MLBTR Chat Transcript - MLB Trade Rumors

Mark P

Let’s see what the MLBTR readership has to share in the latest edition of the Weekend Chat. We’ll take a minute for some questions to file in, then get cooking….

Squints

Can the White Sox actually win the division.?

Mark P

Despite being 19-21, the ChiSox hold a wild card slot, and are just a game back of Cleveland for first place in the AL Central.Realistically, this won’t keep up. Either the Sox play down to their talent level, or the many (many!) AL teams underachieving right now start to get things together.
But….”realistically,” you see surprise teams emerge almost every season. The AL’s almost league-wide funk has kept pretty much everyone in the race, and maybe the Sox could at least take advantage of their weak division to make things interesting.

Red Wright Hand

Mets season is pretty much done. Are we the most disappointing team ever?

Mark P

Is this even the most disappointing Mets team in the last four years?

Mike trout

Do you really think I will be traded

Mark P

Nope. The contract is still too large, Arte Moreno refuses to rebuild, and Trout hasn’t shown any appetite for waiving his no-trade protection.

Buster

I’m sending a full Brinks truck to Skubal this offseason, right?

Mark P

The Giants are on record as not wanting to give lengthy, expensive contracts to pitchers. So they’re not the team I’d see as the likeliest suitors to give Skubal a record-setting contract, and such a deal is certainly now in question since Skubal will miss such a big chunk of 2026.

Cohen

Will we decline Robert’s $20million option?

Mark P

Reds Nation

Demote McLain, promote Arroyo and Marte and bench Hayes. I believe the Reds are better off with Ashcraft or Johnson closing. Will that fix their problems?

Mark P

It won’t get the rotation or Suarez any healthier, but sure, getting McLain and Hayes out of the lineup seems like a pretty obvious answer for a team struggling for offense. Not to say that Arroyo or Marte are necessarily game-changers, but it would be hard to do worse than McLain/Hayes.It also doesn’t help that Sal Stewart has drastically cooled down after his hot start, but that’s not unexpected. The key is if Stewart can bounce back and at least be consistent the rest of the way.

Neale

Do the Red Sox have any chance recovering from their early season woes?

Mark P

Absolutely. Like I said earlier (and have been saying for a few weeks now), the American League as a whole has been mediocre. The Red Sox are one good week away from being in playoff position.

Blue Jay Bobby

He’ll probably been almost universally remembered as an Atlanta Brave, for me the first turning point in the history of the Toronto Blue Jays was the hiring of Bobby Cox as manager for the 1982 season.

Mark P

No doubt that Cox played a huge role in the Jays’ first competitive teams, and their first AL East title. It’s funny….I wonder how many fans ever remember Cox even managed the Jays, or worked anywhere other than in Atlanta

1st place Rays

Huge fan of Chandler Simpson and the style of ball the Rays are playing (bunting, stealing bases, small ball). Can they keep it up the rest of the season?

Mark P

Smallball is hard to sustain over a long amount of time, and the Rays’ offense has been helped by the fact that their pitchers are keeping opponents in check.The very nature of low-scoring games means Tampa can’t catch all the breaks all the time, barring a whole lot of good fortune. I’d like to see them add a more proven bat with some pop by the deadline, and then this team might really be able to make some noise.

Andujar

When are the A’s scheduled to have their park done and move in?

Mark P

The plan is Opening Day 2028

DOOOM

How can the Tigers right the ship? Keith has no power, Torkleson is what he is, Greene has been amazing, but the support platoon is just not working anymore.

Mark P

The support platoon has been hampered by the fact that the Tigers have basically half the roster on the injured list right now, even if the pitching has been hit harder than the position players.The challenge for the Tigers is to just at least tread water until they start getting healthier. They’re far from the only AL team struggling right now, so as long as they can keep within striking distance, another late-season surge is possible

Gloves

Is Buster in over his head?

Mark P

Not much is working for the Giants right now, and in a sense it’s inexplicable because (on paper) the lineup shouldn’t be this bad. But, coming off a relatively quiet offseason and the controversial managerial choice, it’s easy to wonder whether or not Posey’s plan for the team has already gone off the rails.
This being Posey’s first time running a front office isn’t necessarily the issue, as he has plenty of experienced people working with him. But his misses have outnumbers the hits thus far.

Eric

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

Mark P

Josh E

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

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.

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

Mark P

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.
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

Will the Pirates make the playoffs?

Mark P

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

Will Schlittler be able to keep these numbers up?

Mark P

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

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

Guards4Life

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

Bernardo

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

Optimistic Giants Fan

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

Mark P

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

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

Mark P

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

Good Question

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

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

Roch

Mark P

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

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

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.
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

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

Mark P

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.
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

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

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

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

Mark P

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

Mark P

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

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

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

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

Mark P

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

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

Mark P

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.

I know Soto is a great player and all – but in your opinion would the Mets sign him today to that same contract given the opportunity?

Mark P

If the Mets were going through this disaster of a season and Soto (on another team in this reality) was a free agent after 2026? The Mets absolutely still make that deal, since now they’re even more desperate.Even with 20-20 hindsight, Soto hasn’t at all been the Mets’ problem.

Angels fan

Is the GM in trouble It’s not his fault

Mark P

The Angels have a club option on Minasian’s services for 2027, and I’d say it’s a coin flip on whether or not it’s picked up. With Kurt Suzuki also on just a one-year deal, Moreno might want to entirely clean house and bring in a new GM and manager.You are also correct in saying that the state of the Angels isn’t Minasian’s fault. Arte Moreno’s ownership style is the problem, but Moreno isn’t firing himself.

Dan B

At what point should Craig Breslow be accountable for the Chris Sale trade, trading Kyle Harrison away and acquiring Caleb Durbin who doesn’t seem to be able to hit the ball in the air, instead of pursuing either Bregman or Paredes more agressively

Mark P

The heat is absolutely on Breslow, especially now that Cora has been fired. Unless the Red Sox turn things around in a hurry, Breslow is very likely out of a job, maybe even before season’s end

Arizona

So the pitching has been borderline great this week. But the offense fell off a cliff we thought they’d already jumped from…. Is the only good team in the state just going to always be flawed like this?

Mark P

I’m not sure what’s more frustrating for D’backs fans….if the team had continued its trend of big hitting with struggling pitching, or this suddenly reversal of a team with a borderline terrific bullpen but with an ice-cold lineup.

Fighting Fish

I don’t understand why the Marlins keep Morel, when Ramirez should just DH full time, or even possibly transition to 1st Base

Mark P

I don’t think Ramirez is really the answer either. If Joe Mack can play well, having Mack as the starting catching and moving Hicks more or less full-time to 1B might work. In general, however, Miami just seems like a team that should get a big corner IF bat if they’re in contention at the deadline, but that might not be feasible for payroll or roster construction reasons.

Junior Caminero Jr

Do you find Tampa’s small ball fun to watch? Stat heads seem to despise it.

Mark P

Except when they’re using it to sweep the Blue Jays, I like the Rays’ style just fine.

O’s Fan

Your joke about Roch Kubatko was great and such a Roch Kubatko thing to do

Mark P

One more Roch Kubatko anecdote to share, which more a joke about me…At a Jays/Orioles spring training game a couple of years ago, I’m leaving the concession stand with a big bag of popcorn when I happen to notice Roch Kubatko nearby, checking his phone. After citing Roch for years on MLBTR, I felt it would be fun to introduce myself in person, so I started walking in his direction….and promptly tripped, spilling my popcorn all over the ground. At this point, I decided this wasn’t the best time for an introduction, and walked away.
“Mark, did you go back to concessions and spend even more money on more popcorn?”…..no comment

O’s Fan

Lots of MASN and local newspaper excitement regarding Taylor Ward’s 40 walks and high on base percentage so far. Which is great and all, but the o’s signed him for his home run power, as well, and he’s hit 1 so far this year. He walked twice and struck out looking twice today. He almost looks like he doesn’t want to swing. Am i being too cynical? Or is Ward’s high walk rate actually not as productive as the o’s need him to be with the bat?

Mark P

Ward’s .262/.426/.376 is one of the more unusual slash lines you’ll ever see, and his walk rate is more than double his career average.I find it hard to get too upset over a player with a 138 wRC+, which would also be a career high for Ward. He’s going his job by getting on base and not making outs, and the much bigger issue is the several other Orioles hitters who aren’t producing at all

Austin Hedges

What about me? I’m the team leader for the Guardians and want to spend the rest of my career there.

Mark P

fwiw, Hedges is having the best offensive season of his career, though it would be a shock if he keeps hitting anywhere close to this.In the bigger picture, the Guardians might think they can keep Hedges for lower-cost deals or even a minor league pact, rather than $4MM per year. Or, having Bailey as an even better defensive catcher who is under team control is maybe Cleveland’s preferred option, as it allows them to keep up their standard of elite catcher defense

Patchogue

When does Olson take a day off? 4-5 years from now maybe?

Mark P

Olson’s consecutive games streak is now the 10th-longest in baseball history. In yet another example of how unbelievable Cal Ripken’s streak was, Olson is still over 1800 games away from Ripken’s record.

Giants

Will Posey be fired from the PBO job considering he’s a franchise legend and partial stake owner of the Giants? Also, when will someone from the coaching staff be let go after this disastrous start? Rarely any of them have actual pro ball experience

Mark P

I suspect if it comes to that, Posey might resign rather than be “fired,” just so everyone can save face. I don’t expect this to happen in 2026, by the way, as I suspect Posey will be given more time to right the ship.How the Giants may respond to the coaching staff is an interesting question. Vitello was signed to a big contract, so a managerial change probably isn’t in the cards unless the season goes completely in the tank. Bringing in new coaches may be one response, even if some fans may feel it’s a half-measure.
Again, however, one wonders if it’s really the coaches’ fault that so many proven MLB hitters are suddenly in a collective slump. Especially in this era when many players have their own personal swing gurus, rather than listening solely to what their coaches are saying

Evening mark

Appreciate the response, I was more interested in what the cost might be for the reds to get a real closer.

Mark P

Given the cost of acquiring closers at the deadline, the Reds’ move might be to pick up a high-leverage arm, if not necessarily a “closer.” If Pagan isn’t the answer, maybe Santillan or Ashcraft gets the job for saves, or the Reds deploy a committee based on situations

Hello

Does Volpe get moved at the trade deadline?

Mark P

Can’t be ruled out. Volpe would certainly draw interest as a change of scenery candidate, and would be an interesting trade chip for the Yankees to include as part of a package for someone that can help them win now

Ludwig’s Safety Squeeze

Is Walt Weiss a better hands on manager than Snitker or is it just that the players this year are outperforming last year’s roster?

Mark P

While the 2026 Braves have certainly had their share of injuries, they’re still much healthier than the 2025 club. This year’s team also has Albies, Harris, and the wild card that is Dominic Smith all hitting like mad.

the chase is on

how do you see delauter doing the rest of the year? can he keep up more walks than ks? was the power surge in march a fluke or indicative that he can hit for power and average as a stud?

Mark P

The advanced metrics are all very positive for DeLauter, except for the admittedly important departments of hard-contact rate and barrel rate. He doesn’t need to be a superstar in 2026, as the Guardians would be more than happy if he’s just a solid regular in his first real exposure to big league pitching

Kevin Cash

Why aren’t more outlets taking my team seriously

Mark P

If anything, flying under the radar seems to traditionally help the Rays.

Alek Thomas

Why has nobody taken a chance on me yet?

Mark P

I suspect several teams have been in touch with the D’Backs with trade offers, so the Snakes are now gauging their options
I’d be surprised if Thomas leaves on just a straight waiver claim, as you’d think the D’Backs would be able to get some kind of player return

Mike

Opinion on ryan waldschmidt of arizona

Mark P

He is destined to be one of the top two players named –ldschmidt in Diamondbacks history

Zach

Is Josh Jung for real or is it just early and will he level out?

Mark P

Jung’s metrics are pretty good, but a .352 BABIP pretty much guarantees some regression.Still, he’s banked those hits already, and been arguably the Rangers’ MVP for helping keep the team afloat while most of the lineup has been struggling
Ideally, as Jung inevitably cools off, one or two more of the Texas hitters will start heating up
We’re two hours into the chat, so it’s time to wrap things up. Thanks so much for all the questions!
If you’re interested in more baseball Q&A, one of the many benefits of our Trade Rumors Front Office subscription is the exclusive weekly live chats. The more limited field means you’re about 10 times more likely to get a question answered, as opposed to battling for space with hundreds of other questions in today’s chat. For more on our memberships, check out this link:https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/membership?ref=chat-5-10-26