Dan Szymborski FanGraphs Chat – 5/10/17

Dan Szymborski: Let’s get this party started!

Dan Szymborski: NOTE: THIS IS NOT A PARTY

DCBaller: What are the Nats doing with Joe Ross?

Dan Szymborski: They want him to get his confidence back. He got destroyed in his Syracuse start too.

mtsw: How much are you buying new-look Yonder Alonso? Flukey 5 weeks or a guy who could end the season with 40 HR?

Dan Szymborski: Talked about this on Twitter, but I’m buying significant improvement when it comes to Alonso. He’s not driving everything into the ground, his launch angle is actually getting him some power.

Dan Szymborski: Now, there will always be some regression when you hit like that, but I think Alonso is a lot more real than someone like Avi or The March King.

Jake: Hey Dan, which should I trust more: Steven Souza’s actual wOBA which is .361 or his expected wOBA from baseball savant which is .289?

Dan Szymborski: Speaking of!

Dan Szymborski: I’m more skeptical of Souza.

Dave: Any chance the Reds move Joey Votto and could they get any kind of meaningful return?

Dan Szymborski: No, yes.

Jake: The Reds look shockingly capable position player wise. Which breakouts are you buying between Cozart, Schebler, and Suarez?

Dan Szymborski: Suarez easily the most, I think.

Dan Szymborski: His power developed last couple years but he was always a better all-around hitter than he shoed in 2016.

Dan Szymborski: Now, he’s obviously not *this* good – we’re talking degrees of regression, not whether he’ll regress at all.

Keith Hernandez: Even with Syndergaard on the shelf, should I give up Schwarber to try to get Thor?

Dan Szymborski: No, Too many years of control for Thor.

Kiermaier’s Piercing Green Eyes: Matt Andriese got charged with a run on a balk because his legal double tap in the windup would be illegal from the stretch, and apparently you need to declare windup or stretch under certain scenarios now. When was this rule enacted? The only new balk rule I see for this season is the Capps one.

Dan Szymborski: The balk rules essentially feel like codified Calvinball.

CamdenWarehouse: What do you make of TJ Rivera?

Dan Szymborski: Skeptical still, but he has earned a chance to prove that he isn’t

JP: Cotton or Gsellman for ROS?

Dan Szymborski: Cotton higher on average, Gsellman higher ceiling.

mtsw: Best route for Aaron Judge nicknames/memes:

1) Judge in courtroom references

2) Judge Dredd references

3) Judge Reinhold/Arrested Development references

Dan Szymborski: I like the courtroom ones.

Dan Szymborski: I’m an advocate of him getting an oversized novelty gavel and hitting the field with it after home runs.

Renots: With the Giants going the way they are, do you think we see them giving young arms like Beede some real MLB experience this year?

Dan Szymborski: They’ve laready hinted at him being an injury replacement at some point. I’d like to see him get settled at AAA before though.

Gub Gub: Welcome to the 237th installment of Dan Szymborski Sets You Straight

Dan Szymborski: Scared Straight, starring PRISON SZYM

Kiermaier’s Piercing Green Eyes: What is Evan Longoria’s trade value like these days?

Dan Szymborski: It’s not that high. Remember, he’s on year one of a 6/100.

Dan Szymborski: Now, he has value in a trade, don’t get me wrong

Dan Szymborski: But he’s not a young star anymore and he’s not in OMG THAT CONTRACT IS INSANE phase.

mtsw: At this point, rather than insist their teams are actually better than projection systems suggest, should Orioles fans just embrace the perception of the team as lucky? It’s kinda more fun to root for a bad/mediocre team that keeps lucking into wins than a good team playing to its potential, right?

Dan Szymborski: It’s not like the Bad News Bears were a super-talented team after all

Dan Szymborski: I don’t think there’ necessarily anything wrong with being scrappy underdogs!

G: Is a hot dog a sandwich? Is a grilled cheese a sandwich? What’s the meaning of life? Thank you for answering these questions.

Dan Szymborski: NO, yes.

Los: Assume that the Cubs (or anyone really) currently have a 15% chance of winning the World Series per your projections (whatever the actual number is fine). Would they trade their current situation for being down in the 9th inning in game 7 of the World Series if their odds of winning that game were something like 12% (per win probability)?

Dan Szymborski: I think probably not. What’s the point of a WS opportunity that you didn’t earn?

mtsw: Now that the ball is (probably) juiced, should ballparks look at raising/pushing back some fences in order to put more balls into play?

Dan Szymborski: I think you’ll need strike zone changes and possibly a slightly deader ball.

Gregory Polanco: What should my owners do with me? I am really frustrating to own right now 🙁

Dan Szymborski: Patience

Gub Gub: What humorous item would you put in Carson Cistulli’s locker during a TV interview?

Dan Szymborski: Baby monitor. Then the cops can finally shut down the corruption.

Dan-Syzm With the Stars: Hey Dan, you were pretty critical of the A’s decision to bring back Alonso this year. Has your opinion changed given how he’s played, or do you still think the A’s would’ve been better off trying someone with more control who might be a useful piece in the future?

Dan Szymborski: I was. I do not regret my argument as I still feel that the argument was absolutely sound given the evidence at the time.

Dan Szymborski: The A’s didn’t have the skeleton key to unlock Alonso’s potential last year after all. And it’s not like *they* saw this coming; if they had, they likely make a much stronger effort at some kind of upside long-term deal

Dan Szymborski: Unlikely stuff happens in baseball. If someone can’t deal with that, they shouldn’t make predictions!

Bleh: Kershaw: concerned? Obviously he’s still great even when his slider is flat, hard, and hittable, but he’s definitely lost something due to his slider blending into what seems to be a softer fastball

Dan Szymborski: I’m not.

Aledmys Diaz: Is there anything encouraging in my batted ball profile? Seems like last year was a mirage.

Dan Szymborski: I’m a bit more worried about approach, really. Been *really* reaching for stuff.

Dan Szymborski: Now, Diaz is actually pretty solid at hitting bad stuff. But he’s not hitting bad stuff *well*

Slamboni: Heard a rumor that Darvish would like to stay in Texas. Couldn’t they flip him at the deadline and just say “hey we will re-sign you in the off-season”? Kinda like the Tankees did with Aroldis?

Dan Szymborski: They could.

Dan Szymborski: As long as they do it delicately

andrew P: Trey Mancini – everyday player? and with him and Seth Smith playing well, what to do with Kim?

Dan Szymborski: Orioles should trade Kim. Get something for him. I like Kim, but the O’s have always seemed to have casual disinterest in using him.

Hobbs: Worried about Arrieta? His babip is up, LOB is down, and GB% is down. What do you make of all that? Think he gets back to where he was last year?

Dan Szymborski: I’m concernred, not worried yet.

JTT: Do they Mets have the worst PR team in sports? They have a remarkable ability to turn minor things into giant PR disasters. Players show up hungover all the time and we never hear about it, but the Mets are sending goons to Harveys apartment. They make him publicly apologize. Can the Mets seriously not keep anything a secret? It wasn’t even his day to pitch nobody would have even known he wasn’t there had they not decided to suspend him

Dan Szymborski: I’m not sure a welfare check is goons.

Dan Szymborski: But the Mets have absolutely handled it poorly.

Dan Szymborski: See my tweet last night.

Gub Gub: Could you ever vote for The Rock as president when the People’s Elbow is such a weak finishing move?

Dan Szymborski: Here’s my problem with The People’s Elbow. When it was used as a *humiliation* move, one that he would do after destroying the other guy, it makes sens from a storyline perspective and from a character one. But when it was occasionally billed as a devestating move in its own right, that was absurd.

Like a Candelario in the Wind: Dave Cameron seems to think Jeimer Candelario is all but assured to be traded by the Cubs. What teams are likely destinations?

Dan Szymborski: I suspect Dave is right.

Dan Szymborski: It really depends on who is selling.

Dan Szymborski: Call me crazy, but I think he could end up in Toronto if the Blue Jays start selling

Dan Szymborski: (I suspect vlad ends up in the OF)

John: Dan, by following you on twitter I soon became aware of your passion for adult wrestling. I’ve never had much interest for the “sport”, but what one youtube clip would you recommend to change my opinion for a lifetime.

Dan Szymborski: Well, it’s a not a sport.

Dan Szymborski: There is a lot of baseball nerd/wrestling nerd crossover

Dan Szymborski: A youtube clip would depend on what aspect you would most be interested in. The camp? A solidly worked physical match that conforms to the physical “universe” rules of wrestling?

mtsw: Giants look to be throwing in the towel on this season early. Would trading Samardzija to the Angels (for a bag of balls) make sense for both sides right now?

Dan Szymborski: Do the Angels have a bag of balls?

Cats: Was offered AJ Pollock and Lester for my Thames and Gio Gonzalez. Finding it hard to pull the trigger given Thames’ production, but is this overwhelming enough that I *must* accept…

Dan Szymborski: Thames is a good power hitter.

Dan Szymborski: But I don’t like Gio enough that I’d strongly consider.

Ricardo: Arrieta a buy low?

Dan Szymborski: I fyou can, probably, but I don’t think he’s going to match his best

what, is she funny or something?: on a recent podcast you put out a quintana to colorado for rodgers/hoffman/freeman. could tapia swap out for freeman? is that something both sides would be agreeable to?

Dan Szymborski: Well, Rodgers/Hoffman/Something is as high as the Rockies would go probably.

Dan Szymborski: Or did I say Freeland?

Dan Szymborski: But I don’t think they do it with Tapia

Cody: Do you think Ben Gamel is for real? What do you expect from him going forward?

Dan Szymborski: I think it’s too early to say that, for sure.

Dan Szymborski: I don’t expect him to hit for much power and his very small sample size is very BA driven

Eric: Trade Rizzo for Carrasco, Cargo, Conforto? Conforto started off last year strong and fell off. Is this year different?

Dan Szymborski: For all three? Sure

HS: Is there something wrong with bregman? He is hitting more ground balls than last year but is this just a early season power outage or was last year a mirage?

Dan Szymborski: I’m not worried yet.

Josh: I’ve shopped Dylan Bundy in my 12 team mixed lg but no takers. Any issue with dropping him over the likes of McCarthy, Nola, Matz or Pomeranz? Guys like Manaea, Walker, and Sonny Gray are available as well.

Dan Szymborski: I’ll be honest, I’m not sure why you’re trying to drop Bundy in the first place.

Dan Szymborski: Did he screw up his shoulder this morning or something?

Joey Votto: Despite my hot start, do I miss the ASG again this year because of Ryan Zimmerman and Eric Thames?

Dan Szymborski: YOUR THE WORST PLAYER EVER COUNT THE RBIs

Darren: Do you believe in Aaron Hicks as a fantasy asset and will the at bats ever be there?

Dan Szymborski: No

njs: what is the counter-punch by pitchers to this uppercut revolution (that really isn’t all that new)?

Dan Szymborski: Work higher in the zone and force another swing on someone who is getting too used to uppercuts.

Jonathan: I know Aaron Judge is the next big thing, but I look at his road numbers, I look at what Yankee Stadium does for right-handed power, and I can’t shake the feeling that Judge is “merely” an above-average regular as opposed to a franchise cornerstone. Am I nitpicking?

Dan Szymborski: I think you’re nitpicking a bit here

Dan Szymborski: Actual home road splits do a very poor job predicting the future.

Dan Szymborski: They’re extremely noisy – actual home/road splits don’t even predict future home/road splits as well as generic park factors applied do

Marcus Banks: Cameron is not sold on Severino as an ace. What say you?

Dan Szymborski: As an ace? Maybe not. He gets gopherball prone sometimes.

Dan Szymborski: But I was high on him last year and I’m not changing it

Tyler: Since dahl is going to be out a while still? Assuming Reynolds continues to get playing time what are your thoughts ROS? Could he hit 25+ hrs due to the fact of playing in COL

Dan Szymborski: The team is taking it cautious with him.

Dan Szymborski: He’s only working out now and seeing if he can do it painlessly

Dan Szymborski: A few weeks ago he couldn’t

Renots: 2 more hits for Ben “don’t call me Matt” Gamel. They gotta keep putting his name on the card, right?

Dan Szymborski: So we can call him Mat?

Charlie: When a traditionally “bad” hitter like Avi Garcia puts together a hot start like this, do you expect him to “cool off” to his pre-season projections, or to “cool off” to something worse to compensate for his previous hot streak. I know it’s called the gamblers fallacy just don’t remember what the fallacy is.

Dan Szymborski: Well, cool off to the reshuffled projections.

Dan Szymborski: I certainly don’t expect something worse, that would be stupid.

Dan Szymborski: If I thought Yonder Alonso’s rest-of-season projection was WORSE than it was 6 weeks ago, one of you guys should beat me with a shovel.

Chris: Will Brandon Belt ever be more than “meh”?

Dan Szymborski: You’re quite difficult to impress if a 126 career OPS+ and 3.7 bWAR/600, 3.5 fWAR/600 is meh.

Marky Mark: Morales may be on the DL soon. What do the Jays do? Are they screwed for the season at this point?

Dan Szymborski: They’re screwed anyway.

Dan Szymborski: Morales could come back from the DL as a deity and the Jays would still have a real issue.

CamdenWarehouse: If you were to put the curse of Cistulli on a team, what would that do to the team?

Dan Szymborski: scourged genitals

Devil Ray J. Johnson: The Aaron Judge novelty gavel is kind of like the Paul O’Neill novelty pacifier, right?

BK: Ronald Acuna: Andruw Jones?

Dan Szymborski: Let’s not go too crazy!

Dan Szymborski: AJ was a freak of a prospect

Dan Szymborski: Not that Acuna’s not a really excellent prospec tor antyhing

Tyler: Trevor Cahill…is the resurgence real?

Dan Szymborski: I’m cautiously optimistic. Batters are chasing his knuckle curve thing

Dan Szymborski: He’s tinkered with his curve a number of times. I thin khe changed up the grip last year, but I’m honestly not positive off-the-cuff.

v2micca: With his recent demotion back to AAA is it getting close to the time to declare Matt Wisler a bust?

Dan Szymborski: Certainly not looking great for Wisler. I don’t like to declare any 24 yo pitcher a definite bust, but the shine is way off

Dan Szymborski: I’m not claling him a bust yet, though.

CamdenWarehouse: So with the breakout of Judge, the Yankees may very well not be in the market for a RF after 2018 and they won’t need Harper. Has Judge sealed Machado to the Yankees?

Dan Szymborski: NOT THINKING OF THAT

Marky Mark: In which SECOND universe does Ryan Goins have more home runs than Bautista?

Dan Szymborski: The weird one that we got to somehow in 2016

Porcho Villa: Do you expect Bedrosian to take the job back from Norris? Scioscia wasn’t in any rush to give it to him in the first place at the start of the season.

Dan Szymborski: You want me to get into the mind of Scioscia?

Edward Van Halen: Which contender would be least hurt by the loss of their best player? Gotta be the Dodgers, right?

Dan Szymborski: If you count the Cardinals, I think them.

Dan Szymborski: No team relies on just having a bunch of above-average players and without superstars as the Cards do

Dan Szymborski: (Though C-Mart can become a superstar)

Dan Szymborski: That the Dodgers didn’t collapse when they lost Kershaw last year doens’t mean they weren’t super hurt by it or that they wouldn’t in the future

Marte: Do you still maintain that anabolic steroids are not a performance enhancer?

Dan Szymborski: I’ve never said that, I’m very careful when I word things.

Dan Szymborski: I maintain that at the professional *baseball* level, there is no evidence that a steroid suspension or documented steroid use has had any effect on future proejctions.

Dan Szymborski: Players in that group have *no* tendency as a group to underperform after or overperform before. They have had *no* tendency to have unusual career curves as a group, either.

Dan Szymborski: They have no tendency to develop unexpectedly as prospects or decline less.

Dan Szymborski: In baseball at least, the direct impact of steroid use on performance is VERY scant.

Dan Szymborski: Whether you look at major leaguers or all players busted.

Eric: Would you trade Rizzo for Conforto and Carrasco? Cant keep Rizzo but would keep Conforto late next two years.

Dan Szymborski: I would

Marcus Banks: can you out drink matt harvey?

Dan Szymborski: Probably 15 years ago.

Dudley: Yankees fans standing for Judge’s ABs at home games should be a thing, no?

Dan Szymborski: You’re supposed to stand when the judge enters the courtroom

RotoLando: If you had to tank a season, but couldn’t refuse to participate, which batter and which hitter would be your guys?

Dan Szymborski: I’d just ask Dave Stewart for his sleeper picks

Vinny Chase: Bruce for J. Turner is a no-brainer?

Dan Szymborski: I’d suspect the person/team trading Turner away here is legally brain-dead, so yes.

Mo Vaughn: This greek salad from Panera just isn’t cutting it for me.

RotoLando: The Rock Bottom was by far the more devastating-looking finisher.

CamdenWarehouse: It’s been close to two decades since I watched, but didn’t the Rock have another (real) finishing move?

Dan Szymborski: Yes ^^

Bartolo Colon: Why do you answer only troll questions?

Dan Szymborski: I answer lots of real questions.

Dan Szymborski: I answer a question based on the probability it would yield an interesting or at least mildly entertaining answer.

Marky Mark: Who would you think would come over to the Cubs in a Candelario trade with the Jays?

Dan Szymborski: There are actually lots of possibilities, depending on what the Cubs need at the time.

Dan Szymborski: If the Jays become seller, they have a lot of itneresting parts.

Gavin: What do you make of Kevin Pillar’s power spike? What indicators can we look at to see whether or not it is at least somewhat real?

Dan Szymborski: I think it’s improved. Though not “for real”. Real/not-real is a fake dichotomy.

Dan Szymborski: If looking at simpler stats, hard hit % and GB/FB

Devil Ray J. Johnson: If all your other job opportunities dried up, but you were offered a job by all 30 MLB teams to work as an analyst (and everything else about the jobs, e.g., pay, were the same), which team would you pick?

Dan Szymborski: Well, O’s of course. Reds if this was a job I’d have to show up at an office for.

Dan Szymborski: But again, that’s only for this theoretical.

Dan Szymborski: I don’t work in media because I want a job in baseball. I could have one of those if I wanted. I work in media becuase I want to work in media.

Bartolo Colon: I come here to discuss baseball yet you’re answering shitty troll questions dammit.

Dan Szymborski: First six words are your issue

RotoLando: OK, say The Rock runs for president….who is his running mate?

Dan Szymborski: Mick Foley. Duh

ledwards: dan, you’re the best. that is all.

Dan Szymborski: I LIKE THIS GUY BETTER

Mark Hamburger: Am I a sandwich?

Dan Szymborski: This is my stepladder. I never knew my real ladder.

Dan Szymborski: Oh, MARK Hamburger

Dan Szymborski: Yes

Dave Szymborski (no relation): If a MLB team moved to Delaware, what would its nickname be?

Dan Szymborski: Dover Bens

Rafael Devers: How soon will Devers be in Boston starting at 3rd? Bogaerts got 250 PA in Pawtucket and Benintendi skipped AAA.

Dan Szymborski: The Red Sox *claim* they don’t want to rush Devers.

Dan Szymborski: But honestly, I’m not sure I believe htem.

Dan Szymborski: I think it’s very possible, simply because there are lot of scenarios in which eh’s the best WIN NOW 3B in the organization

Dave Szymborski (no relation): Once the BABIP returns to normal, is this the end of the line for Nick Markakis?

Dan Szymborski: Markakis is one of those guys who will get jobs forever.

what, is she funny or something?: you did say freeland, i had freddie on my mind

Dan Szymborski: OK, I thought maybe I said Marvin Freeman, which would’ve been weird because I wasn’t drunk

Sean: I fire all my bullets (questions) during Dave’s chat; he never answers them, then I’m spent by the time your chat rolls around.

Mets: Harvey didn’t show up hungover. He didn’t show up.

John: Do you play any baseball simulation games? If so which do you prefer for accuracy? (Diamond Mind is the one I am most familiar with.)

Dan Szymborski: I play both DMB and OOTP

Marky Mark: What basic statistic angers you the most when used in arguments about who is a better player?

Dan Szymborski: RBI

Marte: Cluck-cluck-cluck-cluck

Dan Szymborski: This guy is sending nonstop cluck questions. I’m not sure what the joke is.

Bird: Is it the word anymore?

Dan Szymborski: Everybody knows. Duh

Look Yonder: Yonder or Bird rest of the season?

Dan Szymborski: Yonder

Dan Szymborski: It’s weird that I’m saying that

Marky Mark: Is Bolsinger due for a rebound year? Lot of walks last night but the Jays need the rotation help and Mat Latos should certainly not be on the shuttle up to Toronto anytime soon

Dan Szymborski: I just don’t think Bolsinger’s that good

Hannah Hochevar: How do the Rays feel about the KK extension now that he is striking out a ton and has 3 errors on the year?

Dan Szymborski: The same. Why would I panic over 5 weeks?

Josh: You expect this to continue with Bundy given his minuscule K%? He seems like a 3.80, 1.25 guy at best.

Dan Szymborski: Yeah, but I expect him to strike out more guys

Nate: What is the best argument you’ve heard for people defending baseball vs. people who think its boring (claiming its slow, no physical contact, etc.)?

Dan Szymborski: NUH UH

p: The Dahl question was about Reynolds. Expect big things from the 1B rest of season, or no?

Dan Szymborski: Oops, me no read well?

Dan Szymborski: I don’t expect big things, but I think tis’ a particularly good environment for Reynolds

what, is she funny or something?: purely eye test, but it does seem like avi garcia is at least hitting the ball harder this year (he has also legged out a few more infield singles than he would have in the past). when his babip regresses to its norm could it settle around .350 instead of ~.300

Dan Szymborski: This is the part where I note that Garcia’s exit velocity is off from last year (90.3 to 88.8 this year)

Renots: Is Schebler Jay Bruce 2.0 or Jay Bruce Light?

Dan Szymborski: 2.0. Bruce wasn’t really that great

Oscar Gamble: Should we be assuming Quintana is battling an injury?

Dan Szymborski: No.

Contorto: Cat Update, please

Dan Szymborski: Don’t know where Pandora is. Galileo’s sitting on my office couch cleaning his face (he’s getting over a cut Mercutio gave him on his nose). Mercutio ran away and hid when the UPS truck went up the street and I dont’ know where he is now

American League: The Yankees are good again. This is bad.

Pick Me!: Who do you like more ROS in H2H between Carlos Gonzalez or McCutchen?

Dan Szymborski: God

Dan Szymborski: Assuming fantasy, CarGo I guess.

Rick Hahn: Does moving Yoan Moncada to CF make any sense? It seems like a waste of his athletic talents to have him at 2B. We also have no CF depth in the entire organization.

Dan Szymborski: I hate moving a player until you absolutely have to

andrew P: Why can’t the Orioles keep Machado? They’re rich too. All the teams are rich. Why is Machado somehow worth more to the Yankees?

Dan Szymborski: I just can’t see the O’s spending $300 million on a player.

Dave Szymborski (no relation): The Mind of Scioscia . . . a new baseball comedy coming this fall to FOX

Marky Mark: Who doesn’t have a job at the end of the year out of Bochy, Gibbons, and Bannister?

Dan Szymborski: Gibbons has to be on teh hot seat

YKnotDisco?!: Greatest match you ever ever witnessed in person? Can it beat Macho Man vs Jake the Snake in a steel cage? (1992 Seattle)

Dan Szymborski: I haven’t been lucky with the matches, honestly.

Marte: THAT IS NOT WHAT YOU SAID.

Marte: “THE DIRECT IMPACT OF STEROID USE ON PERFORMANCE IS VERY SCANT”

Marte: “THE DIRECT IMPACT OF STEROID USE ON PERFORMANCE IS VERY SCANT”???????

Dan Szymborski: We have unhinged!

Ravioli Sandwiches: Do miss being able to answer 70% of the questions with “April”?

Dan Szymborski: I still could if I wanted to.

YKnotDisco?!: I find your chats to be the most entertaining. I look forward to your answers, even if it is not my question.

Dan Szymborski: APRIL

Dan Szymborski: See?

Devil Ray J. Johnson: No, this was a binding offer, which you accepted. You start Monday. Report to Mr. Angelos’s office.

Will: If the Yankees go with Machado, as someone previously suggested, where does Harper end up?

Dan Szymborski: Rangers? Phillies?

Ray Liotta as Shoeless Joe: I take a bite of pizza and the cheese and toppings fall off. I replace them on the dough, fold it in half, and take another bite. Do I have an isosceles triangle-shaped sandoozle?

Dan Szymborski: Without parameters for sandoozles, I’ll say yes.

D: who do you like more going forward, corey dickerson or keon roxton?

Dan Szymborski: Broxton

…: Matt Harvey was 13 15 years ago. I’m pretty confident you could’ve drank him under the table.

YKnotDisco?!: Just to piss of Bartolo’s colon, what are your cats up too?

Anthony: Was Hulk Hogan joining the NWO the greatest thing to ever happen in Wrestling

Dan Szymborski: It was fun

CamdenWarehouse: Do you read the comments on your ESPN pieces?

Dan Szymborski: Never read the comments! Anyone who is coherent can hit me up on Twitter

Ray Liotta as Shoeless Joe: What was the last fiction book you read? Non-fiction?

Dan Szymborski: The last fiction book I read was Herman Wouk’s The Lawgiver. The last non-fiction was Shattered.

Devil Ray J. Johnson: Maybe Kiermeier is now hanging out with Matt Harvey?

rustydude: if one guy hits 60+ HR’s this year, who will it be? If you answer Harper, then pick a 2nd guy who does it.

Dan Szymborski: I think ZiPS actually has Judge with the highest chance.

Tim: When is a good time to start panicking?

Dan Szymborski: When the second amublance appears.

LudeBurger: There’s nothing worse than when you sit on a toilet in a public restroom and it’s lukewarm

Dan Szymborski: Which fake medical condition would you rather have – A long tail that you can use to grab stuff with, or green tennis ball fur for pubes?

Dan Szymborski: I’ll take the fur.

Outta my way, Gyorkass: Seth Romero…yikes. How far does he fall in the draft?

Dan Szymborski: I think he’ll still go in the first round.

Dan Szymborski: Everyone likes pitching.

Dan Szymborski: If a pitcher blew up a bus full of war orphans and wasn’t going to serve a suspension, teams would still bid on the pitcher if he had a good ERA!

Eno Sarris: Would you rather have pipe cleaners for hair or have extremely hairy butt cheeks?

Dan Szymborski: The latter. I can shave you know.

Fellow Baltimore Fan: Did you name that cat Mercutio before or after he started cutting everyone up?

Dan Szymborski: He’s not usually violent. He’s actually kind of a coward.

Phil: If you took a modern, progressive front office and plopped them in the 1990s, would they a) compile a superpower team because they know everything nobody else does or b) all be fired because everyone in the industry would think they’re insane?

Dan Szymborski: They’d probably be fired.

LudeBurger: I think the clucks were marte calling you a chicken

Dan Szymborski: <iframe width=”560″ height=”315″ src=” frameborder=”0″ allowfullscreen></iframe>

YKnotDisco?!: Just start answering May.

Dan Szymborski: April

Ray Liotta as Shoeless Joe: What was the name of that news reporter in the Ninja Turtles?

Dan Szymborski: O’Neill

Ray Liotta as Shoeless Joe: What was the name of the girl that Chris Pratt’s character marries in Parks and Recreation?

Dan Szymborski: Ludgate

Derek: I’m a Red Sox fan and I think it would be awesome if instead of “now batting”, they said something along the lines of “All Rise” when Judge comes to the plate.

Bill: If Pham ever got consistent at bats could he be a good player?

Dan Szymborski: I think he could be an average player.

Yonder Alonso: Hey, Dan. I changed my swing, I dunno if anyone told you.

Dan Szymborski: I’ve talked about his launch angle A MILLION TIMES now

Maxamuz: The people complaining about the questions you answer must not be regulars to your chats.

Ray Liotta as Shoeless Joe: The question said *fake* medical condition but did not take into account that “fluorescent felt scrotum” is a real condition.

Dan Szymborski: OK, on that note, I have to take off for the week!

Dan Szymborski: Thanks for coming everyone. You can read my work at ESPN.com, chats and projections at FanGraphs, and various sundries at DSzymborski on Twitter.