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Eric

8:11

If The Cardinals somehow stay in the race at the deadline what do you see them doing

Mark P

8:11

Add starting pitching.

Josh E

8:12

You said that small ball isnt sustainable, could you elaborate on that a bit? Im guessing it is more sustainable than needing to depend on power. That seems to come and go more than a walk, a stolen base, a sac bunt and a sac fly..very curious to know your insights though

Mark P

8:14

Put it this way...the sequence you just described requires four things to score one run. Whereas a home run gets a run with just one swing.

Consistently keeping the ball in play is certainly a recipe for success, as that contact can either go for a hit or the defense perhaps makes an error. But playing in a constant state of having to grind out runs relies on multiple players staying reasonably productive over a longer period of time.

8:15

You buying Mickey Moniak all the way through the season? What kind of value would he have at the trade deadline?

Mark P

8:16

Moniak is having a terrific season, but he is also drastically outpacing his peripherals. His .337 xwOBA is still above average, but far below his .434 wOBA.

8:17

There's also the Coors Field factor, as Moniak's home OPS is about 400 points above his road OPS.

All in all, rival teams are certainly taking Moniak's success with a whole pillar of salt. The Rockies aren't likely to get that much for him on the trade market, even if Moniak can somehow sustain this type of production into July.

Type a URL

8:20

Will the Pirates make the playoffs?

Mark P

8:21

It doesn't help that the entire NL Central has been competitive, making it tougher on the Bucs to really break through. Pittsburgh fans probably won't want to hear this, but posting a winning record is still a nice step forward for the Pirates, playoff berth or not

Eric

8:23

Will Schlittler be able to keep these numbers up?

Mark P

8:23

The ERA is bound to spike upwards from 1.35, but Schlittler's Statcast page is a sea of red. His production has been for real, and he looks like an absolute find for the Yankees and their minor league pipeline

Bernardo

8:24

When Daniel Susan returns, and with Bailey being traded, who starts at the backstop position for the giants?

Guards4Life

8:24

With the addition of Bailey, does Bo Naylor learn 1st base and share it with Manzardo in 2027?

Bernardo

8:24

With Bailey being traded, is this an early sign the Giants are sellers?

Optimistic Giants Fan

8:25

Your opinions on the Bailey trade? It just feels...weird, although I do like the Giants getting a draft pick for him

Mark P

8:29

Lots of questions here about the very interesting Patrick Bailey trade, which I don't see entirely as a sign that the Giants are waving the white flag on 2026.  Getting both a draft pick (29th overall, no less) and a decent SP prospect is a nice haul for a player who can't hit, even if that player happens to be baseball's best defensive catcher.

Susac figures to start as long as his bat stays hot.  Rodriguez will get some looks behind the plate when he isn't being used elsewhere around the diamond, and Haase probably sticks around as traditional backup catcher.

For the Guardians, I wonder if Naylor might not be long for the organization.  The trade seems to signal that the Guards may be going with Bailey and Cooper Ingle, once they see what Ingle can do at the MLB level.  The addition of Bailey gives Cleveland some defensive support if Ingle's glove is still a work in progress.

Evening mark

8:30

If the Phillies are out of contention in July what would the reds have to give up for Duran?

Mark P

8:30

I don't think the Phils will be out of it, as the managerial change seems to have gotten things turned around.

Good Question

8:30

Can the Phillies and Yankees trade their first pick? It falls in the Competitive Balance Round range but it's delayed 10 spots.

Mark P

8:30

Only the picks officially designated as Competitive Balance Round selections can be traded

Roch

8:31

Do you see me falling?

Mark P

8:33

Roch Kubatko has been doing fine work for MASNsports.com for years, and I see no reason why his quality would drop off now.....

....oh, you probably mean Roch Cholowsky, prospective #1 overall pick in this year's draft! It all depends on how the White Sox view Cholowsky, since if he doesn't go 1-1, I doubt he falls very fall.

Re: Nats

8:34

Assuming the Nats are sellers at the deadline, what type of team would be most aggressive in pursuing CJ Abrams? I assume a contender would be concerned about putting him at SS with his defensive metrics

Mark P

8:37

Abrams has played some second base in the past, but a midseason position change isn't necessarily the easiest adjustment to make, even if going from SS to 2B is easier on paper.

Between a position change, changing teams, and jumping onto a team expecting you to be the final piece of a contending puzzle, that might be a lot to have on Abrams' plate, so there's a psychological element to consider. Or, Abrams may fully embrace the change, and continue to play well once he gets away from rebuilding Washington and onto a contender.

8:38

Abrams' penchant for cooling off after hot starts is the biggest key to his deadline trade value. If his numbers start declining in June or July, a suitor will have to think about paying the Nats a premium trade package for a player who might just keep declining in the second half.

Alvarez Landing Spots

8:40

If the Astros decide to trade Alvarez, who will be in the mix? And, who can afford Alvarez (prospect haul).

Mark P

8:44

Alvarez is more or less a full-time DH who can play some left field, plus he has over $65MM still owed to him through 2028.

So that eliminates the Dodgers, Yankees, and Phillies since their DH spots are spoken for, and the Cubs are probably in the same boat. The salary likely takes Milwaukee and Tampa out of the running unless the Rays' new ownership group decides YOLO. This leaves the Braves and Padres as possible suitors within the NL, and it's hard to gauge the AL fully since mostly everyone isn't playing well. The Rangers fit on paper except there is a zero percent chance Houston would trade Alvarez to Texas.

8:45

After breaking all of that down, I should've prefaced by saying that I doubt Houston trades Alvarez at all. Even if the Astros are out of contention and decide to sell to come extent, moving Alvarez is the kind of move the team would only make if it was entirely blowing things up, rather than retooling for 2027

Rob

8:46

If the AL Central remains stagnant, do you see the White Sox being buyers at the deadline? Seem to have a logjam at SS/2B for prospects.

Mark P

8:47

If the Sox are actually in the running, I can see them being buyers to some modest extent. But, they're not going to suddenly go all-out in loading up for a playoff run and short-circuit their rebuild.

Blue Jays

8:47

Could we be in the mix of Alvarez (if the Astros do decide to trade him of course)

Mark P

8:48

That would require one of Alvarez or Springer playing in left field every day, which seems risky. It's not out of the question given how aggressive the Jays have been, plus Springer is a free agent after the season.

Trade Proposal

8:50

Eric Lauer for Cash Considerations…who wins?

Mark P

8:51

You know it's been a rough go for Lauer when I'm getting questions like this, just a couple of months after plenty of "why aren't the Jays giving Lauer a shot in the rotation?" queries.

If it wasn't for the other rotation injuries, Lauer would've already been out of the starting five. Lack of depth notwithstanding, the Jays probably can't keep running him out there if he keeps having more performances like today.

Davis Martin

8:53

I pitched well again today against a good hitting Mariners team. Am I top a top 20 pitcher right now? If so, should the Sox try to extend beyond the 1-year deal I am on now?

Mark P

8:54

Martin isn't eligible for free agency until after the 2030 season, and he is already 29 years old. From this perspective, there's no real rush for the White Sox to lock him up beyond his arb years, so the team might just keep enjoying Martin's work as a fantastic bargain

No Pop Dres

8:55

I like that they’re tied for first but why can’t the Padres hit?

Mark P

8:57

San Diego's record is remarkable given how virtually their entire lineup is struggling. Surely you'd think at least a couple of Tatis, Machado, Merrill, etc. will turn things around based on track record alone, and it is perhaps worth noting that the Padres are near the bottom of the league in team BABIP.

Paws the Tiger

8:58

The team is stock piling injuries, when can we get a look at Max Clark?

Mark P

9:00

Clark's been only so-so at Triple-A, so the Tigers aren't going to rush him to the majors just for the sake of filling injury holes. If Clark gets on a sustained hot streak and starts to look like he's ready, he will certainly be in Detroit before 2026 is over.

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