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Chat With MLBTR's Steve Adams: 4/13/21
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Steve Adams
2:10
Greetings all -- sorry to get started a bit late. I'll go a little past 3:00 CT to offset.
Now Hiring Pitchers
2:10
Could the Angels potentially trade for Jon Gray?
Steve Adams
2:10
They can (and probably will) be in the market for any number of available starters this summer. I expect Gray to be among them, so sure.
Friedman
2:11
My starting pitching depth is amazing. If Kenley Jansen looks like he did last outing, my bullpen is very good, and my lineup is one of the best (if not the best) in baseball. Do I have the perfect team on paper?
Steve Adams
2:12
I don't think the Dodgers have the "perfect" team on paper. I do think they have the best and deepest roster in MLB at the moment.
Shifty
2:12
MLB wants more action. Why not limit shifts in baseball?
Steve Adams
2:13
They're experimenting with it in the minors. I think it's silly, personally, but I understand the calls for it from people who are frustrated with the current product.

We've had shifts our whole lives, though. Corners in during a bunt situation. No-doubles defense. Etc. We just have the actual data to back when to make those shifts now, and teams are aggressive with it.
Cards2050
2:14
Did Mark Trumbo retire?
Steve Adams
2:14
Never formally filed the paperwork but a couple years back he kind of acknowledged he knows he may be at the end and said he hoped to teach younger players in his own post-playing days:
https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2019/11/al-notes-trumbo-angels-orioles-...
Cron
2:15
Do we have any news of Ronald Guzman
Steve Adams
2:15
Rangers haven't provided an update yet.
Guest
2:16
It's hard for me to imagine that even with Mikolas and Kim coming back that they will have enough of an impact to the Cardinals pitching staff to enable this team to win the Central.  Is there something I'm not seeing that should make me comfortable with their starting pitchers?
Steve Adams
2:19
Generally, I think Flaherty and Wainwright will be better than their early results. Gant's huge velo dip is concerning, though, and Martinez hasn't been reliable for years. I thought they made a ton of sense for Odorizzi when the sides were connected early in Spring Training, but it never came about.

I picked the Brewers for the NL Central due largely to how much I love Woodruff and Burnes, and Freddy Peralta's early showing only has me feeling better about that.

Healthy Mikolas and Kim would do wonders for the Cards, but they'll likely need some unexpected turnouts from a guy like Jake Woodford or Angel Rondon to keep up in the SP department.
STEVE-O
2:19
Can you see Corbin Burnes beating out DeGrom for NL Cy Young?
Steve Adams
2:20
Sure. I don't know that it's "likely" or anything, but it's obviously plausible. DeGrom could get injured, and even if they're both healthy all season, it's not outrageous that Burnes would be better. I think he's one of the 10 or so best starters in the NL (though that's an off-the-cuff number, admittedly).
Jordan
2:20
I can't wrap my head around this no shifting movement, the only reason players even stand in the standard spot they do is because historically that's the most hit to spots.
Steve Adams
2:21
Yeah. I've made this exact point before, too. The idea of "positions" was just trying to evenly disperse to limit offense. Now we just have good data telling us where those players should actually stand.
John
2:21
Cedric Mullins: turning the corner or just a hot start?
Steve Adams
2:22
Some of both, more of the latter. He's making better contact than ever before, but sixty percent of the balls he's put into play have fallen for hits. Over a full season you'd expect about half that rate ... maybe a little more since he can run well.
redman
2:23
So it's all Cards and Brewers for you still?
Steve Adams
2:25
Nope. I've said since the beginning that I could see any non-Pirates club winning the Central. I still like Milwaukee of the bunch. If you asked me after a couple weeks whether I felt good about the way I laid out the rest of the division, I'd probably lean Spincinnati for second in the division rather than STL.
reggie
2:25
do you ever feel resentment that you are "writing" for mlbtr and still haven't gotten a real baseball job? if so, why?
Steve Adams
2:27
That's awfully presumptive of my career goals!

I've had a couple interviews for other jobs in baseball, and for awhile was also doing some writing over at MLB.com. But I'm happy with the current gig and haven't really pursued outside opportunities.
Alex Athopoulus
2:27
Should I be worried about the slow start of the Braves. The offense, beside Acuña and Freeman, has been hideous.
Steve Adams
2:28
Teams go through awful stretches all the time. It's just more glaring early in the year when you see all the .200s and .180s next to guys' names
Melchez
2:28
Why no talk about Akil Baddoo?  The least you guys could do is say a word of encouragement.  If he wore a Yankee uni you guys would have multiple threads talking about him.
Steve Adams
2:30
Whew, it'd been awhile since I'd been accused of Yankee conspiracy. Of course, I've tweeted multiple times that I think Akil Baddoo is one of the most fun stories of the 2021 season and have done no such thing with any Yankees player.

We'll do a Rule 5 update in the near future, and Baddoo will probably be the associated image and get the longest write-up. It's actually already started.
Thanks for chatting.
2:30
Does Carlos Martinez have any trade value anymore? He seems like a glaring “change of scenery” candidate.
Steve Adams
2:30
Not with his recent struggles and current salary, I wouldn't think.
Brent
2:30
Do you believe the DH will be in the NL next season?
Steve Adams
2:30
I do
Mariners
2:30
Any good news to report on Mariners prospects?
Steve Adams
2:31
Kelenic can technically be called up anytime Thursday or later without giving up the year of service.
German Marquez vs Jon Gray
2:31
Who will be more in demand at the trade deadline?
Steve Adams
2:31
Marquez. He's better and controlled longer.
Amateur GM
2:32
In fantasy, is it too early to drop James Karinchak and pickup Emmauel Clase, Diego Castillo, or Julian Merryweather? Best long term outlook?
Steve Adams
2:33
Clase's getting saves over him. I like Karinchak better, but go with someone who's getting them right now, unless you're in a Holds/Saves league.

It depends on your roster setup, but if you have SP and RP spots (rather than just plain P), and Castillo has SP eligibility (he does in many formats), he's the pick for me pretty decisively.
C Young
2:34
Rangers offense is sputtering, but Dunning and Folty have looked pretty good. What is your impression of these two pitchers thus far?
Steve Adams
2:35
Folty has walked too many guys, but that doesn't matter to me nearly as much as the fact that he's sitting 94-95 with his fastball again after sitting 90-91 last year when he got shelled. If he's mid-90s, he'll be a good piece moving forward. I've liked Dunning since he first came up with the Sox and thought the Rangers got a nice return on Lynn.
Mr Crowley
2:36
Are Greinke and Verlander both headed to the HOF?
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