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Mark P
8:07
After just one Weekend Chat session in all of July, consider this a bonus entry as a follow-up to yesterday's chat.
Jason
8:08
Are the brewers for real???
Mark P
8:09
They've been "for real" for the better part of the decade.  Whether this is the Brewers team that breaks through to make some serious noise in October remains to be seen, but is is remarkable how this team keeps reinventing itself and remaining competitive.
Guest
8:09
While many teams went shopping for a dress to the party at the high end stores, the Royals found some gems at thrift store pricing.
Mark P
8:10
I also liked a lot of KC's moves. It might be too little too late, but they addressed some needs in a pretty low-cost manner.
John
8:11
Is resigning Cedric Mullins a real possibility for the Orioles?
Mark P
8:12
If I'm the Orioles at this point, I go with the youth movement.  No more timeshares, no more splitting at-bats with veterans....let the kids play and see what they can do with everyday at-bats.
If you are adding a veteran, aim higher than Mullins for a real difference-maker in the regular lineup
Greg
8:13
Can the Mariners win world series?
Safeco Field Redux
8:14
So: How good are the M's? Legitimate World Series contender?
Mark P
8:15
Absolutely.  Seattle might be the best overall team in baseball right now, give or take the Brewers.  So many other contenders have a clear weakness or two, but not the M's (on paper)
AA
8:16
Which is more likely a Acuna extension or signing Bo?
Mark P
8:18
Acuna's current deal keeps him under team control through 2028, as the Braves have club options (worth $17MM each) for both 2027-28.  Call me crazy, but I think the Braves will be picking those up. :)

As such, the team doesn't really need to prioritize an extension this offseason.  Obviously the Braves have been as proactive as anyone in locking players up, but there isn't any immediate urgency with Acuna.  Plus, Atlanta might want to wait until Acuna has a fully healthy season before considering a second extension.
8:19
So I guess by default, this makes Bichette slightly more likely, even if Anthopoulos traditionally doesn't aim for those kind of pricey free agent deals.
White Sox Fan
8:20
How many years away are we from competing? Cam we compete every year instead of every so often?
Mark P
8:22
I haven't loved everything the Sox have done in their rebuild, but they've gotten a decent amount of young talent in the fold.  The AL Central's inconsistency could help the White Sox contend perhaps slightly sooner than expected, but I wouldn't expect much from the next 2-3 seasons.
Judge
8:22
Is my future at first like Harper?
Mark P
8:23
Judge's solid defense is the most underrated part of his game.  He is a plus right fielder, and while he didn't do much defensively in center field last year, the fact that he could do it regularly was alone impressive (and helpful to New York's overall lineup construction).
8:24
Barring injury concerns, I think the Yankees are fine with Judge in right field for the foreseeable future.  Especially if they're keeping 1B earmarked for Ben Rice.
Nancy's Friend Sluggo
8:24
Do you think if a miracle occurred and the Pirates offered Paul Skenes a market value contract that he would sign with them despite their annual second-division status?
Mark P
8:26
Only Skenes knows the answer to this for sure.  He's made a solid amount of money in his career already via signing bonus and endorsements, so he could choose to bet on himself if he has doubts about Pittsburgh's ability to compete.

However, betting on yourself and turning down a $200MM (or probably more) extension offer are two different things.  If the Pirates actually did go all in on making Skenes their guy and offering him a mega-deal, I would lean towards him taking it, just to lock in some generational wealth for himself.
Jack
8:27
Theres an issue with the Orioles about bringing up Beavers and Basallo. Some fans believe the Orioles are holding them back to preserve their rookie status. Question I have is about the 45 day rule. Does time spent on the roster in September count?
Mark P
8:27
Yep, all time spent on the MLB roster counts.
Josh
8:29
What are your early impressions of Luke Keaschall?
Mark P
8:29
He is apparently (checks notes) the greatest player in baseball history
8:30
In all seriousness, he's been a fun story for the Twins and a real shot in the arm for a fanbase that was understandably miserable on this team after the deadline.  You can't help but wonder how different 2025 might've been for Minnesota if Keaschall hadn't gotten hurt.
Kwan
8:30
Any chance I get traded in the offseason? Maybe a hometown reunion with the Giants?
Mark P
8:31
Based on past precedent, I'd expect the Guardians to move Kwan during the 2027-28 season, when he is a year away from free agency.
Mrs Stowers
8:32
Have you or your fellow MLBTR Marlins haters changed your opinion about the team yet?  Better than you thought, right?
Mark P
8:33
None of us are Marlins haters.  We (and the rest of the baseball world) thought they weren't going to be any good this year, but they've been proving a lot of people wrong over the last couple of months.  There's now some hope for a full rebound as early as 2026, depending on how the offseason develops or if the front office feels the roster is ready to contend.
Chef J
8:33
Over easy eggs or scrambled eggs? Who ya got Mark?!
Mark P
8:34
Scrambled eggs all day every day
Gavin’s mom
8:34
Gavin Williams was soooo close to that no-no
Mark P
8:35
I looked this up in the wake of Williams' near-miss. 2005 was the last MLB season without at least one no-hitter, so we're overdue for a pitcher (or pitchers, in combined fashion) to have a day of days.
8:36
Tough break for Williams, but if you're going to lose a no-hitter, giving up a homer to Juan Soto is a pretty respectable way to lose it
RP
8:36
What kind of contract does Devin Williams get given he was the best closer in baseball for years and has been terrible this year?
Mark P
8:38
I expect Williams to pursue one-year contracts, with the idea that he'll rebound in 2026 and line himself up for a bigger multi-year deal during the 26-27 offseason.  

For something like a one-year, $10MM deal, lots of teams will be willing to sign Williams.  He has major change of scenery potential, and most of his peripheral numbers (save for his barrel rate) are still quite good
flags
8:40
if the twins aren't sold before the offseason do you see them slashing more payroll with trades of lopez, ryan, ober, jeffers, etc?
Mark P
8:42
Lopez is the only one that would actually represent big cash savings, since the others are still pretty inexpensive as arb-eligible players.  Ryan in particular is a big bargain, earning only $3MM in 2025 and controlled for two more years.

With this in mind, Lopez may be the likeliest of the group to be dealt, with Jeffers next just because he's only controlled through 2026.  But even with Jeffers, he could be retained just because Vazquez is also a free agent this year and is certainly not being re-signed.
Yankees Hot Take
8:43
Volpe’s future is at second base due to his lack of arm strength and Lombard knocking on the door, right?
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