JotCast | Ben Clemens FanGraphs Chat - 7/6/20

Ben Clemens FanGraphs Chat - 7/6/20

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Ben Clemens

2:00

Hey everybody, welcome to the chat.

2:01

I'm going to answer a few questions while I make a delicious soda stream seltzer water, so I'll probably be a bit slow at the start.

Lots of baseball to cover today, though.

Or, attempt to cover, only to be frustrated by delays in mailing our tests.

Derek

2:01

It took less than a week for MLB (and the pandemic - so, not entirely MLB's fault) to stamp out any excitement and optimism about the start of the season!

Ben Clemens

2:01

Yeah, the past week hasn't been great!

2:02

On one hand, a chunk of players testing positive isn't that bad of news from my perspective, given that a lot of them tested positive for COVID for non-team-related reasons; they had just gotten it while living their lives.

On the other hand, the league's testing protocol looking inept is not good.

Did you know that it's harder to mail stuff on holiday weekends?

I did!

2:03

And I don't work in the professional mailing of important-to-mail things

2:04

But yeah, I'm less confident in things working out than I was a week ago. Not because too many players have tested positive, but because the league seems less prepared than I'd expect

It's not a surprise that you might need special FedEx service on the fourth of July, guys

brad

2:04

Ben how does the delay in Covid testing impact the start of the season?

Ben Clemens

2:04

For now, I don't think it does.

2:05

If this continues this week, if they can't clear a backlog and tests are still taking three-plus days to get back, I think they have to consider postponing the start of the season.

BASEBALL SZN

2:05

Someone in Dan's chat mentioned the MLB keeping the names of positive-tested players confidential. I've seen player notes on fantasy sites citing "pending issues", "a condition preventing him from reporting", etc. Was that confidentiality part of the agreement to play this year? What's the point?

Ben Clemens

2:05

I believe it's some kind of HIPAA thing

2:06

Given that it's a non-baseball-related injury, I'm pretty sure that the CBA defines those differently in terms of reporting

It's something that we have talked about at FanGraphs on the editorial side; it feels pretty icky to be speculating about who has contracted a potentially deadly illness if the players don't want to talk about it

2:07

Obviously you can't expect the world to follow that protocol, because yeah, that's just not how the world works.

And yeah, the protections on privacy aren't exactly ironclad; put somebody on the 10-day IL with no injury listed, and you don't need to be Stephen Hawking to work out the implication

2:08

But I would just say, maybe don't speculate? It doesn't get you much, and if the players want to say what's going on with them, they will.

Nathan

2:08

With players opting out, or getting sick, do we have a better chance of a Manny (or another over the hill player) come back in 2020?

Ben Clemens

2:08

Bartolo please!

I would say not very likely, though

Just because of the compressed timeframe

If this were a full season, maybe

But good luck getting up to speed right now

Kramer

2:09

I’m fine with the Extra Innings rule with the shortened season but overall I think it’s kind of a joke. When we get back into a world with a full slate of regular season what’s wrong with ending in a tie after day 12 innings? I know it’s not perfect and after 4 hours feels like a slight but feels like a better outcome than a gimmick. Plus get rid of 17 inning 6 hour games.

Ben Clemens

2:09

Yeah, I have no problem with ties. A lot of old-timey baseball people seem to dislike them on principle, but to them I say, you're just not old-school enough.

The 19th century was full of ties!

Bob Caruthers looks down on your looking down on ties.

Kramer

2:11

Flaherty or Buehler for their careers. Who are you taking? Both are great. Buehler gets more K’s but has the injury history and is a year older.

Ben Clemens

2:11

Boy, this is a close one

These are maybe my favorite two young pitchers in the game right now

I think I'll take Flaherty, but it's really close. Buehler's injury history gives him maybe a little lower floor? But if we're just talking stats, I might take Buehler despite that, because of the pitcher's park and the fact that the Dodgers are always going to win a lot

2:12

It's going to be really fun watching the two of them compete though.

Dunning-Kruger on the right

2:12

Help me out understanding the shuttle roster. Could you give a brief run down of those players assigned to it i.e. Wander Franco and their availability to the MLB team?

Ben Clemens

2:12

Sure thing

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