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Front Office Chat: 6/28/24
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Anthony Franco
4:36
Is it really that much different if a 19th-round pick becomes a HOF? That's still something MLB has that none of the NHL, NFL or NBA do
4:37
I'm not psyched about people losing opportunities to live their dream so owners can save a small amount of money, but I also think the significance of those cuts on the MLB product is easy to overstate
Duke Sims Fan Club
4:37
Is it getting late early for the Rangers?  Can Will Smith carry the Royals to a World Series as a good luck charm?
Anthony Franco
4:38
Ha, I'd bet against it but I would've bet against the '23 Rangers
4:39
Rangers are definitely running low on time. I still think they'll turn it around, but the offense has been so disappointing and they hit a skid every time I think they've finally broken out of it
Pip
4:40
How do you feel about the logic of pivoting away from acquiring pitching and just focusing on an incredibly high-power offense? Winning games 15 to 14? That would sure make it easier to deal with the lack of availabile pitching.
Anthony Franco
4:41
In the abstract, not for any one team? I like the idea of loading up on offense if the pitching trade market is decimated by injury, but there aren't a ton of impact bats out there either
Tom Fonthill
4:41
If the Jays continue to falter,  and Seattle made an offer for  Vladdy,  would a potential offer include Bryan Woo (even though he's hurt right now -- we're looking at 2025),   and prospects such as Harry Ford as a future catcher,  and what other type of prospects ??   Thank you.
Anthony Franco
4:42
Talked about this in last week's chat but I think the M's should be able to get something done without dealing from the MLB rotation. I wouldn't give up Woo and Ford for Vlad if I were them
Mr.Cub
4:42
Thanks for the chat today. Do you think the Cubs can rebound or simply sell off some players. As a fan for over 60 years I can’t see them getting out of the basement. They are the biggest disappointment in MLB. They don’t have any good relievers let alone a closer! Help!
Anthony Franco
4:45
The opportunity's still there because no one wants to pull away in the NL but I'm similarly unenthused about the roster. (I'd probably have the Rangers and Jays as bigger disappointments, but it's fair to put the Cubs up there.) The bullpen is weak, rotation is starting to get beaten down by injuries. The lineup has a bunch of good players but is light on impact talent
Guest
4:45
Nats have 12 or 13 pitchers on their top 30 prospects. Only one is under 6’2” tall. The rest are 6’2” to 6’7”. Is there a premium for tall pitchers or is this a Mike Rizzo thing?
Anthony Franco
4:46
More the latter. Fits the kind of prototypical scouting mantra of getting big-framed guys with obvious physical projection who should theoretically be more willing to shoulder a 150-200 inning workload
4:47
A lot of the more analytically-oriented teams have moved in the opposite direction and looked for shorter pitchers with lower release heights who can backspin a fastball to play above bats at the top of the zone
4:48
The Nats aren't anti-analytics or anything -- every team uses some combination of data and traditional scouting -- but they'd be closer to the "old school" side if you lined every team up
Frustrated Ranger Fan
4:48
I know yall did an article on the rangers a week or 2 ago, but where do you see the rangers going at the trade deadline. As much as I want them back in the playoffs, am I crazy for wanting them to sell, or at least stand pat. I just don’t see a trade out there that fixes the massive offensive problems they have had this year
Anthony Franco
4:50
Yeah I'd advocate for mostly standing pat, maybe a low-cost addition or two in the bullpen. I wouldn't want to move key players who are controllable beyond this season, which is most of the roster, but they haven't played well enough to convince Chris Young to trade the farm for Garrett Crochet either
Rebuilding Fantasy Owner
4:51
What potential prospects/young players stand to gain the most at the trade deadline this year? Could be prospects getting traded (O’s positional Players) or one that gets more playing time via veteran blocking them getting traded
Anthony Franco
4:53
Hmm, this is a great question to which I don't have a good answer. You mentioned Baltimore and they could move a Norby or Stowers type, sure. Guess there's an outside chance the Dodgers trade Rushing since they have Will Smith signed forever. Wouldn't have to be a deadline deal though
mlbfan
4:53
Are the tigers gonna have a firesale at the deadline?
Anthony Franco
4:54
I expect more of a soft sell where they focus on the rentals. Flaherty might be the best impending free agent who moves, could offload any of Canha, Urshela and Kelly for modest returns
4:55
I don't expect them to move long-term pieces. They should go into 2025 believing they're a playoff team. Have to win at some point
Joshua
4:55
Does a Candelario type return seem about right for Jesse Winker at the deadline? Thanks.
Anthony Franco
4:57
Candy was more valuable last summer than Winker is now. A little more defensive value. He's not a great third baseman, but being able to play there at all is better than what Winker offers. Winker's a platoon guy, Candy could play every day
Arise, Sir Loin of Beef
4:57
The Mets obviously can't keep up their June pace, but where could they end up record-wise? 85-90 wins, or is that asking for too much?
Anthony Franco
4:59
Mid-upper 80s is fair. They've gotten to .500 without their best pitcher despite an inconsistent offense. They should expect to be a little better than that in the second half with Senga coming back
Guest
4:59
I understand the challenges of dealing with a Scott Boras player, but are the Reds going to try and sign Elly long term? With previous comments from the owners about general baseball, it seems unlikely, but we are talking about one of the possible best players in the game.
Anthony Franco
5:01
I'm sure they'll talk but I'd bet against it getting done. Feels like they'd need to go past Votto money already
5:03
It's hard to see Elly signing for seven or eight years and buying out a couple free agent seasons. I think you'd either need a Julio Rodríguez style lifetime deal or something like the Witt contract that builds in opt-outs while pushing a $300MM guarantee. That doesn't seem like something Reds ownership would be thrilled about
Duke Sims Fan Club
5:03
Speaking of Votto, any sightings yet?
Anthony Franco
5:04
Started a rehab assignment in Florida this week. Should head to Triple-A pretty soon
Dano
5:04
Any managers significantly on the hot seat right now?  Usually we hear some talk about that around now, but the obvious bad teams are as expected and there aren't many teams playing way below expectations.
Anthony Franco
5:05
Seems like Schumaker and the Marlins might mutually decide to move on after this season. He's probably not thrilled with the direction of the organization, new front office could want its own guy
5:07
There aren't too many others that seem like they're going to make a change. John Schneider's status could be interesting depending on what the Blue Jays do over the next couple weeks
5:08
I don't think the Jays would fire Schneider by late July, to be clear. But if they don't start winning and they sell at the deadline, their offseason could be really interesting
Pitching devs
5:08
As a rival fan, I love the way the Yanks develop pitching. They’re not afraid of letting guys get experience in the bullpen and slowly introducing them to the starting rotation. Do you see more teams adopting this?
Anthony Franco
5:09
Yeah, I think this will happen more frequently as the line between starter and reliever continues to blur. The White Sox have done this a couple times. The Rays don't necessarily break guys in as relievers, but we've seen them take semi-established relievers and give them shots as starters
5:10
Tampa Bay wasn't the first team to do that, but the success they had with Rasmussen, Springs and Littell probably played a part in teams like the Braves (López), Angels (Soriano) and Giants (Hicks) doing the same thing
5:11
Alright, I have to wrap this up here and take care of some stuff before my coverage shift tonight
Sorry for the stuff I couldn't get to. Feel free to throw anything me on X and I'll try to get back you on there over the weekend
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