Dan Szymborski: OH GOD THERE’S NO QUESTION QUEUE DAMN YOU CARSON

Big Tuna: Are we buying into Whit Merrifield?

Dan Szymborski: There’s probably some real power improvement there, but let’s not go too nuts yet.

The Average Sports Fan: What is holding the Cubs back?

Dan Szymborski: Losses.

Nick: Drop O. Herrera?

Dave Cameron: Happy Wednesday, everyone.

Dave Cameron: Since we last spoke, I (most likely) tore my ACL and contracted a stomach bug that caused me to vomit during the recording of the most recent podcast.

Dave Cameron: Oh, also, Mike Trout got hurt.

Dave Cameron: This week sucked.

Dave Cameron: Let’s talk about happier things.

Kiermaier’s Piercing Green Eyes: The AL position player WAR leaders right now include Sano (3rd), Dickerson (4th), and Souza (7th). Mike Trout has been the best player in baseball by so far for so long that he can win MVP despite playing for the Angels. Not that Sano, Dickerson, or Souza will still be at the top come October, but how do the voters treat the players on small market non-juggernauts for the non-first place votes? Ortiz got sixth in MVP voting last year, which is farcical, but I can’t picture the Rays’ DH getting votes over names like Correa and Lindor even if you just extrapolate his numbers to a 7.5 WAR season.

Paul Swydan:

Paul Swydan:

Paul Swydan:

Paul Swydan:

Paul Swydan: Hi everybody!

Jeff Zimmerman: Hi

Eric A Longenhagen: Good noon from Catasauqua, PA. Here is a link to today’s notes with notes from my look at Brendan McKay and more: http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/instagraphs/daily-prospect-notes-530/

Ira: Can we expect a write up on Luis Robert? What’s your scouting report on him?

Eric A Longenhagen: Once he starts playing actual games, sure. I wrote him up last summer when I saw him and in the hardball times annual over the winter. He’s a very good prospect, fits somewhere in the middle of a top 100 based on what I’ve seen an the reports I’ve gotten.

J: Most upside in this year’s draft? Highest floor?

Eric A Longenhagen: Obviously this question requires certain assumptions, including me assuming you know those assumptions. But with that in mind: Greene has the most upside, McKay has the highest floor.

Greg: Any new draft buzz in the top 5?

Jeff Sullivan: Hello friends

Jeff Sullivan: Welcome to Friday baseball chat

Jeff Sullivan: Miss you, Bork

Sylvio Dante: should i be selling the farm for Berrios?

Jeff Sullivan: It’s not allowed to possess another human person, but from a more distant perspective, there’s not much here not to like

Jeff Sullivan: I’ll be interested to see how Berrios fares against big-league lefties as he gets settled, since that breaking ball is so good but seemingly so much better suited to cripple righties

Eno Sarris: Los Angeles come see Junior Boys with me https://oct.co/events/october-brings-junior-boys-globe-los-angeles

ChiSox: Is White Sox trade value disappearing? Quintana, Nate Jones, Melky, Frazier…

Eno Sarris: I don’t know if Frazier’s is affected so much by a bad batting average, he is who he is. Q could recover it with a good stretch, Melky probably never had any. Jones is too bad but they have him signed for a while so cheap that it’s nbd.

Eric: Start Maeda tonight against the Cards, or wait to see how he looks coming off the DL?

Eno Sarris: I want to see more.

JD15: Whats up with Edwin Diaz? Any chance Pazos holds the job or is it just temporary?

Dan Szymborski: It’s party time! A very disappointing party, with reading text instead of beer.

The Average Sports Fan: How do you feel about the 70’s Earl Weaver approach to developing young pitchers in the bullpen before putting them in the rotation?

Dan Szymborski: I think it’s a good approach. It gets pitchers comfortable in the majors in lower-key situations (presuming you choose those). It saves some innings.

Tim: Is Starlin Castro under rated?

Dan Szymborski: Nah, he’s about rated.

Rusty: What is happening to Julio Urias? He did not look very sharp in his first go-around this year.

Dave Cameron: Happy Wednesday, everyone.

Dave Cameron: We’re nearly two months into what is turning out to be a pretty interesting season.

Dave Cameron: So let’s talk about it.

Kiermaier’s Piercing Green Eyes: Chris Archer is on a team-friendly contract and central to a Rays team that would like to be competitive over the next few years. He is also second in the AL in WAR behind Sale. I see a lot of Cubs et al. fans talk about trading for Archer, but do you actually see anyone paying the price the Rays would demand to move their competitive window back? Quintana’s gotta go somewhere, and that’s a nifty consolation prize.

Dave Cameron: No, I don’t think the Rays trade Archer unless they fall apart in the next month. The Red Sox early struggles have made the AL East pretty winnable, and I’d imagine the Rays aren’t going to punt their next few years unless things go south.

Ray Liotta as Shoeless Joe: You have suggested that teams may have better data models than other analysts which may cause them to evaluate players differently. Have you talked to August Fagerstrom about lines of research the amateur community could pursue to be more in-line with team research (without divulging proprietary data, of course)?

Paul Swydan:

Paul Swydan:

Paul Swydan:

Paul Swydan: Hi everybody!

Jeff Zimmerman: Hi

Jeff Zimmerman: Red Sox going little league