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Buzzmaster

  (1:00 PM)

We're getting Steve right now!

Steve Phillips

  (1:02 PM)

Good afternoon to everybody. I hope the sun is shining where you are because it has been dark in the East for the last three weeks and I'm pretty much sick of it. So cheer me up with some good baseball questions.

frank (miami east)

does Bronson Arroyo have any trade value? Innings eater. #4 caliber starter, i guess. Big salary. Not exactly a great trading chip given the economics.

Steve Phillips

  (1:04 PM)

I think there would be some teams interested in Bronson Arroyo. However, Walt Jockety has made it clear that Arroyo is not available. The Reds consider themselves buyers not sellers because they think they can win the NL Central. Arroyo is a guy that can get hot as he showed last year. He does have some experience and showed an ability to get outs in the AL, which would make him more marketable. But at this point it doesn't look like he's going anywhere.

Dennis (Santa Clarita, CA)

Steve, you've seen the Dodgers now a couple of weeks in a row. What's your read of Russell Martin? Almost not power, about 50 points below his life time average. What's up?

Steve Phillips

  (1:06 PM)

Other than that, he looks like exactly the same guy. It's hard to know what to make of his rapid decline over the last couple of years. Sometimes when players struggle like this it's because they're trying too hard by trying to make up for lost hits in previous at bats. The good news for the Dodgers, that despite the fact that Martin hasn't produced, they keep winning. You have to believe that once he does get going, the Dodgers should click. I think he'll pick it up and get hot at some point, but he'll only do that if he relaxes and let's his natural game come through. THe power numbers may not be there at the end, but I believe his batting average will be there when it's all said and done.

Scott (Union City)

The Giants are atop the NL Wild Card standings, do they have what it takes to be there around September?

Steve Phillips

  (1:07 PM)

I really like the Giants pitching. But if they're going to be a legit contender, they're going to have to support that pitching with more offense. They don't have to add MVP caliber players, they just need to add a couple of more professional at bats to their lineup. A guy like Nick Johnson would be a great fit in San Francisco.

Steve Phillips

  (1:08 PM)

If they get the offense, they might even be able to make a run at the Dodgers before it's all said and done.

Todd (Illlinois)

Thanks for the chat Steve. Heard any news out of L.A. about Pierre or Ethier getting traded? Is Pierre for sure going to go back to the bench, even if he keeps hitting well?

Steve Phillips

  (1:10 PM)

The Dodgers plan is for Juan Pierre to go to the bench and start two games a week. It doesn't feel fair to me and my guess is that it won't feel fair to his teammates either. He's hit better than Ethier. But I don't expect to see Ethier or Kemp to sit more than once to let Pierre play. If anyone gets traded it will be Pierre, because of the contract he has and his age. The Dodgers will keep the younger, less expensive player in Ethier. Pierre would be a great addition to any team and would be a good value if hte Dodgers were to pick up some of the salary. I would take him on my team for sure.

Brian ((Hamden,CT))

How do you like being in the booth come sunday night???

Steve Phillips

  (1:11 PM)

I've enjoyed the transition into the Sunday Night booth, joining Joe Morgan and Jon Miller who have been doing it together for the last 19 years. It's been a learning experience as we've gone along and I think we're starting to gel as a broadcast team. These things take time just like ball teams take time to develop chemistry. It's been a lot of fun. Thanks for asking.

Max (Chicago)

The White Sox almost had Peavy and were rumored to make a move for Oswalt- both obviously didn't happen. Do you see the White Sox making another big move or do you see them staying idol/making smaller deal(sl)? Who do you see them targeting for dealing and receiving?

Steve Phillips

  (1:13 PM)

The last I heard, Kenny Williams has said that the White Sox aren't sellers, that they're likely to be buyers. I have some concerns about whether they have the pitching necessary to win the division, despite the fact that the division seems to be pretty well balanced from top to bottom. If the White Sox make a move, my sense is that it will likely be for pitching. That could be the difference maker in the AL Central.

Eric (IA)

What do the Twins do with Liriano? He had to throw almost 120 pitches to get through 5 innings last night!

Steve Phillips

  (1:14 PM)

Well, he doesn't seem to be commanding his fastball well enough and his slider doesn't seem to have the same bite as it did prior to his Tommy John surgery. He's working a lot of deep counts and can't seem to put hitters away. The Twins' philosophy seems to be to pitch to contact. But when he doesn't have his stuff, he can't seem to find the bats. The more his arm gains strength, the more confidence he may start to show in the strike zone.

Max (Ky)

Do you think the Cubs can come back and win it all or no?

Steve Phillips

  (1:15 PM)

I think the Cubs best baseball is still in front of them and they still have a chance to win the division. They have to get healthy and the offense needs to improve. They have good players that just haven't gotten there yet. I'm looking for a strong second half for the Cubs and a potential division title in the NL Central.

Barry ((New York))

One Mets question (like there won't be a ton of them)--Can the Mets get healthy and win this division? When healthy, it just seems like the lineups are close (Phils better because more pop and clutch) and the Mets pitching just seems clearly better in the rotation and bullpen. What do you think?

Steve Phillips

  (1:18 PM)

I think the Mets can come back and win the division, but they are significantly undermanned right now with so many of their players on the DL. I think the Mets can win if Delgado comes back and can swing the bat. If Reyes can come back and run. And if Beltran can maintain the level of consistency throughout the second half. Plus, they're going to need at least one of John Maine or Oliver Perez to come back as a No. 2 level starter. It would help if J.J. Putz came back as well, although there seems to be something more significant going on with that elbow. That's a lot of ifs, but it can happen. The good news is that the Phillies seem to be struggling right now and aren't going anywhere in front of them.

J.B. (Dunmore, PA)

Have we seen the last of Dontrelle Willis in the Majors?

Steve Phillips

  (1:19 PM)

I had some hope for Dontrelle after his first couple of starts back this year, but that's seemed to fizzle away. He can't throw strikes and as a guy tries harder when things are going wrong, it only compounds the problem. He needs to slow himself down when things are going wrong, but that doesn't seem to be a part of his wiring. It's a shame, because I like his competitiveness. The problem is that he is competing against himself and not hte other team.

David (San Francisco)

As a former general manager, what would you recommend that the A's do with Holliday? Do you get the sense that the demand is high enough to warrant giving up two compensation picks?

Steve Phillips

  (1:21 PM)

I think the earlier the A's make Holliday on the market, the more value they're going to get. Teams are still trying to figure out if they're buyers or sellers. Clubs that need offense may not want to wait for those clubs to make a decision. If the A's make him available now, they could sell him as the likely to be best hitter available on the market. I don't think the A's are going to win that division and therefore, I would let clubs know that Holliday is available for the best deal.

James Y (London, ON)

Steve, are you at all surprised that 3 of the 4 best American League teams in the standings come East?

Steve Phillips

  (1:23 PM)

I'm not surprised by that. I thought the AL East would have three teams to win over 90 games. Of course I thought Tampa Bay would be the one and not Toronto. The AL Central is so balanced that they were going to beat each other up anyway. And I'm not overwhelmed by the teams out West. I still think the Angels win that division. It will be interesting to see who establishes themselves as the team to beat in that division.

Joe Girardi (Bronx, NY)

Steve, should I be worried? My owners spent $423 million this offseason and our record is one game better than it was last year at this time.

Steve Phillips

  (1:26 PM)

You never know with the Steinbrenners in New York, but Joe Girardi shouldn't be worried about his job. Two weeks ago they were tied with the Red Sox atop the AL East. Girardi shouldn't be worried every two weeks about his job. But it is New York. You never know what the expectations are or what the understanding is for the team. They've had their share of issues this year, not the least of which involved Alex Rodriguez, who, by the way is 1 for his last 23 at the plate. I don't think that's Girardi's fault. That's A-Rod's fault.

Derek (MO)

Arod back too soon from this injury? or is his bad play the result of a long and very drama filled off season?

Steve Phillips

  (1:27 PM)

It's always so hard to pinpoint the reason for a player's struggles. Typically they involve many things including mental, physical and mechanical. I think he probably rushed back, but by now, he should have been able to brush off the rust and be back. Because he hasn't, it leads me to believe that he has some mental issues that he's dealing with, in that he's trying too hard to get back at the plate. That causes him some mechanical issues at the plate, causing him to open up to early. He'll get hot at some point, probably just at the right time. He's too good not to.

Jake H (KC)

Steve do you believe that Dice K is done like Bob Ryan wrote in the Boston Globe the other day? He called him a bust and that he isn't worth the 100 million the Sox paid to negotiate with him and his contract.

Steve Phillips

  (1:29 PM)

I don't think Dice-K is done. He was too good in the World Baseball Classic to have lost all of his stuff and his ability to pitch. There were times he did it with smoke and mirrors last year when he walked so many hitters. That approach can come back to haunt you. But he has too much moxy and pride to just completely unravel. He'll be back and will be a big part of the Red Sox success over the next couple of years.

Craig G. (Fairfield, CA)

Hey Steve, I enjoy your commentary and analysis! Is Bengie Molina the most deserving catcher in the N.L. for the All-Star game? If not, who do you think is? Thanks again.

Steve Phillips

  (1:31 PM)

I would say that Yadier Molina and Brian McCann certainly have arguments to be made on their behalfs. But Bengie is very important to the teams success. No question. Here's a note for you that surprised me. The team that has gotten the most RBI production out of the NL is the New York Mets with the combination of Brian Schneider, Omir Santos and Ramon Castro who's been traded to the White Sox. That's why I think you point out properly that it may be difficult to pick the best catching options in the NL. If I'm managing the NL in the all-star game, I want Yadier Molina above anyone else. He can handle the staff, the bat and nobody runs on him.

Steve Phillips

  (1:32 PM)

Interleague play continues to unfold. The NL has at least closed the gap from the years past. I'm looking forward to the Mets-Yankees Subway Series finale on Sunday Night this week. Talk to you soon.