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Ben Clemens FanGraphs Chat - 12/13/21

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Ben Clemens

2:12

Eh, I don't hate what they did in signing Nick Martinez

I do think they need another starter though

2:13

Doesn't have to be a world-beater, the top four of their rotation feels fine, but they are looking at a repeat of last year where they're really vulnerable to injury

One thing that makes the best teams tick is resilience

2:14

And the Padres absolutely don't have that at the moment

I don't mean some mental fortitude skill, I mean layers of injury replacements

Appa Yip Yip

2:14

The Jays were rumoured to be in on Yusei Kikuchi, and he had 3 year offers on the table. Does it make more sense for them to lock in another starter for multiple years with >60 million already spent in their rotation, or trade for a one year rental à la Matz to leave the door open to internal promotion with the option to wade back into the market next year?

Ben Clemens

2:16

I like your second option

Trade or pay for a one-year back-of-the-rotation type

2:18

Just seems like a very strange use of resources to add more multi-year-starter types if they aren't difference makers

Trevor

2:18

How much of a effect do you think stallings is going to have on the marlins young pitching staff. It seems like a perfect fit having him call games for those young guys. I guess I’m just wondering how much if any improvement in the pitching should be expected

Ben Clemens

2:18

I'm always a little skeptical of these unmeasurable but widely-accepted skills

Like, the Pirates pitching staff sucked this year!

2:19

Would they have sucked more without Stallings? I mean, maybe, but you'll have a hard time convincing me we can know that for certain

Dan McGraw

2:19

What do the Yankees do? Simmons for short?

Ben Clemens

2:22

I think that they are likely to sign one of Story or Correa

I still think Correa makes the most sense

That Guy in Detroit

2:22

Any insight into who are the favorites for Seiya Suzuki? Should we assume west coast teams?

Ben Clemens

2:22

West coast teams seems like a good assumption, but no

2:23

His posting period was paused when the league locked the players out, and I just haven't heard anything worth repeating since then

Mrs. Phanatic

2:23

Two questions: A) have you ever cheated during one of your game nights? B) does your wife read these chats so we get an honest answer to question A?

Ben Clemens

2:24

Definitely not, I feel like cheating at games would just kill my enjoyment too much. I'm not saying I've never cheated at a single game -- peeked at cards that are in view or whatever -- but I don't find it adds anything to the experience

2:25

As to B, she doesn't always, that would be a lot of words to read

But my mom usually does, and I'll have Jenna read this one too

Guest

2:25

Dodgers being in on Correa actually adds up .. If they were to get him, does Gavin Lux become a piece to acquire a Luis Castillo type?

Ben Clemens

2:25

Yeah, I could see the Dodgers in on Correa too

2:27

I don't really see them following that up by trading Lux, because a lot of the way they've built their team in the past few years revolves around overlapping position player depth

2:28

the last time they traded a player as currently good as Lux was... I don't even know when

George

2:30

How do you think Lane Thomas fares for the Nats? He was legit a guy in the second half.

Ben Clemens

2:30

I think he'll be absolutely fine for them as a fourth outfielder type

2:31

Seems hard to ask for much more than that from him

Gashouse Gorilla

2:31

Do you think the next CBA will try to be creative in making it less profitable to tank? I'm assuming there won't be a floor, but there have to be some ways to get beyond routinely having half a dozen teams race for the dumpster.

Ben Clemens

2:33

I mean, basically no

I think that would be a really wise way of designing the CBA

I think that owners are completely uninterested in it, though

2:34

Basically, I think that we'd *like* both sides to have the game's best interests in mind, but that's a lot to ask of either of them

2:37

My guess would be that the players are closer to asking for that.... but in the end, I don' think it's gonna work

Because they'll accept just getting more money over slightly better anti-tanking rules

thebearproofsuit

2:37

M's passing on Stroman seems like a huge miss on their part. They had money unexpectedly freed up from Kikuchi opting out. Now Jerry said he's looking for a SP#2 via trade. M's payroll currently at 2021 level and down $75 million from 2018. Any sense that the M's actual goal is to be 'affordably average' rather than contend?

Ben Clemens

2:40

Yeah, I didn't love that for them. It kind of seems that way, but I will give Trader Jerry the benefit of the doubt just one more time here and say maybe he wasn't as out of the loop on Stroman as we think

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