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Chat With MLBTR's Steve Adams: 4/12/22
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Steve Adams
2:00
Greetings -- it actually happened! Happy baseball season! Real, actual baseball. Who'd have thought? Let's chat.
Andrew M
2:01
What do you make of the bryan reynolds situation, seeing as they signed hayes to an extension? Do you think he’s getting traded?
Steve Adams
2:03
Reynolds and Hayes are at different points in their careers, and I don't think the Hayes deal has much bearing on Reynolds. He'll cost more to extend, as he should, and I don't really have a lot of faith that the Pirates will actually put down the dollars to make it happen.

Doesn't mean he's getting traded right now, of course. He's controlled through 2025, so there's no real rush. But if you asked me to choose one or the other, trade or extension -- I'd guess he's eventually traded.
Chriss
2:04
Do you think the dodgers would ever consider playing Muncy at second and then getting another bat to boost the offense if needed?
Steve Adams
2:05
I'm not particularly worried about any team's offense through five days -- well, except the ones I was worried about preseason, which doesn't include the Dodgers. I do expect Muncy will log some time at second base this season.
Rick Hahn
2:05
Can I get Montas without including Andrew Vaughn?
Steve Adams
2:09
Sure. Could trade the A's Eloy Jimenez or Luis Robert or Michael Kopech or Dylan Cease instead! (Obviously kidding, though any would get it done!)

GM Rick Hahn was just talking publicly about not wanting to trade from one area of his big league roster to address another. I would imagine there's a certain point where the Sox offer enough of a volume package that the A's do it.

But Chicago has thinned out its farm considerably, and they're not going to have a good draft pick anytime soon if the MLB team is good. Trading three, four or five guys like Colson Montgomery, Yoelqui Cespedes, Andrew Dalquist, etc. would pretty much leave them without much of anything atop the system.
The Sox have a handful of solid prospects, but the depth is shot.

Ultimately, I think if the A's get serious about moving Montas, another team would outbid the ChiSox
Garrett Whitlock
2:10
How surprised were you to see the Red Sox extend me?
Steve Adams
2:10
Not terribly. I think teams nowadays approach tons of guys with a year or so of service in hopes of getting just such an affordable deal done. A handful are going to say yes every year, and hey -- Whitlock was a Rule 5 coming off Tommy John a year ago at this time. Good for him to get the big payday.
Chris Young
2:10
Do I buy at the deadline, even we’re not in the race?
Steve Adams
2:12
Jon Daniels is still running the Rangers' baseball operations, GM title or not for Chris Young. Daniels is the president of baseball ops.

At any rate, if they can add some players who are controlled multiple seasons beyond 2022, then I don't see why not. They knew 2022 was a huge long shot to contend anyway.

Could see them sell of short-term assets (Holland, Culberson, Calhoun, Richards, etc.) if they're playing well, while simultaneously looking at guys like Bryan Reynolds, Cedric Mullins, John Means, etc.
Reds fan
2:13
Any chance the penny pinching Reds can sign Tyler Mahle to a long-term contract? Castillo will obviously be dealt and should be but this new, talented rotation needs an anchor.
Steve Adams
2:14
I think Mahle and Castillo are equally likely to be traded. Same service bracket. Could argue Mahle is even likelier, as he's healthier, younger and cheaper -- and thus could perhaps fetch a bigger return.

The Reds are hoping that one of Greene or Lodolo will step up as that anchor.
Well, they're hoping both will step into that anchor spot.
Burns
2:15
I feel like this gets asked every year but at what point do you consider teams/players mostly who they are? 40-50 games?
Steve Adams
2:16
On a team level I think closer to 60 games. Player-wise, it depends... it's different for a reliever than it is for a starter, just like it's different for a part-time outfielder vs. an everyday guy. It also depends what specifically you're looking at. Batting average can be weird and fluky for a long time, but by the time you're getting to even 100-150 plate appearances, you can probably get a good sense for where a hitter's strikeout rate is going to end up.
Chaim Bloom
2:17
Does Dalbec and Groom for Montas get it done for the sox?
Steve Adams
2:17
I don't think so, no.
Jason
2:17
Still think Brewers have a good season despite 1-3 start
Steve Adams
2:18
The only way a four-game stretch to begin the season would change my opinion on something like that would be if some combo of Burnes, Peralta and Woodruff were seriously injured therein. Otherwise, it's four games.
Jon
2:18
How many more top 50 prospects come up this year? 5? 10?
Steve Adams
2:20
More than five. Off the top of my head... Adley Rutschman, Grayson Rodriguez, Riley Greene, Oneil Cruz, Triston Casas, Brennen Davis, George Kirby, DL Hall, Alek Thomas all seem viable enough, and I'm sure there's more if I were to take more than 60 seconds to think about it.
The Final Boss
2:22
Have you ever seen anything like Steve Kwan Before? Zero swing and misses on the season? What do you think his final line ultimately looks like?
Steve Adams
2:25
His start has been awesome. I know the zero whiffs thing dates back to before Opening Day, but neither Eloy Jimenez (13 PAs) nor Ryan Jeffers (10) has swung and missed yet either. Neither is going to last much longer in that regard, though, ha, and Kwan's bat-to-ball skills have continually been one of his calling cards.

That said, I don't think it should feel too foreign to Cleveland fans. Michael Brantley was the God of Never-Whiffing for years in Cleveland and was still just about the best in that category even last year in Houston. Myles Straw was tied with him for the second-best SwStr% in the Majors last year.
2:26
Kwan won't hit for power but he'll draw plenty of walks and hit for average. Not many players like that, but if he's an outfield version of Luis Arraez, the Guardians should be thrilled.
Josh
2:27
Votto finishes top 10 in MVP, yes or no?
Steve Adams
2:28
He had a monster year last season and only finished 16th
I'm buying the resurgence, but I don't know that he'll end up top 10. A lot of voters still strongly prefer playoff contenders in MVP voting, and I don't think that's going to happen in Cincinnati.
JN
2:29
Saw some buzz about CLE and BOS reaching out to Conforto--any truth to that?
Steve Adams
2:29
By this point, Boras has talked to the majority of the league about Conforto.
Paul M
2:30
How much value will Varsho have if he doesn't qualify at Catcher in 2023?
Steve Adams
2:30
You mean fantasy-wise, I assume. And in that event, not a ton.
Phantom
2:31
Is Pham done? AB 0-13! Wouldn't Upton be a better fit?
Steve Adams
2:31
It's 13 at-bats. He's walked four times and only struck out three. And... it's 13 at-bats.
Doug B
2:32
Steve, Once a player uses up his minor league options, is there any way to get him non-major league ABs?  Guys like Bellinger (and most teams have one) sure would seem to benefit by being able to work some things out away from MLB.
Steve Adams
2:34
Could go with a pretty loose IL stint designed to give a guy a mental break and go on a rehab assignment in the minors.

Bellinger can technically still be optioned for another few days, by the way. He entered the season at 4.160 years of service -- 12 days shy of reaching five years. Once a player has five years of service, he can't be optioned without his consent.
Rando
2:34
Twins. Over/Under .500?
Steve Adams
2:35
I'm taking the over. Don't love the rotation, but they have a lot of impressive MLB-ready arms, the offense looks good, the defense is sound, and they'll probably be looking for upgrades at the deadline as well.
Hedges
2:35
Do you feel like Correa is going to opt-out after the 2022 season when, in theory, he should be the only huge middle infielder on the market?  With the report that the Cubs were going 7/225 (aside from the agent change issue) it would seem that offer or close to it would be available to him again.
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