JotCast | Dan Szymborski FanGraphs Chat - 8/6/18

Dan Szymborski FanGraphs Chat - 8/6/18

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Ben

2:44

Do you expect Braves to start fading, or will the season ending series vs Phillies be one that decides the division?

Dan Szymborski

2:44

I think it's very close. As I said both me and ZiPS are more optimistic than the FG

LFC Mike

2:44

If the Red Sox were a condiment would they be an elegant Dijon Mustard? If so then the Orioles must Miracle Whipped....that god awful dressing posing as mayonnaise.

Dan Szymborski

2:44

The Orioles are like that gas station pickle relish - nobody's going to use THAT

2:46

I think the Red Sox are Dijon mustard. Fans always think they're the underdog to spicy brown in the public eye, but they're one of the big condiments. It's like dudes, you're not gochujang.

Zoombini

2:46

What say you about Shawn Kelley to Oakland

Dan Szymborski

2:47

'tis fine, though I want the Crazy Beane trade.

Johnny Coconuts

2:47

Anthony Rizzo and Jake Bauers share the same fWAR (1.7). If you're a rebuilding team with a mid-size purse like the Orioles, would you rather have Rizzo at the 3 years/$40million he's owed, or Bauers for the next 6 years of team control on his rookie deal?

Dan Szymborski

2:47

Rizzo because then I can trade him!

Kiermaier's Piercing Green Eyes

2:48

https://mediadownloads.mlb.com/mlbam/mp4/2018/08/05/2352333583/1533511...
What kind of sandwich is the best sandwich in which to catch a baseball?

Dan Szymborski

2:48

something with a soft roll?

that can absorb the baseball slightly better?

Or maybe a bagel that could catch the ball like a hemorrhoid cushion?

Dbo

2:49

Boiled Peanuts are stupid man's way of trying to make peanut butter!

Adam Jones Dystopian Life

2:49

Where did all my friends go? Is this all there is?

crying

4

Angelus Novus

2:49

If a team has had past developmental success in a given arena, do you think they should allow future decisions (player acquisition or position change) to be decided on the basis of that success? For example, the Orioles are running out David Hess and Yefry Ramirez as starters. They are clearly not big league starters. However, both have some tools that suggest they could be effective (if not impactful) bullpen pieces. The Orioles have had a great deal of success turning valueless players into useful bullpen pitchers with real trade value. Each scenario is a bit different, but consider Mychal Givens, Brad Brach, Zach Britton, Mike Wright (of late), Tanner Scott, Paul Fry, etc. Essentially my question is this: Should the Orioles be quicker to move guys who've started in the minors to the bullpen since they've had past developmental success in the past?

Dan Szymborski

2:49

I am a believer in letting guys start until they conclusively prove otherwise that they can't. Relief should only occasionally be Plan A.

Billy Beane

2:49

Dan, do you think the A's should be in on Harvey and/or Zimmerman? Or would you rather see them go after someone like Choo in August? The rotation is very obviously the weak spot but I can't decide how big the upgrade from Anderson to Harvey/Zimmerman is.

Dan Szymborski

2:50

Harvey's meh, but Zim is interesting if the Tigers are in an eating mood

greg

2:50

Cat update please.

Dan Szymborski

2:50

I'm actually not at home, so alive at last chek.

Zoombini

2:51

Oh, Fiers just got traded to Oakland

romorr

2:51

I hate when they talk MVP and bring up the players team. Like meaningful baseball matters, it's about value. But nobody talks about Jose Ramirez destroying the pitching from 4 teams playing for 2019. Or Bauer doing what he's doing to a rebuilding Detroit team. Trout is facing pitching from 3 teams doing everything to make the playoffs.

Dan Szymborski

2:51

What especially bugs me is that the rules specifically define value as the "strength of a player's offense and defense."

And while that line is the official rule, people act like there's some weird metaphysical sense of value out there

Angelus Novus

2:51

Do you ever find that creative work you do kind of cross-pollinates as you move between mediums (or ideas?). I actually don't know what other creative or intellectual pursuits you engage in, but do you ever find that the migration patterns of bird lend insight into Kevin Kiermaier's Fly Ball routes?

Dan Szymborski

2:52

Honestly, my love of spreadsheets tends to overlap

Mostly with video game stuff

2:53

When I was a kid, before there was a gamefaqs, I used to collect data to try to crack the formulae for damage in Final Fantasy IV and VI

peanut-gallery

1

trophy

6

I got pretty close with VI since I was 16 when it came out

tongue

1

Justin

2:53

What kind of contract do you think Donaldson gets this winter? I'm trying to imagine ways the Pirates can spend their ~$20-30ish Million in payroll space (assuming they dump, say, Nova) and wondering if Donaldson would make sense.

Dan Szymborski

2:54

It's hard to say, but given his age, I think Donaldson's injuries have cost him a great deal of money this year

LFC Mike

2:55

Dan....Is the National League ROY contest over? Soto is slashing 310/424/980 with 51 BB ( 5 Intentional) vs. 49 K's..that strikezone mastery for a 19 year old is unreal....

love

3

Dan Szymborski

2:55

It's going to be hard for anyone to win.

2:56

I mean other than Soto. Obviously someone will win

Winker's out for the year and OBP doesn't get you the votes still

2:57

Bryan Anderson has PT edge, but Soto likely passes him in quantitative stuff

2:58

I can't see Seranthony getting Soto's votes

And of course, there's that guy in Atlanta

cool

1

But I think Soto's having the better season!

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