You are viewing the chat in desktop mode. Click here to switch to mobile view.
X
Front Office Chat: 12/15/23
powered byJotCast
Prev Page View Full Chat Next Page
Anthony Franco
4:39
We usually run stuff on domestic violence by multiple people before publishing as well, for obvious reasons
Farte Moreno
4:39
Do you see Detmers as a realistic target for a team like Baltimore who is looking for controllable pitching? The Angels could get a little younger and a little deeper for a pitcher probably not on their timetable anyway.
Anthony Franco
4:41
I don't think the Angels agree that Detmers (who's controllable for four seasons) doesn't align with their competitive timeline
4:42
They're kind of taking a Rockies position where ownership refuses to rebuild (and the front office probably couldn't do that anyways if they expected to keep their jobs) regardless of outside evaluations of the roster
FZ
4:42
Do I really expect Jung Hoo Lee to hit as well in the states as in Korea? It seems that what few hitters come over from the KBO tend to post OPS about 100 to 200 lower than their best seasons in the KBO.
Anthony Franco
4:43
Certainly can't expect Lee to post a .930 OPS or anything like that. If they get slightly above-average offense with passable defense in CF, that's a win
4:44
A Brandon Nimmo-lite or peak Dexter Fowler type of player
Bill
4:44
The Braves myriad moves to acquire Kelenic and Fletcher at such a high cost is quite dumbfounding
Anthony Franco
4:45
Yeah I don't really get it. I liked the Bummer trade a lot, was ok with Kelenic and taking a flier on Marco. But then they gave Marco away and took on more money for David Fletcher, which is where they lost me
Matz
4:45
I’m a huge fan of his.  Do you think the Cards will move him this off-season?  Left handed, maybe out of the bullpen, perhaps could appeal?
Anthony Franco
4:47
Wouldn't say it's likely he gets traded but I doubt they're opposed to it. They kind of squeezed him out of the starting five anyways
He wouldn't get 2/25 as a free agent. They'd have to eat a little bit of the money, but it's not an egregious sum or anything. That's Sean Manaea/Ross Stripling territory. Matz isn't that far below those guys
Cohen
4:48
Do you foresee greater spending by Steve Cohen as a result of what’s happening with the Dodgers?
Anthony Franco
4:49
Not directly in response to the Dodgers, no. I expect they'll be very aggressive next offseason but because that has been the timetable they've set their sights on since the team was floundering in July
I think Cohen understands that the current Mets roster isn't in the same league as the Dodgers' and that rashly spending in response to the Dodgers getting Ohtani/Glasnow doesn't help the organization
Sultans of Swing
4:50
This morning's feed on Jack Flaherty said the Tigers won't get 30 starts from any of them. Why would you say that about Skubal? He did his time (and it wasn't even Tommy John), came back, didn't miss a start, had 9 starts in a row between 5 and 7 innings (most at 6-7) with a sub-3 ERA and a sub 0.9 WHIP. Those are Cy Young stats prorated over a full season, and there's nothing there to indicate he's incapable of 30 starts. What am I missing?
Anthony Franco
4:51
Genuinely not sure what this is referring to. I love Skubal and agree with you that getting 30 starts out of him is viable
4:52
I also think they could get a full workload out of Flaherty fwiw. More skeptical on Manning, Mize, Olson and Maeda
Mr Met's Cousin in SD
4:53
Will Max Scherzer's time lost due to back surgery be covered by insurance?  If it is and a claim is filed, which tam(s) recoup money?  Is it broken down by percentage eac h team is paying or does it all go to the current team?  No, not related to Steve or anything, just crossed my mind and I was curious.
Anthony Franco
4:53
Interesting question to which I don't know the answer. I haven't seen any indication that Scherzer's contract was insured, so I don't think it matters in this specific case
4:54
If a hypothetical player's deal were insured, that player got traded along with cash, and then insurance kicked in because of injury, I'm not sure how that's handled. I'd assume the insurance savings are prorated based on the percentage of money the trading team included, but maybe that's something the clubs just have to agree on during trade discussions that never gets reported?
Thank you for the chat!
4:55
Do you think it benefits guys like Soto to be traded so much in that they can now freely sign anywhere with much less conflict?
Anthony Franco
4:55
An offseason trade doesn't matter much. Midseason trades can be a benefit to the player because it takes the qualifying offer off the table
Ryan
4:55
How much do you think Michael A Taylor will sign for?  He would be a good fit for the Reds  but possibly cost more than they would want to spend for the role that he would play. Perhaps Aaron Hicks would be a more likely option.
Anthony Franco
4:55
I'll say 2/16 on MAT
4:56
Would've been a little lower than that at the start of the offseason but I don't see why he wouldn't beat Renfroe money
Teo or Lourdes?
4:56
Which of the two should the jays reunite with?
Anthony Franco
4:57
I'd be surprised if they brought back either but I think Teoscar's a better fit of the two given the need for an impact bat
mmddyyyy
4:57
Do you recommend any other baseball subscriptions or blogs or etc.?
Anthony Franco
4:59
I've mostly cut baseball blogs and podcasts out to maintain a semblance of work-life balance but the one baseball podcast I still listen to regularly is Carlos Collazo's and Ben Badler's Future Projection at Baseball America
5:00
Really good info if you want to learn about a prospects or are part of a deep dynasty league
Sultans of Swing
5:00
Thanks for responding! Appreciate it! ... Since you asked, it was from a MLBTR email I got at 11:07 a.m. Central: Prior to signing Flaherty, the Tigers had a projected rotation of Tarik Skubal, Kenta Maeda, Reese Olson, Matt Manning, and Casey Mize, the last returning from 2022 Tommy John surgery. There’s uncertainty about those last two—Mize hasn’t pitched since early 2022, and Manning struck out just 15.8 percent of opposing hitters last year—and Flaherty threw 40 more innings than any of the five, so the Tigers are hoping he can sure up a rotation that surely won’t get 30-plus starts out of each of the other five. Still, it’s not out of the question that Flaherty will finish the season back in the bullpen, though that might be better than finishing it back on the injured list. Thus the games-started bonuses: $250,000 for both 26 and 28 starts, and $500,000 for 30 starts, per Passan.
Anthony Franco
5:02
Oh ok, I don't see the newsletters. I think that portion is meant to say that the Tigers can't count on all five guys to stay healthy all season (no team can), not that no single pitcher can reach that mark
But if not, I'd disagree and say that I have no reason to believe Skubal or Flaherty are incapable of logging a full season
Wayne
5:02
With regards to the Scherzer insurance question, only the current team can purchase coverage and potentially receive a claim, as long as the body part in question is covered and the waiting period has been met.  But given his age, I don't believe he's insurable, as carriers are reluctant to insure anyone his age.
Anthony Franco
5:02
Interesting, thanks!
Daniel
5:03
Please make me feel better about whatever the heck the cubs are going to do. They need to replace Bellinger’s offense plus add a bat to improve over last year. History says they aren’t going anywhere near a long term deal on Bellinger, I think he’s likely to get paid elsewhere. Not much left add it feels likely they’ll cling to prospects instead of trading for a big bat
Tuffy Rhodes’ 3 Opening Day Homeruns
5:03
Are the Cubs going to do anything?  We talk about them being a big market and have money to spend but it’s like Jason Heyward spooked them. Are they going to top that contract this off-season?
Anthony Franco
5:04
Yeah, I mostly agree with the lukewarm sentiments here. I think they'll add a mid-rotation arm (an Imanaga type) and a first baseman while carrying the same kind of high-floor, relatively low ceiling roster they had last year
5:05
They're fine in all areas but it's not a team I find especially exciting. Borderline Wild Card team again for me
Connecting…