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Mark P
7:58
Welcome to the Weekend Chat!  Where the focus is baseball, not necessarily how fun weekends are....though they're undeniably fun.  

Let's take some questions!
GOMS
8:00
What does Jorge Polanco need to do for Seattle to pick up his option?
Mark P
8:01
The option is worth $12MM, with a $725K buyout.  That's a pretty steep price to pay for a player who has put up sub-replacement level numbers this season, so Polanco would have to get really hot, really quickly for Seattle to even consider exercising
Steve Green
8:02
do the whitesox trade crochet during the offseason
Mark P
8:02
I'd lean towards yes.  The Sox are clearly in full rebuild mode now, and it makes sense to sell high on Crochet after he has (presumably) completed a full and productive season.
8:03
Two seasons of arbitration control over Crochet make him a huge bargain for any team that misses out on some of the free agent pitching targets this offseason.
SOX FAN
8:03
What could the sox get for Luis Robert
Mark P
8:04
On the flip side, Robert's season has been rough enough that I suspect he'll still be on the South Side in 2025.  Obviously a team could blow the Sox away with an offer this winter, but I think the White Sox would prefer to see what Robert can do when healthy in early 2025, to rebuild his value towards a possible deal at next year's trade deadline.
George Bell
8:05
the jays president came juuuuuuuust short of flat out saying that GM Ross Atkins is a lock to come back next year.  Is there any chance that ownership steps in and removes them both, or are we stuck with this tandem for another year?
Mats Sundin
8:05
Does Toronto clean house after the season?
Mark P
8:07
Huh, so many questions from Toronto sports icons today, strange.

I noted this in last week's chat, but it's ironic that Atkins himself in something of the same spot that Anthopoulos did in 2015....entering a "last chance" sort of season.  It's not a one-to-one match since AA was in the final year of his contract and Atkins is contracted through 2026, but it certainly seems like Atkins will be done if the Jays can't turn it around next year.
8:08
A lot has to go right next year, however, and the Jays will have to be aggressive in the offseason to patch up the many holes in this flawed roster.
A winner is me
8:09
Do you think the Brewers have any hope of Keeping Adames if they make it to the World Series? It is very hard to imagine this team without his energy.
Mark P
8:10
They've got Yelich on the mega-contract, Chourio on the big pre-career extension....seems unlikely that the Brewers would splurge again for Adames, since that's a lot of payroll for a mid-market team to commit to just three players
8:11
With some extra money in the coffers from a long playoff run, maybe there's a shot, but it's more likely Adames is let go in free gency
agency
Brian
8:12
Ms are clearly cursed at this point as no one they bring in lives up to even close to expectations (Polanco, Garver, Hainger and I could go on) so any tips from Red Sox and Cubs fans for breaking their teams curses?
Mark P
8:13
Hire Theo Epstein to run the front office?
Also, the Mariners have been playing some good ball lately, so they shouldn't at all be written off
Dustin
8:14
Do you expect this offseason to be like this past offseason? Meaning as slow with the biggest names waiting to be signed into spring training again or do you think last year's market will cause more urgency on the players part?
Mark P
8:16
Last winter might've been a bit of an outlier due to the uniqueness of the Ohtani and Yamamoto situations, plus a few traditionally bigger-spending teams not being all that active.  I could see Scott Boras perhaps changing tactics a bit after last offseason, but every player and every market is different, so Boras clients won't suddenly be jumping at contracts in November or anything
RodH
8:16
How on earth are the Brewers hanging on to the NL central lead? Will they keep keep the lead through the end of the season?
Mark P
8:17
Nobody else in the division is exactly pushing them, so the Brewers (despite their flaws) are my choice to end up as division champs.
Brook
8:17
Who wins the AL East?
Mark P
8:18
Who wins the AL East?
Orioles (70.3% | 471 votes)
 
Yankees (24.5% | 164 votes)
 
Rays or Red Sox make a shocking run (5.2% | 35 votes)
 
Total Votes: 670
Tom
8:18
What do you think baseball looks like for the 2028 Olympics? Minor leaguers play? Major Leaguers play with a shortened season?
Mark P
8:19
There's obvious appeal to big leaguers playing in Los Angeles, but it would seem like such a logistical issue to interrupt the season.  There's plenty of time for the league, the MLBPA, and the IOC to figure things out before 2028, but I'd lean against it for now
Walter
8:20
Guardians put Josh Naylor on the trade market this off season in his  last year before free agency?
Mark P
8:21
Seems likely, based on the Guards' usual history.  Doesn't "necessarily" mean Naylor will be dealt, since Cleveland could keep him to help its own lineup in 2025 and then let him walk in free agency.  (I guess an extension shouldn't be ruled out, but I'm not holding my breath.)
8:22
At the very least, however, expect the Guardians to listen to a lot of offers for Naylor
Trailer Park Boy
8:22
Are the Astros that good, or the Red Sox that bad? Imagine if Tucker and some of Houston's  4 injured starting pitchers return.
Mark P
8:23
The Astros are this good, though they did take advantage of a particularly rough patch for Boston's rotation
Bob
8:24
While their need is clearly pitching, do you see the O's also in the hunt for Juan Soto in the offseason?
Mark P
8:24
Nope.  The Orioles will likely spend more money under new ownership, but I'd be stunned if they suddenly got into the Soto sweepstakes
8:25
If Rubenstein was willing to spend big, you'd think they'd go after a known quantity in Burnes first
Braves
8:26
Rumors are Braves may shop Arcia in the offseason. Does he have much value besides the contract and defense? Could he bring back anything in a trade?
Mark P
8:27
He's a decent player to have on a roster, but the offensive gains he made in 2022-23 look to have totally evaporated.  Atlanta could certainly use an upgrade at shortstop (if Alvarez doesn't just get a long look) but I don't think Arcia is much of a trade chip
Ethan
8:29
What would you rate James Wood’s performance so far? Is his lack of power to the pull side of any concern?
Mark P
8:29
Solid B+, bordering on A- for a player in his first taste of the big leagues.  Not at all a finished product, but Wood has already looked like he belongs in MLB
MIchael Busch
8:30
Leads first basement in DRS....hitting at a very acceptable level....  does his production on both sides remove the Cubs from Alonso sweepstakes???  They DESPERATELY need a thumper next year......
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