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Mark P

8:37

The Cards are writing off the next couple of years anyway on a rebuild, so it makes for them to stick with a familiar (and trusted) voice in the dugout.

Regret

8:38

Do you think Lucas Giolito regrets his option year in Boston? Does he admit his mistake and take a lower one year pillow contract at this point or will he hold out?

Mark P

8:40

Giolito had a mutual option, as he pitched enough innings to turn Boston's club option into a mutual. It's a moot point since the Sox would've likely declined their club option anyway, or would've declined their end of a mutual option if Giolito had chosen to stay in the deal.

8:41

At this point, Giolito will almost certainly have to settle for a one-year deal. I wonder if teams just don't like what they see in his medicals, or if his asking price is too high, or any number of other factors that have contributed to his long wait in free agency

Zach

8:42

Whats next for the Rangers if they miss the playoffs in 2026? Will they do what they did this offseason and make changes and tweaks or could they enter a rebuild if they finish bad enough?

Mark P

8:45

Another .500-ish season probably means more tweaks. Obviously it depends on how the season would play out and why exactly Texas played middling baseball, but on paper, the team's blend of intriguing younger talent and bigger-name veterans still seems like a solid mix. As much as ownership has closed up the pocketbook, I don't see the Rangers entirely blowing it up unless they have a total disaster of a season.

Poutine Dream

8:46

Would you rather have 10 straight divison titles or 1 World Series win?

Mark P

8:47

A World Series win

Put it this way....my favorite football team is the Packers. They've won the NFC North a bunch of times, and suffered a bunch of gut-wrenching playoff losses. But, because they've won two Super Bowls during my fandom, those championships help make up for a lot of other playoff pain.

Cal

8:50

Very slim chance the Brewers are willing to pay up for a Contreras extension. Do we see them trading him next offseason like we’ve done with Burnes and Peralta?

Mark P

8:50

Very likely, which is why Jeferson Quero is a real intriguing player to watch for Milwaukee fans

Marco

8:51

Who are your Cy Young picks if you can't choose Skubal, Crochet, Skenes or Yamamoto?

Mark P

8:51

Hunter Brown, Freddy Peralta

Nick

8:52

Are you surprised that Danny Coulombe and Michael Kopech are both still available?

Mark P

8:54

Kopech not overly due to all of his injuries.

Coulombe yes because he's just been so generally good, but his age and tough finish to 2025 are certainly factors.

The relief market is always hard to gauge since I feel in many cases, teams evaluate a bunch of these guys on the same general level. So whether a club targets one particular reliever over another might come down to salary demand, or how many minor league options remain, or maybe even a personal connection (i.e. pitching coach used to work with the guy).

Justin Turner

8:55

Any chance I get picked somewhere up this year? Also, when I’m ready to retire, will the Dodgers give me a one day contract so I can retire a Dodger?

Mark P

8:57

For a ceremonial contract, sure, why not. Maybe the Dodgers have already signed him to such a deal but have deferred the ceremony to when Turner choose to retire.

On a more serious note, if the roster crunch is tough on veterans like Marte or McCutchen who had okay numbers in 2025, it's even harder for guys like Turner who struggled.

Alex

8:58

Is Sale a Hall Of Famer if he retired today or is he still 1 or 2 solid years away?

Mark P

8:58

Sale's definitely getting in. The Cy Young Award removed any doubt as to his Cooperstown chances.

Mr Kow

9:00

I’m excited about the Mets prospects getting opportunities to contribute. What position players have a real shot at making the team or getting called up this season? Could Benge start opening day at the third corner OF spot?

Mark P

9:03

Call Mr. Kow, that's his name, that name again is Mr. Kow

Anyway, all signs are pointing to Benge breaking camp with the team. He's the only sure thing, plus McLean will naturally be in the rotation and Tong and Scott will definitely be part of the pitching mix.

Friedman is Evil

9:04

True or false - Dodgers are bad for baseball

Mark P

9:04

False

Ebenezer_Batflip

9:05

Thoughts on the approach to trades from Craig Breslow, he made like 14 trades but refused to trade from his top 5 prospects and didn't deal Mayer or Duran or any other big MLB talent. Dealing away substantial quantity vs the top trade chips, does this seem like a good plan or should Craig have been willing to pay for an established star?

Mark P

9:06

This isn't exactly an accurate description, as Breslow moved Teel (one of Boston's "big four" at the time) to land Crochet. And, reports indicated that the Red Sox have also approached the White Sox about acquiring Teel back, indicating some buyers' remorse.

In general, Breslow's plan is sound. Keep the prospects your staff views as the real building blocks, and deal the prospects you have a few more questions about.

Ebenezer_Batflip

9:07

Oh I just meant this offseason he made 14 trades, not his entire time in Boston

Mark P

9:09

Ha, okay then!

Based on just this offseason, I think the Sox have done quite well to add talent without giving up much in return. In the multiple Cardinals trades, for instance, just taking on extra money helped the Red Sox add Gray/Contreras for only okay returns going back in the Cardinals' direction.

Ted Turner

9:09

Does Braves Vision mean more payroll for Braves? Seems like that announcement and Sale extension wasn’t coincidence. Not to mention highest one year guarantee ever for the Braves

Mark P

9:10

Atlanta's got a lot of money coming off the books after 2026, so Sale's new deal basically just replaces a lot of those expiring contracts.

Over the long term, however, BravesVision seems like it can be a very strong revenue stream for the club.

HUVIE33

9:12

How long of a leash does Grissom get if he goes back to his no hitting ways with Jones waiting?

Mark P

9:14

If Jones keeps crushing Triple-A pitching, he'll be in the Bronx before too long. If an injury arises, that solves any roster crunch, but sure, Grisham is the odd man out if he's struggling at the plate.

This only turns into a bit of a logjam if both Grisham and Rice are both hitting well, and everyone is healthy. If Rice was slumping, for instance, Bellinger could be moved to 1B to open up outfield playing time for Jones.

Loveable losers

9:18

What do think the Cubs do to back up 1st base?

Mark P

9:19

Giving Matt Shaw a few looks might not be a bad shout, as he matches nicely as a platoon with Busch. Or, if not a true regular platoon, he can get some starts at 1B against lefties to spell Busch

Matt

9:20

If Miller has to miss some time should the M's sign another stopgap starter? Bring Hancock/Criswell into the fold? I'm a bit nervous about those last two.

Mark P

9:21

Dunning, Lawrence, and a couple of other SPs with experience are in camp on non-roster deals. The Mariners could also turn in that direction in a pinch, depending on how much time Miller if slated to miss (if any).

9:23

The rotation depth is a bit of a broader concern for the M's all season, yet obtaining another starter is also tricky because such a pitcher would be a clear #6 on their depth chart. Unless a hole opens up in Seattle's rotation due to a true long-term injury, available pitchers are going to prefer to sign with a team that provides more of a clear-cut avenue to a regular starting role.

Nobody

9:24

Hi. Thanks for the chat. On a STL chat forum peoples heads are exploding with Oli's extension. Is he really that bad a manager or has the lack of talent been the primary problem?

Mark P

9:28

Marmol is hard to evaluate. Like with any manager, a lot of his work is done behind the scenes, plus he took over the Cardinals during a time when either the team was nearing the end of a competitive cycle, or the player development team was having more issues churning out prospects.

I can't say I've been particularly wowed by Marmol's work as a manager, but the fact that the team stuck by him through the Cards' struggles tells me that the organization trusts him. It would've been very easy to fire Marmol and make him the scapegoat, but both Mozeliak and now Bloom view him as their choice in the dugout.

9:29

Also, this is just my read from afar on the St. Louis fanbase, but it also seems like the Cards fans give Marmol less leeway because they keep expecting Pujols or Molina to eventually take over as manager.

Orioles Ace

9:30

Could the Os trade for Gavin Williams or Tanner Bibee? They seem to have all the right pieces that Cleveland would need.

Mark P

9:31

Williams is arb-controlled through 2029, and Bibee was signed to an extension through at least 2029. Seems very unlikely that the Guardians would deal either of them, barring a truly knockout offer from the Orioles that the O's probably aren't willing to make.

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