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MLBTR Chat: 3/29/23
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Anthony Franco
6:25
This is a good question. I'd probably go with Houston if the goal was just to win in 2023 but think the Dodgers still have the best combination of MLB talent, farm depth and payroll room
Joey
6:25
Is Joey Meneses for real?
Anthony Franco
6:26
Not a top 15 hitter on the planet but yeah, I think he's an above-average offensive player who could be worth a couple wins this season
Wizard
6:26
can you recall any team picked to be sub .500 that totally surpassed expectations and made the playoffs? Orioles were co
Anthony Franco
6:27
Pretty sure most people expected the 2021 Giants to be bad. I certainly did
Curious
6:27
I noticed there are no west-coast MLBTR writers. East-coast bias?
Anthony Franco
6:28
Haha it's not like we're disqualifying people who live in Oregon from the hiring cycle
M.J.
6:28
What are your thoughts on the new rules in these two instances? Bat/ball kids have to work faster or risk being reprimanded or fired. Romo getting pitch clock violations in his farewell appearance, despite prolonged applause from the crowd.
Anthony Franco
6:29
I found the "we're measure bat kid speed and can have you removed if you're too slow" rule very funny. That felt like something you'd see in a corporate satire that'd get criticized for being too on the nose
6:30
Romo getting a pitch clock violation didn't bother me. It wasn't a real game and he'll be able to joke about it years from now
Grissom in Left
6:30
With Shewmake breaking through and Grissom having a weakness on D.. Will the Braves move Grissom to LF due to his bat potential?
Anthony Franco
6:31
No I don't think so. Shewmake's probably more of a glove-first utility type than an everyday shortstop on a playoff team. Sending Grissom down is mostly about providing a lower-pressure environment to see if he can the steps forward he needs to as a shortstop
6:32
If they get to a point where they're abandoning hope of him as a shortstop, they should probably just call him back up and play him in he left field/DH mix at the major league level
Guard
6:32
What are your thoughts on the Andres Gimenez contract extension
Anthony Franco
6:34
Seems fine for both sides. A little higher than I expected at first glance but they bought out the bulk of his prime at what'd be a well below-market rate if he's anything close to the player he was last season
6:36
Not without risk since he only has one season as a productive player. I get why he jumped on the chance to lock in over $100MM. But he seems like a pretty high-floor player as he gets into his late 20s. Good up-the-middle defender with plus contact/plate discipline and reasonable power
Andrew Friedman
6:36
A lot of people are still picking my squad over SD and SF, but realistically aren't we closer to just good versus the great teams we've had over the years? Our depth doesn't seem very deep this season. Am I wrong to panic?
Anthony Franco
6:36
This is about the Dodgers to be clear
6:37
I'm certainly not at panic level. They're got an elite top end of the lineup, a Cy Young caliber pitcher headlining a strong group of four in the rotation and a top three farm system in baseball
Most teams would love to be where the Dodgers are right now
6:38
To your point though, I agree that this year's roster doesn't have quite the same level of depth as in years past. They left a couple questions in the outfield and losing Lux hurts. I think they're neck and neck with San Diego now after being demonstrably better than them in recent years
6:39
Still a clear playoff team for me and a lot better than San Francisco though
Dstormer
6:39
I think Pfaadt should have won the 5th starter for Arizona. When do you think he gets a call-up? Thanks
Anthony Franco
6:40
I'd guess he's in Arizona's rotation by the middle of May
Pache
6:40
A's have no excuse to not carry him on the roster.  The mlb really needs to do something about them. A's are bad for baseball
Anthony Franco
6:41
It's not like they moved on from Pache for salary reasons. They bet on the player in a trade, he was horrible for a year, and they moved on
It's not a good outcome obviously, but this is just a bad evaluation miss
Jizzo 9948
6:42
What moves do you think the Yankees can make now that they have signed Cordero? Trade IKF, Florial and/or Gleyber?
Anthony Franco
6:43
Florial could move in a minor trade or hit waivers, sure. I have a hard time seeing a Kiner-Falefa or Torres trade happening 12 hours before the start of the season
Team Kaptain
6:44
Does Matt Manning get traded at the deadline?
Anthony Franco
6:45
Unlikely. He's got four more years of club control after this one. Maybe he has an All-Star level first half and the Tigers get some kind of offer they just feel they can't refuse, but he's still well within the timeline window for when they want to be competitive
Gadzooks
6:45
Do you believe this is Milwaukee's last chance with their current core, with Burnes a FA after '24 and Woodruff after '25?
Anthony Franco
6:46
Woodruff is also up after '24, as are Burnes and Adames
6:47
Tough question to answer though because it doesn't seem like Milwaukee's thinking in terms of a strict competitive window. They wouldn't have traded Hader last summer if they were pushing all the chips in for 2023 and planning to blow it up after that
6:48
They operate -- as do Cleveland and Tampa Bay for the most part -- in this kind of fluid model where they're open to moving individual players as they get more expensive without ever picking a true "win-now" or rebuilding lane
6:49
So I think this is the last year where all three of Woodruff, Burnes and Adames will be on the team, yeah. But if they trade one of them, keep the other two and then make the playoffs in 2024 with Sal Frelick and Joey Wiemer on the roster, does that qualify as a new core?
Team Kaptain
6:49
What will the seasons of Fraley and Benson look like?
Anthony Franco
6:50
Fraley's a slightly above-average platoon corner outfielder. Feels like a 110 wRC+ type while getting shielded from LHP, kind of the best version of Ben Gamel
6:51
I have no idea on Benson but I'm anxious to find out if he can sustain last year's improvements from a strikeout perspective. Cautiously optimistic with how consistently he's progressed year over year as a professional
ooklah the mok
6:51
What's your take on the Pache to Philly trade? Is it aaa depth or does he make the roster?
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