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Travis Sawchik FanGraphs Chat
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Travis Sawchik
12:04
Happy World Series week ...
Let's get started, folks
Batflips for BBs
12:04
In regards to league expansion, what are your thoughts on Mexico City? Seems like it would open up an entirely new market.
Travis Sawchik
12:05
I really like the idea of Mexico City as an expansion candidate
12:06
I think MLB would do well to place a team there. It would be a national team for Mexico and the average income in Mexico City is not far off from major US cities
Now the logistics and other matters might delay Mexico City ... but I do think there will eventually be a team there. But will it be this round or 2045? I don't know
Dub
12:07
What % does Corey Seager need to be healthy for you to start him over Culberson/Hernandez? 75% 90%?
Travis Sawchik
12:07
55%
v2micca
12:07
In the eyes of the BBWAA, whose hall of fame credentials gets the bigger bump from a dominant performance and a World Series ring, Verlander or Kershaw?
Travis Sawchik
12:08
Kershaw. Postseason performance has been the one knock against him
v2micca
12:08
In game seven, it seemed like McCullers was throwing mainly breaking balls to the Yankees with great success.  Is this something HOU should look to replicate against LA, or was it a one off deal taking advantage of a specific weekness in the NY lineup?
Travis Sawchik
12:09
I'm not sure throwing 75% breaking balls is viable, and you have to have a great curve and command of it like McCullers to do what he did against the Yankees  ...but I do think McCullers and Morton should continue to lean on their big-breaking curves
Jeff
12:10
I bristle at the notion that increased intra-divisional play is a good thing. Look at the NHL - they have done themselves a great disservice wither their most recent divisional realignment and subsequent change to the playoff format. Disappointing and boring to watch, say, the Penguins and Capitals play twice as many time sin the regular season as they used to and then be forced to play each other before the conference finals. Better to see a larger variety of interesting players than the same ones more frequently while an artificial "rivalry" is being thrust upon us.
Travis Sawchik
12:13
The problem with the current unbalanced schedule is there isn't much intraleague schedule diversity. Teams play their division opponents 19 times, and play just a home-and-away series versus the rest of the league. What benefit is there in having the Orioles play the Rockies? Yankees play the Marlins? Etc. I'd rather see more intraleague play particularly when wild cards are involved. With all games televised, fans can see every team and player in every market as often as they want to so I think intraleague is pretty unnecessary, particularly if combined with some geography-based realingment
Moltar
12:13
Mickey Callaway seems to be a good hire, and I applaud the Mets for going off script for once. Am i wrong to think they seem to view him as a rebuilding hire? Difficult to see a contender in Queens in the near future.
Travis Sawchik
12:14
Well,  he was  a pitching  coach (and a good one) and if the Mets are going to turn it around in 2018 it's going to be led by their starting pitching ...  So i don't think it's a 'rebuild' hire. I think it is an inspired one
Jay
12:14
2 part question - Is Mickey Callaway a bigger loss to the Cleveland than a gain for the Mets, or vice versa? Also what are the chances John Farrell does NOT become Cleveland's pitching coach?
Travis Sawchik
12:15
A lot of people are connecting the Farrell-to-Cleveland dots ... I could see it. Farrell was  in Cleveland before, and the relationships are there.  Callaway is a loss, but Kluber/Carrasco/Bauer/Miller are essentially finished products, so maybe it's a greater gain for the Mets than a loss for the Indians
Matty P
12:16
If you had to take an educated guess, what year does the MLB expand to 32?
Travis Sawchik
12:16
2021
12:17
I can't wait for the expansion draft (seriously)
Dex
12:17
Should met fans be happy about callaway?
Travis Sawchik
12:18
I think so. The Indians raved about him ... particularly his ability to put a gameplan together, integrating player insight/strengths, analytics ... I prefer going younger versus a retread veteran manager
Sharp
12:18
Are there any good ways to quantitatively measure managers?
Travis Sawchik
12:20
There are ways, particularly regarding pitcher usage, platoon advantage, etc. ... But it is a hard position to completely quantify, particularly the communication and relationship side of things
ThatsNotMyMonster
12:20
Does the LA heat give either team a slight edge?
Travis Sawchik
12:21
I don't think so ... But it's going to be unusual weather
Mike
12:21
Yesterday, the Playoff Odds page showed the Astros with a 56% chance of winning the WS.  Today, it's down to 52.6%.  Any idea what changed?
Travis Sawchik
12:21
Sorry. I don't
Oddball Herrera
12:21
Given the current state of football, to what degree do you think a compelling 6 or 7 game series is a real (and rare) opportunity to make up some ground on the NFL in the popular consciousness this year?
Travis Sawchik
12:24
It certainly wouldn't hurt ... but I think the impact from one series can be overstated. I think the NFL, and football in general, has existential problems so it's a good time for baseball to thinking about how to make its game as attractive as possible (See: pace).  I have been thinking about a post related to this: youth football participation is down, baseball is up slight (soccer is way up for girls and boys)
Silly Beane
12:24
Not having Verlander v. Kershaw is a travesty.  We should all boycott the World Series in Protest
Travis Sawchik
12:24
That would have been a great way to open the series, for sure
12:25
Keuchel-Kershaw isn't too shabby, though
Dub
12:25
Do Dodgers find at-bats for Utley since he is a World Series superstar?
Travis Sawchik
12:26
He'll find some at-bats because Houston will probably only carry two lefties on their roster (I think)
Keuchel and Liriano, I suspect
Matt
12:27
Theo acknowledged in his end-of-season presser that he’ll likely have to trade a young bat this offseason. I suspect I Know who you think they *should* trade (Schwarber) but who do you think they *will* move? How would you stack rank trade values of Schwarber, Baez, Russell, and Happ?
Travis Sawchik
12:29
If they move Schwarber they would be selling a bit low, but he's the obvious guy without a position
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