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Chat with MLBTR's Steve Adams: 10/26/21
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Red October
2:34
Angels.  Who will be the shortstop next season? Any of the free agent group have a really good shot?
Steve Adams
2:35
I'd rather see them spend on starting pitching for once. Sign a starter (probably two) and trade for a shortstop who can play good defense (Paul DeJong?)
The Fonz
2:36
Stroman and Jon Gray to the Cubs this offseason?
Steve Adams
2:36
Gray seems like he could be in their price range. Stroman does not.
Nolan
2:36
When will teams stop paying for past performance on the free agent market? Seems so many long term deals are regrettable as soon as the ink dries.
Steve Adams
2:37
We already have. That's why veteran free agents are getting shorter contracts and why the few 8+ year deals you see, for the most part, are for guys in their mid-20s.
ooklah the mok
2:38
Thoughts on the Phils moving Segura, who has value, and sliding Gregorius to 2b, who has none...?
Steve Adams
2:40
I don't know how much surplus value a year a 32-year-old Segura at $15.25MM has. It's one year plus an option, which isn't a bad price for him or anything, but if he's an above-average but not-elite bat who's primarily limited to 2B at this point, I doubt he'd fetching the Phillies too much.

If anything you're just weakening the lineup to save money and create another hole that needs to be addressed -- probably by money.
David
2:40
Does MLBTR split teams up among writers? It seems like some teams are covered more by certain writers.
Steve Adams
2:41
Nope. Happenstance if that's the case. With regard to offseason outlooks or offseason reviews, we try to largely keep some of the same teams assigned to the same writers who write those pieces year-in and year-out, but as far as actual news coverage or analysis pieces or whatever, that's not the case.
Isaacs Dad
2:43
What exactly is the difference between GM and Pres of Baseball Op? It seems like 10-15 yrs ago GM was the top job and now we just made this weird new level.
Steve Adams
2:45
Division of specific duties, responsibilities, etc. will vary from team to team, but yeah, it's basically just an elevated title to allow teams to keep their top-level executives and to operate efficiently as the standard front office grows.

The president of bb ops is still going to have final say, but the GM is elevated above other asst GMs and is largely blocked from being hired by a team looking for a new general manager (but not a new president of baseball ops).

Front offices are larger than they used to be, and the day-to-day operation of them requires more work. It's only natural to see some titles expanding and the actual volume of people working in a given baseball ops department growing.
Mark
2:46
More likely - Cubs extend Willson Contreras or trade him?
Steve Adams
2:46
Trade
Colin
2:46
Rizzo going to get anything close to the reported 4/$70 he turned down from the Cubs?
Steve Adams
2:46
I believe it was 5/70, and no -- I don't think he'll get that in free agency.
JK
2:47
With Nolan Gorman, ETA 2022, likely at 2B, do the Cardinals really pursue a big name FA at SS? DeJong is a definite trade candidate, while Sosa seems like a glove-first utility option, not a starter. Edman to SS then, or would they plus Gorman as DH and go for a big name at SS? I could see them not spending at SS and looking for an SP1/SP2 type.
Steve Adams
2:49
Yeah I think it's perfectly plausible that they spend more heavily on starting pitching and avoid committing long-term to one of the big five shortstops. They're in a decent spot in that they have money to spend, have depth both in the infield and the rotation ... they can pursue a variety of avenues but don't need to feel obligated to get Player X or Player Y at any and all costs.
M’s
2:49
Wouldn’t Kris Bryant be our best fit?
Steve Adams
2:50
Yeah, Bryant is a good fit in Seattle -- and the Mariners are at least the tentative pick we have for his landing spot right now. That'll probably change, and we may deviate a bit this year and list out specific picks from me/Tim/Anthony rather than just one omnibus "MLBTR pick" as a whole. We disagree on a lot of stuff while we're planning these and making predictions.
Joshua
2:50
Does Nelson Cruz make sense for the Nats on a 1 year deal? Thanks.
Steve Adams
2:51
Have to imagine he prefers a more clear contender -- and that he'll have interest from them.
BK
2:52
Why on earth do the angels need a catcher. Stassi if not for the random injury could be argued to be the #1 or#2 catcher in baseball
Steve Adams
2:54
I like Stassi. He's also had multiple stints on the concussion IL, including I believe two this past season, in addition to various knee/leg/thumb injuries that come with being a 31-year-old catcher. Beyond that, he's a free agent after next year, and has never topped 319 PAs in an MLB season.
JK
2:55
Outside of the top-tier pitchers, who do you personally feel offers great value in the next tiers? Jon Gray outside of Colorado, maybe? Some guys poised for a rebound?
Steve Adams
2:55
Gray and Eduardo Rodriguez are two guys who I think will do a lot better than people expect, unless they go the Gausman route and accept a qualifying offer.
2:56
Gausman could have gotten a strong three years last winter, most likely, but he bet on himself and will get 5-6 as a result. Can't rule out one of Gray or E-Rod doing that, even if they get a QO, but I think they'll both do well in the market even if they turn one down.
Johnny M.
2:56
Haven't seen it asked so apologies if I missed it, but thoughts on Oliver Marmol becoming the youngest manager in baseball?
Steve Adams
3:00
I don't know a lot about Marmol, and generally speaking, the decisions that go into firing/hiring managers and coaches are about far more than we can see on the field. It seems like they were pretty much set on Marmol the moment they fired Shildt, and there was no genuine "search" conducted, which is pretty much how Shildt got into the managerial spot in the first place.

As a general rule, I think teams would benefit more from holding legitimate interview processes and opening themselves up to be challenged by less-insular options, whether it's the St. Louis manager, the Rockies' GM spot, etc. etc.

That's not a knock on Marmol, who by all accounts seems well-respected in the Cardinals clubhouse and front office. But why not at least conduct a legitimate search to see if someone who's not already in your inner circle can surprise you?
Reds future
3:00
IMO, if the Reds don't bring back Castellanos, I believe they should sell Winker, Gray and Castillos.  Then once Suarez builds value, sell him.  Then pretty much start the rebuilding process.  Your thoughts?
Steve Adams
3:01
They already rebuilt for like 4 years. I think that's a slap in the face to fans. Winker, Votto, Gray, Castillo, Mahle, Stephenson, India ... there are a lot of good pieces there, and the Cubs/Pirates are both rebuilding/tanking. Now is not the time for the Reds to fold up shop for another 2-3 years.
Chatwood
3:03
What's the difference between Gray and Chatwood leaving COL? Seems like another overpay for whoever signs Gray
Steve Adams
3:05
Just because they're both Rockies pitchers doesn't make them the same guy. Gray misses far more bats, has better command, throws harder, and has a completely different arsenal (4-seam, slider, very occasional change/curve) than Chatwood did at the time (4-seam, sinker, cutter)
3:07
Gray is also a 6'4", 225-pound horse and former No. 3 overall draft pick whom other teams have probably been dreaming on for years. Chatwood's a more undersized 5'11" guy who a lot of teams were into because of spin rates and other newer metrics at a time when that type of data wasn't contextualized as efficiently as it is in 2021.
Josh
3:08
Trout huge contract no postseason appearances since signing, Machado huge contract no postseason appearances, Harper the same. Have teams figured out you hamstring your club by tying up chunks of money in 1 really good player
Steve Adams
3:09
You could just as easily say ... Mookie Betts huge contract, Dodgers win World Series. Jose Altuve huge contract Astros go to World Series. Max Scherzer/Stephen Strasburg Nats win World Series.
3:10
The Phillies aren't hamstrung by Harper's contract. It only has a $25MM AAV, which isn't all that impactful for a team with a $200MM payroll. Both the Angels and Padres have signed huge contracts AFTER signing Trout and Machado.
KC
3:11
How can the Rockies break out of the playoff drought? In a top-tier division, not seen as an attractive free-agent destination (especially for P's), Traded Arenado for nothing and are letting Story walk for nothing, Blackmon is nearing the end of his career, they need to take a step back and do a hard audit of their organization correct?
Steve Adams
3:13
I generally don't love to advocate for teams rebuilding (hence my prior Reds answer), but there are certain points where a club just bottoms out and has no near-term hope for rebounding. It was the case in Baltimore when they rebuilt (a year too late) and the same in Detroit.

I think the Rockies have been there for awhile, but their owner is stubborn and steadfastly believes his club and his group can win right now. We'll see what happens this offseason, but I see a team that just got about a 95th-percentile outcome, in terms of both health and results, from its starting rotation and was still buried in the division.
3:14
I don't know how you can realistically say "We're going to beat the Dodgers, Giants and Padres" with the core of that roster next year, but I'd rather have a bunch of delusional teams trying to win than a bunch of clubs just outwardly tanking and trying to lose, so kudos to the Rockies for at least making things interesting in their own way.
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