JotCast | Klawchat 11/7/19

Klawchat 11/7/19

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Keith Law

12:02

I am unwilling to uncover my eyes. Klawchat.

Tony

12:02

It seems pretty interesting to me that all the coaches the Phillies fired this year (Young, Mallee, Kapler) have either immediately new work or seem to be on the verge of new work. Makes me think that maybe it wasn't the coaching that was the issue in Philadelphia

Keith Law

12:03

I wondered if the Kapler dismissal, at least, was from ownership, not baseball operations. It came far later than a GM would ordinarily like to make such a change, and during the season I never heard anything from their front office that made me think Kapler's job was in jeopardy.

Royal Pains

12:03

You referenced seeing Erick Pena, last week in the chat. Any initial thoughts other than the advanced physique? And being forever away

Keith Law

12:04

Not really. I saw one instructs game and wrote him up briefly on ESPN.com, but I don't want to draw big conclusions from a few at bats in a barely-game from a 16-year-old, either.

Nate

12:04

Keith, accepting the QO for Jose Abreu is a no-brainer, right?

Keith Law

12:04

I think so.

Jeffrey

12:04

Did Tony Clark overreact? Is this sounding like a bad divorce where if somebody sneezes looks at you the wrong way it’s time to close the lawyers? Is this good for baseball? Kind of fans have their say at the table when all is set between labor and management?

Keith Law

12:05

I did not read Anthopoulos' comments as indicative of collusion - it sounds like a GM describing the typical due diligence he would do with the GM meetings coming up. You call other GMs and ask what their plans are to try to see if you might line up on any trades. "Hey, we have extra starters we'd part with in a deal for X, and you have needs in your rotation. Do you plan to fill those via trades or free agency?" That's not collusion. Asking if another GM intends to bid on Gerrit Cole would be collusion, of course, or even asking how much they might have budgeted to spend on free agent starters would, but I didn't read the comments like that at all.

Mike

12:05

Favorite book and movie of all time?

Keith Law

12:07

My favorite book of all time hasn't changed: http://klaw.me/klaw102 As for movies, I don't have a single, clear favorite. Many I love and recommend, but it's hard for me to compare watching Double Indemnity and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and Amelie. They're all such different experiences, and Double Indemnity didn't have the technical advantages of the latter two.

Dan

12:07

Favorite razor / shaving cream?

Keith Law

12:07

That's a fun one. I'm boring, though: Gillette Mach whatever razors, Nivea shave gel. And I only shave about every week and a half.

Nate

12:07

Keith, will you put out a draft prospect watch list before the season?

Keith Law

12:07

Yes.

Sean

12:07

Hi Keith, I have a question that I hope isn’t getting too personal.. I know you have mentioned your anxiety before.. I also deal with anxiety quite often - maybe not as much as someone else but still feel like it still takes over a good portion of my life. What are some ways you have found work for you to combat with your anxiety?

Keith Law

12:09

I've mentioned this acronym before, EMMET: Exercise, Medication, Meditation, Eating, Therapy. That's not in order but it's easy to remember. I would say therapy is probably the most important component, and it's possible that that's most of what you need. I just would emphasize that you shouldn't resist medication like I did for years - my life is substantially better across the board since I started taking a low dose of an SSRI.

12:09

No chance Chaim Bloom can trade David Price this off-season, right? Some media types in Boston are playing up an idea that the Rangers might be interested, but I can't see a reason why any team would be interested in paying $32 million a year for the next three years for his past glory.

Keith Law

12:10

His elbow would be the obstacle. I can't see how the Red Sox could effectively insulate the acquiring team from the risk of Price's elbow blowing up.

Jacob

12:10

Is there an Ivy League school you would discourage your child from attending?

Keith Law

12:12

No. They're all good schools, and they all confer positive name value on graduates in just about any field that might matter - academic, corporate, nonprofit. The biggest reason to go to an expensive private school is either the value of its name or the network of contacts you develop there. I don't think the typical private school is providing that much higher quality of an education, and your child will likely have a great social experience at less expensive schools. But elite colleges have brand equity that makes a tangible difference.

Ken

12:12

How's your Josh Ritter fandom coming along? He is my favorite live performer.

Keith Law

12:12

I'm not a fan, sorry.

Sven Goindon

12:12

Hi Keith: where do you think Dellin Betances ends up next year and what kind of contract do you think he'll get, given he missed all but 2/3 of an inning this season. Thanks.

Keith Law

12:13

I imagine a one-year, incentive-laden deal. $2-4 million base, chance to get to $10MM if he's healthy all year?

Jackie

12:13

Anybody catch your eye on the "Modern Era" ballot for the HOF? I would say that the Harold Baines selection last winter really lowered the bar to an unacceptable level, so it would probably be for the best if the veterans' committee only selected Marvin Miller, just to restore a level of exceptionalism to the player's side of things.

Keith Law

12:13

Whitaker and Evans belong in the Hall, as does Miller. Don't let the Baines fiasco hurt players who are truly deserving.

xxx(yyy)

12:14

any major changes expected to your cooking gift guide this year?

Keith Law

12:15

Tools, no, but cookbooks yes. I think the biggest addition to my cooking gear of the last 12 months is an Ooni outdoor pizza oven, which I absolutely love, but which isn't exactly a necessity.

Bruce

12:15

Reynaldo Lopez has a few brilliant starts each year that give you hope and then follows that up with a bunch of awful starts. Can he be a reliable starter or should he be in the pen?

Keith Law

12:15

I've always maintained he needed to go to the bullpen. His delivery is tough to repeat - it's similar to Severino's, so I suppose there's some injury risk too - and he doesn't have a viable way to get LHB out.

Heather

12:15

Which team should offer the most for Mookie Betts this winter, regardless of the fact that he's definitely hitting the FA market after next season?

Keith Law

12:16

A team trying to contend right now that would probably be on the outside looking in if they don't acquire someone of Betts' caliber. San Diego, the White Sox, and the Mets all fit. The Cubs would too, but if the Red Sox want young pitching, as I suspect they do, that's not a fit.

Gene

12:16

Kieth, I wanted to ask for clarification regarding your opinion on Buck Showalter. I am a regular reader, an occasional submitter, and, generally, like minded with your opinions in most cases, but I don't understand your feelings regarding Showalter. I know from past comments that you feel he is an old school instinct coach rather that committed to data application, and you have also voice concern regarding his use of pitchers like Bundy. The Bundy thing always stuck with me because he seemed to have been damaged in high school and travel ball from over use. After the arm injury in the minors, I thought the O's were just trying to get what they could out of a perishable commodity. While I never understood some of the things the O's did with pitching prospects during his tenure, the side of the rubber or the insistence of having pitchers shelving the pitches that got them drafted in favor of the FB, CH, CB, repertoires, I wasn't sure how much of that was on Buck or was organizational.

Keith Law

12:18

That was entirely on Buck, as was some of went wrong with the use of Hunter Harvey and Cody Sedlock, as well as the constant messing with Kevin Gausman's and Jake Arrieta's positions on the mound, and some other stuff that I've heard on background that involved coaches Buck employed. Maybe he'd be different the next time around, but I can't look at his tenure in Baltimore without noting how young pitchers failed to develop under him.

xxx(yyy)

12:18

what happened with Jurickson Profar? Literally had the lowest BABIP of any qualified hitter in 2019, and one of the 4 lowest of the last 10 years. While there is hope for some level of bounce back is he cooked?

Keith Law

12:19

I don't have a good answer for that, other than to say I was floored by the low BABIP. Maybe the shoulder isn't fully healed, or he's pulling his punches out of fear of reinjury? Either way, if that doesn't improve in 2020, he's probably done.

Alex

12:19

More viable market for an MLB franchise: Tampa or Montreal?

Keith Law

12:19

Tampa, but not with a stadium in St. Petersburg.

brett

12:20

when will you start your offseason articles series'?

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