Dave Cameron: It’s a Wednesday, so we’re chatting. Go ahead and get your questions in now.

Comment From Oren
So, a team that really needs to contend this year team really looks like they’re going to go into 2014 with Ryan Goins as their second baseman. Thoughts?

Dave Cameron: I’ll believe it when I see it. The off-season isn’t over yet, and even if they go into spring training with Goins as the favorite, that still gives them a month of watching him hit to come to their senses.

Comment From _David_
I think the question on everyone’s mind is: What do you think of Jesus Sucre and how he compares to John Buck?

Dave Cameron: Sucre is a better defender, but can’t hit. Buck has some power, but that’s about it. They’re both scrubs.

Dave Cameron: One minute: dog just stole my shoe…

Paul Swydan: Hi everybody!

Jeff and i will be here at 9 pm ET to take all of your baseball questions. I apologize in advance for any stupid things we do because of the new Cover It Live format. Like any good American, we tend to hate new things, and while this isn’t totally new I still hate it.

Anyway, see you soon!

Paul Swydan: One sec.

Paul Swydan: Alright, let’s do this thing.

Comment From Meano Eno
Paul, when will Xander be inducted in the HoF?

Paul Swydan: Are you saying he isn’t already in the HOF? Child, please.

Comment From Kev
Do you trust Liriano for the coming year?

Jeff Sullivan: So, look, I’m always late. I know this about myself.

Jeff Sullivan: I was going to be a minute late today!

Jeff Sullivan: Then Cover It Live wouldn’t let me log in and I became seven minutes late.

Jeff Sullivan: So blame them for 86% of your annoyance

Jeff Sullivan: Now let’s have us a baseball chat

Comment From wait
you know what they say better 7 minutes late than 1 minute late

Dan Szymborski: Oh GOD I DONT LIKE CHANGE DO NOT WANT

Dan Szymborski: OH GOD THERE IS TEXT AND BUTTONS AND POPUPS ALL OVER THE PLACE THIS IS A MAD HOUSE

Comment From GSon
Can we make this chat an Arod Free Zone?

Dan Szymborski: Ha!

Comment From Ian
I commend you for not having smashed anything last week on the ESPN chat. That we saw.

Dan Szymborski: It was a combination of bourbon and realizing I don’t *have* to flip out at everything and only need to flip out at most things.

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

Eno Sarris: lyrics of the day! just barely in time!

And all the laughing boys are bitching
Waiting for photos
Oh the plot is so bewitching.

Comment From tylersnotes
where is the fangraphs coverage of the craig gentry to oakland trade from last month? some of us have to make decisions in absurdly deep dynasty leagues about whether he is an upgrade over jon jay!

Eno Sarris: Well, he’ll probably platoon with Coco Crisp, so I feel like his value is just about the same. (Crisp, on the other hand, did you know how bad he’s gotten vs LHP in the last four years?)

Comment From Guest
Hey Eno…I own Oscar Taveres for a minor league salary, which would be pricey for a potential bench player. What do you project for him in 2014 PA wise?

Eno Sarris: 150? September-plus? There are two CFs in St. Louis now, and they take their time.

Dave Cameron: With the holidays behind us, I’m back to chat for the first time in a few weeks. Obviously, the Hall of Fame is taking center stage today, but non-HOF (non-fantasy) questions are fair game too.

Dave Cameron: Queue is open, so go ahead and get your questions in now.

Dave Cameron: Sorry for the late start, had to finish a piece on the greatness of Greg Maddux. Man, he was amazing.

Comment From Erich
Is there any precedent at all for a HOF voter to lose his voting privileges other than death or voluntarily giving them up?

Dave Cameron: I don’t think so. Bill Conlin, who was forcibly retired after being accused by multiple relatives of child molestation, is still a BBWAA member in good standing and has a HOF vote. They’ll almost certainly kick the person out of the organization who sold their vote to Deadspin, but Conlin will keep on voting as long as he wants.

Comment From Rob
Stat question here: Is BABIP affected by the ballpark you’re playing in? Is there somewhere we can look up the BABIP of a ballpark? Or perhaps it would be more accurate to look up the effect +/- a given ballpark has on a player’s BABIP? Though the latter would be hard to split apart from the quality of the home team’s defense. Still, it makes sense–if a ballpark is larger, you should be able to hit for a bigger BABIP in said ballpark, no?

Paul Swydan: HI EVERYBODY!

Welcome to the first FanGraphs After Dark chat of 2014!!!!

I hear there’s some sort of big announcement tomorrow. Something about a Hall of something? Ah, it’s probably nothing.

Anyway, Jeff and I will be here at 9 pm ET to cram as much baseball as possible into your ever-waiting gobs. So pop some questions into the queue and we’ll see you at 9!

Paul Swydan: Two minutes guys.

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

Comment From jv
Who is the best keeper for 2014 season? Josh Donaldson, Trevor Rosenthal, Patrick Corbin or Kris Medlen?

Paul Swydan: For strictly 2014, I will say Donaldson. Long-term I like Rosenthal, especially if he finds his way back to the starting rotation.

Jeff Zimmerman: Donaldson, I always like taking the hitter, but it is a tough call.

Jeff Sullivan: Let’s do this thing. Less late than last week!

Jeff Sullivan: This looks like it might be my last chat with CiL classic 🙁 I’m afraid of sweeping change

Jeff Sullivan: Or even minor, barely-noticeable change. To be honest I haven’t bothered to investigate

Comment From Swing and a Miss Puiggy
ruh roh….what changes are in store w/ CiL?

Jeff Sullivan: I don’t know. The screencaps make it look like big ones. Could be little ones but I like the current model! The classic model! Keep CiL Classic!

Comment From Froglegs Jackson
Do you know when ZIPS projections will start appearing on player pages?

Dan Szymborski: And here we are, the final Szym chat until Autordämmerung continues with the Hall of Fame announcement on Wednesday.

Dan Szymborski: And 2nd to last chat until I’m forced to switch to the new Cover it Live interface with more stuff.

Comment From RotoLando
Between the time when the oceans drank The Expos and the rise of the sons of Amaro, there was an age undreamed of. And unto this, Dan Szymborski, destined to wear the jeweled crown of Severnaya upon a troubled brow. It is I, his chronicler, who alone can tell thee of his saga. Let me tell you of the days of high conjectture!

Comment From Froglegs Jackson
PEANUT BUTTER JELLLLLLLLLLLY TIME

Comment From StevePete
Who’s the jackass who’s not going to put Maddux on their ballot?

Dan Szymborski: Probably Chass.

Eno Sarris: See you in fifteen minutes, I hope!

Eno Sarris: Lyrics of the day include the chorus because why not and let’s dedicate this year to numbers, no?

So people of the city I don’t need your counsel now
And I don’t need your good advice, you don’t have my lover’s touch

You don’t have my number, we don’t need each other now
The creed or the culture, we can move beyond it now

Eno Sarris: Happy New Year!

Comment From Guest
If you still use a checkbook, how long until you stop writing 2013 in it?

Eno Sarris: Was about to put 2013 on the title of this chat!

Comment From Miketron
Happy New Years, Eno! Any resolutions?