JotCast | MLBTR Chat: 2/24/22

MLBTR Chat: 2/24/22

Anthony Franco

6:33

Hey everyone, looking forward to another chat

Going to give it a minute or two for some questions to roll in and then we'll get going

Tom

6:34

Over/under: May 1.

Guest

6:34

Do you think it will be solved by season or by June

Anthony Franco

6:34

So yeah, might as well start with this

6:35

I was an optimist on this for a long time, but the form negotiations have taken over the past couple weeks killed that

6:36

I see no reason to believe the season will be started by May 1, given how far away the sides currently are and the fact that animosity probably only rises if/when we get past 02/28 without a deal and the league starts canceling games

Mid-late June feels more likely at this point, although that's obviously just speculation based on the way things have played out so far

Angels guy

6:36

Any chance we make a run at another top reliever: Jansen or Kelly?

Anthony Franco

6:37

Makes sense on paper but I think shortstop and rotation depth will wind up being the bigger priorities

Kevin

6:37

So the Cards seem focused on Moran and either McHugh or Boxberger. Is that enough to make them World Series contenders?

Anthony Franco

6:38

I think they're World Series contenders now, since they're playoff contenders and any team that makes the playoffs can win the World Series

6:39

But signing Moran and a reliever in the Tepera/McHugh mold are nice pickups around the margin but nothing that would completely change the way I view the team

The future of 2nd base.

6:39

Who's the Tigers long term 2nd basemen? Paredes? Kriedler? A free agent?

Anthony Franco

6:39

Well, Schoop's around through 2023. By that point, they'll have a decent idea whether Kriedler or Paredes are everyday caliber guys

baseball

6:40

do you like baseball

Anthony Franco

6:40

Obviously

Texas Yankee Fan

6:40

So if games get cancelled how do they determine which games get cancelled? Asking for a friend who's going to NY in August for the first time and taking his son to his first Yankees game in the Bronx.

Anthony Franco

6:40

Jared Diamond of the Wall Street Journal reported yesterday that they'd just lop the games off the front end of the schedule that are missed

6:41

So if the Yankees' season starts on June 1, the current plan is evidently to pick up with whoever they're playing on June 1 and play things out from there as scheduled

Mitch

6:41

Say the Pirates change their mind on Reynolds. Would Espino, Freeman, Jones and Arias get it done for Cleveland?

Anthony Franco

6:42

I'd guess they'd give that real thought, since there's pretty serious depth there. Doesn't have the super splashy headliner but four of the top 150 or so prospects in baseball is a hell of a package

A's Fan

6:43

Could the A's with their new stadium closer, and the CBA closer, decide to keep most their stars this year and join the dogfight for the A L West? ...works for their fans!

Anthony Franco

6:43

There were enough reports pre-lockout about their desire to cut payroll that I don't see this happening

6:44

But broadly speaking, I agree that they could be pretty good if they just kept everyone and made a run at it. Just don't think ownership's doing that

Damien Easley

6:44

Tigers going to be in on an outfielder whenever everything’s resolved?

Anthony Franco

6:45

Don't think so. Al Avila said pretty early in the offseason that they didn't consider the outfield an issue. Grossman's going to play most days, Riley Greene should be up soon, and they like Akil Baddoo and Víctor Reyes enough that I think they're content to head into the year with that group

Guest

6:45

Would rangers give up leiter for Luis Castillo?

Anthony Franco

6:45

I doubt it. Justifiable ask from the Reds perspective, but that feels a little too win-now from Texas' perspective

6:46

I know they were super aggressive in free agency, but Semien/Seager/Gray all help in 2023-24 as well. The Rangers probably aren't a contender this year, so parting with Leiter for two years of Castillo doesn't seem like a great strategy

Trade Bait

6:47

Jared Walsh and Brandon Marsh to Florida for Sandy Alcantara. Who says no?

Anthony Franco

6:47

The Marlins just signed Alcantara to an extension. He's not going anywhere

A's guy

6:47

In my opinion, I don't think "Revenue Sharing" will do something prevent teams from tanking. I am not sure why talks about a salary floor and salary cap have been revisited by both the union and MLB? Without those economic proposals, I don't see anything changing in MLB.

Anthony Franco

6:48

The union wants nothing to do with a cap, and the league isn't going to agree to a floor without a cap

Publius

6:48

Do you think we'll see the mound moved back at some point within the next few years?

Anthony Franco

6:49

I doubt it. It seems like the early returns on it in the Atlantic League weren't great. That they scrapped the experiment after one year there makes me think it's not going to be on the table any time soon

Publius

6:50

Will the shift be eliminated soon?

Anthony Franco

6:50

This feels more likely to me, even if I don't think it'll achieve what MLB hopes it would

Harry the K

6:51

Who plays the most games in CF this year for the Phillies?

Anthony Franco

6:51

I ran through this in detail in December, and it basically all still applies since nothing ever happens