Klaw:Started with a pow, and I’m gonna end it with a bang. Klawchat.
Ray Michael: As a Giants Fan this Eddy Julio Martinez thing is just so strange. What is the latest you are hearing? Who has the edge the Cubs or the Giants?
Klaw: He has an agreement with the Cubs that should be binding, as he didn’t sign the term sheet with the Giants … and I know there’s a disagreement over whether the Giants’ term sheet reflected their initial financial offer to the player.
A Canadian: Have you ever seen anything less Canadian (or generally unedifying) than Toronto fans raining debris and abuse onto the field?
Klaw: Idiots are idiots regardless of nationality, unfortunately.
Jim (on the ledge): Okay, Keith. Washington’s first managerial interview is with Dusty Baker. I’m hoping it’s just a “courtesy” interview, although saying he’s “better than Williams” doesn’t reassure me. Granted the Prior/Wood issues were over 10 years ago, and lineup construction can be overrated, but still, how worried should I be?
Klaw: He’s absolutely not worth hiring. It would be a dumb PR-oriented move that would be more likely to set the franchise back rather than forward, and with the Mets ascendant and only likely to improve from here – it’s pretty easy to forecast them as a 95-win team in 2016 with only marginal changes – the Nats would be shooting themselves in the face by hiring someone so regressive.
Nick: Hi Keith…was Matt Arnold a good choice as Asst. GM for the Brewers? Does his background and/or strengths and weaknesses compliment David Stearns’ in your opinion?
Klaw: Nice guy, extremely well-regarded by his colleagues and the scouts who worked for him in Tampa, but the last part of your question does address one of my questions too – are they too similar in background and philosophy?
Will: Now that Corey Seager has graduated, is JP Crawford the best prospect in baseball?
Klaw: Seager has not graduated; I use rookie eligibility on my lists, so players like Seager and I believe Steven Matz remain eligible despite having some major-league service.
George: Which player would you say most inexplicably barrels-up baseballs (hits the ball hard), in spite of poor plate discipline and/or swing mechanics?
Klaw: Have you seen Hunter Pence hit?
Johnny (Billerica, MA): Would you say that Anderson Espinoza is the most highly touted pitching prospect after Urias?
Klaw: Highly touted is a subjective term; he’s certainly receiving tremendous praise and publicity for a 17-year-old, but neither of those guys is the top pitching prospect in the minors right now.
Derek: What’s your favorite wintertime braise?
Klaw: Favorite is short ribs with red wine and dried figs, but that’s a once or twice a winter thing because they are so unhealthful (and I need to at least pay attention to that stuff).
Derek: True or False: Trea Turner should be on the Nats opening day 25 man roster.
Klaw: True.
Kingpin: I know you wrote an Insider piece on Eddy Julio Martinez, but I don’t have Insider access. (I’m a single dad with 3 teenage sons, so I have incredibly limited disposable income. Thanks for continuing the chats for those of us who can’t afford Insider but really love your work.) Any way, how refined is Eddy Julio’s game? What is his MLB ETA?
Klaw: I appreciate your honesty … I’ve had folks come to me at games and openly mock Insider, saying they could pay for it but refuse to on philosophical grounds, which strikes me as a rather bizarre place to make an ethical stand. Anyway, I don’t have any idea of his plate discipline, but I love his swing, body, and athleticism, and would probably start him in low-A with an eye toward a quick promotion if he shows his approach is advanced.
Dana: Should the Yankees go all in on Jason Heyward even though they have Gardner/Ellsbury/Beltran in the OF next year?
Klaw: Beltran can barely move in RF; you could argue they have Judge almost ready for that spot, but of course you’d rather have Heyward out there. I think it depends more on what they intend to do with Ellsbury; if he’s really this bad a player now, does he become a contract to dump, in which case they could put Gardner in CF and Judge in LF?
Robert: Was Matheny ignoring Siegrist’s reverse splits against lefties the worst managing decision of the Divisional Round?
Klaw: This has been such a huge debate – whether there’s such a thing as a LHP with a reverse split – but from a scouting POV it’s pretty evident that a lefty who has a good changeup/split and almost never throws breaking balls is going to have a reverse or neutral split. Matheny treating him like a lefty specialist is the mistake, because all available evidence, statistical and scouting, says that Siegrest is NOT that.
Jock Thompson: Glad you’re over here and restriction-free on your opinions. And thanks for reminding us of these chats and transcripts over on Facebook. Though we don’t always agree, yours is one of the more valuable on-line voices in informing my baseball opinions.
Klaw: I wouldn’t expect anyone to “always agree” with me, but if readers think I make good arguments then I’m happy.
Christopher: What is the greatest threat to the future of humanity? Climate change, or bat flips?
Klaw: Democrats say … nope, wait, not going there.
John: Why do you so easily want to give away your second amendment right? There are already thousands of gun laws. It’s a slippery slope when citizens give away rights.
Klaw: The slippery slope fallacy is a fun one. Anyway, your bigger error is assuming that your interpretation of that right mirrors mine or everyone else’s. Haven’t we all spent 200 years arguing over what exactly that right entails – whether the “well-regulated militia” part matters, and whether it proscribes any restrictions on the types of guns citizens may own?
Dan: Do the Cubs have another step forward ahead of them? As a Pirates fan I’m afraid they are going to get squeezed between some good (and somewhat lucky) Cards teams and a potential dynasty Cubs.
Klaw: Yes, I think they do. I think they’ll go after a top starting pitcher FA this winter, and there are still a few prospects on the farm who haven’t reached the point where they’re widely known yet.
Alan: Three of four series go to game five. Homeruns that still haven’t landed. Awesome pitchers being awesome. Yet, i haven’t heard a “fyeahbaseball” in forever. C’mon Keith! it’s for the children! (Provided the children are 35 year old men who absolutely should be paying more attention in this meeting they’re in right now)
Klaw: To be honest, and I know this won’t be a terribly popular opinion, I thought the Jays/Rangers’ game sucked. The Rangers took the lead on a freak play – correctly adjudicated by the umps, by the way – that led to idiot fans throwing garbage. Then the Jays tie the game on three errors before Bautista does that thing he does so well. The whole inning took something like 40 minutes and it wasn’t 40 minutes of baseball, but like 15 minutes of talking and arguing and cleaning up. It’s just an aesthetic opinion, but that’s not the kind of game I’m hoping to see in the playoffs.
Adam: Question the world has been debating, unless you are party-killer Sam Dyson: Better bat flip – Yo or Joey Bats?
Klaw: Bautista. There was some serious fuck-you in that flip.
Brint: What is the likelihood that Aaron Altherr becomes an above average regular in OF? Is his defense athleticism enough to overcome his potential shortcomings as a hitter?
Klaw: Very low.
J: Hey now! Do you think Arcia and Crawford break camp with the Brewers and Phils? Or start @ AAA?
Klaw: Both AAA. No reason for either team to promote those players too soon.
Michael: Would you say that fouling off a tough pitch rather than putting it in play softly is a skill or just luck?
Klaw: It’s a skill, IMO.
aaron, houston texas: With astros bullpen being terrible, does that change your thinking on “pay for relievers”?
Klaw: No – they paid for two of those key guys, Neshek and Gregerson. The problem was that they didn’t get guys who miss bats, not in the free agents nor from their own system. They need to figure out which of the hard-throwing prospects is better suited to the bullpen – Feliz, Velazquez, McCullers, etc.
Donnie: Who do you have winning the LAD-NYM series. Your response in last week’s chat conflicted with your ESPN article. Thanks.
Klaw: OH MY GOD I CHANGED MY MIND ON SOMETHING HOW DARE I DO THAT
Nicholas: Thoughts on the Jerry Dipoto hire?
Klaw: Strong choice. Surprised he hasn’t made more changes below him, though.
Kent: Was rangers 7th inning collapse in your opinion the biggest “choke” in post season history?
Klaw: One, no, and two, I hate using that word for the way it implies some kind of character failure. It’s baseball. One team will lose and there will probably be a mistake or two along the way.
KC: Can you explain why you were ok with the bunt in the Toronto game?
Klaw: I’m not exactly sure which bunt you mean. Didn’t Goins bunt vs a LHP at some point? He’s an automatic out vs lefties anyway.
Jim Boden: Hi keith. Khris davis for Aiken and Bobby bradley. Fair enough for both brewers and indians? Indians need a cheap right-handed slugger(empty DH slot) and brewers need high ceiling prospecrs. What do you think?
Klaw: Good grief that’s a stupid trade for Cleveland.
JR: I know I shouldn’t be, but I’m still shocked at the lack of urgency managers will show in important playoff games. For example, it was obvious Mchugh didn’t have his best stuff last night. No way he should’ve started the 5th (and bringing in Fiers to start the 5th would’ve probably been much more comfortable for him). Same thing in Cubs/Cards game 3. It was obvious Wacha was ineffective. Matheny had the opportunity to pinch hit for him in 4th and turn it over to bullpen but sent him out to hit and he got hit hard in the 5th.
Klaw: The Wacha situation was worse because of that AB and because that game was still very much in reach. Had Hinch pulled McHugh after 4 for Walter Johnson they would still have lost that game.
Chris G.: I know you work for a cable network, but it seems really stupid to me that I can’t stream the play-offs live online because I don’t have cable and blackout rules apply in my area. Why won’t the MLB take my money?
Klaw: I agree completely. MLB has to adjust to the increasing number of households who are ditching cable/satellite. I may be joining that number this winter.
Corey: Boston seems to have a group of almost-but-not-quite players who are blocked at AAA – Cecchini, Brentz, Coyle, Marrero, Brian Johnson, etc Do you retain as taxi squad insurance or do any of them have any trade value?
Klaw: I think you shop all of those guys who have value – that’s Marrero, Cecchini, Johnson (if healthy), Holt, JBJ – particularly targeting high-end arms.
Ben: Between the Mets and Dodgers, which team would you say the Cubs have a better shot against?
Klaw: Probably Dodgers. BTW, I didn’t clarify my answer above – when I actually sat down to write my real predictions (which aren’t worth much anyway), I thought the matchup favored the Mets much more than it did at first glance, which is why I picked them to win the series in four. Those odds change a bit now with Greinke pitching again and the game in LA, but I’d still give a very slight edge to NY.
Ethan: RE: last night’s freak play – time to revisit the rules around live balls now that the batter can’t leave the batter’s box? Doesn’t it seem like a return ball hitting the batter will happen a lot more now?
Klaw: I think we’d need to see it happening a lot, or batters trying to sneak the bat out there a little bit to make something like this happen, before we change the rules. It was weird, but it is extremely rare, and the umps got the call right. I do wish Dale Scott hadn’t confused the issue by calling time, but oh well.
Cody: Do you think Javy Baez has raised his stock enough that he can return something interesting this off-season or would the Cubs still be selling low? More likely Baez or Castro is moved or neither?
Klaw: I don’t have a great sense for the market for Castro, but I think I’d rather move him and roll the dice on Baez pulling a Chris Davis. I doubt Castro becomes a star, but he’s very valuable because of his contract. Baez has a higher bust probability but he could become a star much more easily.
Hugo Z: Why DFA Gattis if you can find a trade partner in the AL?
Klaw: What kind of trade value would he have? There wasn’t much of a market last winter, and now it’s even more evident how limited a player he is. I think I said this elsewhere, but he would have been valued more highly and more valuable in fact twenty years ago, when teams had larger benches (and didn’t care about OBP).
TJ: Looking at the number of effective relievers in the majors who failed as starters (both setup guys and closers like Britton, Andrew Miller, etc), is investing in failed starters as bullpen arms be a better strategy than paying big money for “proven” relievers? Any help my beloved Detroit Tigers can get in building a decent bullpen would be appreciated…
Klaw: No question. How many guys drafted and developed as relievers turn out to be great relievers in the majors, at least as a percentage of the guys who were drafted and developed as relievers? The failure rate there is incredibly high, I think in large part because those guys were already relievers (in college, usually) for a really good (that is, bad) reason.
Corey: Do you not trust in JBJ to be a starter compensating for dry spells with an A+ glove or Boston has enough OF options that he’s expendable ?
Klaw: More that they have so many other options.
Gavin: Would you give a QO to Span or Wieters? I assume both teams would hope that neither would accept, regardless, correct?
Klaw: Span, if our medicals said he was OK, then yes. Wieters, probably yes because I doubt Boras would want him to take it, but also a healthy 2016 from him is probably worth something close to that $15.8 million anyway.
KC: Would you take Schwarber 1-1 in hindsight or still too early to tell?
Klaw: Way too early to even suggest that.
ds: RE: Relievers – Which is why the Twins strategy of drafting RP’s and trying to turn them in SP’s makes me cringe.
Klaw: Well it just hasn’t worked. They took Nick Burdi, who legitimately throws 100 mph, last June, and he stunk this year. They took another guy who threw 100 with awful mechanics (Cederoth) and are trying to make him a starter. Then a round or two later they took a more unheralded college reliever in Jake Reed and he’s the best of the lot.
Sal: Keith – thoughts on the mets turning degrom and thor into 3-4 inning pitchers for this game? Let them go all out for those 3-4 innings each and only have them face the lineup 1-2 times through. Both of them threw a lot of pitches in their first start and a shorter outing could maximize their effectiveness…
Klaw: Oh I’m all in on that. Yes, I understand it will cost you one start from Thor in the NLCS, but 1) you have to get there first and 2) it’s not like Matz is Derek Holland. He’s a hell of a fourth option.
JQ: What is your overall strategy for camel acquisition/dealing in Jaipur? Beyond clearing the market when my opponent has a full hand so that they cannot steal all the high-value goods, I am not sure I know when to go after them. For dealing them, is it worth a turn/resources to exchange them for multiple low-value goods or do you stick to dealing them only for silver/gold/diamonds? Thanks K-Law
Klaw: I love that game but I don’t know that I have a clear strategy for that. I try to focus more on the three higher-value goods, both acquiring them and preventing my opponent from doing so.
Chris: If you’re the Dodgers, do you resign Kendrick this offseason or give the job to Peraza? I assume they’re keeping Seager at SS and Turner at 3B.
Klaw: Peraza is the best SS of the group, but doing that would probably require Turner to go back to 2b, where he wasn’t very good in limited MLB time. I’d like to at least see what that looks like before committing to Seager at SS, as I don’t think he’s an average defender there in the long run.
Justin (DC): May I make a plug for Acquire? It has become our go to game for new gamers, and its been very popular. I don’t know if it is because everyone we introduce it to has (fake) fond memories of monopoly or we’re all lawyers (and thus megalomaniacs), but its been a popular go to for us.
Klaw: One of the only classics that holds up well. It’s been on my annual game rankings every year.
Justin (DC): What are your thoughts on the valuation of draft picks and international money? For example, at what price point does a trade or free agent become worth the lost draft pick/international slot?
Klaw: Two thoughts. One, if MLB tries to combine these two, or even create an international draft, they’re going to have a hellish PR issue on the gap between the values of drafted kids (US/Canada/PR) and Latin American kids from everywhere but PR. Two, it depends on two factors that prevent a generalization here – where that lost pick is (pick 11 is worth a lot more than pick 25 in expected return) and where that team is in the success cycle (win now vs still building). In conclusion, don’t give up a pick for Michael Cuddyer.
nb: Keith – I’ll be in Phoenix the weekend of the AFL All Star Game. Will you be there?
Klaw: Nope, going Monday the 19th through Friday the 23rd.
Mike: It appears we are seeing a lot more starters who throw 95+ for 100+ pitches than ever before. What is this attributable to? Is it possible to teach velocity?
Klaw: Pitchers have been getting bigger and stronger for a while now, and I think we select them for velocity and then develop them to do just what you said. The results may include the spike in elbow injuries, of course.
John: Thought on Bogar as favorite for M’s job
Klaw: I don’t know if he’s the favorite – there really isn’t a favorite in these things, right? Someone gets the job and there’s no second place – but I like that he has substantial managerial experience in the minors. We’re seeing more candidates with that experience now – him, Nevin, and Alex Cora, whom I know well and recommend highly.
Fredo in Tahoe: Hi Keith, an ambitious three questions. 1. Any insight into the Dodgers jettisoning Engle and the International Staff? Thought they were well regarded. 2. Have you ever read Metropole by Kermode? 3. Pour over coffee? Aeropress?
Klaw: 1. Yes, limited insight, but I’ve heard they felt they were paying too much for international talent and not getting anywhere near the return outside of Puig and Urias. 2. No, sorry. 3. Pour-over although I’m still an espress guy at heart.
Nicholas: DIpoto has made it clear that the M’s need to get more athletic (which is obvious). The biggest need that I see is CF. Who can you see them targeting to fill CF? JBJ?
Klaw: He’d fit, although I think his defensive ability is more routes and reads rather than athleticism – he’s not a plus runner or anything. By the way, you know why they need to get more athletic? Because they haven’t drafted athletes in years. It’s been more polished, lower-upside guys, which can certainly work out but has not been at all fruitful for them. They need a new draft strategy.
Noah: Who is your guy to go first overall in the draft?
Klaw: Nobody has separated himself for 2016 yet. There are a half-dozen guys who could do so in the spring, and I’m sure we’ll get one or two names out of nowhere the way Jonathan Gray burst on the scene in February of 2013.
Geoff: Who is Kiley McDaniel and why are Braves fans so excited that he’s been hired to their front office?
Klaw: Used to work for me before moving on to other sites, including leading Fangraphs’ prospect coverage this past year. I’m a big believer in his evaluation skills. (Fans are excited because they know who he is, as opposed to someone less well-known like, say, Matt Arnold.)
Corey: Clay Buchholz – pick up the option and trade or keep and consider Owens/Wright as his replacement when he gets hurt ?
Klaw: Pick it up and keep him.
mike: 2-3-2 format in CS, favours Toronto doesn’t it? Steal one of two in KC then you can close out at home.
Klaw: Sure, if you assume you’re never going to lose a home game, even though you lost two of three in the last round.
Steve: After his season will Acevedo end up on your nyy list or are cheching his AFL results before?
Klaw: He’s in their top ten for sure.
Alex in Austin: Any reason why former Cavaliers Papi and Howard struggled in their debuts?
Klaw: Papi was coming off a hand injury and was a zero for two months before playing better (but not as well as he should have) after that. I thought Howard starting was a mistake; I don’t know if that was at all related to his complete loss of control even after he returned to the bullpen. Guys who put up lines like that are often hurt.
Ben: Despite his rather lackluster season, is Raul Mondesi still KC’s top prospect in your opinion?
Klaw: I don’t know. He’s super young and has the most ability of any of their prospects, but they’ve promoted him too quickly, and having him work so much on bunting has retarded his growth as a hitter. It’s probably still him but this isn’t the future I envisioned for him two years ago.
Bret: There is been some speculation in the Toronto media that the Jays feel David Price is “gassed” and/or tipping pitches. Have you seen anything scouting-wise that would indicate that?
Klaw: Doesn’t look gassed. I couldn’t tell you if he was tipping unless I was watching him from behind the plate (and even then I might not catch it). If he were gassed, using him in relief in game 4 would have been an even worse idea.
KC: I wish all kids could sign for whatever they can get, but what is the argument for not putting Latin American kids in the draft? I don’t get why everyone doesn’t have the same rules.
Klaw: Two different scouting staffs, operating on two very different calendars, evaluating 18- to 22-year-old players for the draft and 15- and 16-year-old players for July 2nd. I saw some 14-year-olds take BP in Santo Domingo last week. They were impressive, but I kept thinking, “what the hell am I even looking at?” I’ve seen exactly one U.S.-born prospect that young before – Bryce Harper at 15, who was already Superman – and this is a totally different world of evaluation.
Mike: Of all the possible FA pitchers this offseason, assuming Grienke opts out, who would you be most comfortable giving a long term big money deal to?
Klaw: Greinke and Price. I’m still a big fan of Price’s and I think his skill set will age pretty well.
Wally: Would Rendon and maybe a prospect for Carrasco and Frazier be roughly comparable value? Would that make sense for Nats to supplement the lack of any upper level OF prospects (and a statue in LF)
Klaw: That seems to create one hole to maybe fill another. Even if you rate Frazier more highly than I do, you’re making the 2016-17 Nats worse while you wait for him.
Jim Boden: How about Khris davis and Will smith for Aiken and Bobby bradley? Gattis for Folty and Ruiz. Tumbo for Skaggs and Eaton(Arizona gave two for Trumbo). Are those two trades also stupid?
Klaw: Those trades were stupid, yes, and I said so at the time.
Pat: The difference between the cheapest cable package that includes ESPN and the biggest one that doesn’t include ESPN is $25. Therefore, ESPN costs me $25 per month, regardless of what ESPN charges the cable company. That’s a lot of money.
Klaw: I assume that gets you ESPN plus our other channels plus some others, but yes, I hear you. We watch fewer than a dozen channels frequently. Why are we paying so much for them? More channels with substantial archives need to go the HBO route. If the BBC created an app with their entire archive of video plus new shows, is that not a huge value at $10/month?
JF: Other than AJ Reed, what other prospects in the Astros system could help their offense as early as next year?
Klaw: Don’t sleep on Tyler White. Bad body but ridiculous track record of performance.
Pat: How was the coffee in the Dominican?
Klaw: I didn’t get to explore at all, which was probably for the best as I was an anxious wreck for two days before the trip and much of the time I was there.
Jim: Keith, could you clarify Cora’s experience? My understanding was he has the GM position in the winter league, and can’t find any reference to him working as a manager anywhere (which may be me). Thanks!
Klaw: He manages Caguas.
Mike: Should the Mets give Murphy a QO for $16mm, or let him walk given cheaper and probably better internal options (Flores, Herrera)?
Klaw: Let him walk. Despite the 2 HR this series I don’t think you want him to take that offer at all.
John: I think the Braves did the right thing by getting the rookies into the rotation this season, but the results were less-than-ideal. Should they just keep the same guys next year and bank on improvement, or would they benefit from signing a mid-tier FA starter for some stability? Looking toward 2017, obviously?
Klaw: You can’t bank on improvement but you should have learned something about each of those kids, who’s learned something from the experience, who’s working well with coaches, who might be destined for the bullpen. None of that is a reason to stay out of free agency this winter, though – there’s value in adding a guy who can give you 200 innings and avoid blowing out what is already a not that good bullpen.
KC: Some of these kids get 100k, spend it all in the States, get injured or don’t make it and then go home with nothing. That’s not a service.
Klaw: Better that they stay desperately poor? It’s not like they’re going to school there. They might even learn English in a few years in the US, which is an actual skill.
Anonymous: Speaking of relievers who were starters, is Joe Kelly destined to be a closer? he seems to have the right stuff for the gig
Klaw: I think so. Tough to repeat that arm action 100 times a game enough for fastball command.
TJ: Stephen Piscotti in the playoffs- SSS or a glimpse of what we might see in the future power-wise?
Klaw: Obvious SSS but he can really hit and will hit for more power in the majors than the consensus was for him out of the draft or in the minors.
Ridley: I’m gutted to see my Rangers out of the playoffs, but the future looks pretty bright. Darvish is back next year, and Joey Gallo is going to be fun to watch. How would you work Gallo in to the team? Are there any other youngsters likely to make it to Arlington?
Klaw: Gallo should start in AAA to continue to work on making contact in the zone, and I haven’t given up on him as a 3b long-term. You’ll see Mazara in the majors at some point too.
KC: By that logic, poor kids in the US should also be able to get drafted/sign at 16.
Klaw: Poverty in the DR is a whole different kind of poverty than what we consider poor in the US.
Dan: Do front offices ever reach out to local media to run interference for (give cover to) non-mainstream managerial decisions? I’m imagining Alderson reaching out to Francesca and other NY-area loudmouths prior to tonight’s game to preemptively defend Terry if he decides to piggyback deGrom and Syndergaard (irrespective of how well deGrom is pitching).
Klaw: Don’t know. I haven’t run into that before the fact, but I do hear from folks afterwards to discuss questionable decisions, which I find helpful because often there’s a variable I didn’t know (e.g., Joey Bagodonuts woke up with a sore shoulder and wasn’t available) or consider (e.g., something in batted-ball data that we don’t have) before.
Chris: Assuming the Dodgers get past the Mets (big assumption) and they don’t use Kershaw on three days’ rest again, would you start Brett Anderson or Alex Wood in Game 1 of the NLCS?
Klaw: Anderson. But maybe get Ellis behind the plate because Grandal’s pitch-calling has left a bit to be desired so far.
Dave: Love the questions about SP moving to RP — the Reds have about 4000 young-ish guys who are nominally SPs. If you are the Reds, who do you abandon as SPs?
Klaw: I think Lorenzen and Finnegan are relievers for sure. Howard is already in the pen. Give Garrett, Mella, and Travieso more time to start; Mella may end up in the pen too. Reed can start.
Chris: Looking forward to hearing your thoughts on Clarkin, Austin, and Sanchez after your visit to the AFL. All have something to prove. Clarkin unspecified injury, Austin generally disintegrating and Sanchez supposedly improving behind the plate.
Klaw: Saw Austin (no bueno) and Sanchez (same maddening combination of skills and disinterest) this year. Sanchez just isn’t that much better behind the plate, but I also never thought he was as bad as reported online either. He came out of the womb a better receiver than Montero.
Alex (CA): Who is more likely to reach his ceiling, Hedges, Sanchez, or Alfaro?
Klaw: Hedges … if they ever let him play.
Ridley Kemp: I’m gutted to see my Rangers out of the playoffs, but the future looks pretty bright. Darvish is back next year, and Joey Gallo is going to be fun to watch. How would you work Gallo in to the team? First base? DH? Third base? Left field? Are there any other youngsters likely to make it to Arlington?
Klaw: Gallo should start in AAA to continue to work on making contact in the zone, and I haven’t given up on him as a 3b long-term. You’ll see Mazara in the majors at some point too.
Klaw: That’s all for the chat this week – thank you all for joining me, as always. I’ll be in Arizona next week, where I hope to see many of you in person. I’ll try to do a chat one morning local time near the end of the week once I’ve seen everyone take BP. Keep an eye on Twitter and my Facebook page for details.