My latest post for Insiders breaks down the Texas/Atlanta swap and the two Toronto trades from earlier this week. Don’t forget to sign up for my newsletter!

Klaw: See I’m not insane – in fact I’m kind of rational. Klawchat.

FG: Thoughts on chance adams? baseball america sees him as a number 2 down the line. I would think that would get him on some top 100 lists. whats your take? thanks klaw
Klaw: I haven’t seen him yet but reports I have gotten would put him way below that, with questions over whether he’s a starter because he’s barely 6 foot and isn’t getting fastball plane.

CR: Favorite class at Harvard
Klaw: Comedy and the Novel, taught by Donald Fanger. Reading list included The Master & Margarita, Jacques the Fatalist, If on a winter’s night a traveler…, The Charterhouse of Parma, Don Quixote, Huck Finn, Joseph Andrews, and Dead Souls. I asked Prof. Fanger six or seven years later if he had other suggestions in that vein, and he said if the class were a week or two longer he would have assigned At Swim-Two-Birds, which is also on my top 100 and is one of the earliest and best examples of metafiction in literature.

David: How would you compare Bogaerts’ bat and Polanco’s bat at this point? Are they fairly similar with XB having more positional value?
Klaw: I think Polanco’s going to end up with more power in the long run but Bogaerts is the more valuable player due to positional and defensive value.

Chris: Any thoughts on Tomas Nido? Seems Josh Thole-ish.
Klaw: Better defender than Thole ever was.

Patrick: One of DFW radio host was critizing Yu Darvish for being selfish by “striking out too many batters” and not pitching to contact, thus increasing his pitch count. He’s arguing that if he’s good enough to strike out batters, he should be able to get weak grounders whenever he wants. I thought that it was an absurd statement. Thoughts?
Klaw: I’ve said for a while now that there’s a chunk of the DFW media that is positively atavistic in its view of baseball and athletes in general. It’s embarrassing. Your host there doesn’t understand the first thing about the sport and shouldn’t be commenting on it.

Dale: Would you pay Reddick 4 year / $56 million for Josh Reddick. Reportedly that’s the ask and A’s countered 3 yr / $39 million. Cheers.
Klaw: I wouldn’t but i bet he’ll get it in free agency. The FA class this winter sucks and good Reddick is worth more than that.

Dave: I’m a Cubs fan, and I’m bothered by the Chapman trade. When Theo and Tom say they believe Chapman is a changed man, I believe that they believe it. Aroldis probably believes it himself. I don’t think anyone’s lying. But I wonder how differently that conversation might have gone if there’d been some women in the room. We hear about baseball’s struggles with racial diversity in management, but we don’t hear much about gender. Maybe this is willfully naive, but I’d feel better about this whole thing if it were a woman saying she was comfortable with the odds of Chapman re-offending.
Klaw: I think two things on this. One, if someone hits or throttles or otherwise abuses his wife or girlfriend and tells you six months later he’s a changed man, he’s full of shit. Two, there are no women in the room in baseball, and while you can certainly have men in the room who are thoughtful about issues like domestic violence or sexual assault, having a woman in the conversation would certainly change its tenor. I also wonder how often teams looking at acquiring a player like Chapman or Reyes talk to real subject-matter experts about the chances of rehabilitation vs recidivism.

Davis: Buster Olney has been pretty vocal recently about the Pirates shopping Melancon. While they are fighting for a wild card spot, it’s seems like one of those moves that really wouldn’t have much of an impact on that pursuit, and could land them a decent prospect. Would you deal him if you’re Neal Huntington, especially with how inflated the closer market is?
Klaw: He asked me about this on his podcast this morning and I agreed. Melancon’s a FA anyway and I doubt the Pirates intend to re-sign him. Trading him will have virtually no impact on their odds of winning a wild card spot, and with Nicasio pitching fairly well in relief you could argue they have a surplus.

Bret: Hey Keith – just curious who you would have as the Jays #1 prospect at the moment? Seems like there are a few names in that conversation (Reid-Foley, Urena, Alford, Greene)
Klaw: Alford, still.

Ron: Molitor is out of touch writing a line up and his love of bunting and playing gritty, hard nose players that aren’t any good(D. Santana). Last night down by 2 with 2 on in the 8th and no outs, he has their hottest hitter this year (Nunez) bunt and it didn’t turn out(surprise, surprise). The Pohlads scared off all potential GM candidates by saying Molitor is the manager in 2017. Why did they do that? I don’t think he will work with the young ones. Will you please take the job, Keith? They need a complete house cleaning, don’t you think? Thanks!!!
Klaw: I don’t understand why owners do this with their managers. The GM should have full autonomy to hire the manager he thinks is right for the job – and in Molitor’s case and in Counsell’s case in Milwaukee the evidence we have before us said that those guys were NOT right for the job. If I were GM there, I’d hire a manager who has actually managed somewhere before in pro ball. Novel concept, I know, but I’m way out the box like that.

Anonymous: Is John Coppolella in the top 5 GMs in baseball? Care to rank top 5?
Klaw: No, I do not care to rank the top any number of GMs.

Mike: Thoughts on Dylan Bundy’s return to the rotation? He seems to be showing good velo, three pitches and is generating lots of swinging strikes.
Klaw: Velo’s good. Curveball isn’t close to what it was. Arm swing looks more restricted than it did way back in HS. I’m just hoping he stays healthy – I think they’re asking a lot of a guy who hasn’t had a full season since 2012.

Ben: Keith, any thoughts on how MLB is handling the Jung Ho Kang Rape allegation?
Klaw: I don’t know anything about how they’re handling it – do you? We’ll see what comes out of it and how the league and team react.

Dave in Irvine: Royce Lewis. Is he probably drafted in the top half of the first round pick next June, the lower half of first round pick next June, or is going to end up at UC Irvine due to his advisor (Boras) thinking he could go higher in the draft in three years?
Klaw: I think he’s a first rounder right now, but wouldn’t get more specific than that. Remember Daz Cameron was a first-rounder, not a top 10 talent, but ended up with top ten money as a later pick.

Daniel Wexler: Keith, a prominent MLB pitcher voiced being pretty salty about being left off of prospect lists and critical analysis as a HS player/minor leaguer. What is your take on this? Have current/ex-players ever contacted you in regard to their displeasure with things you have said/written?
Klaw: A few, but the majority understand that what I do is not that dissimilar to what scouts do, and that a ranking or an evaluation is inherently impersonal. The players who do speak up about it tend to be immature, failing to understand that they are being evaluated all the time by lots of people they never see.

JB: A colleague of yours at ESPN wrote an article this week about each team’s “most untouchable players.” And while he limited it to minor league players for contending teams, he listed Bickford as the Giants untouchable player. Sorry for the roundabout way of asking, but does Bickford have any real trade value to headline a deal for a mid-level starter or corner outfielder for the Giants? Between the velocity drop and his issues in college, I don’t see him being very highly sought after
Klaw: That’s just wrong. I know from other teams that Bickford’s available right now.

JD: Have you gotten a chance to read Lila yet? Obama’s speech last night reminded me of Marilynne Robinson, with its quiet, homegrown patriotism and faith in humanity — I see why he has such an affinity for her. And Lila may be the best of the trilogy, IMO — looking forward to your review.
Klaw: I did and didn’t like it – worst of the trilogy IMO. Robinson’s prose is such a joy but she lost that in Lila’s voice.

Patrick: Keith, finding my balance with a Brewers question. Moving two former SP’s down to AA from Colorado Springs–smart move to help them mentally? Or false reinforcement for facing lower-quality hitters than they were facing in the bigs?
Klaw: Smart move. I said on Twitter to Tom Haudricourt that I bet they’ll reconsider sending top pitching prospects to Colorado Springs going forward.

Brad: Gleyber, Mateo, Judge, McKinney, Severino for Sale. Who says no?
Klaw: I hate these fake trade proposals in general, but why on earth would the Yankees do that?

Marco: Velocity is definitely an indicator of success for pitchers, however….while guys are running it up there 95-100, it seems the best guys, the ones who last a long time and provide a steady level of excellence, sit around 90-93 and ramp it up when they need it. Of course, they also have great command of many different pitches. Shouldn’t that tell teams that big strong oxes are great, but they need to spend more time evaluating the pitchability of guys, since there is already a glut of middle relievers with great arms, but not enough starters who can actually pitch?
Klaw: I think the missing variable in your statement is that guys who throw 95-100 can be extremely effective in short periods of time. They don’t last, but while they’re around, they tend to be really good. So if you’re focused on winning now, you don’t mind investing in assets like that. If you’re thinking long-term, then yes, maybe look at guys who aren’t blowing gas all the time, or who aren’t pitching at 100% effort, because it seems more and more like the hardest throwers are at the highest risk of injury.

Daniek: I saw your recent chat comments on Chris Shaw after he was promoted to Richmond. Want to know if you also paid much attention to Hinojosa and/or Duggar – two underperforming college players who’ve had early success and were promoted at the same time. Anything stand out or catch your eye?
Klaw: Not a big believer in any of those three.

Adam: So from what I gather…..Demerritte has Joey Gallo’s swing and miss without his power?
Klaw: No one has Gallo’s power. Demeritte has probably 70 power, and he can play second which Gallo could not.

Kurts: In a top 200 prospect list, off the top of your, about where would Szapucki rank?
Klaw: He’s probably going to end up on the top 100 this winter although I haven’t done any real work beyond the top 50 or so yet.

Alan: Can Dustin Peterson be an every day LF for Atlanta? He’s still just 21, hitting .293/.352/.442 at Double A in a pitcher’s league.
Klaw: I think he can hit. I don’t know if he’ll have quite enough power for everyday in LF but he’s good enough to give him that opportunity. Maybe he’s a high-doubles 15 HR guy who has a high enough OBP to make it all add up to regular status.

Jack: Has Lance McCullers’ dominance of late made you change your mind about the possibilities of him as a starter?
Klaw: No because it was never about his stuff, ever. People who think that was my concern on him either never read what I said or just made shit up.

Doug: Since he wasn’t worth a mention in you’re Upton trade write-up, did Padres pay too much of Uptons contract for Hansel?
Klaw: I thought so. Hansel’s 89-95, below average secondary stuff, good delivery, looks like a starter.

Drew: With Corey Ray’s recent struggles in Hi-A, how do you rank Ray, Senzel, Collins, and Groome for fantasy purposes?
Klaw: Probably right in that order top to bottom. Ray and Collins went right to high-A which is pretty unusual for college guys right out of the draft.

Jesse B: Strahm, Russell, and Blewett. Who looks the best? Who’s got the most upside?
Klaw: Strahm looks the best. I’ve heard Russell’s looked awful and Blewett not very good.

Nick L: Does Oscar De La Cruz have TOR upside? Your protege Eric L over at Fangraphs says future reliever, while some others have talked about a possible ace.
Klaw: Definitely not possible ace. Some starter potential. I’m more in line with Eric than the wishcasters who think he’s a top of the rotation guy.

Scherzer’s Blue Eye: Can you please inform people why don’t trade the #1/#2 prospect in all of baseball for a closer? Thank you, kind sir.
Klaw: If the Nats trade Giolito for a reliever when they already have a reliever of that caliber in Reynaldo Lopez they have lost their damn minds.

Ryan: How likely is it that Atlanta’s rebuild ends in disappointment, seeing that their #1 prospect has a limited ceiling, and all of the pitching prospects have some questions regarding either health or walk rates?
Klaw: Do you complain about the air pressure on a cloudless 78 degree day? Jeez.

Mike: Is Jahmai Jones MLB regular good, or are Angels fans just clinging to any prospect who might be even MLB worthy as a reserve?
Klaw: More than that. Potential star.

Josh in Vt.: Thank you for not sticking to baseball! Your recommendation of “Undeniable” is one everyone living in the real world should follow. Nye doing his own narration of the audiobook adds his incredible passion to the words.
Klaw: You’re welcome and I totally agree. Listening to Dan Barber’s The Third Plate now, also narrated by the author, which is definitely to the good.

Tom: Why is Jose Berrios still in AAA? Duffey was destroyed by Atlanta last night while Berrios had another QS in AAA.
Klaw: I don’t know. Their handling of Berrios has been baffling. Their handling of Buxton has been baffling. They are baffling.

Lyle: In 2015 under JackZ the Mariners farm system had a universally terrible year both in terms of team performances and individual performances (with maybe a couple exceptions). In 2016 under JerryD, the Mariners farm system is putting out playoff teams at virtually every level with a few pretty solid individual performances as well. So my question: how much of this attributable to the change in administration (including the difference in philosophy of promotion) and how much is attributable to just the randomness of a new year? (Feel free to expand as necessary.)
Klaw: The farm system isn’t that much better or even different than last year so I’d say it’s mostly randomness.

Tyler: Have you started The Night Of? I really like it so far through 3 epiosdes.
Klaw: Yep, I think it’s outstanding. I could do without the eczema storyline because it seems irrelevant and frankly doesn’t play well as humor. (I know it’s adapted from a UK series and the storyline was in the original.)

Mike Sixel: Would you rather have Kyle Gibson or Shelby Miller going forward?
Klaw: Miller. I’d absolutely see if the Dbacks would sell low on him now, try to reestablish his 2015 delivery, and recapture his value.

Anonymous: Hey Keith. I know you listed a while back an acronym to deal with anxiety/depression. (Involving a routine and medication if I remember correctly.) Would you mind sharing that again? Thanks.
Klaw: EMMET: Exercise, Meditation, Medication, Eating, Therapy. That’s not in order – therapy might be the most important of the five – but TEMEM doesn’t have the same ring to it.

Judlow: Thoughts on story Eireann Dolan posted re: brother? For dad like me of young autistic son, emotional roller coaster.
Klaw: I retweeted it because it was a great story, well written, and highly relevant with the Republican candidate for President finding it appropriate to mock a disabled person.

TJ: Am I the only person who loves seeing someone not on the top prospect lists make it and become an outstanding MLB player? Not because I like to see the experts look bad, but because it shows to other players not on those lists that it can be done…
Klaw: You’re not the only one. Seeing a low draft pick or Latin kid who signed for peanuts become a star is one of the joys of this business. You’re watching some 8-year-old’s backyard dream come true.

Drew: What kind of ceiling do you put on Delvin Perez?
Klaw: If the makeup improves he’s a potential All-Star. Defense, speed, we think some power, maybe not much OBP.

Raphael: How exactly did Mookie Betts end up being a fifth rounder? What’s changed for him since he was drafted?
Klaw: Multi-sport guy without a ton of baseball experience or present skills at the time of the draft. Great job by Red Sox scout Danny Watkins to know the kid well enough to say he’d learn quickly once he committed to baseball full-time.

addoeh: Your thoughts on Tim Kaine? He seems smart, reasonable, experienced, without any big controversy. Should he be at the top of the ticket?
Klaw: I just wondered how anyone smart, reasonable, experienced, and without any big controversy has lasted this long in politics.

Carl: Austin Riley has improved in recent months since the bad start. When you’re a guy that doesn’t have much bat speed, what are some ways to fix that? It can’t just a death sentence to a career, right?
Klaw: Don’t see a lot of guys with slider bat speed in the big leagues. I’d say you’re hoping that I’m wrong about him, not that his bat speed will suddenly improve.

Tom: Christin Stewart seems ready for a new challenge, any reason he’s still in A+?
Klaw: I’m not sure as most of the other high 2015 draft picks from college are in AA or higher already.

John: Do you think we could see Randy Arozarena in top 100 in near future (next preseason)?
Klaw: Next year? No.

Brandon: Is Brevard a better placement for Erceg? SSS and all, but he commented that he didn’t feel challenged in rookie ball.
Klaw: Yes, I think so. College product. Yes, NAIA, but still, college product, too old for rookie ball.

Ben: Saw you dig the new Jeff Beck tune. Who are some of your favorite guitar players?
Klaw: I’m all over the place. Beck, Page, Vai, Hendrix, and of course Prince.

Zac: Manuel Margot. Do you see him growing in to some home run power? I know i’m scouting the stats, but he only has 4 HR in the hitter friendly PCL (albeit with 10 triples which is amazing).
Klaw: No, not particularly, but I don’t think he’ll need HR to be valuable.

Andrew: Are you still as high on Brendan Rodgers as you were at the beginning of the season? Seems as though he has been struggling for Asheville as of late.
Klaw: He hasn’t played as well since the hamstring injury. I don’t think his outlook has changed.

Tony H: I know you said you saw Lynchburg recently. I’m curious what you thought of Yu-Cheng Chang and Francisco Mejia
Klaw: Mejia didn’t play; he was sick. Chang was a little disappointing at the plate.

Drew: Do you see Alec Mills’ stuff playing up in relief, or is he still on track to be a solid #4 starter?
Klaw: I didn’t have him on track to be a 4.

Pat: What is your preferred exercise for both keeping depression at bay, and generally staying in shape?
Klaw: Anything works for the brain. You just need to exercise to produce more endorphins and norepinephrine, both of which may improve mood.

Peet: What happened with Szapucky that he went from 149th pick to possible top-100 prospect in a year?
Klaw: Pitchers, dude.

bo: If Hillary Clinton were a man, she’d be up 20 points on The Donald right now, no?
Klaw: Probably. She’s not exactly problem-free as a candidate, though. She’s just running against the favorite of the Aryan Nations crowd.

Tom: As someone who works in the area of criminal law, the statistics (which I sadly don’t have at my disposal) are pretty clear that the recidivism rate for someone who commits a violent crime of the sort that Aroldis Chapman did and then is subsequently not punished are very high.
Klaw: Right, and my understanding from psychology research is that it’s even worse for sexual assault, which may be the result of a paraphilia for violence or coercion. But hey, he throws hard, so let him play!

Nick: Alex Reyes would be devastating in the bullpen right now correct? What is the holdup, the wildcard race will likely come down to 1 or 2 games
Klaw: Sounds like they think they might need him to start. I worry about the third pitch with him but his FB/CH might just be so good he can turn a lineup over twice anyway.

Sam: If Gary gains momentum and gets into the debates, would you consider voting for him? Frankly, I think Hillary wins no matter what, but I personally will vote Gary because I’m somewhat sick of the two party system and its movements towards the extremes
Klaw: I would have gladly voted Johnson in most years, but I’m specifically voting against Trump this year, which means voting HRC, even though in my state it’s essentially meaningless. I’ve never been one to claim that the country was in great peril if so-and-so didn’t win – we survived 8 years of Bush and 8 years of Obama and whatever you think of them the two couldn’t be more different – but this time I think the possibility of disaster (if Trump wins) is very real. And I won’t sit idly by and watch it happen without doing whatever little I can.

John: Can the Phillies get a prospect that will have more value than the potential draft pick they’d get for not trading Hellickson? Thanks.
Klaw: I would be afraid he’d take the QO. He’s not getting $16 million a year in free agency.

sean: O’s got anyone in their system that can help this year? Looking pretty thin (thanks Obama!).
Klaw: Don’t think so. Love Sisco, not a position where they need the help. Everyone else of note is farther away.

John: Is Blake Rutherford a GUY or just a guy?
Klaw: He’s a GUY.

Bob: I’m a guitar player who does not have a fraction of Prince’s talent, but I don’t think he’s the guitar player some give him credit for. He is flashy and has incredible speed but his solos are a bunch of intense bursts searching in vain for a cohesive musicality.
Klaw: Oh, I think he could do things with the instrument others couldn’t. The outro to “I Could Never Take the Place of Your Man” isn’t a function of technical virtuosity, but it’s more compelling than any of the shredding he did on other tracks.

Theo: Isn’t it likely that Gleyber is the #1 prospect in baseball soon? Seems like a steal for the Yankees even without the filler prospects.
Klaw: Likely? No.

Pete: How does Michael Fulmer compare to the up and coming prospects (Glasnow, Giolito, Urias) is his ceiling high enough to be considered as valuable?
Klaw: I’m a big Fulmer fan and he’s probably worth more right now than those three because he’s had 100 successful big-league innings, but bear in mind the .252 BABIP is probably not predictive.

Dave: Cleveland is looking at the Twins Nunez. Would Mike Clevinger be enough for him? Probably a low floor but should be a starter with 6 years of control. Twins need pitching and we won’t miss him.
Klaw: All-Star Eduardo Nunez! … who is hitting .269/.295/.394 since june 1st, because he’s not very good and my word he cannot play shortstop. Take whatever you can get.

Ian: It’s horrible but why can’t Theo simply say that he got Chapman b/c if the Cubs win the World Series it will put him in the HOF and immortalize him among front office names. It’s likely that Chapman can stay on the straight and narrow for a few more months and then he is someone else’s problem.
Klaw: We need a sea change in how executives and managers discuss players with DV incidents behind them. Even well-intentioned folks seem to struggle with how to talk about the players and the accusations. I’d much rather see people be more forthright: “We’re aware of the accusations that Aroldis Chapman hit his girlfriend and fired a gun into his garage wall. We as an organization do not condone this behavior in any fashion and we have made it clear to Aroldis that we will have zero tolerance for it while he is playing for us. We believe he can help us win a World Series, which is our goal here in Chicago and the main interest of all of our fans, but want to be clear that this in no way condones what Aroldis did. We will be working with such-and-such shelter for victims of domestic abuse, both financially and with our time, to reinforce our commitment to these ideals.” Maybe that’s not ideal but I think it stops dancing around the subject.

Frank: When do we shift our expectations for what Buxton will be? Which isn’t a way of saying we should now, but rather, how many more seasons like this before we settle on “rich man’s Rajai Davis”; 2? 3?
Klaw: I’d like to see him get an opportunity to play in another regime, in Minnesota or elsewhere, before I walk away from the immense natural talent here.

Marcus: So is Demeritte now the Braves’ best chance at producing a legit power bat? And can he challenge Albies for the 2B job?
Klaw: Albies is a much better prospect and is closer to the majors, but if he doesn’t work out for whatever reason, at least now there’s someone behind him with potential. And if Demeritte can cut his K rate to maybe 25% (a LONG way from where he is now), his bat would play anywhere.

Scott: Do you think there has been improvement in curbing antiobiotic use for meat production, or is it still as bad as its always been?
Klaw: I think we’re seeing improvement in the west but not globally.

Cole: Do you think there will be a time where we go back to seeing relievers throwing more than 100 innings a season? Even pushing upwards of 120-130 innnings? or is that just overworking them at that point?
Klaw: It’s not overworking them if they’re going 2-3 innings an outing and getting 2-3 days of rest between. But that’s a different pitching paradigm than the one under which we’re operating now.

X: Most of the best guitar players probably play death metal which none of us really want to listen to.
Klaw: I listen to quite a bit of it; those guitar players might be the fastest, but that’s not always the best.

Johnny: I’ve seen you refer to Richard Russo books in other reviews, but I don’t recall you reviewing his books. Which are your favorites?
Klaw: I’ve reviewed them all on the dish. Empire Falls, Straight Man, Nobody’s Fool, and The Risk Pool are all wonderful. I haven’t read Everybody’s Fool yet.

Nick: any thoughts on Brady McConnell at the UA game?
Klaw: Didn’t like his swing, late trigger. Flew out to right and then struck out on a fastball up.

Nick: Rangers have interest in Velasquez – is there any incentive for the Phillies to trade him other than being blown away by an offer?
Klaw: Yes, because he has literally no history of staying healthy.

Ken T: Late to the chat today and I just saw your comment about the best guitar players. Your list was good, but how could you leave off Eric Clapton? I’ve heard him in concert and left knowing I could just listen to him play for hours on end.
Klaw: I’ve just never particularly liked his output post-Cream.

Marshall: Daniel Palka…any chance of being even a solid starting big leaguer, or just a 4-A type of player?
Klaw: I think he’s an up and down guy or bench player.

George: Derek Hill has been healthy and has put together a season that has been a huge improvement over the previous two. Is he figuring out how to hit at the professional level, or is his improvement more due to being healthy? Also, can we expect him to advance rather quickly toward Detroit if he continues to hit, since his glove is already big league quality?
Klaw: He hasn’t, though; his season looks a lot like 2015’s, and after a little streak of success in June he’s reverted to not getting on base and of course isn’t showing power. I don’t know that he’s made any progress at all this year, and that’s unfortunate because I like his swing a lot and as you said he’s a legit CF.

sean: Remember when Adam Eaton stabbed himself in the stomach opening a copy of Happy Gilmore? Is that, or Glenallen Hill falling down the stairs running away from dream spiders, the weirdest baseball player injury?
Klaw: Didn’t Rich Gossage throw out his back sneezing? And I remember something about Kevin Appier having a weird reason for the fall that injured his shoulder.

Nick: Is the price being paid for relievers a market inefficiency? It seems fairly easy to create good relievers with failed starters and then flip them 2-3 years later for good prospects?
Klaw: I guess the counterargument would be that teams like the Cubs or Nats need those guys NOW and can’t wait the 2-3 years. You pay the farmer in June for the strawberries he planted in April.

Marshall: Debates about “best guitar” player are always entirely subjective. Is anyone going to claim that Yngwie Malmsteen is the best guitar player ever because he could play really fast and technically perfect?
Klaw: George Lynch is kind of pissed you went Yngwie instead of him.

Mike: Jorge Mateo ends up at short or 2nd base?
Klaw: I think the bigger question is how much he’ll hit.

Jon: Any chance we see Jorge Alfaro in the majors this year?
Klaw: I think so since he’s already on the 40-man.

Ron: How much do you think Brunansky and/or Molitor have screwed up Sano and Buxton at the plate. Just leave them alone to get comfortable in their own way. It looks like Sano has regressed this year. Seems like all their rookies have a better track record in the minors and then lose it at the Major league level. Is it the coaching at the MLB level? I hope they leave Kepler alone and just let him develop. Mauers toast.
Klaw: Yes, I think it’s the coaching staff, which is yet another reason I don’t like the owner saying Molitor etc were staying. If the new GM walks in and says, hey, these guys are actively hurting our organization by mishandling players, then you freaking fire them.

Derek: Any thoughts about why Giolito didn’t miss many bats in his 11 inning MLB stint?
Klaw: It’s 11 innings.

Jon: I am thinking about making Thanksgiving dinner for my extended family this year. How difficult (and how many days of prep) is it to pull off the entire meal?
Klaw: I’ve done this many times. I usually start stuff on Monday, do the majority of the prep and cooking Wednesday, and set it up so that I’m not doing much on Thursday other than the final cooking and reheating. Then I take a nap.

Steve: 30 year old investing for retirement. Best best is just indexing funds with a mix between a US Stock market tracking, Int’l market tracking, and a broad bond fund? Weighted more toward the equity funds for now and shifting over time towards bond fund?
Klaw: I’ve always gone with index funds because that’s what all the research says to do. Paying anyone to pick stocks or funds for you is just money down the toilet because no one seems to be able to beat the market consistently. (I suppose if you’re very wealthy and have access to private equity investments or arbitrageurs that may not be true.)

Miguel: I respect your stance on DV. Do you think that it precludes you from realistically worjking in a front office again? You are essentially enforcing a lifetime ban for an accusation, no less a conviction.
Klaw: One, I don’t care if it precludes me from anything. Two, I’m not enforcing a “ban” by saying I wouldn’t sign such a player. I don’t smoke; that isn’t enforcing a ban on tobacco.

Cole: Do you think AJ Reed has quick enough hands to be successful at the MLB level?
Klaw: It’s a concern. I think he can do enough else that it won’t matter, but it is his one real weakness at the plate.

JDinHtown: Francis Martes, still a potential #2 starter or has his up and down year dropped him in your estimation. Still pretty young for AA.
Klaw: Don’t think it’s changed the evaluation other than that he might be further away from MLB value than I thought.

sean: What about that guy that made his guitar talk? His guitar SPOKE ENGLISH!!!
Klaw: wasn’t that Steve Vai?

Joe: Remember when you said Trevor Bauer would be better than Gerrit Cole? You stink. Oh wait, that was just everyone scouting the UCLA stats, my bad.
Klaw: People got angry over that one.

Danny: People vote based on emotion and their money. If wages don’t jump significantly over the next few months and ISIS keeps attacking people, we are going to have President Trump…..meaning, we are going to have President Trump, and the only people to blame for it are Obama and Hillary who messed up the middle east so much that Trump could create that fear among the masses.
Klaw: I agree with the first half of your statement, but US policy in the Middle East has been bad for probably 40-plus years now. And the invasion of Iraq in particular has been a giant fiasco for us across the board, financially and politically, and probably contributed to our unwillingness to act quickly in Syria. I’m nowhere close to an expert on this stuff but pinning our Middle East failures on the last 8 years seems awfully shortsighted.

Kyle: Any chance Heyward becomes a defensive replacement in Sept / Oct if he can’t manage to show some signs of life at the plate? If you have him and Montero / Ross + a pitcher in the lineup that’s three free outs.
Klaw: I don’t know if they’d do it but if he can’t start to drive the ball at all they should consider it.

Zapp: Would you say Profar is fully back? Obviously he missed two years of development, but did all the tools survive the injuries?
Klaw: The bat is certainly still there, although playing inconsistently isn’t helping.

Darryl: Is Bruce still on the Reds come next Tuesday?
Klaw: I can’t imagine he is. That would be a failure.

Johnny: If Tim Raines gets into the Hall next year, who is the #1 injustice among those not in the HOF?
Klaw: Lou Whitaker. Raines had better get in though.

Jason: Do you get extra enjoyment when you are more right about a prospect then any of your fellow prospect writers?
Klaw: Nah, guys like Callis and Mayo and Longenhagen are my friends and we all know we’ll get some guys right and some guys wrong.

Fito: Does Isan Diaz have all star potential?
Klaw: Best case scenario, sure. Not his most likely outcome.

Dallas Comegys: Apologies. It’s only 26 games and he’s older than the competition but Cody Thomas has 8d, 2t, 10hr plus at BP there is video of him beating out a routine GB to SS. Have you heard anything new about him since this performance. The lack of prior playing experience makes me ask the question despite the caveats
Klaw: He’s 21 in short season. Ignore it.

Alex: What are your thoughts on Ronald Guzman-could he be something special? Seems to be having a breakout year
Klaw: He is, now that he’s healthy, and apparently he’s developed some real patience at the plate too. Good chance for an everyday 1b, maybe a very good one.

Anonymous: What is your scouting report on Thomas Szapucki?
Klaw: He’s 92-96 with a plus curveball. I’m glad they started him off slowly but if he keeps missing bats like this they’ll have to move him up to challenge him and develop his command.

YMan: Have you watched Dylan Cease pitch in person this year? Reports are he’s lighting up the radar gun, but without much control. Do you have a sense on his realistic potential now that he’s pitching again?
Klaw: I haven’t in part because he’s hurt again.

Jason: Should I be down on Glasnow after his first 2 starts?
Klaw: You shouldn’t be down on any prospect after two starts, because it’s two starts.

Klaw: That’s all for this week – thank you as always for all of your questions and for reading. I’ll be in Bristol on Monday for the trade deadline TV special. There may not be a chat next week but if there is I’ll post it on Twitter and Facebook. Thanks again.

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Klaw: The past is gone but something might be found to take its place: Klawchat.

Brian: Can you think of a player that has sustained the type of injury Kyle Lewis did this week and return Ed to form after rehab? Thanks,
Klaw: Off the top of my head, no. I’m afraid in this case that it takes away his chance of staying in CF, which was never a given and now might be close to zero.

Ryan: What do you think of the Cubs trade for Mike Montgomery? Theo seems to think that he is the next great left handed reliever. Your thoughts?
Klaw: I think he’s a great left-handed reliever. I also think Vogelbach had no value to the Cubs but could end up a league-average DH now that he’s in the AL. As much as we’ve all mocked his lack of position and his, uh, physique, he has very real (70 or 80) power and a decent feel to hit.

Bob: Have you had a chance to see Jorge Alfaro this year? Seems like there are some indications that his catching has improved. His offense – at least by OPS – is about as good as it’s ever been too. What do the Phils have there?
Klaw: Yep, the catching has improved, at least according to the scouts I’ve talked to. (I haven’t seen him myself.) And if he stays back there and is even just fringy with the glove he’s got a very good chance to be an above-average regular because I think he’ll be a fairly high BABIP hitter (who never walks) with power.

Brian: Have you been able to see much of Aaron Sanchez? I’m curious if his mechanics have changed sufficiently that your concerns have been mitigated. He has certainly been a delight to watch this season.
Klaw: I discussed him in the top 25 under 25. His mechanics are not very different and I’d still like to see his stride longer for his long-term health. His body, however, is very different and I think that’s the cause of his jump in performance this year.

Jack: Last week you said something like Jose De Leon doesn’t have a strikeout (or swing and miss) weapon. I’m trying to reconcile that observation with the fact that he keeps getting strikeouts. He’s been over 30% K% in both AA and AAA now. He’s got a high minors strikeout pitch that won’t translate? Can you give us some other examples of guys who generated these kinds of strikeout totals in the high minors who couldn’t translate any of that success to MLB?
Klaw: History is littered with guys who had adequate K rates in the minors and couldn’t hold it in the majors. Sean Manaea punched out 146 in 121 innings in his first year in pro ball, but that hasn’t held up. I like De Leon as a prospect but see a limited ceiling because he lacks that out pitch – and you’re not telling me he has an out pitch, or what it is, but are just pointing to a stat line.

Eric: Is it time to move Jake Thompson to the big leagues? Doing really well in AAA
Klaw: I assume he’ll be up shortly. Another guy with good feel to pitch but probably lacking that swing-and-miss weapon.

Von Hayes: Hi Keith, do you believe Yoan Moncada will start next season in the big leagues? Also, what is your major league projection for Bobby Bradley? Can he be similar in production to Chris Carter?
Klaw: I don’t think Moncada will be in the big leagues to start next year nor should he be. Carter is a good comp for Bradley’s ceiling although I don’t think Bradley has that kind of present raw power – you’re projecting on it quite a bit there. I saw Bradley again the other day and his recognition is really poor.

Aaron C.: A’s SS Marcus Semien has worked hard to improve from a horrific defensive player to merely a below-average one. In addition, he’s enjoyed a nice HR spike in his age 25 season. Are these sustainable gains or — to his bat — is he still the same hitter (.307 OBP in 2016) that he’s always been with a sprinkling of fluky power?
Klaw: The defensive gains could be real – we’ve seen a lot of guys improve at the big-league level on defense because they’re getting good coaching for the first time. But the power looks like a stone fluke.

John: Why is Julio Teheran constanly on the trade rumor despite that his GM asserts he won’t be traded.
Klaw: Because writers need to eat.

Alan: I know you’ve said that Atlanta shouldn’t deal Teheran. What am I missing? He’s a pitcher who could fall apart at any point, they won’t be good for a couple years, and he could bring back the type of impact hitter they need. I know he’s cheap, but it seems shortsighted for them to keep him.
Klaw: I don’t agree with the premise. He could fall apart at any point only in the sense that any pitcher could – I don’t see any particular reason why he would. And I don’t know that he brings back the impact hitter they need, not by himself; he’s not getting you Benintendi, for example. He’s good, not great, probably still improving but not as good as his ERA might imply. And I think they need him to be respectable next year in their first year at the Big Con.

Alex: Dakota Hudson seems to have everything a front of the rotation starter needs- do you believe he has that high of a ceiling?
Klaw: He has nothing a front of the rotation starter needs. I’m not even 100% sold he’s a starter, given the delivery. I believe he should start as long as he’s able, because there’s a good chance he’s a mid-rotation guy, but front of the rotation? Top 20 in baseball? I don’t see that at all.

Tony: I’m traveling to Nashville for work in two weeks and staying at the Gaylord Opryland Resort. How effed am I with regards to doing anything interesting without having to spend $30+ for a cab? Based on an old review of yours I stumbled on when looking for restaurant recommendations, it seems like I’m pretty effed
Klaw: Yeah, pretty much. Or rent a car. Might be cheaper. Nashville’s a wonderful city, but the Gaylord is somewhere in the state of Franklin.

Max G.: While I agree with you that the Astros should move Correa to third and put Bregman at short, It isn’t going to happen. Do you think Bregman could handle CF?
Klaw: No. I think he could handle 3b or 2b but really right now he is their best SS option, and they’re going to have to have that conversation with Correa this winter.

Jon: Triston McKensie keeps trucking along with a sub 1.00 ERA. Have you heard anything about his stuff? Making a push to be a top 100 prospect over the winter?
Klaw: Heard he’s the most promising of all the arms on that MV roster but it’s still a lot of projection (meaning stuff to come in the future rather than present).

Eric: I am a fan of the Phillies selling high on their overachiever bullpen guys Gomez, Nerud and maybe Hernandez. But when is the line between getting value for them and holding onto a few so your bullpen isn’t completely decimated? Thanks!
Klaw: Neris is the one to keep, as he’s younger and costs nothing. The other two, ship ’em out, then start trying other arms from within the system to fill the middle relief roles and see who can handle it. Every system has failed starters who could at least find value in the bullpen – even so-so starters like Pinto, Lively, Pivetta could break into the majors in relief, with an eye toward maybe sliding one or more into the rotation next year.

Rickey: What is Ryon Healy’s ceiling and what are reasonable offensive and defensive expectations for A’s fans excited by his first week in Oakland?
Klaw: I think bench guy/below average regular.

Kraig: What is the difference between DJ Peterson this year and last year? His numbers this year are dramatically better.
Klaw: Repeated AA, and wasn’t even that great there. Now he’s in the PCL, which is full of hitters parks, with a .426 BABIP (including HR). You tell me.

Tom: How good is Yulieski Gurriel?
Klaw: I saw him in 2013 and he was awful – out of shape, moving slow, appeared not to have a position. But scouts who saw him last winter and execs who saw him work out this past month raved – body in shape, quick twitch returned, bat speed better, actions in the field better. So he might be a star today who turns into a bench guy by the end of the deal (when he’ll be at least 37).

Munchkin: Dom Smith: are his weight and body type concerning? Some people wonder if that might affect his health, flexibility and durability in the future, while others think that doesn’t matter as long as he keep hitting.
Klaw: I think he’s going to have to work more on his conditioning. He’s a great defensive 1b, but if he puts on 20 pounds he’s going to be a DH. Another reader asked about his recent surge and whether i’d slide him up the rankings (he was #44 last week) – no, although I’m very glad to see his performance, it’s over a fairly small sample and I prefer to see more extended success. The fact that he’s striking out so infrequently is probably the best aspect of this little run he’s on.

Derek: What’s Tohomas Szapucki’s realistic upside? Any chance you’ll be stopping by Bkln to see the loaded Cyclones team?
Klaw: Might be #2 starter upside. Not sure I’ll get up there as I have been spending most of my free time working on my book.

Jay_B: Can you tell us anything about Blackburn and Pries, the two lesser-known pieces of the Cubs-M’s trade?
Klaw: Blackburn’s a command RHP, had projection in HS but stuff never ticked up. Might be a 5th starter, probably less. Pries is an org starter but I wonder if there’s a thought to put him in the pen full-time and see if his fastball ticks up.

Nathan: What else will the new Twins’ GM need to do to right the ship? As a fan, I’m frustrated with the talent failing to develop and I’m wondering where the issue lies and what needs to be done to fix it. But getting a new GM is at least a start if they can hire the right one for the job and not Ryan 2.0
Klaw: They need to build an internal analytics department, first and foremost. You can’t operate in MLB right now unless you have that, if only for competitive intelligence purposes. I also have real questions about the MLB coaching staff, and the owner’s statement that Molitor is the manager next year would really concern me if I were a Twins fan. It’s a great job for someone – good market, great city, fantastic stadium, solid farm system, strong amateur scouting dept – but not if it comes with shackles.

Adam: Could it be argued that the Padres didn’t do enough to mitigate risk in the Pomeranz trade considering the volatility of young arms, especially in a one-for-one deal?
Klaw: I guess, but I don’t think you worry as much about mitigating risk when you’re rolling the dice on someone like Espinoza, who’s about as good an 18-year-old arm as we’ve seen in pro ball in a while.

DH: Boba Fett, sorry, Bo Bichette is off to a good start. You’ve been fairly bullish. What are the skills/results you’ll look for to indicate he’s on track to being the player you think he can be?
Klaw: If he keeps up the contact rate, I’ll be satisfied. But remember his brother, whom I was very down on as a draft prospect (not even on my top 100), had a huge GCL stint, and hasn’t done anything since.

Brett: Does Max Kepler becoming an All Star or even an every day regular help bring MLB popularity to Europe?
Klaw: I certainly hope so. I figure there are probably some good restaurants to check out in Munich.

Larry: When you rank Anderson Espinoza so high in your mid-season rankings, do you feel you accurately account for risk of such a young pitcher? Do you use a statistical model to properly value the risk/reward value?
Klaw: Yes, I feel I do. No, I don’t use a statistical model; such a model would be worthless because of the subjective nature of the inputs. GIGO.

Anonymous: Are you a believer in Verdugo (I do not recall your thoughts previously) and has his performance in AA at 20 solidified or changed your opinion. Is there a chance of All-Star game with him or is best case a first division regular? Thanks too for the board game reviews. My young-ins are thoroughly enjoying multiple suggestions.
Klaw: He was on my top 50 last week.

Ralph: From this year’s draft, who do you see having bigger upside, Josh Lowe or Alex Kiriloff?
Klaw: Kiriloff, although I understand why some people would argue Lowe.

Ralph: Why do you think Bryan Reynolds dropped so far in the draft? Seemed pretty polished for a college bat. Do you think he ends up a major leaguer?
Klaw: Strikeout rate. Has plate discipline, but needs to be more aggressive when ahead in the count. Jeren Kendall is going to face a similar criticism next year but is more athletic overall and I think is a 1-1 candidate.

Andrew: What are the Rangers doing with Profar? He started hot but now it seems like he starts once a week and is otherwise a pinch hitter? Is he good enough to contribute now or just a trade chip not being showcased?
Klaw: I think he’s good enough to play every day, and I assume now that Fielder is out he will do so.

Nick: Did Tyler Naquin show big raw power as a prospect, or is his performance thus far really completely out of nowhere?
Klaw: I think it’s really out of nowhere. Glad they gave him the opportunity, though.

D: I bought your Allen and Ginter card off eBay… Is there somewhere I could send it for you to sign?
Klaw: Yes, to me c/o ESPN, 1 ESPN Plaza, Bristol CT 06010. A couple of people have found my home address and sent something here, but I do ask everyone to respect my family’s privacy and I will not return anything that comes here.

Scrapper: Who says no to Eloy Jiminez straight up for Andrew Miller?
Klaw: I would think the Cubs would.

Scrapper: For those of us who care about things, hate political rhetoric and anti-science jibberish, this last year has been particularly frustrating. Has the last year affected how you view our country?
Klaw: Yes, almost entirely for the worse. I did not think this white-resentment strain of politics would be as popular as it is, but apparently I was quite out of touch.

Hal Steinbrenner: Do you see future stardom out of Ronald Guzman or Tyler O’Neill?
Klaw: More like future everydaydom.

Brian: I was wondering if you might comment on the differences between Joey Gallo and Dylan Cozens? I know people have said that Cozens has massive raw power like Gallo, and I was curious as to what the difference that has you thinking Gallo is at minimum a .230-.240 hitter w/big power and Cozens is something significantly less.
Klaw: Gallo is a way better athlete and a better pure hitter. Cozens’ year is skewed by playing at Reading and he doesn’t hit LHP at all.

Mike: Do you think Tyler Skaggs will pitch well coming back from injury for the Angels?
Klaw: I’m optimistic. Was always a fan, going back to HS, except for the year when he was with Arizona and they decided to screw up his delivery.

Drew: If the Twins called you tomorrow and offered you the GM job would the idea that Molitor can’t be fired be a road block? If you took the job would you trade Joe Mauer for just about anything? One of my favorite Twins but he’s not going to be on the next playoff team and I’d rather see Sano/Park/Vargas/whoever play 1B/DH. If there are no takers, would you cut him loose?
Klaw: Speaking strictly hypothetically – I don’t expect this call and don’t want anyone to think I’m campaigning for any job here – I would say yes, it’s a roadblock, and would want that on the table for discussion. I’d be willing to sit down and make the case for a managerial change, not just that I want to hire my own guy for its own sake. As for Mauer, I think he’d be close to untradeable, I doubt he or ownership would be amenable to a trade, and I don’t know enough about his health to guess what kind of player he’ll be going forward.

John: You listed Matt Strahm as your sleeper in the KC system and he’s doing quite well in Double-A. Potential #3 starter? Or too optimistic?
Klaw: I think I had him as a potential 4, but I wouldn’t argue the point here. Has touched 96, will pitch at average, curve is a potential out pitch and kills LHB.

Jack: What are your thoughts on Giants prospects Austin Slater and Steven Duggar?
Klaw: Both are probably bench guys/4th OFs, although I think Slater could be more if he can make more hard contact. He can hit, but I would bet his exit velocity isn’t very good.

Todd: Do you think we’ll get to see JP Crawford and Nick Williams in Philly this season?
Klaw: Probably both. I would hope this silliness with the AAA manager benching Williams is over now.

David: Cheslor Cuthbert legitimate? Or just a fringe guy?
Klaw: I have always loved his swing. I think he can be an average defender at 3b. But he either has to take a walk or develop some above-average power to be more than a fringe guy. I’d probably still bet on him because I just really like the swing and I think where there’s this kind of feel to hit there’s always hope.

Pete: Would you say that your ceiling has changed at all for Conforto with his recent struggles? Or is it just an injury that is delaying the true breakout?
Klaw: Nothing has changed except that Terry Collins appears to have lost his mind.

Kay: I try not to scout the stat line – but often that’s the only way I can check in on most of these guys. What stats are MOST useful in checking progress of MiLB players?
Klaw: There’s no easy answer to that. It depends a bit on the player’s tools/skills, and also what you might want to see improve. So for Joey Gallo, we know he has power, but we want to see his K% improving. Same for an Aaron Judge. But I mentioned Slater above – his K% is fine, and probably always will be, so for him it’s other things like more extra-base hits or more walks.

JG: In your humble opinion, who’s the best person (keeping Kim Ng in mind) that the Twins could bring in as the GM?
Klaw: Aaron Gleeman mentioned Jason McLeod on Twitter yesterday, and I seconded it. He’s got a good track record of success and has worked in several analytically-minded organizations, so he should be able to come in and help build that department. (I view that as the single most important criterion for the Twins in hiring a new GM. If you can’t build that capability, you can’t be the GM.)

JWR: Are you watching the conventions this year? Why or why not?
Klaw: I never watch that stuff. I’m voting straight-line Democrat this year and I still won’t watch the DNC. Bunch of rah-rah bullshit.

Andy: Strange as it seems, picking up Jean Segura hasn’t been terrible for the D-Backs. He’s walking slightly more than before and looking like an adequate fielding 2B. There’s still major questions about the process in getting him, but he hasn’t been their issue this year.
Klaw: He’s been fine, not great, still not a good leadoff hitter, but they’ve had much bigger problems. The problem was, as you said, the process – they gave up way too much, especially given how bad he’d been the previous two-plus years.

addoeh: Do you think Christopher Correa is the fall guy or did he act alone?
Klaw: I have been surprised all along that he was the only person accused in this, but absent any other evidence how could I claim otherwise?

Ray: Any chance Willie Calhoun can stay at 2B? Can Francisco Mejia be an Impact fantasy catcher down the road?
Klaw: I think Calhoun’s a LF. Can hit, though. Yes on Mejia.

UGW: Erick Fedde is on a heater… 3 ER in his last 38 IP. # 3 starter?
Klaw: Reliever. Lacks a third pitch. Not sold on the delivery.

Jacob: Jose Berrios continues to dominate in AAA. Have you heard any reports of him refining his stuff to allow him more success in the majors?
Klaw: No, sounds like the same guy, too good for AAA, needs to pitch in the majors even if it means struggling now. Gotta learn to get those guys out at some point.

Anonymous: Mandated apparently said they’re looking into limiting the use of relief pitchers somehow (due to speed-of-game and effectiveness concerns). Good idea?
Klaw: I assume that’s Manfred, and I said on the BBTN podcast today I’m not a big fan of changes that materially alter the game on the field for marketing reasons. If teams had to carry fewer active relievers per game, however, that might accomplish the same goal without limits like saying a reliever has to face a minimum of three batters.

Patrick: Keith, I’ve got no place to go, so Klawchat question! For three-year college players, is being assigned to rookie ball seen as a step backwards? Should these players be skilled enough for low or high A immediately?
Klaw: Good three-year college players should be able to go right to low-A after the draft. I understand sometimes players go elsewhere for other reasons (taxes, geography, working with a specific coach), but when they’re placed too low it makes their performance suspect.

Jonah: Have your thoughts changed on Travis Macgregor? Seems to be doing very well in the GCL and making a name for himself
Klaw: He’s thrown 8 innings. What?

Jim: You said earlier this year Beede’s velo was down, is it back? Has Bickford improved the breaking ball?
Klaw: His velo was down because he was throwing sinkers, not four-seamers. He’s throwing the four-seamer again, so the velo is there. Bickford you saw at the Futures Game – his velocity really is down and I don’t think there’s good enough secondaries there. He’s very available in trade.

Jay: Kevin Newman or Gleyber Torres?
Klaw: Newman is the higher probability guy, Torres has much higher upside.

DHS: Wilco is coming out with a new record in September. Are you a fan? If so, your favorite record by them?
Klaw: Nope, sorry.

Matt: I remember you were a fan of Mike Folynewicz when he was coming up. It’s been a rough few years of development, but he looks to have turned a corner of late in terms of harnessing his absurd stuff. Do you think he can be a legit mid-rotation type long term?
Klaw: I think he can be a #2 or better.

Chris S.: Hi Keith, thanks for the weekly chats. Logistics question: with 400k followers on Twitter, how do you keep up? I imagine you get bombarded all day long with a mixture of intelligent discourse and trolling. You’ve responded to me a handful of times and I’m amazed I can get through the chattel. How do you manage it?
Klaw: It’s becoming more and more difficult, but I use the mute and block features there very heavily to try to keep my replies manageable. People who troll or insult me are just wasting my time, and clearing them out makes it more likely I’ll see stuff I really want to see – stuff that’s worth the response, whether it’s there, here, or somewhere else.

Shining Light: Did someone run over your puppy today? Good God you’re in a bad mood.
Klaw: Right, you read a bunch of chat questions and answers and decided what kind of mood I’m in. That’s clever. Go away.

Tony: Forrest Whitley is a big Texas RHP. Build reminds me a little of Tyler Kolek. Is a 3rd starter too much to rely on for Whitley?
Klaw: Built like Kolek, WAY better pitcher today. Kolek was a breaking point for me – I’m done overrating the big kids who throw hard but aren’t much in the way of pitchers. I missed on too many of them over the years and I should have learned my lesson earlier.

Tony Alva, Dogtown, CA: How high could you have seen Brandon McIlwain being drafted if he played his senior baseball season instead of leaving early for Univ. of South Carolina?
Klaw: He was a first-rounder. MLB teams don’t particularly care for that because it doesn’t work.

Tony: Reasonable expectations for Jordan Sheffield?
Klaw: I think he’s a reliever in the long run. Maybe a great one, but short RHP with rough arm action usually ends up in the pen.

Tony: Nolan Jones was high on a lot of draft rankings but then fell pretty far in the draft. Reasonable ceiling for him?
Klaw: Fell only due to money. I think he has star potential.

Tom: Verdugo was your top 50, but there seems to be others who think he’ll end up as a tweener. Can you see that viewpoint at all?
Klaw: No, I can’t.

Oren: Justin Smoak – he’s bad, right?
Klaw: He’s one tick above replacement level. You don’t give that a two-year deal.

Zach: Hey Keith, I used to cover basketball for a living and it’s pretty accepted that teams have access to a lot of sabermetrics that fans/journalists don’t. Do MLB teams also have inside analysis/metrics that greatly differ from what’s available on say, fangraphs? It strikes me that the individual nature of baseball would make the gap between insider/outsider knowledge less pronounced. Thanks, always appreciate the chats.
Klaw: Yes, they do, and they’re not going to tell us about it.

Billy and the Boingers: Favorite Bloom County Character or Storyline?
Klaw: I loved everything with the Banana Jr. 5000.

Cal: Does Nick Gordon still profile as an everyday SS?
Klaw: Yes, I think he does. Probably a solid-average regular or a little better.

BlueInSF: With MLB getting younger generally + the latest knowledge showing that defense and pitching peak much earlier than previously suspected, shouldn’t we logically see the draft shade more towards HS over college prospects?
Klaw: No, because in that case college guys should be able to come quickly to the big leagues. And they have.

Jeff: Cashner for Yohander Mendez and Ronald Guzman…who says no?
Klaw: Rangers would say no. And so would I.

Scherzer’s Blue Eye: How do you differentiate trolling and just good-natured giving you a hard time? (psst…I rely on the latter one)
Klaw: Judgment call, but when in doubt, I mute. Think about how many replies I get – and all the comments/feedback I get through outlets other than Twitter, too. If I don’t attempt to curate, it all becomes useless to me. If I mute someone by mistake, it’s a shame, but it’s probably not doing any significant harm. And I’ve always unblocked people who’ve asked me to.

Glen: Can Gregorius handle 3rd base if/when Mateo is ready?
Klaw: I’m not moving Gregorius for Mateo. Didi’s going to be the better defender.

Klaw: That’s all for this week – thank you as always for reading and for all of your questions. I’ll be at the Under Armour Game at Wrigley on Saturday and hope to see some of you there.

My midseason ranking of the top 50 prospects in baseball is now up for Insiders.

Klaw: It’s the school exam and the kids have run away. Klawchat.

Dan: Bobby Bradley (Cle) did not earn a mention on your list. Has your opinion of him altered during this season, or is he progressing as you expected/hoped and is just a sub-57 prospect?
Klaw: Nothing new. He’s a 1b only guy with questions about his ability to make contact and hit for average.

Dan: Glad to see that Hunter Harvey (Bal) is still worth a mention (honorable) on your list. Did you see either of his Aberdeen starts? If not, have you heard anything to suggest that he is still (post injuries), or can become, the prospect that you had previously projected?
Klaw: I have not seen him yet, but I’ve heard the stuff is fully returned. He just has to show he can stay healthy, which he hasn’t done since his first full year in pro ball was cut short by injury.

Ken Naylor: With reports Jason Groome is in Boston taking his physical, if he signs, where does he rank on your Red Sox list?
Klaw: He’s going to sign – I’ve said that all along – and would be 5th in the system.

Marty: Would you include Eloy Jimenez in a deal for Andrew Miller? Or do you think the Cubs have enough other parts to get it done with the Yanks?
Klaw: I would not, not for what is likely to be about 20 innings + the playoffs of value this year. He has more time on his contract, of course, but you’re doing it primarily to win this year, and I think relievers in general are volatile commodites and he in particular could go at any moment.

Will: Are you alarmed by Javier Guerra’s K rate and overall offensive non-performance this season? Seems like a lost year for him.
Klaw: I’ve heard that he’s played like his head is not in the game at all. It’s a lost year so far and he needs to pull his head out.

Nick: By no means did I expect to see him in the top 50, but what are your thoughts on Jake Thompson? At this point, no reason for Philly to delay giving him a cup of coffee, right? (Trying not to just scout the stats though)
Klaw: I agree, he could come up at any time. Solid back-end starter, durable, lacking a real out pitch or a big fastball to make him more than that. But I like him for what he is and see him outperforming his stuff a little bit.

Pat: I am driving across the country next week. I’m not usually a books-on-tape guy, but do you have any recommendations for something that might be a good listen (from Audible, e.g.)?
Klaw: I do 5-10 audiobooks a year. The best one I’ve ever listened to is The Ballad of the Whiskey Robber. I also would recommend The Sixth Extinction, which won the 2014 Pulitzer for Non-fiction. (Post-chat addendum: Undeniable, written and read by Bill Nye, is also a fantastic listen.)

JD: Did I hear correctly that Dylan Cease touched 103? Could that be right?
Klaw: Yes. And last night Michael Kopech hit 105.

Brian: Keith, I don’t want to scout the stat line but have you heard any news about Nolan Watson for Lexington in the Royals system. Numbers have been pretty poor all season and wondering if there is something to explain it. Thanks.
Klaw: Watson, Ashe Russell, Scott Blewett, and Foster Griffin have all struggled this season, not just in performance but in stuff. Russell was mid-80s in the spring and I haven’t heard anything better than 87-91.

JD: Any sense of *why* Mateo isn’t performing as well this year? Effort, instincts, position change, something else?
Klaw: He doesn’t make hard contact. I seriously debated whether to put him on the list at all.

Richard: With Josh Bell likely back down in Indy this time next week, where would he have ranked on your list? 30-40 range?
Klaw: Yep, that’s about right. Also, this is really stupid – they should just play him at 1b already.

Philip: In what range would you put Morejon amongst prospects? Top 150?
Klaw: Probably, since he’s 17 and won’t pitch anywhere in the US this year. Same for Maitan, who’s 16.

Brian: Do you think the Rangers have a plan for Joey Gallo, and if so, what is it? I have been confused this year by the way they have handled him.
Klaw: So have I. I don’t know the answer.

Frank: Rob Whalen currently leads the Southern League in Ks and just got promoted to Triple A. Seems like he’s mostly viewed as a pitchability guy, but have you heard anything about him? Can he start in the big leagues?
Klaw: I don’t think so – more likely a reliever.

Jon V: I believe this is the first time you’ve moved Frazier significantly ahead of Zimmer. Driven more by Frazier’s progress or Zimmer’s decline?
Klaw: Zimmer needs to make more contact, especially vs lefties (K/PA of 33%). I think Frazier is clearly ahead of Zimmer in everyone’s eyes at this point.

MIke: Hi Keith. Thanks for the chat!! Do you have any thoughts on Giants AA reliever Ray Black? He’s my wife’s cousin and I was wondering if you think he has a chance to make it to the majors this year or ever? Thanks again!
Klaw: He’s 98-102 without a second pitch and with poor control. I’m sure someone will give him a chance in the majors but until he develops something else I don’t know what use he’ll be.

Jack: Doesn’t the player you described that alfaro can become an allstar? Or really close to it?
Klaw: Possibly. If he’s posting a .280-290 OBP, then probably not. I see a wide range around his potential performances, though.

Frank: I opened this link to ask you a Sean Newcomb question, but I’m not even sure what to ask. Is there any hope? The walks continue.
Klaw: Like I said in the writeup I don’t know what the fix is. He’s there on stuff and lefthandedness.

Nick: Watched some of the PG All-American selection show yesterday. They mentioned there was more high-end prep talent for 2017 than in recent years. True (to date)?
Klaw: I think that’s accurate. It’s also looking like the best college class since 2011. (Notice that it’s two three-year cycles after that: HS kids who didn’t sign in 2011 became top picks in 2014, pushing the 2014 HS crop to college to become top picks in 2017.)

Jojo: Do you think Willie Calhoun is good enough to get serious time in the bigs in 2017?
Klaw: I think he can hit but needs a position and may end up with contact issues too.

Michael: You can obviously disagree, but I am not sure it is helpful to label All Lives Matter as racist. People who say that may be misguided and missing the point, but are they necessarily racist? That sort of rhetoric (calling them racist) exacerbates the problem in my opinion.
Klaw: If someone says to you “Black Lives Matter” and your first response is to say something that defends white lives, yeah, that’s racist in my opinion. All lives matter, but all lives are not in equal danger. No one says White Lives Matter because, duh, when has the opposite ever been true in our nation’s history>

Chris J: (Will be in work meeting at 1, so posting early.) In the past, you’ve supported the idea of a team keeping good pitching prospects in a starting role through the minors until they show they’re better off as a reliever (your thoughts on Alex Meyer comes to mind, for example). Recognizing his basic 2 strong pitch arsenal and potential height issues, but with continued good performance through the minors (one start in AAA not withstanding), what would be the moment where you’d definitively conclude he’s a reliever? (Reworded – I know you’ve stated repeatedly that you believe he’s most likely a dominant reliever in waiting. But when would you make that switch, and why?) Thanks Keith!
Klaw: Depends on what the issue is with the pitcher. If fatigue in starts is the issue, or inability to turn a lineup over a third time, I’d switch him early. If development of a third pitch is an issue, however, I’d let him start as long as I could so he could try to develop that additional weapon.

Nick: After an awful (bad luck-fueled?) start in AAA, JP Crawford is hitting well again. Is it time for him to replace Galvis?
Klaw: If they trade Galvis, yes. Otherwise, let him finish the AAA season and then call him up.

Nic: Noticed you had Kohl Stewart as an honorable mention in the top 50 piece. With him being in Double-A what kind of ceiling do you currently project for him?
Klaw: I think he projects as a 3 or 4 starter. If you want ceiling, he’s going to have to miss some more bats, which he has the stuff to do but has not done, instead generating a lot of groundballs (which is still a good thing).

Eugene: Do you agree with the notion that the best way to assemble a bullpen is to just collect a huge number of arms? If so, is that strategy because very few relievers actually have differentiated skill?
Klaw: I think it’s better to do that than to go out and buy relievers who’ve had great performance, because predicting relievers is way too difficult. But you do want certain things in relievers too, and you might look for, say, right-handed pitchers with good changeups who could become effective relievers without platoon splits.

Michael: Any reaction to Justice Ginsburg’s comments on Trump? You’ve mentioned before that you think Scalia let his religious beliefs affect his jurisprudence–I don’t agree and I think you would have a hard time providing evidence of that. However, Ginsburg made it pretty clear that politics dictate her decisions. Isn’t that way worse?
Klaw: Don’t all justices’ politics tend to dictate their leanings on certain issues? Isn’t strict constructionalism vs loose a matter of politics? Anyway, I thought Ginsburg dissented, along with Justice Thomas, on the ruling about criminals with past domestic violence convictions having access to guns, citing a technical matter – which would appear to me to go directly against what we know about her political leanings. As for her comments on Trump, I have no issue with that, nor would I have an issue with another justice coming out in support of Trump or in opposition to Clinton.

Justin: Trout for Betts, Benetendi and Kopech…who says no?
Klaw: Angels have made it very clear they have no intention of trading Trout.

Adam: John Coppolella came out and flatly said the Braves won’t trade Julio Teheran. Do you think he is just playing hard to get, or is he being truthful?
Klaw: I think he’s being truthful. Why would they trade Teheran? He’s good, improving, under control cheaply through 2020 (I think), and is their Opening Day starter at the Big Con next April.

Steve: How is your book coming along? Can you give us any details?
Klaw: I’m behind where I’d like to be on it. I expect there to be a release about it in the next few weeks.

Adam G.: What do you make of this Michael Kopech situation? By situation I mean…. first, 105? really? second, how much are Boston fans over reacting when we’re putting him in the same conversation with Espinoza (and hopefully Groom).
Klaw: He’s on my top 50, and that was before he hit 105 (but he had hit 103). I don’t really know what to do with him – has any starter had this kind of velocity without blowing out in the short term? Relievers have, starters haven’t. Is he the great exception?

Millie from Philly: Everyone in Philly is going gaga over Hoskins and Cozens. Even with the hitter-friendly environment, it’s hard to ignore the gaudy #s. Anything to see here? You prefer one over the other (or neither) to have any real MLB impact? Thanks!
Klaw: Prefer Hoskins because I think he has better feel to hit, whereas Cozens is less polished with more brute strength. Both will play in the big leagues. Doubt either gets to this kind of power again.

Nick: You put Hunter Harvey in your honorable mentions. His talent has never been the issue. Does his high propensity for injury not concern you? Is it because largely speaking they aren’t related to his arm?
Klaw: If he had never had those injuries, he’d have been in the top 10.

Matt: It seems like Atlanta’s strategy is to trade from its young pitching depth to acquire bats. Is that strategy too simplistic? Would teams give up ML bats for pitchers that are a few years away and could easily not pan out? Thanks.
Klaw: Those pitchers who are a few years away now will be close to the majors at some point, which is when I think you’ll see some of them traded for bats.

Sean: After a horrendous start, Carson Fulmer seems to have turned a corner in AA. Do you think his new cutter can help him succeed in an MLB rotation?
Klaw: If you saw the Futures game, you can see why I don’t think he’ll ever last as a starter. He has a violent delivery with big stuff and poor command.

Jason: The Mets actually seem to have interesting pitchers now with Dunn, Kay, Wotell and Szapucki…..in what order would you rank that group and can you see any of them junping into your top 100 any time soon?
Klaw: Dunn, Szapucki, Kay, Wotell. I did not rank 100 players this time, so I couldn’t tell you who’ll be on that list other than the handful of guys I considered for the top 50 who didn’t make the final cut.

Kimchi Dad: What are your thoughts on GMOs? Do you avoid them when cooking/eating if possible, or are you okay with them?
Klaw: I have no objection to GMOs on my plate or in the world in general, but since I prefer organic produce I don’t think I eat much in the way of genetically modified foods.

FireDrayton: Thoughts on AJ Reed’s rough start to life in the bigs?
Klaw: The big leagues aren’t easy.

Fly high: Wu-Cheng Chang a possible top 100 guy for you next season?
Klaw: I assume you mean Yu-Cheng Chang. I hope to see him this weekend when Lynchburg is here. The power is kind of out of nowhere but if it’s legit it makes him a much more intriguing prospect.

Jay: Sergio Romo after watching Bickford in high-A felt that he had room to get stronger and throw harder as a result. Agree?
Klaw: i do not. Also, Bickford used to throw harder, and now he doesn’t. That’s a concern given his injury history.

Adam G.: I’ve been trying to rack my brain for a historical comparable body type to Moncada. 6’1″ 210 at 20 is huge. Can you think of any baseball players were that size and fit?
Klaw: Bo Jackson. A football body in a baseball uniform.

JT: Michael Conforto’s recent struggles – a blip on the radar or something more serious?
Klaw: I think the wrist issue plus TC benching him against lefties all the time are likely both factors.

Anonymous: In one of you draft follow ups you had Corey Ray as the #2 prospect for the Brewers ahead of Trent Clark. In today’s Top 50 you have Clark slightly ahead of Ray. Has something changed between the two?
Klaw: Yes, my opinion changed.

Bob A: Are you worried about Dillon Tate? A 21 y/o struggling in single A has to worry you
Klaw: More worried that his velocity has been down much of the year.

Ben: No Josh Hader on your list? Is it his delivery?
Klaw: His delivery and his command. He’s like Fulmer and …

CVD: I know you profile Reynaldo Lopez as a reliever, but was he given any consideration to the top 50?
Klaw: …Reynaldo Lopez. All three look like relievers. You don’t see starters hold up with those deliveries. Maybe one will be an exception; maybe they all will. Chris Sale looked for all the world like a reliever (and I was far from the only one saying so), and he’s turned into a Cy Young contender. But he is an extreme outlier.

George: Folty and Manaea both had really good starts to end the 1st half. Which one do you think has more career upside and which one do you think has more upside this season?
Klaw: Foltynewicz has more upside. If he can keep the ball in the park (11 HR in 49 IP this year) he’s got #1-2 potential.

Ben: Psyched to see 3 Cubs still in the top 50. Is there any hope for pitching in the farm system? Are the Cubs bad at developing pitchers, or is the lack of P prospects a result of the draft philosophy?
Klaw: There’s pitching coming and Dylan Cease was a consideration for the end of this list. I do think they’re going to end up trading a couple of bats for major-league ready arms, though, because all of the pitching they have is in A-ball and below.

Jordan: Can Chance Sisco hit enough to be an elite catcher?
Klaw: Yes. Did you see that HR he hit Sunday? That’s some serious hand/wrist strength. If he even hits 12 HR/year with his other skills he’s going to make some All-Star teams.

Scott: How close was Jose DeLeon to making the list? Are there injury concerns based on the past few months or is the upside not as high as the others on the list?
Klaw: Just don’t see the upside. Great makeup, good feel to pitch, but there’s a lack of a swing-and-miss weapon there.

Anonymous: With the performance of several of the Brewers top prospects this year, David Stearn’s first order of business has to be to clean house in the minor leagues doesn’t it?
Klaw: I truly thought that would be his first order of business last September. They’ve had far too many prospects enter the system and fail to develop or regress over the last 5+ years.

Ben: Will you be attending either the PG or Under Armour games?
Klaw: Under Armour. Chris Crawford will attend the PG game for us. I love that event, and San Diego is one of my favorite cities, but I can’t take another cross-country flight for just one or two nights out there, not with other stuff I need to be doing.

ray: It seems like the rest of the scouting community seems to be catching up to you with Kevin Newman’s prospect status – what was it that made him a top 25 prospect for you right off the bat that you don’t think others were seeing?
Klaw: He’s done great so far and I’m thrilled to see it, but obviously he’s still got to reach the majors and continue this performance before we can really talk about it like that. I saw a true SS with a 6 or better hit tool and plenty of strength despite the lack of game power in college. I like those guys.

Adam: How much interest is Melvin Upton Jr garnering on the trade market?
Klaw: That’s a better question for Buster. I don’t monitor the trade market.

Keith: You’re higher than most on Dom Smith; I’m not sure what the issue is – he’s not dominating, but he’s showing good contact, good defense, starting show power, all at a pretty young age. Why the doom and gloom about him as a prospect? Is it a 1B only thing? Not much else to go on so the bat has to be outstanding?
Klaw: Yes, I think it’s the 1B issue and that’s a fair one. Also, he should he hitting for a higher average; he’s making contact but not always the right (hard) kind.

Ben: What’s the holdup on Brax Garrett? His Vandy committment that strong?
Klaw: Yes and bear in mind that the Marlins are the same team that lowballed Heaney a few years ago. Ownership there doesn’t seem to like to pay players.

Mike: You would have Groome ahead of Kopech? 105 mph
Klaw: Velocity ain’t everything, sparky.

Jonah: Do you believe Harold Ramirez has declined as a prospect?
Klaw: No, i don’t think anything has changed there. LF only who has to hit.

Stephen: My wife and I are always looking for new two-player games… where would you rank 7 Wonders Duel? I love the base game, but Duel looks very interesting for 2 players. Also, any expansions to the base game you recommend?
Klaw: It’s great and I highly recommend it. I just bought the Babel expansion on Prime Day; we haven’t played any of the others.

Tom: We all know the D-Backs got jobbed in the Shelby Miller Trade, but I don’t think anyone expected him to be bad this year, much less terrible. Have you seen him pitch? What’s he doing (or not doing) to pitch so ineffectively? Is there any hope for a rebound?
Klaw: His mechanics went to shit. I don’t know who bears responsibility for that.

Dan: Profar and Cordell for Pomeranz and Hedges, who says no?
Klaw: Padres because Cordell is not much of a prospect at all.

Marcus: Don’t know if you’ve had a chance to see him since he returned, but is Tim Lincecum done as a starting pitcher? And if so, could he become an effective relief pitcher? I admit that I’ve been a fan of his since his Cy Young days, but it is hard to watch him now.
Klaw: He’s not a starter. I don’t know if relief would help but I’d try it.

A: Re: the guns SCOTUS case, Sotomayor was the one who broke with the lib wing
Klaw: Thank you. I knew it was one of the women on the Court but forgot which one. So there’s a case of a judge clearly voting against her politics because of a question of law.

Peppa Pig: With Matt Bush changing his life and now breaking into the bigs, do you have any idea what happened to Donovan Tate?
Klaw: He’s playing for Rancho in the Dodgers’ system. The biggest problem with Tate is that he was never that good. I thought he was a reach at 3 overall and never had him on a top 100 list.

mark: You said last week that you had heard $20-22 million for Morejon…that was including the 100% penalty?
Klaw: Correct.

Drew: Thanks for recommending / ranking White Teeth. It’s kind of amazing the historical perspective and insight Zadie Smith had when she was 15, huh?
Klaw: That book made me jealous of how gifted a writer and thinker she is. If you liked that, I definitely recommend In the Light of What We Know and you’d probably enjoy The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao.

Anonymous: What’s your opinion on bringing up Reyes to the Cards bullpen? I’m worried about his walk rate getting even worse versus MLB batters.
Klaw: I agree. Also I’d like to see some kind of improvement on the breaking ball, although with his delivery that may be impossible.

B. Cohen: You have Benintendi above Moncada among Sox prospects when those two are reversed almost universally elsewhere. Are you just super high on Beni, or do you have reservations about Moncada?
Klaw: I don’t care what “elsewhere” says. I think Benintendi’s the better prospect.

Paul: What position does Moncada end up … 3rd?
Klaw: Third or perhaps the outfield.

mark: How would you rate your personaly experience at the ASG?
Klaw: I have never attended an All-Star Game in person.

Trevor: I always love to get your political takes. Do you agree that we have almost circled back to what led to this country’s founding? The non-indictment of Clinton, even with the FBI director admitting she broke many laws, as well as the secret meeting between the AG and Bill….we now have a society where those in government (along with their close allies) are above the law. Our founding fathers fought a revolution and tried to devise a system to prevent that, yet here we are. What are your thoughts?
Klaw: I worry that we’re headed back towards a sort of oligarchic democracy because of the issue I mentioned last week – we keep drawing top candidates from the same tiny pool of people – and because the amount of money required to run for high office further restricts the pool.

Philip: Any new eats you have in SD?
Klaw: Bracero was fantastic, and I had coffee at Copa Vida and James as well as at my usual Bird Rock.

Dustin: Has Stephen Gonsalves done enough to see him as a potential high-end pitching prospect? He has made continuous progress in the Twins system.
Klaw: Not high-end. Good changeup but lefty without a breaking ball and with average-ish command? I see back end.

Dustin: Does Bregman eventually move Correa off of SS?
Klaw: I think so – he’s a better defender there right now.

Tom: How much consideration, if any, did you give Chris Paddack for the top 50? What held him back?
Klaw: No consideration. Let’s not overrate him just because he’s been in the news.

Dustin: What’s your favorite IPA?
Klaw: Evolution Lot #3.

Joe: I travel occasionally for work, and I always feel weird eating by myself in a non-fast food restaurant. Every experience that?
Klaw: No because I bring a book and/or sit by the kitchen and chat with the cooks. No one should ever feel bad for eating alone, though.

Richard: I’ll be in KC next weekend for Royals/Rangers. Any “must eats” while in town, particularly BBQ? Thanks.
Klaw: KC Joe’s in the gas station, SLAPs (Squeal Like a Pig), and Bluestem Cafe for not BBQ.

Alex: As a Braves fan worried about the future, Swanson seems like a solid player at the big leagues but nothing more. What am I missing?
Klaw: High floor. Not huge ceiling. I preferred Rodgers and Newman on draft day and while Swanson is a tick ahead of Newman right now obviously I’ve got Bregman ahead of all of them.

Ryan: Have you tried Pokemon Go? Do you think there are ways ESPN could make use of AR?
Klaw: I have not. This does not appeal to me.

Jon V: How would you rank McKenzie, Hillman, Aiken, Sheffield in terms of long term potential?
Klaw: Aiken still has the most upside if the stuff returns 100%. Probably McKenzie, Sheffield, Hillman behind him just in terms of potential upside, but Hillman is sneaky good and going to be pitch in the big leagues.

Nate: Keith, Tim Anderson has been a valuable player so far in the majors, however his ceiling obviously is limited by his walk rate. Do you think he can ever have an at least manageable approach?
Klaw: I think rushing him to the majors is going to severely retard his ability to improve his plate discipline.

Bryan: Rowdy Tellez is tearing up AA of late as a 21 year old. Can he possibly become a league average 1b/DH in MLB? I believe I recall you saying he has a “long swing”–will that prevent him from reaching the big leagues?
Klaw: No. Can’t hit quality pitching.

Bernie: There have been new rumors if a Gallo/Miller trade. Is that close to the framework (main pieces) of an equitable swap?
Klaw: There’s no way I’d give up Gallo for a reliever unless I’d decided Gallo was simply never going to hit.

Randy: Frances Martes still a top 75 guy for you? Only 20 in AA and has reall turned it around last 1.5 months. Bonus question–buy or sell Musgrove as a possible #3 starter?
Klaw: Need to see better offspeed from Musgrove. I see strikes and a sinker, but not the full repertoire. Martes is somewhere in there, yes.

Chad: How close was Mitch Keller to your new top 50?
Klaw: He wasn’t a consideration.

Aaron: If Kyle Lewis shows any semblance of reaching his potential in the minors…how far can he go up on the prospect list?
Klaw: Depends on what you believe his potential to be. I think he ends up a low-average guy (due to strikeouts) with power. That’s probably not a top 25 prospect at any point.

Alex: Why doesn’t MLB use the same draft model as the NHL, where you draft an 18 year old, who can then go to college if he so chooses, with the team that drafted him retaining his rights, while he plays at the college level? Seems like a win-win all around.
Klaw: How is that a win for the player? Or for the team, really, if the kid goes to Arizona and takes a bunch of naps while throwing 138 pitches on three days’ rest?

Philip: Do you believe Wil Myers comment on Mexican food is worthy of trading him?
Klaw: I think he needs someone to take him to Bracero. Or any place that isn’t Taco Bell.

Corey: Could Moncada be ready by early next season ? If so, should Sox consider moving him to 3B soon since that’s where he likely ends up ? Side note – do they just eat the Panda contract ?
Klaw: That’s reasonable all around – the timeline and the position idea.

Tripp: Saw Alex Young has been having a nice season this year for ARI. What are your thoughts on him?
Klaw: Fringe prospect. Was 22 in low-A and didn’t miss any bats. Stuff is nothing special.

JB: When scouting a pitcher, how much weight is given to the movement of a fastball as opposed to just pure velocity? As an example, Hunter Strickland throws in the high 90’s but it’s dead straight and it seems good hitters just kill a guy like that.
Klaw: It matters a ton. Jeff Hoffman isn’t on my top 50 because he throws hard but it’s straight and hitters see it well (no deception).

Joe: Given your love for Schoop, how much room for growth do you think he has? He’s not treating walks like the plague anymore.
Klaw: And he was never a hacker in the minors. Anderson has never walked, ever, so we’re saying he’d need to add a skill he has never displayed. Schoop had some patience before he was rushed up the ladder, and now it’s coming back, likely because he’s having success in general and not just trying to survive his at bats. I buy it and think there’s even more growth to come. He’ll be a top 3 2b in the league at some point.

Rob: Have you had a chance to see Ian Clarkin this season after his missed year? Curious how it compares pre injury, whatever it was that cost him a season.
Klaw: Saw him in the AFL, not this year, and he was all the way back. Mid-rotation starter. CB is a hammer.

Anonymous: I’m thinking Vizcaino and Erick Aybar to the Mariners for Alex Jackson or Tyler O’Neil + prospect. Thoughts?
Klaw: Did you drug Jerry DiPoto or tie him up and throw him in a closet?

Ken Naylor: Your thoughts on Byron Buxton and his development?
Klaw: Two thoughts. One, be patient. People want to write off any prospect who doesn’t succeed right away. Two, I think Molitor & company are the wrong staff for this job, and their trouble with Buxton would be exhibit A. They were on him to be more aggressive early in the season, and look where that got him.

Tom: Do you think that IQ tests have any scientific value? If so, what?
Klaw: I don’t think they have any at all.

Chris: Can Ryne Stanek be a late inning reliever with that heat, or is the FB just too flat?
Klaw: The guy we saw on Sunday is not a big league reliever. I’ve never seen hitters rushing to the bat rack to face a guy throwing 99 before.

RM: So regarding your position on the value of relievers, there really is no reason for the Yankees to trade Miller. It doesn’t appear they’d get much back so they might as well take what he delivers to them on the field.
Klaw: You’re conflating my view of relievers with what the market might provide. Of course they should shop him.

Josh: Is Krilloff a future major leaguer?
Klaw: Yes, of course. Most first-round picks reach the big leagues at some point. The question is what kind; I think he ends up an above-average regular in RF.

Chris: Chase Vallot is having a pretty strong season so far, and I’ve heard the defense will keep him behind hte plate. Can he move into your top 100 next year if he keeps it up and even moves up to HiA?
Klaw: I’ve heard the defense will NOT keep him behind the plate. I do think he can hit and has above-average power, but he’s repeating the level (at 19, so age-appropriate) and I don’t want to overrate the performance. It’s a good sign overall that he’ll be able to profile somewhere else.

Ron: It’s great to see Kepler in right and getting the experience in a lost season. Also Buxton playing every day if he is not hurt. The Sano experiment in RF is done, isn’t it? If not, they need their heads examined. He’s not any worse at 3rd than Plouffe. What are your thoughts?
Klaw: I think Sano is a 1b/dh and unfortunately they’ve blocked him there. But yes, Kepler and Buxton should be playing every day.

Chris: Does Eddy Julio Martinez make the Top 100 by the end of the year?
Klaw: Probably not, even though I do like his ability quite a bit. I’m glad to see the performance catching up to the tools a little bit lately.

Tom: I know that there is no such thing as clutch hitting, but every year the collective batting average with runners in scoring position league wide is less than the average with no one on base. Is it possible that there is not clutch hitting, but there is choking?
Klaw: It’s also possible that teams start to play matchups more with RISP late in games.

John: Were any of these remotely in consideration for the top 50? – Luke Weaver, D.Paulino, D.Acevedo, W.Calhoun, Reid-Foley, J.Flaherty, Soroka?
Klaw: No, no, no, no, no, no, and no. Good talk.

Klaw: That’s all for this week. I’ll be back next Thursday for another chat before I head out for the UA game on the 23rd. Thanks for all the questions this week and, as always, for reading my work.