Klawchat 12/18/20.

Starting at 2 pm ET. My best-of-2020 board games posts are now up at Vulture, where I ranked the best by category; and Paste, where I ranked the top 15 overall. My top 100 songs of 2020 and top albums of the year will go up Monday and Tuesday.

Keith Law: It’s no place for the old. Klawchat.

KS: Assuming you’re able to attend games in 2021, what prospects are you most looking forward to seeing (both those you have previously seen and that you have not yet seen)?
Keith Law: I always skew towards players I haven’t seen, or whom I haven’t seen in a long time. But there are also guys like Mackenzie Gore, who should have debuted this past season but didn’t, or Jarren Duran, who’s made some substantial swing changes that I’d like to see in person (to see how they play against real pitching), in addition to, say, the major draft guys from 2020 I’d never seen (Max Meyer, Robert Hassell) and any international free agents who hadn’t debuted here yet.

Danielectomy: Which of the top free agents would likely best serve the Blue Jays?
Keith Law: Would any of them *not* serve the Blue Jays well? They would be better off with just about anyone from the top of my FA rankings who’s not a pure 1b/dh type.

Logan: Is the hype and the SSS of Bohm enough to label him a potential star opposite Harper?
Keith Law: Hype never made anyone a better player. I don’t think he can stay at 3b but I think the hit tool will be more than enough to make him a longtime above-average regular.

Frank: Honest opinion.  Did teams really lose money last season??  Or just not make as much as they projected??
Keith Law: I would believe that some teams actually did lose money in 2020, maybe all teams, but far less than they claim (or that gullible fink sportswriters claim on their behalf).
Keith Law: They did lose more than 1/2 a season of broadcast revenues and corporate sponsorship money, and a full season of attendance, concessions, and ancillary revenues (like parking). Their costs were also reduced, but not by as much. I’m not crying for the owners, who will still get the capital appreciation that made them buy sports teams in the first place, but it is plausible that most teams were cash negative in 2020.

Gerry: Hey KLaw!!!  The Phillies/Wheeler fiasco a couple weeks ago aside, what would the Phils realistically get from a Nola trade, instead of Wheeler?  I would think they’d get a huge haul for a top of young, top of rotation starter, on a great contract. Shouldn’t Dombrowski at least consider it?
Keith Law: No, he shouldn’t.
Keith Law: That might be the worst possible move for the team right now, given where they are.

Frank: With so many sports games being cancelled on all levels, professional thru HS, what is the expectation for scouting for the upcoming draft?  And will MLB require all players in minors and majors to get vaccine?
Keith Law: Sounds like we’ll have some sort of spring to scout, which is good since there was so little over the summer. I don’t think MLB can flat-out require that without the union’s consent – and the vaccine has to be available, not waiting for a petulant lame-duck administration to release it.

Buckner86: Why did Chris Paddock have such a rough 2020?  Is it fixable?
Keith Law: I’m going to go on a limb and say it was the 14 homers allowed in 59 innings that did it. And it was almost all on his four-seamer. He still doesn’t have an average breaking ball, and even lefties, who should have been more vulnerable with his plus-plus changeup, got to his fastball way too often.

Dan M.: Do you find that take out from fine dining establishments is justified?  I am debating getting Bardea for a birthday celebration this weekend.
Keith Law: Yes, we’ve gotten takeout from Bardea (which I think is the best restaurant in Wilmington right now) several times, and eaten once in their outdoor tent, although I’m not entirely sure that tent is “outdoor” enough. But the food is great and they do a fantastic job prepping and packaging it for takeout.

Drew: Can Tyler O’Neill get over his strikeout issues?
Keith Law: I am not a big believer in his bat. He’s always been such a dead-pull, ambush a fastball sort of hitter.

section 34: When does MLB free agency start?

Or, please remove “When” and answer the question without it, if you prefer.
Keith Law: The Mets have signed a few, including the first four-year deal of the winter. It’s been slow the last few winters even without a pandemic.

MK26: Hi Keith
Do you think It Can’t Happen Here because America is exceptional or that it just didn’t happen here this time because we are exceptionally lucky? We just learned that ~70 million citizens and a large chunk of elected officials are fine living in a dictatorship so long as their guy gets to do the dictating. Isn’t it just chance that our despot is a particularly epic level of imbecile and that his Elite Strike Force assigned to steal power ended up being a 3-person Ocean’s Eleven that ran through the casino floor shouting ‘we’re robbing the casino’ then knocked themselves unconscious in a smear of black hair dye as they smacked headfirst into the locked vault doors? I just worry what happens next time now that we know it’s actually not a very hard vault to break into.
Keith Law: I share that fear – that this particular wannabe tyrant showed more competent wannabe tyrants how it can be done.

Guest: White Sox fandom is all of a sudden down on Michael Kopech. Do you have reservations about him being a quality starter in 2021?
Keith Law: No. Who cares if the fans are down on a guy?

addoeh: Given how you’ve said you watch their games now. has your partner taught you the words to “Fly, Eagles Fly” yet?
Keith Law: Yes, and I’ve discovered you can pretty much sing them to the tune of “O Canada.”

Josh C: I think I remember you being a big fan of John Le Carre. Have you read any of the books by his son Nick Harkaway? I highly recommend both Angelmaker and Tigerman
Keith Law: I really enjoyed Le Carré’s Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy and The Spy Who Came in from the Cold, but found some of his later work, like The Tailor of Panama, disappointing. Have not read any of his son’s books.

ffballmaster: Do you think Gerrit Crochet has top of the rotation potential or ends up as a high end bullpen arm?  Impressive debut but not sure how you’d rank him among some of the other draftees like Meyer and Lacy.
Keith Law: Bullpen guy. Basically a one-pitch guy in college, with control issues and trouble staying healthy. That’s a lot to fix to make him a starter.

Lorne Volat: Do you have any recommendations for games (board, etc.) for a 5 1/2 yo?
Keith Law: Yes – if you look at the links at the top of this chat I included Dragomino, a new game for ages 5+ (really, for 4+) based on Kingdomino, in both year-end roundups.
Keith Law: I also think Ticket to Ride First Journey is great, as are Friends of a Feather, Outfoxed, and Hoot Owl Hoot.

Sadtigerfan: Who do you think will be the better overall player Riley Greene or Spencer Torkelson?
Keith Law: Torkelson will get there first, but unless he ends up playing third base, I might bet on Greene as the better long-term player. He has the higher ceiling, at least, although that’s not the same thing.

Terry: Is there a big-ticket move that you like best for the Mets? Trade for Lindor/Arenado? Sign Springer? Sign the Alt-Righty? Trade for someone else?
Keith Law: Any of those, really. But if you are one of the only owners willing to spend, the best values should be found in free agency rather than trade.

JR: The Mets signing Mcann feels very much like the old Mets regime. Overpaying for a fringe backup player to fill an open position rather then getting the top dog or waiting on the market (or even a GM) to see if you could get a better option. Hopefully a blip in the road and not a sign of things to come.
Keith Law: I largely agree with this. It also is a weird bet on very tiny samples, and that seems like the sort of thing teams did 20 or 30 years ago.

Dallas: What level will the top HS picks from 2019 start at this year? I assume the top picks (Witt, Greene, Abrams, Baty, Cavaco, Carroll, etc) were part of the 60-man pools so I’m curious if that allows them to possibly start at 2A (maybe even the Majors for Witt). Thanks.
Keith Law: There is no chance Witt starts in the majors. He hasn’t played above short-season ball. I doubt any player you listed starts above high-A.

John: Happy Holidays, I hope you and yours are safe and healthy this season.  When are you estimating you’ll get a COVID vaccine, I’m hoping I get the full treatment by mid-summer but recognize that thankfully many more people need it before me?
Keith Law: I will get it as soon as I’m allowed, but I’m not in any category that would put me in the first or second tiers – not an essential worker, not old enough, no known comorbidities, not working in any settings where I’d be justified in skipping the line.

Claudio: Ciao KLaw! I get I might be biased (Braves fan) but I don’t get how Andruw is so far away from the threshold. 10 years average of 34 HRs and 103 rbi, 10 straight gold gloves while playing one of the best (if not the best) CF in history. Are his last few years enough to discourage writers to vote him in? I don’t get it.
Keith Law: RBIs don’t matter, Gold Gloves are stupid (although he is, IMO, the best defensive OF of all time), but his career was basically over at age 31 because of knee problems. I think he’s very borderline, but have voted for him because his impact on baseball in Curaçao and Aruba has been enormous. Without him, we may not have Xander Bogaerts, or Andrelton Simmons, or Ozzie Albies.

Brian: Am I going mad?  I thought you had a Twitter link to a rule 5 article on the Athletic…which was not there when I sighted in…
Keith Law: I didn’t write up anything on the rule 5 other than a ‘brief’ where I mentioned that the two best guys taken were probably Akil Baddoo and Jose Soriano, both of whom are recovering from elbow surgery.

Jason S (Brewcrew): How broken is the league? I just honestly dont understand Rob Manfred anymore. I am an accountant. To me– he’s running the league from the standpoint of a PE exec, not someone who loves baseball. I hate Roger Gooddell, but at least we know he loves the game.
Keith Law: Well, he’s not extracting money from teams like private equity folks do, at least not yet. I don’t get a lot of what Manfred does and says, though.

Beeds: vladdy looking fit! This the year he gets in the Acuna Tatis stratosphere?
Keith Law: I still think he’s going to be an offensive star, but these news stories are just early “best shape of his life!” folderol.

Kevin: What length of contract/$$ would you be comfortable giving Springer if you were Jared Porter??
Keith Law: I would give him the largest contract of anyone this winter – which is why I ranked him #1 – probably six years and something in the $30MM/year range, although the market may not support it this year.

Beeds: Fit Vladdy! Assuming he now stats to reach his Offensive potential how “good” of a defender at 3B does he need to be to be plus plus value?
Keith Law: Same question twice, sort of, but I don’t see any way he plays third base.

Patty O’Furniture: Is there any chance the Reds would be interested in moving Eugenio Suarez to a team that falls short on a trade for Kris Bryant (Braves, Nats, etc.)
Keith Law: They should, and then put Nick Senzel back on the dirt where he belongs.

That Guy in Detroit: Tuberville is a place where fantasies become conspiracies
Keith Law: His election is proof that you could run Mickey Mouse on the right party ticket in a strongly red/blue state and he’d still win.

Chuck S.: Feelings on “separating the art from the artist?” Because this new Ryan Adams album is damn good.
Keith Law: That’s a great question to which I don’t have a great answer. My personal policy has been to avoid spending money on art from artists whose behavior are so odious – I won’t pay a dime to watch anything with or by Mel Gibson, for example. Is Adams over that line? I feel like he probably is. But it’s also hard for me to forget that I loved some of his music before we knew who he really was.

Kip: Happy holidays.  When your daughter was younger how did you maintain your reading habit?  We have an infant with another on the way and it’s incredibly difficult.  I’ve tried reading a set number of pages per night but it feels like work.
Keith Law: The year she was born was my personal reading low, as in the fewest books I’ve read in any year since I started tracking how many books I read a year. By year two, I was traveling a good bit more, though, and I read a lot while I’m on the road.

Shane: Josiah Grey a #1?
Keith Law: I don’t believe so.

Kevin: So obvioudly the NL needs the DH to continue but it looks like Manfred might use it as a “bargaining chip” in the next CBA so it won’t be there in 2021.  With that in mind what should the Mets do for 2021 with Dom and Alonso.  Just hold onto both and wait for 2022?  Personally I would love for them to see what Alonso would get in a trade but I doubt they will do that.
Keith Law: I’d hold on to both – I can’t see them dealing Alonso, given his popularity and value.

Jim: Keith- big local Trenton Thunder fan here. What is the viability of the MLB draft league?
Keith Law: I don’t know what their economic model will be now – I assume from the minor league teams’ perspective, their costs are going to be pretty similar, since they weren’t paying the players’ salaries as minor league affiliates, and now the draft league players won’t be paid because they’re amateurs. How much will revenues decline with the new model? These teams certainly lose out on the annual boost when, say, Aaron Judge comes through for a couple of rehab games, and that’s probably a decent part of their annual revenues. If their average attendance in ‘regular’ games goes down as well, are they no longer profitable?
Keith Law: I don’t know. Nobody really knows, but I have my doubts that all of these dis-affiliated teams will survive.

Guest: Keith, why does it take the Cleveland organization 1-2 years to change the racist name of their baseball club to the “Cleveland Spiders?”  It should be done yesterday.
Keith Law: Yep. They have probably 90 days or so until anyone is reporting to spring training. They could get it done if this actually mattered to them.

Matt: Should Andrew Vaughn be slated to start the season in Chicago?  Pretty big hole at DH on the south side
Keith Law: No, since there’s no real reason to think he’s ready for the majors.
Keith Law: Prospects aren’t ready when you want them to be; they’re ready on their own timetables. Rushing them doesn’t change that, and there’s always some small chance that it ends up slowing their development.

Tommy: Played settlers for the first time over thanksgiving and loved it. im sure you’ve played a ton but where does it rank all time for you?
Keith Law: I just happen to have a ranking of my top 100 games right here for you.

CR: If you’re the Mets, do you prefer Bauer or Springer? I’m all in on Springer but admittedly biased because I think he’s a great guy and his work with kids who stutter hits close to home. But from a baseball standpoint, I think the Mets resources would be better spent on Springer plus two second tier starters. And a trade for Lindor of course. Thanks for the chat!
Keith Law: Position player over pitcher.

Andy: I would think Cano would be a debatable  HOF case based on #’s. I suspect that the positive tests doom him. First thoughts, if he’s done would you be voting for him?
Keith Law: He’s probably over the bar for me. I haven’t barred anyone from my ballot over positive tests, but when I had more names than slots, I prioritized guys without over guys with (e.g., Manny Ramirez was off my ballot until I had room). Also, Cano has a slightly higher career WAR than Chase Utley, but I’d put Utley higher.
Keith Law: And both Lou Whitaker and Bobby Grich had more WAR than Cano and still can’t get a damn sniff.

Tyler: Game recommendation for a 5 1/2 year old:  Sleeping Queens.  There’s some math learning as well as a little strategy so it’s not too painful for the adults.  It also has gentle elements of messing with each other so it’s been a great chance to learn about sportsmanship.
Keith Law: I will check that one out, thank you.

Victoria: Have you ever read Heart of the Matter by Graham Greene?
Keith Law: Yes – I’ve read every Greene novel still in print. My favorites are still Our Man in Havana, The Power and the Glory, and The Quiet American.

Robbie: It’s Ronald Acuña Jr.s 23rd birthday today. Do you think he’ll ever fix the hole in his swing so that he can maximize his potential and actually be top of the league caliber
Keith Law: If he has a hole in his swing, what would he be like if he “fixed” it? Mike Trout?

Sedona: I’ve seen articles on how Aaron Ashby really impressed during alt site.  Is he a legit prospect?  Future rotation piece?
Keith Law: Legit prospect and possible rotation piece, yes.

Justin: How long do you think it takes for the Lindor trade market to get moving? I’ve seen opinions that he won’t get Cleveland as much as Boston got for Betts, and Betts is the better player probably? But Boston did attach Price’s contract to that deal and at most, Cleveland adding someone like Carrasco to the deal wouldn’t be the albatross  (not the right word, but best I could come up with) that Price’s deal was, right?
Keith Law: Betts is the better player, and I wonder if there was more belief Betts would consider an extension than Lindor, who has been adamant about getting to free agency (as is his collectively bargained right, I might add). But there isn’t that much difference between the two. As for when it gets going, I don’t know. Something has to happen to set a market, but what prompts that first something?

CR: Last comment from me, but I messaged in the last chat about my family suffering from covid after my wife, who is a nurse, brought it home from the hospital. We’re all recovered now, but it was a hellish three weeks. Absolutely not a joke. I hope everyone gets the vaccine and trusts the science, but if history is an indication…
Keith Law: Glad to hear you’re recovering. There are still way too many people who should know better acting like this thing doesn’t kill, even with a new report this week that the death rate for Americans 25-44 was much higher this year so far due to the pandemic.

Kevin: There seems to be a narrative going around that Bauer has overcame poor genetics to succeed via hard work. He’s like 6’1” and not exactly rail thin though, he doesn’t look like lincecum or anything. Am I missing something?
Keith Law: I have heard that narrative and don’t really understand it. He’s like 5″ taller than Stroman or Sonny Gray, both of whom had to overcome a lot more bias in the industry against short right-handers.

Sedona: Domingo German looks nasty in winter league… are the Deivi’s and Schmidt’s overtake him if all are healthy?
Keith Law: I don’t really ever need to see German in the majors again. I also never bought him as a starter.

Canadian person: Would signing Realmuto, and then trading from their catching depth to address other areas be a good plan a for the Jays?
Keith Law: Yes, absolutely. I know a lot of fans would be bummed to see Kirk go, and there’s a chance he ends up some kind of outlier star, but there’s a lot of risk there given his build.

Chris: thoughts on the new season of “Big Mouth?”
Keith Law: Haven’t watched yet.

Nate: Thoughts on Jo Adell and what he just did in 2020, I know super small sample size, but swing and miss has always been part of his game. What does he need to adjust to in your opinion?
Keith Law: He needed more time in AAA, and I’d put him and similar prospects in the group more likely to be hurt by all the lost at bats.

Jon Sloan: Hi from SD Keith, can’t wait to have you out next year, eat some fried bird and talk baseball
Keith Law: I was just thinking about the Crack Shack (where Jon is exec chef) the other day when I was talking to my daughter & my partner about fried chicken sandwiches … and then again because someone brought up the 2019 Winter Meetings. I don’t miss the meetings per se but damn a trip to San Diego would be nice right now (gestures at 2″ of ice and snow outside).

Noah: Do you have a favorite chicken recipe?  I’ve got two chickens I’m breaking down for the weekend (BBQ legs tonight) and need a good one for the breasts tomorrow.  Thanks, Keith!
Keith Law: Sticking with a theme … I don’t like cooking plain chicken breasts on their own, because they dry out too easily. Either I roast them on the whole bird, or I slice them thinly into cutlets and bread & fry them (season with salt, pepper, and smoked paprika; dredge in egg; then coat in panko and fry two minutes per side in olive oil).
Keith Law: That’s for your regular store-bought broiler/fryer. If you have access to really high quality chicken, though, that’s another story.

mike: I’m a big comp guy for some reason, so feel free to shoot this one down.  Does Austin Martin have the chance to become a Mookie Betts type player?  Developing power on top of a stellar hit tool…
Keith Law: I don’t do comps, really. I think Martin could be a superstar, given his athleticism, contact skills, and chance to be a plus fielder at a skill position. I don’t think he’s much like Betts.

Marc: you see Kumar Rocker as the best pitcher in the draft?
Keith Law: I do not. Most famous, yes, but not best.

Tom C: So Keith based on some of your recent tweets, do you think the Eagles take the cap hit and trade Wentz or… wait what the hell chat am I in here
Keith Law: God I hope they do. Wentz didn’t even take a snap last Sunday, yet he was sacked four times and picked off twice.

Snowy: DeSclafani looks like another good under the radar signing from Farhan. Do you think they still have work to do filling out rotation behind Gausman-Cueto-Tony Disco?
Keith Law: I’m not sure he’s ever going to be a starter for them.

xxx(yyy): any documentary recs from the last few months?
Keith Law: Transhood was great. Haven’t seen any buzz about that one.  The Donut King was above-average too even though I had some small criticisms.

xxx(yyy): is cautious excitement the right reaction to the Rangers naming Chris Young as the GM?
Keith Law: I don’t know anything about him or what his philosophy might be, so I don’t have an opinion either way. I would prefer to interview him if we’re both sitting down first, though.

Andy: Re COVID-19: Eduardo Rodriguez had heart issues. Mo Bamba (NBA player) is still recovering from his infection in June. A college basketball player collapsed on the court. These are professional athletes in their prime who are suffering non death related complications. There’s more than just dying to getting sick. Wear your masks and social distance.
Keith Law: We are pretty lucky nobody in MLB got terribly sick – and by “in MLB” I’m including non-player personnel, some of which surely did get COVID-19 during any of the outbreaks (Marlins, Cards, Dodgers). Just because we didn’t hear about it doesn’t mean it didn’t happen.

xxx(yyy): do you listen to Jazz? any favorite albums?
Keith Law: Not much, just some of the most well-known stuff – Coltrane, Miles Davis. I loved Moses Boyd’s album this year Dark Matter and enjoyed the work he did with Tori Handsley.

Noah: My butcher in Brooklyn – The Meat Hook, they’re the best – has high quality, pasture-raised chicken from small farms in upstate NY.  But appreciate the suggestion!
Keith Law: Those birds are going to taste completely different in the best possible way. Also you probably get a higher dark meat/light meat ratio. Enjoy!

Key Flaw: With the pandemic and minor league (and amateur mostly) shut down, is there a chance that this will positively affect young arms because they aren’t overused? I’m thinking fewer high school seniors and college pitchers throwing 180 Pitches might be better than missing out on a year of development?
Keith Law: Yes, I’ve speculated that and also that some pitchers who were heading towards arm trouble might be spared that by a forced year off from competitive pitching. Not just trying to find a silver lining, but I think giving a wearing-down shoulder like 18 months between pitches thrown in anger might be a good thing?

Guest: When you play board games, how important – if at all – is that you win?
Keith Law: Now, not at all, as long as I feel like the game gave everyone a chance to win.

xxx(yyy): what is your process for “finding” articles for things like the newsletter or stick to baseball? twitter discovery? RSS readers? other content aggregators?
Keith Law: Yep, all of those. My partner sends me a lot of great articles she finds, and since we work in totally different spheres she sees things I don’t.

Mike: Any chance the Rockies actually play any young players this year?  What is the point of being a draft-and-develop type organization if you won’t play players when they are ready?
Keith Law: I understand the frustration, but also would cut them a little slack in that they’ve had the odd misfortune of having prospects develop and then be blocked by established big leaguers (e.g., Macmahon, who did play some last year, was a third baseman before they moved him).

Frank: End of the year movie wrap-up, starting to see some “best of…” lists come out.  Have not see much push for it, but best film I saw this year is ANTEBELLUM.  Really thought it was directed well and Monae had a blistering performance.  I think it was dismissed due to it is basically an elaborate Twilight Zone episode.  Also saw as criticism that it suffers from GET OUT fatigue?!?!  (How many smart, african american horror movies have their been??)
Keith Law: You are literally the first person I’ve seen say a good thing about that movie. I know the spoiler, and oh my god, it sounds dumb.

Rob: What’s your preferred method to make at home pizza? Do you have any thoughts on the Ooni pizza ovens? Thank you!
Keith Law: I own an Ooni oven and it’s fantastic. Just hard to use when it’s 30 degrees (it works fine, I just don’t want to run in and out in this temperature).

BL: Speaking of the Rockies, if you’re in charge there, what are you doing?
Keith Law: As much as Rockies fans are frustrated right now, that’s the hardest GM job in baseball, in my opinion. Any exec there will have more of a challenge, even if all else were equal, than anyone else. I think that, even 28+ seasons in, no one has hit on a good formula for building a pitching staff that can last over multiple seasons. Until you crack that, you are constantly improvising, and doing so with less money than at least a few of your most important competitors. That doesn’t justify the money they’ve spent on relievers lately, though. That strategy hasn’t worked at all.

Chris: America’s Test Kitchen method for pizza is to put a pizza stone on the lower rack of your oven, crank the temperature to 500 degrees, and let it heat for an hour before cooking. It turns out perfectly crisp every time.
Keith Law: It depends on your dough, more than anything. I make pizzas that way (ATK didn’t exactly invent that) using a dough that’s higher hydration than the dough I use for the Ooni, which gets up to 800 degrees and thus cooks the pizza far faster, meaning less time for evaporation. My indoor pizzas cook in six minutes, but in the Ooni it’s about 90 seconds. Two different doughs, and different approaches to toppings too.

Sam: Does Spring Training start on time?  Are we going to have a 162 game schedule this year?
Keith Law: Reports this week seemed to indicate no to both. 130 games? With a 100 game minor league season? I’d be ecstatic.

hogan: Isn’t ‘sportsmanship’ listed as something to be considered when voting for hall of famers? How do you square that when voting for guys who got cheating with PEDs?

Also, thoughts on the Negro Leagues being included statistically with MLB?
Keith Law: Sure. Define ‘sportsmanship.’ To say nothing of the probability that more players used PEDs than just the ones who tested positive. It’s an unsolvable quagmire that I choose not to use as a binary variable in voting. For what it’s worth, I think Cano has no chance – enough voters will hold two tests against him that he’ll languish well below the 75% mark, maybe even fall off entirely. But if he’s one of the ten best guys on the ballot, I will at least consider voting for him.

JL: Re: Andruw Jones and his career being basically over at 31. He started at 19/20. It seems he’d have been better served starting his career around age 23 and fading out at 33/34 than having it start and peak when it did. His peak was fantastic and over one 10 year period I believe, only Bonds had a higher WAR.
Keith Law: Yes, his peak was fantastic, but he didn’t have the longevity of most Hall of Famers. Not all, but most.

Jason: The CBAs for the NFL, NBA, and NHL require that roughly 50% of the revenue goes to the players.  Obviously the MLBPA has always opposed a salary cap (in whatever form), and I know that you—quite rightly—don’t like the idea of artificially capping what players earn.  With that said, what percentage of revenues in 2019 would you estimate the players received?  I’m curious as to whether a similar arrangement would actually benefit the players now
Keith Law: That’s a great question to which I do not know the answer. I do think any attempt to cap players’ earnings will end up enriching the owners. You can bank on that. It might, however, redistribute the money paid to players in a way that benefits more players than it harms.
Keith Law: (I feel like there’s a socialism joke to make there but I’m too tired.)

Jim: Keith, thanks as ever for doing these chats! What do you think about the PCL withdrawing from MiLB?  Inevitable leaving a sinking ship, ensuring they’re not drawn into any lawsuit, or …?  Also, regarding the vaccine, while I have mixed feelings on making it mandatory, the MLBPA has no say in the matter since minor leaguers are infamously not part of the union and left by MLB players to twist in the wind.
Keith Law: I don’t know about the legal liability but the move was largely a paper one. MiLB is ceasing to exist as an independent entity. The MLBPA would have a say in the matter on vaccines for major leaguers.

Sedona: Corbin Burnes an ACE?
Keith Law: I’d be more comfortable calling him a very good #2.

John: are most non-elite starters fairly inconsistent year-to-year like RP or is there more consistency in 3,4,5 starters as a whole than I’m imagining?  i’m not sure that is quantifiable or not but was always curious
Keith Law: That’s probably going to depend on your definition of a #3 or #4 starter. I would guess most GMs and managers would value more consistency in those spots even if they’re giving up some ceiling.

Dave C: Keith thanks for all the chats and columns in 2020.  Was something I always enjoyed reading and learning from!
Kip: Thanks, Keith.  I’ve long enjoyed your work and your perspective.  Stay safe.
TomBruno23: No snarky questions from me, simply want to say Happy Holidays (Christmas for you, Hannukah for me, anything to anyone else out there) and thank you for all of the content you provide during the year.
Dr. Bob: No question today. Just thanks for the chats. Merry Christmas to all.
Keith Law: You’re quite welcome. I appreciate all of your support and readership over the years, not least during this one.
Keith Law: That’s all for this week, and I think that’ll be the last Klawchat until 2021. (I’ll try to sneak in a video chat of some sort next week, though.) Thank you all for reading and for all of your questions. Please stay safe during the holiday break, even if it means declining to see some friends or family members, and wear your masks any time you’re around folks outside of your household or pod. Have a happy holiday of your choosing.