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Trade Rumors Front Office Subscriber Chat with Steve Adams: 6/9/25
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Steve Adams
2:48
He's a decent player with an expiring contract on a bad team. Interest is natural. If he's healthy he'll probably be moved
Sam
2:48
Hey Steve - How will the Twins' string of recent pitching injuries affect their deadline approach? With Pablo out and Zebby out short-term, will the Twins be looking at decent rotation options to acquire from another team?
Steve Adams
2:51
Depending on how everyone else holds up and how David Festa/Simeon Woods Richardson/Andrew Morris (who I assume will be called up sooner or later) fare, I could see them shopping around some, sure. I don't think they're going to make a giant splash -- this front office rarely does, and there are still plenty of payroll question marks amid the sale exploration -- but an Andrew Heaney or Zach Eflin or someone along those lines wouldn't shock me.
Wuh oh
Sound the alarm
Chris Cotillo
@ChrisCotillo
·
2m
It’s possible Roman Anthony joins the Red Sox today, I’m told.
Rob Bradford with WEEI reporting the same
2:52
Two plugged in Sox beat folk saying Anthony's perhaps finally coming up -- sounds like I know what game I'll be watching tonight.
Go Dills!
2:52
Skenes to the Yankees for Judge... who says no?!
Steve Adams
2:53
Pirates. No way Bob Nutting's paying that contract!
Anthony vs Van Belle
2:53
Darragh McDonald reports Van Belle is coming up? Are both of them? https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/06/red-sox-designate-robert-stock-...
Steve Adams
2:53
The Sox already announced the Stock DFA and Van Belle promotion
2:54
Basically the entire Sox beat is now reporting Anthony's being promoted. Fun day
NYY 2026 Belli bombs?
2:54
Bellinger has been hitting the ball well, but his current performance might not net the AAV and years he's looking for in free agency. As a Yankees fan, I also want him around for another year to really see what he can do in that park. What slash line would he have to hit below to decide not to take the opt out?
Steve Adams
2:54
If he posts even a league-average batting line by season's end, I think he'll opt out
2:56
It's a year and $20MM remaining, and he'll be one of few credible CF/1B bats on the market. I just don't see a great scenario at this point, now that he's hitting, where he'd pass on the opt-out.

Everything I wrote in our Free Agent Power Rankings a couple weeks back still holds:
https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/05/2025-26-mlb-free-agent-power-ra...
Mrs Murphy
2:56
Welp,I am at a total loss of words and hope for the Braves.What;s next,a managerial change?
Steve Adams
2:59
I don't think a managerial change would matter. If you want to say Snitker's cost them a few wins by continuing to roll with Iglesias in leverage spots, I can buy that, but he's not the reason Strider is throwing 3 mph slower or that Profar got popped for PEDs or that Michael Harris II has turned into Michael A. Taylor, etc
Drew
3:00
Do SPers like Hancock and Evans have much trade value with the limited time and success they have had?
Steve Adams
3:05
All teams want controllable pitching. Hancock isn't great but has been solid or better in 8 of 10 starts (and awful in the other two, with a combined 13 runs in 5.2 IP). He doesn't have a good enough breaking pitch to consistently get righties out and his changeup has been inconsistent versus lefties. He still has 5 more years of club control remaining and a minor league option after this year, though, and he's a former No. 6 pick averaging 95 mph. If you're the Orioles, White Sox, Marlins, Braves, any potential seller looking for controllable arms at the deadline, sure you'd have some interest. The ceiling of the current version might be a fifth starter, but Hancock's a former No. 6 overall pick who throws relatively hard and has some minor league success. Plenty of teams will have thoughts on how to unlock a bit more.
Evans' stock is higher. He was a huge arrow-up guy last year, he's more than held his own this season, and he has six full years of control beyond the current season plus a pair of minor league options.
Roman Anthony
3:06
Where am I going to play most days? Assuming they would not call me up without a plan.
Steve Adams
3:06
We'll see what the corresponding move is. Could be that someone's hurt.

He'll be in the lineup every day.
Alex
3:07
Additional injuries are inevitable, but what's the oulook for the Cubs' starting pitching staff post-All-Star break? They'll get Shota and Javier Assad back relatively soon, and I just can't foresee this team not acquiring a top-half-of-the-rotation starter at the deadline. Adding all three of those to Taillon, Boyd, Rea, Horton, and Brown, it makes for eight starters. I imagine the team will want to limit innings on Horton and Brown, especially, but really all of these starters with some injury history - but how do you navigate that? Horton and Brown might have too much impact to simply send back to AAA, right?
Steve Adams
3:09
Rea is easy to move back into a swingman role, and that might be where he fits best. I wouldn't make any presumptions about Assad after his first rehab effort resulted in a major setback. He's still only recently started throwing again. He's got to progress from playing catch, to longer tossing, to mound work, facing live hitters and then a rehab stint that'll probably span 4-5 starts. I'd be surprised if we see him before August, and even when he's been healthy, most of his rate stats don't support his ERA. Brown and Horton, as you said, have innings concerns. Boyd, too. He only pitched 40-some innings last year including the postseason.
3:11
Pitching "surpluses" don't really exist, in my opinion, and this one you're asking about now includes two guys currently on the IL, one who's spent more time on the IL than not for the past half decade (Boyd) and two prospects barreling toward career-high workloads.

I expect the Cubs to add a starter of some note and work things out. Probably Rea to the bullpen. Maybe Brown, too. Horton hasn't dominated such that you couldn't justify sending him down, and depending on the quality of starter they're targeting, someone like Horton/Assad/Brown could even be part of the ask. Lots of variables.
Mike D.
3:12
Are reds buyers or sellers?
Steve Adams
3:14
They won't make that determination anytime soon, barring like a 12-game win or loss streak. They probably won't decide until 72 to 96 hours before the deadline, honestly. In all likelihood, they'll probably be open to trading some pricier short-term pieces (Taylor Rogers, for instance) while looking for big league help in other areas (outfield)
Red Sox are placing Wilyer Abreu on the IL, per Ken Rosenthal
there's your Roman Anthony move
RJ
3:15
Could the Angels find themselves in the same situation they were in 2 years ago? Where they are, mathematical in the Wild Card and Division hunt? I say Division, because there are no dominant team in the Division. But realistically, not in it because of the obvious pitching issues. To where they feel the need to buy, rather than Sell?
Steve Adams
3:15
They shouldn't.
3:16
That deadline was motivated by trying to capitalize on their final year of Ohtani and to show him they were serious about trying to win in an effort to convince him to stay. None of that's there this time around.
3:17
The Angels have one of the most flawed, top-heavy rosters in the sport. I cannot fathom them as a legitimate contender. Owner Arte Moreno has deluded himself into some crazy things in the past, so maybe they'll still try for it, but I cannot wrap my head around the Angels as buyers or in it being any way, shape or form a good idea for them.
Bernie Franks
3:17
Steve , thank you for the chat. Do you think it’s possible that the Cubs would listen on Kyle Tucker at the deadline? If the Cubs keep him to years end I highly
Steve Adams
3:17
Nope
Alex Anthopoulus
3:18
14 games out of the NL East and 9.5 of the third wild card spot (with 5 teams ahead), should the Braves consider themselves clear sellers or do they still go for it?
Steve Adams
3:18
They have more than six weeks to make that decision. A lot can change in that time.
Tommy
3:19
What does Tommy Kahnle's market look like next offseason? 3.31 lifetime ERA with sub-3.00 ERAs every year since 2020 and a strong 10.4 K/9. He's got a high walk rate though at 4 BB/9 and will be entering his age-36 season (feel free to point out more relevant stats, these are a few I could think of). Barring an extension, does he slot in at the top of the reliever market after Devin Williams?
Steve Adams
3:23
No, he's entering his late 30s and missing bats at the lowest rate of his career (both in terms of K% and raw swinging-strike rate). If he keeps doing what he's doing, I could see him getting like two years and $16MM, but the relief market will have Williams, Ryan Helsley, Luke Weaver, Michael Kopech, Seranthony Dominguez ... plenty of good, much younger arms who'll be more coveted.

Not to say Kahnle won't get plenty of interest, but he's not going to be a top-3 reliever on the class
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