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Chat with MLBTR's Steve Adams: 6/18/24
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Sam
1:18
If the Twins think a return like that for Alonso is laughable, where do they turn their focus to this deadline? Do they stand pat like last year?
Steve Adams
1:19
I don't think that's a Twins-specific thing. Festa and Keaschall are both fringe top-100 guys. Getting two top-100-ish, 50 FV prospects for a couple months of Alonso isn't realistic. And that's not even including Kirilloff, who's a project at this point but certainly isn't entirely devoid of value.
1:20
I don't think any team is going to pony up that type of offer for Alonso
BhamBrave
1:20
Do the Braves have the pieces to get Robert? Their farm is really thin.
Steve Adams
1:22
It's thin, but they still have Waldrep, Schwenllenbach, Smith-Shawver ... they could look at putting Kelenic in a deal if that interests the Sox, I suppose. Nacho Alvarez is kind of interesting. I don't think it's a great farm, but *most* systems have enough talent to acquire any one single player. It's just a matter of whether A) The selling team prefers that combo to the other offers they'll surely receive and B) Whether the thin-farm team is willing to basically gut the top end of its farm for that one player.

Usually, the answer to the latter is no.
Natitude
1:23
In a very small sample size, has DJ Herz opened some eyes with his swing & miss stuff? Is there potential to be a solid mid level rotation arm in DC?
Steve Adams
1:24
He walked 19% of his hitters in AAA and walked five through 8 1/3 innings in his first two outings. I'm not buying the command. He overpowered a Marlins lineup that is far and away the worst in MLB against LHP. It was a dominant game, so I get the excitement, but I'm not buying that as some kind of breakout performance. I don't think Herz has the command needed to be the pitcher you're describing.
1:25
five through 8 1/3 in his first two MLB outings*
Simon
1:25
Could you see the Pirates going in the deep end for Luis Robert? I feel like their lineup has a lot of solid contributors, but lacks the difference-maker All Star bat in the middle.

Also - is the Bucs' roster better or worse set up for their window opening than they were in 2011-12 with McCutchen at the forefront?
Steve Adams
1:26
Robert is the kind of cost-controlled player who I do think makes sense for the Bucs, but those two $20MM options are steep by their standards and I wonder if they'd be reluctant to commit such a notable portion of their future payroll to someone with his injury troubles.

But in a vacuum, yes, Robert is precisely the kind of player I have in mind when saying Pittsburgh should be more aggressive on the trade market this July.
Charlie
1:26
Will the Rockies actually trade anyone and build up minor league talent? If so, who would they trade?
Steve Adams
1:28
I could see them moving Elias Diaz and Jalen Beeks -- their impending free agents. I don't think they're going to trade McMahon (even though they should 100% listen). And I don't think they'll trade Quantrill/Gomber. It seems like anytime they get a pitcher who has any success and doesn't hate being at Coors, they give him an ill-advised extension. I think any such deal for Quantrill or Gomber would be just that, but ... that hasn't stopped them before. (Freeland, Senzatela, Bard, Kinley, etc.)
2024 Surprise
1:29
What is a bigger shocker nearing the half way point?  The Brewers in first, after moving Burnes or Tampa Bay in the basement, 15 games behind the Yankees.
Steve Adams
1:29
Bigger surprise
First-place Brew Crew (28% | 126 votes)
 
Last-place Rays (72% | 324 votes)
 
Total Votes: 450
1:30
Hmm, I expected more parity here, but then again I'm far more surprised by the Rays being this bad, so I can't disagree.
I still picked the Brewers to make the playoffs. Their ability to maximize fringe pitchers is just really impressive.
Kurt the Hurt
1:30
If Scott Harris thinks the rebuild tor the Tigers is over, then why are they 12th in the League in Home Runs and dead last in Stolen Bases ?
Steve Adams
1:31
I think if he thought the rebuild was firmly over, they'd have been more aggressive in free agency last offseason. The Tigers took this year as an evaluation year for a lot of their young hitters. It hasn't gone great, but they've also gotten a sense for where they need to either acquire someone else via trade or sign a free agent. And they hit a jackpot on Jack Flaherty which could lead to a real nice deadline return.
Kyle
1:32
How useful is bWAR for pitchers if Tyler Anderson is leading the crop despite bad peripherals/red flags? Not at all?
Steve Adams
1:33
Any stat, in isolation, is flawed. They all work together to tell a story. If you're looking at just one number you're never going to get a clear picture, whether that's bWAR, FIP, fWAR, ERA, wins, WHIP, etc.
Ellis
1:33
I saw a possibility of Crochet, Robert, and Kopech being packaged. 1. is this realistic 2. can anyone offer big enough a package? what would it look like?
Steve Adams
1:34
Again, this isn't a rumor or a "possibility." It's a speculative, completely made-up scenario that Jim Bowden put out in a column called "five trades I'd like to see."

It's a discussion piece intended to get eyes/clicks/comments and spur conversation. It's not a report saying it's been considered by the team or discussed around the league. Those are two very different things.
1:35
And to be clear, I'm not criticizing Jim for writing it. He clearly framed it as speculation and as conversation fodder.
Brewers
1:35
Tyler Anderson vs. Jack Flaherty.  Who would be the better option?
Steve Adams
1:35
Flaherty is the better pitcher and should cost more in a trade, despite the fact that Anderson is signed through 2025.
Squinky
1:36
Is dipoto getting his just due? He's made unpopular trades that have worked out, drafted well, shed payroll , and sits in first place in the AL west.
Steve Adams
1:37
Dipoto constantly gets more flak than he deserves because people like to make snap reactions to trades, and a lot of trades are long plays. The Mariners are in healthy shape with a dominant rotation/bullpen and ample prospect firepower to augment a talented but flawed lineup. Their rebuild lasted all of 2-3 years, compared to 5-6 years like we've seen in Baltimore, Detroit and other places. That's not a critique on those organizations -- just a tip of the cap to Dipoto. He's really good.
Astros
1:37
Is Ronel Blanco a rookie. Do you think he will make the All Star team.
Steve Adams
1:37
He's not a rookie and yeah he has a chance to make the All-Star team, sure.
Jack
1:38
Would the O's trade for Flaherty again? Do GM's tend to avoid doing that because of the risk of it not working out a 2nd time?
Steve Adams
1:39
I tend to think they'd look elsewhere. I'm sure there are examples of it in the past, but even just for optics, it's not a good look.

If it blows up, you look silly for trying something that didn't work last year. And there's also the matter of "We couldn't fix this guy and didn't want to re-sign him for even one year, but now we're going to give up a top prospect to get him back for another rental run"

It's not a good look.
Buyers, Sellers, Treading The Needle
1:39
Ever since the wild cards were expanded do you think or feel as though all teams approach the deadline with the idea of “threading the needle”, in other words trying to be both buyers and sellers, I sure do.

Ms. Dajuba
Steve Adams
1:40
I think that pre-dates the addition of the third wild card spots. I feel like every year for the past decade in my June/July chats and in things I write on the main site at MLBTR, I'm constantly emphasizing that the notion of strict buyer/seller dichotomy is antiquated. Most teams operate somewhere in the middle.
Andrew Friedman
1:40
Does 7 for $210MM get it done for Corbin Burnes? I can use the Teoscar Hernandez and Kershaw contracts coming off the books to offset the $30MM per year.  Who are the other competitors for a Burnes deal?
Steve Adams
1:41
I don't think 7/210 is anywhere close to getting Burnes to sign, no. Yamamoto is younger but just got $325MM before he ever threw a pitch in MLB. Burnes is a former Cy Young winner who'll likely finish well on this year's ballot too. He's going to be perceived as a legitimate ace. I think you're looking eight-plus years and more than $30MM per.
Hoof hearted
1:42
M's pitcher with the best stuff? Eventho he's been in the iL- Woo. His delivery i so smooth.
Steve Adams
1:44
In terms of pure stuff I'd have Miller, Gilbert and Kirby over Woo. I like Woo, but he doesn't have the velo of the others as impressive a breaking pitch for me. It's a ridiculously talented group overall though, so you're kind of splitting hairs in some sense.
Angels are sellers
1:44
Can the Angels get a top 100 prospect for Tyler Anderson and another top 100 prospect for Taylor Ward in separate trades at the trade deadline?
Steve Adams
1:45
No on Anderson. I just don't think the trade value is going to be all that high when he's owed $13MM this season and next, and he's only K'ing 16% of his hitters against a 10.5% walk rate
Angels fans expecting a big return there are going to be let down. He'll be 35 next year and has a career-worst 89.5 mph fastball with a bottom-of-the-barrel strikeout rate.
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