Klawchat, 12/15/16.

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Klaw: Flaccid ego in your hand … it’s Klawchat.

Greg: Atlanta has mentioned wanting a catching prospect in AA or AAA. Would Baltimore part with Sisco?
Klaw: I didn’t think so a few months ago, but now I think they might, especially with Castillo potentially there for two years. I like Sisco – not a star, but a good regular who can hit.

Evan: In a previous chat you mentioned that you used points for a vacation. Curious if you have any recommendations for a hotel chain to use for business travel. Thanks!
Klaw: I’m a Marriott whore like everyone else in baseball.

Matt: So umm…Russia. Apparently more than 50 members of the Electoral Collage demanding an investigation to Russia tampering w/ the election. Think there’s merit to this or it’s just smoke and mirrors?
Klaw: I think it’s probably less dramatic than the headlines appear, but I would also favor an investigation if only to determine whether something happened at all that we need to protect against in 2018 and 2020. If Trump’s camp specifically worked with Russian hackers or authorities, that’s a legal question that I probably don’t know enough to answer.

Armin: Hi Keith, wouldn’t it be the perfect time to trade Masahiro Tanaka? 1. If he stays healthy he will definitely opt out of his contract after the 2017 season. 2. He has had elbow problems in the not so distant past. 3. The market for top talent has been set with the trades for Miller (deadline), Chapman (deadline), Sale, Eaton, etc. I know the Yankees want to be competitive while still rebuilding but this seems like a good opportunity to cash in on Tanaka. What do you think?
Klaw: It’s a good time to explore his market, with no starters really out there, but if the Yanks trade him it’s probably a hit of a couple of wins a year that they can’t easily replace.

Adam: Assuming that the pre-season rankings of draft prospects holds up until draft time, is there a prospect with upside so big that you take him over one of the “big three” of Greene, Kendall, or Wright?
Klaw: We have Kendall 1, and I think that’ll hold for a while unless he has a surprisingly poor spring. Royce Lewis is a guy to watch, with 1-1 kind of upside.

section 34: I keep reading that the CBA is considered a win for the owners. Why?
Klaw: I’m going to write about this very soon. I generally agree with that sentiment.

JG: What ado about the Padres these days? Seems counterintuitive to target any quality SPs to ensure a quality tank. And maybe the same thought about targeting a Jose Iglesias as a SS upgrade.
Klaw: I think tanking in baseball is overstated – teams don’t tank so much as they trade away players who can help now for prospects who can help later. So that implies acquiring a quality SP or two whom you can trade at the deadline.

Ben: No question here. Just find it funny that Javier Vazquez (43.3 bWAR, 53.9 fWAR, 105 ERA+, and one very famous 2nd place Cy Young vote) can’t even crack the Hall of Fame ballot, while Jack Morris (43.8 bWAR, 55.8 fWAR, 105 ERA+, and all teh wins!) came within a whisker of being inducted.
Klaw: All about the narrative. And maybe skin color has a little something to do with it.

Robert: Keith, we don’t know his justifications, but I have a lot of issues with Steven Marcus’ 2017 HOF ballot. What is the fairest way to determine if a reliever is HOF worthy? I have a hard time, statistically or anecdotally, of giving a HOF vote to any reliever outside of Mariano Rivera (but definitely not Trevor Hoffman).
Klaw: I think Rivera should be the threshold for career innings going forward. He pitched more than Sutter, Hoffman, or Wagner, and pitched better than any of them, and had that postseason resume to boost his candidacy. If you can’t even reach Mo’s modest 1200-odd innings, then most likely you’re not worth further discussion, because it’s hard to believe you could have been as valuable as Rivera while pitching less.

Andy: One thing on the anti-hazing thing. It seems like, it’s just banning it as part of a team organized thing. I’m sure that Huston Street is still free to wear cheerleading and Hooters outfits wherever and whenever he wants to. I’m guessing he will choose not to do so, because of various reasons like unmanly and that he’ll be made fun of. And I’m sure he wouldn’t understand the irony.
Klaw: Agreed. A reader said to me on Twitter (I think) that this is not about the 8-10 rookies a year who are fine with dressing up as a gag. It’s about the one or two who aren’t fine with it. And that’s exactly it.

Mike: Given the automatic depreciation of Rockie hitters’ stats, would you project they can get better than a #3 or #4 starter for Charlie Blackmon? Related question: has Bridich lost his mind?
Klaw: Really don’t understand their offseason so far. $18 million for a mediocre LHR after giving up pick 11 for Desmond? Blackmon’s pretty well regarded though because he’s always had great tools, so there’s enough of a belief that he’ll produce outside of Coors. He’s not Dante Bichette.

Nick: If you were Lunhow, would you trade Musgrove + Martes + Tucker for Quintana, and why or why not? I go back and forth as an Astros fan but think I’d be happy with him pulling the trigger.
Klaw: If I’m Luhnow I do it. If I’m Hahn I’m not even countering because it’s so low. FWIW, I don’t know that that was ever discussed by the clubs.

Jake: Hi Keith, not trying to come at you, just legitimately asking. Why do you occasionally rush to break trades on Twitter? You strike me as the type that would say “leave the rat race to Heyman, Rosenthal, etc. and analyze thoroughly once all details are known”. What’s the benefit in those extra 5 minutes? Thanks for the chat!
Klaw: Because if I get news, I share it. I have no idea why you’d even ask.

Keith: Now that the White Sox are clearing their MLB roster, do you think Matt Davidson will get a chance to play? Last I heard, his 3B defense was considered plus. Does he still have everyday starter upside to you?
Klaw: He’s not a plus defender, but he has a good swing and average power. I hope he gets one more chance before he’s discarded to the NRI scrap heap.

A Short Guy: Will guys like Nick Allen (2017) and Nick Madrigal (2018) get first round consideration or does their height hurt them too much?
Klaw: Don’t think either ends up in the first round for that very reason.

Seath: My Fiance and I are having a Christmas Eve Dinner with my parents at my brother and his wife’s house. Because they have a newborn, my Fiance and I would love to provide the main course for dinner but are having a hard time figuring out what we can cook if we have to also transport it. What do you reccomend?
Klaw: You want weight to it so it’ll retain its heat in transport, or can be reheated without doing damage to it. Something like a stew (HT Carl Weathers). Maybe Serious Eats’ pressure-cooker Green chicken chili? That’s a go-to dish for me.

Nick: How close was Clarke Schmidt to making your top 30 draft list? I remember you liked him in previous tweets and chats.
Klaw: I like the stuff, but it’s a bad delivery.

Ceej: Would you move Moncada to CF to take advantage of his speed?
Klaw: If he shows he can’t improve at 3b. Lifelong infielder moving to CF shouldn’t be taken as a given that it works.

Jackson: How is it ok to support a Casey Affleck movie and not support Chapman or any other POS? If you’d resign if forced to sign Chapman, shouldn’t you refuse to see the Afleck movie?
Klaw: Three people have asked variations of this profoundly stupid question. The analogy to seeing Affleck’s movie is watching Chapman pitch, not signing him to an $86 million deal. Think critically for a second before playing this dumbass “gotcha” game.

Jeff: Speaking only in terms of fit, and not expected cost to acquire, is Logan Forsythe, Brian Dozier or Yangervis Solarte the best option for the Dodgers current roster?
Klaw: Dozier’s a legitimate all-star, and if they can acquire him without giving up Bellinger or Verdugo I’d do it. Those two kids are close to major-league ready with huge upsides, and I don’t think I’d part with either for Dozier’s age-30 and -31 seasons.

Ed: Have you ever made figgy pudding?
Klaw: Piggy pudding? With bacon?

Kramer: Can Carson Kelly be an everyday Catcher? What do you see his upside as?
Klaw: Yes, above-average regular for me. Great athlete, great kid, really improved defensively over the last two years, more pop in there than he’s shown to date.

Danny: Thoughts on Josh Staumont? I think he’s a RP without a drastic uptick in command (which is possible but he’s not a fresh prep pitcher).
Klaw: I agree with you completely. He can be around the strike zone, but I saw maybe his best outing of 2016 and it was still below-average command. He was just blowing A-ball guys up with pure stuff.

Marshall MN: The Onion had a great headline this week about Rick Perry getting nominated as Secretary of a department he once wanted to get rid of (Dept Energy) – oh wait that wasn’t a satirical headline from The Onion, it was reality.
Klaw: I’m waiting for General Sherman to get the nod for Secretary of Agriculture.

BoBo from FishTown: Thoughts on Brandon Brooks of the PHL Eagles ‘coming out’ about His anxiety atttacks that have prevented Him from playing the last few games? And His coach calling it a ‘weird situatuon’?
Klaw: I’m glad he felt confident enough to talk about it publicly and deal with the ignorance that he’s getting from his coach and from fans.

John: How does Jeren Kendell stack up with recent draftees from the SEC (Senzel, Swanson, Bregman, Benintendi)? How concerned are you about his k-rate?
Klaw: I ranked him at 1, so I’m obviously not that concerned about his K rate; he’s unusually toolsy for a college hitter. He has more upside than the first three guys you mentioned, but those three were also better hitters as sophomores and better equipped to get to double-A quickly than Kendall is right now.

Pramit Bose: There has been some sentiment around here that the Jays acted too quickly in signing Kendrys Morales to a 3 year deal given that there hasn’t exactly been huge demand for power this off season. Do you think this is the case? And are we starting to see organizations value more “complete” players (i.e. offense, baserunning and defense) than one dimensional ones?
Klaw: Yes, I was out of the country when that happened but I thought it was a bad deal for the Jays given all the comparable players out there who’ll probably end up signing for a year.

Lee: Keith, which of the Braves pitching prospects will likely have the most impact on the team? Seems to me Fried is getting overlooked and could be a future ace.
Klaw: Don’t think he could be an ace but I think he could be an above-average starter. Toussaint might have the best upside of anyone, but isn’t as close to getting to his ceiling as Fried is to his.

Chris: Keith, I wanted to thank you for turning me on to the concept of sipping rums. I now prefer them to bourbon. Have you tried either Dictador or Zaya 12 year?
Klaw: Not yet. Not familiar with Dictador at all.

Marshall MN: Plus just generally in regard to any hazing…why should any of it be allowed? I hate when hear stories about rookies having to buy the vets dinner (especially given how comparatively little most rooks make), or carrying their bags, or doing anything that demeans them. It isn’t needed, there are better ways to build camaraderie, and a lot of times all of this stuff just ventures in physical/mental abuse.
Klaw: I tend to agree with this, as I explained in my email newsletter this week, but I’m realistic about what teams will be able to enforce in the short term, and I thought the introduction of any policy on the topic was a big first step.

Priya: Any trick to identifying which prospect with Sale like deficiencies will defy the odds and stay healthy or is it a fool’s errand?
Klaw: I don’t think so, but I tend to think in a certain way, building heuristics and being very critical of exceptions to those guidelines. Sale violated several of them – the bad delivery, the lack of a breaking ball in college, and the narrow frame – and yet has had a Hall of Fame start to his career. Credit the White Sox with drafting him in spite of the questions about whether he could start, and with getting him from a 40 breaking ball to a 70. But if I saw another Chris Sale I’d probably have similar reservations because the majority of guys with those issues don’t pan out.

Tom: Agree that people are playing the wrong game of “gotcha”. The question they should be asking in relation to the Casey Affleck film is, “If you were still a Yankees fan, would you purchase a ticket to watch a game knowing they employ Aroldis Chapman?”
Klaw: Yep. Or, if I were a film director, would I cast Casey Affleck, knowing the accusations that he’s harassed women? (Probably not.) But for me to deny the quality of his performance would be analogous to denying Chapman’s effectiveness as a pitcher, which I’ve been very careful to avoid doing. Chapman’s a great pitcher I wouldn’t want on my team. Affleck’s a great actor I wouldn’t want in my film.

Pat D: So based upon your answer to Ed’s question, is John Denver & The Muppets the greatest Christmas album of all time, or merely one of the very good? Also, appreciated the Coach Z reference on Twitter this week.
Klaw: I grew up listening to that album so I can’t pretend to be objective. Pretty much any vintage Muppets Christmas thing is good, including the Muppet Christmas Carol, which we watched last night as I sang along with my daughter. If they gave a prize for bein’ mean, the winner would be him!

Tommy Tutone: What do you see from Paxton this year?
Klaw: More of the same maddening inconsistency, I think.

Jason: Keith, hopefully you can help me out here regarding the Russians. I’m a Republican who didn’t vote for Trump (or Clinton, for that matter). Let’s assume that the Russian government did release the emails purposefully to help Trump. Why would that mean that the electoral college should then vote for Clinton? As long as they weren’t actually tampering with the votes themselves, why should this interference be actionable? It’s not as if Putin favoring Trump was some secret
Klaw: Is anyone arguing the EC should vote for Clinton? I have not, and would not, even though I voted for her and would prefer to see her as President than any GOP option. The idea of faithless electors isn’t to give the election to the other party.

Tommy Tutone: How good is Lance McCullers? Will he be a #1?
Klaw: I’ve said for a while I think LMJr will end up in the bullpen because of his delivery. It’s ace stuff, but he has yet to hit 160 innings in any season and keeps getting hurt. I’d rather see him stay healthy all year.

Chris: How batshit crazy are these guys in Washington that are trying to pass legislation allowing guns into the stadiums?
Klaw: I mean, do you want to be in the stadium with people who decide to bring guns into it? Who says, hey, I’m going to see the M’s, where’s my TEC-9?

Troy McClure: I’m surprised someone with social anxiety would say such harsh things to so many readers. You shouldn’t always assume bad intent with bad questions.
Klaw: Don’t drag my anxiety into this irrelevant discussion. And “gotcha” questions always have bad intent.

Perry: What do you think on the next CA Attorney General stating that he will not adhere to federal law regarding immigration and will go so far as to obstruct the federal government from enforcing its laws?
Klaw: This is how we get cases into the judicial system, no?

Jeremy: Who should get the most innings behind the plate in 2017: Castillo, Joseph, or Sisco?
Klaw: Castillo. If Sisco’s not their catcher of the future any more, they should trade him for a young starter.

Chris: Given the amount they can get in return, should Baltimore trade Machado if they get off to a slow start? They aren’t terrible but they aren’t great and their farm system is sorely lacking, so I think this should actually kick start a real fix.
Klaw: I think they’re going to have to explore trading him soon, but since they were a WC team in 2016 doing it now would probably be seen as a white flag. Explore it in July, push it in November.

Vin: Are you a believer in a Parker/Williamson LF platoon for SF?
Klaw: I am not.

Jim: Ken Rosenthal wrote an article about how the Braves farm system is considered not mature enough yet and how that hurt in the Sale talks. Also that their pitchers were high risk with mid rotation upside. Why do people keep writing these things about the Braves system yet they are ranked Top 5 by nearly every prospect guy?
Klaw: No idea. Atlanta has so many prospect arms that I think your second sentence is not a fair summary of the system; they have many with higher upside, and of course many with lower upside. You can’t just take the average of all the prospects.

Jeremy: Any favorite Christmas books for children? We give one to each child to open in bed each Christmas morning and, with 4 kids, we feel like we’re running out of quality options.
Klaw: Not specifically Christmas but my daughter always loved Stranger in the Woods.

Tom: So you wouldn’t cast Casey Affleck in a movie but you’ll vote to put Bill Clinton back in the White House? He settled out-of-court on multiple sexual assault lawsuits.
Klaw: Bill Clinton hasn’t run for President since 1996. It’s funny how people do this with a woman running for office, but never with a man.

Todd-bowls: It feels like Greene is decent at two positions rather than great at one. Agree or Disagree
Klaw: Great defensive shortstop. Questionable bat. Potentially great pitcher, huge upside, not there yet. So it’s a little more involved although I understand why you’d ask that.

Rusty: Keith, do you have an opinion on acupuncture?
Klaw: I’ve seen no research that indicates it works, and there’s no known biological mechanism to explain why it would work. Here’s a good essay on why.

Rob: I know the Pirates are probably unlikely to get involved, but would Meadows, Keller and Newman be enough/too much to get Quintana?
Klaw: I don’t think that fits the White Sox’ goals for such a deal and probably isn’t enough close-to-the-majors value, but it’s better than the reported Houston proposal.

Chris: Rockies with a puzzling offseason so far, eh?
Klaw: I don’t understand it. They’re not a terrible team, but so far they haven’t done enough that I could project them to even 85 or so wins, and I could easily see the Desmond deal going south on them quickly.

Chuck: If there’s a lot of anecdotal evidence that something is effective but no science-based research, is there merit for you? Thinking of acupuncture or anything else.
Klaw: Well there’s a lot of research on acupuncture that hasn’t shown it’s any better than a placebo. If there’s zero research, and a plausible explanation why something might work, then I’d consider it.

Aron: What kind of package from the Mariners gets Smyly?
Klaw: Not sure the two teams really line up. The M’s system is thin at the moment. Plus, do they have a shortstop prospect who can’t stay at short? That’s Tampa’s favorite kind of player.

Lee: It appears the Red Sox are going all out for a championshipo with the recent moves they’ve made. So why the apparent hesitation to cross the luxury tax this season? Wouldn’t signing EE to a 3 year deal make them more likely to win a World Series in their “window”?
Klaw: Yes, it would, in year one, but I could imagine they might not want to go that long on a player his age.

Chris: Do you think Reynaldo Lopez will be given time to develop as a starter with the Sox, with the fallback on going to the pen or will he be a pen guy with the Sox right off the bat?
Klaw: Sounded like they’ll let him try to start, which is fine given that they’re not trying to win right now, but I have said before I think there’s no chance he can stay healthy and effective as a starter.

Jake: If last years draft was held today who would be the top 5 picks? Moniak still #1?
Klaw: I don’t think the Phillies have changed their view on him to alter that. I have a feeling in a few years we’ll look back and wonder how Groome fell to 12.

Anthony: What would do with Joey Gallo? Should they let him play everyday at 1B or start him in the minors?
Klaw: I think he needs to play regularly and the Rangers need to accept that there will be a long period of adjustment. Gallo still strikes out too much, but he’s improved his ability to lay off stuff outside the zone and to make contact within it over the last few years. He’ll come up, he’ll struggle again, but he’ll make some adjustments and get to a point where he’s at least productive. He can strike out 200 times in 600 PA and still be a valuable player because of the power and walks.

brandino: Where would Cal Quantril rank in the hierarchy of college pitchers in this years draft (assuming he was the best college pitcher in last years draft)?
Klaw: He’s another one, like Groome, where we may look back even in a year and think how big a steal he was where he was picked. A healthy Q would be in there with Wright and Faedo.

Jake: Who do you think is the better prospect Gleyber or Rosario?
Klaw: Gleyber. Both studs. Gleyber’s just uncanny though – he plays like he’s 25.

Concerned Giants fan: Read Jeff Passan’s article about how the future Dodgers are quite scary. Your thoughts on how their combination of prospects/$$ compares to the Giants’ also sizable budget? I need to know whether to be concerned about that Dodger prospect pipeline coming up.
Klaw: If they keep that prospect core, they’re indeed going to be very scary, because their lineup will be strong and inexpensive, and they will be able to buy pitching and still stay under the cap. So be concerned.

Ridley Kemp: The Trainspotting sequel is going to break my heart, isn’t it? Everything about it looks like a re-hash (except for the welcome Wolf Alice inclusion). Am I foolish to hope?
Klaw: I’ve actually never seen the original. I’m pretty bad with 1990s movies.

John: Do you see Tom Raines as a much better HoF candidate than Kenny Lofton? Raines a much better hitter but similar overall fWAR.
Klaw: Better peak for Raines too. Raines was one of the 2-3 best players in baseball for a short period. Lofton never had that peak.

Rick Gassko: Do you think Aaron Judge, Hunter Renfroe and/or A.J. Reed ever get past their low contact rates and high K rates seen in their major league debuts to become above-average regulars? What are the odds on each that they are busts?
Klaw: I’m most optimistic about Judge, then Reed, then Renfroe. Renfroe is the one I’ve seen look the worst on breaking stuff, and I think he’s the least patient. Reed’s issue is modest bat speed, but his eye is good. Judge has the best idea, and the longest arms.

David: I know it’s far away, but is there any prospect of Gavin Lux playing SS for the Dodgers? Trade bait in a few years, or could he be their future 2B?
Klaw: I would let him play short for a few years and see how he looks and how his body changes. I think right now he has the raw ability to do it, but if he loses any speed he would likely move to second. Bigger concern right now is cleaning up his swing a bit to address the hit tool.

Reilly: At a recent team caravan event, Frank Coonelly expressed frustration over the fan base’s exhaustion over the FO’s “unwillingness to spend.” My opinion has always been smart moves/spending is more important than moves/spending for the sake of. What say you?
Klaw: Never been a fan of spending for spending’s sake. Is the team in question missing out on good deals? Playing clearly inferior players to save money? Skimping on draft picks or on July 2? Those things would concern me, rather than just looking at total payroll.

Sigmund Fraud: You seem like a great husband/father. Cooks, works from home a lot, involved in raising his kid… so what is Mrs. Klaw’s biggest pet peeve? Surely you can’t ALWAYS be so wonderful. (or would you beg to differ?)
Klaw: Oh, she’d have some things to say, I assure you. Not least among them is how much time I’m online doing stuff.

Steve: Hi, Keith. I know you’re not a fantasy baseball guy but I’d really appreciate your real life expertise here. I can only keep one of Urias or Alex Reyes. Which one? Thanks!
Klaw: Urias. More optimistic about him short- and long-term. Reyes has huge upside but has had arm soreness and the delivery isn’t ideal.

Tim (KC): The Rockies reportedly want Eaton-type return on Charlie Blackmon (free agent after 2018). Seems like they don’t understand player value/contract/economics. They seem to be really become delusional this off-season. Are the Rockies ready to contend or is this the next Padres/Diamondbacks (what is it will the NL West)?
Klaw: Eaton’s value was as much in the contract as in the player himself. Blackmon’s probably a better bet to hold his value, but as you said, Eaton’s contract, both cost and years of control, made him a much more valuable asset.

Chris: Josh Byrnes got a raw deal in San Diego and Preller has ruined the organization. People who point to their minors looking great now forget that Preller dealt Turner, Ross, Grandal and others. How does he still have a job?
Klaw: Byrnes inherited a good system from Hoyer/McLeod and left it in worse shape. Preller’s first year was bad, but this year he’s restocked the system quickly and thoroughly. And while he should have kept Turner/Ross, Myers is a good player and they didn’t end up with nothing.

addoeh: Do you think the new CBA will curb the Dodgers spending? It seems to me they’ll just shrug their shoulders and say “Ok.”
Klaw: I think it will, because it’s a tax and loss of draft position (and bonus pool). Also, they are likely to have Seager, Verdugo, and Bellinger as their core making no money at some point very soon.

Jake: Who would you have taken in last years draft at #1? You seem to like Groome, Rutherford and Corey Ray the best.
Klaw: I had Ray 1, but I said there were a couple of guys who were worth that spot, including the others you named.

Jon: Keith, Re:Gallo. Isn’t he a more athletic version of Adam Dunn? Dunn was productive at the plate in the same manner as Gallo with a ton of K’s but killed teams with his defense. Gallo’s not as terrible. Do you think it will take a new team to get that chance?
Klaw: Gallo’s not a terrible defender – he’s a good athlete, as you said, with an 80 arm. But if he’s only Adam Dunn, well, Dunn was a good player for several years, just frustrating.

Ron: Buxton takes the next step this year? Maybe breakout? Incredible physical tools. If he squares one up he can hit it as far as anyone.
Klaw: I’m buying.

Jim: Shouldn’t Tim Raines get in the HOF before Tom Raines gets any consideration?
Klaw: I wanted to vote for Claude Raines but I didn’t see him on the ballot.

Joe: Keith, I enjoyed your Disney food reviews, even though they are a few years old now. Did you ever publish any reviews about the attractions that you liked at Disney?
Klaw: I haven’t, and it’s funny you ask because my daughter asks when we might go again, but last time around she was only interested in a handful of rides. I think she enjoys being there more than doing the attractions.

Bob: You said in reply to my Twitter question that the gap between the best and worst FOs has gotten small. I wonder, then, if the new market inefficiency is how well you develop talent. Mike Trout or Corey Seegar are going to be stars regardless, but there are plenty of prospects that benefit from good coaching. Some teams seem to do this better than others, don’t they?
Klaw: I think there are still inefficiencies but they’ll be less obvious. Development is a large area for inefficiencies. Health is one. Using Statcast data to improve game plans, or to contribute to development, is another. We just may not spot these until after the fact.

Mark: Any tips for a 24 year old looking to take up baseball in junior college? The one thing I have going for me is that I can really, really run. Like Billy Hamilton run. What do I have to do to get noticed by scouts this upcoming season?
Klaw: I really don’t know the answer to that. I suppose the obvious, but real, answer is that you are going to have to hit a lot to get anyone to overcome the skepticism of seeing a 24-year-old in JC.

Kenny: If the 3 major parts of the game are offense, defense, and pitching, which 2 would you emphasize the most when putting a team together? In other words, if you could make your team very strong in 2 of them, while being weak in one, which 2 would help you win the most?
Klaw: I think there are two major parts: run scoring and run prevention. Pitching and defense go together in run prevention but the share for each is either unknown or variable. If you can build a great offense that also contributes to run prevention, well, that’s a good way to go, but those players are rare and often expensive.

Joe: Does Jason McLeod accept a GM spot now that he has helped the Cubs finally win a WS? If not, what is he waiting for?
Klaw: He just signed an extension so I don’t think he’s going anywhere now.

Walt: The story of the former Wake Forest assistant football coach turned radio announcer, who took his frustrations of not being retained by a new head coach out by giving game plans to other teams, seems to be a cautionary tale for anyone in sports. What kind of safeguards to teams have against former employees giving away all of their secrets?
Klaw: What else can you do besides NDAs? I guess then you sue the hell out of violators to make it clear that there are real penalties involved. Beyond that, I don’t think you can stop someone intent on leaking your secrets.

Scott: I can’t stop buying board games. Any suggestions?
Klaw: You’re asking someone who owns over 100. I have no help for you.

Bob: Follow up, if I may. If player development is an area where you can really improve over the other guy, then this issue should factor into hiring a new GM, shouldn’t it?
Klaw: I think it should.

Tim (KC): What is your HOF ballot this year?
Klaw: Raines, Bagwell, Bonds, Clemens, Vlad, Edgar, Mussina, Pudge, Schilling, Walker. Still leaving guys off because of the 10-man limit. (Most of you know this, but I do not have a ballot yet. Two more years.)

Duane: If you had a choice of never reading a new book or never trying a new food, which would you choose?
Klaw: I could go on very happily eating all the amazing things I’ve already eaten, but I’d shrivel up without new books.

MikeM: Is there a release date for your prospect lists in 2017. I really enjoy reading them every year and are one of the main reasons I have an Insider account.
Klaw: It’s up to the new baseball editor but she told me she was looking at the third and fourth weeks of January. We’re going to roll them out over more days – so it might be, say, 25 prospects a day for four days.

HugoZ: Is having an inflammatory statement on a t-shirt a great reason to deprive someone of your HOF vote?
Klaw: The statement in question targeted the profession of the voters. That said, I still had Schilling on mine, as you saw.

Jon: Concerning Mark heading off to JC. If he’s serious about pro ball, would an indy league team be a better route than a Juco program?
Klaw: I think he’s more likely to be seen at a JC, but his performance in an indy league might carry more weight. I assume part of going to a JC here is to work towards a degree, though.

mike: Is Dom Smith the Mets everyday 1b next year? Theres alot of varying opinions about him in the prospect community
Klaw: In 2018, I think so. Still developing but it was nice to see more power from him now that he got out of the Mets’ A-ball environments.

Ben: Piggy backing off of the team building question. If EE’s market were to crater to the point that an NL team gets involved, let’s say the Cardinals. Do you think his bat in their lineup would be worth the defensive downgrade with EE at 1b and Carpenter at 3b?
Klaw: I’d roll those dice, so to speak. Huge boost with the bat.

JJ: Since it appears the Red Sox’ heavy lifting is done this winter, what does that mean for Blake Swihart? Is he ticketed to be the everyday catcher at Pawtucket? How much did the lost year that was 2016 hurt his development?
Klaw: I think that’s indeed the plan, unfortunately. He should be playing everyday for somebody.

Rob: Based on previous statements, I’m guessing you’d advocate for either a long suspension or ban for Familia. My question is: what should players like him, Chapman, and Reyes be doing instead of baseball? Ray Rice has apparently been speaking to NFL rookies, telling them to not make the same mistakes he did. Not a bad intention, but I don’t know if it’s actually effective.
Klaw: I like that Rice is doing that, although I’m not even sure how we’d know if it was effective. Such players could also spend time volunteering at battered women’s shelters. As for Familia, I saw the charges were dismissed but I have no idea what the details were and assume MLB will conduct its own investigation as they have with other players in similar situations.

Greg: Wife and I are going to Charleston for the weekend. Any recommendations on what to do or eat?
Klaw: Husk if you can get in. Fig, Fat Hen, Minero, Evo.

Joseph: I’m interested in getting my brother coffee for christmas. Can you recommend a couple good brands or flavors? My coffee knowledge is non-existent and the only thing I don’t want are kcups.
Klaw: K-cups are evil. If he has a pour-over device (like the Hario V60 I’ve mentioned) or a French press, then you want some good single origin coffees from small roasters. There may be one near you, or you could mail order from places like Intelligentsia, Four Barrel, Cartel, or Archetype, all of whom are among my favorites. I mentioned Royal Mile in NJ on Twitter recently – they have (had) an Ethiopian Kochere that was one of the best coffees I’ve ever tried.

Chief Sockalexis: Given the new CBA does Shohei Otani still sign with a large market team?
Klaw: I think he’s got a few options. I have a feeling he’ll get paid one way or another – perhaps signing a contract here that forces a team to non-tender him after two years or something. I assume every team that can find $20 million for the posting fee will bid though.

Doug: Josh Byrnes traded Anthony Rizzo for Andrew Cashner. But yet Chris thinks he didn’t get a fair shake in SD? Give me Preller all day over Byrnes.
Klaw: And I hated that deal at the time for the Padres. I think Preller’s on the right track but it’s going to take several more years to get to their goal.

Klaw: That’s all for this week – thanks as always for reading and for all of your questions. I will chat again before Christmas, probably at the usual time next Thursday.