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Chat With MLBTR's Steve Adams: 1/15/19
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Steve Adams
3:06
Shall we chat?
But of course! (55.1% | 516 votes)
 
Away with you. I have more important things to do. (7.7% | 72 votes)
 
I literally always vote for the nonsense answer in frivolous polls. (37.2% | 349 votes)
 
Total Votes: 937
Devin
3:06
When will Machado and Harper sign? Who do you think will sign first?
Steve Adams
3:08
I'll be surprised if Machado doesn't sign first. At this point, it's anyone's guess; timing of the signing depends on the legitimacy of potential unreported suitors and the severity of their interest. I wish I had a good answer to when they'd sign, because these tedious free agencies that draw out aren't any more fun for us than they are for our readers, ha.
I can see Bryce lingering into February.
Eppler
3:08
I am too cheap? Or are my arms just tied by my boss?
Steve Adams
3:09
It's not Billy's money. If he had carte blanche to spend whatever he damn well pleased, this wouldn't be the final roster he'd put together.
Steve
3:09
Who are some realistic free agents the Indians could sign?
Steve Adams
3:10
There are still a lot of decent veteran OFs out there who could help in Cleveland. Carlos Gonzalez, Adam Jones, Nick Markakis, Denard Span ... some of these guys are going to end up on junky one-year deals. Easy enough for Cleveland to wait it out, even if fans obviously want to see more action.
3:11
Relievers, too. Bud Norris, Shawn Kelley, Ryan Madson, Hunter Strickland, Nick Vincent, etc. ... there are some decent arms out there, many who'll take affordable one-year deals and probably some who'll take minor league deals. (That last point goes for OFs as well)
Jeremy
3:11
Is there any rumors with the Red Sox? Kimbrel on 1 yr deal. Re enter next yr FA. Maybe trading a C or more to free up money?
Steve Adams
3:12
I can't fathom a scenario where Kimbrel takes one year.
Matt
3:12
How much do teams look at future free agent classes when making decisions about signing free agents?
Steve Adams
3:13
I'm sure it plays a nominal role in the decision process, but probably not a huge one. I mean, last offseason everyone said the Dodgers, Cubs, Yankees, Giants, etc. were trying to get under the luxury tax because Bryce and Manny were a year from free agency.

That, obviously, proved to be false.
Manny Machado
3:14
I'm going to White Sox. Enough of the rumors
Steve Adams
3:14
Not if they've really only offered $175-210MM over seven years. I don't see them getting him without substantially increasing that.
3:15
"Only" 175-210MM -- ha. Professional sports are weird.
jc
3:15
with free agency signings coming later and later into the winter, what do you think has to change?
Steve Adams
3:18
I do wonder if in the next collective bargaining agreement, there'll be a push for a deadline to sign free agents and/or an offseason trade deadline in order to increase action.

Vastly increasing the luxury threshold and allowing teams to actually spend at will on amateur talent would also eliminate the current structure where losing is so heavily incentivized, but that probably won't happen.

I do like the idea of penalizing a team for tanking by pushing back picks for a team that's lost 95+ games in three straight seasons or something. You have to just TRY to be awful to lose that much for that long.

There's so much contention, finger pointing and so many broken elements of the CBA that I feel like a labor stoppage is exponentially more plausible than it has been since '94.
Safeco
3:18
Who will close for the M's this year?
Steve Adams
3:19
Swarzak? Dan Altavilla? They'll probably cycle through a number of guys. Wouldn't be surprised if they added another option who could potentially do that.
(On a cheap deal -- no Kimbrel, Cody Allen, Ottavino, etc.)
Tony Gwynn
3:19
How much truth is there in the latest three way Padres/Reds/Indians rumors?
Steve Adams
3:20
All they said was that the three teams have talked and nothing is close. There's nothing suggesting that a Kluber/Senzel/whoever scenario is actually in the works or even particularly likely.
Adam
3:20
Asdrubal Cabrera makes a ton of sense for the Brewers, doesn't he?  Takes away maybe their only remaining offensive hole, and the way they use shifts should help hide his defensive limitations.
Steve Adams
3:21
Sure but you could say that 5-6 free agents make sense there. Asdrubal, Marwin, Moose, Harrison, Dietrich, Forsythe, Walker .... Machado!
cincy
3:22
Will righthander Homer Bailey get a major league contract with the Dodgers paying the balance above the league minimum salary? Or will Bailey need to settle for a minor league contract?
Steve Adams
3:23
I'd be surprised if he got a big league deal, but there's little reason for a rebuilding team to not at least try to catch lightning in a bottle. He was quite good once before everything in his arm broke down. If you're the Mariners, Royals, Marlins -- some team in a decent sized park that's not going to contend in '19 anyhow, doesn't hurt to see how he looks in Spring Training at least.
So Cal Guy
3:24
is Pujols the lone reason why teams are scared of long commitments?
Steve Adams
3:27
It's not like he's the only awful long-term deal the game has seen. Even slightly shorter deals like Ellsbury, Choo, Mike Hampton to go back a bit... Miguel Cabrera's current deal. I get that it's a tough sell to pay $30MM+ per year for a guy's late 30s. Still odd to me, though, that we're not seeing more teams willing to go that length on a pair of 26-year-old free agents. It's utterly laughable if the Dodgers don't make an offer for Harper, and I'd be pissed off to be a Cubs fan who hears constant reports that Ricketts isn't authorizing any spending because the Cubs went nuts on Chatwood, Darvish and Morrow last winter. Even smaller and mid-market teams SHOULD be making an effort for one of the two but just don't seem to be.
Wondering
3:28
Are you a fan of creating a salary floor and cap?
Steve Adams
3:28
Revenues in baseball are at an all-time high. I don't see why we should limit what we pay the players and give the owners even more money.
JD
3:29
Pomeranz/Hellickson/Bucholtz worth considering on 1-2 year deals to round out my rotation, since doubtful Volquez makes opening day roster and I still am considering Minor/Leclerc for Edubray Ramos and/ or Ranger Suarez from PHils?
Steve Adams
3:30
JD = Jon Daniels, Rangers GM in this instance.

I haven't seen anything to suggest Volquez won't be ready for Opening Day. He'll be 18 months removed from Tommy John.

I don't think any of that bunch will or should get a multi-year deal. Rangers can add some veterans of that ilk on minor league deals over the next month, though. Not all of them are going to get big league deals. I think adding the depth would be good for them, too.
White Cheddar
3:31
How awkward is it for Sonny Gray to report to Tampa next month?  Any chance he gets moved soon?
Steve Adams
3:31
Might be some awkwardness, but they're professionals and would handle things as such. I do think he's moved before then anyhow.
King James
3:31
Can someone do a wellness check on Dodgers front office?  As the team stands now they are much weaker than when the season ended
Steve Adams
3:33
Dodgers aren't the only team that hasn't done much this winter. There's still plenty of quality free agents out there and several potential upgrades on the trade market. They've been weirdly quiet thus far, but I'm sure Friedman & Co. will find some value adds between now and Spring Training.

Still think they should be willing to go hard after Harper, but hey, not my team.
Jeff J
3:33
Would Kimbrel take a 2 year 34 million dollar deal from Atlanta right now?
Steve Adams
3:34
If he were willing to take 2/34, he'd have 6-8 teams calling him up real quick. The reason he's out there is because he's not been willing to drop his price to anywhere near that range. I can't see him taking less than Wade Davis got last year (3 years, 52MM)
Derek Falvey
3:34
Am I the mystery team for Machado?
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