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Front Office Chat: 3/10/25
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Anthony Franco
3:31
Hey everyone, hope all is well!
3:32
Steve had to take the day off so I'm stepping in today and he'll run the subscriber chat on Friday
Trout Phishin'
3:33
Do you think the Phillies did enough this offseason to win the NL East again?  What more could/should they have done?
Anthony Franco
3:34
Yeah I'd have them as slight favorites over Atlanta, with the Mets a little bit behind. Obviously there were some big things they could have done (e.g. push for Soto) but with the amount of money they had committed and the depth of the roster they were running back, their offseason made sense
3:35
I like the Luzardo flier. Kepler at $10M isn't super exciting but it's fine and they needed a short-term outfield upgrade
Dan S.
3:35
If the Orioles are willing to give up Coby Mayo for Sandy Alcantara, either now or at the deadline, how much more would they need to add to the package?
Anthony Franco
3:37
Reasonable headliner in a vacuum, though it obviously depends on Miami's evaluation of Mayo (especially defensively). If they don't think he can stick at third, he becomes a lot less appealing
3:39
If the Marlins are bullish enough on the glove, then pairing Mayo with one of the non-Kjerstad outfielders (Bradfield, Beavers, Honeycutt) seems workable. Still don't think Sandy's getting before Opening Day though
Bat Boy
3:39
Do think there is any chance that the Dodgers release Chris Taylor and his weak bat before Opening Day, and eat the money owed to him?
Maz01
3:39
Do the Dodgers send Kim to AAA, move Edman to 2b and start Pages in cf?
Anthony Franco
3:41
Feels like if they were planning to do either of these things, they wouldn't have moved Lux. The spring numbers for Kim aren't encouraging, but it's not like Pages is killing the ball to force their hand, and the Dodgers had to feel relatively comfortable with Kim's bat translating to make the Lux trade
Kevin in Dallas
3:41
Are all MLB teams eventually trying to create their own game networks or is MLB more profitable playing teams games.
Anthony Franco
3:42
Most teams don't seem to want the hassle and risk of creating their own RSN. The Rangers were the only team that did that after getting dropped from Bally this offseason
3:44
The Astros and Pirates established joint ventures with other franchises in their respective cities, but most of the impacted teams either took less to stay with Diamond or turned it over to MLB
Alan
3:44
What do you project now for Tork - his bat seems to have come alive (at least this week)? Any chance he can still be a regular, or is a trade his likely best option?
Anthony Franco
3:46
Still think he's got a shot to be an everyday player but he'll probably need to start in a short-side platoon role between 1B and DH. If he hits well enough in that capacity (particularly if he cuts the strikeout rate by a few points), he can earn a few more reps against RHP
Nostradamus
3:46
I need help with this one. With all the ST injuries, some team should make an offer to Kyle Gibson, yes? Lance Lynn, too?  Or do you think there's actually a ST trade of significance brewing? My crystal ball is all cloudy . . .
Anthony Franco
3:48
Yeah, still think they both get MLB deals. Feels like the Yankees should just bite the bullet and throw Gibson $5-6M. Could see Lynn landing somewhere for like $3M plus incentives
Socal Craig
3:48
Any chance Ohtani plays in the field this year ? Or ever again for that matter
Josh
3:48
It seems like the Dodgers are (rightfully) being very conservative with Ohtani's return to the mound. Do you think there's any chance that they just keep him as a hitter at this point? They already have too many SPs (if that's even a thing)
Anthony Franco
3:50
Doubt it on either account. Ohtani wants to pitch and he's really good at it. If his elbow blows out for a third time, then they can have the discussion about whether it's feasible to hold up.

No reason to put him in the outfield and put more pressure on the arm though
Bo Bichette
3:51
If I'm able to bounce back to my pre-2024 levels this season, what type of contract am I looking at in free agency? Am I in the Swanson/Adames range?  The Turner/Seager/Lindor range?  Or in between with a deal similar to Beogarts?
Anthony Franco
3:53
I'd put him in the $300+ range that we saw with the last group you mentioned. Probably a shakier defensive profile with Bichette than those other guys (especially Lindor) but he'd be a 28-year-old shortstop who was a consistent .800+ OPS guy outside of one year in which he was only healthy for a third of the season
3:55
Would certainly take him over Adames and Dansby at that point. He's probably not as good as any of Seager, Lindor or Turner were at the time, but those deals will all be three-plus years old
Cole World
3:55
Does the hot stove come back with Cole (and Grayson/Kirby) injured?
Anthony Franco
3:58
Could get a late Jordan Montgomery trade, doubt we're getting any kind of blockbuster though. Beyond maybe the Marlins with Alcantara (who hasn't pitched in a meaningful game in a year and a half), which teams are willing to deal a top starter at this point?
Interested Sellers
3:58
With Suarez, Perdomo, Marte, Lawlar and Cristantes, Arizona has quite the infield core. When they go seeking deadline help, what would it take a selling team to land one of those younger guys? Not factoring in what Arizona might actually need.
Anthony Franco
4:00
Don't think it has much of an effect. Lawlar can take over for Suárez at third base in '26. Crisantes is 20 and hasn't played above Low-A
4:01
By the time he's MLB-ready, Marte might have to move off second to the corner outfield or DH
Expansion
4:01
Do you think MLB should move to 4, 4-team divisions or give up on divisions and let the AL/NL playoffs be decided on the top x-number of teams?
Anthony Franco
4:01
I'd just add one team to each league and do the 8 x 4 like the NFL does
Angels Fan
4:02
Is there any benefit to the Angels if Rendon retired?
Anthony Franco
4:03
No reason for him to do that. Even if he can never play again, and there's nothing to suggest that's the case, he can stay on the injured list or wait for them to release him and collect the full contract
4:05
If he's just totally uninterested in rehabbing, I guess they could try to get him to agree to some deferral structure to restructure the deal in a way that's a little more favorable to the team, but there's not much incentive for him to do it
Fedde Cheese
4:05
What does the trade market for Erick Fedde look like now that some teams have lost starting pitchers to injury? What seems like a reasonable return?
Anthony Franco
4:07
I think he'd bring back a couple mid-level prospects but the Cardinals seemingly showed no interest in moving him all offseason for some reason. Don't see why they'd reverse course on that now
Brooks 05
4:07
Thanks for the chat. Who do you think the Orioles will prioritize in attempting to sign to long term contracts? And when do you feel they should start making the attempt? I was hoping for news before the season gets underway. Thanks!
Anthony Franco
4:10
Gunnar's probably a pipe dream. Could take a run at Westburg but Boras guys usually don't extend in their pre-arb years. Adley's down year makes this a tricky time to get anything done with him
4:12
Personally, I'd hold off on Cowser given the swing-and-miss concerns. I'd prioritize Westburg if he's open to it and might as well see what it'd take to keep Mullins off the market, but it's kind of a weird time for them to try to extend a lot of their younger guys
Guest
4:12
Why did the Cardinals throw $80,000,000.00 at Willson Contreras just to immediately start complaining that "He is a bad catcher" (he's not) 3 months into the contract and move him to 1B and what would be a good reason for the persons responsible to still have any part in the organization?
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