JotCast | Ben Clemens FanGraphs Chat - 6/29/26

Ben Clemens FanGraphs Chat - 6/29/26

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Ben Clemens

2:09

I hope he's alright

we Bens have to stick together

Shauncore

2:09

Yeah yeah yeah figure it out if/when it happens, but how would you plan if you were Getz for what the White Sox infield may look like in 1-2 years between Montgomery, Meidroth, Murakami, Vargas, Gonzalez, Bonemer, and likely adding into the future mix (hopefully for them it works out if so) Cholowsky in a few weeks. Not crazy to have 6-7 viable guys vying for 5 spots over the next two years

Ben Clemens

2:10

Yeah, it's a great problem to have. I think that there's of course some expected attrition, but also, maybe we should look for some offseason strength-for-strength trades with outfieldres or pitchers with them

I think that those trades are way better suited for the winter, and this particular winter might be tough with the lockout (hopefully not, but let's be realistic), but I think that they'll be looking for that kind of deal if everyone keeps clicking

Murakami is surely in very hot demand, but if I'm the Sox, I'm thinking extension there, not trade

Jeremy Fox

2:11

What old fashioned baseball slang would you like to revive? I vote for bringing back the once-widespread practice of calling the Cubs the Microbes.

Conversely, what modern baseball slang do you want to ban? The Brewers announcers seem to be trying to make "punchies" (short for punchouts) a thing, and I can't stand it.

Ben Clemens

2:11

Great questions, here

I don't have a great answer for old slang

but punchies is definitely not one of my favorites

fundies would not be one of my favorites if it were anyone other than Keith Hernandez

2:12

as someone who lives in SF, I hear a lot of Giants games, and those guys (Kruk/Kuip) are WAY too slang'ed up

half the things they say are old inside jokes, it feels like sometimes. it took a lot of getting used to

mlommler

2:12

If I had told you before the season that Luis Arreaz would lead the Giants in WAR at the end of June, what would you have thought it implied about his and their season?

Ben Clemens

2:12

his season good, their season bad

which is basically what's happening

fincampbell05

2:13

How close to .500 / a playoff spot would the Red Sox have to be to buy? Assuming that at .500, they would buy, given the state of the AL and the fact that they're still one of the 3-5 best teams in it by actual talent.

Ben Clemens

2:13

I think it has more to do with how many teams are between them and a spot

2:14

like 'seven games back' doesn't sound awful. but 'there are 6 teams with better records than the Sox who also aren't in a playoff spot' is a lot scarier

I think they need like 3 teams between them and a spot max, and maybe 4 games

but also.... I think they're selling

Matthew Tobin

2:14

We obviously know MLB's proposed changes to the draft are insane, But do you see it altering the trajectory of the draft this year? If you are a prep-player, should you just take the money and run before changes/lockout? Or do you latch on to the certainty of college ball?

Ben Clemens

2:15

I don't think it will affect things too much because of the way the pools work, teams don't have tons of extra cash to hand out this year or anything. Also like.... those changes aren't happening

they're just theater of the absurd, really far from reality, imo

reallyfreshblueberry

2:15

Given a completely rational owner focused purely on winning and good process to get there (and not short term fan feelings) what would your evaluation on Stearns be?

Ben Clemens

2:16

I think I'd probably say that I like the process in broad strokes but that realistically, you have to ask about the evaluation process and try to improve it

a few too many misses on acquisitions in a row to say 'this is good, we don't need to change it'

2:17

question your assumptions, don't tear everything down and start fresh for the sake of redoing it but surely this isn't a method that can't be improved on. I'd basically be looking through the process trying to fix things

war2d2

2:17

“Microbes”?!? What.

Ben Clemens

2:17

I hadn't heard that one. but on the other hand, my dad exclusively calls the mets "Pond Scum" and that one seems pretty weird too

InsertWittyNameHere

2:17

Wimbledon predictions?

Ben Clemens

2:18

I'm actually feeling a continued Andreeva run, she's one of my favorite young players of either gender in tennis and the top of the women's field feels very wide open right now

ont he men's side, I mean, sinner

really sad that Alcaraz is missing, I hope for a healthy return by the US open

bosoxforlife

2:18

How do I possibly convey my feelings after the Red Sox just swept the Yankees. I should be ecstatic but I am afraid this is going to turn them into buyers which is insane. To root or not to root, that is the question.

Ben Clemens

2:18

This is one of the surest signs that you're a devoted fan

2:19

the 'wait is it bad to win and good to lose?' feeling when you're thinking about the long-term health of the franchise and weighing this year vs. next year

I think you're right, and I empathize with this feeling both from my more fervent Cards fan days and from talking to my Cards fan friends today

war2d2

2:19

I’ve lived in Giants territory for the last couple decades, and I second that their announcers are way too slanged up. I hate them with the heat of a thousand thousand suns. “Grab some benchmeat”? Yeah, grab this old man.

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