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Kevin Goldstein FanGraphs Chat - 9/27/2021
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Kevin Goldstein
11:00
Hi everyone! Should be a really fun last week. Always fun when some of these games matter.
Tommy
11:00
Gausman was good yesterday but has been down overall in the 2nd half. He still your #1 FA pitcher this offseason?
Kevin Goldstein
11:01
He was phenomenal yesterday. I think it was something like 25 swings and misses. that said, Max Scherzer is a FA . . .
Mark
11:01
Isn't most of sumo wrestling rigged? Why do you care about it so much?
Kevin Goldstein
11:01
There was a match fixing scandal a few years back, but it was limited. It's not rigged.
Mac
11:01
Who do you think will be the biggest "name" player traded this off season?
Kevin Goldstein
11:02
I think that's really tough to answer. A lot could depend on the CBA and what the new CBA looks like.
BR
11:02
when with Houston … how many in-office / analyst types worked below you in the pro scouting department? And how many does each team have on average ?
Kevin Goldstein
11:02
Below is a weird word here, but there were 6-8 evaluation analysts doing pro, amateur and international.
Beignet and the Jets
11:02
Did we learn anything about Norge Vera this year besides that he's too good for the DSL?
Kevin Goldstein
11:03
We learned he has a really good arm. We probably won't learn about just how applicable the tools are until next year.
Jj
11:03
I'm enjoying Jose Siri on the major league level if only for all the potential announcer jokes. What do you see for him next year? Enough to stick as say a fun 4th OF?
Kevin Goldstein
11:03
At the least. Great find by those above-mentioned analysts.
Steeeve
11:03
How bought-in are front offices to the notion of playing a position (as opposed to strictly DH) helping certain players to being more productive? Beyond very specific players (on either side) is there a general belief that this is a thing or more of an "eh, not really concerned about that one"?
Kevin Goldstein
11:05
You say "beyond very specific players" but I can't do that. All players are very specific players and have to be treated as individuals. There is no notion like that, just in the sense that every player is treated individually.  There are some who are better when they play in the field, and there are some who are fine with DH-ing.
Kate
11:05
Has Aaron Ashby's command improved enough to stick as a starter?  Just scouting the stat line, I see a lot of Logan Webb there (tons of grounders with a good amount of swing and miss).
Kevin Goldstein
11:05
I think he'll at least be TRIED as a starter long term.
Guest
11:05
How much of a spread is there at the major-league level in catchers' game-calling ability? Is there a noticeable gap between the best and the worst or is everyone pretty much the same when you get to that level? And if there are differences, are some orgs better than others at helping their catchers develop that skill?
Kevin Goldstein
11:06
There's a sizeable gap, but there's more than just pitting fingers down. There's the whole game management and working with pitchers aspect. That's where more of the separation can be.
the big lebrewski
11:06
how much is a Juan Soto extension?
Kevin Goldstein
11:06
half a billion?
Rex
11:06
What kind of player do you think Cedric Mullins settles as going forward?
Kevin Goldstein
11:06
850 OPS
Kate
11:07
Eric wrote a bunch of interesting words on Elly De La Cruz last week.  Honestly had never heard of him before that!  Were your thoughts included in that write-up or do you see anything else that wasn't mentioned in the write-up?  Sounds like a big-time boom or bust guy with bonkers tools.
Kevin Goldstein
11:07
We certainly talked about him that week. Your last sentence sums him up perfectly.
Max
11:07
At the trade deadline have physicals been exchanged ahead of time? Do they use spring training physicals. How how do they avoid a situation where somebody is buying damaged goods?  And, prellers previous missteps on this issue has that made teams reluctant to deal with the pads?
Kevin Goldstein
11:08
Sometimes, if you are close to the deadline, medicals will be exchanged if you are quite sure that a deal is going to get done. There isn't a physical.... there is a medical review done by by each team based on most recent files.
Guest
11:08
What's your feeling on the movement to improve working conditions for minor leaguers? Why not bring them in as associate members of MLBPA? Other unions do this type of thing...
Kevin Goldstein
11:08
I am pro union, and think a union for minor league players would be a good thing.
Quincy
11:08
Have the players set aside any funds for a strike/ work stoppage.
Kevin Goldstein
11:09
Always.
Jack
11:09
Yankees tender El Gary a contract this offseason?
Kevin Goldstein
11:09
I think so. Would be a bigger question for other teams without as deep of pockets.
Dan
11:09
Is it possible to get into a full time R&D/Analytics role with a team without first going the intern route? Master's degree in data analytics and currently work for a large consulting firm. Obviously would expect to take a sizeable pay cut working in baseball, but can't really afford to go from making almost 6 figures to hourly intern pay. Sorry if that sounds pretentious in any way, just genuinely curious.
Kevin Goldstein
11:10
Absolutely. Plenty of data people enter at a higher, often much higher level than intern. Go for it.
Jarvis
11:12
I read most of the articles at FanGraphs and a couple other similar-enough sites. I watch a baseball game most days, including some minor leagues. Let's call me a relatively high-information baseball consumer, but nothing special. Would I fit into a front office, or would the conversation be way beyond me? Thanks!
Kevin Goldstein
11:12
Some would, some wouldn't. It really depends on what role and conversations you are talking about.
Danny V
11:12
I keep seeing LA fans accusing SF of cheating or that they've just been lucky this year. What's your response to those who feel that way?
Kevin Goldstein
11:12
It's very silly.
JJT
11:13
Minor-league playoffs are just finishing up. Do MLB teams care at all about the sort of "legitimacy" or "consistency" (I'm struggling for words) of their minor league rosters, or would they happily run our some rehabbing MLBers in the AA equivalent of WS Game 7 if that's where the assignment made sense that day?
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