JotCast | Chat with MLBTR's Steve Adams: 10/26/21

Chat with MLBTR's Steve Adams: 10/26/21

Steve Adams

2:02

Greetings and happy World Series season to all (well, at least those who are not abstaining due to recent ALCS/NLCS/ALDS/NLCS heartbreak, in which case, condolences)

2:03

Errr... make one of those NLCS'es an NLDS. You get the point!

In Prellee we Trust?

2:04

What's the padres next step for their roster? It seems like we need to shed money first. Thoughts?

Steve Adams

2:05

Don't know if they need to shed money -- though dumping Hosmer certainly can't hurt them -- but they need better production in general from the outfield corners and from first base.

Mets

2:06

Arnold next pobo? I can’t take another rejection

Steve Adams

2:08

I mean, if they've made him an offer it's certainly trending that way. I never understood the Mets' process for this very reason. All of the individual candidates who are being considered/pursued/interviewed aren't the ones making their search details public knowledge. Why leak all these high-profile names? Fans are going to feel like they had to "settle" for whoever is hired.

Matt Arnold would be a nice hire for them, if that's the end result here.

Ross Atkins

2:08

how quickly will I get the JRam deal done and what will it cost me?

Steve Adams

2:09

I don't think Cleveland is trading Jose Ramirez. I think he'll be all over the rumor circuit this winter, but I'm not expecting him to actually move.

Ryan

2:09

Do you think teams will be active early trying to get ahead of a potential lockout, or will the floodgates remain closed until something is resolved?

Steve Adams

2:09

Active early on smaller-scale things but probably waiting for some kind of agreement before the biggest names start to move.

C Young

2:10

I know Rangers are at least a year from contention, but considering the fact that it is undecided if Jung will be ready opening day, should Rangers pursue Bryant over the shortstops as he could play 3rd if Jung is not ready and move to LF after Jung comes up, and unlike Seager, Story, Correa and Semien. no QO can be attached

Steve Adams

2:10

I do like Bryant as a fit in Texas, so sure, there's plenty of sense in that approach. There are other shortstop candidates on the market, and Bryant won't be as expensive as Correa and Seager, at the very least.

Yuniesky Betancourt

2:11

There was a lot of local chatter around the trade deadline centering on the Mariners and Padres, and the Mariners and Royals. If the Mariners took on Will Myers, and the Padres sent Hosmer, cash, and two-three prospects to KC, is that enough to get Merrifield to Seattle? What kind of prospect haul would Merrifield cost?

Steve Adams

2:12

Royals president Dayton Moore has said time and again that Merrifield will be a part of the Royals when they're shifting to win-now mode, which is where they are. The Royals extended him mid-rebuild. They resisted the urge to trade him and others throughout the process. Sorry to do a second "it's not happening" answer in a matter of a 2-3 questions, but I'd be pretty shocked if Merrifield is moved anywhere this winter.

Tucker Barnhart

2:13

Tea leaves are saying my option doesn't get picked up. Any ideas on a good landing place for a gold glocve, LH hitting backstop?

Steve Adams

2:14

Yankees, Marlins, Tigers, Angels .. plenty of teams could use an affordable catcher in this mold this winter.

Rick

2:14

RE: Deals before lockout. Could a Freddie Freeman re-signing be the exception?

Steve Adams

2:15

I think Freddie stays in ATL, and yeah that's perhaps something the two parties could work out early. I know they haven't yet, but I just cannot envision that he really leaves on the heels of a World Series appearance (regardless of result).

al avilia

2:15

Steve, please tell people to cool their jets when it comes to assuming the Tigers are signing a huge contract Free Agent. We realized with the Upton, Zimmerman, Pelfrey deals that this is not the way to build a championship. One to three year free agent deals is the way to go.... So after teams over spend on Correa, Seager, and Story, etc; we would be happy to overpay a little and take Seiman on a 3 year deal ...

Steve Adams

2:17

I would counter by saying you are severely underestimating Semien's market if you think he'd take any three-year deal. I have him at six years.

Building a team solely through free agency is near-impossible, but that's not what the Tigers would be doing if they signed a marquee shortstop. Torkelson, Greene, Mize, Skubal, Baddoo, etc. -- they have some decent young talent now and a pretty solid farm system.

Mike

2:18

Do you see any trade value in Voit, Gelyber, Sanchez? Marlins been very open about needing a catcher. Aguilar out so they need a first baseman as well. Thoughts ?

Steve Adams

2:19

More with Voit and Gleyber than with Sanchez -- particularly Torres. I doubt Sanchez is what the Marlins have in mind when targeting a catcher, though. They want someone young and controllable -- not a one-year rental with a projected arb salary near $8MM.

2:20

Also, Aguilar is controllable via arbitration, so he's not necessarily "out"

Angels

2:22

Barring injury in 22 and actually having a season, would these 4 players (not exact players but someone in that tier) be able to get for around $80-90M, Resign Iglesias and Cobb and get someone like Gausmann and J. Gray. And would that be considered a successful offseason to get the team into Playoffs

Steve Adams

2:24

You can make anyone fit for $80-90MM in a given year by backloading the contracts. The Angels are going to be far more concerned about the total guarantees and the luxury tax/annual value hits.

I think you could probably get that entire bunch for something in the $65-75MM range in terms of total annual value, sure, but do you want to commit 5+ years to Gausman (probably 6), a top-of-the-market three-year deal to Iglesias, etc.? It's a lot to pile into one offseason and the Angels already have some major long-term commitments in addition to their hope of extending Ohtani.

Guest

2:24

How do the Twins and Marlins match up in a trade that works for both teams?

Steve Adams

2:26

Twins have Ryan Jeffers (controllable catcher) and plenty of outfield prospects. Marlins want long-term options in CF. Twins want controllable pitching. It's a decent match. Jeffers and, say, Gilberto Celestino, are probably of some degree of interest in Miami.

Carter Hawkins

2:27

I’ve always said Kyle Wright would look good in a Cubs uniform. Are these the kind of starting pitchers we’re targeting?

Steve Adams

2:28

I think buying low on some former top prospects who've yet to pan out in their current orgs makes sense, yeah. They'll spend some money in free agency, too, but I don't think the Cubs are going near the deep end of the free-agent pool for anyone (position player or pitcher)

Kyle P

2:28

Which team hires a manager first? Padres or Mets

Steve Adams

2:28

Padres already have a front office in place, so probably them.

2:29

Padres interviewed Ozzie Guillen, according to Dennis Lin of The Athletic.

Guest

2:30

What do you think JD Martinez does as far as an opt out. New CBA will most certainly have universal DH and will consequently double his market. But he will have had to decide before a new CBA deal is done. It’s an interesting decision

Steve Adams

2:31

I don't see why he wouldn't get at least an extra year at a comparable rate to his current option price ($19.375MM), and I don't think three years is unreasonable. He slumped in the middle of the season, but JDM was one of the best hitters in baseball for the first few months, had a big finish and big postseason -- and he has one of the best track records in the game.

Trader Phil

2:31

Gonna keep asking til I get an answer lol... Seager, Kershaw, Scherzer, Jansen, Taylor. Who stays? Who goes?

Steve Adams

2:31

We're still putting together our team predictions, but if you forced me to pick right now, I'd say they keep Scherzer/Kershaw and the others go elsewhere.

Good vibes

2:32

Eduardo escobar seems like a logical choice for the jays? Plays 2nd and 3rd

Steve Adams

2:33

Escobar would fit there, sure. Jays probably can't sign both of Semien and Ray, so if it's Semien they let walk, Escobar makes sense.

Tom

2:34

Do you see the Phillies signing a big free agent or sign several second tier free agents?

Steve Adams

2:34

I like them as a fit for one of the five shortstops.