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Jeff Sullivan FanGraphs Chat -- 11/16/18
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Max
9:59
Thoughts on Elias spearheading Baltimore FO?
Jeff Sullivan
10:01
Just more of the same spread we've been seeing for years. Teams are all run with increasingly similar principles. You can throw the Giants in here too, with Zaidi. With Elias, it's going to come down to how much power he actually has to move and hire as he wants, and for the Orioles it's going to be a while before they're on a solid foundation again. But I don't know how this wouldn't be a huge improvement
Kiermaier's Piercing Green Eyes
10:01
In 2018, is there diminished value to the BBWA voting on the MVP/CYA/ROY? When we still have people who vote for the guys with the most RBIs or who play for the Yankees, it seems more valuable to just sort everyone by your favorite WAR variant and say "these people at the top all had incredible seasons."
Jeff Sullivan
10:02
I've been a sports fan almost my entire life. I've never really understood awards. I've never understood what they're doing, and I've never understood their significance. I've certainly never understood why some number of fans care about them so much
10:04
I know that people love to feel appreciated. Expressing appreciation is a positive. It's less positive to turn that appreciation into a competition, where everybody but one person loses
KD
10:05
Jeff...with several writers for FG moving to MLB over the past few years, how does the FG entity feel about this?  Is it something that was inevitable?  Is it something that is a very positive development?  Is it a problem for FG?   I just wanted your thoughts on this.
Jeff Sullivan
10:06
It's just how this goes. The same thing happened a while ago to Baseball Prospectus. It only makes sense that the best public analysts would be pursued by baseball teams, and baseball teams can offer more money and greater benefits than a small-fries website
10:07
Not everyone is motivated by money, sure. It's not everyone's dream to work for a team. But it's what *almost* everyone wants to do, or at least try
10:08
It makes it tougher for a website, but it's hardly unexpected. And it does have a benefit; the website gets to say, if you want to work for a team, you should try writing for us. We can get your name out there
10:09
The fact of the matter is that every baseball team reads FanGraphs. That helps us find writers, and it also causes us to lose them
Erik
10:09
How much more bleak (bleaker?) can the Mariners get?
Jeff Sullivan
10:09
A whole lot bleaker
10:10
Their pitchers, for example, still have their health
(mostly)
Ray Liotta as Shoeless Joe
10:11
If you had to pick one Major League player to defeat Darth Vader, who do you choose? Does bat control equal lightsaber skills?
Jeff Sullivan
10:11
I don't know, but Willians Astudillo
10:12
Astudillo is up to 96 winter league at-bats, with zero strikeouts
10:13
(batting .354. three home runs yesterday)
Mandy is 92% Fresh
10:14
What are the odds Jorge Soler finally stays healthy and productive?
Jeff Sullivan
10:14
I'm not super worried about his fractured toe
10:15
Let's say 75% healthy/mostly healthy. Another 75% he's an above-average hitter
That puts us at 56.25%
A Rays fan
10:15
Just wanted to congratulate you on having a Cy Young Vote this year. You’ve long been one of my favorite writers, and it’s cool to see you having a voice in who wins these awards now. I mean, your vote was wrong, but Snell won anyway, so I’m not that mad at you. And I can’t blame you for trying to stay on Kate Upton’s good side
Jeff Sullivan
10:16
I've voted before for AL Rookie of the Year. And every single August, I live in dread that I'll have to vote for Manager of the Year instead
Hasn't happened yet, but I might accidentally one day make the wrong enemy
Jay
10:17
Good morning Mr Sullivan.

Although I do agree with the MVP votings. Was deGrom really not MVP worthy enough to crack top 3?
Jeff Sullivan
I probably would've had deGrom at No. 1. Mayyyyyyyybe No. 2. But probably No. 1
Bill-E Beans
10:18
The A's seem like a candidate to sign a top 20 FA player this offseason - I... er.. Billy Beane has come out and claimed that the A's will begin to ramp up their payroll over the next N offseasons.
Jeff Sullivan
10:20
The problem for the A's is they're projected for a payroll around $78 million. Their opening-day payroll has topped out at around $87 million. And they've been phased out of revenue-sharing
They just don't seem to be able to do very much. But they do need a catcher. And some bargain-basement rotation help
Bill-E Beans
10:20
Grandal to the A's... thoughts?
Jeff Sullivan
10:20
Seems too rich, unless his market has just cratered, which I can't imagine is true
10:21
On paper, though, an excellent fit
RDJ818
10:22
If you could pick one player who didn't perform well, but is a potential for a big bounceback in 2019, who would you pick
Jeff Sullivan
10:23
I don't know if he's No. 1 on my list, but a name that comes immediately to mind is Kevin Kiermaier
10:24
Also Steven Souza
Gary Sanchez, obviously
On the pitching side, I'm expecting a lot more from Tyler Mahle and Dylan Bundy
Nicky
10:25
Nick Markakis to White Sox?
That team had low walk rate and high K rate, and are reported to selling Avi.
Their OF prospects other than Eloy are not big league ready yet, so one or two year deal could be helpful. Not for plan A but possible plan B or something?
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