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Chat with MLBTR's Steve Adams: 12/19/23
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Steve Adams
1:51
Seems like they (and lots of other orgs) view him as a reliever.
Ellis
1:52
Braves continue to make small deals here and there and the last few have seemed to not work out (eg Carpenter, Stassi/Fletcher). Does this come back to bite them in some capacity?
Steve Adams
1:53
I don't really get what the Braves are doing with some of these swaps, but they're pieces of a larger offseason puzzle and we don't even know the identities of the PTBNLs they're getting yet, so let's wait and see where things land. For now, they've taken on close to $40MM in salary + luxury taxes to buy low on Kelenic, make what looks like a lateral move from Nicky Lopez to David Fletcher, and acquire Ray Kerr and two PTBNLs.

That is not a sequence I love, but there's more offseason to play out.
Fredbird
1:54
Are the Cardinals out on Yamamoto?
Steve Adams
1:54
If they're still in the mix they're being extraordinarily quiet about it.
1:55
I kind of hope something like that happens. After all the talk of seven quasi-finalists, Yamamoto just signs with the O's, Reds, Twins, etc. and breaks everyone's brains.
I don't think that WILL happen, but that sort of chaos is entertaining so let's go baseball gods,, give it to us.
Brent
1:56
Would Santander and Joey Ortiz get Marlins to trade Luzardo to Baltimore?
Steve Adams
1:56
Santander is a one-year rental who's corner only. That's not close for Luzardo, who should have higher trade value than any of Dylan Cease, Shane Bieber or Tyler Glasnow because he has three years of club control remaining.
Give Him a Chance
1:57
Lots of hype over Kyle Manzardo, but the Rays don't typically bail on top prospects. Will Kyle get a chance with the Guardians?  If so, do you see enough power potential to make him a fit for 1B?
Steve Adams
1:58
It's not like the Rays are infallible when it comes to trading prospects. I can only imagine how quickly Erik Neander and his staff would like to undo the Joe Ryan and Nathaniel Lowe trades, for instance.
Guest
1:59
Do you think if the Mets miss out on Yamamoto they may trade some veterans to reset the luxury tax line this year. Alonso, McNeil, Marte, etc?
Steve Adams
1:59
No because I don't think they look at Yamamoto as a play to bolster their 2024 odds meaningfully. He'd help, of course, but the interest in him is a long-term play. I think Alonso's staying regardless, just as I think they'd be plenty open to getting out from under some of the Marte contract with or without YY on the roster.
Soler Time
2:00
Do you think the Marlins will re-sign me, or am i going to be asking for too much money from them?
Steve Adams
2:00
No, I think he's going to land elsewhere because he's just not a great fit on their roster and the front office that signed him in the first place has since been overhauled.
Jed Hoyer
2:01
What in the heck am I doing ( or NOT doing) this offseason? Cubs need upgrades at first & third bases, at least one solid starting pitcher and bullpen help. Are they really waiting on Bellinger?;Am I too risk-adverse?
Steve Adams
2:02
Again, the Cubs are one of like 5-6 playoff hopefuls for next season who've basically done nothing. It's not unique to them. They wanted Ohtani and had to wait to see how that played out. I expect them to be in on several of the non-Yamamoto pitchers who remain, to continue looking at bats like Rhys Hoskins and others, to explore the trade market ... it's easy to be frustrated with a slow offseason, but that's the nature of baseball's offseason. It's a grind, just like the regular season.
JN
2:02
Who do you see as a match for Jorge Polanco? Are his SS days over?
Steve Adams
2:04
Yeah he's not a shortstop anymore. 2B only, with maybe some 3B here or there. But primarily second base.

Best fits: Blue Jays, Red Sox, Mariners (Brewers to a lesser extent)
Gavin
2:04
Is it better to trade Kim for something than to let him go for nothing?   No way the padres are resigning him.
Steve Adams
2:05
Depends what the offers look like. Kim will be a 29-year-old free agent next year. He's an easy QO candidate once he declines the mutual option.
Astros bullpen
2:05
The later it gets in the offseason with Hader and Hicks unsigned, do the Astros maybe make that long-term leap with one of them and call it an offseason for their bullpen. Or do we believe Dana Brown when he says the bullpen will be addressed internally and no big FA relief pitcher will be in their plans this offseason?
Steve Adams
2:07
Brown has plainly said he doesn't have much financial flexibility. There's a reason there are at least rumblings about the Astros trading guys like Bregman and Valdez. It's not likely to happen, but other clubs are aware of the financial constraints Brown is working with and trying to pry expensive shorter-term pieces away.

I don't think, barring some kind of trade that meaningfully drops their CBT ledger, the Astros will be serious bidders for Hader and probably not for Hicks either
Brewers-Twins
2:07
Burnes for Lewis?
Steve Adams
2:08
Twins aren't trading Lewis for one year of a SP upgrade, no matter how significant. I doubt they'd trade Lewis for much of anything right now
Never say never, of course, but Royce Lewis isn't someone they're looking to trade. They love him.
JR
2:09
I understand the SP market being held up by Yamamoto but what the heck is taking Bellinger so long?
Steve Adams
2:09
This just isn't that long for a top-tier free agent in baseball. Machado and Harper signed in February/March.
2:10
Bellinger was always going to have a small-ish market of plausible landing spots, and many of those landing spots have been teams simultaneously involved in Yamamoto, Ohtani, Lee, etc.

Teams generally aren't keen on giving out multiple $100MM+ deals in a given offseason (it happens sometimes, of course, but not often). Bellinger and Boras are of course going to see how those other pursuits play out.
Guest
2:11
How much can Montas expect to get on a one year deal?
Steve Adams
2:11
Similar to the $13-14MM that Severino and Flaherty commanded.
2:12
Alright, I've got to wrap up. I'm on Twitter / X @Adams_Steve

Sorry for all the questions I couldn't get to, as always. You can consider signing up for our Trade Rumors Front Office subscription, which grants access to a weekly subscriber-only chat where your chances are obviously quite a bit higher. You'll also get weekly email analysis pieces from Anthony and me in your inbox (we've been doing a series on potential markets for all the top free agents), ad-free viewing, access to MLBTR's Contract Tracker and Agency Database, and more. It starts at $2.99/month. You can learn more and sign up here:
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Have a great week, everyone!
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