Klawchat 10/4/18.

Keith Law: I’m at the wrong end of the looking glass. It’s Klawchat.

Patrick: Keith, anything specific you watch for when playoff time comes around?
Keith Law: Nope, I just watch the games for themselves.

Andy: Will the current trend of bullpening, especially in the playoffs, kill the lower to mid tier starting pitching market? Sure, he’ll be useful during the season, but if I’m not starting a Chase Anderson or Mike Fiers in the playoffs, is that worth 6 or 7 million a year?
Keith Law: Yeah, they’re still worth quite a bit more than that for the value they can provide over 160+ innings. If bullpenning affects that market it’ll be through arbitration, which is still substantially driven by the dumbest stats.

Dr. Bob: At the end of the Periscope chat yesterday, a chatter suggested Led Zeppelin’s “Over the Hills and Far Away.” Have you learned that one? As difficult as it sounds, it is remarkably simple. If you don’t know it, there are a couple of really good YouTube videos showing it.
Keith Law: I mentioned that song in my latest newsletter as my standard warmup – the opening to that is a great way to loosen up your fret hand & fingers before playing.

Moe Mentum: Who’s the odd man out in the Phillies infield next season if they land Machado?
Keith Law: I would think Franco.

Mike: “Openers” may be a clever was of describing this new approach, but it does little to enhance the fan experience. (It does, however, add another half-hour or so of air time for advertisers)
Keith Law: I would agree with that. What’s good for the team isn’t necessarily good for the product’s aesthetics.

Dan: Jomar Reyes had a good finish to 2018. Still a rising prospect for O’s?
Keith Law: No, that ship has probably sailed.

Nick: What is your opinion of Milwaukee going with a bullpen game in Game 1 of the NLDS? I know they’re trying to mitigate a weakness (starting pitching), but aren’t they running the risk of unnecessarily blowing out their bullpen? Why not throw a starter and just keep them on a short leash if they wind up in trouble?
Keith Law: Tend to agree with that, although their bullpen is so damn strong maybe it’s less of a concern?

Rob: Tony Santillan had a nice season for the Reds in the minor leagues this year. Do you believe that he is a top 100 prospect? Do you think that he could be more then a back of the rotation type of starter? Thank you for the chats.
Keith Law: Too much reliever risk to be a top 100 guy.

squeeze bunt: Is hitting suppressed in playoff baseball? Do teams put together more detailed plans to attack hitters with all their resources focused on one lineup?
Keith Law: Pitching tends to be better in October – you don’t see fifth starters or 8th relievers.

Trevor: Is there any precedence of the MLBPA winning a grievance that allowed a player from the Rule 4 Draft to become a FA like Stewart / Boras filed for?
Keith Law: Yes, Barrett Loux.

Gene: Keith, where do the Orioles go next? I was more a Showalter supported than a Duquette supporter, but now they are both gone and there doesn’t appear to be much left to rebuild around.
Keith Law: I’m very curious to see where they go; I thought Showalter had to go, but Duquette had to do that job with one hand tied behind his back, and there was a credible argument that he should stick around to get to fully execute his vision with a manager of his choice who wouldn’t work at cross purposes to his own. I can certainly think of a few names of GM candidates who’d be great fits.

squeeze bunt: Saw an interesting question on Twitter the other day, and thought you might have a good answer. Has there been a book that changed your opinion on something? I think it was implied that this was relating to political things, but answer however you please.
Keith Law: Tons. That’s one of the great pleasures of reading – it opens your mind.

Shaun: Is the AL group of playoff teams as good top to bottom as any recently? The Red Sox won 108 games and could arguably be an underdog in a series against any of the other 3 teams.
Keith Law: It does seem exceptionally strong, at the expense of any decent playoff races this year.

Darren: There have been big arguments among people I know regarding the 1 inning starters. I see the logical and understand why teams like Oakland and TB would attempt this strategy. Some are saying it’s a terrible ideas ruining baseball and point to last night as proof. My point is Oakland used the wrong guy. Hendriks isn’t even a very good reliever and was hot in the month of September when he’s not facing the lineup one would see in the playoffs. I would have seen Petit and Trivino getting trough 4 to 5 innings and then letting any one not named Rodney take over. Would love to hear some of your thoughts on the practice and Oaklands execution last night. Thanks for everything Keith.
Keith Law: I would agree with this – Hendriks was a weird choice, one I haven’t seen explained, but that doesn’t invalidate the strategy.

Ridley Kemp: Am I wrong for feeling like we’re on the verge of the total breakdown of our democratic system? I remember Watergate and this is so much more open and obviously corrupt that I feel like the checks and balances have utterly failed.
Keith Law: It certainly feels that way, with the party in power willing to overlook absolutely anything – sexual assault, perjury, propaganda, foreign interference, environmental destruction – to get what they want (tax cuts and banning abortion).

Fuzzy Dunlop: What’s your guilty pleasure food? Like restaurant or even just a processed food item that you genuinely enjoy but doesn’t fall in line with your generally awesome tastes.
Keith Law: I have no idea what you’re talking about. (munches on Oreos)

J5: Pick one that will be a an all star : Kelenic, Gorman or Liberatore?
Keith Law: Kelenic. BTW I forget to mention Vientos when reviewing the Mets’ farm system last week – another guy drafted by the current scouting department who looks very good so far.

Alex: Does Ryan Mountcastle have enough of an arm to stay at 3B? Does Grenier have enough of a bat to be a regular SS? Thanks
Keith Law: Probably not, probably yes, in that order.

Ian: Thoughts on the Let the Kids Play ad?
Keith Law: Much better than the previous campaign, Don’t Let the Kids Play.

Alex: Does Brady Anderson’s continued presence hinder the Os from getting a good GM candidate to consider taking the job?
Keith Law: One of the questions any candidate should ask in the interview is whether Anderson will report to the new GM or to ownership. The only acceptable answer is the former. The latter is a dealbreaker.

Daniel: Freddy Galvis is a divisive figure in San Diego. The pro crowd is calling for him to be resigned, while the anti crowd says save the 40 man spot on a farm hand that needs to be added and let Guerra play short for a few until Tatis is ready. What say you?
Keith Law: I’d let him walk. Nice player, not worth the 40-man spot for a team that is going to need all of those spots.

Kenny: Do you believe the Ramirez and Swetnick stories?
Keith Law: Yes. Women very rarely lie about sexual assaults. These women told those stories knowing they’d likely end up facing tremendous public criticism and likely death threats. Believing that they lied despite those consequences requires a deeply misogynistic worldview.

Ian: As a young male, I really don’t feel afraid that I am going to get falsely accused of sexually assaulting someone. Is this argument really more of a case where old men are afraid that something from their past is going to get brought up?
Keith Law: I think the “all men should fear this” is basically dog-whistling to men who hate women.

Aaron C.: One of the sillier “accomplishments” tweeted over and over again by fans and beat writers was the A’s 2018 payroll relative to the Yankees. Why is cheap ownership proudly trumpeted towards the heavens?
Keith Law: Because fans and the media continue to side with billionaire owners over players. Yes, it’s wonderful that the A’s front office did more with less. The fact that the team plays in the 8th largest media market in the country is somehow swept under the rug.

George: Thoughts on Pedro’s assertion that Severino was pitching hurt in the 2nd half?
Keith Law: Entirely possible.

james: Has your opinion changed at all on Joey Bart since the draft?
Keith Law: No, because there is no reason it should have.

mike sixel: Byron Buxton was pretty much dead last in wrc+ and any other hitting statistic you want. He can’t be that bad again….but how long do we have to wait?
Keith Law: Didn’t play much and wasn’t necessarily healthy when he did play.

Aaron C.: Big fan of your occasional cooking posts/photos. Curious about your greatest cooking failures, though. Seem to remember you once posting about an attempt to make something like a polenta waffle. Anything more disastrous than that?
Keith Law: I’ve had my share of mistakes. Pizza doughs that tore when I stretched them. Custards that curdled. I burned a simple kale/bacon dish a few years ago when working with a new-ish stove. The polenta on the waffle iron might have worked but I needed to grease the hell out of it first and didn’t.

Aaron C.: I know it’s not your favorite thing to write up, but can we still expect a “Top 50 free agents” piece from you after the World Series? Off-the-top-of-your-head guess at #3 on that list?
Keith Law: I will do a FA ranking, and if Kershaw opts out, it’s him, otherwise probably Corbin.

Zihuatanejo: What board games (if any) would you recommend for a couple where one is an experienced gamer who likes more complex games, while the other is a relative newbie who doesn’t like lots of rules?
Keith Law: Jaipur and Targi are great two-player games that hit the midpoint for a couple like yours.

Tony: If you were Theo, what moves would you make to improve the Cubs chances next year(outside of saying goodbye to Addison Russell)?
Keith Law: I’d definitely move on from Russell as soon as that’s possible. They have to figure out what their regular outfield is going to be, and balance defense (Almora, Heyward) against boosting an offense that wildly underperformed this year – and you can’t pin that all on Bryant getting hurt. The obvious answer is go sign Harper or Machado and figure the rest out, but there’s going to be competition for those two and the Cubs need a plan B. They also had a disastrous dip into free agency last winter (Chatwood, Morrow, Darvish), which may color their view of the process. The one thing I would definitely advocate if I were in the front office is finding a way to retain Hamels.

Jen: How much credit does Coppy deserve compared to AA for the Braves success this season
Keith Law: Anthopoulos has given Coppolella quite a bit of credit for the foundation he laid, and I think that’s very fair. The system was and still is loaded.

David: Hi Keith, Buehler’s been very impressive to date. As a Cards fan, does Flaherty have the same type of pure “stuff” and upside in your mind? If not, what makes Buehler stand out?
Keith Law: Buehler has way better shit. Flaherty has incredible command, and obviously has a better history of health.

Stan: And guesses as to the final round candidates for Mets GM? And if they were to go with a younger more progressive higher, who realistically could that be?
Keith Law: From what I could tell, they’ve barely contacted anybody. Why they’ve waited this long is anyone’s guess.

Sean: Do you think it’s safe to say managers sticking around for as long as Scioscia is going the way of the dodo bird?
Keith Law: Yes, and also, I can’t imagine anyone wanting to do that job for that long.

Guest: I wondered what your thoughts were about the Jays firing Gibbons. Seemed to me that players liked him and responded to him and that the change was arbitrary at best. Why the switcheroo?
Keith Law: I know he’s indicated this was his choice, and I have no knowledge to contradict that – but he also wasn’t Shapiro/Atkins’ hire, and that rarely ends well.

Guest: What should the Braves do with their RF & 3B for next year? Sigh a FA or use a combination of Camargo (who was a 3 WAR player this year in less than a full season) and Riley?
Keith Law: Camargo probably starts the year at 3b, with Riley in AAA, since he missed a lot of time there due to injury. Short-term RF option would make sense, but they have outfielders coming in the system. I don’t like the idea of moving Camargo or Riley to RF and wasting their defensive value.

Taylor: If you were running the Yankees this offseason, what do you do with Andujar, Voit, and Bird? All seem like 1B/DH guys.
Keith Law: Andujar is the one you keep of the three for sure; I also don’t think it’s a foregone conclusion that he’ll move off 3b, as bad as he was this year. Voit and Bird are pure DHs for me.

Fun Police: Do you have any baseball-related memories as a child where you actually enjoyed the game, or were you always a stat-obsessed nerd that takes no enjoyment from what he does?
Keith Law: Sorry, I rolled my eyes back so hard at this that I detached a retina.

Xam: Kike Hernandez had an interesting second half, and really turned it up in August/September — more walks than strikeouts, ISO over .200, OPS, wRC+ around 165. Given his defensive versatility and the fact that he overcame his problem with righties this year as well, are we looking at a budding star?
Keith Law: Really solid player, and everyone seems to love him in the clubhouse, but I am not drawing that kind of conclusion off a two-month sample.

andy: Looks like Gray won’t start Game 1 for the Rockies. He might not start at all. Something’s clearly not working there. Do you think he needs a change of scenery? Do you see anything specifically wrong with him?
Keith Law: Pitching in Coors is hard, man. You can be totally fine and still struggle there because your fastball doesn’t move quite as much, or contact is just a little harder than it would be elsewhere. All the more credit to Kyle Freeland for the year he had. If the Rockies want to shop Gray, they shouldn’t sell him for less than 90 cents on that dollar, because there’s a good chance he becomes an above-average starter somewhere else, and there’s still some chance he does it in Denver.

Josh: Chances Cedric Mullins sticks as an average to above average everyday player?
Keith Law: I think average is his ceiling.

Bob: Other than Settlers, what non-traditional (so excluding Monopoly, Risk) board games are good to introduce new people to gaming?
Keith Law: Ticket to Ride, Carcassonne, Dominion but that is better if you have one player who knows it to help introduce the concept. Azul is a little heavier, but it was my #1 game of 2017 and is such a visually appealing game I think it’s a good gateway title anyway.

Xam: Are you buying Max Fried as a starter in 2019 and beyond? The combo of groundballs and strikeouts is pretty sexy.
Keith Law: I am. Always believed in his stuff and athleticism. Not sure Atlanta has a rotation spot for him.

Josh: Any thoughts on Isaac Paredes? He looked to have great seasons at A and AA at a young age
Keith Law: Can really hit. Not sure there’s long-term upside but the bat is real.

Ryan: Klaw, what do you think is more sought after GM job, Mets or O’s?
Keith Law: Mets’ job will be unless the Angeloses are clear about letting the new GM have the appropriate amount of autonomy.

Dr. Bob: One of my favorite Dodgers teams was 1977. Four players (Garvey, Smith, Cey, and Baker) each hit at least 30 HRs, which set a record. How quaint. The entire team hit 191 which was the team record at the time. This year’s team hit a team-record 235. It’s a different game.
Keith Law: Extremely. And that’s both positive and negative.

Evan: How should I feel about Leody Tavares? The game results don’t match the tools and the great reports re his batting practice showings. Is it time to scale back my expectations, or can he be a first division starter?
Keith Law: Still young and physically underdeveloped. I believe he’s a first division starter with upside.

Matt: If a relief pitcher gives up one or more runs but holds a lead, his WPA for the game can be negative. But if a 9th inning pitcher gives up one or more runs without blowing the game, his WPA is automatically positive. Do closers have inflated WPA?
Keith Law: I don’t really care for WPA, since it’s entirely situation-dependent. But to be honest I’m not sure I follow your second statement there about the ninth inning guy.

Norman Golan: whatever happened to Delvin Perez? The Cardinals got him after he tested positive for PEDs, and I recall the reaction was (1) bad on the Cardinals for rewarding PED use and (2) hewas a great talent for the cards to get so late in the 1st round. But since then its been crickets
Keith Law: He’s been kind of terrible in pro ball.

Cameron C: Vladdy Jr or Wander Franco, who are you most excited to see grow into Major League guy and who could be the better player. Wander put up better stats than Vlad did at the same age in the Appy league.
Keith Law: Vlad’s a lot closer, but I don’t think it’s absurd to think Wander might end up better.

Mike: Are you astonished that so many Republicans (and especially evangelicals) say Kavanaugh should be confirmed even if it’s determined that he did commit sexual assault? I mean, where is our basic human decency?
Keith Law: I’m not astonished any more. I’m disgusted, sure, but not astonished.

Mike D: Has there ever been a study on how much “experience” helps, or “youth” hurts a team in the playoffs? You always hear announcers talk about it, but not sure if its fact or just more “chemistry and “it factor” talk?
Keith Law: It’s bullshit. I feel like there was a study years ago about the ages of playoff rosters but I have no memory of who did it. You can also see how young most of the recent WS winning rosters were.

Zac: Tigers are expected to move forward with Grayson Greiner. What is his ceiling? below average starter?
Keith Law: Backup.

Anthony: You’ve been critical of hiring MLB managers with no prior experience. I’m curious what the process looks like for evaluating a minor-league manager. No one cares about wins and losses and player development is probably a reflection of the org as a whole, so how would you evaluate their success? Just interviewing players?
Keith Law: Your player development director & other staffers spend the year visiting affiliates, and reviewing game reports. They’ll talk to the managers, coaches, and players in the system. They should know which managers were able to execute the FO’s plans for each player, and understand organizational philosophies, and which managers did well working with players of differing backgrounds.

Mike: In a few chats, you have mentioned Alex Scherff as a guy to watch in the Red Sox system. What’s his ceiling if he can stick as a starter?
Keith Law: Sounds like #2 starter.

Anthony: What’s your take on Ramon Laureano? Buying him as a regular?
Keith Law: Loved him in the AFL two years ago but he’s not going to post a .388 BABIP going forward. Good tools that might make him a fringe regular, much more likely he’s a very good fourth OF.

Jake: Keith, obviously ranking prospects has some subjectivity to it, however on mlbpipeline’s most recent top 100 KC had one representative. Singer at 60. I find it strange that you could have him at that slot and Lee, Lynch and Kowar nowhere in the top 100. Your thoughts?
Keith Law: Lee is clearly a top 100 guy for me; Singer isn’t, but I’ve never been a big believer in him given the delivery and lack of a pitch for LHB. I think Lynch is better at this point. Kowar did not throw well this summer, so leaving him off is understandable and I doubt he’d make mine.

Grant: Thought Scooter Gennett would have made your column about “people you were wrong about” What’s your outlook for the rest of his career?
Keith Law: He’s never been much of anything vs LHP, which was my critique of him going back to the minors. I think he’s had one adequate year, which seems flukish. If this power is real – and he never showed it at all till he got to Cincinnati, but now has 50 HR in two seasons – he’s essentially the strong half of a superb platoon.

Scott: If you were the Phillies’ GM, and assuming that money is not a factor, what moves would you make to roster and/or coaching staff? Which players and/or coaches would you want to stay and let germinate?
Keith Law: People were killing Kapler here at the end of the season, booing him every trip to the mound, which is just so dumb. It was a bad defensive club and nothing he did was going to mitigate that. I’d like to see them move to upgrade their defense, while obviously using some of that war chest they’ve got to acquire some top flight talent in free agency. Pollock would be an interesting target. I already said I’m a big Corbin guy. He’d fit for just about any contender.

The Shrike: Over/under on the amount Carter Stewart will get if he’s declared a free agent and is not subject to any bonus pool restrictions?
Keith Law: If this wrist thing really isn’t a big deal for teams, I think he’ll get $6 million-plus.

Bill: Thanks for the chats Keith. They are easily in my top 7 shirking work activities. Do you think Dansby Swanson can still grow into an average to above average contributor at the plate?
Keith Law: I do, but he’s always going to strike out more than the typical player of his profile. That was the knock on his game in college, too.

Ed: Do you see pitching eventually adjusting to the obsession with launch angle, resulting in a higher concentration on pitchers with whatever attribute counteracts more loft in swings (be it a good high fastball, late lateral movement, or whatever)? And therefore creating a market again for more level swings / higher contact guys? I look at the Cubs this year, and it really struck me how they can destroy teams with their offense on one day and go completely inert the next (including 163 and the WC game) and I start thinking about what I wouldn’t give for someone who can just shorten his swing, put the bat on the ball, and work the count a bit.
Keith Law: I think it already has – that’s why you see teams trying to get guys who either live at the knees or can throw high-spin four-seamers at the top of the zone.

Mike: How far is Hiura away from taking the Brewers 2b job? Would you package him for a top of the rotation starter if you were in the Brewers situation?
Keith Law: If they feel like his defense is ready (and the elbow injury, whatever it was, is no longer a concern), then pretty much any time. I know scouts love his bat, but I feel like lingering concerns over the elbow would suppress his trade value.

Jimbo: Have you seen Luis Patino? How do you account for his ascendance into various Top 100s?
Keith Law: I have not. I don’t comment on other top 100s.

Cole: How soon do you think we could see Jo Adell up with the Angels? I’ve seen some people say they wouldn’t be surprised if he was up by the All Star Break next year, and I was wondering if you felt the same.
Keith Law: I think that’s very optimistic.

James: Hey Keith, I know you have opened up about Anxiety in the past. At what point, did you, or do you know it is a problem to go get help for it.
Keith Law: I had a brutal panic attack at age 39 while driving on Staten Island (insert joke about SI traffic here), and that really forced me to get help.

JR: Rockies tried piggbacking starters in ’12 or ’13 and were mocked for it (probably because it failed), while “openers” and “bullpen” games have, for the most part, have not been mocked (probably because it was successful). Perhaps the Rockies were on too something and just didn’t have the right arms or quite the right approach to make it work?
Keith Law: They had a decent idea but executed it poorly.

Rum Guy: Enjoying the Periscope sessions, This Boomer needs a new acoustic or maybe electro acoustic for playing here at home and so KLaw, what guitar models do u have?
Keith Law: Very simple – a Mitchell acoustic, a Stratocaster electric.

Mac: In this age of awful catchers can Zack Collins be league average?
Keith Law: My bet is no.

JP: would you start Devers at 3B regardless of whether starter is RH or LH? Nunez has similar defensive deficiencies without any of the pop/patience.
Keith Law: I would, yes. Devers’ eye is pretty good for his age.

JT: How has Shapiro done in Toronto? I’ll confess that I’m a little underwhelmed if that’s a word.
Keith Law: I think that’s fair, and it’s why he doth protest too much over my comment that they don’t have a top 5 farm system (note: still accurate). I’ve heard some stories from within the regime that don’t give me great confidence in their model going forward. I’ve also heard that there’s friction between him and Rogers which, if true, would be rather astounding since Rogers’ decision to hire him cost them Anthopoulos.

Ron: Do you think Mauer retires? It looks like it. Will really miss him. But he hasn’t been the same since the concussion. Some in Twins Land still don’t realize what they had. At least in his catching days one of the best around. Should have had 2 MVPs. Borderline HOF?
Keith Law: Sounds like he’s retiring, don’t think he gets into the Hall as his case is solid but not a slam dunk and relies heavily on advanced stats.

Kace: Isn’t it odd that someone would come here to troll you? That’s a lot of effort beyond being pissed off at an article and finding your Twitter.
Keith Law: Same couple of trolls every week, too. I have no idea what their end game is.

Jake: Are you a Doctor Who viewer? If so, thoughts on a woman getting a crack at the role? Looking forward to Sunday.
Keith Law: Actually never seen it, which is such a shame because I couldn’t fill my diaper over a fictional non-human character taking on a female form.

Chris: Are you still buying Franklin Barreto? It’s obvious he’s got some interesting tools in the tool kit, but the lack of contact really scares me. His bat-to-ball skills have definitely gone backwards since he was a younger prospect.
Keith Law: No, I’m out on that one.

Chris: Seems you were right about Newcomb and the Simmons trade. What are your thoughts on it now that it’s played out a little.
Keith Law: I think Simmons is the best defender in baseball, among the best we have ever seen, and Atlanta didn’t get nearly enough in that deal.

Chris: It all worked out, but I thought Boone’s handling of the 5th was bizarre. First, he sent Sevy back out even though he clearly emptied the tank vs Semien, and then, he went to the one guy in the pen who seems least equipped to enter with a jam. Thoughts?
Keith Law: I can’t be too hard on Boone for sending Severino out with a 0 still in the hits column. It would have been the right move to pull him, but between that and the low pitch count, it would have been extremely unusual.

Sean: Do you care about parity in the playoffs or do you just want the best teams to make it each year even if they are the same 8 teams year after year?
Keith Law: Best teams = best baseball. Baseball has parity in the NL right now, just not in the AL at the moment.

Joe: Is Jon Schoop a nontender candidate? Probably looking at over 10MM+ for his last year of arbitration and he had a brutal year.
Keith Law: Brutal year, much better a year ago, maybe not a fit for Milwaukee because of Hiura but not without trade value.

Zac: If I told you Casey Mize was the only Tigers pitching prospect that panned out, would you be shocked?
Keith Law: I wouldn’t be shocked, but I think Burrows has a pretty high floor too.

JR: Is Adam Sasser a potential draft pick? Assuming he is (or even if he’s not, assume he is for this question), if you worked in a front office how would you view him given he was kicked off his college team for using a racial slur. Would you completely remove him from your board or be willing to consider him?
Keith Law: He was draft-eligible in June but not selected. I would probably avoid him because he’d have to come play with many people of color, but I wouldn’t consider him untouchable like the child molester from Oregon State, or a player who’d committed sexual or physical assault on a woman.

Xam: Austin Barnes: what happened, and what should we expect going forward? Last year he looked like a top-3 catcher, and now….
Keith Law: He was never a top 3 catcher, though. Small samples.

Josh: Jazz Chisholm had a pretty strong year. What kind of ceiling do you project for him?
Keith Law: Very excited to see him in two weeks. Above-average regular to star upside.

Ben: Can you explain why “high spin” matters? Like, why not look for Ps who can throw high velocity pitches at the top of the zone?
Keith Law: High spin rate = less/inferior quality contact. High velocity doesn’t do that.

JR: Have you ever asked yourself a question using a pseudonym in a chat because there was a particular question they you wanted to answer?
Keith Law: I haven’t, but that would be kind of funny, if a little dishonest.

JG: Giardi, Bannister, David Ross, Alomor Jr., or Ausmus for Twins manager?
Keith Law: Ross has never managed, so I can’t support that. Ausmus never grew at all as a manager in Detroit, so would you really hire him unless you felt absolutely certain that in just one year off the job he’s changed his managing philosophy? Girardi was pretty solid in NY and I think he’d be a good hire for a lot of situations.

Corey: 5 minutes in one of these chats will provide the core of the KLAW worldview. If you’re offended by that POV but still choose to come to his personal site to troll him + generally be a f’ing asshole, you might want to examine your own life choices + ask yourself why you’re such a miserable person. Anyway… should Swihart be starting at C given that Leon + Vasquez can’t hit or stick with the PH strategy for later in the game ?
Keith Law: Agreed, and thank you. I’m a big Swihart fan and perhaps not totally objective on that one, but I think he’s the best option.

Tom: Thoughts on Mike Bordick as the O’s manager?
Keith Law: Nice guy … with no experience.

Jennyfer: If you were running a front office, I know you wouldn’t sign an abuser. I agree with that. How would you handle someone like Murphy or Turner who have said awful things, but haven’t broken the law?
Keith Law: Turner’s apology was an example of how to handle those situations well, with grace and understanding, so that you can go back into a diverse clubhouse and continue to have good relationships with teammates and coaches. Murphy, to my knowledge, has done none of that, and also does a great impression of Stonehenge in the field.

Eric: Dont hold back because he passed away: how do you feel about John McCain?
Keith Law: The thing that always comes to my mind around McCain is that he used professional sports – including MLB – in a circus hearing on PEDs that served no purpose but to promote himself. There was absolutely no reason for Congress to hold hearings on the topic or threaten to regulate this area in private, professional sports leagues. MLB is still dealing with the fallout from that. That isn’t the total of the man’s career, of course, but I will forever associate him with those hearings.

Jake: Would you ever want to interview Trump, if only to find out why he is the way he is?
Keith Law: I think that would be an incredibly frustrating experience.

Rowdy T: do you basically ignore September results for call ups (or everyone for that matter) due to the expanded rosters and teams playing out the string..
Keith Law: Yes.

Joe Don : I gathered last week that the Banister firing had a sour taste for you. Nonetheless, what qualifications do you think the Rangers need to consider in their new guy?
Keith Law: There’s something about that we don’t know – there were stories in Dallas area papers that he wasn’t communicating well with players, and I don’t know any more than you do about that, but if it’s true it’s certainly a problem that requires action from up top. That’s a developmental situation and a long-term rebuild, so I’d want someone with some real player development experience and willingness to work with young players.
Keith Law: Nobody asked for playoff predictions here, but at least one person did on Twitter and I feel like I have to give them somewhere, so here goes: Brewers in 4, Dodgers in 4, Cleveland in 4, Boston in 5. Bear in mind I rarely do much better than 50% on playoff picks, but there you have it.
Keith Law: And that’s all for this week – thank you all so much for your questions, including the haters, who appear to think I fell off the back of a turnip truck. I’ll be back next week for a chat prior to my AFL trip the week after. Enjoy this last full weekend of baseball!