Kevin Goldstein FanGraphs Chat – 6/7/2021

Kevin Goldstein: Happy Monday everyone! Missed you fine folks last week due to the holiday, so I’ll get to as many questions as I can before I clear the deck for Ben Clemens in two hours.

Mike: As a Braves fan, I feel like this Ozuna thing has zapped a lot of my excitement. Are they really going to be on the hook for his contract for three more years? I’m not sure they can realistically compete with the Mets/Dodgers/Padres group in the future if that’s the case.

Kevin Goldstein: Ken Rosenthal covered this well. While there are clauses that allow teams to terminate contracts, those clauses have not been collectively bargained and it’s likely that any action would lead to a grievance and it’s all very ugly and complicated.

AJM: Bubba Thompson has gotten off to a good start at AA.  Is he getting himself back on the prospect map, or do you think this is a mirage?

Kevin Goldstein: It’s worth putting a checkmark next to his name. He’s really tooled out, and it’s something to track. Still some approach issues to solve, so it’s still TBD but so far so good.

Vince L.: Does a front office ever reach out to another team, to check in on player interest, after that team has a significant injury? In other words, did Aaron Hicks’ injury cause other teams to check in with the Yankees? Does that kind of reach-out happen frequently?

Kevin Goldstein: They do, but you have to kind of respect what the team is going through. Maybe just a text a few days later. Don’t want to be tacky.

Darren: Is it a pretty clear top 7 for the draft: Vandy boys, Davis, Mayer, Lawler, House, Watson?  Anyone you would add or drop?

Kevin Goldstein: I think that’s fair, but it’s important to note that I would not be that those are the first seven picks.

Andrew: Very quietly, Tomas Nido has been hitting much better than expected in parts of two seasons. Is this small sample size noise, or is there something here that suggests he’s figured something out?

Kevin Goldstein: I think it’s at least fair to say the Mets are likely more comfortable with their catcher situation than they expected.

Darren: Do you think Competitive Bonus picks and Qualifying offer picks will still exist next year?

Kevin Goldstein: Hard to say. Historically, the draft has always been an afterthought in terms of the CBA. It’s often the last thing they discuss, including one time where it was hashed out after they announced they had an agreement.

Adam: If you have a batter who sees 10 pitches every at-bat, guaranteed, with each ending in an out, walk, or single (no extra base hits) and a .310-.330 OBP, how valuable of a player is he?

Kevin Goldstein: This is a fun question. There’s some value to extending pitch counts, but can’t say this player is super valuable.

Tucker: What team is the absolute floor for Rocker? Could he fall out of the top 10?

Kevin Goldstein: That would surprise me.

Quarantino Martinez: Hi Kevin! Any insight into what the Astros do with their rotation down the stretch? Luis Garcia looks so good, but doesn’t have a lot of innings in his history.

Kevin Goldstein: Just ride it out.

Eric: A lot of scouting sites didn’t have Joe Gray Jr in even the top 30 for the brewers, how much is his stock up after his very good start in Carolina?

Kevin Goldstein: It’s up for sure. Tools are huge. Definitely whiff issues.

Kiermaier’s Piercing Green Eyes: If you were in a front office that locked in Cole or Bauer on mega contracts, how much would you be sweating the sudden sticky stuff crackdown? What would the reaction be?

Kevin Goldstein: If they crack down on everyone, the bar moves, and they remain two of the best pitchers in the game, so really not very concerned?

Mets fan: Do you have any thoughts on the mets prospect Carlos Cortes? He is a bit older, but really seems like he can handle the bat. Dominated the Australian baseball league over the winter and is off to a good start in AA

Kevin Goldstein: He has some offensive ability, but the question has always been is it enough to cover for his other shortcomings.

Justin: What happens when one team pretty clearly rips off another team?  What goes through, say, the Astros’ mind when, say, the Pirates give a Meadows Glasnow and Baz for Archer?   Is there just sort of a collective eye roll?   An anger for missing out on taking advantage of that situation?  Does it not even register, as there’s enough other stuff to worry about?

Kevin Goldstein: It certainly registers, but like you say, briefly.

Brandon: At catcher, the Dodgers have Will Smith (arguably top 5 in baseball, 4.5 years of team control left), Austin Barnes (strong defensively and good rapport with pitchers, 1.5 years left), and 2 top~100 ish prospects in Keibert Ruiz (improved swing, hitting well at triple a so far) and Diego Cartaya (mashing at single a, still a teenager). What would you do if you were them, and what do you/the industry think they’ll do?

Kevin Goldstein: It’s always wrong to assume you have too many players at one position. Just let it ride for now.

Tim: Thoughts on Brooks Raley? He has suddenly become Dusty’s second most trusted reliever despite the high ERA although his xERA/xFIP are much lower. Did the Astros turn him into something usable?

Kevin Goldstein: They did. He’s a usable big league reliever.

Justin: Are you still doing keto?   Any idea if it’s helped your lipids?

Kevin Goldstein: I am. More of a lazy keto where I don’t count anything but stay away from sugar and carbs.

Kate: Not really a prospect anymore, but Patrick Sandoval had 32 whiffs last night.  Against the Mariners, yes, but I’m not sure you can fake THAT level of swing and miss.  Is there something to get excited about here?

Kevin Goldstein: It’s an outstanding changeup, and he should be a usable back-end starter.

Justin: Who do you think the Pirates are taking at pick 1?

Kevin Goldstein: I’d bet on Mayer today, but it’s not with a lot of confidence.

Kate: Obviously old for the level, but Greg Jones racking up the counting stats at A+.  However he’s also King a ton.  Does the high K rate worry you (esp given the age for level)?

Kevin Goldstein: It’s probably always going to be an issue, but he does so many things. Ellite speed, on-base skills, sneaky pop. Lots to make up for the whiffs.

Mike: Hey Kevin – saw you mention it on twitter but wanted to get your thoughts on the DSL and GCL/AZL seasons and whether they’ll get full seasons. With the draft coming, how will all of these guys get playing time? Seems like a lot of young players losing out on development time.

Kevin Goldstein: There will be a DSL, it will just start a month late in early July. Complex leagues on schedule.

Guest: safe to assume there are no 70 or 80 baseball movies? what’s the highest grade you’d give one / which one?

Kevin Goldstein: Pretty damn safe, in terms of non-documentary films.

Jack: Hey Kevin, you directed me to listen to the podcast for your opinion on the A’s ballpark situation – good compilation of much of the available info but you yourself never took a stance on what you think will happen. Do you think they end up building in Oakland or moving elsewhere?

Kevin Goldstein: I think they’re gone.

Kate: Do you think Alzolay’s lack of a third pitch will eventually stat to give him issues?  Or is the slider and two fastballs enough?

Kevin Goldstein: It’s enough. If you have another pitch, and it’s way below the others in terms of quality, why throw it a lot?

billsaints: Way too early gut feelings on likelihood of a strike next year? Have you talked to any players about it? Someone like Adley R. must be (especially) nervous about it, a year lost to pandemic + strike. He’ll be 25 year old rookie that should have been up  at 22/23.

Kevin Goldstein: Technically, it’s going to be a lockout, and I think it’s about a 55% chance of happening.

Bryan: How do you evaluate the value of catchers and catching prospects?  Some of their defensive value is hard to measure, and if a prospect has to move off catcher, their offense bar goes way up.

Kevin Goldstein: It’s hard. You really have to talk to people about the defense, and more importantly, the stuff that’s harder to see from the stands like game management. Really lean on scouts and team folks when looking at catchers….

Dodger Fan: The Dodgers’ Rangel Ravelo has a ridiculous .412 BA with a 208 wRC+ in AAA. Any chance he becomes an impact MLB player, given he’s already 29 years old?

Kevin Goldstein: No. More of a up and down bat piece.

Tal: The Mets have three guys in High-A who have been making a ton of noise recently, at least within the organization. Who has the best outlook of Alvarez, Baty, and Mauricio?

Kevin Goldstein: I go Alvarez, Mauricio, Baty, but really like all three of them.

Wicho: The Padres are already talking about Gallo but how does public discussion affect the way team’s go about business? Is there a sense of pressure on FO’s when names start getting floated publicly?

Kevin Goldstein: Not really. You can’t let that kind of stuff enter your decision process.

feddy: some players in the minor leagues are playing for team USA right now: how does that work? how’s the selection process, how does the national team get it cleared with the MLB teams, what happens if they get hurt, how does it work contractually, etc. or is there anything else important about this?

Kevin Goldstein: They do have to get permission from the team, and if the player is not part of your immediate big league future, you usually let him play if he’s 100% healthy.

J: Korey Lee is raking at High A and is about to turn 23. How long do you figure until he gets sent to Corpus?

Kevin Goldstein: Probably second-half. I’m a big fan. Real pop, good OBP skills, cannon for an arm. Not a big hit tool but lots of secondary skills and he’s a really good dude.

Field of Dreams: Over the weekend I read something about the “sticky stuff” in MLB, with some people estimating 80% of pitchers are cheating. Is that high? Is that 80% of pitchers using stuff like sunscreen, or is that 80% using glue-stuff?

Kevin Goldstein: I would have guesses two-third to three fourths, and it’s just using SOME kind of substance.

ryan: do you see Jonathan India settling in as a solidly above average player, perhaps akin to Todd Fraizer in terms of overall value?

Kevin Goldstein: I wouldn’t guarantee that, but I don’t think it’s out of the question.

Becca: What did you think about Robert Puason? Do you think he ever merited the hype or was the hype mainly due to the fact that his name was attached to the Braves scandal?

Kevin Goldstein: I saw him when he was 14 and 15 and put very big money on him both times.

Peterman: Do front offices care (or even believe) that some guys are “streaky”? I’m thinking of someone like Oswald Peraza, who murdered the ball over a 4-5 game stretch in mid-May but has otherwise been close to league average.

Kevin Goldstein: Some do, some don’t. I personally believe some players are more streaky than others, and the challenge is to figure out what they are doing right/wrong when they are hot/cold.

Alec: When do members of the front office begin to feel the heat when a team is not living up to expectations (i.e. Yankees and Twins FO) is there a state of urgency that builds up?

Kevin Goldstein: BIG TIME.

Sad, Confused Marlins Fan: Yanks jump the gun on Gittens or are they just so starved for a spark?

Kevin Goldstein: I mean, he’s not a kid. Might as well see what you have.

Shoshana: What do you think will happen to service time in the next CBA? I understand why they’re doing it, but it’s frustrating to see prospects artificially kept in the MiL due to team control issues.

Kevin Goldstein: I don’t know, but I do know that a big issue for the players is creating a system that incentivizes teams to put their best product on the field.

Mitch: You and Eric do a great job here of organizing players into “FV” tiers which makes it easy for fans and readers like myself to generally understand how highly a prospect is regarded. My question is how do teams talk about tiers of prospects amongst each other? For example how would you explain to another team that you’re only willing to give up a 40FV guy for a rental reliever etc. Do teams use this grading scale as well?

Kevin Goldstein: Some do, some don’t. The Astros did not use these kind of role grades, but somewhere around half or a little more do. I’m not a fan of them.

Lee Bum-Ho: Really cool piece on trade season conversations – Are there any FO execs who come to mind with reputations for being intimidatingly good trade negotiators?

Kevin Goldstein: Intimidating? No. Tough? Sure. I’ll have a couple of followups to that piece this week….

High Cheese: What does a typical work day look like for a front office employee who is not travelling?

Kevin Goldstein: It’s one of the best part of the job in that there is no typical work day. It really depends on what is going on and where we are on the calendar.

High Cheese: Who do you have as the quickest mover in this year’s draft?  Do we see a 2021 draftee in the bigs this year?

Kevin Goldstein: Probably not . . . maybe Sam Bachman in a relief role?

Scott of Lincolnshire: Are you in favor of trading draft picks?

Kevin Goldstein: Very much so.

Angels: What does a Rendon trade look like and who would take him? He is Pujols 2.0, but with less credentials. How did a guy with 1 AS, 2 SS and 0 GG/MVP get 7/245?

Kevin Goldstein: Teams do not look at awards when thinking about players…

Dave: What is Chas McCormick’s ceiling? Does the pop translating to the big league level surprise you at all?

Kevin Goldstein: I would have said 4th OF in March, and I’ll still say that.

Bubba: Which division race is the biggest surprise to you so far this season?

Kevin Goldstein: Gotta be the NL West because of the Giants, no?

Sammie: What are you hearing about how teams feel regarding the reported enforcement of foreign substance rules? Should some teams be more or less worried than others?

Kevin Goldstein: I don’t think it’s one team more than any other. It’s a real mix of people I talk to. Some want the rule enforced and others take about the sudden aspect of this what it has been de-criminalized for decades.

Kretin: Can Patrick Sandoval become a regular in the Angels rotation?

Kevin Goldstein: Sure. More back-of than front-of, but sure.

Brent: What was it like to be in a front office on a rebuilding team? Was it easy to maintain perspective and dream on the long-term benefits of constructing an organization almost from scratch or did the hundreds of losses in the interim ever cause you to question the plan?

Kevin Goldstein: The constant losing at the big league level is NOT fun, but yes, you need to stay focused on the long-term vision.

Gerry: You’ve been very complimentary in the past of Brian Cashman. I agree he’s done a fantastic job, but this team has regressed significantly over the last 4 years. Do you think there would be value in handing it to a new voice to lead baseball ops a la what happened with the Cubs or the NBA’s Celtics? If not what’s Cash’s play to fix this mess? Can’t sit on your hands much longer.

Kevin Goldstein: What do you want him to do? There’s not a ton of room for roster movement if the team is healthy…

Guest: Whom should Mariners fans be more concerned about? Jared Kelenic or Evan White?

Kevin Goldstein: Evan White.

copecru: The Astros seem to be very good at identifying good young arms. Are the same people in place for this to continue?

Kevin Goldstein: Oz Ocampo is with the Pirates and did a FANTASTIC job of this. That said, many of the core DR scouts remains, and they’re a great group.

Pumpsie Green: If there is no deal, will it be a strike or a lock-out? I’m guessing the owners will trot out the sanctity of a full season (ludicrous, I know, given the past two years), but who actually presses the big, red, MAD button first?

Kevin Goldstein: It’s actually not an act of aggression as much as it’s a technicality. If the CBA expires without a new deal (and that’s overwhelmingly likely to happen), the players are technically locked out. No button is pressed, it happens automatically.

dummy: So it looks like the top of the 2022 draft is going to be much better than the top of the 2021 draft. Would a team ever consider intentionally going the Brady Aiken route so they have 2 top picks next year instead of 1? I know it wasn’t intentional for the Astros but it seemed to work out for the best in the end…

Kevin Goldstein: No team wants to lose a top pick right there in front of them.

Peter: How do you feel about Bretty Baty? Any chance of being an impact player at third base?

Kevin Goldstein: More of an impact played at 1B.

Guest: Which position’s asking price will be most affected by supply/demand at the deadline?

Kevin Goldstein: Starting pitchers that can start a playoff game. Always.

Guest: Who are the favorites to win the baseball event at the olympics?

Kevin Goldstein: Don’t know until we know what all of the rosters look like. To be honest, I don’t really have that much interest in it.

Jay T: On a scale of 1-10 for size of the jump to the next level, with AAA to MLB being a 10, what is A to A+, A+ to AA, and AA to AAA?

Kevin Goldstein: Fun question. 3; 8; 4

Ben Cherington: Re: Rip Off Trades & Huntington I remember someone saying that at the end there were a lot of teams that wouldn’t even deal with him. Can you confirm?

Kevin Goldstein: I’ve never known of any team just locking out another club from conversations.

Appa Yip Yip: Is it even possible for fans to actually assess whether or not their team’s coaching staff is good or not from the outside? or is everything they do so behind the scenes and collaborative it’s basically impossible to know without being in the org?

Kevin Goldstein: It’s the latter, and that goes for managers as well.

Curtis: Who’s this Wisdom dude anyway?

Kevin Goldstein: A decent up-and-down bat having a hot streak.

Pumpsie Green: Do the Yankees find a way to add a bat in the next couple of weeks? Maybe trade a pricey reliever to avoid the tax? Or do they forego machinations and stick with who they have?

Kevin Goldstein: I’m sure they will be aggressive over the next seven weeks.

Zac: What’s up with Jo Adell?

Kevin Goldstein: He’s hitting the holy crap out of the ball . . . when he hits it.

Guest: Who do you like for the Tigers at #3 in the draft?

Kevin Goldstein: Whoever the best player on the board is. First two picks are still up in the air…

Johnny5Alive: Catching prospects historically develop later. With a guy like Alvarez, you want to keep him at catcher because he’s actually good at it? Or do you ever consider taking that bat and moving it somewhere else to get him to move faster?

Kevin Goldstein: Keep him at catcher, absolutely.

Mark: Thinking about going to the College World Series – have you ever been? If so, what was it like?

Kevin Goldstein: I’ve never been. Heard nothing but great things. Hit up Jim Callis, Aaron Fitt or Kendall Rogers.

Moose_Bolton: The Yankees appear to be very cautious with Stanton, resting him more often than I think other players would be (if I’m wrong about this, ignore the question). His injury risk is certainly a factor, but how does that effect how a player performs? Does not knowing if you’re going to start regularly get a player out of the groove?

Kevin Goldstein: It CAN, but it’s not a guarantee. They’re trying to ensure that he can play every day down the stretch, and that’s probably a smart move.

Guest: Ohtani or Vlad Jr. for MVP in the AL?

Kevin Goldstein: I’m going to be honest with you. I don’t care. I just don’t care at all how people vote fo awards. Nothing about that voting changes how I feel about the player, so why does it matter?

Patrick: Is Sonny Gray a lazy/poor comp for Leiter or one with some actual substance to it?

Kevin Goldstein: Lazy. Smallish Vandy righty.

Guest: Why is Bo Bichette struggling so far this year?  I thought he would be an all star type this year at SS.

Kevin Goldstein: He’s never had good swing decisions, and I think the advance folks in this game have found a way to exploit that weakness. It’s a concern.

Bruce: Brandon Williamson is kind of going crazy in A ball – 50 strikeouts in 25.2 innings. Wondering what to make of his fast start and what the long term projection is there?

Kevin Goldstein: I wrote about him last week! It’s all there!

W: How long does the process of completing a trade, from first reach out to done deal, typically take?

Kevin Goldstein: I’ve been a part of trades that got done in 12 minutes, and ones that took three months.

DJ: Brewers have a pair of LHP prospects performing well in the upper minors in Aaron Ashby and Ethan Small. Which one do you think has the best chance to develop into a solid MLB starter?

Kevin Goldstein: I think Small is a slam dunk, number four starter, and I’m still not convinced that Ashby isn’t better off coming out of the pen.

Doug: Does Kelenic play a solid CF? It seems there is disagreement in the industry on this. Does his poor start with the bat surprise you or mean anything at all?

Kevin Goldstein: I think his future is in a corner. I think the poor start has shown the questions that already existed with the swing-and-miss, but he’s also had some real bad luck. I’m not that concerned yet.

Brent: You’ve talked about how important it is to know your org’s players better than anyone else. Are there any differences in the process of evaluating your own players versus those from other clubs?

Kevin Goldstein: You have access to much more information, as well as access to the coach staff so you know what they are working on and the make up piece. It’s a LOT more info.

Braves: How about 42 as a 70-grade baseball movie?

Kevin Goldstein: Not for me.

Mike Trout: You bring up game management a lot with catchers. Why did I think pitches were called from the bench?

Kevin Goldstein: This ain’t college ball….

Alec: What was the greatest piece of advice given to you when trying to break through in an MLB front office?

Kevin Goldstein: It wasn’t advice as much as it was encouragement. Hey, you are smart enough to do this kind of stuff.

Nate: Think Yuli Gurriel could still play a decent 3B? Or has that ship probably sailed at this point?

Kevin Goldstein: Define decent? He could be a 40 there. He’s an outstanding defender at first….

Appa Yip Yip: Fans love to jump all over managers bullpen decisions. How many times out of ten is a bullpen meltdown ACTUALLY because the manager made a tactical mistake and not because the guy just didn’t throw strikes? One? Two? Less?

Kevin Goldstein: It’s a mix. There are also days where the manager gets ripped for not bringing in Player X without the public knowing that Player X was down for the day.

onomatopoeia: Is it hard to scout for spin rate? Like do you need to get someone using a rapsodo to feel like you have an idea of the spin, or can scouts get a sense with their eyes in person too?

Kevin Goldstein: You can obviously get a sense for movement, and that can be (but not always) tied to spin rate. The newer guns actually measure it to some effect….

Will: SMT: Nocturne or Persona 4 Golden?

Kevin Goldstein: Love them both, but Persona 4 is just so wonderful.

Angels: He was not referring to the awards as trade value, he was asking how that pedigree got the contract he did

Kevin Goldstein: Awards pedigree are not taken into account at all when evaluating a player for a contract, either.

JBizzy: 70+ grade baseball movie = battered bastards of baseball

Kevin Goldstein: Sure. I said non-documentary category.

Derek: Apologies if I’m misinterpreting, but did your response to the FV question indicate that you don’t like assigning FV grades to prospects? What would you propose an an alternative?

Kevin Goldstein: I don’t like it. Eric does. Eric leads our prospect coverage.

Shoshana: Any thoughts on Gunnar Henderson? I know O’s fans (who prospect watch) are very excited about him…

Kevin Goldstein: They should be.

Billy G: Predict Kowar’s line tonight

Kevin Goldstein: I think it’s silly to predict anything other than something in the middle of the road, no? 5.2 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 2 BB, 5 K

Schmegs: Is there an optimal place to stand on the rubber? Would it be affected by arm slot?

Kevin Goldstein: There is an optimal place for each individual pitcher.

Jeff: you’re the Angels GM/Owner 11 years ago. A prophet tells you that Pujols will run a 85 wrc+ in 2021, but gives you no other info. Do you still sign him to the same contract? Would

Kevin Goldstein: Yes.

zurzles: Can you say some words about Elijah? Is he really “the next Harper” or is internet draft hype blowing him up a bit too much?

Kevin Goldstein: I mean, if anyone is saying he’s Harper wouldn’t people be talking about him as the No. 1 overall pick? He’s not even going in the first round. I haven’t seen that talk. It’s wacky power, but any Harper comparison is just stupid.

Jason: Any concerns over Asa Lacy’s lack of command?

Kevin Goldstein: I mean, that was the concern when he was drafted. Give it time.

Tom: is Winker really THIS damn good?

Kevin Goldstein: He’s pretty damn good.

James: Could Kyle Tucker play a passable CF if needed?

Kevin Goldstein: He could stand there. 40-45.

Buff Chick: What would you say the % chance there is a lockout of any form next year?

Kevin Goldstein: I think it’s a 97% chance that the CBA expires in December without a deal in place. I think it’s a 50/50 chance that spring training 2022 does not start on time.

Steve O: Could the Yankees let Aaron Judge walk? There are good reasons to let him walk, but man, how do you replace him in the lineup?

Kevin Goldstein: What are these good reasons you speak of?

Jason: hows the outlook on Jackson Kowar changed from before the season?

Kevin Goldstein: They have and I wrote about it last week!

Marinerd: Kelenic has only played 27 games combined at AA and AAA. Were the Mariners just rolling the dice here to see if he hits the ground running?  Why not let him flourish at AAA at this point?

Kevin Goldstein: Fair argument, but I have to ask if you were screaming that he has to be called up a month ago?

Curtis: Who were your favorite players growing up?

Kevin Goldstein: Darryl Strawberry, Dwight Gooden, Rickey Henderson.

Field of Dreams: I think “Elijah” refers to Elijah Green in 2022, not…whoever you think he is.

Kevin Goldstein: Ah! My mistake! Too focused on the 2021 class! Yeah, THAT Elijah deserves crazy hype! Sorry for the misunderstanding!

Kevin Goldstein: Whew, it’s 12:24. Just a few minutes more and then I gotta clear the room for Mr. Clemens….

Derek: How do you organize prospects relative to each other (especially across positions, ages, etc.) if not by FV? Purely ordinal?

Kevin Goldstein: I like the floor-most likely-ceiling rubric as opposed to some single number.

David: Handful of prospects have had good showing at the Olympic qualifiers, guessing it’s mostly noise from an evaluation standpoint?

Kevin Goldstein: Really not enough of anything to move a needle…

AJM: You mentioned the makeup piece — how big an issue is that in differentiating prospects?

Kevin Goldstein: It’s very big.

David: In regards to your rubric, is it something you may be willing to do an article on with a few examples? Not sure if it’s something you’ve touched on before.

Kevin Goldstein: Maybe. To be clear, I don’t hate FVs, as much as I think there are better ways than some single number.

Guest: Can anybody confirm that Lonnie Chisenhall and Robbie Grossman are indeed two different players?  Because they get merged in my brain.

Kevin Goldstein: We all have this issue. I get Kate Winslet and Toni Collette conflated all the time.

Pumpsie Green: Interesting about the CA! I’ve negotiated 8-10 CA’s, and we often don’t even start talks until after the previous one expires. The term of the previous contract ends, but the terms of the previous contract remain in place until a new one is negotiated. Thanks!

Kevin Goldstein: That’s not how baseball works. No CBA, no baseball.

Elliot: You said you don’t care about awards, do you care about statistical landmarks? Ie. Acuña getting 40/40

Kevin Goldstein: They’re fun, but not  the best way to measure how good a player is, that’s really all I concern myself with.

Dave: Can a player on the list of PTBNLs in one trade be traded in a different trade before the PTBNL is finalized?

Kevin Goldstein: Not officially. If you are Team A, and you are about to acquire a player as a PTBNL from Team B, you could tell Team C that you are about to get that player and can trade him once that’s complete…

Kevin Goldstein: Ok, folks. That’s it for me. Thanks for all of the (and overwhelming number of) questions, and I’ll see you here next week. Make sure to support FanGraphs and listen to Chin Music!