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Chat with MLBTR's Steve Adams: 5/2/23
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Steve Adams
8:56
Good morning all! I'll be back at 1pm to chat for an hour or so. Feel free to submit questions in advance, and we'll talk soon!
1:01
Let's get underway!
Eye patch
1:01
can the pirates target Salvador Perez at the deadline to sure up the catching situation? Maybe KC pays down some of the contract?
Steve Adams
1:03
There's pretty much no scenario I can envision where Perez is traded by the Royals. They love him. They made him the captain. They don't really trade off a lot of veteran pieces in the first place.

Plus, Perez is being paid $21MM per year through '25, his offense has been about average this year, his defensive ratings have declined. It doesn't work for a lot of reasons.
The White Sox just announced ELEVEN roster moves, which might be the most I've ever seen a team make at once during the season
1:04
Anderson/Alberto back from IL
Colas and Lenyn Sosa optioned
Jake Diekman and Frank German DFA
Joe Kelly on paternity list
Romy Gonzalez on 10-day IL (shoulder inflammation)
Alex Colome, Billy Hamilton, Sammy Peralta selected from AAA
Yowza
Guest
1:04
Would you start Bryce Miller today? Oakland is pretty bad and there is no tape on him yet.
Steve Adams
1:05
In a fantasy league? Yeah, against the A's sure. I wouldn't say "there's no tape on him"... these guys are scouted from high school to college through the low minors into the upper minors, etc. Every team has seen Miller pitch plenty.

But I'd still start him against the A's, sure.
Pitching Callups
1:05
Stone or Pfaadt ROS?
Steve Adams
1:06
Feel like Pfaadt has a clearer long-term opportunity than Stone
This year, I mean.
Cody
1:06
I'm wondering what you think it would take to lock up Sonny Gray for a couple more years. Would 2 for 32 get it done?
Steve Adams
1:08
I don't think there's any way Gray takes that with the start he's had. A 34-year-old Chris Bassitt just got 3/63 in free agency. Miles Mikolas just signed a 2/40 extension with the Cardinals for his age-35 and age-36 seasons. Gray is 33 and will be 34 in his first free-agent season.
Mitch Keller
1:08
Do we call it a breakout and if so, does it continue?
Steve Adams
1:09
I've been in on Keller since he added the sinker last year and immediately took off. The sinker itself isn't a dominant pitch, but it's helped take some focus off what had been a really hittable four-seamer. I've written about Keller a couple times for our Front Office subscribers -- once just focusing on his breakout midsummer last year and just last week in running through what I'm buying/selling about Pittsburgh's start.

I'm definitely in on Keller as a legitimate mid-rotation arm. I don't think he's an ace, but he's a clearly above-average pitcher for me at this point.
rocco rox
1:10
if the rockies were SMART they would unload Daza, Cron, Grichuk, Hand & Suter at the deadline but we all know they have crazy dreams of re-signing the FA's
Steve Adams
1:12
I don't think they'd get much for any of them. Cron might fetch a little bit, but he's a 1B-only rental so the market wouldn't be huge. Hand waited all offseason just to get a big league deal. Suter might draw some interest but a few teams passed on him via waivers, and his command hasn't been great.

Daza's a light-hitting fourth OF. The Jays dumped Grichuk on the Rockies and he hasn't been great there.
Marquez would've been their best trade chip, but I agree they probably wouldn't have moved him anyway, as you said.
Cody
1:12
So does 4 for 72 get it done for Sonny?
Steve Adams
1:13
I think he'd sign for that, yes. I don't think the Twins would offer it.
This front office has been quite averse to long-term deals for pitchers, with Pablo Lopez being the lone exception so far -- likely because he's still only 27. Gray is six years older.

I expect the Twins will make him a qualifying offer and go from there.
Cardinals Fan
1:14
We all wanted MO to get a top end starting pitcher. Who from their outfield will garner the most interest if we can swap one for a starter? Carlson or O'Neil?
Steve Adams
1:15
Nootbaar, probably (assuming you're taking Jordan Walker off the table). But I don't think the Cardinals have any interest in trading Noot. O'Neill certainly isn't bringing back a top-end starter.
For Love of the Game
1:15
If Eduardo Rodriguez remains health and performs anywhere near current levels, do you think he's going to opt out of the final three years and $49 million?  What kind of contract should he expect?
Steve Adams
1:18
If he keeps going like he has, yeah I expect he'll opt out. He'll be heading into his age-31 season without a QO (he's already had one and players can't receive a second). Taijuan Walker just got 4/72 with a QO. He's a year younger, but Jameson Taillon got 4/68 with no QO at age 31.

He should be able to at least get the Taillon deal if he maintains his current pace, which I do think is at least possible. He might also prefer to opt out just to have a better chance at signing with a clear contender, too.
terrasce
1:19
If the Sox do decide to move away from Sale, what teams have the means and motivations to make the Sox agree?
Steve Adams
1:19
I don't see a particularly plausible path to the Red Sox shedding that contract, and Sale could veto a trade anyhow.
Michael Kopech
1:20
Kopech seems like a trade candidate for the SD Padres.  Darvish, Musgrove, and Snell are solid 1-3.  But Seth Lugo hasn't pitched over 100 IP since 2018.  Michael Wacha also has been pretty bad and there are usually always injuries to SP.
Steve Adams
1:21
If the Sox were going to make Kopech available, there'd be 15 to 20 teams inquiring probably. As I wrote last night, I don't really see him and Cease actually being made available unless owner Jerry Reinsdorf green-lights a fire sale/rebuild, and I don't think that's actually likely.

Guys like Giolito, Lopez, etc. who are free agents at the end of the season feel way likelier, but even then, the Sox will take another couple months to see if they can claw back toward .500.
Trader Jerry
1:21
What's the season plan with Bryce Miller? Hasn't looked amazing to start the season so I was a bit surprised to see him called up over Woo or Hancock. Are the M's hoping he sticks in the rotation for the remainder of the season and does that mean the other 2 won't be up until 2024 (obviously injuries change this)?
Steve Adams
1:24
Well, Woo pitched on April 29, so he simply wasn't an option for the Mariners today because of his schedule. But Ryan Divish with the Seattle Times did report that Miller's going into the rotation over Flexen and will get a chance to solidify a spot.

I wouldn't fret too much over four rocky Double-A starts. It's a tiny minor league sample that's not really indicative of the quality of stuff Miller was working with those days. Divish even noted in his column on the matter that Miller used one whole start to work on his changeup and was probably hit harder  as a result of it, rather than mixing up his pitches and aiming for bottom-line results. The Mariners clearly feel his stuff is ready.

That said, if Miller struggles, he's not set in stone. Other injuries could open the door for Woo, Hancock, Dollard and others. Or one of them could just pitch well while Miller struggles and force the M's to make a change in that regard.
Bumgarner
1:25
Any talk about him being picked up ?
Steve Adams
1:26
Bumgarner was genuinely bad with the Diamondbacks...  I just don't think there's going to be a lot of interest. Someone might try to catch lightning in a bottle on a minor league deal, but is Bumgarner even going to be willing to go to AAA?

I know a lot of fans are intrigued by the name value and the lore, but the postseason heroics were nearly ten years ago now. Bumgarner looked like a fourth starter toward the end of his SF run, got a larger contract than he should've in Arizona, and has declined even further since signing. I just don't see much reason for intrigue or optimism.
MostlyToasty1
1:27
What is Oakland likely to do with Brent Rooker, if anything?
Steve Adams
1:27
Keep playing him and hope he keeps mashing. He has one year of MLB service; they can control him for five years if they want and he won't even be arb-eligible until the 2024-25 offseason.
Orioles
1:29
Do the Orioles have a legitimate shot at a playoff run this year? The record looks great but a lot of their wins have been very close games
Steve Adams
1:30
I have a hard time seeing it with their starting pitching, but they've got some bright spots that I wasn't expecting. Jorge Mateo magically cutting his huge K% in half and learning how to take a walk, for instance. That's a huge development for the O's.
Gerard
1:30
How soon before the Cardinals clean out the front office and the Manager
Steve Adams
1:32
Nothing in the Cardinals' history suggests that Mozeliak is in jeopardy. Hell, they just extended him through 2025 back in February.

If the Cardinals just flame out this year and miss the playoffs by a mile, maybe Marmol becomes the fall guy, but I a poor April in the second season of a three-year deal, fresh off a division title win in his first year in 2022, isn't going to bring about an early-season change.
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