JotCast | Chat With MLBTR's Steve Adams: 2/6/18

Chat With MLBTR's Steve Adams: 2/6/18

Steve Adams

3:12

A few free agents have signed, the union vs. owners battle rages on, and we're closer to being able to look past a bizarre offseason and start enjoying games -- first chat of February! Let's get rolling

Hep

3:12

Twins rotation is

Steve Adams

3:12

Not great!

3:13

Ha, realistically -- it's probably Ervin, Berrios, Gibson, Mejia and whoever they sign/acquire -- be it Darvish/Cobb/Lynn or someone like Odorizzi

3:14

Mejia isn't a lock, but I'd characterize him as likelier than other internal options like Slegers, Duffey, Enns or prospects like Gonsalves/Romero

Just a random commenter

3:14

Do the Mets sign frazier?

Steve Adams

3:14

Hmm? They already did, more or less (assuming he passes the physical)

They just haven't announced it

3:15

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2018/02/mets-to-sign-todd-frazier.html

Btw -- 2/17 is a steal for the Mets on Frazier. I thought if he settled for two he'd have been more in the $12-13MM annual range

And even that would've been a nice price

Bpll

3:16

Yanks sign Cobb instead of Darvish?

Steve Adams

3:16

Suppose they could, but I feel like if they add another arm they'd prefer it to be someone that's a clear upgrade over at least half the internal options they have -- and that's not Cobb.

Moooose

3:17

Steve, you think I’m worth 6 years 80 million? What team BEST needs me ?

Steve Adams

3:17

I think you're worth maybe half that.

Makes a lot of sense for the White Sox, in my mind, but they probably don't love the idea of punting draft value when they're not yet ready to commit to "going for it"

3:18

Though given the texture of the overall division, it's not insane to think that the White Sox could be better than most people expect. I wouldn't say it's likely that they make a Wild Card run or anything, but they should be better than the Tigers and Royals, who they'll get to play nearly 40 times in 2018.

You bet

3:18

Brewers in on Odorizzi? Get all the Greinke trade pieces back.

Steve Adams

3:19

I don't think there's a quasi-available starter on whom the Brewers aren't "in" to some degree.

Quintin

3:20

Is JD Martinez “really” gonna hold out on the Red Sox for a bigger deal from an invisible mistery team that doesn’t exist?

Steve Adams

3:21

That's pretty clearly what he's been doing for months. And just because the team doesn't exist right now doesn't mean it won't in three weeks. Prince Fielder didn't have his nine-year deal until Victor Martinez blew out his knee.

Not saying it's necessarily the wise play to continually pass on 5/125ish -- which always seemed a realistic valuation (albeit on the low end of what I expected heading into the offseason) -- but that's the route they're going.

Cheese & Gum

3:21

What do you think of the Oh signing by the Rangers?

Steve Adams

3:22

Totally reasonable. Another nice low-cost pickup for them in an environment that has largely been hyperaggressive on relievers.

Wade

3:22

Any chance Moutakus ends up in a O"s uniform?

Steve Adams

3:24

I actually like that fit, but they're (understandably) more focused on pitching. I don't have much faith that Beckham is a big league regular, though, and every scouting report on Ryan Mountcastle says he really doesn't have a position. Sign Moose to play third, bounce Beckham around the infield, and go with Mancini-Jones-Hays for most of the outfield work.

(More realistically, I think the O's should just tear the damn thing down, but they seem bent on going for it, and I like the notion of getting a value play on Moustakas more than the notion of paying for an outfielder they don't really need as badly.)

Tommy Titan

3:24

Could the Twins pursue Zack Greinke? That would be an obvious match.

Steve Adams

3:25

I think there's a match there, sure, but they probably don't want to take the whole contract. If they could package what's left of the Hughes deal in there or just get the D-backs to eat a fair portion of the contract annually in exchange for some decent prospect capital, you could make the argument that they're better suited to go that route than pay Darvish for 6 years.

3:26

Do you think some of the free agents will start taking lessor contract or shorter contracts with a higher AAV. If the do this when will this begin?

Steve Adams

3:26

It already happened with Carlos Santana and with much of the relief market (Wade Davis, Pat Neshek, Tommy Hunter).

3:27

What in the world are the Rays doing with their roster?

Steve Adams

3:29

Same thing they do every few years -- paring back the more expensive pieces and trying to walk the line of getting younger and cheaper while remaining somewhat competitive thanks to the young assets they were able to extend (Archer, Kiermaier in this instance).

I'm somewhat befuddled by the fact that they decided to tender Hechavarria and pay him upwards of $6MM though -- especially when it always seemed plausible that you could get a similar player like Alcides Escobar at a fraction of the price. But perhaps they're much more into Hech's glovework. And he does have a somewhat better bat, even if it's still poor overall

Dayton

3:29

Do small market rebuilding team like the Royals and Padres value guys like Hosmer higher than larger market teams? Seems like the small market teams are the only ones willing to go crazy on a contract for him.

Steve Adams

3:30

Doesn't really have anything to do with market size; more just the perception of the individual within the highest ranks of those two front offices. Not like the Brewers or Reds are falling over themselves to sign him.

Mike Hazen

3:30

Do I have the pieces needed to acquire Manny Machado and/or convince JD Martinez to come back on a 1-2 year deal w/ an opt out?

Steve Adams

3:30

Martinez isn't taking that short of a contract, and there's no reason for the D-backs to meet the Orioles' demands for Machado when they'd have virtually no chance at re-signing him.

Miggle

3:30

What would Moustakas’ price have to fall to in order to get the Braves to bite?

Steve Adams

3:31

Well they just let Frazier go to a division rival for $17MM -- so probably even less than that. I don't see it.

Buddy

3:31

Still saying Darvish to the Cubs. What say you?

Steve Adams

3:31

I've been stubbornly saying Twins for most of the offseason; no real reason to deviate at this point.