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Front Office Chat: 2/13/26
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David
3:39
Hi there!  So the Yankees are counting on Gerrit Cole for a big lift in the 2nd half.  However it seems pitchers take time to be effective after TJ surgery, like Alcantara and Strider last year.  Are they hoping for too much?
Paul
3:39
Cone and Rodon coming back from injury; Fried pitched a lot of innings in 2025; Gil/Weathers have injury histories.  Might it make sense for Yankees to consider a 6 man rotation when Cone/Rodon return?
Anthony Franco
3:41
I wouldn't bet against Gerrit Cole to do anything but I'm generally a proponent of a six-man rotation if you've got enough healthy starters. Good chance somebody else goes down before Cole/Rodón are back, but maybe Elmer Rodriguez has pitched his way up by then
D Hat
3:41
Kevin McGonigle and Max Clark need more time at AAA But could play a big role in September. What are your thoughts?
Anthony Franco
3:42
Mostly agree but I'd move the timetable on McGonigle to the middle of May. I expect him to rip through Triple-A pitching and pretty quickly push the Báez/McKinstry pairing off shortstop
Will
3:43
What do you think of the RedSox new infield compared to last year?
Anthony Franco
3:45
Tough to feel better about it when they don't have Bregman. I was pretty bullish on Casas before the injury so while I'd consider Contreras an upgrade, that doesn't make up for the drop from Bregman to Mayer/Durbin and the fact that Campbell proved non-viable at 2B
That's obviously not even factoring Raffy since he wasn't willing to play 1B for Boston. I still like the team quite a bit overall but the infield is clearly the weakest area of the roster
C surplus
3:46
Do you think it makes sense for the Yankees to option JC Escarra and use his roster spot to keep Dominguez on the bench? They do have Ben Rice who is serviceable C after all, and Goldy who can easily cover if Wells needs a rest day.
Anthony Franco
3:47
I think that puts too much strain on Rice, who I'd want basically as an everyday first baseman without worrying about the physical demands of catching 50-60 games
Daniel Hoffman
3:47
Brewers Send two pitching prospects like DL Hall and someone else, and the Nats send CJ Abrams who says no?
Anthony Franco
3:47
Nats, easily
Guest
3:47
Besides obviously being looked down upon, are there any rules against players drinking during an MLB game?
Anthony Franco
3:48
Haha cannot say I'd ever considered looking this but Matt Gelb of The Athletic reported this yesterday:
"After the episode in Miami, Thomson benched Castellanos for a game; the Phillies debated a suspension because Castellanos had violated a Major League Baseball rule by having an open container of alcohol in the dugout during a game. They decided against it."
So yes, apparently this is a rule that I can't imagine anyone thought they'd need to enforce since the 80s or something
s45d64
3:49
Have the Pirates done enough to change the landscape of the NL central?
Anthony Franco
3:51
They and Cincinnati are third and fourth in the division in some order for me but the gap is narrow enough that I can see a realistic path for anyone other than St. Louis to take the division even if I'd still take Milwaukee
M
3:51
With the addition of Donovan, do you think Emerson stays down until he can maintain rookie eligibility, so they can maintain the PPI possibility?
Anthony Franco
3:52
That's overthinking it in my opinion. They might be the best team in the American League right now. If you think he's a big leaguer by the beginning of June, bring him up and forget about the pick
3:54
They could also carry him from Opening Day this year and keep the PPI open, which is bold for a 20-year-old with six games in Triple-A but sometimes these elite position player talents force the issue by being so advanced that they break the norms
Rangers13
3:54
Is there a better Ss 3B injury replacement than E Duran available
Anthony Franco
3:56
I assume Smith is that but yes, I'd still take Rengifo or Ramón Urías over Duran as a backup between 2B/3B
Peter
3:56
Hate to call you wrong Anthony but Paul was clearly talking about David Cone lacing up his cleats and taking another MLB run.
Anthony Franco
3:56
Haha now this might be asking too much!
Nick Castellanos
3:56
What's my future?  Tigers' reunion with JV as a non-roster invitee?  Short-side DH platoon plus PH off the bench somewhere? Beer commercials?  ('When I drink in the dugout, I prefer Dos Equis.')
Anthony Franco
3:57
Padres are looking for a right-handed DH/bench bat and always seem to have the worst clubhouse vibes imaginable. It's a match made in heaven
Albert
3:58
AF  how long before my old team can contend again
Anthony Franco
3:58
Which one?
4:00
Cardinals: Two years seems reasonable to me, obviously need some of the pitching prospects to hit and raise the floor

Angels: Much tougher for me to see a path to being good in the next three years, largely because ownership has been so committed to avoiding any kind of long-term planning. Aside from Neto, where are the foundational young players here?
4:01
Oh, Dodgers: I think they'll be pretty good in 2026
Albert
4:01
CARDS !! Are we doomed
Anthony Franco
4:02
I'm more optimistic than you. Even if you write off Walker and Gorman at this point, you've got a potential foundation in Winn, Wetherholt and Herrera that makes for a strong starting point to a rebuild
Lefty
4:02
I'm more worried about Giants starting pitching. Their non roster reliever options (Santos, Fulmer, W.Ramos, Bednar, Sanchez, Harris) make feel like they might even have some depth. Am I crazy?
Anthony Franco
4:05
I'm in the opposite spot, I guess. Like enough of their upper minors arms on the 40-man (Whisenhunt, McDonald, even Tidwell) enough to feel like they can patch together a decent rotation but don't feel good about anyone healthy they have pitching late innings
4:06
Even if they throw Birdsong in the big league bullpen, which feels like a necessity given how quickly the relief thinned out, they don't have any lefties I trust and Walker/Peguero as their top leverage arms feel really shaky
Tribefan528
4:06
  • whats the ceiling on Jordan Beck?
Anthony Franco
4:09
There's probably a 25 homer season in there if you give him 600 plate appearances but the swing-and-miss is bad enough that he'd be a 1.5-2 WAR player anyway. I liked him in college and want it to work but the odds of him figuring out how to make enough contact in his mid-20s are pretty slim
Seth B
4:10
Do you think any of the pitchers like Ponce, Griffin, Weiss, Anderson etc can parlay their success overseas into being impact major league starters?
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