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Trade Rumors Front Office Chat

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Steve Adams

2:43

Bottom line: you're right that they've had some weak opponents so far (Mariners, Rockies, Pirates, etc.) -- but this team is way better than it got credit for. You can't unplay the first three months, and that time has given them a 4.5-game lead. Now the front office is going to make moves to make the team better, just in time for some of the tougher matchups to which you alluded. They have to operate as buyers, and they will.

Will in Westport

2:43

Looking at the Rule 5 guys drafted this year, who do you think was the best pick for his team? Baddoo in Detroit? Whitlock in Boston? Someoneelse?

Steve Adams

2:45

Baddoo has shattered any reasonable expectations. The Tigers view him as a 50 or 55 FV guy long-term and while I initially thought that was wildly aggressive, lo and behold.

Early on, I was way down on him because of the huge K% and lack of BBs, but he's walked more than he's K'ed in June! Have to tip your cap to him for adjusting.

And you have to tip your cap to the Tigers for taking a guy who basically hadn't played in two years and was jumping from A-ball

2:46

The Twins had to have been shocked to hear his name called, but what a pick.

Whitlock looks like a good one, too, don't get me wrong, but I do think Baddoo is the best pick of this year's group.

Gorilla Glue

2:46

So, nobody's been caught with anything. Gerritt Cole is pitching well. Much ado about nothing?

Steve Adams

2:47

Offense around the league is up, and Cole might be pitching well, but his K% and swinging-strike rate have both fallen off hard. He was striking out 37% of opponents through the end of May and is at 25% this month.

2:48

Bauer's looked more mortal. Garrett Richards has been absolutely awful his past few times out, and he was a spin-rate poster boy who has been vocal in calling the crackdown ridiculous.

2:49

Richards said this week he "feels like he needs to be a different pitcher," which ... I don't know. I suppose it's hard when the league has turned a blind eye to this forever, but the rules have been there all along. It seems nuts to me to basically be whining about not being able to take advantage of a loophole the league finally started paying attention to.

Mike D

2:50

What would Reds have to give up for Story and as a back up…. A. Simmons?

Steve Adams

2:55

I get asked about the Reds/Story every week, and I try to answer every week, ha. My basic thought is this: They spent no money this winter, dumped the salaries of their two best relievers and cut payroll by tens of millions of dollars. I don't see how on earth Bob Castellini is now going to green-light the addition of what's left of Story's $17.5MM salary.

I would imagine the Rockies are going to try to build anything around at least one premium prospect. If the Reds don't want to include one of their premium young guys who's already in the Majors (Stephenson, India), then you probably look toward a Lodolo or someone.

I think it'd be interesting to try to offer say, Senzel and prospects to the Rockies as well. They might have a hard time resisting his club control.

But at the end of the day, I just don't like the Reds as a fit much. The salary is huge for them based on their offseason actions. And if they're asking the Rox to pay the bill, the prospect ask only goes up.

Simmons seems attainable if the Twins eat some salary, and I think he'd cost them little more than a mid-range prospect.

Brian O'Halloran (BoSox GM)

2:56

My center field options, well, let's be truthful, stink. When should I be bringing up Jarren Duran? Should I pull him away from the Olympics team (God help me if he gets COVID)?

Steve Adams

2:56

They're trotting out Danny Santana every day right now. Call him now.

tony.mollica@yahoo.com

2:57

If you were in Cleveland's front office what move/moves would you make?

Steve Adams

2:59

I'd be on the phone -- well, let's be real, these guys don't CALL to initiate trade talks anymore, so I'd be texting -- every concrete seller and determining how fast I can get any semi-competent arm. Cleveland probably has payroll issues similar to the ones I laid out re: the Reds, but there are affordable enough arms they could acquire. Merrill Kelly, Caleb Smith, Jon Gray, Tyler Anderson ... they just need to get some competent rotation arms in there sooner than later. Even with a health Bieber/Civale/Plesac trio, the depth behind that group has proven itself unready to this point.

mmddyyyy

2:59

Do most players get baseball jobs after retiring?

Steve Adams

3:01

I think if they want a job in baseball, they can usually find some kind of opportunity. Coaching in the minors, working in a front office's player dev staff (or just serving as a special assistant and helping out on a sort of consulting basis)... plenty of opportunities to work in media calling games as well. Can go the college coaching route.

I don't think MOST guys who retire actually go get a job within baseball, but I think the ones who do find their opportunities.

Lot of former players who've become agents, too.

Ramon

3:01

It's kind of amazing how bad the Marlins have been, considering how good their rotation is. Do you see them maybe being a better team in the second half? After all, their lineup has underperformed, but it's not devoid of talent...

Steve Adams

3:03

They could be better in the second half just because they're eventually going to give opportunities to Jesus Sanchez (well, he's already up), JJ Bleday, etc. and also ideally get Sixto Sanchez back into the mix.

The rotation is talented, but it's had its share of injuries -- most notably Sixto and Elieser Hernandez. They've also been without Brian Anderson for much of the year. Miguel Rojas is hurt.

I didn't think the Marlins would be great in the first place, and given the health troubles they've had, I guess I'm not all that surprised they're struggling so much.

Ateve Sdams

3:03

Which starter--that gets moved--brings back the biggest return?

Steve Adams

3:04

Regardless of what the Rockies are saying, they have to know they're looking at a brutal stretch. I think any "We don't have to trade him" comments on any of their players are largely lip service, and I think the offers for German Marquez, in particular, are going to be aggressive.

He gets my pick.

Mmddyyyy

3:05

best ballpark food?

Steve Adams

3:06

Pastrami dog I had at Citi Field a couple years back was simple but awesome. Ditto the garlic fries in San Francisco. Andrew Zimmern's chilled sesame peanut noodles and Korean Fried Chicken at Target Field are awesome.

Guest

3:06

Why so many Nationals players listed as trade candidates? They're 3.5 games out of division and Rizzo has never operated as a seller. Am i missing something?

Steve Adams

3:07

I don't think I listed any Nats in my Top 40 earlier this month, and trades of them are less likely now:
https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2021/06/top-mlb-trade-deadline-candidat...

3:09

The simple answer is because talking about Max Scherzer drives traffic and viewers, most likely. But yeah, it's never seemed likely. We got like 500 emails back in April asking why we weren't covering the Max Scherzer trade rumors and the answer was basically because we thought it was nonsense. But so many people asked that we eventually published a poll on it even though it seemed unlikely then and seems more unlikely now.

And I don't mean to call any specific report or anyone from another site's reporting to be "nonsense," to be clear. But the very fact that we were talking about any trade candidates from anyone other than the CLEAR sellers -- the tanking teams -- back in April was silly to me.

3:10

This stuff is always in such a state of flux. Teams don't decide until like 2-3 days before the deadline in many cases. Why start that chatter up in mid-April?

3:11

To me it's just sort of common sense ... sure, if Team A is like 15 games out on July 29, maybe they'll trade this All-Star impending free agent, whoever it might be. And the demand will be huge. But just because they're five games under .500 through their first 20 games doesn't mean we should start stoking those fires.

3:12

Anyway, I agree that I don't expect the Nats to sell. But to your point on Rizzo not operating as a seller... there was the report that a Harper-to-Astros trade almost happened in 2018.

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2019/10/the-astrosnationals-blockbuster...

Guest

3:13

Blue Jays comment section has a bit of chatter about going after Scberzer, i think Hand would be the better target, any thoughts?

Steve Adams

3:13

Again, I don't think there's any way Scherzer is moved, barring some 20-game losing streak from the Nats, ha. And Boras came out today and said he won't even waive the no-trade without an extension, further making it unlikely.

Anthony is writing that up for the site in a bit.

3:15

Hand would be a fine target, I guess, but again, I don't think the Nats sell. If you want a lefty specifically, Taylor Rogers and Paul Fry are good targets to look into. If you just want a good reliever who'll likely be moved, Raisel Iglesias has pitched WAY better than his ERA in Anaheim

Dalessandro's

3:15

How much do the Mets wish they had Zack Wheeler back? Was letting him walk the worst BVW move, or is it still the Cano trade?

Steve Adams

3:15

Cano trade, ha. I think they should've tried harder to keep him, although if they'd kept him, they probably wouldn't have Stroman, so they'd be in the same type of bind, depth-wise.

Burned by Corbin

3:16

Lot's of speculation floating around regarding who the main culprits are for enhanced performances based on "sticky" substances...but Corbin Burnes is on my radar with 2 "blah" performances following the enforcement announcement, is this just a coincidence?

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