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MLBTR Chat: 2/2/22
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Anthony Franco
3:02
Hey everyone, looking forward to another chat! Going to give the queue a minute to build and then we'll get going
Duffy
3:03
Last year, the Mariners and especially the Giants came out of nowhere and took people by surprise. Which team(s) will be like that this year?
Anthony Franco
3:03
I think the Angels will be pretty good, although I don't know if that'd be all that surprising given the star talent they have
3:04
Wouldn't surprise me if the Marlins are alright and hang around the Wild Card race, particularly if they add another bat after the lockout
Sam Fran-sisqo
3:04
chances of suzuki going to SF? if not would you expect one of the castellanos, bryants of the world there?
Anthony Franco
3:04
I'd give SF as good a chance as anyone on Suzuki, although I don't know you could really handicap anyone above like 20% on him
Just given the number of teams known to be in the market and the lack of clarity about his preferences
3:05
If they miss on Suzuki, though, I think it'd be more likely they add on an outfielder via trade than splurge on Bryant or Castellanos. They're reportedly loath to make that kind of investment, and I'm not sure those guys are the kind of defenders they'd like bet big on in that ballpark
Jack
3:05
How many regular season games will be played this year?
Anthony Franco
3:06
I've been on 162 through the entire lockout, and man, I'm still holding out hope on that
But if there's no progress in the next seven days, I'll probably round down to around 150 during next week's chat
Drew
3:06
If you're the Cardinals, do you keep Paul DeJong?  Solid defensively with at least some potential on offense.  I feel like he's worth more to the team than whatever they'd get for him.
Anthony Franco
3:07
Probably, since I'm skeptical about Sosa as a regular
It does seem like that's the direction they're headed. Derrick Goold has written a couple times lately that the Cardinals have expressed confidence in DeJong both privately and publicly. At this point, I fully expect he's their Opening Day shortstop again
Guest
3:07
The Mets are going to potentially have a bunch of players who are one dimensional on the roster -JD Davis, Dom Smith, Robinson Cano. Do you see the Mets moving JD & Dom and bringing in more versatile players to the roster?
Anthony Franco
3:08
At least one of Davis, McNeil and Smith, potentially two. I'm not sure there'd be enough demand on Smith to make it worthwhile though
Trevor
3:08
Padres make a big signing?
Anthony Franco
3:09
Seems like they'd have to find a way to pull off a Hosmer or Myers trade first, given where the payroll's currently set
3:10
I wouldn't rule Preller out on anything, but I also wouldn't bet on them landing Kris Bryant or someone like that. Feels more likely they could trade from the young pitching surplus, as Steve wrote last week, to bring in an affordable option for the corner OF
Trevor Story
3:10
Where will I end up? New York? Houston? Minnesota?
Anthony Franco
3:10
I still think Houston on Story
TheGreatCornholio
3:10
Biggest arm yet to be moved once baseball resumes?
Anthony Franco
3:10
One of Luis Castillo or Frankie Montas
Seamhead
3:11
Is there any chance a new CBA, if it eliminates the current system of draft pick compensation for free agent signings, will apply to the current class? Or will it be phased in? Same with an increase in lux tax threshold.
Anthony Franco
3:11
The draft pick compensation elimination would almost certainly have to go into effect next winter. Would be very strange to implement that mid-offseason
3:12
The tax threshold expanding would take effect for 2022, so teams could incorporate that into their offseason plans. I think that's a big reason teams like the Yankees and Red Sox were fairly quiet before the lockout
haggerty.padraic@gmail.com
3:12
I think the Phillies will be good
Anthony Franco
3:13
I think they're still in the same "good not great" realm they've been for a while. Ton of high-end talent, but enough weak points (bullpen, shortstop, third base, non-harper outfield spots) that the whole team's only a touch above average
Obviously, they'll address some of that post-lockout, but they won't be able to fix all of it before the start of the season
Armchair GM
3:14
Which MLB team do you think wins the most total playoff wins in the next 3 seasons?
Anthony Franco
3:14
Hmm, I think playoff games are mostly luck and the best way to rack up playoff wins is just to make it every year
So I'll say the Dodgers. They seem likeliest to make the postseason in each of the next three seasons
Split Personality
3:14
Who would bring back a larger haul.... DH Shohei Ohtani or SP Shohei Ohtani?
Anthony Franco
3:15
Feels like it'd have to be DH Ohtani, given pitcher Ohtani's spotty health track record
But they'd both draw quite a bit of interest, obviously
Luke
3:15
Any moves the 'guards could make to give them a playoff push beside being healthy this year??
Anthony Franco
3:17
Cleveland's in a weird middle ground that, honestly, I don't love. Obviously better rotation health is big but they still have questions at catcher, at least two outfield positions (arguably three, although Straw at least deserves a chance to try to match his 2021 output)
And I doubt they'll have a top-six bullpen ERA next year, like they did last season
3:18
So they need a decent amount of work IMO. They've got all those fairly well-regarded infield prospects. I'd want to move some of that depth and perhaps flip a back-end starter (given the org's success developing pitching) for outfield/catching help
Mets Guy
3:18
What direction do you see the Mets going in for the #5 starter? Right now DeGrom, Scherzer, Walker, Megill, Peterson.   That's a lot of question marks even in the best case scenario that both DeGrom and Scherzer can make 25+ starts
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