JotCast | Klawchat 2/11/21

Klawchat 2/11/21

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Don Gately

1:54

the O’Neill Cruz situation just kind of went away and it seems like he’ll just be back with the club for spring. Was anything released about how/why it didn’t go further?

Keith Law

1:55

He was exonerated. And most importantly alcohol was not a factor.

Eric

1:55

@Ben - I have severe anxiety disorder. It took a full-on breakdown for me to seek help, and I wish I had sooner. Lexapro (for anxiety) and thc/cbd (For sleep) have been godsends.

Keith Law

1:55

I can't vouch for the weed part personally but I appreciate your comments here.

John Olerud

1:55

Thank you so much for your response. If there is time for a follow up and continuing on with what you said: even if the Ms or any top-heavy farm system lacks depth, if they were to "really hit" on, say, four or more of those top 7 (given the overall quality of that bunch), would you say they might be in a better position to compete down the road than some of the teams you rank above? That is, given that generally teams are trying to get as much value or WAR as they can out of each key position on the field, I guess I'm just wondering or trying to calibrate how to assess quality vs. quantity in a albeit unrealistic vacuum where every prospect were to reach their "future value" potential.

Keith Law

1:56

OK, but then why are we assuming the M's will hit on 4 of those top 7 but not assuming a similar 'hit' rate for any clubs around them?

J. hawley

1:56

IF YOU KEEP CANCELING AND SILENCING ME I WILL KEEP GOING ON NATIONAL NEWS SHOWS TO TELL YOU HOW SILENCED I AM BEING!

Keith Law

1:57

I worry he's going to end up some sort of hero to the alt-white and will end up a strong candidate in the 2024 primaries, which we've now seen, at least on the GOP side, are structured in a way that favors extreme candidates.

Dan

1:57

You called Mick Abel the best HS arm in last year's draft, but he finished in your 'just missed' range. Is it especially difficult for a HS pitcher to make the top 100 just due to the proximity to the majors? Or was it a less than stellar HS pitcher class?

Keith Law

1:58

In The Inside Game I went through the history of high school pitchers in the draft, especially in the first round, and their lower success rate relative to other classes of players. I incorporated that into my draft rankings and am doing so as well in my pro rankings. It's about avoiding bias in the rankings - I love Abel and think he's a stud, but the base rate for HS pitchers just out of the draft is low.

Perry's Relief Core

1:58

Was Jordyn Adams anywhere near your Top 100? Thanks for taking the time, Keith.

Keith Law

1:58

No. 80 runner, 80 athlete, but if you put him in the majors now it might be a 30 hit tool.

Kelsey

1:59

How diverse is the scouting world? How many women are in the industry?

Keith Law

2:00

Few women, but when I worked for the Jays I don't believe there were any women in baseball operations jobs other than office roles. Now there are a few dozen, I think. We're at the point where a team hiring a woman as a scout is no longer notable, and that's great. What we need now is more GMs who come from underrepresented minority groups, and more managers too.

Uli Jon

2:00

I always mean to tell you that the Athletic comments section is not the cesspool those things tend to be, not vintage Deadspin but usually well thought out and some good interaction with writers. Then the “Keith Law hates my team” brigade came out yesterday. Hoo boy.

Keith Law

2:00

Yep. I didn't even look at the comment thread yesterday, because if I want whines I'll go to the liquor store.

Jason

2:00

Can Corbin Burnes be a Cy Young GUY?

Keith Law

2:00

Yes.

Morris

2:00

Been following you a long time, and my two favorite accusations of bias against you all time are 1) you get both "Klaw hates the Jays because he used to work for them" and "Klaw overrates the Jays because he used to work for them" and 2) "Klaw hates Lavarnway because he went to Yale." What are your favorites?

Keith Law

2:01

I forgot about Lavarnway. The people who insist I hate the Yankees are extra-special, since I grew up a Yankee fan and my parents & sister are still Yankee fans, and my grandmother was one until she was about 98 or so. Also, anyone crying about East Coast bias really needs a pacifier.

2:03

My patience for these whiners declines every year. Grow up already. I do not have the capacity to hold all of these supposed biases against teams in my head. My cognitive load is high enough as it is.

2:03

Are you still very much hopeful for Tirso Ornelas? Do we just have to be patient until we have some game action for him?

Keith Law

2:03

Yes.

2:03

What do you think would be the key to getting us consistent games under 3 hours?

Keith Law

2:03

Fewer commercial breaks. No commercial breaks for pitching changes. And raise the bottom of the strike zone.

We're not getting to 2.5 hour games, though. That's over.

Jason

2:03

When ranking farm systems, do you assign points (e.g., players' FV, probability, etc.), or is it more of a feel?

Keith Law

2:03

It's feel. Any point system would be arbitrary at its heart.

Jill

2:03

Do you own any Bitcoin? Or any crypto? Thoughts on it?

Keith Law

2:04

No. I doubt its long-term value, and it is an environmental disaster.

Uli Jon

2:04

Forgot to say...congratulations to you and your bride. Best wishes to the new family.

Keith Law

2:05

Thank you. Approaching our one month anniversary (menoversary?) already!

Jimmy

2:05

Any good deals to sign up for The Athletic you have in your pocket? Looking forward to signing up!

Keith Law

2:05

theathletic.com/klaw is the current promotion.

Guest

2:06

Re Austin Wells- I thought you list a prospect at a position where you think he'll play but you list him as a catcher despite your (apparently majority view) he can't catch. Where does he play- RF? 1B?

Keith Law

2:06

No, I list guys where they play now. Not sure where he'll best profile.

Monte

2:06

Just to second what you said for Ben, I resisted getting help for depression/anxiety until this past year (I'm 37) for the same reasons (changing my personality, becoming a Xanax Zombie, etc.). It's nothing like that. Outdated stereotypes. All it does it let my brain quiet down and not freak out about, like, laundry.

Keith Law

2:07

Exactly. I could really get anxious about some ridiculous things. Or, frequently, nothing.

Don Gately

2:07

Plans to read A Children’s Bible? Loved the voice

Keith Law

2:07

I had not heard about this book but it looks interesting.

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