JotCast | Ben Clemens FanGraphs Chat - 7/14/25

Ben Clemens FanGraphs Chat - 7/14/25

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Ben Clemens

2:14

oh man, good to see a fellow mid-2010's VEB reader

cool

1

Oaktown Blues

2:15

No worries if you're unwilling to spoil this, but... over/under 3.5 A's position players on your upcoming trade value list?

Ben Clemens

2:15

The list isn't done yet!

But, you should probably be taking unders on things like this, because here's one thing I've noticed this year

the top end talent of the league is at a local high

2:16

last year's list was a lot easier to make, and I felt a lot more like 'eh we could have had a top 45 and still have most of the guys I want'

2:17

this year a few things have happened: a lot of the top end pitchers who were hurt last year have come back, and a few already good players have taken a step forward

I'm wishing I could have a top 60 (I'm definitely not going to actually do this) and that's not usually the case

Hal

2:17

How worried are you about Adley? He's been a below-average hitter for a calendar year now

Ben Clemens

2:17

Like, so worried

2:18

I was building an initial screen of players to get projections for. One of the rules was '1.0 WAR in the last 365 days'

Adley did not make that list!

2:19

I think he might by now, I think it was an artifact of the exact day I chose, but yikes

I've really been struggling with where he goes. He's been in the top 10 of trade value for years but like, c'mon, no

Cedanne Rafaela

2:19

At that low low price point he CAN hit

Ben Clemens

2:19

Uh yeah, absolute helium for him in the past little bit

Oaktown Blues

2:19

So we're looking at a stacked honorable mentions section for the trade value list, then. Fun stuff!

Ben Clemens

2:20

Yeah. Actually I'll give you an A's example here. I don't think Butler is gonna be in the top 50. And it's not even because I don't htink he's awesome and a great value

2:21

guys with his resume often are in the top 50. Seems very reasonable, he's young, team controlled, above average. But right now I have William Contreras and Ketel Marte in the mid 40s and I would not trade either of those guys for Butler almost regardless of what team I was acting for

Pokey Reese

2:21

Have the Red Sox turned into buyers / they could still probably get a great return for Chapman and move Hicks into closer role?

Ben Clemens

2:22

I think they might have turned into buyers, but probably only marginal buyers

and no, I don't think that's likely, those too cute by half trades where you add and subtract at the same time don't come up very often in reality

Speaking of Adley

2:23

How little leash does Elias have left?

Ben Clemens

2:23

great question

i kind of think a lot, to be honest

2:24

he's very convincing. and he does a great job of assembling surplus value and whatnot

Harvey's Wallbangers

2:24

Are there any upgrade options for the Brewers at shortstop? Seems all the sellers have untouchable shortstops. Would they consider moving Brice back to short and shift Durbin to second if they can nab McMahon or is that not something they would want to do in-season? Love Ortiz's glove but the bat is inconsistent at best.

Ben Clemens

2:25

yeah, I think Turang moving to SS is the way it'd go if they make an upgrade. Get Suarez or something, if he's tradeable? I don't think trading for Ryan McMahon, the nine-year vet who has never posted even a 100 wRC+, is really the big upside play here

2:26

and his salary is large enough to bother the Brewers given how penny pinching they are

Concerned Giants Fan

2:26

Anything Giants can do to curb the amount of Dodger fans taking over Oracle Park?

Ben Clemens

2:26

Nah, but like, it's fine. Lots of Giants fans at Dodger Stadium when the shoe is on the other foot. Lots of peopel from LA live in SF and vice versa

Lord Thunder

2:26

Should Ohtani pitch? It seems like his offense has taken a hit since he returned to the mound. Is it a choice between having an MVP-caliber slugger and a good hitter/limited availability pitcher.

Ben Clemens

2:27

I think he should for at least long enough to convince HIM that it doesn't work, if it even is the case that it doesn't work

it's not very clear to me that he's worse when pitching

Mike

2:27

Hey Ben, what team’s hat do you wear in situations where you find yourself wearing a team’s hat.

Ben Clemens

2:27

Okay, great question. I mostly wear minor league hats because I feel weird showing affiliation when I'm supposed to be neutral

or at least, unbiased

2:28

but #1: Hudson Valley Renegades (got married here)
#2: Surprise Saguaros (love fall league)
#3: Savannah Bananas (obv)
#4: rotating cast of whatever the most recent cool one I saw was

Roger Roger

2:28

Is Trevor Rogers… good? Honestly I’m not really convinced. His stuff is still mediocre and 4/6 of his games were against some of the worst hitting teams this year in TEX/ATL/MIA

Ben Clemens

2:28

Yeah, I'm not a belieevr

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