JotCast | Jay Jaffe FanGraphs Chat

Jay Jaffe FanGraphs Chat - 3/8/18

Prev Page View Full Chat Next Page

Jay Jaffe

12:56

I think so, yes.

Vlad Jr

12:56

Do you expect me to be called up this year? And if so, when do you think?

Jay Jaffe

12:57

Right now no, given the current lack of experience above A-ball, but ask me again in July after we see his next half-season.

Slothrop

12:57

Would you be opposed to turning the MLB Hall of Fame into an international, all-inclusive sort of hall like the Basketball one?

Jay Jaffe

12:59

I'd rather see the creation of a modern-day pioneer designation that could include players/personalities such as Lefty O'Doul, Buck O'Neal, Hideo Nomo and Bill James

Nert K Kisblad

12:59

What if the dodgers or angels DFA'd Kemp/Pujols and get them off the 40 man after they obviously pass waivers. would they be off the luxury tax count then? Kinda like the red sox did with Castillo?

Jay Jaffe

1:02

No, they'd be part of the tax calculations unless they're traded or CLAIMED on waivers. I'm not 100% sure I understand it entirely but I believe the Red Sox could do what they did to Castillo because he had minor league options remaining.

The Casual Fan

1:02

Did we see glimpses of what Lincecum can be as a closer in the playoffs a few years go? Could the Rangers have something super intriguing if he can be a multi-inning closer?

Jay Jaffe

1:06

It's nice to imagine that we did, and that this will all play out perfectly, but Lincecum has been through a lot physically and mentally in the six years since, and the last time he faced major league hitters was ugly. At this stage, I don't really see a reason why he'd be pushed hard to be a multi-inning guy; it's not like he was built up to throw 100 pitches just a month ago. I do hope he can stick around the major league level and be productive. Anything beyond that is gravy.

Wilmer Flores

1:06

Will the Mets find 500 PAs for me?

Jay Jaffe

1:06

If they do, something will have gone quite wrong.

Marty

1:06

Jay, have you had any of the Alchemist beers? They have two new ones that are lighter but very similar versions to Heady Topper and Focal Banger.

Jay Jaffe

1:07

I LOVE Heady Topper and am lucky enough to have a connection that bestows it upon me once in awhile — it's on the short list of my favorite beers. I've never had Focal Banger but am eager to try it — anyone out there who can get it and wants to work out a trade, give me a shout

King Tut

1:07

Better ROY Odds: Gleybar or Devers

Jay Jaffe

1:08

By definition, the answer there would be Torres since Devers surpassed his rookie qualifications last year (130 At-Bats; he got 222)

bosoxforlife

1:09

Nunez is a solid offensive performer, so solid that he was even able to hit in San Francisco, and seems to have a perfect approach for Fenway. How do the Red Sox get him enough AB's?

Jay Jaffe

1:12

Use him for the short half of a platoon with Devers at 3B, give Pedroia regular days off, and try to avoid playing him at shortstop

Scrapper

1:12

I know that you are an expert about the qualifications of candidates for the Hall of Fame but what are one or two things that would best improve the balloting process in the future?

Jay Jaffe

1:14

Expand the ballot to 12 slots instead of 10 and replace the 5% minimum rule with something like a 10% minimum after 3 years or maybe 20% after 5 years.

Mountie Votto

1:14

Who logs the most SS innings for the Reds? Which Reds SS ends up being most valuable?

Jay Jaffe

1:16

Dave Concepcion is the answer to both — wait, no. I expect them to see what they have in Jose Peraza and give him every chance to hold down the job.

tommy lasagna, sr.

1:16

ever parked in a handicapped space? be honest.

Jay Jaffe

1:17

I've gotten away with parking too close to some fire hydrants but honestly I haven't ever parked in a handicapped space . That's made easier by the fact that I haven't owned a car in 23 years, since moving to NYC.

Q-Ball

1:18

Where do you stand on Rose and Bonds for Hall of Fame? For any steroid guys, for that matter?

Jay Jaffe

1:22

Bonds: Yes; The PED problem was a complete institutional failure that implicates the commissioner and owners as well as the union and players. In general, don't think voters should hold PED-related allegations from the Wild West era, before testing and suspensions were in place, against individual candidates

Rose: No. He broke the rule that's been posted in every clubhouse since the Black Sox were barred. He knew exactly what we was doing. I could have written him a press release that would have gotten him reinstated, along the lines of, "I have a problem with an addiction to gambling. I recognize the damage I have done to the game, the people around me and myself. I am undergoing intensive treatment to control this and I will spend the rest of my life working with MLB to warn others of the danger." had he done that, he'd have been reinstated, but instead he chose to lie, lie, lie and stick his thumb in MLB's eye repeatedly. It's a sad story, but he's earned it.

Big Papa Juan

1:22

I feel like quality Bavarian hefeweizen is underrated in so many aspects by American beer drinkers -- call it the 2012 Ben Zobrist of beers. At the end of the day, it's simply the more enjoyable experience vs. the IPA. *ducks*.

Jay Jaffe

1:24

I'm not a huge hefeweizen fan anymore but I do think that there's more to good beer than just IPAs. Pilsners, lagers, saisons, porters and stouts are all part of my beer diet — not in one sitting, of course — depending on the time or place. I have to confess that I'm not into sours but if that's your thing, more power to you, as it certainly seems like a lot of craft brewers are having good results by focusing on that.

A Dub

1:24

Prediction on Alex Reyes getting 15 starts for the Cards this year?

Jay Jaffe

1:26

15 seems like a good estimate. I can see the Cardinals being cautious and using him out of the bullpen at first, then sending him down, stretching him out and slotting him into the rotation in midseason.

old spartan

1:26

In relation to your 'not being a fantasy baseball guy'....strictly speaking generally...isn't most information about baseball relatable to fantasy baseball..especially 'dynasty'?

Jay Jaffe

1:30

Much of it is relatable to fantasy baseball, but not most. My big issue is mainly interest level — I don't care about RBI or pitcher win totals (though I have to keep an eye on those for HOF discussion) and I can't sustain a level of interest long enough to parse the particularities of your league's scoring method or your roster dilemmas. I'd rather be frank about my disinterest than mislead or misguide you., because there are smart people out there who can help you if that's your thing.

tacopocket

1:31

doesn't trump minoso but Kenny lofton deserved a much closer look for the HOF. and keith hernandez should be in

Jay Jaffe

1:32

I think both Lofton and Hernandez should get strong consideration by their respective committees. I favor the former if I could only choose one for the Hall, but I understand those who would beat the drum for the latter first.

Kevin

1:33

Do you think Donaldson and Archer are in different uniforms by Opening Day 2019?

Jay Jaffe

1:33

Yes to both. Sorry Jays and Rays fans.

Moltar

1:34

The Mets have had their injury issues at the forefront this spring. Is it worrisome that they *still* can't keep players healthy at all? Or is this actually an improvement, that they're taking minor injuries seriously and being proactive?

Jay Jaffe

1:35

small sample size caveats apply but to the extent that a signal cuts through the noise that surrounds spring training owies, I think we're seeing a bit more proactivity.

Scott

1:35

I'll admit I'm biased because I'm a Red Sox fan, but I think Jim Rice becoming the poster child for bad Hall of Famers is misguided, especially when the writers have also elected Bruce Sutter and Trevor Hoffman

Jay Jaffe

1:38

I'm not wild about the Sutter pick but he was a pioneer in two ways — one mostly out of his control (pitching almost exclusively in save situations) and the other well within (being the leading practitioner of the split-fingered fastball. I didn't include him on my virtual ballots but I'm OK with Hoffman given that he's 2nd all time in WPA behind Mariano Rivera. The Rice pick bothers me more than either of these.

That one guy

1:38

The Mariners are on a long streak with no playoff appearances, and the Pirates recently ended an even longer one. Which team do you think is most likely to spend the next decade with no playoff berths?

Connecting…

Your current subscriptions

None

E-mail Address	Chat Owner	Status	Remove

Enter your email address to be notified when Jay Jaffe hosts a chat