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Chat with MLBTR's Steve Adams: 5/30/23
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Chris H
1:50
Rendon has well underperformed the contract he signed with the Angels.  Is there another contract out there that makes sense to swap for?  Gio Urshela can play there every day now that Walsh is back.  Patrick Corbin or Josh Donaldson?  Like the guy and player, just on the IL a lot.
Steve Adams
1:51
It's a backloaded contract that pays him $38MM annually from 2023-26. I don't think anyone's taking that contract on. Corbin/Donaldson have nowhere near that amount remaining -- Donaldson's a free agent after this season.
Guy in the Recliner
1:51
Do you think 87 wins takes the NL Central?
Steve Adams
1:52
I could see that yeah. The NL Central is probably better than the AL Central if only because there's no one in the NLC as bad as the Royals, but it's still very nearly as bad as its AL counterpart.
RB
1:54
The 2023 A's All-Star will be:
Steve Adams
1:54
Holy cow
Probably Esteury Ruiz?
Oh Brent Rooker probably gets there first.
1:55
We'll see how they're both performing over the next month, but probably one of those two. Rooker has cooled and Ruiz is running wild and lots of fun.
Rox
1:55
Do the Rox just have to play out all of the big money contracts they have tied up and then hit the reset button? Having a huge payroll for 65 wins isn’t great.
Steve Adams
1:56
The Rox won't ever "hit the reset button" unless owner Dick Monfort completely changes his philosophy. He doesn't want to rebuild, and he doesn't seem to want to go outside the organization for a front office hire or invest much in an analytics department or modernizing the organization in general.
A's
1:56
Could the A's set the all time loss record?
Steve Adams
1:57
Yup. Definitely. Heading into the season I thought they had enough interesting young pitching that it just couldn't be that bad, but man alive have they proven that wrong. I still don't think it's a lock, since it's just flabbergasting to imagine a team continuing at this rate of futility, but it's very much on the table now.
Aaron
1:57
As a Ranger fan, I was expecting to be sadly asking who Texas should try and move before the trade deadline. But I have a strange, albeit good feeling instead. What is this that I’m experiencing?
Steve Adams
2:00
Rangers are good! They need some bullpen help, and some of their young guys are in for some regression based on worrying K/BB rates and high BABIPs, but even if Josh Jung comes back down to earth a bit, it's still a good-looking core. Jonah Heim is quietly amazing, the rotation's been good even without much from deGrom. I loved the Eovaldi signing, and he's not THIS good but I thought he was the third most-talented arm in free agency this winter. Things are looking up there.
Guy in the Recliner
2:00
Brice Turang --- bust?  or just a rookie being a rookie?
Steve Adams
2:01
I don't love the current K-BB profile, and the batted-ball quality is below average, but I'm never going to call someone a bust after like 150 MLB PAs. He needs to make some gains at the plate, but he can play defense and run well, so he's already partway to being at least a useful utility guy -- and I don't at all think the door's closed on more than that.
Guest
2:02
Are the Giants buyers or sellers at the trade deadline?
Steve Adams
2:03
Probably a combination of the two. Fewer and fewer teams fall neatly into one bucket, and the Giants rarely do. Even if they trade some short-term veterans like Alex Cobb, they'll be looking for another J.D. Davis type of guy who they can get on the cheap and control for several more seasons. Hell even if they go 10-30 over their next 40 games and are just buried in the playoff chase, they'll still be looking for controllable but displaced big league assets like that.
Not saying Cavan Biggio specifically, but that type of player comes to mind.
Coleman vs. Tarp
2:04
Should the Cardinals look to trade Luken Baker and Ivan Herrara? Two guys tearing it up at Triple A that tied with a Dylan Carlson could bring back a decent starting pitcher, yes?
Steve Adams
2:06
I think Herrera certainly makes sense as a trade candidate with Contreras signed long-term. I thought it from the time they signed Willson and still do. He's ready right now for an audition as a team's everyday big league catcher.
MostlyToasty1
2:06
If Royce Lewis can stay healthy, what will be the plan with Miranda? Is he a possible trade chip? Seems like the Twins are getting a bit crowded with guys getting healthy.
Steve Adams
2:08
Long way to go before you can declare Lewis healthy after he popped the same ACL twice in a span of about 13-14 months. Even if he's healthy and takes the 3B job, that doesn't mean Miranda's a surefire trade chip. Sure, you could listen on him more comfortably, but there's value in keeping him as a 1B/3B/DH who plays semi-regularly -- especially since Lewis can also play SS, 2B or the OF.

The Twins are pretty fluid with their playing time, and I don't think the old notion that you have an everyday player at position X and thus prospect Y is expendable is particularly prevalent in modern baseball, where guys more frequently move all over the diamond.
2:10
Alright I've got to wrap up for the week. Thanks, as always, for chatting -- and sorry for all the questions I can't get to in these. I'm on Twitter @Adams_Steve if you're so inclined and always happy to take more questions there.

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https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/membership?ref=chat-5-30-23

Have a great week, everyone!
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