You are viewing the chat in desktop mode. Click here to switch to mobile view.
X
Travis Sawchik FanGraphs Chat
powered byJotCast
Travis Sawchik
12:01
Greetings, everyone. Thanks for being here today. Let's begin Sawchik Chat VII ...
Moltar
12:01
Travis, I've been home recovering from nose surgery since wednesday and I'm going insane from boredom. How do MLB players deal with their recovery time before rehab from all the various surgeries they get? Anything I can do to stem the boredom for the next couple days before I can go back to work?
Travis Sawchik
12:03
I know Pirates pitchers recovering from TJ or other surgery/injuries at the club's complex on Florida had a trivia team in Bradenton, Fla. ...But, yeah, boredom being away from teammates and competitive is probably one of the more difficult parts of rehab for players
RABBINICAL COLLEGE GUY
12:03
Who makes it to a playoff game first at some point Twins or the Reds? Why?
Travis Sawchik
12:04
Twins have Buxton and Sano, and their potential, and no Cubs in their neighborhood. That's a better outlook, I think. I would have liked to have seen them add De Leon this offseason
Q-Ball
12:05
Does the new CBA, with the more uniform IFA slotting, hurt a team like the Pirates, who have made a real investment in DR relative to other teams?
Travis Sawchik
12:06
Pirates have rarely been big spenders in DR, though were more about over-slotting under the old draft rules. But I agree with John Manuel that some of the new bonus caps and slots hurt teams that really want to invest in research and development.
Jasse
12:07
Kendrys Morales good for 30/100 in Toronto? Does he bat in between Donaldson and Jose Bautista to break up the lineup a bit?
Travis Sawchik
12:08
While I understand the criticism of the Blue Jays rushing in the arms of Morales, in that ballpark I think he's a decent 30/100 bet for 2017. The Statcast data supports his last two seasons -- a lot of quality contact
Tim
12:09
Thoughts on Alex Cobb for this year two years removed from tommy john?
Travis Sawchik
12:09
I was a big Cobb fan before his injury. If he still has that changeup he's still going to be effective
Zonk
12:09
There are some ML-quality FA still available, including Joe Blanton, Matt Weiters, Doug Fister. Are they just waiting for a ST injury at this point? Do you have any insight into why Joe Blanton, who would be useful to like 15 teams, is unemployed?
Travis Sawchik
12:10
I've done my best here at FG to get Blanton signed. I have no idea why he remains on the market, unless his ask is outrageous. It does seem like he could help at least half the teams in baseball
BucsFan
12:11
How many years until a team other than the Cubs wins the NL Central?
Travis Sawchik
12:14
20? In all seriousness, the Cubs should own the division for the foreseeable future (say, the next six years)-- if their pitching holds up. That's a real question as they haven't developed a ton of impact arms. Now, they can fill voids in free agency but they have to have the right match there and win the bidding. The Pirates and Cardinals should still be competitive enough to win a division in the not-too-distant future if a few things break their way. But Cubs looks like they are in a position to win multiple WS titles
Kiermaier's Engaged Green Eyes
12:14
I like my baseball games quick. A 2:40 pitchers' duel with a 2-1 final is my kind of game. Won't shrinking the strike zone make games longer (though with greater offense)? Is that really desirable? As someone who watches 140+ games a year, regular season 3:15+ games really drag.
Travis Sawchik
12:16
Yeah, I'm with you. The idea of shrinking the zone seems to be at odds with the commish's desire to see pace of play quickened. Beyond the total time of game, a shrinking zone is going to mean more stress situations for pitchers -- which will likely mean more deliberation between pitches in addition to pitching changes, etc
Thomas
12:18
Hey Travis, great job so far! I have a bunch of guys I want to keep, however there are only five keeper spots available. 5 x 5 rotisserie, keeper cost in parentheses and can be kept for a maximum of three years. The locks appear to be Bryant (4th round, 2nd year) and C. Seager (21st round, 2nd year). I'm deciding between Bogaerts (13th round, 2nd year), G. Sanchez (11th round, 1st year), Bregman (11th round, 1st year), Pollock (10th round, 2nd year), Rich Hill (24th (!) round, 1st year), and Yu Darvish (9th round, 1st year) to round out my final three. I'm leaning Bregman, Hill, and Bogaerts, however I really also want Sanchez. What say you?
Travis Sawchik
12:18
Thanks! And keep Rich Hill! I'd also find a spot for Sanchez, probably over Bregman
rustydude
12:19
Reading thru Cameron's "10 Worst Transactions" piece, the list doesn't seem all that bad (or worsty). Is that your opinion? And if so, is it an indication that teams overall are not making as bad a transactions as they did 2 or 3 years ago?
Travis Sawchik
12:20
Yes, I think it difficult to find poor transactions and decision making. Even if you don't believe front offices are 'smarter' today (I do, and I think many do) they are thinking in very similar ways, and conducting business in similar ways
12:21
That was probably the most difficult '10 worst transactions piece' Mr. Cameron has ever had to research and write
Erik
12:21
The only thing that would quicken the pace of the game without hurting its integrity or decreasing offense would be to cut out commercial breaks right? When is MLB coming to Netflix?
Travis Sawchik
12:23
Keep batters in the box! I felt like MLB did a better job of this in 2015 when it was a fresh focus, and then they decided to get rid of the fines .... How much TV/video media is going to be streamed vs. cable in, say, 20 years? Neftlix would do well to try to buy some pro sports media rights, I think
ROBOCOP
12:24
With considerations to stats and health, who do you think has a better season, Stanton or Harper?
Travis Sawchik
12:24
Harper
He has a 10-win season in his not-too-distant pass ... and has proven he can stay healthy for a full season. I really want to see a full season from Stanton
Zack
12:25
Shrinking the strike zone would just create more walks, not necessarily more hits right?
Travis Sawchik
12:26
More walks, and more hits since there would be more favorable counts, which relate to better BA/OBP/SLG....And perhaps pitchers would be forced to groove more pitches in the center of the zone
Alex
12:27
Do you see Bartolo Colon and/or Jaime Garcia playing well enough for Atlanta to flip them at the deadline to a starter needy contender?
Travis Sawchik
12:27
Sure, it's possible ... but I wouldn't expect significant returns
Mt Lebo Blue Devil
12:27
Interesting articles on "stars and scrubs" and parity. Other than building a big ballpark to maximize the value of young player skills, isn't "stars and scrubs" won't teams like AZ always push to compete when they have a couple stars and tread water or sell off otherwise?
Travis Sawchik
12:31
Hey, Neighbor! Stars-and-Scrubs is tough for most teams to practice, especially when expected stars like Greinke and Miller (?) don't perform well. There is so much risk tied in up in a few players
Jones
12:31
How do you see Matt Kemp performing? He's lost 30 lbs.
Travis Sawchik
12:32
I'm usually hesitant to put much stock in 'Best Shape of my Life Stories.' Did Kemp not eat a single serving of carbs this offseason?
Tre
12:32
Where does Moncada's potential rank in comparison to the likes of Correa, Betts, Seager, Machado?
Travis Sawchik
12:34
I'd say below, and somewhat significantly below, since he cannot play shortstop (like 3 of those mentioned) and he does not have the bat-to-ball skills of Betts ... Still, he's a great add for Chicago
Randal Savage
12:34
Any chance the Ray's trade Archer before the season starts?
Travis Sawchik
12:35
I don't think so, but if things go south for the Rays his name will come up at the deadline again
Peak
12:36
What does Margot's peak look like? Marte?
Load More Messages
Connecting…