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Emperors New Clothes

2:51

Exactly who are the Colorado Rockies' management trying to fool? Their fanbase is loyal but not stupid. There is no observable effort being made to build a competitive MLB team but they keep suggesting they are NOT in a rebuild but a reload. What do you think needs to be done to this proud franchise to right the ship?

Anthony Franco

2:51

I don't think they're trying to fool anyone so much as they've honestly deluded themselves -- particularly owner Dick Monfort

2:52

There have been quite a few damning reports coming out of the organization about their process and Monfort's general lack of understanding about what's going on around the league, which explains why their hiring processes have been so insular

2:53

I think they need to commit to a full rebuild, but they're not going to do that and I worry they'll be stuck in a churn of mediocrity for a while because of it

Mets Fan

2:53

I was unexcited by both Eppler and Buck but should I be drinking the Koolaid?

Anthony Franco

2:54

I think they're both fine. Wouldn't consider either a ground-breaking hire but I have more faith in Eppler and Showalter than I did in Van Wagenen and Luis Rojas at the start of their respective tenures

More importantly, the roster's already good on paper and ownership seems hell-bent on contending whatever the cost

Will in Westport

2:54

Hey Anthony, Presuming that we return to some degree of normalcy (and a "reasonable" CBA is achieved), where do Duran, Downs, and Casas fit into the Red Sox line-up in 2022? Will they be on the Opening Day roster in Boston, or relegated to AAA Worcester? Thanks, and Merry Christmas.

Anthony Franco

2:55

I think Downs and Casas are starting in Worcteser. Downs was terrible last year and just looks like he needs more time. You can make a case for Casas but he's only got nine Triple-A games under his belt

2:57

Duran should be playing every day somewhere, and he might end up back in Worcester to start too depending on what they do in the outfield. But if Bradley doesn't show signs of turning things around offensively really early, I think he's relegated to fourth OF duty and Duran's in the majors within a couple weeks

Bochy's Ghost

2:57

Anthony, the Giants really need a top of the rotation starter, the best of whom who's left (in my mind) is Luis Castillo. What prospect(s), in your mind, would the Giants need to give up to get Castillo? And if the Giantds were willing to take on Moustakas and part of his remaining contract, what lower prospect(s) would land Castillo? Thanks.

Anthony Franco

2:57

I don't believe the Reds are desperate enough to offset Castillo's value by attaching Moustakas

2:58

As for a reasonable ask, I think anyone in the system aside from Marco Luciano should be fair game. Joey Bart probably doesn't fit there since the Reds already have Tyler Stephenson, but a deal around Heliot Ramos or Luis Matos makes sense if Cincinnati's willing to pull the trigger on a Castillo deal

Brian

2:58

What if SF solved their SP and CF issues by acquiring Manaea and Laureano from OAK in exchange for Beede, Duggar, and Dubon? (certainly more - just as the MLB pieces coming back) Would that be a reasonable framework to begin discussions?

Anthony Franco

2:59

Not enough headlining talent there for Oakland

goob

2:59

The Giants "bought" Will Wilson from the Angels in Dec 2019, by taking on Zack Cozart and the $9M left on his contact -then released Cozart in Jan 2020. Since they released him well before the 2020 season even started, did that mean that they had to pay his entire remaining salary, or did they only end up having to pay him the prorated 60 game salary?

Anthony Franco

2:59

Yeah they had to pay him the whole salary

3:00

Unfortunate timing on their part, (significantly better timing for Zack Cozart) but can't fault them for not anticipating how much COVID would wreck the year

Kirt

3:00

With his hip injury over a year removed, what do you expect from Matt Chapman in 2022?

Anthony Franco

3:00

Wrote about Chapman in a deeper dive that was emailed to subscribers last week, so I encourage you to check it out if you haven't

3:01

But generally speaking, I'm pretty concerned about the bat. He missed a lot of very hittable fastballs, a trend that only got worse throughout the year. His timing just seemed off, and they were aware of it but couldn't seem to find a workable fix in-season

Guest

3:01

Are the Oakland A’s going to have a fire sale and if so who’s leaving and going where?

Anthony Franco

3:02

There's been enough smoke that I think they're moving a few significant guys, but I doubt it's a full fire sale and multi-year rebuild, since they just don't operate that way organizationally

3:04

Matt Olson, Chris Bassitt and Sean Manaea all feel likelier than not to open the season elsewhere. I'd put Matt Chapman, Frankie Montas and Lou Trivino closer to 50/50 to be dealt. Would be surprised if they traded Ramón Laureano or Sean Murphy

Guest

3:04

Will the Angels ever get it together and win the division.

3:05

Hey Anthony, how much trading and signing do you foresee once the lockout is over and do you see a stronger American League West

Anthony Franco

3:05

I'd still have the Astros as the favorite but yeah, it's going to be a good division. Probably the most interesting in baseball

Wouldn't be totally surprised if you told me either Los Angeles or Seattle ended up winning it, and I'll probably have both as WC teams if there's a 12 or 14 team playoff in the next CBA

Keith

3:06

Do you really care if the Rockies are in a churn of mediocrity?

Anthony Franco

3:07

Ha, I mean it's not a huge deal to me personally. My brother's a Rockies fan though and I'd prefer they're at least respectable for his sake

Astros fan

3:07

Should the Astros sign Bryant not only for his talent but also to keep him away from Seattle?

Anthony Franco

3:09

That's overthinking it in my book. You're talking about a massive investment for a player whose best positional fits (essentially the corners and DH) are all well covered in Houston

3:11

I'd rather just sign Story if you're spending to that level to solidify shortstop, which is one of the only real question marks on the roster. Then you're not relying on Jeremy Pena and could even consider trades as other needs arise because of injuries

Dallas

3:11

Instead of seeing everyone's HoF ballot and the ensuing argument of their opinions (leaving the ballot blank or avoiding certain players), I would love to see an actual breakdown of each player's resume. With the shutdown, any chance you all try that out? Mark Buehrle and Torri Hunter are two players I loved but probably shouldn't make the Hall. Jeff Kent, I hated him but shouldn't he make it? The breakdown could even be simple: Pro: Sammy Sosa brought fans back to baseball. Con: Sosa had that corked bat situation was weird and we think he did steroids. Pro: Barry Bonds is the homerun King. Con: Barry Bonds is the Steroid Era King. Pro: Roger Clemons is the greatest pitcher of his era. Con: All his kids have a K to start their name. Pro: Curt Schilling the baseball player. Con: Curt Schilling the person

Andrew Jones should be in the HoF, his defense was good enough for the next league, he always had solid power, played every game and was a solid RBI guy (curious what the analytics say about him).

Anthony Franco

3:12

I don't think we're going to do a full HOF series thing. That's a little outside our wheelhouse and requires a really deep historical understanding of comparable players, etc., that's better suited for people like Jay Jaffe who study it in far greater depth

3:14

I've got superficial opinions on guys, though, and I go back-and-forth on Jones every year. As you said, there's a really good case. To the extent we have advanced defensive metrics that go back to the 90's, they all align with the 80-grades from scouts and the million Gold Gloves

3:15

It's also an offense-heavy era, and while he hit over 400 homers, he did it with a .254 average and a .337 on-base. By age 30, he was basically done as a productive regular

3:17

I lean yes on Jones, but I think there's a real argument against him as well. I believe Steve's more firmly in the "absolute HOF" camp on him than I am, although I tend to value longevity versus peak

Diamond in the Rough

3:17

I love tracking the prospects from around the league and get excited when someone off-the-radar impacts a team. Aside from the usual suspects (top 25), who is your hidden gem waiting to explode on the scene in 2022?

Anthony Franco

3:19

Caveat that I'm not as in touch on prospects as others in the public sphere, particularly beyond draft day

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