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Craig Edwards FanGraphs Chat--5/7/2020
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mike
2:54
has to be the red sox are hurt least with no season, since the mookie deal ends up being very much in their favor
Craig Edwards
2:57
Except the whole reason for the Mookie deal was to get under the competitive balance tax in order to save money in the future and they don't get under if no season is played. Of course, in order to get those savings, they were going to have spend big in 2021, which they probably aren't going to do. If you go by most of the reasons stated for trading Betts, they can't actually fulfill a lot of the goals. Plus, they miss out on two prime years from Xander Bogaerts and Rafael Devers, two of the very best players in the game. Any team that might have competed this year, and that includes the Red Sox, can't be the team hurt least.
Smiling Politely
2:59
Before this season was disrupted, were there any idiosyncratic predictions or outcomes you were curious to watch develop?
Craig Edwards
3:00
I really wanted to see how the Astros season was going to play out. Even if they still play, a lot of the intrigue there has evaporated.
3:01
On another note, it's hard to look back and see emerging storylines that are interesting to follow because right now, I just want baseball back.
Matt Carpenter
3:01
Has there been any disclosure on how service time will work assuming a truncated season happens? Prorated?
Craig Edwards
3:04
It will be prorated based on the number of games played by teams. If a normal season is 186 days and 100 games are played and you are in the majors for half the season, you should get 93 days of service time.
Kiermaier's Piercing Green Eyes
3:04
Oh, and PSA: ESPN2 is now reairing Dinos vs Lions for those of us with sleep schedules.
Smiling Politely
3:04
Thanks chatting, Craig--I wish I had more interesting questions, but the lack hurts. I enjoyed the DH column and was speculating on some other ways of utilizing it in a short/weird season. It made me wonder how MLB will deal with injuries, 40 man roster mgmt, trades, etc...what do you think?
Craig Edwards
3:06
I think expanded rosters are likely, for at least the start of the season and how teams deal with pitching staffs, in particular, is going to be something worth watching. That's especially true if there are going to be a decent number of doubleheaders. Pitching depth and figuring out the best way to use it over is going to be very important.
Tatum
3:07
Thoughts on Brantleys late season struggles?
Craig Edwards
3:08
I wouldn't make too much of it. It's a long season and Brantley doesn't have a huge track record for playing that much. He's almost 33 and so he probably won't be as good this year as he was last year, but he should still be a solid hitter.
Curtis
3:09
Pitchers batting makes no sense. The craft of batting for those who employ it full time is hard enough.  Pitching is hard enough.  The statistics show pitchers are mostly terrible at batting. Those that are better than terrible COULD pinch hit.  Some pinch run.  Putting pitchers in a batting spot often forces their removal as "batting strategy", not because they're struggling at pitching in that game.  A pitcher's value and worth is tied to the performance on the mound.  Let them pursue that greatness.  Universal DH from here on out.  You can still double switch or any strategy you want.
Craig Edwards
3:09
I agree.
3:10
That's going to do it for me today. Thanks for all your questions and don't forget to fill out our survey. https://blogs.fangraphs.com/how-optimistic-are-you-that-the-2020-seaso...
I'll take one more.
Aspiring
3:10
I'm in high school right now, but plan on going to college for statistics. My ultimate dream is to get a job with a baseball team in the R&D department and use my statistical skills in that way. What advice can you give me for how I can realize this dream?
Craig Edwards
3:12
I would say to make sure you don't limit yourself and that you stay curious. Ask yourself questions and then find the answers. If you find you lose that curiosity when it comes to statistics or baseball, find something else. You have a ton of options and it's important to find something that keeps you going and keeps your brain active.
3:13
Okay, that's it.
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