Dave Cameron: It’s my first AM chat in a long time, as I’m hanging out in Phoenix today. But hopefully I’m awake enough to give cogent answers. As always, feel free to fill up the queue and we’ll start in 15 minutes.

Comment From Catoblepas
I’m on a training trip (for a different sport) and got the chance to play catch and hit some grounders a bit. It got me thinking, how often do you actually engage in the sport of baseball? How often do most writers? Are you going to play catch with anyone else in Phoenix?

Dave Cameron: Not much. I don’t have anyone at home to play catch with, really. A few of the FG writers bring their gloves on our PHX trip, though.

Comment From Guest
Is it difficult balancing an analytical site with the “clickbait” type mentality that seems to be taking over the web? How do you manage to do it?

Dave Cameron: Our belief is that if we provide quality content, people will make FG part of their regular reading and we won’t have to trick them into coming here. We’re not interested in becoming a slideshow site or anything like that.

Comment From Guest
Could Santana have milked another few hundred k out of the Braves? Or does he see this as his best opportunity to avoid a QO next season that cash was irrelevant?

Paul Swydan: Hi everybody!

I think I’m flying solo tonight, on the account of Jeff having a fantasy draft, but maybe he’ll surprise and drop by in between rounds or something.

Anyway, hit me with questions, and I’ll see you soon. Poll suggestions are welcome.

Paul Swydan: We’re starting at the usual 9 pm ET, btw. Sorry if that wasn’t clear.

Paul Swydan: OK, let’s light this candle.

Comment From JV
Would you rather own Kershaw and Sonny Gray OR Justin Verlander and Jordan Zimmermann?

Paul Swydan: Kershaw and Gray

Comment From JV
Would you rather spend $23 for Buster Posey in a standard 5×5 league or $14 for Salvador Perez?

Jeff Sullivan: Hey guys

Jeff Sullivan: Hopefully we’re setting into a good norm of being about two minutes late to get going

Comment From person
Hi Jeff!

Jeff Sullivan: Hello friend

Comment From Jerry G.
James Paxson #2 to start the season?

Jeff Sullivan: If only in title!

Dan Szymborski: Boom! (shacka lacka)

Comment From Guest
Do the Braves go after Santana or Samardzija if Medlen is down?

Dan Szymborski: I think they’ll definitely revisit the issue, depending on how serious Medlen’s injury turns out to be. Santana’s kind of a steep price though and given that the Braves have turned into a smaller-market team in their spending habits, still strikes me as unlikely

Comment From Co-founder of the USSMariner.com
boom

Comment From Gerrit Cohle
After all the great moments, which was more disappointing and anti-climactic – the True Detective finale or the Pirates’ off-season?

Dan Szymborski: I haven’t seen the former.

Jason Collette: Greetings and salutations. My latest MRI is clean and I have no soreness in my fingers, so let’s get rolling

Comment From kevinthecomic
Where were you last week? You ruined my whole friday.

	Jason Collette: At a funeral. One of those family friends you call “Uncle ____” passed away. Was a huge baseball fan – we went to many Jax Suns games together when I lived up there. Diabetes sucks

 

Comment From Guns of Buxton
Asked a few weeks ago if Segura’s second half was a product of fatigue or the league building a book on him and you said to ask at a later time. Any new input here

	Jason Collette: Yes, Zimmerman wrote about that here – http://www.fangraphs.com/fantasy/relevance-of-first-and-second-half-stats/

 

Comment From john
Pablo lost 40 lbs. This year like 2011?

	Jason Collette: Amazing what guys do in the face of their final year before free agency. His second half stats didn’t hint at any wearing down for him. Good for Pablo for dropping the weight, but we’ll always have this http://gifrific.com/pablo-sandoval-of-the-san-francisco-giants-takes-a-spill/

 

Comment From Tru Bull 69
does Buxton have any shot at making the team by ~May?

	Jason Collette: I’d say a near zero shot. I helped the ESPN crew the top 50 fantasy prospects for the 2014 season and he wasn’t even on that list.

 

Comment From Guns of Buxton
Are you in the Best Shape of your Life?

	Jason Collette: Not even close. Pneumonia beat me up in late Jan/early February

 

Eno Sarris: I’ll be here at the top of the hour!

Arnau Sabat:

Eno Sarris: Enjoy, in the mean time.

Eno Sarris: hey you guys

Comment From saskatunes
3 favorite War on Drugs tunes

Eno Sarris: That one, that one and that one. I just heard them for the first time this morning. In related news, I’m an old man with a toddler son. What’s funny about this is that it sounds like some sort of Fleetwood Mac plus Bruce Springsteen, and despite the fact that I don’t like either of those bands, I like this one!

Dave Cameron: It’s Wednesday, so let’s chat. The queue is now open, so fire away.

Comment From _David_
Would you support an auction system for the draft? I know you would like it abolished, but might this way remove the surcharge some teams might have to pay prospects who would prefer to sign elsewhere?

Dave Cameron: I would support an auction format for the draft, and in fact, that was part of my proposal to abolish it. You’d still want to have to a sliding scale of allocations — some prefer it based on prior season W/L record, I prefer it based on market size — but an auction system would democratize things a bit more.

Comment From doffbhoya123
can the cubs be contenders this year?

Dave Cameron: Probably not, no.

Comment From _David_
Is Fangraphs formulating a plan for a doomsday scenario where all the mlbam data is private? Would it involve FG paying for some level of access?

Paul Swydan: Beware the ides of the FanGraphs After Dark Chat!

I mean, hi everybody!

Jeff and I will be here at 9 pm ET to tackle all of your baseballing queries.

Paul Swydan: If you didn’t see it yet, I wrote today about Jeff’s Royals. Specifically, their bullpen:

http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/the-royals-dont-need-to-carry-seven-relievers/

Paul Swydan: I’ll try to get some polls up in a little bit, but hopefully you’ll join us at 9 pm!

Paul Swydan: OOooooooooooooo my. Let’s do this.

Comment From Jaack
Dave Cameron has been kidnapped by Ninjas. Are you a bad enough dude to save the Dave Cameron?

Jeff Zimmerman: The only hope would be Dave getting into a staring contest with them.

Jeff Sullivan: Let’s do some live baseball chat

Jeff Sullivan: Couple minutes late today but that’s better than usual!

Comment From SMC
PROVIDE CONTENT NOW

Jeff Sullivan: I will provide content if you will be content

Jeff Sullivan: (DIFFERENT WORDS)

Jeff Sullivan: I apologize if this is kind of herky-jerky because it seems like Cover It Live is being pretty slow at the moment

Dan Szymborski: And heeeere we are.

Dan Szymborski: First things first, the poll that will be tallied over the course of this chat.

:

Dan Szymborski: There’s the Tale of the Tape. Now, we return to our regular chat.

Comment From Mr. Wrestling IV
So Dan, Delmon Young had a couple good hits yesterday.

Dan Szymborski: Every good game brings Delmon Young closer to a roster spot. I always root against him as an Oriole.