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Chat with MLBTR's Steve Adams 8/31/21
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Steve Adams
2:04
Greetings all!
Guest
2:05
Do the Rays call up Shane Baz?
Steve Adams
2:06
He's dominated AAA and needs to be added to the 40-man roster this offseason anyhow in order to be protected from the Rule 5 Draft. Their past handlings of Matt Moore, David Price, Shane McClanahan and others show they're not afraid to call up top prospects for postseason pushes.
I wouldn't be at all surprised if they did.
Alex Anthopoulus
2:06
So 5 years 140-150 million should be enough to sign Freeman?
Steve Adams
2:06
I've been speculatively guessing in the 5/140 range, yeah.
Make A Wish!
2:07
Yadi, Waino and Pujols ride out into the sunset next year? Please!
Steve Adams
2:09
Yeah, this seems perfectly plausible. It'd be hard for Wainwright to walk away after such a great season and knowing he and Yadi could have a farewell tour together next year. Pujols for PR purposes to get some DH time (assuming that's implemented in 2022) makes sense, but he's so limited at this stage of his career. He's a platoon DH on the wrong side of the plate. I can see it, but it's not a great use of that roster spot, I don't think.
The Guardian
2:10
Odds that Civale and Bieber get shut down in September once the tribe is out of WC race?
Steve Adams
2:12
They're 8.5 games back with 34 games left to play and four teams to leapfrog. They're already out of it. The shutdowns will be dependent on where Bieber and Civale are at in their recovery. There's no sense pushing them, but if they naturally progress to the point where they're able to build back up and get on a mound to finish the year on a high note and feel good about their health, there's no sense in holding them back
Civale, in particular, is already pitching in rehab games and pitching quite well.
Joe madden
2:12
What fa pitchers will be available this off season
Steve Adams
2:13
We keep a full list of free agents on the site, and it's always available on the right-hand sidebar on the desktop version of the page. (Or you can just bookmark this link):

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2020/11/2021-22-mlb-free-agents.html
Generally speaking, it's a very deep class
2:14
Gausman, Scherzer, Greinke, Verlander, DeSclafani, Rodon, Stroman, Robbie Ray, Jon Gray, Noah Syndergaard, Michael Pineda, Alex Wood
Lots of quality names -- I'm sure I left a name or two off the list there, but that was pretty off the cuff
Hot Pie
2:14
AJ Preller catches a lot of heat. Is it warranted? This guy put a pretty damn good team together....on paper. Injuries and under achievers have them where they are today.....
Steve Adams
2:17
The GM, like the manager, is always going to be under a microscope when a team thrives or performs poorly. Preller put together a very talented rotation and it's been ransacked buy injury. The Myers extension and Hosmer signing are both still hindering this club, but ownership surely played a (significant) role in the Hosmer deal at the very least. No one would've expected Adam Frazier to fall off THIS much post-trade, even if you were expecting some regression. There's some fault, sure. He had final say on building most of this roster. But it was a deep and talented roster and the players at some point bear responsibility themselves.
Captain Jack
2:17
Is Jack Mayfield + David Fletcher the long term solution up the middle for the Halos? It will give them more money to spend on the pitching they so desperately need this offseason
Steve Adams
2:19
Mayfield's power has come completely out of the blue -- he hit 26 HR in AAA in 2019, but that was the juiced-ball season -- and even with the spike in homers, he has a .270-ish OBP. He'll be 31 soon. He's not a long-term answer at shortstop, I don't think.
Jon
2:19
Has the MLBTR team already begun working on their FA predictions?
Steve Adams
2:20
We talk about the free-agent market and predictions a bit when Tim runs his Free Agent Power Rankings by the team for input, but a full deep dive into the class as a whole and the prep work on our Top 50 hasn't quite begun yet.
Dark
2:20
What are the Dodgers doing? I dont see the pragmatism in ciaming everyone on sight.
Steve Adams
2:21
That's pretty much what they've been doing for the past four to five years. They'll probably pass half these guys back through waivers again before long in hopes of keeping them in the system without dedicating a 40-man spot.
Al Avila
2:22
Could you see the Detroit Tigers bringing in a Michael Conforto or bring back a Nick Castellanos?
Steve Adams
2:24
I don't think they'll bring back Castellanos. Conforto is plausible, to an extent. Depends on whether he and Boras are insistent on an expensive multiyear deal or go the rebound route. I don't think either is going to be the type the Tigers will shell out five-plus years on, but if Conforto is looking for a pillow deal to rebound, that's a perfectly logical fit that leaves ample resources to pursue a shortstop, some bullpen help, etc.
Ken
2:25
What will it take to land Reds Castellonos?
Steve Adams
2:26
More than he got when he signed there the first time -- probably a good bit more. Castellanos is the same age and has the same agent (Boras) that J.D. Martinez had in free agency when he got 5/110 with multiple opt-outs. JDM was a better hitter, but he was a worse fielder and the market for him basically consisted of the Red Sox and the Red Sox alone. The D-backs were in a shorter-term deal.

Castellanos will have more teams interested -- especially if the DH is coming to the NL next year.
Theon Greyjoy
2:27
Do you feel like the Cubs missed out on an opportunity to trade Hendricks & Contreras? They are really, really bad, and next year might be worse......
Steve Adams
2:28
Contreras will still have plenty of interest this offseason. If there was a strong offer there, they'd obviously have taken it. Hendricks has struggled of late, but he has a long track record and multiple years of control remaining. If comes out strong to start next year, the interest will still be there.
But Since they are in their system.....
2:28
....both Jewell and Meisinger are eligible for the Dodger playoff roster, right?  :)
Steve Adams
2:28
Anyone acquired today, by any team, is postseason-eligible. Even if they're not on the 40-man or active roster.
Riley Adams
2:29
Martinez wants me to start playing 1b.
Steve Adams
2:29
The Nats are going to give Adams some time at 1B and in LF, it sounds like. Makes sense. Ruiz is the clear catcher of the future there now, so increasing Adams' versatility will help him work into the mix more.
tigers fan
2:30
Will torkelson  and/or Greene break camp with the tigers next year?
Steve Adams
2:32
I think at this point the expectation should just be that MLB-ready (or close to it) top prospects like that will be held down for a few weeks. It makes sense for teams to do it, even if it feels kind of crappy to the player and to the fans who want to see the best product from day one.

We'll have to see whether the collective bargaining talks change service time structuring, though. It's certainly possible that the rules will be altered such that teams aren't incentivized to keep their best prospects in the minors longer than they would based solely on merit.
Johnny Bench
2:33
I thought they had to be on the 40 man or 60 day by Sept 1?  what's the rule?
Steve Adams
2:33
In the organization
2:34
On the 40-man wouldn't make much sense for the teams, from a practical standpoint. What if you have your starting and backup catchers tear their ACLs in September, for instance? Anyone who is in the organization, at any level, regardless of roster status, can appear in the playoffs.
Rocco
2:34
What type of organizational changes are coming in Minny??
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