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Chat with MLBTR's Steve Adams: 6/10/25
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Steve Adams
12:18
Good afternoon! Sorry to not open this up for early questions or preview it in this morning's Opener. We're all working on slightly different schedules today with Anthony off for a few days -- and today, in particular, with Darragh and me recording the podcast this morning -- so I wasn't sure exactly when it'd get underway! We'll start a bit early and go for an hour or a bit more, as usual.
Guards Ball
12:19
What is the guardians plan at the deadline? Buy, sell some rentals or even controllable relievers, or stand pat?
Steve Adams
12:22
This is a boring part one of the answer, but it's emblematic of modern baseball in a three Wild Card era: they won't make that final call anytime soon. Most teams don't pick a lane until there's less than a week until the deadline. Cleveland is certainly a team that tends to wait. They're only a game back in the Wild Card standings, so I don't think they're going to engineer a huge sale, barring a total collapse. I could see them listening on Carlos Santana regardless, since they could just plug Manzardo in at 1B.
12:23
I expect that they'll be open to various situations that'd net them controllable outfielders or starting pitching options. The rotation depth there is not what it once was, and the gears at their pitching factor have slowed a bit recently -- in part due to injuries.
Chris Young
12:23
I'm thinking of trading Adolis Garcia and Tyler Mahle to the Braves for Marcell Ozuna and Spencer Strider: What are your thoughts on my trade proposal?
Steve Adams
12:23
Cannot fathom the Braves giving up Strider in that deal
12:24
Or in general
Luis Rengifo
12:24
Do I have trade value at all?
Steve Adams
12:26
Sure. The contact skills are still good, and he's hitting plenty of line drives. Overall quality of contact profile is poor, but he's never been someone who hits the ball super hard with consistency even when he's been at his best.

I don't think Rengifo's going to fetch the Angels any kind of significant prospect haul, but they're not going to make him a QO, he's a free agent at season's end, and the Angels aren't going anywhere this season, so I fully expect him to be moved. It'll probably be a modest return, but that's not a bad thing. They got Ryan Zeferjahn in that type of return, and he's a genuinely interesting bullpen piece for them now
Dave Dombrowski
12:26
will I be in the market for a player like jarren duran?
Steve Adams
12:29
I imagine two-thirds of the league will ask the Red Sox about Jarren Duran. And Wilyer Abreu. And probably Ceddanne Rafaela, too.

The Red Sox have a lot of good outfielders, especially with Roman Anthony up.

Duran's going to cost something significant and something close to MLB ready. For the Phillies, maybe Mick Abel-plus. That sort of thing. (With the "plus" also being quite significant ... not like, Abel plus some 18-year-old lotto tickets)
Judgement
12:29
Aaron judge.
Steve Adams
12:29
Hear he's P good at this baseball thing, yes.
KC42
12:30
Still confused on the Braves decision to DFA Kimbrel after one inning when they still run out Montero on a daily basis. Kinda a slap in the face to an Icon to not even let him throw at Truist. AA has been questionable since the WS run.
Steve Adams
12:32
Braves fans don't like to hear it, but the World Series run was kind of just Anthopoulos throwing a bunch of stuff at the wall and all of it somehow simultaneously sticking. Even he probably has to be in shock about how well all of those moves worked out.

I agree to an extent that he's done a lot of weird things since. There have been a lot of great moves. Sale/Grissom is one of the best trades in recent memory. Risky, sure, but great self-evaluation of Grissom and a well-timed move since he lost all trade value quickly thereafter. Paying a ton of money to buy low on Kelenic? Like $30MMish once you factor in luxury taxes... less so. Paying nearly $3MM to rent Rafael Montero was wild.
That's the reason they're keeping Montero over Kimbrel, though. They took on a notable chunk of his salary, while Kimbrel just got his prorated base for a day.

Kimbrel's minor league numbers look nice, but his velo is now below average and the command hasn't been great even in AAA.
Joshua
12:33
Would Michael Soroka be a sneaky good trade candidate for a variety of contending teams? His era through 5 innings during his starts is just over 3.00, he has experience as a reliver and has excelled there, and is a FA to be so there is no long term money attached to him.
Steve Adams
12:36
Yeah. I don't like Soroka as a starter but I loved him as a reliever in the offseason and thought he could've cashed in on a nice two-year deal that way. He almost certainly could have, I should say, but clear he wanted to start and that was going to limit his earning more. If it keeps going well, maybe gets the nice multi-year this winter.

Teams might be wary of trading for a guy who prioritized starting as a free agent, and then immediately plugging him into a bullpen, but Soroka had to know that was a strong possibility when he signed on with the Nats. And he's a professional who'd be getting a chance to chase a ring, so I'm sure it'd be fine.

Broadly -- yes, go get Soroka. Put him in the 'pen. He was really impressive as a reliever last year and I still think that's his best role.
To the point you made, it's not just that his results dip after five innings. He destroys opponents the firs time through the order and immediately turns into a pumpkin
12:37
.148/.175/.262 first time through a lineup
.263/.311/.509 second time through
.400/.483/.680 third time through
(2025 only there, I should clarify)
Steve
12:37
Are the TWINS still up for sale?
Steve Adams
John
12:38
Denzel Clarke. Enough said
Steve Adams
12:38
Guy is like peak "Superman" Pillar levels of fun to watch in the outfield
Seb
12:38
Do you believe the A's will be selling or buying at the trade deadline?
Steve Adams
12:39
Selling short-term pieces, open to adding big leaguers who can be controlled several more years.
Astros fan
12:39
Why did this site go down for a week
Steve Adams
12:40
That... has never happened? Not sure what issue you ran into. Email through our contact form if you're having some sort of problem
Joe
12:40
Adrian Houser for Nick Frasso. Who says no?
Steve Adams
12:40
If the Dodgers wanted Houser they could've just signed him for like a $2MM base
Front Row
12:41
Any guesses about a Hader to the Padres type deal at this year's deadline. An impact player traded away by a contending team?
Steve Adams
12:43
Yandy/Brandon Lowe/Fairbanks from the Rays
Peralta from the Brewers
Clase from the Guardians, I suppose, but I think that's more a fantasy that fans of other teams have than something Cleveland will do ... but there will probably be a few rumors to that effect even if there's minimal fire backing said smoke
Aaron,esq
12:44
Does Chris Sale get traded?
Steve Adams
12:45
We talked about this on the podcast we recorded this morning (cheap plug!).

I tend to think ATL will go into the deadline with the mindset of "We're keeping him. We're trying to win in 2026," but offers will escalate to the point where they have to give real thought to it -- kind of similar to the Twins with Jose Berrios several years back.

If he's healthy, I can definitely see a team making the Braves bite the bullet.

Again, it's boring to say "it's too early to definitively say yes or no right now," but that's the reality. For the time being, yes, I find it eminently plausible even though the Braves would tell you right now "We're not thinking like that."
BC
12:46
Do IKF and Bednar have much value? Should I trade them?
Steve Adams
12:48
Not a ton for IKF, but a contending team will at least want him for a utility role. Or his old pals in the Bronx could use a second baseman!

Bednar has looked great since his recall from Triple-A ... 30-to-3 K/BB ratio in 20 2/3 innings, 2.61 ERA, sub-2.00 FIP and SIERA.

Every contending team should want Bednar, and his stock is trending way up again.
Aaron
12:49
Is Stanton coming back this week?
Steve Adams
12:50
If not this week, probably next. He's on a rehab assignment starting today. Of course, given his injury history, we can't just assume he gets through it setback-free
Earl Scheib
12:50
Do you think this absolutely horrible season forces Colorado's ownership to consider selling or at least completely replacing the front office? I can still see envision Dick Monfort rationalizing the whole thing away.
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