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Jeff Sullivan FanGraphs Chat -- 2/8/19
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Jeff Sullivan
10:39
Senzel would be too much of a subtraction from the 2019 roster
Justin
10:40
Should the Pirates do something weird like piggyback Jordan Lyles and Francisco Liriano as their #5 spot?  Both have pretty good "1st time thru order" splits, if memory serves.
Jeff Sullivan
10:40
There's some potential to an idea like that, but whatever happens would just be holding a place for Mitch Keller. Lyles will be competing for a rotation spot this spring, but anything is going to be short-term
Fartrell Cluggins
10:41
What can be done regarding big time free agents signing this close to, or even after, the start of spring training? Any possibility that the it could be a point of discussion with the CBA?
Jeff Sullivan
10:42
Multiple team-side people have told me this offseason they're open to some kind of transaction deadline. There's a lot that would have to be figured out, because, well, players get hurt! But writing a rule wouldn't be impossible. Just complex
Baseballball
10:42
What would happen if players, instead of playing six MLB years, we’re instead declared free agents after their age 26 season?
Jeff Sullivan
10:43
Small-budget organizations would complain themselves into paralysis
But something like that -- albeit less aggressive -- is going to be proposed, if it hasn't been already
Charlie
10:44
What do you think of Ken Rosenthal's report that "Neither [Harper's nor Machado's agent] wants to sign first, knowing once one of the players goes off the board, the other will benefit from gaining the sole attention of the remaining suitors."?
Jeff Sullivan
10:44
It's true, and proof that the slow offseason hasn't been entirely the fault of the teams
Cody
10:44
Does Texas have a plan? They don't get talked about in the tankers group. But they definitely aren't contending anytime soon
Jeff Sullivan
10:45
They're rebuilding, without tanking. They're doing what people want would-be tankers to do
Corry
10:45
Will Gary Sanchez ever improve defensively to stick at catcher long term?
Jeff Sullivan
10:45
He's going to be a good catcher
FC Barcelona Beisbol
10:45
With the difficulty that Harper & Machado have had getting signed, do you think we will see stars transition to an NBA-style contact model (high AAV, short term) in the near future?  I felt we saw a mild example of that with Kershaw's deal.
Jeff Sullivan
10:46
I think in order for that to happen and truly take off, we're going to need to see the CBT thresholds raised by a lot
And they *should be* raised by a lot
Andrew
10:46
Is the Realmuto trade a good approximation of what Mitch Haniger night fetch?
Jeff Sullivan
10:46
No. Realmuto plays a premium position. It's easier to find a cheaper alternative to Haniger
FC Barcelona Beisbol
10:47
If the Dodgers had a chance to win the World Series in LA, would it be fair or reasonable to have Vin in the building to call the last half-inning?
Jeff Sullivan
10:47
He wouldn't want it
Uncle Rico
10:47
Dave Dombrowski's complete and utter disregard for the bullpen thought his career has always baffled me.  I have a feeling this season will be no different.  What's on the horizon for the BoSox pen?
Jeff Sullivan
10:47
A midseason trade or three
Dave in London
10:48
Any news on Soler's recovery?  Should Royals fans be worried that his history of injuries will substantially limit his 2019 playing time?
Jeff Sullivan
10:48
It was just a fractured toe, right? He should be fine. But he should also be expected to have to miss time at some point for something. Nevertheless, he'll be a regular, and he should get his 400+ plate appearances
Derek Jeets
10:50
Piscotty made a huge jump in ISO and raised his HR/FB to 18%. He looked really really good at the plate last year. Do you think he's this type of guy moving forward? a 25-30HR guy?
Jeff Sullivan
10:50
Good hitter. Should be a consistently good hitter. I see a lot of J.T. Realmuto in his bat, which is convenient timing. He's Realmuto at a weaker position
Tim
10:51
What would you put the odds at Machado and/or Harper putting opt outs in their contracts after the 2021 season in anticipating changes to the CBA?
Jeff Sullivan
10:51
I think they're negotiating for opt-outs almost no matter what
LScott
10:51
Mike Trout has 64.7 WAR through his first 7 full seasons(combining 2011 and 2017 as one season).  For the NEXT 7 seasons, do you think his total WAR will be over or under 64.7(assuming no major injuries)?
Jeff Sullivan
10:51
Almost certainly under
pelkey
10:52
As a Braves fan, relamuto to the Phillies was the start of my nightmare scenario. I cant imagine they dont sign Bryce and kimbrel now. And I am sad about that imagining.
Jeff Sullivan
10:52
The Marlins are going to get destroyed
And the NL is going to have two very fun divisions
Fred
10:52
Has there been any influx of free agents signing minor league deals or does it just seem like that
Jeff Sullivan
10:53
A bunch of them usually happen about now, with spring training around the corner and people looking for work. It's not a hard deadline, but it's a soft one. Miss the start of camp as a fringe big-leaguer and your odds of seeing the majors drop by a lot
A cat
10:53
Is winning the World Series no longer the top priority for MLB teams? How long does the financial boost last for a Champion?
Jeff Sullivan
10:54
I think every team would tell you winning the World Series is the top priority, but every team would also tell you there's not much you can do to ensure that. The playoffs are just so random. So the *true* priority is being consistently competitive, trying to win 85+ or 90+ games every single season
10:55
That helps to explain the Dodgers' behavior. With the way the playoffs go, there's limited value in making your roster better once it's already good
Grimace
10:55
What's the ETA on the Jeff Sullivan 2019 breakout candidate article?
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