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Jeff Sullivan FanGraphs Chat -- 12/2/16
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Jeff Sullivan
9:21
I think they'd stick with their own potential aces. I just don't see the Pirates as being an organization in position to make that kind of splash. Especially with the Cubs looming way over them in the division
9:22
Even after last year, I assume the Pirates believe in their own ability to get the most out of the pitchers they have. So they'll target more affordable pitchers, guys like this year's Ivan Nova
JT
9:22
Jeff, like most fans, I really wanted replay, but now that we have it I’m not so sure. I changed my mind during this years playoffs, with the numerous challenges of stolen bases. Did the runner lose contact with the base for 1 nanosecond? I don’t think that is supposed to be the spirit of baseball. Plus, it really slows the pace of the game down and it appears to have ruined the walkoff play at the plate. I had to watch a few NFL games this Thanksgiving and I fear that’s the direction baseball is headed in. Every play is reviewed, coaches can then CHALLENGE the review and we spend the next 3 minutes going frame by frame to analyze the placement of the receivers feet on an ultimately meaningless 3 yard pass that results in a punt
Jeff Sullivan
9:23
The instant we got replay, we forgot what it was like before. We forgot how many missed calls we used to accept because there was just nothing to be done. This is a positive step, but it's also still very, very early in the process, and there are tweaks yet to be made.
9:24
Replay doesn't actually add that much time to the average game. It's definitely not fun to watch, but MLB knows the process should move faster. And I wouldn't be surprised if before long they did something about the sliding replays. There are enough objections over that, and I think it could be written away. Dave had a post about that in October, I think
9:25
Overall, this has been a substantial improvement. But you don't get to go from broken to perfect that fast
Ned Yost
9:26
Let's say the Astros take Bryant instead of Appel. They feasibly could have gone into this season projected to be one of the great teams of all time, right?
Jeff Sullivan
9:26
Keeping everything else constant, yeah, they'd project super well. Still not best-ever territory but they'd be amazing
It's funny the decisions that rebuilds can turn on
9:27
Where would the Cubs be if they didn't kind of luck into Arrieta and Hendricks?
Matt
9:28
Hey Jeff, It's been reported by Jayson Stark that the White Sox want "The Shelby Miller deal" plus two additional pieces to move Sale. At the time of the Miller deal, Dansby was a consensus top-20 prospect, Blair was a consensus top-60 prospect, and Ender was an above-average MLB OF (whose calling card was defense, and his offensive abilities questioned). So would that make: Mallex Smith, Matt Wisler, Ozzie Albies, Kolby Allard or Sean Newcomb, Touki Toussaint, and Austin Riley a reasonable offer for Sale? It checks off all of the boxes Stark reported on... One top 15, near MLB ready SS prospect (Albies); one top 40 SP prospect (Allard or Newcomb); two "additional pieces" who are each top 150 prospects (Touki and Riley); two young, controlled, MLB-ready players who together are as valuable as Ender Inciarte was when Atlanta acquired him a year ago (Mallex and Wisler). Am I way off base here?
Jeff Sullivan
9:29
That kind of offer would at least get the White Sox' attention, although there's a lot of potentially unreliable pitching in there. Albies would be the key, so if the White Sox love him, there's your workable centerpiece. But I continue to believe this isn't a move the Braves ought to make
Brett W
9:29
You going to the Winter Meetings, Jeff?
Jeff Sullivan
9:29
Yes! for some reason
Jordan
9:29
How many ridiculously constructed trade proposals do you see in the Q that you don't publish?
Jeff Sullivan
9:29
Not quite as many as you'd think. Way to go, FanGraphs audience!
YOadrian
9:30
wouldn't the players have been much better off just extending the previous CBA?
Jeff Sullivan
9:30
Well, it would've been bad to keep the same luxury-tax threshold, although in this new CBA it didn't get lifted high enough
9:31
So, overall, sure, maybe. It doesn't seem like the players are big winners here
Mike
9:31
What MLB player do you think would be best at another professional sport, and which sport would it be?
Jeff Sullivan
9:31
I'd like to see Yadier Molina as an NHL goalie
Anthony
9:32
It was unclear from the rumors yesterday whether the Pirates and Nats were discussing a package with Robles and Lopez, or a package headed by either. For Pirates fans, is getting both too much to hope for? What about Robles and Ross?
Jeff Sullivan
9:32
I don't think the Nationals do that for just McCutchen. You start with Robles and you add a lesser piece
Ben
9:32
The projections for the Angels put them at 85 wins, but they don't seem to be anywhere near that. What am I missing?
Jeff Sullivan
9:33
Rotation health is a huge question mark, but it makes a big difference if Garrett Richards really can put in a full year
Also, Tyler Skaggs is in there. In reality the Angels are probably overrated a bit by Steamer but they do have a real path to contention
Dubya
9:33
Is Lopez and Robles too much for Cutch?
Jeff Sullivan
9:33
Yep
biffyclyro
9:34
Ender Inciarte's FGCQQ+ (Adjusted Fangraphs chat question quantity, where 100 is average) seems to be at a 300 or so. Can you think of anyone else who even comes close?
Jeff Sullivan
9:34
For the moment, Chris Sale
I think the Inciarte stuff has, thankfully, shifted to the backburner
Nick O.
9:35
As a STL fan, last night's Garcia trade seemed pretty even to me. We go 2 RHP who could possibly contribute in '17 and I think adding 2B depth to the pipeline was pretty key. What were your thought on the trade???
Jeff Sullivan
9:36
In all honesty, I haven't investigated the return players in depth. I was busy at the time, writing about something else. I think Garcia is a very difficult starting pitcher to rely on, which makes him a better fit in a non-competitive environment, where he's just there to take the pressure off younger pitchers
9:37
The Cardinals didn't need Garcia and he was in his contract year anyway. Trading him is a little like the Nationals being open to trading Gio Gonzalez. Perfectly serviceable starters, but not much value on top of that
Mike
9:37
If you were Dipoto and had to assign percentages, how much of the Walker trade was about getting Segura, Haniger, and Curtis?
Jeff Sullivan
9:37
65/34/1
9:38
We might like Haniger even more than the Mariners do
The Mariners seem to really like Ben Gamel for some reason
Xolo
9:38
With the new international restrictions in MLB, do the Korean or Japanese leagues try to swoop in and sign some LatAm players?
Jeff Sullivan
9:39
They still have far less money to offer. I don't think that'll become a big thing
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