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Front Office Chat: 1/2/26
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Mariners
4:34
What has surprised you most this offseason?
Anthony Franco
4:34
Murakami, $ and team
Rendon
4:34
Now that it’s all finally over, what’s your take on the whole Rendon saga? Feel like his comments weren’t actually bad (nothing wrong with work-life balance), but came across really terribly given his inability to stay on the field
Anthony Franco
4:37
Yeah don't have any issue with him saying he prioritizes family obviously, but he came across as checked out mentally and weirdly combative for basically all of his Angels tenure
4:38
Did that actually have any impact on his lack of availability? No idea, every Kris Bryant interview is talking about how badly he wants to play and his body just won't hold up. But it's not a good look
4:39
Obviously a disastrous contract for the team and unfortunate back half to what was really an excellent career. Feels like a lot of people forget how good Rendon was throughout his time in Washington because of how terribly it ended
Mike Trout
4:39
WTF is Perry thinking!!?? Putting me BACK in CF? I barely limped back to my second 100-game season since 2019, thanks in no small part to being our DH, and now he wants me back in center?! Dang! Alright, rant over, back to it. Shohei just lapped me on MVP's...
Anthony Franco
4:40
Didn't read him to say they're thinking about it as an everyday thing, just spot starts. They should probably just sign Bader though
Kk
4:40
To what extent do you think the big potential trade chips like Marte and Skubal are stalling the FA market? Should one of these rumors be definitively quelled, do you think the dominos start falling?
Anthony Franco
4:41
Don't think it means much. Skubal has always been a major long shot to go. It's just a weak free agent SP class
4:42
Maybe a little overlap in the Marte/Bichette markets but Bregman's probably the bigger holdup considering the Jays/Red Sox make the most sense for an infielder among the biggest market teams
Guest
4:42
Do you see the  Imai signing as a failure by the  Cubs or a signal as how they valued him? Do you believe the Cubs will continue looking for a top of the rotation arm through trade or FA?
Anthony Franco
4:44
If the Cubs thought Imai was a #2/3 starter, they would've beaten three years and $54M. High-upside starter remains the biggest need, they're probably the best fit for Gore
Kevin
4:44
How are the staff changes the Rockies have made, from Paul DePodesta and Josh Byrnes down through many others, being viewed throughout the industry?
Anthony Franco
4:46
Haven't seen any pushback against the Byrnes hire. DePo's the bigger swing obviously and one that could go in a lot of directions given how long he's been outside MLB, but I think the prevailing opinion is that they're at least trying something new after years of insularity
4:47
No issue with giving Schaeffer a real chance to manage. Next couple years are going to be terrible no matter who's in the dugout. If the relationship with the players was strong, why not keep him around?
Guarded Indian
4:47
Are the Phillies actually going to move on from Nick C?  It seems like if they were going to jettison him off the roster they would have done so already.  Change of heart?  Maybe they don't want to pay someone a lot of money to not play for them?
Anthony Franco
4:48
They'll move on at some point, probably waiting out the free agent outfield market to see if someone will eat a couple million in a trade before the start of Spring Training
4:49
They signed Adolis to replace him and the relationship between Thomson and Castellanos seems irreparable. I can't imagine he's still on the roster in mid-February, especially after they've essentially publicly declared they're moving on
Lu Bob
4:49
The White Sox appear to be at least attempting to be competitive this year, which is great after the last 2 years.  I can see a world where a right-handed hitting power hitter (when healthy and laying off sliders) Luis Robert makes a lot of sense in the middle of a suddenly lefty heavy middle of the lineup with Teel, Montgomery, Murakami (and even Benintendi).  Do you think the Sox wait to see how the first
Anthony Franco
4:50
Still feels more like they're holding in hope that he rebuilds enough trade value. The lineup core is coming together but there's no chance they're competitive in 2026 with this pitching staff
Marte
4:51
What is Arizona looking for now that they have an MLB "capable" rotation. Will it turn to pitching prospects or some other type of elite/controllable asset?
Anthony Franco
4:51
I imagine they'll hold him and take a bunch of dart throws on cheap relievers, plus a reunion with Goldy as a righty complement to Pavin Smith at first base
Brewers Fan
4:52
I shouldn't expect anything beyond a Quintana esq late off-season vet signing right? Seems like we are content to just run it back
Freddy Peralta
4:52
Do you think he'll net a "better" return than Burnes did? In the long run is that answer the same? Burnes is fairly bleh thus far.
Anthony Franco
4:53
I do think Freddy would pull more than Burnes -- though I really liked the return at the time and still have some hope for Ortiz to salvage it -- but would be surprised if they pull the trigger on it. Agree that they're basically just running it back
Chris
4:53
Any chance the Mets consider selling relatively high on Baty’s second half and his solid defense at multiple positions and bringing in Bregman?
Anthony Franco
4:55
Bregman makes sense to me even if they keep Baty. Trade Vientos and have Baty/Polanco split time between 1B and DH with Baty having the flexibility to bounce around if anyone gets hurt
Jrizz1e
4:55
does mahle’s slight contract point to something similar happening with similarly projected pitchers?
Anthony Franco
4:56
Always felt like one year to me. I would've set the O/U at Dustin May's 12.5 but no, the price says more about Mahle than the rotation market
4:57
He just hasn't stayed healthy at any point in the last four years. Results were very good last year but the strikeouts and stuff are way down from his peak in Cincinnati. Hope he bounces back but tough to bank on him for much at this point
Guest
4:57
Anthony, been dying for your response, as I think it makes so much sense fit both teams; Buxton and Ryan to the Phils for Bohm  Painter, Crawford and an AAA reliever. Who says no and why.
Anthony Franco
4:58
That's a light return for the Twins even if they were to move Ryan/Buxton this offseason, which they apparently don't want to do
4:59
If Painter and Crawford are both performing next season, they'd fit better as centerpieces for that kind of trade but probably too pivotal to the Phillies to move them at that point
Anthopolous
4:59
What’s my next move?
Anthony Franco
5:00
Should be Ranger Suárez or Gallen
5:01
They've checked the other boxes, albeit at prices that I'm not a huge fan of in a vacuum. That doesn't really matter if ownership is willing to go to the third luxury tier to bring in a mid-rotation starter
5:03
If they're maxed out financially and have to run it back with no injury insurance for this rotation, then a lot of their moves (doubling up in the late innings and paying a combined $26M for Kim and Dubón) are head scratchers
Tigers
5:03
What are the chances the Tigers surprise us and pounce on one of the top 3B free agent options (Bregman, Bichette, Suarez) of the length of the contracts drops as expected?
Anthony Franco
5:05
I have a hard time seeing that with Bichette. Bregman maybe, but I also feel like he's at a point where he should just max out even if it's not what he was hoping for
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