You are viewing the chat in desktop mode. Click here to switch to mobile view.
X
Meg Rowley FanGraphs Chat - 11/12/19
powered byJotCast
Meg Rowley
2:01
Hey pals, will get started in a second here, just need to fetch a cup of coffee.
2:03
Ok, am returned, caffeine in hand.
A few things to highlight from today:
2:04
Jay made the case for Ted Simmons to be in the HOF: https://blogs.fangraphs.com/ted-simmons-election-to-the-hall-of-fame-i...
David Laurila continued his excellent pitching series with a look at the evolution of a couple of changeups: https://blogs.fangraphs.com/dylan-bundy-cory-gearrin-and-dereck-rodrig...
2:05
Ben Clemens tried to test the assertion that "clean innings" for starter pitching in relief matter: https://blogs.fangraphs.com/do-clean-innings-matter/
2:06
And Jason is continuing his RosterResource free agency roundup with the AL West: https://blogs.fangraphs.com/rosterresource-free-agency-roundup-al-west...
Craig wrote about Adam Wainwright's new deal; that'll be up shortly.
Joe
2:06
What date does the first Top 10 FA sign this year?  When does the last?
Meg Rowley
2:07
I wouldn't be surprised to see one of the Boras three go in December -- Rotoworld reported Cole is likely to wait until at least January, which makes sense, as I expect he'll want to blow past whatever AAV level Stras sets.
Lucas
2:07
When visiting a player page, would it be possible to automatically hide minor league stats for a MLB player that's played more than X years? I feel like most people visiting player pages for veterans don't care how they did on a rehab assignment in 2014.
Meg Rowley
2:08
Not a bad suggestion, though since collapsing those rows only takes one click, hopefully the current set up isn't too burdensome
Sonny
2:08
What kind of contract would Chris Sale fetch as a FA this offseason? A little icky, but feels like the previous regime's decision to sign him long term is an under discussed factor in the Betts trade conversation.
Meg Rowley
2:09
I think the large contracts the team entered into under DD is a pretty well-covered part of the conversation there?
2:10
Martinez's may have gotten more individual attention lately because of the opt-out decision, but I think it would be hard to call that part of their self-imposed cap underreported.
Nolan
2:10
Kris Bryan't name has surfaced in trade rumors recently, but would any team actually trade for him while his grievance is pending?  If the grievance is successful, after all, the acquiring team could be looking at losing a full year of control.
Meg Rowley
2:11
It absolutely complicates things, perhaps (hopefully) to the point of making it a non-starter.
Ryan
2:11
Do you have a view on the NL ROY winner?  Alonso I think is the better player, but Soroka--by outperforming his peripherals--had the better year, at least as far as on-field results are concerned.  Which consideration should drive the voting?
Meg Rowley
2:13
If I had a vote in that race (mine was in the AL, where it was very easy), I would have voted for Alonso, though I think you can be marginally more impressed by Soroka's home run suppression than you are with Alonso's home run hitting and not be a goofus.
Tony Stark
2:14
What are you most excited to be resolved in the new CBA?
Meg Rowley
2:14
I would like to have uhhhh the entire system of player salaries upended but I'm not optimistic that will happen so...
Joe
2:15
Do O'neil Cruz or Nolan Gorman have a shot at the bigs in 2020?  Does the fact that the Pirates will not be competing and the Cardinals (likely) will help/hurt their respective cases?
Meg Rowley
2:16
Doubt it is for more than a cameo for either, though yes, Gorman is far more likely to my mind given where the Cardinals are (a competitive place!) relative to the Pirates (seemingly nowhere!)
The Ghost of Wade Boggs
2:17
Are you a proponent of Small Hall, Big Hall, or Bill Hall?
Meg Rowley
2:18
Big Hall. Make it a real museum, have it tell baseball's story, and make sure it does so honestly, warts and all.
Astros fan
2:18
Do you know if the MLB is reverting back to less-juiced baseballs? If so, which players do you think will be most affected?
Meg Rowley
2:18
Due respect, but if I could break that story, it... wouldn't be in this chat.
Geoff
2:19
Hi Meg! Your thoughts on the “reliever must go 2/3s or more of an inning?” I assume there will be additional stipulations to make it less crazy but it seems... crazy.
Meg Rowley
2:20
Would imagine that there will be exceptions for injury, which addresses the most significant concern, but yeah, later days, LOOGYs.
Sirras
2:20
Meg, do you have any thoughts on the meltdown at Deadspin last week-ish?
Meg Rowley
2:22
Based on you describing it as a "meltdown," I might hazard a guess at your thoughts about it, but I think especially given the landscape of the industry, it is a pretty incredible display of integrity to voluntarily give up a full-time job because the direction of the site and the mandates of its new owners are so obviously at odds with what Deadspin was.
2:23
I didn't always love all of their coverage (what site is there where you do?), but that crew was willing to be skeptical of those in authority at a time when we desperately need skepticism, especially when backed by quality journalism. We'll miss that funny, weird, skeptical, cranky corner of the internet badly.
BRS
2:24
Hey Meg, thoughts on the Athletic story breaking about the Astros stealing signs in 2017?
Big Fan
2:24
Hi Meg, there's a story out that the Astros stole signs electronically in 2017.  How prevalent do you think this is?
Meg Rowley
2:26
I haven't been able to get through all of it yet (had to come chat with you lovely people!) but I can tell you that folks in the industry, who granted believe a few things about Houston that strain credulity, have thought this was going on for a while now -- pretty impressive for Fiers to go on record about it.
Greene
2:26
Why do you say "hopefully" the Bryant grievance makes his trade a non-starter?  Do you have a rooting interest for the Cubs or some other reason you'd like to see him stay put?
Meg Rowley
2:26
I think generally players of Kris Bryant's caliber are hard to come by, and when you have one, you should try to win baseball games with those guys on the roster
Nick
2:27
Re: Hall Size:  The Institution is called the "National Baseball Hall of Fame *and Museum*."  The Hall and the Museum are distinct: We can tell the story of the game (warts and all) in the Museum, while still only enshrining in the Hall itself those players who didn't, say, use steroids.
Meg Rowley
2:27
We can, I just don't think we should.
Load More Messages
Connecting…