Jeff Sullivan: Hello friends

Jeff Sullivan: Welcome to Friday baseball chat

Jeff Sullivan: I was away and off the grid Thursday, and missing one day of baseball always makes me feel like I missed a hundred. Let’s see how this goes!

BJOGC: So…. About Carson’s Chat. I wish I hadn’t have been there because now I realize how empty and meaningless life will be without the prospect of him doing weekly chats.

Jeff Sullivan: It sounds as if he has been successful

Jeff Sullivan: In that this is one more person who is going to live feeling like life is empty and meaningless

Eric A Longenhagen: Hi everyone, linkage: http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/2018-mlb-mock-draft-v-1-0/

Eric A Longenhagen: That’s today’s mock draft which dumps our current intel.

Eric A Longenhagen: Here’s our updated draft board: http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/updated-2018-mlb-draft-rankings/

Eric A Longenhagen: And here are details on the giant board of every minor leaguer we ranked on a list, even if we haven’t posted the full reports ont he site yet: https://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/instagraphs/introducing-the-board/

Eric A Longenhagen: Forgive me if I cut today’s chat short. Yesterday was not a good one in the Galmenhagen house as my wife’s cat of ten years, who has been hospitalized this week, took a turn for the worse. On my wife’s birthday. Yeah. Anyway…

Billy Beane: Are there any organizations you have a hard time scouting just because of location?

Jay Jaffe: Hello and welcome to the latest edition of my Thursday chat. I think I injured my shoulder patting myself on the back for predicting Bryan Price would get fired back in 2015, and every subsequent year since. But other than that, i’m doing well…

Wes: Given the expectations for the Reds this season, how bad of a manager do you have to be to get fired after 18 games? What else was going on in the clubhouse?

Jay Jaffe: As somebody who long ago failed to see the logic of continuing with Price, I’m clearly not the best expert to ask about his continued employment, but to me, any time you fire a manager this early, it’s an indictment of the decision makers above (unless there’s a specific, precipitating incident). Even 3-15 — if you’re a rebuilding team, you have a plan for the year or you don’t. And I’m not clear on what the Reds’ plan was here that necessitates a change now when it didn’t in October.

Joshua: What is your favorite IPA?

Jay Jaffe: Pliny the Elder and Heady Topper are the two favorites, but I’m lucky if I get to taste both in the same year given their scarcity around these parts of Brooklyn. My local go-to lately has been Threes Brewing’s Unreliable Narrator, a dank, tropical IPA that they release about every month or so and deliver to me by the case.

Slapshot: What are your thoughts on NEIPAs?  If you like them, do you have any particular favorites?

Kiley McDaniel: Hello everyone, I’m in the South right now live from a Courtyard. I saw Ethan Hankins on Monday, Cole Wilcox and Chattanooga-Jacksonville last night. The plan is to see Kumar Rocker tonight, Anthony Seigler tomorrow, Casey Mize on Friday then head back to Florida for Wichita/UCF and Auburn/Florida.

Kiley McDaniel: Also Eric and I put up an updated draft top 55 today: https://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/updated-2018-mlb-draft-rankings/

Kiley McDaniel: and we’ll have a mock draft going up tomorrow

Kiley McDaniel: and in case you don’t follow me on twitter, here’s a Nick Gordon homer from last night

Tommy N.: Kelenic has risen to 8 on your updated rankings do you think the Padres could snag him at 7?

Freddy: Any idea who Atlanta is connected with?

Meg Rowley: Hello, and welcome to the chat!

Well-Beered Englishman: Would you rather cheer for a team that loses 100 games in the season, or a team that reaches the World Series but loses every WS game 25-0?

Meg Rowley: Well having been a fan of the 2008 and 2010 Mariners, a team that reaches the World Series and loses horribly. Mostly because my mom taught me I should try new things.

Albie Lopez: Are you worried about the early numbers from Chris Archer? Strikeouts are there and velocity seems within reasonable error bars. Think he rebounds and has a normal season?

Meg Rowley: I’m a little concerned. The walks aren’t great. He’s had a hard time locating in some of these starts. That the velocity hasn’t dipped dramatically and that he is still generating swings and misses is why I’m not a lot concerned. It’ll maybe probably straighten out to something more effective than this, but it would be great to see that happen soonish.

resumeman: Will you be updating the ATC projections for the Rest of Year projections, or will that just be the ZIPS/Steamer ones?

Carson Cistulli: Hello. Dan Szymborski is indisposed today. I will be your substitute for this “chat.” Will begin in earnest approximately 15 minutes from now.

Carson Cistulli: Okay. I will now begin in earnest.

Ben: Why are you doing this?

Carson Cistulli: To make some use of myself.

Claude: Venez vous à Montreal cet été?

Carson Cistulli: I am. I can not speak to the city as a whole. That said, the quarter in which I have typically stayed — just southeast, I guess, of the Little Italy — is one of the most perfect neighborhoods I’ve ever visited.

Travis Sawchik: Happy Monday!

Travis Sawchik: Happy Spring?

Travis Sawchik:

Travis Sawchik:

Travis Sawchik: Who thought starting a season in March (including games in Detroit) was a good idea?

Travis Sawchik: Let’s get started …

Jeff Sullivan: Hello friends

Jeff Sullivan: Welcome to Friday baseball chat

Jeff Sullivan: Shohei Ohtani tripled yesterday

Jeff Sullivan: It was good

TF Fredrik: What the hell is with Giolito’s start to season? His velo was up in spring and his curve was back but now he’s throwing 91 and his curve only 5%?

Jeff Sullivan: Yeah, this has been really disappointing. Especially since it’s clear he’s followed through on his mechanical adjustment, lowering his arm slot significantly

Eric A Longenhagen: Good morning from lovely Tempe and welcome to the new chat day. Let’s begin.

ChiSox2020: Thoughts on Dane Dunning?

Eric A Longenhagen: Think he’s going to be a league-average starter.

Bubbles Depot: I know it is incredibly early but is Juan Soto poised to be the Ronald Acuña of this year?

Eric A Longenhagen: Don’t think the tools are on that level but could see him being a low-variance 60 by the end of the year like Kyle Tucker became last year.

Joe: Thoughts on Malique Ziegler? He’s had a good start to the season

Jay Jaffe: Howdy folks, and welcome to the two-week mark of the 2018 season as well as my usual Thursday Chat, which hasn’t been as usual as intended lately. Apologies on that, and let’s get to it…

Schoop of Ice Cream: Hanley predicted he’d go 30/30 preseason and everyone laughed. He’s now got 2 HR including the second hardest hit ball of the season, and 3 SB. What’s your updated % he hits those numbers

Jay Jaffe: He’s looked very good at the plate so far, and obviously is putting up the numbers in the early going. But as it always does, with Ramirez it comes down to health and availability. Color me skeptical, particularly on the steals. I’ll say he’s up to 10% probability now.

Kiermaier’s Piercing Green Eyes: How will the addition of bullpen carts affect my favorite part of baseball, when the ‘pens halfheartedly jogging out to brawls that will be over by the time they get there?

Jay Jaffe: Relievers who won’t get their usual jogging in will be more compelled to exert extra effort when joining the scrum. We’ll see some Todd Coffey-like sprints, which can only be good for baseball.

Coz: Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight!