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Craig Edwards FanGraphs Chat--5/30/2019
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Craig Edwards
2:48
He's at like .700ish right now so he'd have to be like 850 the rest of the way. I'd take the under there though i think i would choose over if it was just rest of season.
David
2:48
Any thoughts on Jarred Kelenic’s promotion to A+?
Craig Edwards
2:49
That's a good sign for him. He's incredibly young and double-A next year puts him on track for the majors at 21 years old in 2021. Still a ways to go, but that's a great start.
Joseph
2:51
Can we talk a little more about the Rays and how they seemingly under-the-radar have put together a top 3 farm system, a very competitive major league team all with an opening day salary of less than $65 million? How have they done it?
Craig Edwards
2:53
They weren't particularly good from 2014-2017 so they spent that time accumulating a ton of good players without ever having to trade away prospects. It is an impressive organization regardless of payroll, which is maybe something we don't talk about enough. The payroll always gets mentioned because it is low, but winning and player development are the more important things, and that's what they've done well.
Josh R
2:53
I know Bryce Harper is on a better streak in the last week, but my theory is that his eyesight is just too poor now for him to be an elite hitter.  He should be thinking LASIK because contacts just do not make up for good eyesight enough.  What do you think?
Craig Edwards
2:53
that's wild
Indians Fan
2:54
Is this the real Jorge Polanco or a balloon ready to bust?
Craig Edwards
2:57
I wrote about him earlier this week. I don't think he'll be in the MVP discussion at the end of the year, but he's a good hitter who is turning on a lot of balls. A .366 BABIP and .248 ISO might not be sustainable, but a .320 BABIP and .200 ISO is still a really good player with his walk and strikeout rates and the fact that he can play shortstop.
John
2:57
What are your thoughts on the Cards implementing a version of The Opener this year?  There's no way they can keep running out Wacha and Waino every 5th day.
Craig Edwards
3:00
They aren't running Wacha out there anymore and after yesterday, it's hard to see him regaining form this season. I think the Cardinals do have some arms that could make the opener work. Guys like Cabrera, Ponce De Leon, Gomber once off the DL, even Gant might not be ready or good enough to turn over a lineup, but going once through the order might make sense for them. They really need to hope Reyes can get back and that Martinez can build up innings to get back in the rotation. Even then, they still might need a Kuechel/Bumgarner/Stroman type to get back to the playoffs. They are a good team, but this May has put them behind teams they need to catch up to, and those teams are just as good as the Cardinals.
Duck season
3:01
You are appointed commissioner of baseball. What are 2 things you do to jumpstart popularity/attendance? (rule changes, structural changes, campaigns, etc...)
Craig Edwards
3:02
I would add six new teams and shrink the strike zone.
3:03
oh and here's that Polanco article I mentioned. https://blogs.fangraphs.com/jorge-polanco-puts-ped-suspension-behind-h...
Desperate Royals Fan
3:04
So, a week or two ago there was chatter that the Royals front office was talking about what they needed to do to make the wild card THIS YEAR. I've never heard of a front office being so out of touch with reality. Any chance they all finally get fired when they lose 109 or so games this year?
Craig Edwards
3:06
This is the same front office who was around for back to World Series appearances and a championship. That was more improbably than the second wild card this year. As long as the front office isn't telling ownership that the second wild card is an actual realistic goal, then they probably aren't in danger of losing their jobs. Setting expectations is probably more important for them right now. Dreaming about a second wild card is fine as long you aren't hurting your realistic long-term goals.
Chris Marotta
3:08
After hitting two Home Runs last night Pete Alonso has tied Mark McGwire's rookie record of 19 before June 1.  How likely is it that we see Alonso break Aaron Judge rookie record of 52?
Craig Edwards
3:09
Given that one third of his fly balls have been homers and he needs to basically keep pace with what he's done so far. I think 40 homers would be a pretty big accomplishment for him this season.
Dan
3:10
Do you think Josh Donaldson gets a qualifying offer? Seems justified based on his performance, but maybe the Braves want Riley at 3B next year?
Craig Edwards
3:11
If he's healthy the rest of the year and is a 3-4 win player, I would think so. That talent on a one-year deal is too good to pass up. You figure out what to do with Riley later.
Okay, everybody. That will do it for me today. Thanks for all the questions.
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