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Trade Rumors Front Office Subscriber Chat with Steve Adams: 9/6/24
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Steve Adams
3:51
In general, I think the Marlins are a ways off. I'm not a big Jake Burger believer and think Xavier Edwards is due for a good bit of regression with that .400 BABIP. Next year feels like it'll be another lean year focused more on accumulating potential core pieces than seeing that core begin to bubble up to the surface.
But Connor Norby can hit, and the pitching can/should be good with better health.
3:52
Forgot to put Ryan Weathers in that rotation mix, but he's definitely in there. He looks great pre-injury
Rass-mataz
3:52
Is TB going to start Rassmussen next year? Stuff is looking good out of the pen.
Steve Adams
3:52
Yeah, I'd imagine getting him back into the rotation is the goal.
Rob
3:52
Is James Wood going the way of Jo Adell?
Steve Adams
3:54
James Wood's debut is already better than anything Adell has ever sustained in the majors, and he's not really tailing off late in the season. If you're asking about the strikeouts, that's a fair concern, but he's not whiffing at Adell levels and has a far more compelling batted-ball profile when he does make contact.

I don't think there's much of a comparison there, beyond both being outfielders and former top prospects. Wood looks way better.
Veterans vs Low Cost
3:55
It seems like teams have embraced playing vets like Keirmaier, Verdugo, Torres over letting a prearb player struggle to a similar line. Do you see this trend continuing?
Steve Adams
3:57
I think there are just as many instances of teams letting young guys struggle and try to figure it out. I already mentioned Noelvi Marte. The Royals have given Maikel Garcia close to 600 PAs. Chris Morel's not hitting but still getting chances.

It's probably easier to trot out the veteran when you're a playoff-bound club and can place extra value on that veteran's experience, but there's plenty of teams that have let rookies go out there and take their lumps this year (and in recent seasons)
MLP
3:58
I'm glad Jerry DiPoto seems to be keeping his job: baseball would be duller without him.  If the report is wrong, though, what organization would be likely to hire him?
Steve Adams
3:59
If Dipoto were to get fired, he'd probably have interest from a whole mess of clubs within 24 hours. Even if he weren't being brought in for the top job, he'd get a senior VP or advisor job with no problem. He's well-liked, well-respected and -- even in spite of the Mariners' persistent offensive troubles -- generally good at his job, I think.
4:00
And yeah, he makes baseball way more fun, haha
Silicon Valley
4:00
Was the Matt Chapman extension a nod to future FA's in SF and attracting them or an overpay and a desperation? Whats the comp to Ramirez, Devers and Machado and the Boras off season?
Steve Adams
4:01
I was surprised he got that much. I was thinking 115-125 in free agency. There's some degree of wanting to install a notable, high-quality veteran to show other free agents "hey we're going for it," but I think Chapman also benefited from the number of times the Giants have been spurned in their free agent pursuits and their ongoing inability to convince a star player to put down roots at Oracle Park
tigersfan
4:02
Think brant hurter is a keeper? He's pitch well so far
Steve Adams
4:03
He's looked good, but I have a hard time believing anyone can sustain a 2.5% walk rate. That's going to regress, and he's had some good luck on balls in play. Doesn't mean he can't be a nice piece in that bullpen, but I wouldn't count on him as a starter and don't think he's going to continue on as a consistent sub-3.00 ERA guy
UtahSteve
4:04
Will the TWINS cut payroll even more, as seems to be their M.O. most years. I suppose I can understand the business reasons for these financial situations but this is a mid-market team...NOT a small market team. Somewhere, somehow this team has more than enough money to go out and get some decent pitching this off season, regardless of TV rights.
Steve Adams
4:06
They already have a fair bit of good pitching, some of it's just hurt. A lot of it has been hurt throughout the season. But Pablo Lopez, Joe Ryan, Bailey Ober, Simeon Woods Richardson is a fine 1-4, and both Zebby Matthews and David Festa have shown promise and upside.

If you can condense some of those younger arms and some of the infield glut into another high-end starter, then by all means do so, but I wouldn't hold your breath if you're hoping the Twins go out and sign Corbin Burnes, Max Fried or Blake Snell.
4:07
The bullpen pretty clearly needs some work, but this front office has repeatedly shown, even when payroll restrictions aren't in place, that it considers relief pitching too volatile an asset to invest in long-term. Duran/Jax/Sands/Alcala is a nice start, but they'd do well to bring in someone more reliable. The depth has been exposed a bit by the Brock Stewart and Justin Topa injuries.
Pitching era
4:08
People like Manfred want to return to a past era need to zoom out. No one wanted to force Koufax to throw 600 innings because Tim Keefe did it. Isn’t lower starter innings a sign of the times/high velo and crazy movement?
Steve Adams
4:11
I think it's a natural evolution, yeah. But people are always resistant to change. They like the things that made them fans of the game as a kid and see changes to the rules, structure, strategy, etc. as an attack on that nostalgia. I understand that, but I think it's far better to spend time getting invested in new wrinkles to what's still fundamentally the same game at its core than it is to fret about changes that are happening whether you like them or not.

Baseball's not the same as when I was 12, but I can find just as much enjoyment in it at 39. It's not the exact same type of enjoyment, but there's always something new and exciting to follow, whether it's the closer levels of attention being paid to prospects, the weird roster manipulation tactics, off-the-wall in-game tactics like openers, the revival of the stolen base... I don't know, it feels like more work to hate change than it does to be open-minded and find fun it it.
in it*
But I suppose that mentality extends beyond baseball and more broadly into general life, ha
Manfred rule changes
4:12
The players can’t be happy with Tony Clark if Manfred forces starters to pitch longer. When s MLBPA president open?
Steve Adams
4:13
The innings minimum is just an idea that's been floated, and isn't in any way close to happening. It'd be workshopped, tweaked with input from players, tested in the Atlantic League for a year or two, then tested in the low minors, then the upper minors, etc.

Even if something like that comes down the pipeline, it'd probably be in like 2030-31 and look far different than the initial reporting on it.
Look how long they've been  testing the automated strike zone, for instance
Ryan Red-leg
4:13
Ty France has been a nice pick-up for the Reds. However, I'm not sure how he fits for next year. They already have a few first base/DH type players, especially if considering that Mcclain plays 2nd base so they'll have to find a spot for India.   Seems like he would be an expensive bench bat.  What do they do with him?
Steve Adams
4:15
Yeah he doesn't strike me as a great fit for them next season, and his arb raise will take him north of $8MM, maybe to around 9. He's played too well there to non-tender, but he feels like a trade candidate all the same, particularly given Cincinnati's typically light payroll levels.
For Love of the Game
4:15
Is DFA'ing Rich Hill the Red Sox way of throwing in the towel?
Steve Adams
4:17
The Sox are 5.5 back with three teams to leapfrog in three weeks. I don't think DFA'ing a 44-year-old lefty is any sort of concession on their season; their odds are quite long with or without Hill.

It's still a bummer though. It was fun to see him come back, and he looked good in his one minor league outing and his first couple appearances. I hope he pitches again in 2025, ha
NL MVP
4:17
Being the first 50/50 guy will get the trophy for Shohei?
Steve Adams
4:18
Probably will, yeah. I think Lindor and Chris Sale are right there with him, personally, but Ohtani is going to get a lot of the love, especially if he reaches that milestone.
Lefty
4:18
Chapman said he has heard from "other players " who would like to play for SF since his signing. Assuming one is Bo Bichette, would a package of Luciano, Whisenhunt and an A level pitcher get it done?
Steve Adams
4:23
I'm not the biggest Luciano or Whisenhunt guy at this point, but yeah I do think that'd get it done. I always kind of bristle at "an A-ball pitcher" or something of that ilk being mentioned as a final piece. Not a gripe with you specifically, just saying in general -- there are a lot of A-ball pitchers who have way more value than Triple-A arms. There are A-ball pitchers with more value than Whisenhunt. But assuming you mean kind of a long-shot, 40-FV type of A-ball kid, yeah.

I think coming off the season he had, the Giants would actually balk at giving that up for Bichette, who only has a year to go and isn't a good defender at short anyway. San Francisco has tried to prioritize adding defense (hence Chapman).
4:24
I also understand the natural speculation on Bichette since they were Jays teammates, but that's a lot to read into it. Chapman's played with tons of guys. Plus, Bo has no real say over whether he goes there this winter or not. Some of Chapman's other former teammates (Teoscar, Danny Jansen, Profar, Grichuk, etc.) have more direct say as free agents. Just saying.
Gwynning
4:24
Does Ha-Seong beat Chapman's deal?
Steve Adams
4:24
No, I don't think he's hit well enough this season to get there even though he's younger and a plus defender himself.
mlbfan
4:24
Think skubal will get any down ballet mvp love this year with how good he's been?
Steve Adams
4:25
He should!
notsohotlanta
4:26
Despite present data Snitker continues to trot out Luke Jackson in close games,why?
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