JotCast | Ben Clemens FanGraphs Chat

Ben Clemens FanGraphs Chat - 12/6/2021

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Ben Clemens

2:31

But it's just not quite the case

2:32

I don't think it's disqualifying or anything, but I had it in my mind that most righties were purely fastball/change to lefties, and it's not quite true in practice

Tacoby Bellsbury

2:32

Circling back there: Why do we not see more right-on-right/left-on-left changeups?

Ben Clemens

2:32

Essentially because of two things: the movement draws it toward the bat, and the natural fade on most changeups works poorly with the way pitchers like to construct at-bats

2:33

Hard inside soft away is a rule for good reason

And most righties are best at spotting their changeup to their arm side, so the inside part of the plate to righty batters

Throwing something soft inside is a good way to have your opponent pull the crap out of the ball

RAGBRAI

2:34

The lockout says no transactions/trades but does that include fantasy trades? It would be my fantasy for the Brewers to trade for Olson or sign Freeman. Does that fantasy have any chance at fulfillment?

Ben Clemens

2:34

I think Olson is far more likely, but I don't think either are super likely

2:35

I don't see the Brewers as a team that's likely to spend on Freeman given their existing payroll situation. I also think they COULD get Olson, it's just a matter of whether they want to stick with Tellez/Hiura and see if they can resurrect Keston's stock

Guest

2:36

If the Reds can't trade Moustakas, what do they do with him? Second base is no longer an option with India there, and they seem committed to Suarez at third. Can Moustakas play SS? The Reds have tried some pretty poor defenders there already....

Ben Clemens

2:36

DH is always an option

If he's a DH/backup 3b/backup 1b, that's not a bad use of his skillset

Is it overpaying for that? Sure

Sometimes deals work out that way

2:37

It's that or trade him for a bag of baseballs but still pay him most of his money

Sirras

2:37

Who has the best name in baseball? Skye Bolt and Lars Nootbaar have to be up there, right?

Ben Clemens

2:38

Those two are definitely in the running. I think Nootbaar is helped by the fact that it's just a cool name, not one that feels like it was picked to be a cool name

I think J.T. Realmuto is a cool name

and Teoscar Hernandez

I dunno, cool names are subjective, but to me there are a lot of pleasing ones at the moment

Sirras

2:39

What 2022 contender (or team that thinks it is contending) has the biggest hole at this point and who would you recommend signing or trading for to fill it?

Ben Clemens

2:39

Yankees at shortstop :)

I suggest they sign a Carlos Correa type

by which I mean: Carlos Correa

Jim

2:39

Why so down on Freudis Nova when he's only 21, playing in a league with the average 3 years older than that, multiple injuries and an incredibly hot stretch mid-season?

Ben Clemens

2:39

Not my area: you're looking for Eric Longenhagen here

My Freudis Nova take: yet another great name on the rise

2:40

Freudis-an Slip jokes incoming when he makes an error on the basepaths

Appa Yip Yip

2:40

Bo Bichette is good bc it's so easy to switch out "Bo". Go Bichette! oh no Bichette...

Ben Clemens

2:40

And that doesn't even consider how much his name sounds like Boba Fett

Guest

2:41

What could the Reds get if they packaged Castillo, Gray, and Mahle together in a single trade?

Ben Clemens

2:41

I think they'd actually get diminishing returns by doing that, because most teams that are trying to trade for pitching don't need THREE above-average starters

2:42

But if they got fair value anyway? Let's see

Two years of Castillo, two of Gray, two of Mahle

2:43

Oh, that's convenient

It's like.... 20 WAR for $55 million, with big error bars

2:44

That's a nice combination of top-end talent and surplus value. I think it would fetch a Top 10 prospect and another in the top 50, with some extra interesting players thrown in to boot

2:45

Like, I don't think this would happen b/c the team doesn't make sense, but if the Mariners traded for that trio, Julio Rodriguez would hvae to be involved along with plenty of other value

Dan

2:45

I made additional bonus goals for ticket to ride. Made them each worth five points. It made the end game more interesting without changing the balance or playability of the game. Wrote them on index card and randomly picked 2 or 3 at the start of the game.

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