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Chat with MLBTR's Steve Adams 3/2/21
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Steve Adams
2:49
I don't remember the last time I looked at fielding percentage, but it's not really a great measure of defense. Can't make an error on a ball you can't get to. You could stand still in left field and post a decent fielding percentage so long as you catch the balls hit right at you.
2:50
That said, I doubt the glovework will be good, but I can see him being at least serviceable in 2021 before sliding into what I assume will be a universal DH in 2022.
Oscar Colas
2:50
When do I get signed?
Steve Adams
2:50
Probably not until next year's signing period.
Most teams had spent their money by the time he was declared a free agent.
Brandon M
2:51
If you were Ross Atkins would you target any of the remaining FA starting pitchers still available? If yes who? If no why not?
Steve Adams
2:52
If I were running the Jays and I had the ownership go-ahead, I'd have signed Odorizzi by now. But Jays fans should probably be glad I'm not running the Jays, as I would have no earthly idea what I'm doing and fold like a cheap accordion under that level of pressure and scrutiny, ha.
Luxury Tax
2:52
Any chance the tax brackets go up with the new CBA? Maybe teams like the Dodgers are anticipating this?
Steve Adams
2:53
I'm sure they'll go up or the system will be reworked. The MLBPA knows it screwed up last time by not pushing them higher. That was the immediate feedback from like every agent on the planet at the time -- disbelief over how minor the increases to the tax threshold were.
Bernie Brewer
2:53
Any thoughts about getting a guest(player/agent/FO ) to do a chat?
Steve Adams
2:56
We've had active and former players write for us in the past. A chat hosted by them hasn't really been anything we considered, though Trevor May did do a reader mailbag with us at one point. You can check out all of those under our Players' Perspective tag here:
https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/players-perspective

(Be warned that there are a good 15 or so stream-of-consciousness entries from minor league pitcher Tim Dillard, which our readers either seemed to praise as the greatest guest series ever or the most inane thing they'd ever read; I freaking loved it, haha. Tim is great!)
Old guys should retire already
2:57
Don’t you think these guys who just won’t go away are a disservice to the game?
Steve Adams
2:57
...No?
Sky Ranger
2:57
I like free agent Jedd Gyorko.  Could you see him being a good bench bat for the Cincinnati Reds?  David Bell likes versatility in his players and Gyorko can play all 4 INF spots and corner OF.
Steve Adams
2:57
At this point Gyorko would be their starting shortstop.
King Kelly
2:57
Do you see 2021 Semien as more like the 2019 stud or the 2020 muffin?
Steve Adams
2:59
Somewhere in between. It's easy to look at his 2020 numbers and think he had a poor season, but he raked in the playoffs, and those eight games would've inflated his regular season numbers by 15% or so. When we were doing out free agent predictions, I did some exercise like throwing out Semien's first 50 PAs and running his numbers from that point to include his 50 postseason PAs. He went from a 92 wRC+ to something like a 115 that way.
3:00
Not saying it's indicative of anything -- more just pointing out the pitfalls of evaluating any one player based on 2020 numbers alone. An eight-game swing makes a mammoth difference.
Brian Cashman
3:01
I need one more reliever.  David Robertson, Shane Greene, or someone else?
Steve Adams
3:01
Guess they could sign D-Rob for like a million bucks, but they're within $3.5MM of the tax barrier that they refuse to cross.
Red Sox Rob
3:02
JBJ back to Boston for 1 year to prove 2020 wasn't a fluke? not like he's been super consistent his whole career
Steve Adams
3:02
If Bradley were willing to take one year, he'd have signed by now. And it wouldn't be with Boston unless the Sox suddenly throw out their desire to stay south of the tax line.
Sam Billiams
3:03
Really sad O’s fan here, you see Baltimore signing anybody else to a major league contract?
Steve Adams
3:03
Not this year.
Dale
3:03
Will anyone claim Duane Underwood? Lots of arm there, just hasn't gotten people out.
Steve Adams
3:04
He's more intriguing, to me anyway, than a lot of the fringe 40-man guys on the back of some non-contending teams' rosters.
Farhan
3:04
Should I call about Mike Tauchman to get my LHH Outfielder, or will I be happy with Wade?
Steve Adams
3:04
The Giants targeted Wade because they wanted a LHH outfielder with minor league options remaining. Wade has one. Tauchmann does not.
RedsFan
3:05
Reds “frantically” cut payroll like I frantically await Steve Adams chats so he can trash Cinci.
Steve Adams
3:07
You want to defend that ownership group after their offseason, you go right ahead. Also, I picked the Reds to win the NL Central last summer, but yes, I hate them.

You can think a team had a garbage offseason without having any actual ill will toward the franchise itself. Not going to sugar coat what a disappointing winter it's been for Reds fans though. You ought to be furious with the team, not with me.
George
3:07
Shouldn't Colas find a team willing to give him a CF spot in MLB this year, start his service clock?  Can probably get a few hundred grand bonus plus league minimum this year plus the service is much better than say $2M bonus after July
Steve Adams
3:07
No one is going to plus Oscar Colas right into their MLB lineup.
Mike Tauchman
3:08
On Opening Day, am I playing for the Yankees or somewhere else?
Steve Adams
3:08
I expect with another club.
Bringing Gardner back makes Tauchman tough to carry when Frazier, Hicks, Judge and Stanton are also on the roster.
The Man Formerly Known as Bobby
3:09
Pache does he make the team or Acuna is playing CF who playing RF?
Steve Adams
3:09
I think the Braves open the year with Pache in CF and Acuna in RF
Bumples T. Lyon
3:10
If the Eaton signing is a disaster and the Sox don't win a single playoff round like last year, is Rick Hahn's job in any trouble?
Steve Adams
3:10
Doubt it. Reinsdorf has been loyal to him through worse.
Marvin Miller
3:11
Isn't it true that defense isn't as important as it once was because of the fewer balls that are hit into play?
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