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Front Office Chat: 4/26/24
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Ryan Redleg
3:49
How about Elly De La Cruz!  He's looking like a superstar in the making. I'm surprised by how quickly he has made adjustments this season. I know it's still early, but he has started off a lot better than I thought he would.  What are your thoughts on him?
NH MikeD
3:49
Do the Reds get a lng term deal done with Elly? I know who his agent is, but he's going to be once in a lifetime talent.
Guest
3:49
DO you think the Reds will get a long term deal done with Elly?
Anthony Franco
3:51
I'd guess against an extension but don't think it's out of the realm of possibility. It's not like Boras guys never sign long-term. I'm sure the Reds would love to do it. Would probably have to be next winter to have any realistic chance
3:54
He's not going to maintain this level of offensive pace, but there's MVP-caliber physical tools obviously. He still has to make a little more contact -- particularly on in-zone pitches -- to be a consistently good hitter, but he's 22 and already looks like he's made a conscious effort to get a little more selective this year. Super encouraging start
Making Barrels
3:54
Can the o's get on this longterm extension bandwagon?
Anthony Franco
3:58
It'll requirement better commitment from the Rubenstein ownership group than they had under John Angelos, but there's certainly nothing stopping them in terms of long-term financial commitments.

I imagine it'd be tough to get anything done with Adley, Henderson or Holliday at this point -- the first two are well-established stars, and Holliday has a pretty strong financial starting point with his family background and signing bonus -- but extending someone like Westburg or Grayson Rodriguez next year seems reasonable
Buffalo Brad
3:58
Do the A's not know how to create value in players? Putting Mason Miller in the pen for injury concerns makes sense but why not use him in longer stints than just basically make him a closer.
Anthony Franco
3:59
I'm alright with it. He's not strictly in one-inning roles -- they let him get four outs last night -- but it's relatively structured and predictable so he can keep a pretty straightforward routine
4:00
They're not going to be good this year no matter how effective Miller is. Getting him to 60-70 innings is the bigger priority over using him in a flexible bullpen role. If they think he's likeliest to stay healthy by working the ninth (and occasionally coming in for the eighth), it's fine
Arizona Dud
4:00
Did Ken Kendrick just waste his one spending year this decade on a team with a bullpen so bad they'll be out of the playoffs and closer to picking 1-1 than a ring?
No Kelly
4:01
With Merrill Kelly out for "more than weeks," Gallen not looking as dominant as he usually is, Rodriguez injured yet again, and the 40-man roster depth pretty much tapped out before May, is Arizona a dark-horse interesting team come the deadline? Hazen has publicly bragged about having prospects to deal mid-season, but they also have some fascinating players who could net awesome deadline returns if healthy: Walker, Montgomery, Alexander, McCarthy.
Anthony Franco
4:03
Yeah they could be a pretty interesting edge case. They feel like an average team on paper. There's top-end talent but the pitching depth was a question even before they lost Kelly and E-Rod. Wouldn't be all that surprising if they fall far enough out of it by July that they move the rentals like Walker and Monty
4:05
If they're close, I expect they'll push further in and try to make a run. They invested a lot in this team and their control window on Gallen is dwindling. The standings would have to force their hand to sell, but if they're five or six out of a Wild Card spot on July 30, then they won't have much of a choice to move the short-term pieces
4:06
I don't think Jake McCarthy's moving the needle much as a trade candidate, though, and I doubt they'd feel compelled to move Blaze Alexander even once Lawlar and Perdomo are healthy
Cito's Mustache
4:07
What's your concern level for the Blue Jays after one month? They needed a remarkable run of health from the pitching staff last year to sneak into a Wild Card, don't look like they'll get that again, and the hitters who were supposed to carry the lineup (Springer, Bo, Vlad, Kirk) have disappointed. Does this group have another level? And if not, what's the plan at the deadline/offseason?
Anthony Franco
4:09
On a scale of 1-10, I'd go 5 or 6. Bichette and Guerrero should be better, but I'm worried about Springer (and Kirk, to a lesser extent). Doesn't seem like we're getting a Manoah rebound and the "Bowden Francis/Mitch White rotation depth" thing has blown up pretty quickly
4:10
Yariel Rodríguez looks good, which helps, but I agree with your general point that they're basically counting on their top four starters and handful of key relievers to stay healthy all season
Gwynning
4:10
Having Kopech stick around as CWS closer seems wasteful... my Padres should have insisted that he be included in the Cease trade. What additional side piece would have got it done?
Anthony Franco
4:11
Nothing's stopping San Diego from trying to get Kopech at the deadline. I'd be surprised if he doesn't get moved
4:12
Not going to be a great return. For as good as the stuff is, he's still walking a ton of guys and giving up a bunch of homers. A $3MM salary isn't exorbitant but it's not nothing, legitimate chance that he could be a non-tender candidate next offseason
4:14
We'll see how he's pitching in three months, but right now, I'd put his trade value somewhere between Shintaro Fujinami (rental deal for a Triple-A reliever) and Aaron Bummer (offseason trade for four players on the fringe of Atlanta's 40-man roster)
LetsPlayTwo
4:14
All the work the Ms did in the offseason and it still seems that we are strikeout rich and home run dependent. Too early to make conclusions?
Anthony Franco
4:16
No, I think this is mostly fair. It'll look better once Julio gets going and I still think Garver's going to flip the switch at some point, but it's a flawed lineup
And Crawford's oblique subtracts one of their better on-base guys (slow start notwithstanding) for the time being
Buffalo Brad
4:17
What kind of contract do you think Gleyber Torres commands? Odd player in that he is probably a regular on a contender and very young but not the star everyone thought he would be
Anthony Franco
4:20
He's a tough one. He seems the kind of guys who's going to get squeezed if the market continues to devalue mid-tier hitters. You can make a case for him to land in the Benintendi range (5/75) based on the age, solid offensive track record and ability to play up the middle. But that kind of contract wasn't there for guys like Lourdes Gurriel and Jeimer Candelario last offseason, and the front offices that have given out the Benintendi-type deals are no longer in place
4:21
I'd put him around Jeimer (3/45) right now. Obviously the platform performance and whether he receives a qualifying offer are going to be huge factors
Lars Nootbaar's Chocolate Nut Bar TM
4:21
what's the rationale for not allowing teams to trade draft picks?
Anthony Franco
4:21
I've never seen a compelling one
4:22
MLB has said in the past that they feel it's bad for competitive balance because a team might trade its picks and thus not be very good
4:23
Which ignores that a) teams do that with prospects anyways, b) each of the NFL, NBA and NHL and those leagues survive and c) protecting teams from themselves is a stupid justification for a rule
Bravenewworld
4:23
Do the Braves have enough pitching for the post season?
Anthony Franco
4:24
Probably not at the moment but they have enough to get to the postseason and they'll add to it at the deadline
Guest
4:24
What are Joey Votto’s numbers in the minors? Is he still active?
Anthony Franco
4:25
He hurt his ankle in Spring Training and hasn't played yet
Guest
4:25
Nats fan. When do the kids show up? Is Mitchel Parker for real or will hitters figure him out?
Anthony Franco
4:27
We have to pretty close to James Wood forcing his way to the majors. Couldn't ask him to do much more in his first month in Triple-A. Could see Dylan Crews at some point in the second half, but we're only at 30 Double-A games so far. If they were competing, maybe it'd be a different story, but I'm fine slow-playing his development in a rebuilding year
4:30
I'm skeptical on Parker given the lack of prospect fanfare and the elevated walk rates in the minors, but I admittedly didn't get to watch either of his starts and the early MLB results (12 strikeouts, no walks, two runs in 12 innings against LAD and HOU) have been impressive
Jeff
4:30
Enjoyed the piece on Cleveland earlier this week. Do you see any maybe off-the-wall starters they could target that no one might expect?
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