JotCast | Ben Clemens FanGraphs Chat

Ben Clemens FanGraphs Chat - 1/27/25

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Ben Clemens

2:17

and I say this as someone who picked the M's to win the west in 2024

their best chance is that baseball is really variable and hard to predict, and the Astros sure look weaker

comish4lif

2:17

"Best fans in baseball" - I cannot be the only with a little schadenfreude over the Cardinals inability to trade Arenado or Helsley (so far)?

Ben Clemens

2:17

I was never a big fan of the BFIB moniker even at the peak of my Cards fandom

Isolated Thinker

2:17

The Padres are built to win now and should be in the wild card mix. The money struggles are overblown. Makes no sense to trade Cease now. If you're out of it in June, then we can talk trade. Agree?

Ben Clemens

2:17

They traded Soto last year

2:18

AJ likes to trade

I think that it's reasonable to be in the market listening, I suspect that Cease is only getting traded if someone needs a pitcher BADLY

and that if the Padres do it, they'll pivot some of the pieces acquired in that trade into win-now stuff

like the Soto trade, basically

Nate

2:18

To piggyback on the AL west question...that down on the Astros now, huh?

Ben Clemens

2:18

I am

2:19

I look at this roster and go huh, what parts do I think are great

and it's like... Yordan? I'm into Yainer. Good bullpen. I think Altuve can keep fighting aging

but they're running out just okay players at like 4 of 5 rotation spots, four-ish lineup spots

their bench is awful

2:20

they need to make some additions

Guest

2:20

How much of this Padres ownership lawsuit is affecting Preller's ability to make moves?

Ben Clemens

2:20

I have no idea and honestly, we won't hear until it's over

Connor

2:20

With their budget constraints, any chance a team can pull Tatis from the Padres?

Ben Clemens

2:20

Davey D

2:20

Do teams just not value the Mariners pitching very highly? The ask of Julio or Kirby for a very mid player like Bohm was really surprising.

Ben Clemens

2:20

um.... yeah that wasn't a very reasonable ask, I agree

2:21

I think that it's a bit of both. The M's have incredibly high valuations on their pitchers, and teams are clearly much lower than them. But Bohm for Kirby is not a serious person's offer

Booney

2:21

How do you feel about the front office situation in St. Louis with Chaim Bloom as the PBOPS in waiting? I've never seen an arrangement like this and it's weird to think Mozeliak would retain full control with Bloom already in the org.

Ben Clemens

2:21

I think that using consensus to make decisions is underrate

underrated*

and that the Cards' setup probably works just fine. I think that having Bloom in the org for a year to see if he gelled with people first was good too

My most successful team working environments have involved plenty of delegation of responsibility and overlapping mandates

Jay

2:21

Make the Pirates spend more.