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Steve Adams

2:46

There's no good way of predicting which specific players he'll return, but I think each of the A's, Brewers and Indians will be interested. You can look back to what Machado fetched a few years ago -- six prospects, most of them fungible with the exception of Yusniel Diaz. I think the Rox would take a similar "bulk" approach to the prospect package... get one solid top-100ish type of guy (a "50 FV" type) followed by a bunch of lower-tier prospects to help improve the overall depth in the system.

SF Fan

2:47

Ok, I'm still expecting this team to come back down with the Padres heating up and the LAD getting players back from injury. But I can't seem to grasp if we should be buyers/sellers/both? Lots of good matchups offensively with solid rotation pieces. If they are buyers, will it be relievers (seeing as SF is a bit weak there)?

Steve Adams

2:50

The "what the heck is this team" question has existed at every trade deadline under Farhan Zaidi during his time with San Francisco. I still wonder if they'll make one more push to extend Gausman, but if they're selling then they could market him, DeSclafani or Wood to a wide market of teams.

Buying-wise -- maybe an OF stopgap if they haven't given Heliot Ramos a look. Yes to the bullpen. Second base is possible. Adam Frazier, who can play a solid LF and 2B alike, would work there and is controlled into 2022.

Hits Like Rays

2:50

Any chance that the Rays go after Moustakas? Would the Reds' desperation for a SS convince them to take Willy Adames in return and pay some of Moustakas' salary to get a deal done?

Steve Adams

2:51

Even if the Reds paid down half of Moose's contract, there'd still be two years and $16MM total left on the deal. That's a lot for the Rays. I don't see it as a fit, and I think they'd feel confident they could acquire a similar skill set at a lower price.

The Reds really went nuts on that Moustakas deal. It's still one of the most surprising contracts in recent memory. Moustakas languished in free agency two straight winters, seemingly without a market at all, and then the Reds just jumped to pay him like he's a Justin Turner level hitter or something, which he's never been.

Joe

2:52

What does Yermin need to do the rest of the way to get AL Rookie of the Year?

Steve Adams

2:55

It's going to be hard for him to win it if Adolis Garcia and Randy Arozarena keep hitting, because they'll get points for defense. He needs to hit better than them and do so by a WIDE margin. Also needs to stave off Dane Dunning, who's pitching real well in Texas. I have a hard time seeing it go to Yermin, but he's a fun story and a great-looking hitter even if he "only" finishes second, third, fourth, etc.

Chief

2:55

Seems like MLB and MLBPA are on a collision course. The recent $500MM grievance seems like it might have legs to me. Can’t believe they would be dumb enough to allow a work stoppage to happen. What do you think will happen?

Steve Adams

2:58

The grievance just seems like the PA manufacturing a bargaining chip in talks. They'll dangle it constantly. "Well we could take that grievance off the table if.........."

I don't shed any tears for the owners who constantly cry poor, but I also think it's worth highlighting just how poorly the MLBPA handled the whole March 26 agreement last year. They got owners to agree to prorated salary, which seemed like a win .... but they left that ridiculous, vague clause in there about "discussing in good faith the economic feasibility of playing without fans in attendance."

It seems like an egregious error to leave that exit window for owners; of COURSE they were going to use it. That set the whole stage for the league to supposedly not negotiate in good faith.

Both parties are at fault, but the MLBPA can't sit here and act like this isn't largely its own doing as well.

nick

2:58

If we could recreate prime Greg Maddux -- with 93 mph heater, pitch-to-contact, allow no walks, and strike out relatively few batters approach -- how would he fare against today's high K rate with lotsa power lineups? Would he be better than he was or would be not be as effective?

Steve Adams

3:00

Maddux is basically the all-time benchmark for elite, 80-grade command. I think he could locate so well that he'd be just fine. Remember, part of the reason he "pitched to contact" was because hitters cared more about striking out then and were all trying to put the ball in play. Maddux could pitch today with the exact same arsenal, and I bet you anything that career 16.5% strikeout rate would be a good seven or eight percent higher. You look at a guy like Greinke, who has made it work with elite command, smart sequencing, etc., even as his heater has dipped to like 88-89 mph.

3:01

I would bet on the 80 command and bet on Maddux still being awesome.

Randall Gilmore

3:01

Steve, why all the experimentation with the baseball? Previously, it contributed to too many home runs; now, some are citing it as a rationale for historically low batting averages and the record number of early season no-hitters. Does the NFL change the basic makeup of the football or the NBA the basketball? I understand the difference and the critical role of the baseball in the hand of a pitcher, but it still seems to me that every season, we should not be discussing the physical integrity of the baseball! Randy G

Steve Adams

3:05

MLB took over the production of the baseball from Rawlings in 2019, and the ball just magically happened to turn into a freaking golf ball that led to the highest home run rates ever. After they claimed ignorance and got skewered by the public, the players, etc., the ball is suddenly deadened and offense is nowhere to be seen.

The 2019 season was problematic in that it not only led the league to overcorrect in 2021, it also only further conditioned players to swing for loft, reinforcing the launch-angle revolution. Now, with a dead ball, we're seeing people with that same approach, worse results, more strikeouts ... it's ugly. It's also the league's own doing, as I refuse to believe that after years of saying the game needs more offense and more action, we got the juiced superball the first year that MLB had oversight of production.

I hope at some point we just go back to the pre-2019 manufacturing standards. And if we move the mound back a foot, I'm fine with that

(So long as it doesn't lead to a mammoth rash of pitcher injuries)

3:07

Alright, I've got to wrap up for the week. Yankees just announced Aaron Hicks is undergoing wrist surgery, so I'm going to jump on getting that news on the site here. I'll chat again Tuesday on the site, and Mark will chat this weekend. I'm on Twitter @Adams_Steve. Thanks so much, as always, for the kind words and for the continued support of MLBTR. You guys rule.

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