Front office subscriber chat transcription

• Good afternoon everyone, I hope you enjoyed your week! Steve is off today and it’s been quite busy so I’ll probably have to keep this one going for an hour

Pud

• What is Detroit thinking?? Vladdy’s last year of Arb was 28 Mil. 30 is closer than 19.

Anthony Franco

• We discussed this in more detail in Skubal’s own article, but the $19 million is much closer to the precedent we’ve seen for starting pitchers than $32 million – both in terms of maximum value and increase from the previous season
• Skubal is trying to get a $22 million raise, which is unheard of in arbitration. I understand why he’s trying to do this – both in terms of wanting to be valued as a top five player in the MLB, which he is – and to break the ceiling that referees have placed on starters.

DePhillyPope

• The Phils appear to be without any starting pitching this offseason. IMO the rotation after Sanchez & Luzardo is very suspect. Nola is average at best, Walker is worse, Painter is unproven and we have no idea how/if Wheeler will come back from his surgery. What are your thoughts?

Anthony Franco

• The budget is not infinite and they were right to make Schwarber the priority. I’d still like to see them add a swingman (or give Keller a rotation option, but it looks like they immediately closed the door on that), but for now I’m okay with the rotation
• If Painter continues to struggle and/or Wheeler comes back shaky, this will become the priority at the deadline. I think they are talented enough both at the top and in the lineup that they can give it a few months to see how things turn out

MetsFan

• Has your projection for Kyle Tucker changed since the start of the offseason? I know you guys originally projected 400/11, curious if that has changed since he’s still unsigned this close to spring training.

Anthony Franco

• I’d probably fall in the 350-375 range at this point. Tim Dierkes was there the whole time and was hesitant to get Steve, Darragh and myself to agree to 400. We’d still be surprised to see three or four with opt-outs

jrizz1e

• Does yesterday’s diamond sports group news put the market on hold in any way?

Anthony Franco

• I doubt it matters much at the top because it’s mostly mid-tier teams fighting the TV stuff. I could see it trickling down to the mid-range guys a bit more, although they’re the ones taking the biggest hit since they’re not signed near Spring Training anyway.
• I wonder a bit about the Angels. They feel like they should have been involved with Suárez (Ranger and Geno, really), Gallen, etc. and a dark horse with Belli. This could be Arte Moreno’s excuse for essentially doing nothing

Kay

• Rob Manfred SHOULD know that a free agency deadline is a non-starter, right?

Anthony Franco

• Yeah, I can’t imagine the PA agreeing to that. Players really hate it
• It’s just a chance for Manfred to publicly frame it as something he wants and that would be exciting for the sport, and I’m sure there are plenty of fans who would agree, although his main motivation (which he leaves unsaid) is to cut costs.

Brian

• Is Bellinger worth 30 million a year?

Anthony Franco

• For the Yankees or Mets for a four-year contract? Certainly. For six or seven? Passage

Dana Brown

• Would Abreu and Blubaugh be enough for the Orioles’ Cowser?

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