MLBTR Chat Transcript

Jim

• When do the Arb projections drop?

Mark P

• I believe they’re coming this week, and possibly as early as tomorrow. Stay tuned!

Mariners

• I’m both nervous and confident…. which one wins out versus the tigers?

Mark P

• Losing Game 1 was a real blow to the Mariners with Skubal going tonight.  If the Tigers are up 2-0 with the series going back to Detroit and Skubal on tap again for a hypothetical Game 5, the M’s are in major hot water.

Ang T

• Is it a given that Vientos replaces Alonso if Pete leaves in free agency?

Mark P

• In my Mets offseason outlook from the other day (self-promotion, woo hoo!), I suggested that the Mets could sign a veteran left-handed bat to platoon with Vientos.  Someone like a Cody Bellinger who can play both 1B and the outfielder would be ideal, though Bellinger is a nice fit on a lot of teams.

  Vientos’ offense was so lackluster in 2025 that if you’re the Mets, I’m not sure how confident you can be in just handing him the first base job outright.

Dylan beavers

• Do I get extended this off-season

Mark P

• /checks MLBTR Agency Database
  /sees Beavers is repped by someone other than Scott Boras

  Yes, it’s possibility!  Now that Basallo has been extended, you wonder if that breaks the seal on the Orioles locking up more players from this second wave of the young core.  Beavers is repped by the Beverly Hills Sports Council, who has negotiated other early-career extensions for the likes of Jackson Chourio and Kristian Campbell

Mets fan

• Should I expect the mets to have the same coaching staff layout with a pitching and hitting coach with an asst for each or is it possible we get an associate manager, offensive coordinator, field coordinator, etc?

Mets shakeup

• Were you surprised to see to the Mets fire so many coaches? Hefner had a pretty good reputation as a pitching coach before this year and Stearns didn’t do a good job of giving him much to work with this year.

Mark P

• Speaking of people who won’t be unemployed for long, I expect Hefner to quickly land on another MLB staff for 2026.  I agree with the assessment that the Mets’ pitching struggles were more due to personnel and a flawed approach to the rotation more than anything Hefner did.  (That said, there’s also the caveat that I don’t know what was happening within the Mets clubhouse.)

  As to the team’s coaching titles, it’s possible they might switch up some titles and responsibilities, perhaps to more directly specify coaches into specific duties.  Probably depends on who they end up hiring.

Bobby Cox

• I thought Skip S would have been a good choice for us. I dont want Ross, maybe DeRo or eddie p. How about you?

Mark P

• A few months ago, I predicted that John Gibbons would be the Braves’ next manager.  I’ll continue to stand by that call in the wake of the news that Gibbons is leaving the Mets’ bench coach job.

Kwan

• As rough as the outfield situation had been in Cleveland, it feels like they hang on to me for this next season.

Mark P

• Kwan is arb-controlled through 2027, and the Guardians traditionally wait to deal a player prior to his final year before free agency. So unless the Guards are out of the race at the deadline (like this year!….wait….), Kwan will probably get traded next winter

Guardians of the Galaxy

• Given the absolutely abysmal offense displayed by the Guardians this season, do you see ownership finally opening their wallets at least a little to acquire some reliable offense (OF/INF) or should we expect another year of bottom-dwelling offense while we waste quality pitching and JRam’s prime?

Mark P

• You’re preaching to the choir on this.  Moving Gimenez’s contract and most of Straw’s contract opened up a lot of extra money for the Guardians, plus Emmanuel Clase’s contract might well be wiped off the books by a suspension.

  This is a team with only $37.2MM committed to next year’s payroll even with Clase’s money still considered.  Even with a gigantic arb class pushing that number up, you’d think there would be some urgency to bring in some kind of proven bat.

Rodney

• The Jays fired on all cylinders the first two games against the Yanks, but baseball fortunes can turn on a dime. Where does your biggest fear lie with the team?

Mark P

• As we saw today, Toronto’s relief corps is very shaky.  That doesn’t bode well for the bullpen game the Jays have lined up for Game 4, if the Yankees can win Game 3.

  Speaking as a Jays fan, I’m obviously very happy with the series thus far, but I’m absolutely not counting my chickens yet

Stevie Wonder

• Do the Royals resign Jonathan India?

Mark P

• I’d think pretty hard about non-tendering him.  It would be a tough pill to swallow just a year after trading away Singer for him, but India had a sub-replacement season. The money KC can save with a non-tender can be spent on a better replacement for 2B, or for outfield help

Tigers Rock!

• Favorite Detroit rockers?  Funkadelic, the Stooges, MC5, or Alice Cooper?

Mark P

• I assume that by “rockers” you’re not counting umpteen incredible Motown artists (like Stevie Wonder, who just asked that Royals question).  If so, my answer is the White Stripes.

Mark

• Would the Rangers move Langford? What do you think they would ask for from the Red Sox? I think his bat would be special in Fenway.

Mark P

• Firstly, Langford is maybe the last person the Rangers would trade.  Secondly, the Red Sox have an outfield surplus already.

Angels fan

• What are the playoffs that this chat is speaking of?

Mark P

• Cast your mind back to the magical 2002 season…

Blake

• With the Texas Rangers seemingly heading toward austerity, do you think they will try to move any surprising names this off-season?

Mark P

• Loosely translated, this means “which of the big four contracts do you think is most movable”?

  Semien is least-tradable, Seager is next, and the Rangers would get a lot of interest if they shopped deGrom or Eovaldi.  Frontline pitching is always valuable, even for two veterans with injury histories making significant money.

  DeGrom getting through 2025 healthy is a big plus for his market, and Eovaldi was incredible when healthy this year.  One wrinkle for Eovaldi’s trade market is the possibility of a sports hernia surgery, so teams may be unsure about how his offseason routine will be disrupted

Angry Fan

• Have you ever witnessed a fanbase as mad as Pittsburgh Pirates fans currently are?

Mark P

• I’m not even sure if the Pirates are the angriest current fanbase.  Angels, Rockies, Twins, White Sox, etc.

Brewers Fan

• I’m not sure who you had going into it, but if Chourio missed the rest of it, does that change your view of the series?

Mark P

• I still think Milwaukee wins with or without Chourio, but obviously losing him would be a blow

Verlander

• Do the giants resign me?

Mark P

• They need pitching and JV did well enough in 2025 that you’d assume the Giants would welcome a reunion.  The ball might be in Verlander’s court about whether he’d like to return to a familiar spot, or perhaps seek out a team better positioned to contend

Don Zimmer

• PCA has peaked, and his career year is over. He hits 230 vs LHP and is an easy out vs same. What can we get if we trade him in Dec?

Mark P

• The Cubs would get an absolute haul for a pre-arb player who’s turning 24, and who (at minimum) is a speed demon with Gold Glove-level defense in CF

  As much as PCA tailed off in the second half, there is absolutely zero chance the Cubs move him.

Frank Drebin Jr

• Have you changed your World Series prediction yet or are you still confident?

Mark P

• My preseason pick was Dodgers/Royals.  I won’t lie, I don’t love KC’s chances of reaching the Series.  Not being in the playoffs is a real setback.

David

• Wells or Rice as the Yankees’ primary catcher next year?

Mark P

• Wells, with Rice moving in as the primary first baseman and occasional backstop

Rockies Front Office

• Who do you feel will be the front runners for the Rockies front office role?

Rockies FO

• Any rumblings on the person to replace Bill?

Mark P

• This will be one of the more interesting GM searches in a while, just because it’s so unlike the Rockies to go outside the organization for a hire.  Who knows what their criteria might be, or how they’re approaching this process.

  I tend to agree with the idea that they’ll turn to someone who has worked with the Rox in the past.  For all the Thad Levine buzz, his tenure in Colorado only slightly overlaps with the Monforts’ purchase of the team, so I’m not sure he’s exactly the known quantity to the Monforts that people think.

Bobby Cox

• I could see Sox signing ozuna to a 1 year deal. They could use him

Mark P

• The Red Sox?  They probably need to keep the DH spot open, either for Yoshida or to cycle multiple guys through.

  The White Sox?  Hey, why not, as a veteran bat who can probably then become trade bait at the deadline.  Even for Chicago, however, they might prefer to keep their DH spot free for getting Quero and Teel both into the lineup as much as possible

Torii Hunter

• Should I add wash to my staff if I am the manager?

Mark P

• Speculative on my part, but my guess is that Washington wouldn’t want to return to a team that just fired him as manager.

  Wash’s most probable landing spot might be back in Atlanta as a coach on the new manager’s staff.  As for the Angels, I do think that if the new skipper is a first-timer like Hunter or Pujols, hiring an experienced bench coach is a must.

Guest

• Don’t get Cardinals thinking are the going to youth or not

Mark P

• They certainly are this time around.  Given how the veterans with no-trade clauses are all at least “thinking about” waiving their protection, the writing is on the wall about the rebuild.

Phil

• Which MLB veteran do you see having the most difficult time finding a Major League contract next season, similar to the way that JD Martinez and Anthony Rizzo did?

Mark P

• We just mentioned Ozuna in a recent question, and he might fit the bill.  His numbers were okay (21 homers, 114 wRC+) but way down from his previous two seasons.  Ozuna turns 35 next month, he’s a DH-only player, and his past off-the-field issues make him a no-go for some teams automatically.

Ang T

• Which route will the Mets go to acquire a staff Ace?

Mark P

• Valdez might be the closest thing to a clear-cut ace in this year’s free agent market, given the questions about Cease and Gallen.  (And Tatsuya Imai, who is an unknown against North American hitting.)  So based on scarcity alone, the Mets are likelier to go the trade route for frontline pitching.

Joe

• Are the Rangers able to move any of their big contracts before next season?  If so will the return be worth it?

Mark P

• I think there’s some logic in selling high on DeGrom or Eovaldi, because as great as they looked in 2025, the injury risk won’t just go away.

  The problem is that if you deal one of those two, that opens up yet another hole in a rotation that may lose all of Mahle, Kelly, and Corbin to free agency.

Ebenezer_Batflip

• Seems like everyone said Story would almost never opt-out, but his season has substantially exceeded expectations and he only has 2 years left on his deal, which would end during a potential CBA lockout. Feels like he’s the kind of guy who would prioritize getting a 3rd of 4th year over AAV money. What do you think? Story opts out or stays in Boston?

Mark P

• Story is owed $25MM in both 2026 and 2027, plus he’ll get another $5MM on his buyout of a $25MM club option for 2028.  So that’s $55MM left on the table if he does opt out, and his contract does last through the end of the CBA following the 2026 season.

  Story turns 33 next month, and he’s coming of a 101 wRC+ season.  The counting numbers look better than the overall offensive impact for Story, and his defense really dropped off significantly, to boot.  All in all, I suspect he stays in his contract, since his market might not be all that robust.  Besides, why not stick around in Boston on a very promising young team?

• Worth noting that if he did opt out, the Red Sox could override his decision by guaranteeing Story’s 2028 salary.  But, I think we can rule that scenario out.

Felix

• Did Shane Bieber show enough in his abbreviated 2025 to get a multi-year pact?

Mark P

• 40 1/3 innings of 3.57 ERA ball, with pretty good peripherals (especially a great walk rate) but a lot of homers allowed.  A lot of teams would happily give Bieber multiple years off that production.

Hits Like Rays

• Chances that the Rays keep Christopher Morel around next year for only about $800k?

Mark P

• Morel’s arb-eligible salary won’t be much, but he also hasn’t shown much since arriving in Tampa Bay.  The Rays have their usual gigantic arbitration class that I have yet to entirely sift through, but between their usual slate of trades and non-tenders, I’d lean towards Morel being elsewhere in 2026

Marlins

• Willson conteras as our trade. His contract is underwater, but he supplies defense and offense at first, send lottery ticket for STL to pay half the contract. Sign a good RP and we are a wildcard team

Mark P

• I don’t even think I’d call his contract underwater, considering that Contreras has been quite steady over his three years in STL.

  Miami is an interesting team to watch this winter since they “might” pivot to a bigger move or two if they feel they can legitimately contend.  I do kinda think they’re more prone to play it more conservative, but since we don’t know how Bendix will operate once he gets the green light to build a competitive team (or spend), it’s a bit of a question mark

• Plus, don’t forget that Contreras has a no-trade clause.  So he’d have to be convinced that the Marlins will be pushing to contend before he signs off on such a trade.

Cry young

• Crochet vs skubal but what about Chapman or freid?

Mark P

• Both have good cases for top-five finishes, even if I think most voters will favor starters over Chapman.

Larry

• Is AJ Preller’s job safe? Seems like it is too late to move on after letting him gut the farm .

Mark P

• Preller’s contract is up after the 2026 season, so ownership will be making a decision on his future sooner rather than later.  My guess is that he’ll get another extension since the Padres keep winning, even if they haven’t broken through for consistent playoff success

Ohtani

• MVP again as this king deserves or some other mortal?

Mark P

• Going forward, we should be thinking about what it’ll take for Ohtani to “not” win MVP, assuming he stays healthy.  If it wasn’t for Judge having one of the best hitting seasons of all time, Ohtani would have four MVPs in a row and be rolling towards a fifth.

Mariners

• Polanco seems to have skubals number

Mark P

• In these chats last winter and spring, I vaguely recall naming Polanco re-signing with the Mariners as perhaps the offseason’s most baffling move.

  Whoops!

Trip

• Edwin Diaz to the Braves possible?

Mark P

• The Braves generally don’t go quite that big in free agency, and Diaz will be looking for a deal at least matching his current contract.  I don’t see a fit, and if I had to pick Diaz’s 2026 team, my guess is a reunion with the Mets

Tiny Tigs

• Any chance ownership and the front office stop sitting on their hands and sign some real vets to compliment the young players on the team? Sick of 1 year deals, expecting to make a legit push when it matters

Mark P

• In fairness, Detroit did try to sign Bregman, so they at least attempted to make a splashier long-term signing.  Wouldn’t shock me if Bregman is on their radar again this winter, as well some other bigger names.

  A full season of competitive baseball and the September scare should probably convince ownership to spend a little more, though we should wait until the Tigers’ season is actually, y’know, over.  If they make the ALCS or better, our takes on Detroit’s strategy will look a lot different.

Squatter Talk

• Was Shea Langeliers’ season under appreciated?

Mark P

• Absolutely, in part because the A’s generally fly under a lot of fans’ radar

CT

• Do you think Shane McClanahan could be traded if he pitches well next season?

Mark P

• McClanahan is arb-eligible for the third of four trips this winter, and will get just a minimum raise since he didn’t pitch this year.  All his injuries have pushed his salaries down enough that he likely won’t get expensive enough for the Rays to pursue trading.
• Say he returns to have a full and healthy 2026 with ace-level numbers.  That bumps his 2027 salary up to perhaps $8MM or $8.5MM, which even by Rays standards is something they an afford for a frontline arm.

Andy

• Is Muncy an automatic to have his option picked up by the Dodgers?

Mark P

• Yep

Jay

• So Trey Day is pretty fun – wouldn’t you say?

Mark P

• Just an unreal start.  A kid with all of 14 MLB innings to his name just dominates the Yankees to that extent…you can’t make this up.

Slick Ric

• I think you are short changing how angry Pirates fans are.

Mark P

• While there’s undoubtedly a lot of (deserved) frustration in Pittsburgh, there are unfortunately a lot of fanbases that are irate at their teams right now.

Kyle

• Do the Red Sox go into 2026 with Casas penciled in at 1B or do they look for an external option?

Mark P

• Casas will probably get one last chance for next year.  He might be a trade candidate this winter, except the Sox would be selling low since Casas barely played last year.

Ray

• In addition to Tucker, who else isn’t with the Cubs next season, Alcantara, Ballesteros or Caissie, or more than 1 of the latter?

Mark P

• As in, you’re assuming the Cubs make another big trade of a prospect (or two?) in exchange for a star veteran?  It’s a possibility, except with Happ/Seiya both just a year away from free agency now, the Cubs are going to be less keen on moving an outfield prospect

Bucco Fan

• Which teams do you consider to be the best trade match for a Pirates team with SP depth?

Mark P

• Mariners, Red Sox, Mets….basically any club that has a distinct need in the rotation, and has a prospect pool that is generally deeper in top bats than top arms.

  Cardinals or Cubs maybe fit here except they’re division rivals.  Dodgers technically fit except their best position-player prospects are a few years away, and the Pirates need help now.

• We’re over two hours now, so it’s time to wrap this one up.  Thanks so much for all your questions, and more chatting should be taking place next weekend!
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