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Trade Rumors Front Office Chat

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Steve Adams

2:38

As for signing two rotation pieces, I can see that regardless of Sale's role.

I think that's likely, in fact.

Alex

2:38

Do you think guys like odorizzi, Paxton, and quintana are waiting for Bauer to sign? Or do those deals get done independently

Steve Adams

2:40

I don't. Paxton may throw for teams before he signs a deal. Odorizzi is among the more popular guys on the market at present and may be waiting for a third year or something in a situation similar to the one I outlined for Hendriks earlier.

Bauer is in a category of his own and doesn't have much of an impact on the guys who'll be signing for half his AAV (much less than that, in some of the cases you mentioned)

Ben

2:40

Turner returning to the Dodgers hasn’t been discussed much, isn’t that the most likely outcome though?

Steve Adams

2:41

I do think that's most likely, yeah. I could see the Nats, Braves, Blue Jays or some other club jumping in if the Dodgers simply decide it's time to move on, but my pick at the onset of free agency was the Dodgers and that's still the case.

Dick williams

2:41

Does sonny Gray for Bichette make sense?

Steve Adams

2:42

I think I already answered this question or a similar iteration, but I accidentally clicked to accept it, so I'll say again: Not one bit for the Blue Jays. Of course the Reds would make that trade.

2:43

Bichette isn't arb eligible, has five years of control and is a better player than Gray. There's no sane scenario where the Jays give up Bichette for Gray, even with the Reds adding other pieces. That framework would be a nonstarter for the Jays.

Story

2:43

Phillies seem like a fit

Steve Adams

2:45

On paper, sure, but they haven't given tons of signs that make me feel confident they'll take on huge salary this winter. And I know we're talking about Dombrowski here, but why trade prospects for one year of Story when they could sign a capable stopgap (say Andrelton or a re-up of Didi) and then just make a push for one of next year's shortstops? Story, Baez, Correa, Lindor and Seager will all be free agents a year from now, and Dombrowski knows he's more than a one-year rental at SS away from making a big playoff push.

2:46

Story seems like a better fit for a clear win-now team that more concretely expects to win a Wild Card berth or win its division -- or at least one without payroll limitations that would render Story as their lone major pickup/

Max Scherzer

2:46

My contract expires after the 2021 season. If the nationals want to extend me, could I expect a 2 year extension (38 and 39 years old seasons) ? Would anyone else offer me 2 years?

Steve Adams

2:46

Have to think Scherzer looks at Verlander's two-year, $66MM extension with the Astros as a floor for what he'd get in an extension.

Seth

2:47

COULD (meaning do they have the parts) the Giants trade for Snell and use that as ammo to sign Bauer?

Steve Adams

2:49

Most teams "have the parts" to get Snell, it's just a matter of whether you want to absolutely gut your system in order to do so. I can all but guarantee Joey Bart would be the first player Tampa Bay asks about, and you'd need to add other high-end pieces in the Heliot Ramos, Marco Luciano, Sean Hjelle, etc. mold.

TwinsFanJoe

2:50

What would it take from the Twins to get Story? Would they even take on the $?

Steve Adams

2:52

I think they'd be fine taking on the money, sure. Have to think the Rox are looking for controllable options in the infield and/or in the rotation -- likely names close to MLB-ready or already at the MLB level. Pick a couple players from the Luis Arraez, Jhoan Duran, Jordan Balazovic, bucket. I think the asking price in terms of players would be far more prohibitive to the Twins (and to most suitors) than the salary owed to Story.

Darrell

2:52

Congratulations on wedding and hope your holidays are great! Thanks for the chat!

Steve Adams

2:53

Appreciate it!

Mike

2:53

Hey Steve better in your opinion to spend the money to get Bauer for the Angels or trade for Snell then get Brad Hand and another second tier SP

Steve Adams

2:54

Bauer only costs money -- I'd rather go that route than mortgage the future for Snell then still spend as much in total dollars for the combination of Snell + Hand + another SP (Odorizzi, Kluber, etc.)

Chief

2:55

How will the Cardinals solve their offensive production problem, especially when they seem committed to their .200 hitters in the outfield?

Steve Adams

2:57

I don't think their problem is a "commitment to .200 hitters" -- it's that they can't seem to get their clearly talented hitters to perform. Tommy Pham, Marcell Ozuna, Luke Voit, Randy Arozarena ... the Cards have moved on from a lot of people who went on to have huge showings elsewhere, pretty much immediately.

The problem, then, becomes twofold; they become gun-shy about dealing away underperforming players for fear of another data point in the growing trend but also risk hanging onto guys who perhaps simply aren't as good as they'd initially hoped.

I'm far from a player development/scouting expert, but it is increasingly difficult not to wonder how it is that the Cardinals keep seeing the same process repeat itself. At a certain point, maybe the players aren't the problem.

Dan Kelleher

2:58

Do you think the Yankees will add a free agent pitcher or just go with the “depth” they already have?

Steve Adams

2:59

They'll add someone, but we won't get a sense for the magnitude of the addition until we know:

A) Whether they can re-sign LeMahieu and
B) If they do re-sign him, what it cost them to do so

Everything keys off DJLM for the Yankees at this point.

Jeremy

2:59

Where do you see JT landing now that the Mets got Mccann?

Steve Adams

3:03

I wonder increasingly about the Blue Jays. If LeMahieu goes back to New York and Springer goes to the Mets -- both of which seem plausible -- the Jays are going to be looking at Bauer and JTR as the two top means of adding a premium free agent. It's not crazy that they'd think Jansen to JTR is a more pronounced upgrade than adding Bauer, especially since they could always add a non-Bauer SP to help fill out the rotation.

I feel like Realmuto might be the one player where you could get Phillies owner John Middleton to make an emotional decision and pay up, too.

I wouldn't rule out the Yankees if DJ goes elsewhere. The Twins are a fun dark-horse in the same sense as the Jays; money to spend, and they could spin their young, MLB-ready catchers into other needs on the trade market. I don't think that's likely, just saying there's some logic behind it.

Vlad Jr

3:03

I'm down 40 pounds so far this winter. I've gone to the Dominican Winter League to play the hot corner. Will I be the Blue Jays opening day 3b man next year

Steve Adams

3:04

I don't think so, no, despite Montoyo saying today that they won't close the door on it.

Story

3:04

Story for Bryse Wilson?

Steve Adams

3:04

Not enough going back to Colorado.

A.J.

3:04

Who do you think is the next breakout Starting Pitcher? As in, is there another Bieber who's on the cusp of being an ace?

Steve Adams

3:06

I didn't even think Bieber was going to turn into Bieber. Can I take Corbin Burnes in this race, or was his 2020 too much of a breakout already?

I was driving the Burnes hype train to the moon pre-2019 -- he just started to put it together a year later than I'd hoped after taking him in like 5 fantasy leagues, ha

Katz

3:07

As new pitching coach for WSox, is Archer on a 1yr prove it deal for #4 spot (Cease moved to 5th), a good fit for me to turn around......and with him having less pressure in this rotation?

Steve Adams

3:08

If I'm Chris Archer, I don't know that the White Sox and their cold-weather, hitter-friendly home park are where I want to go to try to rebuild my stock. And if the White Sox are adding another pitcher, given their win-now mode, I think they'll be looking for someone more dependable. I don't love the fit, not that it's impossible or anything. They can certainly afford it, just seems like both parties would want to go more in a different direction.

Jon

3:09

The FA deals so far seem pretty solid, but low in quantity (by my count, only 24 guaranteed deals). The longer players (are forced to) wait, the worse their deals get, so do you think it gets so bad that Realmuto has to take a pillow contract? Or some notable players have to take minors deals?

Steve Adams

3:09

JTR taking a pillow deal? No.
Notable, lower-tier players taking minor league deals? Yes.

Terry Miencier

3:09

What direction is the Dbacks headed, in order to compete?

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