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Dave Cameron
12:13
Power. If you can hit a baseball a long way, you can be crap at everything else and still be okay.
Zonk
12:14
I don't understand the Indians inaction. Great rotation, but are they really going to start the year with an OF of Cowgill, Davis, and Chisenhall? Couldn't they have at least brought in someone like Victorino on a minor league deal (he is in Cubs camp)? Are the Indians that broke?
Dave Cameron
12:16
I'm in the same boat. If they think what they have is good enough, that just feels oddly overconfident. If they agree that their OF is weak, then inaction can only be read as not seeing a high value on adding marginal wins, so either they think they're big favorites (I don't see that) or they don't think they're in a position to trade future for present (I don't see that either). There were just too many useful OFs changing teams this winter for them to sit on the sideline like this.
Guest
12:16
I asked August this yesterday and he put up a poll which basically was split 50-50, so I want to get your take: If the Astros were offered the opportunity to trade Correa to the Rangers for nothing in exchange for 1 guaranteed world series title, would you do it?
Dave Cameron
12:17
No.
Raindog
12:17
The difference in positional adjustment between 1B and DH is only 5 runs. Last year as a 1B, Pedro Alvarez had a UZR of -15 and a UZR/150 of -26. So, do I interpret that correctly that he's worth 1-2 WAR more as a DH than as a 1B?
Dave Cameron
12:17
If you think that his 2015 defense was his true talent level, yes, but he wouldn't have been that bad again.
Drew
12:18
Do you think David Ortiz is better than Jack Morris? Less fWAR, lower championship win probability added according to Baseball Gauge.
Dave Cameron
12:19
Ortiz's postseason numbers matter, and they're why he'll get elected, and unlike Morris, his are actually great, instead of just having one memorable game.
Paul
12:19
Olney seems convinced tanking will be addressed in the next CBA. Do you think anything will actually come of it? As you wrote, even if it exists it's contributing to an unprecedented amount of parity in the sport, which seems good for everybody. Who benefits from making a change?
Dave Cameron
12:21
I wouldn't be surprised if the league codified some kind of "teams must spend x% of declared revenue on MLB payroll" rule that basically already exists, but isn't on the books yet. It will be touted as a payroll floor, but it won't actually change anything; we've already seen the league tell the Marlins to spend more money after the MLBPA complained that their payroll was too low.
Raindog
12:21
I'm a little surprised that nobody picked up Justin Morneau to be a DH/1B/bench bat. He's certainly hit well enough the last couple years. Is he still hurt?
Dave Cameron
12:21
He's a 35 year old 1B who put up a 107 wRC+ last year.
lefty
12:22
So is worse case scenario for FG this year a Diamondbacks Royals World Series?
Dave Cameron
12:24
We have both teams projected for about .500, about the same as we had the Mets projected a year ago. It wouldn't be that weird if one of them got there, nor are we saying that neither of them can get there. They're just not as good as the public perception, I think.
STiVo
12:24
How often are the Depth Charts updated? Thanks!
Dave Cameron
12:24
We try to keep them as current as possible.
TF Fredrik
12:25
Where did all the offense go at the catcher position? I know framing is all the rage, but it’s sad to look at some of these major league hitting lines.
Dave Cameron
Or even better if you look at the years before 2015.
Korrea
12:27
Why don't we hear more about front office salaries in regard to all these player compensation arguments? Revenues don't need to be split directly between ownership and players, and front office employees add a ridiculous amount of value to their respective organizations relative to their pay grades.
Dave Cameron
12:27
There's no baseball operations union with a seat at the table in the CBA negotiations.
Bruce
12:27
Dave, do you have any guilty pleasures at all? Sitcoms, Ice cream, games, anything???
Dave Cameron
12:27
Dogs. I probably spend more time watching dog/human reunion videos than a 35 year old male should admit.
Raindog
12:28
How can David Freese find a home? He's not exactly exciting, but as a slightly above average hitter who plays an average 3B, he's surely at least useful. Maybe Houston?
Dave Cameron
12:28
He's probably waiting for an injury at this point.
TKDC
12:29
If a pitcher does not project as a top-end starter, is it even worth it to hold them back for service time reasons if they'll help your club right now?
Dave Cameron
12:30
Depends on the quality of the team. The Phillies shouldn't be rushing anyone onto their big league roster, but if I'm a bubble contender and I have an elite pitching prospect who is big league ready and clearly better than my veteran alternative, I don't care about service time that much. Hitters, yes, pitchers, no.
Ruby
12:31
Which would be more of a surprise (to you personally, not necessarily going by Playoff Odds): Cubs missing the playoffs, or Brewers making the playoffs?
Dave Cameron
12:31
Brewers, easily. The Cubs are very good, but a few injuries could easily wipe out a lot of their value. It's hard to see how the Brewers just find 20 wins.
Sean
12:32
FG projected standings and playoff odds have the Marlins ahead of the Diamondbacks. Do you personally believe that to be likely?
Dave Cameron
12:32
They look pretty similar to me. Both teams are heavily reliant on a few core stars and have questionable role players with lots of risk.
Chris
12:33
What effect will deGrom and Cole not signing their contracts have on the next CBS? How might contract structures cgange?
Dave Cameron
12:33
Zero. it was a symbolic move.
Nick
12:33
Who's the next breakout dominant K/9 reliever that nobody knows about? (Someone that already has debuted)
Dave Cameron
12:34
Well I'd imagine there aren't a lot of people who know who Tony Zych is yet, but if his September performance is even remotely in the ballpark of his true talent level, he could be make some noise this year.
j6takish
12:35
I'd say hit tool. Being able to hit 300 establishes a pretty high floor
Dave Cameron
12:36
I'm of the opinion that there is no "hit tool"; it's a term used for a combination of skills. Contact is a skill, but it's useless if you can't hit the ball hard enough to get it out of the infield. The hit tool is basically contact plus strength. You obviously need both, but I think strength is the more important variable.
Chris
12:37
Can the Cubs be stopped if Arrietta regresses and the rotation overall isn't as good as expected? Or are they still bulletproof?
Dave Cameron
12:38
No one is bulletproof. The Cubs are very good, but there are lots of ways for their 2016 season to go sideways.
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