My annual awards picks and ballots for the six major player awards (MVP, Cy, ROY) are up now for ESPN+ subscribers.

Keith Law: Like a crown of thorns, it’s all who you know. It’s Klawchat.

Aaron G: No question, just that tHe mVp cAn’T CoMe FrOm A lOsInG tEaM oR bE a PiTcHeR!!!!!!!

(Even though objectively deGrom was the best player in the NL this season.)
Keith Law: Getting that a lot today, which shows that there is a segment of the fan base that hasn’t matured intellectually since the late ’90s.

Arnold: Poor contract decisions, poor trades, and poor draft picks have cost Bobby Evans and Brian Sabean their positions in the Giants’ hierarchy. Who should the Giants be looking at to take their place?
Keith Law: I think it’s fair to say they should look outside; many of the names you’re hearing for the Mets, like Porter, Lacava, Heck, Elias, should all be on the Giants’ list. I argued on the BBTN pod today that they really need to explore trading Bumgarner, as it’s the fastest way to reboot the farm system, and the odds that Bumgarner is still healthy and effective the next time the Giants are good – in an extremely competitive division – are very slim.

Fangraphs Frank: Will we ever have pre-2002 advanced statistics (i.e. UZR) on sites like Fangraphs? I want to compare Ozzie Smith to the greatest defensive shortstop of all time — ANDRELTON SIMMONS!
Keith Law: We don’t have the raw data for that.

addoeh: Is this the right room for an argument?
Keith Law: I’ve told you once.

Darren: Thoughts on Garrett Hampson and Ryan Vilade. Both were top 10 Rox prospects and had good seasons. They didn’t show much in game power but the strike zone judgement and swing looked good. Are you as concerned when scouting minor league power with the change in the MLB and MiLB baseballs. Many guys are showing power when they get to the majors. I agree Vilade defense will not keep him at SS, do you expect 3B, 2B, or OF to be his final spot?
Keith Law: I don’t think Hampson has enough power to profile as a regular – never mind HR power, but ability to make hard enough contact to sustain the walk rate (that is, why wouldn’t pitchers attack him inside given the lack of hand strength). Vilade will, I think. 3b likely, a regular or more.

Pizza: What was the worst pizza you’ve ever had, and why was it the worst?
Keith Law: Tough call between Papa John’s or Domino’s. The whole cardboard taste is tough to get past.

Jo-Nathan: Do you like what the Brewers have done with Corbin Burnes, or would you rather have seen him come up as a starter?
Keith Law: I like seeing future starters break in as relievers, in general, as long as they’re handled appropriately given that they’ve never been used back-to-back days before. Counsell’s been doing that more with Burnes – twice in the last three weeks – and that’s where I diverge with the Brewers’ plans for him.

Jon: Buying stock in Tyler Glasnow? He has a 4.11 ERA and over a K/inning since joining the Rays. If you take away the one bad start it’s a 2.90 ERA in 50 innings. Take away his best outing after that and it’s still a 3.30. Looks like he’s more calm and relaxed since going to Tampa.
Keith Law: Need to see a lot more than a good month-plus from a guy with that much history of poor performance.

Evan: Am I wrong to think Baez is closer to Trevor Story in MVP voting than Yelich? I get the positional flexibility but that OBP is not MVP-level. Yelich has 68 points on him! (almost nice)
Keith Law: The OBP isn’t, but Baez plays average or better defense at shortstop, and gets a huge boost to any stat that compares him to R-level as a result.

Mike: Do you think the accusations against Kavanaugh are sufficient grounds for his nomination to be voted down? And do any Republicans have the guts to do so?
Keith Law: They are – but frankly there was sufficient grounds beforehand and nobody cared.

Thad: Is Jameson Taillon a GUY? Dude’s been electric.
Keith Law: He is. My breakouts column this year was very much a mixed bag but I’m glad I had Taillon and Snell on it, at least.

Sean: If the Mets gave Dom Smith 550 AB at 1B next season, over/under on: .262/.346/.459
Keith Law: Over. I don’t think they’ll give him that, though.

Victoria: Biggest disappointment this year – Kingery, Bell, Mazara, Margot? Some belief in these guys heading into next season?
Keith Law: I’m most disappointed in Mazara – he looked great in March, lot of talk around AZ about his approach improving, then performed accordingly in April and May, but has totally regressed since then. .218/.279/.403 in the second half. Still young, but that’s now three full seasons of essentially the same thing.

Nate: I’m going to go out on a limb, and say that Mike Trout will get zero first place votes for MVP this year. Does this make you much smarter than everyone else, or out of touch?
Keith Law: I think he’ll get a few, and I think you’ve nicely demonstrated the concept of the false dichotomy.

Jeff: Ian Anderson best upstate NY prospect since…? Corbin ever that high? Jason Grilli?
Keith Law: Highest I can remember.

Jackie: I’m guessing the Red Sox let Craig Kimbrel hit the FA market this winter — gotta save money for Mookie, Sale, et al. What kind of contract do you think Kimbrel gets? I feel like Kimbrel might be in for a bit of a surprise; he probably won’t get the Aroldis Chapman 5 year/$86 million deal, or close to it.
Keith Law: I don’t think the market is going to support paying closers that kind of money now. Could be wrong, just seems like more teams have wised up about overpaying for the save stat, but are just generally focused on getting guys who miss bats for late-inning work, spending the same or more money in total but spreading it over more guys (including pitchers without saves).

Rob D: My friends and I unwittingly planned our Arizona Fall League trip the same week as the stupid skills competition. Are there any other baseball options on Saturdays like instructional league games? How does one access that stuff?
Keith Law: The skills competition is the single worst thing about the AFL and I wish they’d either cancel it completely or do what they did last year and schedule it before the season starts. It is totally fan-unfriendly to shorten the first week to four days. I think instructs are done by then. I’m not going till the second week for this exact reason.

Joe Don: Any thoughts you’d care to share on the Jeff Banister firing?
Keith Law: Nope.

dhakadabay: The Brewers have used a model for Corbin Burnes’ rookie season that you’ve espoused in the past–mostly middle relief, gradually increasing the leverage of the situations over the course of the season–and it seems to have paid off. What’s his upside as a starter going forward?
Keith Law: I think he’s a 3, chance to be a 2 if the command is better than we thought.

silvpak: urias has looked shockingly good in his brief appearances since returning (41 pitches, 31 for strikes, touched ~97[!] in his last appearance). he has no place on the postseason roster, imho (assuming they make it), but any thoughts on the early returns, more from a health/ability perspective than any stats?
Keith Law: I have no idea what’s going on in his shoulder, so no, sorry.

Dr. Andrews: With Morton suffering from the dreaded “shoulder stiffness,” is the Verlander-Cole-Keuchel combo plus a multi-headed super reliever (McCullers?) going to be enough to make it out of the AL?
Keith Law: I think so.

Darren: As a vegetarian I am thankful for all the other options today to help the average person find delicious healthy food. Have you tried the Impossible burger or Beyond Meat burgers? Those two are so far ahead of all other veggie burgers on the market. The impossible meatballs and beyond meat sausages are also great products.
Keith Law: I’ve had the Beyond burgers and was very impressed. They’re meat-like enough that I would say they’re a good substitute (granted, I don’t eat beef any more, but have had it hundreds of times). My only complaint is that their burgers are pre-formed and quite small for a single portion.

JJ: Unless Chris Sale pitches this weekend, he won’t have enough IP to qualify for the ERA title. Should a starting pitcher who throws fewer than 162 total innings in a season be a viable Cy Young candidate (I’d give it to Snell, regardless)?
Keith Law: If he’d pitched well enough, sure – 150 innings of a 1.50 ERA/FIP would probably do it. Verlander is my pick though.

James: I was watching a game on TV and the scroll along the bottom said that Bryce Harper just had his first 100 rbi season. I had to look it up. Dumb question and not some jerk question, what makes him a $300 million dollar player? 2015 was a great year for him but he hasn’t achieved that again in the three years after. Is it ok to say he Is going to be in the 2-4 WAR range per year with maybe a great year mixed in?
Keith Law: RBI are a terrible, useless measure of individual performance. He was worth about 5 WAR last year, and was only below 4 WAR this year because of poor defensive metrics, some of which came from playing out of position in CF. He’s shown himself to be a star hitter when healthy, but has had at least two years wrecked by injuries. The upside is clearly there, though.

Nate: Where do the Orioles go from here? I look at that roster, and I see nobody with any trade value at all. So it will probably be a quiet off-season. Do Orioles fans just sit back, and hope the O’s draft well for the next three years, and tune back in around 2021?
Keith Law: Hope they draft well and do more internationally (after years of avoiding the market) and change up their development processes for pitchers (of which Buck was a part) and find some value on the scrap heap. It’s a long road back to respectability. I have no objection at all to Duquette getting an extension – the reality is he’s done that job with one hand tied behind his back for years – but has any GM kept his job after a 110 loss season before? I guess Dombrowski sort of counts in Detroit, but that thing was on fire when he sat down on it.

Moe Mentum: Favorite rock drummer of all time?
Keith Law: Always was a fan of Barrett Martin of the Screaming Trees, Tuatara, and a bunch of other acts.

Moe Mentum: Besides Italy, which European country do you (or would you) most enjoy visiting?
Keith Law: I’d love to go east – seeing Dubrovnik and the Dalmatian coast of Croatia is a bucket-list item for me, as is spending time in Amsterdam.

Dante: If you were Klentak, would you sign Machado or Harper, assuming the price is readonable enough on either one?
Keith Law: I’d sign either one; I think Machado is the clearer upgrade for them.

Owen: Is Logan Shore a guy?
Keith Law: Back-end starter, maybe.

Kyle KS: How do the Angels get the most value out of Ohtani moving forward? Full starter’s workload and fill in DH ABs, Full time OF with ~600 ABs or a mix of both like they perused this season?
Keith Law: Well he’s not pitching next year, but if we’re talking 2020 and beyond, I would aim to use him as much as a starter as his arm health allows, and mix in part time DH at bats like this year.

mark: Hi Klaw,
Last week you responded to a question about Mejia and Hedges by saying “Hedges is just not a good enough hitter to push Mejia off to another position”… but is he a good enough defender to at least make the Pads attempt to convert Mejia into a guy who plays multiple positions (OF/C/3B) during the season? If not, should they just trade Hedges now?
Keith Law: Sorry, implicit in my response was that Hedges’ defense, while good, isn’t enough to mitigate how bad his bat is.

Joe Cleveland: I have heard great things about Brayan Rocchio. Is he a candidate for the back end of your top 100 list?
Keith Law: A candidate, no real idea what the back of my list will look like until I start working on it in earnest.

JD: If you were the new GM of the Giants, would you trade Bumgarner during the Winter Meetings or at the deadline? And what type of package would you expect to get?
Keith Law: You’ll always get more of a market in the winter, when just about every team has room in its budget to add a major piece, than in July, when only a handful of teams do.

Skip: True or False: The hearing today isn’t going to change the mind of one single person with regard to whether they think Judge Kavanaugh should be confirmed.
Keith Law: True. I think it’s all theater, personally.

Joe: Fair to be a bit disappointed in Gleyber’s season? His approach has been quite poor at times and he has struck out a lot.
Keith Law: Not fair. He’s a kid who was in A-ball two years ago.

squeeze bunt: bold to hold a chat considering what’s going on. Small chatrrom today?
Keith Law: Nope, seems jammed as usual.

Jerry: Should Keuchel and Marwin get qualifying offers? What’s the negative for the Astros if they do give them?
Keith Law: Keuchel yes, Marwin no.

Mark: Do you see the improvement from Zack Wheeler this year as sustainable ?
Keith Law: If he’s able to stay healthy, and maintain this kind of workload, yes.

squeeze bunt: Have you started any draft coverage for next year? Any thoughts on the class after the summer showcases?
Keith Law: I won’t rank guys probably until February, but every single scout or exec I’ve talked to agrees that the class is very down. The college crop is especially poor.

Jax: Will Basabe get consideration for being in your top 100?
Keith Law: The question doesn’t really mean anything – I’ll consider 150-200 players from the start and work down from there.

Anne: Please hold forth on the extreme overshift. Good or bad?
Keith Law: Good as long as it works. Bad when any player starts trying to hit against it.

Dr. Bob: You may have muted him, but the guy who was asking about deGrom’s value was sincerely asking about value. His brusqueness masked that. I think I was able to convince him.
Keith Law: Not sure who that was, but I’m surprised to hear someone changed their mind via a Twitter discussion.

Manuel: What you tell us about Vidal Brujan’s plate discipline? Walk-rate looks awesome, reports say he’s a free swinger.
Keith Law: Not a free swinger, certainly.

James: I’m on a Euro-trip right now seeing: Copenhagen, Stockholm, Lithuania, Prague, Warsaw, Budapest and Dublin. Have you been to any of these places ? Can you rank ?
Keith Law: Been to Dublin, Budapest, Stockholm. Loved them all. Budapest was the most striking visually and the food was the most different. Stockholm was the best for just walking around.

MATT K: Thoughts on Michael King and his performance this season?
Keith Law: He was in my minor league players of the year piece.

section 34: How are you able to chat with these hearings going on? I can only type this during a break.
Keith Law: Why in God’s name would I watch that shit? A bunch of old white men interrogating a rape victim like she’s a damn criminal? Insinuating that she made this story up, subjecting herself and her family to doxing, relentless press coverage, and death threats? And all of this so they can vote as they were going to the entire time? Really? I have more self-respect than that.

carson: Going forward, would you rather have Benintendi or Moncada?
Keith Law: Benintendi. That’s always been my answer – I said Moncada would have trouble with contact and he has.

Joshua: Love Andrew Wood…..that is all. Please continue.
Keith Law: It’s pointless speculation but I think he would have become a superstar between his lyrics and his personality on stage.

Stephen: So can Mondesi be a star?
Keith Law: Not with a 3% walk rate and fringy power.

Mike: What do you think of NSNG diets?
Keith Law: I don’t see the point of eliminating any specific item or ingredient from your diet for non-medical reasons – sugar is bad for you in moderate to large quantities, but in small quantities, it’s fine. Eliminating grains is probably a terrible idea.

Jax: Fried has to be trade bait this winter right?
Keith Law: I think he’s in the mix of starters they’ll peddle because they can’t keep them all, between a 40-man crunch and the fact that they only have so many starts to hand out next year.

Jerry: I’m almost the exact same age as Kavanaugh. I didn’t go to an elite prep school but there were a lot of rich (almost all white) boys at my HS who thought they could do whatever they wanted with no consequences. Why is it so hard for other (mostly white men) to comprehend and accept this?
Keith Law: I have no idea, especially with copious data on the prevalence of such behavior among American teenagers.

Jesse: Your insinuation that Hawk is a racist was a cowardly act intended to raise your own profile. You should be ashamed of yourself and
Keith Law: I quoted Harrelson. If his own words make him sound like a racist, well, quack quack, motherfucker.

Monty: Do you think Kris Bryant gets back to his normal self this season or is it too late?
Keith Law: He hasn’t looked completely healthy since he came back (and just got hurt again on an HBP the other night). I have no idea at what point he’ll feel close to 100%, but he doesn’t look it right now.

kbrown: What is your preferred stat when looking at offensive contribution? I like OPS+ but lots of smart people I know put more stock in wRC+. Why would one be better than the other?
Keith Law: I think wRC+ weights the components better.

Matt: Who is mostly to blame for the Dodger’s failure this season? Friedman? Roberts? Players?
Keith Law: They did lose their best player to injury pretty early on. If they have Seager, they’re probably 2-3 games better, and in first place, and then there isn’t a question.

A Reds Fan in Search of Hope: Trammell had a really nice first half followed by a pretty ordinary second with more Ks and lower power numbers. Any reason to think he wont reach that above avg regular/occasional all-star?
Keith Law: I’m not terribly worried. High IQ player with a good mix of skills and tools, including bat speed.

Anthony: What did you make of Lucchesi’s season? Any reason to think his weird repertoire can work long-term as a starter?
Keith Law: Back-end starter. Dude repeats his delivery like a machine. That’ll make it tough for hitters even seeing him twice through.

Mac: Do you think Maikel Franco would be a good change of scenery target?
Keith Law: Yes. His year has been better than the WAR would imply – he’s had some better results at the plate, and the guy is strong AF, so if he just continues to make better decisions at the plate, he’s going to accidentally slug .480 or so.

Jack: Genuinely curious to hear your opinion on the deadspin Jace Fry story: It’s obvious that Addison Russell should be disciplined for his actions, but where would you land on MLB discipline for somebody like Fry, whose transgressions seem to be constantly cheating on his wife and potentially giving her an STD from it?
Keith Law: Giving someone an STD intentionally or recklessly is a crime in some states. If he’s committed such a crime, then MLB *might* have cause to act, but I also think the union would argue it’s not covered anywhere in existing policies like domestic violence is.

Erin: Nats should let Harper walk, and play a Soto-Robles-Eaton OF next year right? (Then use the savings to lock up Rendon long term and address pitching, 2b, and C? )
Keith Law: I think that’s the right strategy – they can better use that money to fill other spots because the difference between Harper and Robles next year will not be as much as Harper will cost in free agency.

Jim: You play guitar exactly the way I would expect a baseball writer to play.
Keith Law: I’m sure I play it better than you do, sparky.

Josh: Hi Keith, can you give me your quick thoughts on DBax Blaze Alexander, Kristian Robinson and Geraldo Perdomo? Are they good prospects?
Keith Law: Robinson certainly is. Alexander is very TBD for me – great summer after a lot of spring reports that he couldn’t hit.

Mac: Do you think Quinn Priester will be on your spring hit list?
Keith Law: On my long list, so to speak, yes. Depends on lots of things like weather and how well these kids play when their seasons start (and thus if scouts tell me I do/don’t have to see someone).

Jim: Maybe if you cut back on the pizza you wouldn’t be a bloated fat loser.
Keith Law: Yeah, I’m many things, short among them, perhaps a loser, but fat I am not.

Monty: Do you think America is the greatest country in the world? I’ve been raised with all of that rah rah stuff and yes we have so many great qualities, but from guns to medicine to academics to the shit show in DC, so much logical evidence says no.
Keith Law: I’ve never believed that, nor do I believe it is important or patriotic to believe it. I’d rather see the country for what it is, good and bad, and advocate for change where I think it’s needed.

Guest: Always been a big fan of Gibby. What are the chances he lands another manager job in the MLB? Is Texas a realistic possibility?
Keith Law: He was a good tactical manager and handler of players, and if he was forced out – I haven’t heard anything on that situation – that’s not great, Bob. I’d love to see him get another chance but I don’t know if that’s realistic.

Ridley Kemp: If you didn’t see the thread on the official Steak-umm twitter account last night, it’s worth checking out. Also, we live in really strange times when the Steak-umm twitter account is a source of empathy and hard truths.
Keith Law: It was tremendous. At first I was wondering if they were hacked but I guess they just do real talk on their feed.

JT: Has their ever been a year during which Trout wasn’t the deserving, rightful AL MVP? Can you think of another baseball player whose career was similar–even A-Rod wasn’t clearly the MVP every single year, right?
Keith Law: Bonds had that stretch – I know, I know – where no one could touch him, but he wasn’t that way every year from the start of his career.

Scott: Sale was productive last night despite a severe down-tick in velo (also, it was against the Orioles, so large grain of salt). Can that work in the playoffs, or do the Sox need to be sit him for fear of injury?
Keith Law: You have to start him, right? Their odds of advancing are higher if he starts once per series.

JR: Wasn’t Addison Russell already previously suspended for domestic violence? Are these new allegations or is his ex-wife just sharing new details about past abuse? Either way, can he just be DFA’d and go away?
Keith Law: He was never suspended the first time, and the investigation was still open, pending his ex-wife talking to MLB and perhaps additional information.

John: Biggest self own so far is Hatch calling Dr. Ford attractive in a press gaggle. Bets on “What were you wearing?” as a question if he hadn’t surrendered his time to Mitchell?
Keith Law: Calling a rape or sexual assault victim “attractive” is perfectly fine if in your head it’s still 1947.

James: Pollock and Corbin are now free agents so I think the Dbacks should trade Goldy and start the rebuild. What you say Klaw ?
Keith Law: Are they really non-competitive without those two? The division is tough but I don’t think they’re out of it without Pollock. Corbin is the bigger loss. If they do rebuild, Greinke is the first name I’d trade. But I’m not giving up on them even if they lose both free agents. Core is still good enough to make them a 90-win team.

Frank: I know you’re a big fan of board games but do you play any computer games? If so, have you played Out of the Park Baseball (a management sim)?
Keith Law: Very few computer games, just because of time. OotP is excellent but way too time-consuming for me.

Joe: If you’re the Braves: Newcomb or Teheran for game 4? Do you just go with one of them and have Touki ready to go at a moments notice?
Keith Law: Or start Touki and expect him to go twice through the order.

Jax: So Conforto’s been on a terror the past several weeks. He should have a big 2019, no?
Keith Law: I hope so. Love watching him hit, been a big believer in him since the Mets took him.

Mick: Thoughts Kyle Wright vs Gore?
Keith Law: Mackenzie Gore? Better in just about every respect other than FB velocity.

addoeh: There were many reasons to reject Gorsuch’s SC confirmation, but none of them were due to a history of sexual assault like for Kavanaugh. So these fears that anyone and everyone will start to make them up going forward are way overblown.
Keith Law: Right – look at how many people with questionable or minority views on topics sailed through the Senate under this Administration without four women coming out and accusing them of sex crimes.

AGirlHasNoName: I know this is wrong, but I am not angry with you about not having Baez as your MVP. I don’t think you hate the Cubs. I can see why DeGrom has been better. I hope it’s ok that I still think Javy is more fun to root for than anyone and as such I am giving him my fake vote for MFP, an award MLB desperately needs more qualified candidates to compete for.
Keith Law: I’ve said that Baez is my favorite player to watch right now, so no, nothing wrong with that. The tagging, the swagger, the pop-up slide, the enthusiasm – give me 25 more of him across baseball. And let’s stop trying to beat that energy and willingness to display it out of players while they’re young.

Andrew: Should I still be optimistic heading into the offseason that Josh Bell is the immediate answer at 1B for the Pirates?
Keith Law: I’ve asked this question before but don’t have an answer: Why do the Pirates’ young hitters not hit for power in games? Just about every one of their recent hitting prospects back to Polanco’s arrival has hit for less power in the majors than expected in an era where even guys without much power hit 11-20 homers and guys who might have had average raw hit 30+. Bad luck? Coincidence? Are they pushing contact over loft?

Chris: I’m getting really excited about Touki Toussaint after watching him pitch a few times. Walks are high, yeah, but his stuff is unreal. Any reason for me to tap the brakes on my Touki hype train?
Keith Law: Nah, he’s super athletic and his delivery works, so I believe he’ll continue to improve his control and command in a way that I didn’t (don’t) believe Newcomb will.

Doug: I know the draft class is not good, but should I still root for the Padres to be swept so they can try for the 3rd pick?
Keith Law: More money is always better in this draft system.

Mike: What’s the best BlueJays can hope from David Paulino?
Keith Law: High-end reliever. Not sure he gets to that.

Chris: Now that he’s lined up to pitch Sun (and not the WC game), would Sevy be the first guy out of the pen in the WC if it’s before 5th inn, knowing that means neither he nor the starter could pitch until Game 3 of ALDS?
Keith Law: Yeah, because you have to win that game, but it really hurts them in the DS if they have to do it.

Patrick: As a person who lives with anxiety, does it drive you nuts when a sufferer is questioned as to why they aren’t ALWAYS anxiety laden?
Keith Law: People who don’t have anxiety are welcome to ask me about it. They are not welcome to tell me how I should feel, or ask why I don’t do X given that I have it, or to mock it when they wouldn’t mock someone with diabetes or MS or another medical condition.

David: To me, the most disappointing aspect of the Brett Kavanaugh fiasco, is that people are fighting for the win, rather than fighting to find out the truth.
Keith Law: I’d like to agree, but 1) discerning truth beyond a reasonable doubt for something that happened 30 years ago is difficult if not impossible, and 2) the relevant base rate here is that false reports of sexual assault are extremely rare. We probably know the truth. 51 Senators just don’t like it.

Todd: Has Severino regressed due to a lack of confidence in Sanchez catching? Or is it more than that?
Keith Law: He hasn’t looked right to me at all in the second half. Fastball command way down. Fastball and slider both a little worse.

Scott: Learn anything new on the guitar lately? I was impressed with your periscope performance.
Keith Law: Thank you. I try to do a new song or two a day. Chloe Dancer/Crown of Thorns was one from earlier this week (it’s just a few chords, the intro is the only tricky part) so I made it my intro quote.

Tony O: Everyone is looking for the latest market inefficiency. First it was D and OBP and lately fly ball hitters. Could high contact, low launch angle hitters be the next trend, along with fast position versatile players?
Keith Law: I believe teams have already explored that to some extent. If your speed/athleticism isn’t elite, though, it’s probably not enough of an efficiency – unless MLB changes the baseball and tweaks the strike zone.

Owen: Hi, Keith! If you are the Nationals and legitimately interested in keeping Bryce Harper (it’s hard to tell, but I think they are?), do you help relieve the glut of outfielders by using either Harper or Soto (preferably the latter as he is the worse fielder) as your first baseman next year against tough righties and during the inevitable Zimmerman DL stint, then move one of them there full-time after Zim’s contract is up next winter? That would be a way to maximize ABs for all the OF talent, am I right?
Keith Law: If they re-sign Harper, they should explore trading Robles or Eaton. Moving any of those guys to 1b is a waste of their value and they do have Zimmerman in the way.

David: After the severity of the shoulder injury, would it be shocking if Julio Urias was able to carve out a solid career as a SP?
Keith Law: The base rate here is based on a small sample but it is zero – no pitcher has had that surgery and had any kind of solid career as a starter.

Darren: I always find myself wanting more with the Beyond meat burgers too, they need multiple sizes. I usually cook 1 extra for the family and it usually is split.
Keith Law: Glad it’s not just me.

Abe: Hi Keith – Always been a big fan of yours. I’m sure you’ve addressed this before, but is there any reason why you started doing your chats here and not ESPN (which was well before ESPN moved away from them all together)? Just curious to know!
Keith Law: That’s not accurate – I moved here when ESPN spiked their chats.

Scooter: How would you evaluate Gabe Kapler’s first season as an MLB manager? Think there is anything to the rumblings that free agents may not want to play for him?
Keith Law: I think he did a great job and it’s reflected in the standings and in the way several young players improved this year. I don’t believe those rumblings at all.

Greg: Curious how the Sale Snell debate compares to the Carpenter Vasquez voting in 2009
Keith Law: I’m triggered.

Grant: Do you expect all 30 teams to be represented at the Mesa brothers’ workout in Miami next month, considering VVM’s upside isn’t considered to be that of those such as Moncada, Lazarito, etc.?
Keith Law: There’s no reason for a team to skip it. Go see what they are, and if you don’t sign him, you still have information that might be useful later on.

Lemming: You want to go to Amsterdam… have you ever smoked? Would you consume if it was legal? Do you know of any benefits it would have for anxiety?
Keith Law: Never smoked weed or consumed it (or CBD) in any form. No objection to folks who want to. I asked Kathy Jennings, the Delaware candidate for Attorney General, for her view on decriminalization of marijuana possession and was pleased to hear her say she supported it as part of a larger criminal justice reform package.

Matt: A woman went up to Lindsay Graham and told him she had been raped when she was younger. He just shrugged and said “Go tell the cops.” How on earth do these monsters get voted into important jobs?
Keith Law: I mistakenly thought in 2016 that he was a relative voice of reason in that party. He has proven me more wrong than I was on Sale and Goldschmidt combined.

DuffMann: A few days ago I saw you post your appreciation of Evolution’s Lot No. 3 on Twitter. When you’re traveling around the country and decide to have a beer are you usually an IPA guy?
Keith Law: I’m not. That is my favorite IPA though.

Jace: Surprised at how well Ohtani has hit? I thought you said he wasn’t a MLB ready bat
Keith Law: In half a season of judicious usage. I’m more surprised how often I see him get pitches out over the plate, since he’s got such a weakness inside (and a 30% K rate).

Steve: Looks like Duquette is going, Buck is staying. Thoughts?
Keith Law: Keeping Showalter, given their problems developing pitching under his watch, and thus saying the new GM doesn’t get to pick his manager, would be a big concern if I were an O’s fan.

Lumin: BP has Trout ahead of Betts in WARP, so a Trout vote is by no means wrong. However, that difference is not explained defensively – all 3 sites say that Betts has been roughly 1 win better in the field.

But I found your reasoning for putting Trout over Betts interesting, and it’s basically that KLawWAR is constructed differently than bWAR or fWAR, right? With high skepticism of current defensive quantification and high emphasis on TAv (true average)?
Keith Law: I try not to be too slavish to any single WAR because they all impart useful information, and some of the component stats (like defensive metrics) are still a little noisy. I don’t use the BP stats, though.

Kevin: Believer in Marquez? Should Colorado lock him up? Reminds me of the second half Arrieta had a few years ago
Keith Law: His year has been outstanding. I think he’s going to still have trouble with LHB and if he has a bad-luck year in that regard he’s going to lose a lot of value quickly.

Tracy: The Name of the Rose vs. The Hound of the Baskervilles. Go.
Keith Law: I’m in the tank for Sherlock Holmes. Sorry.

Skip: Any chance that Renato Nunez could be the long term answer at 3B for the Orioles? Defense was a real question mark but he’s looked pretty good there since he’s started playing every day.
Keith Law: Seen him a lot as a prospect and he was never close to playable at third for me.

Joshua: Chloe Dancer/Crown of Thorns is a masterpiece. And yes, the chat has now ended.
Keith Law: Let us go in peace to love and serve the WAR. Thank you all for all of your questions, as always. I’ll chat next week as well, likely Thursday again. Enjoy this final weekend and let’s hope we get a game 163 on Monday.

My annual look at players I was wrong about is now up for ESPN+ subscribers. (Please read the intro to that column before asking about it here.) I also reviewed the digital version of Scythe, available on Steam, for Ars Technica.

Keith Law: I can feel no sense of measure. Klawchat.

Nick: Are you at all worried about Machado’s career splits at Camden Yards and away? He’s been league-average outside of Baltimore.
Keith Law: No. Camden Yards is not a hitter’s park despite its reputation as such.

Nick: If you’re the Rangers, do you look to trade Profar or is he a guy that could be a part of the next good Rangers team?
Keith Law: I’d hate to give up on a guy who was my #1 overall prospect before the shoulder injury cost him two years, and who now seems to be getting back on track to at least above-average regular status (and I’m stubborn, I still expect more).

squeeze bunt: A lot of writers are saying Preller is going to do something big to acquire a starting pitcher. What kind of move can you see this taking shape as? Thor or something similar?
Keith Law: I don’t see why he’d do that with all the pitching coming – and some of it quite close to ready.

Chris: As Edwin Diaz continues to accumulate saves, the Mariners message boards are actively rooting for teams to score runs when the Mariners are ahead to bring the margin within three. I get not having anything else to look forward to as they’re not going to make the playoffs, but is there any better example of saves being so arbitrary and non-substantive and of a stat where game strategy might change just to fit a specific situation that may or may not occur? There’s even advocating for him to start the 7th to get a 3 inning save up 10-0.
Keith Law: Fuck the save stat.

Nick: Does Puig still have a star ceiling or is he settled in as a regular that fluctuates between average and above?
Keith Law: He has the tools to be a star but I don’t think it’s reasonable to speak of ceiling for a player whose listed age is 27 (he’ll play all of next year at 28) and hasn’t had a star-level performance in any of the last five seasons.

Dan the Mets Fan: I’m calling it now: Jeff McNeil headlining “Players I Was Wrong About” next year.
Keith Law: If McNeil posts a .360 BABIP in a full season next year, sure. At least you seem like you read the intro, though.

Dan the Mets Fan: Who would you pursue at C if you had no real solution there… Ramos or Grandal?
Keith Law: I’d prefer Ramos.

Kevin : Oriole OF Diaz- does he start next year as your opening day outfielder or does he stay on the farm and
Keith Law: If they want to play service time games, then he starts on the farm, but I’d just give him a regular job next year (and not re-sign Jones) and let him develop.

David: We’re just going to keep doing this stupid Tebow thing, aren’t we?
Keith Law: Yep, and we’re going to make it some weird referendum on America or Christianity or the flag, too.

John: Does major league baseball do anything about the Major disparity among payrolls. I love baseball but it just doesn’t seem fair. Are you amazed at the A’s and Rays have done so well ? It’s also about how much you spend on your scouting and not just payroll
Keith Law: “Fair” is an arbitrary concept, and probably not a great argument for trying to equalize payrolls – which, by the way, won’t do anything but shift money from players to the billionaire owners.

Washington nationals fan: If you were the GM of the Nats does Dave Martinez return as your manager for 2019 ?
Keith Law: Yes. I don’t think he’s any of the problem this year. That’s not saying I think he’s great, or clearly the long-term answer, but evaluating him on this year’s won/lost record would probably not yield meaningful information.

Stanley: Do you agree that the powers that be in D.C. should be pushing Keith Ellison for information about the accusations against him just as much as they are pushing Kavanaugh? The allegations against Ellison are very recent and specific, with photographs and police reports. The fact that someone so high in his party seems to be getting an Osuna-like free pass just proves the hypocrisy that is so prevalent among our national leaders.
Keith Law: I do. I’ve been surprised he’s skated on the accusations – and Democrats who were furious he didn’t get the DNC chair have to be relieved at this point.

Archie: This season will have the most games ever where a team used at least 7 pitchers. Do you see this as a good thing for the game?
Keith Law: I don’t, but I’m loath to make too many changes that might force some pitchers to work more than is safe for their arms. Reducing mid-inning pitching changes – that is, forcing managers to make more changes between innings – would help pace of play, although it probably would increase run-scoring.

BE: Are you able to turn your guitar volume to 11?
Keith Law: Of course. I bought a special amplifier for that very reason.

Meeee: I know you’d probably think it would be too self-congratulatory, but would you ever write a “Guys I got RIGHT (that nobody else did)” column? I’d find it interesting.
Keith Law: I wouldn’t for that reason. Readers are generally quite kind about pointing those out anyway.
Keith Law: Oh, also, how about that Jack Flaherty fella?

Rhys: Daz Cameron spanned 3 levels this year at age 21 – was this surprising to you? He seemed to struggle in AAA (although in only 57 ABs). Do you see him as anything more than a marginal MLB regular someday?
Keith Law: 57 AB is barely worth acknowledging, and I think he’s an above-average regular. I’m totally flummoxed at why you think he’s just a marginal regular.

Dr. Bob: The Cardinals’ Tyler O’Neil was considered the better OF prospect but Harrison Bader was more major league ready so he got the first call-up this year. Now he’s become the everyday center fielder. Safe to say no one else saw this coming either. Great defense and he is lightning quick. We’ll see what kind of hitter he becomes.
Keith Law: Did I rank O’Neill higher? I’ve always been skeptical of his swing and miss, his pull-heavy approach, and his lack of defensive value. Bader, of course, has gotten way better since they drafted him – I find the improvement in his speed, which is extremely rare especially among college draftees, totally fascinating.

The Ghost of Bobby Thigpen: It’s looking more and more like the Mets poor record won’t cost deGrom the Cy Young…but isn’t it marginally disappointing that he probably could have won the MVP if the Mets didn’t suck?
Keith Law: There’s such a strong bias in MVP voting against pitchers I don’t think he would have won it. I think it goes to Yelich or Baez at this point.

Joe: Keith, did you ever write up the Cutch trade? What kind of players are Avelino and DePaula?
Keith Law: I didn’t, and you can infer my answer from that.

Robert: Impressions on Jake Bauers . Does he have a starting position in 2019 ?
Keith Law: Still think he has a chance to be a regular, but the lack of power – and he’s even said the Rays’ attempts to improve his launch angle screwed him up as a hitter – is a major limiting factor given his lack of defensive value. Might be a bench guy or tweener for them in 2019.

Nick: Can one of the Phillies low-minors MIF take off next year (Gamboa, Guzman, Brito)?
Keith Law: I think Luis Garcia (the SS, not the P) is going to blow right past those guys. Not a big Gamboa believer; Brito has ability but he’s not strong enough to convert that to production yet.

Patrick: I want to ask about Ryan OHearn. 1.2 war in 38 games. SSS range so what’s real and what’s a mirage about him so far?
Keith Law: It’s not real pretty but he makes very hard contact. The major-league baseball is helping him – the guy never slugged .500 anywhere in full-season ball, and now he’s over .600 in the majors? – but I think he could be a second-division regular with some patience and power despite low batting averages.

Chris: Read today: “I just seem to see modern day players age way quicker than the less-muscular, less Strength and Conditioning coached, no Staff Nutritionist players of days gone by.”

This immediately got support from other commenters, but this struck me as inherently false…it’s purely anecdotal. Am I wrong here?
Keith Law: Yes, anecdotal, and certainly counterintuitive.

Chris: Where do you think Baez lands on the NL MVP list? Like everyone else, I loooove watching him play, but it seems strange to me that he could win with such a pedestrian OBP. Am I nitpicking here, or does this put him in the 2nd tier of NL candidates?
Keith Law: No, he’s clearly in the top group of maybe a half dozen guys, because he plays critical positions and plays them well. I could easily justify putting him ahead of some guys who are a half a win (by WAR) over him because of the value of his positional versatility.

jacos: Do you see Cubs moving Schwarber, Russel and or Almora in off season, especially if they sign Harper?
Keith Law: I have no inside information on this but I get the sense they’re about done with Russell. He’s superfluous anyway.

Zac: Michael Fulmer and Daniel Norris seems to always be battling injuries, who do you feel more confident moving forward?
Keith Law: Fulmer, just because Norris’ velocity hasn’t been there this year. Still holding out hope for both guys; Norris is so athletic and has such great baseball acumen that i feel like he’ll put it together if his body allows it.

Ryan: Is it time for the Cardinals to look to trade Carson Kelly in the offseason? Seems like Knizner is close to passing him on the depth chart, if he hasn’t already, and Kelly seems stuck at AAA with Molina under contract for two more season.
Keith Law: Yes – I think they should have done so already.

Alex: Do you think your phone number or social security number could be in sequential order in the number pi?
Keith Law: Funny question. There are sites that let you search within pi, and the answer is no for mine.

Grant: I see a lot of people predicting Adell could be up by next July. Would that be rushing him in your mind?
Keith Law: Yes but to be fair 1) he’s been so much better this year than I expected, now that he’s made a few small but substantial adjustments and 2) the uberathletes like him tend to move pretty quickly.

JR: Did you consider Nimmo for players you were wrong about? IIRC, the past few years you’ve projected him as a fourth/fifth OF – do you still view him as such, or can he be an everyday guy?
Keith Law: My criticism of him has always been that he doesn’t produce vs LHP, and that is still true. He was a top 100 guy at least once for me.

Drew: The Royals are a ways away from contending. Whit is good and not young…so they should probably trade him. With his cost controlled contract, what’s that worth? Top 100 prospect?
Keith Law: Yes, they should have done so in July. I would think he’d fetch two quality prospects of some sort.

WSox Fan: This rebuild is heading nowhere isn’t it?
Keith Law: That seems rather pessimistic.
Keith Law: Also, I don’t agree.

Baseball loves gross narratives: Lots of Rays catching the A’s for the WC2 spot. I’m trying to tell people to simmer down but they won’t listen. Please talk some sense into them for me, will you?
Keith Law: It’s unlikely, but not entirely impossible.

Guest: What is the most common “missed tool or added skill” when a player over performs their minor league scouting evaluations on the big league level?
Keith Law: Hit tool or fastball command.

Tysen: Do we need to blow up the current MLB/MiLB dynamic? It’s appalling how little those guys make in a season
Keith Law: Too late. The GOP Tax Scam law pretty much ended this discussion. I don’t understand how any minor league player or anyone who is close to one could vote for a Senator or Representative who voted for that bill – voted to take the player’s fundamental rights as a laborer away.

Bobwalktheplank: I what point do the Pirates just say maybe Josh Bell isn’t that good. His hitting numbers might be a tick above average but his defense and baserunning are not good. Is their still upside?
Keith Law: There is still upside – but I think it’s fair to ask why so many Pirates hitters who have raw power haven’t shown it, with Bell at/near the top of that list.

Matt, KY: Consider this Trade: Trout to the Braves for the following: Inciate, Touki, Riley, Wright, and Anderson. Who hangs up first, Angels or Braves?
Keith Law: I saw this, and it was so fucking stupid I ignored it and went on with my life.

Jamal: Do WAR totals change? As in, if I look at a player’s WAR after the 2016 season, would it be different now?
Keith Law: No, not in the way I think you’re asking.

HH: Is Tristan McKenzie still too far away to content for the #5 spot in next year’s rotation? Or do I just think he’s young because he’s SO skinny.
Keith Law: Given his workload this year I’d try not to do that to him next spring.

AC: Luke Voit, a blip, a useful future backup, a starter, something else?
Keith Law: Nice backup.

Michael: White Sox GM Hahn hinted at a big prospect-for-prospect deal this winter. Reds seem set at 3B/SS and ChiSox have lots of OF prospects. Who says no to Senzel for Madrigal and Luis Gonzalez?
Keith Law: Reds are set at SS? I wouldn’t say so.

Tired: Is there such a thing as “catching up on sleep”?
Keith Law: According to Matthew Walker & his book Why We Sleep, no, there isn’t.

Gus Johnson: Aside from Kershaw (who will probably resign with the Dodgers?), Patrick Corbin looks like the only high-impact FA pitcher. Would you give him a Yu Darvish-type contract (6 yr/126M)?
Keith Law: I would. I agree on Kershaw, and that Corbin is the best ‘real’ FA pitcher on the market.

Lilith: Do you think Senzel could play CF? How well?
Keith Law: I’d be very, very surprised.

Andrew: Phillies are carrying 40 on their active roster, which many are calling bad for baseball. I think the concerns about pitching changes and substitutions are overblown – I doubt the casual fan really cares about pitching changes, and it really only irks those who have to cover 162 games. What are your thoughts?
Keith Law: Carrying 40 isn’t the problem. Using 33 guys a game would be a problem.

Kevin: with arm issues always a big deal why do prospects continue to pitch through the end of summer and into the fall? If they are that good shouldn’t April – August be enough?
Keith Law: Most guys who pitch in the fall are doing so because either 1) they missed time earlier in the year due to injury or suspension, or 2) the parent club is trying to make a decision on whether to protect them from rule 5 or trying to stir up trade interest.

Kace: Are guys like Chapman, Merrifield and previously Bautista unicorns or can hard work and a change of approach fix a lot of so-so players?
Keith Law: We hear about the players who do all of this and get results; we don’t hear about the dozens more who try these things and don’t improve. It’s always worth trying, but if you’re a GM or a Director of Player Development, you have to understand many attempts will fail.

Sean: Is it best the Blue Jays just do a full-on rebuild or try to rebuild on the fly? I ask simply because the attendance has taken the largest dive this year from what I’ve read, not sure how much doing a full rebuild would hurt the fanbase.
Keith Law: I thought they should rebuild last winter – trade Donaldson, at least explore the markets for Stroman and Sanchez, etc. They could still do some of that although they may have missed their prime opportunity.

Robbie: The great AL ROY debate: Does Ohtani’s innings pitched and superior bat outweigh andujar’s full season of at bats?
Keith Law: Ohtani has outproduced Andujar and Gleyber. I don’t think this is really a debate.

JR: You’ve regularly been asked about Jeff McNeil over the past few weeks, and have always rightly cautioned this is SSS. Having said that, how does an organization evaluate his time at the big leagues to date? They clearly have an opening at 2B and he’s played well (in a short time frame). Do they pencil him in for the role next season, or do they still look to add a 2B in the offseason?
Keith Law: No harm in letting a player like that – already on the roster, making no money – fill that spot next year when you’re unlikely to contend. If they were a potential playoff team, my answer would differ. At that point you don’t want to bet on a tiny sample or a fluky performance.

Ryan: There have been a bunch of articles recently regarding fixes to the service time manipulation. What would be your fix to teams keeping down clearly ready prospects?
Keith Law: One fix I proposed a few years ago, when Kris Bryant was held back to delay free agency, was to give teams a sort of right of first refusal for players who reached FA with exactly six years of service – that is, a player who made an Opening Day roster and never went back down.

Lee_Keybum: On your next periscope chat, can you do it without a shirt?
Keith Law: I’m sorry, I believe you’re looking for Alex Jones, and he is currently banned from everywhere.

Guest: Does Frankie Montas have the secondary stuff to remain as a starter?
Keith Law: I do not think so.

Phil : I am reading your book and I was wondering about pitch framing as a learned skill. Do some organizations focus on teaching it or do they just try to identify the best and acquire them?
Keith Law: Several do try to teach it.

Alex: RE: Ellison v. Kavanaugh- I agree that Ellison’s actions appear to have been repugnant and should be disqualifying from a career in public life, but as a candidate for public office (Minnesota AG) the voters have an opportunity to make their own decision on his suitability for the position he seeks (and, yes, the DNC should turf him out). DC Republicans are doing everything in their power to confirm Kavanaugh before the midterms, and he isn’t even personally on the ballot anywhere.
Keith Law: Yes, that’s a separate question, and of course I think Kavanaugh should be rejected.

Chris: Thanks for your review of Florida. I had gotten up to Above and Below when I saw in your newsletter you were reading the book. I had to put it down for a while after A and B, but I did not know the last story sees the return of the character from the first.
Keith Law: I was surprised how much the stories affected me when Groff’s voice is somewhat distant from her own characters.

Moe Mentum: Odubel Herrera 2019 : Phillies starter, Phillies bench player, or new team? We’ve seen flashes of talent, but his 2018 performance doesn’t seem commensurate with his salary. And he might not fit the Kapler vision. Should (can?) Klentak do something? Is Roman Quinn being groomed to start in CF next season?
Keith Law: He’s making $5 million next year. If he literally shows up to Citizens Bank Park on time on game days, he’ll be worth more than that. And Quinn has zero history of staying healthy – I wouldn’t bet on him for any regular role.

Nat: Who is the one hitter and one pitcher you are most looking forward to seeing in the AFL?
Keith Law: Luis Robert and Nate Pearson.

Anthony: If Colorado misses the playoffs, should they buy, sell or hold this offseason?
Keith Law: Hold/buy. Unless they make the organizational decision to trade Arenado, which I’m not advocating or opposing here, there’s no point to a rebuild. Either you do it all the way, including him, or you do nothing.

Eric: Do you think the Jays really held Alford down for two weeks at the end of the AAA season for service time reasons? Any thoughts of what he might be for the Jays going forward?
Keith Law: They held Vlad down for service time reasons. Why would we be surprised that they’d do this to another player? Alford has above-average regular upside but 1) his power has never translated into games 2) he gets hurt a lot and 3) he’s failed to perform in two of the last three years. There’s plenty of reason to question his eventual role & upside, even though he has been a top 50 prospect in the past.

Anthony: With the slider instead of the changeup, could Taillon be a 1/2 starter or is he going to have too much trouble with LHH?
Keith Law: It’s rare but not impossible for a pitcher to use a pitch like his slider (which is hard like a cutter) to get opposite-side hitters out. I’m just generally a Taillon fan anyway so I am inclined to think he can do it.

John: If you would the Cardinals how would you approach this off-season? See what Carlos Martinez could fetch and sign a starter? Pursue the big bats? Clear up the 2B/3B logjam and sign a real SS?
Keith Law: I think they have plenty of starters; really I look at their core and see a potential playoff team for 2019, although with Carpenter turning 33 in November they need to plan for a lineup without his production in the near future.

JR: As a Mets fan, I know the smart play is to shop deGrom, Thor and/or Wheeler this offseason, but man, aren’t those the types of starters to build around? Sucks to be a small market team in a big market.
Keith Law: You shop them all and see what you get; I doubt the market will offer huge returns for all three.

Sean: I have heard you say that Vlad Jr could be the next Big Papi in terms of position and ability to consistently hit for average and power. How long of a leash would you give him at 3B if you were the Jays next year?
Keith Law: I’ve seen him twice this year and expect to see him again in the AFL, but at this point, I don’t see any chance that body or lack of range works at third. Just DH him and tell him to go hit .360 with 40 bombs.

Dr. Bob: From an article by Jonah Keri, it appears that the Blue Jays are about to go with a youth movement. Don’t you need a better overall farm system to do that? Or is having a few top prospects enough?
Keith Law: They seem to believe they have a better farm system than they actually do.

Matt: Blake Rutherford seemed to make some progress offensively this season, but finished with an OPS under .800. Do you think he hits for enough power to project as a starting corner OF?
Keith Law: No – there’s no impact there and a corner bat has to have that.

Alex: How would you rate Klentak at this point? Should Phillies fans be optimistic? Seems like he’s been pretty hit/miss on player evaluations.
Keith Law: Think he’s done well everywhere but with first-round picks – although Randolph predates him. They haven’t hit on any of their last three prior to Bohm.

Rising tides: Isn’t service time manipulation really a symptom of MLBPA throwing 1-3yr service time players under the bus creating a huge pay inequality at the MLB level?
Keith Law: The union has long focused on free agency and the trickle-down effect it has on arbitration, but the minimum salary has gone up by nearly 70% in the last few CBAs, so they haven’t ignored 0-3 guys – they just might have undersold them.

Steven: Are we seeing the days of the 4th and 5th starter going by the wayside? Honestly, it seems like a much better strategy to let your 2 or 3 best pitchers go as deep into games as they can, while breaking up the other 2 games among your pen.
Keith Law: Nothing in baseball is permanent, but if you’re asking whether more teams will do bullpen days in 2019-20, I’d say yes, definitely.

Anthony: If you’re Counsell, how do you manage a one game playoff without a true ace? Throw out your best starter and be aggressive about bringing in Hader/Jeffress for possible multiple inning appearances?
Keith Law: Yeah, you plan on using Hader for 9 outs and go from there. Hell, what about starting him, knowing he’s probably out by the 4th? Other than one likely out when he bats, is there a downside I’m not considering?

Jake: Adalberto Mondesi has played very well over the last 50 games, do you see an All-star upside for this guy or will his low OBP always limit what he can be? The tools are there!
Keith Law: Low OBP really limits his ceiling – but Rougned Odor isn’t a dissimilar player and suddenly found religion at the plate this year.

Bench: Angels Luis Rengifo seems to come out of nowhere. Is he in their top 5 next year? Top 20 in MLB as well?
Keith Law: Nice pickup in the Cron deal, but not in their top 5, and I assume top 20 was a typo.

Jake: Thoughts on MJ Melendez, and was he projected to his for this much power?
Keith Law: Still very TBD on the bat. Had power in HS – fairly sure I wrote that about him, and I saw him destroy a ball when I went to his school that March. Would really like to see him catch, as he was very athletic and agile back there but almost too high energy.

Chad: When will you be in Arizona for the Fall League? Who will you be watching? Which new restaurant will you try?
Keith Law: Second week, I watch everybody, and I have a list of new restaurants. I did get to Roland’s over Labor Day weekend and it was excellent.

Jim Nantz: Are their enough pitchers to fill out 2 additional teams, if there’s expansion, without seriously diluting the product?
Keith Law: Yes.

JR: Is there any evidence that all the steps teams are taking to protect pitchers arms is working? Seems like a bunch of pitchers still end up needing TJ surgery, despite all the steps teams take. As awful as this sounds, do you think teams will start to treat pitchers the way NFL does with running backs? Realize most will only have a few good/great years, bring them up to the majors faster and just throw them as much as they can in the 6 years of control they have and hope for the best and then let them go (or trade them in year 4/5 if on a non-contender)?
Keith Law: My understanding is that although we’ve cut excessive workloads, which is probably the reason catastrophic shoulder injuries are way down, pitchers throwing as hard as they can just about all the time is still a big factor in UCL tears, and that hasn’t changed.

Chris: Imagine if the Mets let Dom Smith play 1B all year? Maybe he would have gotten the required ABs for a young player to develop and grow like, say, Amed Rosario! Yeeeeeeeesh. Should Mets just pick one of Smith or Alonso moving fwd?
Keith Law: Yes, they should commit to one and shop the other. If that means giving up on Smith, knowing he could very well go somewhere else and perform, so be it. But this is not how you develop a young player.

Jordan: Where would you rank the Mets farm system going into next season? Mid-tier? Seems like almost all their top-20 guys had terrific seasons.
Keith Law: Above the median. Good chance they’ll be top ten. Most of their big names had great years, they landed a stud in Kelenic, their second-rounder Woods-Richardson looked better in pro ball than in the spring, and they had some pop-up guys like Newton establish themselves as prospects too. I get Mets fans on Twitter telling me how bad they think the farm is, but they’re totally wrong. They’ve drafted well, consistently, and hit on some international guys too.

John: is it just me, or do you think one of the biggest issues facing society today is how little people seem to grasp the concept of nuance? not even related to a single issue. people don’t understand how free speech works, and in the case of kavanaugh, they dont understand this isnt a criminal trial, but a high profile job application. is nuance just too difficult to grasp/teach?
Keith Law: I feel like in any argument there’s a reach for a quick answer – oh, don’t you believe in due process? what about freedom of speech, huh? – that sounds good even if it doesn’t apply to the situation. It’s about winning the debate, or just dunking on someone. I’m sure I fall prey to this too.

Joe: You (and a lot of others) weren’t high on Brandon Lowe going into this year. Has anything changed for him? What kind of future does he have?
Keith Law: I know scouts who NP’d him in 2016. I don’t love the swing – what I’ve seen on TV, which isn’t a great angle – and am curious to see whether he can still hit for power without striking out like crazy.

Ridley Kemp: I get most of my book recommendations from Austin’s robust book store scene (I’m very lucky in that regard), from Warren Ellis, and from, um…you. Where you get your recs from, or what typically makes you decide to select a particular book?
Keith Law: I scan a lot of best-of lists, I get recs all the time from friends and readers, and I like to prowl indie bookstores and see what catches my eye.

Jack: Brayan Rocchio – have you seen him? What are your thoughts
Keith Law: I haven’t yet but all the reports I have are glowing.

Ted: I realize you’re not a big college football fan, but do you have any thoughts on Nick Bofa’s injury?
Keith Law: Yeah, sounds like the damage to his ligma is serious.

Zac: In regards to minor league pay, who owns the minor league teams are most of them owned by the major league owner or are most of them owned by people not related to their parent club
Keith Law: Most are independently owned, and when they sell, their values keep increasing. That wouldn’t happen if these teams were actually losing money as some doofuses tried to tell me on the twitters yesterday.

Mike: Have you been surprised at how quickly Ronald Acuña Jr.’s power has come this year? He’s on a 42 home run pace over 162 games as a 20 year old.
Keith Law: The major league baseball is different than the minor league one – Meredith Wills now has two pieces up on The Athletic, one just went up this week, explaining why. Everyone is hitting for more power in the majors.

Felix: I’ve read your list. My girlfriend and I really enjoy playing Ticket to Ride. What’s your favorite 2 player board game? What should we try next?
Keith Law: Jaipur.

Russell : Do you think Everson Pereira will be ready to start 2019 in Low A ?
Keith Law: Possibly but he barely played this summer due to injuries.

Marco: in your answer about Puig, you referenced his “listed age”. Why the qualifier? Is there evidence he could be older than 27?
Keith Law: Cuban players’ ages are all a little dubious, because (as far as I’ve been told) we have little/no access to records from there. I’ve mentioned that on a few Cuban players before.

Tracy: I’m reading The Castle by Kafka. I’m halfway through but it’s so boring I’m ready to dump it and move on. Can I get your blessing?
Keith Law: Yes. Life is too short to read bad books.

Chris: May we have a short review of Florida…the state?
Keith Law: America’s armpit. No, look at it – it’s rather axillary in shape, right?

Tim: You really don’t think the Mets are at least a *potential* playoff team next year if they can run deGrom-Syndergaard-Wheeler-Matz out there as their front 4?
Keith Law: How many starts you think you’re getting from that quartet?

Chris: Do you think Max Kepler has more to offer or is he what he is at this point?
Keith Law: Still expecting more. Again, maybe I’m just stubborn.

Christopher: With Brandon Morrow out, I keep hearing radio and tv analysts lamenting the lack of “closer” in the Cubs rotation for the playoffs. “Closer” this, and “closer” that. Can’t the Cubs just plug their best-available pitcher in depending on the inning/situation, or am I simplifying this too much? I didn’t realize that “closer” was a separate roster spot or position on the field.
Keith Law: They can and they will, or at least they’ll try to, although I think Maddon’s bullpen management has been questionable.

JT: What’s David Bote’s future? And is it with the Cubs or elsewhere?
Keith Law: If they keep him as a UT he’d be outstanding, but he could probably be a second-division starter at 2b.

MJ: Thoughts on Billy McKinney going forward? He’s been impressive for the Jays since the trade.
Keith Law: Extra OF tops.

Chris Bianco : Why were so many troglodytes upset by Pizzeria Bianco topping your pizza list?
Keith Law: Mostly because they’d never tried it. My favorite troglodyte was the one who asked me, a NY native who regularly writes about going to games in Trenton and Lakewood, if I’d ever BEEN to New Jersey.
Keith Law: I wanted to say “yeah, that’s where we New Yorkers sent our garbage,” but that seemed a little mean.

Steve: Don Welke passed away – you talk to him much?
Keith Law: I didn’t see that till just now, but I did, and I always enjoyed listening to him. He was smart, funny, played the clown a little bit but I always thought he was trying to disarm people. He had something like 50 years in the game, and a wealth of knowledge and memories to share. What a terrible loss for all of us in the sport.
Keith Law: That’s all for this week’s chat – thank you so much for joining me, and for all of your questions, as always. I’ll be back next week to do this again; my next column will be my postseason award picks, and I think it’ll run on Thursday. Thanks again.