Klawchat 5/16/19.

My 2009 redraft piece and note on that draft’s first-round misses are both up for ESPN+ subscribers.

Keith Law: (Brief delay – I’m just finishing up a call with a scout)
Keith Law: And when I die, put a soundsystem in my hearse. It’s Klawchat.

Joe: “Josh Bell can’t play. He’s not a good defender. He’s a big lump. He has bad agility, bad footwork. He can’t run. Supposedly he’s a big power threat, but he hit 12 home runs at first base. This is not a kid! This is his third year in the big leagues! I don’t think he’s got the ability to get better.” – Anonymous Scout, SI

Has any ever been owned harder?
Keith Law: I’ve said this on twitter – if that scout was real, he should not have a job any more. His evaluations were poor, but worse, he was borderline racist.

Sean: Keith, I have two questions regarding Matt McLain: 1) How far has he fallen as a draft prospect this year? 2) Do you think the Dbacks intentionally drafted him and undercut his asking price to either get him cheaper or not sign him, giving them an extra first round pick in this draft knowing they’d have a huge bonus pool?
Keith Law: He’s not in this draft, so I don’t think it’s fair to assess his draft stock now, when he’s got 25 months until he’s back in the draft. As for 2, no, that is absolutely, 100% inaccurate. They wanted to sign him.

Zach: The Pirates have had a suspect recent history in developing raw power prospects, so I remain cautious of Josh Bell. Should I drop the skepticism? I was burned by Pedro Alvarez!
Keith Law: No, you should buy in – I wrote in March that I thought they could have one or more breakout hitters thanks to the new coach/change in approach, and I think I mentioned Polanco specifically.

PhillyJake: As someone who’s given up red meat, are you a fan of either Impossible or Beyond?
Keith Law: Yes to both.

Bobby: When scouting a prospect, do you change seats between innings to view at bats or pitches from different angles, or is there one “best” angle from which to see everything? Thanks, klaw!
Keith Law: For a pitcher, I try to watch at least two innings behind the plate and at least one up the line from his open side. For a hitter, I just want to go up the line to watch his hands.

BigDaddeh: Are there certain orgs/GMs that get attached to prospect pedigree well after the shine has worn off? It seems like when there is a former top 10 draft pick who washes out and is a minor league FA, the same two or three teams have to take one last look at him.
Keith Law: It’s a good question without a firm answer. You might also say that former top 10 picks were often top 10 picks because of fundamental physical attributes that may still be present when they wash out.

Kevin: Do you think Jarren Duran has the potential to be an everyday player on a 1st division team?
Keith Law: Potential everyday player, yes. I don’t know how to answer that more specifically yet.

Mike G: Should we expect Jordan Balazovic to recieve helium during the midseason reranks? Numbers aside, his stuff looks very impressive.
Keith Law: He barely missed my top 100 this winter, so I think I had him in the right range then. He’ll move up due to so many graduations ahead of him. He could move up more now that he’s pitching at a higher level.

adrags: If one was to scout a stat line they may look at what Nate Pearson is doing and consider him one of the top pitching prospects in the game. In reality, what have you been hearing, and what do you think he is? Can he be an ace at the next level? His per inning numbers this year are off the charts, even when factoring in the level he is pitching at.
Keith Law: Two-time top 100 guy – he already was one of the top pitching prospects in the game, certainly. On the right night you will see two pitches that are 70s. But he’s also being used judiciously, to manage his innings, and that may skew the results too – he threw just two innings his last outing, a planned short start, and so he’s not taking on the same workload (or pacing himself, or turning lineups over three times) that most starter prospects would. Doesn’t make him a worse prospect in any way, just a factor to consider when watching his line scores.

Eduardo: Looking at your 2009 recaps, how surprised are you that Tim Wheeler never got a chance with the Rockies, or anyone for that matter?
Keith Law: If I had had more time, I would have looked into that one. It doesn’t make any sense to me.

Mike: What is Griffin Canning’s perceived ceiling, floor? Is he anything other than a potential mid rotation guy?
Keith Law: Potential #2 if healthy.

Blueberry Johnson: Hey KLaw, you going to be at PAX this year? I’m designing a board game that I hope to have ready by then… Would love to meet you and maybe get your thoughts??
Keith Law: PAX Unplugged, yes. Actually going to Origins for two days, Gen Con, and PAXU.

Ameen: Keith – you mentioned that your contract is soon up for renewal and I wanted to let you know that you’re the sole reason why I pay for the ESPN subscription. Hope that you will be justly rewarded soon. SSS aside, how do you assess Nick Allen’s current standing/future outlook? Could he be one of those prospects who somewhat flies under the radar and ends up being an average major leaguer? Is his ceiling of an average major leaguer a reasonable outlook at this point?
Keith Law: I like that kid quite a bit despite his size. He can run, he can really play short, and when I saw him in March I thought he had enough hand strength to hit for average without power, even as the pitching gets better. He’ll always be dinged for his height and concerns about future strength – the difference between him at the plate and Nick Madrigal is small.

Joe: Which bat profiles better: Riley, Huira, Rodgers?
Keith Law: Hiura.

Greg: Any belief that Austin Riley can handle LF this season?
Keith Law: Don’t see why not but I’d rather see him get more reps at 3b.

Mason: I think we made a mistake by forgetting about Aramis Ademan after last year
Keith Law: He’s hitting .255 (with a lot of BB) while repeating the level, and it’s still a lot of weak groundouts. He’s only 20 so I am in no way burying him, but you’re getting way ahead of yourself.

Jon: When you do your re-draft, are you going straight best (in hindsight) player available? Eg/ would the Braves have taken Brandon Belt with Freeman already in the system?
Keith Law: I don’t consider the teams drafting at all for that.

Amed Rosario : What do you think of me? Seems like the bat is coming around but now defense has been iffy
Keith Law: Cautiously optimistic – early days, small sample, but he’s young and showing real across the board progress. No idea what’s going on with his defense.

Ralph: Do any of the Yankee fill-ins- Urshela, Tauchman, Thairo- project as a MLB regulars or at least solid bench contributors?
Keith Law: The Yankees seem to have some sort of woo with these hitting castoffs they find, but I will say I liked Estrada as a prospect before he got shot, and Urshuela was a prospect once upon a time.

Robby: Did Anthony Kay’s stuff jump or something?
Keith Law: No, stuff was great last year too, but he tired a little bit and was also just back from TJ. Fully recovered now. Very promising.

TC: New Of Monsters and Men album coming soon. Have you heard the first single & have any thoughts on it?
Keith Law: Really liked it.

Arnold: The Giants top pitching prospect, Shaun Anderson, made a good debut the other day. Is he good enough to be a top of the rotation starter or are we looking at #3 or #4 guy?
Keith Law: Back of the rotation.

Plz: Giolito. I want to believe but I’ve been hurt before. Can I embrace it yet?
Keith Law: I’m in, but then again, I’ve probably been his strongest advocate as a prospect.

AGirlHasNoName: Been thinking about the Ben Zobrist news, and how impossible it is to keep stuff private, people seem to love to consume the scandalous stuff, but does that mean someone has to provide it to them?
Keith Law: I don’t think this should be any of our business whatsoever. If a player does something criminal, that’s one thing, but the private lives of players should be off limits.

Jordan: Any chance Corbin Carroll falls to the Mets at #12?
Keith Law: Nonzero chance, but very unlikely IMO.

Andrew: Best way to cook a chicken spatchcock style with what seasonings?
Keith Law: Just salt it heavily, set it on a rack in the sheet pan, and pour water in the pan itself so you don’t set off your smoke alarm.

Dave: When do you expect Baum (UNC) to come off the board? Been the Friday guy for UNC this year, shown good velo with a good chance but kinda lackluster off speed. That’s my .02 couch analysis
Keith Law: Third round … I think? College arms may fly off the board this year because there are so few real first-round onezs.

Mike: Hey Keith, after viewing your top prospects for the upcoming MLB draft I noticed that Vanderbilt Ace Drake Fellows was not listed. Where would you rank him/ what round(s) (if any) would be the range for him?
Keith Law: Third to fifth rounds.

Dave: What makes the time travel in Doctor Who tolerable if it’s a dealbreaker for you going to see Endgame? Asking as a fan of both
Keith Law: It’s baked into the premise of Doctor Who. It was tacked on as a plot device in Endgame.
Keith Law: Doctor Who is a time traveler by definition. Same as Connie Willis’ time travel novels – they are inherent to the stories.

Mike: How high are you on the bat of Dodgers Will Smith?
Keith Law: Above average regular if not more. I think the power he showed last year is real, the result of a tangible swing change.

JG: That Balazovic pick of yours is looking good. Kis has been nearly lights out
Keith Law: No, some guy on twitter told me I’m never right about anything.

Andrew: Does Triston Casas really have 70/80 raw power?
Keith Law: Not what I saw form him in HS.

Joe: What do you make of Christian Walker? I thought he was more of a AAAA type player going into this season and so far he has done way more than I expected. The .380 BABIP and 30% strikeout rate have me questioning how sustainable it is though.
Keith Law: It’s not sustainable.

Mark: I suffer from depression and anxiety and I have a big problem with public speaking. Any ways to overcome this?
Keith Law: I’m not a therapist, and that’s something you should discuss with yours … but I can speak to my own experience, that I have found public speaking became easier with practice, and that I still experience a lot of anxiety right before starting that fades quickly once I’m in front of the crowd.

Ethan: Just a comment . . . I have learned a ton about baseball and other things from you. And while I don’t always agree with your stance(s) (I am a strong Christian), I will say that I am most impressed with you as a dad and your care for your daughter, especially as it is clear the high priority she is in your life. I have an 11 y/o daughter dealing for the first time with some mental health stuff, and I think we need more dads like you. Thanks!
Keith Law: Good luck to you and your daughter – it sounds like you’re on top of it, and getting her real medical help now could avoid a lot of problems for her in her later teen years.

Tom: Hey Keith, it seems like the Orioles actually have some pitching talent in the minors.. Rodriguez, Hall, Kremer, Knight, Lowther, Akin, even Harvey. Is that reason to be optimistic, or just wishful thinking?
Keith Law: I’ll see Hall tonight, and have a post up on him, Kremer, Sedlock, and Bishop tomorrow or this weekend. I don’t think all of those guys are starters, but they have some bulk pitching on the way.

Keith: Does Moncada being in the 99th percentile for exit velocity make you believe his production is sustainable? 3-4 WAR season?
Keith Law: I believe his ability to make hard contact is real, and that he’ll continue to strike out at a rate that makes a WAR higher than that unlikely.

Andrew: Any 80 raw power guys in this year’s draft like Nolan Gorman was last year? How about 70-75 raw power guys? Your tools assessments on draft prospects is what helped me determine Nolan Gorman should be ahead of Casey Mize who’s been a stud.
Keith Law: I wouldn’t put Gorman over Mize, FWIW. Hinds has 80 raw, and swings and misses more than Gorman. Bishop probably has 70+ raw. Bleday too.

ck: First round in 2009 looks historically bad in retrospect. Can you think of any worse?
Keith Law: 2000 is the gold standard for bad first rounds, I think.

Josh Nelson: Hey Keith. Andrew Vaughn fits what the profile of who the White Sox have drafted since Nick Hostetler took over. How likely do you think they go in a different direction by selecting CJ Abrams?
Keith Law: At this point, I don’t have enough information to answer that other than to say I believe they are looking at both players, and aware that Rutschman could slip to them.

John Farrell: Can a guy who swings and misses as much as Chavis project out positively? Also, do you think he can stay at 2B longer-term?
Keith Law: 2b would really surprise me.

Eric: From a fair labor stand point, what’s the best replacement to a draft? Is there a way to do it that protects labor and keeps things competitive to avoid too much going to one team? Or am I overstating competition issues?
Keith Law: I don’t care much if at all about competition issues – I want players to be paid what they’re worth, not what some artificial regime says they can get. League officials and owners have so successfully brainwashed fans (not you specifically) into believing that drafts are necessarily to maintain competitive balance that fans respond negatively to discussions of how players like Zion W are exploited by drafts, and forget that MLB instituted its draft to stop the “bonus baby” phenomenon of the late 1950s/early 60s.

Mom’s spaghetti: Assessments of Yordan Alverez vary…what do you think of him? Can he at least hit…and I think he really needs to HIT to be successful, right? Any prospect of him playing 1B at all or just OF?
Keith Law: Well below average in LF or 1b. Probably a DH ideally. Should hit.
Keith Law: So your second point, that he needs to hit more to be valuable relative to his position, is accurate.

Brandon: Good to see Mitchell White back and healthy this season. Can you see him getting starts in LA this year if he keeps this up?
Keith Law: Yes, or in relief.

Redefined racism?: Hey Klaw, not trying to troll, but … can you explain how Anonymous Scout up top is “borderline racist”? I keep rereading it and I don’t see it. Thanks.
Keith Law: Read the whole SI piece. I didn’t say those specific comments were racist.

Huge KLaw Fan: Hi Kieth, do you think that you rate Hiura higher than the others as some sort of white guilt? Like you said in the Bell question, that guy was definitely racist towards Bell. But do you think you may go too far the other way and subconsciously try to be not-racist and like Hiura more than you should? Thanks! I second only having insider because of you.
Keith Law: This would be a great argument if Hiura were white, which he is not.
Keith Law: Also, j/k, it’s a stupid fucking argument.

Matthew: Do minor league results ever drive prospect tools grades? Or are those always based directly on scouting observations?
Keith Law: No, results do not determine tools, ever.

ck: When do you sous vide as opposed to any other cooking method?
Keith Law: When a precise internal temperature is paramount, or when I want to cook something a long time at a low temperature without using the oven.

Butts: Feasible for the White Sox be able to grab Abrams at a savings and float a mid 1st round talent to 45?
Keith Law: Probably not. Abrams’ floor is pick 6 or so.

Amari: Is Lodolo’s stock enhanced by simply being the best arm in a pitching-weak draft class? 1st round sure, but doesn’t seem like the kind of guy who would’ve gone top 10 in years past
Keith Law: I think so. I think the industry would disagree.

j: Are you surprised that Anthony Seigler isn’t on a full-season team? Figured a player with his skills would have broken camp with the Yanks low-A club Charleston
Keith Law: He’s been hurt.

Ryan: Corbin Carroll reminds me a lot of Alek Thomas. Could you please compare and contrast them? Thank you!
Keith Law: Similar but Carroll has more pop.

Steve: In your updated top 50, you didnt have Austin Riley. Other than your question about his bat speed, why did you keep him out of the top 50?
Keith Law: I’m not sure what list you mean; the only updated top 50 I’ve posted recently was for the draft.

Lee: It’s pretty obvious that our dear leader would be looking at prison time right now if he weren’t president. Should Congress do the right/moral thing and impeach? Or should they hold off on the chance that it may lead to voter backlash and actually lead to 4 more years of this buffoon? A very difficult choice IMO
Keith Law: I don’t think any Congress should delay impeachment for political expediency. If you think an elected official has committed some crime worthy of impeachment, then you should do something about it.

mike sixel: I don’t think I’ve ever seen your thoughts…..do you like Dr. Who?
Keith Law: I’m a fan through two seasons at least.

Bill: Jose Israel Garcia was a near miss guy for you. Had a good 2nd half in warmer weather and seems to be maintaining that this season. Is he a guy worth monitoring?
Keith Law: Only 18 games so far, so tiny sample, but yes, a guy worth monitoring. Chance for high contact with good defense.

Sean: Ketel Marte is showing legitimate raw power from both sides of the plate, though he still has issues hitting enough fly balls to take it to the next level. Are you buying on him at 25 years old?
Keith Law: He was on my breakouts list for 2018. I have a bad habit of being a year early on those.

Kevin: Do you think Devers can have a 300/420/550 slashline either this year or in the near future?
Keith Law: That’s MVP level … I love the kid, believe fully in his bat, but that seems like a best case scenario and is way out of reach for 2019.

Greg: Whens the next mock?
Keith Law: I think the day after Memorial Day. Big Board next week, ACC blog post, then mock.

Jordan: Does Jackson Rutledge have serious ace potential?
Keith Law: No.

Conine: I’m going to Marlin’s Park for the first time this weekend. Anything worth checking out while I’m there?
Keith Law: Lol no.

Dr. Bob: You talk about watching players from different angles. HS shouldn’t be a problem, but do you ever run into problems at colleges or minor league parks? Or do they accommodate scouts?
Keith Law: Usually fine – high schools are actually more of a problem because sometimes you can’t get down one or both lines. That’s also an issue at Duke – I won’t scout a pitcher there because of it.

silvpak: jeren kendall is now 23 and still at A ball, with no perceptible improvement in his approach at the plate, other than walking more (which doesn’t really matter, given he’s hitting under .200). two and a half years in – was this a wasted pick?
Keith Law: It was a decent gamble that isn’t working out.

Garrett: What are you hearing on Josh Lowe? Anything moving the needle there?
Keith Law: Great athlete, power/speed combo, hitting .226 with lots of swing and miss so no, needle is steady.

addoeh: Any new Chicago eats from scouting Priester?
Keith Law: Only one: My daughter tagged along and she wanted to try deep dish, so we went to Pequod for lunch before the game, and it was … well, she loved it.

Dave: If Trout’s the best player of the last 50 years… does that mean you think Bonds’s late-career surge should be discounted? Bonds averaged 11 WAR in his late-30’s prime.
Keith Law: Bonds had 50.3 WAR through his age-27 season. Trout will clear 70.

Often Sad: How do you separate seemingly good people from their horrible opinions? This weekend, my father-in law and his sister were really lobbing it back and forth with horrible takes, such as “AOC is the next Hitler, I’m serious,” and constant babble about “Fucking Democrats” ruining the country, even though I’m not sure an actual point was made. These are the people in my life, like it or not, and are what I think good people, but sometimes it’s hard to see that.
Keith Law: Sorry to hear that, but my only solution is to cut those people out of my life.

Joe: Fair to be a bit disappointed in Gleyber Torres so far? I was expecting better plate disciple than he has shown. Outside of games against Baltimore, he hasn’t played well.
Keith Law: He’s 22 with a 118 wRC+ … I don’t understand why you’d be disappointed in that.

Bob Pollard: How’s Wander Franco looking this year? Still #1 prospect-y?
Keith Law: He is the #1 prospect in the minors right now.

Jameson: Do you tend to grade trades purely on the factors at the time, or is hindsight a fair way to grade trades?
Keith Law: We can discuss whether a trade worked out for one side, but it is not fair to criticize a trade based on factors that no one could have known at the time of the deal.

Hinkie: WVU LHP Nick Snyder isn’t getting much attention, but is having a great junior season. What do you know about him, and how can he go in the draft?
Keith Law: Not a draft prospect, sorry.

Josh: What is your guess onthe root cause of the Phillies recent draft woes? Klentak has done a fantastic job, overdelivering on this re-build. Is this more a scouting issue or driven by guidance from ownership?
Keith Law: I don’t know – and BTW, it’s really the first round. They’ve botched several first-round picks, at least the three outfielders (Randolph, Moniak at 1, Haseley). Whether that is people or process I do not know.

Michael: Did the Angels know what they had in Trout that summer?
Keith Law: Yes.

Jack: Even if the consensus is that Zack Collins can’t catch at a major league level, is there a chance the Sox call him up this year and let him try anyway?
Keith Law: There’s some risk to doing that with a catcher that isn’t present at other positions – viz. that it will adversely affect the pitchers he’s catching. So I think not.

Mike: Keith, with your travels & your love of coffee, do you ever stop for a quick cup somewhere or always coffee houses? Any favorite quick stops?
Keith Law: No, nothing I would say I like.

wickethewok: Is this the power that Josh Bell was originally projected for or just an early season fluke?
Keith Law: This is the power I projected for him. Whether it’s real or a fluke is another question … I think it’s real, that the Pirates as a whole are encouraging hitters to drive the ball more even at some cost of contact.

Huh?: Is there any logical point that could be made to call Cortez the next Hitler? Is one of her main proposals genocide?
Keith Law: This is from the same people who think the Nazis were socialist because they used the word in their party’s name (they were textbook fascists, not socialists).

J: What is your favorite guitar riff?
Keith Law: The opening riff to Crazy Train is absolutely brilliant, and fun to play; Rhoads’ classical background showed better on that riff than anywhere else. Nothing in music makes me sadder than to think of the songwriting we lost when he died.

Ron: HI Keith- Buxton is healthy this year. Just sayin’! He looks so much more relaxed this year, even only if it is a SSS. His arm is as good as his speed and if he just hits .250-270, he is a star. There is some serious pop in that bat when he squares one.
Keith Law: I thought he was a star in 2017, then he was hurt most of last year, and now he’s healthy and what do you know, he’s a star again.

Michael: Do you ever scout a player who looks the part including the swing and bat speed, but just doesn’t put up numbers? I’m thinking Josh Vitters
Keith Law: Vitters is often my go-to example for this – beautiful swing, ton of power, and in the games he could never figure out when to swing and when to take.

OC Joe: What’s the ceiling for Soroka if he stays healthy? His ERA (duh) won’t be this low all season, but the only real negative in this SSS is a higher than expected walk total
Keith Law: Health is the #1 concern, obviously. Second is whether he can continue to dominate LHB as he has, despite not really using his CH and a low arm slot. If those stay true, #2 starter for me.

Joe: Keith, why do some minor league games start so early during the week, like at 9:30 or 10?
Keith Law: Schoolkids’ special. I love those games – I can go to one and be home in time to pick my daughter up from the bus.

James: Why do prospects generally lack a quality changeup? Hard pitch to master, or less sexy to have than a slider or curve?
Keith Law: In high school, especially, they almost never need one – the axiom is that, when you throw 95, throwing a HS hitter a changeup instead of your fastball is doing him a favor.

Andy: Do teams have portable Trackman things? Like can they go a couple hours early and set things up in a high school stadium to get spin rate on a high school pitcher in game?
Keith Law: Yes. Rapsodo makes a portable device teams use for some of those measurements.

Jonas: Keith, is Urshela’s performance sustainable? And at this point, is Luke Voit for real?
Keith Law: I think Voit is for real, given the details we have now (Lindsey Adler wrote about it for the Athletic) on changes to his swing and approach. Also, Yankee woo. I’m telling you.

Clifton Law : So Keith, based on your earlier Urshela response, you think there is something extra to putting on the pinstripes
Keith Law: I actually think they have some developmental ideas that haven’t generally spread out to other teams, yet, and that they’ve taken very good advantage of this temporary edge.

Harold: I, for one, can’t wait until the next election when a Democrat can be elected and the death in the streets, innocent people being locked up for not being white supremacists, and puppy kicking will finally end.
Keith Law: It’s really stupid to send me this shit from your work computer, buddy.

La Pantera: Do you think the Rodon, Jones, Dunning and Kopech injuries should make the White Sox reconsider their organizational pitching approach, more than an annual self-scouting review would do? Could this just be normal for clubs and freak occurrence that it’s happening to higher profile players for the Sox?
Keith Law: Nah. Rodon had a tough delivery and was badly overused in college, but also had one of the best sliders in amateur history. Kopech wasn’t even in their system all that long and almost nobody who throws that hard (other than Verlander?) can maintain it for long without elbow trouble. Bad set of coincidences.

Joe: Zac Gallen a potential Ace?
Keith Law: No.

Erik: you stated in your re-draft post that Trout would have went to the Yankees at pick 25 but wouldn’t it have been likely that the Angels would have snagged him at 24 instead of 25
Keith Law: If you’re assuming the Yankees kept that pick at 25, you should also assume the Mets kept pick 24.

Dan: It’s 2019 and some Boston sports media and plenty of fans were actually complaining that Cora took out Chris Sale when he did (108 pitches) because he could have gone for 20 strikeouts. Ntm, his injury issues the last two years.
Keith Law: I’m shocked (not shocked).

Bob: How would you rate Daniel Lynch’s secondary pitches?
Keith Law: Will write up on Friday. I am all in, though.

Tyler: Who has a higher ceiling: Fried or Soroka?
Keith Law: Fried.

addoeh: At least your daughter liked Pequods. I’ve probably recommended it a time or two here.
Keith Law: It’s not that it was bad – I just don’t like that style of pizza.

PD: Pretty big assumption that person actually has a job.
Keith Law: Oh I know exactly where he works now. And he’s been insulting me for a few weeks here.

Mike: At this point, do you think Drew Rasmussen can still start? The stuff is great, but the injury history still making me think he’s better off in the bullpen.
Keith Law: Two time TJ guy … I wouldn’t even chance it.

Mom’s spaghetti: What do the Astros do with Fisher, Tucker, Alvarez, and to a lesser extent Reed (seem to have ruined him)? Fisher almost has to be in a trade this summer but does he have enough value? Also, would you sell high on Alvarez? His stock can’t get higher!
Keith Law: Tucker and Alvarez would have some real trade value now; the others don’t seem to have much at all. I know they shopped Fisher in bigger deals this winter but he wasn’t enough to lead a package.

wickethewok: If the the 2009 Nationals were given Storen’s stats from 2010-2015, would they still make the pick? I know by most reasonable measures, including yours, he is a bust, but was this what the Nationals expected?
Keith Law: I didn’t call him a bust – that was an editor’s decision – and it’s not possible to separate the pick from the fact that it was unprotected and they had to have a predraft deal in place. (Of course, Trout would have signed for slot there, no question.)

Ozzie Albies: Have I ever seen a pitch I don’t like?
Keith Law: Pitch, or contract offer?

addoeh: What are the odds Keuchel, and perhaps Kimbrel, get close to their original asking price once the draft pick compensation goes away after the draft?
Keith Law: Keuchel more likely. Kimbrel I think gets one-year offers.

JR: Should the Mets aggressively be trying to give Conforto one of those extensions that are all the rage these days? I would.
Keith Law: I would too. Not sure he’d take one, but worth trying.

Dave: Sorry I should have been more specific: I was assuming Trout wouldn’t suddenly improve markedly in his late 30’s for, y’know, whatever reason. If he does, no argument, but I was wondering if you were assuming a similar path, or discounting Bonds, or really thought Trout was so much better young that he could reach 162 with a normal aging pattern. I’ll take your answer as meaning the latter.
Keith Law: I don’t think we can ever predict anyone to have Bonds’ aging pattern, but if there were a player alive today whom you might predict to have it, isn’t it Trout? Plus he might enter his 30s with a substantial WAR ‘lead.’

Sean: Gonsolin ceiling?
Keith Law: He and Balazovic were both on this list of : prospects who just missed my top 100.

AJ: Balazovic! Great call on your part. Do you see him as an above average starter and is it crazy to think we could see him before the end of 2020?
Keith Law: Above average starter but not in the majors before 2021.

Dr. Bob: One unknown factor in the redraft discussion is how a team may have mishandled a player’s development. It is possible that some ‘busts’ might have been solid major league regulars given a different course of development, maybe with a different team, right?
Keith Law: Absolutely. I wonder if Ackley’s career is different if he doesn’t go right to AA.

Zander: Hey Keith – any recent non-fiction recommendations?
Keith Law: Bad Blood, on the Theranos scandal.

Bobby: Best way to cope with death? Burying a family member tomorrow and it’s been rough.
Keith Law: See a counselor if you can. I don’t know any good way to cope, but I know lots of bad ways and it’s important to try not to fall into those traps. I’m very sorry for your loss.

Thornton Mellon: You ever read the Three Body Problem?
Keith Law: Yep, three years ago: my review.

Drew: I’m having trouble cutting activities out of my life that I’m pretty sure I don’t actually like or enjoy, but just kind of doing them out of obligation or fear of change; any opinions on how to stop?
Keith Law: Got me wondering what you might mean, but in the absence of that information, what about simply prioritizing other activities you do like or enjoy, so that the choice goes from “not doing X” to “doing something instead of X?”

Thornton Mellon: Is the new Tommy La Stella legit? You really see a 4-5 WAR player here?
Keith Law: It seems incredibly hard to believe, given the absence of any such power in his track record, but there’s also nothing obviously fluky in his numbers (other than the sample size).

alex: You mentioned the possiblity of the O’s not drafting Adley R. to save money on tougher signs. Doesn’t AZ have a lot of pool money and picks before the Os 2nd pick to scoop up these folks? Any candidates who are worthy tough signs?
Keith Law: Lots of HS guys who’d be worth it but the O’s can’t set their hearts on any one guy, because of Arizona specifically.
Keith Law: That’s all for this week – more phone work to do before the top 100, plus another ESPN project for draft week that needs my attention. Thank you all, as always, for all of your questions. I don’t know my exact schedule next week, other than that I’m planning to hit the ACC tournament briefly – I don’t think I’ll be revisiting the SEC tournament, held in Alabama, any time soon after the law they just passed – and may not be home for a Thursday chat. I’ll keep everyone posted on social media, though. Thanks again.