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Travis Sawchik FanGraphs Chat
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Travis Sawchik
12:47
I think you'd be better of waiting and hope every large-market team spends $937 billion in FA next offseason
Babe Lincoln
12:47
Who signs the most expensive 1-year (guaranteed) contract?  For how much $$?
Travis Sawchik
12:47
Eric Hosmer!
12:49
Good question ... I could see Jon Lucroy signing a 1y/$12-14 million deal
Stan
12:49
Bradley Zimmer had a mixed rookie season.  Nearly a 30% K rate, matching what he did in the minors.  What do you see as a future for him?  A 240/310/400 hitter with a 28% K rate?
Travis Sawchik
12:50
I think he's going to be a high-K guy, but he's going to hit with more power than expected ... along with elite-level defense
James
12:50
A brief look at stats shows that most players lose about .150-.200 OPS when moving from Japan, and typically go down significantly in power numbers. I can see Otani being a productive hitter but aren't a lot of people exaggerating his abilities?
Travis Sawchik
12:51
The thing about Ohtani is he was named the NPB's best DH at ... 21. He's still developin g
TumbleWeed
12:51
Travis, piggy-backing on your repeated talk of a soft floor.. could you provide an estimate as to what you think the floor line would be, and potential (particularly draft pick) penalties for going under it?
Travis Sawchik
12:53
I looked at this back in 2016, following the NBA model, and the floor was around $100 million ... and the NBA penalty is that if you don't meet the floor you have to make up the differeent through paying your own players more to meet the floor
John
12:53
Always was under the impression that the team control for young players was a means to maintain some form of parity, allowing small-market teams to remain competitive. Only reason teams like the Royals have been able to compete is drafting well & utilizing players under their cost-controlled years.  Increasing rookie/pre free agent pay will hurt small market clubs
Travis Sawchik
12:54
It is MLB's best parity driver ... disrupting that system would be a literal game-changer r
Babe Lincoln
12:54
Any guess what Ohtani would sign for now if he were an honest to god FA without any limits or caps?
Travis Sawchik
12:55
Just a guess, but top-of-the-market rates: something like 8y/$210
Andy
12:55
Thankful for a healthy family and a son due around opening day.

The Rockies have a situation with a couple key guys entering their last year or two and a fair amount of money to spend this offseason along with a couple key weak spots (and a rotation full of cheap dudes). Any chance they make a big splash of some sort?
Travis Sawchik
12:57
Congrats! ... I think it would make a lot of sense for Rockies to address first base in free agency (Carlos Santana?) and perhaps RF. Man, I'd love to see what JDM would do there
Matt
12:57
Are we all somehow both over- and under-valuing Ohtani?
Travis Sawchik
12:57
No and Yes?
Fair line
12:58
Prediction: Harper to Philly, Machado to NYY, Donaldson to St Louis (I don't know, whatever), McCutchen to... re-sign with wherever he's traded this year, Blackmon to the Nationals. But really the story is the reliever class. Poor Brach, Britton, Cody Allen, all of whom would make reliever bank but are going to get undersold with how much money will be thrown around.
Travis Sawchik
12:58
Phillies are a legit darkhorse, I think but I still think it's Harper to NYY
sabrtooth
12:58
I'm grateful for fantasy baseball keeping me in daily contact with friends who don't live in my city any more.
Travis Sawchik
12:58
Fantasy baseball is like a light-gambling version of Facebook
Steve O
12:59
Shouldn't the Rays get more for Archer than what the Sox got for Quintana?
Travis Sawchik
12:59
Yeah, I think so. The contract is so great and he's a better talent, I think
Matt
1:00
In an economic sense, isn't the purpose of a labor union to leverage the strong to protect the weak? In this scenario, aren't the "strong" the veterans, and the "weak" the minor leaguers? And if that's true, hasn't the MLBPA done the exact opposite of the reason for which it exists?
Travis Sawchik
1:00
The MLBPA has looked out too much for its own top 1 percent
Too much focus on protecting maximum contract potential, imo
Papa Juan
1:00
I'm thankful for pineapple on pizza.
Travis Sawchik
1:01
This is where we're going to have to agree to disagree
Matt
1:01
Since we're back to all teams playing on opening day - if Andy's son is born *on* opening day, he should have to name him something baseball related. And we as a FG community should start a GoFundMe to buy his wife's opinion on the matter out.
Travis Sawchik
1:01
Andy?
KW
1:01
Should some team take a low-level flier on converting Tyson Ross into a high-leverage bullpen arm? Even though his velo was down at a starter in 2017, he still sports one of the highest rotation 4-seamers in the league (2546 rpms, ninth highest according to BaseballSavant).
Travis Sawchik
1:02
I like the idea. I also want to see Liriano in a full-time bullpen role
E
1:02
We are having a “Winter Meeting” in January for our fantasy baseball league this year (mostly just meeting at a bar and drinking). My wife is making fun of me but I don’t care, I will have fun hanging with my fellow nerds.
Travis Sawchik
1:02
Nice!
Poptart Salad
1:02
If you have a hole/weakness in your roster at 1B, SP, and CF, who has the most value for you in free agency this offseason (non-Ohtani division)?
Travis Sawchik
1:03
I could see LoCain getting a lost a bit this winter
Bored college student
1:03
Thank you for doing this chat during my UCOR class
Travis Sawchik
1:03
Enjoy your break!
Ghost of Killebrew
1:04
I'm thankful for Falvey and Levine giving Twins fans hope!  BUT is it false hope to put much stock in the Darvish/Ohtani rumors?  Are they better off using the money to lock up the young core that's starting to emerge?
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