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Chat with MLBTR's Steve Adams: 11/5/24
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Steve Adams
1:42
I had them on Santander until like 30 mins before the list went out, as I said. I think it's perfectly feasible. I don't even agree that it's not their style. They went 4/64 on both Moustakas and Castellanos. I have Santander around 4/80.
Andrew Mccutchen
1:43
How likely is it I go back to Pittsburgh for 2025 and potentially even 2026?
Steve Adams
1:43
As long as Cutch wants to continue on and is reasonably productive -- both boxes currently checked -- he'll be signing one-year deals in Pittsburgh.
Giants fan
1:43
What will be the first major move from the Giants?
Steve Adams
1:43
I am going to boldly predict a six-year, $151MM contract for Matt Chapman.
1:44
(I think they'll pursue Adames and be in on a bunch of second-tier starting pitchers, though I could see them on Fried/Burnes to an extent, I guess.)
Chris
1:45
Francisco Lindor - Future Hall of Famer?
Steve Adams
1:45
Yup
J-Ram
1:45
0% chance the Guardians trade Ramirez this off-season, right?
Steve Adams
1:45
See previous answer
Closer trades
1:45
Where would you put the odds on all of Helsely, Williams, and Clase getting traded this off-season?
Steve Adams
1:46
100%, 75% and 0%
Ok fine, 2% for Clase, just because you never know and someone could do something nuts.
Disgruntled Sox Fan
1:46
Come on Steve, give us 1-player you see the White Sox signing, where you say, that might work out and improve the team.
Steve Adams
1:48
They're not going to be anyone's top choice for a landing spot, but they hit a home run on Fedde last year, so go back to the NPB/KBO well and sign Ogasawara or Kyle Hart, who had a nice year in South Korea. Seems plausible enough. Matthew Boyd's a guy I feel will likely be trying to max out and not necessarily prioritizing a contender -- but also one who could be relatively affordable and pitch his way into being a decent trade chip even on a solid two-year contract.
S’noring Desert
1:49
What is the point of mutual options if they are so rarely exercised?
Steve Adams
1:49
Usually just kicking some guaranteed money down the line in the form of a buyout on said option.
Broadly speaking, they're rather frivolous, I agree.
1:50
Some teams will use them in arbitration deals hammered out after figures are exchanged. By including an option of any kind, that contract is no longer categorized as a "one-year" deal and is thus considered irrelevant and non-applicable as a data point in subsequent one-year arbitration negotiations down the road.
Orioles do this a lot.
What In the Avocado Toast?
1:50
Mariners sign Santander and trade for a third baseman, letting Bliss start the year at second base. Thoughts?
Steve Adams
1:52
I put Alex Bregman on the Mariners in our Top 50 and I absolutely hate it. Seattle hasn't signed a position player for more than two years under Jerry Dipoto.

If they break the mold, I do think it'll be more of an ownership call and for someone more like Bregman -- elite contact skills, above-average offense, defensive value -- than like Santander. Not that Santander strikes out a ton, but he has a bit better-than-average contact skills now with minimal OBP floor because of a middling walk rate. It's easy to see him becoming the exact type of hitter the Mariners are trying to differentiate from right now by year two or three of a free agent deal.
Jesse
1:53
Soto is not the best player in the game. Why are so many expecting him to get paid like he is?
Steve Adams
1:53
Because he's among the best in the game and is reaching free agency five to six years earlier than most premium free agents.
Stuck in his Krall
1:54
Surprised the Reds made a QO to Martinez.  Just for the dollars involved, I was pretty sure they wanted to keep him.
Steve Adams
1:54
Yeah I was surprised for similar reasons. Had Martinez posted that same season for the Dodgers or Mets, I'd have found a QO at least borderline likely. I never really considered it for the Reds.

I think he'll eventually stay there on a two- or three-year deal.
BrewCrew
1:55
With Adames surely not accepting the qualifying offer, the Brewers need to find a cost effective infielder to add to the mix.  Would the Angels do a Luis Rengifo for Aaron Civale trade?  Both guys as a one-year stopgap.
Steve Adams
1:56
I'm of the mind that if the Angels trade Rengifo, it should be for minor league talent since they have basically zero path to contention next season. But the Angels feel differently, and they need some pitching help, so a Civale/Rengifo swap isn't totally crazy. Halos could turn around and sign Gleyber or something and feel they're probably better than they were beforehand.
9 more years
1:56
What teams do you think will be up to the most trading?
Steve Adams
1:58
The answer is always the Mariners, the Rays, and whichever team David Stearns is running (in this case, the Mets). Brewers too, though, and this winter anyway, the Cardinals, since they have so many veteran pieces to market.

In general I just expect a trade-heavy offseason relative to recent years.
Nick Krall
1:59
Who are the best ground ball rate relief pitchers that I should be totally in on?
Steve Adams
2:01
Best ground-ball relievers on the market are Tim Hill, Clay Holmes, Scott Alexander, Tommy Kahnle and Jonathan Loaisiga.

But not sure grounders will be a priority for the Reds. They went out last offseason and signed a fly-ball setup man with the worst HR/9 in MLB history among pitchers with 200 innings (Emilio Pagan). He was awful in Cincinnati's bandbox and great on the road.

Didn't get that one at the time and don't get it now that Pagan has (unsurprisingly) declined to opt out
Is it February yet?
2:01
Who, if any, do you see being traded of Boston's top 4 prospects?
Steve Adams
2:03
I don't think any of Anthony, Mayer, Teel or Campbell is necessarily "likely" to be traded. They'll keep an open mind on all of them. Breslow basically said as much yesterday. I guess Campbell is likeliest for me just since he is least likely to stay at a premium defensive position, but I wouldn't call any of the four individually and distinctly "likely" to move.
Brady House
2:04
I thought I was Nats 3B next year
Steve Adams
2:06
Sure. Could very well be. But House is 21 and struggled immensely in Triple-A after moving up from Double-A. Could bring in a 3B and keep him in AAA for a year, then reevaluate him at another position, or consider moving him in a trade. Having a top prospect at a position does not mean a team will not add at said position.
2:08
I have to wrap up for today. I'm on X @Adams_Steve if you have more questions. We're planning a Thursday morning chat with myself, Tim Dierkes and Darragh McDonald on the site to discuss our Top 50 list, so look back for details on that.

If you want more opinions from the MLBTR team, you can learn about our Front Office subscription package and sign up here. In addition to ad-free viewing on the site and in the app, you'll get weekly analysis/opinion columns from Anthony Franco and myself, a weekly mailbag column from Tim Dierkes, fantasy baseball chats and columns with Nicklaus Gaut, a weekly subscriber-only chat with Anthony (where your odds of getting a question answered are much, much higher), extra insight from Darragh McDonald, access to our Contract Tracker (a vital offseason resource) and our Agency Database, and more. It all starts at $2.99/month.

Thanks everyone, and enjoy your week!
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