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Chat With MLBTR's Steve Adams: 5/1/18
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Bill
3:41
Why is nobody talking about Edwin Diaz - he has 11 saves already (in 11 chances) and has allowed exactly 2 hits so far while striking out approx. 2 batters per 9!
Steve Adams
3:42
I've seen plenty of talk about him on social media and other places ... never mind the saves, he's whiffed 48% of the hitters he's faced this season. It is laughably good.
3:43
Though Adam Ottavino's season is still the weirdest and best relief season of anyone thus far.
Bob
3:44
Albies tearing it up. This power didn't happen in the minors. It can't possibly continue, can it?
Steve Adams
3:46
He's hitting for way more power than I ever expected (or than any people who are actually paid to scout these guys expected).
His average HR distance is 399 ft though (122nd in MLB) and his average exit velo on balls in the air ranks 174th. He's already surprised by hitting for this much power in the first place, so I won't say he *can't* keep it up, but I don't expect him to
Still a damn good young player though
TC the bear
3:46
Did you see the Twins turn it things around soon or maybe its DONE season
Steve Adams
3:47
They've barely even gotten to beat up on the Royals and Tigers thus far. They'll turn it around, though Lance Lynn has been an unmitigated disaster with no real sign of improvement on the horizon. His control this season is nonexistent
And wasn't good last year either, for the record, which is why no one went anywhere near him at his original asking price.
EPPLER
3:48
Should I take a flier on Clay Bucholz?
Steve Adams
3:48
I don't see why not. Angels could use all the depth they can get.
Jeter
3:48
Would players can I get from the A's for 2-1/2 years of Realmuto & Wei-Yin Chen's fat $50 million+ contract?
Steve Adams
3:49
Packaging Chen with Realmuto would negate virtually all of Realmuto's trade value.
Belted
3:49
Brandon Belt looks to have turned his dismal start around.  Can he keep it up?
Steve Adams
3:50
Belt has a career 129 wRC+... it's never worth getting too worried over a week or two of bad swings early in the year. He's not going to sustain a 170 wRC+ but he's been a very good to great bat for much of his career, and I don't see any reason he won't be that again in 2018.
3:51
He's hitting more fly-balls than ever, so maybe a slight uptick in power this year.
D-backs are sending Sam McWilliams and Colin Poche to the Rays to complete the Souza trade, Nick Piecoro from the AZ Republic just reported.
Poche was in Jason's Knocking Down the Door last week:
McWilliams is the kid they got from the Phillies for Hellickson
Jesus
3:52
Josh Hader might have something to say about you claiming Adam Ottavino has had the best relief seasons so far...
Steve Adams
3:53
I said Ottavino's had the weirdest and most fun -- I never in a billion years expected it out of him after the injuries and mediocre seasons he's had recently.

Hader is a monster, but we already knew that coming into the year.
That Guy
3:53
Is Molitor's job in any danger? The Twins spent this season, I can't imagine they're happy with this start
Steve Adams
3:54
They signed him to a 3-year contract last year after he was named Manager of the Year. He's not going anywhere based on one losing streak
Senior Salty
3:54
Explain to me in detail why the Giants are the 4th best team if/when everyone comes back healthy.
Steve Adams
3:55
Because Ty Blach and Chris Stratton aren't very good, Hunter Pence is old, Austin Jackson isn't very good, the bullpen is a huge question mark, and you can't reasonably expect everyone to come back healthy when you have that many injuries.
Lisa
3:56
Its about time for players like Moncada and Buxton to break out or get out right.   Who else needs to step up to their hype.
Steve Adams
3:56
Have you paid any attention to Moncada's season thus far or to Buxton's 2017 season?
Zulander
3:57
Who is most likely Tiger traded at the deadline?  Fulmer or Greene or Castellanos or someone else?
Steve Adams
3:58
Castellanos and Greene seem likelier than Fulmer since Castellanos is a free agent after '19 and hasn't been able to agree to an extension, and relief pitching is volatile+always in demand. The one-year guys they picked up are probably the likeliest if they're playing half decently. Fiers, Liriano and Leonys
Tank
3:58
Assuming that Josh Donaldson is back this weekend, what do you think the Blue Jays will do with their roster?  I assume that Teoscar is now officially up for good - but what about Gurriel Jr - would he be sent down for JD?  Or possibly Diaz?  Solarte definitely needs to stay in the line-up, so I guess benching Morales is another option.  Sorry for the long winded question!  :-)
Steve Adams
3:59
Diaz isn't playing well and has an option remaining. Teoscar's not going anywhere.
Casey
4:00
Not sure I would compare the pressures of a Wednesday to those associated with the playoffs. Some guys just really can't handle it and choke.
Steve Adams
4:02
They're pitching on a national stage in front of tens of thousands of people virtually every time they go out there. The only thing that says some guys can't handle it is narrative a ceaseless fixation on small samples. I don't buy that Clayton Kershaw can handle the pressures of a September pennant race in front of 45,000 people but suddenly is just shattered by the pressures of actually pitching IN the playoffs for a second.
Cleveland Sox
4:03
Should the world be concerned with brutal starts of Luis Castillo and Marcus Stroman?!
Steve Adams
4:03
Both have a velocity drop -- Castillo's is more significant -- and both have had significantly worse control. I'd be concerned with each, yeah.
Inquisitor
4:03
If Donaldson's injury turns out to be more serious, do the Jays bring up Vladdy Jr?
Steve Adams
4:04
They'd just keep playing Solarte at 3B. Vlad Jr. has 20 games above A ball
The reason they went out and got Solarte, Diaz, Ngoepe, etc. was to have better depth than they had in 2017.
4:06
Sorry, phone rang.
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