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Chat With MLBTR's Steve Adams: 11/19/19
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Steve Adams
3:25
Yikes. I think you should lower your expectations. If they get ONE of Cole or Stras be happy. They're definitely not getting both.
Dealin' Dave
3:25
No love for my man brock holt, where does he go and will someone pay the best utility guy in the bigs?
Steve Adams
3:26
I like the fit with the D-backs. Mike Hazen, Amiel Sawdaye and Jared Porter love them some former Red Sox. (Not saying that as a knock on the front office -- it's just true)
86
3:26
Your comment about Bell is interesting.  You say the player's agent affects his trade value.  I don't disagree, but is there data suggesting that certain agents are having a negative effect on players drafted below, say, slot 50?
Steve Adams
3:28
I wasn't really implying that Boras impacts Bell's theoretical value. For a win-now team, who cares? The Nationals or Twins or any win-now team with an opening at 1B/DH would be well within reason to pursue that type of trade and not really give a damn that he might walk in free agency.

When you're talking about a rebuilding club, though, if you're basically punting the first season of value -- and possibly the second, depending on how the rebuild progresses -- if you're giving up significant young talent for someone I think it's best to be able to have a potential extension in your back pocket.
mike womack
3:29
Since rosters are going to expand to 26 players do you think more teams will carry an extra pitcher or bench player?
Steve Adams
3:29
Sounds like it'll be capped at a max of 13 pitchers, so my expectation is that the default will be 13 and 13, with some teams occasionally going to 14 position players and 12 pitchers for a few days for brief stretches of time.
Cleveland Fan
3:30
Obviously the Twins had a great year, but they had lots of overperformances and have to fill out a rotation that got lucky. Even with money to spend, why are the Twins so hyped while the Indians, with a far better pitching staff, are somewhat overlooked as supposedly having a closing window? Really curious.
Steve Adams
3:32
The Twins have upwards of $60MM in payroll capacity to add this winter. The Indians are still looking at possibly trading Lindor and/or Kluber. And Kluber/Carrasco are pretty notable question marks at this point.

I don't think it's outlandish at all to suggest that the Indians will have a better year and bring a bigger fight in the Central, but Minnesota's blank payroll slate bodes well for their long-term outlook. They have $10.5MM on the books in 2021.
AA
3:34
Assuming I don't resign Donaldson, which is a more realistic trade target? Andujar or Kris Bryant?
Steve Adams
3:36
Generally speaking -- be it for the Braves or anyone -- I think Andujar is a more viable trad piece. The Yankees have a pretty impressive haul of infield depth.

Cubs don't HAVE to trade Bryant or anything, so it'll be more dependent on whether a team meets what should be a pretty high asking price. Bryant was north of 130 in both OPS+ and wRC+.
jeff in akron
3:36
Villar to Indians gets announced when?
Steve Adams
3:37
Don't think they'd like his 10.4MM projected salary. If he gets non-tendered, then I can definitely see the Indians as a more viable landing spot.
THE riddler
3:37
riddle me this, riddle me that, what FA will have the most disappointing bat for the 2020 season. my vote is donaldson. regresses a good bit.
Steve Adams
3:39
In Donaldson's worst season as a regular (2018, when he was hurt for much of the year), his bat was 17 percent better than league average. He's a monster at the plate. I'm not convinced that Marcell Ozuna or Avisail Garcia will post particularly strong numbers in 2020 and would consider a down year from both more likely than one from Donaldson.
Jeff
3:40
Is this the year the Dodgers trade Joc Pederson?
Steve Adams
3:41
I think so. He only has a season left before free agency, and with Verdugo, Pollock, Hernandez, Taylor and others all as options -- plus some low-cost depth options in free agency if they like -- the $8.5MM or so they could spend on Pederson seems better applied elsewhere.
Jomboy Parody Account
3:41
Which FA gets hung out to dry this year because of the QO attached to them, a la Keuchel last year?
Steve Adams
3:43
Keuchel got hung out to dry because he went out seeking $100MM+ as a 31-year-old coming off an unremarkable season. I think if they'd been willing to sign in the $60-80MM range from the get-go, he'd have been somewhere all season. Same with Kimbrel.

I don't see a glaring candidate to replicate that scenario this winter.
Danny
3:43
Could Starling Marte fetch a lower-end Top 100 prospect?
Steve Adams
3:43
Should be able to fetch more than that.
BlueJays
3:45
Could the blue jays take on the Carpenter contract from St. Louis to take back a prospect or two?
Steve Adams
3:45
They certainly could, but teams haven't really operated in that capacity as much as we like to kind of throw it around. But they have the payroll space and could just put Rowdy at DH, Carp at 1B.
Tyson
3:46
Why don't you ever answer my questions????
Steve Adams
3:46
I like the other 1475 people in here much better than you. You should definitely take it personally :)
Ryan
3:47
I've heard the rumors of the Rangers going after Donaldson or Rendon to fill their need at third, they may go after a couple of starting pitchers as well.  They have done great in getting Lynn and Minor, two players that others may have given up on.  Is there anyone in that category that you could see as a possible signing for Texas?
Steve Adams
3:47
I don't think teams have necessarily "given up" on Kyle Gibson, Michael Pineda or Rick Porcello, but those were some of the names we talked about as potential recipients of one of those perhaps unexpected three-year deals the Rangers have done each of the past two offseasons
TwinsFan1
3:48
What non-pitching FA should the Twins try to get?
Steve Adams
3:48
Re-sign Castro? Look at Moustakas (Sano to 1B) or Gregorius (Polanco to 2B).
Tony Perez's Cat
3:49
Any rumors of the Reds going after Whit Merrifield for 2b... he'd be a great addition.
Steve Adams
3:50
Royals GM Dayton Moore has repeatedly shot down any notion of even being open to trading Merrifield.
Ok, I have to wrap this up for the week. Jeff will chat later this week (Friday most likely). Mark on Sunday, Connor on Monday. Thanks and enjoy the rest of your week!
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