You are viewing the chat in desktop mode. Click here to switch to mobile view.
X
Eric Longenhagen Chat
powered byJotCast
Prev Page View Full Chat Next Page
Bill
12:26
Did you get any info on Juan Then from the alternate site/Arizona? Supposedly up to 100 - or approaching it... Is he a SP or RP moving forward?
Eric A Longenhagen
this was a spike we knew about and reflected in the rankings months ago
Reliever for me
Jon
12:27
It looks like MLB and the MLBPA are at it again. Do you think they play a full season in 2021?
Eric A Longenhagen
12:28
No
Rafe
12:28
If Justin Dunn is moved to relief - does he sit in the upper 90's with his fastball? Would he end up a closer or something else?
Eric A Longenhagen
12:29
I'm in "I won't believe it until I see it" mode with Dunn now. He was 93-96 with a plus slider out of the BC bullpen in college, that's probably a middle reliever now, not a closer.
Sodo Mojo
12:30
I know the Mariner's fall site was shut down to media.  Are there any reports from Julio Rodriguez's play in the Dominican Winter League that would change your view on him?
Eric A Longenhagen
12:30
I've been watching and that front foot still bails too often, he's trying to pull everything and getting wrecked by sliders away from him. He either needs to get better at identifying those sliders so he stops swinging at them or he needs to have a more closed stride direction and stay through the ball more often to hit them. He's behind Kelenic for me now but still a top 10-ish prospect.
Cito Gaston
12:33
How would you characterize the data sharing agreement between teams' Alt sites this year? Were all 30 on board, or were there some holdouts? And was any of the data even that useful in such a short stint?
Eric A Longenhagen
12:33
Here's who I have opting out of video: Padres, White Sox, Yankees, Nationals, Royals, Dodgers, Braves, Tigers, Brewers, Athletics.
12:35
and from the fall I have CHW opting out, sounds like MIN and NYY too? Uncomfirmed and there may be more. I think you can tell if a pitcher has changed via the data but hitters are much more complicated to evaluate when they're seeing the same couple of pitchers for weeks
Arden
12:38
Is the general consensus that the first 2-3 rounds of the 2021 draft will be a pretty typical talent pool, but the later rounds will have much more talent due to 2020's shortened draft? Or is it deeper in the top couple rounds as well?
Eric A Longenhagen
12:38
I suppose I haven't framed the question in this way to anyone, but yeah that strikes me as being about right.
Mordecai and Rigby
12:39
Have you started watching The Mandalorian? Season 2 has been awesome so far! I know you're a big Batman fan, but I'm not sure about your feelings on SW (or Disney)...
Eric A Longenhagen
12:39
I've been watching sports and Frontline docs during most of the pandemic. Haven't seen Mandalorian.
MiLB
12:40
Do you expect the lack of a minor league season this year would affect the ETA timelines of players, particularly those who were not part of the alternate site player pools? Obviously they were training somewhere, but did not see the typical live action they would have seen. Alternatively, will some players skip levels due to a year advancing?
Eric A Longenhagen
12:40
Yes, I'm actually struggling to have a real feel for how the bottlenecking is going to work and I feel like I've got way too many 2021 ETAs in my first two systems.
Benny
12:40
Was surprised to see that Christian Javier's fastball did not have a higher spin rate.  If not spin, what makes the invisi-ball work?
Eric A Longenhagen
12:40
Angle of approach.
Sam
12:42
Could Edman be part of a Lindor trade package? Would leave cards light on infield but they have been stacking up depth. Edman is the MLB proven type player CLE likes and they could use a utility man
Eric A Longenhagen
12:42
Sure. Again, I don't have specific dope here so I don't want team blogs aggregating this for cheap clicks, but Edman is a switch-hitting, versatile player with years of team control remaining, and that's right up Cleveland's alley, that's a good guy to point a speculative finger at.
flava flav
12:43
what are the odds minor league ST is super late this year and we don't get prospect looks until like april?
Eric A Longenhagen
12:43
blerg, fairly high I think
12:44
Especially if they have spring training in AZ/FL rather than at the big league stadiums, you probaby have to wait to bring in the minor leaguers until after the big leaguers have left
Guest
12:46
How do you think one should evaluate Quinn Priester's new velocity, given it was in shorter bursts this Fall?
Eric A Longenhagen
12:46
Super tough question. I'm wrestling with that myself for him and Abel. Obviously you need to consider the context, as you note. I think if it's couple with another change, like a delivery tweak or more mature physicality, I'm more likely to roll with it.
12:47
here's that Mason Thompson look I promised:
Benny
12:47
Seems Jeremy Pena is playing well in Winter League.  Will he crack your top 100?
Eric A Longenhagen
12:48
Yeah, he'll be somewhere toward the back. Plus range, hands and actions, can get the bat head on pitches in while still rotating with some explosion. Think he'll be a good everyday big leaguer.
Jeff
12:50
What did you think about Andy Haines' comment about the direction of amateur baseball being more about showcases than you....playing baseball? I think asking players to develop "showcase muscles" vs functional, conditioned muscles is all part of the amateur trap the owners have set
Eric A Longenhagen
12:51
Yeah, I think it's a tough situation to parse. Obviously showcases have pros and cons. They increase a socioeconomic gap in baseball players, they shamelessly proceeded during the pandemic, there's now a showcase company in bed with MLB that will be using unpaid amateur labor in these new draft leagues, when all the talent is concentrated in the showcases you need fewer scouts...
12:52
But also, the most telling look you get at a hitter is when they'r facing the best pitching their age, and that happens in showcases. It's very efficient for someone like me to go to them and see the top tier of talent (which PG and PBR are typically pretty good at picking out) rather than spend 200 days a year on the road seeing them all over the place.
12:53
I think "balance" is best, and we don't have that right now but I'm also not exactly sure how to get there either.
flava flav
12:54
(and I assume none of us should plan on flying up to spring training to watch games :( )
Eric A Longenhagen
12:54
lol, yeah please don't come here yet. Get a vax and come next Fall for the Fall League and instructs and I'll drag Kiley's ass out here for a book signing, we'll drink and be merry
Alex
12:56
Eric, I know you were a big Corbin Carroll guy because of his high exit velo relative to his physical size.  Have there been any reports of him getting physically stronger the past year?  Do you see him now as a potential 60 hit/50 power guy?
Eric A Longenhagen
12:56
I'm gonna 7 his bat, don't think he gets to average home run production tho. He's definitely strong for how little he is and he'll make you pay if you leave a fat one on the inner half, but he's a gap-to-gap spray-and-sprint guy for me.
Connecting…