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Chat with MLBTR's Steve Adams: 6/13/23
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Steve Adams
1:46
I think a trade, assuming he's back to full strength by then. Demand will be there, given the lack of CF alternatives, and I also just don't think he's going to sustain the early-season pace. Bellinger's made huge strides with his contact rate and overall approach at the plate, but his quality of contact is still pretty poor relative to his peak. Other teams know this, of course, but there might be teams that feel they can tweak that and turn him around.
SD
1:46
At what point do you see SD hitting the panic button and are they buyers at the deadline?
Steve Adams
1:48
They're on an 11-7 ride right now and are 2.5 back of a Wild Card spot. They haven't had a time yet this season where all of Soto, Bogaerts and Machado are healthy and productive together. I generally think they'll be fine. I expect them to be buyers. I don't think the front office is going to go into some all-out panic yet.
Big MLBTR fan
1:48
Dylan Cease for Jordan Westburg and DL Hall, who says no first?
Steve Adams
1:48
I don't think that's enough for Cease.
Owen White
1:49
Hey Steve, Do I get a chance to strut my stuff now that I've been brought up to the Rangers or I am I just a fill in for now?
Steve Adams
1:50
Sounds like he'll work in long relief behind Cody Bradford tonight. Beyond that, they've got Eovaldi, Gray, Dunning, Heaney and Perez starting, so I imagine White's just getting a quick cup of coffee but not sticking long-term right now.
Raimel tapia
1:50
Where is my fit?
Steve Adams
1:54
I suppose he could be a bench bat in Houston or Tampa -- somewhere they need LHBs -- or perhaps a short-term fit with an OF-needy club (Detroit?)

Generally speaking, I'm nowhere near as high on Tapia as fans seem to be. I didn't think it was super surprising to see him get non-tendered, to have to settle for a minor league deal or to be DFA. He makes some contact but generally hits for an empty average with middling OBPs and is viewed by clubs as a better fit in LF than CF.

It's not a highly coveted skill set. He can still be useful on the right roster, but I see him as a borderline fourth OF who isn't all that dissimilar from what a lot of clubs readily have in the upper minors already.
1:56
I've been locked in on this chat and didn't even realize Tapia agreed to a deal with the Brewers. That works, given all the OF injuries there.
Positively Half St.
1:56
Do you agree that the Nats have already traded everyone that could bring anything useful back in return? Just keep Lane Thomas and Joey Meneses to entertain while the prospects grow. Patrick Corbin? OK maybe.
Steve Adams
1:58
I wouldn't say that at all. Jeimer Candelario can perhaps fetch them something decent at the deadline. Carl Edwards Jr. is an easy trade candidate. Might as well listen on Hunter Harvey. Trevor Williams could potentially draw interest.
Cardinals
1:59
Is a rebuild inbound?
Steve Adams
2:00
I doubt the Cardinals will ever fully rebuild, but I can see a shakeup that sends out some of their OF logjam (O'Neill, for instance) and some of the impending FA pitchers (Flaherty, Montgomery) if the team doesn't turn it around.
Dodgers FO rare miss
2:01
Ryan Noda led his AA, & AAA in walks the last two years and now the AL in OBP. Dodgers should’ve promoted him instead of signing Peralta to a contract. Would’ve saved $4 million and given better offensive production in LF.
Steve Adams
2:02
I have to imagine if they thought Noda could play a passable LF in the Majors, they'd have considered that more seriously.

There's no way they're getting Noda back now, obviously, but for what it's worth, Peralta is hitting .337/.371/.506 since May 1... not exactly killing the Dodgers out there.
Vinny P from KC
2:03
Am I on the block this deadline?
Steve Adams
2:03
He's one of their only productive hitters and has five years of club control remaining beyond the current season.
(That's a no, to be clear, ha)
2:05
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.

You can also consider signing up for our Trade Rumors Front Office subscription package, which includes access to a weekly subscriber-only chat, and your odds of getting a question answered in those is obviously much higher. Subscribers also get ad-free viewing, weekly email articles from Anthony and myself, exclusive fantasy baseball advice from Brad Johnson, MLB autograph giveaways and more. It starts at $2.99/month, and you can read more or sign up here:

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/membership?ref=chat-6-13-23

Have a great week, everyone!
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