JotCast | Ben Clemens FanGraphs Chat - 1/27/25

Ben Clemens FanGraphs Chat - 1/27/25

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Ben Clemens

3:16

Yeah fair

I'm probably more down on Taillon than is merited

I'd obviously prefer Castillo but Taillon isn't bad

I think the issue is more that the Cubs have been consistently aiming for hte middle in free agency for a while

and he was a symptom

it lined up with the market this year

3:17

but that might be a broken clock being right two times a day kind of thing where they always try to get the mid pitchers, and htis year the mid pitchers are just the ones I'd want

Jaded Nats Fan

3:17

Is it time to worry about Keibert Ruiz?

Ben Clemens

3:17

No. That was 2023

It's time to give up on Keibert Ruiz

Mike Elias

3:17

would Kjerstad, McDermott and a comp pick for Cease be fair for both teams?

Ben Clemens

3:18

I don't know enough about McDermott to say for sure but I think it's a little light to my eyes

but certainly in the right ballpark

3:19

I might be behind the times on McDermott, just, a 26-year-old rookie without outrageous numbers, I'm skeptical

tiaager

3:19

Bregman really going back home?

Ben Clemens

3:19

it's gonna be weird if so

where does Paredes play?

3:20

like, the Astros need outfielders badly

it's the weak point of their roster

and they.... traded away one of the best 5 outfielders in baseball, signed two infield corner guys, and are closing in on a third

maybe they think Yordan is an everyday LF?

Thank you for the chat!

3:20

Could the Larry Bird rule go the other way? Small market teams get to add 10% towards minimum luxury tax or something?

Ben Clemens

3:21

I don't quite understand how this would work.... we're saying 'hey Pirates, if you sign Paul Skenes, we'll let you spend very little money on the rest of the roster and not penalize you'?

that seems like a bad plan for everyone

and one that no owners would really get behind

the ones who don't want a salary floor aren't going to be mollified by the league saying 'but if you sign stars to big contracts, we'll let you ignore the floor a little'

they don't sign stars to big contracts!

O'Honk

3:21

How do you feel about the Nats' rebuild post-Soto? Do you believe in their emerging young core of Wood, Crews, etc.?

Ben Clemens

3:22

I'm into it for sure. Very very high on both Crews and Wood. I think that the real question is how they're gonna transition from 'we have some fun young players on a very bad team' to being good

3:23

I don't have a lot of confidence that they know how to do that, and the Lerners are spending zero dollars on the team right now

Thank you for the chat!

3:23

I don't know if Arenado was grandstanding with the comment. He has the right to invoke the no trade and maybe didn't want to go to Houston. He could have been echoing the front office in their feedback that opportunities he's looking for aren't there as of now, so may have to wait.

Ben Clemens

3:23

oh, he definitely does

and he has the right to publicly say he wants out and then invoke the no trade clause

that's why he got the cluase

I'm not saying he broke any rules... I'm just saying it'd be funny to see him say he wants to go, have the Cards find a deal, and then not go

Bosoxforlife

3:24

The Astros sign Bregman then trade Paredes to the Red Sox. There can be no more perfect fit than Paredes, who hits nothing but flies to left in Fenway.

Ben Clemens

3:24

the main counterpoint is that maybe Houston is even better for that profile, which is why they traded for him in the first pacde

place*

Chip

3:24

Any hesitation on Andres Munoz this year?

Ben Clemens

3:24

yes. Namely, he's a reliever

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