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Jeff Sullivan FanGraphs Chat -- 10/27/17
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Jeff Sullivan
9:29
I think that, in theory, it shouldn't be exactly linear, but in practice, it's hard to tell where it stops being linear because there just aren't that many great players. And when you have so much value tied up in one guy, that also means you've got a rather dramatic increase in risk. Stanton is a concentration of value, sure, but that's partly offset by the reality that, if he gets hurt, you're screwed
9:30
There's also kind of an effective "cap" on salaries just because teams don't want any one player earning too much of the payroll share. Drives down the highest prices
Ray Liotta as Shoeless Joe
9:31
What baseball player currently participating in the World Series earns a ridiculous nickname based on play? I'm thinking Chris "Hat Tip" Taylor has just enough alliteration to work...
Jeff Sullivan
9:31
Charlie Culberson
just call him Showtime
Jota P
9:31
Who are the next Chris Taylor/Justin Turner diamonds in the rough?
Jeff Sullivan
9:31
I apologize but I cannot predict the unpredictable
9:32
But here's where it gets fun: neither can teams!
I will say, as I think I've said before, but I'm developing a positive feeling about Ketel Marte's chances
9:33
Bat-to-ball skills and he walked almost as often as he struck out. Seems like he could be on the verge of a massive, Jose Ramirez-like power leap
T
9:33
Should McCullers throw fastballs?
Jeff Sullivan
9:33
Yes, infrequently
Probably something like 25-30% of the time
Matt
9:34
Generally reliable local guy in Chicago-Dave Kaplan- mentioned that he hears Cubs could be looking to play the bad contract swap game with Heyward. If you sent Heyward + some useful assets like Happ, Almora could you see the framework of a deal for Stanton?
Jeff Sullivan
9:34
I could
With Stanton, the key for the Marlins will be eating money. You could effectively do that by taking on the Heyward contract, and it even comes with some potential career upside
9:35
Might go so far as to say it's got a reasonable chance of happening
HappyFunBall
9:35
So Joe Torre said yesterday that yes, the umps blew the passed ball call in the deciding CHC-WAS game 5. How do we have umpires in the post season who don't know the rule book? Not just the home plate umpire. He huddled up with the other five umps and they collectively decided on the wrong interpretation. Let's throw some blame at Dusty also. He should have known that he can request a rule check from the replay office in NYC. But! In the post season, and when they game is already paused, why doesn't the NYC office act more proactively?
Jeff Sullivan
9:36
When is the last time you saw that rule invoked?
Is the answer "never"?
For me, the answer is never
9:37
The rule book is incredibly long and incredibly detailed. I just think it's unrealistic to expect umpires to know absolutely everything, especially when you're dealing with uncommon fringe rules like this one
Matt Wieters, for his part, seemingly knew the rule, but he's a catcher. He sees things through a different lens
9:38
I'd also say that I think it's extremely unlikely the contact made with Wieters interfered with the play in progress. So even if the right call were made at the time, I'd have come away feeling like the Cubs got screwed by a technicality
Dann
9:38
Cubs making changes to the coaching staff (not to mention Dave Martinez being in the running for the Nats job). What do you think Chili Davis and Jim Hickey can bring to the table? Hickey's reputation precedes him, but I don't know much about Chili as a coach.
Jeff Sullivan
9:39
I'm not entirely sure what Davis will have to do. That lineup already lifts and hits for power. But maybe the hope is that he can somehow get through to Addison Russell, if he survives the offseason with the team
9:40
Davis is one of those rare hitting coaches with a good reputation, and I think he's an effective communicator. But if you are worried only about results, the Red Sox this season were largely disappointing
9:41
Hickey is all about his relationship with Maddon. They get along famously. Pretty obvious hire
CubFan
9:41
Marwin Gonzalez' production dropped off in the second half. Do you think he's got a starting gig next year and if so where does he play....super sub? And do you expect regression in his stats?
Jeff Sullivan
9:41
Even the regressed second-half version of Marwin Gonzalez had a 128 wRC+
9:42
I imagine he's going to play most days with next year's Astros, at a variety of positions
Are we done with calling people the new Ben Zobrist?
Jade
9:44
Does Chatwood go for a lot more than people are expecting? Seems like everyone mentions him as a "buy low" guy.
Jeff Sullivan
9:44
Teams will still spend responsibly, just because Chatwood doesn't have a track record of being actually good
9:45
But he gained two ticks and dropped his contact rate, and there's going to be a vibrant market of potential employers interested to see him pitch outside of Colorado
The difference between him and Charlie Morton is that Chatwood doesn't have the curveball, and I wonder if he might soon be turned into a fireman reliever type
9:46
But he'll get at least one year of starting away from Coors Field before that happens
Safety Stegosaurus
9:46
If you were starting your MLB pitching career next season and you knew your skills would remain consistent for ten years would you rather be a reliever with velo and command like Fernando Rodney, or a starter with velo and command like Kyle Hendricks?
Jeff Sullivan
9:46
I'd rather be like the good one
Klentak
9:48
Do I shop Odubel and his team friendly contract this winter? It would seem Odubel would have comparable value to AEaton 's in winter of 2016.
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