Dan Szymborski FanGraphs Chat – 6/22/15

Dan Szymborski: The Szymborski Chat of Sadness and Depression has started. Get your Crying Hats on.

Dan Szymborski: Not really, but there’s something to be said for setting low expectations and then exceeding them.

Dan Szymborski: And if the chat sucks, well, I WARNED you.

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Dan Szymborski: But first off, we have other, strangely unrelated to baseball business

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Comment From hscer
Wait, how is this a contest? The All-American football player vs. bad back drugged up on a boat guy?

Comment From George is Curious
Hi Dan. Hope you had a great weekend. So I’ve seen a few sources say that Sano will be up within the next few weeks, while others say we won’t see him until September at the earliest. What does Dan Szymborski say?!?

Dan Szymborski: I haven’t seen any direct whispers from the team that he’d be called up (kinda heard some stuff about Buxton which I why I included him in my imminent callup piece)

Dan Szymborski: That being said, I think Sano in a DH role *does* make sense as long as the Twins are in the race. Otherwise, he should probably be promoted to AAA so he can play defense

Comment From BH
ROS: Rickie Weeks or 16yo French shortstop Melissa Mayeux?

Dan Szymborski: Mayeux. A stupid team might actually play Weeks.

Dan Szymborski: Even if Mayeux develops, nobody’s going to play her in 2015!

Dan Szymborski: Would be cool of course, but I’d be very skeptical of her ever even signing with a team.

Dan Szymborski: Baseball has less of an athletic barrier to direct competition than, say, track events or our football, but baseball is still closer to those than say chess.

Comment From Josh G
Who earns the next save chance in Toronto? Is it a foregone conclusion now that they make a trade for a closer?

Dan Szymborski: It own’t be the next save chance, but I can see them being in on K Rod

Comment From Josh Nelson
Hey Dan. Can you please tell the masses why the White Sox trading Chris Sale would be stupid? Thus ending any future discussions of the topic. Thanks.

Dan Szymborski: Well, it’d be stupid unless they get an amazing offer. Even Trout is theoretically trade bait with the right package!

Dan Szymborski: They’ve got him for what, 4/45 after this year? They’d need a damn good package.

Dan Szymborski: Put it this way, to trade Chris Sale, the White Sox should get a package as good as the one Ruben Amaro thinks he should get for Cole Hamels.

Comment From ASManess
Well, you set the bar pretty low… so you should have no problem.

Dan Szymborski: (And as usual, I’m saving off-topic Qs for the lightning round)(

Comment From Batch
Is Corey Kluber ever going to get run support?

Dan Szymborski: About the same time he gets defensive support

Comment From Mozzerinho
Super specific question that likely only interests me. In a keeper league, which side Gallo + Syndergaard + S. Castro or Springer + Buxton.

Dan Szymborski: I think I’d go with the Syndegaard side.

Comment From laxtonto
With all of the promotions, has it increased for decreased the error margins in Zips..

Dan Szymborski: I doubt it’s enough to make a real difference.

Comment From C
Heaney or Wisler better keeper? Keep forever league

Dan Szymborski: Keep forever, I rather have Wisler’s upside.

Comment From Josh G
Do you expect Ervin Santana to maintain the gains in his K rate from last year when he returns, or will he regress back to his career norms?

Dan Szymborski: He’ll keep some, but he’s also going to be facing a lot fewer pitchers in 2015 than he did in the Atlanta.

Dan Szymborski: well, Atlanta. I don’t think it’s called The Atlanta.

Comment From Hoff
I found some old baseball cards in my basement, any advice on cashing out?

Dan Szymborski: Look ’em up?

Comment From Pirates Hurdles
So, just how terrible was the D’backs trade? Fan mutiny worthy?

Dan Szymborski: Pretty terrible. Essentially selling a prospect makes even less sense with signing caps now.

Dan Szymborski: You can’t just take $13 million and stuff it into some big minor league signings.

Comment From Johnson
Clearly it is time for the Jays to suck it up and trade whatever prospects that other teams want for frontline SP and RP help?

Dan Szymborski: It’s been time for awhile.

Comment From I Cant Lick My Wenis.

I got offered Lucroy, Kelly Johnson, Tanner Roark for Cervelli, Will Smith, and Justin Turner, I'm gonna miss Turner but gonna too good to pass up on right?

Dan Szymborski: Hard to pass up Lucroy.

Comment From Ryan
Is the Touki trade really THAT bad!?

Dan Szymborski: Yeah

Comment From Alex
Afternoon comrade Szym! Can you provide me with your thoughts on Billy Burns? I look at the numbers and I like what I see.

Dan Szymborski: At the very least he’s made a case at being useful – he’s fast, so his BABIP will likely be above average, though not .380 or wherever he is now

Dan Szymborski: And in truth, his small sample defensive numbers haven’t been that great. However, in the position the A’s are in — essentially out of the race — they should let Billy Burns prove them wrong.

Comment From Rob
What can the White Sox expect in return for Samardizja? Also, should they consider dealing Quintana to fill other holes?

Dan Szymborski: Quite reduced – he’s obviously not had a great season and there’s even less of it remaining

Comment From Art Vandelay
You play clarinet? Actually, I can’t see the reed, maybe it’s an oboe…

Dan Szymborski: That was a clarinet

Dan Szymborski: I do have an oboe

Comment From laxtonto
He he can compete with a hole in his head, how do we expect anyone to match zombie-JFK?

Comment From David
How can Baltimore demote Gausman he was fairly good against Toronto?

Dan Szymborski: Maybe the O’s can trade Gausman and then someday, overpay him in the event someone actually gives a shit at that point about what he can do.

Comment From Kevin in KC
Regarding your top 25 SPs under 25 column, curious as to how you see Joe Ross. I somewhat expected to see him on there over the likes of Heaney or Shipley.

Dan Szymborski: He was one of my near misses

Comment From Jesse
Hey Dan,

Dan Szymborski: Yo

Comment From Raoul Duke
I don’t really have the stats vocab to express this well. But is there a difference between the certainty of different players’ projections? E.g., I drafted a team that was projected to be the best in my league, with guys like Melky. Not superstars. But they’re all underperforming their projections. It occurred to me that this might not just be complete luck. Thanks.

Dan Szymborski: There is – you can see the idfference in the Odds stuff I released on the spreadsheet

Comment From Mooking for Love
Is the improvement (and not to mention increased injury risk) of Tulo over Flores worth what the Mets would likely have to pay (probably Flores)? They can eventually find a new position for Flores, and at 23 y/o or whatever he is, his bat is already solid. Do they make this trade anyway?

Dan Szymborski: Honestly? Probably not.

Dan Szymborski: I think the Mets are one of the *least* sensible places for Tulo

Dan Szymborski: Tulo’s just going to need so much of a package for a team that’s not done rebuilding

Comment From Frank
mazara, ortiz, cordell, telis for Hamels. Who says no, Rangers or Phillies?

Dan Szymborski: Phillies because they’re insane

Comment From Carraschole
How much will Lindor help our terrible defense?

Dan Szymborski: A scarecrow with a giant net would help the Indians defense.

Comment From G
Does Schwarber come back up before September?

Dan Szymborski: I think he may. I was skeptical they were going to call him up that soon but it was a pretty solid taste.

Comment From Art Vandelay
Tabata definitely leaned into that pitch, right? Aren’t players required to make an effort to get out of the way?

Dan Szymborski: They are, but umpires do a lousy job of enforcing it

Comment From Kevin
Manny Machado is looking like a lock to put up a 20/20 season. The 20 HR doesnt seem too out of the blue because I think he was always expected to turn some of the doubles into HRs as he filled out, but the speed has really come out of LF after two major knee surgeries, no? What do you think his hitting peak looks like if he continues walking like he has been?

Dan Szymborski: Well, he’s young and the young recover from surgeries better than the old do

Dan Szymborski: Remember, I took Machado 6th in the ESPN franchise draft! I have no concerns over the status of his knees.

Dan Szymborski: Well, not *no* but i’m not really worried

Comment From Rated Rookie
Is all this “Chat of Sadness and Depression” evidence that capitalism’s “underpromise, overdeliver” mantra has infiltrated your thinking? Or just a cry for help?

Dan Szymborski: This way I can worry you guys that I have some terrible story to share!

Comment From Dave stewart
Wtf am I doing?

Dan Szymborski: A blood test would sort it out, presumably

Comment From mtsw
Any truth to the idea that contact-oriented hitters perform relatively better against good pitchers than three-true-outcome guys do? Could this go a ways to explaining why SABR-oriented teams (who seem to prefer those guys) seem to be “unlucky?” Logically, many of the most high leverage situations are against the opposing team’s strongest pitchers (closers and set up men). Or am I just trying to rationalize dinosaur old-school bullshit?

Dan Szymborski: This seems to be quite overblown.

Dan Szymborski: There’s an argument that they are less *volatile* but no real evidence that they hit good pitchers better

Comment From mtsw
RoS: Lance McCullers or Rick Porcello?

Dan Szymborski: Probably McCullers, despite what the projections say

Comment From Jill
When Matz is called up would you drop T. Ross for him if I really needed Matz to be pitching in September – (my playoffs)?

Dan Szymborski: That’s tough. I like Matz a ton, but Ross only pitching OK is huge thanks to Petco

Comment From Chris
Is this the real Eddie Rosario in Minnesota, or you think he’ll regress to the player that struggled to hit AAA hitting earlier this year?

Dan Szymborski: He’ll regress. The Twins have a pattern of getting way too excited about surprisingly good debuts

Comment From Kevin in KC
Regarding Daniel Norris’s command issues, do you think he could be dealt for bullpen help?

Dan Szymborski: He can, but you shouldn’t be trading a Daniel Norris to shore up a bullpen

Comment From Tim
Morton got shelled and maybe the Pirates pitching needs help. Shelby Miller in a deal for Josh Bell as the main pieces. Would that deal get legs?

Dan Szymborski: I think the Braves will hang onto Miller.

Comment From hscer
Even the highest levels of French baseball can’t be better than D1 in the U.S., right?

Comment From hscer
probably not even d1. good high school?

Dan Szymborski: I suspect not.

Comment From SB
You’d at least get a Disney movie out of the deal.

Comment From skipper
Should Polanco be dropped in redrafts?

Dan Szymborski: In redraft, he’s hard to roster

Comment From @RationalMLBfan
The Giants lineup starts with Aoki and Panik. I’m getting mixed messages: are things A-OK? Or should I Panik? Help me interpret the Giants lineup in regards to its subliminal influence on my emotional state!

Dan Szymborski: I think I should ban you for the plays on words.

Comment From mtsw
What’s the most likely path to the first female pro player? Middle infielder like Mayeux? Crafty junkballer?

Dan Szymborski: I think a junkballer

Dan Szymborski: See the problem is you look at Jamie Moyer and he didn’t pitch fast.

Dan Szymborski: But even he would’ve been essentially the hardest throwing woman in history

Dan Szymborski: (Here’s a link tlaking about some of these issues)
http://www.jssm.org/vol9/n2…

Dan Szymborski: It would be super cool for a woman to play in MLB, but the thing is it’s just very unlikely. You need a *crazy* outlier that *also* happens to be ridiculously motivated and probably not filtered into softball while growing up

Comment From Rated Rookie
Is Buck Showalter the only person who truly believes Gausman is the Orioles 6th best starter?

Dan Szymborski: The O’s don’t seem to be putting up much of a fuss about it

Comment From Julio Pepper
Should the Orioles play Machado at SS?

Dan Szymborski: I probably would, but probably not in-season. Would want Machado stretching out at short i nthe spring not just suddenly moving

Comment From mtsw
Which batters are the best fit for Coors? In other words, what sort of batters would you sign if you ran the Rockies? Would you go for power to take advantage of Coors’ HR friendliness? High-contact also makes tons of sense tho since Coors huge dimensions could lead to insane BABIPs? Any data on which guys have the biggest Coors/away from Coors splits?

Dan Szymborski: Hitters that put a lot of balls in play, simply because that’s the best way for the Coors magic to work

Dan Szymborski: Haven’t seen specific info of interest about type – thing is that Coors increases all the stuff

Comment From Rawson
Should the Rangers try to add a piece? Or sit tight? Or what?

Dan Szymborski: I’d sit tight to see if they’re relevant near deadline. I remain unconvinced the team is all that good

Comment From laxtonto
Any strangeness in the latest playoffs odds that you would like to discuss?

Dan Szymborski: Nothing strikes me as really weird right now

Comment From Dallas
Do you think Adam Warren headed to the bullpen this week?

Dan Szymborski: I suspect so – I think Yankees dont’ have the balls to demote the pitcher that is their worst starter right now

Comment From EC
In your ESPN piece you said you thought Giolito could fare all right in the bigs right now. Do you think he’ll be up sometime next year? Is it worth keeping a young guy who could handle the majors on the farm if he’s already had TJ? Wasting bullets?

Dan Szymborski: Next year I think he’ll get some time. You want to challenge your best prospects, but don’t want to go too crazy unless you have a really good reason to

Comment From Jimmy
Any chance a team is interested in taking Brandon Phillips off the Reds hands?

Dan Szymborski: No. At last check, the Reds were not being realistic about his value.

Comment From TKDC
The Diamondbacks already had a very low payroll and just paid a premium to get rid of a few million dollars – do you think there is something going on there with ownership?

Dan Szymborski: Stupidity

Comment From Tom Grieve
Can the Rangers realistically expect Martin Perez to contribute this year?

Dan Szymborski: I’d take anything he can give at this point as gravy

Comment From Hi Erix
Out of the three active pitchers with 2 no hitters, who’s has the best chance (slim as it may be) of throwing a third? Bailey, Verlander, or Lincecum?

Dan Szymborski: Lincecum, simply because he’s so volatile

Comment From Carraschole
True or False: Dustin Johnson deserves to never win a major solely because he named his child “Tatum.”

Dan Szymborski: heh

Comment From EC
RE: D’backs: BUT TONY LARUSSA HAS GRIT. TOUKI TOUSSANT CLEARLY DID NOT HAVE “WHAT IT TAKES”

Comment From MotorboatJones
Why do teams like the Padres and Diamondbacks make moves that even morons like me know are bad? What do you think is going through their heads?

Dan Szymborski: Always going to be terribly run teams

Dan Szymborski: I’m not sure I’d put the Padres there – the Kemp trade was horrific and looking even worse, but the other moves weren’t anywhere near in the same league

Comment From Donald
If you’re rebuilding a team, which extreme approach would you lean toward (if you had to choose): the Cubs model (ALL THE BATS!) or the Braves model (ALL THE HIGH UPSIDE ARMS!)? Pitchers obviously carry more injury risk, but actually achieving a stacked rotation is incredibly rare. Whatcha say?

Dan Szymborski: I don’t believe in having a generic approach – depends on the facts on the ground and what’s available.

Comment From TKDC
Think a team could get Archie Bradley if they agreed to take Aaron Hill?

Dan Szymborski: I’d say no, but who knows now?

Comment From mtsw
Guy asking about Gausman clearly didn’t watch the game. Results were okay but he looks terrible still. Struggled with control on all pitches and his breaking pitch is garbage.

Dan Szymborski: He’s used so erratically that it’s hard to get a scouting gauge.

Comment From OnSight
Buying into Taijuans recent success? Seems that ditching the cutter has done wonders.

Dan Szymborski: He’s been darn good lately but I’m not completley buying yet. He has an erratic history and a history of pitch tinkering

Comment From MK
Are we ignoring the potential that Touki is not good and the D-Backs know it?

Dan Szymborski: Would require having some faith in Arizona. The meth addict that packed my parachute may be damn good at it, but I’m still going to be a bit concerned.

Comment From Phil
Do you see Astros trading away some players to create roster room for Domingo Santana and Jon Singleton within the next month?

Dan Szymborski: I think right now, they’ll just be happy with their depth

Dan Szymborski: Depends if they can get a pitcher for someone they can clear room with

Comment From GK
What would it take for the Cubs to get Zobrist and Kazmir?

Dan Szymborski: Probably not *that* much. I’d be surprised if either finished the season as an A.

Comment From Seth
With Mark Appel throwing great over the last month, do you think he can help the Astros this year? They need another reliable starting pitcher as they head into the second half of the season.

Dan Szymborski: He might, but it’s hard to count on him yet

Comment From Brett
Would the A’s get a better prospect haul by trading Kazmir, Clippard, and Zobrist separately… or by putting them all into one deal to the Mets, Blue Jays, Rangers, Twins, etc…?

Dan Szymborski: I think it’s better to be willing to split them up – the more complex a package, the fewer the suitors

Comment From Scott
The worst part of the Dbacks trade: the fact that they couldn’t find a better offer than Phil Gosselin. I mean, if you’re selling a prospect who was picked in the first round just a year ago and the price is only taking on Arroyo, shouldn’t they have been able to find someone who isn’t interchangeable with several dozen other fringy utility infielders?

Dan Szymborski: Perhaps, but you’d be shocked sometimes with how few teams a team will talk with before trading a player

Dan Szymborski: It’s not like they put Touki Toussaint on some secret GM BBS and everybody submits bids

Comment From hscer
Hamlet

Comment From Ol Sea Capn
Rusney Castillo seems…. underwhelming. Should we give him the same amount of plate appearances as a rookie before we start judging?

Dan Szymborski: He should be in the minors right now. He’s had essentially 2 years with very little playing time

Comment From hscer
I get mad about Clemens over Johnson in 2004, but I just realized Colon over Santana in 2005 was even more absurd…I guess this is a preemption for complaints over award voting.

Dan Szymborski: You can always find a worse award. Remember Dante Bichette was in an MVP race

Comment From The Oriole Bird
Only two teams in the AL look in really awful playoff shape (x. What effect does this have on the trade deadline, if any?

Dan Szymborski: I think we’ll see relatively few players traded at a relatively high price

Comment From Carraschole
Why don’t more teams teach the junk ball?

Dan Szymborski: If it was easy, everyone would do it

Comment From STiVo
Mike Trout over/under career WAR: 90?

Dan Szymborski: Over.

Comment From laxtonto
Simple solution to fix the umpiring issue.. equip each ball with an RFID tag in the core and design each plate to have a sensor that will “buzz” the umpire if that ball passes over the plate.. then the umps can just focus on high and low and we can fix the more egregious issues of shifting laterall extremes in a strike zone..

Dan Szymborski: Just use the damn robots.

Comment From Bob
What are some logical reasons as to why Toronto hasn’t yet traded for pitching?

Dan Szymborski: Organization seems a bit indecisive at the top. They alternate between being aggressively and awkwardly standing pat

Comment From Nils
If Matt Harvey was 1 year younger and eligible for your top SP 25 or less, where would he place?

Dan Szymborski: Probably 2

Comment From Carraschole
How do you see Jose Fernandez faring the rest of the season?

Dan Szymborski: Pretty well. Let’s say he’s at 80%. 80% of Jose Fernandez is damn good

Comment From Houzer
IF the Tigers could swing trade of Kinsler and Farmer for Gausman and Schoop, do you think it would really hurt their playoff chances?

Dan Szymborski: Probably not

Comment From Evan
Is laxtonto a real person or a creation of your mind?

Dan Szymborski: He’s a math guy who asks a lot of Qs.

Comment From Bob
Speaking of potential female baseball players, what’s Eri Yoshida doing these days?

Dan Szymborski: Honestly now idea.

Comment From mtsw
Do the amount of basically-luck based variance in baseball annoy you? Would you want to see the game changed to be less luck-involved? I get the feeling sometimes SABR guys see the “true” in “three true outcomes” as a moral issue. Isn’t there a skill in managing through the day-in-day-out variability (keeping morale and focus when you’re unlucky and vice versa)?

Dan Szymborski: Chance is part of the thing. You reduce the RNG and it’s no longer baseball but some other thing

Comment From Guest
Who could have predicted this AL East? This seems very unikely.

Dan Szymborski: I did predict the AL to be tight and kinda middling

Comment From Ringtone Composer
Did you read Jonah Pemstein’s article on “A New Way to Look at Sample Size”? I feel like the graphs he included that show the Cronbach’s alpha–reliability–for several offensive stats should be posted everytime someone asks a question about “when [insert stat] stabilizes.”

Dan Szymborski: I have not looked at it, to be honest.

Dan Szymborski: Cronbach’s has been actually used for awhile. To be honest, you’re dealing with things in the margins here

Dan Szymborski: I tend to use more empirical methods for dealing with baseball stats, even if they’re less sophisticated

Comment From Sean
The Diamondbacks narrative is crazy out of league right now. Obviously the Touki trade was bad. But beyond that, what move since TLR/DS took over has really been bad at all for AZ? It’s cute to keep using those overused “grit” memes but they new management is actually turning the team around.

Comment From Rated Rookie
I watched Gausman’s start. He certainly looked better than Tillman did yesterday.

Comment From Bob
Wouldn’t it be more efficient to build a minor league system that was the best at developing one out of hitting or pitching, pretty much only drafting that one thing, and then trading your surplus star prospects for other teams’ MLB-ready star prospects to complete your team?

Dan Szymborski: I’m not sure you really ever make decisions that you know will influence this, so it’s not really of use

Comment From mtsw
Should O’s fans put Steve Pearce on milk cartons? Can’t crack lineup and on rare occasions he does they pinch hit him out the first time he faces a RHP. If he can’t crack the lineup vs Mark Buehrle in Rogers Centre (close to ideal matchup for him), why he’s still on the team? Is he destined to be DFAed after a 5 win season?

Dan Szymborski: Gave up too quickly. Would like to see him get another chance eslewhere

Comment From Joss
The yanks would probably like that Archie Bradley deal.

Comment From Chuqui
Tim Anderson ha shown excellent contact ability at AA but seems to take very few walks. How much would the lack of free passes impact his ability to be successful at the MLB level? Also is that something that substantially improved for players as they gain experience? Are the lack of walks just die to the fact that he’s able to hit anything that’s thrown at him, hinting that he needs more of a challenge?

Dan Szymborski: It’s hard to get over a few walks unless you’re one of those *crazy* contact guys.

Dan Szymborski: Pitchers will tend to adjust to mortals.

Comment From MSW
Have Schwarber and Gallo in a keep-six, probably only room to keep one. Who do I go with and who should I try to trade?

Dan Szymborski: Schwarber’s more interesting – I think he’s actually the more polished and there’s at least a chance you can get him to qualify at SS

Comment From Chuqui
Aaron Nola close on your 25 SP under 25? Did he miss because of PCI of strikeout stuff? Thx.

Dan Szymborski: He was in that 26-30 group with a few others we’ve talked about. There’s nobody I felt that I should boot for one of them.

Comment From mtsw
Neo Geo’s “Super Baseball 2020” had robot umpires. Will we get robot umpires by 2020?

Dan Szymborski: No. Super Baseball 2020 also had robot players that you’d buy parts for in game

Comment From Bob
Toni Stone played in the Negro Leagues. Is that the closest we’ll ever get to having a female hitter in the majors?

Dan Szymborski: Ever is a really long time

Comment From Nils
I hate the “it’s tradition” whine for why we don’t use technology in place of umpires. I am sure if the technology had been available 50 years ago, 75 years ago, 100 years ago, common sense would have dictated using it. The old fogeys need to get over it.

Dan Szymborski: Bloodletting was tradition too. Umpires are utilitarian – their only purpose is to get calls accurate

Comment From Houzer
Centipede got any trade value?

Dan Szymborski: Maybe Galaga. Never liked Centipede.

Comment From The Oriole Bird
Based on the (infallible!) eyeball test, Chaz Roe’s slider appears to have unique late-breaking action. Does it in reality act differently than other pitchers’ sliders?

Dan Szymborski: Haven’t looked at the stats, but his slider *does* look quite filthified.

Dan Szymborski: ZiPS has actually projected him as a legit major leaguer for a few years at least

Comment From kevinthecomic
I got to see Ila (sp?) Borders pitch about 18 years ago for the St. Paul Saints of the independent Northern League @ the Thunder Bay Whiskey Jacks. She was the first woman to sign a professional baseball contract.

Dan Szymborski: And that kinda outlines why it’s such an uphill battle.

Comment From Ryan
Do you think the Astros are built for sustained success more than any other organization in baseball?

Dan Szymborski: i think the Cubs might be a little better setup, but Astros are up there

Comment From Christian
It’s a given that the Mariners will make some big short sighed moves to try to save their season right? I feel like I’m watching them fill out the paperwork to put their house as collateral for a loan from a casino.

Dan Szymborski: Well, they may *try* to save their season.

Comment From Tim
Is David price a Tiger next season?

Dan Szymborski: No

Comment From Jake
Why the lack of 1B prospects? Very few guys standing out.

Dan Szymborski: Seems to be cyclical and several of the 1B guys have graduated in recent years

Comment From David
I think a lot of pitchers have looked bad against toronto he was decent.

Comment From Norm
Was it too early to write off Jason Heyward? or is this just a hot streak?

Dan Szymborski: He’s going to have hot streaks but there are very good reasons to be bearish on Heyward. It’s now been like forever since he showed consistent offensive promise

Comment From hscer
Don’t a lot of players also move to 1B instead of coming up as one?

Dan Szymborski: A lot do, though it usually happens earlier in the minors

Dan Szymborski: I think one thing we’re seeing is that teams are trying players at harder positions longer.

Dan Szymborski: I think 20 years ago, Gallo may have already moved to 1B (see Thome who wasn’t actually a problem at 3rd) and Sano probably too

Dan Szymborski: Piazza was an exception – he essentially learned to play catcher because nobody really thought much from him

Comment From Kathy Ireland
Dude, I demonstrated flawlessly that North American Football has no huge athletic barriers to entry in my biopic “Necessary Roughness.”

Dan Szymborski: OK, the clock has struck 1.

Dan Szymborski: That means it’s Lightning Round time. The rules of the Lighting Round are that I have to answer any question (with exceptions for work-related reasons or sexually explicit, etc) so long as it’s off-topic.

Comment From laxtonto
I love tetris.. I love tetris.. I love tetris.. I love tetris..

Comment From MSW
Looks like my side gig is gonna turn in to my main gig soon and I’ll be working from home mostly. Any tips for not going crazy being inside by myself all day? Trying to convince my fiancee to let me get a cat but she’s not so hot on the idea.

Dan Szymborski: Be lazy? Having a touch of laziness as part of my personality has made working at home easy

Dan Szymborski: Plus I’m also used to it, I’ve never actually gone into an office on a daily stint

Comment From ar
if you were just starting out with hearthstone what would you spend your time doing? I’ve basically just been playing mage/druid trying to build up enough gold to play the arena, and then playing the arena once i do.

Dan Szymborski: About what you’re doing is the way to go. Play arena with the gold so that you get more experience with unique situations. Helps you get the mechanics down.

Comment From Chad
Ice cream: Chocolate or Vanilla?

Dan Szymborski: Chocolate

Comment From Guest
Bought any games from the recent Steam sale?

Dan Szymborski: Only the King of Fighters PC games. In truth, I tend to buy games when I want them and none of the steam sales covered any of the remains

Dan Szymborski: A few exceptions I think I missed a possible sale (Far Cry 4 and that destruction motor car thing)

Comment From hscer
Rank from most to least likely to incite a punch to the face for repeated use in calling for your attention: Dave, Don, Doug, Daniel, Danforth, Daniel [Middle Name] Szymborski

Dan Szymborski: Doug, Dave, Don, Daniel, Daniel John Szymborski, Danforth

Comment From mtsw
Should New York’s rent regulations be renewed unchanged, strengthened or allowed to expire?

Dan Szymborski: Expire

Comment From Christian
Are you excited for XCOM 2? I’m glad they are going PC only.

Dan Szymborski: Moderately interested. And I’m glad when those types of games are PC only so less chance of awkward consoley interface

Comment From mtsw
Despite your presumably less-than-comprehensive knowledge of state politics across the country, which state do you perceive to be the best governed? Worst?

Dan Szymborski: I would guess that some of the Big Sky states and like Vermont/New Hampshire without a lot of serious challneges are best governed

Dan Szymborski: Worst probably Illinois, California, Louisiana. Michigan down there based on history but probably moving up

Comment From Flubber
Working from home means you have 0 excuse for ever eating bad or crappy food ever again. You should be cooking for your girlfiend every day, unless you don’t get a lunch hour.

Dan Szymborski: I need less access to quality food.

Comment From Christian
Better staple legendary: Emperor Thaussarian or Loatheb?

Dan Szymborski: Thaurissan

Dan Szymborski: Really, only super aggro decks would prefer Loatheb. Loatheb’s cool, but Thaurissan is useful for so many decks

Comment From CardsFan
In your opinion, what are the best – worst seasons of the wire?

Dan Szymborski: 4 is the best. 5 the weakest, but that’s *relatively* speaking. THere’s no bad season of the wire

Comment From Cypriot
So if Greece left the European Monetary Union, it would, as a general matter, suffer through ridiculous currency devaluation, increasing tourism/exports, and would get back on its feet somewhat slowly and painfully. If you were Greek (living in Greece), would this be preferable to getting bailed out by Frankfurt?

Dan Szymborski: Probably not. They’ll recover eventually, but there’s a *lot* of pain ahead and the truth is, all those sunny optimistic long-term recovery scenarios involve greece being better run over this period than they ever are.

Dan Szymborski: What it comes down to is Greece is more or less a failed state that nobody wants to really admit is one

Comment From mtsw
My motherboard’s BIOS reset itself while I was swapping out a HD in my software RAID, likely killing the RAID and losing me all of my precious data (mostly pirated music and movies but still!) Am I just the victim of an incredibly unlucky sequence of computer catastophes or am I a sucker for not backing up my data somewhere else despite the RAID.

Dan Szymborski: Some bad luck certainly. But honestly, I think most consumers don’t really have a situation in which RAID makes much sense.

Dan Szymborski: I think most people would benefit just having a multiple-format backup strategy for key data

Comment From Brandon
Most valuable baseball collectible? At least personally.

Dan Szymborski: I’m actually not a big collectible guy – I’m not a fan of having too much stuff, especially if it isn’t personally significant

Dan Szymborski: My most valued memorabilia is a craig worthington home run I caught in 1989.

Comment From Flubber
NYC’s rent regulations are literally the only thing keeping the city from being solely for those making above 250K a year.

Dan Szymborski: Already is

Comment From Mijo
I cant be the only one that thinks GRRM is a poor writer, am I?

Dan Szymborski: I wouldn’t say poor, but undisicplined

Comment From Cain Marko
Is Phil Kessel your brother?

Dan Szymborski: heh. No, but I can’t say there isn’t some resemblance there

Comment From Economist
Was there an asset bubble in baseball cards in the 1990s?

Dan Szymborski: Yes

Comment From Kaiju
Are you planning to play the new Godzilla game? As a stress reliever?

Dan Szymborski: Hadn’t considered

Comment From Brett
Will Wade end up with the Lakers?

Dan Szymborski: Very possible

Comment From Jack Glasscocks Cup
thoughts on the japanese central bank buying nikkei etf contracts to, in essence, prop up the local stock market?

Dan Szymborski: That question is ridiculous. But Black bear. You dont’ see them drinking Coke like those diabetic Polar bears

Comment From Dwight S.
what kind of bear is best

Dan Szymborski: without the question, that was very confusing

Dan Szymborski: What is this, Japan’s 812th round of quantitative easing?

Dan Szymborski: I wait, didn’t read the question

Dan Szymborski: I think international markets as a whole are a craggy mess right now

Comment From What do you like?
Apocalypse or Thanos?

Dan Szymborski: Not enough familiarity

Comment From Pirates Hurdles
True Detective 2 last night – boring or intriguing?

Dan Szymborski: Haven’t seen yet

Comment From laxtonto
Why am I a figment of your imagination? Why can’t me and the cat be separate parts of your multiple personality?

Dan Szymborski: It’s possible, but I hoped that another personality would be like a bobsledder or a sub-saharan dictator or somethign

Comment From mtsw
In light of the remade FF7, it’s been suggested a hi-res remake of FFVI should be next? Bad idea or worst idea?

Dan Szymborski: I’d actually like it, if they updated the music to real instruments. But you have to be careful as that was one of the best 2D games ever

Comment From marc
need a new ps4 game, any suggestions?

Dan Szymborski: The Show? I don’t have a PS4 yet

Comment From Don Drapers STDs
Any advice on how to get back into writing consistently after not having time for it for 10 years spent in a data-driven field?

Dan Szymborski: Sit there and do it.

Comment From laxtonto
Any weird food adventures of late?

Dan Szymborski: Nothing too crazy. I smoked a pork shoulder last week but nothing particularly interesting since then

Comment From marc
best season of Arrested Development?

Dan Szymborski: 2

Comment From maguro
what is the most damage you’ve done in one turn in hearthstone? with what cards?

Dan Szymborski: Once got a Gahrzilla from Unstable Portal and the other dude luckily had no way of dealing with it.

Dan Szymborski: I kept pinging it because the other dude was topdecking. Did 96 to face

Comment From marc
just moved to a new place and i get turn a smaller bedroom into a mancave. Top Three things that i need to have? (already have a minifirdge packed with beer in there)

Dan Szymborski: The TV is the next thing. Make it massive

Comment From Snidely Whiplashs hipster brother, Smugly Whiplash
The Wire is the most overrated TV show in the history of TV shows.

Dan Szymborski: Not a question.

Comment From Daniel C
Did you hear about Darryl Hamilton? Tragic.

Dan Szymborski: No, what happened?

Dan Szymborski: HOLY CRAP

Dan Szymborski: Darryl Hamilton murder-suicide. That I did not expect.

Comment From RotoLando
What was that game where you played as one of two guys fighting a bunch of street toughs.? One of the guys had a mustache and wore one-strap overalls. In between stages, you beat up a car for points.

Dan Szymborski: Final Fight

Dan Szymborski: That was Haggar

Comment From RotoLando
Did you see Mad Max yet?

Dan Szymborski: No

Comment From mtsw
Should Frankfurt/Brussels bear any responsibility for the trouble Greece is in now? Good case to be made that the austerity they demanded as a condition of the bailout made non-repayment a self fulfilling prophecy. Beyond that, should all Greek people be made to suffer for mistakes made by a Greek government?

Dan Szymborski: Not really – it would’ve been far worse in the interim. It just put off the sadness a bit.

Comment From STiVo
Favorite manner of playing Goldeneye (arena/weapons/players/etc.)?

Dan Szymborski: Prox mines bunker

Comment From RotoLando
The Supreme Court ruled that the government cannot take your raisins without compensation. How do your plans change, now that we live in this brave new world?

Dan Szymborski: Not many as being a farmer seems like a lot of work

Comment From marc
How hard is it to get in the field of sports psychology? how much monies could you make from solving the yips? Infinity?

Dan Szymborski: Psych degree? No idea. Lot of money.

Comment From a eskpert
@Flubber, not really given that the building codes and height restrictions work in completely the opposite direction (restricting supply).

Comment From mtsw
Jurassic World: Thoughts?

Dan Szymborski: Haven’t seen it. Peter K. Rosenthal of The Onion had a good review though

Comment From Bryan
How often should a person replace a desktop computer? Mine is now 7 years old, and is starting to feel very sluggish.

Dan Szymborski: More often than that! It depends on what you do with it to be honest.

Dan Szymborski: I think if I go back 7 years, that’s my 5th most recent PC.

Dan Szymborski: Though you should be updating PCs before they get sluggish unless you jones for a new build like I tend to do

Dan Szymborski: At 7 years old, your PC is probably old enough that the platform isn’t worth upgrading.

Dan Szymborski: I wouldn’t put any money into what is probably an old Core2 or something

Comment From marc
thoughts Marx? i like most of what he had to say. I think he just gets a bad rap from Lenin and stalin plus misunderstanding it

Dan Szymborski: Meh.

Comment From RotoLando
If you could have a Dan Szymborski baseball car made, from any brand or year, what would it be (and would you try and sneak a bat with a hilariously inappropriate nickname on it?)?

Dan Szymborski: 72 Topps certainly. I’d definitely have to sneak in something evil

Comment From Jim Bob
Speaking on behalf of meth addicts everywhere, the meth addict that packed your parachute is an a$$hole.

Comment From marc
is it weird to get a jersey of a kid i played HS baseball with who just got drafted?

Dan Szymborski: I think it is

Comment From Anthony
Game of thrones or Breaking Bad?

Dan Szymborski: GoT. Love both though

Comment From mtsw
More annoying: vegetarians or people who ostentatiously declare their contempt and annoyance for vegetarians?

Dan Szymborski: the non-vegetarians. Vegetarians not eating meat saves it for the sane meat eaters.

Comment From jca cpa ca
you ever play stratomatic baseball? it’s like dungeon’s and dragons but for baseball

Dan Szymborski: Haven’t in awhile. Computer stuff kinda makes board games harder for me.

Comment From marc
my new place has no cable or internet yet (comcast is the devil). What should i do to keep my sanity until then?

Dan Szymborski: No internet? You don’t. Crazy town time

Comment From Curious Cat
Really want to play MLB the show. Do I buy a PS3 or PS4?

Dan Szymborski: PS4 – I’ve seen it and it’s sweet

Comment From marc
beer league softball: more beer or more softball?

Dan Szymborski: Beer

Comment From Mijo
Would you rather live in seattle or portland… or neither

Dan Szymborski: Portland I think

Comment From hscer
Those Onion movie reviews are great, but they’re also one joke for three minutes. Once the joke is revealed I can stand to stop watching.

Comment From Jesse
if pete rose bet on baseball as a player-manager do they cancel each other out?

Dan Szymborski: Heh

Comment From marc
walking tacos base, Fritos or Doritos?

Dan Szymborski: Neither. Get good tacos

Comment From Boo Boo Kitty
Better desalination return on investment: The Pacific Ocean or Cleveland fans’ tears of despair.

Dan Szymborski: Pacific – Calif needs desalination plants more than Ohio

Comment From hscer
I’d been planning to buy a new laptop every three years, but having gotten one in 2009 and 2012, I’m not yet inclined to get another soon. Except when Chrome is using 110% of my RAM

Comment From marc
over under 15 years before cleveland wins a title

Dan Szymborski: Under.

Dan Szymborski: ANd on that note, time to end the chat!

Dan Szymborski: As a reminder, you can read me at ESPN.com, chats and projections here at FanGraphs, and DSzymborski on Twitter, and ZimSmash on twitch. So long!