Eno Sarris: I’m a sucker for interesting voices

Ludes: Props on the new beer site. Digging it so far. RUN THE JEWELS!

Eno Sarris: Wish I was going to be there but two days earlier have to be in Hawaii for a brew fest on the big island life is RUFF

2-D: Marlins’ fans rejoice!

Eno Sarris: Meddling owner for sure. Also: bereft of morals.

Nathan : Can you summarize the difference between BABIP and xBABIP?

Dave Cameron: Happy Wednesday, everyone.

Dave Cameron: Spring Training sort of starts next week, so I guess this is the last official chat of the off-season.

Monsignor Martinez: Hello Dave. Is there a way we can look at past Fans projections? I want to do a post-analysis.

Dave Cameron: I don’t believe we have those archived anywhere. They are probably in the database though, so if you use the contact form to send in your request, David Appelman might be able to provide them.

Erik: Your article on new ideas yesterday had a bit of an “end of history” feel to it. Don’t we always feel, in the moment, like we’ve reached the end of innovation, only to realize afterwards, when we have some perspective, that things have been changing the whole time and will continue to change? Why should today be different than any other point in baseball history?

Dave Cameron: That wasn’t my intention. I definitely think there are still a lot of things to learn about the game, and it’s going to continue to evolve as the players and the skills change. But I think we’re reaching a point of diminishing returns for organizations based on how much value they get from these new ideas. I think of them kind of like scoops for reporters; the lasting impact of being first is minimal.

Paul Swydan:

Paul Swydan:

Paul Swydan:

Paul Swydan: Hi everybody!

Paul Swydan: Jeff might be a few minutes late.

anonymous: Isn’t run prevention (defense) more valuable than run production (offense) when available in equal amounts? Because you’re saving wear and tear on your pitchers…?

Eric A Longenhagen: Good morning from Arizona.

Eric A Longenhagen: Chat, go.

Nientsniew: What happened to Giolito’s mechanics that made him struggle?

Eric A Longenhagen: Pretty sure Giolito has said publicly that they tried to make him more upright, but I don’t know that that’s why he struggled. It just seems illogical, on the surface, to mess with one of the better pitching prospects in baseball like that.

AA: Which Cody Reed do you feel will have the better career? I feel Cincinnati’s Reed has been a bit disappointing but still think he’s got more upside than Cody Reed Arizona.

Eric A Longenhagen: CIN’s Cody Reed I think will be a fine mid-rotation starter. I do not ARI’s Cody Reed to be a prospect.

Travis Sawchik: Welcome to Sawchik Chat V

Travis Sawchik: Let’s get started, shall we?

Erik: Roughly what percentage of MLB hitters would benefit by swinging with more of an uppercut? Are we talking everybody except Billy Hamilton, or more like a quarter to a third of hitters? And what profile of hitter would fit into that group?

Travis Sawchik: (The swing path was the subject of my Monday morning post, FYI …. http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/can-more-mlb-hitters-get-off-the-ground/) Erik, I would say the majority to vast majority of hitters would benefit form more loft and fly balls. Hamilton is one that probably would not, but he’s an exception. Hey, Christian Yelich, get the ball in the air!

Bork: Are you surprised that Hammel only received $16M? That elbow must be a big question mark.

Travis Sawchik: There’s gotta be something going on with the arm/shoulder/elbow, right?

Jeff Sullivan: Hello friends

Jeff Sullivan: Welcome to Friday baseball chat

Bork: Hello, friend!

Jeff Sullivan: Hello friend

Jeff Sullivan: Apologies for this brief immediate delay but now I have a phone call real quick

ZMP: Do you think we see a spike in K-rate from Stroman or Taillon this year?

Eno Sarris: The last few days have been more like

Eno Sarris: when I’m searching for my inner

Paul R: Ever play in a league that had a 3rd place prize?

Eno Sarris: all the time

Gub Gub: gub gub

Eno Sarris: bug

Paul Swydan:

Paul Swydan:

Paul Swydan:

Paul Swydan: Hi everybody!

+ison Russell: Hendricks in the 14th; Giolito in the 23rd; Mazara in the 26th (26 rounds, rd picked is the cost to keep). Pick 2.

Paul Swydan: Hendricks and Mazara

Eric A Longenhagen: Morning, everyone.

Eric A Longenhagen: So, there are A LOT of questions in the queue about other peoples’ lists. I won’t be answering any of those.

Eric A Longenhagen: I will say this…

Eric A Longenhagen: The gap between Prospect # 20 on a list and prospect #80 on someone else’s looks a lot bigger than it actually is.

Eric A Longenhagen: Yeah, I’m looking at my Top 100 right now and the gap between #2 on the list and #21 is literally a half grade

Eric A Longenhagen: And those tiers get even bigger the further down you go.

Travis Sawchik: Welcome, everyone. Let’s talk …

Erik: Do you think the Golden Age of Shortstops could force a rethink of what it means to be a good shortstop? Currently, a glove-first shortstop with a chance to slap his way to a decent but completely empty batting average is considered a shortstop prospect. Could the current crop redefine the position to the extent that that’s no longer the case?

Travis Sawchik: I think there is the potential, yes. This current crop of shortstops is amazing … and the prospect lists are loaded with impressive shortstop potential, too. I don’t think we know much about what the 21st century athlete is going to do going forward but there’s a chance it redefines what we expect from the position (Shameless plug … I wrote about this Golden Age of shortstops on the Site today)

Rb: Quintana for meadows Keller and Newman. Who says no white Sox or pirates?

Travis Sawchik: I doubt the Pirates would part with both

GERB: What does a ceiling for Jose Ramirez look like? 2016 with a few more walks?