JotCast | Meg Rowley FanGraphs Chat

Meg Rowley FanGraphs Chat - 12/9/2020

Prev Page View Full Chat Next Page

v2micca

4:34

We have all seen games delayed due to animal interference. Normally some poor park employee has to chase down the cat, or dog, or whatever has wandered onto the field. But, back around the turn of the century, I imagine the players themselves had to deal with animal intrusions. And possibly bore the wrath of many an irate cat. So I was wondering, to your knowledge, has any player actually missed time due to an injury from an animal on the field?

Meg Rowley

4:35

Not that I know of, though if one has, I'd imagine a snake was the likely culprit, probably one the player didn't realize was there and who didn't appreciate his presence.

Uri

4:35

Does FanGraphs plan on running a piece on Sugano? It's always hard to gauge what to expect from guys coming over and I need FG to think for me.

Meg Rowley

4:36

Be sure to check out his blurb on the International Players tab of The Board https://www.fangraphs.com/prospects/the-board/international-players/su...

At the very least, we'll have more coverage when he signs.

Mike

4:37

Who will be playing 1B and 3B for Nats when season starts?

Meg Rowley

4:38

I think Kieboom at third, and I wouldn't be surprised if one of the many 1B/DH types out there was brought in to man first.

dude

4:39

Can Matt Olson bounce back for 2021? What do you see as a probable range for his BA and what kind of HR numbers are you expecting from him?

Meg Rowley

4:40

Yes, I believe so. I'd imagine he settles around .250 with 35 HRs.

4:41

ZiPS has him at .253 with 36 for next year; Steamer pegs him at .242 and 37.

Don't I feel clever.

C@$hman

4:41

Yankees could sign Lemahieu

Meg Rowley

4:42

It is within the realm of things they could do.

Snohomished

4:42

If corporate naming rights were not a thing (I learned only yesterday that Seattle now apparently is home to Lumen Field), do you have any leanings toward what the Mariners' stadium should be called?

Meg Rowley

4:42

Just so folks aren't confused, the stadium where the Seahawks play is now Lumen Field; Mariners still play at T-Mobile.

4:43

My suggestion when Safeco was rolling off was Rainier Field after the local beer (which I believe is now owned by Anheuser-Busch.)

4:44

It struck me as a good compromise - local roots, iconic mountain, Culturally Significant Beer (at least to folks in the region), but it doesn't sound corporate

plus they could have made the Rs in Mariners the Rainier R

no one listens to me

Dave

4:44

Hi Meg. With the uncertainty surrounding the universal DH, are there any winners or losers, or is it just a waiting game? Will any players miss out on opportunities while the whole thing is getting worked out?

Meg Rowley

4:46

There will be guys with less good markets among the free agents - I said last time, and I generally think this is true, that the perceived fungibility of 1B/DH hurts those guys and while more DH spots means more of them get jobs, I don't think it changes things so much that say, fewer of them are non-tendered, or their salaries sky rocket. But Ozuna and Cruz definitely would appreciate more options, even if they are still likely to sign lucrative deals.

Other Guest

4:47

I want to ask what changed for the winter meetings going virtual but I actually don't even understand what they were like in pre pandemic times! Is it just a good time to ask anyone to video chat right now versus running into an agent in a hotel bar??

Meg Rowley

4:47

I got to sleep more. The polo shirt and khaki market experienced a micro-depression. I ate less well this week.

4:48

More seriously, things got harder for job seekers who would normally go in person and try to catch with a team, major or minor league, though it is hard to know how to feel about that, since that route tends to privilege those who are able to afford Winter Meetings over those who can't.

4:49

I will say that I have friends I really only see at industry events because of where we live, and I am sad to be without that this year.

Luke

4:49

HI Meg ! The common response to the Minor League Affiliate offers from teams is that we have received it but not accepted the invite. Is this a situation where teams are comparing notes with each other before formally accepting or do you see a more in depth legal issues looming between the Milb teams and MLB

Meg Rowley

4:50

I think both - it's a big change with potentially significant consequences for the franchise and the last several months of the negotiations were a clusterf*ck.

Jeff

4:50

Call me crazy, but was that Iglesias trade to the Angels more about baseball than salary? Iglesias bounced back big this year but had to cut a couple pitches to do it, had given up 24 HRs in just 130+ innings, Ramirez's fastball gets some interesting results despite the velocity

Meg Rowley

4:50

I try not to call people crazy, but I don't think your analysis is quite right.

4:51

Ramirez isn't without talent but the value for Cincy was clearly in getting Iglesias' salary off the books.

Magic Kingdome

4:51

Chris Flexen to the M's -- how many season tickets would this have sold if, you know, people were buying season tickets? (Seriously, how interesting is Flexen?)

Meg Rowley

4:51

Stay tuned for an article answering your serious question soon!

Chuck E

4:53

Do the Mariners currently have a player who is the “face of the franchise”? If so, who is it?

Meg Rowley

4:55

Kyle Lewis seems like the obvious position player complement to Marco Gonzales.

4:56

I think Julio will be in the running soon.

N. Georg

4:56

I apologize for the vague question, but what do you think about Keston's future? What are the odds he breaks out into an all-star/borderline superstar?

Meg Rowley

4:57

The glove will always be a concern but I love that dude's bat and could definitely see an All-Star season being a possibility.

Rex

4:58

When will team previews start on EW?

Meg Rowley

4:58

Likely February, as usual.

Jeb

4:58

whats a realistic expectation for Lindor this year on a new team?