Steve Adams' NL Central comments

[mikechamp]

These comments came from a chat with MLB Trade Rumors' writer Steve Adams that occurred on June 9. (If you like him, you can find him on Twitter @Adams_Steve and Bluesky @adams-steve.bsky.social.)

I know this is a few days late, but I've been out of town. Definitely more questions than last week and 1 bonus Q&A about a salary cap. Enjoy the read!

The link to the entire chat can be found here: https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2026/06/ ... t-131.html
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Gorman a change of scenery candidate?

Steve Adams
I don’t think they’ll get a ton for him, but at a certain point, I don’t know why they wouldn’t move on. He’s trending toward a non-tender, and he’s had a pretty substantial leash both in ’26 and more broadly over the past several seasons. Does feel like a change-of-scenery guy, whether this summer or in an early-November trade or just as a free agent with a new team after he’s non-tendered.
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What starting pitchers do you see being available at the deadline?

Steve Adams
Joe Ryan, Tarik Skubal, Sandy Alcantara, Max Meyer, Casey Mize, Dustin May, Tyler Mahle, Robbie Ray, Adrian Houser, Jack Flaherty, Kris Bubic, Bailey Ober, Brady Singer, Zack Littell.

Skubal only if Detroit is completely buried, which I’m still not convinced will be the case, but at this point you’ve got to acknowledge the possibility of it.
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Do you see the Cubs doing a little buying AND selling at the deadline? Maybe making moves that could technically help the team down the stretch, but would be with an eye more for 2027 (i.e. controllable pitching)?

Steve Adams
Most contending clubs are open to these sorts of scenarios. Cubs won’t be an exception. They should absolutely be eyeing controllable starting pitching, as their 2027 rotation right now is Edward Cabrera, Ben Brown and the shrug emoji guy. You hope Justin Steele’s in there, but he’s already run into some setbacks in the UCL rehab. Boyd, Imanaga and Taillon are free agents. Horton won’t be ready until several months into the season. Rea has a club option but TBD if it’s picked up.
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Any chance the Brewers sign Castellanos?

Steve Adams
I was surprised the Padres signed him and gave him as much leash as they did. I don’t see why anyone would look at what Castellanos has done in recent years, but especially in ’26, and think he’s going to help improve their club.
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No because they have Yelich, but Castellanos would be a good DH.

Steve Adams
Castellanos has lost two miles per hour of bat speed in the past two years and has batted .240/.280/.390 over his past 711 plate appearances in the majors.

He was just released by a team whose collective offense has posted worse rate stats over the past month than Zack Greinke did as a hitter in his career.

The fascination with Castellanos — and it’s not just in this chat, it dates back to last deadline/last offseason — is genuinely perplexing to me. He hasn’t even been below-average, he’s just been a bad hitter for closing in on three years now.
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What do you think of Luis Lara's contract extension? Give it a grade.

Steve Adams
They paid a top prospect the same amount it’d cost to sign a 30-something fourth starter in free agency. In doing so, they secured control over three would-be free agent seasons and cost security over his arb years. Seems fine to me.
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What if Lara doesn’t hit MLB pitching?

Steve Adams
Then the Brewers are basically out the same as if they’d signed Matt Boyd and he blew out his UCL a month into the first season of the deal.
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Can the Cubs really afford to move on from value like Shaw, Ramirez, or Wiggins at the trade deadline for? Or do they stay mid tier and move Alcantara, Long or Triantos for a blah move?

Steve Adams
I’m not super high on Shaw in general, as I’ve said in the past, but I don’t think there’s any reason they can’t move on from one of Shaw or Ramirez. The infield is set long-term with Bregman, Swanson, Hoerner and Busch — for better or worse. (Left side looking a bit shaky at the moment, but it’s a five-week skid for Dansby and Bregman has been serviceable at least). Moving one of those guys to a team with more infield needs and then using the other as a superutility and/or corner outfield piece would be fine.

I can understand being reluctant to move Wiggins, given the lack of pitching in place beyond ’26. Personally, I hope they do it just so I don’t briefly conflate Jaxon Wiggins and Jordan Wicks, which I inexplicably do for about 1.5 seconds every time either one of them is mentioned, haha.
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What could the Reds do at the trade deadline? Feels like nothing.

Steve Adams
No need for them to make that decision seven weeks out. They’ll hopefully be getting Greene back by then, which helps. Elly, too.Obviously a frustrating team, but there’s a decent core in place there and if they’re within arm’s reach they’ll try to contend, even if it’s just with more small-scale bullpen/bench acquisitions.
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If the Pirates are in contention late, would you bring up Seth Hernandez to the pen ala Rays & David Price?

Steve Adams
Price was drafted 1-1 as a college ace and had already dominated AAA when he was called up shortly after his 23rd birthday. Hernandez was a high school draftee who’s 19 and hasn’t pitched above A-ball yet.
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Who’s better: Miz or Chase Burns?

Steve Adams
I love Chase Burns, but there aren’t many I’d take over Misiorowski. Might not be any. Hmm.
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What is happening in Stl? Starters are bad, bullpen only has like 4 guys you can trust and are just ok, lineup is real bad outside top 4 (5 with Noot). This can’t be sustainable. Right?

Steve Adams
I probably like the bats a bit more than you do — Walker, JJ, Burleson, Winn, Herrera, Noot are all just good or better — but the pitching on this team is going to cost them. Almost everyone in the rotation is a major regression candidate.
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What do you think of Luis Lara's contract extension? Give it a grade.

Steve Adams
They paid a top prospect the same amount it’d cost to sign a 30-something fourth starter in free agency. In doing so, they secured control over three would-be free agent seasons and cost security over his arb years. Seems fine to me.
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Who gets the better contract this winter: Jake Bauers or Andrew Vaughn?

Steve Adams
Vaughn’s not a free agent! So … Bauers. Haha
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Do teams get a period of time to get below a salary cap if it's added and already exceed it?

Steve Adams
I’m sure it’d be gradually implemented, yes, but I’ll be the broken record guy again here and say I don’t think there’ll be a cap/floor or games lost next year (offseason lockout/transaction freeze, absolutely though).
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