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Meg Rowley FanGraphs Chat - 8/27/19
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Meg Rowley
2:00
Good morning and welcome to the chat.
What a nice day for a chat -- allow me a moment to fetch a seltzer.
Aaron
2:01
After watching the A's last week, if they had this year's team with last year's bullpen performance, they might we a top-3 team in MLB. What on earth happens to bullpens when they plummet like this? Why does bad relief pitching seem to snowball so much?
Meg Rowley
2:02
For any one reliever, it isn't a ton of innings, they have more limited repertoires than starters do, which makes it harder to adjust if things go badly, and if more than a couple are ineffective for a while, you get other dudes pitching more than might be advisable. It's just a recipe for volatility.
Lucas
2:03
Has David Appelman ever done a chat about the business of Fangraphs? I would enjoy that, and I'm sure others would as well.
Meg Rowley
2:05
David's not much for chats, but (and my delay has been in trying to find the episode) he did a guest spot on Effectively Wild that might be of interest
The whole episode isn't about that, but there are some insights you might find interesting.
Greene
2:06
Who are the favorites for the NL and AL Cy Youngs?
Meg Rowley
2:09
So imagine right now the AL is Lynn vs. Charlie Morton (what a world, what a time) -- the NL has gotten more interesting, but seems like it is basically Scherzer/deGrom. This is where one's view of the importance of IP probably decides it for you.
Ollienyy
2:10
In your personal opinion, do you think the Yankees offense will be strong enough to get through a likely postseason matchup with the Astros or will lack of Premium Starting pitching still cost them?
Meg Rowley
2:11
I think the Astros emerge from that series, and I think you see Yankees relievers throwing a fair number of innings.
David
2:11
Some basebaww: Apparently Vogelbach and Kikuchi are best friends.
To the point that Kikuchi’s son is named Leo Daniel Kikuchi, and Yusei has confirmed the middle name is named after Vogelbach. Goldsmith mentioned this on the recent Dipoto podcast.
Meg Rowley
2:11
That's a nice thing. It's been a not good season in Seattle, but that is nice
Leland
2:12
Narvaez/Murph 2020: who do the Mariners keep and who do they trade?
Meg Rowley
2:13
Seems like they'll keep both? You need a back up (I know the playing time split has been closer to 50/50), they aren't likely to be contending next year, and there's no reason to rush Raleigh along.
Nick
2:14
Should JD Martinez opt out?  On one hand, it's hard to see him getting a larger deal in the slow free-agent market of recent seasons; on the other hand, the only real competition in the OF/DH market this off-season is . . . Yasiel Puig?
Meg Rowley
2:15
I'd be surprised -- even with a relative dearth of other options, he's 32 and really shouldn't play in the outfield.
Trent
2:16
Which manager is most likely to be fired?  And which manager do you think most *deserves* to be fired?
Meg Rowley
2:18
Not really in the habit of calling for people's jobs, but, and at the risk of igniting the fires of Queens-based grievance, I have not found Callaway to be especially impressive, despite the recent improvement in the Mets' chances of playing October baseball.
Derek
2:18
Were those black and white player's weekend uniforms supposed to symbolize something or have some kind of purpose? They made for a rough weekend of watching baseball...
Meg Rowley
2:19
I had heard that the idea was that the players would use them as a canvas, and wear bright and distinctive shoes, arm sleeves, etc. and use bats with a similar purpose.
I didn't especially care for the white unis (I thought the black unis often looked cool), but I do appreciate them trying stuff.
Ed
2:19
Beautiful morning in Seattle, Meg! What's your guess on whether MLB will tone-down the baseballs next year?
Meg Rowley
2:20
I'd be surprised (errrr uh assuming for a moment they control the ball, which, hey, who's to say, not me) given how much of the current offensive environment is supported by home runs.
Olson
2:21
As, Rays, Indians; Cubs, Phillies, Mets:  Which two teams miss out on the wildcards?
Meg Rowley
2:22
Think the Phillies and Mets will miss out in the NL, as I expect Nats/Cubs -- strong chance Cleveland misses the mark in the AL.
Andy
2:22
Soooooo the cardinals?
Meg Rowley
2:23
Wishing I'd had more conviction in my preseason predictions now.
Jason
2:23
Are the White Sox going to be Padres-y fun next year?  They'll have Eloy, Moncada, Robert, Madrigal, Cease, Kopech, Giolito... maybe Vaughn.  That feels like a lot of guys.
Meg Rowley
2:25
The system isn't as deep, there are question marks with some of those dudes, and I think we're still a little reticent to call this rebuild fixed, but they are definitely more fun now than they were at the start of the season.
Miss Chanandler Bong
2:25
Is it actually possible that Clayton Kershaw has become underappreciated? In his "down" years since 2018, he's put up 20.5 K-BB%, 2.75 ERA and 1.02 WHIP over 311.1 IP (4.3 WAR/200). For reference, here's a four-year stretch from a current CY contender: 16.3 K-BB%, 3.59 ERA and 1.17 WHIP in 773 IP (4.1 WAR/200). That pitcher is Justin Verlander from 2014 to 2017.
Meg Rowley
2:26
Hard to be underappreciated when you're the consensus best pitcher in baseball for as long as Kershaw was, but I think we have yet to start appreciating his new, graceful start to the decline as fully as we will in a season or two.
Quincy
2:26
Should I feel more happiness that Jose Ramirez found his offensive prowess at the plate or more sadness that he broke his hamate bone? (P.S. Thanks for doing the FanGraphs event in Cleveland - I went to the Derby and All-Star game but the FanGraphs event was my highlight of the weekend)
Meg Rowley
2:27
First, thanks for coming and hanging out with us -- and happy, I would think? Things looked... very bleak for a while there. Always better to be hurt than just bad. To be clear, it is bad to be hurt, I don't wish anyone to get hurt, but in terms of emotional experience, the possibility that the badness is temporary is nice.
John B
2:28
In a dynasty ottoneu fangraphs points league I have been offered $4 Forrest Whitley for my $4 Andrew Vaughn. Would you take that deal?
Meg Rowley
2:28
I would direct you to a fantasy chat, as I care about you personally and want you to get advice from actual experts.
Gila Monster
2:28
Is Zac Gallen looking like an ace? He has four near elite pitches by whiffs via Statcast and has really embraced his changeup.
Meg Rowley
2:30
Ace feels strong (we overuse that descriptor imo) but I think there is a reasonable argument to be made that even with the loss of Greinke, the addition of Gallen and Leake are at worst a net neutral for that big league roster, which is pretty nifty.
I'm like very much what the Dbacks are up to.
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