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Chat with MLBTR's Steve Adams: 5/8/24
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Steve Adams
1:31
Yeah. It's a crazy group so far. Kyle Harrison and eventually Paul Skenes in there, too, if you're looking at just pitchers. But if you add hitters, you've got Michael Busch, Masyn Winn, Jackson Merrill, Jackson Chourio (assuming he gets going)... really fun class.
Ryan
1:32
I have a theory - The Twins knew they would be reducing salary, as they are loathe to give large contracts to aging SPs (Gray, Maeda) and they don't have many positions without a young player breaking through, or ready to break through and didn't want to hold them back with a long term commitment. If they are in contention, they can get a healthy, short term player, and a depressed payroll allows more latitude. The TV contract was just a convenient scapegoat. What do you think?
Steve Adams
1:35
I think they just wanted to cut back payroll in light of the TV situation. Under your premise, why wouldn't they have signed a better rotation option than DeSclafani? Why would they have gone Carlos Santana over, say, Rhys Hoskins? Yes, there's probably some room for in-season trade maneuvering now, but if the only roadblock was "We don't want a long-term deal" they'd have signed Montgomery late in spring. Or even Lorenzen.
Guest
1:35
If the Giants continue on their current trajectory, they’ll be in position to sell at the deadline.  Their contracts and roster structure are tricky.  Who would they be most likely to trade?
Steve Adams
1:37
Conforto, Cobb. Luke Jackson if he's healthy. Maybe Yaz... one more year to go after this season and the price tag's getting up there. (Not that the Giants have payroll concerns, but just they might feel he's so close to market value that there's no more surplus value there anymore)
Pivo
1:37
  1. Tommy Kahnle could have grown a new arm by now. He hardly pitched last year was shut down for last part of the season. What kind of “sore arm” requires a year to rehab? Or maybe he died and no one’s told us?
Steve Adams
1:37
Yankees sent him on a rehab assignment today!
1:38
Also he's been out with biceps tendinitis and shoulder inflammation
Natitude
1:39
Is a James Wood promotion imminent in DC?
Steve Adams
1:40
Should be. Eddie Rosario and Joey Gallo shouldn't be reasons to hold him back
Burning down the house
1:41
With all the signs showing another below expectations season for the Cardinals should they begin retooling and trade off some veterans to build up for 2025 and beyond?
Steve Adams
1:43
I don't think the Cards are going to contend. I didn't pick them to make the postseason in my preseason picks, and they've been worse than I anticipated with Goldy and Arenado both struggling.

That said, I also don't think this ownership group/front office is going to go into a full tear-down or anything. (I know that's not what you asked directly, but I've gotten lots of questions on it)

Selling short-term vets like Lynn, Gibson, Kittredge, Goldy -- yeah, I think that makes sense. But I also think they'll play things traditionally and wait until mid-July/late July to make any such decisions.
Spud
1:43
Brewers send Joel Payamps and a prospect to Baltimore for Cole Irwin. Who says no?
Steve Adams
1:44
I wouldn't give Payamps alone up for Irvin. I'm not buying Irvin's start to the season, and Payamps has been great since landing in MIL. The dip in velo and K% this season is concerning, admittedly, but Irvin doesn't do much for me
squinky
1:44
Dipoto has been roundly criticized for his late season trades and his moves prior to this season. Yet each time they have turned out well. Mariners are in the hunt with fabulous pitching. Looks like dipoto knows what he's doing?
Steve Adams
1:46
Dipoto draws a ton of flak for the volume of trades he makes, which makes a lot of people crack jokes that "Jerry got bored again I guess." But the pitching staff he and his staff have assembled, including the ridiculous number of obscure bullpen pickups on which they've converted over the years, is pretty remarkable.

The Mariners are an excellent pitching club with talented but inconsistent hitters. They struggle early every season it seems, which probably isn't a coincidence given their home climate and pitcher-friendly park. I think Dipoto's good at what he does, and execs like him make it fun to follow this side of the game.
Ooklah the Mok
1:48
Ranger Suarez emerges as a Cy candidate. Was he on your radar? Seems like another Phillie having a great year.
Steve Adams
1:49
He was on my radar as an underrated pitcher, in general terms. But this type of performance? No. I'd be lying if I said I expected him to up his K% by five points and just decide "I'm done walking guys" and start pitching with plus-plus command -- all while maintaining an elite ground-ball rate.

He looks awesome.
I have a question
1:49
Rank the top 5 FA SPs available right now?
Steve Adams
1:51
Like, this coming offseason? Corbin Burnes, Max Fried, Blake Snell (assuming he gets healthy and back on track), Jack Flaherty, Jordan Montgomery.

That's going by earning power. If you want just a one-year performance, you'd throw Verlander in there, but I assume he gets to 140 IP and just exercises his $35MM player option unless Houston just makes it clear they're gonna tank and rebuild again or something.
If you mean RIGHT NOW...... there's not much out there.
1:53
Bauer, but I doubt any team signs him. He's been broadcasting he'll sign for the min. for months and no one's touched it.

Rich Hill. Matthew Boyd (once he's rehabbed from surgery). Syndergaard. Vince Velasquez. Greinke.
Rich Hill
1:53
What will it cost to sign me mid-season? Are we talking league min or can I get $2M?
Steve Adams
1:54
I imagine if he throws for scouts and looks decent, he can get a big league deal worth a prorated couple million or so, yeah.
GeeDubU
1:55
Is Paul Skenes being called up soon?
Steve Adams
1:55
He should already be up. I think it'll be soon... the Pirates can't reasonably justify it much longer. Hell, not sure they can reasonably justify him being down this long already.
Tinker to Evers to Chance
1:56
Is Dansby Swanson on a sharp decline, or just not right this season.  Echos of Jason Heyward circling the net.  His defense is all of a sudden questionable when he used to be reliable, 4 E's on the season already, AVG is down, SLG is down.
Steve Adams
1:56
He's out of the lineup today with what Counsell said is a knee injury that's been bothering him, so possible he hasn't been 100% for sure
thor
1:57
FYI Woods hit 2 home runs today at Scranton, Gallo K'ed 3x
Steve Adams
1:57
Yeah I saw he homered twice this morning
Dude looks ready
Big E Langston
1:57
What’s your analysis of Torkelsons slow start to the season?
Steve Adams
1:59
Wildly passive approach at the plate. He's struggled with passivity in the past as well, but he's swinging at a career-low rate right now and seeing first-pitch strikes at a career-high level. There's way, way more nuance to it than this, of course, but he's not doing himself favors by putting himself behind so often. Attack the first pitch more regularly, Tork!
Boegarts
1:59
Can I turn it around and get 20/20 season
Steve Adams
2:01
Xander's never stolen 20 in a season, so I doubt that. But as far as turning things around at the plate in general, I think he's way too talented to just turn into a pumpkin in his age-31 season, so yeah I'm optimistic for improvement. He's still making plenty of contact, though his quality of contact has admittedly plummeted in this year's small sample.
Toots
2:02
What does a Clay Holmes contract look like if he has a 40 save season with a sub 2 era?
Steve Adams
2:02
He'll be heading into his age-32 season -- same as Raisel Iglesias when he signed for 4/58.
Gibby
2:02
Who is your all time favorite double play combination? (Tram/Whit gets my vote)
Steve Adams
2:04
I grew up as a Twins fan in the late 80s/early 90s, so Trammell/Whitaker isn't as fond a memory for me! Ha.

By that same token, the '91 Twins season is one of the first I really vividly remember, and I loved me some Greg Gagne/Chuck Knoblauch
2:05
There are obviously hundreds of "better" ones, but that's a real nostalgic era for me and I have lots of fond memories of it.
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