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Chat with MLBTR's Steve Adams: 3/14/23
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Steve Adams
8:58
Good morning everyone! I'll be back at noon CT, but feel free to start asking questions anytime. Looking forward to it, as always.
12:01
Let's kick this thing off
Giants
12:01
Is this the end of Brandon Crawford? Seems like he is having knee issues and can’t stay healthy enough to play a premium defensive position.
Steve Adams
12:02
He's a year removed from a fourth-place finish in NL MVP voting, plus an All-Star nod and Gold Glove win. Obviously knee issues for any 36-year-old are concerning, but I don't think it's suddenly out of the question that he can return to playing at an above-average level. The Giants announced a bit ago that he had a cortisone injection in the knee. We'll see how he progresses from that
Jeff
12:03
Is Brad Hand deal for 1 year $2mill. something the Mets should have done?
Steve Adams
12:05
It's cheap enough that you can argue for any team doing it. The Mets wanted to prioritize guys they can option since right now, the bullpen only has three players with options. Add Hand to that and push out, say, Elieser Hernandez, and you've only got two optionable relievers -- one of whom (Drew Smith) was one of their more solid options in '22. It  doesn't leave a lot of flexibility when the 'pen needs an extra arm after a long game or make it easy to bring someone up for a spot start, etc.
Greg
12:05
The injury to Glasnow is troubling but he wasn't going to throw 180+ innings anyway.  Any idea how many innings Glasnow might be able to throw this year if he returns (and stays) healthy this year?
Steve Adams
12:06
He's never thrown more than 111 2/3 innings in a big league season and has only reached 100 innings in a MLB season once. If you get 100 innings out of him in '23 and 150 in '24, that's a pretty good outcome, honestly.
Craig Counsel
12:07
Will the Brewers be able to keep their core together much longer? Is their window closing after this season?
Steve Adams
12:10
Talked about this in my Brewers offseason review and subsequent Brewers chat, but I do generally think the window for this version of the core is closing. They're not going to extend Burnes, Woodruff and perhaps Adames on the $100MM+ deals that they'd command. They all have two years of team control remaining. As the Hader trade shows us, they're not afraid to move a prominent name for MLB-ready young pieces that can be kept for years to come. It's a balance between maintaining a competitive on-field club and also stockpiling enough cheap/controllable talent to contend over the long haul.

I don't think the Brewers would  trade those guys if they're up six games at the deadline, but if they're a few games out of the division, yeah, I can see them making a hard call like they did with Hader last year, so long as it means adding immediate MLB help and near-MLB-ready prospects who project as viable big leaguers as soon as 2024.
12:11
If they're clearly dominating the division, I'd expect trade talks to become more prevalent next winter, but not at the deadline. They're not trading Corbin Burnes if they're holding a lead in the NL Central and considered a favorite for the postseason.
Andrew
12:12
Hi Steve, made a bet with my brother... Will Jarred Kelenic hit 16 or more HRs this season?
Steve Adams
12:12
I'll take the over on that
Guest
12:12
The Mets lost a pitcher already.  Do they have enough depth?
Steve Adams
12:14
Both Peterson and Megill would be assured of rotation spots on a lot of teams, and Lucchesi's not a bad eighth option behind them. I think they're in a good spot depth-wise, though the likely lengthy nature of Quintana's absence tests things quite a bit more than if he were just out three or four weeks. I still think they're in good shape
CardsFanSince1973
12:14
With Trevor Bauer signing to play in Japan, are the Dodgers still on the hook for the remainder of his 2023 salary?
Steve Adams
12:14
Yup
Dave
12:14
Should contending teams be calling the Nats on Joey Meneses?
Steve Adams
12:17
They can try, but the Nats control him for another six years still. I know he's about to turn 31, so you can say he doesn't line up with their timeline since he'll be mid-30s by the time they're good, but I don't see the urgency to move him right now. The batted-ball profile from last year looks great, he's homering off big league pitchers on a global platform, the minor league track record is good. I'm not saying he's a 156 wRC+ guy like he was in 2022, but I can buy the fact that he's a late-blooming, above-average hitter who can be a nice guy to plug into the middle of their lineup and market to fans in the short term.
The Phillie Phanatic
12:17
Wheeler, Hoskins, Nola coming up on free agency after this year or after next. Most to least likely to be extended?
Steve Adams
12:18
They're already talking with Nola about a long-term deal. Hoskins plainly stated earlier in camp that they haven't talked long-term deal yet.
In Dusty We Trusty
12:18
Should Houston try to land another starter? I get that Brown is in there for now while Lance is out, but should they try to grab some depth now or wait until the deadline?
Steve Adams
12:19
I think you could say just about any team is wise to grab a Dylan Bundy on a minor league deal if he's willing to take it, but there are a handful of clubs where that sort of thing makes more sense than elsewhere, and I'd have the Astros in that group. (White Sox also come to mind)
Moose
12:20
The Mariners have made a habit of extending key contributors before they get to free agency. Do you think any more are in the pipeline to be completed this season?
Steve Adams
12:21
I would be surprised if they haven't at least explored the possibility with guys like Gilbert, Kirby and France by now.
Guest
12:22
Vierling or Badoo.   Who would you start if you were the Tigers
Steve Adams
12:24
It doesn't have to be one or the other. I wouldn't have Baddoo out there against lefties, so that's an easy avenue to get Vierling's right-handed bat in the mix. But they can also cycle one or both in at DH, and there will be injuries that create playing time.

Generally, I think Vierling can be a pretty nice player for them for the next few years. Not convinced Baddoo will ever do much versus lefties.
Yankee Fan
12:24
Give us Volpe at 2B and Peraza at SS and Dominguez in CF to start the season. Use Torres and IKF as trade bait for a SP and RP.
Steve Adams
12:26
IKF isn't going to fetch them a meaningful upgrade in the rotation or the bullpen. He's a $6MM light-hitting utility player, which is a reasonable-ish value but certainly not a lot of surplus value there.

If Dominguez opens the season in the big leagues despite having all of five career games above A-ball, the Yankees have probably had a LOT more injuries than they've already incurred. It's not happening.
D backs Fan
12:27
Stoked about the Carroll extension. That being said, D Backs paid a big premium to do it, no?
Steve Adams
12:29
I think so. Since they're only buying out two free-agent years, those are coming at a pretty premium rate unless Carroll is such a massive star that his arb prices would've approached record territory. I think he'll be a very good player, though, and the club option I guess gives them three FA years, though the price on that is pretty sizable as well. Probably won't be the case so much by 2031, when that decision is due, but regardless -- it's fair to say this deal carries more team risk than a lot of other teams have taken on in extending players with such little service.
Ricky Tiedemann
12:30
Could their be a chance I make my major league debut this season?
Steve Adams
12:31
He reached Double-A last year, so it's possible later in the season, sure. I think the Jays will probably wait until 2024, but if he's throwing well, they need an arm late in the season and his innings haven't spiked to the point where they're concerned about workload, I don't think it's out of the question or anything.
Orbit
12:32
will the Astros extend Tucker or Valdez?
Steve Adams
12:36
I don't think so. Dana Brown was pretty candid about wanting to get something done by a certain point, and it didn't happen. Neither is going to take the type of friendlier deal that Javier did. Tucker has a No. 5 overall draft pick bonus and a $5MM salary for this season banked, and he'll be a free agent heading into his age-29 season. Framber has nearly $10MM in career earnings as well.

I think there's a better chance they can convince Valdez to sign, since he's already 29 and would be a free agent going into his age-32 season, but the price tag is probably already north of $100MM.
B. Uecker
12:36
Brewers contend?  Or will they be "just a bit outside?"
Steve Adams
12:37
I can't bet against a team with a rotation that talented, Williams at the back of the 'pen, etc. I also really like some of their young outfielders. I get that fans are kind of down after they traded Renfroe and Wong and didn't spend much in free agency, but I think they're right in the mix for the NL Central
Jim Guards fan
12:37
Was hoping Guardians would sign Zach Britton to minor league deal, is he refusing to sign a minor league deal or is he just not good enough.
Steve Adams
12:37
I think lots of fans/teams probably like the idea of Britton on a minor league pact. I would imagine the holdup is more that he wants a big league deal, though that's just me speculating and not something I've been told.
A Pedant
12:38
Spencer Torkelson is bad in spring training. Is he just, maybe, bad?
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