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Ben Clemens FanGraphs Chat - 3/1/21

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Ben Clemens

3:17

Park factors are going to be a complete guess until we can get some data there, and even then, like you said the weather plays a huge role

3:18

I think there's some chance they end up in Buffalo by June, do you want to play in a spring training stadium when US cities are opening up due to vaccinations?

Kevin

3:18

Anthony Santander showed some strong gains last year before being shutdown. Do you think this is a new sustainable level or was it a SSS mirage?

Ben Clemens

3:19

I don't really buy the power -- like, I think it improved, but not by as much as his numbers show

3:20

I'm also confused by the strikeout improvement -- he was AWFUL in lots of the granular parts of plate discipline last year

too many chases, not enough in-zone contact

I guess in other words no, I think it was a mirage?

45 blows billygoats

3:20

What's the deal with Varsho? He's starting, he's not, he's platooning...jerking with a kid like that is how you fail in development...

Ben Clemens

3:21

Agree. I think I'd just give him a near-everyday outfield slot? I could also see sending him down. You can't let him mostly back up Kelly and Vogt, though, it's just weird

Bender Bending Rodriguez

3:22

What would be your shallow-league (8-team) H2H auction strategy? Last couple seasons I've tried stars and scrubs to mixed results. Tried pitching heavy last year which blew up in my face. Any thoughts?

Ben Clemens

3:22

I've never played in a league that shallow, my initial thought is to go pretty heavily stars and scrubs just due to the higher replacement level though

3:23

Probably a better question for the actual fantasy writers, though I'm happy to give you my under-knowledgeable opinions

Moonlight Graham

3:23

It seems like Ha-seong Kim will start the season as the backup 2B, but will / when he become the starter? Is it possible he won't be the starter this year at all?

Ben Clemens

3:23

It's certainly possible he won't seize a starting role this year. We don't know how he'll adjust to major league pitching still

3:24

I think he's maybe 50% to be a starter by season's end, because all it takes is a single outfielder going down for the dominos to make him look like a starter

But we just don't know what to expect from him

Kevin

3:25

G-Force is a good game. I am a HUGE fan of acquire which i believe you are too. Any other betting/gambling type board games you like? Not splendor more in line with hidden wagering

Ben Clemens

3:25

Acquire is great, of course

I don't actually play all that many wagering games aside from poker

3:26

So I'm not super knowledgeable on this. I do think that Android Netrunner is good for hidden information but it is very niche, you need to be a very particular type of gamer to enjoy it

EbenezerBatflip

3:27

Lets say in the future the Red Sox look like a playoff team, do you expect Chaim Bloom to *ever* spend big in free agency or is being thrifty just always going to be his philosophical approach to roster building?

Ben Clemens

3:27

I do expect him to spend

3:28

It's fine to be philosophically in favor of hitting singles, as it were, but I'd argue that the real Rays legacy is that the team is really smart about pressing every advantage it can dream up

Money is a great advantage

Will he be more hesitant to go to money as a crutch? Entirely possible

But I don't think people are one-note in the way that if they didn't spend money before due to ownership preference, they can't flip the switch

Appa Yip Yip

3:29

All the players who've played in Dunedin are warning the Jays pitchers that the ball flies. Supposedly an extreme hitter's park

Ben Clemens

3:29

Yeah, it's interesting b/c they changed the dimensions to match the Rogers Centre, but with Dunedin's weather and wind patterns

Not sure what to make of it, definitely gonna watch some ST games there when I can

3:30

Alright everyone, I think I'm going to wrap this chat up, because I'm wildly hungry

I'm on a pitch count this early in spring training

3:31

Thanks for all the questions, baseball and otherwise, and I'm sorry that I couldn't get to everyone's. I'm off skiing next week, so next time I'm here, there will likely be some ST performances to read too much into

Until then, have a great day and a great week(s)!

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