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Chat with MLBTR's Steve Adams: 1/6/26
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Blue Jays
1:24
Convince me that Cody Ponce is for real or one season wonder.
Steve Adams
1:26
Velocity is up from his MLB days. Stuff is better in general. I was talking to a scout (not from the Jays) about Murakami, Imai, Okamoto, etc. prior to the offseason and he unprompted told me "You need to have Cody Ponce on your top 50 list, too. He's going to make more than $20 million"

He had real interest from several big-market teams. I'm not saying he's an ace or anything, but I do think he'll be a perfectly viable midrotation arm.
Ryan Ripken
1:26
Coby Mayo + Povich = Gore?
Steve Adams
1:27
If you could dial the calendar back to 2023, perhaps! Both guys' stock is down too far for that to move the needle on Gore.
MarioSoto
1:27
Am I wrong to be upset with the Reds penny pinching ways?
Steve Adams
1:30
I'd be pissed off if I were a Reds fan. Plenty of offseason left, so maybe they pull a rabbit out of the hat, but this team's rotation is off-the-charts talented, and they seem committed to just spending notable money on Emilio Pagan and taking a bargain-bin approach to the lineup... all coming off a postseason berth.

Given the apparent lack of spending power this winter, I'm all the more perplexed as to why they acquired Ke'Bryan Hayes. Love the glove, of course, and there's something to be said for bolstering run prevention when you already have such a talented pitching staff, but allotting $7.5MM annually to a glove-only third baseman is a weird move for a team in dire need of some real offensive help.
Mehts
1:30
If offering some combo of Acuna/Mauricio/Vientos would MItch Keller be a logical trade target for Stearns to address SP?
Steve Adams
1:31
Could see Vientos having some appeal, but I wouldn't move Keller for him alone and don't think the others have a ton of value right now.

Also feel like if the Mets are trading for a starter, they should aim for more ceiling than Keller anyhow.
Buster Posey
1:31
Out of Nico Hoerner, Brendan Donovan, or Bo Bichette, who is most likely to come over to the Giants? With the fact that we're afraid to spend big on pitching, we're poised to bring over a big bat... right?
Steve Adams
1:32
I'd be so surprised if the Cubs trade Hoerner, and even more surprised if the Giants met Bichette's asking price.

Donovan seems realistic and attainable, so he's the easy answer for me
Orioles
1:33
What is the hold up with Ranger Suarez/ Framber Valdez? Are you still confident we get one of the two?
Steve Adams
1:33
I think they'll add another notable starter, whether it's one of those two, Zac Gallen, or someone via trade (Edward Cabrera, MacKenzie Gore, etc.)
Ryan
1:35
There have been reported offers for Donovan from the Giants being Whisenhunt, Kilen and a lottery ticket low A pitcher. Your thoughts on that as the return?
Steve Adams
1:36
That's not really what Katie Woo reported at The Athletic. She said Whisenhunt and Kilen had been discussed with the Giants -- not necessarily in the same trade package.

If the Giants offered both players and a lower-level prospect, I think it'd be a strong offer.
Tyler McDuffie
1:36
Are the Angels serious about having Christian Moore play 3B even though he hasn't had any reps there in his pro career?
Steve Adams
1:36
I'll be surprised if they don't add a 3B from outside the org
Rowland
1:36
None of the big free agent Japanese players got nearly the projected contracts expected. What happened?
Steve Adams
1:39
Okamoto landed right where we thought he would.

Murakami and Imai had notable flaws that were available in public scouting reports and that scouts expressed in private conversations. The general thought was that both are young enough and had appealing enough top tools (Murakami's power, Imai's velocity and K's) that teams would overlook those concerns and go long-term.

Some of the projections -- certainly ours -- were clouded by placing too much weight on the Dodgers' Yamamoto signing. Yamamoto was essentially a flawless, perfect free agent. He didn't have any of the red flags seen with Imai and Murakami.

The market clearly had more prominent concerns about Murakami's glove/strikeouts and Imai's command and ability to miss bats with his secondaries
Camelback Ranch
1:40
White Sox and Dodgers have a history of lining up on trades. Does a framework of Rushing and Treinen for Robert and Quero move the needle?
Steve Adams
1:40
Not making that move if I'm the Dodgers
O's Fan
1:40
Assuming the same contract (unrealistic but bear with me), who would you rather have between Framber and Ranger if you're the O's?
Steve Adams
1:40
Framber
Eugenio Suarez
1:40
What sort of contract do you think he’ll get at this point, and is a reunion with Seattle still on the table?
Steve Adams
1:41
We predicted 3/63 in November, and we had to talk Tim Dierkes into it since he wanted more like 2/50. In retrospect, I now prefer his prediction, but 3/60 doesn't seem impossible to me. We'll see where Bregman lands and how motivated some of the teams that miss on him are.
Dylan
1:41
Are we getting a new podcast episode tomorrow? I love the show. Thank you for the content.
Steve Adams
1:42
Darragh and I just recorded this morning! Kyle will edit tonight, and it'll run tomorrow. Thanks for listening!
Kyle tucker
1:42
where will he sign
Steve Adams
1:43
I doubt Kyle himself knows the answer to this question right now!
Bob "Hammerin" Hamelin
1:43
I keep reading reports that the Royals are still on some OF help.  I've heard Duran, but what other possibilities are out there for them, via trade?  They can't roll out the current OF that they have.  Thanks!
Steve Adams
1:46
Yeah they definitely need more help in the OF. Duran and Abreu from Boston make sense, of course, but other names I could realistically see on the market include Alec Burleson, Lars Nootbaar, Brenton Doyle, Mickey Moniak, Trevor Larnach, Matt Wallner, maybe one of Dylan Beavers/Colton Cowser (if the O's are getting a quality starter back), Nathan Lukes, Jake Meyers, Teoscar Hernandez ... plenty more I'm sure I'm spacing on.
Brady
1:46
Do you buy the Phillies as real contenders for Bichette?
Steve Adams
1:47
I buy them as a team hanging around the periphery -- not so much an aggressive pursuer.
Samsung user
1:48
Will MLBTR ever make an app for android??
Steve Adams
1:49
We have an Android app and have had one for more than a decade. We're in the process of redoing the app for both iOS and Android. The former is available for beta testing right now:
https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2026/01/join-the-beta-test-for-the-new-...
Previous Dodger trade
1:49
Wait wait wait. Why would you not make that trade if you are the Dodgers?
Steve Adams
1:51
I don't think Edgar Quero is going to be a catcher in the long run, and Robert would be a $22MM tax hit for a team that's paying 110%, so he'd cost them $46.2MM in 2026. Even when subtracting the money owed to Treinen ($11MM AAV and a net $23.1MM expenditure), they're still taking on an extra $23MM and giving up the much better all-around catching prospect -- all to take on a center fielder who is immensely talented but even more injury-prone and with a pretty worrying recent track record of actual performance.
Sleepless in Milwaukee
1:52
For a team that finished with the best record in baseball last year...what's the catch?...trade away a versatile utility player who finished 4th in ROY voting and a leverage flamethrower arm...rumors swirling about moving our ace...help me make sense of this...
Steve Adams
1:55
Standard operating procedure for the Brewers. They're always going to be open to trading stars as they approach free agency. More often than not, they'll probably do it. (Hader, Burnes, Williams, Lucroy) Sometimes they don't (Adames)

Collins was a great story in '25 but a clear regression candidate at the plate (somewhat heavy BABIP, poor batted-ball metrics, etc.) They've liked Zerpa forever and clearly think they can make him a big weapon. I wouldn't bet against Milwaukee's pitching development (or player development in general)

I'm sure there are some modest additions in the offing, but the Brewers are only rarely going to be a team to make a huge splash in free agency, and they sort of did that by making the QO to Woodruff and keeping him at $22.05MM.
Jays Fan
1:55
Do you like Tucker or Bo better for the jays??
Steve Adams
1:55
Sure. Or the Mets. Yankees. Lots of teams.
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