Dan Szymborski FanGraphs Chat – 10/26/15

Dan Szymborski: The Dan Szymborski Chat: 1+some decimal hours of your life that you are 100% Guaranteed to Never Get Back. Or your money back! Win a taco!

Dan Szymborski: (Note: You will not win a taco)

Comment From Andrew
Is it fair to say Jeurys Familia is challenging Wade Davis for best reliever in baseball at this point? He has really hit a new level this year.

Dan Szymborski: Having a sweet run lately, but wouldn’t put him as challenging Davis quite yet.

Comment From Big Joe Mufferaw
Who will win the WS??? In how many games? (someone had to ask).

Dan Szymborski: Mets 7.

Comment From Jeff
Why are you giving away Mexican Sandwiches?

Dan Szymborski: I’m not. You can’t actually win a taco

Comment From Keith
What do you think of Sox hiring RAJ as a 1B coach? As a Boston fan, I am both curious and terrified.

Dan Szymborski: Eh. He was a lousy GM. That doesn’t mean he’d be a bad coach. I can think of a lot of good coaches that would be bad GMs and a lot of good GMs that would be bad coaches.

Comment From Rod
Are the Yankees and O´s are heading into rebuilding?

Dan Szymborski: O’s are closer, though I don’t know if they realize that’s where they’re headed

Comment From The Dude
What did ZIPS say about Manny Machado?

Dan Szymborski: I wrote a piece!

Comment From Big Joe Mufferaw
Familia has wicked stuff.. But lets not go nuts and call a guy with an ERA over 2, whip over 1 and 2.90 FIP over just 155 innings “the best RP in baseball”..

Comment From The Dude
I always wondered: what’s your favorite team?

Dan Szymborski: Orioles. Though I have to admit that after 15 years of writing about baseball and 20 analyzing it, my relationship with fandom is different than when I was younger.

Dan Szymborski: I don’t live or die by what the O’s do. I’ll mostly watch the games that interest me the most

Comment From Big Joe Mufferaw
When are the prospect chats coming back?

Dan Szymborski: Weekly Obligatory Dan Can’t Answer FanGraphs-Specific Questions section.

Comment From Bork
As a Jays fan I love the move of hiring RAJ as first base coach.

Dan Szymborski: It’s actually a loss for other teams. As long as a team might give Amaro a front office job, there would be 29 other teams hoping someone would

Comment From Bork
Are the Orioles in a catch 22 in regards to Davis? He might be the biggest overpay this off season but if the O’s don’t resign him they are going get a lot of flack from both fans and players (aka Jones).

Dan Szymborski: Yeah, I wrote about this too! The O’s can neither afford to keep or lose Davis.

Comment From Rod
Can Frost do a great first impression of his boss this offseason?

Dan Szymborski: Perhaps it’s because I’ve got a headache and am kinda sleepy for some reason but I don’t understand the question.

Comment From MSW
So with all the talk about how the Mets pitchers and defense will fare against the Royals contact hitters, isn’t it most likely that the series will be decided on whether the Mets offense can put up numbers against the Royals suspect starters?

Dan Szymborski: Really, you can overanalyze a short series a lot. It’ll just come down to which solid team executes better, most likely

Dan Szymborski: He wouldn’t get 1/22.5 this offseason if a FA so they’d have to eat a bit. I’m not sure they’d be willing to eat enough to make it worthwhile at that point, with the roster the Yankees have, they’d be more inclined to play him

Comment From Timber
Given that most projection systems completely missed the boat on playoff odds, are there any adjustments that you can see to improve predictability. It seems like contribution from the minors is the biggest gap.

Dan Szymborski: And now it’s eating posts?

Dan Szymborski: OK, was a question about playoff odds. I’ve laready looked at the team percentile results – didn’t hafve any issues.

Dan Szymborski: For instance, this season, exactly 3 teams hit their 90th percentile projection and 3 teams didn’t hit their 10th.

Dan Szymborski: (It doesn’t always come out that neatly of course)

Comment From Bork
Now this is the Dan Szymborski mediocre hour I’m used to! Responding to questions that don’t exist.

Dan Szymborski: I swear, someone asked the question!

Dan Szymborski: About projection systems screwing the pooch.

Dan Szymborski: Which I disagree – projection systems *know* how inaccurate projections are.

Dan Szymborski: ZiPS only thought a single team in baseball was less likely than 1-in-25 to make the playoffs (Phillies at 1.1%)

Comment From Dr Johnny Fever
Apart from the travel grind, how hard is it to be a first base coach?

Dan Szymborski: Well, you touch a lot of butts.

Comment From Jimmers
If the Yankees decide to eat a good chunk of Teixeira’s salary, what kind of return could they get?? (use Greg Bird at first instead)

Dan Szymborski: Hey, the Teixeira question just appeared!

Comment From Art Vandelay
I think tortas have the Mexican sandwich game on lock.

Comment From Bork
Would it be wise for Estrada to take the QO and build up his value for the next free agency? He had a great year but its an obvious outlier so the max he’ll probably get is 3-4 years at 10 per year. If he had another great year he could get a much, much bigger deal. And the dude’s 32 so time isn’t on his side.

Dan Szymborski: I would take the QO, but I’m not Estrada but an analyst. Players are quite confident.

Comment From Bork
Where’s Reyes end up next year? Other than varying states of depression.

Dan Szymborski: I think ROckies end up eating some more dough to get a prospect.

Dan Szymborski: I suspect the reports that they really planned for him to have Coors Field plump up his starts for a second trade was actually true

Dan Szymborski: were

Comment From Justin
Justin Turner has to be one of the tougher free agents to predict going forward, right? What does ZIPS think of him? What kind of contract do you think he signs?

Dan Szymborski: Too soon to start asking about the 2016 ZiPS! They are not all run!

Comment From MSW
As far as Familia goes, he took a huge leap in mid august when he introduced the split-finger with filthy downward movement at 94. He still lacks the track record to unseat Davis, but his season-long stats don’t tell the whole story.

Dan Szymborski: Not every re-post suggests actual agreement.

Dan Szymborski: Especially as we’re having another slow chat (when there’s no game currently on, these pre-FA, post-season chats are death)

Comment From Jimmers
Something is odd… I’m not seeing all the questions.

Dan Szymborski: I’m not either!

Comment From Rod
Are the A´s are going to do a splash in the FA?

Dan Szymborski: No

Comment From Rob
If the White Sox were to trade Jose Quintana for offense, would Mike Leake make sense for Chicago?

Dan Szymborski: The White Sox need to be adding talent, not shuffling talent around – the problem is not that they have surpluses and weaknesses.

Comment From Evan
DC: Aiming to have Dan do prospect chats starting in January once he has a chance to settle in to the new job.

Dan Szymborski: Someone actually asked the correct person to ask!

Comment From Jimmers
Who says no… Sonny Gray for Kyle Schawrber.

Dan Szymborski: Cubs

Comment From Blue Cat
On the topic of first basemen: Rangers owe Prince 6/90 (w/ Detroit kicking in extra 30). Could Rangers get a nominal return for Prince just to free up the payroll to redeploy the money?

Dan Szymborski: Possibly, but what it comes down to is 15 a year doesn’t buy much in FA. They’d have to be deploying it in an efficient manner.

Comment From GSon
Cubs season abruptly ended with the clear flaw being a lack of upper level staring pitching.. Do the Cubs makes trades (Carrasco?) or visit the FA market as a most likely fix…?

Dan Szymborski: I suspect they end up with one of the top pitchers.

Comment From J. Seinfeld
when are you running 2020 zips?

Dan Szymborski: 2019 😀

Comment From Justin
Will we see our first QO acceptance this offseason? It seems teams are getting bolder in its use, and there has to be at least one risk-averse veteran willing to take the sure thing.

Dan Szymborski: I don’t think so yet.

Comment From Bork
Don’t the base coaches in charge of like defense and stuff. Except for Oakland, I think their base coaches were too much on the butt game and not enough on the defense game.

Comment From Matt
Can someone…”do a splash”?

Dan Szymborski: Of course, if the water’s in a liquid form, because of fluid mechanics.

Dan Szymborski: inertial force over viscous force

Comment From Bork
THANKS FOR CALLING ALL MY QUESTIONS IN THIS CHAT DEATH, DAN

Dan Szymborski: Naw, the chat itself. Becuase it’s the time of the yera.

Comment From zipzopzoopitybop
My girlfriend is a big cardinals fan (I am decidedly not) and is under the assumption that yadier Molina is the greatest catcher of all time. She also has zero interest in any sort of advanced statistics. Is there a good way to gently dispute her claim, or should I just break up with her?

Dan Szymborski: See, I’d break up with her rather than admit I’m wrong, but that’s also why I’m going to die alone.

Comment From groucho
Assuming Heyward doens’t sign with the cardinals, can you see them making any other big purchases?

Dan Szymborski: Probably not. The Cards are careful in free agency

Comment From Gary
You rooting for Los Mets?

Dan Szymborski: Yes. Got my Bartolo Colon Big Sexy shirt.

Comment From Waiting Until Next Year
What will have a bigger impact adding wins for the Cubs next year, adding a top SP and reliever, or mid-level SP and RP and Heyward?

Dan Szymborski: Dpeends on where the Heyward market goes. I tend to be the lowest of the analysts on what he’ll get. I think they just get more from a pitcher unless they get creative and give Heyward a chance in center

Comment From druidiful
So were you happy with the Warsong Commander nerf?

Dan Szymborski: Yes. Sure, they could have made a less-damaging nerf, like only allowing it to give minions charge *while* they were at 3 attack or less

Dan Szymborski: However, there’s a general game reason for nerfing something that enables the most problematic mehcanic in the game, charge.

Dan Szymborski: Even going back to beta, Charge is the biggest reason for nerfs.

Dan Szymborski: (Not doing a formal Lightning Round, so ask random questions at any time)

Comment From DC
If Puig gets traded, what teams would be most interested?

Dan Szymborski: Quite a few. I suspect he doesn’t unless they have a really compelling reason to.

Comment From Blue Cat
If you had to make a starting 9 lineup (w/ NL rules) composed on ONLY guys that are normally seen as first basemen, who would you select for each spot?

Dan Szymborski: Hmm

Dan Szymborski: Holy hell, I think I’d have brandon belt in center?

Dan Szymborski: Would stuff Napoli back at catcher?

Dan Szymborski: God, who would be SS? Chris Davis? Guess I can put Pearce at 2B since palyed therE?

Comment From Kellog
Schwarber and Castro for Ross, Myers, Kimbrel and Hedges – who says no?

Dan Szymborski: Cubs

Comment From Q-Ball
Dave Cameron called Kyle Schwarber a left-handed Mike Napoli. Do you think that’s fair? While I can see that for the bat, doesn’t Schwarbs bring more athleticism to the table?

Dan Szymborski: Schwarber’s not a little dude and he’s young right now

Dan Szymborski: Remember, young Adam Dunn stole 19 bases on ce

Comment From BJM
I don’t like Dave Cameron… I do not want to give him the satisfaction of asking him a question. I’d rather ask my boy, Dan Zxsybrovwscki

Comment From Zonk
Jorge Soler didn’t hit much in an injury-tinged rooke campaign. He looked great in the playoffs though. Are scouts still super-high on Jorge? If the Cubs deal him off for pitching, what kind of return could they get?

Dan Szymborski: He would be a sell low candidate. I dont’ se ehte point of trading him right now

Comment From GSon
Last year’s offseason saw huge changes by the Prelller and the Padres.. who’s the most likely mover and shaker this offseason?.. the Jays?

Comment From J. Seinfeld
who is funnier: me or paul rudd, jason sudeikis, rob riggle and eric stonestreet

Dan Szymborski: Hey, wehre’d me answer go?

Dan Szymborski: I think the Cubs will be quite active – they’ve reached the point at which they *can* start looking at their surpluses to bring in 2016 value

Dan Szymborski: Seinfeld in his prime of course

Comment From Bork
Jays grab Sonny Gray for Kevin Pillar and a prospect. YOU LAUGH BUT DONALDSON.

Comment From Rob
So, what do you think would be the best plan for Rick Hahn? Sign a FA for right field, make a play for the Korean 3B if he’s posted and maybe sign a starter for rotation depth?

Dan Szymborski: I’d like to see the White Sox be aggressive in KBO

Comment From Waiting Until Next Year
AAPL criminally under priced at $115 and does JBLU make it $30 by the end of the year? Also how do you feel about mREITs with high yields, like ORC? THX

Dan Szymborski: I always like staying out of Apple simply because the market tends to both overreact to their good news and bad news

Dan Szymborski: Not interested iN Jet Blue at 30

Comment From Big Joe Mufferaw
Would you be a fan of the Yankees trading Gardner (for what ever) and then signing Heyward??

Dan Szymborski: Depends.

Comment From Q-Ball
What does AJ Preller do this offseason for an encore? Double-down on his “win-now” plan? Rebuild? Acquire more sluggers to stick in the OF?

Dan Szymborski: Hard to tell. They followed up an extremely active winter with a passive, sad, deadline

Comment From L. Scott
When, if at all, will the Cardinals be penalized for the computer hack of the Astros that was revealed earlier this season?

Dan Szymborski: The FBI does not investigate on MLB timelines.

Comment From Dr Johnny Fever
If (and yeah I know it’s a possibility you are supposed to factor in but anyway) Halladay and Howard had smoother adjoining declines instead of falling off cliffs with injury, would RAJ be as mocked as he is now?

Dan Szymborski: No. Him not knowing that at-bats and plate appearances were different would have doomed him to mocking.

Comment From The+Dude
You’re designing an arsenal for a starting pitcher. He can replicate up to 4 pitches from up to 4 active players. Which pitches from which pitchers do you give him?

Dan Szymborski: Kershaw’s curve, Chapman’s fastball, Archer’s slider, and Dickey’s knuckler

Dan Szymborski: Dickey’s not so good anymore, but that knuckler would play if you had Chapman’s fastball too!

Dan Szymborski: A fastball after a knuckler, the batter will actually feel he went back in time

Comment From Zonk
How does Bartolo Colon throw nothing but high-80s fastballs, yet get people out?

Dan Szymborski: The power of old fat guys.

Dan Szymborski: Wells, Reuschel

Comment From EC
Zimmermann to cubs?

Dan Szymborski: They’ll be in one one of the Zimmerman/Price/Greinke

Comment From DC
Any teams you feel like could surprise and get on on Heyward?

Dan Szymborski: Royals?

Dan Szymborski: I don’t think they will, but if they were likelly, it wouldn’t be a surprise now would it?

Comment From Bork
You should know by now Blizzard doesn’t nerf, it gets out a shovel and buries instead,

Comment From The+Dude
I played the original Half Life for the first time in ages a few days ago. I forgot how awesome a game it was.

Comment From Dan Duh
It would be silly for the O’s to not extend the QO to Weiters, right? There’s no way he accepts. Seems almost as silly as Murphy getting $75+ in his next deal.

Dan Szymborski: Whoever gives Daniel Murphy $75 million on Saturday should find that his work email is no longer active on Sunday

Comment From Waiting Until Next Year
I don’t like Inspire, so get off my lawn?

Dan Szymborski: Inspire is generally too slow. Which is the problem – power creep is like inflation. Too much is bad, but so is too little.

Dan Szymborski: Too many of the TGT cards with inspire are simply *fair* cards.

Dan Szymborski: New decks have to better than continually refined versions of old decks

Comment From Justin
So if we can’t ask you about ZIPS, and we can’t ask you about fantasy, and we can’t ask you about internal fangraphs issues — how are you feeling today, Dan?

Dan Szymborski: Pretty good.

Dan Szymborski: Headachey, but generally OK. Maybe I’ll take a nap later

Comment From Dr Johnny Fever
What’s the next step for the Tigers?

Dan Szymborski: I think they’ve crossed Denial, so Anger?

Comment From Mountain
Steamer2016 first release seems to think Carlos Santana is in decline (age?). Do you agree, or would he make for a trade candidate?

Dan Szymborski: I expect some decline as he’s already showing the signs. That’s not a ZiPS answer

Comment From Vic Romano
How insane would a Schwarber for Betts trade be? Schwarber could DH and/or the monster will hide some of his defensive problems in LF, while Betts would be the CF the Cubs need.

Dan Szymborski: Would be fun, but you don’t see challenge trades like that this often

Comment From Guest
Re. Yadier Molina: Advanced statistics have a well known weakness of catcher evaluation. Not saying she is right, but proving her wrong with advanced statistics is a poor choice.

Comment From Luke
Daniel Murphy has hit real home runs in real baseball games, but they won’t count towards his season or career total. This seems silly, no?

Dan Szymborski: It does.

Dan Szymborski: Maybe you dont’ count it for seasonal records, but I don’t know why it shouldn’t be in career.

Dan Szymborski: It’s not like these are spring training games.

Dan Szymborski: Its’ weird that Babe Ruth’s alleged called shot IN THE FRIGGING WORLD SERIES isn’t one of his “career” 714 homers.

Comment From Lightning
No Lightning? What video games are you playing this week?

Dan Szymborski: The usual, Hearthstone, Final Fantasy XIV. Maybe give Big Pharma a whirl

Comment From Big Joe Mufferaw
Are you going to be a Luis Severino shareholder next year??

Dan Szymborski: Is there an IPO?

Comment From Bork
I’d pay good money to see a Fielder/Davis middle infield. Or replace Davis for Ortiz if you could count him as a first base.

Comment From Matt
If you were to change the rotational direction with which runners run the bases in baseball, would you keep the base names the same so people are counting down until they score rather than counting up?

Dan Szymborski: Yes

Comment From Big Joe Mufferaw
In how many years will we see a 1000 run offense again?

Dan Szymborski: Unknowable – unlikely to happen with this level of ofense

Comment From Todd
Free agents that you feel will be bad signings as time goes on? Cespesdes, Upton, Cueto…

Dan Szymborski: Oh, the Cespedes signing will be horrible.

Comment From Jeff
Odds Jason Heyward is the Cubs’ CF next year?

Dan Szymborski: 10%?

Comment From Bork
Dan Szymborski is top tier chatter along with Eno.

Comment From Luke
Do you accept Bray Wyatt as your lord and savior?

Dan Szymborski: Sure.

Comment From Jeff
This chat is about a 30 on the 20-80 scale…..

Comment From The+Dude
If Michael Cuddyer wasn’t hurt by the QO, I feel that just about anyone should reject it. All it takes is one idiot GM.

Dan Szymborski: I remain shocked that it ended nicely for the Rockies

Comment From HappyFunBall
Marwin Gonzalez played more games at 1b (43) than any other position. He’s your SS because he at least knows where to stand.

Dan Szymborski: Yeah but you don’t really *think* of him as a 1B

Comment From Gary
Talk to me about Dilson Herrera. Is he the 2B next year?

Dan Szymborski: I believe so

Comment From Waiting Until Next Year
Bacon linked to cancer…who gives a shit.

Dan Szymborski: Of course, everybody loves bacon, why should cancer be different?

Comment From Jordan
Is Gibbons part of the problem or the solution?

Dan Szymborski: Neither

Comment From FM Mood
I have a fang Rapha specific question 🙁 🙁

:

Comment From HappyFunBall
NL-rules lineup, all 1Bs: C: Napoli, 1B: [Any], 2B: Sean Rodriguez, 3B: Mark Reynolds, SS: Marwin Gonzalez, LF: Brandon Belt, CF: Wil Myers, RF: Chris Davis

Dan Szymborski: Myers is cheating – it was said they have to be considered a 1B

Dan Szymborski: No way a dude who has like 15 games in the majors there can be *considered* a 1B!

Comment From mtsw
Let’s say the O’s do a teardown. Adam Jones requests a trade to a competitive team. What’s the sort of return a player like him could command? He’s still an All Star on a very affordable deal.

Comment From wristband wearer
everywhere i go halloween shopping in NY, I see a lot of brown and blonde mullets for sale. I’m consider cutting each in half, attaching the 2 together, and going as half deGrom, half Syndergaard

Comment From FM Mood
Hahaha oops I meant “fangraphs specific question”, and the sad faces indicated my sadness

Comment From Bork
White Sox agressive in KBO? Looks like Eric Thames is making a return to the MLB!

Comment From The+Dude
With Amaro and Jack Z. fired as GM, who is now the most incompetent GM?

Dan Szymborski: Front offices are more a combo thing now. I’d say Reds and Rockies

Dan Szymborski: I think the age of the One Big GM Dude are rapidly fading.

Comment From To Everybody
Why is Devon White being searched so much on FG?

Comment From Waiting Until Next Year
Not th eMarlins FO?

Dan Szymborski: They’re up there, but we dont’ have its Final Form yet.

Comment From Bork
This year we saw Dan Jennings the manager. Next year will we see Dan Jennings the player? If so what position?

Dan Szymborski: Pitcher so he can one-up the other Dan Jennings

Comment From Evan
Is Schwarber as a catcher no longer a viable possibility? It seems like everyone assumes he can’t play defense because they stuck a catcher in LF and he’s fairly immobile.

Dan Szymborski: I doubt he’ll be a full-timer at catcher, I expect him to get sporadic play at catcher.

Comment From Bork
This chat is a 40. It’s the Dan Szymborski mediocrity hour for a reason, Jeff.

Comment From The+Dude
I’m pretty sure Ben Cherington would sign Murphy to that 75 million dollar contract. You know, to play catcher.

Comment From druidiful
So do you read much? And if so, what genre do you prefer?

Dan Szymborski: I do, but mostly non-fiction history

Comment From The Maddness
What team could easily be fixed in just one move?

Dan Szymborski: I don’t think you can fix any team with one move

Dan Szymborski: Maybe Arte Moreno retiring to a monastery? The Angels have bled front office dudes this winter

Comment From mtsw
Why all the enthusiasm for KBO hitters and relatively little interest in NPB hitters when NPB is universally recognized to be a higher level of competition?

Dan Szymborski: Well, they’re less expensive.

Dan Szymborski: There was an Adam Jones Q that Cover it Live ate. The O’s could still get a decent return for Jones, but it wouldn’t be a blockbuster deal

Comment From Dr Johnny Fever
Are the phillies going to have to buy (new) computers? what should they get?

Dan Szymborski: They shoudl at least upgrade the RAM in their Tandys.

Comment From Waiting Until Next Year
Do you home brew, Dan? If so, what style do you like and do you have any clones that you can recommend?

Dan Szymborski: I do not home brew. My sister and her fiancee do and they make a lot of russian imperial stouts

Comment From Dr Johnny Fever
should revere have bunted?

Dan Szymborski: nah

Comment From mtsw
Alex Gordon to Orioles? Makes more sense for their budget than Davis does, especially if they re-sign Steve Pearce on the cheap to play 1B instead.

Dan Szymborski: It would, but I don’t think they will do it

Comment From The+Dude
Do we see good Cueto or bad Cueto in the WS?

Dan Szymborski: I think good cueto, but I also thought that good cueto would appear more than he has

Comment From MSW
Lackey to the Cubs? Back to the Cardinals? Which how he pitched in the postseason, he seems underrated going in to free agency.

Dan Szymborski: I can see him back in ST. Louis

Dan Szymborski: He’s not a prospect anymore of course, but it’s nice to Profar healthy

Dan Szymborski: Everybone’s been talking about Mauricio Cabrera beating 100

Dan Szymborski: Everybone?

Comment From Dr Johnny Fever
anybody catching your eye in the Arizona Fall League?

Dan Szymborski: thanks for showing up, question!

Comment From Big Joe Mufferaw
Do you try to associate chat regulars to real people? age? gender? personality?

Dan Szymborski: No because you can pick any name you like

Comment From Ryan
Can we discuss stupid headlines for a second? Just saw one that said, “Cubs would be better with another ace”. No shit, every team would be better with another ace Can we make it legal to hit these people with baseball bats?

Dan Szymborski: When there are no world series games going on, it’s hard to write articles this time of year! People will stretch for topics. I know I have before

Comment From Dr Johnny Fever
isn’t the cubs offense deep enough that they could just focus on great glove in CF

Dan Szymborski: Yeah, but there aren’t many amazing glove guys in FA CF eitehr

Comment From Dan I am, not
Do you do anything special for WS games or do you watch it with the cats?

Dan Szymborski: Don’t do anything special, but I’ll frequently go to the brewpub nearby.

Dan Szymborski: It makes tweeting hard though, so you can tell if I’m home or out depending on how active I am on twitter

Comment From Phillies113
If you had gone back in time and told Past Dan that the Mets would be in the World Series, how hard would Past Dan have punched you (Future Dan? Present Dan?) in the face?

Dan Szymborski: Past Dan doesn’t ignore financial opportunities.

Dan Szymborski: And I’ve liked their potential pitching staff for awhile

Dan Szymborski: Why would I attack future Dan? Future Dan has lots of betting opportunities.

Dan Szymborski: Even Biff eventually accepted the sports almanac from future Biff and I think I’m smarter than Biff

Comment From Blue Cat
If you are into WW1, Call to Arms (volume 1) is pretty great read, even if it makes me worry that the lead author is going to die before getting around to vol 2 and 3.

Comment From Thirst For Knowledge
Hi Dan, just want to pick your brain on potential keepers. In a points league where you can keep up to two players (if they were drafted in the snakedraft, you can keep said players at the cost of the round that they were originally selected; waiver wire pickups are kept starting in the 28th round, and their cost moves up 4 rounds (28th round in 2016, 24th round in 2017, 20th round in 2018, etc.) every subsequent year that they are kept).

Dan Szymborski: Wait, you can keep players forever at the round they were drafted?

Comment From Thirst For Knowledge
Carlos Correa (waiver wire pick up) 28th round; Kris Bryant (drafted in 4th rd; Jake Arrieta (drafted in the 3rd rd).

Dan Szymborski: In a format like this, it’s hard to not keep Correa

Comment From Jonny
If the Mets can trade Niese for some kind of positive return in the offseason, should they bring back Big Bartolo on a modest 1-year deal for the back end of the rotation?

Dan Szymborski: I don’t think they get a positive return for Niese

Comment From Justin
Assuming the Dodgers re-sign Greinke, would you expect them to go after another guy, or head into 2016 counting on some combination of Ryu, Wood, and McCarthy as their 3 & 4 starters?

Dan Szymborski: I expect them to add a second-tier pitcher even if they pick up Greinke. But they’re not going to spend half a billion this offseason

Comment From Bork
Anthopolus said Goins will be competing with Travis for 2B next year….please no 🙁

Dan Szymborski: Eh, this is the kind of thing GMs/coaches in all sports say and rarely mean it

Dan Szymborski: No, Mariota has to beat out Mettenberger! No, he doesn’t.

Comment From Andrew
Between Appel, Michael Feliz and Velasquez, the Astros have 3 young, hard-throwing pitchers who may project to be starters, but there aren’t 2016 rotation spots for all 3. Should they put 2 of them in the pen to start 2016 as “relief pitchers” or are teams reluctant to do that to guys they expect to start down the road?

Dan Szymborski: I don’t think they have to make a decision that quickly

Dan Szymborski: Like Michael Feliz. Why exactly do they have to choose between a 2016 rotation spot and a 2016 bullpen spot? Now they *can* make a decision but they have other options

Comment From George Brett
I’d like to thank you for getting me addicted to CK2 and OOTPB. I finally won the World Series with the Cubs in 2018. I’m currently doing GoT mod in CK2. Can you do some more CK2 streaming video?

Dan Szymborski: I should at some point

Comment From Bork
Breaking News: Teams would do well with Mike Trout’s in the outfield.

Comment From Matt
Re glove first CF for the Cubs….Albert Almora…

Dan Szymborski: Still not sure his bat contributes at all this quickly

Dan Szymborski: OK, 1:15, so time to end this for another week. Thanks for joining me everyone!

Dan Szymborski: As a reminder you can find me at ESPN.com, chats and projections here at FanGraphs, DSzymborski on Twitter, ZimSmash on Twitch, and possibly heading up ABC’s new comedy Porkins: The Next Generation in which Porkins son travels back in time to stop the Crimean War (0% is a percentage!)