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Mark P
6:53
In the immortal words of Elton John, Saturday night's all right for chatting!  Let's get to some questions....
Lucas
6:56
When do you expect the season to start?
Bob
6:56
So when do you think the season will start?
Mark P
6:57
Easy answer is nobody knows, and there's still uncertainty as to whether there will even be a 2020 season.

Best-case scenario seems to be a July 1 Opening Day, or perhaps the "All-Star Game is the season kickoff event" scenario some writers have floated.
John Middleton
6:57
What are my chances of locking up JTR now that the season is up in the air?
Mark P
6:59
(John Middleton = Phillies owner)

Total speculation on my part since I don't know Realmuto's thinking, but I would suspect that it *might* increase the chances of an extension, if anything.  Like everyone in the world right now, Realmuto is looking for security and safety, and staying in a familiar environment might be preferable than signing with a new team in a new situation.
7:00
But, ultimately, it'll come down to the money.
Matt E
7:01
Are team's not allowed to sign anyone until this stuff is lifted?
Mark P
7:01
Exactly
Dennis
7:01
At what point do you think the season would be cancelled?  Once only 75-100 games could be played?
Mark P
7:03
I think players and owners would happily take a season of 75-100 games right now.

A season of, say, 40-50 games or less would probably tilt things towards a total cancellation
Dodgers Fan
7:03
How bad is the Mookie Betts deal going to look if he never plays a game for the Dodgers and leaves via FA ... Losing Verdugo and Downs and having to pay Price?
Mark P
7:04
They'd get a compensatory draft pick back via Betts' qualifying offer, but you're right, it would be a real bad stroke of misfortune for the Dodgers.

I hesitate to call it a "bad deal," though, since obviously a front office can't be blamed for not factoring a potential global pandemic into their plans
Jeff
7:05
If they start season in July and a player gets sick they will shut the whole thing down again.  Watching a season without fans in the stands will be horrible.  Isn’t it better for the integrity of the game and the health and safety of the players and fans to just start fresh in April?
Mark P
7:08
This is also surely weighing into any discussion of a cancelled season.  As much as there's talk of regular-season games or a postseason stretching into October, November, or even December, that also carries over to impact the 2021 season.

At a certain point (June? July? August?) a decision will have to be made if it's worth it to just punt the 2020 season and refocus on a full 2021 campaign
Harry the K
7:08
Thanks for doing the chat. How long will the new spring training be if/when they get going?
Mark P
7:09
Depends on how long this delay is, but probably at least 3-4 weeks.  The biggest issue is getting pitchers' arms ready, though this could be addressed (as many have said) with larger rosters and teams making more liberal use of relievers, bullpen games, piggyback starters, openers/bulk pitchers, etc.
Jc
7:09
Mets playoff chances in a shorter Season - enhances or declines?
Mark P
7:10
I'd say enhanced just because a shorter season makes things more of a crapshoot for everyone, but losing Thor is a blow to the Mets' chance regardless
Lex V
7:10
Why does the roster freeze also cover contract extensions? I get teams or players not wanting to negotiate right now, but what about some cases (Yadi Molina) that seemed like foregone conclusions?
Mark P
7:12
For deals that were very close to the finish line, it theoretically wouldn't be hard for teams and players/agents to just pick up where they left off.  For someone like Molina, I wouldn't be shocked if he and the Cardinals have a handshake agreement already in place, and they'll announce a finalized deal after the freeze is lifted
7:13
Wait, not a handshake deal.....make that an elbow-bump deal.
Rules McGoose
7:13
any word on how the trade deadline will be impacted?
NYYei
7:13
with the league starting play in August, will the trade deadline even exist ?
Mark P
7:14
The deadline will obviously be later than July 31, but if there is a season, it'll still have to exist in some form.
Sad Orioles
7:14
Tell me we should be excited about Adley and Grayson Rodriguez.
Mark P
7:15
You should be!  Rodriguez has a lot of potential, and Rutschman is as highly-regarded as any prospect that has come down the line in quite a while
Ryan
7:16
If you were a manager, and needed to win one game, who would you want starting on the mound?
Mark P
7:17
Among current pitchers, Scherzer.
All-time, Randy Johnson
Jimmy Rollins
7:18
HOF?
Mark P
7:18
An excellent player, but not a HOFer in my view
Nscotia14
7:19
Do you see the Yankees trying to lock up Judge long term within the next 12 months?
Mark P
7:19
Given his injury history already, I think the Yankees would be wary, unless they feel they can get a discount price.
Barney
7:20
are there way fewer chat participants in the age of corona?
Mark P
7:20
Fewer, but not way fewer.  I've been heartened by the number of folks that still just like to talk some baseball, even when the game is on hold
Sandy
7:22
60 years since Ebbetts Field was demoloished....time for the Rays to move to Brooklyn (forget Montreal and Florida) . Whattya think ??
Mark P
7:23
The Mets and Yankees would use their territorial rights claims to block a team coming to Brooklyn (or anywhere else in the greater NYC area).

That said, the NYC area can certainly support three teams, and a new Brooklyn club (whether an expansion team or a moved team like the Rays) would be very cool
Red Sox
7:24
Whats the deal? The league has finished the investigation and wont tell us what happened?!
Mark P
7:24
The league has a few thousand other pressing matters to deal with right now, in fairness
GM BVW
7:25
Any chance we could take a flyer on the Dark Knight. Who doesn’t love a comeback story
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