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Chat With MLBTR's Steve Adams: 11/21/17
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Steve Adams
3:04
Happy Thanksgiving to those in the U.S. and happy painfully-slow-hot-stove season to everyone else! We can chat Braves, Ohtani, free agency and whatever else I damn well choose as the totalitarian leader of this chat. Muahaha.
Antonio
3:04
What moves will the dbacks make
Steve Adams
3:06
I don't think they'll do much if they can't find a way to shed some payroll. Mark did a really good job laying that out in his D-backs Offseason Outlook:

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2017/11/offseason-outlook-arizona-diamo...

I feel like they'll add a bullpen arm and maybe a cheap catching option, but there's just not a ton of room to add when they're already projected for a franchise-record payroll (by about $17MM) before even making a move
I do like the notion of them shopping Patrick Corbin and getting a cheaper big-league bullpen piece back, perhaps. Nats would be a good fit for Corbin, though they're not teeming with interesting relief arms.
The Big A
3:07
Any chance the Angels try and get Cozart or Neil Walker?
Steve Adams
3:07
They're reportedly interested in both. Neither comes with draft compensation attached. Both would be good fits -- Walker probably likelier since I think he can be had cheaper and Cozart (at least early on) will probably want to go somewhere that he can play shortstop.
PJ
3:07
Who are the front runners to sign Kevin Maitan?
Steve Adams
3:09
The same teams that have the most money to spend on Shohei Ohtani. That'd be the Yankees, Rangers, Twins and Mariners, though I don't think one team is going to come away with both of them. Ohtani may not be strictly motivated by money, but Maitan probably will be.
Curt
3:09
Are the Brewers serious about Arrieta?
Steve Adams
3:10
I think they're more serious about improving their rotation in general than they are specifically about Arrieta. But there's a fit there and they have the capacity to sign him with their relatively blank long-term payroll outlook
Carlos Santana
3:10
Why will I get half the money Hosmer will when I'm better and more consistent?
Steve Adams
3:11
Primarily because Hosmer is four years younger but also because Hosmer still comes with that sense that maybe he hasn't peaked yet. If the final five months of 2017 are in any way sustainable for Hosmer -- and I'm not sure they are without a massive overhaul to his ground-ball-heavy approach at the plate -- then he's legitimately one of the best hitters in the league.
Smegma
3:11
Jose Abreu to the Cardinals make any sense?
Steve Adams
3:12
It makes way more sense to me than paying gobs of money to sign JD Martinez or take on the Giancarlo deal AND surrender top-tier talent.
3:13
I also find the Cardinals' "need" for a big bat to be reactionary and overstated. They finished 9th in the Majors in wRC+ and 13th in runs scored.
James
3:13
Do you think Kyle Crockett could be a nice rebound/bargain candidate for a team in need of a LHP?
Steve Adams
3:14
Strikes me as someone that has a pretty good chance to get claimed or traded in a small deal (for cash, a PTBNL or some low-level warm body).
Jeff Passan reporting the Braves will lose Maitan and 11 other prospects. Ok then.
Chris
3:14
Why is Avisail Garcia not talked about as being basically one of the top players in the league?
Steve Adams
3:14
Because he doesn't have much defensive value and most people are understandably skeptical of any offensive breakout that comes with a .395 BABIP
3:15
He did appear to make some genuine improvements in terms of plate discipline, K/BB and his overall batted-ball profile, but he's not going to see damn near 40% of the balls he puts into play fall for hits again
Lanceuppercut
3:15
Would any team take Kendrys Morales from the Jays?
Steve Adams
3:17
No reason to do so unless the Jays eat most of the money and give up some young talent to just make him go away. Morales was a league-average bat with zero defensive value last year, and he's still owed $22MM over two more years. If you want an all-bat player coming off a crappy season to stick at DH, there are a lot cheaper options in free agency
Yankees just announced that Aaron Judge had shoulder surgery -- arthroscopic procedure removed a loose body from his left shoulder
He's expected ready for Spring Training
Guest
3:18
Machado and Britton trade return?
Steve Adams
3:18
I don't think either gets traded. O's have shown no willingness to deal Machado, and  they're not going to get anyone to pay their asking price on Britton when his stock is at a low point. He averaged 7 K/9 against 4 BB/9 last season and missed half the year with forearm issues.
Mike
3:19
Do you think the Marlins do a full rebuild and trade even guys like Bour, Straily, Ozuna, Barraclugh, etc.
Steve Adams
3:20
They've pretty much said that isn't happening. It'll be a few pieces with major salaries that are subtracted. Stanton, Gordon, Prado, Ziegler are the likeliest to go. Could try to give someone a decent prospect to just make Tazawa's salary go away.
Coppy
3:20
11 prospects + Maitan, wow, MLB is sending a message indeed! How affected will be the Braves system after today?
Steve Adams
3:21
I saw JJ Cooper from Baseball America say four of his Braves top 30 (obviously Maitan and Gutierrez would be in there) are going back to free agency. It's a deep system, so they'll still be very well regarded -- but I wouldn't be surprised if they were regarded more as a top 5-8 system now than as a top 1-2. Depends on which other names are getting sent back to free agency, and thus far only six have leaked out.
Alex Cobb
3:22
Heard potentially the Cubs or Yankees - both make sense, is there any clear leader? Or anyone else in the chase?
Steve Adams
3:24
Cubs are getting a lot of love because of the Maddon/Hickey connection, which matters but probably isn't any sort of significant determining factor. If another team offers an extra year or tops the Cubs by $2MM annually or something, Cobb's still going to take that.

Twins, Brewers, Rangers, Orioles, Dodgers, Mariners -- there are tons of teams that make sense. I don't think there's any real indication that his market is nearing a breaking point.
Sam
3:24
Are you as surprised about the Indians picking up Brantley's option as I am? On a scale from 1-10 I would say I am sitting at 6.752
Steve Adams
3:25
I'd have been pretty shocked if they didn't. I was pushing for Brantley to not even be included on our Top 50 free agents since I didn't think it had much of a chance to be bought out.
CubbyBare
3:25
Does Schwarber plus Russell for Archer in an even trade seem fair to both sides?
Steve Adams
3:25
Nope.
Archer is worth more
Explain Like I'm 5
3:25
What did the Braves do exactly?
Steve Adams
3:25
We'll know when the league announces the findings of the investigation. At present, this is just names being leaked to the media in advance of a formal announcement
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