JotCast | Kevin Goldstein FanGraphs Chat

Kevin Goldstein FanGraphs Chat - 2/28/2022

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Kevin Goldstein

12:01

Hi everyone. Hope I can provide a temporary escape from the world around us. Let's have some fun for about 90 minutes or so.

12:01

Recently moved to Arizona, and with all the uncertainty around MLB, how possible is it to go watch complex league games here in season as a fan? Any tips as well? Thank you for doing these chats every Monday!

Kevin Goldstein

12:02

Good question. Right now, it might be a bit dicey as teams are being VERY cagey about having external people in their camps for a variety of reasons. Once we have a CBA, you'll be much more open to going and honestly, the backfield games are a BLAST. Way better than the big league games.

Who's Fabio?

12:02

Hey Kevin - thanks for prospects week content. In the Moreno writeup it's noted he has a flawed approach at the plate. Without being too specific, can he improve/fix this flaw? What's wrong?

Kevin Goldstein

12:04

He can be a bit aggressive and expand the zone at times. It happens. It fact, it's quite common what you have a plus-contact guy like Moreno who provides a ton of plate coverage. You want players to swing at pitches they can hit, and a guy like Moreno can hit a lot more pitches than your average bear. It's a tough thing to 'fix' and maybe you don't have to. Not everyone has to walk a ton, and walks=good don't walks=bad is not true. The challenge on a development level is to get him to get from swing at pitches you can hit to swing at pitches you can drive, and that's WAY easier said than done.

Jacob

12:04

I asked where Suzuki would've been on the top 100 list and you said you'd talk about it on Chin Music. I listened, but didn't hear that discussion. Did I just zone out for a bit and miss it?

Kevin Goldstein

12:05

Yeah, we never hit on that. It really was a two-hour off the cuff conversation, and we should have touched on it. He would have been in the teens somewhere, but I feel strongly that he should NOT be seen as a prospect.

Jefferson

12:06

Can I get a #hottake on Jeter leaving the marlins? Everyone seems to be very neutral and treading softly in their press releases. Not sure what to make of that

Kevin Goldstein

12:06

Not from me. Front offices are very complicated, at times exceptionally political beasts, and even the most connected person on the Marlins beat knows at most 10% of what's going on.

Bob

12:06

Can the cardinals pull off 2 free agent reliever signings? Seems like that's the area of most need

Kevin Goldstein

12:07

Sure, why not?

Bob

12:07

The AP says that the union has ~$178mil saved away and the Athletic says that players would get $15k a month as a stipend. That's enough to float every member of the union for ~10 months. We're not seeing baseball until after the 4th of July are we?

Kevin Goldstein

12:08

It's a war chest. All good unions put one together. Normal course of business. I was seen as super pessimistic when I said there was going to be a compressed spring training and 140-150 game regular season. I say the same thing now and I'm seen as super optimistic. Swinging emotionally off the minute-by-minute tick tock coming from reporters in Florida at the talks is a mistake.

Asinwreck

12:08

I really enjoyed the top 100

Kevin Goldstein

12:09

Thanks! We really enjoyed putting it together but I'm gonna throw a bit of a turd in the punchbowl tomorrow.

Terrell Renfro

12:09

Hey Kevin, Just wanted to hear your thoughts on the knuckleball and if teams have any interest in the pitch?

Kevin Goldstein

12:10

Sure. You are asking somebody who selected not one, but two knuckleball pitchers in the minor league Rule 5! Neither one worked out. It's just such a hard pitch to master, and you have to master it. A good or even very good knuckleball pitcher is not good enough for the big leagues.

Jacob

12:10

What contributes most to Jung's risk being "Low"?

Kevin Goldstein

12:10

The fact that the dude can hit.

Jacob

12:11

Why is Abram's risk "High"? is it injury related? is it pitch selection related?

Kevin Goldstein

12:11

And injury related. We just haven't seen a ton of him on the field.

Rowdy Tellez's Counsin Once-Removed

12:12

Music battle: Bernie Williams vs. Barry Zito. Which concert do you attend?

Kevin Goldstein

12:12

They're both talented musicians, but not for me. I'll stay home and watch a movie.

Guest

12:13

The Padres spent a couple years with the top rated farm system (including here at FG). The only star from that group is Tatis. This can probably change, but it doesn’t look like there will be any perennial all stars from that group. Even the players they traded look like average or less-than-that types. Was the system just overrated? Or maybe something to do with player development at the upper levels?

Kevin Goldstein

12:13

Bad outcomes certainly, but it certainly has something to do with the expectations that prospects produce that are unrealistic. Maybe I should write about that . . .

Guest

12:14

Are prospects like (current) MacKenzie Gore, and before him Whitley, basically untradeable? Could a front office consider trading these guys so low, or is the risk of the player blossoming at another team mean that the front office wouldn't take risk?

Kevin Goldstein

12:14

The problem is, if you are the Padres or the Astros is that there are still some very good outcome possibilities for that player, but nobody is going to trade anything good for them.

Inaccessible Rail

12:15

I am beginning to think that my relationship with MLB is akin to one with an abusive spouse. I feel like I should just walk away for good, but somehow I can't. What's wrong with me? Why do I continue to put $$$ in the pockets of owners I despise?

Kevin Goldstein

12:15

Because you love baseball and you love baseball players.

Jack B

12:15

Alright let's get it out of the way. How many games do you think will be played this season?

Kevin Goldstein

12:15

146

Jack B

12:15

If the lockout continues, do you think college baseball will be televised more in early April?

Kevin Goldstein

12:15

Probably not.

Dave

12:16

What's for lunch?

Kevin Goldstein

12:16

Leftover chicken.

Dave

12:16

I'm also in the home buying phase right now. Has it been your experience that inspectors tend to be quite rude? Have encountered some very abbrasive folks this week.

Kevin Goldstein

12:17

We just haven't gotten to that point. We've only made one offer, and it wasn't enough in this crazy market. I remember the dude who inspected the house I live in now more than a decade ago and he was quite cool but he was an expert in super old houses so very interested in the place.

Dan

12:17

No question yet. Just want to say hello and hope that you are doing well

Kevin Goldstein

12:17

Hi Dan, I'm doing more than well enough. It's important to remind yourself just how good you have it once in a while, and I have it very very good.

Mike B

12:18

James Harden & Joel Embiid are giving me something to watch while baseball suffers self inflicted death by a billion cuts.

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