Klawchat 4/28/16.

Klaw: How can I put this in a way so as not to offend or unnerve? Klawchat.

TNizzle: Seems like it could be a big year for northeast HS baseball. Groome, Anderson, Jones, Kiriloff, Bakst…I know here in NJ there are more potential top ten round guys that I can ever remember. Outlier or trend?
Klaw: Outlier. I’d add Kranick, Laskey, and Mondile to the watch list, at least. Bakst is a Stanford commit and probably unsignable because he’d rather go get his swing ruined.

Bobby: How good can Mitch Keller become? Does he have Glasnow type breakout potential? He’s off to a great start.
Klaw: Totally different pitcher. I wouldn’t comp them just because they’re in the same org. But I liked Keller a ton as an amateur and now that he’s healthy I think we’re seeing his potential again.

Nick: Have you heard anything on Lazarito since the last workout? Only a little over 2 months to July 2nd and it seems like we’re in a lull.
Klaw: I’m assuming he has a deal in place to sign on July 2nd so the news and workouts have stopped.

Nick: Based on what we know now (a lot can change) but it seems like Corey Ray will be the Phillies top pick, no? I can’t imagine they’d want to take a risk on Groome or Perez. After Ray, the college talent drops a little. I can’t see them making Lewis or Senzel 1-1. Maybe Puk but Ray seems the safer bet at this point. I guess we’ll have to see how the college season plays out.
Klaw: I think it would be Puk if it were today, but they’re still undecided. I agree that Ray would be a better call than Lewis, but if you want certainty, you take Senzel, who has less ceiling but is probably the most likely big league regular in the draft.

Kevin: The Phillies are over .500. Wtf?
Klaw: It’s April 28th.

Owen (London): Hi Keith- Is it just me or is there some connection in the way that former catchers tend to make the most obdurate managers ? Girardi’s comments on the shift were just so peculiar. Any idea why this might be ?
Klaw: Not just peculiar, but petulant. If you don’t like the shift, overcome it.

scottdsimon: How, if at all, is the (fluid, retroactively determined) Super 2 “deadline” affected by teams promoting pitchers for one start (e.g., Blair, Snell) and then sending them back to the minors?
Klaw: It’s not. It’s all around service time within that class. Those guys get a day of service, and that day will just count like any other days of service when their class comes up for super 2 eligibility. It does mean they’re on the 40-man, however, which I don’t think was the case for Blair.

Luis: Reading about Pint touching 100, I couldn’t help but think of Tyler Kolek. How do those two compare at the time Kolek was drafted?
Klaw: Pint’s a better athlete and flashes better offspeed stuff. Neither throws enough strikes.

Julian: Okay, so this whole Jean Segura thing is a weird lightning rod. He’s had a terrific start. And getting away from Milwaukee for emotional reasons may have helped. Except that four things are pretty obvious if you take five seconds. 1) It’s 16 games. 2) He’s done this before – the start of 2013. And then he hit a wall after May and plateaued for several years. 3) His underlying numbers are complete outliers. His BABIP is .363, and 15% of his flyballs are homers – his previous bests are .326 and 7%. In other words – either unsustainable, a fluke, or completely different player. 4) He’s still basically the same player – he has 2 walks so far this year, which is fine when you hit .347, but stops being fine the second you drop below, say .320. Which is a long-winded way of asking: Why do you think people take valid, supported criticism and make it purely personal? Yes, anonymity helps. But what benefit do they gain from turning a hot streak of 95 good at-bats into proof of wrongness?
Klaw: I truly have no idea why people act so stupid over, in particular, a tiny little sample, or, in general, a scouting report or prediction that turns out to be wrong. It’s why I block and mute so many people on Twitter and Facebook, though. If you don’t really understand how small sample sizes work, or when a player’s performance is likely to regress, that’s fine. When that drives uncivil (or worse) behavior, that’s not fine.

Mac: The Arrieta/PED discussion is pretty ridiculous right considering 1. He always had great stuff with Baltimore and 2. Baltimore has a history of being terrible at developing pitching
Klaw: The “discussion” is ridiculous because it’s absolutely, totally baseless. I thought First Take’s segment was irresponsible – you cannot speculate about players being on PEDs when there is zero evidence to support the claim. Arrieta has never failed a test, and never been linked in any way to PED usage. Also, if someone knows about a magic pill that cleans up your mechanics and improves your command, I’d love to talk about a distribution agreement.

Magdee: Why is aledmys Diaz doing this? Fluke? Small sample size?
Klaw: It’s April 28th.

Nic, AZ: Domingo Acevedo has had a nice start to the season as an SP, do you think he has a chance to start long term or is he destined for relief?
Klaw: With that delivery I don’t see any way he can start.

Ben: Chances of Manaea, Berrios and Fulmer sticking in the bigs?
Klaw: All about team plans, because I think all three are ready to contribute in a major-league rotation.

David: Seems not that long ago we thought of Orlando Arcia as a slick fielding SS with a modest hit tool. Was his offensive progression aniticipated and is it sustainable in the major leagues?
Klaw: Anticipated, no, sustainable, yes.

Something: Can I start to question how conforto made it to 10? I know he can’t maintain what he’s doing now, but he looks like a perennial all-star.
Klaw: Teams killed him for being LF only and/or for having too little power. He was 8th on my board, and really should have been higher.

John Liotta: Over the last twenty years which of the the following three awards would you say better represents the kind of books you like to read most- National Book Award, Pulitzer Prize or Man/Booker?
Klaw: Probably Man Booker, but I haven’t read many NBA winners. The Hugo has a few books I’ve absolutely adored, and then a bunch that I thought were awful.

At least we have Mateo: I saw Dante Bichette Jr. last week. Has he ever been able to tell what pitch is coming? Or is it just always a wild hack and pray?
Klaw: Always been like that. Huge backside collapse and uphill path. No shot at a breaking ball away. I think his lack of success is hurting Bo’s draft stock, but Bo is a better player – he doesn’t collapse like that and he’s a better athlete who might be okay at 2b.

David: Klaw: The Braves are very likely to have the first draft pick in 2017. Is there a consensus No. 1 pick in that class? Please give a lifelong Braves fan a little hope. This is as painful as the 1970s when the team was consistently awful.
Klaw: Klaw about 2 hours ago

Ryan (Carnegie, PA): Is this the year Gregory Polanco breaks out? His approach has been great, and his swing seems more compact. He just seems so much more comfortable at the plate.
Klaw: This year or next. It’s primarily about waiting for his power, and I don’t know when that’s going to come. But I have thought for a while that he had superstar upside and that has not changed.

Ed: Lucas Sims has been really effective since being moved to Double A last year. I know you were high on him early in his career before things fell apart, but is he back to being a guy that can really make an impact as a starter?
Klaw: Every scout I talked to about him over the winter said future reliever, based on the stuff, especially the flat fastball. It’s also not ideal that he’s walked 14 in 19 innings this year.

Sean: Scouting the stat line, but Ahmed Rosario is hitting the cover off the ball. Isn’t it best to bring him up to Double A, while he’s seeing the ball well? I would think it makes for a little bit of a smoother transition to a higher level.
Klaw: He needs to go to AA, not because of his performance, but because he spent all of last year in high-A, and I don’t see what he’s learning by repeating the level.

Rob K: Can you expand on your twitter comment RE: Plawecki > d’Arnaud?
Klaw: Plawecki’s a better receiver and d’Arnaud has shown no ability to stay healthy as a regular catcher. I was surprised that there was any question about this. d’Arnaud was drafted in 2007 and has reached 500 PA in exactly one season, 450 in only two.

JG: Thoughts on the Berrios outing?
Klaw: Seemed like he tired quickly, and his command wasn’t sharp. Not really worried – it’s one start.

Christopher: Hey Keith, I really appreciated all your insight on Twitter the other day regarding pitch counts. You also mentioned that catchers can have arm trouble as well. I caught exclusively between ages 8-16 before persistent elbow problems derailed my career. Do you think that parents and/or leagues should monitor how many innings catchers catch? Perhaps relatedly, it seems that a large percentage of American High School catchers drafted in the first round don’t end up as successful big league catchers. Is there a systemic problem with how we treat/develop/abuse youth catchers in this country?
Klaw: Yes, they should monitor that. Teams could just have two catchers and alternate them, too. I think the problem with US catchers is that we draft them primarily on what they can do now (usually because they can really throw or they have power), when catchers take a long time to develop at the position, and we also have no way to evaluate stuff like receiving or game-calling because amateur coaches won’t give up an ounce of control.

Ty: Mickey Moniak is breaking out the power now. How high can he go?
Klaw: Not a power guy, but I think he goes top 5. If Philly takes a HS player at 1, he’d be my guess.

John: It looks like Manaea and Fulmer are coming up this week. Which one are you more optimistic about?
Klaw: Fulmer. Better stuff, more durable, although both have had injuries.

Jacques Strappe: Can you give any info on Travis Lakins? Didn’t hear much about him before this year but now I see a lot of people talking about him
Klaw: Oh, you mean my sleeper prospect for the Red Sox coming into this season?

JD: Remember how the preseason talk was all “the Orioles could set the MLB record for strikeouts”? Right now, they have the ninth best strikeout rate in the majors. Hell, they’re striking out less than the AL average. What gives?
Klaw: It’s April 28th.

James: Ready for the NFL draft? I am assuming your interest level is somewhere between scouting a little league game and watching grass grow. Thanks for all the work you do on prospects.
Klaw: Pretty much. I forgot it was tonight until I saw it on Twitter this morning.

Mike: High Desert has a + 53 run dif. and is allowing 3.6 runs per game through 20 games. After this, mostly, same pitching core allowed 3.7 runs per in the SAL last year. Do you like the Rangers strategy of not avoiding that environment with guys like Ortiz, Mendez, and Jurado?
Klaw: The alternatives suck. Repeating low-A won’t help most of them (Ortiz perhaps because he pitched so little last year). Jumping them to AA could be a disaster. So you roll them out to High Desert and hope they give you two good months that justify a quick promotion.

Julian: Non-Segura question: Manuel Margot and Nick Williams up in June? After “Super Dos” “deadline” “passes”.
Klaw: Probably right.

Ryan: Are Jefferies and Quantrill the two college arms that the make sense for Boston at #12?
Klaw: Jefferies has a strain in his shoulder of unknown severity and Quantrill has not pitched yet this year coming off TJ, so I’m going with no on this one.

Andy: You’ve stated that you don’t re-read books a lot. Yet from BBTN yesterday, you seem to have a decent sized library. Why buy books you likely won’t ever read again?
Klaw: I’ve kept fewer than 10% of the books I’ve read. I buy a lot of books used, and I get a lot of new books as gifts. And I can always donate or re-sell books in good condition. I bought James Alan McPherson’s Elbow Room new with the express intent of donating it to my local library, as the Delaware library system only has one or two copies. (It’s a Pulitzer winner, a wonderful collection of short stories by an African-American author, definitely something that should be read more in schools.)

James: School out early or daughter sick?
Klaw: Daughter didn’t feel good. Just got over strep last week so I wasn’t going to question it. We’ve never been keen on just telling her to tough it out – if she’s uncomfortable enough to call us, we go get her.

Josh: Talk to us about Cody Bellinger and Mark Chapman. Are they eventual top 100 MLB players?
Klaw: Bellinger yes. Chapman no as he’s still in jail for killing John Lennon.

mike: keith – your thoughts on josh ockimey and kyri washington, two guys off to good starts with low a greenville?
Klaw: Hoping to see them this weekend. Saw Ockimey once in Ft. Myers, body looked a lot better. Washington is too old for the level but the bat probably wasn’t ready for high-A.

Andres A.: Hey Mr. Liberal Firebrand, I was wondering, on a scale of 20-80, what grade would you give “Art Angles” by Grimes? Also, any thoughts on The Struts? Not sure if you’ve heard of the. Thank you for your time, sir.
Klaw: I need to get “liberal firebrand” as my next tattoo. I thought Art Angels was a 70, and the Struts are a bit of a guilty pleasure even though they’re not doing anything novel.

Mike: How far could Alec Hansen fall in the draft ?
Klaw: He’s either a second pick for someone, the way Sean Manaea was for KC a few years ago, or he goes back to school next year and tries to get healthy. Something isn’t right.

Jon: Do you think B.Garrett and I. Anderson will fall to late first/sandwich round due to demands?
Klaw: No. That rarely happens in the new system. Daz was the one major exception last year, but he was not seen by anyone else as a $4 million guy.

Josh: What is the upside to Erick Fedde?
Klaw: Upside would be third starter. But without a decent third pitch he’ll be a reliever.

Brian: Keith, if I recall correctly you did not think Travis Shaw could stick at 3B. But he seems to be handling it quite well. Have you changed your opinion and what has he approved in? Thanks
Klaw: I still don’t think he can play it. I see UZR doesn’t look favorably on his defense so far either, although this sample is tiny.

Alan: I’ve been following Michael Wacha over the years and noticed that his K-rate has steadily declined. Last start he struck out…nobody! What is this due to? Seemed like he had potential to post better K-rates.
Klaw: Feels like he hasn’t had quite the same stuff since the shoulder injury, no?

sam: How do you have time to do all you do & also pitch for the Giants? I see you in the boxscores every few days.
Klaw: That’s my son, all 6’4″ of his conceived-when-I-was-16-years-old self.

Sam: How has Nolan Jones fared so far this season? Is he more solid than spectacular and what position should he play as a pro?
Klaw: More than solid. I was going to see him this afternoon but the game has already been cancelled due to rain.

Bob: Any surprised, positive or negative, for either players or teams that look sustainable? Or is everything still SSS?
Klaw: I just don’t. It’s too early to try to guess what’s real and what’s not unless we have some sound underlying logic, like a mechanical change or a new pitch. The one I might have suggested was Charlie Morton, who really did look different, stats aside, but that’s over.

Mike: Keith with Delino struggling at the plate do the Rangers just shift Desmond to center and keep Mazara up at left when Choo comes back?
Klaw: I would do that and send DeShields to AAA, where he never played anyway due to his rule 5 status (outside of a rehab stint). That would be based more on his limited skill set than just the slow start, though.

Mike: Earlier this month your “stick to baseball” links included a link to a compelling article about how nutrition researchers overplayed the anti-fat case and ignored the role of sugar for decades…while a second link highlighted the ignorance of the anti-vaccine crowd. Both interesting articles, but together they raise an issue: sometimes questioning the scientific mainstream leads to dangerous fringe stances like anti-vaccination…but there are times when mainstream science gets it wrong. How can those of us without science backgrounds find the line between productive skepticism and counter-productive anti-science stances?
Klaw: I’d point to the overwhelming consensus and huge number of studies and meta-studies on topics like vaccine safety, and the total lack of any published, peer-reviewed research anywhere that says otherwise.

BD: Drew Ward is crushing the ball, and it is easy to forget he is still just 21. Prospect now?
Klaw: No. He’s repeating high-A, remains awful at 3b, and also it’s April 28th.

Andrew: Do you think twitter has become more toxic of late? Or are we just more aware of it?
Klaw: Both. Recently I reported a user for saying that a female writer and I who were tweeting at each other deserved to be raped and killed. Twitter’s response was to make the user delete the post. Not to delete his fucking account and IP block him. Just to suspend him till he took the post down. Hey, Twitter, it’s not going to hurt your stock price to kick the shitheads off.

Jordan: Is Lucas Sims a legitimate top of the rotation pitching prospect?
Klaw: No, see above. Also it’s April 28th.

addoeh: Why do people get defensive about their team? Tribalism. They feel they have to defend their team no matter the circumstance. They have their shield and sword and are just waiting to attack all who speak ill of their team. With this thinking, else is wrong.
Klaw: This has become very evidence with Arizona fans this year, which I guess explains why Jan Brewer got two terms out there.

MIke: Have you been able to watch Wil Myers play this season? I know you predicted him as one of your breakout candidates, so how do you think he has faired thus far at a new position and at the plate?
Klaw: It’d be nice if he’d walk once in a while but this is kind of what I thought he’d be if he got healthy and was left alone to just go hit. It’s not picture-perfect but he has great hand-eye coordination and the strength for some power.

Nick: What happened near the end of The Magicians that you felt was a gut punch? Just finished reading (due to your positive review). Thanks.
Klaw: Alice’s last scene in that book.

Nelson: Perhaps I missed your explanation, but I just dont see how you can continue to say that Schilling is a fine human being, despite the bigotted views he consistantly posts?
Klaw: I never said Schilling was “a fine human being.” Rather than getting snotty with me, go read what I actually said.

Logan: Long term, would you bet on Michael Fulmer as a starter or as a reliever?
Klaw: Starter. No question here.

Greg: Hey, Keith. Maikel Franco just signed a $4.35 mil deal with Fantex in exchange for 10% of his total earnings, off and on the field. What’s your opinion of these deals, and do you see more young players signing them? On one hand, it’s a good way for young players to cash in before free agency. On the other, it seems like a large-scale payday loan. And how much does the fact that the public will be able to buy shares in players complicate matters? Could this lead to a lot of shady dealings? All that said, personally, I’m all for it.
Klaw: I believe players should have the right to do this if they believe it’s in their financial best interests. MLB and the union should probably come up with a cap on how much of a player’s earnings he can sell in this fashion, though.

Anonymous: Any 80 tools in this year’s draft?
Klaw: Riley Pint hit 100 mph, as has Zack Burdi. That’s an 80 fastball by definition.

Ryan Thompson: Who will be the Red Sox LF on August 1? Benintendi, Holt or someone else?
Klaw: I’ll take the bet on Benintendi.

J: Serious question: How can you suffer from anxiety and be such a confident person. Totally acceptable if you don’t want to answer and I mean no offense
Klaw: That’s just not what anxiety is. Anxiety is biological and irrational. It is pervasive and insidious, but it is manageable. I don’t feel extraordinary anxiety when writing or watching players. I feel anxiety at times that make no sense.

Dave: Is Josh Hader a starter or reliever? It seems like he only can go 4 innings in every start he makes.
Klaw: Don’t know an MLB starter who has that arm action. Chris Sale is the closest delivery comp, but even that is kind of a default.

Michael: Just wondering – do you know why teams have their pitchers in the minor leagues sit in the stands and chart pitches? When I sit in that section, they always seem very uninterested and I wonder what skill they are gaining knowing how fast their teammate throws.
Klaw: If they’re diligent, they’re watching the hitters too, and looking at how their teammates are adjusting.

Trey: Nick Senzel a reach for the Brewers at 5? 3B is one of the two weakest spots in the Org (1B). Quick mover to the big leagues?
Klaw: Not a big reach, but organizational need is not a good reason to draft a player. I’d go for more upside there, since they’re in rebuilding mode.

Chris: How soon do you see the Yankees calling up Judge with their outfielders struggling so much?
Klaw: He’s still struck out in 1/3 of his at bats – and he’s not walking – which is not a good argument for bringing him up. He has to show he can control both sides of the plate before you recall him because MLB pitchers will exploit that endlessly.

Chris: Any news on Luis Ortiz’s weight issues so far in 2016? His stats look good, but they also don’t show his size
Klaw: He was heavy in March too. He’s just going to be big forever – it’s about not getting TOO big.

Ed: Have you learned anything about Eddie Julio Martinez now that he’s got a couple of at-bats under his belt, or still too early to tell?
Klaw: Too early to tell. He hadn’t played in a real game in two years and it has showed in the early results.

Steve: Have you finished Passan’s The Arm? Thoughts?
Klaw: I finished it the day I saw Pint. I’ve mentioned that I have several conflicts of interest around that book, so bear that in mind, but I enjoyed the book tremendously and thought parents of young pitchers especially should read it. Buy it here from amazon.

Michael: Do you still think Obama should simply appoint Garland to SCOTUS if the Senate ignores its job? You’ve said that Republicans will call Obama a dictator in that case, but that would, in fact, be very undemocratic of him to do. I think the Senate should confirm him–he’s incredibly qualified–but a majority of constitutional lawyers do not think Obama has the power to do it alone.
Klaw: I never said I thought he should do so, but that I thought he could as a recess appointment. Doing so would indeed feed right into the GOP’s narrative. And I agree, the Senate should just do its job.

Ridley Kemp: So….the Hugo Awards finalists were announced yesterday. It reminds me a lot of the 1957 All Star voting mess, a bad nomination process abused by trolls. Any thoughts on the nominees? (P.S. Anyone who gets a membership to Worldcon can vote)
Klaw: Never read any of them. I thought Ancillary Justice (which won in 2014) was a bit sterile, and I’m not wild about Stephenson’s work (overlong, plots don’t resolve well).

Tom: Are periscope chats dead? Really enjoyed that forum. Hopefully you will do them more in the future.
Klaw: Very difficult to do them with travel and with contractors tearing up my bathroom (it’s loud in here).

Every idiot fan: Hey, have you seen ? What’s up with that? And admit that you were wrong! and that you actually hate my team!
Klaw: This is basically every day on twitter even if I don’t tweet for 24 hours.

JG: Are we starting to see the real Kohl Stewart emerge?
Klaw: I’d like to see him do this at the next level since he was in the FSL all of last year too – but missing any bats is nice progress, as it was the one aspect of his game that was lacking (surprisingly so, since he has the stuff to strike guys out).

Kyle: How high are you on Connor Jones? His K/BB is only 2 to 1 and he only strikes out batters just under 20% of the time but I see him really high on mock draft boards
Klaw: I haven’t done a mock draft yet. I don’t think he’s really first-round worthy but may go there due to the paucity of college arms. Virginia has taken him backwards, altering his delivery in a way that has cut his velocity. He can sink it but has no out pitch.

Michael: With all the high fives given out after a sacrifice fly, you would think it’s a better result than it is. Do you think players actually try to just hit a lazy fly ball rather than get a hit? The way they talk on TV, it seems like that may actually be the mentality of a hitter.
Klaw: The worst is in college/high school where a sac fly or a bunt brings every slapdick out of the dugout to high-five. He made an out. Sit your asses down.

Jeff: Have you heard about why R.Lawson’s stopped pitching? Is it an injury or a self preservation?
Klaw: Story was an oblique injury but he’s still been playing the field the last three weeks, so that doesn’t seem to check out. He also changed his delivery somewhere in the offseason, seriously shortening his stride and raising his release point, which is correlated with reduced velocity and greater risk of injury (especially to the shoulder), per ASMI.

Mc: You have tattoos already?
Klaw: I have “OBP IS LIFE” across my shoulder blades.

Mc: Errol Robinson is a ___ round pick? His ceiling is ___ ?
Klaw: Third. Maybe less. He’s been terrible this year. Ceiling of everyday player, low probability of getting there.

Andy: I love how a belief in science and human decency means you’re a liberal firebrand.
Klaw: Because that’s really it, isn’t it? I think everyone is equal. And I think the environment is important because damaging it will kill us. Never mind my views on free trade or taxation or whatnot.

Elton: I liked Forever War more than you did but definitely agree that the characterization was weak. That’s my beef with an awful lot of sci-fi; compelling ideas and plot dragged down by cardboard characters. Is there a book or series you’d consider to have the whole package?
Klaw: Hyperion. Jonathan Strange. Foundation had its moments of characterization. LotR.

Anonymous: What do you see as the ceiling to Matt Chapman?
Klaw: Above-average regular at third. Plus defense, power, low avg/OBP.

Sarah: Are you a Downton Abbey fan?
Klaw: Yes, watched (and wrote up) all six seasons.

Shelby: Zack Collins in any way comparable to college-age Schwarber at this point?
Klaw: Not the same caliber of hitter, but a good hitter, a top 3 pure college bat. Chance to go as high as 6. Definitely goes top 20.

Rob: Keith–surprised to see McCutcheon hitting second for the Pirates? Clint “Bowl of Jell-O” Hurdle has obviously been listening to the Bucs’ analytics department.
Klaw: He’s shown a real willingness to listen to new ideas, as opposed to, say, Dusty Baker. And then he bats Polanco sixth.

Steve: What’s should the Rangers do with Profar at this point?
Klaw: I don’t have a good answer. He should be in the majors, but where? Odor has not played well, but demoting him would be overreacting, and Profar hasn’t played 2b anyway. Andrus is hitting for the moment. Mazara isn’t going anywhere. So I guess just wait and let Profar keep doing his thing.

Travis: Wait, Moniak is a top-5 guy now? You said that’d be a stretch a few weeks ago. Has something changed with him, or have other top picks fallen?
Klaw: Didn’t I just rank him 6th in the draft class? I don’t think that’s a stretch.

JR: Speaking of your “stick to baseball” posts, the BYU story you linked too earlier this month keeps getting worse as more victims are coming forward. In some instances, preadators knew they could use threats of the “honor code” to coerce their victims into more actions or buy their silence. Horrible.
Klaw: I have very little respect or use for that school. Colleges ignoring rape or sexual assault allegations are nothing new (Tennessee, Baylor). But BYU has taken it to an entirely new level of victim-blaming. The feds should cut off all funding to the school as a result of these revelations.

Bob: Back to Aledmys Diaz. If I remember right, you weren’t high on him when he was being showcased a couple of years ago. But I think you hedged a bit because it’s hard to project Cuban players. He had decent minor league stats. Obviously he’s not going to keep up this streak but is there anything in his development that should give Cardinal fans hope that he could be a regular?
Klaw: He had decent minor league stats, but not great ones. He hit .278/.339/.445 last year in AAA at age 24, so what are the odds that he’ll hit substantially better than that this year without some substantial mechanical or physical change? I don’t know of such a change, so I’m skeptical that he’ll be much better than that – but that line and average defense at short is an everyday player.

Eric Johnson: Do Colabello’s innocent pleas fall on more sympathetic ears because he can better articulate his arguments as opposed to Latin guys with English as a second language? This bugs me.
Klaw: Well I think we’re all ignoring his comments and assuming he’s guilty because, you know, he failed the test.

Michael: Re: Brewer, you’ll never vote for a Republican if you favor science and equal rights over the economy. But you generally must hate economic policies put forward by Democrats if you prefer laissez-faire economics and a flatter tax.
Klaw: At an extremely general level, yes, this is true. And it makes me nuts when Democrats talk about “tax cuts for the wealthy” (we tax income, not wealth) or claim the gender pay gap is 25-30% (it’s probably around 5%).

Don: Not really a question, but wow, does Francisco Lindor hit the ball hard for a little guy. And consistently too. Any other young players that look like they’re having as much fun on the field as he does?
Klaw: You can make hard contact if you have strong hands and/or wrists. Andrew McCutchen is not huge, but he has huge power for that reason. That Harper kid seems to have fun out there.

Tmelts: Seth Beer a future 1st round pick?
Klaw: Probably. Might be better off for his decision because he’ll be a true 21-year-old junior rather than a nearly 20-year-old HS senior.

Chuck: How shocked would yoou be if the Phillies draft Jason Groome … extremely or mildly ?
Klaw: Only mildly because the class is so unsettled, but all indications I’ve heard so far have them disinclined to take a prep arm at 1.

Ryan, PA: Foody question. Do you have a favorite way to cook or eat lamb? I took some notes from Alton Brown and started using it in burgers and now I’m never going back to straight beef burgers if I can help it.
Klaw: It’s the one animal protein I just don’t care for. I never cook it at home.

Greg: When you say first round pick, does that = top 30, or top 23?
Klaw: Top 23 this year.

Mike: Hey science guy, how do you rationalize the transgender people? Last time, I checked you’re either born with a Y chromosome or you’re not and they’re no scientific argument against that
Klaw: Hey ignorance guy, it’s called gender dysphoria and is found in the DSM-5.

Sarah: Trevor Story: what are your quick thoughts- obviously not sustainable but will he stick as Colorado’s long-term SS and be an above average bat at that position or will the league figure out the holes in his swing?
Klaw: Eventually I think he’s their everyday SS, but selling out for power isn’t the long-term formula here.

Ryan: Not trying to fire anyone up but I have a question about the transgender bathroom situation. Most stuff I read says that people aren’t concerned with sharing a bathroom with transgender people as much as they are concerned with some straight guy using this as an excuse to creep in a woman’s rest room. Do you see this as a possible issue or just fear mongering?
Klaw: I’d be more concerned about “some straight guy” who’s actually a pedophile going after my (hypothetical) son in the men’s room, since the situation you described above has never actually happened.

Micha: Can you give me a quick scouting report on AJ Puk’s last two outings?
Klaw: No since I wasn’t there.

Ed: Lamb ragout with polenta is delicious
Klaw: That’s because polenta is delicious.

MikeD: What percentage of time do you spend on the road away from home? Have you ever brought your daughter with you during the summer, or would she find it all dreadfully boring?
Klaw: She came on both trips to spring training this year, and sometimes she’ll tag along on a summer trip, but she’s completely uninterested in baseball so bringing her to games is not quite ideal. I usually bribe her with pizza.

Fonz: Re level of competition in evaluating players, how much weight is placed on something like JJ Schwarz not being able to hit SEC pitching this year and last? Similarly, do teams break out stats vs. Friday starters compared to mid-week starters, etc.?
Klaw: A lot because SEC pitching is the best competition these kids are going to face before the draft. And yes on Friday starters vs midweek, and LHP for left-handed hitters. Those last two variables were big negatives on Pedro Alvarez in his draft year and why I ranked him below Posey, Smoak, and Hosmer in that class.

David-ji: Robert Stephenson has looked solid in his first two MLB starts…did that upgrade his future in your eyes?
Klaw: No, I think I had him ranked about right given what he’s shown so far.

CJ: Amir Garrett Upside?
Klaw: True upside, #2 starter. Long way to go to get there because he has so little pitching experience. Lot of scouts tell me they think he’s a reliever, and I can see why, but I wouldn’t give up on him starting yet.

Joe: Do any of the players you’re scouting moms get frisky with you?
Klaw: I ain’t going that good. They’d probably think I was closer to their sons’ ages anyway.

Tim: A quick comment and defense of Cards fans – there were no racial or obscene yells against Heyward when visiting Busch. It was an allegation with no basis.
Klaw: I can’t believe something that was spread quickly on social media turned out to be wrong. How will I ever believe something I read on my Internet again.

James: What is your projection on Aaron Blair? Is he a safe mid rotation starter or maybe something more
Klaw: Bit better than that.

John: If the Phillies are staying away from a high school arm at 1.1, does that mean they want a faster rebuild and prefer a college player or are they just avoiding the risk?
Klaw: I think it’s about the risk of HS arms in the first round. Their track record as a whole is not that good – you have to believe you’ve identified one of the kids who’s an exception.

MyName: Very early, but you’re thoughts on J.J. Schwarz? Seems like a guy Braves should be keeping their eye on for 2017?
Klaw: If they’re going to draft top 3 again, then no, I don’t think so. First-rounder, but behind a bunch of other kids right now. Granted, a ton can change in the next 13 months.

Ryan: Who is the most MLB ready in this year’s draft class?
Klaw: Sounds like Senzel.

Henry: For teams with a long time star at a certain position, how soon is too soon to start planning for backups/succession? I’m thinking specifically of the Cardinals, who have a ham sandwich backing up Yadier Molina.
Klaw: I think teams should always plan for that because you never know when a player will be done. Dale Murphy was a superstar at 31, a below-average regular at 32, and basically done after that. The worst thing that happens is that you’ve planned for a replacement and don’t need him, so you have a tradeable asset or a player you can move to another spot.

Cubs Fans 3 years ago: Hey, you remember a couple years ago when Junior Lake had a hot couple of weeks, yet you kept insisting he wasn’t a good player? When are we going to get a retraction article on that? Also on a related note, Dan Vogelbach is hitting well in AAA.
Klaw: Indeed he is – I think Vogey gets a callup at some point this year. He’d be an interesting option off the bench if they can carry him.

Mike: Are people just willfully ignorant with the “man will put on a dress” comments? Transgender does not equal cross dresser.
Klaw: It’s also a relatively small part of these laws in NC, MS, and KS, which generally allow private businesses to discriminate against gay people. That’s the real problem.

Buckner: Hypothetical question. If Seager stays @ SS for the next ten years, would you take him or Bogerts?
Klaw: Probably Seager. Don’t think he will though.

Jeff: From a rebuilding standpoint, do teams tend to prefer a low risk/high floor player or a high risk high ceiling player?
Klaw: Usually the latter because you have to try to find stars wherever you can. The Paul Goldschmidts of the world – low draft picks without exceptional tools – are so rare that you can’t say you’re going to find and build around them.

Klaw: Anyway, that’s all for this week – thanks for hanging with me around my schedule. I’ll be back next week on Thursday or Friday for another chat.