JotCast | Trade Rumors Front Office Chat

Trade Rumors Front Office Chat

Tim Dierkes

1:59

Thanks for joining me for the Friday afternoon subscriber chat!

Winning Ugly

2:00

Do White Sox break up the core?

Tim Dierkes

2:01

No, I don't see any reason to think they'd mess with the core. They do seem a bit limited in places to improve the team, however, unless Reinsdorf provides a decent increase to what was already a record payroll.

John H

2:01

This off-season seems strange. Managers are fired all the time but I have never seen so much turnover of "other" coaches and so many other back office staff and minor league personnel. Am I wrong and what's going on this year?

Tim Dierkes

2:02

For me what we've seen with coaches seems to be par for the course. Every October there's always a bunch of housecleaning for most of the teams that missed the playoffs.

Bruce

2:02

With Acuna (and maybe Ozuna) returning to Braves outfield in 2022, who of this year’s trade deadline pickups does AA retain: Soler, Joc, Rosario, and Duvall? I hope all of them but …

Tim Dierkes

2:03

I was just debating Duvall a bit with Steve and Anthony. Steve is pretty sure they'll keep Duvall. I'm less sold on it. If Duvall picks up his side of the mutual option, the Braves could pick up theirs as well, which almost never happens. But with a pretty tight-looking payroll I'm not sure I can see them paying him a $9MM+ arbitration salary.

2:04

So for me, it's just Acuna penciled in right now, and they should add at least one veteran in light of uncertainty around Ozuna. How long will Ozuna be suspended? And can we assume the Braves will release him after and eat significant money?

2:06

My pick is probably Soler, the one of those four who's actually not any kind of postseason story. Joc, Rosario, Duvall - these guys may carry the Braves to a championship, but they are what they are and upside is limited. Soler, you can deploy at DH as soon as a viable OF candidate emerges, and he may be a 40 HR threat again.

We have debated whether Soler can find a three-year deal, I'm going back and forth on that.

Guest

2:06

Lots of Mets fans are unhappy that Alderson is still with the organization and feel he is a negative factor in hiring top mgmt. Couple that with the fact that any new hire will be placed between the Sr and Jr Aldersons seems an untenable position. Its not like the Alderson’s own the Mets, they’re just employees. How does Cohen expect to work around this situation?

Tim Dierkes

2:08

I have to assume that if Cohen was planning to fire or demote Alderson, he would've done it by now. I don't understand his hold over Cohen or the organization. He's had enough missteps and bad hires to just completely start fresh. I do think the job would look more appealing in that case. But Cohen has already botched this search by leaking interest in the big names, setting fans up for disappointment.

Hits Like Rays

2:08

My proposal for an addition to the new CBA: Any team that grossly outspends its opponent in a playoff series automatically starts that series down 1 game. For example, if the Pirates and Dodgers faced eachother in the playoffs this year, Game 1 would be automatically given to the Pirates and Game 2 would be the first game actually played. Any takers???

Tim Dierkes

2:09

No, I think that's goofy and unrealistic. A great way to piss off fans of the game's most popular teams.

2:11

In theory, revenue sharing is supposed to at least address some of the inherent and permanent disparity between teams like the Pirates and Dodgers. But it's worth keeping in mind that inept management is probably more responsible for the Pirates' woes than their market size. The Cardinals are the gold standard for a midmarket team that competes year in, year out.

Mick

2:11

With deep pockets, what free agents do the Rangers target to help an offense that is in desperate need?

Tim Dierkes

2:12

At this moment, I'm picking Castellanos and Baez for them. I certainly could buy Story over Baez instead. Just about any top position player free agent is viable for the Rangers, except for old ones like Starling Marte. I could see Kris Bryant or Kyle Schwarber in Texas as well.

Hits Like Rays

2:12

But it might help fans learn how much an advantage they have in cheering for "rich teams"

Tim Dierkes

2:13

It's tough to even figure out what MLB's stance is on this. In '94, we desperately needed a salary cap because there was no way small market teams could compete with big market ones. More recently, we have Manfred saying payroll doesn't really impact competitiveness.

Hits Like Rays

2:13

Yes, but rich teams (just like rich people and rich companies) can more easily overcome inept management because they have vastly more resources. Poor teams have to be perfect to be competitive.

Tim Dierkes

2:14

It's true, and it's why there are some things built into the system to level the playing field a little bit. Revenue sharing, differences in draft pick compensation. If you're stumping to further transfer wealth or talent from the Dodgers to the Rays, I'd listen, but gifting the small market team a playoff victory is too much.

Guest

2:15

Do you think Kris Bryant resigns with the Giants or does he take the biggest offer elsewhere?

Tim Dierkes

2:15

For us, the move at the deadline was really about pushing chips in with this team, which we thought was a special team and had a chance to do special things. But we recognize he’s a superstar talent and it’s going to be a really competitive market for his services. I’m sure we’ll have conversations there, but he’ll have a long line of suitors so we’ll just have to see how that develops.

That's a quote from Giants GM Farhan Zaidi. For me that's about as close as he can come to saying they're not going to compete for Bryant's services.

grover

2:16

I was looking at your list of offseason trade candidates and I noticed that the Matts made the list but none of Manaea, Bassitt, Montas make an appearance. Was this an omission or deliberate?

Tim Dierkes

2:16

That's a mistake on my end, I don't know how I did that. I think Montas stays put but I'd be surprised if they didn't trade Manaea or Bassitt.

Ragbrai

2:17

What does the NL Central look like next year? Are MIL and STL the favorite led going? What does each need to do to improve?

Tim Dierkes

2:18

The NL Central now has two teams that aren't really trying to win. And the Reds are always hamstrung by payroll, to the point where we know Castellanos will walk and people aren't even sure if they'll pick up Miley's option at a $9MM net price. So yes, it's Brewers and Cards.

2:20

The Brewers are really tight on payroll, so it's easy to see them letting Avisail walk and replacing him with Tyrone Taylor. And going internal at 1B, led by Tellez. After that it's just trying to get Yeli right and pondering whether you're better off with one more year of Hader, or whatever is being offered in trade (plus some payroll space).

2:21

Cards figure to check in on all the FA shortstops (though less so Correa/Seager). After that they could consider adding pitching, like any contender.

Oh, and all NL teams kind of have DH openings to think about if we assume that happens.

tigers fan

2:21

do you think the tigers will non tender Boyd?

Tim Dierkes

2:21

I think that's pretty much a lock.

Gerard

2:21

Hi Tim, Red Sox fan here and remember your take on Eduardo Rodriguez's FA contract projection before the season. I think he has dropped even further but what do you think his market will be, especially given his recent decent start in the ALCS. I watch him often and I think his ERA/WHIP are what he is, but the FO geeks surely will look at his FIP and xERA etc. I don't want Boston to go more than 3/36 + incentives on him, but I think someone will give him a (much) bigger check? Thanks.

Tim Dierkes

2:22

I can't recall what I said before the season, but we're at four years and $70MM currently. Anthony Franco is pushing for a five-year deal.

2:23

E-Rod is not yet 29 years old and his bat-missing ability is top of the free agent class. We expect front offices to ignore the 4.74 ERA and bid pretty aggressively on him.

Ragbrai

2:23

Are the Marlins posed to compete for a playoff spot in ‘22? What is the biggest need? OF or IF or both?

Tim Dierkes

2:25

As presently constituted, no. We need to see how high they're willing to run up the payroll and what they actually add. I think the assumption is they'll get a catcher via trade, and they'd do well to add two outfielders and some relief help. I'm not sure if we're talking Avisail Garcia or Nick Castellanos here, though, and it's fair to be skeptical until we actually see the Sherman-led Marlins commit more than $17.5MM to a free agent or more than $75MM to the payroll.

Jose Ramirez to SFG

2:26

Trade proposition: Left handed OF such as Yaz/Duggar plus Ramos and a lower level prospect for Jose Ramirez? Can jump around the IF, something Giants like. Who says no and why.

Tim Dierkes

2:28

I think the Guardians would need to do better than a package led by the #71 prospect in the game, especially with Ramos coming off a lackluster season (at least per the stat line). Ramirez represents two years of a superstar player at half or even one-third of his value. So your suggested offer would not be taken seriously.

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