My latest game review for Paste covers Nyctophobia, a one-versus-many game where the ‘many’ players all wear blackout glasses and must play by touching the board and talking to their teammates.
Keith Law: Like a slow divorce … it’s Klawchat.
Joe: Keith, how bad does the Gausman trade look now the Orioles are very unlikely to be able to sign a top international player with the money they acquired?
Keith Law: As bad as it looked at the time they made the deal. They mishandled Gausman for years, and he’s already looked a little better since they traded him.
Nick: Matt Strahm – your thoughts? Starter? Long RP?
Keith Law: I still think he can start.
addoeh: Top Chef is in Kentucky this season, so expect plenty of bourbon and maybe a burgoo. I know you said you were out last year due to time, but will you come back this season even without the recaps?
Keith Law: I think so, although it’ll depend on how much time I find I have during prospect season + the glut of movies I’m already finding myself facing. It seems like we’re in for an extraordinary three months of very good movies coming out.
Aaron: Absolutely stunned that the reds didn’t choose a retread for their manager position (please don’t be Ausmus, please don’t be Ausmus.) What was his rep as a minor league coach?
Keith Law: Bell has a great reputation from when he managed and his work in player development. I know Giants people had nothing but great things to say about him. I don’t know how he’ll be as a tactical manager, or how well he’ll work with analytics, but I like that he has a lot of relevant experience.
John: Dear Dave Dombrowski, I’m sorry about all the things I said about you when you acquired Eovaldi instead of a bullpen arm. Sincerely, Johnny from Burger King
Keith Law: Turned out Eovaldi was both a floor wax and a bullpen arm!
Rob: Did you get to see Taylor Trammel while in Arizona?
Keith Law: Yep. I saw every position player who played other than a few taxi squad guys (they only play two days a week) and guys who were hurt (Luis Robert, of course).
John: Assuming that the DEA story has been fully debunked, does it make sense that no one ever picked up Hanley Ramirez for the league minimum?
Keith Law: He really has no position; it’s hard to find a spot for a guy like that, basically impossible in the NL.
Bill: I am opening a bookstore/cafe in Worcester, MA soon. Besides good brew, what sorts of things do you enjoy in such places (besides Smart Baseball!)?
Keith Law: The appeal of indie bookstores for me is the curation of the collection. You’re not selling all books, and really, if people want the latest James Patterson tripe, they can get that anywhere. I like to walk into a small bookstore and see that someone has taken the time to choose which books to sell and which books to highlight. Staffers who can talk books with me and help me discover new titles are always a bonus too. Also, donuts.
James: As a Royals fan, when should I realistically expect them to compete again? 2021?
Keith Law: That seems too soon given the state of the system.
Sam: Thoughts on Brodie Van Wagenen being a finalist for the Mets GM job? Do you feel the same way about GM jobs that you do manager jobs with respect to needing some level of experience?
Keith Law: In this case, I do. I don’t think hiring an agent who’s never worked in baseball ops to run the entire baseball ops department makes a lot of sense. The entire Mets GM search process seems badly flawed to me.
wearingwhitesoxinboston: Thoughts on the Baldelli hire? Like Cora and Roberts, he was an average player with bench coaching but no managerial experience. Is this a copy-cat move by the Twins or was he the best option? I am skeptical.
Keith Law: Cora had managerial experience.
Ron: Thoughts o n the Baldelli hire? Sounds analytical, young, has coaching and instructing experience and worked in the front office. Bad hire, good hire or “Meh”? But hasn’t managed.
Keith Law: I discussed this on the BBTN podcast this morning – I know Rocco well, and think very highly of him. He’s very bright and curious. He’s more than just open to new ideas and will work well with the stats guys. I believe he’ll be a good developmental manager. But as you said, he hasn’t managed, and that’s a negative regardless of who the candidate is. I hope he finds someone for his staff who has plenty of in-game experience and can help him learn that part of the game quickly; the track record of no-experience managers is poor.
Moe Mentum: Who starts at 1b for the Phillies on Opening Day 2019 – Santana, Hoskins, or other?
Keith Law: If it’s Hoskins, who’d be the ideal candidate in a vacuum, where does Santana play?
ScottyG: I keep hearing the Cardinals might trade Carlos Martinez this winter – I don’t get it……I know that everybody is available, but what would it take for you to deal him?
Keith Law: I don’t understand trading him now, coming off his worst year, where he didn’t stay healthy and ended up in the bullpen.
Hank: What kind of contribution do you see Eloy JIminez having next season? Is he on the level of Acuna and Soto (and potentially Vlad Jr)?
Keith Law: I think he’s a great prospect but is not on the level of those other three names.
Coarsegold: Thoughts on Manny Ramirez Hall of Fame credentials? B.S. Steroid nonsense aside.
Keith Law: He did test positive for PEDs/masking agents twice, so I’m not sure that’s just “B.S.” His case rests entirely on what you think of his defensive value; his bat clearly belongs. I don’t think he’ll be in my top ten this winter.
barbeach: Thanks for doing this chat. Is there anything that better reflects the Mets incredible dysfunction than the fact they apparently are seriously considering hiring an agent–an agent who reps some of their stars to boot–with no front office experience to run the organization?
Keith Law: Like I said above, it’s clearly a bad process. I get the strong sense they simply wanted to hire Melvin all along – perhaps because Bud Selig recommended him – and the rest was a charade.
Ben: Any chance Price opts out?
Keith Law: With known damage in his elbow? I don’t think so.
Aaron C.: The narrative seems to be that the A’s future is bright…but, is it? Relief pitching effectiveness is notoriously fluid from year-to-year. Question marks at C, 2B and OF. Regression from some A’s in your 2018 top ten team prospects list. And, not one identifiable starting pitcher for 2019 – outside of MAYBE unproven Jesus Luzardo. Weird for a 97-win team, no?
Keith Law: I agree – their system is just middle of the road, and the major league team benefited from a lot of performances that won’t be repeated, plus the likely departure of Lowrie’s production.
Danny: Hey Keith, you’ve previously mentioned that you are not as high on Brandon Nimmo as others because he is ineffective (I don’t remember your exact word choice) vs. lefties (I agreed with you). Though, someone pointed out to me that he actually posted a 112 wRC+ against LHP in 150 PAs this season. Does this change anything for you?
Keith Law: No, because that is a tiny sample, and he still punched out in 1/3 of those PA.
John: With the another team hiring a manager with no managing experience, what do minor league managers need to do to get noticed? Or are most MiLB managers just happy to be still in the game?
Keith Law: I’d really like to know what teams tell minor league managers when they’re hired or re-signed, knowing the old career path there has been largely destroyed.
Nate: Are there any political or social issues on which you take a Conservative position?
Keith Law: That term has no meaning in the abstract. “Conservative” is always relative to the rest of the populace at a specific time.
Dave: Trump is blaming the media for the pipe bombs, not himself, the GOP or anyone in his administration. At this point, does ANYTHING he says surprise you anymore?
Keith Law: No. Watching the same MAGA chuds who pushed pizzagate decry the #MAGABomber hashtag was unbefuckinglievable, though.
Brian: In your Fall League write ups you did not mention anything regarding Royals players participating. A case of nothing new to report or just not performing well enough to elicit a comment?
Keith Law: Khalil Lee didn’t look very good, and otherwise they didn’t send much in the way of prospects, since Matias was hurt, and their other top prospects are all still 19 years old or were just drafted.
Ben: Roberts says he plans to use Urias as a SP next year. Is this feasible to you?
Keith Law: That’s a question for the team doctor and training staff. I can only look at the history of pitchers who’ve had that surgery, which is very poor, but know no specifics on the state of his shoulder.
Nate: Assuming M. Andujar has to move off 3b, is 1b or LF better suited to him?
Keith Law: Probably first base, or right field, although the latter is occupied.
Salty: Heading out to AFL next week – did you stop at any new spots last week that you’d recommend?
Keith Law: Roland’s Market is open now – I went there Labor Day weekend and it was excellent. Glai Baan in Phoenix, serving Thai street food and lots of booze, was also tremendous. Copper & Cotton in south Tempe was solid but perhaps too out of the way for AFL visitors.
Mike: I really like Eppler as GM. He groomed and then hand picked Ausmus. Am I too hopeful?
Keith Law: That seemed like a weird hire to me, since Ausmus was literally 12 months removed from a managerial gig where he seemed to take no input from anyone analytical.
Seath: No question. Just wanted to say we went to Flour yesterday after visiting the MFA (they have a Winnie-the-Pooh exhibit right now) . Up until then only had their pastries. Can confirm their sandwiches are delicious and their bread is amazing!
Keith Law: awesome. flour is one of the places I miss most up in Boston.
Pistol Pete: Hey Keith, thoughts on the Greta Van Fleet album? Thoughts on Pitchfork (high on their horse) giving it a 1.6 review?
Keith Law: I wouldn’t say I loved it – I feel like they’re a lot more Kingdom Come than Led Zeppelin – but a 1.6 is way harsher than I would have gone.
Bobby Bradley’s 40-time: Read your review for The Mind and bought it immediately. About to try it out tonight. Any tips to getting through all the levels?
Keith Law: Not really – it’s about learning to play with your partners, understanding everyone’s rhythms. Don’t forget those throwing stars, which are very valuable.
Oscar: Tell me again why we’re all supposed to just be okay with that obvious pine tar/grease stain on Kimbrel’s hat that he touches before every pitch . . . ?
Keith Law: Because every pitcher seems to do it. Price touched the bill of his cap repeatedly last night. I have no idea if there’s a substance there, but no one batted an eye.
Joe: Non-baseball Q: what is your preferred coffee making vessel? We got about four different ones for our wedding, and I’m seeing positives and negatives from all of them.
Keith Law: I use a V60 for pour-over (drip) and then I own an espresso machine. I’ve never used an Aeropress, which is very trendy now.
Pat: In case you needed a laugh today, the Orioles announced this morning that they signed Kelvin LaRoche. They also announced on August 20th that they signed Kelvin LaRoche.
Keith Law: My favorite part of this is that they signed a shortstop named Machado. Just not that one.
Gabe: Any really good iOs app games lately? I don’t have time for actual board games in my life but do have some downtime with my devices at times.
Keith Law: Last new one I tried and liked was Istanbul. I did try the new Onitama app but the AI player was too easy.
ditcow: I noticed Dave Roberts’ mismanagement of his roster is owed less to stats and more to a habit of always matching lefties and righties. Do you find his moves in alignment with the front office?
Keith Law: I doubt the front office is really a fan of his in-game management.
Jesse B: I just assumed when Archer got out of the AL East he would flourish, but he struggled. Do you think that was just an adjustment period and he’ll be a lot better next year, or is the best behind him?
Keith Law: Still hold out hope for him, but there are some clear adjustments he’ll need to make.
Joel: I am embarrassed to say I missed last week’s klaw chat. Like a lot. Do the Braves gain much by trying to go after a big pitcher in FA? Seems like letting the younger kids pitch would allow them to spend a lot more money elsewhere
Keith Law: Yeah, and this year’s FA pitching class is slim; unless they’re signing a Corbin there’s a good chance anyone they sign is worse than the best in-house alternative.
Alec: Can we get the caravan to settle in your state? Care to take some of them in? Your party white state could use the diversity after all.
Keith Law: Actually, troll, Delaware has the 6th-highest percentage of residents who are African-American, and our white non-Latino percentage is well below the median. So fuck off.
Mac: Lots of Corbin Carroll love out there. Does he have the ceiling to be a top half of the 1st round guy?
Keith Law: Little early for that. He’s a day one guy, but beyond that let’s see how he looks in the spring.
Jesse: How has Gerson Bautista looked at AFL?
Keith Law: Just another middle reliever.
Mr. Redlegs: I know positional versatility is a positive, but moving Senzel everywhere but 3rd is a bit worrisome, no? Seems better to move Suarez back to short and platoon Gennett/Peraza rather than hope Senzel can play center.
Keith Law: I’ve argued this for a while now. Moving Senzel after he worked his ass off to be an average to above-average defender at third, and given his bat, is nuts.
Este: So creationism is “fantasy”, yet the THEORY of evolution is 100 percent fact…lol
Keith Law: Imagine finding this chat but not knowing what the word “theory” means in science. It boggles.
JJ: Thoughts on Counsell’s managerial performance in the playoffs? I was pleasantly surprised especially given his lack of managerial experience prior to getting the Brewers job.
Keith Law: I was impressed too – he was nimble in-game, seemed appropriately aggressive with his bullpen (given the weak starters), chased platoon advantages in high-leverage spots. Nice job.
Guest: Is Manny Machado and everyday SS. Per Baseball Reference he had a -1.2 dWAR with Baltimore and and a 1.2 dWAR with the Dodgers. Is it just positioning and if so, what the hell is wrong with Baltimore?
Keith Law: I don’t think so. That’s some small sample size stuff there, and I don’t think he’s really an Andrelton-level defender at short like the Dodgers figure would imply. He’s also really freaking large for a shortstop. Arm would play anywhere and I think his hands are fine, but covering all that ground that we still expect shortstops to cover is probably a bit much. Plus, he’s a 70 or 80 defender at third.
Rick Sanchez: Reds SP Luis Castillo killed it in the second half after an abysmal first half. What do you project for him long-term?
Keith Law: His second half was largely buoyed by an unsustainably low BABIP. He’s a back-end starter who’d probably be more effective in relief given his lack of a decent third pitch.
Jesse: Any of the lesser known mets in AFL showing well?
Keith Law: Nope, bad showing for the Mets guys, but they didn’t send a ton either.
Taco Tuesday: Charles Leblanc has been mentioned as a possible sleeper prospect for the Rangers — decent bat and the ability to play multiple positions in the infield. Did you see anything from him in Arizona that would suggest he could be a major leaguer at some point?
Keith Law: No – he was really bad in the field, too.
Matt: After finding out Schilling wasnt invited to Game 2, I took a gander at his Twitter account. Umm…he thinks the recent mail bombs are a liberal conspiracy to get people to vote. I mean what the actual fuck?
Keith Law: Yeah, I can’t think of a reason anyone could imagine skipping that guy.
Almir Lima Jr.: Hi Keith, greetings from Brazil! What do you read from this Mets GM search? After this brief statement by Chaim Bloom, it appears that Melvin is going to get the job. Is this just sad or is there any reason to believe that Melvin is the right man right now?
Keith Law: Tudo bem! I saw Bloom’s statement and it sounds like what I said above about the process was probably accurate.
Bill: Nico Hoerner is only player from the 2018 draft in the AFL. He was hurt mid-season so he needs at bats. How is he holding up against upper level competition?
Keith Law: Smart player but didn’t make much hard contact and he’s smaller than I thought. I think maybe a high-average/high OBP second baseman?
Adam: All this talk about pitchers throwing harder/more breaking balls as an excuse for passed balls and wild pitches this post season seems to ignore the fact that the playoff teams struggling the most with this either have catching as their weak spot or offensive minded catchers in general. Shouldn’t a strong defensive catcher be more of a commodity around the trade deadline (like RP’s) for reasons like this?
Keith Law: Also, good framers tend to have more passed balls/WP, per … Harry Pavlidis, I think, told me that on Twitter?
Jordan: Considering that he will be 20 next July, would it be a bad 2019 for Kelenic if he wasn’t in High-A by the end of season?
Keith Law: No, it wouldn’t be bad, but I think he’ll get there.
Rob: Now that the Orioles lost out on the Mesa brothers how do you expect them to spend all that international bonus money they traded for?
Keith Law: They signed a few guys today – that’s what the LaRoche/Machado joke was about.
Jesse: How much of a GM job is Baseball ops and how much is it business stuff?
Keith Law: It’s all baseball ops, if you count contracts for players as baseball ops (I do). The only non-baseball responsibilities a GM would have would be on the public relations side, such as talking to corporate sponsors at an offseason event or something.
JR: In a tweet this morning you indicated that the most reasonable criticism of Melvin is that even he admitted the game has passed him by and analytics have changed a bunch in the past 5 years. Do you think the game passed Alderson by while he was still the GM? I know at one time he was seen as being at the forefront of analytics, but it felt like the past few years he was stuck on cruise control while others passed him by.
Keith Law: They weren’t very analytically-minded the last few years, especially when managing the major-league club (much more so in the draft), despite having a real analytics department. I have to assume that came from Sandy.
RyanW: Anything new to report on Cole Tucker after your time in the AFL? Seems like he lacked hard contact this year in AA, is there anymore strength coming is he a 40 raw power type who needs to get to all of his hit tool to be an average regular at SS?
Keith Law: Good athlete who still could grow into a little power, but he’s also very inconsistent at short, especially when throwing.
Keith Law: As in, maybe he doesn’t stay there.
Brian: If Schoop doesn’t rebound from whatever funk plagued him with the Brewers, is Keston Hiura ready to man 2B in 2019? It seems like his bat should be fine, but what about defense?
Keith Law: I think his defense will be adequate, good enough to stay there. I wish I’d seen him hit anything hard last week – it was one groundball after another.
Zac: On a scale of 1-10 how surprised are you that Ausmus got another managing job
Keith Law: Maybe a 2. I figured he’d get it. He went to Dartmouth, he likely interviews well, teams do like to re-hire guys who’ve managed in the majors. O AN HE SEXY.
Andrew: Any books/apps/websites you recommend for meditation?
Keith Law: Fully Present (book) is my go-to.
John Farrell: Isn’t Roberts taking heat for lineup decisions being made by Friedman ?
Keith Law: That’s not how it works … that’s not how any of this works.
Jake: Does Royce Lewis stick at SS long term?
Keith Law: My gut is still no. I got mixed reports from scouts who saw him this year.
Kyle: Is there scientific evidence and support for the dangers of fracking or is it mostly hypothetical at this point?
Keith Law: You can find several papers on this if you search journal papers – on fracking causing earthquakes, for example, or how repeated fracking can contaminate groundwater.
Brian: Hey Keith, love your work. Just wanted to know if you had heard any new industry buzz the Giants next GM. Thanks!
Keith Law: The two names I’ve heard were Jason McLeod of the Cubs and Amiel Sawdaye of the Dbacks, both of whom have roots with the Red Sox, but I have no idea who else is in the process.
Nick: Why do some people think enjoying baseball and liking analytics is mutually exclusive? I enjoy baseball MORE because of the plethora of information available. More data also means my team wins more, which is literally the best thing.
Keith Law: I like to learn things about topics that interest me. I doubt I’m the only one.
Samantha: Any chance Heyward opts out?
Keith Law: Highly doubt it.
Jesse B: Angels still have 3 years and $78 million left on Pujols contract, let that soak in. Assuming Ohtani is going to have to DH next year, what do you do with Pujols at this point? He’s 48, I mean 38, is he just an pinch hitter for 3 years, or do youjust eat the $78 mill and move on?
Keith Law: I would release Pujols. He’s a zero at the plate, he already hit the 3000 hit mark, and he is just burning a roster spot at this point.
Brett: O/U 10 starts for Forrest Whitley in 2019?
Keith Law: In the majors? Over.
Dr. Bob: I think the Dodgers are going to have the most difficult decision of the offseason if Kershaw opts out. A guy moving on the wrong side of 30 who had missed time with injury the last three years and whose velocity has dipped. He will want more than the $30 million and two years left on the contract.
Keith Law: I think you offer to tack on another year or two at a lower salary and see if that solves the problem. He’s not getting 4 and $120 million in this market.
RJS: Follow up on Manny-HOF question. Is he a guy who’d hypothetically be 11th on your list this year, but maybe 9th on your ballot next year after some elections/ballot clearing? Would you vote for the top 10 regardless given the backlog or would you only vote for 7-8 potentially in a given year?
Keith Law: I’ll always vote for the top ten. I don’t like the idea of trying to game the ballot, not least because it’s a good way to outsmart yourself.
Sticky Wicky: The Astros supposedly stealing signs — how much of this is grousing over a really good team, as compared to Houston pushing the envelope on spying compared to the rest of the league?
Keith Law: I’ve heard other rumors about them stealing signs beyond that guy in the camera well. We’ll see if any of those rumors end up confirmed anywhere. I don’t think they’re the only team trying such stuff, though.
Erik: Hey Keith, I just finished “When We Were Orphans” by Kazuo Ishiguro. I couldn’t find your review of it on this site (unless I missed it?). What did you think and how do you think it compares to some of his other works?
Keith Law: I think it’s the only book of his I didn’t review (but I did read it), just because it was kind of meh. Not great, not bad like Unconsoled.
Blake: Random question: Do you like/watch bill maher?
Keith Law: No, and thus no.
Jon: Keith, thoughts on Yusei Kikuchi please? Thank you in advance if answered.
Keith Law: He’ll be on my top 50 free agents post when that goes up after the World Series (assuming he is coming over, which all indications I’ve heard are that he will).
Chris: Keith, I know you favor guys who have actually managed before being hired for MLB mgr gigs, but would managing in the minors be somewhat overvalued since that seems to involve a lot of pursuing organizational development goals for the players and not strict in game tactics/strategy and the like? I admittedly speak from ignorance and am not trying to be a wiseass.
Keith Law: No, I still think that’s valuable – having to set lineups, handle in-game changes, consider tactics, still try to win while also considering usage restrictions, etc.
Jerry: Astros need a catcher in 2019. Marlins are open for business (supposedly). Should the Astros be willing to deal Tucker or Whitley to get the deal done? Any chance the Marlins would be willing to take some combination of Bukauskus, Alvarez, Corbin Martin instead?
Keith Law: I’d consider putting Tucker into that deal, but no way I trade Whitley for Realmuto. The other guys are all distinctly second-tier.
PhillyJake: Re: Archer – he did make the changes. His numbers over his last 30 innings were good. The difference? He stopped shaking off Cervelli.
Keith Law: It’s such a small sample that I don’t want to read too much into it yet.
Nick: Have you seen Arquimedes Gamboa in the AFL? Thoughts?
Keith Law: Yes, borderline non-prospect.
Nate: Besides guacamole, any recommendations for using avocado?
Keith Law: Makes a great salsa for topping fish, pork, even grilled chicken. I’m told it makes a good ice cream but I’ll pass on that.
Andy: Adalberto Mondesi? Real?
Keith Law: He is a real person, yes.
Bob W.: Jim Kaat recently decried the general practice of wheeler-dealer moves at the trade deadlines, using the “rooting for laundry” epithet to describe a team that’s been cobbled together by the GM. Realistically, though, isn’t this the only way small market teams like the Twins, Brewers, Royals, etc. can compete for the postseason?
Keith Law: Yes, and that has existed in baseball since Kaat was playing. I enjoyed Jim’s work for years when he moved into the booth. Watching him turn into this Luddite curmudgeon – he’s attacked me, and my book, specifically, to be completely up front here – has disappointed me in a personal way.
Josh in DC: I’ve been enjoying your book, but there’s one aspect (thus far) that troubles me. You highlight the flaws in the old stats, and make a case for the better ones. But what hasn’t come across (to me) is arguments within the analytical community. There seems to be such consensus (Jack Morris: bad; Scott Rolen: good). Where do you find yourself disagreeing with other analytically minded peers?
Keith Law: Lots of issues. I’ve long argued that Fangraphs’ attempts to put dollar values on players as multiples of their WAR is absurd, since the value of a marginal win will vary by team by year. I think framing numbers are volatile enough that I’d regress them substantially rather than merely adding them to a player’s defensive runs saved. (Framing is real, BTW. I’m not arguing it’s bogus.) I also am probably out of step with the common thinking on delaying prospects to manipulate service time and stave off super two or free agency.
Thomas: You’re on your A game with the trolls today (when aren’t you?) Please keep it coming, it’s making my miserable day much brighter!!!
Keith Law: The great thing about trolls is that they’re not very bright as a species.
William: Just saw Robyn Hitchcock in Chicago! What’s the ethical thing for the Cubs to do with Addison Russell at this point?
Keith Law: Probably trade him for nothing. They don’t need him anyway.
Frank: Has judge exceeded your expectations? I know you mentioned the power would be there, but didn’t expect him to hold a high bb%?
Keith Law: Oh yeah, he would’ve been a top 10 prospect if I’d thought he’d become this kind of hitter.
Jon: Don’t forget your free taco Keith
Keith Law: seriously? are we just not doing phrasing any more?
Tyler: College pitching crop looks weak this year. Any guys currently under the radar that you think could jump into day one conversation?
Keith Law: It’s the worst college pitching crop, for this point in the calendar, that I can remember.
Nick: There was a report yesterday that Harper wants at least 10 years/$350m. Over/under? I say over.
Keith Law: Hm. I’m torn here. I would have said over $300 million, but $350 million makes me pause. I’ll guess under.
John Jacob Astor: New indie book stores are great but if you want a magical experience look at great used bookshops
Keith Law: I do. Many of my favorite indie stores sell new and used (like Changing Hands in Phoenix & Tempe).
Dr. Bob: But Ausmus said that he thinks he needs to try some of these new-fangled stat thingies. Doesn’t that make it all okay?
Keith Law: With all thy getting, get understanding, Brad.
Andy: Whit Merrifield is…*exactly* the sort of guy you have to trade, right? Like, the dictionary definition of same?
Keith Law: Yes, like, yesterday.
Joe: Any thoughts on what to expect from Margot going forward? Anything positive this season? Lots of Padre fans seem down on him but he’s still young.
Keith Law: I’m still expecting an above-average regular. Very young, can play the hell out of CF, needs more strength.
Nuggets & Mac ‘n Cheese: You seem to be raising a healthy, curious eater. Any tips for someone with 3-year-old twins who don’t want to eat anything but waffles and PB&J?
Keith Law: Exposure. My daughter was welcome to try anything I ate, anywhere we went, and I took her to a lot of different restaurants when she was as young as 4-5. She didn’t love vegetables and still doesn’t, but she’ll eat a lot of other things (the child loves mushrooms, so mushrooms we will eat, and often) and she will truly try anything at this point.
VVM: There have been varying opinions on VIctor Victor Mesa. Have seen Almora, Robles and Trammell comps. Would love to hear your 2 cents, thanks!
Keith Law: Below all three of those guys. I hear a lot of “extra outfielder” from scouts.
BG: Any plans to post any of your recipes? I was able to impress my then girlfriend (and now wife!) with your roasted red pepper pesto way back in ’08.
Keith Law: I wing it so often at this point that I’d have to slow down and think about what I’m making to turn it into a recipe. I often just buy ingredients and roll with it.
Jared: As a Brewer fan, it was painfully frustrating to listen to the national media. Why do they not even try to understand analytics or explain them to the common fans?
Keith Law: Mute button is your friend.
Jordan: What have you thought of Amed Rosario’s defense at SS so far? Should Mets try Gimenez there when he comes up and move Rosario to 3B or CF?
Keith Law: I think Rosario is fine at short and will end up plus. Gimenez is a great defensive shortstop with no impact with the bat.
Matt: Corbin Burnes has fallen into that prospect coverage no man’s land where he’s no longer rookie eligible, but also isn’t in his long-term future role. I know you were a fan of his last, and his stuff looked electric when I watched him in the playoffs. Do you think he can still be a SP2?
Keith Law: I 100% do. Brewers could have a pretty good rotation next year with Chacin, Burnes, Woodruff, Anderson.
Gob: Yordan Alvarez is “second-tier”?
Keith Law: Yes. Or third-tier.
Andy: On the Mondesi response – it’s your chat, do what you want, but I was trying to introduce a question without being pandering or you-hate-my-team-baiting. I really am curious to see if (and how) your perspective on him has changed now that he appears to have translated some tools to performance. If he can’t develop a feel for pitching, obviously there’s a hard cap on his upside, but this year was still welcome as a fan.
Keith Law: I needed more from you to answer it – I truly didn’t know what you were asking. He has tools, as you said – real speed, good bat-to-ball skill, hard contact (although I’m still very skeptical of the power, which may just be the MLB ball). But he walks once per solstice, and his approach was stunted by lost time and an organizational decision to have him work on bunting more and thus working the count less. It’s going to take a lot of work on his part to gain some semblance of strike zone knowledge to be more than a better Escobar.
AGirlHasNoName: I live in a country that sends military to stop poor people, where my leader incites violence against the media, calls women he paid to have sex horseface, and draws big crowds of sycophants on the weekly. What brand of whiskey helps most to forget?
Keith Law: Feels like something Irish would be appropriate. Pull up a chair, I’ll pour you two fingers of Teeling.
Joe: Hi Keith. Padres Twitter has been driven by two storylines this fall; trading prospect depth for A TOR arm, and deciding who to keep between Hunter Renfroe and Franmil Reyes. Personally I think they should hold onto depthbefore trading anybody, and I don’t buy into Renfroe or Reyes as future pieces. What say you?
Keith Law: I agree with you on both.
Ian: Franklin Barreto strikes out a lot, but so did Matt Chapman. What’s the difference between the two? And if you’re the A’s do you keep Lowrie or hand the job to Barreto?
Keith Law: Chapman has real power and is an elite defender. Barreto doesn’t have much power and isn’t an elite defender.
Matt: Judd Fabian and Corey Acton are graduating in December of their senior year in high school to enroll early at Florida so they can play college ball. Do you see more kids doing that in the future?
Keith Law: I hate when players do this and have always discouraged players or parents when I’m asked my opinion on this.
John: I just want to say Thank you for calling out those who try to employ “whataboutism” as a rhetorical device. Life’s too short to suffer these people’s “arguments.”
Keith Law: It’s become increasingly popular these days too.
AES: Re: Machado, can we agree he seems to be a dirty player, but whatever he does between the lines is about 8 tiers better than those who hurt people outside them?
Keith Law: Eh, I’m not sure I love that comparison. He’s done some shady stuff on the field this postseason. He’s also ultracompetitive, which is something you do want as a GM or manager.
Keith Law: OK, that’s all for this week’s chat. Thank you all so much for your questions, as always. If I chat next week, it’ll be Wednesday rather than Thursday, so please keep an eye out for an announcement. Enjoy the last weekend of regular baseball for 2018!