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 September 15. (If you like him, you can find him on Twitter @Adams_Steve.)

Only an hour-long chat this week, which is pretty typical for him. I included a bonus Q&A about his thoughts on the 2023 rule changes.

The link to the entire chat can be found here: https://www.jotcast.com/chat/chat-with- ... 13945.html

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World Series prediction?

Steve Adams
Is it too late to change my preseason "Blue Jays over Brewers" pick?
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What teams do you think could be most heavily involved for Koudai Senga? Feels like a sleeper team (Rangers, Twins, Cardinals) could be a fit while big markets go after Verlander / DeGrom?

Steve Adams
Pursuing Verlander/deGrom and pursuing Senga don't have to be mutually exclusive. The Dodgers, Yankees, etc. will be in on Senga, as will the three teams you mentioned, and probably the Mariners, Giants, Blue Jays, etc. -- most hopeful contenders will be involved to an extent.
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A healthy Drew Smyly is actually pretty damn useful.

Steve Adams
This is true. Smyly's good and quite talented. He's rarely healthy.
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Speculation..Pujols ends the season at 699. Does he return next year?

Steve Adams
He's said it's his last season. I don't think he'd go back on it. Hopefully he gets to 700 and it's not an issue. It'll be a fun milestone to see.
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Why aren't any of the shortshop shoppers looking at Kevin Newman of the Pirates. The guy plays Gold Glove defense and hits above average. Just because he was "beaten out" by Oneil Cruz doesn't diminish his capabilities.

Steve Adams
I would not call Newman an above-average hitter and don't think most MLB front offices would, either. His batting average is better than league-average, but his OBP and power numbers are way, way shy of average. It's an empty .270 with a glove that doesn't rate as well as it did in '21.

He's a decent bench player, but the fact that there was never a huge trade market for him is quite likely reflective of how he's viewed throughout the game. It's not as though the Pirates would've considered him off limits.
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What happens to Paul Dejong? Does he stay in STL or get traded in a Leake-type deal where the club eats most of his salary for a fringe prospect?

Steve Adams
I was on board with DeJong as a rebound candidate this season and thought he'd be traded to a team that couldn't afford one of the big-name FAs. When the Cards held him, it seemed sensible enough to me, but everything has backed up even further this year. At this point, I don't see how they can go into 2023 with him in the plans, so yeah either a trade or even just a DFA/release seems plausible. He's going into the final guaranteed year of the contract next season, and teams are generally more willing to move on when they're just one year to go on a deal.
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Do you see the Brewers paying to keep all that pitching, or will they need to make a trade? Woodruff to Angels for Detmers and Adell?

Steve Adams
I don't know that pitching is even the Angels' main need anymore (and will have something on the site on that topic within the hour). Reid Detmers has been so, so good since midseason, when he upped his breaking ball usage considerably (slider, specifically).

It'd be hard to say no to two years of Woodruff, but I'm pretty bullish on Detmers. Angels need to improve their lineup at nearly every non-Trout/Ohtani spot at this point. Ohtani/Sandoval/Detmers/Suarez is a nice 1-4.
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Do you like or hate the 2023 rule changes?

Steve Adams
I generally think we won't notice the pitch clock much, though I dislike the subsequent (and necessary) trickle-down effect that is the limitation on pickoff attempts (since stepping off the rubber would reset the clock).

Bigger bases, fine by me.

I don't like limiting defensive positioning.

I also wonder how often we'll just see the infielders line up in their proper positions and then see the left fielder come play in the shallow grass on the right side of the infield. Good time to be a Josh Harrison type of infielder/outfielder if that becomes the norm.
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