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Travis Sawchik FanGraphs Chat
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Travis Sawchik
12:03
Greetings!
Let's get started ...
David
12:03
I loved your article detailing the Billy Hamilton idea (and reading the clubhouse reactions to it were priceless), but one issue I have with the idea is basically the incentive for a player NOT to be the first to get on base (and therefore stay in the game).  I wonder if this could actually backfire and hurt the team in the long run
v2micca
12:04
Ouch.  Was that conversation with Billy Hamilton as painfully awkward as the article made it feel?
Travis Sawchik
12:04
Thanks ... And it was a bit awkward, but also kinda fun to get other players to feel compelled to participate
12:05
I guess there would be great incentive to be the second Reds player to reach base
It would require some selflessness, for sure
David
12:06
What's your go-to sunflower seed flavor?  BBQ?  Ranch?  Original?
Travis Sawchik
12:06
I cannot de-shell sunflower seeds to save my life ... but I'd be an original guy
12:07
Any time I've attempted to do the whole sunflower seed thing, I end up with a mouth full of shell fragments/splinters
Tony Womack
12:07
Considering that Gregorius is a free agent after next season it seems plausible that the Yankees will not need him if their Torres and Andujar pan out. Would they dare trade him for a pitcher mid-season?
Travis Sawchik
12:08
I think such an trade would be more likely to happen after the season
Erik
12:10
Are you following any reported swing changers this offseason? The only one I've seen so far is Juan Lagares, which is...weird.
Travis Sawchik
12:11
I haven't seen a ton of media reports on swing changers but I'm sure they are going to be growing in number
Sorry for the delay, had to get a new Paw Patrol episode loaded for a demanding 3-year-old
Matty P
12:11
How many Indians games do you plan on attending this year?
Travis Sawchik
12:12
As a media member? I will be there for quite a few pre-game media availabilities ... and I will probably go as a "fan" with friends/family several times
Sircharles
12:12
What is your favorite thing to look at when grading/ranking/projecting starting pitchers?
Travis Sawchik
12:13
I like to start with K-BB% ... pretty simple but pretty telling
Andy
12:13
At first, I saw DeJong?!  6 years?!  Then I saw it's like 4M a year.  I still ask... WHY?  but as with Wong's 5/25M, it's not like he won't be worth 4M+ a year.... can't decide if frustrated or happy.  How should I feel as a STL fan?
burts_beads
12:13
Thoughts on the Dejong deal?
David
12:13
Surprised about the DeJong extension?  Seems like a regression candidate with the high BABIP and high K rate, plus low avg exit velocity last year.  Although the Cardinals probably know way more than me :)
Travis Sawchik
12:16
The K rate is a concern, but he's a fly-balling SS ... so he should be a long-term fixture.  What's kind of weird is the Cardinals are not buying out any free agency years (Unless I am missing reported club options)
12:17
So it's really just a cost-control deal through arb? Maybe it speaks to the increasing difficulty of buying out FA years?
I think it's fine for Cards
montani
12:17
True or false:  The Pirates are going to sign Neil Walker to a one year deal.
Travis Sawchik
12:19
That story about Walker getting a NRI from the Royals is wild. He would have made more sense for Pirates before they added Moran
12:20
But there might be a point where he becomes a value play. They could use his LHH power
Lawrence
12:20
Shouldn't pitchers just attack the top of the zone with the launch angle revolution? The way guys like Cody Bellinger and Kyle Tucker swing it seems obvious that's how you beat them
Travis Sawchik
12:20
That was the idea going into last year for a lot of folks, and some batters are weak in the upper third and above  but ....
It didn't really work last season
Pitchers are still more likely to be hurt up than down in the zone
Sloth
12:22
I think Heyman reported two club options bringing total for Dejong to over 50 million if exercised
Travis Sawchik
12:22
12:23
This makes more sense
It's not too big of a risk for the Cards, really
Zonk
12:24
Has anyone seen DeJong and Trevor Story in the same place at the same time?  Wondering if they are actually the same player
Travis Sawchik
12:25
They are kind of similar but Story has even more swing and miss in his game
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