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Chat with MLBTR's Steve Adams 5/18/21
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Steve Adams
2:24
Greetings all!
2:25
Some news popping off at the top of the hour there -- awful Sean Poppen pun not originally intended but now fully embraced -- sorry for the later than usual start.
Andre
2:25
Any thoughts on Wander Franco’s start at AAA? Does this confirm or raise any further questions about his long term outlook? Do we see him this year?
Steve Adams
2:26
I think we'll see him this summer, yeah. It's not a huge surprise that the Rays are being cautious. They're one of the few clubs that probably still cares a lot about Super Two status, particularly for a player with his earning potential in arbitration. A mid- or late-June call-up should avoid that scenario.
Chris
2:26
So when do the mets trade for Mitch haniger?
Steve Adams
2:27
Mariners are playing decent baseball, and Haniger has been their best player. If he's traded, it'll be close to the deadline after the team has fallen back in the standings -- not anytime soon.
Jeff T
2:27
Do you think that Joey Gallo is part of the Rangers long-term future?? Willie Calhoun?? Adolis Garcia?? Or will they be trading chips at the deadline?
Steve Adams
2:28
Gallo is only controlled through 2022 and probably isn't going to sign an extension (Boras), so I can see him being moved this year. Calhoun and Garcia ought to stick around -- Garcia in particular. He doesn't even have a year of big league service. I don't think he can keep up this ludicrous pace, but they're going to give him every opportunity to prove he can (as they should)
Rougned Odor
2:29
Am I back?
Steve Adams
2:29
Yankees activated him from the IL maybe 20 minutes ago, yes.
Big Hurts
2:29
So many injuries this year.  Could it be that these athletes do not take enough down time in the offseason?  It sounds like they train year round.  I don't remember the number of injuries back in the 70's, 80's and 90's.
Steve Adams
2:30
Players are also more muscular now, teams are better at diagnosing injuries rather than telling their guys to play hurt, and we didn't have social media letting us know every time a guy had a minor hamstring strain back in 1977.

I would imagine the rate of injuries is still up, of course, but there's good reason that we didn't hear as much about injuries 40 years ago.
Rio Ruiz
2:31
Now that I have been designated for assignment, what will become of me?
Steve Adams
2:31
Maybe some club will see something in his swing path or approach that they like, but he's had two-plus seasons in Baltimore of regular opportunities and has basically never looked like a big leaguer. I would expect him to go unclaimed on waivers and be outrighted to Norfolk, personally.
GM
2:31
How long til Spencer Howard is in the Phillies rotation? Days?
Steve Adams
2:32
He threw four innings and 58 pitches his last time out. If they're fine limiting him to five innings and 75 pitches or so, he could be up for his next turn in the rotation. If they want him stretched out a bit further, tack on another five days.
Ready to explode!!!
2:33
I’ve had enough!  When? WHEN? When will the Tribe finally promote Bobby Bradley, Owen Miller or someone to help get the offense going?   What a waste of good pitching!   I say bring Naylor up too...Rivera doesn’t help this team.
Steve Adams
2:34
Bradley is hitting .170 with a 31% strikeout rate in Triple-A, but yeah I don't know why they haven't taken a look at Owen Miller by now. Their commitment to Jake Bauers is pretty bizarre.
2:35
Bo Naylor has eight games above A-ball and is 5-for-27 with 14 strikeouts in Double-A. (At least I assume you meant Bo, since you mentioned a catcher, Rivera)
Ben Cherington
2:36
Do I trade Tyler Anderson at the TD?
Steve Adams
2:36
I'm working on the "Way Too Early" edition of our Top 25 Trade candidates for this summer and have Anderson like 3rd or 4th on the list
(Yes)
Derek Falvey
2:37
My team is toast, already. What's my next move?
Steve Adams
2:39
Yeah, the Twins are an abject disaster and the runaway most disappointing team in the league so far.

I doubt they jump the market and sell off a bunch of pieces early. They'll see if they can claw back into .500 territory before acting, but it's looking rough right now thanks to injuries, the Covid outbreak that ran through the roster, and a whole bunch of stark declines for key players, and a bullpen that has wildly unperformed in close games. (Letting Trevor May go at that price was so weird)

Barring a huge surge in late May/June, I'd expect them to shop the pending free agents (Pineda, Happ, Colome, Simmons, Robles etc.) depending on performance.
2:40
The good thing for the Twins is that they already have a top-tier farm and a pretty nice young core, with half the roster on one-year deals. They can just reload around Buxton, Kirilloff, Arraez, Polanco, etc. in 2022 even if they do sell some short-term parts this summer.
Baby Yoda
2:41
I can't see the Rangers letting Gallo go anywhere.  He is one of their top players and his defense has picked up by a mile compared to the past few years when they started placing him in the OF.  Calhoun/Garcia/Gallo is a pretty good OF offensively and defensively and they are all quite young -- I can't see the Rangers trading fan favorite Gallo unless they get overwhelmed with an offer, even if Gallo's agent is Boras
Steve Adams
2:43
Fan favorite or not, the team is doing its future a disservice if it hangs onto Gallo because he's popular, then loses him in free agency. They could always trade him and try to re-sign him. They could certainly hold him, try to contend in 2022 -- that might be the route they eventually go. But teams are going to call on him, and they're going to listen this summer.
Deep Friar
2:43
Let’s say the Padres are asking for Blackmon, do the Rockies really care if he is traded within the division? They are clearly out of the playoff conversation for at least 3 or 4 years. If anything it’s the Padres who don’t want to face their own farm hands...
Steve Adams
2:45
I doubt the Rockies would care about trading him in the division at this point, no. I also doubt that the Padres want a 35-year-old corner outfielder who is hitting .240/.336/.344 while playing home games at Coors -- particularly when he has a $21MM player option for 2022 and a $10MM player option for 2023.
John
2:45
Os extend means?
Steve Adams
2:46
Means is one of the most interesting cases for me this deadline. I doubt they'll extend him since they control him for three more years beyond 2021 anyway, but they're going to get tons of calls on him. The O's know they're not going to win this year and aren't all that likely to contend in 2022... do you hold Means knowing that at best you're getting two years of him (ages 30 and 31) when you hope to contend? Or do you cash in for one more big trade return now, mitigating the risk of injury or decline? They'll be able to ask a ton for him this summer.
2:47
Also have to weigh the PR considerations -- a trade would be very unpopular. It's a pretty layered dynamic.
Rays Fan
2:47
What are the rays doing with all these small trades? Their 40 man roster is pretty tight as is
Steve Adams
2:49
Building up some more depth. I wouldn't be surprised if they DFA Poppen, Mathisen, etc. themselves in the near future and try to sneak them through waivers. They've lost a lot of depth with Anderson, Poche, Mazza, Beeks, Drake, Roe, Archer etc. on the IL
Mullins
2:49
Think my boi Cedric is on the move come the deadline?
Steve Adams
2:50
Four years of control beyond the 2021 season -- I would think it'd need to be a pretty substantial ask, particularly since he's only 26 right now. I also don't think the market for him will be as strong as for Means -- more teams need pitching than OFs.
Joel
2:51
Any chance of the league expanding instead of just relocating the A's and/or the Ray's?
Steve Adams
2:52
Believe Manfred has said in the past there won't be a focus on expansion until the stadium issues for those teams is resolved. Which makes some sense ... if you expand, the Rays and A's lose two markets to threaten their current cities with
Gandalf
2:53
What is the most surprising story in MLB this year to you?
Steve Adams
2:54
The Twins being this terrible, Ohtani being THIS good, the staggering injury levels, the overall decline in offense... there are quite a few.
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