Anthony Franco's NL Central comments

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mikechamp
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Anthony Franco's NL Central comments

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These comments came from a chat with MLB Trade Rumors' Anthony Franco that occurred on September 7. (You can find him on Twitter at @affranco10 if you really want to ask him something.)

Another pretty thin chat again this time, but nothing worth adding as a bonus Q&A. Sorry. Enjoy the Cards walk-off win instead.

The link to the entire chat can be found here: https://www.jotcast.com/chat/mlbtr-chat ... 13891.html

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Dylan Carlson's year has been disappointing. Will he ever be an All Star or is average-ish his lot in baseball?

Anthony Franco
Feels like a slightly above-average player but not an All-Star. Doesn't hit the ball quite as hard as I'd expected but he's got good strike zone awareness and the ability to play center field.
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Do the Brewers have enough money to keep Woodruff and Burns? Which one does Stearns trade before he leaves for the Mets?

Anthony Franco
I don't expect the Mets to hire Stearns, but that's beside the point.

Hard to see Milwaukee keeping both Woodruff and Burnes. There should be enough room on the books to make a legitimate run at one of them. Burnes is the better pitcher and the one they'll probably prioritize, but extensions take mutual interest.

Do think one of them is getting dealt by the 2023-24 offseason at the latest with each arb-eligible for two more years.
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Would it shock you if Willson Contreras either agrees to a QO, or signs an extension with the Cubs?

Anthony Franco
Both would shock me, yeah.
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Reds off-season plans should include signing: _________

Anthony Franco
Next year feels like it's going to be a transitional season, so I think they're kind of biding their time with one-year deal guys and waiting for 2024 to push forward more aggressively.

So pick a buy-low guy you like. Maybe that's Conforto or Gallo on a pillow deal, a potentially solid player who gets non-tendered by somebody else like Jeimer Candelario, etc.
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You think STL spends the bulk of the money coming off the books (Molina, Pujols, Dickerson) to ensure Arenado stays put?

Anthony Franco
I don't think they're directly related. What seems more likely is that they agree to tack on another year at the end or make the 2027 salary a higher number than $15MM.
So it's less about getting him more up-front next season than about making the further away part of the deal more appealing.
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From what you've seen, is Suzuki going to be a solid major league regular over his career with the Cubs? I'm not sold on him yet.

Anthony Franco
Yeah I'm still really bullish long-term. Does everything well: good plate discipline, above-average contact skills, solid power. Think he's a middle-of-the-order guy.
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