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Craig Edwards FanGraphs Chat--9/12/2019
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Trent
2:46
Soler, Merrifield, Mondesi--the Royals have some legitimate position player talent.  Does the pitching catch up in time for them to be contenders while that talent is still around?
Craig Edwards
2:49
While they are around? Maybe? While they are still in their primes? Probably not. Soler will be 29 in 2021 and a FA after. Merrifield is already 30. Mondesi should still be in his prime for a while, but the Royals aren't going to be able to count on homegrown players like they did in their last run. They just don't have the farm for that. They'll need significant outside help if they want to compete by 2021 when Soler and Merrifield are still around and hopefully good.
Alex Anchopoulos
2:50
Ronald Acuna and Mike Soroka say hi
Craig Edwards
2:51
Yelich, Bellinger, Rendon, and Marte nod downward at Acuna and Pete Alonso and the Tatis, Jr. injury has eliminated the need for a ROY debate.
ANF
2:52
The hawks are right that ANF. Luckily ISAEF (Iowa State Actually Educates Farmers)
Craig Edwards
2:52
I look forward to seeing that on a helmet.
Richie bklyn
2:52
Do yanks offer Didi a QO, does he take it? Would 4yrs 17 per lock him up?
Craig Edwards
2:56
I think they would offer it and he would think about taking it, though he might not want to hit free agency after his age-30 season. It's hard to say what the market will be like given this season. Who was the last comparable shortstop to hit FA? I could see anywhere from 3/30 to 5/90 at this point. It depends on which teams need a shortstop.
UofIx3
2:56
Should the Cardinals worry about turning into the San Francisco Giants?  St. Louis' farm system seems to be slowing down and they've sure are paying for a lot of decline years in their recent long-term contracts to older players.
Craig Edwards
3:00
Is the farm system slowing down? I know it isn't as highly ranked as it once was but it has two position players among the top 50 in the game for the first time in a decade. Flaherty should be a fixture in the rotation, in the last few years, they've gotten an All-Star in DeJong plus production out of Bader and potentially O'Neill. They already have their catcher of the future in Knizner to the point they traded Kelly away. The extensions have locked up a few positions in the near term, but the only long term deal is Goldschmidt's. They have the resources, good young players now and a few in the system to build around without much committed in salary down the line as the money from Molina, Fowler, Carpenter, and a parade of relievers come off the books.
Cy vs Herky
3:01
Score prediction?
Craig Edwards
3:01
20-5.
Richie bklyn
3:02
Why dont NL teams always use an opener for the  back end of their rotation? Then  double switch/ ph... if they play their cards right the pitcher might never have to get an AB.  Would teams be more open to do this next yr w/ 26man rosters?
Craig Edwards
3:02
inertia. Fear of running out of players. Not wanting to disrupt a starter's rhythm in getting ready.
Richie bklyn
3:05
I think MLB should bring back SUNDAY DOUBLEHEADERS. Make every team play 1 home and 1 road DH'S vs their division. Schedule  mondays off, that'll be 8less days on the  schedule, use 4 for the regular season,  4 to expand playoffs... FANGRAPHS has the platform to get this idea going. GET ON IT.
Craig Edwards
3:05
I did it four years ago. It has not caught on. https://blogs.fangraphs.com/mlb-attendance-so-far-and-a-call-for-doubl...
Western pants
3:05
Oh you are wrong about the Mariners.  Gilbert, Dunn, Sheffield, Kikuchi, Marco + Kelenic, Julio, Haniger, Lewis, White.  It's going to be a spicy meatball in the West by the time August-September roll around in 2020.
Craig Edwards
3:06
2020 seems pretty agressive for some of those guys to contribute to a contender.
Western pants
3:06
Kyle Lewis' 30% K rate occurred at AA, for what it is worth. However, his power was suppressed really badly by his home park there.  I still think he's a 4th OF, unless Dipoto decides to move Haniger, which would open up playing time for Lewis/Fraley/Bishop.
Craig Edwards
3:07
Noted.
Richie bklyn
3:08
Yanks playoff  lineup, Would you start DJ at 1B, Urshela  at 3B, and Voit or Encanarcion DH's with  1 of em  coming off  the bench... or DJ at 3b, Urshela on the bench coming in for defense late, and Voit/EE starting at 1b/dh
Craig Edwards
3:09
That's a tough call. I think Urshela ends up sitting, though I don't think there's a really bad choice to be made.
Western pants
3:09
Craig, who's the bargain of the off season free agent market?  Is there such a thing?
Craig Edwards
3:12
Probably Anthony Rendon or Gerrit Cole, though if you are looking for a Lance Lynn type bargain to pay off I could see Marcell Ozuna not getting the offers he wants. I'm also interested to see if there is an overcorrection on Madison Bumgarner that might make him a decent bargain.
Western pants
3:12
What's your favorite storyline leading into the playoffs?  Is it the role of attrition in pennant races?  Something else?
Craig Edwards
3:13
15 teams have a shot at the playoffs with three teams vying for two slots in the AL wild card and eight teams fighting for three spots in the NL. That's crazy with only two weeks left to go.
Mason Jarre
3:14
sticking with the Yankees, you have Chapman, Britton, Ottavino, Kahnle, Green and now Betances, do you even ask a starter who isn't dominating to go more than 3 innings?
Craig Edwards
3:14
Not until the LCS at least. In a five-game series, you have to close things out when you can.
Richie bklyn
3:15
Would you be open to every team giving up two home games to play in and around North America, Caribbean Canada, Mexico and U.S. cities without baseball,  do it mostly on Mondays  and Tuesdays  b/c  those are usually the lowest attended games, but on the road in places like D.R., P.R., Mex city, Montreal Vancouver , Portland etc, they'd be one off  series and most likely sell out.
Craig Edwards
3:15
The travel sounds impossible to pull that off, but it's an interesting idea.
Ryan
3:16
Who pitches the most innings for the Yankees in the playoffs this year?
Craig Edwards
3:16
Paxton?
Rick
3:18
What current player has the best chance to break Jeter's mark for all time post-season PAs?
Craig Edwards
3:19
That is not something I've given a lot of thought to, but I'll say Kris Bryant. Maybe Carlos Correa.
3:20
With that, we will close things down today. Other pieces this week on the Cardinals defense: https://blogs.fangraphs.com/the-cardinals-great-and-boring-defense/
Thanks for all the question. see you next week.
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