Chat with MLBTR's Steve Adams: 4/27/26
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Think about this…
1:38
Will Cora get another managing job somewhere? Would the cardinals make sense given his connection to Chaim bloom?
Steve Adams
1:39
Based on reporting surrounding Bloom's exit from Boston, I think Cora returning to Boston might be likelier than Cora going to St. Louis, haha
Savannah Bazzanas
1:39
Expectations for Bazzana?  Who loses the most playing time with his arrival?
Steve Adams
1:40
Tons of walks and extra-base hits near the top of the Cleveland lineup for a good while.

Probably Gabriel Arias. I don't understand the organization's fascination with him in general.
Pasquale
1:40
Kevin McGonigle ROY? Are Tigers saving Clark til late in season to protect his possible ROY for next season?
Steve Adams
1:42
He's in the running. Obviously way too soon to tell. So many great rookies in the AL ... McGonigle, Murakami, Messick, Jensen, DeLauter (my preseason pick), Early, etc.
I think Clark will be up this summer.
JeffyM82
1:42
Do the Jays DFA Eloy and/or Sosa when Barger and Lukes are healthy?  Do you think either would clear waivers?
Steve Adams
1:43
Eloy would. I'm sure he's just a placeholder while everyone mends.

Sosa, they at least gave up a low-level lotto ticket for, so maybe they want to hold him ... but I don't know, I thought he was trending toward a DFA in Chicago anyhow and was surprised Toronto gave anything up to get him.
Moneyball
1:44
Thoughts on Carlos Cortes? I have always thought the A’s have or are going to have a position player logjam - is he good enough for them to start using some of that depth to make a play for some better pitching?
Steve Adams
1:47
I have no clue what to make of Cortes. Honestly. Ha. He just stopped chasing, stopped whiffing ... seemingly by will. It's only 67 PAs, but it's hard to fake that level of hit tool/plate discipline even in a sample that small.

I don't think he's going to push them to a trade or anything, though. They're not getting anything out of Butler and Rooker so far in '26. Soderstrom has been fine but nowhere near 2025 levels.

If the outfield were stacked with guys who were producing so well it was hard to see where Cortes could fit, it'd be one thing. Right now, that's not the case.

Fwiw, some of that better pitching is going to come internally. Jamie Arnold and Gage Jump aren't far off.
Wasteful Rocktimism
1:47
Anything major to be gleaned from Rockies turnaround of Senzi and Dollander in the early going?
Steve Adams
1:50
Both look awesome. Senzatela is going to have genuine trade value this summer, which is something I never thought I'd say.

Rockies fans will hunt me down and threaten my family, but screw it, I'd put Dollander out there this summer, too. The farm is terrible, they need tons of help, and the return would be absurd. Won't happen, but as an enjoyer of baseball chaos, I am rooting for it.

From a bigger-picture perspective, it seems like the new leadership is already better at incorporating data and improving players than the prior ever was.
Bryce Eldridge
1:50
At what date do the Giants gain an extra year of eligibility? And will he get called up that same week? His K rate is high, but he surely doesn’t have much else to prove in AAA. He is who he is at this point…
Steve Adams
1:50
Enough time has already passed that he can't get a full year of service in 2026.
1:52
Eldridge is running a 68% contact rate against Triple-A pitching. The average major league hitter's contact rate is 76.7%. It's not just a "high" strikeout rate. I think they're right to worry that he'd be among the worst in MLB in terms of contact% and strikeout%, and I don't blame them for wanting to see him improve those trends.
Think about this…
1:53
Bazzana, Wetherholt, and McGonigle all profile very similarly. How would you rank them in order of who you’d rather have on your team.
Steve Adams
1:53
They'll all be good but I'm taking McGonigle pretty comfortably
Brewers fan
1:54
Juan brito trade to the brewers for Luis matos who says no
Steve Adams
1:55
Matos might clear waivers. No one's giving up anything other than cash for him. Certainly not Brito
White Sox starting bats bats
1:55
Is Everson Pereira going to be one of them for the rest of the year?
Steve Adams
1:56
No, I'm not buying the hot start. It's 69 PAs and he's K'ing at a 30% clip with poor contact numbers, a massive chase rate and low-end batted ball quality.
1:57
Good for him for finally getting some real MLB work and having a bit of success, but I'm not at all bullish on his chances of keeping it up.
matt
1:57
Should the Phillies market Jhoan Duran? its a hard decision because they havent had a tough closer, but if they could get a potential everyday pre-arb bat from him, it could do wonders for the long term
Steve Adams
1:58
If they're not in contention this summer, I'd be listening on guys signed/controlled through '27, which includes Duran, Brad Keller, Marsh, Stott
Dave Dombrowski
1:59
Austin Hedges the worst hitter in MLB? Alec Bohm says hello.
Steve Adams
2:00
This year, sure. But Hedges has been near or at the bottom of the league for several seasons. He has a 36 wRC+ dating back to 2023 (worst in MLB among players with 400+ PAs)
Dodger fan Jeff
2:00
Since you think Kim isn't loved by the Dodgers, do you think he has any trade value?  His contract is reasonable and has several years left.
Steve Adams
2:00
I think they like Kim just fine. I just they probably don't view him as an everyday bat. He's being paid like a bench guy, and he's a fine bench guy there who can play multiple spots, run a little bit, etc.
Tim Jones
2:01
Is Michael Busch okay?  He's looked awful so far this season.  Will we start seeing Matt Shaw play more first base even against righties if this continues?
Steve Adams
2:03
I'm not super concerned about Busch. He's hitting .281/.349/.421 over his past 2+ weeks (63 PAs). The batted-ball quality is shockingly low, but I wonder if some of that is just attributable to chasing more balls out of frustration. His contact numbers, walk rate, strikeout rate, etc. are all right in line with last year
Don Zimmer
2:04
Injuries aside, will the Cubs ever pay for a real Bullpen?
Steve Adams
2:04
Seems pretty clear they don't like the idea of paying multiple years for relievers in most cases -- Maton deal notwithstanding
Bucco Basement
2:05
I am not seeing much hope for the Red Sox to come back and compete. If they have a poor May, do you think it's possible they move Chapman and/or Duran and, if so, how can the Pirates get one or both of them (I'm much more interested in Chapman but Duran would be a great add, too)?
Steve Adams
2:06
Chapman yeah. Duran would be hard to sell low on, unless he turns things around. Kiner-Falefa, Coulombe, Sonny Gray would all be names to watch, too
Smells Like Team Spirit
2:07
Who gets (or should get) called up first?  Charlie Condon or Ryan Waldschmidt?
Steve Adams
2:08
Waldschmidt's hitting better and playing for the org (D-backs) that's trying to win right now. I think Colorado will call Condon up at some point, but there's no rush and I half wonder whether they'll keep him down to try for 2027 PPI considerations.
Bird
2:08
Why extend baz before rogers
Steve Adams
2:08
Presumably because Baz -- three years from free agency -- was open to it and Rogers -- six months from free agency -- was not.
2:09
At least not in a price range the O's felt was reasonable.
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