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Mark P
8:01
History beckons the Weekend Chat!  Let's spend a minute waiting for questions to filter in, then we'll have at it....
Cubs fan
8:02
Soto signs before Christmas or after!
Mark P
8:03
Before.  I think he'll be off the market by mid-December, or perhaps as early as the Winter Meetings
Hartman
8:03
Give me your best prediction on how the Boston RedSox handle the offseason. How many guys will they sign vs trade for? And whom?
Mark P
8:05
I do think Boston will make a headline-grabbing signing that their fans have been yearning for, though it'll be just one such signing.  They'll bring in in some lower-level free agents and perhaps swing one other notable trade.

Sox are an interesting team to watch because it'll be Breslow's first winter seemingly more in "go for it" mode, as I think ownership and the front office realize they need to be more aggressive in order to reignite fan interest.
Tigers
8:06
Where will Justyn Henry Malloy get AB’s next season? Kerry  Carpenter surely gets most of the AB’s at DH and Malloy is a liability in left. Is he a trade candidate?
Mark P
8:07
Carpenter struggles badly against lefty pitching, so the right-handed hitting Malloy is a natural candidate to start when a southpaw is on the mound.  Beyond that platoon situation, the Tigers will try to get Malloy some outfield time or DH time.
Jonesy
8:07
Anyone taking the qualifying offer this year?
Mark P
8:08
Nick Martinez, and that'll very likely be it
Victoria
8:08
The Reds probably didn't want Martinez to accept, right?
Mark P
8:08
Cincinnati wouldn't have issued the QO if they weren't comfortable with the idea of Martinez accepting
Rockies Schmockies
8:10
Is McMahon a good fit for the Royals? and if so, could he be enough to pull Singer by himself?
Mark P
8:10
McMahon isn't much of a hitter, so I don't think he'd provide much help to a KC team that is looking for some clear upgrades in the lineup
Twins555
8:11
What do you foresee the Twins doing this winter?
Mark P
8:12
Unfortunately for you and the other 554 (at least!) Twins fans, it's probably going to be a pretty slow offseason.  Between the lack of spending space and the ownership question, I don't see the Twins doing much, unless Falvey and Zoll are very creative in swinging trades
Baseball fan
8:12
Every meeting with Soto has "went great". Are these leaks pure leverage? To the Jays or Redsox have a real chance?
Mark P
8:13
Just once I'd love to hear a report of a free agent meeting that went totally off the rails.  Like, the team accidentally brought Livan Soto's statistical material, a Hennimore-esque bumbling assistant spills coffee on Scott Boras, etc.
Giants
8:14
What do you think the Giants could get for Yazstremski an/or Lamonte Wade Jr?
Mark P
8:15
Not a ton.  Wade has more appeal because he will be on a lower salary, and he fits in well as a platooner.  Yaz is pricier and can be a starting outfielder for some teams, though it's hard to call him a clear upgrade for a lot of clubs.

There's a decent chance SF just non-tenders at least Yaz and possibly the both of them before Tuesday's deadline, so teams will probably be pretty limited in any offers
Max Kepler
8:17
Where do you see me signing?
Mark P
8:17
For some reason I just have a gut feeling Kepler signs with Pittsburgh
CanadaWideCards
8:18
When will we start to see some real action? So many "rumors" no material
Mark P
8:20
We'll see plenty of lower-level stuff before the non-tender deadline and in advance of the Rule 5 deadline.

As for big names, likely not closer until the winter meetings.  You get the occasional bigger name (i.e. Nola last year) signing in November, but by and large, a lot of players are more apt to wait to see how the market plays out.  Learning where Soto signs, for instance, will factor into a lot of players' plans.
Dougy
8:20
If you’re Roki, wouldn’t you rather go anywhere other than LAD so you are not in the shadow of Shohei and possibly even Yamamoto too?
Mark P
8:21
If anything, it seems likelier that he'd love the chance to play with two icons of Japanese baseball on Japan's favorite MLB team.
JB
8:21
Where does Max Fried end up? And will it be a Snell type deal?
Mark P
8:22
As in a short-term contract with an opt-out?  Seems doubtful.  Fried shouldn't have much of an issue in finding a healthy long-term contract, since he doesn't have the red flags that Snell did last year
Ground Chuck
8:23
Any chance Charlie Morton returns to Pittsburgh?  Especially now that Brent Strom is an assistant there?
Mark P
8:24
Morton has been vocal about preferring to play closer to his home and family in Florida, though the Bucs have their Spring Training in Bradenton, where Morton lives.  The Pirates seem likelier to trade pitching than add it this winter, but there's logic in adding a veteran mentor of an arm like Morton and then dealing a younger pitcher for hitting help
JT
8:25
Does Carlos Santana actually have anything left in the tank? And moreover, are the Astros going to be more skeptical of the older 1b FAs after the Abreu disaster than they would be otherwise?
Mark P
8:26
Santana will come at a much lower price tag than Abreu did, and given his 2024 numbers, Santana still looks quite protective.  A dropoff wouldn't be a surprise but that's just the inherent risk of veteran players
Josh Naylor
8:27
The Guardians always seem to have a surplus of great prospects but almost never want to give them up. This seems like the perfect time to capitalize and trade some of the prospects for some great arms in the rotation or a bat to replace Naylor who is possible on the move this off season. Any thoughts?
Mark P
8:29
A smaller-payroll team like Cleveland has to somewhat live or die by its farm system, so when trading a controllable and talented asset, there's additional risk for the Guardians than for other clubs.  

Packaging 2-3 prospects together for a star player in a blockbuster trade has appeal for a win-now team like the Guards.  Yet, if that star underachieves for whatever reason and at least one of the prospects breaks out elsewhere, that's a double hit for the Guardians
Packaging one prospect together WITH Naylor, for instance, might be something particularly intriguing
Walton Dilcox
8:30
Any guess on the best reliever traded this offseason? Jose Alvarado?
Mark P
8:30
Ryan Helsley is very likely to be traded
Tim
8:30
Baseball needs a salary cap and salary floor because of the Dodgers. Will this be addressed in the next cba?
Mark P
8:32
The MLBPA will never accept a salary cap, and as a result, the owners won't agree to a salary floor.

As much as I recognize the financial imbalances in baseball, I have to chuckle at how there's suddenly so much "this is unfair, the Dodgers win every year" sentiment, when just a month ago it was "those Dodgers spend a fortune but can't win it al, and 2020 doesn't count for some reason!"
Brian Cashman
8:33
Just out of curiosity, who specifically would I have to give up to acquire Brendan Donovan? I realize that he’s technically not on the market but St.Louis will still listen.
Mark P
8:35
Donovan is controllable through 2027, a solidly above-average hitter, is left-handed, and he can play multiple positions.

I think fans would be surprised at how much it would take to pray Donovan away from St. Louis.    Keep in mind that the Cardinals aren't blowing things up....they surely are aiming to be back in winning mode by 2026, after a year of rebuilding/remodeling/whatever term you want to use.
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