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Trade Rumors Front Office Chat With Anthony Franco
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Anthony Franco
2:00
Hey everyone, hope you're all well!
A bunch of good questions in the queue today
Bob T
2:00
What do you think the Angels would have to give up to TB for Taylor Walls? He seems like a great fit at SS for the Angels.
Anthony Franco
2:01
He's a sensible target but I'm having a hard time finding a great match on paper
2:02
I doubt the Angels would move either of Adell/Marsh for Walls. Detmers might be a little closer on value but given their longstanding rotation issues, I'd be surprised if they did that either
2:03
But someone like Bachman, Jordyn Adams or Arol Vera probably aren't enough from the Rays perspective
Bones
2:03
Is Robbie Grossman a full time player this year?
Anthony Franco
2:04
He was basically the everyday #3 hitter at the end of last year. Think he'll continue playing regularly -- albeit maybe lower in the order after Tork/Greene are up -- as long as he's performing
Junction Jack
2:04
How does this current lockout compare to what happened in 1994? Do you think, like that year, there’s a change for no World Series this year?
Anthony Franco
2:05
The big one is that was a midseason players' strike, while this was a management lockout initiated over the offseason
So that gives them plenty more time between the start of the work stoppage and the playoffs than a strike that began in August
2:06
It would need to be an absolute disaster -- almost certainly one that spills over into court -- to lose the World Series
Snoozy
2:06
Thank you for these chats.   But seriously, WHAT IN THE HELL IS WRONG WITH THESE PEOPLE?   As Rosenthal wrote yesterday, this is all fixable.  How do you see it, will they figure it out before we all just give up on them?
Anthony Franco
2:06
I agree there's mutual interest in getting games back and the amount of money involved in this dispute shouldn't be enough to cost games
2:07
That said, it seems both sides are dug in pretty hard on issues the other won't even consider -- heightened CBT penalties for the league, expanded arbitration for the players
2:08
And obviously, someone's just going to have to give on those issues to get things done. As long as both the league and union feel they're better equipped to wait the other out, they're going to do that -- frustrating as the whole situation is
Rangers13
2:08
I believe the Rangers will go hard after Kershaw and/or Rodon after the lockout, but they will need at least two more SP. Kikuchi would be a next tier FA, but the other would likely come from a trade. Out of a group of the Reds and As starting pitchers and perhaps Yarbrough, who has the most upside with the less prospect cost.
Anthony Franco
2:09
Between upside, motivation for the other team to make a trade and (comparatively) lower prospect cost, I think it's Sonny Gray
He's controllable for two years at reasonable salaries but the most expensive of the Reds' top trio of starters, so he seems like the guy they'd be most amenable to trading if they're still looking to cut spending
Sockpirate
2:09
Since we all know how MLB revenue has increased so much since the last CBA, why do the owners continue to negotiate as if there was no increase in revenue?
Anthony Franco
2:10
Generally speaking, nobody likes giving up money, no matter how much they have
2:11
So I think it behooves the league to suggest that team ownership isn't profitable -- to ignore resale value of franchises while focusing on day-to-day operational costs that can get expensive, as an example
Particularly if they believe it'll help them win the public relations battle
Rangers13
2:12
Rangers will need at least 1 more OF at bat and probably two. Conforto and Castellanos are good possibilities but both have draft pick compensation if that portion of CBA remains unchanged. Since Rangers would be losing their fourth round pick which of the those mentioned above would be the most long term value in such a way that the loss of the pick would be worth it?
Anthony Franco
2:12
I wouldn't really worry about the draft pick if I were the Rangers
2:13
They've already tanked two picks, and fourth rounders aren't that valuable. They hit at a marginal rate anyways, and they don't come with a particularly high bonus pool allotment
So the question just becomes: are either of those guys good enough players to warrant the kind of financial investment they'll demand?
2:14
Personally, I think Conforto -- particularly if we're talking like 3/48 or 4/60 -- is a better bet than going nine figures on Castellanos
What is on your mind?
2:14
I am running out of baseball questions. Anything going on in your life that you would like to talk about?
Anthony Franco
2:15
Lol yeah I like other stuff. Always happy to talk about how good the Hurricanes look this year and how fun it is to watch Sebastian Aho play hockey. The Oscar movie crop (so far, admittedly not through everything yet) has been kind of underwhelming
Can't believe Shapovalov lost to Vesely the way he did this afternoon
sgrossman
2:15
Because owners and players are negotiating in pubilc and neither side wants to appear weak, there is little prospect that a formal process--mediation or arbitration (except binding arbitration)--can break the logjam. If this were a football dispute, it might be possible that someone like Condoleezza Rice, former Secretary of State and a football super-fan, could be brought in to informally shuttle between the parties nudging them toward agreement. Is there any similar person who both players and owners might trust to participate?
Anthony Franco
2:16
Believe you've pushed this idea in a couple chats in the past, and I really think the answer's just no
2:17
The union doesn't trust mediation. It thinks it's a waste of time, and you can find quotes from people on both sides during the 1994-95 stoppage suggesting mediation didn't help the process along there
2:18
But the bigger thing is this is about more than whatever personal dislike Bruce Meyer and Rob Manfred might have for one another. They're stuck on certain issues -- and leadership on both sides has to answer to constituencies that want certain things -- that the other just isn't willing to budge on right now
I don't know that a third-party coming in and drawing up a proposal with a midpoint can fix that. They're just going to need to budge at some point
Uribe 2 Thompson 2 Clark
2:19
If you bought an organization and had your pick of any team's current combo of POBO, GM and manager (package deal), which team would you choose?
Anthony Franco
2:19
Wow, good question
My first instinct is to go David Stearns and Craig Counsell, but there are like 5-7 groups I'd have to give serious consideration
2:20
I also get Matt Arnold in this case if I'm reading the question correctly
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