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Jeffrey Todd

3:56

I'll pick the Phillies. Reason being, they have some interesting young players with upside at/near the majors. They have added and likely will do more ... certainly, they have and will spend more than other otherwise similarly situated teams. And if things go well in the first half, they could easily afford to just absorb any amount of money to get solid veteran types at the deadline.

That's not so much me thinking they have a better aggregation of young talent, as much as it is believing they are best situated to push the pedal down whenever they feel like it ... mostly without worrying about future ramifications.

Clueless

3:57

Is it kosher to hate the Yankees again?

Jeffrey Todd

3:58

I hereby announce that it is acceptable to view the Yankees as a contemptible death star once again.

The Deal

3:59

How prevalent are batter-specific pitching plans in the various levels of the MiLB. When a AA pitchers throws a high fastball is it because he knows the batter has issues with high fastballs or is he throwing it to work on a high fastball to go with his curve?

Jeffrey Todd

4:00

This sort of thing is why you can't just look at minor-league (or even MLB) numbers and assume things about the future. As much as analytics can produce some uniformity of analysis, it is obviously also going to create new opportunities. We've seen the Dodgers, for instance, target particular relievers that were widely overlooked. In part they are thinking of ways to use these guys' existing skills in ways that produces value.

McDonald's New Classic Chicken™

4:01

What's your favorite ballpark food?

Jeffrey Todd

4:01

Look, I don't like just any fast food. In fact, I generally abhor fast food and never eat it. Just have a soft spot for that cheesy danged gordita with the crunch inside. Magic.

4:03

At the ballpark ... I rarely buy food, honestly. It's expensive and unhealthy and rarely all that satisfying. I will pay for beer even if it's just a regular old beer for 10 bucks, because it's delicious. If someone is buying food for me, assuming away the fancypants options now increasingly available, I'd go with a classic brat.

EAST COAST BIAS

4:03

Good to see 9/10 questions you answer pertain to clubs East of the Mississippi.

Jeffrey Todd

4:03

Wait, is baseball played out there?

Is that what the PCL is?

Alowishus

4:04

Hey Jeff, love the chats but you need to loosen up a bit. It is ok to speculate a little, none of us are going to hold you to any predictions you make. These chats are fun because we the fans get to bounce our ideas off you and see what you think may happen. Anyway, thank you for a a wonderful site and all that you guys at MLBTR do to fule our obsession with baseball.

Jeffrey Todd

4:05

Thanks for the comment. That's fair. I am a lawyer, so I'm inherently very conservative I suppose. Mostly, I don't like reading people who issue opinions that really aren't honest. Where I have an honest opinion, even if it's speculative, I'll try to be more free with giving it.

4:06

In the chats, that is!

Or on Twitter. Or in person ... really, my friends and family LOL when I suggest I'm not opinionated. It's just in written form that I clam up, because it's so committing!

UncleWeez

4:07

Care to predict who the 5 best SPs on the Reds will be this year?

Jeffrey Todd

4:07

I'll predict that one of them will be acquired over the next two months via waiver claim.

Guest

4:08

Explain the "one a rate basis" comment re: Trout?

Jeffrey Todd

4:09

He was hurt and missed time, that's all. But IIRC it was his best wRC+.

Adam Lind

4:09

Am I getting an MLB deal somewhere?

Jeffrey Todd

4:09

Definitely should. Very productive in 2017.

Angels fan

4:10

Any chance Angels go after Darvish?

Jeffrey Todd

4:10

Seems spendy, I'm not convinced but I guess we can't rule it out.

Dodgers Fan

4:10

the question was favorite ballpark food, said nothing about fast food

Jeffrey Todd

4:10

But he used a fast food name to lure me into answering! As did gordita crunch guy.

Good for baseball

4:12

In your opinion, which is better for baseball: 1) Mega teams (Yankees) OR 2) Small market success stories (Royals)?

Jeffrey Todd

4:12

A mix of both, for sure. It's fun to root against monoliths and to have underdogs.

4:13

I've said that several times, btw, re the Royals. I never thought the team was all that great. But shouldn't that be all the more reason to celebrate that they got into the postseason and had 2 magical runs? We celebrate it in NCAA hoops.

Otani

4:13

How much would you bet that I finish as a top 15 outfielder in the MLB?

Jeffrey Todd

4:13

I would not make such a bet.

Sean

4:13

is this the longest chat ever?

Jeffrey Todd

4:13

No, but it was.