JotCast | MLBTR Live Chat with Steve Adams -- 10/18/16

MLBTR Live Chat with Steve Adams -- 10/18/16

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Steve Adams

3:46

I expect that they'll add some help either in left field, at second base or behind the plate, with at least one of those being a notable free agent. Having a protected first-rounder helps, and they might feel they can get a relative bargain on a guy like Neil Walker if his price is down a bit due to the surgery but the medical reports on him are good.

With that level of money coming off the books though, they'll need to make some degree of notable moves. Rotation help is on the list too, but they'll probably spend more on bats and roll the dice on some rebound pitchers.

Bret

3:47

Upton to Toronto? Replaces Bautista, gets the team younger, reunites (again) with Melvin!

Steve Adams

3:48

There's some sense to it, but it's SO hard to trade Justin Upton because his contract is pure downside. You're either giving up talent for one year of a really good outfielder that then opts out and walks, or you're taking on five seasons of a guy who tanks again next year and leaves you stuck with another $88MM over the next four seasons.

Sam

3:48

Will Greg Holland sign as soon as possible or wait until hes healthy?

Steve Adams

3:48

Have to imagine he's already pretty close to full strength. It's been more than a year since his Tommy John, so by the time he's talking to teams in November/December, the arm should be feeling pretty good.

Guest

3:49

Tommy Milone now a free agent. Certainly worth a flier, especially for National League teams, no?

Steve Adams

3:49

Yeah -- I don't blame the Twins for passing on $5MMish for him, but I also wouldn't be surprised to see some club give him a chance to at least earn that much through incentives with a base of a couple million bucks and a guaranteed 40-man spot.

Rocky Mountain High

3:50

Would someone like Doug Fister make sense to help bolster to rotation and Pen?

Steve Adams

3:51

For the Rockies? Fister is throwing 86-87mph these days and has given up 1.2 HR/9 over the past two seasons... I don't want to see the outcome of that scenario at Coors FIeld.

Well, actually, I have no vested interest in the Rockies, and I like home runs. So actually, maybe I do!

Al Avila

3:52

Should I also seriously consider shopping JD Martinez to bolster my farm system

Steve Adams

3:53

If you think you can't extend him anyway (or you don't want to, based on today's comments), then sure. He's going to be in line for something like $125-140MM next winter if he keeps hitting like he has since 2013, so get the value for him now. Have to think there are plenty of teams -- hey there, Giants! -- who would be interested in adding an affordable slugger to play left or right field.

Ed in Iowa

3:54

Making friends in adulthood is hard, uprooting and moving your family is hard, and the first million dollars is the most important million dollars. Given these apparent truths: why do we so rarely see someone in Dexter Fowler’s situation just accept the QO and stay with a super team full of guys he seemingly really likes? Is there even precedent for turning down say 3yr/$55M, in order to accept the QO just because you really like your current gig? Would the Players Association freak out? Do they have any power to do anything about it?

Steve Adams

3:55

All of the reasons you listed are one of the precise reasons that guys *don't* want the qualfiying offer. It's a one-year deal. They want the certainty of a multi-year pact.

Roger

3:55

Does Gallardo have any trade value? Who could possibly want him?

Steve Adams

3:56

I doubt anyone's lining up for that contract. He looked like he was declining in Texas and he was worse this season. Plus, the O's aren't really in a position to trade arms. If they have any hope they can squeeze like 150-160 innings of 4.40 ERA out of him or something, they should probably just hang onto him.

Zack Cozart

3:56

Where will I play next year?

Steve Adams

3:56

Total guess: Seattle.

Zachary Lippman

3:57

Can you please talk about what you think the nationals need to do to advance further in the playoffs?

Steve Adams

3:58

Frustrating as it must be, I don't think there's any one thing they need to do better. I didn't get Dusty's knee-jerk reaction to pull Scherzer and questioned it at the time, but beyond that, things seemed fine. Short series are just kind of a crapshoot.

Keeping Strasburg and Ramos healthy would've boosted their chances quite a bit, of course, but it's not like they have control over major injuries.

Pitt fan

3:59

Would love for Pirates to trade for Quintana or Sale. Would A. Meadows, T. Glasglow, J. Harrison, and E. Diaz interest Soxs?

Steve Adams

4:00

Anything headed by Meadows and Glasnow would pique Chicago's interest, yeah. But I still think you might need to add on a bit more to get one of the two. Those contracts are so outstanding, and the market for pitchers is so bleak that the Sox could really just raid a team's farm.

YaBettsBelieve

4:00

Possible middle relievers for Dombrowski to target in free agency or trades?

Steve Adams

4:02

Middle relief is one place that the free-agent market is strong this year. I can see multi-year deals for Blanton, Feliz, Holland, Cecil, Ziegler, Salas, Romo and probably a few more that are eluding my brain in this off-the-cuff response.

Matt E

4:02

Most team friendly deal in baseball is Bumgarner, Sale, Quintana, Salvy, or other?

Steve Adams

4:03

It's definitely not Salvy anymore after that weird extension from the Royals. (Seriously -- I get wanting to reward him, but tacking on a couple of years at market value 3-4 years before they needed to do so, for a huge catcher they've run into the ground like that, made no business sense at all.)

I'd probably say Quintana of the listed names, just because of the extra year over Bumgarner or Sale. I'm sure there are others I'm not thinking of at the moment, but those are three of the very best.

Joe Maddon

4:04

I say Anthony Rizzo is the most team friendly contract in MLB

Steve Adams

4:04

Rizzo's is great but it's easier to find a great first baseman than a front-of-the-rotation starter, and the market compensates the latter of those two positions more strongly.

4:05

Drew Smyly for Derek Norris, who hangs up first?

Steve Adams

4:05

No way I'm dealing Smyly for Norris.

Kaylum

4:05

Could the Cardinals trade for Cain for CF?

Steve Adams

4:05

They could, I suppose, but that's a bandaid over what is probably a longer-term problem. I'd rather they target someone with multiple years of control or sign Fowler if they can get him at a reasonable price. Cain is a free agent next winter.

Al Avila

4:06

Who do you see me adding? Any chance I get Reddick, Romo, or Hellickson?

Steve Adams

4:07

After coming out and publicly stating you need to get younger and stop playing above your means, not sure adding free agents on multi-year deals is going to happen. Could see Romo even if the Tigers do trim some payroll though. There will be plenty of good middle relievers available, and they could use some depth. Plus it'd be a two-year max, so not really adding much in the way of long-term risk.

Spiro Shapiro

4:07

Would Frank Wren be a good hire for the Bosox GM job?

Steve Adams

4:08

He's second fiddle to Dombrowski anyway so it wouldn't be the end of the world, but he was terrible for the final few years in Atlanta. I wouldn't want him getting a promotion within an organization I follow/cheer for/work for, etc.

Roger

4:08

Is Collmenter one of "two" added SPs for the Braves?

Steve Adams

4:08

He's still in the organization (arb eligible) and Coppy said he's going to try to add two more SPs, so I doubt he's being counted.

Kaylum

4:09

What free agents are available in 2018? The big names I mean

Steve Adams

4:09

Like after next season? We have the full list already published:

http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2016/08/2017-18-mlb-free-agent-list.html