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Jeff Sullivan FanGraphs Chat -- 6/16/17
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Jeff Sullivan
10:12
Love this home run
Q-Ball
10:12
If you were in charge of the Cubs, what would you do?  What is the cure for their ills?
Jeff Sullivan
10:12
In the coming weeks, you trade for a starter. You don't empty the farm to do so, but you make an addition. Otherwise, you continue to believe in the roster you have
This might be the most boring possible answer
Connor
10:13
If the Seattle Mariners were to end up being buyers at the deadline (which I still think the Mariners are a good team, just a banged up rotation), who would they go after. Possibly a semi-solid SP like Jason Vargas? Or will they try to go big?
Jeff Sullivan
10:13
They wouldn't have the pieces to go big
A No. 3 starter in his contract year might be the best they could do
Jaime
10:14
Severino: is he as good as he's looked so far?
Jeff Sullivan
10:15
He's very good. Throwing strikes, and he's getting positive results on all of his pitches. I don't think I quite buy him as sub-3 ERA good, but last season is a distant memory
Eldridge Cleaver
10:17
If the home team provides the bat boys, and the road team gets one of those bat boys in their own uniforms, does that mean that every team travels to an away game with an extra uniform to give to one of the the home town bat boys to wear during the game?  And does that bat boy get to keep that jersey?
Jeff Sullivan
10:18
Wikipedia: "visiting teams, on the other hand, usually do not know who will be serving as their batboys on the road, and thus will send uniforms of various sizes to accommodate batboys of varying heights and weights."
I would not think that the uniforms get to be kept
Big Tuna
10:19
Is Mallex Smith a super fast guy who will never hit enough to be a difference maker?
Jeff Sullivan
10:19
Well, the current reality is that he's batted 271 times in the majors, with a 95 wRC+
10:20
That's not terrible at all. On the other hand, we know he doesn't have power, and he doesn't make a whole lot of contact. That's a very, very difficult skillset to keep up if you want to be a starter
10:21
Still seems like a fourth outfielder to me
Kendall
10:21
What should the Dodgers do with Rich Hill? What should Rich Hill do? Is the lack of control old age, injury, or both?
Jeff Sullivan
10:22
Impossible for us to figure out whether it's injury or mechanics, but the Dodgers need to be patient here. Hill deserves the opportunity to straighten things out since he previously pitched around an ace level, but the pressure isn't on getting Hill right for June; it's about getting him right for September or October
Jim
10:23
Danny Valencia has looked pretty darn good defensively to my untrained eye, but grades out as the 20th best 1b. What am I missing?
Jeff Sullivan
10:23
The numbers say he's been about average and it's not easy to see the difference between an average defensive 1B and a good defensive 1B
Given that Valencia wasn't much of a defender at third, this feels about right
Zonk
10:23
Should the Red Sox take a flyer on Trevor Plouffe?  Probably not the answer, but what's the harm in giving it a shot ahead of the deadline?  He's probably better than Panda anyway, right?
Jeff Sullivan
10:24
At this point they should just trade for whoever they think their solution will be. With the draft behind us, it's officially trading season
Big Tuna
10:24
What's up with Cueto? Is it all explainable by "blisters"?
Jeff Sullivan
10:24
I can't think of a better answer
Dignan
10:25
Do you think Cory Knebel sticks as a closer long term (i.e. through this year and next)?
Jeff Sullivan
10:25
Stuff is clearly difficult to hit but he's throwing a below-average rate of strikes, so I'd say it's a toss-up. Could end up getting himself in too much walk trouble
Elephant in the Room
10:26
Is Manaea in the midst of a breakout?
Jeff Sullivan
10:26
Many would argue it began in last year's second half
10:27
So he's basically been this good for a calendar year
10:28
141 pitchers have thrown at least 100 innings over the past year. Manaea ranks 30th in FIP-, at 87. Basically tied with Michael Pineda and Jon Lester
Ronnie
10:29
The Brewers remain in first place despite an MLB worst 18 relief losses. Despite likely being incredibly lucky so far this year have they still underperformed their optimum luck to an extent? Is that even a thing?
Jeff Sullivan
10:30
Their bullpen, by WPA, has been basically average. They lead the majors in "meltdowns" but they also lead the majors in "shutdowns". So! I'd say their record makes sense. Bullpen losses aren't all just bad luck
Porcho Villa
10:30
Thanks for the piece on Rich Hill. I never understood how he came to be viewed as a front-line starter based on four good starts in 2015 and one great but short season in 2016. Is it possible that the hype was an overreaction to a small sample and that his current level of performance is what he is?
Jeff Sullivan
10:30
Rich Hill was extremely good
10:31
Over 24 starts, he had a 2.00 ERA, with peripherals to match
Wasn't a small-sample thing. He was just better than he is now
Adge
10:32
Thoughts on Jonah Keri's piece about the Jays should be trading Roberto Osuna? How much could they get from say, the Nationals?
Jeff Sullivan
10:33
I don't know if the Nationals would go for that, instead of just paying the money to get David Robertson so they could hang on to what's left of the farm
I see the argument for the Jays potentially trading Osuna, but the Jays also would like to win, so maybe that's more of an offseason thing
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