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Chat with MLBTR's Steve Adams: 2/13/14
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KS Rangers
1:54
I know Texas is expecting some help after the break with older guys coming off injuries, but are they really confident with rotation they have going into ST?
Steve Adams
1:57
I doubt they love rolling into the season with Bradford, Heaney and Dunning all slated for meaningful rotation innings, but the front office can only work with what ownership gives them. I thought it was a little curious that they opted to go two years and $22MM on Mahle, given their payroll concerns and need for first-half innings. But in a vacuum, I also quite like that price for Mahle and think he's extremely underrated, so I can't fault them too much. In the long run, I think it'll work out for them.

I'd probably have saved the David Robertson money for a one-year deal on a starter who lingers (Lorenzen? Ryu?).
RadHippo
1:57
Snell or Montgomery signs first?
Steve Adams
1:57
Who signs first?
Blake Snell (17.1% | 84 votes)
 
Jordan Montgomery (82.9% | 407 votes)
 
Total Votes: 491
1:58
Figured it'd go this way but not so decisively, haha. My vote would be for Monty as well
K Pop Guy
1:59
It would be quite sad to see a player like Hyun-jin Ryu fade into the night. Chances anyone signs him before opening day, and maybe where?
Steve Adams
2:00
I'd be surprised if he doesn't sign somewhere. Padres, Pirates, Twins, Angels, Red Sox all spring to mind. And again, any team that has an early SP injury could well jump into the mix on the litany of free agents still out there.
early spring injury to a SP, that is
Lebron
2:00
Y’all think whit merrifield ends up on the white Sox ? Only team to be connected to him
Steve Adams
2:03
No, I think he'll land elsewhere. White Sox are trying to improve their defense and Nicky Lopez at 2B definitely does that more than Whit (though you could move Lopez to SS and put DeJong in a utility role, I suppose). Moreover, I just don't see the Sox spending that money in a season they're not going to compete, nor do I feel Merrifield wants to go to a team that's pretty clearly not aiming to contend. He's 35.

Whit on the Brewers or back to the Jays makes some sense. And again, spring injuries will happen.
Curious old fart
2:03
Andrew Benintendi and Eloy Jimeniz. what could the White Sox get for them?
Steve Adams
2:03
Beintendi doesn't have trade value. I think they're better off seeing if Eloy can mash for the first half and then marketing him.
Guest
2:04
FYI you wrote 2/13/14 for the date in the title of the chat
Steve Adams
2:05
Hmm. Sure did. Welcome to a decade ago! Wonder who's going to sign Michael Bourn and Kyle Lohse
No Arte in Angels
2:05
Do you see the Angels grabbing Snell, Monty, Belli or anyone else?
Steve Adams
2:06
They've been my entirely speculative pick for Snell for awhile. Montgomery would also work though
Sea Us Rise
2:08
Seattle actually had a solid off-season, better than most, and they're back in the playoffs 2024.
Steve Adams
2:08
I think they've done a pretty OK job with the hand they've been dealt from ownership (financially speaking). The Polanco trade was a nice finishing piece, one that I thought worked pretty nicely for both teams involved.
Red Sox fan 1
2:09
What's the deal with this off-season? I heard full throttle to start this off-season and then it comes out about budget.  Was the front office expecting more on the trade market?
Steve Adams
2:11
"Full throttle" came from ownership, so I'd aim your (very, very justifiable) frustration more at them than at Craig Breslow and his staff.

I still think, just given how far they are from their franchise-record payroll, there's a decent chance they come away with, say, Montgomery in the end. I doubt they'll go 6/150 like we predicted back in November, but if he winds up taking 5/120 or something in that vein, that's so doable for the Sox and it'd be a pretty big slap in the face to fans to not pursue some actual rotation legitimacy at a pretty reasonable rate relative to their payroll capacity.
BauerOutage
2:11
Why doesn’t a pitching hungry team sign me for league minimum with performance incentives? Understand the legal trouble but I technically was cleared…
Steve Adams
2:14
I see this so much that I feel like I should just say: the DA declining to pursue charges because guilt couldn't be proven beyond a reasonable doubt is not the same as being "cleared" -- and if you think that distinction doesn't matter, I think a lot of team decision-makers very clearly disagree.

I get probably 200 questions every week saying Bauer deserves another chance. The guy is out there broadcasting that he'll pitch for league minimum and still teams haven't signed him. As I've said in (I think) every chat for the past 5-6 weeks, I don't think anyone's signing him. Urias either.
Tom
2:14
Think tomorrow could open up a  lot of signings with the 60 day DL opening up?
Steve Adams
2:15
Maybe, but it probably won't be the flood that some are expecting based on the number of questions I've gotten like this. Teams could easily have been agreeing to terms with plenty of these guys over the past week or so and just waiting until camp opens to make the deals official.
Woodruff
2:15
Why hasn’t Woodruff signed yet? The standard two year pillow contract seems to work here since he won’t pitch in 2024, but is there a chance he just sits out (unpaid) and goes straight to free agency off the surgeon’s table?
Steve Adams
2:16
Possible he goes that route, sure. Also seems fair to think that -- since he's going to cost more on the standard two-year pillow deal you referenced (which I do think is what he'll sign) -- teams might want to wait until further into his rehab process before plunking down that type of money
TheBeatlesShow
2:16
If Blake Snell gets one more Cy Young Award, does that get him into the Hall of Fame?
Steve Adams
2:17
Would make for a hell of a case. He'll probably already get some consideration just for having two, even if the rest of the numbers don't really bear it out. I think with three, a lot of voters would just feel compelled to say he's in, even if the innings and counting stats in general just aren't there.
2:19
Alright, I've got to wrap up. I'm on Twitter / X @Adams_Steve for more questions, etc.

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, ad-free viewing, access to MLBTR's Contract Tracker and Agency Database, and more. Tim Dierkes just relaunched his weekly email mailbag feature as well. It starts at $2.99/month. You can learn more and sign up here:
https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/membership?ref=chat-2-13-24

Have a great week!
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