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 March 15. (You can find him on Twitter at @affranco10 if you really want to ask him something.)

Not too many questions this week. I included 2 bonus Q&As: one about rule changes and about the timing of the WBC. Keep in mind: this chat occurred before the Edwin Diaz celebration injury.

The link to the entire chat can be found here: https://live.jotcast.com/chat/mlbtr-cha ... 15303.html

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Now that spring is wrapping up and Opening Day is getting closer and closer, who do you think are going to be the top names available between now and the Trade Deadline? I’d imagine Ohtani is top of that list, unless the Angels go all ‘86 Mets on us.

Anthony Franco
I don't know about '86 Mets but I do think the Angels will be competitive enough to stick around the playoff picture until the deadline. I've really liked their offseason, think this is the best team they've had in a while.

But yeah, if they disappoint again, Ohtani would obviously be the big deadline name. He wouldn't bring back as much as Soto did last year as a rental, but it'd arguably be an even higher-profile blockbuster.

Bryan Reynolds will be back in talks for 94th consecutive year if there's no extension in place. The White Sox and Brewers feel like teams who could be nearing an inflection point. If they're both struggling midseason, then guys like Giolito, Tim Anderson, Willy Adames, Corbin Burnes and Brandon Woodruff could all be available.
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Elly De La Cruz and Christian Encarnacion-Strand, when do you see them in Cincy?

Anthony Franco
Could see both this year at some point. Encarnacion-Strand is a little ahead, feels like a guy who'd be in the majors by mid-May if he mashes for a month in Louisville.
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Who would you rather have and why - Willy Adames or Dansby Swanson?

Anthony Franco
This is a tough one, pretty similar players. Lean Dansby based on the durability track record.
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Why do all the rule changes benefit the offense? That also happened after Denny McClain won 30 games. The next year they lowered the mound, again favoring the offense. Your thoughts?

Anthony Franco
I think when the rules are left unchecked, the game tends to skew in favor of run prevention. Pitchers control the ball, which makes it easier for them to improve via strength training or pitch design. Hitters can and do improve, obviously, but it's generally tougher to prepare for a skill that's inherently reactive.

So strikeouts have gone up steadily throughout league history, and they've particularly accelerated in the past decade and a half. Finding ways to get more balls in play makes sense to try to reestablish some balance.

It also just seems generally true that sports leagues prefer to make changes that increase offense rather than diminish it. It's just an easier thing to sell as an entertainment product.
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Why play the WBC before the regular season, while there’s always the possibility of an injury that can affect a team dramatically ? Why don’t they have it after the season, where if there is an injury, the off-season can hopefully help?

Anthony Franco
I haven't seen an answer on this, but I'd guess there just wouldn't be the same appetite among players (at least MLB-caliber ones) for the tournament at the end of the season.

You're also in a weird spot with pitchers in particular. If they schedule it in like mid-November to make sure it's after the World Series, you've got some pitchers who have worked right through the playoffs and probably topped 200-220 innings overall. Others will have been eliminated by early October and presumably shut down from throwing for six weeks. Ramping back up for the WBC then shutting back down for another month and a half before prepping for the next season feels rough for arm health.
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