Steve Adams' NL Central comments

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mikechamp
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Steve Adams' NL Central comments

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These comments came from a chat with MLB Trade Rumors' Steve Adams that occurred on October 19. (If you like him, you can find him on Twitter @Adams_Steve.)

Questions about every NL Central team. I also included a bonus Q&A about fantasy baseball drafting and another about trading arb-eligible players.

The link to the entire chat can be found here: https://www.jotcast.com/chat/chat-with- ... 11687.html

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Could the Pirates sign a Dylan Bundy/Zach Davies type? How much $ do you think they’d command?

Steve Adams
In terms of bounceback pitchers, yeah the Pirates will probably sign one. I don't think Bundy and Davies are particularly similar, though. Bundy can't seem to keep the ball in the park, but he misses bats at a high level and should be far more popular than Davies.

Davies had one of the worst K-BB% marks in all of MLB this season and has primarily been a fifth starter outside that big 2020 in San Diego.

They're both one-year deal guys, for me. Davies at $5MM or less, Bundy a few million more because there's actual upside and bat-missing abilities there.
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The Cubs sold off at the deadline, but the pitching was the true issue in the second half. Do you think they have a shot at a guy like Stroman or more one year bounce back types?

Steve Adams
They're the Cubs. They have a "shot" at any pitcher they want. Their pockets are immensely deep. I don't think they're going to play for that caliber of free agent, though. I think they'll be looking somewhere between the one-year guys and the five/six-year guys (and I do think Stro is a five-year deal). Matz, Gray, DeSclafani, etc. seem reasonable enough, depending on QO decisions. I would imagine they'll be reluctant to part with draft picks as they look to also build up their farm.
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Do you see the Athletics trading Bassitt or Manaea? Cards a good fit?

Steve Adams
Manaea will be more expensive and feels likelier as a result. I think they'll move at least one of Bassitt, Manaea, Olson or Chapman this winter, though. Manaea/Cardinals is a fine fit, sure. Cards could use some more options in the rotation. Their depth almost sunk them this year.

Wainwright, Flaherty, Mikolas, Hudson is a nice start, but can't expect everyone to stay healthy.
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If the Reds don't pick up Barnhart's option, what do you see him landing on the open market?

Steve Adams
There aren't many palatable options out there in free agency. I could see a two-year deal with a modest AAV ($5-7MM?)

The Reds should pick it up, though, even with Stephenson. Or just trade him to a team that needs a catcher on a short-term deal. A year and $7MM or so for Barnhart is pretty decent value.
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If Avisail Garcia opts out, do the Brewers drop a qualifying offer on him?

Steve Adams
I lean no, but I can see the argument for it. If it were a larger-payroll club, I think it'd be likelier.
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Reds fan here... Moose back to K.C., add one of our top arms (Ashcraft, maybe another toolsy prospect) could we get Merrifield?

Steve Adams
No chance the Royals are giving up Merrifield in a scenario like that. They love Whit, and they've said multiple times they want to win now and win with him. I don't see them as a good fit to pick up the remainder of the Moose deal, even if the Reds were to take back Hunter Dozier or something.
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Do you feel the Cubs see "building up the farm" and "financing a competitive team" as mutually exclusive?

Steve Adams
They shouldn't be, although MLB's insistence on tying talent acquisition to wins and losses encourages it. The primary (and nearly only) way to maximize your young talent is to lose games. It's a terrible system that encourages tanking.

The Cubs have the financial wherewithal to be doing things like we saw the Giants do when they took the rest of the Zack Cozart deal to acquire Will Wilson from the Angels. They COULD do things like that while also signing some mid-range free agents and such, but I don't expect them to.

I think they'll sign some middle-tier starters -- from the DeSclafani, Matz, Wood, Gray, etc. bracket -- but not go crazy and sign Correa for $300MM+ or anything.
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Was the Reds moving R. Iglesias for basically nothing one of the worst moves last winter? And will they do anything to address their woeful bullpen?

Steve Adams
It was. I don't know what to make of the Reds this winter because it's hard to get a sense whether last year's payroll cutting was just a one-year thing due to Covid revenue losses or whether they're stepping back a bit after spending to new levels a couple years ago without getting the intended result.
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Your thoughts on the Angels hiring someone from Driveline? Have other teams done this? Do you think it will have a big impact? Did they hire the guy who worked with Ohtani?

Steve Adams
The Reds made Kyle Boddy, who founded Driveline, their director of pitching development for a couple years. I always think it's good to hire people with newer ways of thinking, in order to challenge your conventional ways of thinking and to grow as an organization.
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Who would you pick first in next season's fantasy draft?

Steve Adams
Vlad.
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Can a player be traded before arbitration figures are exchanged or does the club have to actually sign them first?

Steve Adams
Can be traded before exchange day.
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