DENVER -- Thank you for joining me on the MLB Facebook page for a live version of the Edward Jones Beat Reporter's Inbox, Rockies edition. Now, on to some questions from your Facebook posts.

With so many holes to fill, where do the Giants start? Who do they keep and build on?
-- Ed B., San Francisco

Giants management must face these questions daily throughout the foreseeable future -- possibly until the 2018 season is well underway, since by that time they'll begin to see the fruits of their upcoming labor.

Who do you think will go to the All-Star Game for the Brewers?
-- Mitch S., Menomonee Falls, Wis.

The 2017 Esurance MLB All-Star Game Ballot is open until Thursday at 10:59 p.m. CT, and fans can vote up to five times in any 24-hour period. But with no Brewers among the top five vote-getters on the infield, or among the top 15 outfielders, as of the final ballot update on Monday afternoon, the local nine is on the outside looking in as far as the starting lineup.

ST. LOUIS -- The Pirates are entering a critical stretch of the season, as the coming weeks may shape their strategy at the July 31 non-waiver Trade Deadline. With the club enjoying its last off-day before the All-Star break, it's time to open the Inbox and answer your questions.

Should the Pirates be buyers or sellers?
-- Jason A., Washington, Pa.

HOUSTON -- With the Astros chugging along with a 13-game lead in the American League West as they near the midpoint of the season, it only stands to reason trade talks will begin heating up. We're a little less than a month away from the July 31 non-waiver Trade Deadline, and the Astros still figure to be in the market for pitching.

Let's open the Inbox to answer some of your trade questions and more:

Who do you think has a better chance of breaking Nate Colbert's record for home runs as a Padre -- Hunter Renfroe or Wil Myers?
-- David E., Clovis, Calif.

Love this question. And I'll start by saying that both have a very good chance to top the 163 home runs that Colbert hit with San Diego from 1969-74.

KANSAS CITY -- The Royals have won four straight series and suddenly are knocking on the door in the American League Central. The once-dormant offense has awoken, and there are positive vibes throughout the clubhouse.

With that backdrop, let's get to this week's Royals Inbox.

What can the Reds expect from Homer Bailey?
-- Charlie on Facebook live

It's a good question. Bailey will be activated from the 60-day disabled list on Saturday to make his season debut vs. the Nationals. He's a bit of an X-factor, because it's hard to place high expectations on someone who has had three elbow surgeries and only eight starts since August 2014. The last surgery was Feb. 18 to remove bone chips. But based on his rehab assignment numbers, they should expect some length and dependability. The rotation has averaged 4.93 innings per start this season. If Bailey can just go six or seven innings and keep the team in the game, the lineup should be able to do its part.

ST. LOUIS -- There are no shortage of questions and concerns surrounding the Cardinals, after they tumbled back to six games under .500 with a series loss in Baltimore. Here are my answers to a few of them:

• Submit a question to the Cardinals Inbox

With the Angels only [1 1/2] games out of an American League Wild Card spot, will they look to add pitching depth/another bat before the non-waiver Trade Deadline? Who on the roster has trade value?
-- @mcjunkind via Twitter

I think it's possible that the Angels could look for external help if they're still in the AL Wild Card hunt at the Deadline, but their lack of high-end prospect capital makes it unlikely that they'll be able to add any significant pieces via trade. That said, I think the Angels will receive an internal boost to their rotation when left-hander Tyler Skaggs returns from the disabled list. Skaggs, who has been out since May 1 with an oblique strain, is currently on track to rejoin the Angels before the All-Star break and had logged a 1.42 ERA in his last three starts before getting hurt. The Halos also expect right-hander Garrett Richards to pitch again this season, though he still has not received clearance to resume throwing due to an irritated nerve in his right biceps.

DENVER -- This week's Edward Jones Inbox comes at a celebratory time, as Rockies fans take a deep breath after Nolan Arenado's game-winning, cycle-completing homer to for a 7-5 victory over the Giants on Sunday at Coors Field.

I'm pretty sure there is only one question to ask after that. How the heck do ya follow that up!! @MileHiPhil

What will the Yankees do with Masahiro Tanaka as he continues to struggle? How long will they keep trotting him out there?
-- Mike T., Islip, N.Y.

It really is a mystery. A certain segment of the fan base likes to immediately point to the partially torn ulnar collateral ligament and say, "See? He should have had the surgery," but it's not that simple. To recap, several of the best doctors in the world said that Tanaka did not need surgery, and they were proven right when he pitched with success for years.

MILWAUKEE -- Happy Father's Day to Bob McCalvy and the rest of the dads out there. On behalf of misbehaved children everywhere, thank you for all of those hours playing catch in the backyard.

Let's celebrate by dipping into our mailbag:

Perhaps the Astros have weathered the worst of the storm. After winning 11 games in a row, Houston lost six of its next eight games before righting the ship with a 13-2 shellacking of Texas on Wednesday.

While the offense appears to be back on track -- with a little help from newcomer Derek Fisher -- injuries to starting pitchers Dallas Keuchel, Lance McCullers Jr. and Joe Musgrove are putting a strain on the rotation and the bullpen.

What's with the selection of two catchers in the first three rounds of the Draft?
-- Arvind, San Diego

There's no such thing as too much organizational catching depth. Luis Campusano-Bracero and Blake Hunt were always high on the Padres' Draft board. And when they were both available on Day 1, executive vice president and general manager A.J. Preller jumped at the chance to land the duo.

Can someone please give manager Joe Maddon this lineup card and ask him to ride it out for two weeks? Jason Heyward, Anthony Rizzo, Kris Bryant, Kyle Schwarber, Addison Russell, Albert Almora Jr., Javier Baez, Willson Contreras and the pitcher.
-- Justin A., Chatham, Ill.

Here's why Maddon would reject it: You've got lefties Heyward and Rizzo back to back, and then right-handed hitters Russell, Almora, Baez and Contreras. One of the things Maddon tries to do with the lineup is alternate left-right-left-right in an effort to counter the other team's bullpen moves.

PITTSBURGH -- The Pirates' four-game winning streak ended Wednesday night, but they'll have another chance to crawl back into the National League Central race this weekend as they host the Cubs at PNC Park. With an off-day Thursday, we're taking your questions on Andrew McCutchen, Tony Watson, the Draft and potential callups.

With Cutch hitting so well now, is it more or less likely that he will get traded this season?
-- Andrew A., Pittsburgh

With the emergence of JT Riddle, what is the likelihood the Marlins will be looking to trade Adeiny Hechavarria?
-- @josi_elder.

Riddle has stepped in nicely since Hechavarria (left oblique strain) has been on the disabled list. Hechavarria is expected to be evaluated again in the next couple of days, and perhaps could begin a rehab assignment at Class A Advanced Jupiter next weekend. So he could be at least two weeks away. Riddle, meanwhile, has impressed in a small sample size. Hitting eighth isn't easy, yet he has 12 extra-base hits in his first 115 at-bats, and his average exit velocity is 89.07 mph, above the MLB average 87.82. That's a good indicator that he is impacting the baseball. If the team is in rebuild mode by the Trade Deadline, Hechavarria is a candidate to be moved.

With Enrique Hernandez's experience in the outfield, and Chris Taylor's in the infield, why is Taylor continuing to start in center field with Kiké at third base and second base? Not that Taylor isn't holding his own in center, because he surely is.
-- @shayeclubb

There is more playing time available in the current outfield, especially with the absence of the injured Joc Pederson, and Taylor has been a far superior hitter against right-handed pitching than Hernandez. Against righties, Taylor's slash line this year is .280/.374/.477, while Hernandez's is .217/.263/.391. Really no comparison, which is why the Dodgers have gone with Taylor at a skill position despite his lack of experience there, and it's hard to argue with the results so far.

DENVER -- The Rockies are in first place, with potentially more starting pitchers than rotation spots. What are they going to do if that becomes the case?

The short answer is celebrate.

NEW YORK -- Before the Pirates begin a two-game series with the Orioles on Tuesday night, let's open up the Inbox and answer your questions about Jameson Taillon and the rotation, Felipe Rivero, Gerrit Cole and Andrew McCutchen.

I can't believe "Jamo" is pitching so soon after his surgery, but I am glad to see he's close to coming back. I hope he's in good health. What will happen to the rotation when he's back?
-- Jim M., Erie, Pa.

Is Martin Maldonado the Gold Glove Award winner in the American League at catcher?
@Crudemeisters via Twitter

I think he'll definitely be in the conversation. Maldonado ranks second among AL catchers with three defensive runs saved this season, behind only the Twins' Jason Castro (seven). He has thrown out 10 of 26 basestealers for a caught-stealing percentage of 38 percent, which is tied for ninth in the AL.

This year's Mariners have seemed very streaky, as evidenced by their recent hot stretch. What do they need to do to stay on a steady uptick in order to get back in the playoff race over the final four months?
-- Scott A., Snohomish, Wash.

Starting pitching is usually the biggest key to consistency, and the Mariners have obviously had issues there this year, in large part because of injuries. When you're talking about streaks, Seattle went 1-7 and was outscored 50-9 in eight games prior to its current turnaround, when the Mariners have gone 7-1 and outscored their opponents, 57-22.

Is it too early to start thinking about trades? With Danny Salazar being moved to the bullpen, is it likelier that the Indians will target starting pitching before the non-waiver Trade Deadline in July?
-- Drew K., Colorado Springs, Colo.

Heading into the season, the rotation did not look like an area of much need. The staff was one of the American League's best last year and there was no turnover for this season. Two months in, Cleveland does look like a team that would at the very least explore rotation upgrades before the non-waiver Deadline.

The Mets hope a road trip to Texas and Atlanta, which feature two of Major League Baseball's foremost hitter's parks, will spark them into more consistent winning ways. While they await Tuesday's opener against the Rangers, here's another batch of questions and answers:

Given that the offense has been really good so far, even without him, is Yoenis Cespedes' return really all that consequential?
-- @CobyWanKanobi

How long is Joe Girardi going to keep batting Gary Sanchez in the two-hole? I think he should be batting third or behind Aaron Judge.
-- Ryan T., Flagler Beach, Fla.

Having Sanchez hitting second seems to be something that Girardi has committed to, allowing for some occasional fluctuations. That should give Sanchez additional plate appearances over the course of a full season, though it will obviously reduce some of his RBI opportunities.

The Major League Baseball Draft is right around the corner on June 12, and I believe the Rays have their highest pick at No. 4 since they had the first pick of the 2008 Draft. Anyway, I'm wondering if you can give us some names who might be in consideration by the Rays as their top pick.
-- Gene F., Tampa, Fla.

According to MLB.com's latest mock draft, the Rays will be taking Louisville first baseman/left-handed pitcher Brendan McKay. The Twins, Reds and Padres draft ahead of the Rays. Names that I'm hearing will go before McKay include Vanderbilt right-hander Kyle Wright; Hunter Greene, a high school shortstop/right-handed pitcher from Sherman Oaks, Calif.; and MacKenzie Gore, a left-handed high school pitcher from North Carolina.