-year contracts seem far more likely for whatever outfielders or relievers the Bucs might yet sign
If anything, trades are the likelier avenue for future upgrades
Phillies Dream
9:03
Was the Lazardo trade just too good for the phillies to pass up or is this a sign of something else coming. Moving Walker &/or Suarez?
Mark P
9:04
The trouble in moving Suarez is that it puts more pressure on Luzardo/Walker/Painter to stay healthy and effective.  That said, there's logic in attaching Suarez to, say, Castellanos to try and facilitate a trade there to get Castellanos off the books
9:05
Such a deal is difficult, however, since the Phils need to find a team that has both a need for rotation help and in the OF/DH realm, plus has money to spend to absorb a chunk of Castellanos' deal, and plus this team for some reason couldn't address their needs via free agency or another trade rather than this somewhat convoluted deal with the Phillies
Expo 88
9:06
Great move by the Ntionals
Mark P
9:07
I like that deal a lot for DC as well.  Lowe is the definition of a solid player, and he immediately makes that lineup much better both offensively and defensively.
Danny R
9:07
Sasaki wont be signing til post Jan 15th right?
Mark P
9:07
Correct
Snakes Alive!
9:08
Do you think the Dbacks try to pick up Helsley or Fairbanks for their closer or go to another direction?
Mark P
9:09
I'd be stunned if Hazen hadn't already been on the phone to at least gauge the asking prices for either player.  Given how aggressive the D'Backs seem to be in trying to win with this core, I wouldn't rule out another big swing at a really good high-leverage reliever
Guest
9:09
Clearly the Mariners are not in the Alonso sweepstakes like many writers continue to say?
Mark P
9:10
It's an obvious fit for a team with such a need for offense, but Seattle doesn't seem to have the financial flexibility to make such a big signing
Henry Dodger
9:13
The returns on Josh Naylor and Nathaniel Lowe were relatively meager. Good-but-not-great first basemen with little control just don't have much value today, do they?
Mark P
9:14
Let's not sleep on Robert Garcia, who might be a hidden gem of a reliever.  

And I mentioned this in a recent chat, but teams heavily value competitive balance draft picks.  We've seen those picks be key parts of several notable trades in recent years, so I'm not surprised the Guardians were very intriguing by getting a pick from Arizona.
Padres Fan
9:15
Is the Padres slow offseason attributable to assigning John Seidler controlling owner? And where do you feel their payroll will be in 2025?
Mark P
9:16
Hard to say about payroll, but I think given how relatively tight money may be, the Padres may be waiting on Sasaki to see how the rest of their offseason plays out.  If they sign him, that's a big box checked off at a bargain price.  If Sasaki goes elsewhere, then Preller will have to swing into action on the trade front.
Aaron
9:17
Will the MLB allow the trading of draft picks like they do in other leagues any time soon?
Mark P
9:18
Many have long advocated for all picks to be eligible to be traded.  If the league really has misgivings about such a practice, maybe they could make a rule about teams only being able to trade, say, 2-3 picks per year in any given draft class.

But, MLB has been looking for ways to generate interest in the draft, such as moving it to All-Star week to give it a more public platform.  Having tradable picks only increases general interest.
Brian
9:19
Fernando Cruz to Yankees....looks like a really good move.  Guy looks NASTY.
Mark P
9:20
With a nod to Trevino's defensive skills, Cruz was a nice return for a backup catcher.  Very easy to imagine the Yankees figuring out a solve to Cruz's inconsistency and turning him into a big strikeout arm for their pen
The Beard
9:21
Do you have a favorite Rickey Henderson memory?
Mark P
9:23
As a kid, I didn't like Rickey Henderson because he played for the A's, who were the Blue Jays' arch-rivals back in the day.  Of course, then the 1993 trade happened and I was instantly like "Rickey Henderson is awesome!" from then on out.

His contributions to the Jays' 1993 title is probably my top memory by default, but the endless amounts of funny anecdotes rank a close second.  Rickey would've been an all-time memorable player based on personality alone, even apart from the fact that he was one of the best players ever.
Christian C.
9:25
Help me and the other Ranger fans feel better about the Lowe for Garcia trade. Feels like the Rangers sold way "Lowe" on him.
Mark P
9:26
It feels like the precursor to a bigger move.  Not merely signing Joc Pederson or something, but potentially a trade involving an outfielder.  Just speculative on my part.

And, don't sleep on Garcia.  Judging from some of the social media reaction to the deal, it seems like a lot of fans didn't know who he was before this trade, and are kinda wowed by his stats
Don't forget that the bullpen is another big need for the Rangers, and Garcia projects to be a leverage arm right away
Buster
9:28
Polar Bear signing in San Francisco??
Mark P
9:29
Signing Alonso blocks Eldridge, unless the Giants got really creative and flipped Eldridge as part of a trade.  Wouldn't be the first time that a new front office dealt a top prospect drafted by the previous front office.
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