JotCast | Jeff Sullivan FanGraphs Chat -- 12/4/15

Jeff Sullivan FanGraphs Chat -- 12/4/15

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9:26

What do you expect from Shin Soo Choo this season?

Jeff Sullivan

9:26

Above-average hitting, continued on-base ability. Nothing spectacular

9:27

But I was looking at Choo just yesterday

It's interesting -- the fan scouting report used to give him one of the best throwing arms in baseball. Now they rate it as average, more or less

9:28

And two years ago they *hated* it. Probably had something to do with his bone spur

But it got me wondering how often outfielders have their arm perceptions slip so much (Lagares...)

9:29

Is Huston Street going to be ok coming off the groin injury?

Jeff Sullivan

9:29

I believe it was a Grade 1 strain, so he should be fine

9:30

Not that he has a track record of durability, mind you

Balls Mahoney

9:30

Seattle-KC Trade: Taijuan Walker, Taylor/Marte, Peterson to KC for Eric Hosmer. Who says no?

Jeff Sullivan

9:31

Every member of the Mariners front office, one by one

Phillies113

9:31

Jeff, what do you want for Christmas

Jeff Sullivan

9:32

For world news to stop making me feel like an idiot for writing about baseball while so many horrible things are going on every day

Also better mountaineering gloves

9:32

Is Brandon Belt, Kendrys Morales or Carlos Santana going to have the best 2016?

Jeff Sullivan

9:32

Belt

9:33

are the reports of beane looking to unload lawrie true? seems like his power at 2nd base would be a plus, and i'd take him over lowrie and valencia any day. and if true, that donaldson trade...

Jeff Sullivan

9:33

Wouldn't surprise me at all. Lawrie has been a disappointment and he can be, shall we say, abrasive. Some other team might still think it can squeeze the potential out of him

9:34

The Donaldson trade ship has sailed. No saving that

Mayor of Hamden, CT

9:34

If you were the backup catcher for the 2016 Mariners, would you be Jesus Sucre, Steve Clevenger or a pile of extra baseball gear that assumes a human form

Jeff Sullivan

9:34

Clevenger until Mike Zunino stops flailing at things he sees out of the corner of his eye

Kevin

9:35

If the Dodgers don't resign Greinke, who do you suspect they target? Is Cueto too big of a risk?

Jeff Sullivan

9:36

Maybe they'd change their minds about Zobrist. Maybe they'd go nuts and sign Heyward. Maybe Samardzija+. One thing's for sure -- that money would get spent. But I'm putting it at 75/25 Greinke re-signs (no insight, just a feeling)

Scott

9:36

Hey Jeff, are you going to be in town for Winter Meetings? If so can we get a FG meetup in Nahville?

Jeff Sullivan

9:36

A bunch of us will be around. I'll talk to Dave to see what we can do

Steve02

9:37

Any sense who might be the couple most active teams next week?

Jeff Sullivan

9:37

Whoever Zobrist signs with, and whoever Greinke doesn't sign with

9:38

It's always hard to foresee the trades. There are some obvious types of moves that need to happen -- Mets find a shortstop, Mariners find a first baseman, Angels find a left fielder, etc. Many of the holes will get filled next week. But I don't know who's going to be busiest. This time last year, we didn't know the Dodgers and the Padres would take over the winter meetings and cause people to lose all their sleep

Bork

9:39

With the attractiveness of Ben Zobrist (baseball playing...though he is good looking), is Brock Holt wringing his hands impatiently waiting for his payday?

Jeff Sullivan

9:39

Hopefully he's spending his time learning to be better at hitting. Not close to Zobrist level yet

Broakland

9:39

So, sign Ryan Madson and Hyun-Soo Kim, and I think the A's are suddenly wildcard contenders. Am I wrong?

Jeff Sullivan

9:40

I don't think so. For a few reasons. Doolittle is healthy, and a .500 team can be a wild-card contender

Justin

9:40

As an emotionally-devastated semi-former Mariners fan, how are you reacting to DiPoto's moves so far?

Jeff Sullivan

9:40

I like him fine, but I feel like nothing's going to emotionally click until or unless I watch the Mariners playing meaningful late-season games again. Right now it's all theoretical. I liked some of the Zduriencik teams during the offseason too

Larry Bernandez

9:42

Jose Miguel Fernandez defected. Which teams are interested?

Jeff Sullivan

9:43

He sounds a little like Luis Castillo without the steals. Maybe that's a terrible comp, but for some reason I always think of Castillo when I think about under-powered contact-oriented second basemen

9:45

Because it doesn't look like Fernandez will sign before opening day, it changes his market a bit -- he's not just an immediate short-term acquisition. A team shouldn't expect to sign him to fill their 2016 infield hole. The Dodgers signed Olivera even though they had 2B and 3B occupied. I don't think there's much predicting this yet -- I bet more than a dozen teams will be involved

Chris

9:46

Do you see the Rangers moving prince or choo this offseason?

Jeff Sullivan

9:46

Odds are nope

Jaack

9:47

On a scale of $1 to $Texas, how much is Greinke going to get paid?

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