JotCast | Jeff Sullivan FanGraphs Chat -- 7/8/16

Jeff Sullivan FanGraphs Chat -- 7/8/16

Prev Page View Full Chat Next Page

Paul

9:57

Enjoyed yours and Dave's articles on the Blue Jays this week Jeff, Thank you. What would a Donaldson extension look like and should the Jays lock him down now especially considering the possible departures of Bautista and Encarnacion.

Jeff Sullivan

9:58

It's hard, because Donaldson is an unusual case, and he's still 2.5 years away from free agency. And, you know, he's 30 years old. But this looks like it'll make consecutive MVP-caliber seasons. At that point, you're not offering him the Miguel Cabrera contract, but maybe 75-80% of the Cabrera contract. It's up to you to decide whether that's something you'd be comfortable with

Tom Steele, in Dallas

9:59

The world can be a terrible and heartbreaking place. Thank you for being a source of joy.

Jeff Sullivan

10:00

I know it's not true but this week feels worse than ever. It's probably just an overall additive effect but it's been a while since I've been left feeling this empty

Josh

10:01

How did the Brewers do in the Hill trade? Does Willerson intrigue you at all?

Jeff Sullivan

10:01

Let me be very honest with you: After this, right now, I will probably never again think about this most recent Aaron Hill trade.

10:03

The Brewers obviously aren't averse to giving chances to pitchers with non-traditional backgrounds. That's where Wilkerson comes in. He throws strikes -- good for him. Has more long-term promise than Hill does. But he seems like a guy who gets one brief cup of coffee

Akfishsticks

10:05

When should I start to worry about the Cubs?

Jeff Sullivan

10:05

If this keeps up for another two weeks

Even with this slump, though, they still have the best run differential in baseball by 51

10:07

Even the 1998 Yankees at one point had a stretch where they went 12-16

Adam

10:10

How is Luis Perdomo progressing for a guy who hadn't pitched above High-A before this season?

Jeff Sullivan

10:10

Do you have any idea how confusing it is that this is the Padres' second Luis Perdomo in seven years

10:12

What I like is that he has three pitches and the safety of a groundball inclination. So already he's going to limit homers, but even from the start he was above-average at getting swings out of the zone. And, he avoids contact!

I haven't given a great deal of thought to Luis Perdomo, of course. But as I examine him, I see that he could be a real No. 4 or a swingman or something. Decent asset

10:13

Just another success in the Rule 5 draft!

Adam

10:13

Is it time to stop doubting Drew Pomeranz and hop on the bandwagon?

Jeff Sullivan

10:13

You're already late

Q-Ball

10:14

Jeff, you say the Cubs shouldn't panic, but shouldn't they panic? Since the 25-6 start, they are now a sub .500 club, over 54 games, which isn't a small sample. Thoughts?

Jeff Sullivan

10:15

In every month but July, they've posted a winning record while dramatically outscoring the opposition. In July, they've played seven games

Or to look at it a different way, when's the last time panicking led to a positive solution to a problem?

Adam

10:15

A scout apparently said the Rangers had 16 legitimate prospects in their farm system. How uncommon is that?

Jeff Sullivan

10:16

I think this came up last week. It's one of those statements that doesn't really mean anything. What's legitimate? Legitimate in whose eyes? What's the context? What's suggested is that the Rangers' system has depth, but that's not new information.

Daniel

10:17

So is this Max Kepler getting comfortable and breaking out or just a blip?

Jeff Sullivan

10:17

I'd like to see him homer against an actual good pitcher

10:19

Sorry about that, Internet dropped

10:20

And for Kepler, also, since coming back up, he's swung at balls 37% of the time while going after strikes just 58% of the time. That doesn't fill me with a lot of confidence -- that's Kevin Pillar-esque

But, you know, anything good going on with the Twins should be celebrated. It's not like Kepler is a bust

Adam

10:20

Should stolen bases be included in slugging percentage?

Jeff Sullivan

10:20

Mike

10:21

What are the Dodgers going to do with all of their excess starting pitching? I count between 14-16 guys potentially competing for the 4 slots in the rotation behind Kershaw.

Jeff Sullivan

10:21

Well, as you might have noticed, they have this thing were like half those guys are hurt at any given time

So they'll never all be healthy. Also, they're not all good, and many can shift to the bullpen, where the Dodgers need reinforcements. Come the offseason, there'll be some roster shuffling

Young Jeezy

10:22

Thoughts on Adrian Gonzalez? BA is there but no power? A bad first half? A lost season? Or the beginning of the end (all it terms of power that is)?

Jeff Sullivan

10:22

Bad back. It's pretty clearly affected him. Even if it doesn't hurt anymore, which he claims, it's not hard to see how that would change one's swing mechanics

Guest

10:22

has anyone thought of the nickname "K-PAX" for James Paxton yet?

Jeff Sullivan

10:22

Yes

Adam

10:24

Why don't the Rays get more grief for trading Trea Turner and Joe Ross for Steven Souza?

Jeff Sullivan

10:25

Back then Ross didn't seem like much of a prospect, and the Rays also got Rene Rivera, Jake Bauers, etc