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Front Office Chat - Fourth of July, 2025
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Darragh McDonald
9:53
Do you want to spend today at a cookout with your friends, family and neighbors? Or do you want to spend it talking to a Canadian about baseball on the internet?
Use your freedom to decide on that and I'll be back at 2pm Central. Feel free to drop questions in the meantime.
3:00
Hello.
3:01
Do you hear the chimes of freedom where you are?
There's construction going on outside my home, so I can barely hear myself think.
Let's enjoy discussing baseball together.
Western skies
3:01
Happy four days after Canada Day! The Braves are saying all the right things, but they’re going to more than tweak before the deadline, right? I’ve thought for some time they will use the All-Star stuff as a showcase/diversion before making any big moves. Then what?
Steve
3:01
Do you think the Braves sell after the Schwellenbach news? Would Olson to the Red Sox for Casas plus some other pieces be possible?
notsohotlanta
3:01
As the Braves continue their quest to prove they are pulseless ,when does the sale/trade begin? When does Snitker and the hitting staff exit?
Darragh McDonald
3:02
Barring a red-hot streak in the coming weeks, I do think Atlanta needs to accept their fate and sell. I assume that, internally, they are aware things aren't going well.
3:03
I understand why AA felt the need to project outward confidence. You don't want to tell your players you're waving the white flag.
But making a run with no Sale, Schwellenbach, Lopez or AJSS is really hard to see.
3:04
FanGraphs gives them just a 13.5% chance of making the playoffs as of this moment. Unless they crack off a 13-game winning streak or something, I think they will do some selling, at least of impending free agents.
I don't think Olson will be available.
3:05
As for Snitker and the staff, that I don't know. The World Series victory surely gives him a lot of rope but things have been trending down for a few years now.
Ken
3:06
Just subscribed. It seems like Soderstrom is getting squeezed out of a role, as Brent Rooker has the DH spot locked down, and Nick Kurtz is the better all-around first baseman. In the outfield, the A's have already extended Lawrence Butler long-term and the A's have called up Colby Thomas to the majors, who is a pretty decent defensive corner outfielder and brings right-handed power. Do you think the A's will move Tyler Soderstrom before the deadline or in the offseason? What kind of return would he bring back in such a scenario?
Darragh McDonald
3:06
Thank you for joining the Front Office team!
3:07
I do think there's some non-zero chance of a Soderstrom trade. I went over the possibility in my recent Trade Deadline Outlook piece about the A's, which you now have access to as a subscriber...
3:08
He makes more sense to be some other club's first baseman than the Athletics' left fielder. Or maybe even some club still thinks he could catch?
3:09
The return would have to be something great. He's controlled for four more years after this one. It would probably have to be a pitcher of similar quality on another club. Like Jared Jones or something like that.
Zakis
3:09
Who on the mlbtr staff is going to quit and become the hitter the Twins need? I'm guessing Mark
Darragh McDonald
3:10
Nothing against Mark but I think Anthony, Nick and Leo are the youngest on the staff. They would probably be better options just due to a lack of back pain.
Guest
3:10
Would A Miller and M Abel be enough to get the Pirates talking about O Cruz?
Darragh McDonald
3:10
That would start the conversation, sure.
3:13
With the Crochet trade, the Sox got four prospects, including two top 100 guys. Crochet probably had more appeal in a vacuum as a cheap ace, whereas Cruz is merely a really good everyday player. But Crochet had just two years of control at the time of the deal whereas Cruz currently has three-plus.
Robertson and Rangers?
3:13
Any reason why the Rangers haven’t checked in on David Robertson? Any word on whether they might explore that? They need a closer to move Garcia back to his setup role.
Darragh McDonald
3:14
Reportedly, D-Rob was looking for $10MM annually this winter, preferably on a multi-year deal. The Rangers were flirting with the tax line all winter and preferred to sign a bunch of cheaper guys.
They could call D-Rob now, I guess, but how long would it take him to get into game shape?
Sam
3:15
How did it feel, as a Canadian, to have the Blue Jays sweep America's team the day before the 4th of July lol
Blue Jays
3:15
With how well Davis Schneider has played since being recalled, is there a potentially available RHH outside of Suarez worth acquiring?  I feel like the Jays are better off using their resources on a more top line starter like Keller or Peralta, and a high leverage reliever like Coloumbe, Bednar, Miller etc.
JeffyM
3:15
Did Vlad spend his entire 500 million on a fountain of youth or Time Machine for George Springer?
Sandy G
3:16
Barger, Lukes, Springer. I know it was a small sample size, but, wow, they big sure beat up the Yanks.
Darragh McDonald
3:16
Yes, it was obviously an exciting series for the Jays.
3:18
With Springer, everything I've heard suggests that he's decided to sell out for power more often. Strikeout rate is up but it seems like a tradeoff that works.
3:19
I do think starting pitching is probably going to be a bigger need in a few weeks. I'm sure they're aware that Scherzer could disappear again at any time. Lauer has been a godsend but they probably don't want to be relying on him either.
Mariner Steve
3:20
The Mariners come close each season but don’t seem prepared to take the plunge on either big trades or free agent signings. In ownership’s eyes could it be that the cost is not worth the benefits of a World Series? I’ve read that they are very  profitable compared to all teams.
Darragh McDonald
3:22
I don't really know what ownership's thinking is, but I don't think it's fair to accuse the Mariners of not making big trades. Dipoto got the name "Trader Jerry" for a reason.
My guess is that they will be quite active at the deadline. They have one of the top farm systems in the league. I think they had nine guys on the most recent top 100 update at Baseball America?
3:24
Reporting from the offseason suggested they were trying to trade prospects for major league talent but found few clubs interested in that arrangement, due to so many clubs thinking they had a shot this year. The M's decided to hold their prospects and wait for more sellers to emerge at the deadline. Atlanta, Baltimore, Pittsburgh, pick up the phone.
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