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Chat With MLBTR's Steve Adams: 1/28/20
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Steve Adams
3:07
A year ago this time, the free-agent class was headlined by Bryce Harper, Manny Machado, Dallas Keuchel, Craig Kimbrel ....

This year we've got Yasiel Puig, Brock Holt and Pedro Strop.

It's been a much more fun offseason -- and probably one with plenty of intrigue left!
Let's start
Guest
3:07
Is there a pretty good chance Nolan Arenado will be a Cardinal?
Steve Adams
3:08
Bill DeWitt Jr. came out and said he doesn't foresee another big splash and doesn't expect payroll to add another substantial salary.
Nats
3:08
Do we have any cap space Left?
Steve Adams
3:09
There's no cap in baseball.

But the Nats are about $10MM from the bottom luxury tax threshold.
DBacks Fan
3:09
What do you think of the Marte trade?
Steve Adams
3:10
I think the price they paid was reasonable, given the level of variance associated with such young prospects. There's a chance that one or both of Peguero and Malone become staples on Top 100 rankings and eventually become high-end big leaguers, but present-day wins are the most valuable commodity in baseball and the D-backs just padded their win total in a meaningful way in 2020-21.
Senzel
3:10
Any chance Rays are in on Senzel? Lots of positional versatility and team control so seems like something they might be in on
Steve Adams
3:11
It'd be out of character if the Rays *weren't* at least gauging the price on Nick Senzel.

Realistically, all 29 teams have a sense of what the Reds would want for him. But there's also no urgency to move Senzel when his stock is down a bit and he can still get at-bats all over the diamond.
TMW
3:13
What kind of market can the Pirates expect if they get serious about listening to offers on Chris Archer?
Steve Adams
3:14
I think the market will be stronger this summer; unexpected teams will be contending, injuries will have popped up elsewhere, etc.

I also like Archer as a bounceback candidate and wouldn't be at all surprised with a good first half thanks to a combination of a (hopefully) dejuiced ball and a continued abandonment of the two-seamer the previous regime shoehorned into his arsenal.
Michael Marston
3:14
Would the Indians more likely sign Yasiel Puig or Domingo Santana?
Steve Adams
3:14
Santana will be cheaper, so based on the Indians' offseason, probably him.
Tim
3:14
Who could be next on the Pirates trade list ?
Steve Adams
3:15
Chris Archer, Josh Bell, Keone Kela, Adam Frazier ... but Cherington did say yesterday that he's not anticipating more subtractions before the start of the season and hopes to add a (more affordable) CF to replace Marte.
QUEUEBD
3:15
Senzel is the exact kind of player Farhan would make a push for, no?
Steve Adams
3:17
He's the type of player virtually any top exec -- Giants president Farhan Zaidi or otherwise -- would make a push for.

He's a former No. 2 overall pick who was vaunted as one of the game's elite prospects and who has the athleticism to play numerous positions on the diamond.

I doubt the Reds are in a rush to deal him, though, and I doubt they'd do it without getting a high-end SS or C in return. Giants don't really have either of those at the moment.
Mitchell
3:18
Is Senzel being overrated? As an Indians fan, I would not be that impressed if a Lindor trade happened and he was the main piece.
Steve Adams
3:19
You're probably underrating him then. I wouldn't judge a 24-year-old No. 2 overall pick based on the limited sample of MLB work he's put in, particularly when it was hampered somewhat by injuries.

There are durability concerns with Senzel at this point, but I don't question the talent, and five years of control over him is extremely valuable
Two years of current Lindor is more valuable, of course, but it wouldn't be a 1-for-1 swap
Giants
3:20
Could Texas have interest in Brandon Belt ?
Steve Adams
3:20
Not with his current contract; there are plenty of other 1B options out there for the Rangers to explore.
jeremy
3:20
Puig to the Rangers, Holt to the Jays and Strop to the Dbacks. thought?
Steve Adams
3:21
Any of those three fits seem pretty reasonable to me, in a vacuum. Will all three play out that way? Probably not, but nothing outlandish in there.
Curly W
3:22
When do you at MLBTR come out with your 2020 predictions for post season teams and awards?
Steve Adams
3:23
We haven't done that in awhile. I suppose we could revisit it. Wouldn't be until most of the offseason moves have wrapped up anyway. Doubt we'd publish anything like that until the end of Spring Training.
Cards
3:24
Is it possible that the Cards could sign Carlson to an extension so that service time is no longer a concern and he be the starting LF on Opening Day, similar to the White Sox and Robert?
Steve Adams
3:26
Luis Robert is nearly two years older and spent an extra month in AAA over what Dylan Carlson did in 2019. I don't know that the Cardinals are quite as convinced that he's immediately MLB ready. A huge spring might help sway them, but it's still safe to expect him to spend some time in Memphis before coming up.
Ian
3:27
White Sox at level to catch the Twins?
Steve Adams
3:29
They finished 29 games behind them in 2019. I'm not sold on them improving to that extent and still consider the Twins the favorites there. Sox have made things interesting, though, and should at least put three competitive clubs in that division for the first time in awhile.
Medic Mike
3:30
More lik to be traded Mookie or KB?
Steve Adams
3:30
Bryant
3:33
On the flood of Nick Senzel questions I'm receiving:

  1. I think it's likeliest that the Reds keep him.
  2. I don't think they'd move him unless they were getting an immediate upgrade to a weak point on the roster (shortstop, catcher)
  3. The Reds aren't shopping him/desperate to move him, and nothing has characterized their feelings toward him as such.
  4. If you're putting Kyle Seager, Brandon Belt or any type of unwanted contract in the hypothetical deal, you're almost certainly off base on the type of arrangement to which they'd be open.
Ca$hman
3:33
Better playoff odds, Reds or White Sox?
Steve Adams
3:34
Who's likelier to make the playoffs?
Reds (47.9% | 522 votes)
 
White Sox (15.2% | 166 votes)
 
They'll both make it. (7.4% | 81 votes)
 
Neither will make it. (29.4% | 320 votes)
 
Total Votes: 1,089
Dre4Days
3:34
How come no one has picked up Puig?
Steve Adams
3:35
Because no one has met his asking price, presumably. I'm sure his camp has been seeking a lucrative multi-year deal, but it's been awhile since Puig played at a really high level, and some teams are clearly going to be turned off by some of his antics even if they're entertaining to a lot of onlookers.
Vjg
3:35
Think dbacks are a surprise WC?
Steve Adams
3:36
I don't think it'd be a huge surprise at all to see them in the Wild Card game.
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