You are viewing the chat in desktop mode. Click here to switch to mobile view.
X
Front Office Chat: 8/2/24
powered byJotCast
Prev Page View Full Chat Next Page
Cat Herder
3:42
Treat me like I'm an 8-year old: Can you explain the options to add players after 7/31?  I'm still not entirely sure I get it.
Anthony Franco
3:43
Assume you're referring to Steve's post from yesterday?
3:45
Free agents, waivers, independent leagues all function the same way as ever. The difference with trades is that teams can't swap anyone who has been on a 40-man roster at any point this season. So you can still do minor leaguer for cash or another minor leaguer if none of those players have been on a 40-man this season
3:47
The old waiver trade system is dead. Teams can still put veteran players on waivers in the hope that someone else takes their salary (which is what the Angels and a couple other teams did last August). If other teams claim the player, whichever one has highest waiver priority gets the player and the entire contract. It's an all-or-nothing thing; a team can't agree to pay down half a player's salary to facilitate a waiver claim
3:48
Most of those guys aren't going to get claimed, in which case they're likely to just stick with their current team (maybe without it ever being reported that they were on waivers in the first place)
Ross Atkins
3:48
Should I be updating my resume?  I think I'm on the hot seat.
Anthony Franco
3:48
(Jays GM)
3:49
Yeah that seems like one of the likeliest spots for a front office change
Bill
3:49
The Braves  move of acquiring Soler is puzzling. Now they basically have two DH guys with defensive liabilities.Your thoughts?
Anthony Franco
3:50
I'm alright with it. It's a stretch defensively for sure but Soler's been really good for the last two months. The Braves lineup has very much not and he's one of the few guys who got traded and has the potential to put a lineup on his back if he gets on a heater
3:52
They'll probably need to offload one of Soler or Ozuna next offseason. Wouldn't be easy to move Soler if he doesn't have a good second half. It's a gamble but one I'm alright with them taking to try to spark the lineup
Big Bob
3:52
Will the Padres catch the Dodgers?
Anthony Franco
3:52
Don't see that happening but I think they'll snag a Wild Card spot
Frank
3:52
Red Sox fan here.   While not totally thrilled about the 5 trade deadline deals the Sox made, I wonder if fans understand how much the potential of losing minor leaguers to the upcoming Rule 5 draft results in their being traded.   Example:  Many of the Red Sox minor leaguers involved in the recent transactions would possibly not been protected and lost in the upcoming Rule 5 draft.
Fraur Bruker
3:52
I thought the Red Sox did great this trade deadline, with marginal upgrades everywhere, given their commitment to not selling top prospects.  How would you grade them?
Anthony Franco
3:54
Yeah I liked what the Sox did. Stayed away from the top of the farm in a year where they haven't been all-in but they got better in a few areas around the margins while giving up a lot of future role player types
3:55
The deadline day bullpen pickups felt like a must with Martin and Slaten out and some uncertainty on Hendriks' form until we see him in action
Rick
3:55
What are your thoughts on Andy Pages? He has probably done as well as can be reasonably expected in the 300 ABs since being called up. Do you see him as long-term starter and if so, can he be an above average hitter?
Curtis
3:55
What’s your take on A. Pages, W. Abreu, and Pete Crow for next season?  Should we expect significant improvement after a year in the bigs?
Anthony Franco
3:57
Yeah I like Pages. Don't think he's a CF and he needs to get a little more patient but I'm in on him as a hitter. Good bat-to-ball skills, bat speed, ability to lift the ball. I think he'll be a solid everyday corner outfielder
3:59
Abreu's already there but it's a broadly similar profile with a slight advantage as a LHH who'll get more favorable platoon matchups. Not as bullish on PCA being more than a bottom of the lineup guy with plus CF defense. His pitch recognition scares me
HBP
3:59
You think the Braves pick up Ozunas option with Soler and injuries for 2025?
Anthony Franco
4:00
He's hitting so well this season that it'd take a really bad second half for them not to pick it up
Ducky Medwick
4:00
Sounds like Cleveland and Minnesota went after Fedde and made offers that were believed to be better than what the CWS got, but the Sox didn't want to trade him within the division.  Sounds like Cle and Min may have had discussion for Flaherty also.  From the CWS perspective, the three team deal w/ Fedde didn't make sense, and they no doubt could have gotten a better deal from Cle or Min.  Reinsdorf allegedly made the call.  The White So are a good example of a poorly run organizaiton.  They essentially gave away Eloy Jimenez as a salary dump, and the White Sox play in Chicago!
Anthony Franco
4:01
No issue with the Eloy salary dump. They're paying basically all of this year's salary anyway, just got Baltimore to take on half of a $3MM buyout that was a no-brainer
4:02
But if it's true that Reinsdorf was blocking the front office from engaging with the Twins and Guardians on Feede and Crochet (or at the very least requiring such an outlandish return that it killed talks before they started), that's really bad process
4:03
Which is par for the course with this ownership group unfortunately
Pip
4:03
Did the deadline move the needles forAL East  post season rankings? Still Os and then NY?
Anthony Franco
4:03
I'd still take Baltimore
Devil Ray
4:03
How/why did the Rays not trade Yandy Diaz and Fairbanks? They surely would have gotten a decent return for them.
Where's Junior?
4:03
What are the Rays waiting for? Get Caminero up here now!
Anthony Franco
4:05
Yeah I'm surprised they didn't move Yandy, B. Lowe and (to a slightly lesser extent) Fairbanks. They'll all have trade value in the offseason -- barring another significant injury in Lowe's case -- and I don't know what was on the table this summer, but Tampa Bay's overall deadline maneuverings felt incomplete
4:06
The Paredes trade was the only one I really disliked for them individually, but their approach felt like a half-measure to me. They offloaded their only impending free agents in Rosario and Armstrong, though, so I'm sure they'll revisit talks on the other guys early in the winter
4:07
I'd have Caminero up now too, still not sure what they're waiting for on that one
Mr. Krabbs
4:08
What position has the weakest depth across the majors?  Seems like everyone needs a middle infielder.  I guess you’re always safe saying “pitcher.”
Anthony Franco
4:09
Highest attrition rate with pitching certainly. On the position player side it's tough to find up-the-middle players in general. I'd probably go center field as the weakest right now
4:11
There are like 3-4 guys I'd feel comfortable banking on as slam dunk center fielders who can hit. Otherwise, that position feels like it's a revolving door between glove-only types and talented two-way players (not in the Ohtani sense obviously) who struggle to stay healthy
Fred
4:11
Keegin Akin getting optioned seems pretty weird.  Can you explain?
Anthony Franco
4:13
Baltimore's got a bunch of relievers who can't be optioned, so they'd need to get those guys through waivers. Akin can go to Norfolk without the risk of losing him
Connecting…