JotCast | Ben Clemens FanGraphs Chat

Ben Clemens FanGraphs Chat - 5/20/24

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Matos vs Ramos

2:29

Hi Ben, do you like Matos more or Ramos ROS to say with the team and assuming your league values OPS, which would you lean towards?

Ben Clemens

2:29

I like Matos more for playing time reasons. With JHL out for the season, there's an easier path to playing time in center. I guess Yaz can slide over sometimes, but there's just going to be more competition for corner outfield PA's

Farhandrew Zaidman

2:29

There's nothing you can tell me that will convince me Bobby Miller and Max Muncy weren't both phantom ILs. One for innings purposes, the other for roster crunch purposes. Teams are definitely still doing it, right?

Ben Clemens

2:29

Oh 100%

2:30

why would they not?

I'll be a little charitable and say that it's more like injuries that are real but play-through-able are leading to IL stints more frequently

Princess Leia

2:31

Does Andres Gimenez have some upside in his profile? Or is this just his best case scenario right here? He's been solid in my 10 team points league, but I keep trying to upgrade and failing.

Ben Clemens

2:31

I think he has a little more in his bat

not a lot, but if he just gets back to last year's power numbers there's something there

2:32

That's kinda the promise with him; his floor is really high b/c he has great contact skills, so if he catches a BABIP or power heater he can have a great year

SandyIsTheGreatest

2:32

Should the Dodgers trade Clayton Kershaw is he comes back and is healthy? They have enough pitching and Robert's is doing his best work as manager.

Ben Clemens

2:32

Haha, this is a funny question but no

Like, in the real world they obviously aren't

2:33

but in a perfect world where you can ignore that he's Clayton Kershaw and the Dodgers, well, then you can ignore that Dave Roberts has a mental block around managing Kershaw

They have enough pitching for now, but they easily might not in a month

C-Low

2:33

It feels to me like Henderson should bat second and Rutschman first. Not a huge obp and immense power but keeps hitting solo home runs. Am I on to something or would you keep as is?

Ben Clemens

2:34

I think the difference between the two options is small enough that I'd do whatever makes the players happiest

Mary Kate Olsen

2:34

MARY. KATE. OLSEN.

dave

2:34

I'm assuming MLB teams have had access to the recently made public swing metrics for years. Do you think these metrics are part of the reason veterans aren't getting as many offers as it seems these metrics can more quickly identify players who are aging out of their prime?

Ben Clemens

2:34

Yes to both

Not AJ Preller

2:34

Hypothetical scenario: You’re Ben Cherington, and Mike Elias calls you offering Jackson Holliday for one of Paul Skenes or Jared Jones. Do you do it? Big things happening in Pittsburgh, but they don’t really seem on the cusp of greatness just yet and the pitching prospect demographic obviously scarier than position player! Also, equally fun to think of one of those two guys pitching deep into a playoff run as soon as this year

Ben Clemens

2:34

If I'm Cherington, I'd grit my teeth and do it

2:35

It's just because of the demographic risk, like you said

right now Jones and Skenes are clearly more impactful than Holliday

but I like the long-term risk/reward skew on position players better

that's why our prospect rankings skew towards hitters too, to be clear

Adam

2:36

Do you think the Blue Jays are already bound to be sellers this year? Who would they even move?

Ben Clemens

2:36

Already bound? No. But I think that they're a slow month away from being very interesting sellers

2:37

they have some pitching with two ish years of control that I think people would be interested in: Gausman, Bassitt, Kikuchi

Danny Jansen would fetch a nice haul

2:38

I think they're unlikely to move Bichette, obviously people would be interested but at a low-ball rate given his rough start to the season

Chooch

2:38

Are you buying the improvements at the plate bohm and stott have shown this season? Not saying they will continue to hit at this same level, but have you seen enough to expect they are improved hitters moving forward?

Ben Clemens

2:39

I haven't done THAT much work on them but from what I have done, I'm higher on Bohm and unchanged on Stott

2:40

Stott just seems to be on a hot streak as best as I can tell, whereas Bohm has made some nice changes

Harry

2:40

Do you think Kikuchi's numbers are sustainable? He seems reinvented.

Ben Clemens

2:40

at these levels, no. at improved levels, yes

Smiling Politely