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Chat with MLBTR's Steve Adams: 3/10/26
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Steve Adams
1:56
Yes, but I'll take the (slight) under on 110 losses
RJ
1:56
Bold prediction. Angels win between 75 to 80 games. Adell, Neto and O’Hoppe all take the next step forward. Trout returns to All Star form. Soriano and Rodriguez, both put it all together this season.
Steve Adams
1:57
Disagree on nearly every count, but love the optimism! Neto is great. Soriano is really underrated.
Sue Shi
1:57
Do you see the Reds going after someone like Giolito for safety or just stick with the young options?
Steve Adams
1:57
President of baseball ops Nick Krall already said he didn't envision going back to free agency. I doubt they have much money to spend anyhow
FastballFreddie
1:58
What am I getting from the Mets for an extension?  5-6 at $28-$30 per should do, right?
Steve Adams
1:58
If 5/140 would've gotten an extension done, I feel like the Mets would've already done it.
Big John
1:59
Luzardo 5 for 135.  Logan Gilbert from the Mariners gets 145 in an extension?
Steve Adams
2:02
Luzardo's 5/135 is all free agent seasons. Gilbert would have one more arbitration season included (assuming you're not folding in this year's salary).

Let's say he gets a raise to $16MM or so in his final arb year. The proposed extension here is offering around 4/129 for his first four FA years. It's a nice AAV but I don't think it gets him to sign.
Cardsfan1984
2:03
I would add Gorman to the 20hr list for this year.
Steve Adams
2:04
Maybe, but I feel like if he's hitting well in July he'll be traded. My thinking was he could have a 20-HR season but still not hit 20 as a Cardinal.
FozzieDBear
2:04
The Red Sox have to make an outfield trade before the season starts, right? We have like five good OF, can only play 3-4 of them (DH) at a time, and could use players at other positions...
Steve Adams
2:08
I don't really think it's a necessity. Look over in Houston. All spring all the talk has been "they've got to trade an infielder." One small fracture in Jeremy Pena's finger and the "logjam" is alleviated for the time being.

I see it is a situation where you play Rafaela in CF, rotate Anthony/Duran/Abreu through the corners and DH, then mix Yoshida in as a pinch-hitter against righties or an occasional starter at DH if the OF has a couple guys banged up

For me, it's not so much a logjam as it is "four really good players (Anthony, Duran, Abreu, Rafaela) and a DH they're going to need to move on from eventually

I feel like I'm going to be accused of a smear campaign on Yoshida at some point since my responses regarding him are always so negative. I'd genuinely love to see the guy break out and make all detractors (myself included) eat their words. I don't want guys to fail and go through all the mental hardships an d disappointment that come with it.

I just don't think he's a great overall player presently
Dan
2:08
When can players go on the 15 day IL?
Steve Adams
2:09
Technically a 15-day IL stint can be backdated to three days prior to Opening Day. Most placements won't become official until Opening Day, even if we're aware they'll be placed on the IL
jeff
2:09
When a player goes on IL who pays their salary, the team or do they have insurance to cover the salaries if a player can't play?
Steve Adams
2:10
The team is responsible, though in some cases they'll take out insurance policies on larger contracts.
Milo
2:10
JHl move to right field might help him with his problems in center.
Steve Adams
2:10
Lee moving to RF has been the plan since the Giants signed Bader
Tom G.
2:11
Are trades for top prospects impossible? Seems like the Athletics could use a Joe Ryan. Is Ryan, Brooks Lee for Leo De Vries outlandish for either team?
Steve Adams
2:13
The fact that the A's even have Leo De Vries is proof that trades for top prospects aren't impossible! They got him from the Padres for Mason Miller in July.

But trades for the very top-of-the-food-chain prospects are indeed rare. I don't think offering up De Vries for Ryan+Lee would be bad value for the Twins at all -- but new Twins executive chair Tom Pohlad has been saying regularly since he took that post in December that the team will compete and he wants to win fans back.

Trading Ryan + Lee for a 19-year-old shortstop doesn't feel like it'd mesh with those comments haha
Royals
2:14
I am cautiously optimistic about the offense.  4.3 runs per game on the road which is middle of the pack in 2025.  Moved in the fences at home. Jac and Jensen.  Like at the end of the year, the Royals are a top 10 offense?
Steve Adams
2:16
I'd probably pick them to be a bottom-five offense before a top-10 offense. They're so dependent on Witt. I like Jensen, and Caglianone obviously has huge upside. But Pasquantino is more good than great. Perez is getting older. Jensen+Jac aren't proven at all yet. Garcia is very good. The outfield can't still can't looks like it can't hit.

It's just a shaky group overall for me.
2:17
I think something like 20th in the league is more likely than either extreme (top-10 or bottom-5)
BhamBrave
2:17
Could the Braves make a deal with Profar to pre-pay his 2027 salary at a discount and have him just go away?
Steve Adams
2:19
There wouldn't be a deal to pre-pay him. They'd just release him and eat the 2027 salary. Might be the route they end up taking anyhow, but there's no real benefit to doing so right now. He's going to be on the restricted list, not counting against their payroll or 40-man roster anyway.

A lot of times fans just seem to want the catharsis of "this guy was released" despite the fact that it doesn't materially change anything in the short term.

Atlanta's paying him regardless. Might as well see if they can dump a couple million of his salary onto another team next winter or see if he can contribute in any capacity in '27.
2:20
Tigers fans for years have asked when they'll just release Baez, for instance. They'd have had to pay him regardless, and he wound up posting 1.5 to 2 WAR last year thanks to a hot start at the plate and decent baserunning/defense.

If they'd cut him, they'd still have paid him $24MM and been paying a different player some money to fill that role (perhaps not as effectively)
StrosFan
2:21
If not Pena or Brown, who might Dana Brown try to extend while they're young?
Steve Adams
2:22
Ship has probably sailed on both of those guys. The Astros don't have a ton of great young extension candidates.

I could see Mike Burrows, I suppose. Maybe Brice Matthews a year from now if he has a breakout this year after forcing his way into the mix with a nice AAA showing (and/or with some help from injuries on the MLB roster)
2:25
Alright, I'm on X @Adams_Steve and Bluesky @adams-steve.bsky.social for more questions.

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Have a good week everyone!
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