Kevin Goldstein FanGraphs Chat – 2/28/2022

Kevin Goldstein: Hi everyone. Hope I can provide a temporary escape from the world around us. Let’s have some fun for about 90 minutes or so.

JC: Recently moved to Arizona, and with all the uncertainty around MLB, how possible is it to go watch complex league games here in season as a fan? Any tips as well? Thank you for doing these chats every Monday!

Kevin Goldstein: Good question. Right now, it might be a bit dicey as teams are being VERY cagey about having external people in their camps for a variety of reasons. Once we have a CBA, you’ll be much more open to going and honestly, the backfield games are a BLAST. Way better than the big league games.

Who’s Fabio?: Hey Kevin – thanks for prospects week content.  In the Moreno writeup it’s noted he has a flawed approach at the plate.  Without being too specific, can he improve/fix this flaw?  What’s wrong?

Kevin Goldstein: He can be a bit aggressive and expand the zone at times. It happens. It fact, it’s quite common what you have a plus-contact guy like Moreno who provides a ton of plate coverage. You want players to swing at pitches they can hit, and a guy like Moreno can hit a lot more pitches than your average bear. It’s a tough thing to ‘fix’ and maybe you don’t have to. Not everyone has to walk a ton, and walks=good don’t walks=bad is not true. The challenge on a development level is to get him to get from swing at pitches you can hit to swing at pitches you can drive, and that’s WAY easier said than done.

Jacob: I asked where Suzuki would’ve been on the top 100 list and you said you’d talk about it on Chin Music. I listened, but didn’t hear that discussion. Did I just zone out for a bit and miss it?

Kevin Goldstein: Yeah, we never hit on that. It really was a two-hour off the cuff conversation, and we should have touched on it. He would have been in the teens somewhere, but I feel strongly that he should NOT be seen as a prospect.

Jefferson: Can I get a #hottake on Jeter leaving the marlins? Everyone seems to be very neutral and treading softly in their press releases. Not sure what to make of that

Kevin Goldstein: Not from me. Front offices are very complicated, at times exceptionally political beasts, and even the most connected person on the Marlins beat knows at most 10% of what’s going on.

Bob: Can the cardinals pull off 2 free agent reliever signings? Seems like that’s the area of most need

Kevin Goldstein: Sure, why not?

Bob: The AP says that the union has ~$178mil saved away and the Athletic says that players would get $15k a month as a stipend.  That’s enough to float every member of the union for ~10 months.  We’re not seeing baseball until after the 4th of July are we?

Kevin Goldstein: It’s a war chest. All good unions put one together. Normal course of business. I was seen as super pessimistic when I said there was going to be a compressed spring training and 140-150 game regular season. I say the same thing now and I’m seen as super optimistic. Swinging emotionally off the minute-by-minute tick tock coming from reporters in Florida at the talks is a mistake.

Asinwreck: I really enjoyed the top 100

Kevin Goldstein: Thanks! We really enjoyed putting it together but I’m gonna throw a bit of a turd in the punchbowl tomorrow.

Terrell Renfro: Hey Kevin, Just wanted to hear your thoughts on the knuckleball and if teams have any interest in the pitch?

Kevin Goldstein: Sure. You are asking somebody who selected not one, but two knuckleball pitchers in the minor league Rule 5! Neither one worked out. It’s just such a hard pitch to master, and you have to master it. A good or even very good knuckleball pitcher is not good enough for the big leagues.

Jacob: What contributes most to Jung’s risk being “Low”?

Kevin Goldstein: The fact that the dude can hit.

Jacob: Why is Abram’s risk “High”? is it injury related? is it pitch selection related?

Kevin Goldstein: And injury related. We just haven’t seen a ton of him on the field.

Rowdy Tellez’s Counsin Once-Removed: Music battle: Bernie Williams vs. Barry Zito. Which concert do you attend?

Kevin Goldstein: They’re both talented musicians, but not for me. I’ll stay home and watch a movie.

Guest: The Padres spent a couple years with the top rated farm system (including here at FG).  The only star from that group is Tatis.  This can probably change, but it doesn’t look like there will be any perennial all stars from that group.  Even the players they traded look like average or less-than-that types.  Was the system just overrated?  Or maybe something to do with player development at the upper levels?

Kevin Goldstein: Bad outcomes certainly, but it certainly has something to do with the expectations that prospects produce that are unrealistic. Maybe I should write about that . . .

Guest: Are prospects like (current) MacKenzie Gore, and before him Whitley, basically untradeable? Could a front office consider trading these guys so low, or is the risk of the player blossoming at another team mean that the front office wouldn’t take risk?

Kevin Goldstein: The problem is, if you are the Padres or the Astros is that there are still some very good outcome possibilities for that player, but nobody is going to trade anything good for them.

Inaccessible Rail: I am beginning to think that my relationship with MLB is akin to one with an abusive spouse. I feel like I should just walk away for good, but somehow I can’t. What’s wrong with me? Why do I continue to put $$$ in the pockets of owners I despise?

Kevin Goldstein: Because you love baseball and you love baseball players.

Jack B: Alright let’s get it out of the way. How many games do you think will be played this season?

Kevin Goldstein: 146

Jack B: If the lockout continues, do you think college baseball will be televised more in early April?

Kevin Goldstein: Probably not.

Dave: What’s for lunch?

Kevin Goldstein: Leftover chicken.

Dave: I’m also in the home buying phase right now. Has it been your experience that inspectors tend to be quite rude? Have encountered some very abbrasive folks this week.

Kevin Goldstein: We just haven’t gotten to that point. We’ve only made one offer, and it wasn’t enough in this crazy market. I remember the dude who inspected the house I live in now more than a decade ago and he was quite cool but he was an expert in super old houses so very interested in the place.

Dan: No question yet. Just want to say hello and hope that you are doing well

Kevin Goldstein: Hi Dan, I’m doing more than well enough. It’s important to remind yourself just how good you have it once in a while, and I have it very very good.

Mike B: James Harden & Joel Embiid are giving me something to watch while baseball suffers self inflicted death by a billion cuts.

Kevin Goldstein: James Harden has a beard and the only thing I know about Joel Embiid is that he went to the same high school as Francisco Lindor.

Chuck: What was the prospect team’s behind the scenes consensus on Matt Brash?

Kevin Goldstein: He had strong considerations for the bottom of the list and fell just short.

Berry9: Once an agreement is made and the lockout ends (fingers crossed sometime soon) what will be the delay for FA signings and trades? A day or two, or right away?

Kevin Goldstein: Good question. I’ve been saying it for a while, but teams are anticipating about a seven-day ramp to camp starting. Transactions will start earlier, but not right away. There will be some kind of joint presser with both sides saying we have baseball but there is going to be a 48-72 hour period of tightening up the agreement and getting full union ratification.

JB: In the (extremely fresh) wake of the Jeter news, and considering the Cardinals and Mike Shildt used similar language in their release – what does a difference of opinion on the direction of the franchise mean? Is it as simple as one side wants to win and the other wants to save money?

Kevin Goldstein: It’s almost certainly far more complicated than that.

Inaccessible Rail: I keep hearing that the Mets are in on Kikuchi. That guy scares me. K rate barely above average, lots of really hard contact. Am I right to be scared?

Kevin Goldstein: I actually think he’s a very good FA target for anyone.

Bob: Are there any lessons to be learned from Forrest Whitley’s career progression?

Kevin Goldstein: Sure. That players change, at times in dramatic ways in both good and bad directions.

RFLMBillyFish: How much does it cost to run an academy in the DR?

Kevin Goldstein: Millions.

The Sid: Has there been any thought of MLB starting the season using replacement players?

Kevin Goldstein: Absolutely not.

Frank: Who are some players that did not appear on your top 100 or picks to click that could emerge over the year. Thanks

Kevin Goldstein: We have a whole picks to click piece up!

JC: Have you ever attended the CWS in Omaha, and if so what were your thoughts on the environment as a fan and as a scout?

Kevin Goldstein: I have not. Huge hole in my baseball history.

Sirras: What are some of the biggest differences between how industry insiders view farm systems/prospects vs how the public/fans at large view them? Worth an article?

Kevin Goldstein: It’s sitting on my second monitor right now. About half done. Need to do some more math.

tyler: When I bought a house, the offer/negotiation process felt as close as I would get to making a play for a free agent/trade target. The excitement! The jitters! The stress!

Kevin Goldstein: Tyler, I gotta thank you for the ability to make a rant. I told my wife a week ago, when offering on a house, that I’ve done free agent negotiations for players at a financial commitment exponentially more than what we are offering on a house, and this home bidding process is way less logical or straight forward and ten times more frustrating. It’s a massively inefficient process and I don’t understand why it’s this way from the seller’s side.

Owners 🙁: I remember reading something about swing decisions being hard to change. Is it similar with stolen base decisions? Is that something that is considered coachable, or is it mostly just instincts?

Kevin Goldstein: I think improving stolen base % is easier than fixing swing decisions.

Sirras: Give us the FanGraphs secrets – who microwaves fish in the lunch room? (and yes I do know that you’re remote!)

Kevin Goldstein: I’m setting Szymborski as most likely to.

Sirras: Are there any questions we as a community ask that you particularly enjoy or are frustrated by?

Kevin Goldstein: I’m always happy to discuss how the sausage is made in terms of FO stuff and I’m really happy that the readers seem to really love that stuff as well. It’s a blast to talk about. I tend to ignore fantasy questions like “Rank these three random guys.”

Jim: Can you elaborate on Kikuchi? Is there underlying data that makes him interesting?

Kevin Goldstein: There is. I get that he’s been frustrating, but there’s stuff there.

Doug: in your experience do FO generally lean toward the union, granted it is management that signs checks? If owners got super serious about union breaking/weakening would some FO speak out?

Kevin Goldstein: Yeah, it’s tough. For the most part, FOs are caught in the middle while usually being pro-player. They like baseball, they like players, but the owner’s sign their checks and the owners define their budget, etc.

Lawrence: Are all players preparing right now and training/building up arm strength privately?

Kevin Goldstein: Most are, yes.

Sirras: What non-player position (coach, manager, front office, etc) is most underappreciated by the fans relative to their contribution to the team’s success?

Kevin Goldstein: Director of Player Development.

Guest: Hi Kevin.  I enjoy your ultraspecific, 6 or 7 figure answers whenever someone asks you for a percentage chance of something.  I’m a bit curious though, are they completely random numbers because you hate to make predictions like that, or actual predictions with the extra significant figures for comedic effect (e.g. does 15.6429% mean something different from 74.22753%)

Kevin Goldstein: Yeah, the numbers to the left of the decimal point are genuinely considered. The numbers after the decimal point are me having fun.

Drew: Do fans/readers underrate a player being a 1.5-2 war guy as an outcome for prospects?

Kevin Goldstein: Yes. At times exceptionally so.

Guest: Why does college baseball still use metal bats? I find it strange, correct me if I’m wrong for thinking that. Does the big aluminum bat industry possess a stranglehold on the NCAA?

Kevin Goldstein: It does, but it’s only a lot of money to do wood bats and a lot of college programs, most really, are not money making sports. I personally think MLB should supply D1 with wood bats, but I digress.

Thomas: Have you ever played Strat-o-Matic? I’m shortly joining a league that’s been around longer than I’ve been alive. Equal parts nervous and excited

Kevin Goldstein: Played a TON in my younger days. I still remember a Sid Fernandez no-hitter when I was a teen.

Dave: Would there be much utility in an MLB front office bringing in an data analyst/scientist from a different sport just for the different analytics perspective they could bring?

Kevin Goldstein: Teams do it all the time already! I know of analysts right now with big league teams that have previously worked for NBA or NFL teams.

Guest: Odds that Jeter’s resigning is a show of solidarity for players and a principled stand against his disillusionment with ownership groups?

Kevin Goldstein: Nope.

Insert Witty Name Here: How good is the coffee in the front office? Gourmet shit that even Tarantino wild enjoy?

Kevin Goldstein: I can only speak of Houston, and my answer is that I was well acquainted with the Starbucks across the street.

Tom: Do hitting coaches really make a difference?  It seems rare when a new guy is brought in and sudden improvements happen.

Kevin Goldstein: They make a difference.

NotAA: when Scouts/Directors become overly friendly with prospects does that ever become an issue within the FO just for the accuracy of their evaluation? Asking for a friend….

Kevin Goldstein: It does not.

Tom: In your time with the Astros, did you ever throw a trade offer at the Angels for Trout?  Are there some players that are never brought up in trade as it would be pointless?

Kevin Goldstein: Never did.

Kevin Goldstein: I would want some kind of indication that there’s at least a 1% chance of it being worth our while for a player like Trout.

Inaccessible Rail: During the Marvin Miller era, the press and most fans were very pro-owner. That seems to have changed. What happened? Has it really changed, or is just what I read that has changed?

Kevin Goldstein: I think if you polled ALL fans today, they’d still be pro owner, but not anywhere near the level of the Miller days. I don’t think it’s a baseball thing as much as it’s a overall culture thing as society has become more distrustful of those in power, often for very legitimate reasons.

Jacques Pederson: Will front office staff be put on furlough if the season is delayed a few months?

Kevin Goldstein: A few months? No.

I say Halo: Please share your thoughts on Max Stassi both as an Astro and now as an Angel.

Kevin Goldstein: Great defender with enough offense. Fantastic human being.

Jack B: Do you trust media sources that publish/tweet updates about the negotiations?

Kevin Goldstein: Direct facts? Yes. Opinions on how or when this ends? No.

SJ: RE: that Trout question, I would think the point that it is definitely not worthwhile is once he’s extended. Do you think teams would still ask about Soto once the lockout is over?

Kevin Goldstein: They would be foolish not to.

Guest: Do FO employees ever get to practice/play/run around on the field when at the stadium?

Kevin Goldstein: Not really. There are people who workout in the stands, doing steps and the like.

Bill: Jeter did a ______ job with the Marlins.

Kevin Goldstein: Incomplete.

Guest: This may be a stupid question, but I didn’t play baseball growing up. I read prospect evaluators talk about “seeing a guy with a wood bat for the first time” and wonder, besides the obvious, how it’s different than swinging a metal bat. Heavier? Harder to control?

Kevin Goldstein: The biggest difference is the size of the sweet spot. You really have to square one up with a wood bat, while basically a metal bat is one giant sweet spot.

Guest: By agreeing to a Luxury Tax threshold years ago, the players already accepted a soft salary cap. Why wouldn’t they now accept a salary floor? Might as well take the good with the bad.

Kevin Goldstein: It’s not good, it actually depressed overall spending.

Guest: re: the question about FO on the field. Would security actually run you off if two FO employees decided to throw on the field during their lunch break in the offseason? Or would it be stopped before you even got that far?

Kevin Goldstein: I would hope those two wouldn’t decide to just do that without getting a ton of permission.

Jack B: What was your first job in baseball?

Kevin Goldstein: On which side? Public or private?

Johnny Rico: Are there any non-former players as head of Player Devs?

Kevin Goldstein: Most.

Jason: I’ve heard scouts say prospect lists are bull excrement and many writers have the same sources so it often turns into a lot of groupthink that is only marginally representative of how people inside the game value the players. As someone who has been inside the FO and written a prospect list what is your perspective?

Kevin Goldstein: I think our list is an excellent combination of how the industry sees these players, but that individual teams would have wildly differentiating lists.

Sirras: Are you at all surprised by the number of players reported to be routinely at the bargaining meetings?

Kevin Goldstein: Not at all.

Kretin: What are the chances of the entire season being canceled?

Kevin Goldstein: 0.074912381238%

Jack B: Re: first job in baseball: Public

Kevin Goldstein: Baseball America.

Mets fan: How common is VR in player development?

Kevin Goldstein: Still rare.

jimmy: if you were god emporer of the world and by extension baseball, what would be our alternative to having “owners” of baseball teams?

Kevin Goldstein: I mean, there’s a reasonable public trust argument to be made, but it’s a waste of time because it’s never going to happen.

Guest: Fastest baserunner you’ve ever seen?

Kevin Goldstein: I think Billy Hamilton.

Topher: when did you figure out you wanted to have a job in baseball?

Kevin Goldstein: I don’t know. My career has been a very go with the flow kinda thing, and find things I want to do.

Monday Maniac: Mike Trout’s 2010s dominance has to be up there pretty high in all-time great decades, right?

Kevin Goldstein: I mean, are there people who don’t think that?

14343: Hey KG. I remember when the Stros were close to landing Harper (in ’19?). Would you mind expanding briefly on what was the package Houston was planning on sending over? And perhaps what went wrong?

Kevin Goldstein: It would be bad form to talk about the package, but I was sure that deal was done.

heat: Will someone throw 107 in a MLB game in the next 20 years?

Kevin Goldstein: I don’t know! There has to be some upper limit of just what is capable physically. It’s a better question for a bio-mechanist, of which I am not.

171: I recently looked up Byron Buxton’s height and 6’2″ can’t be right, can it?

Kevin Goldstein: Why is that not right?

jimmy: if you can’t answer what the package for bryce was, can you indicate if it in retrospect it would have made the nationals much better today?

Kevin Goldstein: Not really!

Yankees: Does Gary Sanchez ever return to 2017 Gary?

Kevin Goldstein: Probably not.

Mike: how do you like your coffee?

Kevin Goldstein: Iced.

Sean: Let’s flip the Trout question around… were there any Astros that you were told from higher up that were not ever to be discussed in trades?

Kevin Goldstein: No.

Josh: How good of a handle do front offices have on their own prospects? Is everyone in the front office up to speed on 30 players? 50? 100?

Kevin Goldstein: Different people have different depth. Some would be 30, some would be 150+.

Jeff: On Charlie Morton:

1. Is he really as phenomenal a guy as the media seems to suggest?
2. Who in the Houston system was most responsible for his 2017 emergence as a dominant starter? Just a shocking late-career turnaround for the guy

Kevin Goldstein: Yes; a combination of scouts, front office led analytics and pitching coaches.

Nate: So were you the actual point guy on that Harper deal? I’m a little curious about how this all played out now…bet that was a bummer when that fell through

Kevin Goldstein: Nah. That’s way too big a deal for me to run point on. I was advising.

Jacques Pederson: When crosschecking the list, did any scout or front-office person bring up a guy that made you say “who?”

Kevin Goldstein: Certainly some surprised, but certainly not any players that I just flat out hadn’t heard of.

171: You mentioned Johnny Rizer as your favorite senior in his class, can you expand briefly on what you liked about him and if you still feel the same way today?

Kevin Goldstein: There was some athleticism there, a decent approach, some sneaky pop. I thought there were some 4th OF possibilities, which is pretty good for a senior sign.

Guest: Generally speaking, if money isn’t involved, does ownership have to sign off on every trade? Does ownership care if prospects are traded?

Kevin Goldstein: It’s very team by team. Some owners are hands off, some owners want to be told what is going on but ultimately defer to the FO as long as they stay within budget, and some are involved to the point of approving/disapproving moves.

Jason: This summer’s draft class looks like one of the most exciting in a very long time with plenty of the most valuable types of prospects (young hitters with massive ceilings). Is that how it is seen within the industry?

Kevin Goldstein: It’s seen as very unbalanced in terms of hitting > pitching.

Carlos Rodon: Which teams do you think will be in the mix for me?  Are you concerned about my health?

Kevin Goldstein: Many; yes.

Kevin Goldstein: But to be clear, even with the health concerns, teams should be interested.

BarryBondsJuicedForOurSins: Do any scout or front office guy really pound the table for a guy or against a guy when you’re making the list to the point you rethink your eval, and/or are scared?

Kevin Goldstein: Always and often.

Sean: What about service time manipulation?  Was it talked about in the front office?  Was there just a hush hush agreement that minor league guys wouldn’t be brought up to the show for a month or so?

Kevin Goldstein: For better or worse, a bit of a don’t hate the player/hate the game attitude.

Kevin Goldstein: For the most part.

Nathan: I’m the love island guy from a few weeks ago. By “favourite”, I mean which couple were you the most entertained by?

Kevin Goldstein: Anyone with a geordie accent.

NotAA: Would I be crazy for rooting against an International Draft being put in place?

Kevin Goldstein: I don’t know. We just have no idea what the structure is going to look like, really.

Ben: During the lockout, what would be the penalty (would there be one?) if 2 GMs were caught planning a trade to make official once the lockout is over?

Kevin Goldstein: Penalty? Nah. Probably just a talking to.

Jack B: Mick Abel over Jack Leiter in your rankings. I know they’re close, but what separates them?

Kevin Goldstein: But of an upside > certainly discussion.

Sean: Is it to a team’s benefit to pound the table for their prospects to be rated higher on your list?  I assume that most teams are reviewing these lists… what do you think?

Kevin Goldstein: You gain a feel for which teams are blowing smoke on their guys and which are being straight forward pretty quickly.

Rick: How many of these baseball owners are actual real baseball fans? So much greed in my opinion.

Kevin Goldstein: All of them are. They really love baseball. That doesn’t make them right, per se, but the owners tend to really love baseball.

171: Do FO people get upset about having to play the service time game? I would feel that most FO would want their best players to be playing on the big league team for the most amount of games.

Kevin Goldstein: Yes.

NotAA: How much easier is it to build a profile on college players who where highly regarded out of high school? (ex: Dylan Crews)

Kevin Goldstein: Track records are very valuable pieces for evaluations.

Tom: Have any of your contacts from the league contacted you to complain of where you placed their guys?

Kevin Goldstein: A few . . . always in a fun way.

Jacob: Ricardo Genoves was not added to the 40 man for the Giants, do you think that means they don’t see him as much and do you see him being picked in R5 draft?

Kevin Goldstein: Well, first off we might not even have a rule 5 draft, but I wouldn’t not see adding/not adding a guy to a roster as a direct correlation to how a team sees a player in terms of talent or upside.

Guest: Chances of Nick Yorke becoming Dustin Pedroia 2.0 for the Sox?

Kevin Goldstein: Low. Doesn’t mean he won’t, but how many guys can you just say will be 5-6 win players?

Tom: What about player’s families?  Do they ever reach out of talk to you in person?  I’m not in Julio Rodriguez family, but he should have been #1! Haha

Kevin Goldstein: At times they do and have, but obviously you can’t take it seriously or get mad about it.

Kretin: Has there been a date set for the Rule 5 draft?

Kevin Goldstein: Can’t do that without a CBA, and again, it might just not happen.

Guest: How frequently does a team outright downplay their prospects to you? Is there a tangible benefit to that?

Kevin Goldstein: Very rarely, and it’s obvious when it’s happening. Happens the other way as well, but again, rarely.

RFLMBillyFish: Who tends to “own” the decision to call up a non-40-man player? Thinking of Owen Miller hitting like 500 at AAA for a stretch last spring – is there somebody saying, “Jesus, get that kid a locker”? How’s that work?

Kevin Goldstein: It’s ultimately the GMs call, but obviously tons of voices in the discussion. PD people, scouts, player personnel folks, analysts, etc.

Guest: is marco luciano the real deal?

Kevin Goldstein: I’m quite sure he’s real, as in, he hasn’t been made up.

Guest: Is there ever any animosity between traditional rivalries’ FOs? Or is it more of a friendly rivalry than rivalries between the fanbases or even the players? Thinking about Yanks/Sox, Giants/Dodgers, Cards/Cubs. I know some of those old Yanks/Sox players probably hated each other, like A-Rod and Varitek, but does that spill over into the FO?

Kevin Goldstein: Not really.

Kevin Goldstein: Ok, entering the final stretch.

Guest: How scared are teams of making trades with the Rays?

Kevin Goldstein: They still do trades. They still get some of them wrong.

Kevin: do you think Luke Berryhill or Marty Costes can be big league regulars?

Kevin Goldstein: Regulars? No.

Erik: Hadn’t Charlie Morton already made a bunch of changes the year before with the Phillies? He just blew out his hamstring running out a bunt early in the year so nobody really noticed.

Kevin Goldstein: Yes, correct.

Tom: Is beer always available in the locker room?  Are guys drinking after most games?

Kevin Goldstein: Most are not, actually.

Jack B: Best game you’ve attended as a fan?

Kevin Goldstein: At the time, game 5 of the 2017 World Series.

Erik: I interpreted the lack of qualifying offers for Kershaw and Rodon as extremely worrying signs and would be surprised if they don’t wind up missing a significant portion of the season. Am I overreacting?

Kevin Goldstein: You are.

Jack B: Any chance of Kershaw joining Max and deGrom in NY?

Kevin Goldstein: That would surprise me. I think he’s going to stay in LA or go to Texas.

NotAA: If I told you that a high school team needed you to hit for them tomorrow what’s your line gonna be?

Kevin Goldstein: Really bad. I’m 52 with a bad knee and I wasn’t ever good at baseball in the first place.

Sean: Is beer provided by the team?  Do they take requests?  What about weed now that it is legal?

Kevin Goldstein: Yes, yes, no.

Yankees: Will anything drastic happen with shifts?

Kevin Goldstein: I think there’s a possibility. I don’t think it should, but it might.

Frank Thomas the Tank Engine: Will the players agree to a pitch clock?

Kevin Goldstein: They should, and will eventually.

Matt: Random question: who runs MLB and MiLB team’s websites, particularly in regards to updating the rosters on there? Is it someone in baseball ops, someone working for MLB/MiLB?

Kevin Goldstein: I assume they are automated.

Jacob: How often do players truly try to have a say in roster moves, and are they ever actually insightful or helpful?

Kevin Goldstein: Very very rarely.

Josh: In your experience, how self aware are minor leaguers in their ability?

Kevin Goldstein: Repeat mantra: It’s always player to player. Some think they have it all figure out, and others properly recognize that they are a long way away from being ready.

DJ: Do you have any early season trips planned to Beloit? If so, would you be open to FG readers saying hello while you’re there?

Kevin Goldstein: I will at some point, and of course! I’m no jerk.

Kevin Goldstein: Ok, some people think I’m a jerk, but nearly anyone who creates things for the public is always happy to hear from people who like said things.

Guest: Thanks for doing chats. Always a bright spot in my week.

Kevin Goldstein: And for me as well! So on that thanks for spending your lunch hour with me and I’ll see you next week!