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Mark P
7:32
Hi everyone, let's start chatting! We'll take a minute for the questions to start rolling in, and go from there
Flying Squirrel
7:34
Think Bailey has a chance to establish himself as the everyday catcher while Bart is out? I know it’s only been two games but he seems more relaxed behind the plate.
Mark P
7:35
Bart isn't expected to be out much beyond the 10-day minimum, which probably isn't enough time for Bailey to really make an impact.  When Bart returns, the Giants also still have Sabol to keep on the roster, so juggling three young catchers might be a bit much
PDX Gamer
7:36
What is wrong with Julio Rodriguez this season?
Mark P
7:37
A .263 BABIP doesn't help, and there's about a 50-point gap between his wOBA and xwOBA.  So it could be that J-Rod is just a little unlucky to this point, since he's making a lot of hard contact (though not enough contact, given his high strikeout rate)
Beyond the stats, there's also the fact that this is a 22-year-old player who will now have to make some adjustments since the league has gotten a book on him.  Even as great a player as Rodriguez isn't immune to a sophomore slump
Os Fan
7:38
Any first baseman the Os can target to upgrade over Mountcastle?
Mark P
7:39
Speaking of Statcast numbers, Mountcastle is way underperforming his metrics.  A big breakout or hot streak could be just around the corner, so first base might not be a concern for the O's
Guardians Fan
7:39
Thoughts on what the Guardians could possibly get from Baltimore in exchange for Shane Bieber??
Mark P
7:40
With the precedent of the Luis Castillo and Jose Berrios trades, two months and a full season of a front-of-the-rotation type of pitcher should require the O's to give up two top-50ish types of prospects....or in the case of the Berrios deal, a top-25 prospect and a player near the back end of the top 100
7:42
The Orioles certainly have the prospect depth to swing such a deal if they wanted, and if Cleveland wanted.  But with the AL Central so tight, the Guardians probably won't be moving Bieber unless they're totally out of the race
The situation might be different if at least one of the Guards' younger pitchers had really emerged this season, but that hasn't happened yet
Metsfan
7:42
Do you think the Mets become buyers or sellers at the deadline? Who are some names they'd target?
Mark P
7:43
Barring a complete and total collapse, there is no way the Mets are going to be sellers after spending so much on this team
Tigers fan
7:43
Why is Schoop still with the team?
Mark P
7:44
It's a fair question.  As the Hicks DFA indicates, we might be hitting that time of year when teams start deciding to cut loose unproductive veterans, and just eating the remaining salary owed.

Detroit doesn't exactly have a lot of clearly better options being blocked by Schoop, but he is contributing so little on the field that it's hard to imagine the Tigers couldn't find an alternative
our pitching lacks
7:44
Good evening,  Do you think the cards have finally turned a page and will continue this hot streak
Mark P
7:45
After a few weeks of doom and gloom in St. Louis, how things can change, eh?  

Given that I picked the Cards to reach the World Series (!), I certainly think the "hot streak" is closer to the team's talent level than their brutal start.
Doc
7:46
Is there any catching available the padres can acquire?
Mark P
7:47
They just signed Plawecki to a minor league deal, so that's something.  In terms of bigger targets, the pickings are always slim on the catching trade front
DiggingOut
7:48
How would you say the Cardinals handled their brutal start differently than the White sox? I mean Chicago by all means should be in second place in their division
Mark P
7:49
Clearly the White Sox should've randomly moved Benintendi to DH for a week, then moved him back to left field.
Pham Fan
7:50
Why is D'Arnaud taking away bats from Sean Murphy?
Mark P
7:50
Because obviously the Braves want to give TDA some playing time, and because they won't want to tire Murphy out
Mets Need Surgery
7:52
Do the Mets fire Buck if they finish 4th place?
Mark P
7:53
If the Mets actually did fall out of the race, Steve Cohen isn't going to be pleased, and big changes could follow.  The David Stearns rumors will become overwhelming, for starters, and a managerial change could certainly follow
TO Tonight.
7:53
What is wrong with the Jays!?   I thought they had depth.
Mark P
7:54
Depth looked like an issue for the Jays even going into the season, and it has become an even more glaring problem in the first seven weeks.  Beyond the struggling bench, there's also basically no immediate help available at Triple-A
Cardinals
7:55
Winn, Burleson, and O'Neil for Bieber?
Mark P
7:56
Winn is the kind of big prospect Cleveland would want, even though they have a lot of promising young infielders already.  

Overall I'd call this a pretty decent offer, since you'd figure the Guardians would want to reload more than rebuild, and O'Neill and Burleson can theoretically provide immediate help at the MLB level
Connor⚾️
7:56
Rangers for real? Or will they come down to earth @ some point not gonna lie I love this production from our lineup just need deGrom back & everything looks good ⚾️
Mark P
7:57
I buy the hype.  Texas needs some bullpen help but the rest of the team looks very solid.
Ace of Braves
7:57
Would Michael Harris work as a headliner for Shohei Ohtani?
Mark P
7:58
There is no chance Atlanta moves Harris (and more!) for two months of Ohtani's services
Joshua
7:58
I know he has two years left of control, but could the Nats look to deal Lane Thomas at the deadline, and if so what type of return could they get for him? Thanks.
Mark P
8:00
Thomas' remaining arb control might not be a big issue since the Nats might not be back in contention until after 2025 anyway.  So to that end, I'd certainly think Washington would be open to moving him at the right price, and that club control makes Thomas an interesting asset.

If the Guardians were looking for an outfielder, for instance, adding Thomas for one of their young pitching prospects would seem plausible
Grandma Picklebones
8:01
There was a lot of talk about Gorman being available last year. How likely is that now? We know the Cards' need controllable pitching, but Gorman?
Mark P
8:02
Gorman was linked to the Juan Soto trade talks, so he was "available" in the sense that the Cards were willing to move him only for a very special player.  Given how Gorman is hitting the cover off the ball this year, I'd say there's virtually zero chance St. Louis would move him now
A's Fan
8:03
Do the Cleveland Spider comps lead to Mark Kotsay's freedom from the A's prior to the end of the season?
Mark P
8:03
Kotsay is just about the last person I'd blame for the Athletics' struggles.  No manager could be expected to win with such a poor roster
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