Dan Szymborski: It’s a chat!

Dan Szymborski: It’s a chat!

PCA: PCA breakout potential? This year’s Elly De La Cruz?

Dan Szymborski: ZiPS at least loves him

PCA: Savant shows both slurve and sweeper as unique pitches. This is MADNESS.

Dan Szymborski: I think there’s serious daylight between them

Jay Jaffe: Good afternoon, folks! Welcome to another edition of my weekly chat — the third week in a row I’ve been able to do this (please clap).

Jay Jaffe: Yesterday, I wrote about the Hall of Fame’s latest tweaks to Era Committee rules and (reluctantly) weighed in on the recent news regarding Pete Rose’s potential reinstatement https://blogs.fangraphs.com/never-is-a-long-long-time-permanent-inelig…

Jay Jaffe: There’s a lot of confusion circulating around the latter aspect of that, so I hope I helped bring some clarity to the matter.

Jay Jaffe: Beyond that, I’ve got a look at Jacob deGrom’s spring debut and the overhauled Rangers roster in the pipeline for today.

Jay Jaffe: And now, on with the show

Brad: Pete Rose accepted a lifetime ban from baseball before the Hall had its stance ruling out people on the ineligible list, and it stands to reason he may not have accepted such a ban if he realized that circumstance. Should that change how we view his candidacy for the Hall?

Eric A Longenhagen: Hello hello, hope everyone had a good week and is enjoying Spring ball (I know I am). I’m here to talk prospects, as always, and whatever else you so desire.

Eric A Longenhagen: There are questions in the chat that can be answered via other parts of the site, and I want folks to know I’ll be point that stuff out not to be a dick but to help you understand how to better use FanGraphs and its many tools (prospect writer included). Thanks as always for stopping by. Lemme plug some stuff and then get to your questions…

Eric A Longenhagen: First, the Braves list went live this morning.

Eric A Longenhagen: Atlanta Braves Top 40 Prospects | FanGraphs Baseball

Eric A Longenhagen: Second, I went to see Roki on Tuesday

Eric A Longenhagen: Roki Sasaki, RHP, Los Angeles Dodgers – Cactus League Debut

Jay Jaffe: Good afternoon, folks, and welcome to another edition of my weekly chat!

Jay Jaffe: My look at the impact of the wave of spring injuries that’s hit the Yankees roster, taking out DH Giancarlo Stanton, the MVP of last year’s ALCS, and starter Luis Gil, the reigning AL Rookie of the Year, just went live https://blogs.fangraphs.com/injuries-to-stanton-gil-and-lemahieu-will-…

Jay Jaffe: Yesterday I took a look at the recent sighting of Kyle Schwarber playing first base for the Phillies https://blogs.fangraphs.com/first-sign-of-spring-kyle-schwarber-dabbli…

sliptoad: If Altuve sticks at left for a few years before becoming a pure DH, does that meaningfully change his HoF outlook? Would it be easier staying as a bad 2B until the DH move, or even moving to DH now?

Jay Jaffe: No, I don’t think it changes anything. Regardless of what happens throughout the remainder of his career, he’ll wind up having played more games at, and accrued more value at second base than any other position.

Jay Jaffe: if the changes help him boost his career totals, it’s probably a net positive (barring the additional injury risk created by a move). I don’t see him doing much DHing in Houston so long as Yordan Alvarez is there, though

Eric A Longenhagen: Hey, y’all. Howdy from Tempe, where I’ve got yesterday’s Combine rolling as we chat (Stewart and Pearce, wowzers) about the Rays, and whatever else you want. I might cut things a little short today because I have to go scoop my car from the shop before today’s games. Let’s get after it.

Jays Fan: Who’s the next team that will drop?

Eric A Longenhagen: Tigers and Braves next two, depends on whether James and I write fast together (Tigers) or I sprint on my own (Braves)

Jason: Former prospect question, do you expect Corbin Caroll to have a more normal season after last year’s rollercoaster?

Eric A Longenhagen: Yeah

Cubs: Is 2nd base best fit for James Triantos long term? If the Shaw experiment at 3rd works out then they may already have Nico’s replacement in-house.

Jay Jaffe: Good afternoon, folks, and welcome to another edition of my weekly chat. I’m back from my Salt Lake City ski trip with my daughter (now a beginning intermediate skier!).

Jay Jaffe: Yesterday, I published a roundup of the top position players remaining on the free agent market. https://blogs.fangraphs.com/still-on-the-shelves-part-i-top-remaining-…

Jay Jaffe: The companion piece, on pitchers, is in the editorial pipeline as we chat and should go live soon.

Jay Jaffe: Speaking of my daughter, she spotted a new species of squirrel in our backyard this morning: the Brooklyn Pizza Squirrel https://bsky.app/profile/jayjaffe.bsky.social/post/3liyvdf5ux22l

Jay Jaffe: Pitter patter, let’s get at ‘er…

Gaijin: Well, since you mentioned it, are there any players you’re watching for in the NPB this year? Obviously Murakami, any others?