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Front Office Chat: 5/9/25
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Diamond dan
3:41
Not going to ask about Red Sox 1B - but am curious about Rafaela & his long term projection. A No.  9 hitter who double-digit HRs & 70-plus RBI, nevermind 30sb potential - is he going to be a victim of bad batting average & incoming Roman Anthony? Do you see him moving this year, & what could he get them in return?
Anthony Franco
3:43
I doubt it happens in-season. He could bounce around as a utility guy once Anthony comes up. I see the argument for shopping him next offseason but he's also two seasons into a backloaded $50M extension and hasn't proven that the approach is viable against big league pitching
3:45
I remain intrigued because of the glove and power, but he's a career .245 hitter with a .279 OBP. That's basically the lower bound of what teams can tolerate as a regular even if the other skills are good. He's making more contact this season but still chasing way too often
Sailor
3:45
Even though Robbie Ray is 33 shouldn't the Giants look to extending him? Thnx!
Anthony Franco
3:46
I don't see the urgency. He's signed for next season at $25M. Wouldn't be anxious to commit to age-35 and beyond more than a year in advance
Nick
3:46
As a Pirates fan any hope you can think of to help salvage something from this season?
Anthony Franco
3:47
Salvage as in make a long shot playoff push? No. But they'll be better than they have been since last All-Star Break once Jones returns and Chandler comes up at some point
3:48
The lineup just isn't good enough, yet again. Pull for Horwitz to establish himself as a long-term answer at first base and for Cruz to get comfortable enough defensively that he can remain a center fielder beyond this season
CardinalRed
3:48
Is 4 possible options at catcher too many to have on an everyday roster? Pages, Pozo, Herrera (DH against LHP until knee is good), and then break glass in an emergency behind the plate Contreras. Who goes to Memphis when Herrera is ready, Burleson or Gorman?
Anthony Franco
3:50
They optioned Baker yesterday, so Pozo will just step into that role as a right-handed bench bat
3:51
Not the most efficient use of a roster spot, but they basically play the same eight guys and rotate the catcher anyway
Miked d
3:51
Nick Castellanos and Bohm for Candyman and Alexis Diaz ? Add money and prospects to even it out….. thoughts?
Anthony Franco
3:52
Not seeing anything in it for Philly
3:53
I'm not much of a fan of Castellanos or Bohm, but I've got more faith in them to provide some kind of offense than I do in Candelario. I'm out on the Alexis Díaz experience at this point
Meow
3:53
What do you think are the biggest challenges the Tigers will face in maintaining their position and winning the AL Central?
Anthony Franco
3:53
The Guardians
3:54
I buy that the Tigers are quite good, even though Báez and McKinstry are going to come back to earth offensively. Regretting not picking them to make it back to the playoffs
3:55
But Cleveland (and to a slightly lesser extent K.C. and Minnesota) are all viable playoff threats for me, so I think it's just a depth of competition thing for Detroit
thebeatlesshow
3:55
Hey, Anthony.  The Athletic mentioned something about Tristan McKenzie being placed on something called "The Developmental List".  Never heard of it.  Any ideas as to what it could be?
Anthony Franco
3:56
Oh, I hadn't seen that they'd done that. Looks like he went on there basically right after he cleared waivers
3:58
It's kind of murky but it's essentially a way to take a minor league player off an affiliate roster when they're not injured. It's usually for some kind of mental/mechanical reset
4:00
Not sure what's up with McKenzie specifically, but he couldn't find the strike zone for the first couple weeks of the season before his DFA, so my guess (speculative) is that they're trying to iron out something in his delivery without the pressure of doing it in a game setting
Bill
4:00
How much longer will Atlanta tolerate Iglesias as their  “closer” Is it too early to give Murphy and his near 40% K rate less playing time  and Baldwin more ? All the optimism and predictions of a deep  powerful lineup in Atlanta is fading away?
Anthony Franco
4:01
Bill's anti-Sean Murphy crusade continues!
4:02
Murphy's got seven homers in 22 games since he came off the IL. I'd probably skew closer to an even split with Baldwin rather than the 67-33% thing they've been doing, but I get it. They've both been productive. Tough to get two catchers into the lineup when you also have an everyday DH
4:05
Raisel's strikeout and walk profile still looks good but he's lost a tick on the fastball and the homers become untenable at some point. I feel better about the Pierce Johnson or Dylan Lee types, so I wouldn't mind a switch in the ninth inning there
Chris D
4:06
I have to say as a Nationals fan, I can't recall ever being so discouraged. True they won a WS series but that was 6 years ago now and Pre-Covid so that feels like a million years ago. The bargain bin shopping this past off-season is tough to swallow. The relievers they signed? Ugh. DeJong? Ugh. Dylan Crews? Ouch. Josh Bell? OMG Ugh! There are some good things happening but honestly I am soo sick of waiting until next year. Is there some kind of move they could still make that would turn this year around?
Anthony Franco
4:07
For this year, probably not. Some small chance that House comes up and goes on a ridiculous heater, but they just never really made an effort to be competitive this season
4:08
I liked the Lowe move well enough, but they wouldn't have entered the season with that bullpen and a third base tandem of Tena and DeJong if they thought they were a realistic Wild Card team
4:10
Mark Lerner went on the record and said they think they're still a year away. There's a lot to like in the overall progress of the rebuild, and Gore looks like he's taking the jump that they needed to have a legitimate #1 starter, but it's all more or less geared towards 2026
ClarkeinEcuador
4:10
I love the pitch clock but HATE the ghost runner in extra innings. Any chance that will go away sometime?
Anthony Franco
4:10
Nah it's here for good. The league and players both like it
4:12
I still don't enjoy it personally, and I'll bounce around if there are other games on if the one I'm watching goes to extras, but I've begrudgingly accepted it. Still feels gimmicky but teams had nine innings to win it during normal baseball and no one did
Trout's Got The Trots
4:12
Another year, another Trout injury. Would you be shocked if this "minor injury" turns into two months?
Anthony Franco
4:13
I hope that's not the case but it's pretty easy to be cynical at this point
O
4:13
Can a player come into the field if he started at DH?
Anthony Franco
4:13
Yes but then you lose the DH and the pitcher (or a pinch-hitter) has to hit in that spot
4:15
D-Backs reliever Ryne Nelson had an RBI single in the eighth inning of a one-run game earlier this year after they'd subbed in Ketel Marte from DH to play second
Andres
4:15
Is there any hope for Andres Gimenez's bat to be more than the proverbial "you can't steal first base" player?
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