You are viewing the chat in desktop mode. Click here to switch to mobile view.
X
Trade Rumors Front Office Subscriber Chat with Steve Adams: 1/24/25
powered byJotCast
Steve Adams
12:56
Greetings, all! I was off on Monday, so Anthony and I switched up our days this week. I'll be back to Monday chats next week, with Anthony going on Fridays, for those of you that (understandably) prefer him to me.

We'll get going around 2:30pm CT, but feel free to shoot me some questions ahead of time if you like! Looking forward to it.
2:30
Hello! Let's get underway
Maineiacs
2:30
When will the fantasy chats start back up?
Steve Adams
2:30
I'll double-check this with Tim, but I believe Nicklaus Gaut is starting up fantasy chats and weekly fantasy articles beginning next month.
mlbfan
2:30
Are the Astros really gonna put Altuve in left to bring bregman back? That seems funky to me.
Steve Adams
2:32
It doesn't seem that funky to me. Altuve is kind of just ... bad, at second base now. I don't think asking him to run around in the outfield is that much worse than asking him to continue playing a sub-par second base.

I can see the argument for trying Paredes in left or even just trading Paredes to go with the status quo infield of Bregman, Pena, Altuve and now Christian Walker (so I guess not quite status quo, ha)

If the Astros could get a decent corner outfielder as part of a Paredes swap, that'd be an interesting consideration. But man, Paredes swing is practically tailor-made for their park. I would love to see what he can do there.
Kk Slider
2:33
Curious how much folks are buying into the recent Bregman rumors. Hard pressed to believe he’s gotten so many long term offers/anything close to what the Astros previously offered. Astros moving Altuve to the outfield to scoop him back up after hard pivoting also seems dubious. Any real smoke here?
baseball gods laugh and laugh
2:33
Once you remove the Boras spinning of the media reports, where do you think Bregman and Alonso will go?
Steve Adams
2:36
I think there's a tendency to believe that when anything is reported regarding a Boras  client, it's pure media spin. I don't know how we got to the point where that's singular to Boras, because the majority of agents are constantly drumming up spin for their guys and getting prominent national media figures to put it out there. It's not unique to him!

Tangent aside, I don't think it's unreasonable to think he's gotten multiple five-year offers. We know Houston has made one. Is it crazy to think Toronto or Detroit made one? I don't think so. If the reporting was indicating he had three offers at 8+ years, OK, sure, let's be skeptical. This seems well within the confines of plausibility.

A week ago, I'd have said no way Bregman's back to Houston. Now, I'm wondering if they'll tack a seventh year at a lower rate onto the prior offer. Something like 7/170 drops the luxury hit to a bit more than $24MM. If they do that and then trade Pressly + Paredes, they might even be able to squirm back under the tax line.
2:37
I'm currently picking the Jays for Alonso while still holding out hope that someone like the Reds, Twins or Mariners just jumps in and shocks everyone, if only because I love a good free agency surprise, ha.
Kokonuts
2:37
Time to play the Reds Matching game. Match the current Reds players up to their 2025 position. There are no wrong answers. I'm going with DH Candelario, C Stephenson, 1B Encarnacion-Strand, 2B McLain, SS De La Cruz, 3B Steer, LF Lux, CF Friedl, RF Fraley.
Steve Adams
2:39
I don't think it's even fully worth trying to assign one position to every player. The Reds have, seemingly by design, added a bunch of guys who can play all over. I think both Lux and Steer could start 30+ games at multiple positions. Elly and McLain may largely be set, but injuries could open up some time at those positions. If Elly gets hurt, you might see McLain at SS. If McLain gets hurt, Lux can play 2B. Steer can just float everywhere.

Insofar as each player's primary position, what you've posited makes some sense.
Kevin in Texas
2:39
Steve, in Texas we make lots of Chili, what say you, beans or no beans.
Steve Adams
2:39
Delicious either way, but I put beans in mine (sorry!)
Mike Rizzo Fan Club
2:40
Regarding the Nationals' 3B situation, who do you think will get ABs this year? Next year?  I hear people are less bullish right now on Brady House. And I don't see them meeting Bregman's price and term of contract.  Thanks!
Steve Adams
2:41
By '26 I think it's Brady House getting a legitimate chance, barring some kind of disaster year in AAA this season. For the time being, I assume a whole lot of Jose Tena, Amed Rosario and Trey Lipscomb... which isn't the most exciting, admittedly.
Bo Jackson 5
2:42
As we're at the end of January, what's Justin Turner's market look like? Would he be a fit at 3B in Royal blue? He was still a +114 OPS with a solid OBP.
Steve Adams
2:43
I don't think anyone is counting on Turner as a regular option at 3B anymore -- maybe not even an emergency option. He played all of 33 innings there last year and 57 in 2023. Teams are going to view him as primarily a 1B/DH.

I can see him ending up with the Twins or Padres, both of whom could use a 1B/DH bat on the cheap.
Tiger Fan
2:44
Are Torres and Cobb all were gonna do?
Steve Adams
2:45
No, I don't think so. I think the interest in Bregman is genuine, but they don't want to pay an outlandish price. If not Bregman, I could see a lesser right-handed bat -- and I expect them to still add at least one more reliever.
Michael
2:45
I get that some teams are ticked by the Dodgers off-season move but I think it is good for the sport.  I think mid- to small markets team should be exploring the same strategy in an effort to attract better quality players.  That would help ticket sales that can then be re-invested into more upgrades.  Thoughts?
Steve Adams
2:49
I don't think it's ruining baseball, popular as that narrative is. Both players and teams welcome the opportunity for deferred money. It's not going anywhere. It's also not new. Bruce Sutter was paid up through 2022 by the Braves. Bobby Bonilla's still getting paid. The Reds deferred money on Bronson Arroyo's extension 15+ years ago. The Nationals put deferrals in like every free agent deal they signed from 2010-20.

Ohtani has shined a brighter spotlight on the issue, but I think the bigger problem is that a fake $700MM deal was advertised. It was never $700MM. It's a ~$460MM deal that they deferred the hell out of and then sold as a "700MM" so his agency could take a victory lap.

Similarly, Anthony Santander's deal is really like 3/69 but deferred to the high heavens to make it 5/92. I know the tendency is to look at the reported numbers first, but with such large slates of deferrals, those numbers don't really exist -- at least not in a true at-the-moment sense of things.
Michael
2:49
How do you like the Profar signing for the Braves?
Steve Adams
2:52
I'm a Profar skeptic in general, though last year's breakout looks far more real than some previous more fluky-looking up seasons he's had. I like the plate discipline, question whether he can continue hitting the ball with such authority and think he's probably always going to be a pretty sub-par defender.

Mechanical adjustments aside, I just don't know how sustainable like a 5mph jump in exit velo and 13 percentage point jump in hard-hit rate at age 31 is.

It's not the riskiest deal in the world, but it's personally not one I'd have made, either.

Ask the same question to Anthony next week and he'll give you the polar opposite answer. Anthony's pretty much driving the Profar hype train. We shall see how it plays out!
Artie G Man
2:52
Why haven't the NY Yankees announced any international amateur signings. I'm sure they must have had agreements in place like every other team. Any news you can share on this? Have they signed anyone?
Steve Adams
2:53
The Yankees formalized agreements with the top members of their international class this morning. We'll have something on the site about it today, but Manny Cedeno got his $2.5MM bonus and they've had a handful of other six-figure bonuses as well. Not sure what the hangup was, but they were never in jeopardy of not completing these deals or anything. The Yankees are quite good at scouting and signing Latin American talent.
Ben Cherrington
2:53
Is Kelenic now expendable? Will I overpay for him? Do the Braves need to shed salary with the Profar signing?
Steve Adams
2:54
I don't think the Braves see it that way. They basically spent like $32MM to acquire him last year (oops). I'd be surprised if they traded him after just one season. He'll probably get the bulk of RF starts early in the season and then move to a fourth OF role/be the first man up in the event of an injury to any of Profar/Harris/Acuna.
Phil F.
2:54
The Phillies could us a backup catcher and am OFer, yes? What else? How interested in salary relief ate they? I mean, beyond the norm. Thanks for doing the chat.
Steve Adams
2:57
Backup catcher for sure, in my view. Maybe they like Stubbs defensively, but it's a rough bat to give even 150-180 PAs. That's also not something they need to make a huge priority this winter, though. They can scan the waiver market and such during spring training -- maybe sign a veteran who opts out of a minor league deal elsewhere.

Outfielder, I think they'll just go Kepler / Rojas-Marsh platoon / Castellanos.

I don't love that arrangement, but there's no moving Castellanos right now. And any OF they add to the pile is going to be taxed at 110% anyhow, so you'd have to really feel they're an upgrade. Free agent-wise, I'm not sure that's out there.
Astros fan
2:57
Can MLB players and teams renegotiate contracts?  NFL and NBA players seem to do it quite often to give their teams salary cap relief but you never hear of it in MLB. If Pressley and the Astros replaced the current contract with a three year twenty one million dollar contract it would help the Astros with the CBT and guarantee Pressley another seven million which should be attractive to an older player who could blow out his arm next year and never sign another contract. Does the CBA not allow this, or does the commissioner ban it.
Steve Adams
2:59
There's nothing stopping them from doing so, I suppose, but if you're Ryan Pressly, why would you agree to that? Your proposal is a two-year, $7MM extension for him. He's already guaranteed the 14. Even if he pitches terribly this season, his track record probably gets him $5MM as a rebound guy next winter. That scenario seems to directly look at the team-side benefits without acknowledging that it's a significant negative for the player.

Locking in an extra $7MM over two seasons is not the benefit to Pressly you paint it as here, I don't think. (And Pressly would surely agree)
John Collins
3:00
I was shocked to see the Twins connected to Dylan Cease. MN and SD seem similar in both being win-now with severe budget constraints. If Cease were to go to MN, would you expect SD to receive players ready for the majors? Maybe Matt Wallner, as their LF seems unsettled.
Steve Adams
3:03
I don't find it all that shocking. Cease if $13.5MM, and the Twins have been shopping guys like Vazquez ($10MM) and could move Chris Paddack ($7.5MM). I don't find it likely, necessarily, but if they were to, say, send a package including Vazquez (and $5MM) and three years of Bailey Ober ($3.55M in '25) plus a prospect/prospects to San Diego, then move Paddack in another trade, they'd be able to absorb Cease's salary and have a little left over.

That's a very off-the-cuff package so please don't mistake it as something more than that, ha, but generally speaking, it's not like they're in a spot where they have to shed $30MM again. They're around their upper payroll limits at present with some veterans who could be moved to allow for some spending/payroll additions.
Reds fan Ryan
3:04
What do you think the Reds are going to do between now and spring training?  Who do you think they will sign/ trade for?
Steve Adams
3:04
I think they'll add a reliever and that's about it. Not exciting, I know.
Biancalana's Buddy
3:05
With Profar going for 3/42 (cheap in today's market, and other bats signing elsewhere, what can KC do about its miserable OF offense? Any trades brewing?
Steve Adams
3:09
I don't think it's all that cheap for Profar, who's 11 months removed from signing a one-year, $1MM deal in San Diego. (Best bargain signing in a long time?)

Generally, I think the Royals are somewhere near their payroll capacity from ownership. I think I picked them to sign Profar in the free agent contest since they needed on-base skills and a top-of-the-order presence. I'd have liked that fit well enough. There could be some outfielders available via trade (Yastrzemski, Jake McCarthy/Alek Thomas), but at this point it seems like K.C. will run it back and reassess the outfield closer to the deadline.

If I'm being honest, I don't love the moves they made. I'd rather have seen them keep Singer, let Wacha leave and sign Profar to this deal, even though I'm not a huge fan of it. I'm not huge on Jonathan India or Wacha, though the latter was certainly very good for them in '24.
O
3:10
I find it hard to believe that the Mets aren't going to make any further infield/lineup additions. Letting one of Baty, Mauricio, or Acuna seems to leave a massive hole in their lineup. Cohen wants to win a WS and, along with the starting pitching, seems to be a glaring hole. That said, what do you see them doing for the rest of the offseason?
Steve Adams
3:13
I don't think they'll sit on their hands, either. It benefits them to wait out Alonso and/or Bregman, but after that there are a number of trade and free agent options to consider. They could get Arraez, LaMonte Wade, buy low on Hoskins, throw their hat more seriously into the Arenado ring ... there's a lot of options left to consider once the top two free agent dominos fall.
Load More Messages
Connecting…