Dan Szymborski FanGraphs Chat – 11/24/14

Dan Szymborski: oh god, I hope this works this week. somebody say something!

Comment From Mooking for Love
something

Dan Szymborski: Hooray!

Dan Szymborski: As I’ve traveled so far

Dan Szymborski: As I’ve traveled so far from the future for you, let’s get this fantasy started and fool the experts, too.

Dan Szymborski: First off.

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Comment From Xolo
Party at Chase Headley’s house!

Comment From hscer
does the 10 player limit provide perverse logic for a voter to leave off the most likely PED people to make room for deserving candidates?

Dan Szymborski: It provides a lot of perverse logic.

Dan Szymborski: For instance, if I had to vote on a 10-man ballot, I’d prioritize deserving candidates who look to be between 70-80% and those between 5-10%

Dan Szymborski: So my ballot last year would have had no Maddux or Bonds, but Biggio and Palmeiro. Which is weird.

Comment From froglegs_jackson
Who says no to a hypothetical Mookie/Xander for Jose Quintana trade?

Dan Szymborski: They both might stupidly say no.

Comment From KIT
Does ZiPS have any way of predicting how Ramirez will do as an outfielder?

Dan Szymborski: Yes, though I’m projecting him as a SS for now.

Comment From dante
Besides Hamels, who are some SP the Red Sox might target via trade?

Dan Szymborski: I would not be shocked if the Red Sox talked with the A’s about Samardzija

Comment From Rooney
At $7M per WAR, how close does Sandoval get to earning his contract?

Dan Szymborski: Meh. And don’t forget the first-rounder.

Comment From DogBone
Are there more Upsets in high or low scoring environments? Was discussing with a friend and he said in this low scoring environment of baseball, there will be less chances for “upsets”. I said it doesn’t matter and stays the same. Thanx

Dan Szymborski: I haven’t actually looked at this issue specifically.

Dan Szymborski: Though I’ve looked at it by era and odds ratio didn’t predict team-vs-team individual records better in low or high scoring eras.

Comment From Matt
Convince me Ben Cherington isn’t drunk. Who are you going to bench? The $72M Cuban? A veteran that put up 5.6 WAR in 2013? Mookie “Ben Zobrist” Betts? I mean there are concerns about Victorino’s health, but he probably isn’t a bench bat…

Dan Szymborski: Betts most likely. I’m not crazy about the Red Sox plan.

Dan Szymborski: Remember their retooling year? Those were all value signings. They paid $100 million *total* for their 7 MLB free agents.

Comment From Kevin
Can the Braves convince the Rangers to take JUp and BJ for nothing?

Dan Szymborski: The Braves are asking a steep price for Justin.

Comment From BuckFarmer
my bud said he believes panda will need “an adjustment year

Comment From BuckFarmer
. is there any data to back that up?

Dan Szymborski: Not really.

Comment From Tony G.
What was the first thing that came to mind when you heard the Red Sox had signed both Sandoval and Hanley?

Dan Szymborski: dafuq?

Comment From Guest
Xander and Mookie trade offers for days Dan, DAYS!

Comment From Eddie
Kyle Seager for 7 years, $100M. Good deal?

Dan Szymborski: Have to think about it, it would depend on the years covered.

Comment From CecilFieldersButtPlug
Why was prince fielder given that big of a contract? insane to me.

Dan Szymborski: Crazy people + cash

Comment From Steve-O
What happens to Xander after Hanley and Panda are signed? Is he now trade bait? Where does he fit in, if at all?

Dan Szymborski: He doesn’t fit in at all now.

Comment From Vic
So last year it was Abreu, Altuve and Kluber. Who might return 1st round value out of a 4th, 5th or 10th round pick? Just tired of picking who I should pick…ie, 2014 1st rounders Fielder and Votto.

Dan Szymborski: I dont’ want to do value pick type stuff until we’re actually near the season.

Comment From AstrosFan
Any advice for how to deal with the anger that I will undoubtedly feel as “baseball” writers release their HOF ballots?

Dan Szymborski: Horse tranquilizers. I know i”ll regret not having them about 15 times over the next six weeks or so.

Comment From hscer
wait if both say no then who offered it? “Would you tra–just kidding, bye” [click]

Dan Szymborski: I assume they’re on a reality show Who Wants to Overpay a Millionaire?

Comment From Cicero
Any chance that Rosario is a better 3B/RF than C

Dan Szymborski: I can’t imagine him being a very good defender there. He’s really only interesting if he can fake catching and I’m not sure he can. Else he’s just Dayan Viciedo.

Comment From PR
does zips like hanley at 5/90?

Dan Szymborski: Hanley? Yes.

Comment From Henry
(Somewhat widely-discussed) Iwakuma for Cespedes. Who hangs up in reality?

Dan Szymborski: M’s should.

Comment From Guest
Schilling is ranked 18th All-Time in fWAR. Lock to get in HOF?

Dan Szymborski: No, because the voting is horrific.

Dan Szymborski: Schilling is the pitcher that a lot of Hall of Fame voters thought Jack Morris was.

Dan Szymborski: Schilling’s postseason record *crushes* Jack Morris’s postseason record. And their regular season records are like a fight between prime Muhammad Ali and Star Wars Kid.

Dan Szymborski: But thankfully, we don’t have to talk about Morris again until the Veterans Committee makes a hilariously poor decision to induct him

Comment From Bubbles Da Chimp
Cecchini and Owens for Cole Hamels?

Dan Szymborski: Phils will want more than that. I like Owens, too, but the Phillies have been asking for the stars but willing to settle for only 99% of them.

Comment From CecilFieldersButtPlug
whos the first domino to fall in the pitching market? guys on the trade block count too

Dan Szymborski: I think Lester signs fairly quickly

Comment From Guest
No 1st rounder Dan. Protected pick this season.

Dan Szymborski: Oh duh.

Dan Szymborski: Second round.

Dan Szymborski: I sometimes forget how much the Red Sox sucked in 2014.

Comment From Gila Monster
Probably the most realistic trade possibility you’ll see for a while: Cespedes for Ian Kennedy, who says no? Both were roughly 3 WAR players the past few years, both are 29 and owed $10.5Mish heading into contract years. I mean the Red Sox could get a bit more for the premium on power.

Dan Szymborski: It’s not an unreasonable trade.

Comment From Chest Rockwell
Is one year of Samardzija really worth Bogaerts? That seems like a terrible trade for the Sox.

Dan Szymborski: It’s not like they’re going to use Bogaerts.

Comment From fan
How do you send articles you write to Community to be considered for posting?

Dan Szymborski: Wait, what?

Dan Szymborski: The TV show? Is this a reference I don’t get?

Comment From Kevin
Taking on BJ’s $46 million contract isn’t steep?

Dan Szymborski: The Braves want actual players. I don’t think they’re going to simply give away Upton as the price for another team taking the other one.

Comment From froglegs_jackson
Any thoughts on the Adam LaRoche signing?

Dan Szymborski: Meh.

Dan Szymborski: The White Sox have essentially already spent $18 million in 2015 to improve from 73 to 75 wins. O frabjous day!

Comment From JACK@SS
______ _______ _______ doodyburgers _____ _______.

Dan Szymborski: too many. i’d have to use up all my schoolyard insults.

Comment From Guest
Panda hasnt signed the deal yet right?

Dan Szymborski: Mixed signals

Comment From Guest
Well HanRam isn’t a SS, so Xander fits in fine.

Dan Szymborski: Sandoval isnt’ a $100 million player either. DIdn’t prevent him from getting it.

Comment From Guest
Umm…was that guy saying both Mookie and Bogaerts? If so, how in the blue blazes would the White Sox say no?!?!?!

Dan Szymborski: The White Sox aren’t that well run.

Comment From Cal
Does Nelson Cruz get the contract that he wants this time around or is he in for another disappointment? Right handed power bats do seem to be in demand….

Dan Szymborski: He’s going to be disappointed.

Dan Szymborski: He had a good year in 2014, but nobody gets to buy that year, only his decline phase.

Dan Szymborski: A good 2014, but he’s another year older.

Comment From Derek
Do you think poor minor league hitting instruction has anything to do with decreased offense in MLB

Dan Szymborski: I don’t believe so.

Comment From jda
So when does that loquacious lambaster Cistullo post the Braves ZiPS on FanGraphs?

Dan Szymborski: I’ve given that feckless jackanapes discretion as to when to start, becuase the holiday week makes everything weird.

Comment From Stephen
At what point can Jeff Francouer be a value signing, assuming there is one?

Dan Szymborski: Well, he’s signed a minor league contract with the Phillies.

Comment From D.D.
So excited that its almsot ZiPS time. Any chance to find out a sneak peak at Addison Russell? Over/under of 102 OPS+

Dan Szymborski: Holding off – I mostly give sneak peeks to players that are news relevant.

Comment From Guest
Do you have a ZiPS on Garin Cecchini? Would it really be surprising if he could be close to as good as Sandoval in 2016?

Dan Szymborski: Like Cecchini, who is news relevant at hte moment due to Sandoval

Dan Szymborski: 262/339/370, 95 OPS+ 1.0 WAR for Cecchini.

Comment From Rog
How does Bogaerts not fit? Hanley isn’t likely to be at SS.

Dan Szymborski: I’m not convinced they would instantly move Hanley to left.

Dan Szymborski: They essentially moved Bogaerts off position last year for a guy that sat around in the spring not playing baseball.

Dan Szymborski: The corner outfield positions in Fenway are kinda tricky.

Dan Szymborski: And Ramirez has zero professional games in the outfield.

Dan Szymborski: But let’s say that they move Ramirez to left. Now they’re just making it even harder to find room for Mookie Betts instead.

Dan Szymborski: And Ramirez isn’t that exciting as a leftfielder unless you think he’s going to be a +10 or something

Comment From Bubbles Da Chimp
over/under $170m in guaranteed in Lester’s eventual contract?

Dan Szymborski: Oh, $170? I’d take the under.

Comment From how do i vegetable?
i eat vegetarian on mondays. i am eating a tuna fish sandwich for lunch. tuna is vegetarian, right?

Dan Szymborski: I don’t like canned tuna.

Dan Szymborski: Give me seared actual tuna or nothing.

Comment From Guest
Star wars kid had some moves, Dan.

Comment From RotoLando
Hanley plays like Sandoval looks

Comment From ar
isn’t the obvious move for the phillies to offer to pay all of hamels contract?

Dan Szymborski: The Phillies want *all* the gift baskets.

Comment From ar
like you can pay $23/year for hamels, or you can pay $23/year and literally have the best farm system in baseball, and save your franchise

Dan Szymborski: Did the Phillies fire Amaro? They’re not paying 100% to get more prospects.

Dan Szymborski: They want to pay 0 *and* get the farm. And they’ll have a temper tantrum and ball their fists and slam doors if you don’t give it to them.

Comment From semperty
Using Steamer, $6m/WAR (with subsequent inflation), and taking arbitration into account it seems as though Seager is worth about $164m over the next 7 years. That can’t be right, can it?

Dan Szymborski: ZiPS actually has him around that oo now that I’m looking.

Comment From Derek
What will happen with Ike Davis

Dan Szymborski: Meh-ness.

Comment From Bubbles Da Chimp
Would your head figuratively explode if Boston trades Pedroia this offseason?

Dan Szymborski: Probably.

Comment From jocephus
do you think cards have a shot at one of the “big” FA starters?

Dan Szymborski: I think they do. Lester strikes me as more likely.

Comment From hscer
The “meh” of the LaRoche signing is better than the actively bad Dunn signing. Say, why are ex-Nats 1B/DH named Adam a favorite White Sox target?

Dan Szymborski: Dunn did turn out worse than a reasonable expectation though.

Comment From Guest
Out of curiosity, what sort of criteria do different writers use when evaluating potential trades? I ask because I’ve read a few FG writers saying that the Phils will get a stick of gum for Hamels, and now you’re saying more than Owens/Cecchini.

Dan Szymborski: I’m not other writers.

Dan Szymborski: So I can’t answer the question.

Dan Szymborski: In the end, it’ll come down to just how much the Phillies want salary relief

Comment From Guest
So you can’t see Hanley in LF, Xander at SS and Cespedes trade for whatever? It’s not a particularly crazy route to take, and makes a lot more sense than trading X for Hamels/Shark/whatever.

Dan Szymborski: Yeah, but Hanley in left is quite uninteresting.

Dan Szymborski: The Red Sox already had Xander at SS, Cespedes in left, and like $100 million.

Comment From gump
http://www.fangraphs.com/co… dan

Dan Szymborski: Oh, I assume you email the Daves.

Comment From Ceej
how would you unblock Xander and Mookie? Trade others or trade them for a ton?

Dan Szymborski: At this point, it’s hard to unblock. Might as well trade. Though Bogaerts is probably at his lowest value.

Dan Szymborski: I really don’t know that much about FanGraphs policies.

Dan Szymborski: Why do I get seemingly all the FanGraphs policy questions? I’m not on staff. There’s actually a Dave Cameron chat!

Comment From DumpsterDanD
There are rumors the O’s are looking at guys like Melky Cabrera and Torii Hunter as “fall-back” options in case they fail to resign Markakis. Is it just me or do you think either of those players are upgrades over Nick at least in the short term?

Dan Szymborski: It’s all an unimpressive group.

Dan Szymborski: Would probably take Melky, but none of them are likely to be all that great over the course of their conrtracts.

Comment From Northsider
There are rumors that SF is looking at Lester now that Panda went to Boston. If this happens, would you see the Cubs making a strong push at Scherzer?

Dan Szymborski: I see the Cubs makign a Scherzer push regardless.

Comment From mcNUGGETS
NYY responds to BOS’s splurge with Lester+ Moncada + Headley. True or false?

Dan Szymborski: It’s possible. And it would be the better use of cash.

Dan Szymborski: I don’t think the Yankees sign Lester though.

Comment From staf
Does my old fave and ballot 1st timer Darin Erstad get any hof votes?

Dan Szymborski: I bet he gets a token one.

Comment From Cal
ChiSox can have both Abreu and Sale on the team through 2019. What are the chances that they can actually contend during that time?

Dan Szymborski: A lot can happen in 5 years.

Dan Szymborski: Though I will say this, both of those players are at their peak RIGHT NOW.

Dan Szymborski: Yes, Sale’s only 25, but the thing is, when a pitcher is at Cy Young level at any time, you have to consider them at their peak.

Dan Szymborski: Because for Cy Young level pitchers, all the risk is one-sided and frequently quite ugly.

Comment From Doug
Major free agent contract ranking (from best to worst): 1) Hanley, 2) Martin, 3) Sandoval, 4) VMart?

Dan Szymborski: Martin, Hanley, Sandoval, VMart

Dan Szymborski: but not worst FOR THE TIGERS

Dan Szymborski: if we’re talking specifically for the teams, Martin, VMart, Hanley, Sandoval

Comment From Tristan
Dan you’re depressing the hell out of me. SURELY the Red Sox trade Cespedes and move Ramirez to LF, rather than trading possibly the best young player we’ve had in years… I mean Cespedes isn’t even particularly good

Dan Szymborski: I don’t see *any* of the Ramirez position options, now that Sandoval is signed, as being all that good.

Comment From Mooking for Love
Seager 7/$100 covers 3 arb + 4 FA years. Seems like a high number?

Dan Szymborski: I dont’ think so.

Comment From Guest
if the Panda doesnt sign with the Sox does Hanley play 3rd?

Dan Szymborski: That would be the only scenario in which Hanley really makes that much sense to me.

Dan Szymborski: You guys act like Hanley playing in left is some panacea to make the contract make sense. It isn’t

Dan Szymborski: You know what scenario Hanley makes sense? The Red Sox play him at third because they took a time machine and stopped the Sandoval signing (assuming it’s done)

Comment From Michael
Explain to me why OPS+ even exists, and why furthermore why you would actually mention it as if it were a relevant statistic.

Dan Szymborski: Because it’s simple and gets the job done.

Dan Szymborski: The cons of using OPS+ in a discussion as opposed to wRC+ are easily avoided by anybody who actually understands the construction of sabermetric stats.

Dan Szymborski: OPS+ doesn’t actually use OPS. It uses OBP and SLG. You can explain that to the masses very easily. You can only explain linear weights to the already-converted.

Comment From Doug
If M. Ramirez can play left in fenway, so can H. Ramirez.

Dan Szymborski: Manny Ramirez was a much better hitter than Hanley.

Comment From Guest
Is it really that hard to picture Hanley being worth more as an alright LFer than a shitty SS? Actually, maybe it’ll be closer than I think with postional adjustment. Regardless, the Sox are collecting pieces right now. I’m not sure even they know what the line up will look like opening day.

Dan Szymborski: He’d have to be a really good leftfielder.

Dan Szymborski: Which again, is tricky in Boston and he’s never played the position.

Dan Szymborski: And he was extremely unhappy about being moved to 3rd and let the team know it

Comment From guest
Okay, who projects better, mookie or xander?

Dan Szymborski: Betts

Dan Szymborski: Mookie Betts top comp in ZiPS, BTW, is Andrew McCutchen. Obviously not his average outlook, of course, but I thought I’d mention it.

Dan Szymborski: But anyway, anything the Red Sox do with Hanley to make room for Bogaerts makes less room for Betts.

Comment From Mario Incandenza
Think you’re off on the Red Sox thinking on Bogaerts. They moved him to third last year because they had a total black hole at third. It made sense at the time to do that. And note that they kept him in the lineup the entire season. And Hanley can scarcely play ss anymore. Bogaerts is definitely their starting ss next season

Dan Szymborski: And in that case, they’re overpaying a leftfielder instead of a SS and making it harder to play Betts isntead of Bogaerts. Woo.

Comment From Bob Horner
Know what else is uninteresting – all of this Red Sox talk

Comment From Jeremy
Hanley’s .841 OPS from 2012-2014 would’ve ranked 12th among all MLB outfielders.

Dan Szymborski: Good thing it’s December of 2011 when they’re signing Hanley.

Comment From tenaciousdeucer
Ike to Oakland – the A’s have to go to arbitration with him, right? Seems like the $6M or whatever he could get is a bit risky.

Dan Szymborski: It’s definitely a risk. Enough that I would’ve waited for the non-tender.

Comment From hscer
To submit to the community blog, 1) register/sign in with Fangraphs and 2) click “Submit Article” in the gray bar below the menus.

Comment From Kelvin
At what age is Ramen noodles no longer an appropriate meal?

Dan Szymborski: A good ramen bar is always cool.

Dan Szymborski: But those 20-cent packs of dried ramen? They become inappropriate once you’re employed.

Comment From Matt
What is the hardest asset for a MLB team to acquire? An Ace?

Dan Szymborski: Yes. Not many and hard to get.

Comment From Bret
Better deal: Hanley’s or Martin’s?

Dan Szymborski: Martin

Comment From You can put it on the board
Exactly how awful is the White Sox farm system?

Dan Szymborski: They’re actually a little better than the last few years, I think.

Comment From david
What does the Hanley deal do for Ian Desmond and the Nats?

Dan Szymborski: Not much. The Nats are unlikely to make Desmond a better offer – their offer was already quite aggressive

Comment From Matt
Red Sox Yankees Freaky Friday? Have these teams switched bodies or what? I will be rooting against the Red Sox and their store-bought players.

Comment From Johnny Baboon
I’m not sure why you are convinced Bogaerts isn’t in the plan.

Dan Szymborski: Either Bogaerts or Betts isn’t.

Comment From John
But Hanley has been a bad defender his whole career. Why would a change in position hurt his value?

Dan Szymborski: Because offensive is more valuable at certain positions. If you actually look at how defensive stats change on position moves, you’ll see it’s not presto-chango plus that magically reflects the increase in replacement level offense

Dan Szymborski: The average SS–>OF move isn’t 15 runs.

Dan Szymborski: Bad defenders tend to get *less* of a gain upon playing an easier positon

Dan Szymborski: Your -5 SS doesn’t magically become a +15 1B.

Comment From Mario Incandenza
So if the Red Sox trade Bogaerts, they’re replacing him with a guy who can barely play short, trading Bogaerts at his lowest value, and will have no long-term shortstop after the next year or two. You really think this is what the Sox are doing?

Dan Szymborski: They’re either doing that or blocking Betts.

Dan Szymborski: Neither scenario is smart.

Comment From Guest
Why must I be 21 to visit a brewery website? Is there some technology that delivers alcohol via the internet, and if so how do I make it work

Dan Szymborski: Puritans.

Comment From Cicero
What is the spread between OPS+ an wRC+ the two rarely seem to be more than 4-5% apart

Dan Szymborski: They’re very close. OPS+ has problems at scaling, which almost never actually matter in a real-world discussion of something going on at baseball.

Dan Szymborski: 100 to 150 being a much bigger improvement than 150 to 200 in OPS+ is something that actually matters in a debate precisely never.

Comment From gump
https://twitter.com/jcrasni… “Multiple sources say reported 5-yr, $90M contract figure for Hanley Ramirez is “not accurate.” No further details right now.” oh boy

Comment From Joe
Would a Xander for Zach Wheeler trade make sense? Seems to fill holes for both teams and then at least the Red Sox would be trading Xander for another young, controllable player and not wasting him on Hamels.

Dan Szymborski: That would be fun, but I expect it woudln’t happen.

Comment From David
Ike Davis -> OAK. This is THE move, amirite?

Dan Szymborski: Not really crazy. On Ike Davis, I think the ship has sailed, returned, and all the passengers have returned to work from their vacation.

Comment From Guest
What about Hanley at 3rd and Pablo at 1st?

Dan Szymborski: 3rd is probalby where Hanley should be, but Panda at first is extremely unexciting.

Dan Szymborski: If I assume that Sandoval is a +10 defender at 1B in recent years, he *starts* the contract at 2.3 WAR.

Dan Szymborski: Because, again, the difference of 15 runs between 3B and 1B offensively by wRC per season does not mean that the average player is suddenly going to gain 15 runs in defensive performance relative to average on moving to 1B.

Comment From Kelvin
Why haven’t the Braves traded Craig Kimbrel yet?

Dan Szymborski: They like building around a closer for some reason.

Comment From No Longer a Big Dipper
I’d say 16. The age when you are able to get a job.

Dan Szymborski: No, I’d say 21.

Comment From Guest
Dan, tell us how you really feel about hanley’s contract

Dan Szymborski: I don’t hate the Hanley contract. I hate the Sandoval contract, which has the effect of the Hanley contract becoming the world’s most expensive exercise in masturbation.

Dan Szymborski: Well, second-most. Forgot about California’s high-speed rail.

Comment From Boston Bully
Who do you have starting in RF for the Sox over Betts?!?! Please don’t say Victorino!!!

Dan Szymborski: You really think Victorino doesn’t get first shot?

Comment From Shawn
The Presidential race is 50/50…what happens if there’s a tie??

Dan Szymborski: Then I guess we have a runoff

Dan Szymborski: Arthur’s made a comeback – he was down 63-37 at one point earlier.

Dan Szymborski: Looks like the Arthur precincts were slow to count the ballots.

Comment From Alec
Also, Hanley hasn’t been a good defender in years at any position. With no experience in the outfield, there’s no guarantee he’s going to provide value there. I thought the Hanley signing to play 3B was smart, but signing Sandoval complicates things and will likely lead to a move that’s detrimental to the team.

Comment From Bret
Hanley Ramirez terms with #RedSox, per source: Four years, $88M with fifth-year vesting option valued at $22M. – Rosenthal

Comment From Mooking for Love
What was up with the Heyman twitter-spat last week? Do you think Ryan Howard and RAJ conspired with him to say those things?

Dan Szymborski: I was confused – it seemed to happen in its entirety while I wasn’t on Twitter.

Dan Szymborski: Someone told me that only Amaro and Howard liked the Howard contract, so I googled Howard contract reactions.

Dan Szymborski: And Heyman’s was up at the top because his was the first postiive one I found.

Dan Szymborski: Also mentioned other Phillies writers.

Dan Szymborski: The only person I directly even talked to was Matt Swartz, who I teased a bit on Twitter. When the contract was signed, he said “it’s not like Howard is Miguel Cairo” so I noted that Miguel Cairo, over the course of his career, had more WAR/year than Howard during his contract.

Dan Szymborski: (He hadn’t responded, I dont’ think he’s into Twitter)

Dan Szymborski: So I go out an eat and come back and apparently I’m feuding with Heyman

Comment From Guest
How would you rate Cherington the last few years?

Dan Szymborski: Meh-plus. Some good, some bad. Not particularly impressed or unimpressed overall.

Comment From CecilFieldersButtPlug
to the ramen question- 16 is unreasonable. you have to be able to eat it in college for a few years. 21 is right

Comment From Slew (Seattle)
If the Panda and Hanley deals are officially done, aren’t we freaking out a little early? Seems like the most likely scenario is that they’re actively negotiating with both. Winner is the 3B, loser goes home.

Dan Szymborski: That doesn’t strike me as likely. In high stakes negotiating, you can’t do the 80s sitcom thing of asking two girls to the prom and then bring them both and try to make sure they avoid each other.

Dan Szymborski: Uh-oh, we have a tie!

Dan Szymborski: So I think what happens

Dan Szymborski: Is that *both* advance, making the Taylor, Arthur, and the winner of McKinley vs. Taft a TRIPLE THREAT MATCH

Comment From Guest
Last yr, Robinson Cano, entering age 31, 37.2 career WAR: $24M AAV for 10 yrs This yr, Hanley Ramirez, same, 40.2 WAR: $22M AAV for 4 yrs. -Swydan

Dan Szymborski: Cano’s goodness also more recent and more reason to think he could stick at an important position.

Comment From Martin Van Buren
HOLD ON, I FORGOT TO VOTE!!!

Dan Szymborski: Sorry, there ain’t no provisional ballots in the Electoral Brawllege.

Dan Szymborski: On that note, time to end this chat for another week. Thanks for joining me, everybody!

Dan Szymborski: As usual, you can find my work at ESPN.com, projections and chats here at FanGraphs, and DSzymborski on Twitter.