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Jeff Sullivan FanGraphs Chat -- 10/12/18
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Jeff Sullivan
9:49
One thing I keep coming back to is that the 2017 Cubs had a wRC+ of 108. The 2018 Cubs had a wRC+ of 107 (non-pitchers)
Obviously, the 2018 Cubs went in the wrong direction over time, but their best position player was also playing through a shoulder injury, which would stand to have a detrimental effect on his hitting
9:50
I don't know what happened to cause Contreras to crater, but I suspect he might've been hurt, too
That all being said, the Cubs front office knows all this. I don't think any team ever *wants* to fire a new coach. So they must've seen some reason. I don't think they'd do this just for PR
Rox Fan
9:51
What prospect(s) would the Rockies have to package with Ian Desmond to get someone to take that contract?
Jeff Sullivan
9:51
We're talking about $41 million of dead money
9:52
That's the equivalent of a pretty damn valuable prospect https://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/valuing-the-2017-top-100-prospects/
Obviously they're not going to want to package Desmond with Brendan Rodgers
9:53
Maybe they could do it as like Desmond, Yency Almonte, and Peter Lambert or something
9:54
Send it all to one of the dreadful rebuilding teams that has the ability to take on money
bcb
9:55
Does the Addison Russell situation make Machado a more attractive target for Cubs than Harper?
Jeff Sullivan
9:56
It makes it an easier fit, for sure
Hard for me to see Russell playing in that uniform again
Kristen
9:58
What kind of deal do you see Pollock getting?  My Rangers need a CF and a RH'ed bat next year.
Jeff Sullivan
9:58
Who knows what the market is going to look like this winter, but I could see Pollock signing for something like three years and $40 million. Solid all-around player but he's going into his age-31 season and he had a worse second half
9:59
I don't think he's likely to end up in Texas. It's possible, given the free-agent musical chairs, but the Rangers aren't going to spend a lot, and they aren't going to win for a few seasons yet
Ross
9:59
Chili Davis canned. Do you think that hitting coaches actually do anything these days?
Jeff Sullivan
9:59
I think some hitting coaches can be great coaches for certain hitters. But being able to help one guy does not mean you could also help every other guy
Enrico Pallazo
10:01
When debating the decision to fire Chili Davis from the Cubs, some fans point to the fact that the Cubs' wRC+ only declined from 101 to 100 from 2017-2018. But others point out that their runs scored dropped from 822 to 761, despite their baserunning supposedly improving. So was their hitting significantly worse or not?
Jeff Sullivan
10:01
Run-scoring dropped across the board, in large part because there were fewer home runs
10:02
The Cubs went from second to fourth in runs in the National League
10:03
I'd put that on worse hitting with runners in scoring position -- their wRC+ dropped from 99 to 88
A Tribe Called Kipnis
10:06
What should Cleveland do about the outfield because at the moment it is kind of brutal?
Jeff Sullivan
10:07
First thing should be placing a call to Tampa to see if they actually have any interest in moving Kiermaier
Second thing should be lamenting that they didn't trade for Pham
10:08
Third thing should be calling San Diego to see about Franmil Reyes
10:09
In fact, call it Reyes and Travis Jankowski. One-stop shop. Throw in Kirby Yates and you've got a little blockbuster brewing
cheese
10:10
My beloved Dodgers are being investigated by the Dept of Justice for trafficking in persons.  Am I wrong to question my allegiance?
Jeff Sullivan
10:11
Not necessarily. Human rights should always trump everything else
10:12
But I'd advise giving this time to play out. I think the odds are pretty good a lot of this was preexisting. Which, well, that would still be the Dodgers, but not the *current* Dodgers. And a team loyalty is about more than the people in charge at any given moment, anyhow
10:14
It's tough, though, because if we're going to be honest, every organization acts in certain ways that the majority would find disagreeable. The business side of business is ugly when you're talking about businesses this big. When you expand your interests and knowledge beyond just what happens on the field, you start to see how sports are deeply messed up
All Cats Are Beautiful
10:14
What do you think about a rule change to make the second strikeout end an inning?  That would make low k (fun) players more valuable and TTO (boring) guys less valuable.  It would also increase the value of high K pitchers.
Jeff Sullivan
10:14
No
House of Cards
10:15
Hi Jeff, you smell terrific!  What happens with JMart this offseason?  Where does he go?  What does he fetch?  What does it mean for him in 2019?  You're my only hope for answers!
Jeff Sullivan
10:15
Thank you!
I think the Mariners would be one kind of obvious fit
10:16
But while he's club-controlled forever, remember that he's not of much defensive utility. The market frowns on players of this sort
So Jose Martinez, even though he's a clear trade candidate, isn't likely to bring the Cardinals a haul
Shuck Bowalter
10:16
Hot Take - The Rays will win 95 games next year
Jeff Sullivan
10:16
Warm take, at least
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