You are viewing the chat in desktop mode. Click here to switch to mobile view.
X
Front Office Chat: 2/24/23
powered byJotCast
Prev Page View Full Chat Next Page
Anthony Franco
4:26
Probably the same answer in reality, although Robert's controllable for two additional seasons which is a nice boost. Still think I'd stick with Bichette given the confidence I have in the bat and Robert's injury history
Bernie Franks
4:26
Cubs under or over 81 wins?
Anthony Franco
4:26
Right where I'd set the O/U. Guess I'll take slight under but it feels like a .500 team to me
Guest
4:27
Will Oneil Cruz make enough consistent contact to have a meaningful and impactful 2023 season, and what kind of season do you expect from Teoscar Hernandez in Seattle?
Anthony Franco
4:28
Cruz is always going to strike out a lot but he's made some strides in that regard in the upper minors. The power's huge obviously, think he can be an above-average hitter with a 28-30% strikeout rate but is a little short of a star
4:29
Teoscar mashes every year. 25-30 homers, hits around .270 with an OBP in the .330 range. Don't see any reason to believe that won't continue
Guest
4:29
How many innings pitched and what kind of ERA do you project for T. Glasnow this season?
Anthony Franco
4:30
He's never topped 111 2/3 in an MLB season. Made two starts late last year so the Rays are going to be cautious building him up but they wouldn't have extended him if they didn't think he was a top-of-the-rotation caliber starter
4:31
If he avoids any long-term IL stints, I imagine they'll get him into the 120-135 range by year's end
I'd peg the ERA around 3.15
sailor
4:32
Do managers & coaches salaries get added to the cap?
Anthony Franco
4:32
Those are not counted for luxury tax purposes, no
Chris
4:32
Hi Anthony, Can you please give me something positive about Jacob deGrom that would give a fan of his some optimism for the upcoming season?  It's tough to read how down people are on the guy.  Thank you very much.
Anthony Franco
4:33
He ended last season healthy, is healthy now aside from that very minor soreness that most pitchers experience this early in spring, and is the best pitcher on the planet
Matty A
4:34
Brandon Hughes looked pretty good last year as the late-season closer for the Cubs. Will he be the leader of the bullpen pack in 2023?
Anthony Franco
4:34
I like Alzolay for that role. Hughes is the only left-hander guaranteed a bullpen spot right now, feels like a guy they'd rather have available for matchup purposes in the middle to late innings
4:35
Not as a traditional one-out guy -- he's better than that -- but someone they can go too when an opponent has their two best left-handed hitters due up in the next four batters in the seventh inning
Dodger Dave
4:35
Do you think Dodgers still have interest in Reynolds even after recent outfield additions?  Will it take someone off of current MLB roster plus top 100 prospect?
Anthony Franco
4:36
Steve wrote about this a couple days ago and I'm mostly with him. Dodgers make as much sense as any team for Reynolds. Ton of farm depth, no clue what you're getting from Outman, Taylor or Thompson in center field
4:38
I don't think it absolutely requires subtracting from the MLB roster, no. Definitely have the talent at the top of the farm system to get it done, just a question of whether they want to
Padres new uni's
4:38
Not about the tropical uni's because they stink, but why would Tatis play SS at all this year (barring Bogaerts being hurt)?
Anthony Franco
4:39
Yeah I don't think he will. Bogaerts almost never misses games when healthy and Kim probably just slides over if he needs an occasional rest day
Scut Farkus
4:39
Hi Anthony. Who’s your bet coming out of the NL in 23?
Anthony Franco
4:40
I'll think about this more when we make our picks closer to Opening Day but I think I'd take Atlanta right now
Evan White
4:40
The Seattle Times today had a story about Evan white being healthy. When the M's signed him to a long-term contract last decade, did he project even then of being able to hit above the Mendoza Line?
Anthony Franco
4:41
He had hit well up through Double-A at that point. Surprised at how much he's whiffed against MLB pitching, although the injuries have robbed him of many chances to establish an everyday rhythm
Free Agent Team
4:41
How many games would this roster of all free agents win?

LINEUP:
Jose Iglesias SS
Jurickson Profar LF
Miguel Sano DH
Yuli Gurriel 1B
Mike Moustakas 3B
Gary Sanchez C
Rougned Odor 2B
Albert Almora Jr. RF
Jackie Bradley Jr. CF

BENCH:
Robinson Chirinos C
Alcides Escobar IF
Phil Gosselin UT
Odubel Herrera OF

ROTATION:
Chris Archer RH
Dylan Bundy RH
Mike Minor LH Michael Pineda RH Dallas Keuchel LH

BULLPEN: Ken Giles RH Zack Britton LH Corey Knebel RH Will Smith LH Hansel Robles RH Brad Hand LH Archie Bradley Jr. RH Jeff Hoffman RH
Anthony Franco
4:42
It'd be horrible. I'll say 47
Sparky
4:42
How much impact will Riley Greene have this year?  Average CF? Better than average MLB CF or star CF?
Anthony Franco
4:43
Looks like a slightly above-average regular right now. There's a chance for more in there but he'd have to find a way to get the ball off the ground a little more to tap into his power
WBC Mania
4:43
Are you excited about the WBC, or not? Give reasons please.
Anthony Franco
4:44
It's never been my thing. Just too many teams that obviously have no chance of competing for me to get invested
4:46
Not trying to take away from the excitement for those who are invested. It's a cool concept and they've done a great job at getting buy-in from elite players. I completely get why some people love it, but I'm more likely to watch college baseball than the WBC
wip
4:46
I feel like people are under-appreciating the Brandon Belt signing... What's the greater chance of happening: He has  comeback year or he continues his slide?
Anthony Franco
4:48
I just don't have a lot of faith in his knees holding up for a full comeback season anymore. Hope I'm wrong
WBC or MLB?
4:48
"Just too many teams that obviously have no chance of competing for me to get invested." Couldn't that statement be true of MLB (or the NFL or the NBA or college BB/ FB)?
Anthony Franco
4:51
Not at the level of the gap between the Dominican Republic and, say, Panama obviously. There are only a handful of teams in MLB that go into each season with no chance of making the playoffs, and they're ostensibly building toward a more competitive future that's just not possible for some of the countries that don't have strong baseball infrastructures in MLB
M's
4:51
Why would the M's sign an over-the-hill player like Kole Calhoun—even for minor-league depth? Wouldn't it be better to play the kids?
Anthony Franco
4:52
Every team has a handful of formerly productive veterans stashed in Triple-A. He's not going to take reps from Cade Marlowe or anything down there
Cdub53
4:52
I have a bad feeling we’re headed for a contentious lockout in 2026.  Your thoughts?
Connecting…