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 January 17. (If you like him, you can find him on Twitter @Adams_Steve.)

Same copious amount of questions as last week, but with 1 bonus Q&A thrown in this time.

The link to the entire chat can be found here: https://live.jotcast.com/chat/chat-with ... 14820.html

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Are the Reds going to make any more moves? They need at least one starter and bullpen help, even another outfielder who actually stays healthy.

Steve Adams
I don't really expect them to do much of anything, though there's obviously some wiggle room with regard to the 40-man and certainly payroll space. They have rotation jobs earmarked for Greene, Lodolo and Ashcraft. They signed Luke Weaver to compete for another. Would imagine Connor Overton, Luis Cessa, Brandon Williamson, Justin Dunn, Levi Stoudt are all options to compete at the back of the group as well.

In the outfield they've already added Wil Myers. Certainly wouldn't need to sell me on how there's room for more, but I'm sure they still want to try to get Senzel healthy in center, and then you've got Friedl, Fraley, Solak and a few others competing for what's left.
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Are the Fish ever going to trade one of their arms? What would it take to get Bryan Reynolds?

Steve Adams
Sure, but there aren't many other (or any other) arms out there who are in this same caliber, and they're talking with more than half the league about the guys they're willing to trade. I'm not surprised it's a drawn-out process.

Reynolds would cost enough that Marlins fans would presumably be uninterested in making the move. I don't know exactly what Miami has asked for, but I'd be surprised if they weren't targeting Eury Perez as a centerpiece, plus several other quality young talents.
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Who’s getting called up first: Wynn or Walker?

Steve Adams
I'd lean Jordan Walker. They're both 20 and have both had ample experience in AA, but Walker hit quite a bit more there. Masyn Winn is still developing as a full-time position player after converting from a two-way guy in high school, too.
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Pablo Lopez to Cards for Burleson and Winn - fair trade?

Steve Adams
I think the Cardinals would balk; Winn is the type of crazy athlete who's a few hot months away from shooting up into top-10 overall MLB prospect status, and he's already ranked pretty favorably in some places.
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Holy cow! Swanson, Bellinger, Mancini, Hosmer, Barnhart, Taillon, Smyly, Boxberger + Chafin/Moore rumors - is this an underrated top 5 offseason? (considering they only lost Contreras and a few AAAA pieces)

Steve Adams
I wouldn't say "only" lost Contreras. He's better than any of the players you just mentioned, perhaps with the exception of Swanson. The Barnhart and Hosmer additions do little for me, and while I figured Taillon would get four years and Smyly might get two, the final price points were north of where I'd have gone (not that that should matter much for a team like the Cubs).

It's been a fine offseason, but seems like you're a bit more bullish on it than I am.
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Can you please say something positive about the Reds?

Steve Adams
I like Nick Lodolo.
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Can Pirates compete in 2023 or how far away until playoff hope is realistic?

Steve Adams
I think 2024 is a more realistic timeline. By that point you've more plausibly got Endy Rodriguez, Henry Davis, Quinn Priester and others as possible big league options. Also, with no real money on the books beyond the current season, if they want to pivot away from the one-year veteran signings and sign some mid-tier, more impactful guys to multi-year deals, they can afford to do so.
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Cubs will be shedding Heyward, Bellinger, Happ (perhaps Stroman) salary next year with hope that the highly regarded outfield prospects (PCA, Davis, Canario, etc) get there. With upwards of $50-$70M coming off right there---are the Cubs major players for Machado?

Steve Adams
They could (and should) be, but Machado will require the largest contract in Cubs franchise history -- perhaps even by a matter of $100MM or so.
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Speaking of Chafin, do you see the Cubs bringing him back?

Steve Adams
Cubs' MO on bullpen signings, since the Kimbrel landmine, has been to wait out the market and sign some veteran guys to cheap one-year deals -- just like they did with Boxberger.
I don't think they're going to give Chafin the market-value two- or three-year deal he should receive.
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Will the Cards move on one of the Marlins arms? If so which one is more likely? At what cost?

Steve Adams
They're a better fit in terms of the "surplus" talent they have in the OF and behind the plate, but I don't see any reason right now to believe they're any kind of favorite over the other 18 teams the Marlins are talking to about their starters. Speculatively, Dylan Carlson and Ivan Herrera both seem like they'd appeal to Miami.
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Are the Brewers that boring and uninspiring this offseason that no one wants to ask questions about them?

Steve Adams
Not a lot of Brewers questions that I've seen today, ha, no. I think they'll trade Adrian Houser at some point! So that's something.
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Will some team sign Bauer?

Steve Adams
Maybe? I don't have a good answer. I've seen something like 15 teams that have leaked that they *won't* pursue him, and I've not seen much of anything to say teams *will* pursue him.
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