You are viewing the chat in desktop mode. Click here to switch to mobile view.
X
Chat with MLBTR's Steve Adams: 4/19/22
powered byJotCast
Steve Adams
2:27
Greetings all! Sorry for the late start. Had some news to get up on the site. I won't be able to stick around for a full hour but will go 30-45 minutes today and stick around extra next week to make up for it. Let's get underway for now!
Orioles
2:28
When is HE getting the call?
Steve Adams
2:29
Assuming HE is Adley Rutschman, he hasn't even begun playing minor league games yet. He's still recovering from a spring triceps strain. So I doubt we'll see Rutschman anytime soon. Would be surprised if he's up anytime within the next month and would not be surprised if we don't see him till June
Jake
2:29
When does the Reds fire sale begin?
Steve Adams
2:30
I'd argue that it began the moment they dumped Raisel Iglesias' salary after the 2020 season.
2:31
But as for this year, I imagine we'll see all of Mahle, Castillo, Pham, Solano, Strickland, Moran, Naquin, Minor (health permitting) on the block this summer. I don't expect the Reds to be THIS bad, but certainly don't think they're going to be a contender either.
Dave Mc
2:32
Mancini…extend, trade, or let him play out the year in Baltimore?
Steve Adams
2:32
I expect him to be traded for an underwhelming return this summer, and I expect Orioles fans (and players) to be annoyed.
degrom
2:33
if you are the mets the smart move is to slow me as much as possible without falling behind, right? If they can somehow be in first in july with a fresh degrom...
Steve Adams
2:34
I agree that they should be cautious, but there's no sense artificially slowing him down or anything. When the doctors say he can throw, he should start building up, and then I'd imagine he's back in a month or so. The only way he should still be on the shelf in late June is if he's had some kind of setback or hasn't progressed as hoped.
Dan
2:35
Not sure if you are watching this Diamondbacks/Nationals game, but the umpiring has been absolutely dreadful. The home plate umpire has missed at least seven calls and the third base umpire called a ball fair when it was foul because he was trying to get out of the way. It's embarrassing for the game and again shows why people think the sport is dying.
Steve Adams
2:36
I have the game up on my second monitor. I haven't been paying extra-close attention to the ball/strike calls, though I did catch that Cishek got a very generous third strike call to end that last half frame. I have the Nats' broadcast up, but the ball over the 3B bag looked fair to me.

I don't think anyone is turning away from the game because umps miss calls. They've been missing calls since the beginning of time and probably get more calls right than ever before thanks to replay.
Barney Coolio
2:36
Are the Rockies for real?
Steve Adams
2:36
Nope.
2:37
I don't think that team has anywhere near enough pitching. We've seen this "hot start, this is our year" act in Colorado often in recent years. The rotation is not good.
Guest
2:37
Will Bauer pitch this year. Can MLBTR comment without retribution of Trevor filing a claim,
Steve Adams
2:38
I have no idea if he'll pitch this year. I generally don't take Bauer questions because I have no way of knowing what's going to happen with him, but no, I don't think we're going to have a suit filed against us because I tell readers I don't know what's happening with him, ha.
CleveLAND Rocks?
2:39
Is there any hope for the Guardians this year. Or any decent return for Bieber on the horizon?
Steve Adams
2:41
Offense is going to need some help eventually -- Owen Miller isn't going to keep hitting .500, haha -- but sure there's hope. It's a strong rotation, Jose Ramirez is an MVP candidate, and the White Sox are banged up early. I don't think Chicago is nearly as prohibitive a favorite in 2022 as it was in 2021. Pretty much every team in the division is better. (Cleveland may not have made many big additions, but Kwan can be an above-average hitter and they SHOULD have better health, plus a full year of McKenzie, who I'm high on)
Random dude
2:42
Buying or selling:
  1. Kwan as a legitimate RoY candidate
  2. Luis Robert as MVP candidate this year
  3. Orioles rotation being half decent
Steve Adams
2:43
I like Kwan a lot but don't think he'll have the power to get ROY consideration. It's a deep rookie class in the AL.

Luis Robert is an MVP-caliber talent if he stays healthy for a full season.

The Orioles' rotation is bad. Maybe if they get GrayRod and Hall up quickly, that'll turn around. But particularly with Means sidelined and Brandon Hyde acknowledging it's uncertain if he'll pitch at all again in 2022, the current rotation is going to be brutal.
T Duebber
2:44
Thoughts on the Red's pitching staff? Lots of young but somewhat struggling high upside type guys
Steve Adams
2:46
Hunter Greene looks awesome. I watched Lodolo's first start and thought the stuff looked good, but command wasn't as sharp as you'd like. It's fun to have a pair of such high-upside guys breaking camp with the team, but the overall rotation is going to be a project if the Reds finally move Castillo and/or Mahle this summer.
2:47
Nelson Cruz is having the most hilarious plate appearance I've seen in awhile at the moment.
2:48
Claimed a pitch in the dirt hit him, Nats challenge. Ruling on field (not hit by the pitch) stands.

Next pitch, umpire calls catcher's interference. Cruz starts walking to first again. D-backs now challenging. Replay shows no contact with catcher's glove that I can see, ha.
Halos
2:49
What's up with broadcasting this year? Apple is unlistenable if that's a word and teams like the Angels struggling with their remote broadcast which other teams are doing. Was this having subpar broadcasts part of the new CBA?
Steve Adams
2:49
I haven't heard the Apple broadcast yet, but I believe I saw the Angels are sending the broadcast team on the road now.
2:50
Catcher's interference call stands! That plate appearance lasted like 8 minutes.
Tiger's roar
2:50
What do you think of Detroit's offense this year? Off to a slow start. Is it good enough to be middle of the lack or better after years of atrocity?
Steve Adams
2:51
Love Torkelson and think he'll be a Rookie of the Year candidate. Between him, Meadows, Schoop, Candelario, Grossman and hopefully Greene sooner than later, yeah I think it can be middle-of-the-pack or better.
RM
2:51
How do teams pay players who have an arbitration hearing 2-3 months into the season?
Steve Adams
2:52
Pay them at the team-submitted rate for the time being and then give them back pay if the hearing rules in the player's favor (or if they agree to a deal to avoid the hearing).
Random dude
2:52
I wish we could have a like button for questions on here. Not really a chance of that, is there?
Steve Adams
2:52
Jotcast is a third-party software, haha, sorry. Nothing I can do there!
John
2:52
Is there a crazy world where Soto gets traded this year?
Steve Adams
2:54
I can't see it. They made clear last year that he was off limits and that they planned to build around him. They control him three more years. They'll take at least one more shot at extending him next offseason.
Guest
2:54
Is J-Ram an MVP candidate?
Steve Adams
2:54
Always, as long as he's healthy.
Rusty Staub
2:54
Is Rick Porcello a free agent or did he retire?
Steve Adams
2:56
Porcello has never formally announced his retirement, but he didn't pitch last year or sign this offseason. If he'd wanted to, he'd have signed (or at the very least made sure his agents were putting his name out there and making it known he wanted to). For what it's worth, I reached out to his camp to check on his status a long time ago and never heard back. It seems like he's content away from the game, but he's also only 33, so who knows? Could get a Porcello comeback at some point, even if it's not this year.
Load More Messages
Connecting…