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jaysfansince77

3:01

Does the addition of one of Paxton or Walker by the Jays change your prediction of the Yanks winning the AL East. they are after all the same team that took second in the division last season by one (1) game

Steve Adams

3:03

I think it's perfectly plausible that they win the East as things stand. Signing Walker or Paxton wouldn't make them the clear favorites to me, though it'd narrow the gap a bit. I just don't love the overall rotation in Toronto. I don't love the Yankees' either, to be clear, but from an upside standpoint it's more intriguing and deeper on potentially above-average starters.

Joe

3:03

Has there ever been any resolution to the Yankees - Ellsbury contract dispute?

Steve Adams

3:03

Not to my knowledge, but I haven't thought much about it or looked into it at all.

StevieM

3:04

Who is primed to be reclaimed, Walker, Paxton or Porcello?

Steve Adams

3:07

Can I say all three, to some extent?

If Paxton is healthy, he's one of the game's 20 or 25 best starters. That's a major "if," of course, but if you asked to me to pick one of the bunch, he'd be it just because he's done it before.

Walker, frankly, doesn't excite me much. There wasn't much about him 2020 that was particularly intriguing or impressive, from a statistical standpoint. The ERA was transparently fluky and the underlying numbers weren't great. That said, he's also a guy who I bet some teams would tinker with from an approach standpoint. The raw stuff is definitely appealing, I just don't think he's using it as efficiently as possible. I'm far from qualified to be the one to say "Here's what he should be doing!" but I bet there are some data-forward teams that could help to unlock him.

Porcello is just plain better than he showed in 2020. A putrid Mets defense sure didn't help him.

john whelan

3:08

How hard would it be to enact a minimum club salary total in the next CBA?

Steve Adams

3:08

Owners wouldn't go for it. They'd counter with "Well there's no cap, why should there be a floor?"

Even though there is a de facto cap, of course. (Luxury tax)

Stevie

3:09

Eduardo Escobar was very good with the DBACKS for a couple years. Are they shopping him? Seems like they are in a rebuild stage now.

Steve Adams

3:10

They're not really in a rebuild. The D-backs won't ever fully rebuild. It's not how this front office and ownership operates. They're perennially walking the line between acquiring medium-term veterans (in terms of club control) and trading away similar assets, though, because the front office has to operate within certain budgetary parameter and because they're realistic about their contextual place within the division in any given year (as opposed to, say, the Rockies, who seem utterly in denial on the lack of talent their club posseses)

Ted

3:11

Surely the Angels are not done filling their rotation needs. Who do you think they will sign?

Steve Adams

3:12

I can't even pretend to know what the Angels are thinking after that inexplicable Alex Cobb trade. I don't know what they're doing, but I don't see them adding any long-term pieces. Maybe they'll end up bidding the most for Paxton on a one-year deal, but man ... if they had the latitude to do that, why bother acquiring Cobb for $5MM?

3:13

Who signs first, Jake Odorizzi (Excel Sports Management) or James Paxton (Boras Corporation)?

Steve Adams

3:13

Agency really doesn't have much to do with this. I'll guess Paxton, just because teams will be more apt to give out one-year deals than multiple years at this point. But that's just a guess.

Jeremy

3:13

Where does Rosenthal sign now that the Padres got Melancon?

Steve Adams

3:14

I could see any of the Braves, White Sox or Blue Jays going for it. Mets, too.

At this point though, I also wonder if his price is going to be low enough for the Royals to jump back in. They love him and want him back.

3:16

Alright, I have to wrap up for the week. Thank you, as always, for joining the chat and posing thoughtful questions. More generally, thank you for supporting MLBTR. It's awesome and we cannot express enough how much it means to us.

I'm on Twitter @Adams_Steve. Mark will chat this weekend. I'll do a free chat next Tuesday. Connor will be hosting next Friday's front office chat at the same time.

Take care everyone. Have a safe and happy Valentine's Weekend!

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