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Front Office Chat: 7/12/24
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Anthony Franco
3:34
Tim touched on this in the mailbag as well but yeah, it sure seems like the ball is deader. I honestly don't know if MLB does this on purpose or if they just can't figure out how to produce them with any level of consistency
Coop
3:34
What's wrong with Adrolis Garcia? Anything specific you see?
Anthony Franco
3:37
Not really. He's still showing the top-end power that we know he has. Contact is about on par with previous seasons. He's falling behind early in counts, which explains some of the average/OBP dip, but I'm still expecting him to catch fire at some point
Stan Covaleski
3:37
Eric Fedde would fit for many teams.  Would the White Sox and Guardians be willing to swing an inter-division deal?  Don't know if the Sox would for Crochet or Robert but I wonder if with Fedde they'd consider it.
Anthony Franco
3:39
I don't see why not. Sox know they aren't going to be AL Central contenders within the next year and a half. Maybe Cleveland would prefer to send prospect talent outside the division, but Fedde makes a ton of sense for them and there's not much to choose from in the way of 'good, fairly cheap starting pitching.'
El Jeffe
3:39
Will Mark Vientos be a 120+ OPS guy?
Anthony Franco
3:40
I still wouldn't project him there consistently because I expect the swing-and-miss to catch up to him eventually
But I've been a Vientos skeptic for a while and he's already been much better this year than I thought he was capable of
otispdriftwood
3:40
Now that he is on the IL, what are the chances that Bellinger gets traded and what are the likely destinations?
Also, J Winker seems like a perfect fit in Atlanta - what does the rumor mill say about his likely landing spot?
Anthony Franco
3:41
The contract made it tough to move Bellinger even before the injury. Seattle or the Yankees could kinda fit, but it's a lot likelier he'll just stay with the Cubs past the deadline
3:42
Have not seen any team-specific Winker ties but Atlanta would work, sure. They'd need to play him in the outfield, which isn't ideal, but he's a good platoon partner for Duvall
Elias Diaz
3:43
Is it just me, or should Elias Diaz be the top target for the Cubs given his strong arm (Cubs have been terrible stopping the running game), bat (good enough), and relative cost? More so than an “impact bat” (it’ll cost too much for the Cubs current standings), third baseman (probably not really out there), or reliever (the Cubs actually have like 6 pitchers returning from the IL soon anyway).
Coop
3:43
Here go the Cubs again on their annual push for the deadline. I say that even if they continue on a run, they don't have the talent to do anything in the playoffs so they should sell. Agree?
Anthony Franco
3:44
They don't have a ton to sell without impacting the 2025 team. I don't love the roster either but the NL offers a path to getting in and I wouldn't say they're any less likely to make a playoff run than last year's D-Backs were
3:45
Probably should be a soft buyer. Agree that Díaz makes a lot of sense there (probably more than with any other team) and they could grab a middle reliever or two
Cito's Mustache
3:45
Do you see the pieces under contract for '25 in Toronto enough to run it back with some offseason additions? On paper, Bo, Vlad, Springer, Varsho, (Horwitz?) forms the start of a decent lineup, and Gausman, Berrios, Bassitt is a strong top 3 in the rotation. Or does this season serve enough as a template for how next year could go wrong, so let's blow it up?
Anthony Franco
3:46
Darragh and I touched on this in the podcast this week. Think we both feel like there's enough talent here to give things another go next season if they overhaul the bullpen this winter
3:47
It's an old team and they'll need to find an answer in CF and replace Kikuchi. They need a lot of work, but the core you referenced is good enough to at least put a Wild Card contender around
Fan
3:47
There is just something wrong that that Bluejay team. Feels like they always underperform
Anthony Franco
3:48
They've underperformed in the playoffs certainly, but they won between 89 and 92 games in each of the last three regular seasons while playing in the AL East. This was the first time they just fell completely flat
3:50
They were a surprise postseason team in '20 and narrowly missed in '21. They've gotten swept out of the Wild Card round in each of the last two years but that's four games -- three of which they could or should have won
Fan
3:50
Only 2 infielders in the top 50 trade candidates...luckily the yankees only need 2 infielders and a bullpen
Joey
3:50
Who could the Yankees realistically get at the deadline to play third base?
Anthony Franco
3:52
Ha yeah the infield market is bad. Could open up a little bit if the Reds or Giants fall out of it (although Matt Chapman's contract also makes him a tough trade piece). Luis Rengifo would've been on the list if he weren't currently too
3:53
He could be back before the deadline and would make a lot of sense for the Yankees since he can bounce between second and third. Not a great defender but he can hit, which isn't the case for like 2/3 of New York's lineup right now
Weren't currently injured* sorry
Cat Herder
3:53
Cleveland looked pedestrian at Comerica this week.  Are you bullish on the Guards ability to turn it on come September and October?
Anthony Franco
3:55
Sure. They've got flaws but that's true of every team in the American League to varying degrees. Ample off days in the playoffs would allow them to really lean on the bullpen
3:58
Would like to see them get a starter who could slot behind Bibee and a hopefully healthy Williams in the playoff rotation, but there's potential for a 2014-15 Royals kind of playoff run with that relief group and the talent in the upper half of the lineup
Ryan Red-Leg
3:58
I saw an article in SI that said the Yankees were looking hard at Reds relievers and that the Reds had Scouts at the Yankees/Rays series.  What could the Yankees have on their MLB roster that the Reds want?  Don't they have similar offensive needs?  It would make more sense that the Reds were scouting the Rays players.  Maybe Arozarena?  What's your take?
Anthony Franco
4:00
Yeah I don't think the Yankees and Reds match up all that well. NY having interest in some of Cincinnati's relievers isn't necessarily a big deal though
4:01
If the Yankees want someone like Sam Moll, the Reds could send scouts to evaluate whether Oswaldo Cabrera would be a better utility infielder than Santiago Espinal or something. Doesn't have to be a major move
Doug E.
4:02
Thanks for the chat.  What can the Dodgers do to improve before the end of the month?  After watching them get swept by the Phillies they won’t make it past the first round of playoffs.  They have more pitchers both starters and relievers on the IL than I can remember.  Two starters, Mookie and Max also out.  If everyone came back healthy soon the Dodgers wouldn’t have to do anything but that isn’t going to happen.
Anthony Franco
4:03
They'll probably bring in some help for the bottom of the lineup. The rotation's in shambles but the group they're trotting out right now there isn't the one they'll have in October
4:04
The Phillies took it to them for sure -- and Philly's clearly a great team -- but I wouldn't read much into this week from a Dodger perspective. It'll look a lot different one Yamamoto, Glasnow and Mookie are back
Mike D
4:05
Would Samuel Basallo for Alexis Diaz work for both teams?  Diaz sues up bullpen and Basallo could move to first or be reds catcher for the future?
Anthony Franco
4:06
Basallo's too good for Baltimore to give him up for a closer
Artful Dodger
4:06
Do you see the Dodgers making 0, 1, or more than 1 major trade? Will the Dodgers farm system still rank in the top five systems after the trade deadline?
Big Bob
4:06
Dodger question. There's been a lot of talk regarding shortstop, second base, center field, and of course pitching. But do the Dodgers have a good prospect for third in their farm system?
Anthony Franco
4:07
More than one trade but they don't have to be super flashy additions. Third base tends to sort itself out as teams move former shortstop prospects off the position
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