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Trade Rumors Front Office Chat With Anthony Franco
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Anthony Franco
1:58
Hey everyone, I'm just wrapping something up real quick. I'll start this a little after 2:00 but hang around an extra few minutes to make up for it
2:03
Alright, I'm back
Apologies on the delayed start
Hope you all had a good holiday week!
Slow Bro
2:04
MLBTR mentioned the Nats as a team to take on other team's unwanted salary. I think the Giants should be pursuing a move like this. Maybe they could matchup with the Padres if the inter-division thing isn't a non-starter (seems like West Coast teams care less about trading with rivals)
Anthony Franco
2:04
Yeah I agree with this. Giants have the payroll flexibility to do this sort of thing and we've seen Zaidi embrace it before
2:05
As for with the Padres, idk. I don't think intra-division trades should be a non-starter and they swapped Alex Dickerson and Franklin Van Gurp a few years ago, but it's tougher when you're both competing at the same time
Would the Giants want to take Wil Myers off the Padres hands so San Diego could afford to sign Nick Castellanos and maybe catch them in the division? I doubt it
Dan
2:06
Does the Marcus Semien contract work as a jumping off point for a potential Bogaerts extension? Seems like a decent comp and takes into account a SS being paid after a position change.
Anthony Franco
2:07
Yeah, I think so. Bogaerts will be a year younger, so maybe you toss an eighth year on there and he gets some symbolic value by surpassing $200MM?
2:08
But broadly speaking, I think they're similarly valuable players. Bogaerts is maybe a little better hitter year-in and year-out, Semien's probably better defensively but I don't see a huge edge for either guy overall
Scott Boras
2:09
Besides the obvious big names, are there any long-term contracts from the last 10-20 years that stand out for having gotten great value for both the player and team? I’m curious about your thoughts about the risk vs reward and how teams work that out when bidding on free agents and making early-career offers to prospects. What marketing, team stability, or other components are important in the decision process, but less obvious to the baseball fanbase at large?
Anthony Franco
2:10
You've got the huge free agent ones: Scherzer, Harper looks great so far
2:11
Zack Greinke's deal with the Dodgers too. He got 6/147M guaranteed, was awesome for three years, opted out and got paid again
2:12
I'm sure there are plenty more, but those are the ones that stood out to me on a cursory glance
As for your second question, there's far less risk in the early-career offers to prospects than there are for mega free agent deals, so teams are justifiably more willing to take their shot on those
2:14
Even if you get a Scott Kingery or Evan White, it's not a big deal. If the dude becomes Ozzie Albies or José Ramírez, you've got one of the most valuable assets in baseball. I don't think those decisions are made for marketing purposes (at least they shouldn't be) so much as your internal evaluation as to how talented that player is, how hard he works, etc.
Joshua
2:14
The Nats are an interesting team to me in the sense that they are retooling, but would like to do so quickly, and have plenty of payroll flexibility this season. I know you all have an article in regards to them having the possible ability to take on a bad contract with a prospect attached, but what type of prospect could they realistically land by taking on Suarez or Moustaskas from the Reds? Or, and this would be a preference of mine, could they take on Kiermaier and get Glasnow attached (maybe even in addition to taking on someone from the Reds)? Thanks.
Anthony Franco
2:15
I don't think the Rays would just give away Glasnow and Kiermaier. KK should have a bit of trade value even if not exorbitantly so. I love the Nats as a fit for Glasnow but it'd cost them a young player or two to pull off. If Tampa just wanted to shed the money, they'd have non-tendered him
2:17
Teams amenability to attaching prospects to sell off an underwater contract varies, I'm sure. Even if it makes sense in a vacuum, the Reds might find it too embarrassing to give up Elly de la Cruz or Matt McLain just to undo the Suárez/Moustakas deals, but that's the kind of prospect I think it'd take
2:19
To shed Zack Cozart at 1/12, the Angels gave the Giants Will Wilson, who went 15th overall the year before. That's the best proxy we have for how much value teams place on those guys. Moustakas/Suárez are longer-term deals at similar AAV's but probably not as cooked as Cozart was by that point
Cashman
2:19
Voit, Schmidt, Peraza and Florial get me Matt Olson? Thank you.
Anthony Franco
2:20
I think Oakland could do a bit better but it's close. Voit being included makes sense, Peraza's a good headlining prospect. I'd probably want a slightly better tertiary piece than Schmidt
2:21
I doubt Florial moves the needle at all. Struck out a bunch last year in Triple-A, down to his final option year. He's running out of time
bobert
2:21
WTH are the Cubs doing?  Stroman? Maybe Correa too?
Anthony Franco
2:22
Stroman's a little odd given their competitive window, yeah. I just think they loved the value and figured they might as well improve even if they're not about to compete. We had Stroman at five years and he ended up with three (albeit with an opt-out)
2:23
Correa would be completely different. If they sign him, it's for 2023 and beyond as a "face of the next window of Cubs' baseball" kind of thing, just like the Rangers did with Seager and Semien
MikeD
2:23
i keep reading that gambling will become more apart of the game, perhaps even in-game betting. Is there a time line for this…and is a good idea?
Anthony Franco
2:24
Pretty sure I've already seen stuff like this on MLB Network and some of the Bally Sports programming
I expect it'll only become more frequent
2:25
Whether you consider a good idea feels like more a matter of personal preference. If you're inclined to place prop bets on pitches or the results of plate appearances, etc, then having odds and things like that right in front of you is probably really convenient
If you're not going to partake, then I'm guessing it'll be more of an annoyance the way in-game ads are
Feury
2:25
Ryan Tepera, Josh Harrison, and a surprise reunion with Zack Grienke, but stand pat with what's been done at 1B... is that enough to make the Brewers a more clear favorite in the NL, or at least the Central?
Anthony Franco
2:26
Tepera's the only one of that trio I think really helps. Harrison's a fine utility guy, there's not a ton to love about Greinke anymore
2:28
I think the Brewers are the favorites in the NLC as is, so I guess I'd say yes? But it's more about the current roster than any of those acquisitions. I don't think signing Ryan Tepera meaningfully increases their odds of winning in the playoffs, but I also don't think the current roster's fundamentally incapable of having postseason success so much as they just haven't done it so far
bobert
2:28
Yeah, but the Ranges are closer than the Cubs.  The Cubs have a bad farm and not very good MLB roster.  They
Anthony Franco
2:28
If you're signing Correa for ten years, you're expecting him to be really good for at least six or seven
Millie-waa-kay
2:29
Josh Bell getting moved again per the newsletter today.... Brewers need a 1B partner for Rowdy who hits Leftoes better anyways... if the DH comes to the NL, there's a place for everyone still. It's some power, but its really another switch hitter in that lineup, with another decent-ish glove (better than whats on the roster currently at least), and he gets on base. Cost is what.... a top 15 and a top 25 prospect? Would Corey Ray straight up get it done? Korey Howell and Alec Bettinger?
Joshua
2:29
Could you give an example of what a Josh Bell trade might look like?
Anthony Franco
2:30
To be clear, the Bell post was an opinion thing on my part. I think he should get traded and probably will, but nobody on the Washington beat is saying they were shopping him before the lockout or anything like that
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