JotCast | Meg Rowley FanGraphs Chat

Meg Rowley FanGraphs Chat - 8/7/18

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Meg Rowley

2:44

They grow up so fast, even when they're baseball gods.

2:44

Do you buy the alternate theory that Pittsburgh acquired Archer to boost their lackluster attendance numbers, full-well knowing they probably still won't make the playoffs this year?

Meg Rowley

2:44

I don't but honestly? I would never object to a baseball team deciding to give their fans something worth watching even if they know they aren't playing in October.

Rick

2:44

I really don’t want to see Greg Holland pitch again. Not because I’m a Nats fan concerned about his performance. But because I don’t want him to mess up that beautiful 7.92 ERA 7.92 K/9 7.92 BB/9 stat line

Meg Rowley

2:45

This was brought to my attention yesterday, and I haven't been able to stop thinking about it.

Finding Nimmo

2:46

You said you wanted to take away the draft, what is your alternative? Inquiring minds want to know!

Meg Rowley

2:46

Players being able to negotiate with 30 teams required to competitively pay for their services.

Anon

2:46

Why weren’t the Yankees or Cubs criticized as harshly as the Astros?

Meg Rowley

2:46

They were?

2:47

I think if you're perceiving a difference it is likely due to the nature of what we've heard about Osuna's offense and the fact that MLB saw fit to suspend him for 75 games.

2:48

We don't know the specifics, but we do know that MLB isn't exactly in the habit of suspending really good players for that long without compelling evidence.

Sam

2:48

How significant would drop in value (or not) would it be if Angels committed to Ohtani in the outfield full time with his pitching reserved for sparse relief appearances he would handle by taking the mound from the outfield? Or is all his value tied to starting pitching. Love your work.

Meg Rowley

2:49

This is a much murkier question than it was a while ago. It still seems likely to me (not based on any special inside info, mind you) that Ohtani will need surgery on his elbow, but I think he's more special as a pitcher than hitter. I think it would need to be clear that he is still compromised post-surgery before they contemplated it.

Shipping Up to Boston

2:50

What were the highlights of SaberSeminar weekend?

Meg Rowley

2:50

All of the presentations underscored how many smart people have decided to dedicate their brilliance to baseball, which is very cool.

2:51

I hadn't been before, but I was told that there were more women there than ever before, and many of them were quite young, which I found very encouraging.

Mostly, I love industry events like that because I get to see friends and co-workers who I like a lot, but live far away from.

CompGuy

2:51

Had the Jays put Osuna back on the mound in their uniform, which seemed like a foregone conclusion based on the fact that they didn't cut him, I would have also characterized that as an active choice. It wouldn't have happened by accident. The team has agency. They, too, would have been prioritizing on-field value. And they too took advantage of a weak RP market to trade him. My point is that every criticism of the Astros can be made of the Jays (outside of their inability to "talk about it without sounding like misleading ghouls").

Meg Rowley

2:54

I mean, they're both bad things, though I don't think saying they took advantage of a weak market is accurate. I think I think that the Astros thing is a worse thing, especially given how we now have to watch him pitch in the postseason. Your mileage may vary.

Derek

2:54

Is Jon Gray just regressing towards peripherals now, or did something magical happen while he was in the minors?

Meg Rowley

2:55

I'd think the time away helped if only because what was happening was so damn weird and when you're dealing with that, you have to feel just lousy, but I think it is mostly the universe making sense again.

JeDi

2:55

Which SP might the M's target in August?

Meg Rowley

2:55

Are any of them being given away for free?

James

2:56

Would any noncontending team ever put in a waiver claim just to spite a rival? Couldn't Baltimore stop a potential Harper deal just by claiming him and forcing Washington to take him back?

Meg Rowley

2:56

I suppose you could but you also have to have relationships with other clubs on a going-forward basis, so I doubt a GM would do it.

Brian CashGod

2:57

Can the Yankees and A's / Mariners agree that whoever wins the wildcard game gets to borrow the loser's players for the ALDS? I will happily volunteer Judge, Gary, Sevy etc.

Meg Rowley

2:58

I think this would be a delightful thing to have happen in the playoffs for all teams, especially because it would allow some really, really good players on really, really bad teams a spot in the postseason.

Brian CashGod

2:58

So now I'm gonna need a PhD in math and an MD to intern in a front office??

Meg Rowley

2:59

You won't need a PhD, or an MD. You will need applied math and programming skills in all likelihood.

The Other Matt

2:59

Who is one player that their defensive metrics don’t seem to align with your thought of their play on the field ?. Either positive or negative.

Meg Rowley

3:01

Hmm this is a really good question. This is a bit of a cheap way of answering it (though I will think about it) but I think my answer this year is probably Machado?

He wasn't amazing at short, but I don't think he was that bad, either.

Jacoby Ellsbury

3:01

I'm trying so hard :(

Meg Rowley

3:01

Aww buddy, aren't we all?

HappyFunBall

3:01

HOU should make McCullers an "opener". Pitch him once through the order every 3 days or so. Maybe even build a tandem with Peacock or McHugh.

Meg Rowley

3:02

You say this, and it isn't necessarily a bad idea, but we really want to put the analytical might of that organization into another strategy? We're good with that?

Ken

3:03

What's wrong with Stephen Strasburg? Why can't he stay healthy?

Meg Rowley

3:03

I don't think it is anything especially different than pitching is hard on your body.

Matty C

3:03

Which non-Cleveland AL Central team wins the division next?

Meg Rowley

3:04

I'm inclined to say the Twins. That White Sox rebuild is looking pretty murky at the moment.