Mark Polishuk's NL Central comments

[mikechamp]

These comments came from a chat with MLB Trade Rumors' Mark Polishuk that occurred on August 16.

A lot fewer questions this week, so I included 5 bonus questions: two about Tommy John and 3 about labor strife. Enjoy the read!!

The link to the entire chat can be found here: https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2026/08/ ... t-139.html
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Chances PCA actually wins MVP?

Mark Polishuk
Pretty strong. Voter fatigue might play a role in a fresher face than Ohtani capturing the trophy, plus it’s not like PCA doesn’t deserve it on merit alone.
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Why did the Pirates put Conor Griffin on the 60 Day IL when he can easily be back before that and then help them?

Mark Polishuk
Griffin last played on July 5, and he has yet to start baseball activities. So there’s no guarantee he’ll be back before September 5, let alone “easily” before that date.

The Pirates wouldn’t have put Griffin on the 60-day if they had any real belief he would’ve been back early.
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Do you know if the Reds informed teams of Greene’s health when they were fielding offers? Kinda strange that he has TJ just days after the deadline.

Mark Polishuk
Teams exchange medical records as soon as they’re close in any trade talks, assuming things even got that far in any negotiations between the Reds and interested clubs.
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Do the Cubs sign an Infielder to fill in why Swanson out?

Mark Polishuk
Nah, they should be fine with Ramirez and Triandos to play 2B while Hoerner goes to shortstop. “Fine” if Swanson only misses some time, of course… if it’s a bad oblique strain and his season is over, that becomes more problematic. Chicago might still be okay if Ramirez keeps hitting and Shaw is eventually back to help, but trading for another infielder doesn’t seem likely.
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How about Baez debut in STL! What are some other memorable debuts?

Mark Polishuk
Bumpus Jones threw a no-hitter in his first Major League game. This was back in 1892, and I don’t think I had a shift on MLBTR that night.
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Did this weekend offer us a preview of the NLCS?

Mark Polishuk
If you mean Brewers/Dodgers or Braves/Diamondbacks, maybe. If you mean Mets/Nats, Marlins/Reds, or Rockies/Giants, nope.
Oh, and Cardinals/Cubs?…..hey, crazier things have happened!
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Who would be a good challenge trade partner for the Nats Dylan Crews? Nats could still go with an OF of Daylen Lile, Jacob Young, and James Wood next year. Seems some organization would love to take a chance on him, and the Nats could desperately use more SP. Gotta trade something to get something….

Mark Polishuk
Maybe an outfield-needy team like Cincinnati?
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How are Tommy John and Dr. Jobe not in the Hall?

Mark Polishuk
Great question. If you’re talking about overall influence in baseball in the last 50 years, Jobe is very high on that list. And even beyond the impact of his injury recovery, John has a case based on numbers alone.
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How many free agents will sign before a potential labor stoppage? Or will everyone wait?

Mark Polishuk
As we saw with the 2021-22 lockout, there was plenty of free agent action before the December 1 freeze. I’d imagine something similar happens this time around, where some of the bigger names sign earlier but plenty of stars are still available once the transaction freeze begins
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If you were to put a percent on it, what would you say are the chances the entire 2027 season is completely cancelled?

Mark Polishuk
Zero. I’m not entirely convinced any games will be lost, let alone a full season. Losing an entire year may well destroy the sport, and I find it hard to believe that both sides are willing to go that route.
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How will a possible lock out/strike alter the timing to the trade market this off season? Could it change possible trades and even possible manager/GM changes by organizations?

Mark Polishuk
Teams generally have GM/manager hirings finished by mid-November, so that shouldn’t change the timeline a ton in a lockout offseason. A lot of coaching hirings will be left in limbo, however.It could be that we see some teams on the fence fire their front office execs or managers before season’s end, just to get an early jump on the interview process. Perhaps that was part of the impetus for David Forst getting fired now and not in October.
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Is Tommy John surgery one of the 10 most important developments in the history of baseball?

Mark Polishuk
Great debate point! There have been so many epic game-changing moments in baseball history that TJ surgery (as important as it has been) doesn’t crack the top 10 or even the top 20. But that doesn’t lessen the impact in general.
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