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Kevin Goldstein FanGraphs Chat - 3/15/2021
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Kevin Goldstein
12:42
I'm back! Appreciate the patience. Let's keep rolling. TONS OF QUESTIONS TO ANSWER.
Derek
12:42
Is there a FanGraphs NCAA tourney pool and if so who is the favorite? (to win the pool, not the tournament)
Kevin Goldstein
12:42
Not that I know of, and I have no idea. I have no idea who is even in the tourney, and I can't name a single college basketball player.
WVU fan
12:43
Can you expand on your Alek Manoah love? What made him stand out in the 2019 draft to you?
Kevin Goldstein
12:43
Just pure power stuff and a body/delivery built to eat up innings. Plus fastball and 70 or better slider.
Kate
12:44
Eric seems pretty confident in Kjerstad's hit tool, but others seem a little nervous about some of the mechanics.  What do you think?
Kevin Goldstein
12:44
#TeamEric
Larry
12:44
Do you think other scouts would say Kevin Goldstein knows what he’s looking at?
Kevin Goldstein
12:44
I like to think so.
Jon G
12:44
I haven't listened to Bernstein since the B&B days! If you're on regularly, guess I might have to turn 670 back on.
Kevin Goldstein
12:45
Happy to be back with Dan, and Rahimi is GREAT, but again sorry for the scheduling snafu.
Simon G
12:45
Thoughts on Victor Robles?  Nats front office still seems very high on him.  Can a tweak to his approach and a leaner physique put him back on track?  Or is he in danger of never reaching his ceiling as a 60 FV hitter?
Kevin Goldstein
12:46
I guess the best way to put it is that he'll always be useful, yet frustrating.
Harry Lewis
12:46
Was there ever any doubt in the Astros system that Framber Valdez would reach his potential (i.e. not be able to maintain his control)?
Kevin Goldstein
12:46
Sure there was. There was an extended time where I thought he should be a reliever (whoops!)
matt
12:47
Would you consider working full time for a team again?
Kevin Goldstein
12:47
It would have to be REALLY right. In the present, I'm having a blast here and that's where my focus is.
FanGraphs Member
12:47
KG - Welcome back! I'd like to ask you this famous question that is often asked in FG chats given your experience in an actual FO... How many hours a week do GMs actually work?
Kevin Goldstein
12:48
It ebbs and flows, but it's a LOT. For example, during a homestand they're coming into the office and a normal work time, staying for the game, meeting with the manager after the game and then going home, so home games are often a 14+ hour day.
Nick
12:49
Were you in the FO in 2018 when the Astros had a deal in place for Bryce Harper that Nats ownership scuttled? What were those discussions like?
Kevin Goldstein
12:49
It all came together pretty quick. I remember going back to the hotel late that night and calling my wife and telling her the team was getting Bryce Harper.
Jacob
12:50
Thoughts on the viability of tandem pitching in the majors?
Kevin Goldstein
12:50
I think you are going to see some this year. This year as going to be exceptionally weird in terms of pitching usage and I don't think anyone is really accounting for it yet.
matt
12:50
If I ask you on March 15, 2022, which player you prefer going forward, what are the chances you choose Bobby Witt over Wander Franco?
Kevin Goldstein
12:50
11.7429%
Raise Your 'Stein
12:51
Thoughts on Adam Kloffenstein? Longenhagen appears to be down on his potential as he pitches to a lot of contact. When I see his measurables, the increase in velocity, the pedigree, the commentary by the managers who've faced him, and the organizational depth that will keep him from being rushed, I can't help but think there's something better than a 4/5 here.
Kevin Goldstein
12:52
I saw Kloffenstein twice in his draft year. First time he was remarkable, second time, not so much. Number 4/5 starters are exceptionally valuable, so don't be greedy and that would actually be a good outcome.
Marcus
12:52
I'm curious how much your background in management consulting played into getting a job in the Astros front office, versus your baseball scouting / editorial experience? Semi-related, as many Astros executives departed for other senior leadership roles, including GM positions with other orgs, was that a path you could've seen yourself going down, or was becoming a General Manager not a likely trajectory, based on what you were working on with the Astros?
Kevin Goldstein
12:54
I worked five-plus years for a management consulting firm, but I wasn't a management consultant. I worked in IT as a systems administrator, so I don't think it played any role whatsoever. I don't think I ever had GM potential. Not enough wide-ranging experience, no college degree (shouldn't matter but it does), and just a tough sell on a PR level.
Sammy the dog
12:54
Regarding the Spanish: is it becoming more common that American players/coaches start to learn Spanish like Bregman did?
Kevin Goldstein
12:54
Yes it is. And it's a good thing.
Jacques Pederson
12:55
Can you have power without bat speed?
Kevin Goldstein
12:55
Nope.
asnbrv
12:55
What do you think is the biggest contribution a good manager gives to a team that us people outside the doors can't see?
Kevin Goldstein
12:55
One of the biggest thing a manager can do is get the best possible performance out of players. It's soft science in terms of measuring that, but it's real.
Erik
12:56
Are all of the major sabermetric stats (WAR, wRC+, wOBA, xFIP, etc.) directly used by teams, or have teams come up with slightly improved versions of most of them based on data the public can't access?
Kevin Goldstein
12:56
"Improved" is debatable, but most teams have their own internal WAR-esque something above replacement number.
80 want
12:57
Would you have Hunter Brown higher or lower on a prospect list than Eric has him so far? I'm not trying to ask you for your own top 100, just trying to understand if you are adding gas to applying the breaks to Eric's eval .Understand he may have his own sources all together but hopefully you understand what I'm trying to ask.
Kevin Goldstein
12:58
I think Brown has a chance to absolutely explode this year (in a good way) if he can hone his control and command. The stuff is absolutely electric.
Moose_Bolton
12:58
What are your favorite movies?
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