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Jeff Sullivan FanGraphs Chat -- 8/10/18
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Dan
10:12
Why does Fangraphs have wRC+ for minor leaguers but not a similarly league-adjusted stat for pitching like ERA-?
Jeff Sullivan
10:12
That's a good question, Dan
Skipple
10:13
Jeff, how concerned are you about the AL East? It seems me that it is a major issue that a team with the second best record in baseball could very easily be knocked out in a 1-game playoff.
Jeff Sullivan
10:14
I don't think it's a crisis. If anything, you could argue this is better for baseball -- this way, the Red Sox and Yankees are forever pushing one another, more than they'd have to do if there were realignment or re-seeding
10:15
No, it doesn't end up perfectly "fair," but the MLB playoffs aren't about fairness. They're about chaos. If a great team ends up in a situation where it has to eliminate a worse team in a one-game playoff, well, what drama!
Beanes and franks
10:16
Can the A's have all the relievers?
Jeff Sullivan
10:16
I think they do
randplaty
10:16
Who is the Padres right fielder of the future? Renfroe? Franmil Reyes? Franchy? Somebody else?
Jeff Sullivan
10:16
Guessing it's Franchy or it's somebody else who isn't Renfroe or Reyes
10:18
Reyes is like Cordero without so much athleticism. And Renfroe is probably playing over his head
10:19
But to Renfroe's credit, he's become a better hitter than I thought he would be. There are worse outfielders out there starting
Dan
10:19
Will the Padres make a big move this winter?
Jeff Sullivan
10:19
Probably
mmddyyyy
10:20
Of the teams that still have a chance, who do you hope makes the playoffs?
Jeff Sullivan
10:20
I hope the Brewers make it, because I want all the best for August. And while a part of my brain still hopes the Mariners make it, I'm also comfortable with their identity as perennial disappointments, which makes me want to root for the A's to keep it up
10:21
Twist ending: the A's pass the Yankees and become WC1, allowing for a hell of a home environment
Dan
10:21
When can the Padres start competing?
Jeff Sullivan
10:21
Slightly possible next year, far far more possible the year after that
Parts and Gleyber
10:21
Who's your pick for Orioles all star 2019: Bundy vs the field?
Jeff Sullivan
10:21
Field
10:22
They'll probably have some closer with like 22 saves and a sub-3 ERA
Hendu
10:22
Thoughts on the Rodney trade to Oakland? Anyone left for the Dodgers to land with Jansen out a month?
Jeff Sullivan
10:23
Remember when everyone assumed it was only a matter of time before Rodney lost his closing job to Reed?
Rodney: 25 saves
Reed: 0 saves
I love Fernando Rodney. I love that he's always just barely good enough
If I could hang out with any baseball player for a day, Rodney would be somewhere in my top three options
john cale
10:25
odor, profar, and gallo are certainly giving rangers fans reason to be optimistic lately. which of those 3 are you highest and lowest on?
Jeff Sullivan
10:26
I think I trust Profar the most. Odor I trust the least, just because of how low his lows got
Poised
10:27
What happened to Wade Davis?
Jeff Sullivan
10:28
Mechanically it seems like he's recently a little out of whack. But he's also been in a slow decline for a while -- his strike rate has dropped every year since 2014. Right now he's a hair under 60%. That's very wild
10:29
Davis has increasingly moved away from the zone. And when you're constantly dealing with deep counts, it doesn't take many bad breaks for an inning to go sideways
Daniel
10:29
Is Framil Reyes a good enough player to start every day?
Jeff Sullivan
10:29
Probably not
10:30
But he sure is strong!
Grover
10:32
Joc Pederson currently running a 258/333/540 line.  Good for an 873 OPS and a 132 OPS+.  His K rates seem way down, but so do his walks.  This seems more in line with what people have been expecting out of him for years.  Any reason to think it could be an aberration?
Jeff Sullivan
10:33
Every so often Pederson takes some different-looking swings, and he's been no stranger to making tweaks on the fly. But I think he is roughly what he's been for a while: an acceptable platoon semi-regular
10:34
More contact is good, but the benefit is mitigated when you also lose walks. And while his surface numbers look strong, you have to remember he almost never sees a lefty
And his current-season wRC+ against lefties is 0
mmddyyyy
10:35
How would you know if a switch hitter should try not switch hitting?
Jeff Sullivan
10:35
If he's been a lot worse from one side over like 400-500 PA
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