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Front Office Chat: 5/10/24
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Anthony Franco
2:09
Sorry about the technical difficulties on the first email. Not sure what happened there, but I'm resending that now. We'll get started at the top of the hour
2:58
Hey everyone, hope you're all well. Going to keep this one close to an hour because I'm not feeling great today. Let's get rolling
MC
2:58
Will Paul Skenes have a similar start in the MLB as Jackson Holliday or will he stay there for good?
Anthony Franco
3:00
No reason to think the stuff won't play right away. I don't know how many innings the Pirates will let him throw but I expect him to find more immediate success than Holliday did
3:02
I think it's generally a little easier for pitchers to hit the ground running than hitters because the top-tier guys can sometimes get by on dominant stuff even as they iron out sequencing, command, etc.

Hitting is reactive by nature, so it's probably a little tougher to make that jump to the highest level right away
MLBTR Fan Stan
3:02
What would a package look like for Mason Miller? Not that it would ever happen but just intrigued by how unique it is
We Want Miller!
3:02
I imagine you're getting a lot of these, but...
What would the O's have to give up for Miller?
Anthony Franco
3:03
Yeah I don't think there is a real precedent. We kinda talked about this when the Guardians were loosely floating Clase in trade rumors over the offseason. Guys that good with this level of team control -- even relievers, who'd theoretically be the easiest to trade because they can be volatile -- don't move
3:04
I don't doubt Rosenthal's report that the A's are at least open to the conversation and that teams are calling, but I'd be really surprised if they get an offer that's persuasive enough
3:06
Using the Orioles as an example, I think the A's would be justified in asking for someone like Coby Mayo or Kjerstad to move Miller, particularly if the A's still think he can move back into the rotation next season. I do not think Baltimore would bite on that
Guest
3:06
If the Royals were to acquire an outfielder, should they target rentals or long term?  And do they have the trade chips to acquire someone long term?
Anthony Franco
3:07
Might as well explore both options. I do think they'll hang close enough to contention that bringing in rentals at the deadline is justifiable
3:10
It's a bad farm system but they've got a few guys they could dangle if they wanted to land someone with multiple years of control. Blake Mitchell's the obvious one. There are probably teams that like Nick Loftin well enough.

Obviously Maikel Garcia is already playing a key role on the MLB team but the bat's probably light for third. Still think there's some chance he eventually gets flipped to someone that can play him at shortstop, although that's easier to do in the offseason
Randy G
3:10
Strasburg fanned 14 in seven innings in his debut-fair or unfair to compare the two?
Skenes, that is!
Anthony Franco
3:12
Yeah, I think Skenes is pretty close to that caliber of talent. I'd probably take the under on a Strasburg career for any prospect, but I don't think it's crazy
Guest
3:12
What is it honestly gonna take for a massive overhaul in St Louis to take place. By massive I guess I mean where it’s changed from top management down to our everyday starters.
Anthony Franco
3:14
Seems like we're trending that way. I wouldn't expect a huge overhaul of the front office -- even if Mozeliak steps down, they'll probably turn things over to Girsch -- but a managerial change and a roster reset by next offseason wouldn't surprise me
3:15
They basically attributed last season to an anomalously bad rotation and assumed it was a blip. That's understandable coming off four straight playoff appearances and with a lineup that ostensibly still has a lot of top-end talent
3:16
It's a lot harder to make that argument if they're bad again in 2024, partially for different reasons, with a roster that's built around a lot of older players
Tiger Fan
3:16
Should the tigers acquire a bat at the deadline?
Anthony Franco
3:17
We'll see how things play out over the next couple months. I still have some optimism that Torkelson will get things going. There's probably not going to be much available at shortstop. Seems like they'll need some kind of multi-positional infielder, though, particularly if Urshela's not hitting for power and Keith doesn't flip the switch quickly
MC
3:18
What are the realistic chances the Astros make the playoffs, and what would change from now until then if they would?
Anthony Franco
3:18
FG has them at 36%. I'd have guessed they were in the 20-30 range
3:20
Getting back into it requires a rebound from guys like Bregman and McCormick and, more crucially, healthy returns from at least two of Garcia, McCullers and Urquidy
3:21
They're just giving away too many games right now by running Hunter Brown and Spencer Arrighetti out there without viable alternatives. At this point, I do think they've dug too deep a hole to feel good about them coming back
Guest
3:21
Who do yankees drop from rotation when Cole returns
Joe J.
3:21
What will the Yankees do if when Dominguez comes back from the IL and is tearing it up in AAA? Any chance they part ways with Grisham?
Anthony Franco
3:23
I'd guess Schmidt is the odd man out (largely by default) if everyone's healthy by the time Cole comes back. But there's a good chance that someone gets injured in the next five weeks and takes that decision out of their hands
3:26
On Grisham, I could see them moving on once Domínguez is back. Honestly might happen before then. They're not playing him as is, and it's not like he's showing much when they do put him in the lineup. He's trending towards a non-tender at the end of the season (making $5.5MM this year), so I'd be surprised if he spends the entire season on the roster
JL
3:26
How worried should I be about the Orioles bullpen?  Os can’t wait until the deadline to fix it, right?
Anthony Franco
3:28
I think it's a pretty good group overall, but I share your concern about Kimbrel in the ninth. I'd like it a lot more if they had the same group with one of Webb or Cano closing and Kimbrel like fifth on the leverage hierarchy
M’s fan
3:29
Why all the hate for Mike Ford? He’s a 120 wRC+ bat.
Anthony Franco
3:31
He was a 120 bat last year but he's been exactly average for his career. No defensive value, a lot of strikeouts, doesn't seem like teams trust his small sample production against LHP
I'd take him over Martini as a rotational DH/bench bat, which the Reds did, but I don't think he's much above replacement level in aggregate
strangerinastrangeland
3:32
Do the Braves have another Chris Davis in Olson?Acuna  is lost at the plate.I fail to grok these happenings.
Anthony Franco
3:33
Still think they'll both be fine. The track records are way too good to be overly concerned about a bad six weeks
Chip
3:34
When will MLB do something with the issues with Diamond Sports. I have been a Atlanta Braves follower since 1966. There is no way now that I can watch their games as even when Fox Sports, MLB Detwork and others have broadcasts I am blacked out. Dish does not have any options and I can not and will not pay around $100.00 a month to those that may have it available for me. Thanks
Anthony Franco
3:35
Sorry to hear that. MLB's basically hoping/expecting that Diamond collapses after this year and they'll be able to reclaim their rights to put together some kind of streaming bundle for 2025
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