JotCast | Ben Clemens FanGraphs Chat

Ben Clemens FanGraphs Chat - 7/18/22

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Ben Clemens

2:14

This week and next will be the busiest of the year for me, at least

2:15

But hey, I'm gonna watch the Derby

Malcolm Nunez

2:15

Alec Burleson, Moises Gomes, and Connor Thomas bring Frankie Montas to St. Louis?

Ben Clemens

2:15

I'm really unsure what Gomes's value is

Burleson + makes sense, just not sure of what the plus would be

Sodo Mojo

2:16

Do you think a team like the Mariners who have a bunch of room under the tax cap and can take on a bad contract from the Nats have an edge in the Soto trade talks?

Ben Clemens

2:16

No, b/c the teams that are close to the cap would go over it for Soto

If the Nats package Strasburg and Corbin in moving Soto and get no return, they'll burn the fanbase down, I don't think they'll do that

Appa Yip Yip

2:16

What player so far have you been told to move up the most in your calls about the trade value series from where you initially had them?

Ben Clemens

2:16

Ooh!

Let's do some mystery items, and then take a few guesses.

2:17

I moved: a third baseman who looked like a bust for the first 500 PA of his career

a young hitter who didn't make honorable mentions last year

2:18

and a player who got wildly unlucky in the first two months of 2022

the most

Justin

2:18

Kebryan hayes

Ben Clemens

2:18

Good guess, but I just had him really high up the list to start

Joey

2:18

Votto?

Ben Clemens

2:19

No but the ongoing bit of using the wrong nickname for cities is one of my favorite baseball things this year

SFOtoEWR

2:19

Julio ?

Didace

2:19

Austin Riley

Ben Clemens

2:19

Two of three!

HYTT

2:19

To be fair, you should have had Riley higher before you were told to!

Ben Clemens

2:19

yeah.... two of these three I left a little low on purpose to start b/c I wanted to get more info on them

2:20

Riley, and the one people haven't guessed

Broken Bat

2:20

Alex Bohm

x2R

2:20

Devers

Ben Clemens

2:20

haha

Guest

2:20

PSA: don’t push yourself too hard working outside in the summer heat. I did and I feel awful.

Ben Clemens

2:20

incredibly valuable PSA

Trent Grisham

2:21

How concerning am I? Obviously I'm still young enough to work things out but I don't seem to be improving on my passive approach at the plate and my defense has seemingly cratered.

Ben Clemens

2:21

I don't think there's much concern about the defense, but the bat is obviously very worrisome

I'm of the opinion that he's a league average bat but he started out so terribly this year

he's actually a player I got some downward feedback on, and I didn't have him particularly high to begin with

Justin

2:21

yes… the San Francisco summer heat is brutal ;)

Ben Clemens

2:22

Haha well not for me, per se

But wine country heat can be hot, and it was muggy as hell in Kauai

Epstein's Mother

2:22

This all [*gestures around at all Soto things*] seems far, far too painful for Nationals fans. They literally let Bryce Harper get away in FA, and the fan base could at least say, "Yeah well we have Juan Soto AND saved money!" If Soto leaves, you have to look back at letting Harper go in a totally different light. You HAD Harper and Soto and now have ... a better investment for the owners? Ick.

So i guess my question is, by what percentage does the Nationals attendance and/or team paraphernalia sales shrink next year if they get rid of Soto.

Ben Clemens

2:22

I don't know how to measure this, but a LOT

2:23

My mom switched to being a Nats fan when they came to town (she's from the area and grew up an O's fan)

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