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Craig Edwards FanGraphs Chat--4/16/2020
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AC/SD
2:41
What would you do to get the Padres a World Series-caliber team by 2022? Much appreciated.
Craig Edwards
2:43
Hope that Gore, Paddack, and Patiño are a great 1-2-3, and if they aren't trade from the farm to get a starter and one more really good position player.
Kevin
2:43
I have to imagine a chat covered it at some point, but the Astros/Lunhow/Hinch seem like pretty big winners of this weirdness in a lot of ways. Is there no penalty for Lunhow and Hinch extending into next season?
Craig Edwards
2:46
That assumes that Luhnow and Hinch are more employable with their suspensions lifted. They aren't making any money right now so they still miss the season regardless. As for the Astros, they are one of the bigger losers if there's no season. Springer becomes a FA. Verlander and Greinke get a year older. Altuve hits his 30s and Correa gets a year closer to FA without playing. The Astros are in a pretty big competitive window right now and they are in danger of exiting it. They are a better version of the Cubs in that way.
viceroy
2:47
Were managers, front office execs or minor league contracts extended like Major League player contracts were?
Craig Edwards
2:48
Managers and front office execs aren't covered by the CBA. Many of the top executives will presumably be asked to take a paycut. Not sure about managers, though I'm guessing teams are still employing them to be able to keep in touch with players while they are away.
Mike Rizzo
2:49
How can the Nats make the most of this down time to celebrate being the world champions with their fans?
Craig Edwards
2:50
Watch a lot of highlights, I would guess. The ring ceremony is usually a pretty special one with fans in the crowd. I don't think there is a good way to simulate that, but hopefully they get something figured out.
Alex
2:52
Which contract and player do you prefer, Kepler or Woodruff? As a Twins fan, I’d reluctantly make that deal for Woodruff, but curious what others think. They were ranked #40 & #41 in the trade value series last July.
Craig Edwards
2:55
I think it is still pretty close. There's still the question about a full season of innings from Woodruff, but he was the better player last season on a rate basis. If I were thinking long term contract, I take Kepler, but I might rather have Woodruff at the moment because potentially having a cheap ace brings too much reward.
viceroy
2:55
How will park factors and advanced states work this year if everything is at spring training facilities? Is there enough data on those fields?
Craig Edwards
2:56
That's a good question. Arizona teams could maybe use Chase Field as a proxy with Florida teams using Miami, at least at the start of the season until we get more data.
AC/SD
2:57
The Padres hope to contend within a year, but their outfield and second base situation is a mess, and no immediate, star-caliber help coming via the minors. Should they go all in and try to get George Springer and trade for Jose Ramirez? Any good, left of center choices to solidify their lineup going forward?
Craig Edwards
2:58
There are always plenty of second basemen available, so it isn't really a position you need to shoot for the moon for. I'm not sure I would like Springer as a center fielder long term. He might be more of a corner guy into the future. The Padres are better off getting the best player they can regardless of position (and that might be Ramirez and/or Springer) and then making sure they have at least competence at positions that currently look like holes.
#1 Craig Edwards Fan
3:00
What are your thoughts on the popularity of baseball upon a return?  If the 2020 season is lost and they pick it back up next spring, what do you think that does to overall fan numbers?  Will we see even more "theme days" and giveaways at the ballpark in an effort to drive numbers back up?
Craig Edwards
3:01
I think tv ratings would be way up but attendance would be significantly down. More theme nights, more month at a time standing room packages, things we've started to see will become very popular in order to get fans back in the ballpark.
Keith
3:02
Am curious about that small segment of players who were already placed on the 60-day DL by their teams (like Jordan Hicks or Michael Fulmer) but could be ready to return given a delayed start to the season.  Will they have to sit out the 60 days or could there be a reprieve?  Thanks.
Craig Edwards
3:03
I'm guessing they could come back.
Sir Nerdlington
3:03
Thank for more 'business of' articles. I find them fascinating. One content series I'd love to see is two of you debating the various points of the next CBA from each side.
Craig Edwards
3:05
Thanks. The next CBA was already going to be very interesting and losing some or all of this season is going to make negotiations very difficult with a huge incentive to avoid a work stoppage. I'm not sure if all of the business articles are here, but we do have a business tag I try to use so you should be able to find a bunch of them here, if interested. https://blogs.fangraphs.com/category/business/
Thanks for all the questions. That's going to do it for me today. Stay safe.
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