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Craig Edwards FanGraphs Chat--5/23/2019
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bozos72
2:45
Is it weird that nearly half the league (14 teams) is playing to within 1 game of their BaseRuns record?
Craig Edwards
2:45
I'm not sure, but it doesn't feel weird. Having a middle half all near the BaseRuns record seems about right.
Canadian Guy
2:46
Which star on a Toronto team is more exciting: Vlad Jr. or Kawhi?
Craig Edwards
2:47
To me, Vlad, but I like baseball more than basketball. I also tend to like a singular skill more than an all-around game, but people get to decide for themselves what they find exciting.
Pablo
2:48
Why is Trevor Bauer bad now?
Craig Edwards
2:51
He's probably not bad, but it is possible fewer sliders and curves and more fourseamers have led to more walks and fly balls, which is what has hurt him so far. Hittes aren't chasing as many pitches outside the zone. He changes things a lot so sometimes he is going to be at an imbalance. This looks like one of those times.
Zoop
2:51
Was there some sort of agreement, spoken or otherwise, not to sign Keuchel or Kimbrel before the draft?
Craig Edwards
2:51
That would violate the CBA so I'm guessing not.
AA
2:51
More expensive at the deadline, Bauer or Bumgarner?
Craig Edwards
2:52
If Bauer is available, then Bauer, but I doubt that's going to happen.
Dave in London
2:52
Likelihood that the White Sox move Colome before the trade deadline? I think he still has a year of team control left through arbitration. Does that make it more or less likely that he'll be traded?
Craig Edwards
2:53
He's the guy you absolutely trade at the deadline if you are the White Sox. He might not bring much back, but even a little bit of prospect depth gives you more flexibility and we don't know if he'll be good in August, let alone 2020 at a fairly high salary.
Matt
2:53
Is there a decent way to easily look up say Swing% in different counts?
Craig Edwards
2:54
There's not an easy way, though if that's something you are interested in, I'd suggest playing around with the Heatmaps on the player pages which shows swings by count if you filter for that.
Voldemort
2:55
Why are the Brewers forcing Jesus Aguilar into a platoon a year after he was an allstar hitting 30+ homers with 100+ rbis. Doesn't he deserve the change to sort out his early season struggles and be an everyday player?
Craig Edwards
2:57
I assume they saw something more than just the bad hitting line, which was really bad. You could've said something similar about Thames last year, though not to the same degree. Giving him some playing time allows him to work through his struggles and if he bounces back, it's not hard to give him more PAs.
Lukas
2:58
If the Padres sneak into the playoffs, do they pitch Paddack potentially over his innings limit or do they shut him down?
Craig Edwards
3:00
I think they find innings past whatever that limit might be. You don't throw away a real shot at a World Series, which is what the Padres would have if they made the playoffs, over a somewhat arbitrary pitch number. Maybe that means his playoff starts go four innings instead of 6, but if Paddack gets you to the playoffs, you have to keep pitching him once you are there.
Del Martin
3:01
Urias has the third highest IsoP in the PCL but people still keep saying that he's going to have Cesar Hernandez-type pop. I know the PCL is a hitter's league but what does he have to do to change opinions?
Craig Edwards
3:01
Do it in the majors. That's his next level. Nothing he does in the PCL is going to change many opinions at this point.
John
3:02
Pirates are 2 games above .500 with a -50 run differential.  Lesson to the Reds: never try.
Craig Edwards
3:02
Or: try and you never know what might happen. You could get very lucky.
Jeremy
3:03
How worried should I be about Benintendi? His K-rate is way up and his stolen bases are down?
Craig Edwards
3:05
He's just swinging way more, which is probably an approach that can be fixed. I'm sure he'll come around. As for steals, he only stole four bases in the second half of last season, so he just might not be stealing as much.
Jaffe rhymes with Taffy
3:05
What do you use as an end point for SSS for teams, hitters, and pitchers?  When do you start to feel comfortable with the results?
Craig Edwards
3:07
I don't think there is any one end point. It's about looking at the individual player and trying to figure out what's causing the good or bad results. After two months a player can have one really good month, one really bad month and regular stats. Does which one came first matter in how you evaluate the player? Probably, but the biggest thing is to look for what is making a player successful and trying to figure out if it will last or if it is likely to get worse.
blake
3:07
How worried should Cards fans be about the starting rotation?
Craig Edwards
3:08
They are still coming. Very worried. See above.
Guest
3:08
Who is your favorite player that you just couldn't quit on, but never "made it" ? My friends will never let me live Kila Ka'aihue down. I also was in the Edwin Jackson will be an ace camp.
Craig Edwards
3:09
Not sure about made it, but at least recently, Lance Lynn as ace and Tyler Lyons as good starting pitcher.
Voldemort
3:09
Does Kirby Yates break the single season saves record this year? Also, Kirby Yates is the man.
Craig Edwards
3:09
No, and yes.
Tom
3:09
Could Carlos Martinez start this season? I thought it was determined he could only be a reliever, due to the strength of his shoulder (or lack thereof).
Craig Edwards
3:11
There's a lot of things floating around, but the latest seems to be potentially back in the rotation after the break. His velocity seems fine now and if he could build up some multiple-inning relief outings, he might feel more confident about holding up as a starter and the club could certainly use him.
That is going to do it for me today. Thanks for all the questions.
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