JotCast | Front Office Chat: 2/9/24

Front Office Chat: 2/9/24

Prev Page View Full Chat Next Page

Anthony Franco

4:08

I don't see it

4:09

Would've been tough to replicate even if they just ran it back with last year's team. Soler's going to walk and they lost Alcantara to Tommy John

Official Gary Gaetti Fan Club

4:09

Do you real Manfred's comments about the A's (place to play 25-27 in the next few months, and disappointed if Oakland cannot open '28 in LV) as MLB giving Fischer deadlines such that Fischer might face actual consequences for his botching his attempts to get a new staduim?

Anthony Franco

4:09

Deadline feels like an overstatement but it's a little more public pressure than you typically see a commissioner putting on an owner

4:11

I don't think it'll meaningfully affect the process in any way but it probably hints at some legitimate frustration within the league office about how choppy (sloppy, if you want to put it less charitably) the relocation process has been for the A's

Cito's Mustache

4:11

Was there any consensus on the effectiveness of the ABS system used in Triple-A ballparks last season? Obviously nothing is changing in MLB for 2024, but do you think there was enough positive feedback that automated ball/strike changes, or even a challenge system, could come to the big leagues in 2025?

Anthony Franco

4:12

Haven't seen anything to suggest that players feel much better about the zone's ability to calibrate for hitter height

4:13

It's really accurate with the corners but the breaking stuff that just clips the top of the strike zone at the back of the plate or the bottom of the knees at the very front edge still causes problems

4:14

Technically a strike but something that hasn't been viewed as a strike in practice throughout baseball history. I don't think anyone wants those pitches to be called strikes at the MLB level

Jorge78

4:15

Can players just not show up for arbitration hearings so there's no hard feelings? Are they required to be there? Thanks!

Anthony Franco

4:16

I don't remember who it was but I vaguely recollect hearing that it's not an option for the player to not attend. I don't know what they'd do to enforce that if someone just steadfastly refused to show up though

4:17

I think most guys just prefer to be in the room even if they know it's unpleasant. In either case, you know that the team reps are going to tear down your accomplishments a little bit. Might as well hear what they have to say

LV A's

4:17

What's your take on Tyler Soderstrom? Various analysts have rated his hit tool anywhere from 40 to 60. Is he the next Joey Gallo, or will he be able to bring his BA up past .250 or .260?

Anthony Franco

4:19

I think Soderstrom's like a .240 hitter (still well above Gallo from an average perspective). The approach is pretty aggressive and he's always had high strikeout tallies in the minors

4:20

Even if he hits the ball really hard, it's tough to consistently maintain a .260 average if you're striking out 27-30% of the time

Suffering in SF

4:20

Why didn't SF land in your top 5 worst off season teams? Steve Adams outlined their off season shortcomings so clearly. They need Montgomery and Snell and Bellinger. What else should they do to challenge Dodgers and D-Backs?

Anthony Franco

4:21

Yeah you could throw them in there. They're one of the teams that I think is most likely to do add one of the better remaining free agents -- Chapman or Snell, but any of the Boras four would fit really -- but I was lukewarm on the Lee and Hicks moves

AirYordan

4:22

I never understood why Boras waits late, explanation?

Anthony Franco

4:23

More patient than basically any other agent on sticking to the asking price. He's not opposed to signing early. Nimmo re-signed with the Mets once they went to eight years in early December last winter, as one example.

4:24

That kind of strategy is easier to pull off when you're running the biggest agency in MLB. When you have a dozen or so top clients in an offseason, it's an easier sell to encourage those guys not to give in on their asking prices until they absolutely need to

4:25

If you're running a small agency that only has one or two semi-notable free agents, there's probably more pressure to jump early because that one player is accounting for an outsized amount of the money you'll make (meaning you're taking a big personal risk if you overplay your hand)

4:27

And if you miss, settle for one year and that player gets pissed and leaves your agency before his next free agent trip, you're out of luck. Even if that happens to the Boras Corp., they have plenty of other star players

Fernando T.

4:27

Should I be playing center field this year? I was probably the best defensive outfielder in the whole game last year, and I’m pretty much the only legitimate major league outfielder on my own team this year. Surely my team will get more value out of my skills in center than in a corner, even if my bat doesn’t get back to where it was (but it probably will)

Anthony Franco

4:27

I'd move him to CF unless they sign Michael A. Taylor. Shildt seems pretty comfortable keeping him in right though

Baseball Baby!

4:28

As most players are preparing to start Spring Training this upcoming week, what is one team you think will surpass expectations (2023 AZ style) and one you think will disappoint (2023 NYM/SD).

Anthony Franco

4:29

Detroit on the positive side. I'm optimistic on basically all the teams that are generally viewed as good, but there's a lot of injury downside with the Texas rotation. Not hard to see how that goes sideways if they lose Eovaldi or Gray early in the year

Go O

4:30

Why would the Orioles give ABs to Nick Maton over, say, Jackson Holliday? Why are they stockpiling so many infielders!?

Anthony Franco

4:31

I'd be surprised if Maton makes the team. Said last week that I think someone will carry him -- credit to whichever one of you predicted that the Tigers would move on like 48 hours before they DFA him -- but I don't see the room in Baltimore either

tigersfan

4:31

Can Tork hit 40 out this year?

Anthony Franco

4:32

Yeah I think that's within the plausible range of outcomes

4:33

Wouldn't call it likely -- he hit 31 last year while playing every day and it's a tough HR park -- but I do think he has the kind of juice that he could threaten or surpass 40 in any given year

Dave

4:33

Do you think Dodgers are done until trade deadline or is there an Adames or Williams in their immediate future?

Anthony Franco

4:34

This is probably it for now. Even after the Burnes trade, I'd be surprised if Milwaukee traded Adames

Arizona

4:34

In Hazen Arizona should trust, but what is the goal for 2024? They've added Suarez and Pederson for power to a lineup that already squandered the youthful speed with too many Double Plays then send a viable OF option in Fletcher to Chicago for some nobody SP prospect with lackluster numbers in a pitcher friendly league? Do they really think Thomas/McCarthy is going to be an MLB starting caliber player enough to assume Fletcher isn't? Please give us a reason to believe Arizona will avoid the 2023 San Diego Padres fate of an embarrassing showing after a deep playoff run?

Anthony Franco

4:36

I'm not quite as concerned as you about steering away from the contact approach to add a little more power, but I'm not as optimistic on either Suárez or Joc as the front office seems to be

4:37

I'm not a huge Fletcher fan and would've made the Mena trade as well. They're going to need to tap into some of that upper level pitching depth

Matt

4:37

Super Bowl prediction (Team and Score)?

Anthony Franco

4:37

I'll take the 49ers. 27-24

4:38

Going to wrap up here since we're past an hour and a half

I'm on X if you want to throw anything else at me. I'll try to get back to you on there by the weekend if you do

Connecting…