JotCast | Ben Clemens FanGraphs Chat - 4/6/20

Ben Clemens FanGraphs Chat - 4/6/20

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Ben Clemens

3:17

Can't a man exploit the striving of the proletariat in peace?

But that trade sure does get more interesting now.

Luxury tax is likely to be waived, so oops.

But on the other hand, the Dodgers get Mookie for fewer games.

3:18

But on the OTHER other hand, Mookie will be more meaningful in the regular season now that it's not a cakewalk.

But what if the season doesn't get played

Just so many twists and turns.

Derek

3:18

John Henry tried to furlough most of the non-player Liverpool (FC, the soccer team he owns) staff but was publicly shamed enough into reversing course. So I think the lesson to be learned is that Americans, and especially Red Sox haven't shamed him enough for his recent handling of the Red Sox' finances!

Ben Clemens

3:19

Yeah uh, I would say that I'm on the critical side when it comes to team decisions and team motivations.

3:20

The Red Sox don't get enough crap for how nakedly profit-motivated they are.

Perhaps because winning has lined up well with profit maximization.

3:21

But jeez, don't expect teams to do altruistic things.

Because they won't.

Astros

3:21

....now I want (more than just baseball to exist) the Astros to lose in the postseason to a fluke team and complain about legitimacy

Ben Clemens

3:21

I didn't realize I wanted this until now. I totally tihnk they're tone deaf enough to try it.

Imagine the Rangers beating the Astros in a shortened regular season

3:22

and Alex Bregman complaining about how with another 80 games it would have been an easy win.

Boy I want this now.

3:23

"Yeah they won, but this isn't baseball. Baseball is 162 games and some trash cans."

Guest

3:24

Somehow I have missed this, if there is no season do teams lose a year of control on players. For instance, as a Jays fan do I get one less year of Vlad and Bo?

Ben Clemens

3:24

That's correct.

3:25

Per the agreement that MLBPA and the league agreed to, in the event of no season, service time will advance by a year for everyone who was in the majors at the end of 2019, basically.

3:26

Here's a more in-depth way of describing it:

https://blogs.fangraphs.com/mlb-and-the-union-hammer-out-a-deal-and-hu...

If there are no games this year, anyone currently on a 40-man roster, 60-day injured list or an outright assignment to the minor leagues with a major league contract would receive 2020 service time equaling what the player accrued in 2019. If a partial season is played, service time would be the equivalent of what the player would have received over a full schedule.

So Bo and Vlad would double their service time. Full-time big leaguers would get another year. etc

Derek

3:27

I really want Aaron Bummer to blow a game in a big spot in a postseason game so all of the headlines can just say "BUMMER."

Ben Clemens

3:27

When I write about Bummer, I inevitably have a ton of great ideas for headlines. Do I always use them? Definitely not.

3:28

But I always think of a lot

I'm weirdly sad that he's good, because that was certainly not always in the cards, and if he was bad the headlines would be more fun.

Bart

3:28

Is Josh Lindblom MIL P really hurt? I can find nothing about an injury.

Ben Clemens

3:29

He is hurt in an OOTP simulation of the 2020 season that we're participating in as a group manager: https://blogs.fangraphs.com/lets-manage-the-brewers/

Definitely not in real life, as far as I know.

Very Bored

3:29

What board games (co-op, semi-coop, or competitive) would you recommend for a group of 4-6 that is looking for something beyond the mainstream strategy games like Catan and Pandemic?

Ben Clemens

3:29

Ooh!

3:30

Okay so if you want to do a co-op one with some legacy aspects, how about Detective?

We've been wildly impressed by it.

Really fun cases, and it can last you a few days a case.

Vindication is a really fun 2-5 player game. It's area control ish? But it's really fast-paced and gorgeous art and flavor type stuff.

3:31

Also, Seasons is amazing.

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