JotCast | MLBTR Chat with Steve Adams 5-3-16

MLBTR Chat with Steve Adams 5-3-16

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Matt E

3:56

Better beard: Jeff Todd or Dallas Keuchel?

Steve Adams

3:57

Jeff's beard game is strong but he's no Keuchel.

Rob E

3:57

Why can't you trade (most) draft picks in MLB?

Steve Adams

3:57

I don't think there's a compelling reason for it in 2016. I think the original intent was to maintain competitive balance and prevent big payroll clubs from spending extremely heavily on free agents and then effectively buying a strong draft class as well, but I'd love to see the next wave of CBA changes permit full trading of draft selections.

Byron Buxton

3:58

Am I the answer in CF... eventually?

Steve Adams

3:58

Eventually, yeah, but essentially having him skip AAA when he was slow to initially adapt to AA and A+ seemed curious at the time and looks even more curious now with the benefit of hindsight. Even if Buxton's not a star -- and I still think he will be -- his glove is so good that he can be a useful everyday center fielder.

Jimmy

3:59

Who do you think will have a better career? Javier Baez or Addison Russell?

Steve Adams

3:59

Not as much swing and miss in Russell's game and he's going to play shortstop over Baez in Chicago. Way less bust potential with Russell and the same star-caliber upside.

Joseph

4:00

What kind of package cab you see the Blue Jays getting for Jose Bautista if they're out of contention?

Steve Adams

4:01

I'd look at what the Tigers got for Cespedes last summer -- one blue-chip prospect (Fulmer) and another from the organization's Top 10-20 range with a lower ceiling (Cessa). Put more basically -- one Top 50 type of prospect and another well-regaded prospect that

That'll slide comfortably into Toronto's Top 15 or os.

so. Yikes.

Earl

4:02

Do you think the White Sox can sustain their current level of success? I know their pitching has carried them thus far, but if that curtails, and their offense picks up....can they continue at this rate?

Steve Adams

4:03

"Continuing at this rate" would make them a 112 win team. There's no way they do that. But yeah, they can continue to stick around near the top of the division even once the wheels inevitably come off Mat Latos. They've had all this success with virtually no contribution from Jose Abreu, after all.

Aaron

4:04

I know that Joey Gallo is currently on the minor league disabled list, but if he gets back to hitting and Shin-Soo Choo gets back, will the Rangers eventually release Josh Hamilton?

Steve Adams

4:06

Texas is going to have some form of decision on its hands when it comes to Hamilton, because there's virtually no way they can send Mazara down. It's a good problem to have, and they can probably delay it a bit by simply making Ryan Rua the odd man out, but Gallo could very well force their hand eventually. If it comes down to Gallo vs. Hamilton for a roster spot, Gallo wins out, but there could easily be injuries elsewhere on the roster that make the decision easier.

Bryan CA

4:07

The Giants have proven staying loyal to guys has paid off but when is enough enough? Jake Peavy is not even competitive anymore.

Steve Adams

4:09

I don't see how either Peavy or Cain lasts the entire season in the rotation. That's the type of scenario where I can envision a phantom DL stint just to get a fresh arm in there, especially in Peavy's case since he's a free agent at season's end. At a certain point, the whole "loyalty" thing has to take a backseat to putting a competitive product on the field, and if they're both still terrible by June, the front office won't have much of a choice but the shake it up.

Alcides Escobar

4:09

Is it time for Ned Yost to put my horrendous obp to the bottom of the order and give Jarrod Dyson a chance to show what he can do?

Steve Adams

4:11

I have no idea how any manager can put Escobar atop his lineup, though I'm sure Yost supporters will point out that it worked in the postseason. At this point, there's no reason that you should be structuring your lineup so that a guy with a .260 OBP gets the most plate appearances though. I'd be fine with Gordon or Dyson up there.

Sox announce Sandoval had a torn labrum in his shoulder. Out for the season.

Premiere League

4:12

Did someone really just suggest a man allow himself to be cut into solely to cover for the Red Sox giving him a stupid deal?

Steve Adams

4:12

Can't make this stuff up.

Wallace Shawn

4:12

Julio Teheran for Austin Meadows. Inconceivable?

Steve Adams

4:14

I'm not a huge fan of Teheran, but I can see where you're coming from if you want to say the Bucs' OF is full anyway. Still, Teheran's not really the ground-ball heavy type of SP they tend to target, and he wasn't all that good in 2015. I think Pittsburgh would look elsewhere, but the trade scenario isn't outlandish or anything.

Hey

4:15

So hyped for pro hockey rumors. Will you guys have chats like this for that site?

Steve Adams

4:15

Probably down the line once we get everything smooth and have a steady stream of traffic, but there's still a ways to go before the site is even off the ground.

Chris

4:16

Lincecum to the Blue Jays?

Steve Adams

4:17

If I'm Lincecum, Rogers Centre/the AL East in general isn't really where I'm dying to go to rebuild my stock.

Brian

4:17

Concerned about the Indians lack of offense?

Steve Adams

4:21

It's not a huge surprise. Their outfield was terrible on paper coming into the season. I thought Gomes would bounce back better than this, but it should definitely be a concern for the front office. That said, finances clearly played a role in their lack of offseason additions, so I don't know that they can really go outside the org to do anything about it, either. The Napoli signing looks even more weird in hindsight -- $7MM for him, in a vacuum, was fine, but I don't get why Cleveland decided to spent about 50% of its offseason funds on him.

Matthew Frizzell

4:21

Should the Cardinals shop wainwright for better younger players?

Steve Adams

4:22

The fact that you're even asking that seems to be an acknowledgment that he's looked awful this season, which he has. But, who's going to give up good young talent for him when he looks this bad?

4:23

Wow. White Sox DFA John Danks.

Matt

4:24

When it's perceived that the Super 2 cutoff has passed do you see the Pirates calling up both Taillon and Glasnow?

Steve Adams

4:24

Glasnow more likely than Taillon, who has barely pitched in the past two years.

Brad

4:25

Michael Brantley looks lost at the plate. I know he has surgery in November. Was he rushed back too soon?

Steve Adams

4:26

Probably. You're talking about a guy who swings and misses less often than virtually anyone in baseball that has an 82% contact rate right now. He was at 93% last season. I was surprised by all of the reports calling late April a possibility, and I thinK Cleveland's dismal OF picture had to play into it somewhat.

Gregor

4:26

Will the Twins ever see 2014 Hughes again?

Steve Adams

4:28

It was encouraging when he was throwing 92 mph in his 2nd/3rd starts but his velocity's gone back down. The contract isn't awful if he's just a 4.00-ish ERA guy who never walks anyone, but it's not what they had in mind either. If he's settling in at 89-90 mph, though, I have a hard time seeing him return to that level.

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