JotCast | Ben Clemens FanGraphs Chat - 3/31/25

Ben Clemens FanGraphs Chat - 3/31/25

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Ben Clemens

2:30

that's because I've seen some of the other teams in baseball

Okra

2:30

Blind resume - who would you rather for one year?
A.  SP who has put up 1.5-2.5 WAR each of the last 3 years
B  SP who averaged 1-2 WAR and added 3mph to his fastball plus a new pitch?

Ben Clemens

2:31

I'd take B with no other info

because the WAR numbers are close enough that I'd be looking for tiebreakers anyway

and three miles an hour is great

Alec

2:31

speaking of evaluating hitters, is the Spencer Torkelson revenge tour in full swing?

Spencer Torkelson

2:31

Chances I finally put it all together this year?

Colin

2:32

Where do you think Devers's contract will wind up now that he's at full-time DH, and seeming to have a potentially hard opening (either due to DHing or injury, etc)?

Ben Clemens

2:33

I'm down on Devers in a long-term trajectory, I had his contract as not great last year, which kept him off the trade value top 50 even as an honorable mention

now, I'll point out that I picked him to win MVP this year

but that was kind of a correlation bet, I built a bracket that's very pro Red Sox and Devers busting out would do a good job of pushing that

I think it'll end up as a ton of money for a good but not transcendent hitter. That's fine, you don't go broke handing out deals like that, but it's not the kind of contract that is franchise-altering

Tom

2:35

Michael Siani is on pace for a 0 PA, 5-WAR season, just like we all expected

Ben Clemens

2:35

skill game

Mike Lommler

2:35

Since I have silly hypotheticals in mind: how soon would 1) the Phillies and 2) independent analysts notice if Kyle Schwarber magically acquired the defensive abilities of Pete Crow-Armstrong

Ben Clemens

2:35

oh man. I think the Phillies would notice QUICKLY

because they'd see him get to a ball and go wait what the hell

2:36

independent analysts? depends on if they have a sprint speed leaderboard

that would be where you see it first

Spencer Torkelson

2:37

Did you answer the Tork questions?

Ben Clemens

2:37

Oh I sure did not

we're flow state chatting

my view is that it's too early for sure

to say much about him in either direction

2:38

but, I'm surely encouraged that he was doing damage in spring training, though the power wasn't really there

oh whoops, that was 2024 ST ISO

the power WAS there this spring, even better

the walks seemed to me to be a bit situational, I was watching several of them and didn't come away thinking 'oh what a great eye'

but the power looked real

"Uncle" Ben Rice

2:38

For your money, who has the best nickname in baseball?

Ben Clemens

2:39

I think Childish Bambino is still probably the best

not used all the time, of course. Oh, I like El Mago for Baez as well, even if it's a bit dated

Logan

2:39

How much (if at all) does the "trading away" team impact how you view statistical and/or skill breakouts of a traded player (e.g. Gavin Lux)? In other words, to use Lux as an example, does the fact that it was the Dodgers selling him impact your confidence in his second half surge?

Ben Clemens

2:39

it does

2:40

but, in a particular way

I'm never that surprised to see the Dodgers trading away solid major league contributors because they have a lot of very good players already

Service Time Impingement Syndrome

2:41

Any reason to believe Ben Rice's fast start and solid spring equate to real improvement?

Ben Clemens

2:42

in my 1b PPR writeup I ignored all the other Yankees we had projecdted at first and wrote about Rice

I think he's the real deal, and i think that his struggles last season were the mirage

Ober

2:42

Too early for Ober worry, right? Flu... always starts like this... or is the velo drop scary?

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