Angels/Cubs

[Jesse (Angels GM)]

Angels receive
2024 5th Round (CHC)

Cubs receive:
SS Wander Franco 2.0 million (4th Year)

Angels accept.

[Jeremy (Cubs GM)]

I accept.

[Brian (Blue Jays GM)]

I’d like to hear the Cubs reasoning for this deal.

[Alex (Nationals GM)]

Me as well. I don’t see any way Franco will be playing baseball again

[Dave (Dodgers GM)]

I don't usually have any issues, but doesn't look as if Franco will be back ever.

[Brian (Blue Jays GM)]

Feb 7, 2024 12:52:10 GMT -5 Brian (Blue Jays GM) said:

I’d like to hear the Cubs reasoning for this deal.

Veto, pending cubs explanation of why he’d give up an asset for a player who can’t legally set foot in the US

[Max (Tigers GM)]

Veto….

[Dave (Dodgers GM)]

Veto as well

[Ben (Rays GM)]

You don't play the Power Ball because you think you're likely to win; you play because of how huge the jackpot could be in the impossibly unlikely event that you do.

A couple months ago I might have pulled the trigger on something similar given how vague the case still was, in the hopes that it might turn out to be all just false accusations. At this point though the case is just too detailed for me to hold out any hope that he's not guilty.

But that's subjective. Everything is still alleged. The case is still ongoing, and only one GM needs to be willing to gamble on the outcome, not everybody. A player gets traded for the highest return on the table, not the median one.

Right now it's not a veto for me, simply because the way I see it the only way this deal ends up significantly affecting the competitive balance of the league is if Franco actually does come back. But I do want to hear from Jeremy as well. If Jeremy confirms that he's well-read on the latest developments in the case and was willing to gamble anyway, great. If Jeremy indicates that he didn't realize how dire the case looks right now and would actually prefer not to make the deal after looking into it more, then I'll veto. Either way we've already got a 48 hour clock now instead of 24, so no rush.

Unrelatedly, if anybody's interested in Julio Urias, please message me.

[Nick (Orioles GM)]

I agree with what Ben said

[Jeremy (Cubs GM)]

I totally understand the fact that at this moment Wander Franco appears to have no chance at returning to Major League baseball. I have owned him in a number of other keeper leagues ever since he burst onto the scene and have spent all offseason debating on how to proceed with one of my most prized possessions. I along with everyone else believes he is guilty, but I also believe that these countries are corrupt and it is a single judge ruling on his guilt or innocence. This is a complete lottery ticket on a ruling that has yet to be issued. They’ve already lightened the allegation from sexual exploitation to sexual abuse. Even if the charges in the Dominican are dropped, MLB will deliver some type of suspension that could be a Trevor Bauer type. Everything on paper looks and feels like this is the end of Wander Franco, but it also the only reason that a player of his caliber is able to be had for pennies on the dollar. My reasoning is the extreme risk is offset by who he is as a player if somehow, somewhere this goes away or comes back with a much different verdict.

[Ben (Rays GM)]

Good enough for me.

At the end of the day somebody's gonna own Wander whether we like it or not (unless we make some sort of special case rule where nobody's allowed to own him). If we veto this, what happens? Either:

- Jesse is forced to keep him. He stays where he is on a team that doesn't want him instead of on one that does.
To be clear I give zero fucks about the real Wander and whether or not he's "wanted" right now and I'd be livid if a team in real life actually made this trade. It would feel like a public endorsement and completely beyond the pale. But the fantasy baseball world has no such implications, and the fantasy asset (or non-asset as the case may be) might as well be owned by somebody who wants ownership.

- Jesse non-tenders him and somebody opens him in FA. Maybe Jeremy gets him just as cheap and doesn't have to give up a pick, or maybe he ends up giving up more money. For a player whose value is this unquantifiable, it's hard to know. A 5th isn't a completely unreasonable price to pay to avoid the uncertainty of whether or not he gets to FA and how much he ends up costing.

- Jesse trades him for a slightly later pick rather than the one that was settled on organically.

I don't see the point. Glad we had the extra time to discuss it, especially given that it's a new GM, but in the end both teams are happy and it's just a 5th. No veto.

[Jeff (Twins GM)]

i stand with Jeremy.

[Brian (Blue Jays GM)]

I withdraw my veto. Only vetoed in the first place to make sure I understood Jeremy’s reasoning since he’s a new GM and we try as best we can to protect them from regrettable moves where possible. This doesn’t appear to be a regrettable move, it’s a calculated risk that he clearly understands.

[Max (Tigers GM)]

Withdraw veto along the same lines as Brian

[Dave (Dodgers GM)]

As long as Jeremy knows he is likely giving away something for nothing- veto removed

[Jeff (Twins GM)]

i would hate to see what everyone thinks about other GMs’ moves. if it isn’t collusion then we are really barking up the wrong tree imho.

[Ben (Rays GM)]

Feb 8, 2024 10:17:25 GMT -5 Jeff (Twins GM) said:

i would hate to see what everyone thinks about other GMs’ moves. if it isn’t collusion then we are really barking up the wrong tree imho.

The Wander stuff is so unprecedented that I think some extra time and pixels to make sure everyone was on the same page was warranted and valuable. This was more about examining the situation than about scrutinizing the trade.

[Jon (Astros GM)]

I agree, Ben. Typically veto's are for collusion and protection. Here was more about making sure the GM was not being taken advantage of and understood what he was doing. Simple as that. It is the offseason, so there is nothing wrong with taking an extra day to make sure that is the case.

[Brian (Brewers GM)]

I see no problem here, it's a gamble for a very low price.