You are viewing the chat in desktop mode. Click here to switch to mobile view.
X
MLBTR Chat with Steve Adams 4-19-16
powered byJotCast
Prev Page View Full Chat Next Page
Steve Adams
3:07
Fair question -- I think Dickey gets overly scrutinized by Blue Jays fans, but 30+ games of Thole isn't great. Then again, every team plays a backup catcher for 30-50 games per season, and more often than not those backups can't hit either.
Bernie Brewer
3:08
Do I get the All-Star nod for the team this year?
Steve Adams
3:08
I watched Bernie Brewer rake in a slow-pitch softball home run derby in Minneapolis before a Brewers/Twins game one year. I could see it. Bat speed was legit.
jay
3:10
Does Beltre's $18m 2-year contract put things in perspective for Bautista? He also looks a bit worse in RF this year.
Steve Adams
3:12
He's more than a full year younger than Beltre. Bautista's demands aren't going to happen, but I could see him getting five years this coming offseason with another characteristic season. Beltre could've done significantly better on the open market, too, for what it's worth. That price makes it pretty clear, to me, that he wanted to remain in Texas.
2B Slide Rule
3:13
Seriously, how terrible for the game am I?
Steve Adams
3:14
Yeah baseball was much better when players were consistently in danger of having their legs broken on a double-play attempt by a batter that was already, by definition, out. Those slides have always been illegal, and kudos to MLB for doing something to actually enforce them.
Curly W
3:14
Do people just not send in any interesting Nats questions week after week?
Steve Adams
3:15
You've just uncovered my clear bias against the Nats. Despite having already answered a question about Espinosa, talking about Giolito last week, etc. There are hundreds of people in here asking hundreds of questions -- it's tough to represent every team. If you feel yours isn't well represented, sorry, but I don't really lean any one way in which clubs I address.
Geoff
3:15
How do the White Sox wake up their offense? The pitching is lights out, but they could not hit a beach ball right now. Should they make a move or is it too early?
Steve Adams
3:18
Offense in general is pretty diminished around the league early in the season (though the Sox are among the worst of the worst). There isn't really any sort of impact move to be made, as I doubt many clubs are willing to part with notable offensive players at the moment. But, I can see the Sox looking for upgrades behind the plate, at shortstop and at DH/corner outfield in four to six weeks or so if things don't turn around, for sure.
Jake
3:19
Thoughts on Axl Rose being AC/DC's new singer?
Steve Adams
3:20
I did not know this was a thing. Yikes. Then again, I find AC/DC wildly overrated and quite enjoy GNR through UYI:2, so sure why not? Doubt Axl sounds great these days though.
Cody
3:20
Why did you suggest Nick Punto was coming out of retirement ? There's no chance the twins or any other would want him
Steve Adams
3:20
Ha, was just a joke in reference to the Twins re-hiring Gardenhire. Gardy loved Punto.
Bill Virdon's Cat
3:21
How does Tyler White's fast start affect an A.J. Reed call up, and do you see that call up happening any time soon?
Steve Adams
3:22
I don't think Reed was ever going to be up before late April, as keeping him down for three weeks or so delays his free agency by a year. White hitting well, though, could convince the Astros to keep Reed at AAA until mid-June to avoid Super Two status as well. He's still getting his first look at Triple-A pitching, so there's plenty of reason to think the extra month or two could do him some good.
Mike
3:22
Pancakes or Waffles? Or are you a sophisticated Crepes sort of guy?
Steve Adams
3:23
All of the above are delicious, but give me waffles or french toast over pancakes/crepes.
Zack
3:23
What's the likelihood of David Murphy being with the Twins by the date of his opt-out?
Steve Adams
3:25
I'd be surprised if he isn't. He was considering retirement rather than signing a minors deal, so the Twins likely sold him on a strong possibility of a quick callup. If Buxton, Sano and Rosario all start hitting well, maybe they tell him sorry, there's no room after all, but none of the three has looked great (though I guess Rosario did just homer)
Reggie
3:26
If you were Cashman, do you stick with what you've got in the rotation and roll with a dominant bullpen or do you trade one of the big three (Miller, Betances, Chapman) for a starter?
Steve Adams
3:27
Entirely dependent on context, of course, but I do think they need some extra help in the rotation. Ideally, you'd just move something other than those three for a starter. I know Yankees fans cringe at the notion of trading Aaron Judge, but corner outfield prospects have a higher bust rate than most due to the lower defensive floor, and they're often easier to replace via free agency.
Theo Epstein
3:28
Any chance I leave the Cubs after the season?
Steve Adams
3:28
I'll be quite surprised if he doesn't sign a new extension at some point this year.
Tim
3:28
Buster Olney said on his Podcast today that if he was starting a team with 1 pitcher, it would be Noah Syndergaard. Do you agree?
Steve Adams
3:29
No right answer to the question, but Syndergaard would be on my short list, yeah. Jose Fernandez, too.
sk
3:30
Who loses more sleep at night, Ian Desmond for passing up 100+ mil, or the Rangers for paying him 8 mil and a compensation pick to hit .108
Steve Adams
3:30
Probably Desmond, considering the Rangers, like any other team, aren't going to fret wildly over 12 games.
joe
3:30
thoughts on mauers hot start?
Steve Adams
3:31
Not striking out -- tons of walks, hard contact way up, line-drive rate way up. Best he's looked in more than four years, and he's doing it with meaningful steps forward in his batted ball profile as opposed to just dumping some weak singles around the defense. It's encouraging, though you still always worry about health.
Anthony
3:31
Do you think that if the Diamondbacks struggle this year, they clean house? Especially since they spent so much money in the offseason.
Steve Adams
3:32
Can't see that. I think they're looking at 2016-18 as their window, and if things don't go their way they'll just kind of operate as the White Sox did this past offseason and retool without compromising much in the way of short-term value.
David
3:33
With Edwin Jackson, Jason Hammel, and David Ross coming off the books, can the Cubs give some of that to Dexter Fowler over 3 or 4 years or do they put it in the piggy bank for Jake Arietta?
Steve Adams
3:35
Depends on their opinions of Albert Almora, I suppose. They have plenty of outfielders already with Heyward, Soler, Schwarber and Almora coming... Fowler doesn't really need to be a long-term priority for them unless he's coming at a notable discount (like he did this year)
JC
3:35
These Rays offseason offensive additions all seem like stale leftovers from mediocre 2nd division teams?
Steve Adams
3:37
I liked the Pearce pickup well enough -- thought they got him at a nice price. I keep letting Logan Morrison fool me into thinking he can hit, and it just keeps failing to happen. The Dickerson add, though, was a huge pickup for them and in my mind one of the better moves of the offseason by any team.
Mr. Adams
3:37
Why does MLBTR give so much credit to Ray Searage for transforming once mediocre Pirates pitchers into gems? What about Jim Benedict? or former catcher Clint Hurdle? Why have they not received as much credit for reclamation projects such as JA Happ, AJ Burnett, etc.. I have seen on more than one occasion either you or Jeff Todd rave about Ray Searage (at one point proclaiming they should build a statue of him at 3 rivers stadium), but I feel your opinions are for the most part conclusory.
Steve Adams
3:38
I've mentioned Benedict often in these chats and talked about him in numerous posts this offseason. Searage gets credit all over the place and probably more so than Benedict simply because his title and role is more hands-on with the pitching staff, but I've never intended to sleight Jim Benedict by any means.
Mr. Adams
3:38
Santiago Casilla out as closer for the Giants? if so, who replaces him from the pen?
Connecting…