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Mark P

2:01

This isn't a "decline" situation, but rather a case where Darvish feels he may not be able to pitch (or at least pitch effectively) ever again. If this ends up being the case once he gets through more of his rehab, he'll more seriously consider retiring, and working out some kind of buyout/deferral deal with the Padres.

Nolan Gorman

2:02

Could I be the A's next 3rd baseman? I'm cheap and could probably hit 30 HRs in that ball park

Mark P

2:03

The Cards seem more committed to giving Gorman one more last chance than they do of trading him. But, if Gorman struggles again and Wetherholt is ready to move into the 3B picture, Gorman could be a midseason trade candidate

nick krall

2:04

is their room in the tank for a yandy diaz trade? hes a relatively affordable proven bat, and singer could fit the bill for the return. that would also free payroll space which the reds rave about.

Mark P

2:05

Trading Lowe probably closed the door on the chances of Yandy being dealt, though I guess in Tampa Bay the door is never entirely closed on trade possibilities. But, the Rays probably want more from their rotation than Singer, and Yandy is now an even bigger piece of Tampa's lineup

2:06

more FOR their rotation than Singer

contract

2:07

How long will lockout be, could 2027 season be lost? How much tax will Dodgers have to pay after this season?

Mark P

2:08

The 2027 season won't be lost. Frankly, I'm not even sure any games will be lost. For now I'm thinking we'll see a lockout and lots of sabre-rattling on both sides, but then an early-March agreement to preserve the full 162 games (just like in 2022)

atleastwetried

2:08

Any chance Brewers extend William Contreras? Or are we going into his last season with the team before he gets traded and then we rely on Jeferson Quero

Mark P

2:08

Very probable that Contreras is traded next winter.

2:09

That seems far likelier than the Brewers signing him to an extension, but I've been surprised before.

Matt

2:09

Since the Diamondbacks are keeping Marte (presumably), are they willing to trade Alexander or Lawlar? Moving young infielders with questionable bats to the outfield doesn't seem to make a lot of sense.

Mark P

2:10

Alexander's trade value is probably pretty marginal. Lawlar has more value, but you'd think other teams would ask themselves "hmmm, if this guy is such a prized prospect, why is Arizona trading him?"

Bobby K.

2:11

Your top 5 ballparks to watch a game at?

Mark P

2:14

Rogers Centre in Toronto, PNC Park in Pittsburgh, T-Mobile Park in Seattle, Wrigley Field, and Oracle Park in San Fran (if I remember to bring a jacket and toque for night games).

Giants fan

2:14

Good day Mark. A couple of days ago it was reported that the giants attempted to trade for Abrams from the Nationals. Gonzalez and others would go back. I certainly wasn't thrilled with that in the least. I understand you need to trade to get. But the giants minor leagues are just starting to turn a corner. BA compared them like night and day. What are your thoughts please.

Mark P

2:17

Abrams still has some question marks, but he is a proven Major League-caliber player. Josuar Gonzalez and the other prospects mentioned are total wild cards, and in Gonzalez's case, he isn't even 19 years old.

Now, is Abrams necessarily the guy the Giants want to clean out their system to obtain? Probably not, which is why the trade didn't happen. It could also be that the Nationals were insisting on Eldridge in any Abrams trade, and the Giants naturally balked.

Jasson With Two S’s

2:17

Brady Singer + Luis Mey or Zach Maxwell for Jasson Dominguez. Who says no?

Mark P

2:18

New York would want a lot more than that for the Martian

Bears

2:19

Bees?

Mark P

2:19

Beads?!

Steve Cohen

2:20

Why isn’t Eugenio Duarez getting more love from all the teams? He put up great numbers last year. Wouldn’t he be an excellent replacement for Alonso at DH for the Mets?

Mark P

2:21

Suarez runs very hot and cold, he strikes out a lot, and doesn't bring much defensive value. Even installing him at DH closes off another spot in the lineup for other players (Baty, Vientos, veterans) to get at-bats or rest days.

JeffyM

2:22

Springer and Santander were worth a combined 4.3 WAR last year. Over/under between them for 2026?

Mark P

2:23

This is very much a "the Gretzky brothers hold the NHL record for most goals by two brothers" type of lopsided statistic.

2:24

Anyway, this is arguably the biggest question the Jays face in 2026. How much will Springer regress (if at all), and how much can Santander improve (if at all)? If both move enough to even out to that same basic 2.2 WAR apiece, I suspect the Jays would take that

Ace

2:26

Skenes or Skubal who gets the bigger contract? Or are they waiting on each other to sign for this reason?

Mark P

2:26

Skenes will get the bigger contract since Skubal's free agency is coming next winter. So Skenes will be using Skubal as a baseline for years down the road. Assuming Skenes remains healthy and dominant, of course.

Very patient fan

2:28

Better question, what do you think of peter bendix, is he what we’ve been waiting for for the past few decades

Mark P

2:29

The Marlins were a lot better than expected in 2025, so that's an early positive sign that the rebuild is taking hold. Obviously there's a long way to go before we can consider Miami as a true contender, and the fact that Cabrera and Weathers were both traded indicates that Bendix isn't getting too carried away by last season's results.

Mr KLC

2:32

Do you think Cam Smith faded last year because he was not used to a full MLB season.

Mark P

2:33

Could be the extra games, could be rival teams getting a book on Smith as the season went on, or any number of reasons.

Guest

2:34

Better fit for the White Sox, Hays, Bader, or a trade for Kjerstad?

Mark P

2:35

Signing Hays/Bader wouldn't be too useful for a team that isn't planning to contend in 2026. In the bigger picture sense, Kjerstad is the better fit since he can stick around long enough to be a part of Chicago's next winning team.

Rangers13

2:35

I have an extension question. Rangers absolutey need to get Langford extended likely somewhere close to 6/90-100 million. In an extension does the AAV for CBT purposes start from original of overall contract or first year of extension.

Mark P

2:35

Starts from the first year of the extension

Guest

2:36

How awesome is J-Ram?

Mark P

2:37

He's pretty awesome. The rare first-ballot HOFer who is still to some extent a little underrated

BeBopCola

2:37

If you’re Eugenio Suarez and the athletics offer you a multi year deal and the brewers offer you a one year deal, which do you take?

Mark P

2:38

Depends on how much the A's offer is worth, but if this hypothetical has a similar AAV, I'd suspect Suarez might favor Milwaukee. He gets to play for a clear-cut contender, and in a Major League ballpark.

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