JotCast | Ben Clemens FanGraphs Chat

Ben Clemens FanGraphs Chat - 2/22/21

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Ben Clemens

3:13

Defensive metrics just kinda suck

Nick

3:13

Maybe the Nationals aren't particularly worried about defense since their staff strikes so many people out.

Ben Clemens

3:13

That helps too

Guest

3:13

If you're Shane Bieber, what's a reasonable contract extension, and is there a chance in hell that your current team gives it to you?

Ben Clemens

3:13

Without thinking at all about part 1, part 2 is an lol nope!

Sharps

3:13

Spirit Island manages to avoid the Quarterbacking issue you mentioned re: coops.

Ben Clemens

3:13

Spirit Island is amazing

I've only played once, but I had a blast

3:14

It also scales difficulty really well

There are characters with varying complexity

Another gem

so boo on honesty

3:14

Everyone is unexpressly breaking that part of the CBA. So, so freaking what?!?

Ben Clemens

3:14

It's specifically barred by the CBA, so teams that break it already deserve sanction

3:15

I have been very consistent about that, it's an awful practice that is bad for the sport because it prevents the best players from plyaing

There's just evidence here

Chris

3:15

The mlbpa put out a statement. Who'd have thought kevin mather would help the labor movement in baseball....

Guest

3:15

How high should I be on Flaherty? ZIPS loves him and he had a single start taint his 2020. There are concerns with the fastball but he's done well limiting hard contact

Ben Clemens

3:16

I'm high on him as well, not quite to the extent that ZiPS is

3:17

He wasn't even that bad in 2020. 4.11 FIP over 9 starts is a tiny blip

Guest

3:17

Follow up question: should I just ignore "Def" on FG, then? Is it a component of fWAR? Can I trust fWAR? What is real? What is true? What should I use to refute defense-based arguments when I want to fall into that particular rabbit hole instead of doing real work instead?

Ben Clemens

3:17

I'm not saying you should ignore it, but ignoring playing time in additive measures is obviously not gonna work if you're trying to say who will be the best or worst going forward

3:18

Def is a component of WAR, and it's positional adjustment plus UZR

3:19

I'm always skeptical of defensive metrics, and I think that's a fine way to be. If you had said 'hey, Soto was a -4 defender in left field over his career, why do we think he should be a positive?'

I'd say, eh, I dunno, that sounds reasonable

3:20

If you say 'he was the worst left fielder in baseball'

Well, I don't agree

And also the numbers don't agree

Nolan

3:20

What's the single biggest hole remaining on a playoff contender?

Ben Clemens

3:20

Shortstop for the Reds

Childish Bambino

3:20

Is service time manipulation banned by the CBA? I didn't know that. Can you point me to the text of where the CBA says that?Thanks

Ben Clemens

3:20

I don't have the CBA in front of me, but you can look at the Kris Bryant case

3:21

Decisions on promotion can't take service time into account

That's why teams assiduously go through the motions of coming up with BS reasons not to promote people

work on their defense, see how they adapt to adversity with x level pitching, etc.

Kolbe

3:21

Not sure if you've answered this before, but do you play games on Board Game Arena?

Ben Clemens

3:22

Intermittently?

I did more at the start of the pandemic

I think it's an awesome platform, though

so boo on honesty

3:22

Fine, Seattle was stupid enough to get caught, so they get sanctioned where everyone else gets away with it. Fine. But how does that make them immoral rather than stupid? Oh yeah wait, they're CAPITAL! -ists!

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