JotCast | Chat With MLBTR's Steve Adams: 2/12/19

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Blah Ze

4:04

Robert Stephenson will not make the Reds roster nor make it through waivers. He would improve a lot of rotations out West where homers are suppressed. Oakland most of all (he is from the Bay Area).

Steve Adams

4:07

Stephenson has 133 career innings and has walked 84 hitters, plunked another six, thrown nine wild pitches ... his issues extend beyond just allowing home runs. It's a greater lack of being able to control the ball and, further, to command it within the zone.

Chris Antonetti

4:07

Why have I not reached out to Mike Moustakas? Or have I? Seems like a perfect on a 1/2 year deal? Move Kip to OF, hold down spot for Chang to get ready. Much needed power bat and gives Moose a contender to play for.

Steve Adams

4:08

That's Indians president of baseball ops Chris Antonetti, for those unfamiliar.

And the Indians aren't going to spend at Moustakas' level. Their entire offseason has been about paring back payroll.

I agree, he'd be a fine fit there with Ramirez moving to 2B, but I don't think it's likely.

Ray

4:09

Say Shelby Miller has 14 starts with 80 innings of work. His k/9 is around 9 and he has a 3.20 ERA at the break. What kind of prospect do you think the Rangers could get

Steve Adams

4:10

It'll depend on his control, his velocity, how his secondary offerings look, whether he's missed any DL time, etc. Teams don't care what a player's ERA is.

I don't think anyone's going to break the bank for Miller in term of prospects, but if he's healthy and reasonably effective, they'd get a decent return -- couple of mid-level prospects or something. I doubt we're talking Top 100 guys or anything.

west Coast Mets Fan

4:10

I think the problems in baseball are too complex to point to just one thing as the reason for the low interest in free agents, but I think one major factor is the number of teams tanking all at the same time.

Steve Adams

4:11

Yeah -- I've gone on soapbox rants about that in past chats. When one third of the league is actively trying to be bad, of course players are going to be upset.

Brewers

4:12

What are the chances the brewers bring Moustakas back on a 1 year 6-8 million deal

Steve Adams

4:12

I think he should get more than that, but that goes back to the "middle class" argument. The longer he sits on the market, the likelier that scenario bcomes.

becomes

10 Year Deals

4:12

A-Rod over the 10 years that would have been his Texas deal (assuming no opt-out): .299/.394/.577, 150 OPS+, 69.8 fWAR, 3 MVPs, one Championship, 9 ASGs. What an awful deal at $252mm!

Steve Adams

4:13

Ha, well ... A-Rod was also better than Bryce or Manny, but yes, point taken.

WAR - what is it good for

4:13

How many wins would a team total of 0 WAR get in a 162-game schedule?

Steve Adams

4:14

I'm not a WAR expert -- good question to have clarified in a Fangraphs chat -- but I think the general idea is that a team of purely replacement-level players would win something in the mid-40s.

Shirtless Bartolo on a Darkhorse

4:15

A-Rod was using steriods

Steve Adams

4:15

Probably came in handy when facing all those pitchers who were also taking steroids.

Brewers

4:15

Are the brewers a possible fit for Dallas Kecuchel

Steve Adams

4:16

Yeah I think so -- but they're not going to pay top-of-the-market for him. If he comes down to two or three years, I think Milwaukee jumps in similarly to how they did with Grandal.

4:17

Ok. I'm going to go about 5-10 mins longer and let's try to shift away from Bryce/Manny/free agency is broken and everything is terrible topics.

DeCoste

4:17

Steve, thoughts on Paul DeJong this year!!????

Steve Adams

4:19

Encouraging that he cut his K% and improved his walk rate. I don't think he's a 30-homer guy but 25ish seems reasonable. Paired with solid glovework at short, that's a nice player.

gelo

4:19

Is Clint Frazier a regular starter at any point this year?

Steve Adams

4:19

Only if the Yankees incur multiple OF injuries or trade him.

Aaron

4:19

#2 Overall pick for fantasy purposes?

Steve Adams

4:19

Assuming Trout goes #1, Mookie

4:20

Which Brave has the best shot at the MVP this year? Acuna, Freeman, or Donaldson?

Steve Adams

4:20

Freeman, then Acuna, then JD

Likeliest Braves MVP candidate?

Acuna (49.7% | 221 votes)

Donaldson (6.5% | 29 votes)

Freeman (Freddie, not Sam) (43.8% | 195 votes)

Total Votes: 445

Eric Richardson

4:21

Can Yu bounce back if healthy? Would the Cubs be content with 25ish starts from him?

Steve Adams

4:21

I think after last season they'd be thrilled if he made 25 starts.

Geoff

4:21

Let's talk unis! How about the Padres going back to brown in 2020! Finally!

Steve Adams

4:21

Love it.

Joey Baratta

4:21

The Phillies have made some impressive offseason moves. Signing David Robertson, Andrew McCutchen, trading for JT (the catcher) and trading for Jean Segura. With all those moves...do you think the Phillies are missing anything?

Steve Adams

4:22

I'd still like to see them add a top-end reliever like Kimbrel or make a play for Keuchel. And, sure, they'll probably sign one of the big two

MLB Future

4:22

Would you endorse MLB expansion if you were in charge? Assuming that the OAK and TB situations were resolved...

Steve Adams

4:23

If they get those situations resolved, yeah I'd be fine adding another two teams to the mix yeah. There's enough talent for it, I think, and I'm all for more teams who'd come in trying to win.

Mike Elias

4:23

Do I sign Yolbert Sanchez?

Steve Adams

4:23

(Orioles GM Mike Elias)

Yeah, I think the O's will sign him.

Expansion

4:24

I think the league should trim 4 teams in each league, to make more competitive teams (less tanking), thoughts?

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