Eno Sarris Baseball Chat — 1/14/16

Eno Sarris: I’ll be here shortly. In the meantime

Eno Sarris:

Eno Sarris: Hey you people.

Archie: With there still being buzz about the Rays moving a starter, what do you see Erasmo Ramirez’s role being in ’16? Thanks!

Eno Sarris: Mostly a starter, but I might project for 175 innings or something to reflect some of the risk that their young guys provide. If he gets moved to NL, great!

Jones: Does Braves interest in Cespedes make sense? There’s not a lot in the next few FA classes as far as offense, so maybe getting a big guy that that now makes sense for them.

Eno Sarris: I think every team wants to spend their budget, that’s the impression I got from Beane. And if they see a potential bargain that’s better than next year’s class, yeah, they’ll basically spend the Swisher/Bourn money. By signing Cespedes, they cover themselves on not vesting those bad options.

Larry David: Are you buying into a big jump for Raisel Iglesias, or you think he’ll end up in the bullpen at some point in his career? Read a post over at TDG that says the potential is there for a top 30 guy if everything goes right. I like that.

Eno Sarris: Been pimping that dude since last year. Has all the tools, and started keeping his velocity later into games in August and September. He’s the best case scenario for Yasiel Sierra, but I’ll give Sierra 60% chance of making it, at best.

The Dude of NY: First David Bowie, now Alan Rickman. Talk about a bad week 🙁

Eno Sarris: … yeah.

Crazy Buck Martinez: Favourite play by play guy (non-Vin Scully division)?

Eno Sarris: Jon Miller.

Shawn: Best way to taste the flavor nuances of different hop varieties? Single Hop IPAs and compare them?

Eno Sarris: Yes. Although if you like sours, sometimes the single hop sours are the way to go because the hop flavor really stands out there.

Curtis: Eickhoff, Lamb, and/or Marco Gonzales worth picking up late?

Eno Sarris: I think Eickhoff and Lamb closer to having fuller arsenals. Marco has a good park, but health issues. I’ll go E, L, G.

Bobby Blownilla: I’ve been thinking about the TINSSAACP thing. My league went to 2 C’s last year and I agree. In this format I think the most important thing is to get the most games played out of the position by having enough depth and putting a guy out there every day who is playing. The extra 30-40 games is a lot. But there have to be exceptions like Posey.

Eno Sarris: There is no such thing as a catching prospect doesn’t mean there isn’t such a thing as a valuable catcher. Catching prospects have higher bust rates, later debuts, and worse offense than comparable prospects, probably because they get the shortstop boost in rankings. Oh he’s a catcher? Bump him up five spots.

Curtis: Can Brandon Drury hold 2B for D-Backs?

Eno Sarris: I like him. Not a star or anything, but better than Aaron Hill right now. I think Owings takes shortstop if his arm is healed.

Stew: In a 16 teamer OBP keeper league, with prices being similar, who would you rather have at 2b? Odor or Anthony Rendon?

Eno Sarris: Rendon. Better OBP, fewer steals, more power.

Big boy: Eno! When do we see some of the big pitching prospects up this year? Giolito? Urias? Glasnow? Also, are they all here to stay going into 2017? Thanks man!

Eno Sarris: Giolito closest, July at earliest. Only one of them will be really good, two will be usable, one will suck. Such is the way of the world.

Raindog: Hey Eno, I’m trying to figure out how to get a Colorado OF to Baltimore. Dave says Bundy not nearly enough for Dickerson. August says Bundy too much for CarGo. Nobody thinks Blackmon moves. You got any ideas?

Eno Sarris: I didn’t think much of Bundy when I saw him in the AFL. I think people gave him too much credit for his backstory. Take the name off his jersey and he was low nineties with a soft breaking ball. If they took Bundy for CarGo, I’d do it if I were the Orioles.

Pete: What’s your expectation for Michael Brantley this year on return date, production when he does return, etc.?

Eno Sarris: Zimm wrote a nice thing about which shoulder was more important and if I remember correctly, Brantley injured the shoulder that’s less important. Still, shoulders are like the third-worst body part to hurt for power, and he was due to regress there, so I’ll take back much of his power gains and make him 2/3 of 2014 or something.

The Dude of NY: Steamer projects Dee Gordon as being only a 2 WAR player in 2016. Are there any red flags that point to significant regression, or is this simply due to him being a late bloomer?

Eno Sarris: He relies on that big BABIP, which, you can believe in because of his approach, maybe, but projection systems probably don’t give a guy credit for going oppo on the ground a ton. Plus, bad defense in the past may still be hanging onto his projection.

Q-Ball: Kyle Hendricks OPS first two times through order: .634 OPS. 3rd time: .811 OPS. Hammel same thing, and by having Wood, Warren, Cahill, Richard Cubs seem “all-in” on the concept of shortening starts, with multi-inning relievers as soon as the 5th inning. Maddon likes it. IMO, it does require an 8-man bullpen, and shortens the Cubs bench to David Ross and 3 guys. What do you think of this trend/concept? Do you think it will catch on with other clubs, or is it already?

Eno Sarris: If you have super util guys on the bench like Baez, maybe it can work. I’d scratch my head super hard to figure out how to do it with 12 pitchers, though.

Notorious B.I.G.: – did you have the JVC blaster?

Eno Sarris: I had a much less cool version. But this was one of my first purchases right here

Eno Sarris:

Drew: NO MEETING, I’M HERE TO PARTY AND MAKE 69 JOKES

Eno Sarris: Nice.

The Boat: Hey Eno! Just turned 21 on Monday, and I’m rather a novice in the realm of beer in particular (Italian, more of a wine guy). That said, any recommendations for best brews in the VT/NH area?

Eno Sarris: You are a very lucky person. That area is KILLING IT. Lawson’s anything is great. Fiddlehead is great. Heady Topper is a bit overrated by me, but good. And after you start with those IPAs, there’s Hill Farmstead!

Jeff: How believable is Matt Carpenter’s power outbreak? Is a 20-22 HR projection too optimistic?

Eno Sarris: The fans give him 22, and he changed his batted ball mix, so it’s possible. I’ll take 20, which is sorta half way between Steamer and the Fans.

The Cincinnati Kid: ENO! I’m heading to WV this weekend…what are some beers that I need to procure for my imbibing enjoyment?

Eno Sarris: I’ve been enjoying Virginia beers recently. Chris Ray’s Center of the Universe beers are fun but not league leaders. I had Face Plant IPA and liked it. But the star from there is Hardywood’s Gingerbread Stout and the variants.

hanna : I read something that David Freese has the best WPA in the postseason or something along those lines. How is that calculated? Is it based on that WS game or is it based on him after each at bat?

Eno Sarris: It’s based on how likely the team was to win before and after his at-bats in the postseason, all summed up. That one game moved the needle a lot because the samples are small in postseason work.

Johnny5Alive: Eno! Nobody on fangraphs projects the mets to be particularly good (~.500 team) yet most folks defend their lack of moves to improve the roster… For example, we keep hearing Lagares is a “fine starting outfielder” and while I agree, if the projections for the team is .500 with the best pitching staff in baseball, there is clearly lots of room to improve… So what am I missing?

Eno Sarris: I would look at the projections page, where they are actually sixth in baseball, with the third-best pitching staff.

The Cincinnati Kid: My league is changing from Wins to Quality Starts (we’re keeping Losses)…how should I adjust my strategy?

Eno Sarris: I don’t think too much about that stat, or wins, when picking guys. Sometimes it means I get a lot of good pitchers on bad teams, which seems okay for what you’re doing. Keeping losses really invalidates the move from Ws to QSes anyway.

Q-Ball: During the offseason, there are two types of currency to get talent without giving up major-league players: Cash, and prospects. During the season, you only really can use prospects. Does that make it smarter to use only CASH right now? I ask because the Cubs have used just cash despite having several redundant prospects that figure to be moved at some point.

Eno Sarris: Yes!

Bob: Am I right to be down on Giancarlo Stanton this year given the injury (hamate) that kept him out the 2nd half of last year or has enough time passed?

Eno Sarris: Hamate injuries are not good for power, but it has been a while. I’d move him down into 15th-18th or so.

Josh I: Seems like another move is coming for the A’s, as Beane and Forst have repeatedly stated that they aren’t done and could make another trade. What move or addition do you think they would make?

Eno Sarris: They keep saying they won’t trade Gray, but who knows. In the past, they made an FA addition in January, maybe it’s an international one like Cespedes.

Bork: If you had to explain Maeda’s contract to a grade 10 class, how would you do it?

Eno Sarris: He will get paid appropriately if he’s good, meh, or bad. He will not get paid appropriately if he’s a star.

Art Vandelay: My neighborhood bar has a cajun bbq pop-up attached to it (the chef is a New Orleans transplant, and he just kind of sits back there under an easy-up smoking and grilling delicious food.) Used to be only daily specials: ribs, shrimp etouffee, turkey necks, tri-tip, etc. but now apparently he’s switching to a daily menu, which includes shrimp and grits everyday. Baseball season can’t come soon enough, there just aren’t enough warriors games to take advantage of this.

Eno Sarris: Wait dude tell me where this is because it sounds like I might be able to hit this up on the way to work at o.co.

Crazy Buck Martinez: Where does Chris Davis go if not the Orioles? Doesn’t seem to be an obvious 1B opening on a team that can drop $150 mil

Eno Sarris: Cardinals, Rockies, Blue Jays… and none of those are great fits.

Reginald Denton III: Hey Eno! I just had a long debate with a couple of coworkers who think that Pudge was the greatest catcher ever, and by virtue of his position being the most demanding, was arguably greater than guys like Griffey Jr. (and even Mays). I think I argued them down pretty well. Where do you fall on this argument, and what would your major argument(s) be?

Eno Sarris: 69 wins, but I bet you could add 10-20 wins based on parts of the game that aren’t in WAR yet. If you add the upper end of that, he sneaks into the top 30 all the time. They aren’t crazy. By WAR at least, Griffey is 40th.

More Cowbell: Do you think Verlander can carry over his success from the 2nd half of last season into 2016?

Eno Sarris: The high fastball really seems to be working for him again. I like him a little better than Steamer.

Wardo: I took a long lunch and drove out to Treehouse yesterday – 2 hours round trip, no wait, 8 cans of Lights On and 6 cans of Alter Ego. I don’t have a question, I’m just happy.

Eno Sarris: Awesome.

Galante: What are your thoughts on Carlos Gomez this upcoming year?

Eno Sarris: Worried that the injury that scuttled the Mets deal is real and that he’s hurting.

PS: If Aaron hicks got 600 ABs this season, what would his WAR be?

Eno Sarris: I like him. Two maybe?

Eno Sarris:

Eric: Do you play ottoneu? What’s the least amount of money you should enter the auction with? I mainly built my team through trades, but have very little $$ available for auction now.

Eno Sarris: I’m seeing that auction money is a little overvalued. If you like your team, having spent $300-340 might be okay.

Jacob: 3 guys for 2 spots: Bogaerts, Corey Seager and Sano. Who do you deal? Should I theoretically be able to get #Mook for Sano?

Eno Sarris: I want Seager’s bat at SS. I know XB was number one SS last year, but it was all R and RBI… Sano’s power was delectable. If it was Seager and Betts, that would be the easy pick.

Hugh Jazz: COL closer options are pretty grim. Could Ottavino reclaim the role at some point after he comes back?

Eno Sarris: yes.

Samwise Ganges: Parents these days wash their kids mouths out with soap when they should be washing them out with hope

Hugh Jazz: So lemme get this straight: The lottery already takes over 50% of the tickets as profit, and then they tax the winners again at 60+%? Thats insane! You win the 1.5bill powerball and end up with only 193 mill? Ive got that in my wallet right now.

Nelson: No more IPAs aged in wine barrels! Ill just our some pinot in my beer if I want my beer to taste like wine

Eno Sarris: We feel like shouting at clouds today interlude!

PS: Work in banking so I have the excel and numbers skills, but don’t have the time to start running baseball data on my own site. What would be the best recommendation to make a switch to a career in baseball analytics?

Eno Sarris: You don’t have to actually have a site. You could write some interesting pieces for THT/BP and catch their eye.

Eno Sarris: Alternatively, you could hook up with a coder and go to one of these Hackathons.

Johnny5Alive: I understand that opt outs benefit players. but i also understand some teams (Mets) are extremely averse to long term deals. given the contracts signed this season, why wouldn’t the mets make an offer to say, Cespeces with a 2nd year opt out? unless he doesn’t play for the next two years, its almost impossible envisioning him not opting out, no?

Eno Sarris: Cespedes is 100% going to get an opt-out. The questions are probably already beyond that.

Zonk: Apparently, Padres deciding between Alexei R and Desmond at SS. If they go the stop-gap route and sign Alexei, where does Desmond’s market sit? Who needs a SS/2B? Same question I guess for Howie Kendrick.

Eno Sarris: Desmond is still young enough that a team like the Phillies or Braves may get in if he’s cheap and try to create a future asset, position tbd. Kendrick’s musical chairs game is running out.

Brad: over/under 15 saves for Jumbo Diaz this year

Eno Sarris: Over

Art: Sell high on CarGo’s 40 jacks last year?

Eno Sarris: yes

Merv Throneberry: Is Osuna really about to get boned by the Jays and not close? I can’t be any clearer than that!

Eno Sarris: If he doesn’t close, he starts, I hope.

Lucas : What do you think of a $9 d’Arnaud or a $3 Derek Norris? I’m thinking of keeping one and trading the other in a 1 catcher league. What are your thoughts?

Eno Sarris: TDA much better while in. As long as it’s not super deep, two-catcher NL only, I’ll take him.

PS: Advice for a first timer in Ottoneu?

Eno Sarris: Spend almost all of your money. 390 at least. You’ll have someone you can drop off your roster to spend money, and after 480 players have been drafted, the wire looks bad. Platoons in the outfield are fine if you can manage the daily work, but don’t platoon at more than two spots or you’ll start to lose PA and R/RBI. Don’t spend more than $5 on a prospect, mostly. Don’t load up on more than 7 or so prospects.

Larry David: Alex Wood end up in the bullpen because it’s the LAD and he’s mediocre?

Eno Sarris: I think he’s the one to go when BMac comes back?

Bill: Eno, thank goodness I’ve found you. Springer or Betts, OBP league?

Eno Sarris: Betts? Plus OBP, good power, steals rarer now.

The Cincinnati Kid: On the TINSSAACP, if I’ve got Swihart in Rd 28 and in my league the the last starting catcher was drafted in Rd 16 last season, it seems like holding him for this year (as a non-starter) and waiting for him to become a potential Top 12 catcher makes sense. Yeah, it one spot at the backend of the draft, but the future value could pay dividends every year. Certainly, he’s not in the same fantasy class as Conforto (same round), but it is a value nonetheless.

Eno Sarris: That sort of investment is okay for me.

Ol Sea Capn: I’m holding Rusney Castillo in my 14 team, 14 keeper league over the likes of Fiers, Peraza, $1 Brad miller and pricey desmond. Is it time to let go the dream of the Cuban go? Or does he put up a 20 20 year? Thanks for awesomeness.

Eno Sarris: It’s time to poop or get off the potty, and the options aren’t great. As long as he’s cheap, I’m with you. Miller is the second best guy.

Vil B.: Try again: Hey Eno, I just took over a bad AL-only team that got even worse with the loss of Chen. How would you proceed to try and pry away good prospects from other owners? Overpay for guys like Tulo, Zimmermann, and possibly Cespedes/Upton and try to trade them to contenders at mid-season? Or outbid the others for the best RPs (7 x 7 with holds) who typically are cheaper? I ask this since most of the guys are very price conscious. Thanks.

Eno Sarris: Pretend like you’re going to be competitive this year. That’s the best way to get good values. Then you can trade later.

Eastern NC: Still advocating hitters over pitchers? Like, should I keep a Xander over a John Lester if already keeping MadBum?

Eno Sarris: Yes.

TIM: Why are people so high on Raisel Iglesias, and is it enough to overcome pitching in that stadium and against that division?

Eno Sarris: He has four good-to-plus pitches by velocity, movement, and individual pitch results, he throws out of three slots so it’s almost like 12 pitches, since pitches move differently out of every slot, and he commands them well despite the different arm slots. If Homer Bailey could do it, Raisel can.

Snarfle: Carlos Correa. Who IS that guy?

Eno Sarris: Superman. Not Batman because you want to marry him too.

The Cincinnati Kid: Who do you like for the Brewers between Khrush and Domingo? Do they really not put Domingo in CF?

Eno Sarris: Yeah I think they put Domingo in center until he show’s he can’t, and then they try Phillips.

Manny: Better dynasty draft pick.. Arenado or Machado?

Eno Sarris: Machado. Year younger, more steals, better plate discipline.

Snarfle: The grandparents have the baby and the wife’s making coffee. It’s gonna be alright. That’s right, ol’ Snarfle has reproduced!

Eno Sarris: Congratulations on the Snarflet!

kris: should i plan a trip to vermont to snowboard, drink sweet vermont beer, and eat pizza? y/n/m

Eno Sarris: The yessest.

MikeL: The projection systems I have come across (however accurate) do not provide any indication of precision. Are there any projections that provide an error range. For example, Mike Trout would projected for 35 +/- 10 Hrs. This information would help evaluate upside and downside.

Eno Sarris: Did you listen to my last pod? Because yes. This would help build a team that has mixed variance.

Corey: Hi Eno, I’m using Baseball savant’s Average Exit velo on LD and FB to try to find players who might be due for a bump to their HR/FB. Are you aware of any literature attempting to put HR/FB on an age curve?

Eno Sarris: Look at my piece on undervaluing sluggers. It’s bad. HR/fB goes straight down.

War2d2: Re: Miller. I find the subjective ranking of various booths to be interesting. I can’t stand to listen to more than a couple minutes of any of the SFG announcers, and yet they consistently rank at the top of generalized rankings. I find Krukow/Kuiper to be the absolute worst booth extant, and I scramble for the remote if I hear their voices. Miller’s not that far behind. On the other hand while I don’t love him, Hawk Harrelson is entirely listenable, his inane hatred of “numbers” aside. What makes a good/bad booth in your estimation? Voice, content, or je ne sais quoi?

Eno Sarris: I really like Miller’s voice. I agree that the content is not always amazing. Flemming is good for me on content, Boog Sciambi, Jesse Agler, and I know when we start to see Mike Ferrin, the content will be great. Ferrin actually has the upside for me to put together the best voice and content combo. But when I say Miller, it’s because when I hear him I am instantly calmed and focused by the tone of his voice. This may be tied into my history of hearing him in the past.

Bart: Eno, do agree with August Fagerstrom’s assessment of Carlos Gonzalez? In summary, maybe more of a platoon player this coming season and continued regression.

Eno Sarris: I think a one year platoon split may be overstating his flaws in that department. I’m a little more worried about taking him out of Coors, and the declining defense super obvious.

Alex in Austin: Do you ever notice how people become connoisseurs of vices like wine, beer or cigars? Where they don’t do the same with apple juices or smoothie drinks or healthier food alternatives? Is this a way to justify the bad habit? I guess people do the same with coffee…

Eno Sarris: I think I might have tried every yogurt in the yogurt aisle.

pirates hurdles: Odds that a 21 year old is going to like IPAs without some gateway (less hoppy) beer = 0.

Eno Sarris: My 21 year old self would have words with you. Sierra Nevada was my college beer.

Sam: I just read a stupid SI article grading the Brewers off-season. Basically went like, “didn’t get any good prospects from anyone, they should trade Lucroy in the middle of the summer.” Gave a bad grade. Obviously they didn’t actually do much research. What would be your grade?

Eno Sarris: Better than that because they did their work last season. I do this in fantasy leagues too. Instead of trying to rebuild in the offseason with every other jabroni, I make good deals at the deadline and get more for what I’m selling, or at least that’s the idea.

Eno Sarris: But I guess if you’re just grading the offeason, it’s been meh.

Hannah Hochevar: I know everyone’s ragging on the O’s off-season, but we did sign Joey Terdo… Terdoslav… Terdos… … turds.

Eno Sarris: Apparently it’s turDAWsovlich, but … yeah I see that every time I see the name.

Snarfle: The senator, between moments of lucidity, seemed to forget who I was, arguing fiercely with me about Tolstoy, though I have not read him, and my question was about bankruptcy courts. A pale whisky sneered at me from the shelf.

The Dude of NY: Weird Offseason Fact #4: The A’s have made 3 FA MLB signings. The Yankees have made none.

Weekly Eovaldi Question: Weekly Eovaldi Question

Eno Sarris: had to stretch for that one

Prince Wednesday: To your knowledge, has anyone done an analysis to attempt to determine which projection system (including composite)is most accurate?

Eno Sarris: yeah it’s out there. Gotta google. From what I’ve seen, Steamer does really well.

Eno Sarris: Mike Podhorzer’s human-made projections once won.

Homer: Not sure if you’re a prospects guy, but do you have any thoughts on the Rangers Nomar Mazara? He looks like a future star, but I’m not sure if I’m just being a Rangers homer.

Eno Sarris: I think his floor is super high, but I’m not sure about the ceiling. He might be a good avg/obp/decent corner OF defense but 20 homer guy. Maybe a Matt Holliday? Wait, that’s p/v good.

DDSP: hey buddy! i traded buxton and tapia for AJ Pollock in a dynasty league. How bad did I overpay (Pollock fits my offense/team really well)?

Eno Sarris: As far as I”m concerned, it was two maybes for a sure thing.

Drew: Cards are a great fit, they would just have to flip Matt Adams for a OF bat like CarGo!!!

Eno Sarris: I think this is not crazy, but it isn’t really how the Cards have worked.

Mike: Already keeping Correa, Machado, Springer and Betts. Who should I keep as my 5th, Sano, Freeman, Cano, Heyward, Felix, or Gray? Leaning toward Sano

Eno Sarris: Yes and wow

Dave: When considering the players’ share of revenues, has there been anything driving up other costs to account for their percentage decrease? If not, are we looking at the first labor war in baseball since 1994?

Eno Sarris: yes, I think there is. Bonuses and retirement benefits and things that don’t show up in straight salary look. That’s what’s been told to me by people I trust, and obviously it would be weird if the MLBPA leader thought it was 50/50ish still and it wasn’t.

Nick: Royals get Gallardo, Kennedy, or neither?

Eno Sarris: Kennedy is the best fit for me.

Paul: There seems to be a sharp drop-off in 1B after the top 10-12. As far as fringy top 1B go, do you like Belt or Carlos Santana more? Or are there any other 1B you like outside that top group?

Eno Sarris: Belt is younger and in a batting average league, has less downside IMO.

Eno Sarris: Adam Lind is going to be super cheap and if you have a platoon partner… I like Duda too.

Bart: Will Jorge Soler be starting for the Cubs in RF and what are your projections for him, does he have potential for a breakout season?

Eno Sarris: Haha welcome to my chats! Should be ‘weekly Soler question.’ I think he will start if he’s still there, and I like him for .260/25 with a 10-20% chance of breakout beyond.

Manny: 20-team h2h dynasty where assists is a category.. Should I trade Freeman & Polanco for Arenado or Machado?

Eno Sarris: Yes

Joseph: You’ve been a proponent of dealing prospects for vets in dynasty. Does need figure into that philosophy? For instance, you don’t particularly have a pitching need but can get a top 15-20 one for a top 10ish spec, do you make that move more often than not? Is need a non-factor?

Eno Sarris: I’ll factor in need, and I have softened a bit on my stance. I’ll trade for / not trade away a top ten prospect. Those prospects have seen their bust rates improve a bit recently.

Johnny5Alive: so would you put money on the current mets roster to make the playoffs again?

Eno Sarris: As a wild card, with decent odds? Sure. I love love Conforto.

Bork: How high are you on Devon Travis? After this most recent surgery his shoulder issues should be a thing of the past.

Eno Sarris: “should.” I’m interested if the price is low.

K$: Are arsenal rankings coming out this year?

Eno Sarris: Here’s the problem: I’m trying to drill down to the very core of the matter. So releasing rankings based on old attempt seems weird. But there is a good stuff metric on the Community blog, check that out. Maybe I put a little wrinkle on that and re-post.

Kevin Gausman: I, like, definitely have a spot in the opening day rotation this year, right? No more getting yanked around? Maybe I’ve got a legit breaking ball and third pitch now? How awesome could I be? Best case scenario.

Eno Sarris: Let’s see. Big fastball, great change, new breaker? The 95th percentile is deGrom-esque. But there aren’t a lot of stories like this. He could be Jarrod Parker with more velocity still.

Eno Sarris:

Eno Sarris: That’s from one of my favorite movies, Rockers, which I just found on VHS and threw away, sniff sniff

shubbles: Over/under: my quiver or my sliver?

Q-Ball: Sometimes the only answer is “that’s baseball”.

“Neb” Hattison: Hey Eno I won last year but this year I got a stinky butt. “Hehe”

Eno Sarris: Huh.

Batman: When is Trea Turner starting in DC?

Eno Sarris: Stephen Drew is bad. Could be April 1.

Curtis: any thoughts on Aaron Altherr?

Eno Sarris: He always makes me want to yell “THATS THE MAN RIGHT THRRRR”

Eno Sarris: Also, too many strikeouts, probably a platoon guy.

Stuafoo: How could a massively front loaded contract be made team friendly?

Eno Sarris: Opt-out. If they stay, they’re cheaper.

Eno Sarris: If they leave, you spent a bunch of money on a guy that was good in his prime.

Mark: Most likely to be a .300 hitter in his prime: Conforto, Kepler or Benintendi?

Eno Sarris: Conforto’s oppo power has me giddy.

Ghost Hands: This is my first Eno chat in months and I’m so excited I just can’t hide it.

Eno Sarris:

Guest: Its hard not to get the impression the Astros are cheap. Crane promised a top 5-10 payroll when we are good, and yet here we sit near the bottom behind teams like the Mariners, Athletics, and Diamondbacks with numerous quality players on the market at positions of need

Eno Sarris: The Astros under old leadership spent money, so the market probably can handle it. Maybe they mostly need pitchers and the pitchers haven’t taken their money?

AlbertKly: Are you expecting a bounce back from puig this year? Do you think the injury hurt him last year and should he recover, can be still be an offensive star?

Eno Sarris: He’s going around 90th right now in NFBC and I love love him there.

Scott: What are your thought’s on Firestone Walker’s XIX anniversary beer? or Prairie’s BOMB?

Eno Sarris: Love, love love.

Guest: Eno I want you to know I forgot it was a chat day because I was hard at work on your ballpark assignment.

Eno Sarris: well then thank you very much and see you another week

Phil: It’s Hopslam time! How do you feel about the can-only distribution?

Eno Sarris: Good for freshness.

kris: It’s $193MM because 3 people won…

Eno Sarris: Phew. I thought that was a bit extreme.

More Cowbell: Would you be ok going with a combo of Castellanos & Kang as your 3B this year in a standard 5×5 league?

Eno Sarris: Yes.

WHAT DO I DOOOOO ENOOOO: Trade Russell for Iglesias and use Iglesias to replace McCullers as my last keeper pitcher?

Eno Sarris: No, I like McCullers a ton.

More Cowbell: If you play in a shallow league, Iglesias isn’t a great option as your #2 or #3. An excellent #4 guy though

Eno Sarris: #3 for me.

Scott: Are you leaning towards Dave’s argument that the Cards should make a bigger offseason move, or more towards Ken Rosenthal’s argument that the Cards should stand pat for now?

Eno Sarris: I said Cards should add a bat, big bat, at any position, like three weeks ago, and I stand by that.

Prince Wednesday: What would be a reasonable return for Khris Davis?

Eno Sarris: Doesn’t he have a lot of years of control left? I keep him.

Bubba: Are Heyward and Betts basically the same person for fantasy purposes? I find it funny that you can fit 2 Betts inside 1 Heyward.

Eno Sarris: Betts will steal more bases, but you could dream on Heyward’s power with new park and hitting coach.

Shawn : Have you had anything by Grimm or Other Half?

Eno Sarris: Trying to trade for them right now.

Tex: any update on that new orleans style bar in the bay area? That sounds fantastic

Eno Sarris: Apparently Petaluma which is not close.

kris: Is Ferrin calling games somewhere this year????

Eno Sarris: He’s closer. He’s now doing pre and post for the D-backs.

Batman: On Ketel Marte, is this too hopeful? 75 / 5 /50 / 30 / .270

Eno Sarris: Under on BA for me, and that might mean under on steals.

Shawn: What brand has the highest YAR (Yogurt Above Replacement)?

Eno Sarris: NOOSA I think.

Maxamuz:

ruh roh: do IPAs give you man-boobs?

Eno Sarris: I’ve heard that, and yes my boobs have gotten bigger, but I’ve also had this nagging achilles problem for more than a month now, so not much working out.

Drew: Connoisseur of chicken strips and pepperoni pizza right here and let me tell you, those are not vices. All healthy.

Outfield Collision : Eno! Do I rock with Conforto or Pederson in a keeper league? Other two outfielders are Betts and S Marte. Or do I keep both and roll one out at utility and try to get Gausman or Eduardo back in the draft?

Eno Sarris: Keep both.

Offwhite sox: What are your thoughts on carlos rodon? Does he have a chance to take the next step? What are your expectations for the year?

Eno Sarris: yes I like rodon for a step forward next year. He’s almost like McCullers from the other side — changeup had good moveemnt, he just couldnt command it.

Hayek: The Dodgers supposedly want to use Jordan Schafer as a LHP and backup CF. Other than Babe Ruth during his last couple of years in Boston, has anyone played as both a pitcher and a position player with regularity?

Eno Sarris: That dude in Milwaukee and Arizona… Brooks Kieshnick?

Maxamuz: I think ZiPS took the crown last I saw

Batman: What happens to poor Michael Taylor in DC?

Eno Sarris: Backup / platoon guy.

Maxamuz: http://www.hardballtimes.com/evaluating-the-2014-projection-systems/

DDSP is not your buddy: DDSP always says he’s your buddy, but he’s not. He likes to use Mein Kampf as a basis for erotic fiction. IN DRAFTS

LORI@ ESTEFAN!!!: Hey!!!! I’m not going to win this year also I…. damn I pooped my pants gtg

RotoLando: I just got an email alert about my credit score dropping by one point during this chat. Thanks, Eno.

Eno Sarris: Phew.

kevinthecomic: When you used the word ‘jabroni’, which of the following definitions were you intending: (1) in professional wrestling, a wrestler who loses in order to make another wrestler look good; or (2) Italian profanity, slang for “dumb ass”?

Eno Sarris: Both. I didn’t even know about the second one and then I stopped using it for a while in case I was upsetting anyone but it still slips out.

Cubzos Bubzos: Addison Russell, baby!

Eno Sarris: I’m picking up what the fans are laying down: .268/.339/.437 with 16 homers and 8 stolen bases. A new young Jhonny Peralta, with plus plus glove.

Drew: Revere leaving Toronto takes away a nice value play in DFS. Will Pillar/Pompey/Travis be useable?

Eno Sarris: I like Pompey if he’s getting regular playing time. His profile usually does well.

Drew: If you tinker with the “stuff” post, please make sure that 99 has extra extra value over 94. Those higher velos are so rare that they should be worth increasingly more.

Eno Sarris: Yah, every pitch you throw over 94 has an increased likelihood of swSTR and decreased likelihood of HRA.

Elton: Is Brandon Moss cooked or what? I have the option of keeping for $4 in an NL-only league.

Eno Sarris: Wait as long as you can. I’d keep him in the current situation, but that’s fluid.

Bart: Where can I find your podcasts?

Eno Sarris: on www.fangraphs.com/fantasy under ‘Sleeper and the Bust’

Canha get a witness?: Hehe Canha get a witness

Eno Sarris: no but you canha cheezburger.

Art Vandelay: San Diego out on Desmond. Sounds like Zombie Alexei gets another starting job.

Eno Sarris: Maybe Braves sign Desmond instead of Cespedes. They can move him around. Third! Adonis is asadis.

Drew: Buying any shares of AJ Reed?

Eno Sarris: Yes. Singleton looks like a bust.

Bork: Are opt outs going to be become the new norm? If so, doesn’t that give even more leverage to large market teams that can throw out huge front loaded contracts?

Eno Sarris: Possible that the MLBPA tackles it in next CBA, but yeah looks like it IS the new norm.

Eno Sarris:

Johnny5Alive: of the hamels haul, which do you expect to the most impact the soonest? i know you like eikhoff, but a lot of people put alfaro as the top, but we all know about catching prospects… whats your take on nick williams, does he come up soon, can he play every day?

Eno Sarris: Really like Nick Williams. Hope the new K% is real. Think he could be up in September or next July.

Merv Throneberry: First you must address the ball.

Merv Throneberry: Hello ball.

Johnny5Alive: puig worth $15 in an NL only league?

Eno Sarris: yes

Bart: Thoughts on Carlos Carrasco this season.

Eno Sarris: giddyap

jono: did you ever share your thoughts on the DePodesta move? could you ever see yourself switching leagues? You play pickup hoop- would you ever try your hand in an NBA FO?

Eno Sarris: I think it’s fine. Obviously, it’s best to have a guy that knows the game and the stats, but I think he can pick it up quickly, and has played it. Basketball would be the one for me, yes.

you can put it on the bored: Nate Jones is filthy

Eno Sarris: Just needs the ligaments to stay in one piece.

GraigNettles: Stephen Piscotty: .275, 25 homers, with good counting stats reasonable?

Eno Sarris: very much so.

Prince Wednesday: Tell us more about the Beer & Baseball book…

Eno Sarris: A craft beer lover’s guide to baseball. Coming out this spring. Basically a hballpark beer review for all ballparks, with bonus stuff about where to find good beer outside the parks.

More Cowbell: Are people going a little too giddy for the Parra signing and what it might do for him now that he’s in Coors?

Eno Sarris: Can’t forget that he’ll probably only start 2/3 of the time still. And that last year probably career high in HR, coors or no.

Bork: anyone who takes offense to jabroni, is a jabroni

Brandon: not saying ‘jabroni’ for fear of upsetting anyone is something only a real jabroni would do

Eno Sarris: Well, I’m not Italian or Italian-American so just didn’t want to be throwing an offensive word out there without any claim to it.

Hubie Brooks: Clowns are funny but they get diarrhea too.

Eno Sarris: ….

Hungry: when was the last time you had a bud light?

Eno Sarris: Arizona Fall League, but I think it was Coors Light.

Shawn: VT gets the love in the Northeast but MA beer scene is crushing it right now – Treehouse, Trillium, Jack’s Abby, Night Shift, Clown Shoes

Eno Sarris: All amzing. Well, the last not on the same level IMO.

RotoLando: I AM THE GREAT CANHA-LIO! I NEEP TP FOR MY BYUNG-HO

Q-Ball: Speaking of Jon Singleton, many agents hated him taking a $10 mil guaranteed contract. If he busts, looks like that was a real smart move on his part. Thoughts?

Eno Sarris: yeah but what was that conversation like. “Jon, you’re probably not that good, you should take it.”

Bart: How many fantasy baseball teams to you play and do you play Ottoneu – which are your most challenging?

Eno Sarris: 12-15, always tryng to cut down, and yes, ottoneu is one of my most challenging. Might be because of my stance on prospects.

Grimm: Which one would you pick to keep? $10 Hamels $16 Carrasco $18 Archer

Eno Sarris: CC? I have him right there with Archer.

Engelbert Humperdinck: Sandwich update?

Eno Sarris: Got some soppresata for today!

Eno Sarris: I am currently doing the pee-pee dance.

Eno Sarris: And I caught up to the queue!

Eno Sarris: I think this is a meaningful moment.

Eno Sarris: I may piss myself if I don’t stop now.