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Chat With MLBTR's Steve Adams: 4/20/21
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Steve Adams
2:10
Greetings all! Apologies on getting a bit of a late start
JNP
2:11
What is wrong with Trout.  One side shows he is off to the best start but look deeper and he is striking out at a very high clip.
Steve Adams
2:13
I would imagine there are plenty of samples of 60 PAs you could sift through in Trout's career where he's struck out at a 31% clip. He's making the best contact of his career and generally raking. I wouldn't worry about a couple extra strikeouts in a handful of PAs.

If we're sitting here in July and he's still K'ing at 31%, maybe it's more concerning ... but if he's still hitting .354/.492/.688 at that point, I wouldn't complain, ha.
Drew
2:13
What’s more likely, the Nats trade Scherzer in July or acquire another starter?
Steve Adams
2:14
That they acquire another starter. If they're buried they could try to trade him, but the Nats rarely sell to that level and Scherzer has 10-and-5 rights as well.
Aaron Boone
2:14
How long before I'm back on ESPN?
Steve Adams
2:15
Is George rising from the great beyond to take control of the team from Hal? Because otherwise I don't see Hal reacting to 15 games like that.
LGM
2:15
Does JD Martinez have an opt out after this season? If so who signs him he chooses to leave
Steve Adams
2:16
He had opt-outs after 2019 and 2020. Not after 2021.
Liance Parrish
2:16
Do you think the M's will win the division?
Steve Adams
2:17
I don't, but I've said since the offseason that I think they're a much better team than people expect. Even being a bit more bullish on them than most and even with the hot start, I have a hard time seeing them hang on all year. Fun team, though.
Sergio
2:17
Scherzer is not good anymore
Steve Adams
2:18
He has a 2.37 ERA and 3.03 SIERA with a 35% strikeout rate and a 4% walk rate
A’s fan
2:19
Do you see the A’s moving Chad Pinder to Shortstop when he returns off of the DL ?  Getting harder to watch Elvis Andrus’ At Bats.  He’s in a 3-year slump.
Steve Adams
2:20
He was a below-average but generally passable hitter in 2019. His slump right now spans the past two years, about 170 PAs. It's ugly, of course, and I don't blame fans for being fed up early, but the A's have him through 2022. I expect a longer leash than 60-100 PAs
Concerned in Philly
2:20
do you see Odubel getting called up soon to help in CF? If he can’t produce what is the DD’s next move? Trade? FA? Are there any decent OF’s available out there? The lack of production from the bottom part of our lineup has been embarassing.
Steve Adams
2:23
I do think Herrera will get a look in a bit, but Moniak has had what? Twelve at-bats? He'll get a lengthier look than that. Failing that, I would imagine they'll poke around the trade market, but there aren't going to be too many quality center fielders available early on. Maybe they'll poke around the waiver market or make a trade for a fourth-OF type who can at least give them better than zero at the plate, but it's hard to see an impact trade coming together in May.
0 Baseball IQ
2:23
What are 10-and-5 rights?
Steve Adams
2:23
10 years of MLB service, the past five with one team. Gives a player full veto rights over any trade
Bobo
2:24
What will LaRussa do with Andrew Vaughn... send him down or let him play?
Steve Adams
2:25
I am utterly baffled by La Russa's handling of Vaughn. It is asinine to take a player of that caliber, skip him from Class-A to the Majors, and then do this stop-and-start act with him. They gave him more plate appearances than anyone else in Spring Training, and he hit well. Now, he's starting every other day at best as he tries to get a feel for big league pitching. Put him in the lineup and play him.
Danny Duffy
2:25
Do I finish the season with the Royals?
Steve Adams
2:26
Royals are trying to win, they very very very rarely trade "their" guys even when they're rebuilding, and Duffy will get his own 10-and-5 rights in June. I don't see him as a trade candidate.
John
2:27
I thought I saw a while back that there were rumors of draft picks being tradable. Is this something that will for sure happen and if so, when?
Steve Adams
2:27
No talk of trading draft picks that I know of -- with the obvious exception of Competitive Balance picks
Cleveland fan
2:27
Is there any reason to hope about Bauers?
Steve Adams
2:28
I don't have much optimism. Feels like a matter of time before he's bumped by Bobby Bradley
Nuke Laloosh
2:29
How long before we see Kopech in the rotation? I'd say Cease is the weakest link now and LaRussa hinted at starting Kopech down the road after he's done covering for Lynn
Steve Adams
2:32
I doubt they want to put Kopech's arm through that type of workload increase after two years off. Cease still throws 97 mph with plus spin on like every pitch that he has. He's missing bats at a good clip and hasn't really been awful in any of his outings. Kopech might start some games eventually, but I don't think the Sox are going to just let him go every fifth day and take the reins off to let him try for 150 innings. I also still think Cease will be fine. I'd be more worried about Keuchel right now, personally.
Franco
2:33
Which of their starting pitchers should the Yanks be most concerned about?
Steve Adams
2:34
Kluber ... velo is down, walks are up, it's an ugly combo. His velocity has trended up since his first start, which is encouraging I suppose, but the experiment hasn't gotten out to a good start.
Tony stank
2:35
what are padres options if pham dosent start hitting?
Steve Adams
2:36
I would imagine Profar just sees his playing time further increase. As for Pham himself, if he can't right the ship, he's a free agent at season's end anyhow, so he'd be in DFA danger
Zak
2:37
Whats your take on baddoo
Steve Adams
2:38
Fun story who makes a ton of hard contact, but it was always a long shot that he'd actually sustain the hot start from his first 15-20 PAs. He's struck out in something like 10 of his past 15 trips to the plate. For a player who missed 2019 because of Tommy John, didn't play in 2020 and was making the jump from Class-A ... a considerable slump isn't surprising.
David S
2:40
Jays still looking good based on team ERA and hitters, pitching about to get healthy?
Steve Adams
2:42
Generally speaking, I think the jays are going to be fine. The offense will only get better with Teoscar and Springer coming back. Matz has looked good. Ryu is strong. Pearson is coming back in the near-ish future and I'm still quite high on him. It's a talented core, and they've held their own nicely through some of the early health woes.
rsoxfan
2:43
Are the red sox sustainable with this momentum or am i getting my hopes up?
Steve Adams
2:44
It's too dependent on health for me to buy in yet. Sale/Richards/Eovaldi/E-Rod is a mix that's rife with durability concerns. JDM and Bogaerts obviously can't stay THIS hot.
2:45
They're probably a better club than most onlookers, myself included, gave them credit for heading into the year.
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