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Chat with MLBTR's Steve Adams: 2/15/22
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Steve Adams
1:52
Greetings all! Another Tuesday, another chat. And another week with no end to the lockout in sight. Fun times, these days. Let's chat for the next hour or so!
Sad Fan
1:53
Over under 90% chance the season doesn’t start on time
Steve Adams
1:53
There's no real way of putting an actual percentage on it, but I've said for at least the past two weeks that I think they'll miss a couple weeks or more.
Matt
1:53
Are you interested in the drug trial involving Tyler Skaggs?
Steve Adams
1:55
I've been following the testimonies today, yeah. It's really sad stuff. We'll have something on it later today once the trial has adjourned. I can't imagine this level of prescription drug abuse is unique to the 2019 Angels, sadly.
Jose Rameriez
1:55
Am I gonna be a Toronto Blue Jay when this lockout ends
Steve Adams
1:57
As I wrote in my trade candidate post last week ... I think teams are going to try to pry Ramirez away and ultimately fail. The Guardians still can hope to contend in an AL Central that has several teams on the rise but isn't yet too formidable, and there are legitimate PR concerns I don't think can be overlooked. Trading your best player twice in a calendar year that also includes a name change many fans are upset over .... it's a tough sell to move him now.
Freddie Freeman
1:58
With the announcement of the DH isn’t conceivable that Freddie Freeman should be at the top of the Giants targets?
Steve Adams
1:59
There was no announcement of the DH, to be clear. As we reported after Manfred's press conference last week, Manfred said "agreed" in pretty dubious fashion. There's no agreement with the union. MLB proposed the universal DH as part of a larger package that included a bunch of other non-starters for the MLBPA. The universal DH was in MLB's package from more than a month ago. To say there's an "agreement" is misleading.

I don't think Freeman would be at the top of the Giants' wishlist regardless, however. They have Belt in place, and Zaidi hasn't spent more than $36MM total on one free agent since moving to San Francisco. It's true they pursued Bryce Harper, but a 26-year-old with so many prime years ahead of him is different from a 32-year-old Freeman.
2:00
For what it's worth, I do think the universal DH is likely, and I think the fact that it's already been included in MLB proposals only further drives that home, but there's no firm agreement on it yet despite Manfred's choice of words.
St Pete Rob
2:00
Who is most likely to go   KK, Meadows or Margot  to give Josh Lowe playing time?
Steve Adams
2:00
Kiermaier makes the most money, so I'd imagine he's likeliest to go.
Not Alkaline
2:01
Candelario and a top 30 prospect for Moose and Castillo who says no?
Steve Adams
2:01
Reds. Candelario only has two years of club control remaining, and that's the type of guy Cincinnati is looking to move. They won't use Castillo just to dump Moose's contract, either.
DavidCNYC
2:02
JD traded to NL with new DH rule? If so, where to, and with what return?
Steve Adams
2:03
I've seen a lot of people suggest JD Martinez as a trade candidate if the NL DH comes around. It's likelier to me that he just stays put.
Ryan Zimmerman just announced his retirement
I'm going to get a quick headline on that up on the site. One minute.
Kiner-Falafa
2:06
Am I a logical trade candidate for the Jays as a 3b solution?
Steve Adams
2:07
Logical in the sense that he'd be available for a legitimate offer, sure. I don't think the Rangers are simply going to move him because they signed Seager/Semien and have Jung coming. IKF has a lot of value to that team and would be a pretty nice pickup for any of the clubs needing help at SS (Yankees, Twins, Angels, Phillies), 2B (ChiSox) or 3B (Jays, as you suggested)
Does feel like Toronto will prioritize a bigger bat than this, but if their earlier efforts fall through, perhaps they'd circle to IKF as a 3B/super-utility option who can help out at a number of spots.
Blackmon
2:08
Am I relegated to full-time DH duty with the DH coming to the NL? Or am I a trade candidate for DH-needy teams?
Steve Adams
2:09
I don't see anyone taking on the remainder of the Blackmon contract, and by midseason Blackmon will be able to veto anything anyhow (10-and-5 rights). I think they're stuck with that deal, and he'll split his time between the corners and DH
Dipoto
2:09
Who is your best fit for 3B for the Mariners?  Bryant, Story, Other?
Steve Adams
2:10
I might say Matt Chapman is the "best" fit, but Dipoto has made clear he has no plans to trade his very best prospects, so that's out. Absent a Chapman deal, I like Bryant there. He can still play some LF/1B/DH on days you want to get Toro into the lineup at 3B, and the flexibility works well with the rest of that position player core.
Sean
2:10
What does a Nelson Cruz contract look like?
Steve Adams
2:10
A year in the $14-15MM range?
2:11
Or like 2/22 from the Padres because AJ Preller needs any and all former Rangers to come through San Diego. (I say that jokingly, but I also 100% think Cruz is signing in San Diego, ha)
John
2:11
Do you think there are tentative trade agreements in place awaiting the lockout to officially end so they can happen or have teams genuinely stopped talking to each other
Steve Adams
2:12
I have to imagine there are a few teams that have quietly tried to conduct some business through back channels. Also worth remembering there were probably a few deals that were close to the finish line at the time of the lockout, and those talks can pick back up and be wrapped up sooner than later since there'll be plenty of urgency.
Cubs
2:13
What would it take in bad contracts for the Cubs to land CJ Abrams?
Steve Adams
2:13
Prospects as good as CJ Abrams don't get included as a means of dumping bad contracts.
2:14
A lot of fans love this type of scenario, and I get it, but I doubt the Padres would send Abrams to the Cubs even if Chicago were willing to take on Hosmer, Myers and Ha-Seong Kim.
Overachievers
2:15
The Mariners overachieved last year. They are certain to fall a bit. They lost 35 HRs from Seager, do you see them not making the playoffs this year?
Steve Adams
2:17
They're also adding Robbie Ray, getting a (hopefully) healthy Ken Giles for the back of the 'pen, getting full seasons of Toro/Castillo, whom they acquired at the deadline, adding Adam Frazier and surely adding some other talent post-lockout.

They lost 35 home runs from Seager, but they'll probably make up some of that with a better team OBP. I don't want to downplay his loss, as I think his departure even from a clubhouse/leadership standpoint is considerable, but every team loses some talent year to year. Seattle looks like it's going to add far more than it lost, and they'll probably get better contributions from Kelenic, Logan Gilbert and eventually Julio Rodriguez, George Kirby, etc.
Guest
2:17
Do you think MLB factors in the public opinion of fans when there is a lockout or do you think it does not affect their stance at all?
Steve Adams
2:19
I think quite a few of their moves have been made in an attempt to make the MLBPA look bad, which is done with public perception in mind.

The PA isn't without fault, but I haven't felt like they've been as focused on winning the PR war. I'm sure the league would disagree with that assertion.

Frankly, it's annoying that both parties aren't meeting on the daily.
To hell and back
2:19
Is it just me our had there been a lot more retirements this off season than usual? Is it because of the lockout?
Steve Adams
2:20
I think you probably just notice them more because there's a lack of other news surrounding them
Mr. Pittsburgh
2:20
What is your personal opinion of O'Neil Cruz and your expectations for 2022?
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