You are viewing the chat in desktop mode. Click here to switch to mobile view.
X
MLBTR Live Chat
powered byJotCast
Mark P
7:41
In the words of Elton John, Saturday night's all right for chattin'

After that incredibly timely reference, let's get into some questions
DG
7:42
I just realized, where is Puig? Did no one sign him?
Mark P
7:43
Nope.  He had a minors deal with Atlanta prior to the season, but that fell through when Puig tested positive for COVID-19. No word on him since, so the top concern is that he recovered and is doing well.
wvpirate
7:43
If the Phillies dont get in again. Who is to blame?
Mark P
7:45
Something of an "all of the above" answer, realistically.  My issue with the Phillies' rebuild is that unlike a lot of teams who tanked a few years to build up a good prospect base, the Phils didn't really seem to have all that many homegrown guys breaking in the big leagues at the same time.  

Now, that being said, a lot of teams would like to have Nola, Hoskins and Bohm as a younger core, but this isn't exactly the wave that, say, the Astros or Cubs enjoyed during their rebuilds.
7:46
So with this in mind, the Phils had to fill holes through free agency and trades, and they're 50-50 on those deals at best.  Haven't been lucky with injuries, especially on the pitching side.
Curious George
7:46
Angels chances of signing Bauer this offseason?
Mark P
7:47
They make a lot of sense, especially on a one-year deal if Bauer is open to that arrangement.  A new GM is likely coming in, and might be interested in adding Bauer as a one-year splash to try and bolster the team for a quick playoff appearance in 2021, while also adding a couple of lower-tier arms as longer-term pitching answers.
7:48
On the flip side, I can also see the Angels approaching Bauer about a long-term deal.
Billy Beane
7:48
Do you give us a chance in this postseason? Hitting looks questionable but the bullpen is elite.
Mark P
7:49
Sure!  I'd say the A's have at least a one-in-16 chance at winning the World Series!

Non-goofy answer: Sometimes an elite bullpen is all you need as a chief weapon, as the 2015 Royals or 1990 Reds could tell you.
Best wishes
7:50
Astros 3b Coach Gary Pettis diagnosed with cancer. Great player. Great coach.
Mark P
7:51
Hear hear.  More details on Pettis, including the good news that the cancer was discovered early: https://www.mlb.com/astros/news/gary-pettis-expected-to-recover-from-m...
Joshua
7:51
What type of return could the Mariners get for Marco Gonzales? Thanks.
Mark P
7:53
Gonzales signed a four-year, $30MM extension that also contains a $15MM club option for a fifth season.  That extension doesn't even begin until next year, so a controllable and talented arm like Gonzalez would fetch quite a bit on the trade market.

That said, as much as Trader Jerry loves to make deals, I think he sees Gonzales as a rotation piece for the next contending M's team.
Freddie
7:53
MVP for me?
Mark P
7:54
He would get my vote, if I had one
Blue Jays fan
7:54
Do the jays win a round or two in the playoffs? They seem like a real dark horse team
Mark P
7:55
Anything can happen in a short series.  As a Jays fan myself, I'm very pessimistic about their chances if they play Tampa in the first round, just because the Jays have seemingly lost just about every series at the Trop for the last decade.
Cody
7:56
Do you think the Cardinals will revisit trade talks for Arenado in the offseason?
Mark P
7:57
I'd imagine they'd make some calls, but Arenado hasn't really been himself in 2020.  That further complicates what is already a complicated trade situation given Arenado's future opt-out and his contract
The Streak Ends...
7:57
......the Marlins finally lose a playoff series at some point this year, right?
Mark P
7:58
I am on record as saying before the season that it would be weirdly fitting if the Marlins won the "no fans" year, but this would be their unlikeliest World Series yet
Do They Even Care?
7:59
Do you think once they are in teams are actively caring about what seed they get?  (home field round one notwithstanding)
Mark P
7:59
Sure they care.  There are definitely some cases where teams want to avoid certain opponents (I'd imagine the White Sox want no part of Cleveland) and obviously the higher your seed, the more games you get as the "home team" in the bubble
Tribe fan
8:00
What type of return could the tribe get for Lindor?
Cleveland Spiders in 2021
8:00
Reasonable return for one year of Lindor?  Controllable regular, top prospect and a lottery ticket?   More?  Less?
Mark P
8:02
That seems like the minimum asking price, so for the Tribe, it'd be a question of seeing how many teams are willing to go beyond that initial ask.
Optimistic pirates fan
8:03
Pirates are in line to get the #1 draft pick, do they go after Kumar Rocker?
Mark P
8:04
Rocker is near the top of the prospect rankings now, but obviously a lot can happen between now and July, especially since the coming college baseball season is going to be very unusual at best
Tribe fan
8:05
What does Cleveland do with Brad Hand’s option?
Mark P
8:06
It's a $10MM option for Hand for the 2021 season, with a $1MM buyout.  I fully expect Cleveland to exercise that option, since it wouldn't make sense for them to let him go for nothing.  

In exercising the option, it also gives the Tribe the flexibility to still look into Hand trades if necessary
Chris
8:07
Should Justus Sheffield actually be the rookie of the year this year?
Mark P
8:08
I think Kyle Lewis is probably the favourite, but Sheffield will get some votes.  Pretty good news for the Mariners to have those two as building blocks.
Pad Squad
8:11
What should the Pads do in the offseason to go all in? As well as they've done, they're still behind LA.
Mark P
8:12
If you don't think the Padres are already "all in," I don't know what to tell you.  But I could see them swinging more trades, rather than making a big free agent splash.
frank
8:13
What other Angels front offices changes could we see? could we possibly see a new President of Baseball Ops.?
Mark P
8:14
I guess the specific title may not really matter, but sure, the Angels might adopt the PBO/GM model, or maybe a "chief baseball officer" overseeing a GM or multiple assistant GMs, etc.
Keith
8:15
Did anyone realize Eduardo Rodriguez was so bad that it's been 6 months, he'll be cleared to WALK in the next couple weeks? I had no idea.
Mark P
8:15
Yeah, that update was definitely an eye-opener.  All the best to E-Rod
Load More Messages
Connecting…