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Mark P
9:37
A busy night of news (particularly from the Rangers) will make this a later-than-usual edition of the Weekend Chat but better late than never.  Let's take some questions...
Guest
9:38
What moves to improve the offense could the Tigers look to do?
Mark P
9:40
Maybe some "if it ain't broke..." feeling here, as the Tigers are on an offensive roll right now.  They'll get better just from within once Vierling and Meadows return, too.  I'd like to see another righty bat for depth purposes, but the Tigers will see how they're doing once at full health before fully exploring the trade market.
Baltimorebill
9:40
are the Orioles in the market for a pitcher? If so, who would you expect them to move?
Mark P
9:42
It remains to be seen if the O's feel their pitching needs are so extreme that they become willing to move one of their top prospects in a big trade.  The Orioles are another team that may want to wait until their rotation is healthier, since just getting some arms back might make things better.

Still, the Orioles are already in a pretty deep hole, and can't afford to wait too long.  This is not what I expected to be waiting about Baltimore on May 4, but being a deadline seller (rather than buyer) isn't out of the question
Dbacks
9:43
What do the Dbacks need more bullpen help or another bat? Or are they more likely to hold off on any moves and become sellers if they keep hovering at 500?
Mark P
9:45
Pitching is clearly the bigger need, as the D'Backs are again not getting enough from their pen.  Arizona has enough invested in this year's roster specifically that I don't see them becoming sellers unless they're totally out of the race at the deadline, which I don't think will happen
Brick
9:45
Bohm to the Red Sox (to play 1B) for one of their OF’s: who says no?
Mark P
9:46
My suspicion is that apart from Yoshida, the Sox view all of their outfielders on a higher level than Bohm.
It's in the CARDS
9:46
Matz back to the bullpen despite great numbers. Any team come to mind who could use a lefty swingman/potential starter that could offer enough for the Cardinals to pull the trigger early?
Mark P
9:47
You could name probably 20 teams that could use such a player, though Matz's salary will remain an obstacle for a lot of teams.  Given Matz's past history with Toronto, I wondering if he might be on the Jays' radar before they got Urena and Turnbull.
BigTiger
9:48
I say no. Would rather put Devers there and keep the OF.
Lou Collins
9:48
What are the Sox going to do at first base. Devers seems to make a lot of sense to free up some DH at bats to rotate guys through. Cora seems against it however.
Redsox fanbase
9:48
what do we do with Casas out for the year? Do you put devers to 1st call up Roman and let Roman DH and get spot starts in rotation in the outfield? Or should we call up Grissom and let him play first
Mark P
9:52
Plenty of questions here about Boston's 1B picture. I don't think some mix of Gonzalez/Refsnyder/Toro is the answer, and having Devers learn first base on the fly may also not be feasible.  (As we learned from Moneyball, "it's incredibly hard.")  Seeking out an Anthony Rizzo or someone might also not be in the cards until the Sox really see if they can get by with internal options, or until more prominent options arise closer to the deadline.
9:53
While that Bohm scenario proposed earlier doesn't seem like a fit, there some seem to be some chance that Boston might clear out the outfield logjam and bring in a more prominent first baseman all in one fell swoop.
Nick
9:54
Who are the prospects you think the Pirates should call up? They definitely need help.
Mark P
9:54
You'd think Bubba Chandler will be up soon, but there's no easy answer on the position player side to solve the Pirates' bigger offense problem
Mr Wilson
9:55
With two outfielders out the M's really need to trade for an outfielder. Is Stowers an untouchable for Miami??
Mark P
9:56
Stowers is controlled through 2029, so as much as the Marlins are open to talking about mostly anyone, Stowers would be one of the very last names on the list.
Mark Adams
9:56
Are the Dodgers even interested in upgrading at third base?
Mark P
9:57
This might be a consideration closer to the deadline, but they're not going to give up on Muncy (a player with a long track record of success in LA) so soon
Cubs Rotation
9:57
Who do you see the Cubs replace Imanaga with? Will they trade early or call someone up?
Mark P
9:59
They'll stay internal, unless Imanaga's strain is revealed to be very severe.
RAGBRAI
9:59
What’s your take on Gonsolin? Up ROS or short term fill in until others come back?
Mark P
10:00
He's posted some good career numbers, yet feels almost lost in the shuffle amidst all of the other big names on LA's roster.  Gonsolin will probably get as much time in the rotation as possible, given that injuries seem to be perpetually keeping the Dodgers from ever fielding their first-choice pitching staff
Bob Melvin
10:01
Besides Webb and Ray, who should be the other 3 options to fill out the rotation for us to be at our best. I think Birdsong and Harrison deserve a shot.
Mark P
10:01
Verlander looks to be righting the ship after his tough start, so that's one.  I tend to agree with you about the younger guys, since Hicks is probably better off as a reliever in the long run.
Lindor12
10:02
Soto about to bust out? Is hitting but the big hit is not there - hit robbed today of a 3 R HR.
Mark P
10:03
Soto entered today with a 135 wRC+, yet due to his track record and the big contract, this is still considered a "slump."  It's just a matter of time before he fully heats up, so I'm not concerned.
Joe
10:05
Is the Leody Taveras move just an attempt to get below the luxury tax?
Mark P
10:05
It's certainly a factor, but there's also the more simple baseball reason that Taveras is struggling and the Rangers feel they have other guys who can play center field.
Garrett
10:06
Do you think Caminero can snap out of the slump to become an All-Star?
Mark P
10:07
The talent and ceiling is there, but keep in mind that Caminero has barely 300 Major League PA under his belt.  No guarantee that any prospect (no matter how good) immediately clicks from the start.
Matt
10:08
Does Andrew Benintendi have neutral value yet on that contract? He’s been sneaky good since the all star break last year
Mark P
10:09
Roughly $44.5MM remaining in salary through 2027, so he'd have to be way more than just "sneaky" good for the Sox to have any hope of moving anything but a minimal amount of that contract
Guardians of the Galaxy
10:11
Except for Kwan, the Guardians still have an issue with getting any kind of reasonable power or production from their OF. I also don’t think playing Angel Martinez daily is an answer and even when Lane Thomas is back he has had a horrible start this season. What should the Guardians do to add some offense?
Bat speed
10:11
Speaking of slumps with a g speed (camionero) Nolan jones and big Christmas have really struggled. Is Cleveland going to make an outfield move if their numbers remain the same at the end of May? What’s your prediction. Please says it’s not will Brennan
Mark P
10:13
I've been running these chats for over five years now, and I feel like "why can't Cleveland improve its outfield?" has been a question virtually every week.

DeLauter is out for several weeks still, and other guys on the farm like Rodriguez are no guarantee to provide help.  So it once again appears as though the Guards will need to bring in some OF help, probably the 2025 equivalent of Lane Thomas.
10:15
Obvious Thomas might still get it going with more playing time.  Jones has now looked rough for over a season, however, and Noel just might be too limited a hitter to be a big leaguer
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