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Chat With MLBTR's Steve Adams: 9/22/20
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Chris
2:31
That Paxton-Sheff trade is gonna end up looking brutal for the Yanks
Steve Adams
2:32
It doesn't look great at the moment, no. Paxton was a big factor for them last year, though, and there's always risk with pitching prospects. It's a credit to Sheffield and to the Mariners for coaxing the talent out of him so far in 2020.

From a process standpoint, that package for two years of an established, reasonably high-end starter isn't crazy even if the results right now are pretty rough.
mike t
2:33
how would you rate the players Arizona received from Miami for Starling Marte vs the ones they sent to Pittsburgh to acquire him?
Steve Adams
2:36
They got much more immediate help, probably with a lower ceiling but higher floor, while trading away long-term help that might have more upside. I liked what they got back from Miami -- I'm a Smith fan, though the injuries worry me. And the D-backs love Mejia, who could be a long-term option for them by midpoint next season.

Mike Hazen's regime is all about keeping a pipeline of MLB-ready depth and acquiring close-to-MLB talent to continually stay competitive. They leverage team control better than most clubs. I like their overall philosophy
Mike
2:37
not counting catchers, who are the top three totally free agent position players for 2021.
Steve Adams
2:38
It's not a super strong class. DJ LeMahieu, George Springer, Marcell Ozuna, Marcus Semien, Didi Gregorius come to mind.
2:39
Nellie Cruz if you're talking short-term impact, but obviously at 40, he's not getting a long-term deal
John
2:39
What are your feelings on ketchup on eggs?
Steve Adams
2:40
Ketchup is mostly sugar -- get some hot sauce, and not the kinds with a bunch of high fructose corn syrup or any such nonsense
BenCorrigible
2:41
Assuming his option is declined, what's Kluber's next contract look like?
Steve Adams
2:42
I still think it'd have to be a pretty strong salary on a one-year deal. The upside is just so great. When Gausman got 1/9 last year and Harvey 1/11 the year prior, I just don't see how some team wouldn't promise, say, $10-12MM to Kluber with additional incentives. Revenue losses make all contracts hard to predict, but Kluber on a short-term deal is so tantalizing.
Ranger13
2:42
Lynn, Wendzel, Leclerc, Santana return Bryant and Contreras from Cubs?
Steve Adams
2:43
Why are the rebuilding Rangers, who have pledged to lower payroll and focus on younger players, trading long-term talent for a year of an injured Kris Bryant and only a bit more control over Contreras?
Broken Stats
2:43
Can you think of a few examples of players who the advanced stats loved, but never translated on field?
Steve Adams
2:44
Sure, but the list of guys who got paid for posting a year or two of a high batting average or low ERA with crappy peripherals would be a lot longer.
Andy
2:45
What can the Twins get for a Rosario/prospect package this winter? Thinking Rosario on his own wont bring much. Do you see that happening
Steve Adams
2:46
Yeah, one year of an expensive, slightly above-average-hitting corner OF isn't going to bring a ton. If he weren't so popular in Minnesota, I'd be more tempted to call him a non-tender candidate. Have to think the Twins feel Kirilloff or Larnach could at least approximate the production at a fraction of the cost.
Ross
2:47
I’m moving to New Zealand next year and I’m sad there is practically no baseball there. Have you ever been to a game outside North America, like Australia or Japan?
Steve Adams
2:48
No, but attending KBO and NPB games is a big time bucket list item for me. The atmospheres seem so incredible.
2:49
My fiance taught English in Taiwan for a couple years after college as well -- she always says she wants to show me Taiwan and go to a CPBL game there with me, too. I hope to be able to do all three some day -- Australia, too, really. Anything combining baseball and travel is pretty much my ideal way to spend time off, ha
Ferris Bueller
2:50
Will the Brewers trade Hader this winter? And what can they get for him. They need some bats.
Steve Adams
2:50
David Stearns like a week ago:

"..There are always going to be calls on elite players in the game, and certainly Josh is no different. But we believe he’s a really valuable member of our team and will be going forward. I think there are a couple times of year where you’re going to get that volume of calls: the trade deadline and around the Winter Meetings. Sometimes into Spring Training, the volume of calls picks up. That was certainly the case this deadline, and when you get calls, it’s our obligation to listen and engage and see if something makes sense. With all of that said, as I said before, Josh is a really important member of our team. We’re not looking to move him. We’ve never really looked to move him, and I don’t really anticipate that changing."
Disastros
2:51
Does their poor hitting prove the cheating was really the source of their success?
Steve Adams
2:52
They hit fine without the trash cans post-2017 and pre-trash cans in 2016. I think their awful season proves that injuries can torpedo any team.
Bobby
2:52
Austin Riley a bust or not quite ready to throw the towel in on him?
Steve Adams
2:54
I don't get the urgency to label prospects as busts. Most don't burst onto the scene and just dominate consistently right out of the gate. I've never been a huge Riley advocate because of the poor approach and the K%, but he's 23 and has fewer than 500 MLB plate appearances. And hey, the K's are down by a substantial margin in 2020.
2:57
On the other side of the spectrum, he's a good reminder of why living and dying with every top prospect is a really dangerous way to enjoy baseball. You're setting yourself up for a lot more disappointment than joy. Everyone who was aghast at the idea of trading Riley for a year or two of a rotation upgrade 18 months ago probably would go back in retrospect and make the deal now. Player development isn't uniform or linear.

Basically, people should stop assuming every top prospect is a future superstar and also stop calling giving every prospect more than a season of time to put it together. Fans build these guys up to way too high a pedestal and then immediately cast them aside when they struggle. That seems like a stressful way to follow a team to me, ha.
Chris
2:57
Is Padres GM Preller off the hot seat with this playoff appearance?
Steve Adams
2:57
Doubt he's going anywhere
Chris
2:58
SSS acknowledged, but do you think Clint has shown enough improvement in his defense and his BB/K ratio to be the every day LF for the Yanks going forward (Gardner looks to be toast, and Stanton cant stay healthy even at DH)
Steve Adams
3:00
I don't think Gardner is toast, FWIW. He's getting on base a ton, showing solid power, still playing fine defense, etc. Hard-hit rate and exit velo are up quite a bit, pop-up rate down ... and he's still had a  30-point dip in BABIP.

But to your actual point, I do think Frazier has shown enough to get a legitimate audition as a regular in the lineup next year, likely in LF.
wiffle ball star
3:00
You think the Tigers will go for a younger manager?
Steve Adams
3:01
Ken Rosenthal said they'll go for someone experienced. That could be someone young and experienced, but I don't think they'll hire a rookie manager.
That’s it, Fort Pitt
3:01
Just how good is Kumar Rocker? It’s looking he goes to Pirates.
Steve Adams
3:02
I don't think that's true at all. We're a year from the draft. Anything could happen next college season. Rocker is very good, don't get me wrong, but crowning a probable #1 pick a year in advance isn't the way to go usually. Sometimes it works out that way, but between injuries, pop-up prospects -- especially after no 2020 season -- the landscape of next year's draft class could rapidly change.
Duster
3:03
What do you feel the Jays need to do to move from rebuilding phase to contender? It seems they're on the edge. What's the piece or pieces they need?
Steve Adams
3:05
They're already a playoff team! With full seasons of Bichette and Pearson next year, plus some rotation additions, I think they're pretty much there. I question Grichuk as the primary CF, and Jansen didn't improve at the plate like I expected him to, so there are still some areas for upgrade. But in terms of going from rebuild to contender, they're pretty much there.
The big red 1
3:05
To Ross, new zealand is trying to get baseball going. Former MLB pitcher Jim Kaat is running it
Steve Adams
3:06
I've not read about this yet, but there you go! Optimism!
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