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Travis Sawchik
12:29
My guess is Gomes opens as the starter but loses a share of playing time
biffyclyro
12:29
What are your favorite Aldi finds? We just started shopping there. The produce seems to be hit or miss, but overall we really enjoy it.
Travis Sawchik
12:30
Aldi can be hit and miss but the produce prices are incredible
Colby
12:30
Where do you see the direction of framing stats going in the future?
Travis Sawchik
12:32
If we eventually have robot umps that value vanishes instantly. It seems baseball tried to take away the low strike a bit last season, where much of the framing value resides. (It's easier to get a low out-of-zone ball called as a strike). So even without robot umps, the value might be in decline, and all teams are valuing it to some degree to it's harder to find a competitive advantage there.
caesar_solid
12:32
What will the Cubs do with Zobrist/Schwarber/Baez and LF & 2B?
Travis Sawchik
12:34
It's a great problem to have. The general trend seems to be teams want to give players more and more rest to increase on-field efficiency so it's not as if the Cubs have to break up that surplus.
Vic
12:34
Adam Eaton or deGrom over the next 3 years? I can only keep one.
Travis Sawchik
12:35
deGrom. Can't have too many potential front-end starters, right?
Dan
12:35
Does Aaron Judge get the strikeouts down.
Travis Sawchik
12:36
Yes. But does he get them down to 35 percent or 25 percent?
Alien Raines
12:36
Thanks for the chat, Travis. From your time covering the Pirates in 2013 for the book, which player seemed most open and interested in incorporating data and analysis in their quest to become a better MLBer?
Travis Sawchik
12:38
Russell Martin was the first Pirates player to start wearing the Zephyr BioHarness, wearable tech that measured stress and fatigue. A lot of the clubhouse then followed him, which was interesting. Players can really influence others in the clubhouse. Martin is one of the more interesting players I've met in MLB. Mark Melancon is also very big into nutrition and exercise science, regularly having his blood analyzed among other practices
Mentor
12:39
Where will Mentor grad Mitch Trubisky be drafted?
Travis Sawchik
12:40
His family live son the next street over from my parents ... I wonder where his parents would like him to land (maybe not No. 1 overall?)
John
12:40
Better chance of happening before 2021: Padres win an NL West crown or the Dodgers win a WS?
Travis Sawchik
12:41
Dodgers WS
Chaps
12:41
Do you think the recent uptick in rumors concerning Quintana suggest that a they're working on a deal, or is it just writers trying to find something to write about during the past few slow weeks?
Travis Sawchik
12:42
It could be a little bit of both, I'm not sure. But if you're going to commit to something (like rebuilding) I think you want to make a full commitment. So I think he's moved at some point
biffyclyro
12:43
What was the biggest change or adjustment as you went from covering college football to being an MLB beat writer? Was getting into baseball writing always a goal of yours?
Travis Sawchik
12:44
I have BP annuals that go back to 2003 lining a bookshelf in my home, so I've always been interested in baseball analytics and different ways of thinking about the sport. It's really tough to get baseball writing gigs, and there is no one path. I think in any area of writing you want to ask good questions and find interesting answers so there is a lot of cross-over in terms of process
Denver Tribe Fan
12:45
So are you filling the Fagerstrom Ohio native slot on the FG team?! (from a CLE native)
Travis Sawchik
12:46
Big shoes to fill! I am filling his vacancy, and I will create GIFs, but I will also have a my own voice etc.
Matt
12:46
Travis - you're new here, so I wanted to give you a heads up. I'm Matt. But there's often an imposter Matt in here. I'm the real one.
Travis Sawchik
12:46
Noted!
Jonathan
12:47
Is the Indians' outfield sufficient or should they seek a big(ger) bat and pursue someone like Jose Batista?
Travis Sawchik
12:48
Cleveland has help on the way ... and Edwin was a big dollar signing ... so I can't see there being a fit there
Trainman
12:48
Manny Ramirez to Japan.. that is incredible. Gotta love Manny.
Travis Sawchik
12:48
What would Barry Bonds do in Japan or the KBO right now?
Jose
12:48
Just started reading 'Big Data Baseball' and love it so far! Question: is it mandatory that these kind of books begin with the 'he was supposed to be a star but wasn't!' narratives (Hurdle, Beane)? Keep up the great work, and glad to have you at FG!
Travis Sawchik
12:49
It's not mandatory, but it sure helps create a more interesting story! But the thing about both books (one sold a lot more copies) is it wasn't a forced narrative, two men who really evolved and changed
Moltar
12:50
Under Dan Warthen, the Mets have seen a number of pitchers take a big leap in terms of results at the major league level. Thanks to Eno we know all about the Warthen Slider, but there's also been a velocity jump for a lot of guys as well. Going forward, should this factor in to our expectations for future pitchers as they reach the majors?
Travis Sawchik
12:51
Sure organizations have special individuals or systems of development that undoubtedly help players ... It's tough to know about all of that on the outside and include that into forecasts. But in this case, it should be a consideration
Matt
12:52
Travis, I don't know if this question is out-of-bounds here, but would you care to offer two cents about the state of local news media now that you have moved from a regional newspaper that recently cut back its print production (and laid off a lot of employees) in favor of a national online forum? (Congratulations on your new gig, by the way. I will miss your Pirate-centric Trib coverage.)
Travis Sawchik
12:54
I'm rooting for all newspapers (digital forms and print)l Journalism - yes, even sports journalism - is important. We need a healthy, independent, objective press. But it continues to be a challenging time for traditional media .... The move to FG, for me, was in large part about an opportunity to cover and write about all of MLB and have some more creativity
Colt Holt
12:55
What is the next profession, besides scouting and statistician, which is on the rise in baseball?
Travis Sawchik
12:55
I will place a bet on anything related to performance science, from the physical side to the mental
Marc
12:56
Can keep one: Tanaka Taillon and D. Duffy (other SP keepers are Scherzer Kluber Price)
Travis Sawchik
12:57
What Duffy did in the second half was special .... He carries the most risk and upside, I think. I always like chasing upside
Rich
12:57
Having covered the Pirates, do you think there's tension between 'large market' teams and 'small market' teams over revenue sharing and the luxury tax? Seems Sox/Yanks etc have gone on 'strike' in free agency citing tax ceiling.
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