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Chat with MLBTR's Steve Adams: 2/14/23
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Steve Adams
9:57
Looking forward to another chat! I'll be starting at 11am today, a bit earlier than usual.
11:00
Greetings all! Let's get underway
Rob
11:01
What is your take on the extra inning rules? Why not just go with tie games in the regular season, and stick with the old rules for post season games?
Steve Adams
11:02
I'm not and never have been a fan of the free runner -- at least not in the 10th inning. If you want to implement it in the 12th or 13th or something, I wouldn't mind as much.

I'm in the minority that also just wouldn't hate nine or ten-inning ties, though I imagine more fans would push back on that.

Still, I'd rather see the game played under the same set of rules, start to finish, then some extra-innings panic button that fundamentally shifts the very core of the game.
Tony M
11:02
Backup catcher for the Guardians on opening day will be…….?
Steve Adams
11:04
None of the options are particularly exciting; I guess Cam Gallagher? He's a solid defender with some experience. I'll also leave open the possibility that it's someone not currently in the org -- be it a waiver claim or a veteran free agent who gets cut loose elsewhere upon learning he hasn't made the club.

Guards also have Zack Collins and Meibrys Viloria in camp as NRIs and Bryan Lavastida and Bo Naylor on the 40-man. I imagine they want Bo catching nearly everyday in Columbus (AAA), though.
Dan P
11:04
Does Kyle Tucker losing his arb hearing $5 MM vs $7.5 MM make him more or less likely to sign an extension?
Steve Adams
11:05
I don't think it has a major impact. He was a former No. 5 overall pick, so he already had the huge signing bonus in the bank, and now he's into arbitration. I don't think he was ever signing for a discount or anything, and like most players, he'd just the arb hearing comes down to a matter of business.
Jake
11:06
Falvey has stated that the Twins are not actively looking to upgrade the back end of the pen. Do you think that their relievers are good enough to assume consistent success?
Steve Adams
11:08
I think with how bad the bullpen in Minnesota was last year, the current group is probably underrated. Jovani Moran was a monster late in the season. Griffin Jax was solid all year. Trevor Megill's stuff is pretty intriguing. Jorge Alcala will be coming back from a lost year due to injury. I think Jorge Lopez is far better than he showed following the initial trade. Caleb Thielbar is wildly underrated, and Jhoan Duran looked like one of the best relievers in the game last season.

I still think they could/should add another arm. Falvey's wording was that those types of late-inning arms "aren't a priority," but that doesn't mean the Twins would close the door on adding a reliever if the asking price was right or if another team made an interesting offer (some kind of reliever-for-Kepler scenario, for instance)
Max Fried
11:09
Is Carlos Rodon's contract a good barometer of what I can expect?
Steve Adams
11:09
I think so. Have said as much in the past. And if he stays healthy and reaches free agency, he could realistically look to top that number.
Mike G
11:10
Red Sox fan here.  Do you think the have enough pitching to make it to a wild card spot?
Steve Adams
11:12
I don't. And it's not just the pitching; the middle-infield is wobbly, Adam Duvall will be playing CF full-time for the first time in his career, the catching situation looks rough, they'll have a rookie first baseman, etc. etc.

Some of those won't prove to be weaknesses, of course. Casas could just shred MLB pitching and cement himself as a lineup fixture. But it's not likely that Casas does that AND the rotation (Sale, Paxton especially) remains healthy, AND the up-the-middle gambit works AND Reese McGuire proves a capable starter, etc.
Just too many question marks throughout the roster, for my liking.
Bob
11:13
Will Michael Wacha find a place to pitch, and what are the chances he signs?
Steve Adams
11:13
He agreed to a deal with the Padres this morning!
https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2023/02/padres-sign-michael-wacha.html
mark
11:14
Lowe (1B on Texas) going to keep it up this year?
Steve Adams
11:14
I'm a believer in the bat -- less so in the glove. Thought the Rangers would've made a nice fit for a first baseman who can play some defense -- still think that. Not a bad place for Yuli Gurriel to land
Chris
11:16
With the Wacha signing is it all but certain San Diego is going over the last luxury tax threshold? They would have to offload a significant amount of salary at this point to get under
Steve Adams
11:16
Sorry all, my connection's acting up right now. Little lag in getting the questions out. Hopefully a short-term issue.
The Padres won't pass the final luxury barrier, but they sure look like a lock to pass three of four -- barring some kind of trade to duck back under (and thus save their top draft pick in '24 from being pushed back 10 spots)
Cards fan
11:17
Any news on Stephen Piscotti? I may be spelling his name wrong but he was on the A’s last season.
Steve Adams
11:17
Still in the Bay Area. Signed with the Giants on a minor league deal
Chris
11:17
Where does profar make sense? Think he signs this week?
Steve Adams
11:19
Rangers, Padres, Yankees (they don't want to cross the next luxury barrier though) are the cleanest/best fits to me.

I don't think even Profar knows the answer as to when he'll actually sign.
Blake
11:19
Where do Chris Archer and Dylan Bundy fit? Anywhere?
Steve Adams
11:20
I imagine both are minor league deals with non-roster invites to camp at this point. In that sense, they can fit with just about any team. White Sox could use some NRI rotation depth. Blue Jays, too. Just about any rebuilding/retooling/non-contending club could justifiably bring either pitcher in, too.
Appa Yip Yip
11:21
Is Bo Bichette's salary available to use as a comp for other players in future arb hearings, or are they limited strictly to salaries awarded through the arb process?
Steve Adams
11:22
Won't be used as a data point in any one-year negotiations or in a hearing. Even arb deals that are one year plus an option (e.g. Jon Berti, Trey Mancini, Chris Bassitt in the past year) are off the table as data points in future one-year negotiations.
That's why "file and trial" teams will still agree to one-year plus an option even after exchange day
Chip
11:22
Assuming Judge doesn't repeat his monster season, I can't see how the Yankees any better than the team that wasn't good enough last year
Steve Adams
11:25
Rotation is better, but the lineup isn't demonstrably improved. Even if you want to say Hicks/Donaldson rebound a bit and Cabrera/Peraza are upgrades from the jump, you also have to factor in regression for Judge, which offsets a lot of those theoretical gains.

I don't really understand the Yankees cutting themselves off at the Cohen Tax line when the only additional penalty is a slightly higher tax rate. Wrote about that at greater length for our Front Office package last week.
Guest
11:26
Does Bradley Jr. resigning with the Jays seem like a possibility? I'd love to see him brought back on a minors deal.
Steve Adams
11:26
Seems feasible enough. They don't have a clear-cut fourth OF right now, the glove still plays, and they were content to dedicate a roster spot to Bradley Zimmer based on defense for the majority of the 2022 season
Dave
11:27
Who says no: Gleyber Torres for James Wood? The Yankees clear up their infield logjam and the Nats jumpstart their rebuild.
Steve Adams
11:28
Gleyber's a free agent in two years. The Nats aren't trading for a guy who'll be gone by the time the rebuild is bearing fruit -- particularly not when it costs someone of Wood's caliber. It's antithetical to everything they've done so far.
comish4lif
11:28
Profar to the Red Sox - they need Middle Infield help. Isn't this an obvious fit?
Steve Adams
11:29
If people still considered Profar a middle infielder, perhaps. He was moved to LF because of extreme yips at 2B, and the Padres played him exclusively in the outfield last year -- even signing Robinson Cano to play 2B instead of just putting Profar there.
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