In his latest ESPN.com chat, baseball columnist Rob Neyer took questions about the Cubs and Mariners closers, the Expos starters, the Royals minor league pitching prospects and more.

Neyer also touched on the saga of Juan Gonzalez and gave his pick for the best catcher in the game today.

In case you missed the May 17 chat, the following is an edited transcript.

Rob Neyer: Hello, true believers. Welcome to ESPN.com, the biggest, baddest, meanest, Webby Award-winning site on the planet!

Max: What should the Cubs do about the closer situation? Kyle Farnsworth? Todd Van Poppel? Rick Aguilera seems "done" or close to done. What do you think they should do and what's your guess as to what they will do?

Rob Neyer: Watching Farnsworth throw his two quality pitches, I couldn't help but think he might be better off in the pen. And it would be a wonderful story if, after all these years, Van Poppel established himself as a reliever. But the truth is that the Cubs don't have any attractive options, and it was foolish of them to think that Aguilera would be suitable.

Seattle sucker: How much credit does Joe Kerrigan deserve for the resurrection of pitchers like Jeff Fassero (where did this come from) and Pete Schourek?

Rob Neyer: What Kerrigan's done, both last year and this year, is pretty amazing. You'll remember that in 1999, Kent Mercker and Pat Rapp both gave the Sox plenty of good innings. And this year it's Fassero and Schourek. Where Kerrigan hasn't been as good is with the young starters, so it'll be interesting to see if Brian Rose can find some consistency.

Dan: Why are you so fond of the 154-game schedule?

Rob Neyer: As much as I love the game, I think the season simply goes on too long, with much bad weather at both the beginning and the end. Of course, the extra round of playoffs doesn't exactly help. I would cut the schedule to 154, and start the season a week or so later.

	NEYER'S FILE
	ESPN.com's Rob Neyer writes a daily baseball column from March through October. His book "Baseball Dynasties," co-authored with Eddie Epstein, has just been published, and can be ordered from Amazon.com.

Clint: What do you think about Bubba Carpenter hitting his first major league home run, a game winner in the 11th to beat the Mets, after spending nine years in the Yankee's farm system?

Rob Neyer: Great story. Worth noting that Carpenter was not, if memory serves, a great hitter while he was in the Yankee system. I don't think this is a case of a guy finally getting the chance that he's so richly deserved.

The bigger story here is that he's another old rookie. We saw Steve Sisco hit his first home run the other night, and there's that 37-year-old pitcher (name escapes me) who was called up recently. Just another sign that, in some ways, we're returning to old-time baseball.

Mike: Since it looks like nobody wants to take control of the AL West right now, do you think anybody will start to take control in the near future? How many wins do you think the winner from the AL West will have?

Rob Neyer: Shoot, it might be 85. The Mariners would look real strong if they hadn't lost their two best starters, neither of whom will be back for at least a month, probably longer. You know I love Oakland's offense, but winning 90 games with a $32 million payroll is tough, Jeremy Giambi or no Jeremy Giambi.

Mac the Knife: Will you admit that your Astros prediction reflects your lack of knowledge of the game?

Rob Neyer: OK. Is that your only question?

Anthony: When do you think the Pirates will feel that Ramirez is ready for the majors again. I just checked, and he has an OPS of 1035.

Rob Neyer: Aramis Ramirez might be better off with a different organization. Now that he's "failed" three trials in the majors, he might never get a square deal from the Pirates' manager and coaches. And it's really hard to blame them. They don't see the statistical evidence that says 400 major league at-bats isn't enough to make a good evaluation. They see a guy looking bad, day after day and week after week. Ramirez will be a good player someday, whether it's here or in Japan.

Turner: Obviously it's way too early to start writing the post-mortem on the Yankee dynasty of the late 90s, but it seems like the Yanks' farm system has gone a bit dry. How do you see the Yankees trying to boost their offensive production as the season progresses? How do the Braves always seem to have prospects ready at the right times (i.e. Javy Lopez, Chipper Jones, Andruw Jones, Rafael Furcal...)?

Rob Neyer: Gee, I wouldn't say that. Last winter, the Yankees had two of the hottest prospects in the game, in Nick Johnson and D'Angelo Jimenez. Now they're both on the shelf, but that's just bad luck. And I suspect the Yankees have some prospects down in the lower levels that can be used as trade bait if necessary. And given their shocking lack of runs this season, it may well be necessary.

TTP: Is Pudge Rodriguez the best catcher ever?

Rob Neyer: If he continues like he has, Pudge's only competition might be Johnny Bench. And then it'll be a question of career length, because, as you know, Bench didn't last long.

Thrope: Why don't you think runners on third tagging up get a running start behind the bag on the third base line? Is it against the rules? If they timed it perfectly touching the bag on the catch it could be the difference at home plate on a shallow fly ball.

Rob Neyer: Yes, it's against the rules. I don't have a source handy, but some wise guy started doing that in the 1920s or '30s, and the rule was put in almost immediately.

Rob Schmoll: While it seems like most commentators expect players to turn the other cheek when it comes to verbal and physical assault from people in the stands, I think that's both weak and unrealistic, and encourages "fans" to continue disrespecting the game and the men who play it. What's your take on the brawl at Wrigley last night?

Rob Neyer: Look, the world would be a better place if we all turned the other cheek. But professional athletes, even more than the rest of us, sport healthy amounts of testosterone. So it's a bit unrealistic to expect them to just grin and bear it. I don't consider this a big story.

Metswars: What's up with the Mets? They certainly shouldn't be a .500 team. Is Valentine in trouble? And when are they going to bench Rey Ordonez?

Rob Neyer: Of course, I predicted a disappointing season for the Mets, somewhere around 85 wins. That said, though we're a fourth of the way into the season, it's still early. The Mets are not going to win 100 games as so many New Yorkers thought they would. But there are some quality players there, so let's give them another month or two to get it together.

JMetz: Why can't umpires call the strike zone as it is written in the rule book?

Rob Neyer: I have no idea. But I do know that once a new labor agreement is in place with the new umpires union, we'll see some serious efforts by MLB to fix this problem.

Thomas: Who do you predict now in the NL Central now that your favored Astros have fallen off the planet?

Rob Neyer: The Cardinals, I suppose, though they're susceptible to the injury bug. Looks to me like the Cards and Reds might be going back and forth all year ... and I'm still thinking the Astros might make a push later this summer.

Mario: What's the deal with the Mariner's closer Kazuhiro Sasaki? Is he going to be better or is he not suited for baseball in America?

Rob Neyer: According to Uncle Lou Piniella, Sasaki has lost three or four m.p.h. off his fastball, and I don't think that has anything to do with pitching in a different hemisphere. I'm assuming that he simply has some short-term fatigue, and he'll be back closing games before long. The alternative is more Joe Table, and that's a not a good alternative at all.

Pirates fan: What's your take on the young Expos starters? Are Javier Vazquez and Carl Pavano for real?

Rob Neyer: I haven't seen Vazquez pitch lately, but his minor-league record is close to impeccable. He's taken some lumps in the majors, of course, but (1) that's baseball these days, and (2) he's still only 23. I like his chances. And Pavano has always had the pitches, it's just been a question of being consistent with them.

Zachary D Manprin: Is Sandy Alderson a Hall of Fame candidate?

Rob Neyer: Not really. There was a time when team-builders were considered for the Hall of Fame, but realistically the process doesn't allow for that any more. With all the teams come many more managers, and they get the consideration from the Veterans Committee.

Royaldog: Who do you think the Royals should call up to correct their pitching problems?

Rob Neyer: There is no one available in the minor leagues. Until the Royals get Jose Rosado and Blake Stein back from the DL, they're going to be involved in a whole bunch of 8-7 games.

Me: Where do you see Juan Gonzalez ending up? It seems like a pretty safe bet that he'll be traded at some point this season.

Rob Neyer: Good question, Me. At somewhere between $15 and $20 million per season, who could afford him? The Yankees, of course, but he's not really their type of player. The Dodgers, but they already have Shawn Green and Gary Sheffield. The Braves could use him in left field, I suppose. And the Mets could really use a power-hitting outfielder, especially if they don't spend their money on Alex Rodriguez.

Zip: Are the Expo's asking too much of Peter Beregron?

Rob Neyer: I don't think so. Sure, he's only 22, but right now he's capable of posting a .350 on-base percentage and stealing some bases. To this point, of course, Bergeron's been awful, but it's only six weeks into the season.

Mr. Met: What's your take on Edgardo Alfonzo? Seems to me early in the year, or was it last year, you thought he was due for a decline. Is he as good as he seems or playing above himself?

Rob Neyer: Well, as I just said, it's only six weeks. But with each passing week, Alfonzo is making more of a believer out of me.

Give my best to Mrs. Met.

Trevor Edwards: Right now, who is the AL MVP?

Rob Neyer: Gotta be Alex or Pudge, both are piling up huge numbers and playing key defensive positions.

Louis: Have there been any early reports of All-Star ballot stuffing in Cleveland or anywhere else? And am I the only one who thinks it's a bit silly to vote for the All-Star game starting in late April?

Rob Neyer: Haven't heard anything, but of course I agree that late April/early May is too early. It's done this way because MLB makes more money from the sponsorship.

Thanks for all the questions, I'll be back next week, same place and probably same time.