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Kevin Goldstein FanGraphs Chat - 11/22/2021
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B
12:50
Why do these journalists continue to place hometown votes far beyond where their hometown players should be? LaMonte Wade? Sal Perez far higher than is reasonable? It makes a bit of a mockery of the voting in general, I think. Are they just trying to continue the proud history of the BBWAA occasionally being ridiculous? Is there a perpetual selection bias going on with that group? Are they somehow inclined to say hey these players were better, but I’m just gonna vote for who I personally like more?
Kevin Goldstein
12:51
You put far more energy into this question than I have into award voting. I just don't care about award voting.
twinmh
12:51
The Astros built 3/5 of a solid rotation this year from young pitchers who never sniffed a top-100 prospects list.  How much does losing Strom hurt their ability to repeat that success?
Kevin Goldstein
12:52
There's no way losing Brent Strom doesn't hurt. That said, Josh Miller and Bill Murphy mitigate that kind of pain as well as any duo in the game. Both are outstanding pitching coaches and I think the Astros will be fine.
Guest
12:52
When you have a team that has players that use interpreters for non-English speaker player communications with the media, do those players also use interpreters to communicate with their fellow players?  Or do they mostly know enough English to communicate baseball stuff and small talk?  Curious if a team with Japanese, Korean and Latin players would have a whole stable of interpreters in the club house.
Kevin Goldstein
12:53
In general, the players communicate with each other without the use of interpreters. The interpreters are almost exclusively for media interactions, and some mound meetings.
Gorman
12:53
Do you think negotiations are actually intensifying now as we approach the deadline, or are they going at the same pace with both sides expecting a work stoppage?  Chances a deal is struck before?  Thanks
Kevin Goldstein
12:54
I think they are intensifying, but the gap is just going to be far too wide to close in ten days. I would set the chances of a deal being struck before 12/1 at less than one percent. I have talked to a lot of people on both sides of the table in the last few weeks, and nobody thinks they're close to anything productive.
Bob
12:55
What am I missing on Kilian? On Saturday he had plus velocity at 94-96 touching 98 and a few versions of fastballs that he uses. His new spike curve was generating whiffs. His command is easily plus. What holds him back from a middle of the rotation career?
Kevin Goldstein
12:55
I didn't say he was bad. I said he was a real starting pitching prospect. I just said he's not Top 100. That's not an insult.
DF
12:55
A lot of (justifiable, in my mind) anger among Reds fans. My take is that Castellini isn't wealthy enough to hang with other MLB owners. Teams are private enterprises, but isn't there some sense of community ownership here? If he can sell at a huge profit to someone able and willing to take on payroll, which is almost a given, could MLB have any influence in encouraging (forcing? :))  him to do so?
Kevin Goldstein
12:56
MLB serves the owners, not the opposite.
Mitch
12:56
When a trade return is categorized as "PTBNL or cash" what is the determining factor between the two? Does it just give the receiving team a bit of time to further evaluate the potential PTBNLs and if they dont like what they see they just take cash instead?
Kevin Goldstein
12:56
Usually it's just going to be cash when you see this.
Yeff
12:57
Why are not the players seeking a $3 million min salary? Name an issue that *doesn’t* cover even a little bit
Kevin Goldstein
12:58
Service time manipulation and the draft, among others.
Dave
12:59
Are people inside front offices able to tease out what parts of the public rumor mill are legit and what parts are false rumors?
Kevin Goldstein
1:00
You can but just directly asking your contact at another team. Something like "Hey friend at Oakland, I see all the stuff out there about you moving some big names. If that's true, we'd definitely have some interest in [Player]."
Joshua
1:00
I can't remember (but I think it was Ken Rosenthal) who reported that the Nats and Padres had a deal involving Scherzer done at the deadline. Then, obviously, that was not the case and the deal was Turner and Scherzer to the Dodgers. What do you think happened in that situation? Do you think the Nats and Padres were 99% done and the Dodgers swooped back in? Any insight into what might have happened with this massive deal? Thanks.
Kevin Goldstein
1:00
I don't have any insight, but your Dodgers swoop scenario is the most likely reality.
Robbie
1:02
Angels just acquired Tyler wade. Think they are going to go all defense at SS/2B next year to save money for arms?
Kevin Goldstein
1:02
I think they're just picking up someone they see as a utility piece.
Dave
1:02
When you were with the Astros, how often would reporters reach out to you in an attempt to get information they could share publicly?
Kevin Goldstein
1:02
Early on, pretty frequently during the deadline and Winter Meetings, but I was not someone who leaked.
Yeff
1:03
Do you expect this CBA to be as evil and anti-player as the NFL one? Would the MLBPA ever do something so heinous to their players?
Kevin Goldstein
1:03
They would not.
Yeff
1:03
Smartest player you’ve ever been around?
Kevin Goldstein
1:04
Define smart? Baseball IQ? Mensa test? Good at pub trivia?
Bearry
1:04
versatility is talked about a ton… but how valuable is a guy whose positional versatility is being bad at all four corner spots? Compared to a guy who is slightly below average at SS/CF or catcher? Or like Marte who can fake it all around the field?
Kevin Goldstein
1:04
Fun question, and there's lots of debate on this one. Josh Rojas is another one. He can play a lot of positions, but none of them especially well.
171
1:06
Kind of a build-on to your A's situation response, as well as owners setting payroll, how does a front office handle a situation in which the owner wants to sign/extend a player but the front office isn't on the same page? For instance, how much would it have sucked to be Duquette when Angelos was demanding Chris Davis be extended on a large deal?
Kevin Goldstein
1:07
It would have sucked. There are basically four buckets for owners. Completely hands off (THE BEST), involved, but always deferring to FO (GREAT), involved and occasionally forcing a move that you don't want to make (most common and mildly annoying), and then the few that actually just make some moves themselves (NIGHTMARE).
Don
1:08
Over/under 89.5 wins for the Giants next year?
Kevin Goldstein
1:08
I actually think that's a really good number. Hard to say though until we see how the off-season turns out.
Toy Cannon
1:08
Assuming Correa is gone does Javy Baez on a 1/2 yr prove it deal with the Astros draw interest from either party?
Kevin Goldstein
1:08
I think someone is going to give Baez far too big a deal, and I don't think that someone is the Astros.
Fart Barfunkel
1:09
Talk me into being excited that my team is one of the 7 "in on" Seiya Suzuki. I think I'm still a bit let down after being all in on Kim last season and seeing him underwhelm (and cutting him from my fantasy team). Where does he rank on the scale of Ohtani-like God to a shrug emoji?
Kevin Goldstein
1:09
He's no Ohtani, but he's better than Kim.
Dexter from Dexter
1:09
Hunter Brown's MLB outlook - thought?
Kevin Goldstein
1:10
Lots of possibilities from here. Could be a shutdown reliever, could be a front-rotation starter, and could be a frustrating number four with huge stuff and big command and pitch efficiency issues.
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