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Live Chat with MLBTR's Steve Adams: 4/25/17
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ClosingTime
4:32
What have you been doing with all the extra time saved by the new no-pitch intentional walk rule? As for me, I got an extra 35 seconds of sleep last night and have to say I feel remarkably refreshed for a Tuesday afternoon.
Steve Adams
4:32
Just think, by season's end you'll have stocked up like seven minutes of sleep! That's almost one full snooze cycle in the morning.
4:33
Really, though -- I don't mind the auto IBB, I just think it's silly to even suggest that it's in the name of improving pace of play
Nippon Spam Fighter
4:34
Anything new on Shohei Omani? Are any clubs absolutely out of the running should he post this year?
Steve Adams
4:36
I have to believe that every club that's able to spend on him will do so, but those that're still in the penalty box from previous spending periods will be out since he's considered an international amateur.
MT Fan
4:36
Why do the Orioles keep trotting Jimenez out there? Guy is terrible 4/5 starts
Steve Adams
4:37
He's owed a lot of money and they're reluctant to cut bait, I suppose. But I agree, with the upper-level depth options they picked up like Asher, Ynoa... can they really feel that Jimenez is a genuinely better option?
Royce Clayton
4:37
Who fetches a bigger return in a trade, Nate Jones or David Robertson?
Steve Adams
4:39
Robertson will earn more money through the end of 2018 than Jones will through the end of 2021. Plus, three of Jones' years are options, so if he blows out his arm any team can get out from under the deal. Jones is the more valuable of the two
tad_2B_13
4:39
Cain's velocity isn't down that much. It's only 1.8 mph slower this year than what it was in 2012, his best season.
Steve Adams
4:40
Cain's velo is down 1mph from last season despite the fact that MLB is now using Statcast to track average pitch velocity, which has led to ~1 mph increases in velocity readings across the board. So that 89.3 mph you see at Fangraphs is probably more like a 2mph loss.

Dave Cameron wrote about the change over at FG early in the season: http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/about-all-these-velocity-spikes/
Hail Cesar
4:42
Hot start for the Phil's, he turning into a household name?
Steve Adams
4:45
The average is going to come down (.434 BABIP), but he was already a really good hitter in 2016, and if the gains he's made in power early in the season are remotely legitimate, then I buy him as a top-shelf second baseman.

It's a bit concerning, though, that his spike in power has come with a massive increase in K's though... if he's completely selling out to generate more power, then the overall offensive output is going to fall below last year's marks.

Basically -- I'm keeping an eye on his power numbers and his K's... if they can meet somewhere in the middle (more power than last year but fewer K's than he's put up through the first three months), he's a really good looking player.
That was maybe the most words I've ever typed about Cesar Hernandez.
Tools of Ignorance
4:46
Mark Trumbo for Steve Clevenger. Worst trade this decade?
Steve Adams
4:47
I barely even look at it as a trade. That was the 2015-16 version of the Brewers non-tendering Chris Carter. His skill set just isn't valued that highly anymore; the Mariners were going to non-tender him and took whatever they could get.

There are far worse trades, in the end. Tough to look past Inciarte/Dansby/Blair for Miller.
Matt W
4:48
Are you buying Taylor Motter's hot start, or is just a flash in the pan like Hazelbaker last year?
Steve Adams
4:49
I'm not buying the power. His 29.4% HR/FB would've led baseball last year. I don't believe that he has as much raw power as Chris/Khris Davis, Nelson Cruz, Trumbo, etc.
Guest
4:49
What do the pirates do now go out and get someone or stay the course
Steve Adams
4:50
I don't know that there's really anyone out there TO get aside from maybe Leonys Martin. Someone suggested Bastardo for Martin, but the Bucs put Bastardo on the DL today, so that seems unlikely. There's just not much in the way of quality OFs available at the moment, so I imagine they'll stay the course and hope they can start to climb out of the NLC cellar.
TheGreatPablo
4:51
Who ends up with the better season Judge, Mancini or Benintendi?
Steve Adams
4:51
Benitendi, Judge, Mancini
Albert
4:52
Slow start or signs of true diminishing skills? I know, I should be kicked out of here for asking about an active legend.
Steve Adams
4:52
Both? Pujols will probably pick it up a bit, but he's been showing signs of diminishing skills for a few years now.
Asking for a friend
4:53
Do you think the Mariners have enough to package Martin and others not named Tyler O'Neill or Kyle Lewis to get McCutchen?
Steve Adams
4:54
Putting Martin into a McCutchen trade would add negative value to the deal. He's not going to be in that kind of deal, and McCutchen's not going to be traded at this juncture of the season.
Plus, given what the Pirates were asking for Cutch this offseason, he'd definitely require some of Seattle's (or any team's) absolute top prospects.
Spuds
4:55
When should Jays fans panic?
Steve Adams
4:56
I'd already be panicking to some extent. They're not completely gone, but they need to snap off 5-6 wins in a row in a hurry here... every week of sub-.500 ball makes their hole more and more difficult to escape.
NL west bro.
4:56
so... are the Diamondbacks and Rockies actually...good? and are the Giants kinda ...done?
Steve Adams
4:57
I really don't think the Rox have the pitching to navigate a whole season in contention. The D-backs I'm a bit more bullish on, but Arizona has plenty of its own question marks. I like the Dodgers more than ever for the division, despite their own mediocre start.
Brian
4:58
Steve-I'm psyched for Cody Bellinger but will he get regular starts??
Steve Adams
4:59
No idea on that yet, honestly. News on him broke while i've been doing this chat, so I've yet to read about the move yet, and I don't think the Dodgers have addressed the media, outside of simply confirming (on Twitter) that he's being promoted. His role will become a lot more clear in the next few hours.
Edgar
4:59
Do I belong in the HOF
Steve Adams
4:59
I believe so
Sam Devesta
5:00
What are the Nationals going to do about the bullpen?
Steve Adams
5:02
Honestly, I don't think it's as big of a need as is being portrayed. At least, not in terms of adding a closer. They could definitely stand to deepen the bullpen, but talk of them pursuing someone like Santiago Casilla simply because he happens to be getting saves and has done so in the past is silly. They should absolutely be open to adding a reliever early in the season, but the inning that guy pitches is irrelevant, to me. They just need a deeper 'pen.
troy
5:02
Braves starting 5 in 2018? Predictions for FA's signed in 2018 for BRavos?
Steve Adams
5:03
I think the best I've ever done in our offseason Free Agent Prediction contest is something like 15 of 50... and that's predicting at the start of the offseason. There's no real way to predict who or how many free agents the Braves will sign next winter -- that's the best answer anyone can give to that question right now.
Justin
5:03
Is Chris Devenski the real deal?
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