Mark Polishuk's NL Central comments

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mikechamp
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Mark Polishuk's NL Central comments

Post by mikechamp »

These comments came from a chat with MLB Trade Rumors' Mark Polishuk that occurred on June 27. A decent amount of NL Central content again this week. This chat felt decidedly more normal. I also included bonus Q&As about the Astros* HBP total and the upcoming CBA's impact on free agency.

The link to the entire chat can be found here: https://www.jotcast.com/chat/mlbtr-live-chat-8188.html

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Thoughts on the Cardinals Edwin Nunez signing?

Mark Polishuk
Seems like a heck of a live arm for an 18-year-old, and worth a $525K investment.
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Do the cubs have a chance to win it all?

Mark Polishuk
Sure. Lot of talent on that team, and really, just about any club in baseball has a chance given the small sample size of a 60-game season.
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Do you think that the Cubs will have more night games? More people can watch at night, and there will be far less of a parking/traffic situation near Wrigley Field.

Mark Polishuk
I strongly doubt fans will be allowed to attend games, so it'll be a moot point as far as parking goes.
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Do you think that having teams only playing teams in their geographic divisions brings back a little bit of the mystery of the old days? As in, if you make the playoffs, you very likely have not seen your playoff opponents this year.

Mark Polishuk
It'll be weird to have to wait until the playoffs to see something like, for example, White Sox/Yankees or Cardinals/Braves, or other common matchups that have been staples of every baseball season for over a century.
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Thoughts about David Ross as Manager for the Cubs?

Mark Polishuk
He seems universally respected, so that's a good start and perhaps an answer to the built-in awkwardness that can come from a guy managing players he so recently played alongside. That said, Ross was seen as a de facto coach during his playing days anyway, so maybe it won't be much of an adjustment.

As to how Ross will handle in-game tactics and strategic calls, the jury is still out.
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How does this impact players like Nick Castelonos .....that can opt out after a year?

Mark Polishuk
Unless Castellanos has an absolutely unreal 2020 season, I'd be shocked if he opted out.

Even with huge numbers, in fact, I'd guess Castellanos might prefer the security of his current deal rather than test the market.
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What are the biggest holes on Cincinnati's roster preventing them from taking the Central? Seems like a lot of prognosticators have them at about .500 even before the short season.

Mark Polishuk
My questions about Cincy had to do with their defense, whether Votto could rebound, whether any of young outfielders would emerge, whether Akiyama would be able to transition well to MLB....there was definitely some reason to be uncertain.

The DH becoming available answers one of those defensive questions, at least.
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Who are you thinking at DH for the Reds? Moustakas? Then Senzel every day at 2nd? Or Castellanos with Senzel in the OF? None of the outfielders are horrible in the grass but none are anywhere close to being GG winners either. They all seem to fit in the below average to average area defensively but they can't all DH and they still have to send three of them out there.

Mark Polishuk
The easiest answer is no single DH, as the Reds can rotate a number of players through the slot based on matchups and to keep everyone fresh.
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Will the Astros still lead the league in HBPs?

Mark Polishuk
Since bench-clearing brawls are now banned under the health and safety regulations, I'd guess the league will step in if Astros hitters face an untoward number of HBPs.
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Do free agents after this year try to lock up a long term deal or wait until after the new CBA? Do teams want to lock in players with uncertainty of the new CBA?

Mark Polishuk
I think free agency is going to be such a minefield for non-elite players this winter and a lot of them would love to get any sort of multi-year security.
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Felix The Cat
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Re: Mark Polishuk's NL Central comments

Post by Felix The Cat »

.500 predictions for the Reds? Is Fangraphs just extra bullish on the Reds? Their pre-COVID projections had us finishing behind them (in 4th place).

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