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Kevin Goldstein FanGraphs Chat - 3/15/2021
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Kevin Goldstein
12:01
Hi everyone. Let's get this going. I'm horrible at maintaining my personal schedule, so I have a radio hit in about 20 minutes, but I'll answer some early and then stay awhile after I'm done. Hope everyone is enjoying all the great work here at FanGraphs and hopefully listening to Chin Music!
Jeremy
12:01
Despite the hype, it'd be completely absurd to expect Bobby Witt Jr. -- a guy with only AZL experience under his belt? -- to debut in 2021, right?
Kevin Goldstein
12:01
I think it's a bit heady, but I certainly don't think it's completely absurd. Let's see how he looks once minor league games get going and re-assess. He's really good.
Fate
12:02
While you worked with the stros, who was(is?) your favourite hitter who tore up the minor leagues but never got a real MLB chance?
Kevin Goldstein
12:02
For the most part, I think players get their chances if they earn them. Nobody really stands out.
Russ
12:02
Thoughts on Bielak/Garcia as depth since Framber's status is still in question?
Kevin Goldstein
12:03
Worrisome. Bielak has always felt like a 4A pitcher to me. Garcia could be a decent backend starter, but I'm not sure 2021 is the time for that. Could be a bit.
Vince L.
12:03
KG, you're uniquely qualified to answer this: If Gerrit Cole had been traded to the Yankees in the winter of 2017—as had been rumored—instead of the Astros, would he have been as dominant in 2018-19 as he was with Astros?
Kevin Goldstein
12:04
I don't know . . . . probably? The Astros are exceptionally good at identifying pitchers with potential performance improvements based on usage and location, and they're also exceptionally good at implementing those changes. You know who else is really good at that? The New York Yankees.
Shawn miller
12:04
should I be selling torkelson for any offers at this point?  Bust?
Kevin Goldstein
12:04
Calm down. Deep breaths.
Hansen
12:04
What do we envision out of a healthy Corbin Martin, 150 innings of greatness?
Kevin Goldstein
12:05
I think the ceiling is a number three type. Good stuff across the board and command allows it to play up. Intense competitor.
KXW
12:05
I’m curious about your experience at the Trade Deadline in 2017 and the acquisition of Justin Verlander. How close was the race between the Astros and the Cubs?
Kevin Goldstein
12:06
Could be bad memory, but once we were past the trade deadline and entered the waiver one, it kind of felt like Astros or bust.
Brett
12:07
Chances Whitley ever pitches an inning in MLB at this point?
Kevin Goldstein
12:07
If you are setting an over/under at zero, I'll take the over, but his chances of making an impact are slipping dramatically.
Ryan
12:07
JB Bukauskas has lit up ST as a reliever so far for AZ, do you think the team needs to keep him in relief and use him now or send him out to Reno (yikes) and stretch him out?
Kevin Goldstein
12:08
Always saw him as a potential pen arm and not surprised to see him thriving in that role. I think that's where he should be.
Bren
12:08
The Mets generally aren't in on top ranked international talent, with a few exceptions. Do you see this changing under Steve Cohen?
Kevin Goldstein
12:08
I mean . . . we'll see? It's one thing to just write checks down there, but you need to have a scouting and development infrastructure as well.
Tacoby Bellsbury
12:08
In the wake of the Mariners' recent front office snafu, my wife asked me a question you may have great insight into: How much of a difference does it make in player development if foreign players do not have polished English, particularly in the minors? Is there anything exacerbated in more data-driven organizations?
Kevin Goldstein
12:09
Not if you hire Latin coaches or non-Latin ones who can communicate in Spanish!
Morton
12:09
Hey KG! Saw him on your picks to click, but assuming full health and return of stuff, what kind of starter could Jairo Solis be?
Kevin Goldstein
12:09
There's No. 2 upside in there, but he's barely pitched, so some patience is required.
Jacob
12:09
Hi Kevin, I am glad you have joined Fangraphs. I am wondering what it is like to work in baseball analytics for an organization. Are the long hours any better in that area of the organization? What kind of qualifications are common for those in analytics to have?
Kevin Goldstein
12:10
Certainly some long hours, but it can be manageable. Obviously, the travel aspect isn't a piece here, and they're not expected to come to/stay for every game.
Bilu
12:10
Hi Kevin - so glad to have you sharing your wit and insight with us. As their adversary for nearly a decade, what are your overall impressions of the A’s FO/scouting department?
Kevin Goldstein
12:11
I think it's abundantly clear at this point that the A's are VERY good and what they do considering their pretty large limitations.
Chris W.
12:11
I've been dying to ask about your article on kelenics service time. Why didn't you include george springer and the decisions that went into him missing free agency by 3 days? Is that something you can talk about?
Kevin Goldstein
12:12
Sure I can. I don't like it, or like I wrote, I think something needs to be done with the rules to keep incentivizing teams to do it.
zurzles
12:12
How secretive are teams about their international signing connections? We know that the big prospects are connected to teams from a young age, and those connections typically come out eventually, but do analysts generally have an idea of who has a handshake agreement at age 13/14, or is that info kept under wraps until later?
Kevin Goldstein
12:13
Most secrets are not that. I would attend international showcases, and the scouts down there knew what team each player had already agree to sign with and for how much. They're some of the worst kept secrets in baseball.
Tigers Fan
12:14
Do you think Luis Robert makes adjustments to off speed pitches this year and become an all-star?
Kevin Goldstein
12:14
I think the strikeouts are always going to be a problem, but that doesn't mean he won't be an All-Star.
fangraphs reader
12:14
When deciding to go over the limit in the old international rules, were there specific players (other than Moncada/Robert) that made teams decide the risk was worth it, or was it a group of players that teams figured that they could get a couple of?
Kevin Goldstein
12:15
Under the old rules, it made sense to go over the limit only if you were going to completely blow buy it, so it was more about signing tons of expensive players as opposed to just one or two.
The Ghost of Wade Boggs
12:15
Was there ever any instance when you were in the FO where something in Spring Training ever influenced your decision making or thought processes on a player, or was it treated as 100% random noise?
Kevin Goldstein
12:16
I was treated as noise, but not 100% random. Performance is one thing, but things like velo gains or increased spin or exit velos are harder to ignore.
12:18
Taking a quick break for a radio hit in Chicago, but I'll be back and will type furiously upon my return.
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