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Jeffrey Todd
3:04
Hi all. Bring me your finest questions and I'll do my best to answer them!
3:05
We'll let the room fill up and get going in a few ...
Chuck
3:08
Can you see the Braves trading Inciarte for bullpen help?
Jeffrey Todd
3:08
It's an interesting question. One that I have begun thinking about but haven't fully examined, honestly. I want to do a post on it.
3:09
Initially, my thought is that you just can't afford to shed that depth when you have other assets that can be utilized. It isn't like he's not a roster fit -- a LHH glove-first CF makes tons of sense. And it's not as if they can't cash him in down the line if they want to make a move. Then there's the fact that, well, they may want to have him in 2020 and beyond with Markakis hitting FA and Riley likely sliding to third.
doothedoo
3:10
what should the nats do?
Jeffrey Todd
3:12
Cry into their empty little plastic baseball hat ice cream cups, sadly watch the ice cream that spilled melt away into a drain, and ruefully ogle the full cup of delicious ice cream being enjoyed by a neighboring child who's sporting a Phillies cap.
Sorry I may have gotten carried away.
3:13
There's nothing to do right now. They can try for a jolt by canning Martinez, but who knows if that'll make any kind of difference. Otherwise ... begin planning for what the deadline period looks like if they are still totally buried and hope they somehow aren't when the time comes.
Shane
3:13
What is the next Cubs move? Trade or FA sign after draft?
Jeffrey Todd
3:14
Unless the money situation suddenly changes -- and I have no idea if that's a consideration, but maybe ownership would release some funds in midseason if it made sense? -- then I think they'll be looking at cost-efficient trades.
Texas
3:14
Do you see Texas as buying or selling, local radio saying buy
Jeffrey Todd
3:15
If they are in realistic wild card contention at the deadline they should absolutely not pack it in. Neither should they do anything crazy in a win-now gambit that would at most pay off with a one-game play-in.
3:16
I still expect them to fall off and end up in a selling stance, though they aren't exactly laden with obvious deadline pieces. Certainly possible to imagine a quiet deadline where they just let their guys play and hope for the best.
Gene
3:16
Teams are calling up top prospects regularly now. Doesn't it feel like some kind of overcompensation by management to use during negotiations?
Jeffrey Todd
3:17
No, to some extent it's the flip side of the coin of not paying (or given contracts at all in some cases) to older veterans.
3:18
You still have to have 25 dudes on the roster. And if aging curves are skewing younger, and you haven't spent on established guys, it makes more and more sense to have your best young players on the MLB roster sooner.
I have said this before: I do think that the changes to FA are tied to aging curves and that the shake-out of all that will take a bit of time, but ultimately offer some opportunities for the labor side to win back leverage.
Braves GM
3:19
Adam Duvall is killing it in Triple A. Could I get a solid RP for him? There are definitely teams that he would be an upgrade for. Cough cough Giants
Jeffrey Todd
3:21
Right, but also other teams have seen him extensively in the majors, he was just passed over for a promotion, and he's earning nearly $3MM this year and will cost that or more for 2020 and beyond. He'll also be out of options next year. "Solid RP"? Maybe, yeah, a guy that is earning some money and isn't a high-end arm or much of a long-term asset. But I don't know that he'll be a major trade piece or anything.
Cole
3:22
What happened to Michael Bourn?
Jeffrey Todd
3:23
I will raise you a "what happened to Denard Span?"
You expect some guys to drift away every year. Surprised Span is just off the radar. He hit quite well last year. Bourn sort of used up his late-career chances already.
Tom
3:24
8 inches of snow on May 21. Tell me you don't miss Colorado!
Jeffrey Todd
3:24
Beats the muggy 92 I've got here in Virginia. I'd be skiing instead of sweating while taking a short walk!
Giants
3:26
Does Bum net the Giants a top 25, 50, 75, or 100 caliber prospect?
Jeffrey Todd
3:27
I really wish I could answer this question, because I get it or a variant thereof quite often. Fact is, it's not really possible to do so reasonably. I could BS you and say "I think he'll get you one top-fifty type and a pair of interesting, lower-level guys," or somesuch. And that might not be an awful guess. But it would still be somewhat disingenuous, in that a) teams don't value prospects by rankings and all grade guys differently; b) there's still a lot of time to evaluate this particular trade target, who has dealt with health issues and velo decline in recent years.
Deep Dish
3:28
Do you guys do draft coverage, ether during he draft or any predictions/mocks?
Jeffrey Todd
3:29
Not really. We'll cover the draft as it happens and then cover signings, but if you want in-depth analysis of amateur prospects you should look at Baseball America, Fangraphs, etc. We just don't have a staff with the background and focus in that area.
DeRo
3:30
Did you see the DeRo Demo on the Nats this morning?  Would you do a teardown like I recommended?  Would you trade Stras and Scherzer?
Jeffrey Todd
3:31
DeRo as in former Nat Mark DeRosa? I can't say I watch him at all, but that's because the few times I have been pointed to something he has said it has been kind of ridiculous.
3:32
I don't know exactly what he suggested, but I don't see what a full tear-down would really accomplish given their mix of players. They should be willing to consider ideas they would rather not, such as dealing Scherzer/Stras as well as shorter-term guys (Rendon, especially). But I think it's silly to declare, right now, that the Nats just need to blow everything up at the deadline.
Chris H
3:33
Kirby Yates is on fire. What could the Padres get if their season collapses and they decide to deal him?
Jeffrey Todd
3:35
It's a tough call there. I don't think the Pads are just going to go up in flames but it isn't hard to imagine them being totally buried in the division and in weak WC position come July 31st. Even then, though, you have Yates as your dude for next season, when you want to compete? I'd guess they won't deal him for anything but a ludicrous haul unless they really do fall to pieces over the next two months.
But yes, trending toward a place where he'd be the top relief arm available, and as we often say, the deadline is generally the time to cash in bullpen pieces.
TIM
3:36
Orioles need pitching, how bout Bartolo Colon?
Jeffrey Todd
3:36
That ought to help with the home run issues ...
3:37
He could serve up souvenirs to the patrons waiting in line for Boog's BBQ. Maybe they could go in together and expand the operation out in right field.
All joking aside, this should obviously happen.
Jeff Samarzija
3:38
Despite my salary if I continue to pitch well will someone be willing to trade for me? If the giants are willing to eat say half of my salary could I get them a prospect?
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