Trying out the embed feature on the new software -- hopefully this works. Fingers crossed! Ha.

22/09/2015 19:03
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Steve Adams

Hooray! You even get to look at my smiling mug now. Technology's amazing.

22/09/2015 19:03
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Steve Adams

43505c695989e96ee804d02d5e615035?d=identicon

Peyton

Do you think Max Kepler will get any playing time?

He might get a start or two and some pinch-hit appearances, but I don't think they'll give him regular at-bats. Even with Buxton not hitting, he's their best defender in center, and I doubt they're going to sit Rosario or Hicks in favor of Kepler.

22/09/2015 19:04
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Steve Adams

1b83d5da74032b6a750ef12210642eea?d=identicon

Mike

What do you think of the Brewers hiring of David Stearns as GM?

The age concerns are overblown. He's worked in the industry for a dozen years, spending time in the commissioner's office and with four different baseball ops departments. Stearns had a ton of responsibility in Houston's front office as the sole AGM, and he's well-respected around the game. It's a fine hire in my eyes, though I did think he came off a bit nervous in his intro presser -- not that I necessarily blame him for that.

22/09/2015 19:06
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Steve Adams

0475def81fbd4e70bf7cd07ee307793a?d=identicon

Fin

Is it time to get rid of the crazy 40man rosters in September and stop the player move madness

I'd be fine with the oft-suggested idea that you can expand rosters all you want but have to designate a smaller number of players for that day's active roster -- maybe give each club 3-4 extra players... a couple bench bats and an extra arm or two

22/09/2015 19:08
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Steve Adams

29c234348f8b793e148c6edb6e5d88c0?d=identicon

Lincecum

Will I be A Giant in 2016 and under what circumstances?

I have a hard time seeing him elsewhere. If he's recovered from his hip surgery, and the Giants watch him throw and see 91-92mph or something, I won't be the least bit surprised for a return. If he's still in the upper 80s and San Fran is only comfortable on a minors deal, then I think another club will guarantee a few million.

22/09/2015 19:11
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Steve Adams

83930fd731a92d37c5dbb39a9c5e6183?d=identicon

Doug

Is there a realistic option with 30HR potential for the Indians to pick up this offseason through FA or trade?

I don't expect them to sign anyone who I would call likely to hit 30 homers. They could make a run at a buy-low guy like Morneau and hope for that outcome, or hope Rasmus gets there, but no one that'll be expected to. In trades, sure. They have tons of desirable pitching, so it just depends what they're willing to give up. If they're serious about Marcell Ozuna, he could conceivably hit 30, or at least 25+. He hit 23 in 2014.

22/09/2015 19:14
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Steve Adams

3ecde52d76b8ff281eb735d736f34f3b?d=identicon

Dale

What do u think of the Phillies rebuilding process so far?

For all the flak Amaro takes, I think he did well to eat money to enhance returns on some of the veterans, and I think the Hamels return looks good on paper at least (though it's too early to slap any kind of grade on a trade of that magnitude).

22/09/2015 19:15
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Steve Adams

Side note to any that are copying/pasting their questions over and over -- all that does is make me block your questions from displaying.

22/09/2015 19:16
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Steve Adams

6db95074046ba3717c479cef54ea133a?d=identicon

christian P

Would you blow up are re-tool the 2016 Angels.

They're two games above .500, 3.5 from a Wild Card spot and 4.5 from the division with a not-yet-prime-aged Mike Trout and a mid-prime Kole Calhoun, plus young pitching coming in the form of Heaney and Newcomb. I mean, I get the frustration over their inconsistency, but they can be plenty good in 2016.

22/09/2015 19:18
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Steve Adams

30db2fdfdddfb7cc359ce7a36596f3e0?d=identicon

Ed

Lindor ROY?

At this point, it's close but he's probably ahead of Correa for me, yeah. Final 2 weeks will have a big impact on that race -- it's been a fun year for rookies in both leagues.

22/09/2015 19:19
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Steve Adams

A08372b70196c21a9229cf04db6b7ceb?d=identicon

Alex

Who do you see the Giants realistically signing? They need quality, consistent starting pitching badly, but will probably be over-bid for the likes of guys like Price.

They were willing to go to $160MMish for Lester, so it's not like they're shy about making big offers -- If Price lands elsewhere, I can see Zimmermann, Cueto, Greinke being more affordable options that could end up there, then maybe a second-tier guy (Kennedy?)

I do expect the Giants to sign at least one pretty notable starter.

22/09/2015 19:22
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Steve Adams

Efc5c58b9a85926a31587140cbeb0220?d=identicon

Roger

What pitcher could you realistically see the cubs signing this winter?

Any that are available are on the table, Price included.

22/09/2015 19:23
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Steve Adams

Phillies announced that Pete Mackanin will be retained to manage the club in 2016, and he has a club option for 2017 on his new contract. Good for him.

22/09/2015 19:23
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Steve Adams

988d10abb9f42e7053450af19ad64c7f?d=identicon

Gut

Daniel Murhpy will be playing where next year? and what contract would you expect for him?

Too early to say where -- off-the-cuff prediction, which should include the caveat that I haven't thought about this too extensively yet... four years in the Nick Markakis to Jhonny Peralta range -- $44-52MM. Lots of teams will need 2B/3B help -- Angels, White Sox, Yankees, Padres to name a few.

22/09/2015 19:26
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Steve Adams

A38414c18fbfeb6b00a91cff5a9ed6ca?d=identicon

Ron Santo

How does Arietta not get the CY Young?

Well, Greinke and Kershaw have been better, so that might play into him not winning it if/when he doesn't.

22/09/2015 19:27
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Steve Adams

C1f80eddea77f14650a2062dda3eb15c?d=identicon

Jonathan

should the marlins pick up some pitching this winter or try to ride it out with the several young arms they have? or both?

Marlins will be in on pitching -- they want to acquire controllable arms via trade, and they'll also be open to adding a veteran FA presence into the rotation as well. I'll be surprised if 2016's rotation consists of candidates that are all already in the organization.

22/09/2015 19:28
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Steve Adams

1dafad37f6d9e169248bacb8485fd9cc?d=identicon

huh?

is this working?

I sure hope so -- can everyone see this?

22/09/2015 19:29
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Steve Adams

648c4b84114609edf619be0de4e27fad?d=identicon

Theo

We see you. Seems slow.

Cool -- maybe it'd be better not embedded onto the page and instead linked off to a separate page next week. I'll look into it post-chat. Thanks

22/09/2015 19:30
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Steve Adams

2d5070cb136d4cd8f418bd5a68db42ab?d=identicon

Manu

Rockies should trade CarGo?

I think so, yeah. As I said in my "Three Needs" post on them, they have a clear strength in developing bats (in part due to Coors, but they produce hitters that can hit away from Denver as well) and a huge weakness in developing pitching. Yet, they rarely deal from that strength to acquire pitching. And the last time they did (with the exception of the Tulo trade), they went after a big ground-ball arm in Jordan Lyles. Nothing against Lyles, but I'd like to see them pursue strikeouts more heavily.

22/09/2015 19:32
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Steve Adams

That said, the Tulo trade, from a philosophical standpoint, made sense to me. We'll see how Hoffman pans out though.

22/09/2015 19:33
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Steve Adams

Marlins have interviewed Manny Acta as a possible managerial replacement, per Enrique Rojas of ESPN Deportes. I'd love to see Acta get another chance.

22/09/2015 19:34
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Steve Adams

D0f7423e6e494bbabdbd1039696d474a?d=identicon

Dennis

When a player is place on waivers, that player has to go thru the league he is currently playing in first before that player goes thru the other league. Why doesn't baseball have the waiver wire in order with all 30 teams from worse record to best record?

That is the offseason waiver priority, and it carries into the first month of the season. The per-league waiver priority is only used during the season.

22/09/2015 19:35
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Steve Adams

5c09764c315c247d6a4c0f4ca57bd5a4?d=identicon

Also Steve

Biggest needs for the White Sox this winter?

Add a real catcher and figure out second/third base. Improve the terrible defense. I think they'll be in better shape in 2016 so long as Eaton and Melky sustain their second halves. I'd like to see them add a right-handed arm to the rotation to replace Samardzija as well.

22/09/2015 19:36
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Steve Adams

874811633262b2d87a32a926fe613d41?d=identicon

Anonymous

Parks and Rec or Veep

Parks and Rec. Not close.

22/09/2015 19:37
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Steve Adams

D8df580b4eb12d57623f35ee132eebe2?d=identicon

Anonymous

The Angels have Weaver, Wilson, Richards, Santiago, Skaggs, Shoemaker, and Heaney slated for five rotation spots next year. Do you think they'll trade a couple of those guys and what would be the likely return?

I can see them trying to shed the remainder of Wilson's contract. I expect Weaver, RIchards, Santiago and Heaney to be in the rotation next season... Shoemaker there until Skaggs returns, I suppose. I'm not expecting them to pursue much starting pitching this winter, though for what it's worth Tim Dierkes and I were talking about this not 24 hours ago, and he disagrees, saying he thinks they could move Wilson and look for a nice mid- to upper-tier arm. I don't see i with the luxury tax concerns and needs at second base, probably third base (not sold on Kubitza/Cowart) and in left field.

22/09/2015 19:39
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Steve Adams

3fdae469073e50e17048175c8e63de7d?d=identicon

Lexi

What are the keys to the A's getting back in contention?

Improve the bullpen and get a clean slate to start from. I know A's fans are tired of hearing this, but I think they were terribly unlucky for much of the season. Their run differential was exceptional and suggested that they should've had a much better record, as did the BaseRuns projection system and a number of others. There are, of course, human variables that make any mathematical or statistical projection impossible for 100 percent accuracy, plus just pure randomness, but I think there's some nice talent in Oakland.

22/09/2015 19:41
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Steve Adams

D69403e2673e611d4cbd3fad6fd1788e?d=identicon

steve

chance's of AA being in Toronto next season and beyond

I expect an extension.

22/09/2015 19:42
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Steve Adams

Fd2012858c7d0a8ea118860d09441fd4?d=identicon

Fanatic Fan

If you were the Seattle Mariners. Which GM would you hire?

There's no great way to answer these types of questions since we see only a glimpse of what goes on behind closed doors. I've spoken to people who have worked with Jerry Dipoto and said good things about him, though, and I think he's made quite a few good moves, though he of course has misses as well (Grichuk in the Freese trade looks regrettable). I'd like to see him get another shot, and he fits Seattle's desire for an experienced GM.

22/09/2015 19:44
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Steve Adams

4078ba9c08f88c7b6965394cd5463cc2?d=identicon

whinny one

why does the chat room quit working after a few minutes?

Seems like some people are having issues here. I'll look into this and maybe next week try hosting it off-site as opposed to embedding it into a post. That might be part of the issue, because I don't believe Tim had these problems when he hosted last week. Sorry about that. I'd say just refresh the page if it happens.

22/09/2015 19:45
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Steve Adams

37538ae57e728dfdbb11ac7075eec171?d=identicon

Padres!

Padres: Assuming a qualifying offer on Kennedy and MUpton starting in CF... can we get an upgrade anywhere by trading away parts of our infield? Alonso, Gyorko, Solarte, Spangenberg are all decent players. Or, what else can we do to put a playoff contender on the field?

I think Kennedy is a no-brainer for the QO. He'll reject without much other consideration.

Bossman Jr. has quietly had a nice rebound in his limited time with San Diego, though I'm not sure that means they want to run him out there as a starter. He's had some BABIP luck in his favor and is still whiffing a ton (albeit less than in his terrible Braves years). He might still be more of a platoon/part-time guy for me.

Gyorko and Alonso have some semblance of value, though Gyorko's contract negates quite a bit of it. If they're looking to move someone young that has some value, Myers would be my pick, perhaps, but his injuries have been problematic.

All in all, they're in a tough spot, because the guys who SHOULD be trade candidates haven't performed well enough to maximize their value. If they're going to bring in upgrades via trade, it's going to have to be by trading Tyson Ross and/or Craig Kimbrel, I think.

22/09/2015 19:49
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Steve Adams

472d46cb829018f9dbd65fb8479a49bb?d=identicon

Jason

Who's the next Cuban sensation and when are they eligible?

Eddy Julio Martinez is a free agent right now, though he'd be a couple years away. There's not any sort of predictable timeline for when top Cubans are going to make the jump to Major League Baseball (or try to, anyway). Yulieski Gourriel and Alfred Despaigne would garner huge attention, but there's no telling if or when they'll make the move.

22/09/2015 19:51
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Steve Adams

99c49cbef75d4ef1850b37e04cc5dcb0?d=identicon

Tigers

Will the Tigers ever try to upgrade their bullpen? Its been since 2006 they have had contending teams with no bullpen. Will this new GM finally spend money on the bullpen?

You say that as if Dave Dombrowski never attempted to do that. He signed Nathan, traded for Soria, Veras, Krol... signed Joaquin Benoit... Dombrowski made plenty of efforts to fix it, they just came up short often. Avila may approach it differently, but he was involved in all of those decisions as well.

22/09/2015 19:53
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Steve Adams

A286fe987909ab3078c3f60b853f5c30?d=identicon

Matt E

Parks and Rec or The Office?

Parks and Rec is my favorite sitcom since Seinfeld, I think, so it's going to beat just about everything folks. I love The Office, though. Less enthusiastic about Veep. It's ok.

22/09/2015 19:53
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Steve Adams

A6058575a25e3607acf4f79b17ec722a?d=identicon

BoSox8

What is your opinion of Kenta Maeda?

I'll have a better one once I start trying to talk to some international scouts on his 2015 season. We'll try to put together a profile on him like we do other top free agents, so this is a better question to ask down the line.

22/09/2015 19:54
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Steve Adams

Ca182904e15851037ca09a060968b30f?d=identicon

Prich

Help me out... How do I tell a loved one they are a moron for not being impressed with Cal Ripken JR's streak?

I'm not sure how you could love someone who isn't impressed by that. I'd disown family members if they brushed that off.

22/09/2015 19:55
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Steve Adams

3e06fa3927cbdf4e9d93ba4541acce86?d=identicon

Michael

Is there a sense within the Dodger organization on what they want to offer Greinke to stay?

The only thing holding Greinke back from being an easy $150MM+ candidate is that he's going into his age-32 season. The age-36 year has historically been as far as most clubs are comfortable guaranteeing a pitcher's contract.

But, Greinke's having a historically great year, so $150MM still seems possible me -- hell, $150MM over five years would even seem plausible. What the Dodgers are willing to offer... they're probably not even sure on that yet. Money's hardly an issue for them, though.

22/09/2015 19:57
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Steve Adams

1b83d5da74032b6a750ef12210642eea?d=identicon

Mike

House of Cards or Breaking Bad?

Breaking Bad trumps just about everything.

22/09/2015 19:58
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Steve Adams

1b83d5da74032b6a750ef12210642eea?d=identicon

Mike

Given Samardzija's durability, do the Yankees sign him?

I'd expect them to be one of many teams interested. Most of free agency is impossible to predict at this point, and Samardzija's even more difficult than most. They've been intrigued with him in the past, though, I believe, and the need for rotation stability there is pretty clear.

22/09/2015 19:59
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Steve Adams

9a748974e644cbc0468894a387ce31ba?d=identicon

annoyed

if you could answer baseball related questions that would be ocol.

Sorry for the 60 seconds of torture you've been put through in the free chat you're hanging out in.

22/09/2015 20:00
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Steve Adams

D9bc0fccf56c5f6261d8209c4a962c4c?d=identicon

MooneysRebellion

Name a pitching candidate that would be a perfect one year deal to go work with Mickey Calloway and his pitching voodoo?

Mat Latos fits that bill.

22/09/2015 20:01
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Steve Adams

4bc01ea507097d52aeb9804a52bd02aa?d=identicon

ega05me

Which starting pitcher should the Rays trade this offseason considering their extensive depth?

That's the thing I find odd about reports that they might move a starter this winter -- none stand out as obvious trade candidates to me. Dombrowski could go for broke and try to make Archer the type of controllable arm the Sox want to add, but I can't see Archer being moved coming off this season with this type of control. Moore's value is down due to injury. Ditto Smyly and Cobb. Not sure Erasmo has a ton. Odorizzi might be the most logical, but he's not even arb-eligible yet and is quite good, so the return would need to be huge.

22/09/2015 20:04
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Steve Adams

944facfeb153b4f01916a0f166fcc315?d=identicon

Chris

What do you see the Pittsburgh Pirates doing this offseason?

Find another Ray Searage reclamation project, get a better solution at first base after they non-tender or trade Pedro Alvarez. Consider trading Melancon because money.

22/09/2015 20:05
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Steve Adams

C5d87114d2119b90da8f007eb1fc84e6?d=identicon

CubGuy

This is an awesome format!!!!!! Thank you so much for all the hard work!

Happy it's going over well. Will hopefully smooth out some kinks next week. I've got to run for now, but remember you can always submit questions to our Mailbag (mlbtrmailbag@gmail.com) which runs on Mondays. Otherwise, you can find me on Twitter: @Adams_Steve and I'll of course be back next Tuesday for another.

Enjoy your week, everyone!

22/09/2015 20:06
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Steve Adams