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MLBTR Live Chat with Steve Adams -- 4/18/17
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Brandon
3:55
Is this the real Ryon Healy?
Steve Adams
3:55
Nah -- he's making more hard contact and hitting more line-drives than last season. The increase in strikeouts is a concern, but there's a middle ground between 2016 and 2017 (probably one that's closer to 2016 than to this year).
Totally Grossman
3:56
Surprised by Grossman's performance thus far? (BB/K and OBP). Definitely earning his keep thus far and proving he was the right guy to keep around. Should he or could he play more 1B?
Steve Adams
3:57
I was surprised by his outrageous walk rate in 2016, but with that in the books, a nice OBP contribution seemed like a reasonable expectation in 2017. He's never played a pro game at 1B though, so don't get your hopes up on that front.
Red Sox
3:57
Are you surprised the Red Sox called up Johnson over Kendrick
Steve Adams
3:58
Nah -- Johnson's on the 40-man and Kendrick isn't. Sox have a full 40-man at the moment
Bo
3:58
What happens with the Padres bullpen when Carter Capps returns?
Steve Adams
3:58
It gets a lot better, assuming he's healthy. I can see Capps closing by year's end
BrewCrewFan
3:59
What do the Brewers do when Garza is back healthy?
Steve Adams
3:59
Drop Milone back down to the 'pen, assuming everyone else in the rotation is healthy.
Starlin Castro
4:00
Pirates have anyone interesting to call up to replace me while I sit out for cheating?
Steve Adams
4:00
Austin Meadows, eventually, but that probably won't happen until June. They just announced that they've recalled 1B/OF Jose Osuna from Indianapolis.
Cheery O's
4:02
Do you think Trey Mancini should be starting everyday, at least until he cools off. Go with the hot bat, right? As for his OF defense, it's no worse than Kim or Trumbo and probably slightly lower than Smith.
Steve Adams
4:04
I don't see why they wouldn't try to keep him in the lineup, but if they had faith that he was anything resembling this type of hitter, they wouldn't have re-signed Trumbo in the first place. The power display has been fun, but it doesn't seem like Baltimore thinks he's a burgeoning 30-homer guy or anything.
Taylor Motter
4:04
Is anyone watching what I'm doing? Is it for real? Where do I play when Segura gets back?
Steve Adams
4:06
It's 30 plate appearances with a .375 BABIP. Motter will bounce all over the diamond when Segura is back, but this level of offense isn't any type of breakout; it's an anomaly -- especially when you add in the contact issues he's simultaneously displayed.
Mike Matheny
4:06
Am I on the hot seat this early?
Steve Adams
4:06
The Cardinals just extended him through 2020 this offseason. He's not on the hot seat
Tribe
4:06
Thoughts on Edwin Encarnacion being the anti-Mookie Betts and striking out in seemingly every at-bat? (I think he has struck out at least once in every game this year). Can he turn it around?
Steve Adams
4:07
Encarnacion starts slow pretty much every year. He had one exception in recent years, but career monthly splits. April is far and away the worst.
Matt Adams
4:08
Is the reason i am in LF to increase my stock? Because it aint working...
Steve Adams
4:08
I don't know why Matt Adams is in LF. I figured they'd trade or non-tender him this winter. Playing him in the outfield isn't helping his trade stock or the club's performance.
Taylor Motter
4:08
But my hair?! The magic is in the hair
Steve Adams
4:08
That hair is majestic
In your professional opinion, I
4:09
Please Doctor Steve Adams, can you fix Mauer or at least diagnose for us what his problem seems to be? Personally, I think he should toss the contact hitter out the window and work on improving his launch angles (he has the mechanics, size and strength) and crushing the first lazy strike he sees! I so want him to return to form, but...
Steve Adams
4:11
I think the problem with Mauer is that he turns 34 tomorrow, carried a significant workload at catcher over the course of his entire life, and has had massive concussion issues in addition to back and knee surgeries. He's just kind of old and hurt now -- it sucks, since he was such a great talent in his prime, but he hasn't been a considerably above-average hitter since 2013. I don't think that's going to change at this point, though I do expect that he'll at least hit around a league-average clip in 2017.
Freddie Freeman
4:12
Am I really this good?
Steve Adams
4:13
Well, no one's a .400 hitter, but Freeman's definitely elite. Don't buy the whole "Matt Kemp's protection has revived Freddie Freeman" narrative though. Freeman was an absolute monster for all of June and July last season before Kemp even got there. I never understood why that protection notion was pushed so hard.
Freddie Freeman
4:13
"I'm good enough, I'm smart enough, and doggonit, people like me."
Steve Adams
4:13
HUGS ALL AROUND
Marcus Stroman
4:13
ERA above or under 3.50 this season?
Steve Adams
4:13
I'll take the under
4:15
I'm going to wrap this up for the week -- thanks for chatting everyone! I'm on Twitter: @Adams_Steve -- feel free to ask more questions or, for some of you, continue insulting me there :)
BrewCrewFan
4:16
I'm traveling to London/Ireland/Boston next month. Have you ever been? If so, any suggestions?
Steve Adams
4:16
Since I love Ireland one more non-baseball!
4:17
Kilkenny and Galway are my two favorite cities there. The Dylan in Kilkenny is one of the best whiskey bars I've ever been to. Go the Cliffs of Moher at all costs. Skip Limerick, if it's even a consideration. Rent a car, ask local people for routes that'll take you through the country rather than taking the main highways. The countryside is gorgeous.
4:18
And the people are outrageously friendly across the board. Ireland is beautiful, and I can't wait to go back. Have a blast.
Alrighty -- I'm out. Take care folks!
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