Phillies' weakness? Cardinals contenders? Mariners blockbuster trade? 5 burning MLB questions

The Cardinals have been the hottest team in baseball the past two-plus weeks. The Phillies might be MLB's most complete squad. The Mariners have as much pitching as anyone — and one of the worst offenses. Cody Bellinger looks like an All-Star again for the Cubs.

All four developments will be on display this weekend on FOX Saturday Baseball, which features three regional matchups at 7:15 p.m. ET: St. Louis at Philadelphia; Cincinnati at Chicago Cubs; Los Angeles Angels at Seattle.

Accordingly, FOX Sports MLB experts Deesha Thosar and Rowan Kavner tackle these topics and more in this week's roundtable.

1. What do you make of the Cardinals winning five consecutive series, including sweeps of the Orioles and Cubs? Are you buying them as wild-card contenders?

Kavner: I had basically written them off, but I'm beginning to second guess that. The pitching moves the Cardinals made in the offseason have all worked out. Sonny Gray was brilliant in April and is back on track after a couple rough outings. Even more noteworthy, 36-year-old Kyle Gibson (3.60 ERA) and 37-year-old Lance Lynn (3.45) have been terrific. The question, surprisingly, has centered on an offense that couldn't get anything going to start the year. Once the bats got hot, so did the team. Since May 12, when the Cardinals began a stretch of winning 12 of 15 games, they have the highest OPS in the National League. 

Paul Goldschmidt's turnaround after a dreadful start to the year is part of it, but it hasn't just been one guy. Nolan Gorman is on fire, Masyn Winn is demonstrating that his bat is big-league ready — by Baseball-Reference WAR, he has been the most valuable rookie position player in the league this year — and Lars Nootbaar, Brendan Donovan and Alec Burleson are all hitting above .300 over the past couple weeks. It's worth noting that Nootbaar is hurt again, but it's also encouraging that the Cardinals have managed to do this without Willson Contreras, who was basically the lone source of offense to start the year. I'm still not sure how much St. Louis can do if Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado are league-average hitters this year, but if the Cubs are considered wild-card contenders, then the Cardinals — who just vaulted them into second place in the division — probably should be, too.

Thosar: Now that they've reached that elusive .500 mark, and Paul Goldschmidt has a .938 OPS with three home runs over the past two weeks, it is becoming more feasible for the Cardinals to consider themselves playoff contenders, and their path forward isn't necessarily limited to the wild-card race. Even within the NL Central, though the Brewers have held the divisional lead for all but 11 days this year, St. Louis' sudden success has pulled it within reach (five games back). 

FanGraphs' preseason projections had the Cardinals winning the NL Central. This always seemed like a division that was up for grabs. This weekend they have the opportunity to show their mettle against the best team in baseball. Sweeping the Orioles was one thing, but if their 20th-ranked pitching staff can pull off tight and close games with the Phillies, then I'm buying this Cardinals stretch as the real deal.

2. If you're Phillies president Dave Dombrowski, do you tinker with this roster at all before the deadline?

Thosar: If going out and getting relief help is called tinkering, then yes. The Phillies have fallen just short of winning a World Series in their recent playoff appearances in large part because their vulnerabilities, however minor at the time, were not fully addressed. Their bullpen in particular has been the source of headaches in past Octobers, and this time around adding a quality relief arm should be a no-brainer for Dombrowski. 

The bullpen entered Friday with a 3.90 ERA that ranks 16th in the major leagues. As far as outside additions, Houston's Ryan Pressly could be a good fit, as would Oakland's Mason Miller. But the Phillies' needs could change between now and the two months remaining before the trade deadline, so there is little sense in Dombrowski engaging in talks for relief help before July.

Kavner: I don't think we need to use the term "all-in" here — the roster is plenty good as is — but I'd look to add some more pop in the outfield and another reliever. This feels like the Phillies' time, and they should try to capitalize.

3. Mike Trout has given no indication that he's looking to be traded. But should the Angels try to convince him otherwise or should they prioritize him spending his whole career with the organization?

Kavner: Trout made it clear again at the start of this year that he still wants to win in Anaheim and that it would mean more to do that. But with each year of ineptitude, the Angels are testing his loyalty. Their major-league roster is devoid of the depth required to compete. Their farm system lags behind. At the least, it's probably worth checking back in with him before the deadline to see where his head's at. He was so good to start the year, but this team needs so much help that no one player can save it.

Thosar: I think the concept of players retiring with the team they played for their entire careers is only substantial if that player won anything with that team. At this point, wouldn't Angels fans even understand Trout wanting to go play for another club with higher and legitimate chances of winning a championship before he hangs up his cleats? 

Regardless, since Trout is still working his way back from surgery, I'm guessing teams would need to see him return to form on the field before agreeing to the type of return the Angels would likely want for him. The time to trade him was the beginning of the season.

4. The Mariners are desperate for a premier bat and have a surplus of pitching. Which Seattle starter are you willing to part with, and which hitters would you target?

Thosar: I wouldn't trade any Seattle starter because pitching depth is crucial to a deep playoff run. There is no telling how much could change between now and the trade deadline as far as pitching injuries, but they will start to crop up as starters get more mileage on their arms. Since the Mariners' strength is their rotation, there is little reason to disrupt that unit. This strength could be the difference that keeps the M's atop the division for the entirety of the season. Teams need all the starters they can get, and the Mariners would only weaken their position by trading one away. Seattle can improve its offense by parting ways with a prospect.

Kavner: This one is tricky so far ahead of the deadline because a lot is bound to happen at the top of the AL West before a decision needs to be made. The Mariners have the best rotation in baseball and need an offensive jolt, but they could risk losing some of their identity by dealing from their position of strength. My thought now is, unless you're getting a Vladimir Guerrero Jr. or a Luis Robert Jr. or a potential star who's under control beyond this year, I don't think I would trade anyone from the major-league rotation. Even if they do try to make a splash, Luis Castillo, Logan Gilbert, George Kirby and Bryce Miller would basically be off limits for me.

The Mariners are fortunate that six guys have started all of their games this year, and each of them — Castillo, Gilbert, Kirby, Miller, Bryan Woo and Emerson Hancock — is under team control through at least 2027. They were able to withstand an early Woo injury because they had Hancock. Trade away any one of those guys, and there aren't a ton of fill-in answers if someone goes down. I'm just not sure Seattle can afford to deal any of those arms — or that what they're getting back will be commensurate in value. I'd wait to see how healthy the pitching staff is come late July, and while I'd at least entertain offers on Hancock for a game-changing bat, the Mariners might have enough high-level prospects to make a deal happen without giving up the starting pitchers who have made them what they are.

5. We have more than a year's sample size of Cody Bellinger being good for the Cubs. How willing would you be to approach him now about an extension before he could exercise the player option on his three-year deal at the end of this season?

Kavner: I'd wait it out, as I imagine both sides are comfortable doing right now. In addition to evaluating Bellinger after last year's considerable offensive profile change, the Cubs are also still seeing what they have in Pete Crow-Armstrong, Michael Busch and the rookie talents that would need to fill in long term if Bellinger leaves. 

For Bellinger, I doubt he's in any rush to make that call considering the way his contract is structured. If he takes a nosedive, he can return. If he goes on a heater to end the year, he can hit the open market and imagine a better payday ahead now that he's proven himself for two straight seasons. For now, it looks like last year's version of Bellinger — sacrificing hard hits for more contact and fewer strikeouts — is here to stay. Thus far, that's made him a well-above-average hitter, even if it's a significantly different profile from the guy who took home an MVP trophy five years ago.

Thosar: Gotta let the season play out. Bellinger has already shown he has a desire to remain in Chicago, and the more it continues to work out for him, the fewer reasons he will have to leave. If he continues playing like this, he could, and should, exercise his player option at the end of the year to get the Cubs to pay up for his services. But there's little benefit to starting those conversations now, particularly while the Cubs are trying to contend for the playoffs, as it could be a distraction for Belli. Plus, I don't see Scott Boras engaging in extension talks midseason for Bellinger when he knows the price could very well be higher several months from now.

Deesha Thosar is an MLB writer for FOX Sports. She previously covered the Mets as a beat reporter for the New York Daily News. The daughter of Indian immigrants, Deesha grew up on Long Island and now lives in Queens. Follow her on Twitter at @DeeshaThosar.

Rowan Kavner is an MLB writer for FOX Sports. He previously covered the L.A. Dodgers, LA Clippers and Dallas Cowboys. An LSU grad, Rowan was born in California, grew up in Texas, then moved back to the West Coast in 2014. Follow him on Twitter at @RowanKavner.

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