Mark Polishuk's NL Central comments

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mikechamp
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Mark Polishuk's NL Central comments

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These comments came from a chat with MLB Trade Rumors' Mark Polishuk that occurred on November 24.

A surprising number of questions given this chat took place on Thanksgiving night. (And yes, it was posted earlier, but I accidentally deleted it.) 2 bonus Q&As this time: 1 about the best mascot in baseball and another about what meat was on this Thanksgiving plate (even though he's Canadian).

The link to the entire chat can be found here: https://www.jotcast.com/chat/mlbtr-live-chat-14461.html

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Will Mozeliak and the Cardinals upgrade at more than catcher this offseason? Any chance of a frontline starting pitcher or shortstop? Or do you think the Cardinals have upgrades in the minor ready to contribute (Gordan Graceffo or Tink Hence at SP or Masyn Winn at SS)?

Mark Polishuk
Going by STL's history, they're going to give those younger kids a shot... unless two or three of them are packaged in a trade for an established star.

The Cards tend to go the trade route more than the big-ticket free agent route, so that would be my pick if they did a blockbuster move. While their OF does seem to have a lot of candidates, I do wonder if they could package a couple of the outfielders for one surefire player.
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People say Stearns would need to be traded to leave Milwaukee. This seem likely? Who was the last person in front office to be traded?

Mark Polishuk
Off the top of my head, Theo Epstein was "dealt" from the Red Sox to Chicago.
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Would JD Martinez be a good fit for the Cardinals as a DH?

Mark Polishuk
In general, the Cards might want a player with more defensive flexibility. Pujols was basically DH-only, but also a special case because he's Albert Pujols.
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How many more chances/years does Senzel have to prove himself in Cincinnati? Would a change of scenery help him?

Mark Polishuk
Senzel's inability to stay healthy is his biggest issue, not playing for the Reds.
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Would the Brewers consider trading Burnes or Woodruff in division?

Mark Polishuk
If someone made an absurd offer, sure. But more often than not, teams prefer to trade players (especially stars) outside the division.
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Is this the offseason for the Cubs to make big moves or are there reasons next offseason makes more sense?

Mark Polishuk
I don't see why Chicago couldn't "go for it" this winter, to some extent. Not a total spending spree, but landing at least one pricey, long-term star (as sort of a Jon Lester-esque "we're back" move), and then some auxiliary moves to build out some needed depth.
The NL Central is a winnable division.
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Do the Giants take on Yelich’s contract to get Burnes?

Mark Polishuk
Probably not. Why take the risk of absorbing such a big contract for two years of Burnes, when you could just acquire another ace for money (or a more palatable trade package)?
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Was the Hader trade the beginning of a full scale sell off for the Brewers? Burnes and Woody are probably too expensive to sign after arbitration. Are they next to go?

Mark Polishuk
I doubt the Brewers go into full sell mode. Ideally, their plan would be to adopt the Guardians' model of trading higher-priced guys for nice trade returns, and reloading that way.  

However, having Woodruff, Burnes, and Adames all free agents at the same time (after 2024) kind of forces a decision sooner rather than later, whereas Cleveland has been able to somewhat space out when their biggest stars have been hitting the open market.
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Mardrigal for Kelenic?

Mark Polishuk
This is one of those offers where I feel like neither team would do it, even if it makes some sense on paper.
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How is Griffey Jr. usually overlooked when people name their baseball Rushmores?

Mark Polishuk
With all due respect to the great Ken Griffey Jr., I don't see any case where he's one of the four best players ever, or biggest icons ever, or whatever your criteria is for a "baseball Mt. Rushmore".
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Tapia and Candelario to the Cubs? Add some left handed hitting.

Mark Polishuk
"Hitting" is maybe a reach given how both guys performed in 2022. But, Candelario might not be a bad change of scenery guy... he was putting up good numbers as recently as 2021.
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Do you believe the Reds will be active in the free agent market after next season or...

Mark Polishuk
Not in any huge way, but if the Reds do show progress in 2023, they might start taking some baby steps back towards contending.
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Adames extension rumor going around. What could we expect for contract?

Mark Polishuk
To be frank, I doubt Adames is being extended. He may have already passed the ideal window for the Brewers to lock him up on a multi-year deal.
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Settle a debate: who’s the best mascot in baseball?

Mark Polishuk
Phillie Phanatic, easy.
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Turkey or ham for Thanksgiving dinner?

Mark Polishuk
Turkey all the way. Not a fan of ham.
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Bernie Brewer > Phillie Phanatic

Mark Polishuk
A fair take! Bernie is also great.
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GeddyWrox
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Re: Mark Polishuk's NL Central comments

Post by GeddyWrox »

FREDBIRD >>> Phillie Phanatic >>>>>>>>>>>>> Bernie

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MinorLeagueGuy
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Re: Mark Polishuk's NL Central comments

Post by MinorLeagueGuy »

No Fredbird = foul play

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GeddyWrox
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Re: Mark Polishuk's NL Central comments

Post by GeddyWrox »

MinorLeagueGuy wrote:
November 28 22, 3:33 pm
No Fredbird = foul play
=D> =D> =D>

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