You are viewing the chat in desktop mode. Click here to switch to mobile view.
X
Chat with MLBTR's Steve Adams: 3/18/25
powered byJotCast
Steve Adams
8:14
Good morning and happy 2025 season! I'll get this underway at 1pm CT, but feel free to send off some questions in advance, as always.
1:00
Hey there -- let's get going
Leave it to Rijo
1:01
Any chance Casali or someone else released ends up in Cincinnati for catching help?
Steve Adams
1:01
Yeah, Casali makes good sense. Hard to see old friend Luke Maile making the Royals, where he's currently an NRI. I think they'll bring someone in
Who's Fabio?
1:01
Hey Steve - do you think Vladdy will end up topping his 500M ask on his next deal?
Guerrero Jr
1:01
Is there really a big enough market for Vlad to get $500m+ next year, even if he has a good 2025? It feels like every high-spending team has a long term 1B, or a guy who will eventually have to move to 1B, or a young guy making a fraction of what he’ll make. What teams besides the Jays are really desperate to sign him?
Steve Adams
1:02
It's contingent on him having another plus season at the plate, but yeah, assuming he's even like 85% of his 2024 version, I think he'll clear 500.
The notion that there won't be demand for him seems flawed. Short of the Dodgers -- Freeman signed long-term, Ohtani at DH -- most teams with existing solutions would consider moving things around to accommodate someone of Vlad's caliber.
1:03
The Red Sox have already talked about moving Casas for pitching. Red Sox, Jays, Nats, Angels, Rangers, Cubs, Mets, Phillies (Harper has already not-at-all subtly said he'd move back to the OF to accommodate a "future" 1B addition)
Padres
Cashman
1:04
Arenado + $10M for Peraza, who says no?
Steve Adams
1:05
The Yankees are balking at spending even a couple million to bring in a free agent starter... taking on Arenado, even with $10MM of his salary covered, still means taking on $17MM of salary in 2025 and a tax hit of more than $20MM, depending on the specifics of the cash and how it's allocated/treated for CBT purposes.

Unless they've just been lying about the current budget restrictions, they're not doing it.
Alex Verdugo
1:06
The Angels have no Center Fielder. Am I a fit there?
Steve Adams
1:06
Generally agree, but seems like they're going to just play Jo Adell there.
DBacks fan
1:06
When the Padres trade Cease in the next week or so, does that make us clear favorites for 2nd place in division?
Steve Adams
1:06
At this point I don't think they'll trade Cease, and I already have the D-backs second in the division.
Steve Cohen
1:07
The Cardinals centerfield matchup seems to be the biggest mismatch this spring. Victor Scott II has far outplayed weak hitting Mike Siani. Why haven’t the cards made this official yet? Do you think Scott could be a sleeper candidate for NL ROY?
Steve Adams
1:08
Scott exhausted his rookie eligibility last year, so he's not a ROY candidate. But to your broader point, yeah, I don't get why it's a debate or a battle. If you're focusing on player development, you give the job to the 24-year-old prospect and not the soon-to-be 26-year-old who you're already pretty sure won't ever hit much. (To say nothing of the fact that Scott has just outperformed Siani in every aspect this spring)
Brian
1:09
What did you make of Turners comments about the ms? He was saying what we all knew but it hits a little different hearing it from a player in the situation, it has turned me off from the ms and I won’t watch a game now sincerely disappointed former ms fan
Steve Adams
1:11
As you alluded to, he's saying something everyone already knew. Mariners ownership deserves flak and deserves criticism. I don't blame anyone for not wanting to support the product, but I don't see why Turner saying the quiet part out loud would be the factor pushing someone over the edge, I guess.

I also just generally think you can watch the games and cheer for the players without feeling like you're supporting their crappy ownership group, but I get not wanting to. Just seems like further making yourself unhappy with the situation, but everyone has their own prerogative.
Carrot Gole
1:12
How much do you think Cole would have made if he hit free agency back in November? It was an overpay even at the time right? Like aren’t the backends of these contracts just added on to lower the luxury tax AAVs anyways?
Steve Adams
1:14
When we were talking for our free agent predictions, I think we put Cole on a super-premium AAV three-year deal. Basically earning close to the same amount that's left on his contract but doing so over three years instead of four (like 3/135, or 45 per year).

Oftentimes in long-term deals, the extra years are indeed to knock down the contract's AAV for luxury purposes. (See DJ LeMahieu, for a current Yankees example). That wasn't the case with Cole. He got what was then an absolutely top-of-the-market AAV ($36MM) and the ninth year that basically no free-agent pitcher ever gets. It was just a premium length/premium AAV deal from the start.
Rodd
1:15
Some of the local media is saying that Correa, Lewis, and Buxton need to play 120 games each for the Twins to be a playoff team....Noting that its more likely we get 120 games combined based on their injury histories.  With Royce already experiencing a set back can the Twins stay healthy long enough to make a playoff run?
Steve Adams
1:16
I don't really agree that they all need to play 120+ to make the playoffs. It'd help, obviously, but there's a narrative around the Twin Cities that the team can't succeed without those three being healthy and I don't fully subscribe to it. If they're all hurt for 80+ games, sure it's going to be tough, but I don't think a team that rosters Pablo Lopez, Joe Ryan, Jhoan Duran, Griffin Jax and a bunch of interesting young hitters is entirely beholden to that injury-prone trio.
JP
1:17
Hi Steve, I guess the injury bug the Mavericks are enduring has moved onto the Rangers rotation. I believe they need to add another starter Spencer Turnbull is my suggestion with Bradford and Gray out for several weeks. Your thoughts? Thanks
Steve Adams
1:18
Would like to see them do something yeah, but they're one of several teams that seems wholly opposed to crossing the luxury threshold, and they're about $4.5MM away right now. Maybe you could get Turnbull for $3MM or something, but he's probably going to want incentives and he's also not going to be built up and be ready to step into a big league rotation until mid-April at least anyhow.
Guy Fieri
1:18
Will any of the outfielder-converted-pitchers (Gose, Gallo, Naquin) make it in the big leagues?
Steve Adams
1:18
Gose has already pitched in the majors in three of the past four seasons!
1:19
Odds of Naquin/Gallo are slim, but I think things like that are fun, so I'll be rooting for them
?
1:19
What's more likely: dodgers miss the playoffs or whitesox make the playoffs?
Steve Adams
1:20
Ha, I would say Dodgers missing. Easier to see them just having like 7-8 major injuries that tank them than it is to see the White Sox having all of their prospects and random journeyman signings coalescing to produce the ultimate Cinderella story
Douggy 18
1:21
Who says no?  Detroit sends Spencer Torkelson to Pittsburgh for Henry Davis, Spencer Horowitz and a mid-level prospect.
Steve Adams
1:21
Pirates aren't giving that up for Tork
Bombo Rivera
1:21
What's your most favorite memory of a game you've attended in person?
Steve Adams
1:22
The entire insane back-and-forth that was Game 163 between the Twins and Tigers in 2009. I was barely out of college and still in my diehard Twins fandom at that point. That game was absolute insanity. I think the whole thing is on YouTube -- check it out sometime. I've still never seen a game so back-and-forth, particularly with such high stakes on the line. Wild time.
merkle
1:22
I know spring training is taken with a grain of salt but the dominance of the giants has to mean something right?
Steve Adams
1:23
It means they've had a nice spring. That's about it.
Brent
1:24
If he gets back to 20-25HR with the re-revamped wall in LF, does Ryan Mountcastle get traded to make room for Mayo at the deadline?
Steve Adams
1:24
I think if he's hitting well he's just an integral part of what should be a contending lineup. Injuries will probably create 300+ ABs for Mayo on their own.
Steve in Flagstaff
1:24
Who is the closer for the D-backs, Martinez or Puk?
Load More Messages
Connecting…