JotCast | Chat With MLBTR's Steve Adams: 2/13/18

Chat With MLBTR's Steve Adams: 2/13/18

Steve Adams

3:19

Hello world. Shall we chat?

3:20

Thankfully, since Yu Darvish finally signed, all of the top pitchers have followed suit and we now have a lot to-- errr. Wait.

Patrick

3:20

Do you see the orioles signing any pitchers and if you do who ?

Steve Adams

3:21

I think they'll add two starters -- at least one via free agency. Could trade for a McHugh or Montgomery type that doesn't have a clear rotation spot in his org anymore. Free agency -- probably no one with a QO attached, and probably no one that requires 3+ years. I'd bet on Jason Vargas or Jaime Garcia type

Inflation

3:21

Arrieta and JD both holdout till the start of the season?

Steve Adams

3:21

Doubt it -- especially in Arrieta's case.

Rizzo

3:21

Do you see Nats signing artieta

Steve Adams

3:24

No, not with the luxury tax implications. They're already going to be over the tax in 2018 as it is, and MLBTR has confirmed that they paid the tax this past season as well. They'd pay a 30% tax on every dollar they spent on Arrieta at this point, which assuredly isn't something they're going to be excited about when Boras is already aiming so high for Jake.

Nick

3:24

Are the Mets going to make another addition? Maybe to the pitching staff this time? Maybe Lance Lynn??

Steve Adams

3:24

I think they'll add an arm, but they didn't want to sign Moose in large part because of the QO, and have to think that applies to Lynn as well.

Rally

3:25

C.J. Cron and a prospect for Odorizzi and Span if the Rays cover about 4MM make sense for both teams?

Steve Adams

3:26

Cron has little to no trade value as far as I'm concerned, so you're talking about an unspecified prospect in exchange for $9MM of salary relief on Span and Jake Odorizzi; that's a no-go for the Rays.

Michael walter

3:26

What do think on the YU signing. Good for the money or over pay

Steve Adams

3:26

I think the Cubs got a nice deal on a pitcher I expected to sign for about $30-40MM more a few months ago.

Ben

3:26

Can you see the Rangers getting in on Jake Arrieta?

Steve Adams

3:27

Not unless they completely abandon their stated goal of lowering payroll (or sign him to an insanely backloaded deal -- but even then, Daniels has spoken about wanting to give some love to the farm system this offseason, and signing Arrieta hurts them in thatregard)

cardinals?

3:27

which Bud Norris did we sign? the one from before the knee injury or the one that pitched after??

Steve Adams

3:28

For $3MM, does it matter that much? If he's terrible you can cut your losses by the end of May without having done all that much damage.

Tommy Titan

3:28

Jake Arrieta to the Dodgers? Good choice for LA is they want rotation depth.

Steve Adams

3:29

Again: Luxury tax. If they dump Kemp, maybe they'd be in at a value rate -- but not top-of-the-market dollars. And I can't see them finding a taker for Kemp

Paul

3:29

Best guess on final years and $$$ for remaining free agent pitchers?

Steve Adams

3:31

Arrieta -- somewhere in Zimmermann territory at this point (5/110), possibly with an opt-out. I can't see him topping Darvish.

I've thought the asking prices on Lynn/Cobb were utter insanity all offseason. I don't see either topping four years or $60MM. That'd be the max I'd place either at, and I'd bet both fall short of that total.

Derek Falvey

3:31

No Yu. I apparently don't like Jake (as a player). Cobb and Lynn aren't difference-makers. Why not Greinke if the D-backs pony up $40 million over the next 4 years? D-backs won't expect a huge return if they're getting $100 million off the books for JDM, right?

Steve Adams

3:33

I'd imagine paying Greinke 4/86 at ages 34-37 is still a pretty undesirable notion. Plus, the D-backs still want to contend this season, and dropping Greinke doesn't help them in that regard.

Even if they turn around and invest the money in JD, you can argue that they made a lateral move for what could very well end up being a similarly onerous commitment to a resource that is easier to replace than Greinke.

(And they'd still be paying Greinke $40MM to play elsewhere, in addition to whatever they pay JD)

Scott Boras

3:33

Steve, you need better representation, I can get you a brand new MacBook on your next contract.

Steve Adams

3:34

Gross. I'm a Windows user, Scott.

Lucroy

3:34

Help I need a team Mets?

Steve Adams

3:36

Sandy Alderson has been blunt about the fact that he likes the d'Arnaud/Plawecki combo and has no real plans to pursue a catcher.

I'd say the A's and Nationals make the most sense on paper, even if Oakland continues to somewhat stubbornly insist that they think Maxwell can be their starter.

rangersfan

3:36

Does the rangers signing Plouffe point to additional moves like trading profar or was it so cheap it didn't matter.

Steve Adams

3:37

Wouldn't look too much into it. Lots of teams make depth additions this time of season, and they could potentially use a right-handed corner bat as a platoon option at some point this year. They had Middlebrooks up last year for a bit, and Plouffe is a better version of him.

I don't think he overlaps much with Profar anyway

Bill

3:37

What about a 6 man rotation for the Reds with 5 or 6 coming back from injury & the young pitchers.

Steve Adams

3:38

I don't mind the idea at all, but Bryan Price and Dick Williams haven't made any such suggestion -- at least not publicly.

Mark

3:38

Carlos Gomez to Washington make sense?

Steve Adams

3:39

I imagine he'd want more at-bats than he could be promised with an incumbent infield of Eaton/Taylor/Harper, and I don't think the Nats would see him as enough of an upgrade over Taylor to supplant him as a regular in the OF.

Plus Robles looming. There are better fits for Gomez.

Curt

3:39

I think Hosmer is out of his mind wanting 8+ years, you?

Steve Adams

3:39

Agreed, but he's got two teams willing to go seven at present (which I also think is nutty), so the goal isn't that far-fetched, apparently.

Dick Williams

3:40

Could we possibly take a large portion of that Kemp salary with Verdugo attached as the real prize?

Steve Adams

3:40