You can pre-order my book, Smart Baseball, on amazon already. It’s due out April 27th.

Klaw: It’s enough to make you stop believing when the tears come fast and furious in Klawchat.

Owen: Lets say you’re scouting a high school kid who’s not even touching 90 yet. What things do you look for as indicators that he has the upside to grow into more velocity and just a better pitcher overall?
Klaw: Physical projection is the biggest thing, and it includes room for the player to fill out, adding upper and lower body strength, which tends to favor taller pitchers but shouldn’t exclude shorter ones entirely. I also prefer guys whose deliveries work reasonably well, as opposed to pitchers with deliveries that are “max” or high effort (where are you going to get more velocity from?) or that otherwise seem likely to impede command or health. One other thing I’ll note is that I am more open to HS arms throwing in the upper 80s today than I was ten years ago, because of what we have learned about velocity/effort and pitcher health.

Jonathan Orr: You’ve said you’re not high on Luke Weaver, what don’t you like?
Klaw: Undersized righty without plane or a decent breaking ball.

Sandy A.: Asking for a friend, what do the Mets have to lose by signing Tebow? I mean other than respect and time developing real prospects
Klaw: Yeah, that’s pretty much it. Oh, I guess also the distraction of having him around. And will the washed-up QB actually be that much of a draw for a minor league affiliate? He’s basically a sports Kardashian. He’s famous for being famous, not for being good at anything.

ssimo02: Would you care to expand on your distaste for xFIP? My understanding is that, like FIP, it looks at a pitcher’s walks and strikeouts, but unlike FIP, it replaces the pitcher’s HR rate with the league average HR rate, on the assumption that almost all pitchers regress to that mean over time. According to Fangraphs, xFIP has a very high correlation with future pitching performance. As a quick-and-dirty projection tool, what’s not to like?
Klaw: The assumption you cite is the problem.

Lars: Being reported that it’s “likely Walker will lengthen his stride” – this is something you’ve advocated for, right? Can you explain why he might have gone to a shorter stride and what a longer stride can help with?
Klaw: I assume this is Taijuan? Then yes. I oppose pitchers with short strides because they nearly all end up either getting hurt or losing something on their pitches, either velocity on their fastballs or quality of the breaking ball. Aaron Sanchez is the only real short-striding starter I see in the majors now. ASMI has some real research showing that short striders have these problems due to the higher release point and abrupt finish. Arizona shortened Tyler Skaggs’ stride and he lost about 3 mph and blew out. Walker lost his curveball and hasn’t ever really had command since he shortened his stride. The stride length is my one big concern on Alex Reyes, whose stuff is otherwise unbelievable.

Kim: What kind of numbers are available to teams that aren’t to the general public through BR/Fangraphs/PITCHf/x, etc.?
Klaw: A lot. MLB’s Statcast product is providing a torrent of data that we don’t get to see.

Hattie B: Thoughts on (Nashville) hot chicken?
Klaw: I’ve never had it. I don’t love very spicy food (and it loves me even less).

Jill: When are you going to let your daughter get Snapchat?
Klaw: Probably never.

Republican: Any reason why people shouldn’t consider voting for Gary Johnson? He seems to be the most sane.
Klaw: It would be nice if he knew what Aleppo was (or if the US media spent more time covering the human disaster of Syria). He’s also done his share of pandering to the anti-vax nut jobs, and his site refers to government efforts to fight climate change as “a political agenda,” a sort of backdoor form of denial (yeah, man is causing climate change, but the government shouldn’t do anything to stop it) that I can’t support.

John: Buxton has been on a tear since he was called up again. Is this just small sample size or did he alter his approach or mechanics?
Klaw: I know of no change in approach or mechanics, and it’s just seven games, but I’m happy to see it.

Brett: Why do you think the Twins didn’t call up ABW or Garver when they’re giving consistent ABs to Schafer and Centeno?
Klaw: Walker has 202 strikeouts this season. Those are good reasons.

Nelson: Do AFL performances have any bearing on your preseason top 100 rankings?
Klaw: Performances do not, but I will go scout players there and talk to other scouts who’ll cover the league, so how players look at that time will have a definite bearing.

Bruce: Maybe Im having some selction bias, but rookie hitters doing so much better than rookie pitchers this year. Even looking at the distibution in top prospect lists, are we in a down cycle for pitching prospects?
Klaw: I’ve mentioned this before but I think differences between the minor and major league baseballs are the root cause.

Tye: How historically impressive has Brian Dozier been since the AS break? It seems like you don’t even hear anything about him.
Klaw: Playing for a non-contender doesn’t help. I wrote in June that he should be in the All-Star Game over Nunez as the Twins’ rep and was told by a couple of Twins fans that this was dumb because Dozier was having a bad season.

Chris: Please rank in terms of ceiling: Gsellman, Montero, Lugo
Klaw: None of those guys are especially high ceiling but I think Gsellman is the most likely to be a quality major-league starter. Lugo’s great spin rates are fun to discuss but if he doesn’t miss bats or generate weaker contact, then I’m not sure this emphasis is properly placed.

Marshall: Klaw, how did the idea for a book come about, was it your idea, was it suggested to you by your agent or a publisher?
Klaw: It was my idea, but it was also your idea. I am asked at least once a week to recommend a book like the one I’m writing, and I didn’t have a book to recommend, so I decided to write it. I have had publishers approach me before, but when they had concrete ideas they were dumb ones – someone just wanted to put my name on a book and hope it would sell because I have an audience. I didn’t want to write a book I wouldn’t want to read.

Clay: Does Buxton have potential to be as good defensively in center as Kiermaier?
Klaw: That’s a very high bar but I think Buxton’s speed and arm could make him a top 3 CF in baseball.

Nick: Javy Baez is the best tagger I’ve ever seen, recording multiple outs with lightening quick tags it seems like nobody else has the ability to make. Is this something that scouts discuss and factor into their glove grading, or is it more of a cherry on top?
Klaw: Never heard anyone cite it for Baez or any other player, but it’s pretty clearly a way he delivers value and is also fucking awesome to watch.

Michael: Are minor league players exposed to scouting reports? I almost never see shifts or catchers moving in and out, for example. Is there ever a fear that a player will struggle to process all the new information available in the big leagues?
Klaw: Yes. The Astros shift at all levels of their minors, to pick one example.

Jon: Hey Keith it feels like every year there are players in the PCL and in particular Las Vegas that have huge statistical outputs (Nimmo this year) but we are always told to ignore these due to the ball park. Is it that teams are comfortable with their in house scouting that the numbers don’t matter or is Las Vegas the last place teams want their affiliate due to ballpark? If this truley is the worst spot to have your affiliate why not bump them down to AA and have another city with a proper stadium take over a AAA team? I’m sensing that this is all about money but I’d like to know your thoughts.
Klaw: Nobody wants their affiliate in Vegas or Albuquerque or Lancaster or High Desert (RIP) for that matter. But the problem with the AAA clubs is that there aren’t just cities sitting around with seven-figure populations and AAA-ready stadiums. At least with the Cal League teams that are folding, MILB had a handful of moderate-sized towns in NC (and I think in VA if they wanted to go that route) that could support A-ball clubs.

T: TINSTAAPP and all but is Dylan Cease a legit TOR prospect? His last 5 games for Eugene are crazy: 21 IP, 39 Ks, 7 hits, 1 ER
Klaw: Yes, that’s why he was on my top 100 in the winter. Just gotta stay healthy.

James: Any chance Tim Tebow goes from instructs to the Fall League this year? Can you imagine?
Klaw: The guy struggled to turn around 88 in his workout. I clocked three guys at 100 mph last AFL and there was at least one more. That’ll be fun.

James: Know anything about the rift between Mike Bell and DeJon Watson in AZ? I assume you would probably side with Watson? He was the only guy I was somewhat happy with when the Dbacks signed the front office trio..
Klaw: I don’t know anything about it, but “siding” with someone is a weird way to put it. But I’ll stick up for Mike Bell here – he’s a star and should be getting attention for VP-type roles or even GM openings in the near future.

Chris: Based on your strong scientific beliefs, why aren’t you vegan?
Klaw: One, because the science behind veganism as a more healthful diet is nowhere near what you imply it is. Two, because I like meat.

Mitchell: Thoughts on Michael Gettys? Big progress or no?
Klaw: No progress at all. Repeated low-A with still awful plate discipline, moved to a hitter’s park, continued awful plate discipline. Great athlete, big tools, but that swing and approach right now are not going to produce an average hit tool.

Harrisburg Hal: When he played the position, was Josh Bell and average outfielder?
Klaw: I thought he was at least an average LF, but they have some well above-average defensive OFs in Pittsburgh.

Jake: Do you always stay in hotels when you travel? Ever Airbnb or friends or anything else?
Klaw: Never, unless I’m visiting family.

Frank: I read a piece recently which said that Devon Travis was overlooked as a prospect, because he does many things well, but nothing spectacularly. The argument was that it takes several viewings to realize that he is really quite good, but a single viewing will not show his whole game. Does the logic of the argument make sense to you as a scout, and what could you do to mitigate that type of problem?
Klaw: I saw that piece; it grafted a narrative on to the story after the fact. No one is really just seeing a prospect once. I might see a player once myself, but then I talk to multiple scouts who’ve probably seen a player 3-6 games apiece, more if it’s an area guy seeing a top draft prospect.

Archie: Will a pitcher who spends the majority of his career with the Rockies ever put up the numbers necessary to get into the Hall of Fame, no matter how good he might be?
Klaw: Don’t think so. Hitters are having a hard time too because we (myself included, yes) find it hard to cope with their stats.

Chris: What did you think of De Leon’s debut?
Klaw: Looked good, glad to see him throw strikes, but that Padres’ lineup is pretty awful.

Some guy: I had a really good question but I forgot what it was. What’s the answer anyway?
Klaw: The answer is 42.

Avi: Pirates fan located in Israel! Huge fan of your work! Any possibility that Barrett Barnes is beginning to show the tools that made him a supplemental first? He’s been injured for large chunks of his career, but he really seems to be putting together in AA. Is this a product of him being a bit older for that level or is there some upside remaining?
Klaw: Fourth outfielder. Thought he was a bit of a reach as a supplemental first guy. Real problem now is he’s limited to LF and doesn’t have the power to profile there.

Drew: Assuming the worst about Strasburg, is it fair to pin this on Dusty?
Klaw: I’ve seen that going around today and I don’t understand why. What did Baker do wrong? What could he possibly have done better?

Roberto: True or false: Josh Bell puts up an .800+ OPS next season?
Klaw: I’ll go with True. I’m a believer.

Hugo Z: So are you going to watch this new show about the first female pitcher? The actress looks like she couldn’t throw her way out of a wet paper bag.
Klaw: I’m not, mostly because I find baseball in fiction is often excruciating to watch or read. I haven’t seen her try to throw, though.

Wade: haven’t seen anything on the meadow about seattle. ever been? any good food recs for a non-coffee drinker?
Klaw: Horrible to say but I haven’t been to the Pacific Northwest in 15 years. There’s just never a good reason to go for work and it’s a PITA to get there from here.

Tim: Get your hands on TV (The Book) yet? (mine just arrived). I’m not sure I agree with their #1. Thoughts?
Klaw: I have a copy on my shelf but haven’t cracked it yet.

Albert: Keith, I feel like Mike Trout has separated himself from the pack in the MVP race the last few weeks. Do you think he has any reasonable chance of winning it?
Klaw: I think he has zero chance because derp-playoffs-derp.

Gavin: My wife loves easier-to-learn boardgames like Machi Koro, Takenoko, and Mysterium. I just bought Camel Up (thanks for your review), but do you have any recommendations for easier-to-learn games that are still complex enough to be fun for people who like a little more strategy?
Klaw: Check out my rankings from last November, which also has a separate ranking of top games for two players. Splendor is definitely your speed. Dominion’s quick to learn with lots of complexity. Jaipur’s a great little two-player game that never really gets old for us. Agamemnon is a new title I played at GenCon that has that Jaipur feel – very simple rules, lots of thinking going on.

David: Keith, which(if any) of Oscar De La Cruz, Dylan Cease, Trevor Clifton, and Jeimer Candelario have a chance to make your top 100?
Klaw: Cease was on it last year. Can’t say about any of the others as I won’t even think about those rankings until December.

Pete: Do you start Wainwright or Martinez in the Wild Card game assuming both are available and Cards make it?
Klaw: I would start Martinez, but I would bet my house they’ll start Wainwright.

Mike: Did you say, recently, that you’ll have a top prospects for the 2017 draft coming soon ?
Klaw: I did, but our editors pushed it back a little. Chris Crawford took the lead on assembling the list (he saw team USA, area codes, and the PG All-American Classic) and I helped tweak it and gather more info.

David: Keith, Ryan Kellogg seems to check off a decent amount of boxes. Size, durability, control, seems hard to hit. But is his velo ever going to jump or is he an 87-88 type of guy with back end of the rotation being his absolute upside?
Klaw: Don’t think his velo will ever exceed that and I don’t project him as a starter.

Casey: Moncada’s platinum (?) sombrero, with 7 straight Ks over two games, is frightening. Do you think that calling him up so soon is likely to harm his development, or are these struggles and adjustments that he’d need to make sooner or later?
Klaw: Don’t think it’ll harm him – that’s a small risk, but a real one – but it comes back to what I wrote last week, that I don’t see how he really solves any particular need for them.

Marshall: Has Gonsalves performance this year raised his profile at all in your opinion?
Klaw: Not really. Two-pitch starter struggles with the breaking ball. Walked a lot of guys in double-A but was young for the level (turned 22 on July 8th). Back end starter?

Cole: Is Kendall Graveman becoming a serviceable back of the rotation starter?
Klaw: In Oakland, sure. Anywhere else, I doubt it.

Mike: True or false … Bo Bichette had the best first pro season of any player drafted in 2016.
Klaw: I don’t know, and I’m a big believer in Bo’s bat, but his brother may have had the best first pro season of any player drafted in 2011 and how’d that work out for him?

Chris: Should the Nats bring Reynaldo Lopez on their postseason roster as an extra bullpen guy?
Klaw: I would. I think he’d be dynamite in short relief, and could go 2-3 innings if need be.

jay: do you still recommend that Artaste cleaver, or do you have a new recommendation?
Klaw: It’s what I own and I doubt I’ll need another one for a few decades.

Marcus: The Giants broadcast crew, during last night’s game against the Rockies, mentioned that Nolan Arenado’s brother Jonah had been named MVP of the Giant’s Single-A team in San Jose. It looks like he has some power, but doesn’t walk much and Ks a lot. Can he develop into a major league talent?
Klaw: I liked his swing when I saw him in 2013 but a 21-year-old can’t put up a .286 OBP in A-ball and be any sort of prospect.

Marshall: Doesn’t the justified uproar over the price gouging by Mylan (epi-pen) and Turing Pharma (daraphrim) show the inherent failures of the free market as it relates to the healthcare industry? Health care is an inelastic good, and actual life and death is on the line in these cases.
Klaw: I’ve had the same thought, but am nothing more than a spectator when it comes to the economics of health care. The proper functioning of a free market depends on a lot of things being in place, like low barriers to entry, perfect information, elastic supply and demand, and so on. Most of these fall apart in the market for health care, unfortunately.

section 34: Peter Angelos fires Duquette and hires you, and President Trump orders you to take the job (or some other such scenario where you can’t say no.) How do you proceed? (No fair saying “move to Macau.”)
Klaw: Depends on what Angelos wants, doesn’t it? If the mandate is “win now,” then you go out and find pitching any way you can, which to me would mean making the entire system other than Sisco (who might be the catcher by June 1) available in trade. And you’d have to find a way to work with Buck, who wields as much power as any manager outside of Scioscia.

Tom: Are you seeing Giolito making any improvements or adjustments? Are you still as high on him as the sample size is growing?
Klaw: The sample size remains minuscule. My outlook for him has not changed.

Lucas Giolito: Will I ever hit 99 or 100 again?
Klaw: You haven’t done that since high school, pre-TJ, when you were pitching once a week.

A’s Brand Merlot: Thank you for dissing xFIP. As an ordinary fan I hate the strident way that stat is yielded by other fans, and I also dislike the stat because it doesn’t describe what happened in reality. What other stats do you think are being misused right now? Is FIP itself of value? Should we be using Runs Average instead of ERA?
Klaw: FIP has value and flaws, but I think it’s a viable shorthand for the pitching peripherals we want to look at, reducing some of the noise of ERA at the cost of throwing out some signal too. I always look at RA as well as ERA. I think exit velocity and spin rate are cited too frequently given the paucity of research on their predictive value. (They may have a ton of predictive value. I suspect they will, somehow. I just don’t see any evidence on the subject either way.)

CD: Matt Chapman…power is exciting and obviously legit, but the Ks are a huge problem. He takes his walks, so we know it’s mostly a contact issue. Is there anything the team can do to help him out, or is this just who he’s always gonna be?
Klaw: I think this is who he is. If I told you you could have a player with a 4 bat, 7 power, 7 glove (maybe 8?), 8 arm at third base, you’d take that, right? Useful player if ugly to watch at the plate sometimes?

Tom: It seems like pitchers who come to the D-Backs via signing or trade are significantly worse while pitching here and then generally improve once they move on to another team. Is this park effects, something the organization is doing? Something else?
Klaw: I think they’re having some real issues developing pitchers, especially in working with mechanics. It’s funny to see because they got Robbie Ray and lengthened his stride out so he could finish better over his front side; his velo ticked up and his breaking stuff got way better. Then they’ve screwed up a bunch of other guys, especially Miller, who did at least look much more like his 2015 self in his first start back from his free-agency-delaying trip to Reno.

Jim: No question, just a random fact unrelated to anything in the news: the Mets own their FL St League affiliate in PSL.
Klaw: Thank you – I had this question in my head this morning. I believe they own the Cyclones too.

Cole: During the spring, you wrote about being impressed by Daniel Gossett and he has backed it up with a solid year? Do you see him as a future big league starter? Is he in consideration for a spot in the Top 100?
Klaw: I do think he’s a starter. As I said above, I do not have much of an idea of who’ll be in the back of the top 100.

Drew: I’m looking forward to your book! Given the fact that I have a daughter who’s about to turn two, I do much more listening to audiobooks than actual reading in the traditional sense these days. Will there be an audio version of Smart Baseball, and do you think you may narrate it?
Klaw: I’ve been asked a few questions like that – will there be an audiobook, will I do a book tour, will there be a Spanish version – but unfortunately I don’t know any of these answers. They’re mostly up to Harper Collins. As I know anything more, I’ll be sure to let everyone know on the dish and via my email newsletter.

EC: Are O’s making the right call with Bundy? You’ve said he is what he is at this point, and with his shoulder is likely to not stick around too long, so worth using what you have while you can?
Klaw: I don’t know for sure that he is what he is at this point – I fear that’s the case – but he hasn’t looked great the last 4-5 times out there and I worry that he’s now pitching fatigued, which, given his history, is not what I would recommend.

Phil: Not sure how many Jays games you watch. Bautista does not seem like the same player. Do you think his bat speed has slowed down this year? It sure seems like he can’t hit a fastball anymore.
Klaw: I said just this on TSN 1050 this morning. I think age has cost him some bat speed and the foot injury may have cost him some power.

dca: Why don’t teams convert failed prospects to pitcher more frequently, a la Mychael Givens? Is Givens that much of an outlier?
Klaw: Givens was a pitching prospect in HS. I think I ranked him as a pitcher in his draft, not as a shortstop, because I didn’t think he could hit.

Sebastian: Touki Toussaint had a relief appearance and struck out 3 in an inning. While the Braves will keep him as a starter as long as they can, do you think he ultimately ends up in the pen? And, if so, what’s his ceiling there?
Klaw: I think he’s a starter. Athletic, loose, shows three pitches, smart kid, just raw. Gotta be patient with the baby Braves.

Marshall: The power that Dozier has developed over the last few years seems really out of character in comparison to his early scouting reports and minor league numbers, can you think of any other players that had something similar happen to them when they made the bigs?
Klaw: Matt Duffy’s 2015 season comes to mind.

Rob: Bryan Mitchell has a good arm, but has never K’d many batters. He does seem to have a good sinking fastball. What’s his upside?
Klaw: Middle reliever.

Gus: Thanks for talking about your anxiety. It’s helped to review your past comments as I’ve been dealing with my latest bought. Any recommendations for meditating (apps, books, youtube)?
Klaw: Fully Present is the book I always recommend. InsightLA’s website has some good free downloads for meditation too.

Tom: Is a player’s service time affected by time on a postseason roster, or is it only regular-season games that matter?
Klaw: Only regular season games.

Doug: I saw where you were planning to do one board game review per week on Paste. What are some of your upcoming reviews?
Klaw: My 3 Wishes review just went up today. I’ve already filed reviews of Saloon Tycoon and New Bedford, and need to write up 7 Ronin this week. I think I have eight unreviewed games in the house already and more coming.

Scrapper: Would K Hendricks be top five in NL Cy Young voting on your ballot? If not, why?
Klaw: Probably not because that would be giving him too much credit for what his defense has done for him.

Mikey: Any concern over Cubs’ lack of hitting with RISP? Could be a problem in the playoffs.
Klaw: No because that is still, as ever, not a separate skill from “hitting.”

Albert: I was a bit confused by your book review this week. Do you not believe there is any science behind the power of positive thinking? I highly recommend The Happiness Advantage. Changed my life.
Klaw: There’s quite a bit of science on the harm of “positive thinking” approaches, especially those that preach against allowing any negative thoughts. Burkeman discusses some of that as well. But if you’ve found something that works for you, go for it. I wouldn’t tell you to scrap that and do something else.

JG: AA is rumored to be a candidate for the prez of baseball operations for the Twins. Would he be a good hire?
Klaw: He’d be an outstanding hire. He really fits what they have said they’re looking for.

Bruce: Brandon Woodruff has had a nice season at Brevard County and Biloxi. Does he have a future as a starting pitcher?
Klaw: Yes, definitely.

Ron: You once had Starlin Castro as high as #12 on your top 100 prospects. What do you think happened with him? He’s still surprisingly young, so is there any hope that he can even remotely live up to the promise he once showed?
Klaw: Lot of things, inability to learn/make adjustments foremost among them.

Jeff: Severino looks like a completely different pitcher in the pen. Do you think it makes sense to keep him there as a potentially dominant innings eater in high leverage situations?
Klaw: I have always believed he was more likely to be a reliever than a starter, and the way he was used last night was perfect. I killed Joe G for using Betances in a third straight game on Tuesday but I have to praise him for getting Severino in that long relief spot yesterday.

JB: Mr. Law, Odor is arguably the best player on the best team in the AL, but I haven’t seen any MVP hype for him. Thoughts?
Klaw: He’s 15th in the AL in OBP. From the bottom.

Dave: Has Josh Hader done enough this year to change your opinion on him being a starting pitcher?
Klaw: The delivery hasn’t changed, nor has the stuff, so no.

Marshall: If the Twins called would you answer, or is your current gig just too good (work/life balance, time with your daughter, seemingly good editorial freedom) for you to entertain a change at this juncture in your life?
Klaw: If the Twins called, I would recommend three candidates who are more qualified than I am.

Stomper: Richie Martin hit .230 in the Cal League this year. I know he was a 20 y/o draft pick and young for the league, but that is still wildly disappointing for a first round pick out of the SEC. Do you think the A’s can get him back to his good Cape League swing, or is that a pipe dream considering his struggles his draft year too?
Klaw: I was very disappointed with what I saw from him that spring, so I’m not totally shocked … okay, a little shocked that he struggled like that, slugging .312 even with all those road games in hitters’ parks. Still just 21, but that’s a terrible first year out for an SEC product and first rounder.

Rob: Your thoughts on Heinlein. I was surprised to see there’s been some backlash towards him based on perceived political opinions.
Klaw: Only read a couple of his books and have yet to read the big two titles but I enjoy his work. He was adamant that his fiction did not express political views, though.

Stomper: IIRC, Heath Filmeyer was a two way player in HS and didn’t pitch full time until JC. Given his age, lack of experience, and performance to date, what type of floor/ceiling does he have?
Klaw: Yep, that’s correct. I think he could end up an average starter and is at least a major league bullpen guy. I had him ranked as a top 100 guy, about third round, and still don’t understand why he fell to the fifth when he was totally signable and was not a secret name (there were a dozen guys there the day I saw him). Athletic, arm works, had two pitches already.

Matt: I know you’ve long been a Mike Foltynewicz fan, and he’s shown some flashes of brilliance this year, but has also been incredibly inconsistent. Is there anything you’ve seen or heard to make you think it could all still come together for him? He’s still just 24.
Klaw: I would take his year overall as a positive step. His control, which was awful at times last year, has been the best of his pro career, both in walks and generally in throwing strikes. I’m very optimistic on his future as a starter.

Sriram: If there is a game 163, what are the roster rules? 25-man, 40-man … is it treated like a fresh playoff round (postseason eligibility and whatnot)?
Klaw: It’s a regular season game (I think). I know the game counts towards regular-season stats.

TJ: JaCoby Jones likely outcome- minor leaguer/bench MLBer, solid MLB utility guy, or a MLB position player? If the latter, where would you put him?
Klaw: 4A player. Good athlete, not enough ability to hit.

section 34: I hope you’ll forgive me, you say about so many MiLB catchers “he can’t stick at catcher” that I lose track, but … I thought you said that previously about Chance Sisco. He’s an MLB catcher? Good news for starving O’s fans if so.
Klaw: Don’t know if I ever said that, but he was not very good receiving his first year in pro ball … which was also his second year as a full-time catcher. He keeps improving with experience and I don’t doubt at all that he’ll be a catcher in the majors now.

Doug: Any chance you could offer a “sneak peek” of your Saloon Tycoon review? Thumbs Up?
Klaw: Yes. My daughter really liked it. She never asked what the Brothel tile meant, though.

BD: The 40 man roster in September basically feels like an entirely different game. What is your opinion on it (I am not a fan)
Klaw: I’m not a fan of the infinite bullpens.

j: Are Chance Adams’ size and arm action reasons why he may not stick as a starter?
Klaw: Yep, especially the size issue.

Julius: Late to the chat….in regard to one of your earlier answers, where you said you factor in future growth that could lead to increased velocity in HS pitchers….Say a HS kid tops out at 87-88, yet you are positive that his room to grow and gain strength will lead to increased velocity and a chance to be a front line pitcher….what is the highest you would be able to draft this kid, knowing organizations are going to hedge toward the safety of the present velocity?
Klaw: I think you can find those guys later in the draft, so I wouldn’t rush to take one on day one. Those are good names to target for day two, even if you might have to overpay a little, negotiating with them the night between the second and third rounds.

Tana: Is there really someone who is much more qualified than you to run the player acquisition side of things? Isn’t it more about creating and following a strategy that makes sense? Sure you’ve had your share of misses, but your hits list is good too. In other words, is it a bit like picking stocks?
Klaw: I’m very flattered that you say so, but there are many people in front offices who are not well known to the public but who can do everything I can do, but better, and do more things too. They just can’t chat like I do.

Klaw: Thanks for all of the questions this week. I’ll be back next Thursday for more of the same.

My one Insider piece so far this week covered why September prospect callups are a thing of the past – or, why prospects who are going to be called up are probably already up.

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Klaw: What to do when suckers are preyin’ up on my well-guarded spreadsheets? Klawchat.

Kenny: Dansby has 1 UIBB in 12 games, is this what we can expect from him going forward or does he have some understanding of the strike zone? His ABs haven’t seemed to show someone completely lost.
Klaw: It’s 12 games. Remember when Alex Bregman started 0 for 15? I just found a tweet from that week where someone asked me if a demotion was coming. The big leagues are hard. Stop overreacting to minuscule samples.

Brian: Jemier Candelario having a second nice season after really struggling in 2014. Is he a potential everyday guy (maybe not with Cubs if blocked)? Will the glove play at 3b?
Klaw: He can hit, but I don’t think he can play 3b, and he’d be their … what, third best defender at the position right now?

Darnell: for my 11th grade honors American lit course I get to choose a novel from a list of about 200 for a research paper. My favorites are down to Catch 22, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, The Sun Also Rises, All The Kings Men, and A Farewell To Arms. Any thoughts on these books?
Klaw: My favorite of those is Catch-22. I wouldn’t wish Hemingway on anybody.

Dennis Swanson: Keith, so I watched Tim Tebows workout. Evaluate my scouting prediction please: weak arm (grade 40, by comparison I’m 60 and with a couple of weeks work, I would still grade at about 50). First year high school player footwork in the outfield. rarely lined up a ball to throw properly. Clunky catching the ball, glove to throw motion is on the low end of the scale. Batting practice fast ball power. Overstrides and is easily fooled by off-speed pitches. But has plus power when he does connect. In running, fast but not quick. Some team with a good AA park in the SE or S will sign him and he will attract people to the gate. Right coaching and practice could smooth out some flaws to get him to AAA, but he’ll be 30+ by then.
Klaw: A washed-up quarterback who can’t even square up 88 mph in a workout isn’t even as good as your bearish report would even imply. He’s an absolute zero, a 29-year-old with a 20 hit tool, and shame on everyone involved in this charade – including any team that might be foolish enough to sign him.

DrMike: Could Andrew Toles be an everyday player?
Klaw: I don’t think so, although he’s a different person (makeup) now than he was in the past. Always had tools, lacked real baseball skills and had little to no commitment to improvement. As an amateur and a Rays farmhand, he was a guy who could run and that’s about it.

Dave: KLAW, is there a consensus number one pick in next year’s draft?
Klaw: No, but there’s more talent up top than there was in this year’s. I’d put Vandy OF Jeren Kendall at 1 right now ahead of SoCal RHP/SS Hunter Greene.

Jim L: Why wouldn’t the Angels, who stink and their farm system stinks, try and work out a trade for Puig? The asking price can’t be too high.
Klaw: Why can’t it be too high? I think it would be.

Rich (Rochester): Inside baseball question from your time in Toronto: do minor league affiliates lobby for prospects? What do ‘minor league relations ‘ look like from an MLB FO perspective?
Klaw: They would rather win than just get highly rated prospects. Two years ago Wilmington was loaded with prospects and didn’t have a great season. Last year they had almost no prospects and made the league championship series. Any team that isn’t owned by the parent club would prefer the latter to the former.

mcgive_it_to_me: I agree with Sheehan. Every pace of play issue in baseball is directly correlated to pitcher velocity. I’m in the camp that they just need to move the mound back though not sure how far. The only downside I see to this is the unintended consequences towards soft-tossing/control pitchers. Where do you stand on this?
Klaw: Moving the mound seems like it would have a lot of unintended consequences. Also, speeding up pace of play means less rest between pitches or innings for pitchers, and less rest means more fatigue which means more injuries.

Marshall: Ronald Acuna is back from his hand injury and is already showing signs of greatness again. Will he be a fast riser on prospect lists next season?
Klaw: I’m a big fan.

Marty: Austin Riley is raking again- has 17 home runs the second half. What are your thoughts on him
Klaw: I’m not a big fan.

Tim: Hey Keith, thanks for the chat! Seems like Christian Pache is handling Danville pretty well. Thoughts on his future ceiling?
Klaw: I think he’s a potential star, but beware of these tiny samples – he’s hitting far better in Danville than he did in the GCL and that should make you at least question how indicative either stat line is of his true talent.

Disgruntled: Watching the Diamondback dumpster fire has passed the point of humor, is it safe to assume that LaRussa and Stewart will be jettisoned before next season?
Klaw: I don’t think that’s safe to assume at all; you saw how they circled the wagons when my article was posted, slandering me rather than addressing the very real mistakes they’ve made as a front office.

Disgruntled: Moncada up on Friday, odd’s he get’s full-time ab’s going forward at 3B?
Klaw: I don’t think he will, or should.

Amos: Desmond Lindsay’s numbers look great, albeit in Brooklyn. Any word from people scouting the player and not the stat line?
Klaw: That he looks great. He’s not old for Brooklyn. Hell, usually the Cyclones’ average age is closer to 30 than 20.

Carl Youstremsky: Yankees have been extremely active for once. What do you think of the Gamel for Orozco and De Paula deal? Also, out of those two and the couple PTBNL they received from PIT (Tarpley and Polo), can any of the four become solid ML regulars? Thank you
Klaw: I like Gamel for what he is but he’s been crowded out by better OF prospects in their system, so they flipped him for two high-upside teenage arms they can wait on. Polo looks like a good fourth OF, definite big leaguer. Tarpley has a million dollar arm and the proverbial ten-cent head, probably a LH reliever in the end but athletic enough that if he gets his act together at some point and turns into a quality starter I won’t be totally shocked.

Ryan: Trevor Clifton was recently named the Carolina League Pitcher of the Year, how do you project him as a MLB pitcher
Klaw: Mid-rotation starter.

Taco Timmy: Isan Diaz is nearing the obsession that Victor Robles once had… How bullish are you on this guy?
Klaw: Very bullish. Great feel to hit. Sneaky pop, don’t think he’s a huge power guy, but lot of hard contact. Could play 2b or 3b. Segura’s had a big BABIP year for AZ but I think losing Diaz is going to hurt them in the long run.

Gary: Jed Bradley called up to Atlanta after they got him for basically nothing from Milwaukee earlier this year. I know he’s a former first rounder, and his numbers in the Atlanta system have actually been good so far. Any optimism here long term?
Klaw: He’s regained his college velocity again and I think could be a swingman for Atlanta, maybe a 5th starter, more likely a little less. Not bad for, as you said, a guy acquired for nothing.

Steve: Higher ceiling, Soroka or Allard? Soroka has been absolutely dealing.
Klaw: Allard. Good results, especially for pitchers in the low minors, are nice but not as strongly predictive as you might believe (or as they are for bats).

Ryan: It’s amazing how people talk about the 1st amendment and how they value it, until someone actually exercises it. This divide astonishes me a little, yes other people have a right to disagree but you can’t say don’t protest. I’m not sure how people are wired to think that is a coherent thought. Also, so many terrible ‘hot takes’ on this came out this week, thank you for being a voice of sanity.
Klaw: Did you ever really learn about First Amendment rights at any point in school? I don’t recall any of that, even in American History in HS. I vaguely remember having to learn the five main freedoms of 1A but nothing further. So it’s hardly surprising that we have a nation of people who don’t understand what freedom of speech or censorhip of it mean in practice. Also, I have no idea why we need to turn sporting events into patriotic pep rallies. I’m here for the baseball, not for public displays of jingoism.

Frank: How do you factor in hitter tendencies in BP vs a game? If a batter pulls everything in BP, but sprays to all fields in a game, how would you describe him?
Klaw: What he does in the game is more important. The BP might show you what his raw pull power, but that’s subordinate to how he hits live pitching.

Nick: What have you heard about Yusniel Diaz’s season? The numbers are pretty so-so, but he’s very young for his league and seems to have at least shown some solid tools.
Klaw: Yep, good tools, good swing, decent approach, missed too much time with injury. He finished well after the lost five weeks and his overall line is solid for a 19-year-old in a decent hitters’ park in high-A, so I remain very bullish on his future. I was hoping he’d get an AFL spot to make up for the lost ABs.

DPF: Is there a level of performance that Jameson Taillon could achieve that would make passing on Machado the right choice?
Klaw: No, but Taillon’s clearly going to be good enough that this won’t be a “how the hell did you pass on Machado” conversation for the next decade.

Anonymous: According to Fangraphs, Kris Bryant currently gas the most WAR in baseball. We all know he is the front-runner for MVP in the NL, but is he the best player in baseball?
Klaw: The best player in baseball is Mike Trout. I don’t think there’s even a real debate at this point.

Zach: So far, I love what I see out of Josh Bell. He’s got a matured approach at the plate, can drive the ball opposite field, and is way more athletic than anyone with his build should be. That said, does his swing concern you at all? I’m not an expert, but at times it feels like its very long/slow to develop and very upper cut.
Klaw: I don’t think it’s “upper cut” in the least; if anything the criticism of him in the minors was that he wasn’t lifting the ball as much as a big man should. I saw enough hard contact from him that I was fine with his swing as is – he has a great approach, likes to go the other way, and isn’t afraid to drop the bat head and murder something middle-in.

Chris: The Mets ignoring Matz’ various arm issues and relying on specious evidence that the bone spur isnt affecting his shoulder is truly bizarre. Just sit him the rest of the year.
Klaw: And he’s *always* been hurt. He’s never reached 150 innings in a regular season in seven innings (including 2016) in pro ball. He’s hurt everything but his spleen. How do you not treat him with extreme caution given his history of DL stints?

Drew: Do you follow players on twitter? I recently followed Amed Rosario on twitter and found another reason why i hope he is in NY soon.
Klaw: Some, mostly players I know or who follow me.

John: Why are you rarely included when ESPN does large panels like the post season awards article up today?
Klaw: I decline to participate. I have too much else to do, including writing things that appear under my name.

Troubled (Cincy): It seems like Bryan Price has adopted a strategy you’ve recommended: multiple inning relievers separated by at least 1-2 days off. He’s been doing this with Lorenzen and Iglesias to most importantly keep them healthy and also to bolster the horrific bullpen. Long term, I believe Lorenzen is a reliever due to his lack of secondary pitches. But Iglesias looks like he has the arsenal to start, he reminds me of El Duque throwing pitches from multiple angles with movement. Do you think Iglesias can start, or is the better long term strategy to keep him healthy in the bullpen?
Klaw: Lorenzen’s been mostly one inning per outing, occasionally two; I’d be happy to see him go 2-3 and then get more time off. He’s a reliever for me all the way. Iglesias has the stuff to start but may not be able to hold up in that role … but that says to me that pitching him back to back (to back?) days in the bullpen isn’t going to be any better.

Mark: Pro: Hunter Renfroe has put up good all-around numbers this year at El Paso (top three in the league in total bases, homers, RBIs, hits, slugging and runs). Con: It’s the PCL. How much should I temper my excitement due to the league he plays in? Do you use sort of baseline to evaluate guys who play in hitter friendly environments (like factoring in that stats are artificially inflated by a certain percentage, etc.)?
Klaw: Not just the PCL, but El Paso, which appears to be a great place to hit – and he had terrible BB/K numbers and a big home/road split (.247/.276/.461 on the road). Since we already knew he had issues with contact and breaking ball recognition, the cons here ‘convince’ me more than the pros.

Sitting 95: What wizard did Warthen submit to? Because the Mets ability to crank out interesting pitchers is frankly obscene at this point in time. Gsellman and Lugo both looked good.
Klaw: Yes they did. Gsellman is suddenly bumping 95 with some regularity and that makes him more than just a 5th starter.

Jack: Will you be at Alec Hansen’s start tonight? Just curious if you will do a write up.
Klaw: Weather permitting, that is my plan, but it’s supposed to rain again.

JJ: Is Moancada ready to help the Red Sox? His lefty/righty splits seem a bit extreme, and I’m worried about this “drop him at third base” noise after he spent so little time there in the minors.
Klaw: Is Moancada a Freudian slip? I don’t like that idea either – he wasn’t that good at second base, third base isn’t an easier position, and if you don’t make enough contact in AA you’re not going to suddenly make more in the majors.

Paul Furlong: What the hell is going on with Kyle Hendricks? Is this a case of SSS or has he done something to make this a more long lasting improvement?
Klaw: It’s both. That .244 BABIP says a lot about how good the Cubs’ defense (their fielders and the team’s positioning) is. But he’s also got a plus changeup that allows his fringe-average fastball to play. So some of both. You just can’t separate him from the value he gets from the fielders around him.

sam: when your daughter’s a bit older, would you enjoy spending a summer traveling around the country with your family, stopping in to see minor league players/parks you might not see otherwise (while your wife/daughter are doing something else for a few hours if they’re not interested)?
Klaw: When she’s older I’d enjoy a summer traveling around the country with my family and not seeing any baseball at all. I call such a thing a “vacation.”

Kevin: Proud papa of a 9 month old who has yet to travel long distance with him. Would it be pure hell to put him on a plane now? Several people have suggested not traveling until he is at least two years old.
Klaw: We traveled with my daughter when she was six months and it went fine.

Bruce: You had recommended Jasper Fforde’s Dragon Slayer series for my 12 year old son last year. He read all three books and loved them. He now keeps asking me when the 4th book will be coming out. Do you have any other books or series to recommend for him?
Klaw: Try Diana Wynne Jones’ Howl’s Moving Castle series. And I too would like to know when the 4th Dragonslayer book is coming out.

Oren: Nick Kingham has apparently looked excellent in his rehab back from TJ. I almost forgot that before he went down, he was considered by some a Top 100 prospect. Could he regain his old prospect status as a good middle of the rotation piece?
Klaw: Yep, don’t see any reason why not.

Marcus: Giants made Blach a September call-up. Could he be useful in the 5th starter role instead of Cain/Peavy. He has great command and total innings on the year doesn’t look like a problem.
Klaw: I think long term he’s a reliever, but they need a 5th starter and he’s probably better than those guys, neither of whom seems likely to post an ERA south of 5.50.

NIC AZ: What do you make of the season that Trinson McKenzie has had? Do you think he will be considered for your Spring top 100 prospect list?
Klaw: If I say I’ll consider him that’s unfair because I consider just about everyone (and discard most of them right away), but McKenzie is a very exciting prospect with tons of projection left. You could just dream on him and see a future 1 or 2.

EC: Could Bukauskus go top part of round 1 next year? For guys like that, is it better to go to college, or just come out of HS? Seems like you can always go to college… but the big leagues provide an opportunity right away that might not be there next time around.
Klaw: Could go first round. Hard to see him going top 10 with that reliever-ish delivery and lack of size or plane. It’s all now – what you see is what you get, so get him to the majors quick.

Zach: Hi Keith, I asked you at the beginning of the season about Jon Gray, and you mentioned the fastball was straight and the delivery has no deception (amongst other problems). I was just wondering if you’ve seen anything from him this season that’s made you more optimistic about his potential as an above-average starter?
Klaw: Yes, they’ve lengthened him back out (or he did it himself) a bit so that his velocity has ticked up and he’s getting a little more plane on everything. The slider was there in college, not there last year, is basically there again. So I’m back on the bandwagon after I was off it last year and was on it when they drafted him.

Walter: My wife and I are expecting a child soon. We live in an apartment and our neighbor has a two month old. Based on who their doctor is, I think there is a high likelihood they aren’t going to vaccinate. This worries me. We can tell them they should vaccinate and try not to let the kids near each other. Any suggestions?
Klaw: Do just what you said. Please vaccinate your kid or we can’t be near you. I see no problem at all with ostracizing parents who make such utterly selfish, irrational choices.

JWP: Wasn’t an option pick-up due for someone in AZ’s front office yesterday? What happened with it?
Klaw: Dave Stewart. Don’t believe it was picked up.

Drew: If Trea Turner had been called up earlier in the year (assuming he consistently performed at his current level) do you think he’d give Seager a run for his money in terms of ROY voting?
Klaw: I think Seager came into the year as the favorite and would thus have had a leg up on Turner anyway, but Turner could have locked in to the #2 spot.

Vin: Could Tyler Beede step into the Giants’ rotation in 2017? What do you think his ceiling is?
Klaw: Don’t think the command is there for him to step in next year. He’s back to throwing four- and two-seamers rather than that 88-89 mph sinker, though, which is a big positive.

Mike: Last year, Kyle Lewis really put his name on the map as a prospect with his play on the Cape. What player(s) have done that during this summer’s Cape Cod League?
Klaw: Nobody to that extent. Michael Gigliotti of Lipscomb or Peter Solomon of Notre Dame were the breakout guys I know of.

Blergher: True or False: 1) Jake Locker holding a private workout would–on merit–be of more interest to MLB teams than a Tebow workout? 2) Fewer teams would send scouts nonetheless.
Klaw: First is true, second is false. Locker had real baseball skill. He played a summer during college in the West Coast League and still showed real ability. He’d get scouted and signed.

Johnny: Trumbo is obviously a large factor of playing half his games at OPACY, but he is still having a big year, and hitting on the road as well. Has he made a positive leap in your mind, carer wise?
Klaw: It’s not the ballpark at all – Camden Yards is neutral or slightly above, and Trumbo’s been just as potent on the road anyway – but this spike at age 30 without a significant change in his underlying skills screams fluke. Great season, and I hope he gets to 50 homers because that’s just cool when anyone does that, but I’d bet on him returning to the player he was previously in 2017.

Anthony: Have you seen anything with Jorge Soler to suggest he can finally put it together?
Klaw: I’m the wrong person to ask. I’ve always thought he’d put it all together.

Mike: Is Nick Storz a 1st Round pick for next season right now with the summer he has put in?
Klaw: I don’t think so. Long way off, though. Any round prediction on a guy right now is marginally better than throwing darts.

Keith: Re: Vacation – do you still enjoy going to the ballpark? It’s kinda funny to me – something everyone else would consider a leisurely day off is like a trip to the office for you. Granted, it’s probably a fun job at times but still…
Klaw: Nope. True vacation for me means no baseball at all. Don’t watch, don’t check scores, nothin’.

James: Can Mondesi Jr hit? His average in the minors wasn’t good and he looks lost on offspeed stuff.
Klaw: I think he will hit, and he could hit, except he’s always been so young and small for his levels that he’s never really had the chance to catch up physically.

BD: Not worried about Giolito’s very limited MLB showing so far, but am a little worried about his velocity. Despite all the scout talk of an 80 grade fastball, it seems to sit 94 with little movement. Is he “aiming” it? Are scouts worried?
Klaw: Second question about him having an “80 grade fastball” I’ve gotten this week. He has never had an 80 fastball that I know of. He hit 98 in high school, pre injury. Supposedly he hit 100 the week before I saw him; I didn’t see that and don’t believe it ever recurred. And he’s pitched in pro ball at 93-98, at best, which isn’t an 80 fastball although it’s really good. So I don’t know where the “80 grade fastball” came from, and him sitting 94 with his four seamer is about right. I’d like to see him throw more two-seamers, especially since he’s not commanding the four-seamer enough to get away with it in the zone.

Nate: Zack Collins is start at HiA has been pretty solid. Any reports on his catching?
Klaw: He’s not a catcher. He’ll hit his way to the majors at another position.

Bob: Big believer in vaccines. That said, what is the danger of letting your vaccinated child play with one who is not? They are protected from the diseases they’re inoculated against, right?
Klaw: Not necessarily. Vaccines aren’t 100% effective, just like any medical treatment isn’t 100% effective. Some, like the pertussis vaccine, are well under 100% effective, and we rely on herd immunity to make up the deficit.

Juan: A friend of mine has a son, who seems to be a very good player, go to a Division 2 school in Southern California. How does that talent at D-2 schools in hotbeds for talent like SoCal stack up against the talent at some of the lower level D-1 schools?
Klaw: It’s well below even the lower level D1 schools.

Jeff: What is your opinion on Arenado’s MVP chances? Does the fact that he plays half of his games in Coors take him out of the race?
Klaw: That kills him and the team being a non-contender kills him. Park-adjusting his stats takes him out of the race on merit anyway. He’s legitimately great, but not up to Bryant/Seager.

Mike DC: Are they Yankees making a mistake shifting Luis Serverino back and forth from starter to bullpen ala Joba? They sent him down recently to work on his change up and now have him back up to help ML team in bullpen – does this increase his risk of injury?
Klaw: Yeah, not a fan of the back-and-forth. Put him in the pen, in whatever role you want, and leave him there.

Pete: I know your employer is the chief culprit, but please explain the sports world’s fascination with Tebow? He was a huge 1st round bust in the NFL and has been out of the league for years.
Klaw: He gets clicks. I like clicks too, but would rather not sell my soul to get them.

marty: Last chat you mentioned it was down to Bryant and Seager for NL MVP. Why is Murphy not a legit candidate?
Klaw: Because defense matters.

davey: Where do you stand on Public Enemy and De La Soul?
Klaw: I’m a fan of their classic stuff. The new DLS is very mixed.

Lee: I don’t get the problem with Moncado coming up now? The Sox haven’t said he’s going to be the everyday 3rd basemen so what’s the problem with him spending a month with the big club and maybe pinch running/ grabbing a couple ABs?
Klaw: One problem is adding him to the 40-man roster before it was close to necessary. If what you say is correct and he’s just an extra guy it’s not a big deal. If they try to play him more, I don’t know if that’s good for the club or for his development.

Elton: The Dodgers’ offseason of depth-building seems to have paid off since they’ve been weathering Kershaw’s absence quite well. With a weak free agent crop coming up do you expect more of the same this offseason?
Klaw: I don’t think there’s an alternative out there – there’s no Greinke on the market this time. But what helped them weather Kershaw’s absence: the depth signings they made over the winter, or the players already in the system who came up and contributed?

Nate: Any chance that Zach Burdi is a starter?
Klaw: Yes, a small chance, but a definite chance.

Rich (Rochester): Why do the Triple-A leagues even bother staging playoffs?
Klaw: For money. It’s the answer to almost every “why” question you could ask about baseball, really.

William Bradley: Hi Keith – do you feel Brendan Rodgers will advance quickly through the minors to become a MLB player by 2018? Also, should I give up on Matt Olson as an MLB prospect given his dreadful year? (although he is still walking at a good clip)
Klaw: That’s aggressive, improbable but not impossible. Needs a full healthy year though – the ABs he lost this year didn’t help speed up his timetable. I was a little lukewarm on Olson anyway and I think his window has mostly closed.

James: Is the 40 man roster an outdated idea? I really don’t understand the purpose of having it.
Klaw: It defines who is and isn’t a union member, and players on the 40-man thus have more rights, clearly delineated in the CBA, than players not on the 40-man. Players on the 40-man are also invited automatically to spring training. It serves a lot of purposes. We could debate whether that number should be 42 or 45 or something else, but I think having that second roster serves many purposes.

Rich: Any recommendations for games, activities, flash cards to help a 2 year old learn very basic math/science?
Klaw: We never tried anything like that with my daughter. We let her interests dictate what we got but never really tried to teach her much directly. She also spoke a little late (after help from a speech therapist provided by the state of Massachusetts, so, hey, sometimes government actually does work for you) so we weren’t thinking about pushing her to learn anything.

Elton: I know in the past you’ve been higher on Hoskins than Cozens in the Phillies’ system. After pummeling AA this year do you think one or both makes it up next year?
Klaw: Likely we see both next year. Still prefer Hoskins as a better hitter.

Ridley Kemp: Andrew Pullin retired this spring, came out of retirement, and he’s having a pretty strong season. Do you know what the story is, and how good a prospect is he?
Klaw: I don’t know the story of the retirement but he is a legit prospect and possible everyday guy.

Jeff R: Is it weird to see Dusty not bury Turner on the bench?
Klaw: Dusty has done the best thing he could possibly do this year: he’s let the players play. He’s had his foibles but hasn’t buried any young players, hasn’t been wildly overmanaging, hasn’t pulled a Terry Collins at any point. I had it backwards – I said the Mets had the managerial advantage this year but it turns out the Nats have had a huge edge in that department.

Jeff Chisholm: Is there anything Trump can do or say to reconsider not voting for him?
Klaw: There’s a pretty lengthy body of work behind this guy that should eliminate any consideration a rational, open-minded individual might give him on Election Day.

Jeff Chisholm: Are you related to Jude Law?
Klaw: He’s my identical twin brother.

Edward: I have long debated getting a Vitamix. Is it worth it?
Klaw: I think so. Very expensive, but very powerful. You know how sometimes you read a soup recipe and it says to put it in the blender, which is a great plan if what you really wanted was imperfectly pureed soup all over the ceiling? Yeah. The Vitamix won’t do that to you. It actually works.

Chris: I read somewhere that LAD inquired about trading for Greinke. Do you think he would have gotten far enough through waivers to reach them??
Klaw: He cleared waivers.

Mike: It’s early, but Bryan Reynolds looking like a guy?
Klaw: I thought he was a mid-first round talent this spring. He will have to improve his contact rate, but the other tools are all there, hit power run glove.

TK: No question, Keith. Just want to say thanks for all the hard work you do (baseball, boardgame and book reviews, etc.) It’s a pleasure reading your work and I hope one day to make it to one of your fan meetups.
Klaw: You’re quite welcome. I hope to do more fan meetups next year once my book is out; between writing that and dealing with a family matter this summer, I haven’t been out and about as much as usual, but that should change next spring.

Klaw: That’s all for this week’s chat. Thank you all for coming and for all of your questions. I should be back next Thursday at the usual time.

Starting at 1 pm ET. Questions go in the frame below, not in the comments!

My latest boardgame review for Paste looks at Tak, a game derived from Patrick Rothfuss’ Kingkiller Chronicles novels.

Klaw: Singing love songs can’t begin to fill your day, so try Klawchat.

Aaron C.: Apologies if you’ve addressed this already, but do you have a vote in any of the BBWAA awards this year?
Klaw: I have NL ROY again. Which is fine – it fits my job, certainly – although I think it’s funny that I’ve been sequestered from other votes.

Dave: I see you linked to the boardgame based on the Kingkiller books – have you read them? Thoughts? Personally I dont see any way there can only be 3 books…..
Klaw: No, I haven’t. Overlong fantasy novels are generally not my thing. But the game, Tak, is good, especially for something that was designed out of someone else’s fictional concept.

Steve G.: Hey Keith, so far, the results have been kind of OK for Dylan Bundy, despite the condition of his shoulder. What would you do if you were the Baltimore GM? Just have him start for as long as he can, knowing it might only be a year or two? Try to keep him in the pen? Thanks!
Klaw: I don’t know the correct answer for keeping him healthy, but I’ve noticed the last few starts that they’ve pushed him harder than I would have, and his stuff in his last three outings hasn’t looked like it did in the previous three or four. Perhaps the answer is he will always be plagued by arm trouble and they should just get what they can out of him. I think they are also so short of starting pitching – aside from whatever you’d call Bundy, they have one effective starter healthy right now – that they may feel they have no choice.

Alex: Gary Sanchez, is he for real? What can we expect from him going forward? Is he the next Posada?
Klaw: For real as in going to hit 9 homers every 20 games, probably not. But I have ranked him I think four straight years on the top 100, once pointing out that if he could stay at catcher he’d have MVP upside. That appears to be happening now.

Greg: One of the big bugaboos for Dom Smith until now (aside from lack of power) had been that he simply did not walk enough. That being said, he now has 11 walks in his last 11 games. This all aside from the fact that he’s mashing everything in sight. How excited should we be getting for him? Has he finally reached his potential?
Klaw: The amount of stat-line scouting on Smith the last few years was just comical. He was a young HS senior with a great swing, great feel to hit, and plus raw power. The Mets put him right into full-season ball, and he didn’t put up huge numbers right away, so the fake-scouting started – but he was never overmatched, never really struggled, always made contact, and if you saw him or talked to folks who did you knew he was working on going the other way because his pull power wasn’t resulting in HR. I could rant for a while but I’ve always thought he was at least an above average overall player at 1b and I still think that’s what he’ll be.

Michael Easter: There have been a lot of critical articles written about Jeff Luhnow and the Astros lately. What is your take on the Astros front office and the decisions they have made?
Klaw: He’s an easy target, especially since they’re playing well but not playoff well. They’re also a very young, very inexpensive team that is going to be highly competitive for several years to come.

Bill Center: Pads Luis Urias the next Altuve?
Klaw: Don’t see it. I like Urias but his body type is nothing like Altuve’s.

Biscuit: Read a few reports last year that Adam Engel had made some swing changes in the AFL with great results, allowing him to finally unlock some of his hit tool. Have you heard whether those changes have stuck? Stat line does not seem to indicate any sort of improvement.
Klaw: I thought it was a dubious claim and that his tools overall were too light for him to have any impact.

Derek: Scouting report on Trea Turner in CF?
Klaw: If you can run like that, you can play CF. And his routes have looked good so far.

Eric: With Duda likely to be non-tendered, do you think Smith will be ready for 1B for the Mets next year?
Klaw: I think that would be aggressive.

Biscuit: Given how far medicine has advanced it still amazes me how little recourse we have against common cold viruses. Is this truly an inability to develop treatments, or simply a decision to allow our bodies to fight them naturally in order to minimize viral evolution (like how we minimize antibiotic use).
Klaw: I think the problem is that there aren’t just a few common cold viruses, but three species with over a hundred serotypes. You may have more distinct viruses in your nose in one infection than there have been primate species in the entire history of life on earth. So, between that and the fact that colds rarely kill, it’s not going to be an efficient use of research time or money.

Timmy: It’s only 10 IP in the bigs, i know, i know, but Matt Strahm looks great. He’s only thrown a few changeups – understandable in a relief role – but those few have looked pretty good including the whiff of Realmuto last night. His fastball is leading MLB in whiffs/swing, the curve looks nasty and his walk rates in the minors and MLB this year have been strong. Can he hold down a rotation spot next year, and what should reasonable expectations be?
Klaw: I think he has the three pitches to start. Saw him in Wilmington last year and while it’s a little funky for the rotation I’d absolutely let him do it.

Matt: Any idea around what date Crawford and your draft top 30 is coming out? -Padres fan
Klaw: We’ve had to push it back a little with other stuff running on the site.

Chris K.: Michael Kopech is on a pretty ridiculous run right now. What are the odds that he remains a starter long term (putting injuries aside)?
Klaw: How many guys who throw that hard – okay, almost that hard – have lasted as starters? Syndergaard has. Strasburg didn’t maintain his fastball although he’s worked out very well. Eovaldi throws that hard and needs a whole new arm. So you can argue that Kopech has so few comparables that we don’t know, or that the few comparables we have say he’s at very high risk if he remains in the rotation. But I’d still rank him fairly aggressively even with the risk because it’s an 80 fastball and he’s athletic enough that I think he can improve in other areas to at least profile as a starter.

Brent: Is there something fundamentally flawed with Minnesota’s player development (looking at Berrios, Sano, Buxton, etc.), or is this just normal growing pains / the inherent unpredictability in prospects. I know projecting prospects is inherently a difficult task, but it just feels like there’s got to be more here…the player development seems fundamentally flawed. Thoughts? How do you even go about fixing something like this?
Klaw: I think the hitters’ issues are more the coaching staff – and I’ve mentioned that before – but with Berrios, look at all the pitching prospects who’ve come up this year and struggled out of the chute. It’s not just him and not just the twins.

Will: Brando Nimmo is scorching lefties at Triple A this year. Now we’re talking about 116 plate appearances in Vegas, but have you heard any reports that this aspect of his game has improved?
Klaw: It’s Vegas. Someone pointed out to me on Twitter that Nimmo’s AAA stats were better than Seager’s. The ballpark destroys any value in the stats.

Jesse: I know you’re not a football fan, but do you have any thoughts on the Joey Bofa situation?
Klaw: You really think I just fell off the turnip truck?

John: Anything to the s guys the Braves got in the Francoeur deal?
Klaw: Nope, org guys.

Chris: Can’t make it to the chat today because of work, but should the Angels trade Andrelton Simmons this winter? I imagine there would be a lot of interest, and it logistically makes more sense than trading Trout.
Klaw: If the mandate from the owner is to build the best possible team around Trout, then no.

Marty: Who do you take going forward, Gary Sanchez or Willson Contreras?
Klaw: Gosh, I like both. A lot. Probably Contreras because he’s the better athlete and I think will end up the better receiver, but Sanchez’s bat is pretty special and he wouldn’t be the wrong answer.

Dave M: Who are your top 5 current contenders for NL MVP?
Klaw: Right now I think it’s Bryant or Seager.

Nelson: Just statistically speaking, there must be some pitchers today that can handle Cy Young’s workload (400+ IP) over a career and not have any injuries, right?
Klaw: Doubtful given how much harder pitchers throw today.

Eric W: Addison Russell has tapped into some major power in the 2nd half and is now on pace for around 25HR. And he’s 22. What do you think his power ceiling is at this point? Has he raised it?
Klaw: Given his hand strength 25 HR/season would not surprise me. I think overall he’s developing into the player I thought he’d be (I mean, he’s doing it NOW).

JWP: Any guesstimate as to when/if Shoehi Ohtani comes to MLB?
Klaw: Absolutely none. I assume he will because it’s in his financial interest to do so, but he could choose to stay home as long as he wants and I wouldn’t question it.

Michael Conforto: Why am I in Las Vegas? And why would you put me at first base or centerfield?
Klaw: You’re in Vegas because the Mets’ manager hates youth so much he watches the Little League World Series and boos the television.

Bruce K: My kids are 7 and 13. Can you recommend some board games that will be simple enough for my youngest but still challenging for the rest of the family? Its tough finding games the whole family can play together.
Klaw: The 7-year-old is the gating factor here – but I think there are plenty of good Euros that someone that age can handle. I always suggest Ticket to Ride to start. I think Splendor is simple and elegant enough for that age – the rules are 2 pages, which is a great sign.

Eric W: Have you gotten to vote for CY Young since your somewhat famous (and correct) 2009 vote?
Klaw: Nope, ROY every year since but one (Manager). Never had an MVP vote.

Kevin: Do you think David Ross has what it takes to be a solid manager without getting coaching exp first?
Klaw: I would answer that by asking how big league managers without any prior managing experience have fared overall.

Anonymous: Kyle Higashioka has had a breakout season for the Yanks. Has he turned into a real prospect or is it just a case of being old for his level?
Klaw: Where does he play? He can hit some but I don’t know at what position.

CL: Hey Keith, lot of talk about figuring out ways to make baseball relevant/interesting for young people. What would you do to generate more appeal for the game (both the sport and MLB)? Thanks.
Klaw: The one thing I wouldn’t do is start changing the core product. That will just start an endless cycle of trying to predict consumer tastes. I think getting players out there more in marketing efforts and in the community is huge – MLB has long had trouble marketing its stars, and when it does so it often focuses too much on one or two players. Of all of the ideas Manfred floated recently about altering the game itself, the only one I liked was reducing pitching changes, because they create so much dead time and I’m not even sold that they’re an effective strategy on the whole.

Lyle: I saw where a sportswriter was advocating that the Olympics should be cancelled just a few weeks before they were due to start. Given the lack of disasters related to Zika, sewage, etc. what would say to that sportswriter now?
Klaw: If you saw the VICE piece on what a disaster the Rio Olympics really were, you’d say he was right. Brazil would be better off if the games had never happened. I hope we never have another Olympics here in the US unless the IOC wants to pay to build everything.

Brian: Desmond Lindsay has a 1:1 strikeout to walk ratio and an OPS near 1.000 for Brooklyn. Does he project as a big league regular? What is his ceiling?
Klaw: That’s a long way off to be focusing on his stats but I happen to think he is a future regular with a star ceiling because of his speed and athleticism.

Ben: Did your pitching tools piece get posted yet? Realize I may have just missed it.
Klaw: Yes, it’s up.

JP: Reds fans are drooling over Senzel’s performance in Dayton so far. But isn’t this what he SHOULD be doing against A-ball pitching?
Klaw: Yes, exactly. It’s great to see, but I don’t think it tells us anything about him we didn’t already know. Dude can hit.

Brian: I asked you this on Twitter last night prior to Loney being unable to put his foot on first base last night. How many would Conforto have to be defensively at first to be a worse all around player than Loney? Would he have to drop 50% of the balls thrown to him? Tackle Thor mid windup?
Klaw: It doesn’t matter. Terry won’t play Conforto unless he can show a birth certificate that says he’s 30.

Tom: Keith, the government (FDA) advises that American’s eat too much sodium. I recall you writing years ago that sodium is not harmful. How do you choose to follow science in some areas (global warming), but ignore it in other areas (nutrition)?
Klaw: I love these questions. Your mistake is that you assume that what the government (FDA) says is founded in science, when it’s not. There is no scientific research supporting the position that consuming salt is harmful to people with normal blood pressure. The government (FDA and USDA, I believe) also claimed for years that a high fat diet was harmful in spite of evidence that it’s sugar, not fat, behind our rising incidence of heart disease, obesity, and possibly (although it’s very complicated) certain cancers.

Archibald Meatpants: How long until you are in Williamsport, analyzing the slash lines of 12 year olds and giving up future projections for them?
Klaw: When is hell scheduled to freeze over?

Colin: On twitter you expressed disdain for xFIP. What’s the problem with it?
Klaw: Doesn’t work. It’s an experimental (x) stat that has not panned out in reality. It doesn’t predict what it was supposed to predict. Don’t use it.

Tom: Do you get to watch a lot of Cubs games? If so, what are your thoughts on Baez v. Russell at ss? I swear that Baez has better range and a much stronger arm, and that Russell should move to second instead. I acknowledge that they are both very very good, but Baez makes some ridiculous plays.
Klaw: Russell’s less flashy and more consistent. Baez does have the better arm. At a position that handles that many balls in play, I’d rather have the guy who’s probably going to make more plays in total.

Petey: Has there been anyone since you have been in the business that you saw as nothing more than an org guy, yet worked their way into becoming a big league regular?
Klaw: Oh yes, probably quite a few. Think of it this way: I rank 100 players in every draft class, but no draft that I can remember has produced even 40 big league regulars … and that list always includes a few players taken beyond the fifth round. So right there you will have players I know and chose not to rank who ended up several grades better than I said or implied they would be.

Philip: Quantrill or Puk at this point?
Klaw: I talked to two scouts who saw Quantrill in the last month, and based on that, I’d take him. But I have not seen Quantrill, ever, so I’m comparing scouts’ reports on him to my own looks at Puk (too many).

Scherzer’s Blue Eye: What are your thoughts on Bochy leaving Moore in for 133 pitches last night, chasing the no-hitter?
Klaw: I was asleep, so i didn’t see it and don’t know how he looked or if he was showing signs of fatigue. Given his injury history, I’d handle him fairly cautiously.

Steve: Does a team like the braves have any sort of impetus to keep the “rookie eligibility (under 130 abs?)” intact for a guy like swanson so he could potentially be ROY in 2017? Marketing opp?
Klaw: There’s a disincentive to do so because a player who wins ROY gets paid more in arbitration.

Frank: What do you make of “safe spaces” and “trigger warnings”? Kudos to U of C, right?
Klaw: What they said in their letter was generally positive. Unfortunately it appears that what they say and what they do are not quite the same thing; a former student body president at U of C had some things to say about this on Twitter last night that, if true, put the university in a very poor light on subjects like sexual assault.

Preston: What teams do you think have the most to gain from their September call ups?
Klaw: Who’s getting called up? I couldn’t give you five prospects of any significance whom I think will be recalled next week who haven’t already been up. Most of the guys who matter are up already. Teams aren’t waiting till September for that, and we don’t see many prospects recalled in September if they’re not going to play regularly … so teams just call them up whenever the opportunity arises, September or August or July or whenever that may be.

John: He wasn’t on anyone’s midseason list but Luiz Gohara has some pretty interesting numbers. What’s the skinny on him?
Klaw: Nothing skinny about him. Picture a young CC Sabathia arm with a mid-20s CC Sabathia build. It’s legit though – kid’s got big velo and a potential hammer.

Tom: Britton gave up an earned run — gasp! Should we assume the narrative voters are deserting him now?
Klaw: Plus he’d given up a run in June so the streak was basically accounting bullshit anyway.

JP: Is defensive WAR largely a product of chance, in addition to ability? I see certain guys dWAR fluctuate wildly from year to year, but I can’t imagine their innate skill set diminshes or improves all that much over the course of a year.
Klaw: It’s the product of chance in the sense that the set of balls in play a fielder might get to field in a given year is totally beyond his control, and it will vary from year to year.

A: Help me understand why my Phillies are calling up Alfaro now? I thought they were making it a priority only to call guys up when they could stay up.
Klaw: They only have three catchers on the 40-man. One is Rupp. One is Ellis, who isn’t physically with the team yet. The third is Alfaro, so he gets the call.

Brian: Why did you say Arrieta is second in command? He has been walking a ton of batters this year and I think teams have figured out how to get his pitch count high.
Klaw: Because it’s not a list of who’s done what in 2016 as if nothing before that ever happened. (Also, I thought about making a VP joke here but I figured I should just answer the question.)

John: When’s the next spotify list coming?
Klaw: I do them at the beginning of every month.

Jon: Reds have looked good since All Star break, What do you think are the chances they can compete in 2017?
Klaw: Zero. Less than zero, if that’s possible.

Bruce K: Lewis Brinson has been off to a great start since being traded to the Brewers though he is in a huge hitters park. How do you project him and when will he be in Milwaukee?
Klaw: He’s in a huge hitters’ park and I don’t think anything has changed about him at all. He could debut at some point next year, and I think his defense will carry him for a while but he’ll probably have a year or two of excessive strikeout rates before he becomes the sort of complete player I project, with All-Star upside because he has 30-homer power.

Matt: Faedo or Lange currently top college pitcher in 17 draft?
Klaw: Faedo or Wright or Houck but Lange is not in their class at all.

Lyle: Overall? Sure. The Olympics are a big money drain and the higher-ups are very corrupt. But once you’ve spent the money, it would have been an even bigger disaster to the Brazilian economy to not then hold the games.
Klaw: Would it? They spent a ton of money to operate the games, such as security costs. They would have done better had they skipped the bid and simply handed out the $20 billion they spent to their citizens.

A’s Brand Merlot: A’s got a good return for a pitcher whose name I can’t spell, right?
Klaw: Eh, he’s fine. Nice return for a lefty specialist. Not a significant prospect, more a college guy beating up A-ball pitchers.

Tom: In your opinion, who will make more plays at ss, Russell or Baez? Sorry for the follow-up but your answer was a bit unclear.
Klaw: Russell.

Brian: Do you limit your sugar intake given your love of pies, oreos and dining out?
Klaw: At a certain point the questions about what i eat border on “none of your business.”

Tim: Winker’s power this year is zippo (though he is coming off a wrist injury). Still project him as at least an avg regular in LF or having second thoughts?
Klaw: Wrist injuries sap power. No change.

Brad: I have made several pies now. Fillings always turn out. But I have been hit and miss with the crust. Any tips?
Klaw: Without knowing what recipe you’re using and what kind of pie dish I can’t give you any advice.

Bob: What bothered me about Moore throwing 133 pitches last night is the continued fascination everyone seems to have with the no-hitter. Garbage pitchers have had a great day (along with some luck) and thrown a no-hitter. It ignores walks (Moore had 3 last night). And it forces managers to manage in a way that elevates the stats of one player above the team. That was proved last night when Moore was removed immediately after giving up a hit. Bochy didn’t risk the game last night, but if Moore’s arm can’t recover, he may have jeopardized other games. The goal is to win games not give a player a thrill.
Klaw: Bud Smith! Jose Jimenez! I agree, I love no-hitters as a fan but their importance as entertainment is not connected to their importance as a game in the standings.

David: During this chats, how many questions are about baseball, politics including health policy and vaccination, and just pure hate?
Klaw: The pure hate mostly went away when ESPN ended the chats and I started them up over here.

JJ: Who was your favorite player when you were a kid?
Klaw: Willie Randolph.

JR: Regarding interest in baseball for young kids – I think it’s still very strong. the little league team my son played on last season continues to grow and add more teams/kids. This fall he will be joining a club team and there is tons of interest. One area that should be concerning to MLB is making the game available for minorities/lower income families. It’s expensive. I’m fortunate that I can afford it for my son, but I’m sure many cannot.
Klaw: That’s especially the travel ball problem. You shouldn’t have to spend thousands of dollars for your kid to play baseball.

JR: You still watching “The Night of?” The pilot was excellent, but I feel like the quality has been dropping off each week.
Klaw: I haven’t had time since episode 3. I’ll pick it up again soon.

Brian: Would you trade Trout if you ran the Angels? I imagine a Herschel Walker situation where a star player brings so much in return that it lays the foundation for success? If you can get a TOR pitcher, and four good-great bats, isn’t it a deal you have to do if you aren’t a contender and your minor league roster sucks?
Klaw: If the owner would permit it, yes, because I don’t see another way to make this team good before his contract is up.

Jonah: Austin Meadow or Lewis Brinson?
Klaw: Meadows because I think he has a more advanced feel for the strike zone. Brinson has more power and is the better defender.

Jay: Have you changed your opinion on Chad Kuhl? Seems to be adjusting well to the majors
Klaw: He has a 4.22 FIP and lefties are hitting him hard, so, no.

Chris: How should someone assess a guy like Brian Dalbec, who looked like a solid, if risky and unspectacular, prospect before the year, had a terrible college season in not-so-many at bats, and a terrific start to his pro career in even fewer at bats? Split the baby?
Klaw: He’s changed his swing quite a bit already, so I’m a little more optimistic about him now than I was in June.

Brad: Follow up: I have been using shortening, butter, flour, water recipe for the crust. Switched from glass to metal dishes on the last pie.
Klaw: I prefer tempered glass and Stella Parks (@thebravetart on Twitter) recommends them too. Her all-butter recipe is pretty easy to work with and produces a pliable dough, but I’ve used shortening and butter like you do and have had success. I use the food processor to mix in the fat, then add the water (ice cold) by hand with a rubber spatula. Handle gently and don’t let the fats melt. I hope any of that helps.

Len: You don’t want to answer all food questions? Seems like you want to have your cake (pie) and eat it to.
Klaw: I’m happy to answer food questions.

Elton: Have you ever thought about designing a board game?
Klaw: Yes. I need the time. I have 2-3 ideas kicking around in my head. GenCon was an eye-opener in two ways: on the one hand, there are a TON of games in the market already, but on the other hand, the barrier to entry is as low as it’s ever been.

Biscuit: I feel like water temperature is almost always the issue with pie crust…needs to be ice cold.
Klaw: Yep, no question. And on warm days I will put an ice pack on the part of the marble counter where I expect to roll out the dough.

Dave: Have you ever used a Big Green Egg or other ceramic grill? Thoughts?
Klaw: I have not but Jason Grey (RIP) always raved about his BGE.

Graig, MN: In the past you’ve said you didn’t think Seager was too big for SS and wouldn’t stick; how long do you think he stays there?
Klaw: He’s looked great there. He’s defying history every time he takes the field there.

Albert: Keith, I think the unwritten rule (except in rare cases of total dominance) that the MVP must come from a contender is stupid and unfair. Do you agree and if so would you be willing to write a blistering post about it like your piece about the Diamondbacks front office?
Klaw: I’ve done that. Hasn’t worked.

Harry: If Global warming was proven to be 95% increased solar activity and 5% humans, would you be more upset (because we can’t really change it) or relieved that it wasn’t caused by humans?
Klaw: Woof. I think more upset that we’re kind of screwed.

Josh: Do you think Austin Slater could be an everyday outfielder? Is his recent power surge in Sacramento sustainable?
Klaw: Probably not an everyday guy. Five of his 12 HR in AAA came in a series at Reno, which is 4500 feet above sea level. But I like his swing and think he’s a big leaguer.

Pete: Do you like Josh Bell at 1B? All star potential?
Klaw: All-Star potential with the bat. Hoping for ‘tolerable’ with the glove.

Matt K: Jake Bauers or Dom Smith? Numbers @ AA this year are nearly identical. 4 months apart in age. Who do you like more and why?
Klaw: Smith. Way better fielder, far more raw power.

Chris: I live in Nevada, a state where there was a civil war last legislative session to slightly raise taxes to help fund education in a state where education is among the worst in the nation. However, these same legislators seem to have no issue giving one of the world’s richest people $750M in tax money on the Raiders’ stadium. Why are our representatives always so bedazzled by building sports stadiums with public money?
Klaw: Because there’s little reward in improved education but big reward in building a stadium. Elected officials will do what they need to do to get reelected. And as long as people vote like they do today this won’t change.

Jack: I am really confused on your opinion on Kuhl. So your saying no chance of sticking as a starter? Not even a No. 5?
Klaw: Why are you confused? If you can’t get lefties out, teams will stack their lineups with lefties, and you’ll end up a reliever.

Jace Peterson: Would the Braves giving Albies a Sept call up serve any valuable purpose?
Klaw: No, since he’s not on the 40.

Gabe: Mr. Law, what do you make of the season that Greinke has had? How concerned, if at all, should Arizona be?
Klaw: Well, signing Greinke, who really relies on his fielders, after Andy Green left for San Diego, leaving Arizona without any plan for another coach to handle shifting and positioning, wasn’t a terribly good idea and isn’t Greinke’s fault.

Anthony: When selecting questions, do you tend to go more for questions posted during the chat or questions posted before? I know you get a ton and there is no way of answering all of them, but just trying to work the odds so my question has a better chance of getting answered. Although, I could always just ask a better question…
Klaw: I look at all of them. It’s much easier in this format than it was on ESPN.

Harold Bloom: Was a little surprised by the title of your book, if only because the snarky sort of “kill the win” stuff seems very 1) Sabrmetric 1.0 and 2) designed to appeal to fans who already think the way you do. Why do that route?
Klaw: The subtitle was the publisher’s idea, not mine, and I don’t think it’s set in stone either.

Rick: But Swanson wasn’t on the 40 man either until they decided to call him up.
Klaw: They needed a shortstop after Aybar was traded.

Scrapper: What would you set the over/under at for Steven Matz’s innings pitched next season?
Klaw: Probably 125. He has great ability and no history of staying healthy for full seasons.

A’s Brand Merlot: Hope Solo suspended and fired for calling opponents “cowards.” Your thoughts? Would a man be suspended for such?
Klaw: Actually she was fired for multiple violations of team policies, after something like five or six warnings.

Mike: Think the Rangers catch lightning in a bottle with Carlos Gomez? What happened to that guy?
Klaw: His approach melted, and he got thicker. The former can be fixed – stop swinging out of your shorts every time – but the latter isn’t changing before the end of the season.

Lee: What’s the typical recovery period for an ACL/ MCL tear? Worried that Benintendi could be out a lot of next season as well.
Klaw: I think about nine months but I still don’t see anything about him having a ligament tear.

Franklin: Have we reached the point in our society that Ben Franklin predicted: When elected officials utilize their influence to create more power for themselves, the whole system will crumble?
Klaw: I think we reached it a little while ago, at least the first half of it.

Mike: Would you put Reyes in rotation or leave him to the bullpen for the year?
Klaw: A few starts in September wouldn’t be a bad idea if they have the flexibility to do so (e.g., they’ve already clinched a wild card spot). It can help set him up to start for them next year.

Mike: Any hope that Bird can learn to play a ‘tolerable’ first base with major league coaching?
Klaw: He was really bad there before the injury. I thought he was far more likely to end up a DH.

Rick: The Braves could have played any combination of d’Arnaud, Jace, and Beckham at SS, as they had been the many times they sat Aybar. If it doesn’t make sense to bring up Albies just because he’s not on the 40 man, I’m not seeing how the logic is any different with Swanson.
Klaw: Except none of those guys is even a remotely capable shortstop. You’re running young guys out on the mound; you can’t put a 40 defender at short behind them. And if you want Swanson to be your OD shortstop in 2017, you call him up now to get him some reps.

Mike: Another thing regarding Hope Solo. Sports teams are really good at making a stand when they no longer have any use for the player that they are making a stand against.
Klaw: True dat.

CB: Re: The Ben Franklin question. Please. The love of power is hardly new among politicians. Boss Tweed (to take one example) was at the height of his power 150 years ago.
Klaw: Or the girth of his power.

Bob: Are you surprised what Taillon has done? Seems to be a future Cy Young contender
Klaw: Not entirely surprised. I was surprised when he came out like he did in AAA, but after talking to scouts and to Taillon himself it made sense – his delivery’s streamlined, he’s definitely thinking much more like a pitcher (he had a bit of a “thrower” mentality before) and he had more time to recover from TJ than most guys get. I do think there’s some Cy potential there, yes.

JR: How much of writing a book is a passion project vs money grab (not judging anyone looking to maximize revenue – I would do the same). It just seems like most successful sports columnists write a book at some point, so I’m curious what the main motivating factor is (mine would be the $$).
Klaw: For me, writing a baseball book is about learning to write a book, period, and I hope allowing me then to write books on other topics in the future. The money didn’t hurt, though; it paid to remodel our two full bathrooms, which turned out to be good timing since we learned that the wall between them was floating rather than sitting on a joist.

Tom (not the other Tom): And lastly on Hope Solo – based on comments by the players’ rep, does it boggle your mind how many people do not understand what constitutes First Amendment violations?
Klaw: It doesn’t because I know how little civics education I had at any point in school. In a related story, if I hadn’t made it part of my major in college, I would not have taken a single economics class anywhere in my life. And Americans as a whole suck at those topics.

Rick: The Braves also could have called up Daniel Castro, who is certainly a capable SS.
Klaw: Except he has a .239 OBP in the majors for his career, .266 in AAA this year. That doesn’t accomplish much.

Jonathan: Your answers re: Swanson since he was called up have been consistent and mirror what Atlanta FO has said. The “We want Swanson to be our 2017 OD Shortstop so bring him up now” answer completely ignores the fact that bringing Swanson up now makes him a FA after 2022, whereas bringing him up in mid-April next season makes him a FA after 2023. The Braves stink now. They are going to stink in 2017. The club control over Swanson in 2023 is far more valuable than anything else in the equation. The “we want him to be OD shortstop in 2017” rationale is cheap cover for “We need to market Dansby to sell tickets to our shiny new stadium in 2017”.
Klaw: Does that really matter that much? Do we know that he’s going to be so good that his free agency is going to matter? That he won’t sign a long-term deal? That giving him an extra 200 AB between now and next May 1st won’t make him a better player by 2018-19, when they hope to be more competitive? The overemphasis on what is essentially just money at some date six years in the future baffles me. It’s not the only variable in play, and perhaps not even the most important one.

steve: I know you have advocated for relief pitchers having little or no chance for a cy young award. I believe you advance ( and rightfully so) that since a starter pitches so many more innings that relievers can’t compete. I agree with you mostly. But I think a reliever who transcends the normal year as Brittan has done so far ( what will happen in the future will mostly likely fall apart) I contend that a starter pitcher only pitches in 28-32 games with his 190 -220 innings while a reliever can pitch in 70 innings and save 60 games. ( not that Brittan will) But that reliever is affecting twice the games sans the less innings. All things being equal the starter wins but with average starting pitchers and great reliever I say the reliever could win
Klaw: He’s affecting twice as many games but is not affecting them as much as the starter who faces seven times as many batters.

Rob: Have you followed the Epipen disgrace? Can anything be done about such obvious price-gouging?
Klaw: Yep. The feds could enforce existing antitrust laws.

Tom (not the other Tom): The other day on Twitter when you said “oh they read it alright” in regards to the DBacks brass reading your column, were you being mostly facetious or did you actually hear that they did?
Klaw: I know they did. They’ve been bashing me personally ever since.

JT: Is Albies even ready for a major league trial?
Klaw: I don’t think so; he’s still just 19. The silliest question of all is why Swanson (22, with SEC experience) came up and Albies (19) didn’t. I also happen to think that any player with Swanson’s experience should be in the majors in that 14-month range; Bregman and Benintendi are up, and I wouldn’t be totally shocked if Newman came up for Pittsburgh (and then started next year in AAA).

Walter Mondale: Read where you said you’re a Reagan fan. Why? Supply side doesn’t work.
Klaw: Reagan’s legacy is a lot more than “supply side,” and I don’t think saying “supply side doesn’t work” is universally true. Economic policies that work in one economic environment might fail in another. If I learned anything in all those econ classes I took, it’s that treating economics like a hard science is a good way to look stupid (and that’s why I don’t talk much economics outside of baseball).

Frank in Chicago: What has Alec Hansen been doing differently since his college days? I like this version. How many years away is he?
Klaw: Hoping to see him next week if schedule and weather permit. The White Sox sahy they’ve cleaned up the delivery. I was afraid he wasn’t healthy this spring, but so far so good on that front.

Happy: So, Yoan Moncada is confirmed for the AFL, playing third. Who else are you most looking forward to seeing?
Klaw: Haven’t checked the rosters, or decided which week I’m going, but I have been there ten straight years now and don’t think I’ve ever had a bad trip out there. It’s always loaded with hitters if nothing else.

PJ: Thoughts on Jeff Hoffman coming up this soon? Got roughed up and obviously pitching in Coors, but Jon Gray seems to have somewhat figured it out. Bright future for Hoffman?
Klaw: Great arm without deception. Pitches up too often with the fastball. Not the ideal formula for Coors.

Ted: I don’t know if the epipen is patented, but isn’t the point of a patent to share the idea with everyone in exchange for an exclusive right to sell for a period or time? What does that have to do with anti-trust?
Klaw: I believe the patent has expired. The issue is that Mylan spiked the price when their lone competitor had to suspend production.

Niall: What was dodgers offer for Archer? and will Jose de Leon pitch in the bigs this year
Klaw: I don’t know, and yes I believe he will be back.

Archie: Re: EpiPens….the senator who orchestrated the vote on giving one company and exclusive patent to market that type of pen, while also pushing though legislation that schools could only use that type of pen, happens to be the father of the company’s CEO. But, there won’t be an investigation because the senator is from the same team, I mean party, as the sitting president, who has appointed his cronies to the justice department with instructions to look the other way when the Ds do something that might look a little suspicious.
Klaw: Last I checked, the other party controls both houses of Congress and wouldn’t mind a bunch of cameras in a committee room watching them grill the CEO over her company’s price-gouging.

Corey: You’ve said that Moncada probably ends up in the OF. How does Boston handle that given that they don’t need another OF (assuming Benintendi isn’t out the next year with a torn ACL though I bet that’s what he has)
Klaw: I’ve said that I don’t like how he fields groundballs right now, and that it’s not ideal for an infielder. He could change that, or he could end up somewhere else. The latest is that he’s going to move to third, which then blocks Rafael Devers, who can already play third and I think has more offensive upside but is younger than Moncada and lacks the latter’s plus speed.

Jason: Isn’t this also a story of overregulation? The FDA wouldn’t approve competitors, which allows Mylan to raise prices with impunity
Klaw: You’re reaching the end of my knowledge on this topic, so i’m going to post your question and nod like I know what I’m talking about.

Ryan: To follow up on Jonathan’s long comment re: Swanson…if they aren’t going to be good next year, why not just wait until mid April 2018 to call him up then? At some point, you gotta bring people up. Sheesh.
Klaw: That’s a good rejoinder. Atlanta has certainly made mistakes – trading for Olivera was bad at the time and looks a thousand times worse now – but recalling Swanson isn’t one, IMO.

Klaw: That’s all for this week. Thank you all for reading and for your questions. I should be back on target for a Thursday chat next week, barring unexpected travel. Enjoy your weekends; for us it’s the last before school starts and I have to start getting up early on weekdays like a grownup again.