JotCast | Dan Szymborski FanGraphs Chat

Dan Szymborski FanGraphs Chat - 9/24/18

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Dan Szymborski

12:32

There are some good people there too, like Justin Havens, and we've all worked for companies that have done bad things before, unfortunately.

For the same reason I don't refrain from supporting a number of SBN bloggers simply because they work for a company that's been too crappy to pay them for their work.

Harry

12:33

Does Tyler White get a full-time job next year?

Dan Szymborski

12:33

I think it'll be tricky

Meg

12:33

Hunter Renfroe has a real shot at ending the year with a slugging above .500 and an OBP under .300. Is he a guy that's going to figure it out or is his OBP gonna sink him?

Dan Szymborski

12:33

I suspect he's going to be a low OBP guy, even in better casse scenarios

Frank

12:34

Some people continue to think the Braves need to go out and get a TOR starter, which is very expensive on the FA market or Trade market. In theory they built around pitching so that they wouldn't have to go that route. Folty and Gausman seem like a fine combo atop the rotation to me. With so much young talent coming behind them

Dan Szymborski

12:34

I'm not quite sure they actually need to do that.

Acunami

12:35

What's your take on DeGrom for MVP? Can't see him actually winning, even with voters more friendly to advanced stats

Dan Szymborski

12:35

I think there's a possibility, without an OBVIOUS NL MVP

12:36

as opposed to the AL when he'd have no chance.

Now, the AL MVP isn't OBVIOUS, but that there are a few crazy guys at the top is

kevinthecomic

12:36

At what point can you conclude that someone is playing hurt? For example, Eugenio Suarez, Nolan Arenado and Matt Carpenter have all been scuffling for about a month, is that enough time? Especially with Arenado and Carpenter having a recent history of shoulder problems.

Dan Szymborski

12:36

I've actually tinkered with DL dummy variables and play in the months before the DL trip to do a probabilistic model, but it's still in the works

Harry

12:37

Freeman's lack of homers this year a fluke?

Dan Szymborski

12:37

No, he's not really the big HR type of hitter

It's weird when he's miscast as a traditional slugger, when he's an all-around line drive guy

12:38

What's nice about him is that he hits a lot of liners *without* ending up with an insane number of grounders.

12:39

Freeman is the player that overexcitable Royals fans erroneously thought Eric Hosmer was.

Willians A-su-su-studillo

12:39

Speaking of Orioles messes, what do you make of the Adam Jones situation? Seems like they got upset at him (quite fairly) blocking the Phillies trade and so have cut up his playing time, ostensibly to look at the youth, though that's included Joey Rickard who is not part of the future. Is it as petty as it looks? Was hoping they'd bring Jones back as a vet presence, but bridges seem to be burning...

Dan Szymborski

12:39

I think they're upset, but I don't think they're being petty.

12:40

Rickard only has like four starts past the deadline or something like that

12:41

And it's smart to play Mullins over AJ at this point, it'd be crazy not to.

And I don't think "OK, you want to stay and that's fine, but we've got things we need to do for the future." is unreasonable.

12:42

I'm not sure bringing him back is so crucial that you don't look at a player you need to.

If bringing back Jones means not starting Mullins centerfield for two months, I don't think it's worth bringing back Jones.

Shauncore

12:42

Dan, you're an all around great guy who I like to tell is a good guy to get you to like me. Do you like me? Please like me. Anyway, can I get some love for Ryan O'Hearn, who I had ranked as the Royals best prospect even before he was born to prove that I was on him first.

Dan Szymborski

12:42

I like most people who aren't Murray Chass.

I'm a cheerful curmudgeon.

greg

12:42

Cat update please.

Dan Szymborski

12:43

I'm actually in Denver at the moment, so I'm not sure what the cats are doing outside my mom assuring me that nobody's dead.

12:44

Now, Galileo's disappointed I'm sure without me cooking food.

Since that means he's mostly eating the food mom gives him on her way to work and on her way home from work.

(He refuses to eat dry food and it's not a tooth thing, he just had his checkup)

Eric

12:44

I know you've given Markakis alot of crap over the past few years (you were 100% correct regardless). But how do you see his offseason ending up? Does he get a qualifying offer? Will he get a multi-year deal?

Dan Szymborski

12:44

I think he'll be looked at like most older players that hit 370/420. AN interesting bat, but not one to commit

Acunami

12:44

Acuna has cooled off - can Soto catch him for RoY?

Dan Szymborski

12:45

It's been an amazing race.

Bort

12:45

Nomar Mazara: is he ever going to do anything other than bore us to death?