JotCast | Ben Clemens FanGraphs Chat

Ben Clemens FanGraphs Chat - 1/27/20

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Ben Clemens

3:24

For O'Neill, Edman, and Carlson to fight over?

I dunno.

Tabletop Talk

3:25

I've found Pandemic to be a lot more fun when you just play it completely face up as a full blown co-op. I think the game itself suggests you play as a pseudo co-op, but when everyone basically forms a team to play as all four players at once, it's much better.

3:25

pandemic is an awesome solo game.

Ben Clemens

3:25

Look at the differing opinions! Lovely.

Note that I merely think Pandemic is overrated, not bad. I think it's a pretty fun game. I think it really just depends on your playgroup.

3:26

And yeah, I've only ever played it as a full co-op, so that's where my view comes from.

Foolsgold

3:26

2023 Dodgers SS will be Seager, Lux, Downs or Lindor?

Ben Clemens

3:26

Gimme Lux in this one. But Seager second.

Doug

3:27

Am i missing something with the Red Sox thought process. Would they really give up Betts for Luchessi, Naylor, Myers, and Campsuano?

Ben Clemens

3:27

I mean, I wouldn't!

Guest

3:27

Being a Padres fan, I'm all for it!

Ben Clemens

3:27

Haha I know, right?

Greene

3:27

Mark Buehrle: 34.2 Baseball Prospectus WAR, 59.2 Baseball Reference WAR. Which better captures his value?

Ben Clemens

3:28

I'm not going to pretend I fully understand how WARP works these days, what with it calling from DRA so much.

But I'd probably say Bref is closer but probably high?

I am the Walrus

3:29

Is the Rox starting CF, Dahl? Isnt he well below average defensively?

Ben Clemens

3:29

Yeah our roster projections for them are basically centerfield soup

3:30

Tapia, Dahl, Hilliard all getting run there.

Dahl acquitted himself okay by Statcast metrics, actually. And he's decently fast.

3:31

I'm kind of surprised that htat's the case, to be honest, I thought he was worse.

But eh, it looks acceptable.

Alvarez

3:31

You mentioned Cherington's "Boston era m.o.," but did he actually make any trades geared towards long-term value when he was there? Wasn't he mainly a player in free agency (Napoli, Victorino, Sandoval, Hanley)?

Ben Clemens

3:32

Oh all I meant by that is that he was very much a long-term builder. Never traded away future value. I can't think of any trades that mirror this one offhand, but he was definitely a fan of having a deep farm system rather than spending from it, and so building up a good farm system seems like it's something he'd love.

Dan

3:32

Pandemics legacy with it's story and rpg elements lowers the solo captain problem

Ben Clemens

3:32

100% agree

Undiplomatic

3:32

You are just wrong on Diplomacy. If you find enough committed players, it is awesome. Doing so is next to impossible however. It is an amazing pure strategy game. (And it has nothing to do with one person telling everyone what to do; it is everyone trying to convince everyone else what to do, lol).

Ben Clemens

3:33

Diplomacy is definitely pure strategy. I just hate how long it takes, and for not enough upside for me in terms of enjoyment.

Also it can make you hate your friends?

It doesn't have to, of course, but it can.

SomeGuy

3:33

A's ever gonna get a new stadium?

Ben Clemens

3:34

Man, I hope so. I live in SF and while the Giants are fun, that A's jewelbox stadium concept on the waterfront looked amazing.

noname

3:35

i know we all think that arenado's defense is good but I think we can't truly believe it until we see home/road UZR splits and take them out of context

Ben Clemens

3:37

I do appreciate the sarcasm, but I'm actually kind of curious to see whether there really is something about Coors that goofs around wiht defensive metrics. In DRS, at least, it's entirely possible that infielders could be improperly debited or credited if the home park suggested some kind of weird adjustment, like if teams have to play 2B and SS deep, that could mess with 3B numbers.

Rick

3:37

Is Dinelson Lamet the best starter for SD in 2020?

Ben Clemens

3:38

Love Lamet -- and uh, nah. Gimme Paddack over him, though I think I have Lamet a close second. His slider is a very fun pitch.

Everett

3:38

Josh Donaldson mentioned one reason he signed with Minnesota is the success he's had at Target Field. Just a small-sample-size fluke, or is there some legitimate reason he might be well-suited to hit there?

Ben Clemens

3:38

Probably small sample. I really wanted to say "Well it's only been open two years," and then I looked it up and wow, opened in 2010! I'm old.

3:39

It's a good park for righty power, which should help him.

But like, the size of these edges is small.

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