Steve Adams
- Good morning! We’ll get going at 1pm CT today, but feel free to submit questions ahead of time.
- Good afternoon and happy Tuesday — let’s get going
Not my job to win a World Series
- Peralta return higher than the Burnes return? Any moves left for the Brewers this offseason?
Steve Adams
- They’re pretty comparable returns — two top prospects on the back-end of most top-100 lists. I think the prospects themselves here are a bit more interesting than the Hall/Ortiz combo they got from Burnes, but they also got a Competitive Balance draft pick for Burnes, which has plenty of value itself.I imagine the Brewers will still look into some low-cost bullpen/bench additions as guys who are lingering on the market bring their demands down and accept lesser deals just to get into camp somewhere.
Pedro4eva
- Do you see the Red Sox making a move for Suarez at 3rd? If not do they just give it to Meyer?
Steve Adams
- No, I think if there’s an addition at this point it feels much likelier to be a second baseman. Mayer at third base feels like it could be the plan at this point.
Guest
- David Peterson for Jeremiah Estrada. Who says no?
Steve Adams
- I like David Peterson, but I’m not giving up four years of Estrada for one of Peterson if I’m the Padres.
Brewer Fan
- Jett Williams and Josh Knoth for CJ Abrams. Who says no?
Steve Adams
- Washington, pretty easily.
Guest
- Who do you think will play first base for the Padres ?
Steve Adams
- As things stand, Jake Cronenworth. But they could move Crone back to 2B and bounce Song around the diamond a bit if they wind up signing someone like Hoskins, Ozuna, etc. on the cheap. Gavin Sheets can spend time at 1B or DH. Cronenworth can play 1B or 2B. Seems like they’ll get Song looks in the infield and outfield alike. So … plenty of opportunity to add a cheap bat if they find a deal to their liking.
Sf giants
- Are we still engaged with Brendan Donovan after signing Bader?
Steve Adams
- No reason that adding Bader at a reasonable rate would take them out of the running for Donovan. If anything, Bader made the team better, which gives them more of an impetus to punt some future value to get their hands on Donovan.
Mike Elias
- Mountcastle and a low level prospect for JoJo
Steve Adams
- I don’t think that does much for the Cardinals. Mountcastle is a buy-low veteran who can be kept through 2027 via a club option. There’s no real long-term value there unless he bounces back and becomes a trade chip himself this summer, but acquiring him runs the risk of him continuing to struggle while also cutting into the playing time of someone like Alec Burleson. He’s also more expensive than Romero.If/when the Cardinals move Romero, I expect it’ll just be for a prospect or two.
Leo
- Feel like Semien would be better at 3B than Bichette, right?
Steve Adams
- He might be, but you’ve got an elite defensive middle infield tandem right now. Bichette’s not going to be a lock to be a good 2B, either. I’m with the Mets that I’d rather only play one guy “out of position” and maintain the awesome up-the-middle glovework.
docgreedo
- What can Korey Lee bring back for a catcher hungry team (like the Rays)?
Steve Adams
- He’s 27, out of minor league options, hasn’t hit in the majors and didn’t hit in AAA last year. I don’t think there’s a ton of trade value there. He’d probably get claimed off waivers… maybe someone tosses the White Sox a nominal PTBNL or unranked, low-level minor leaguer in return, but he just feels like someone who’s being squeezed off the 40-man to me — not a genuine trade chip.
PIVOT!
- Seattle should pivot to a CJ Abrams or Nico Hoerner or Matt Shaw and avoid Brendan Donovan… If possible… The value seems FAR better for what they’d seemingly be giving up.
Steve Adams
- I think Abrams is a great fit in Seattle, sure. Donovan would be, too. I feel like the asking price on Hoerner and/or Shaw would be prohibitive relative to the immediate need in Seattle. I mean, sure Hoerner would be a nice upgrade, but they’d need to deal from the MLB roster, negating some of the value they get back, and it wouldn’t be cheap to add him regardless.Someone — Mariners, Pirates, Red Sox, Reds, Royals — should give up some good talent to get Abrams though. I think there’s another gear there, and he’s still only 25 with three years of club control remaining.
Seriously
- What’s holding up the Framber signing? How many ways can a contract offer be tweaked? Could his camp be holding out for a surprise team to emerge? Seriously, what gives?
Steve Adams
- There are top-tier free agents in this spot every offseason. Presumably, he went out hoping for something pretty long-term (six years, likely) while most clubs were starting in the 3-4 year range since he’ll pitch this season at 32.I don’t really think it’s abnormal that he’s sitting unsigned in late January. We see a few of these guys every winter, and more often than not, they still wind up getting a nice deal.
Garrett
- The Nats rotation was always going to be a bit of a question mark and that seems even larger now after the Gore trade. Should we expect them to supplement with a veteran arm on a 1-year deal?
Next NextGen Nats
- Who will the Nats start on the mound on Opening Day?
Steve Adams
- I would imagine their Opening Day starter is whichever veteran they throw a year and $5-10MM at in the next few weeks. They need at least one source of steady innings in there. Tyler Anderson, Tomoyuki Sugano, Jose Quintana, Martin Perez, etc. … someone along those lines.
- Mikolas if they really just want bulk innings (which would be defensible)
Emojis
- Anyone else seeing emojis pop up on answers that you can click on? lol
Steve Adams
- Haha yeah I left the little react/emote/emoji option on by accident. Have fun with it!
Robert deal
- How would you grade the Luis Robert trade for both sides?
Steve Adams
- I think the NY media is hyping the Robert move a lot more than I would, from the Mets’ vantage point. Super talented guy, obviously, but it’s a $40MM dice roll (including luxury tax) that he stays healthy and has a productive full season at the plate for the first time since 2023.I don’t think they gave up a ton, so whatever — not a big Luisangel Acuña guy here — but the deal has a pretty realistic chance to just be a bust for both parties, ha.
But the Mets have limitless funds, so I suppose given the choice, I’d rather have Robert than Acuña + Pauley … it just would’ve been a ways down my list of options for the Mets to pursue.
Options
- When does the annual “out of options” post come out?
Steve Adams
- Haven’t checked with Tim this year, but usually around the time pitchers and catchers report, I think?
Heath
- Where do you see Goldy signing and when he goes to the HOF will it be as a Dback or a Cardinal?
Steve Adams
- Back to Arizona makes a ton of sense. Could see any of the Padres, Reds, Angels trying to jump in on the cheap, but D-backs work nicely and probably have some extra motivation since it’ll go over so well with the fans.I imagine some fans will bristle at the cavalier assumption that Goldy is a HOFer, but I think he’s got a pretty clear-cut case and imagine he goes in as a D-back (especially if he re-signs there this winter)
Framber
- If the Orioles don’t sign Framber, do you think they should pursue someone else to fill out the rotation?
Steve Adams
- Yeah, I think they need another starter regardless. Rogers really only has a half-season with this type of performance and has had plenty of injuries. Bradish didn’t pitch a full season in ’25, coming back from TJS. Last year was Baz’s first with 30 starts (also, tons of injuries). Kremer is a perfectly cromulent back-of-the-rotation guy. Eflin is a wild card. Not all that excited by any of Povich, Young, McDermott.Getting another established arm would help the O’s more than most contenders.
G. Mitchell
- Over/under 100 games and 100 wRC+?
Steve Adams
- Garrett Mitchell has barely played 100 games in the past three seasons combined. Easy under on games played for me, and I don’t think he makes close to enough contact to confidently project him as even an average hitter.
WhiteSox Fan
- Good afternoon Steve, thanks for your time today. What did you think of the White Sox signing Seranthony Dominguez this past week? Is he or Grant Taylor the closer in 2026?
Steve Adams
- Thought the signing was fine. Couple million more per year than I’d prefer on Seranthony, but that doesn’t matter at all for a club like the White Sox, where they’re not paying anyone else anyway.Imagine Dominguez enters the season in the closer’s role, but Taylor will have his opportunity to pitch himself into that spot.
They’ll both be getting high-leverage work, regardless of who’s the nominal “closer” and who’s getting more saves than holds.
Miller
- If the Padres don’t find a rotation upgrade, will they revisit the idea of converting Miller?
Steve Adams
- I’d be very surprised.
Craig E.
- Who do you think the phillies move Castellanos to?
Steve Adams
- I think they release him
A’s need to make a move
- I liked what I saw from Jacob Lopez, Luis Morales, and Jack Perkins. If they continue on the same path, then they will be great for the A’s rotation, but they need at least one or two more veteran starters. Just trade Colby Thomas for a starter. A’s have enough outfield depth to make a move like this.
Steve Adams
- Thomas is a power-over-hit corner guy who strikes out a ton, hits on the short side of a platoon and seems at best like an average defender (probably a bit worse). I don’t think they’re getting a starter of note for him. I do agree the A’s could use another veteran arm in that rotation though.
SouthDakotaRedsFAn
- Is it correct to believe the Reds have not done one thing to make the team better going into 2026 than 2025? The starting pitching has one more year of experience which may help. Is it also safe to say that without a TV deal for the team, the chances of anything being added is very slim?
Steve Adams
- I guess the bullpen feels a little better to me than it did with Suter, Gibaut, Barlow back there. Burke, Johnson and Ferguson are all fine additions.But, I think they way overpaid to keep Pagan and the moves on the offensive side of things have been pretty lackluster, so I can’t push back too heavily on the idea that they’re not much better than they were in 2025 (barring huge steps forward from guys like McLain, Marte, Chase Burns, etc)
Schlagobers
- Do the Rangers employ an actual strategy of not spending more than 5M on a reliever? With bullpen contracts so expensive, could it be effective for teams to enter the season with mediocre pens and then attempt to fix them at the deadline if the team is competitive?
Steve Adams
- They haven’t spent big on relievers recently, but that’s more due to having minimal payroll flexibility. As recently as 2024, they were spending $10MM+ on David Robertson (albeit with some deferrals, I think).We see teams take this piecemeal approach often, and the Rangers’ 2025 season feels like a pretty rare success story.
The Cubs have gone with the flea market approach to bullpen building for like seven years now, and last year was really the first time it worked for them.
Bunt single
- Daniel Lynch n a prospect for Kjerstad. Royals need an OF n Orioles need pitching. Both players need a change of scenery.
Steve Adams
- At this point, Kjerstad increasingly feels like a DFA candidate rather than someone who’d net the Orioles a decent-ish reliever.
AstrosFAN
- Will we sign Framber Valdez?
Steve Adams
- I can’t see the Astros shelling out to keep Framber, no
Something Brewing?
- The Brewers have 2 closers in Megill and Uribe. Any rumor talk in the hot stove that one or the other is available in trade? The Giants have a terrible bullpen and could use one of these top arms.
Steve Adams
- Mets, Yankees and others were looking at Megill earlier in the winter
https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/12/yankees-mets-trade-rumors-trevo…I have to think that with Peralta’s $8MM off the books, a trade involving Megill is less likely now.
Advance Scout
- True or false: Provided he pitches to his norms as a Cardinal, JoJo Romero will get the Cardinals more at the trade deadline than in the offseason.
Steve Adams
- I don’t think there’s a real scenario where he nets them demonstrably more than he does right now, but I do think there’s a real scenario where he takes a step back and/or gets hurt and sufficiently deflates his trade value (as we saw last year when the Cards held onto Ryan Helsley too long)
Rowdy
- Will I get a major league deal?
Steve Adams
- Assume he’s looking at a minor league deal/NRI to camp somewhere
ranger’s fan
- Will the rangers sign a #5 starter? The top 4, if it stays healthy could be really good but don’t they need a proven innings eater for the 5th spot in the rotation?
Steve Adams
- They might feel they already have enough options with Jacob Latz, Kumar Rocker and (non-roster) Austin Gomber. Cody Bradford back sometime in May/June. David Davalillo could be a midseason option, too.I wouldn’t mind it, though. They were rewarded nicely for throwing $1MM at Patrick Corbin late in the offseason last year. Something similar could work this year … throw $1-2MM at Alex Cobb or Jose Urquidy or someone.
BeBopCola
- eugenio Suarez a good fit for the brewers? Potentially move Durbin to 2B, turang to short
Steve Adams
- Milwaukee isn’t spending that kind of coin.
Iron Glove
- Will the Twins be moving any of the left-handed corner outfielders? Will the return be worthwhile?
Steve Adams
- Larnach seems like a decent bet to go still. I don’t think the return will be much.
Castellanos
- When I get released, who spends $5 million on me?
Steve Adams
- No one. He’ll cost a new team the league minimum
- The Phillies will stay on the hook for the $20MM he’s owed, minus the prorated league min. for any time he spends on a new team’s big league roster/injured list.
Cutch
- Why would the Pirates be in on any possible SS trade when #1 prospect Konnor Griffin is the near future?
Steve Adams
- Is this in reference to me listing them for CJ Abrams earlier?
- Abrams is a bad shortstop who’d be better off playing 2B or 3B.
- But he can hit, he can run, and he’s 25 with three years of club control remaining.
Andrew R.
- Alec Bohm for ANYBODYS supplemental pick.
Steve Adams
- Bohm isn’t going to net anything of great value if the Phillies move him
Andrew
- Can you help me make sense of what the Tigers are doing? Sign a bunch of reclamation project pitchers, do nothing to improve the offense, and antagonize their best pitcher by lowballing him in arbitration
Steve Adams
- I don’t think they really “low-balled” Skubal. They acted within the normal range of outcomes for arbitration. Nothing about that process was odd to me from their end; now, Boras and Skubal trying to break arbitration entirely … that’s interesting, ha.Rest of their offseason, yeah, I don’t get it. The Finnegan/Jansen signings were fine. Good even. But that’s not enough.
In general, Scott Harris feels way, way too risk-averse to me. The Tigers seem content to just kind of hope internal development will get them to the World Series before Skubal hits the market. I’d like to see more of an aggressive/urgent approach.
But, then again, I’m sitting at my house chatting with you and not running baseball ops in Detroit, sooooooooooo
David Stearns
- Peterson for Laureano?
Steve Adams
- Wouldn’t mind it for either club
Drew
- What about Nationals 2026 opening day starter Lucas Giolito?
Steve Adams
- Would love the fit for the Nats. He was talking about wanting to sign with a postseason contender on Rob Bradford’s podcast a couple weeks back, though.
guards
- logan allen, juan brito, Angel Genao for brendan donovan?
Steve Adams
- Too much for CLE to give up
Motor City Beach Bum
- Who makes more sense for Detroit to add: Arraez to DH and bat near the top of the order; or Suarez for DH/3B and bst near the middle? They would both seem to lengthen the lineup.
Steve Adams
- Imagine the Tigers would prefer Arraez between the two, just since Harris and Greenberg and Hinch began the offseason by talking about wanting to put the ball in play more.But Arraez can’t really defend anywhere other than 1B and maybe an occasional appearance at 2B. Torkelson is set at 1B. They could play Kerry Carpenter in the OF full-time and give Arraez/Tork both ample time at DH/1B, but it doesn’t seem like they love Carp in the OF.
Bringing in Geno probably pushes Keith to a DH/utility role, which again necessitates more OF time for Kerry.
I think either move would still generally benefit the offense, but I doubt the Tigers end up with either.
White Sox Fan
- Will the sox sign an outfielder before spring training?
Steve Adams
- I mean, they better. Haha
- That current group is rough.
Pete
- Angels as a possibility for gallen?
Steve Adams
- Would like the fit more if the Halos had shown even a modicum of willingness to spend this winter.
Arraez
- Will I get a long term deal with someone?
Steve Adams
- I’d be shocked if he signs for more than two years at this point.
Pedro4eva
- There’s no way the Red Sox can give up Early or Tolle for one year of Nico Hoerner right? That would be beyond insane.
Steve Adams
- I’d be very, very surpised
clarkeincuenca
- What fan base do you see the most of in your chats? And, the least of?
Steve Adams
- Depends what’s in the news at a given moment, really. I would say in general, smaller-market teams like the Brewers and Pirates tend to make up a smaller portion of the audience. But this week I’m getting peppered with Brewers questions since they just executed a major trade. Early in the offseason, when the Bucs were throwing $120MM+ at Kyle Schwarber, I was getting tons of Pirates questions.I guess if I had to choose on team I get the fewest about … maybe the Rays? But again, I got plenty on them after the Baz and Lowe trades, so it’s all dependent on what’s topical at a given moment.
Goldy Fan
- how much do you expect Goldy to sign for?
Steve Adams
- Under $8MM.
Why Nats, Why?
- The Gore (and possibly Abrams) trade confuse me. Aside from inconsistency and a few bad injuries last season, it seemed like the Nats had good building blocks in place. It seemed like they only needed a couple more bats and pitchers (all that could be available through free agency) to take the next step towards relevancy. Now we’re starting over with the rebuild again. Was I blinded by my homerism towards the Nats?
Steve Adams
- The Nationals have (or had) a poor farm, some of the thinnest rotation depth in all of baseball, and only three players (Wood, Abrams, Gore) who looked like clear contributors on a contending club. Dylan Crews and Brady House may get there someday, but there’s nothing certain there. They have (or had) no real hope behind the plate. The bullpen was a mess.I think the Nats were actually fortunate to lose “only” 96 games.
MKE Fan
- Who is the back up catcher this year?
Steve Adams
- I feel like they’ll sign someone cheap or claim someone in camp. Doubt they limit Jeferson Quero to a backup role when he needs to be getting everyday ABs for his development
- Doesn’t need to be anyone exciting. Any of Christian Vazquez, Reese McGuire, Luke Maile, Jonah Heim, etc. could be fine.
Phony Toboni
- Bring Corbin back to DC?
Steve Adams
- Conceptually fine, but I think the optics would just be too bad. He was awful for his last five years there. I’m sure fans would prefer someone new to fill that innings-eater role
Craig Breslow
- How interested am I in trading Tristan Casas and what type of player do you think I could expect back? Brett Baty?
Steve Adams
- Casas seems like he should be available, but he’s definitely not bringing back Baty, who has an extra year of club control, more defensive value and is coming off a nice all-around season (as compared to a lost season for Casas)
Gallen update?
- Gotta think starting pitchers like Gallen and Valdez are getting nervous by now, right?
Steve Adams
- Not really. Pitchers and catchers haven’t even reported yet.Although if I were Gallen, I’d have been nervous all offseason. I wouldn’t have rejected the QO, but we’ll see. I imagine he’ll come out of it just fine. Most guys do.
Jamie
- Baseball version of FMK ….. Bench them, demote them (claim injury), or release them …. Yoshida, Casas, Connor Wong
Steve Adams
- Ha, I’m not much of a Wong or Yoshida guy, so I’d be fine moving on from both. I still think Casas can/will hit if he’s healthy.
wild ideas
- Isaac Paredes for Mickey Moniak. Houston gets their lefty outfielder. Paredes’ gap power in Coors Field. Who says no?
Steve Adams
- Moniak has negligible trade value. I thought he might be non-tendered. Paredes is a genuine asset. Astros don’t do that (or even consider it)
Thomi Jéan
- Are the Yankees content running it back or do you see a trade coming?
Steve Adams
- I imagine there are some bullpen moves coming at least.
- Alright, I’ve got to wrap up for the week. I’m on X @Adams_Steve and Bluesky @adams-steve.bsky.social. Always happy to take more questions there.If you want more opinions and analysis from the MLBTR team (and ad-free viewing as well as access to our Contract Database, Agency Database, and other tools), you can sign up for our Front Office subscription package.
Thanks for chatting, and have a great week!
