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Front Office Chat: 1/26/24
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Ethan
3:25
What do you think is next for the Pirates? Chapman signing makes zero sense if that's the last thing they do and they go into spring as is
Anthony Franco
3:26
Agreed. Pretty underwhelming offseason overall. Feels like they can't decide whether they actually think they can hang in the playoff mix this year
3:27
They have to add another starter though. Can't enter the season with Keller, Pérez, Marco, Ortiz and Falter/Priester as your starting five if you expect to be even vaguely competitive
Ben
3:27
Hi, Anthony. Do you think it's likely the Cubs add another bat? If so, of the remaining free agents, who do you think would be the best fit, and who you believe the team will actually target?
Russ
3:27
When are the Cubs going to do something? I hope they don’t go after Bellinger we don’t need another Jason Heyward contract! Chapmen for a few years and some good free agents pitchers. What are you hearing?
Official Gary Gaetti Fan Club
3:28
Are the Cubs, uh, going to do anything? Or do the Rickets think that they can win the division without being forced to divert their personal wealth away from looney tunes right wing causes to improving the baseball team?
Cubs fan
3:28
Is it safe to say Morel will be the starting 3rd baseman or is it going to be a carousel of candidates?
Anthony Franco
3:28
Might as well package the Cubs stuff together
3:29
If Bellinger gets to a point where he settles for the short term, high-AAV with the opt-out, that should bring the Cubs back in play
3:30
Covers for Tauchman regression and buys PCA a little more time in Triple-A
3:31
If not, I think Chapman still makes sense. That'll be the kind of deal they've given out in free agency -- good but not great player for over $100MM but less than $200MM -- and third base is the biggest question on the position player side if they think Busch can handle first (as it appears they do)
Pete
3:31
If Machado were a FA this year, what would his contract look like?  Another way to ask it is how badly did the Padres overpay?  Thanks!
Anthony Franco
3:33
Interesting thought exercise. Can't see him getting the $350MM that SD gave him, particularly with the elbow injury, but I think Bogaerts money would have been in play
3:34
Still only 31. Would've been the second-best free agent hitter in the class in my view. I do think he'd still have opted out of the six years and $180MM that were left on his original deal and beaten it
Alan B
3:34
Any chance Vogelbach gets an MLB deal? If not, wouldn't he be perfect for Japan or Korea?
Edd G
3:34
I haven't read anything about Keston Hiura since he declared as a free agent. I think he should go to south Korea or Japan to regain his stroke and get back to MLB. What are your thoughts?
Anthony Franco
3:36
Believe all the KBO teams have used their allotted three roster spots on foreign players. NPB is still possible but I expect both of these guys to sign minor league deals with Spring Training invites for now
willie
3:36
It seems to me that the extra team in the playoffs has encouraged teams to be just a bit over mediocre, sneak in the the playoffs and hope for a hot streak.
Anthony Franco
3:36
I wouldn't say that's unique to the last playoff expansion. That was also true when they added the Wild Card in the first place and when they went from eight to 10 playoff teams a decade ago
3:37
It'll skew even more in that direction if the league ever gets to 16
3:38
This is why the MLBPA pushed against the 14-team playoff that the league wanted in the last CBA negotiations. The bigger the playoff field, the less incentive teams have to build a great team (and by extension, spend money)
RAGBRAI
3:38
Does Chourio break camp with the Brewers?
Anthony Franco
3:38
Yeah I think he's the Opening Day CF
BudT707
3:38
Is the luxury tax a farce, how do the Dodgers spend so much and not seem to be affected by it
Guest
3:38
Can the Giants trade for LA’s accountant who can make the spending of a billion dollars and still stay under the luxury tax
Anthony Franco
3:39
They're not under the luxury tax. They're going past all four thresholds and subject to the highest fees as a third-time repeat payor
3:41
If you want the tax to serve as a hard salary cap, then you could see it as a "farce" in that sense. If an ownership group doesn't care about paying taxes, they can spend as much as they want. It's not a firm spending limit
But it serves as a deterrent for a handful of ownership groups every year, which is about all the MLBPA is ever going to be willing to concede
Most overpaid?
3:42
Of the big four left: Belli, Chapman, Monty and Snell, who earns the horrible contract that a team is ready to end? Will all 4 be that guy? None?
The Worst Month of Sports… January
3:42
Will Snell be worth his contract? He’s the ultimate all or nothing pitcher and the alls seem pretty far apart from each other… should I be excited or worried if my Diamondbacks sign him?
Anthony Franco
3:43
Snell's the one I'd be least interested in signing for the price I think it'd take (around $200MM)
As an aside: February's easily the worst sports month for me
any upcoming fantasy chats
3:43
Just wondering if there will be any upcoming chats focused on fantasy baseball. If so, when?
Anthony Franco
3:44
I don't think so. Brad moved on from MLBTR, and I believe baseball writing entirely, a couple months ago. I'm not aware of any plans to bring in a new fantasy-specific writer
HOF
3:44
With the HOF announcement this week, do you think the guys with the steroid cloud over them (Bonds, McGwire, Sosa, etc) eventually get elected by the veterans committee?
Anthony Franco
3:45
I expect they'll get in eventually as the steroid era gets further in the rearview
willie
3:45
Looking at the Athletics roster, I don't see many wins.  How many do you see?
Anthony Franco
3:47
They won 50 last year, which is about what their run differential suggested. They haven't done anything to improve this offseason. A full season of Zack Gelof helps, maybe Darrell Hernaiz hits the ground running
The pitching is atrocious though. I'll guess 54-108
Doug E.
3:48
The Dodgers have a reputation of signing pitchers that they improve with a new pitch another way to throw a pitch etc.  They don’t seem to sign them the next year.  Ryan Brasier is the latest example of this and I realize he is still a free agent and could end up as a Dodger.  His ERA was under one, why haven’t the Dodgers signed him he is better than some of the relievers they have and won’t cost a lot of money?
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