JotCast | Trade Rumors Front Office Chat | 3/26/2021

Trade Rumors Front Office Chat

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Steve Adams

2:06

Greetings!

Sorry for the delay -- was getting a post on Will Harris' procedure up on the site quickly

Let's get underway!

Jorge78

2:07

Now that Eloy Jimenez is out most of the year, will the White Sox add from outside? Anybody decent out there? There are so many this year I lose track. Thanks Steve!

Steve Adams

2:09

I would imagine they'll take a look around yes. Josh Reddick hasn't signed yet, nor have Yoenis Cepedes and Yasiel Puig -- though Puig is probably not too desirable as he deal with the assault allegations levied against him. The Angels cut Jon Jay loose today.

I think either Mike Tauchman or Aristides Aquino would make interesting adds for the Sox if they can work out a trade with the Yankees or Reds, and the Indians have more outfield options than spots if they're willing to deal within the division. Daniel Johnson, Bradley Zimmer, Harold Ramirez ... there are some intriguing names down that depth chart.

2:10

At this point, short of a deal for Reddick, I doubt they'd land anyone too established, but there will be so many names hitting waivers and opting out of minor league deals in the coming days that I'll be surprised if Rick Hahn & Co. don't add someone from outside the org.

Even if it's just a depth guy with some minor league options they can shuttle back and forth.

Tony Watson opted out of his Phillies deal -- thought he'd make the club there.

john whelan

2:11

Steve, is there anything MLB can do to encourage some of the non-competitive teams to try a little?

Steve Adams

2:14

This is going to be a focal point of collective bargaining talks between now and Dec. 1, when the current agreement expires. Tony Clark made some comments on it just last night that we'll get on the site once we've escaped the deluge of late-spring roster dealings, ha.

I do think the league has tied amateur talent acquisition and losing baseball games far, far too tightly together. I've said in the past that my personal favorite suggestion came from someone with an agency who suggested the idea of the first round's draft order being sorted best-to-worst among non-playoff clubs, followed then by the 10 playoff teams.

So the Giants and Phillies missed the postseason by one game each last year ... and their current reward is to pick near the end of the first round? That's silly.

The draft order could eventually revert back to a simple "best to worst" in the second or third round, but stacking the first round or two to favor the clubs who ALMOST made it seems like an easy way to incentivize winning.

2:15

I imagine owners would push back on that, however, as it does pressure them to spend more money in order to build for the future.

2:16

Could also put the top 10 non-playoff clubs into a lottery for the top 10 picks or something. But yes, generally speaking, the current system incentivizes losing and mass sell-offs. That sucks for fans, for players, for coaches and for a lot of front office executives.

Ryder

2:16

One high school has 3 opening day starters.Fried, Flaherty, Giolito.Wanna coach that team?

Steve Adams

2:16

Harvard-Westlake in California is a baseball monster! I wouldn't dare ruin what they have going for them by attempting to coach them, haha.

They also produced lefty Nik Turley and the Mets' first-round pick from 2019 (2020?) Pete Crow-Armstrong

2:17

2020! Had to look up which year he was drafted.

Everything blends together

Baseball1010

2:17

Will minor league players start drawing their salaries April 7th even though they won’t be actually playing games? If not how do they pay their expenses, such as housing and meals. Additionally will NRI players, who are sent to the minors, draw their spring training monies as there won’t be any minor league games until May?

Steve Adams

2:18

I believe that is the case, yes -- salaries begin when the season would've begun. They're still going to be at the alternate training sites working out during that time, so I don't see why they wouldn't be paid for that work.

john

2:19

How do you see the phillies outfield unfolding during the course of the year? Is Moniak going to be a part of it this season, and your thoughts on whether or not he shows enough to be a quality piece for the phils moving forward, or just another hyped prospect..

Steve Adams

2:22

I do think Moniak will fit into the mix. He's looked great this spring, and for all the temptation to call him a bust, he's still only 22. He has been a "bust," relative to the expectations that come with being the No. 1 overall pick, but he's still young, he's looked great this spring and he hit deceptively well in a very pitcher-friendly Double-A setting in 2019.

2:24

They're going to have injuries and will probably want to keep McCutchen out of the outfield when they're playing in AL parks. And while it seems like we're gearing up for another Odubel run (yuck), we also don't know how Herrera will look in center. His bat has cratered late in spring, and Herrera ranged between mediocre (2018) and awful (2019) in his most recent MLB work.

Ice

2:25

What are some relievers you expect to get dealt at the deadline

Steve Adams

2:28

Richard Rodriguez is probably the most interesting one who'll be on the market -- most interesting to me, anyway. Controlled through 2023, monstrous 36.6% strikeout rate last year against just a 5.4% walk rate. That K-BB% ranked 13th among 296 relievers with 10 innings or more last year.

He's somewhat anonymous because he's on the Pirates and hasn't really been a closer full-time, but that's also kept his arb price down. I love the arm and the control. I'll rattle off a bunch of other names in more rapid-fire fashion here...

2:31

Joakim Soria, Chris Devenski, Daniel Bard, Scott Oberg, Mychal Givens, Robert Stephenson, Jake McGee, Matt Wisler, Jose Alvarez, Kyle Crick, Chris Stratton, Sean Doolittle, Yimi Garcia, Anthony Bass, Joe Jimenez, Buck Farmer, Derek Holland, Matt Barnes, Adam Ottavino, Matt Andriese, Tanner Scott, Paul Fry, Kendall Graveman, Rafael Montero

bob

2:31

Is Ian Happ going to be a star this year?

Steve Adams

2:33

He's hit at nearly a star-caliber level the past two seasons. I don't know that the glovework is ever going to be spectacular, and he'll always strike out a bunch, but he looks like a well above-average hitter, and there are plenty of guys who are 25-35% better than average at the plate we consider "stars" even without premium defense.

Wayneroo

2:33

Mariners total wins over/under at 71.5. Which way do you go?

Steve Adams

2:34

I'll take the over. I'm more bullish on the Mariners than most. I'm a Justus Sheffield believer, Marco Gonzales is underrated, Paxton's velo resurgence intrigues me. I still believe in Kikuchi and White. I like Ty France's bat. They have so much young talent rising to the Majors, too.

2:35

I don't think they're going to win the division, but I don't think they're anywhere near the 100-loss team some expect them to be.

More Phillies announcements: Kintzler and Matt Joyce mad the team

Spencer Howard optioned to Triple-A

bob

2:35

which is more likely: Nick Senzel has an OPS over 800 or Tyler ONeil hits 37 dingers?

Steve Adams

2:36

Speaking of people I "still" believe in -- I'll take the Senzel end of that bet.

Er, I guess it's not a bet.

Whatever. You get the idea!

Horace Fury

2:37

Does every utility player now have to be referred to as a "super" utility player? It reminds me how every big-name model in the 1980s suddenly became a supermodel. And why have we allowed "no hits, no runs" to be shortened to the baby talk "no no"? This is insufferable! These are my questions.

Steve Adams

2:37

I think you and I have different definitions of "insufferable," haha. I don't mind the "super-utility" term if we're talking about a guy playing 5-6 positions. And I've never once taken umbrage at a pitcher tossing a "no-no"

2:38

I do try to stay away from "super utility" if we're talking about say ... Joe Panik backing up at 2B/3B/SS though

Ben V

2:38

With Eloy Jiménez going down, does Yoenis Cespedes make sense as an addition to the White Sox?

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