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Chat with MLBTR's Steve Adams: 4/23/24
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Steve Adams
1:24
Both only controlled through 2025, so yeah, that's reasonable enough to speculate on if the Cards don't get things rolling
Golden Valley
1:24
Super frustrating...  Rocco continues to pinch hit sub .150 hitters (Farmer, Margot, Santana) for Larnach, Kiriloff etc, just because they are right handed v. a lefty or vice versa. Twins are 1-21 pinch hitting, the only hit being a Jeffers HR. Such boring and predictable baseball to watch.
Steve Adams
1:27
You're looking at their numbers this year, the Twins/Baldelli are looking at their entire track record. Larnach is a career .197 hitter against lefties. Kirilloff's barely better. Farmer and Margot have good track records against lefties.

The Carlos Santana signing always seemed a little questionable to me and couldn't be going much worse.

But insofar as maximizing platoon matchups like that, I don't really mind it. You could just as easily let the lefties hit and argue there's no point in having a versatile bench with lots of RH/switch-hitting bats if you're just going to ignore left-on-left data and let lefties who've proven they can't hit lefties continue to face them.
Ranger Suarez
1:28
Does anyone outside of Philadelphia realize how good I am?
Steve Adams
1:29
I'm not in Philadelphia and think he's quite good! He's not sub-2.00 ERA good, but he's still quite good and has been for a few years now. He'll make himself some nice money post-2025 if the Phils don't extend him first.
eddienix
1:30
You say no one has too much of anything, but I think the O's have too many position player prospects, more than they can use.  They already traded Joey Ortiz (and a young pitcher) for Corbin Burnes.  Any thoughts on the O's trading for more pitching or the pitching market in general?
Steve Adams
1:33
The Orioles should've gotten more starting pitching this offseason, so yeah, I think they can/should go get more this summer. But even as far as their glut of position players is concerned... Santander's a free agent at season's end. O'Hearn could be, too. They got him to agree to a club option but he'll need to keep this up or hit at a pace they think is commensurate with an $8MM salary... feasible, sure, but not a given. And injuries always happen. Plus Hays is struggling and only controlled through '25. Mullins is only controlled through '25. Etc.

I sound like I'm playing both sides here, which I suppose I kind of am. General point being, I don't think they have "too many" bats ... I just think they should be more willing to deal from that depth to address a far less-deep area than they've shown themselves willing to be,.
Jared Jones
1:33
Can I not get a mention in here?
Steve Adams
1:34
I picked Jones for NL ROY and he looks awesome. I think I've said this like three weeks in a row.
Kyle
1:35
Is Lux a lost cause? What happened to his huge power in his last minors year? He had some promise w his OBP spike and gaps slug, but that’s over a year and a half since he showed that (I know, injury) and he can’t throw the ball
Steve Adams
1:37
He hit 26 homers in the juiced-ball season. (Juiced balls were used in AAA too in '19). He hit seven in 2021, six in 2022 and then missed all of 2023 following knee surgery. Given the magnitude of the injury from which he's returning, I'm not surprised by some early struggles -- but the extent of them is alarming. He's not hitting the ball hard and he's not hitting it in the air. At some point you've got to send him down to try to get him on track. He's not helping the team right now and probably not helping his own future at the moment.
Tom Kelly's blues
1:38
If the Twins don't rebound by the trade deadline, who's likely gone? Kepler, Margot, Farmer, Vazquez, Santana? I'm assuming only meager returns?
Steve Adams
1:41
Doubt anyone's taking Vazquez's contract unless he really turns things around relative to 2023. Kepler, Margot, Farmer sure -- but they all need to perform better. Ditto Willi Castro. Caleb Thielbar's a pending free agent.

But in general, I still think the Twins will be fine. They've had injuries and played some tough teams so far. Not excusing the performance... they've looked worse than they should, still. But they just kicked off a run of 10 straight games against the White Sox and Angels. I imagine their record's going to look a lot better soon.

If it somehow doesn't after that stretch, well then ... yikes.
Esteury Ruiz Fan
1:41
Elly has become must watch on Cincinnati while another exciting player gets benched multiple times per week. Will the A's trade Ruiz?
Steve Adams
1:44
There's no comparison in terms of talent level between EDLC and Ruiz. I know Ruiz has big numbers through his 20 PAs or whatever, and I get the frustration from A's fans of the stop-and-start with him, but I just don't think he's going to be very good outside of high steals totals.

If he's somehow learned to make hard contact -- he's done so in his tiny eight-game sample this season -- that tune might change, but he was just bad at the plate last year.

I agree he should be playing more though. A's might as well see what they've got
They basically said "no thanks" to William Contreras, took Ruiz, and threw Payamps in for the Brewers. Brutal sequence.
Hoster Tully
1:44
Thoughts on Jordan Hicks as a starter?
Steve Adams
1:45
He's never held up as a reliever. I don't see why he would as a starter. I hope he does, because he's crazy fun to watch and obviously super talented, but I just don't see how it's going to happen with his injury history.
anon
1:45
Got to think Masyn Winn is also in the discussion for ROY if he continues on his pace.
Steve Adams
1:46
If he keeps up a .400 average on balls in play, sure, but that's overwhelmingly unlikely to happen. Good-looking young player still though.
Dave
1:47
Is it time for the Nationals to cut bait on Corbin? He’s not going to get any interest at the deadline. I doubt he wants to go to the bullpen. All he’s doing is taking up a rotation spot that could be used to find the next Mitchell Parker.
Steve Adams
1:47
The Nationals' pitching depth is pretty terrible. No harm in letting him soak up innings. Guys will get hurt.
Sonny
1:48
Can the Red Sox rotation keep this up and end the year as a top 10 group in era?
Steve Adams
1:51
Bello and Crawford are probably the only ones not on innings limits. I don't see how they all hold up/stay healthy -- Whitlock's already on the IL -- simply because of general attrition rate for pitchers. And while Crawford's jump in K% is nice, he's also inducing fewer chases/whiffs and won't go the whole year without giving up a home run.

Totally get Sox fans being pleasantly surprised with the start, but I'm selling their rotation, even though I think individually there are some talented arms in there. (Bello, especially.) The depth just isn't there to absorb many injuries, and who knows how Houck is going to look if/when he starts pushing to 130+ innings after going 105 last year?
John
1:51
CJ abrams needs some love
Steve Adams
1:52
Abrams looks great -- hitting for more power than I expected him to. I don't think he can keep turning a quarter of his fly-balls into homers, but he can have a 15% HR/FB with the rest of his current profile and still look like a borderline star. Really nice development for Nats fans this year.
Brew Crew
1:53
So many capable OFs on this team……. Brewers have some decisions to make when Yelich and Mitchell come back from injury. How do you see it shaking out?
Steve Adams
1:55
I don't know that Mitchell will make enough contact to be a regular. He's K'ed in close to 40% of his MLB PAs. Perkins is ripe for regression with his batted-ball luck thus far. Some combination of Yelich-Frelick-Chourio out there, with Wiemer beating up lefties and playing good defense, plus Perkins filling in as a reserve seems feasible.

As is frequently the case, injuries will probably further clarify the situation as the season wears on.
Shortstops
1:55
Who are you taking between Volpe and Winn?
Steve Adams
1:55
More promising young shortstop?
Anthony Volpe (55.2% | 91 votes)
 
Masyn Winn (44.8% | 74 votes)
 
Total Votes: 165
Zed
1:56
Any thoughts on Mitchell Parker?
Steve Adams
1:59
Good reminder that anyone can look great for a couple starts. I don't say that to crap on the guy... but he walked close to 12% of his opponents last year between AA and AAA and was at 15% the year prior. He's gone 12 innings without allowing a walk or a homer, which is awesome, but also probably not sustainable.

I watched his start against the Dodgers and thought he looked good but also missed his spots a fair amount and still got away with it. Didn't see last night's outing.

I wasn't high on him at all coming into the season but am a bit more interested in him now, even though I'm still skeptical. Interesting enough start that I'll probably try to catch his next game if I can swing it
2:00
I shouldn't say "probably" not sustainable.... A 0% walk and 0% HR rate is definitely unsustainable haha
Guest
2:01
The Braves have Waldrep too
Steve Adams
2:01
Oh, yup -- I was just rattling names off the cuff, but good call, thanks
Joel Oldblood
2:01
Alonso traded at the deadline?  And who's a good fit?
Steve Adams
2:01
I think he'll stay and receive a QO unless the Mets are just flat-out buried in the standings.
Pirates fan
2:02
Do you think Jared Jones could potentially be better than Skenes? Skenes had all the hype but it would be hard to impress more than Jones has in his first 5 starts.
Steve Adams
2:03
Sure it's feasible that Jones reaches like a 95th percentile outcome and Jones only reaches a 50th percentile outcome. I'd take Skenes in the long run, but I love both. Plus they're both pitchers, so either one of them could blow up at any time.

Assuming they hold up, should be a fun group for Bucs fans with that duo and Keller.
FWIW, I'm taking Volpe over Winn in that poll as well.
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