Ben Clemens FanGraphs Chat – 11/16/20
2:00 |
: Hey everybody, welcome to the chat.
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2:00 |
: I guess we’re going to talk about Drew Smyly some, since he just signed with the Braves.
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2:02 |
: But given that it’s the offseason, I hope to focus on my favorite topics, namely board games and how I’m not very good at cooking but like learning recipes
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2:02 |
: $11 Million for Smyly? That’s more than double the median FG crowdsource or MLBTR’s estimate (Craig had him at two years). What are your thoughts?
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2:02 |
: What do you think of the Drew Smyly signing?
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2:03 |
: $11M seems like a lot for a guy who doesn’t have any vowels in his last name.
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2:03 |
: What the heck, let’s just rip the band aid off
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2:03 |
: I kind of get it? I don’t know that I’d pay what the Braves did but they really want more pitching
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2:05 |
: They already missed Robbie Ray, which means the market for these types of starters is not huge
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2:06 |
: I think the idea is if you overpay for Smyly by $4 million, sure!
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2:06 |
: That’s not the best outcome ever but certainly not the worst.
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2:07 |
: Did you have “market being driven by Mets and Blue Jays” on your off season bingo card?
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2:08 |
: Surprisingly, kind of? I thought the Jays would be in the pitching market and the Mets in every market
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2:08 |
: Does seeing a team willing to pay Drew Smyly $11 million make it more surprising nobody claimed Brad Hand for $10 million?
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2:08 |
: I’m definitely not in the majority here, but I think I’d rather pay Smyly $11 million than Hand $10 million
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2:08 |
: Basically I don’t really buy Hand as an elite reliever anymore
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2:09 |
: He still had good run prevention numbers, but the underlying stuff is starting to slip and the drop would be severe
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2:09 |
: Also, his upside is that of a very good but not elite reliever
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2:10 |
: Whereas you can convince yourself that Smyly can unlock a little more, though I’m always shocked at how old he is. He still feels a bit prospect-y b/c he keeps not fulfilling his potential, basically
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2:10 |
: Hey Ben! Enjoyed your pod segment with Eric. One thing that came up a few times that I’d like to hear more about (another pod segment?) is what Rule 5 game theory will look like this year. Seems like teams will probably hope to through since they haven’t been seen, but then maybe there’s opportunities to be aggressive in drafting unusually talented guys?
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2:11 |
: It’s going to be really interesting to see what people do this year on Rule 5. My baseline assumption is that teams will be protecting more people this year because they’ll have more open slots, the result of the non-tender wave I’m expecting
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2:12 |
: If that’s the case, that’ll cool the R5 draft down b/c there will be less available interesting prospects, which is kind of boring but probably not a bad assumption
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2:12 |
: On the recipe front, there is a slow-cooker Pork Banh Mi recipe on Delish that will make you feel like a badass if you’re into that kind of thing.
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2:13 |
: I love slow cooker recipes, one of the biggest level-up moments I’ve had in cooking was buying a slow cooker
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2:13 |
: That sounds awesome, and though I don’t eat much red meat, I could see making an exception for some delicious pork banh mi
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2:14 |
: Did you see the Trevor Bauer YT video about Steve Cohen? Would it be disappointing at this point if he didn’t sign with the Mets?
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2:14 |
: Who will I sign with?
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2:14 |
: It does feel like the tea leaves are lining up that way, huh?
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2:15 |
: That said, trying to predict Bauer based on a video seems foolish, he tweets out all kinds of random stuff that points to one team or another
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2:16 |
: I think that the Mets will be in on him, but I kind of expect them to prioritize Realmuto > Bauer > Springer
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2:16 |
: So if they get Realmuto early, or if he’s still on the market but telling them he’s interested, I dunno if they go for Bauer
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2:16 |
: Do you think the Astros scandal sticks to Springer, or does it just kind of wash away once he’s in a new uniform?
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2:17 |
: I think it’s going to wash away assuming he is decent for the next 2-3 years
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2:17 |
: If he’s an average hitter next year, it will only get louder
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2:17 |
: smyly 2020 = rich hill 2015? might be rich in a depressed market for braves, but they’d surely take what hill did in year+1 for smyly.
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2:17 |
: That would be a pretty amazing outcome, obviously
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2:18 |
: That’s what they’re hoping for, but the floor of ‘semi-competent innings eater’ isn’t the worst either
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2:18 |
: I would love for the Dodgers to bring back both Joc and Kiké but I’d also be happy for each of those guys to get a full-time gig somewhere. Do you think there’s a market for either/both of them as more than just a platoon bat/super-utility guy?
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2:19 |
: I think yes to both, actually. Some team is going to try Joc out as an everyday outfielder, because if he can do it, he’ll be value
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2:20 |
: Hernandez, I’m less sure of, but I think someone will offer him a utility-ish number but also the chance for everyday PT
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2:20 |
: and if I’m him, I jump at that
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2:20 |
: Pork, it’s the other white meat… did you forget your 90’s ad campaigns??
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2:20 |
: My wife separates pork from red meat, lol
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2:20 |
: She considers them two different categories
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2:20 |
: I do not
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2:20 |
: Seems like those ads were effective
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2:21 |
: Favorite online strategy game?
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2:21 |
: Hm, I don’t play any RTS things, but if by strategy you just mean a competitive game with decision making
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2:21 |
: I really enjoy OOTP Perfect Team mode, if you want a baseball one
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2:22 |
: But I play a decent amount of Magic: The Gathering, and it’s decent online these days. Used to play some Eternal CCG, which is really good, and someone got me to try LoR for a month or two this year, though it didn’t really grab me in the end.
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2:22 |
: How much do the Cardinals really need to do to compete for the NL Central title? Seems to be a weak division in 2021.
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2:23 |
: I think they need to add one impact player. One nice thing about the team’s setup, even without Wong, is that they project as pretty close to average in a lot of spots across the diamond
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2:23 |
: So they could add really any 4-5 WAR projection type person
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2:23 |
: And that would be the upgrade they’re looking for
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2:23 |
: Even if it’s a shortstop, you could probably shift DeJong to 2B and feel okay about that
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2:24 |
: If I’m them, I just pick the player I think is best regardless of position, and try to build my offseason around them
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2:24 |
: Are you a fan of Hearthstone at all? I know Dan is a fan. Have you heard about the recent XP track controversy?
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2:25 |
: I played for a bit when Battlegrounds came out, but not really
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2:25 |
: And nah, hadn’t heard about it, but i get the sense that there are a lot of controversies in Hearthstone these days
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2:25 |
: I wasn’t actually very familiar with Smyly, so I had to look his #s up- the floor that he descended to with TEX in 2019 was not very appetizing.
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2:25 |
: Yeah if he’s that again, oof
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2:25 |
: That said, even that terrible year he managed a 5.21 xFIP
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2:25 |
: Still reallllly bad
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2:26 |
: And boy his fly ball based pitching strategy is not great in the old Texas stadium
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2:26 |
: Have you read any good books lately?
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2:26 |
: I recently read The Black Hole War, and I like pop science books in general, b/c I wish I were smarter than I actually am haha
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2:27 |
: Fiction-wise, I am rereading the Chronicles of Amber at the moment, a nice old fantasy series
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2:27 |
: Next on my non-fiction list is Stamped from the Beginning, but it’s kinda heavy, so I’ll probably keep reading some pop science books to mix it up
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2:28 |
: Will we be lucky enough to have another season with Rich Hill in it next year?
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2:28 |
: I am cautiously optimistic
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2:28 |
: He’ll be 41 for all of next season — a minus
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2:28 |
: He was acceptable in eight starts this year — a plus
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2:29 |
: I don’t think he’d cost much, and he might make the most sense with a team that expects him to pitch maybe 15 games, but someone would pay for that
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2:29 |
: Does anyone sign Cespedes this year?
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2:29 |
: Huh
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2:30 |
: This is a good one!
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2:30 |
: Yes, but I think it’s going to be a prove-it deal
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2:31 |
: I would guess that he isn’t all that interested in that kind of deal, but that he’ll eventually have to take it
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2:31 |
: Rank these Cubs 2021 outcomes by likelihood: 1) extend the core, 2) one last run before a rebuild, 3) fire sale
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2:31 |
: 2 -> 3 -> 1
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2:32 |
: But 3 and 1 are close, and I think 2 is the most likely by far
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2:32 |
: Pork is for suckers real men eat Longpig. The most dangerous game.
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2:32 |
https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2020/voraciously/thanksgiving-… We’re thinking of the roast chicken with potatoes and sprouts, some buns from whatever King Arthur recipe strikes our fancy, and pumpkin creme brulees for dessert. |
2:33 |
: I’m actually going to be on vacation (driving down to see some friends in SoCal), so I think we’ll have to play it by ear
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2:33 |
: Big fan of sheet pan recipes in general
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2:34 |
: So even if I don’t use these for Thanksgiving, I’ll use them for something
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2:34 |
: The harissa turkey legs look awesome
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2:34 |
: Are we going to have to wait until the end of the off-season to see any free agent signings this year?
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2:34 |
: I don’t know exactly how long, but I think that the majority of deals will be signed in 2021, and potentially even in February
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2:35 |
: Teams are just going to want more knowledge (not certainty b/c lol) about the likelihood and magnitude of attendance next year
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2:35 |
: I didn’t realize until last week that Kershaw was almost drafted by Detroit. Him, Verlander and Scherzer would’ve been the best top three of a rotation ever, right?
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2:36 |
: The rotation that springs to mind with a Big 3 is the 90’s Braves
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2:36 |
: I’m surely missing some from history, but I feel like most storied rotations were more duos than trios
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2:36 |
: I think I’d take Verlander/Kershaw/Scherzer over Maddux/Glavine/Smoltz, but that’s close
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2:37 |
: If the Mets were to sign all three aforementioned players…(i.e Big Splash) where does that vault them to in the NL? understanding other teams have chances to improve of course…
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2:37 |
: I’m always worried I’m going to forget someone, but I tihnk it would lodge them right in the middle of the tier just below the Dodgers
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2:38 |
: Right now Tier 1 is the Dodgers, and that second tier is the Padres and Braves, to me at least
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2:38 |
: I don’t tihnk they’d get clear of that level even with all three, and I think they fall short if they only get 1
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2:38 |
: Cubs and Red Sox both possible tankers/unload salary types. Any other against-the-grain teams?
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2:39 |
: The Jays might spend more than we expect, I think there’s some risk that the Cardinals are actually about to tank and we just don’t know yet
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2:39 |
: Suppose you could force any two CBA changes, one benefitting each side and roughly offsetting in their financial impact. What changes would you implement?
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2:39 |
: Hm
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2:41 |
: I think I would impose a revenue split that mirrors the average of the revenue split over the last 20 years after requiring full disclosure of team financial situations (this would be really tricky, but we’re in a hypothetical world so bear with me)
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2:41 |
: It’d be NBA style where the share of the revenue that goes to players is fixed and trued up at year end
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2:42 |
: That’s an owner-centric rule change, at least per their public comments on it, because it imposes cost certainty
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2:42 |
: If they have a huge down year in revenue, player salaries go down
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2:43 |
: That’s obviously the biggest thing owners have mentioned as a negative in 2020, so let’s fix that
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2:43 |
: On the other side, I’d shorten time to free agency. Given that the total amount of money spent on player salaries is fixed, this isn’t going to have a net financial impact, but I think it gets the money to the players who a)merit it based on skill and b)actually derive more benefit from it
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2:44 |
: Which NL Central team is most likely to trade away a key contributor this offseason? Some possibilities that come to mind include Bryant, Hader, Bell, etc.
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2:44 |
: I have Cubs first, though I’m not really sure Bryant has any value at his arb salary
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2:44 |
: Then Brewers with Hader, though it’d be a retooling kind of trade, not rebuilding
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2:44 |
: Then Pirates, then Cards, then Reds
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2:44 |
: Smyly 11 million? Whoa
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2:44 |
: Holy crap, just showed up and seeing the Braves way overpaid Smyly. Thats nuts.
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2:45 |
: Definitely higher than our projection, but I see the fit for Atlanta in particular… they need to sign probalby two SP’s in free agency and they already missed Stroman, Gausman, Ray
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2:45 |
: Maybe they’re out on Walker
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2:45 |
: Gotta get someone
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2:46 |
: I think accepting the QO made sense for both Gausman and Stroman, and it’s also funny that it has definitely put pitching-needy teams under pressure
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2:50 |
: Braves have done well with their FA signings last few years. Don’t know if this is good scouting, analytics, or dumb luck, but maybe they know something about Smyly that we don’t.
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2:50 |
: Well, yes and no
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2:50 |
: They’re into taking a lot of bites at the apple, which is smart
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2:50 |
: But hey,s ometimes they sign Felix and Hamels
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2:50 |
: I do like their strategy of getting multiple people though
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2:51 |
: Dipoto says playoffs are in reach with bullpen upgrade… do you agree?
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2:52 |
: Uh…. not really?
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2:52 |
: Or well, it depends on what ‘in reach’ means
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2:53 |
: With steps forward from two starters plus finding two real outfielders (Haniger is just a mystery at this point) plus Evan WHite and Shed Long realizing 75th percentile outcomes, yes
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2:53 |
: Is that in reach? Unsure
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2:53 |
: It’s easy to forget about paying Hamels $18M for 3.1 inning when the team wins. Hard to forget about paying Jed Lowrie $20M for 7 AB over 2 seasons when the team loses.
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2:54 |
: Totally agree with this
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2:54 |
: I think both of those signings were fine, though
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2:54 |
: The Braves are going about things in an intelligent way; they have a young core that they’ve locked in at below-market levels, and they take a lot of cracks at filling the space around it
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2:55 |
: If I had the Freeman/Acuna/Albies/Soroka/Fried core, I’d be doing more or less what htey were doing
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2:55 |
: Have we passed the point where a team with unlimited money could build a WS favorite with only free agents?
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2:56 |
: Let’s do this in real time for some random reason
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2:56 |
: I like doing realtime queries b/c eh, why not
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2:56 |
: C Realmuto
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2:57 |
: 1B Santana, 2B LeMahieu, SS Semian, 3B Turner, LF Brantley, CF Springer, RF Joc/Puig platoon, DH Ozuna
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2:57 |
: rotation Bauer/Tanaka/Morton/biiiiig drop off
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2:57 |
: bullpen Hendriks/Hand/Treinen/Rosenthal/Soria/others
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2:58 |
: I don’t actually think that’s better than the Dodgers even then lol
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2:58 |
: I guess you’d be taking Turner away from them, which helps
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2:59 |
: But nah, you’d be a contender but not a favorite
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2:59 |
: I was hearing DJ wanted 5/$125 but fangraphs has him around 3 years $30-$40MM, seems like a HUGE disconnect. If he would take the 3/$40MM he is an easy yes, if he wants the 5/$125, yanks should sign simmons and move torres back to 2B, thoughts?
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2:59 |
: If he wants 5/125, yeah, I don’t think that’s happening
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3:00 |
: I honestly think they should consider making the Simmons/move Gleyber play anyway
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3:00 |
: But if he wants, say, 4/60
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3:01 |
: I could see him coming back and they just have Gleyber fake it at short for another 2-3 years
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3:01 |
: Do Mets go for Theo Epstein?
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3:01 |
: I do not think so
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3:01 |
: That’s not how I picture Cohen wanting to make a splash
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3:01 |
: I don’t know if that’s better than the Dodgers either, but it’s a lot easier to build a World Series favorite when we stipulate that no other contenders get to sign anyone substantial in free agency.
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3:01 |
: Part of the beauty of signing everyone is that no one else gets to!
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3:01 |
: Christmas is near. The better half and I have played Ticket to Ride, Azul, 7 Wonders Duel and Fluxx to near our burnout points. Do you have references for other good quarantine two-player games for semi-competitive play? (We do have to share a living space after all.) If so, what baseball player would the game or games be, and why? (See, now it’s on topic!)
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3:02 |
: A friend of mine just borrowed some two-player games from me because he and his gf are staying in a place without much internet access for a bit
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3:02 |
: I lent him Ascension and Asante, both of which I tihnk are awesome
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3:02 |
: If you want a more cooperative one, Codenames Duet is pretty fun
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3:02 |
: And if you’re willing to add a little complexity, Seasons is great
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3:03 |
: But I like your list quite a lot already, and totally agree that game burnout exists
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3:03 |
: also haha as far as I’m concerned, board games are on topic
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3:03 |
: Sherlock Holmes: consulting detective is excellent for 2 players
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3:03 |
: Oh GREAT call
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3:03 |
: Also Detective: A Modern Crime Board Game, which is kind of five Sherlock mysteries that are linked together
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3:04 |
: Those are kind of hit or miss, I know that some of my friends aren’t into it, but my wife and I love it
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3:04 |
: We had a Sherlock themed dinner party in the Before Times that was really fun
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3:04 |
: Your favorite team can win 3 of the next 5 World Series, OR you personally can hit a home run in the major leagues. Which do you pick?
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3:04 |
: Give me 3 of the next 5 WS, because if I hit a home run in the majors, it would be SO clear to me that something was amiss
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3:04 |
: I haven’t played seriously since little league
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3:05 |
: So it would be cheapened by my conviction that something supernatural was going on
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3:05 |
: Kim Ng hiring thoughts? Imagine me telling you five years ago that’s the team who would hire her.
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3:06 |
: I don’t feel that I’m the most qualified person to answer this, but I’m going to try anyway
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3:06 |
: Kim Ng is maybe the most overqualified first-time GM in history, and it’s a shame that it has to be that way
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3:07 |
: Being Asian-American and female in a job (MLB front office types) dominated by white males makes it doubly hard to break through
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3:07 |
: Should have happened long ago, glad it has happened now
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3:08 |
: I would have rathered Lester for 3 mil.
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3:08 |
: I have no issue with Smyly, but I just wanted to see costs kept down for what teams spent on players.
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3:08 |
: I mean, I thiiiiink I’d rather have Lester for $3 mil too? Not sure. On the other hand, if you call Lester up and offer him that, he’d say “eh let’s talk in January”
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3:09 |
: No reason for him to accept that now. He could stlil get it later
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3:09 |
: Is there a fit out there for Yadier Molina if he leaves the Cards? (assuming he’s fine with not catching 130 games)
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3:09 |
: I think there are a lot of fits actually, and yes, it’s VERY contingent on him accepting a smaller workload
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3:10 |
: Is Smyly’s salary going to prevent the Braves from signing other players? If not, I don’t see what there is to question about it. I guess someone in here could be the team’s CFO, but seems unlikely.
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3:10 |
: They could theoretically be shareholders, since it’s the Braves
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3:11 |
: Other 2 player recommendations: my wife and I have also been playing Imhotep: the Duel; Sagrada; Splendor; Jaipur; Gizmos
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3:11 |
: interactive chat today!
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3:11 |
: Jaipur is sweet, I was so-so on Splendor but only played once, haven’t played the rest
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3:11 |
: But Imhotep sounds intriguing, it’s on my BGG list
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3:11 |
: What are your quick thoughts on Gary Sanchez? Is he going to be good again? Playable on a contender? On a related question is a change of scenery trade about new coaches, new role, or something else?
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3:12 |
: I think that change of scenery is often about having different coaches talking to you everyday, from a developmental standpoint
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3:13 |
: If you’re a player whose production is continually below talent, well, it’s likely that what your coaches are telling you isn’t clicking
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3:13 |
: Could be their fault, could be your fault, but it could also just be a mismatch in their teaching method and your learning method
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3:14 |
: To answer the question about Sanchez, I think he’ll be good again, but I do think he would benefit from a change of scenery
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3:14 |
: In a hypothetical and very disappointing world where Cleveland trades both Lindor and Carrasco this offseason, would they get more value back if they package them together or trade them separately?
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3:14 |
: Boy, VERY disappointing indeed
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3:16 |
: I think that I’d rather see them dealt separately. Easier to find teams that value the specific thing they’re selling that way, and I don’t think that Cleveland has shown much interest in prying one single gem out of a team’s farm system so much as going for depth
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3:16 |
: So there isn’t an issue where Lindor on his own isn’t worth as much as the prospect they’re trading for, most likely
|
3:17 |
: If the Mets aren’t fully confident in Thor being back they could need two more SP pieces. They seem interested in Morton. Who else would be a good option?
|
3:17 |
: Would you accept Rick Porcello, lol?
|
3:17 |
: He was totally fine on the Mets this year, done in by a .373 BABIP in a short season
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3:17 |
: His batted ball metrics were unremarkable, just got absolutely CRUSHED on balls in play
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3:18 |
: But someone in that tier
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3:18 |
Springer 5/110 Does this team challenge Tampa Bay and New York in the AL East? |
3:19 |
: Depends on what you mean by challenge
|
3:19 |
: But yes!
|
3:20 |
: I don’t think they’d be favorites but I would put them roughly on par with Tampa Bay I think
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3:20 |
: Seems to me that trades should be way off in the future because of all the uncertainty with how things will play out in 2021 – especially trades that would only give you 2021 control. could that be driving some Free agent prices up – I’m assuming that if games aren’t played teams won’t pay the salaries for those games, but if you trade a player away, he is gone for good, so wouldn’t you wait.
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3:21 |
: Not an unreasonable point at all. If 2020 had been canceled entirely, woof that Mookie Betts trade would have been bad
|
3:21 |
: What position would LaStella play in that Scenario above?
|
3:21 |
: 3B
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3:22 |
: Plus back up Biggio
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3:22 |
: Alejandro Kirk HOF chances +/- .1%?
|
3:22 |
: Gimme the over
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3:22 |
: Mostly b/c I’ll bet on a lot of things at 1000 to 1
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3:23 |
: But reaching the majors at 22 as a catcher is a promising sign
|
3:23 |
: Enough to make me smash the over on a very unlikely occurrence
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3:23 |
: Forget CBA stuff, what does the league need to do to get fans interested in the game more? I’ve been a fan all my life, but unless I have $ on the game, I really don’t care that much anymore.
|
3:23 |
: This is tough. Marketing stars more would help, but I think that sports in general is facing this problem now
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3:24 |
: Viewership is down in EVERYTHING, Red Zone is doing way better than actual NFL broadcasts
|
3:24 |
: I think that the best thing they could do would be to get better announcing crews
|
3:24 |
: I think that a lot of on-field stuff would have little impact
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3:25 |
: But making the games more interesting to listen to would be great
|
3:25 |
: I listen to A’s games in the background b/c I have a good time listening to the announcers
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3:25 |
: I do not listen to Cardinals games in the background, even though they’re my team, b/c I don’t enjoy listening to the announcers
|
3:25 |
: Be honest: did you know Grady Sizemore made appearances in 10 different seasons before the HoF ballot came out this morning? Can you name the teams he made appearances for in 2015?
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3:26 |
: I would have guessed he’d appeared in ten seasons, but not as recently as 2015
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3:27 |
: Hm… I’ll go Braves and Dodgers but I just have no idea
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3:27 |
: 🙁
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3:27 |
: Rays and Phillies, who knew
|
3:27 |
: Jays scenario, so Shaw would be benched/traded? but they still have an extra hitter OF/DH, do they try to trade someone or just have Tellez on their bench. I feel like they don’t really need LaStella.
|
3:28 |
: Yeah, I tihnk that La Stella is a meaningful upgrade from Shaw
|
3:28 |
: Does Josh Hamilton have the best career since integration of anyone who didn’t make it the 10 years to become Hall-eligible?
|
3:28 |
: This might be more of a question for Jay, because I’m not a great baseball historian, but I’m trying to think of recent players who might fit that bill
|
3:29 |
: How many ABs do you see Bobby Dalbec getting next year?
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3:30 |
: I’ll level with you; I don’t think I’m better at guessing this than Jason is, and our depth charts have him in the 500-600 range, so I’ll go iwth that
|
3:31 |
: Still looking at the HoF questoin, it’s a fun one
|
3:33 |
: Oddly in the weird way I’m filtering it, Corey Koskie comes up
|
3:33 |
: He was better than I thought
|
3:33 |
: Every play Pirates of the Spanish Main/Pirates Constructible Strategy Game? Old but underrated
|
3:33 |
: No but sounds like I should check it out
|
3:33 |
: What are your strategies for pandemic safe travel?
|
3:34 |
: I haven’t flown since March, which lets me avoid airports
|
3:34 |
: Driving in CA isn’t bad, gas stations all have mandatory mask wearing
|
3:35 |
: I have been staying in AirBnB’s with either just myself and my wife or the two of us plus two friends
|
3:35 |
: And we both quarantine before going on the trip
|
3:35 |
: I think that’s an okay way to do it, but it obviously limits destinations and such
|
3:36 |
: Do you think bonds/clemens should make the hall? And Why?
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3:36 |
: I do, b/c it’s the Hall of Fame, and they are inarguably two of the most famous baseball players
|
3:37 |
: Additionally, they’re two of the very best baseball players
|
3:37 |
: I would absolutely include plenty of disclaimers and make it clear that they at times bent and broke the rules
|
3:37 |
: But a history of baseball that doesn’t include those two is just incorrect, in my opnion
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3:38 |
: On that potentially polarizing note, I’m going to call it a wrap for today. Thanks for all your great questions today everyone, and if I didn’t get to yours, I’ll try to make it up next time (which will not be next week but the week after next due to travel)
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3:38 |
: Have a great day
|
Ben is a writer at FanGraphs. He can be found on Twitter @_Ben_Clemens.
Just want to say that Ben is right about broadcast teams and the A’s have a very listenable crew.
I watch baseball, football, and basketball. I usually like national basketball broadcasts and a lot of football ones are fine but the ones I see for a lot of football and almost all of baseball are terrible. Not “eh, they could be better.” They’re awful. Borderline unwatchable. I totally agree with Ben that bad broadcasts are at least partly to blame for declining ratings.
I guess you haven’t heard Mets broadcasts.
I wasn’t super clear but I was talking about nationally televised broadcasts. I enjoy most of the local broadcasts, especially Rays and Mets.
Yes, Rays team was a joy to listen to as well.