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Front Office Chat: 1/17/25
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Anthony Franco
2:59
Hey all, hope you've had a good week!
Lots to discuss, let's get rolling
Sasaki
3:00
Do I end up in Toronto or with the Dodgers?
Anthony Franco
3:01
Sure felt like the Dodgers after the Padres were reported to be out but I find it hard to believe the Jays would take on most of Straw's contract if they didn't get the sense they had a good chance to make this happen
Orioles Fan
3:01
Does Baltimore get an ace, or just roll with what they have going into the season?
Anthony Franco
3:03
They make sense if the Padres trade Cease but beyond that, it's tough to see where they'd get an ace at this point. Could try again at the deadline if any of Gallen, Framber, Cease or Michael King come available
3:04
Maybe Woodruff or Freddy Peralta would be out there if the Brewers struggle
3:05
This hasn't been a great offseason for them but I think there'll be an opportunity to salvage it over the summer. Much bigger concern for me if they've got a top three of Rodriguez, Eflin and Morton in August
Reds fan Ryan
3:05
What would the Red Sox be looking for in return for Wilyer Abreu or Tristan Casas?  If the Reds tried to trade for him, would Lowder or Burns have to be included?  The Reds can't really afford to trade off their best pitching talent.  I thought Andrew Abbott or Alexis Diaz would be a good starting point, but Tim shot that down in his mailbag.  As
Anthony Franco
3:06
Just saw the second version of this question that also asks about Kjerstad
3:07
I agree with Tim that Abbott or Díaz aren't getting it done for Casas or Abreu (or Kjerstad, for that matter). I don't think Cincinnati would move Burns or Lowder for any of those guys
3:09
Maybe Lodolo splits the difference? Tough guy to value with the recent injury history but still feels like there's a potential #3 starter in there. Probably wouldn't move him for Abreu or Kjerstad if I were Cincinnati, but if Boston were open to that on Casas, I'd probably jump
Dave Dombrowski
3:09
Done with offseason moves this year?  Better options to adjust roster when contracts expire in the next year or two?  Maybe Kyle Tucker?
Anthony Franco
3:10
Yeah I think that's fair for Philadelphia. The Luzardo trade was a bigger swing than I expected them to make this offseason. They've got lot of money coming off the books next winter and don't have a ton of holes to fill for the upcoming season
Alex Smugman
3:10
Why do some Yankees fans want Bregman? Yankees need to get younger, not sign a long term contract with a player who is already declining.
Anthony Franco
3:11
I get your hesitation about the contract -- tough to be excited about it if you're looking at six or seven years -- but they need to do something on the infield and there's not much else out there
3:12
If they open the season counting on either LeMahieu or Oswaldo Cabrera to play every day, that's a problem
GBS42
3:12
Favorite Bob Uecker story or anecdote?
Anthony Franco
3:13
Nothing specific or unique but he's so clearly the best part of Major League for me. Legendary stuff
Ke Hayes
3:13
I asked for a trade?
Anthony Franco
3:14
Not sure where that first came from but multiple Pirates beat reporters have shot that rumor down
Craig Mish the Dish
3:14
With the Mets moving off Alonso, are they a possible landing spot for Arenado?
Anthony Franco
3:15
Still don't like the fit. I'd rather let the younger guys (hopefully Mauricio) compete for third base if Vientos is moving across the diamond
El Chupacabra
3:15
Jurickson Profar: who you taking?  Padres or the field?
Anthony Franco
3:16
Field. I still think the Royals make the most sense but they've been very quiet since the India trade
Duran Duran
3:17
So the Red Sox and Jarren Duran just avoided arbitration. But before last year, Duran wasn't exactly a great player. How much will he regress to his averagaeness—or has he really made the leap to All-Star?
Anthony Franco
3:19
I just think he's really good now. Contact skills and approach have improved steadily over his career. He hits the ball relatively hard, runs well enough to sustain a plus BABIP
3:20
Last year's WAR total (especially the 8.7 from B-Ref) will probably end up being his career high. Had kind of an outlier defensive season from DRS and stayed healthy enough to lead MLB in plate appearances, but I buy him as a 4-5 win player
BILL G.
3:20
Where does the pool of money come from for the international signing period?  Do teams use any of their own money?
Anthony Franco
3:21
Yeah it's just the teams' money. The pool is just the amount that MLB allows teams to spend
3:23
By MLB standards, these bonuses are very small even at the top of the class. A top prospect gets about what Colin Rea makes as a free agent. The pool is just in place to cap the players' earnings because these guys (especially the best prospects in the class) would make a lot more if it were truly open market bidding
Predict the future
3:24
What's going to be the 2025 performance—and full/part-time status—of these part-time 2024 players:
• Jackson Holliday
• Jacob Wilson
• Vaughn Grissom
Ooops. Also:
• Jonatan Clase
Anthony Franco
3:25
Wilson's definitely getting the A's shortstop job. Holliday should have every chance to take second base again in Baltimore
3:26
I think Grissom's probably a role player after the year he had. Kristian Campbell's not far off and David Hamilton's probably above Grissom even if Campbell starts in Triple-A. Clase feels like a fourth outfielder but Varsho's probably starting the season on the IL so Clase should have a little bit of early-season run to try to play his way into a bigger role
Pending Sasaki
3:27
So did Cleveland write a check for $2 million with "International Bonus Pool" in the memo line? Or did they trade only the right to spend that $2 million to Toronto?
Anthony Franco
3:27
The latter
Vlad Soto
3:27
Heard an interview with Buster Olney saying the Mets are aggressively trying to trade for Vlad. Anything to it?
Anthony Franco
3:28
They can try but it doesn't seem like Toronto has any interest in moving him
3:29
Maybe if they don't get Sasaki and extension talks over the next month go nowhere, the Jays will be more open to moving Vlad, but they're hoping to compete right now. Basically can't do that if they trade him
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