Klaw: The Klawchat that should not be.

Mike: What do you honestly think of Sam Travis? I’ve heard very different comparisons. So really do not know what to think.
Klaw: I’m a fan: He can hit, and he has average power, probably a slew of doubles and 12-18 homers when he’s at his peak. It’s not explosive like Schwarber, but it’s more mechanically clean and simple. I’ve heard some comparisons too and most of them are dumb, which is another reason why I dislike player comps (yet, circularly speaking, also a reflection of that previously held belief on my part).

JR: Hopefully you went pee before this chat; wouldn’t want you to hold it in the entire time. I hear that can cause health issues.
Klaw: I did! I did! In the toilet, too!

Dave: Thoughts on Amed Rosario supposedly starting in St Lucie again?
Klaw: Not a fan, although I haven’t heard the reasoning.

Nate: Keith, do you think the QO will be completely eliminated in the next CBA?
Klaw: Doubt it. owners cling to it as a drag on free agent salaries (how’s that workin out for ya, fellas).

Craig: With Houston and Texas both acquiring catchers this spring, is there a market left for Lucroy?
Klaw: I’d argue there’s never a lack of a market for a top-end catcher. Demand always outstrips supply.

Mike (DC): Thoughts on Vince Velasquez — can he hold up as a starter and how high is the ceiling?
Klaw: Hasn’t held up for a full season yet. Above-average starter ceiling.

Brian: Keith, You saw Anderson Espinosa this week. Is he really as good as the hype?
Klaw: Mostly. He doesn’t look 18 in delivery, feel, body. It’s a ridiculous fastball at the top end of its range and he showed he could spin a plus breaking ball. I didn’t see the great changeup and he had the command of an 18-year-old. But still, how often does a high school senior look like this? Once every other year?

Mario: How do you rate Matt Chapman, a fringe player, a soild regular, or the potential to be more?
Klaw: Solid regular.

James: Have a friend whose girlfriend just told him that she has anxiety and been on meds for awhile. Is there a website or something he can read to better understand what she is going through?
Klaw: I’ve written a bit about having it, including this and this. I know Kat Kinsman has a book (Hi, Anxiety) on it coming out in April or May too.

Aaron: ESPN apparently projects only one MLB team to win 90 games this season. Seem odd to you?
Klaw: This is a common problem of projection systems, most of which rely on simulating the season a huge number of times. Those sims will give you the average results for each team, which are flattened out by the huge number of samples. Real life produces outliers.

Nick: Do you think Nicasio will end up as a viable starter for the Pirates?
Klaw: I’d still call it an upset. I think there’s value in the arm, somewhere, although based on his history I’d say in relief. What his March performance showed us is that he might be a decent major-league pitcher again. I don’t see how you can extrapolate from those few innings, ignore his entire history, and say he’s going to be great (which you did not do in your question anyway).

Alan: I finally got around to listening to your top 100 songs for 2015. It’s a great list of a lot of music I otherwise would not have been exposed to. Here’s my beef, whenever I talk to people, they’re like “man, that song is old”. Any thoughts on some more real time music updates?
Klaw: I do one every month. Also, who says a song from 2015 is “old?”

John: I am a student at GW. For our annual spring event, the program board got Action Bronson to perform. Some students protested in response to this due to his 2011 song “consensual rape” and the program board decided to remove him. He was supposed to perform saturday. I wanted your thoughts on “safe spaces” at universities and the fact that you could pick out misogynistic lyrics from almost any big-name rapper. Did the school make a mistake in listening to a vocal minority of students who didn’t want him to perform?
Klaw: I’m not clear on why a college campus needs a rapper (or any music artist) to perform. Aren’t you there for education? You can certainly go somewhere else to see live music performed.

Steve: With all of the problems finding starters in Cincinnati, why have they given up on Cingrani? They are going to lose anyway, why not let him start and see if he can make it work?
Klaw: I’m assuming it’s because he couldn’t throw strikes last year.

Brian: Do you talk about baseball over here at The Dish?
Klaw: Only in chats. Otherwise it’s all non-baseball stuff: books, cooking, restaurants, music, boardgames, Top Chef, movies.

Joe: Trevor Bauer lost spot in Indians rotation to Josh Tomlin, Cody Anderson. Can he be dynamic out of a bullpen?
Klaw: He can be effective in the bullpen if he throws strikes … but if he threw strikes, he’d be effective in the rotation too. I think this is a good move to try to hit the reset button with him a little since they already have other starter options, but I’m also figuring Bauer ends up making 20 starts this year when, say, Josh Tomlin turns back into a pumpkin.

Matt: Which Sox prospect has the higher ceiling, Benentedi or Devers?
Klaw: Devers.

Joe: Jays make the right choice in going with Sanchez?
Klaw: I don’t think so.

Sean: Do you have a World Series prediction for the 2016 season?
Klaw: My entire predictions column goes up Saturday.

Zach: Do you think Wil Myers could have a breakout year in ’16?
Klaw: You should read my column of 2016 breakout player picks.

Paul: Not sure I’ve ever seen you use the word ‘disgusting’ to describe a pitch until I read the Michael Fulmer piece. That isn’t really a question, and I have no rooting interest in the Tigers, but it got me pretty excited to watch him when I get the chance. #fyeahbaseball
Klaw: I have to admit that I heard another Tigers’ pitcher say that, and liked it enough to … uh … borrow it.

Corey: Before his move off of 3rd base in the minors, was Travis Shaw anything special there? Think he’ll produce enough to hold the spot for the whole season?
Klaw: I’ve never seen him play it, but given his body type and what I’ve seen at first, I doubt it’ll be good enough.

Jeff: Will you be eating at any of Paul Qui’s restaurants in the future? I ask because you have a very correct and hard stance against violence towards women.
Klaw: I can tell you no, but it’s hardly a boycott when there’s no chance I’ll be in Austin any time soon.

Eric: Have you read The Road to Serfdom by F.A. Hayek?
Klaw: No. Is it about high school football and basketball players going to NCAA division 1 schools?

Bill S: What is your opinion of John Gant? Do you think the Braves should test him out as the fifth starter to begin the season until Folty is ready?
Klaw: Fifth starter if that. Would prefer to see Aaron Blair in that spot.

Foz: I usually appreciate hearing your views on certain things outside of baseball, that said, do you have any thoughts on the Lakers situation involving Young and Russell?
Klaw: I have no idea what you’re talking about.

Paul: I saw your brief writeup about the Twins leaving Berrios in the minor leagues. Can you expand further on why the fuck they decided to do this? I feel like at some point it has to be discouraging for a player like Berrios, who worked so hard to force the Twins’ hand, still ends up a victim to the 2 month later callup.
Klaw: It’s not entirely the Twins’ fault – the CBA gives teams incentive to do this. Aaron Gleeman also pointed out that they bounced Duffey, a fringe prospect who was way better than expected in two months last year with the Twins, in favor of Nolasco’s dead contract.

Keith: What’s the outlook on Profar offensively? If you had to guess, do you think he’ll still be a star?
Klaw: I do. I hope he destroys AAA and forces a callup.

Mike: How would you compare the overall package Thor has (especially now with the deadly 2 seamer and slider he’s added simce coming up) to the overall arsenal of Lucas Giolito?
Klaw: Thor’s is more advanced now, but Giolito’s stuff has been better at the same age every year since each emerged as prospects.

Jonathan Orr: Who will have the better season, Grichuk or Piscotty?
Klaw: Bigger fan of Piscotty’s swing and approach. Grichuk will probably hit more HR, though.

Nik: Based on your team rankings, you don’t think Andrew Knapp can hit enough as a regular. Yet you praised his pick when he was drafted and he tore it out last season in AA. Do you think that was just a mirage?
Klaw: Yes, I don’t think he’s going to hit like that against better pitching. I praised the pick as a high-floor catcher, which he his. He will play in the majors for sure, probably for a lot of years.

Danny: What did you think of Gabe Encinas? Is he strictly RP?
Klaw: I had him wrong yesterday – the HR by Kang was off Herrera, not Encinas. Encinas was more 93-94 with a decent slider, but I didn’t see a long enough outing to say starter or reliever. (Well, I could say “reliever,” because that’s always the easy answer.)

Xenophanes: Do you think it is appropriate for the Rays and MLB to allow Andrew Bellotti to perform in the majors, given that he killed a man several years ago?
Klaw: That’s a pretty shady – and shitty – way to phrase it. Bellatti was goofing off behind the wheel, driving 80 mph and eventually crossing into oncoming traffic, when his car hit another, which killed the other car’s 50-year-old driver. He was sentenced to 8 months in jail and 5 years probation, which seems incredibly light to me. But “he killed a man” would give most people the impression that he murdered someone.

EC: What do Nats have to do to overtake Mets? Is it as easy as bringing up Giolito and Turner and letting them play?
Klaw: Fire their manager?

AJ: RE Rosario, mets say he will move to Binghampton when weather warms up
Klaw: He’s going to have to learn to play in the cold at some point.

Tim: With the (relative) failures to shine of Yasmany Tomas and Rusney Castillo – has the Cuban FA wave finally crested? Those deals look like potential albatrosses (at least in Castillo’s case). OR is this another example of the risk teams are willing to take on unproven foreign talent?
Klaw: Don’t think it has crested, so much as the pool has thinned. There will still be stars (I am very high on the Dodgers’ Yusnier Diaz), but there will be more misses, and teams will keep spending on these players because the payoff is still high.

addoeh: Will you be broadcasting more from MLB games now, like you did Monday?
Klaw: I was told I’ll be on at least four games this season, coming on for a few innings to discussing scouting-related topics. The first is April 6th, Phils at Reds, two teams that are focused on the future, meaning I’ll talk prospects.

Arin: Is there any reason why Jose Peraza should make the opening day roster for the Reds? It makes no sense turning him into a super sub, right?
Klaw: I would not do this. He didn’t hit in AAA last year, so send him back there and let him try to make some adjustments.

Paul: Hi Keith – how painful is it for you to actually watch college games when scouting players? Between the 1950’s strategies (bunting at crazy moments, …), the 25 high-fives every minutes, the boy scout athmosphere where players are treated like they are 12, the slow rythm (catcher and hitter waiting for instructions every pitch), it is kind of a torture to me even if I enjoy college sports in general and I love baseball.
Klaw: I do not enjoy that style of sport. I’m a fan of players, but not of college baseball. It’s so poorly managed that it doesn’t sufficiently resemble the sport I love.

Mike: Keith … If not Groome at 1.1, then who do the Phillies settle for ?
Klaw: Your mistake is saying “settle.” Why would you assume Groome is the top prospect when so many folks, myself included, believe that this class lacks a clear 1-1 guy? I’d take Corey Ray there right now, although I think Blake Rutherford, Delvin Perez, and perhaps even Braxton Garrett could make cases to go that high.

Joe: I was glad Tyler Naquin made Cleveland’s roster. Why do so many teams try to seem low upside retread veterans rather than just going with a young guy? Especially if the young guy can field his position well?
Klaw: Obsession with service time? Naquin isn’t 20. By the time he’s ready for free agency, his peak years will probably be behind him.

Scott: What is that picture on your twitter profile? (Not the pie)
Klaw: The background? A painting by the Swiss-German surrealist Paul Klee, titled The Twittering Machine.

Danny: Do you think Domingo Acevedo can stick as a starter? How does his pitching mix compare to Severino at similar points in the minors?
Klaw: I don’t think there is any chance at all he can be a starter. He has one pitch and a high-effort delivery that will inhibit his command.

Jeremy: What’s your take on the 538 article investigating the home run spike at the end of last season? Why did scoring go up?
Klaw: Unless the ball changed there’s no tangible reason to think this was anything more than a fluke.

Nathan: Would a hypothetical offer of Devers, Benintendi and Brian Johnson be enough to entice the A’s to trade Sonny Gray?
Klaw: I’d have to think the A’s would jump through their computer screens to take that offer.

Mike: Are you in the side that thinks the Dodgers still compete for a World Series or the side where they lost Greinke so they are destined to be horrible?
Klaw: Still competing, but flawed.

DO: I’m 3/4 of the way through Station 11. Not typically my kind of book, but it is exceptionally well written. Read it if you haven’t.
Klaw: I just read it last month (and wrote it up here, something I’ve been slacking on lately). It is indeed wonderful.

Chris: Do you see Nick Banks being taken in the first round this June or have several others passed him by now?
Klaw: He’s slipped. Reports are that he’s gotten stiff and people are questioning the hit tool, which was his best attribute.

Ian: Outside of just wanting him to be a good player, do you think that if Max Kepler was really good, it might increase baseball interest in Europe?
Klaw: I do, so I’m hoping he comes out strong. Then I can get that scouting trip to Berlin in 2021!

addoeh: I think I know the answer, but Beatles or Stones?
Klaw: Beatles. Not even a huge fan of their stuff, but they had better peak stuff and their catalog as a whole is much more interesting to me.

Scott: Do you imagine a scenario in which society as a whole is able to actually take significant steps to mitigate climate change, or are we too far gone at this point?
Klaw: We will, when the threat becomes more real to more people, by which point it might be too late.

Andy: Re The Rolling Stones. I bet I could make a 20 song greatest hits CD that would encompass almost everyone’s favorite song, as well as be interesting to listen to musically. 20 songs in a 50 year career. I don’t know if that’s a good thing or not, but they certainly don’t belong in any list of greatest groups of all time.
Klaw: I knew when I tweeted that list of hot takes that it would get a lot of negative reactions, but it was in keeping with my tweet right before it about my dislike of Springsteen. But the lack of objectivity in responses surprised me: People confuse what they love with attempts to speak in an objective fashion about music (or film or art). If you prefer listening to the Stones, by all means, do so. But if you want to argue that they crafted more complex music, more technically demanding music, or more intelligent lyrics, well, best of luck.

Chris: With your recent positive viewing of Beau Burrows, would you add him in your top 100?
Klaw: No. I wouldn’t change the top 100 based on a few spring innings.

Jack: Puk and Hansen haven’t shown anything to make me think the Phillies would consider them at 1.1 . You’ve previously stated they won’t pick a HS pitcher. Who then ?
Klaw: I answered this above but will say you’re right about those two guys.

Chris: Is Nick Senzel the top college bat this year, and do you see him going top 3?
Klaw: No he’s not, and it’s possible but I would not say it’s likely.

Matt: Hey Keith, when is the earliest we see AJ Reed? Thanks for putting him on my radar last year.
Klaw: June 1st ish?

EC: Any logic to giving Osuna the closer role over Storen? Storen a FA next year, and Osuna could get $$ in arb for the saves.
Klaw: I wouldn’t get too worked up about it. Maybe 50/50 chance they end up switching roles at some point.

Aaron: The Rangers’ Matt Bush “second-chance” experiment has generated some fan heat in DFW. What’s your opinion?
Klaw: He served his time and has gotten treatment for his addiction. If they’re willing to cut bait after any violation, then I’m fine with it. I’d feel differently if he’d been convicted of rape or domestic abuse, because I don’t think those are behaviors that go away. (I read a piece just this morning on how paraphilias such as the need for coercion during sex are immutable.)

Bill: o Arica, T Turner or Story long term, bat only?
Klaw: Arcia.

EC: Why doesn’t MLBPA file a grievance against Yankees/Marlins for the beard policy? I remember a few years back Nats tried to do it too… didn’t last long.
Klaw: Nobody has cared enough. If Giancarlo Stanton or Jose Fernandez wants to grow a beard, the policy will quietly disappear.

Andrew: Thoughts on Orioles handling of Kim? Poor initial talent evaluation or not enough AB’s to make a judgement? Or both?
Klaw: If you’ll permit me to post some totally baseless speculation on my part: I think the O’s front office, scouting and/or analytics, liked him and signed him, but then Buck got a look at him in spring training and said “I can’t use this guy.” Totally, absolutely, one hundred percent a guess on my part. No matter what the reason, however, leaking that shit to the press was wrong. Don’t embarrass the player; you’d never do that to a US-born guy.

Andy: 30 games for Jose Reyes is the baseline, based on the Chapman suspension right? From reading about it, Reyes seems more serious, with more witnesses, as well as slightly less ambiguity.
Klaw: Gotta be. Hoping for more.

Shaheen: Any chance Moniak goes top-5?
Klaw: I really like him, but even that might be a stretch in the eyes of the teams drafting there.

David: What are your predictions for Byron Buxton this season? Is .260 / 15 HR / 40 SB reasonable?
Klaw: If he does that with some walks and plus-plus defense I’d call it a huge win for everyone.

John: Better Rule-5 selection from the Rays system: Joey Rickhard or Tyler Goeddel? Think either could supply league average corner OF offense?
Klaw: Goeddel. He might. I don’t get the Rickard fascinating. Good makeup, limited tools.

John: What is Profar’s ultimate position?
Klaw: Shortstop.

donny: draft on saturday, completely stuck on who to go with, swanson or benentendi. whatever name you type is the guy im going with.
Klaw: I just don’t know fantasy well at all. I’m guessing Benintendi will be better for that because defense usually doesn’t matter.

NG: Keith – As someone who has been open with mental illness issues in the past, I’m wondering if you could provide any guidance. My brother has long lived a life of relative luxury compared to myself and has never had to make any sacrifices. He was recently diagnosed with moderately severe mental illness (mild bipolar, narcissistic personality disorder, a few other things), and it’s caused a lot of resentment as the doctors are recommending a treatment plan that does not force him to change his privileged lifestyle, as any severe disruptions could make the issues worse. How can I, as someone who works a menial 40 hour a week job to fund my own business without any help, manage my emotions and resentment towards a family member who receives resources and assistance with their life that I do not receive?
Klaw: This has to be something you work out with a psychotherapist. I’m certainly not qualified (nor do I want to pretend to understand what issues you might have had with your brother earlier in life), but I very strongly recommend finding a good talk therapist to try to work on it. You may learn things about yourself that help you become a better person. I know therapy did this for me.

Mike: Trayce Thompson…4A player, 4th OF or solid regular?
Klaw: Chance for a solid regular. Chance he’s just a 4th. Better than 4A.

John: My brother’s fav place to eat is red robin and my parents is Olive Garden, should I change my last name?
Klaw: Did you grow up in the parking lot of a mall?

Scherzer’s Blue Eye: You think firing the manager on the cusp of the season is what the Nats need? How about an honest answer?
Klaw: What the hell can they do now? They made their bed with the roster, the manager, and the coaches. They can’t go out and make the big trade or signing they might have needed.

DOS: Can you give us any insight as to why ESPN.com has almost completely abandoned the live chat format? Was a big reason that I subscribed to insider.
Klaw: The chats weren’t Insider.

Pig Bodine: BA mock draft has Riley Pint to Braves….would he be best player available at #3, or do you think they go college bat like Ray if available?
Klaw: I don’t do mocks this early for this very reason – you can’t base it on any actual insight on teams and preferences. I don’t think there’s any chance they take a very high-risk high school arm at 3, for example.

Matt: I know you firmly believe the Phillies won’t take groome at one, but why? I’ve seen plenty of credible people post mock drafts saying it will happen. Why is your opinion so strong that they won’t ?
Klaw: Because I base my opinions on industry gossip and knowledge of team strategies and preferences. This is why I wait to do mocks – until then, most of what I know is negative (“We won’t take Joey Bagodonuts there, no shot”) and not enough is positive.

Jon from the Rock: Keith, Now that Tyler White has made the team what can we expect from him? Is a Billy Butler or Kevin Youklis comp fair for him?
Klaw: I wouldn’t go with either of those. White can really hit, doesn’t have much power, will walk an adequate amount but I don’t think at Youkilis levels.

Ridley Kemp: Loved your sci-fi podcast a couple of weeks back. I’m reading Left Hand of Darkness now and loving it. Are you going to be a Hugo voter this year, and do you have any strong feelings about the slate issues last year?
Klaw: Can anyone vote? I haven’t read enough 2015 releases to have an opinion, though. I’ll start The Forever War in the next two weeks, I think. Just finished The Magicians’ Land last week, then a math book called the Unfinished Game by Keith Devlin, and am now reading James Alan McPherson’s Elbow Room (Pulitzer Winner 1979).

Jimmy: Follow up to question about Profar – he seems like a prime trade candidate if he can play the field every day? (i.e., can’t see him taking the SS job over Andrus or Desmond)
Klaw: What if Andrus doesn’t hit this year? At some point, don’t they have to get more production from that spot?

Cav: Have you ever read anything by Dr. Paul Offit? He has been an early and leading spokesperson debunking the autism-vaccine arguments and delves into other science vs. myth subjects. I think you would like his work.
Klaw: Yes, he’s one of the most important figures in American science and public health.

G: Thoughts on Alex Kiriloff for the draft? Seems some local papers in Pittsburgh are hoping he is the Pirates pick this year. Is he a reach around the back of the 1st round?
Klaw: I think he’s a back of the first round guy. Supposed to see him play down here tomorrow, which beats the five-hour drive to Pittsburgh.

Jimmy in Chicago: Hi Keith – I read a scout said Matt Davidson has shortened his swing and looks salvageable. Did you see him at all? Or hear anything along those lines?
Klaw: I’ve actually heard that too, and heard that last year he was mentally shot, but all of that doesn’t add up to anything to me until he starts hitting in games.

Michele: Is Nolan Arenado as good as he looked last year? At the risk of sounding simple, how did he get this good?
Klaw: I’d love to know how he went from being a 45 defender at third to maybe (probably?) an 80 defender there in the span of less than a year. Ask any scout who saw him in the AFL a few years ago – we were talking about the likelihood he’d need another position. That sounds totally ridiculous now.

JR: Have you read Magicians book 3 yet? I really enjoyed the trilogy and am enjoying the TV series so far.
Klaw: Finished last week. Loved reading it but the ending felt a bit victory lappish.

Darren: I see most projections for Ellsbury have him getting over 600 at bats. If you could what would you bet on the under?
Klaw: A year’s salary? Not only do I think he’ll get hurt, is he even good enough to get those at bats with Gardner and Hicks on the roster?

John: This Smoak could take another step forward this year? maybe post closer to league-average OBP in his current platoon role?
Klaw: Any improvement will be marginal. He was never the hitter in the majors that I thought he’d be. It really seemed like he got less strong once he reached the big leagues.

JR: I’m still shocked by how much AZ gave up for Shelby Miller, such an overpay. To help give me some context, if AZ had made the same trade for Matt Harvey, would you still have considered it an overpay given all they gave up?
Klaw: Probably not.

Ray A.: Is Giants Prospect Sam Coonrod more of a bullpen pitcher or will he stick as a starter? His stuff looks nasty, but I can’t tell if it’s starter or reliever-type stuff.
Klaw: Couldn’t find a scout who thought he’d start.

Mike: Is this the year Puig puts it all together and becomes a MVP candidate or is it time to lower expectations?
Klaw: I think he’ll be better than 2015 but not quite at 2013-14 levels. His exclusion from the BBTN 100 was total nonsense.

James: What is your favorite mlb ballpark to eat at and I mean food from the actual ballpark.
Klaw: Target Field and Citi Field both have great local options.

Craig: Could a guy like Groome fall to Milwaukee at 4? And given their long-term rebuilding project — where a lot of the talent is at levels below AA — would they consider a high-risk HS arm?
Klaw: Brewers pick 5th. I don’t think Groome gets out of the top 5. He could easily go 2. I kind of doubt the Rockies pass on him at 4.

Tom: Based on your subtly inspired intro, my own hot take (as a big fan) is Master of Puppets (closely followed by Seek and Destroy) is the most annoying, overrated core Metallica song.
Klaw: Oh man, I love that song, especially the severe tempo change mid-track. The riff behind “Obey your master” is one of my two or three favorite Metallica licks ever. The opening riff of “Blackened,” with the same series of notes played with just slightly altered tempos, is still my favorite.

Joe: Just playing devil’s advocate…after the toxic environment the Nationals seemed to have last year where their manager would sometimes passive aggressively call out the best player in the league, I wonder if having Dusty might actually work for them for a while. Yeah, he’s terrible strategically and has a history of abusing arms (more with the Cubs and Giants than Reds). But the players have loved him anywhere he has gone. The Nationals seem to be the type of team who might benefit from him because their raw talent can outplay his weaknesses, and his strengths are really a positive change.
Klaw: Everything you said is reasonable, although I think Reds players didn’t love him the way the Giants and Cubs did. My bigger concern is that his idea of how to run an offense is totally outdated. He was less abusive of arms in Cincinnati than in Chicago, and he doesn’t have young arms to wear out right now anyway.

Chris: Have you heard anything about Hunter Harvey this spring and how he’s recovered from missing so much time?
Klaw: Just strained his groin. He might want to sacrifice an oriole to the baseball gods.

Wade: What’s your policy on tipping when ordering food to go or at places that do not have continued service through your meal (i.e, pickup window/food truck)? $1 per item ordered?
Klaw: I might throw $1 in, but at those places the staff have to be paid at least minimum wage, whereas at table-service places where tips are the servers’ income, I never tip below 20% (you’d basically have to swear at me for hating your team to get me to tip 15%).

Bobby: What position is Sano playing 3 years from now?
Klaw: First base, DH, or Sanochatter.

Klaw: That’s all for this week – thanks for the questions and bearing with my terrible schedule. I should be back to a normal routine next week.

Klaw: In my backyard, sounds turn around, down fall apart, in Klawchat.

Brett: I know it’s way too early to talk about players and teams in the draft, but if Atlanta were to take Kyle Lewis, would you consider that a reach?
Klaw: Yes, I would. Think there will be too much swing and miss there. He’s faced some awful pitching so far.

Craig: I’m experimenting with curing and smoking my own bacon. Have you done it and do you have tips/spice recipes?
Klaw: Yep, I’ve used the recipe in Ruhlman’s 20 several times. Very easy to do yourself, and it destroys anything you’re going to buy in any grocery store.

Philip: When are you going to come out with initial draft rankings? Thanks
Klaw: We did, in November. I don’t know offhand when the next update will be.

Chris: When are you posting breakout player column. You do realize we are all scared to tell you it is the lynchpin of our fantasy draft strategy…..
Klaw: Next week.

Jeff Chisholm: Are kids invited to this chat?
Klaw: Yes but they can’t stay the whole time.

Ryan: What would be the more optimal solution: Moncada 3B Devers 1B, or Moncada RF Devers 3B?
Klaw: Moncada is at 2b now. If he can’t stay there, he’s going to the outfield.

Yasiel’s Pug: You had SS Garrett Hampson listed as a top-100 guy coming out of Reno High School but he opted to go to college. After three years at Long Beach, he’s draft eligible again. Has he helped his stock at all? What round do you see him going in this year?
Klaw: No, he’s failed to develop physically or offensively. He’s a 2b without any punch. I’d say 5th round or later.

Timbo: Dylan Cease is already drawing raves for a back field performance. What kind of upside does he have and how would he compare to some of the high school arms in last years draft…Allard and Russell?
Klaw: He was on my top 100 and I’ll refer you there for more. He’s not doing anything different this spring.

JayMac: Trayce Thompson has always struck me as one of those guys who ends up having more success in the bigs than in the minors. You think he has a real shot at being a regular out in center?
Klaw: I don’t see why that would specifically be the case for him, but he has gradually improved over the last two years to the point where I could see him becoming a low-OBP, 20-HR regular with plus-plus defense in center. If you’re the Dodgers, that’s probably better than what you can expect from Joc, right?

dutch: Alex Bregman eventually has to be traded, right? Only open spot for him is at 3B and you say he lacks the arm for it.
Klaw: I think he ends up trade bait, given how good Altuve’s contract is for the team.

Joe: What’s the guide for eating at Okra in Phoenix?
Klaw: Everything? It was all good but I particularly liked the pork bites with collard greens, the fried chicken with cornbread, and the warm donut with salted caramel.

Evan: Hi, can we send you something for your autograph? If so where?
Klaw: To ESPN in Bristol.

CubFanBudMan: Is there much of a chance of Espinoza being the top pitching prospect a year from now? Will he see AA this year?
Klaw: Can’t imagine they push him like that – I think it’s unreasonable to expect an 18-year-old to get to AA, especially when he’s on some kind of innings limit. It is reasonable to think he will be the top pitching prospect a year from now; assuming Giolito, Glasnow, and Urias all graduate, I think Espinoza might be the favorite.

Steve: My wife doesn’t understand why you went to Harvard to become a baseball writer / scouting professional. Maybe you can better explain how you ended up where you did on your journey and why you went to Harvard? I bet there is a good story there
Klaw: Your wife thinks I went to Harvard at 17 to become a baseball writer at 33? She seems a little confused.

Bill: Do you think Edwin Diaz has mid-rotation upside and a chance to contribute in Sea during the second half?
Klaw: No, I think he’s probably a reliever in the long run, although I would leave him as a starter for now to see if he exceeds expectations. I had three separate scouts who saw him in Jackson last year tell me they put him in as a future reliever.

Martin: Is Sam Travis good enough to play the big leagues?
Klaw: I assume you’re asking now rather than “ever,” since clearly the latter is true. Travis is a pretty advanced hitter, and wasn’t that far behind his teammate at IU, Kyle Schwarber, at the time of the draft. I don’t think it’s crazy to think Travis could hit in the majors right now.

Justin: Hey Keith. Is Peter O Brien a guy? Or just a guy who puts up good box score #’s? Anything more than an average player?
Klaw: Not even an average player. 80 raw power, below-average everything else, with no position.

Gabe: As a Reds fan, I am dumbfounded by the Simon signing. The team made a morality move in moving Chapman at all costs before the season began (which I supported), but now doesn’t mind having Simon back?
Klaw: Selective memories, I guess. I hope Reds fans voice their displeasure.

Bret: How would you advise the Jays handle Aaron Sanchez? He’s obviously a safer bet in the bullpen, but certainly still has upside as a starter, which is his preference. Even beyond pure performance, though, he probably couldn’t pitch enough innings as a starter to last through the whole year even if he succeeded.
Klaw: If he wants to start, he needs to change his delivery, and until that happens, they should leave him in relief where he has had and should continue to have success.

Michael Scarn: Xander Bogaerts had a 4.3 WAR year in 2015 but didn’t show nearly the power people expected, should he attempt to change his swing/approach for more power in 2016, or if he’s already a 4 WAR player is changing his approach not a risk worth taking?
Klaw: He’ll come into power in time. He was only 22; I think the added attention everyone pays to prospects now, plus the huge debuts of guys like Trout and Harper, have skewed expectations of what prospects will do right out of the gate.

Jamie: Do you think Rymer Liriano still has a chance to be a quality player?
Klaw: I do not.

Adam: Corey Ray — real deal or role player at the big league level?
Klaw: I think he’s an average to above-average regular. Top player in the draft class now, although to some extent that’s by default.

Tim: Why would Ken Williams ban LaRoche’s son?
Klaw: I really don’t care one iota about this story. It feels like it’s none of our business.

Vin: I’ve read a lot about the Giants transitioning Christian Arroyo to the outfield because of Joe Panik already being at 2B. Do you think he could handle a corner outfield spot?
Klaw: I think that’s a terrible idea, because Arroyo’s bat isn’t going to profile as well in LF/RF, because big leaguers get hurt all the time, and because Panik is not a franchise player who’d force you to move your best prospect to another position.

Zarms22: Thoughts on/potential of Candelario? Seems to be the flavor du hour in this years Cubs camp…
Klaw: Been on the radar for at least four years now – can definitely hit, not good at 3b.

addoeh: Enjoying a Guinness during the chat?
Klaw: Heh, I’m not even wearing green, and tonight I’m making an Asian steak salad for dinner.

Drew: Do you think any stats / performance during Spring Training are noteworth? As a Nats fan, it’s hard to disregard Espinosa’s awful start at the plate and Michael Taylor increased contact rate. Is it too early to draw any conclusions from these?
Klaw: I don’t look at spring training stats at all. All noise, no signal. Good for crappy articles and blog posts and terrible front office decisions.

Aubrey: Do you think I can expect the Astros to be a better team this year than last (more like a 90+ win team)? Full year from Correa, improved bullpen, hopefully some of the young guys can improve the 1B/DH production.
Klaw: Plexiglass Principle says no. Keuchel probably won’t repeat, McCullers is hurt, McHugh looks like a good bet to regress, lineup may not/likely won’t be as healthy, etc.

Aubrey: I know the Astros are saying it’s no big deal, but shoulder stuff is always scary in a young guy like McCullers, right?
Klaw: Especially with the long arm action.

David: Barring injuries, of course, do you think Max Kepler and Sean Manaea stick with the big clubs this year? And when do you think each will be called up? Thanks
Klaw: My guess is both guys spend about 2/3 of the season in the majors. Manaea looked ready to me in my brief ST look, but given his injury history starting him slow in the minors isn’t a bad idea.

Jaron: I wouldn’t want Simon on my favorite team nor Chapman. That said, if a criminal or accused criminal is eligible to work, why are you OK with them being a janitor, but not a ball player? What makes pro athlete job any more special?
Klaw: Where did I say I was OK with them being a janitor? If you’re going to show up to argue, then skip the straw men.

Dave: How are you not fat?
Klaw: People ask this all the time. It’s not like I’m eating 3000 calories a day.

Oren: Will Ketel Marte establish himself as a solid big-league shortstop?
Klaw: I’m very curious on this one. Even the M’s own people seemed to think he’d end up at second base, which presented a problem, of course, with Cano there. But if he’s really an average defender at short, which he appeared to be in his brief MLB time last year, he’s probably a four-win player at his peak.

Mike: I see that TJ Zeuch hasn’t pitched at all for U of Pitt this season. Do you know if he’s hurt ?
Klaw: Yes, I’d heard he was hurt before the season. I don’t remember why.

Adam: 75 wins for Atlanta — too optimistic?
Klaw: I’d say so.

Dave: Spring Training stats aren’t all noise. They’re mostly noise. But things like velocity and swing rate stabilize fairly quickly
Klaw: First of all, those aren’t stats. Second, stabilization doesn’t quite mean what fans take it to mean. It’s not saying that’s the player’s true talent level, for one important thing.

Drew: Your take on the worthlessness ST stats makes sense to me. That said, is it reasonable to be excited by Giolito’s composture / comfort level taking on major league hitters? What about his baking skills?
Klaw: I’d be concerned if a kid came into a MLB game, even an exhibition, and lost the strike zone … which I’ve seen a few times. Anecdotally speaking, it doesn’t generally end well. Also, Marzipan told me that Lucas’s baking has really improved lately.

Rob: The Mets cutting Tejada makes no sense to me if plan A at SS is an injured Asdrubal. Not a big deal, but it was nice to finally have some depth. What’s the rationale? Still pinching pennies? Faith in Reynolds as a backup? They’re just stuck in a roster jam after the terrible De Aza signing?
Klaw: Wonder if they felt he was hobbled by the aftereffects of the attempted murder by Chase Utley.

Wilson: How far will Alec Hansen fall in the draft?
Klaw: Going to depend on his medicals, I think, which we’ll likely hear nothing about. Even if he continues to have a lousy spring, at some point, maybe in the sandwich round, a team will take a shot at him if they think he’s at all fixable or if it’s an elbow issue they believe can be treated.

AJ: Hey Keith I’ve been intrigued by Sam Coonrod. Small sample size, but his stuff looked really good this spring and he had a good year in A ball. What are your thoughts on him from what you’ve seen? Projection?
Klaw: Reliever. Good stuff, reliever delivery and command.

Dave: Does the organization a prospect is in change your scouting report? For instance a guy might be a fringy defender at a position but he’s a Cardinals farm hand, so you give him the benefit of the doubt that they’ll coach him up?
Klaw: No, never, for the very simple reason that any player can be traded at any time.

Josh: The Padres are starting Margot in AAA. Is that a little aggressive?
Klaw: He’s a fairly advanced hitter. I don’t think it’s aggressive and it sets him up to see the majors midyear.

Dave: KLAW: Thanks for the chat. Your Braves Farm Team report on Swanson and Albies seemed to imply that both had mediocre arms. Which of the two is more likely to be defensively effective at short.
Klaw: I wouldn’t say mediocre, just not plus. I’d leave them both at short and let one or the other play himself off it. Swanson is probably the eventual winner but I think it’s something like 60/40.

Bucky: JD seems quite confident that Ian Desmond will be a plus OF. Have you any thoughts one way or another?
Klaw: Defensively? I truly have no idea. Plus, right out of the chute, would be surprising but not unprecedented. I’m more concerned about his bat, and about what his presence means for Profar, Gallo, Mazara, and Brinson.

Edmund: Is it too early to be encouraged by what we’ve seen from Taillon post-layoff?
Klaw: Not at all. It’s encouraging to have him healthy and on a mound, period.

Chris: Why would the Jays simply ignore Sanchez’s need to lengthen his stride to be a successful SP? You have made this point in the past and I’m wondering what could be preventing the club from addressing it.
Klaw: Perhaps the player doesn’t want to change.

Mike: Have you heard anything on where Lazaro Armentaros may end up ?
Klaw: Nothing. He’s been so overhyped anyway that I’m much more interested in other names.

Dave: Considering that Anthony Alford performed so well despite taking significant time off, do you think he’s a candidate to be moved aggressively and challenged, or does he need substantial seasoning to make up for the missed reps?
Klaw: I wouldn’t consider his history so much as his present performance. If they send him back to high-A, and he rakes, they should be prepared to move him up to AA quickly. Let his bat tell you where he needs to play. Don’t hold him back somewhere just because he’s inexperienced.

Paul: Will I ever see a two way player in my life time? As we understand better how our bodies work, as athletes know more about nutrition and preparation, I would think that a franchise would give it a try no? Thanks
Klaw: As baseball becomes increasingly specialized and players become better, the baseline skill level to do any one thing at a major-league level keeps getting higher. That’s why we won’t see two-way players. It’s why pitchers shouldn’t hit (and people who say pitchers who don’t hit are only playing half the game are complete idiots). It’s also why we’re unlikely to see another .400 hitter, or see other records smashed aside from the one-time effect of expansion years.

Dave: That’s a rather odd way to put things – Velocity and Swing Rate aren’t statistics. And while many people misunderstand the meaning of various statistical terms, the fact remains that Spring Training stats aren’t all noise. There is some amount of signal there and parsing it out leads to better understanding of player performance.
Klaw: This is not a “fact.” You’re dealing with fewer than 30 games of performance, much of it against competition that is well below what the same players would face in April through September. You’re wasting your time looking for signal when 20% of the player’s at bats might have come against double-A arms.

KC: Friend of mine has a son who is a junior in high school. Tops out at 88, but is 6’5′, 250. He’s already been scouted by pro scouts who told his Dad that he has a future and was offered numerous D1 full rides before his first varsity game. Is that normal because he’s projectable?
Klaw: Is he projectable? At 6’5″, 250, “projecting” would mean that he ends up weighing, what, 280?

J: Friedman’s downplaying it, but should LA be concerned about Kazmir’s diminished velocity?
Klaw: I’d be concerned if he’s still throwing like that in the last week of March. I think I remember that John Lackey was always a slow starter for spring velocity.

Dave: Is the league ever going to have a pre-draft workout similar to the NFL combine just so they can get medical reports on the top prospects?
Klaw: I know there’s movement in that direction on all sides, but the league and the union will have to agree on specifics in the next CBA negotiation and get the NCAA to agree to let HS players attend too.

Josh: In your prospect write-up of Hunter Renfroe, I believe you said he had a 4A bat to go with plus tools everywhere else. Does that equal a regular or just a 4th OF?
Klaw: I felt like it puts him on the fence (and thus me too). He might hit just enough to be a regular, and he might fall just short and be a 4th OF. He’s right at that inflection point for me, although if forced to choose I’d say 4th OF.

Rob: Any updates on Nick Howard or Jonathan Crawford for the Reds? Have not seen or heard their names once this spring.
Klaw: Nick Howard had the yips last year and I would probably forget about him for now.

Dave: Is there any reason to think Tyler Duffey’s last 9 starts was more than just a good run?
Klaw: Glass half full says his much-improved K% was the result of a better CB than he’d ever had before, I think. Glass half empty (like ZiPS) says he’s probably the same guy he was all through his minor league career. I tend toward the latter.

Clarence: I know you’re high on E Rodriguez and the Baws Joe Ross – any other non-prospect pitchers you think could make the leap to legit #2(ish) this year?
Klaw: That’ll be in the breakout column. I am indeed high on both of those guys. Ross is legit – bet on the athletes.

A: Hi! A few weeks ago you seemed adamant the Phillies wouldn’t take Groome at 1.1- is this a talent thing, a high school pitcher thing, or something else?
Klaw: All of the above. Particularly do not think they’ll take a HS pitcher at 1-1, though. It goes against draft history and the specific philosophies of the new regime. If we were talking Brady Aiken – who was historically good at the time of the draft – that might be different, but there is no Aiken in this draft, much less a Harper or Strasburg.

Tim: Chris Colabello’s bat: fluke or legit?
Klaw: Fluke.

Bucky: Should Rangers trade Lew Brinson (and lesser pieces) for Derek Norris + Tyson Ross?
Klaw: No. Brinson’s upside is too big, Ross’s injury risk and command problems are too big, and Norris isn’t a very good defensive catcher anyway.

Adam: Will Buddy Reed fall to #20 in the draft?
Klaw: Possible but unlikely given interest in him and paucity of good college bats. I am out on that one – I don’t think he can hit.

Michael Scarn: How many teams in the AL do you think have at least a 10% chance at making the playoffs?
Klaw: Is twelve too many? I don’t think Oakland and Baltimore do. Having a hard time giving the White Sox much of a shot in that division, even though I don’t think they’re a bad team at all – just that I don’t think (top of my head) they finish first or second. Joe Sheehan had a good piece on the Angels being fool’s gold this year. Can you really scratch anyone else, if you can even scratch all of those teams?

Kent: Do you think a player would develop the same regardless of when they sign? Would Karston Whitson still have been a bust if he signed with Padres? On the other hand would the Padres have developed Connor Jones to the same level he is currently at?
Klaw: No, I don’t think they would develop the same. Tyler Matzek would have had a different (and I think better) career had he gone to a club that didn’t rework his delivery, for one example. Kevin Gausman would be an established big league starter today had he not gone to a club that decided to dick around with his place on the rubber. (Pun not intended.) But Whitson or Dylan Bundy may have been destined for injury no matter what; Bundy was worked too hard in high school and perhaps the Orioles couldn’t have prevented what’s happened since 2012.

Tim A.: Worst FA signing of the off season?
Klaw: 1. Chris Davis. 2. Ian Kennedy. 3. Wei-Yin Chen.

Dan: Brandon Belt have 25-HR potential? Or is he going to continue to hover around 20?
Klaw: Feel like he’s going to hover around 20 but with solid avg/obp/2b. Strong enough for more power, but I’m afraid if he tries to pull the ball more he may give up too much contact.

R,: Should Marc Brakeman be developed as a artered or let him blow through the system as a reliever?
Klaw: Reliever. Assuming he doesn’t blow up like most Stanford pitchers do. But it’s OK – Coach Marquess says pitchers always come back from TJ surgery, sometimes better than before!

Astros410: Who do you think has a better 2016: Derek Holland or Trevor Bauer?
Klaw: Bauer. Never going to be the pitcher the UCLA stat line might have indicated, still plenty of elements there for an above-average major-league starter.

Derek Harvey: What’s one piece of advice you wish you got on day one of your scouting career?
Klaw: Slow it down. Easy to try to draw conclusions from the first thing you see in a player, but the more you see (and, in my case, the more you talk to others), the more refined your evaluation gets.

Mike: Have you seen Nolan Jones yet? Thoughts?
Klaw: I’ll see the local kids in April. Saw him last summer and loved him, but the schools around here are just getting started.

Scott: Can Aledmis Diaz help the Cards at SS for even a little while?
Klaw: Unlikely but not impossible.

Ian: Re: Blue Jays. Is Kevin Pillar actually a 4 WAR player, and if not, where will his value decrease?
Klaw: I have a hard time with players whose total value is that wrapped up in defensive metrics that we know lack the precision of offensive metrics. I don’t think Kevin Kiermaier is actually a top ten player in the AL either.

Josh: What are your thoughts on AJ Preller after a year-plus on the job? Safe to say that with a lot of early draft picks and ownership go-ahead to spend big internationally, this is a big summer for him?
Klaw: I think this is the year where he gets to do it his way, not ownership’s way. I’m very eager to see what he does now.

Ed: Why do most high school (and even college) players not have very good change ups. Seems like an essential pitch that someone would start working on even before trying to throw a breaking ball. I always find it odd how many pitchers need to develop it in the minors after they are drafted.
Klaw: Wild guess – because a slider will miss more bats at those levels. I don’t coach, but when friends have asked me to talk to their kids who pitch, the first thing I always do is ask if they throw a changeup, and then show them a basic grip. Little League pitchers shouldn’t throw anything but fastballs and changeups, and the latter is relatively easy to teach.

Todd: How likely do you think Brett Phillips is to get called up sometime in 2016?
Klaw: Extremely likely, but not till midyear or so.

Scott of Lincolnshire: Ever do one of those DNA tests to see what your genetic makeup is?
Klaw: No although I’d be very curious. I can’t trace my lineage very far back – three generations ago, almost everyone’s still in Europe, 75% of them in Italy and the rest in the UK/Ireland, I think. Beyond that, I have no idea.

Adam: Mike Foltynewicz — starter / long reliever / setup / closer?
Klaw: Reliever for now. Also better for helping him return from the injury (thoracic outlet syndrome?).

Brian Holland: Excited or not about return of Belly?
Klaw: Eh. Liked them during their brief peak, but I can’t say I’m running out to buy tickets to see them. How many good songs did they really have? FOur?

Scrapper: Is Maikel Franco a likely star?
Klaw: Think he’s a good player, not a likely star. He’s improved a lot over the last year, though.

Ian: RE: Pillar. My question was more in regards to whether or not he’s actually capable of a .310-.320 OBP going forward. Seems to me that that OBP will more than suffice, considering his glove.
Klaw: I think he can do that again, but I’m saying that the glove may not be as valuable as the advanced metrics indicate.

Roman: You think Drew Hutchison needs a change of scenery? Stuff still looks pretty good. Just needs to get out of the AL East?
Klaw: Needs his slider back. Otherwise he’s just a fifth starter.

Dave: Is Domingo Santana likely to make enough contact to be a solid regular?
Klaw: I don’t think so. He reminds me of a lot of players who had huge tools but either never had the OBPs or contact rates to be regulars, or didn’t get there till later in their careers. Doesn’t hurt Milwaukee to try him out, though. He’s better than Liriano.

Andy: How valuable is Profar if he shows himself to be healthy?
Klaw: I think valuable enough to be an above-average regular if he got the chance this year. His bat speed is intact. His eye is still good. He’s having no trouble making contact. And it sounds like he’s even fielding and throwing fine. Free Jurickson.

Klaw: And that’s all for this week. I’ll be at UVA Friday afternoon, then in Florida for the last week and a half or so of spring training. Next week’s chat may be on a different day to work around my travel. Thanks as always for all of your questions and for bearing with me on the time change!

Klaw: You gave up being good when you declared a state of war. It’s Klawchat.

Paul: How many people who were upset that EA got $55M in her suit are just fine with Hulk Hogan’s $100M suit against Gawker?
Klaw: Probably a lot, but as I tweeted the other day, the $ figure isn’t the point in EA’s suit – or I guess in Bollea’s suit either. In Andrews’ case, it’s a clear message to hoteliers that this shit will not fly. She could have been raped or killed by the same stalker without any additional help from those same idiot hotel employees that put him in an adjacent room. In the Gawker case, though, I think the message at stake is freedom of the press, so even though I’m not entirely sure that what Gawker did is specifically necessary for or covered by the first amendment, I’d much rather see them win and preserve those rights than see Bollea win and potentially reduce them.

Tom: What has to happen for this D-backs offseason to be considered a success?
Klaw: I think they’d say a playoff appearance. But if they win 85 games and miss the playoffs, didn’t they get more or less what they paid for?

Alex in Austin: What happened to Erin Andrews was wrong. But I’m not sure how this is the fault of the hotel. Isn’t liability solely on the one or two employees who made bad decisions?
Klaw: Who trained those employees – or failed to train them?

Josh: Have you seen a team turn a player from first rounder to non-prospect faster than the Orioles did with DJ Stewart?
Klaw: I don’t want to give up on him entirely, but I had some doubts about him going into the draft, rating him as more of a second rounder because of the body and lack of defensive value. It doesn’t look good right now, though.

Bryce the Destroyer: What do you think of Bryce Harper’s comments about baseball being “tired?”
Klaw: If you read his entire comments, then I’m in complete agreement. I love players with energy and personality. McCutchen’s another one – I wish we had a hundred more guys like him and Harper and Fernandez.

Brian: What’s your opinion on whether or not the Tigers can win the Central? Is there any validity to the lineup being too right handed and is the rotation banking on too many what ifs? I love my team but I can only really see a maybe shot a wild card…
Klaw: I don’t think the “too right-handed” thing is a big issue – it’s easier to be too left-handed because of what it means late in games when opponents can hit you with LH relievers – but the lack of rotation depth looks like a potential problem. They have two, maybe three starters who seem really unlikely to get through a full season unscathed and other than Fulmer they don’t have adequate replacements available.

Carlos: Does Jacob Nottingham have enough bat to be a big leaguer even if he moves off catcher? If so, what kind of player might he look like? Thank you!
Klaw: I think so, but I also don’t think it’s at all a given he moves off catcher. I don’t think he’ll ever be more than barely average on defense at catcher, but with his bat that’d be enough. The power should play anywhere and he has more than enough feel to hit to get to it.

Pete: Hey Keith, does Addison Russell’s strike out percentage last year worry you or do you think he was called up before his bat was ready? Thanks!
Klaw: I thought he’d spend all of last year in the minors, so, no, I’m not worried about it.

K. C.: Does Sam Travis hit his way to a regular gig in Fenway?
Klaw: Somewhere, yes, not sure if it’ll be Fenway given the presence of Hanley and Pablo and their unmoveable contracts.

Ricky: Why aren’t more MLB players coming out against Trump?
Klaw: Given their tax brackets, most MLB players probably vote Republican, and I wouldn’t be surprised at all if many supported Trump.

Michael D: No real question — just a huge thank you. Spent the last 5 days in Phoenix. Tacked on a weekend of ballgames before a few days of work. Relied on your AZ spring training eats guide and it didn’t let me down. Hit Culinary Dropout (twice), Cartel Coffee (thrice!), Hillside Spot, Four Peaks Brewery, Ground Control, and Pizzeria Bianco. Everything was awesome and I couldn’t have come up with anything like that on my own. Thanks for the tips!
Klaw: You’re welcome. I’m chatting from a Cartel right now, and they’re playing the entire Grimes album Art Angels, so I’m feeling pretty good.

kd: Do you think Cano has a bounce back year (after the hernia) or was 2015 as good as it gets for him?
Klaw: I’ll bet on the bounceback.

Joe S: I was reading the sad story of the Rangers’ prospect Cody Buckel, who can no longer find the strike zone and am wondering: Can you recall a pitcher who got “the yips” and was able to fix the problem and go on to a good career?
Klaw: Not really. Mark Wohlers had it and sort of came back but was never as good after as he was before. The problem is that no one really knows what causes the yips so no one can agree on a potential remedy.

Casey: I consider myself a feminist and have marched in support of Take Back The Night. That said, why do you vilify Kane when you don’t know any of the facts other than that there was an accusation by someone who isn’t cooperating? Maybe he is a piece of shit, maybe it was a money grab, maybe the girl isn’t even sure. This isn’t Chapman or Ben Roethlisberger. Short of the Duke case, what does a potential defendant have to do in your eyes once they are accused to not be vilified?
Klaw: I haven’t vilified Kane, although he probably deserves it, given unpublished details I’ve heard. I’ve vilified SI for making the guy the subject of a feature and cover story that whitewashes the allegations and even paints them as a positive for him. That’s a failure of ethics.

Kyle: Who do you think makes more of an impact this season Berrios or Giolito?
Klaw: Berrios will probably get twice the opportunity, so I’d say him.

Bob Pollard: What do you make of David Dahl at this point? Star/just a guy?
Klaw: Star potential, approach is more JAG right now. Tools will play somehow, but he won’t get close to his upside unless he gets more selective at the plate.

Corbin: Sean Newcomb’s first 2 outings have exposed his walk issues. I know it’s his first ST but is there any concern?
Klaw: Same concern there was last year: There isn’t a clear reason why he doesn’t throw more strikes or how to improve his control because his arm action is so easy. You can’t just say you’ll clean up his delivery or get him to work on repeating it, because it deosn’t get any cleaner.

Luke: How do your split your time between watching MLB and scouting college and/or players in the minors?
Klaw: I spend much more time watching prospects. MLB is fun but I’m not learning anything watching Harper or Trout hit.

Chris: Do you see Dodgers sending Joc Pederson down if he continues to struggle? What about Trace Thompson in CF?
Klaw: Yes, I’ve written a few times I think Thompson’s going to get a shot if Pederson doesn’t come out of the gate strongly – I think they acquired Thompson with the idea that Pederson might need to return to AAA.

Michael: I believe you have said you are against taking probiotics. My girlfriend raves about them and constantly encourages me to start taking them. However, they are expensive and I worry that it’s all in her head. Could you elaborate on your feelings?
Klaw: There’s no scientific evidence that they work or even stay in your system. If you want to improve the health of your gut, you need to eat better so that the population of flora can increase. And while I don’t take probiotics I do like fermented foods, such as yogurt (which I eat almost every day) or kimchi, and they’re definitely good for you.

Eric: Am i crazy for thinking Thor might be a legitimate Cy candidate this yr?
Klaw: I don’t think that’s crazy even if it’s a bit of a longshot. It’s not like he’s lacking anything you’d want to see in a CYA candidate.

Jesse: Mets had their wave of high end pitching prospects end last year. With Rosario, Smith ect. coming within the next 4 or 5 years do you forsee heavy pitching drafts the next 2/3 years for them. to creat a smiliar pitching prospect wave when those young hitters get to their primes?
Klaw: No, I think they’ll continue to draft best player available. Limiting yourself to just one thing – pitchers only, college players only, whatever – is a good way to have some really shitty drafts.

Danny: Have you heard of any interesting “developments” with minor league camps opening, i.e. X looks like he added velocity, or came back from the winter with a better curve?
Klaw: No, and to be honest, even if I had I’d probably say we need to see it in some games first anyway. Otherwise it’s just more “best shape of his life” nonsense.

Scott: Reports seem to be that Naquin’s glove is plenty good for him to be the Indians opening day CF. How ready is the bat?
Klaw: Probably not quite ready but close enough that I’d let him learn on the job. They’re much better off on defense with him.

Colin: What are your thoughts on the Kolten Wong extension?
Klaw: Seemed like a no-brainer for the Cards. I think he’s going to end up an average regular and if that happens it’s a screaming bargain for the club.

Jered Weaver’s Fastball: Sorry … this is taking a little longer than I thought … almost there
Klaw: Take your time. We’ve got another half hour at least.

james: Who would be your choice to play short for the Cardinals? How would project diaz bat? Do you think he can hit for avg?
Klaw: Not a huge Diaz fan – saw him in AFL, thought he was a utility guy. Don’t think there’s an average bat there, and when I saw him on defense I didn’t think he’d be an above-average defender (although bear in mind a lot of players are gassed by then and don’t look as good on defense as they might in June).

Ryan: What are the big differences between Jose Peraza and Albies? Thanks!
Klaw: Albies is definitely a shortstop; Peraza hasn’t played it in two-plus years. Albies is much stronger and will end up with more extra-base power. I think Albies’ approach is better. Peraza’s a better runner.

Thor: How do you compare the arms of Urias and De Leon? The new prospect fellow over at FanGraphs says De Leon actually has the higher ceiling with Urias having the higher floor. That was the first I’ve heard of that. Urias’ ceiling is an ace, so how good could De Leon be?
Klaw: That’s backwards – if you look at my top 100, you’ll see more on these players, but DeLeon is a low-ceiling, high-probability starter, a command/deception guy with a plus change but lacking an average breaking ball. Urias has three above-average to plus pitches, still growing, lacking DeLeon’s command right now. If they need a starter today, I’d take DeLeon, although I’d rather see both guys get more time in the minors, DeLeon to work on the breaking ball and on keeping the fastball down in the zone, Urias to work on consistency of delivery and command.

Michael-Chicago: Who do you like better Raisel Igleasis or Joe Ross?
Klaw: Ross. Big Joey Rozay fan.

Mike: Do you see Jonathan Schoop having a breakout season? I’m not sure about the walks, but I think his power really blossoms this year.
Klaw: I wish he walked more, although they did rush him to the majors. I’ve always loved the swing and power potential, and I think his defense would be excellent at second or third (occupied). I don’t know if he’ll be on my breakout column but he’s a strong consideration.

Randy: Is Bernie missing an opportunity by neglecting to mention Clinton’s arms sales as Secretary of State during recent debates?
Klaw: Do you think voters would care? I kind of don’t. It just doesn’t seem like an issue that will score any points. Secret email servers, though – that’s where it’s at.

Danny: Forgetting about his stats, do you think Judge’s changes to his approach (leg kick) has/will remedy his deficiencies in AAA?
Klaw: Dunno, seems a bit wishful thinking – I never thought it was mechanical, but more about decision-making, and recognizing locations a little earlier. He has to attack pitches inside and outside rather differently because his arms are so long. I do believe he can do it, but I’m not sure how a leg kick would change that.

Lindsay: Could you explain how you would identify a fundamental right? Are you in favor of some sort of an oligarchy to determine those things? I am pro same-sex marriage, but how do you determine that is a fundamental right and not the right to guns, the right to suicide, the right to vote, etc.?
Klaw: An oligarchy? You must be confusing me with Vladimir Putin. (I get that a lot.) We have many fundamental rights clearly delineated in the Constitution, and while I don’t necessarily agree with all of them – why do we all need the right to own a gun? – they’re there, and the process to change that document requires substantial majorities, not the decision of a chosen few. I’m good with that process.

Doc: You mentioned in a radio interview a few weeks ago that a top HS draft prospect who has had problems with marijuana. How is that likely to affect his standing on draft boards?
Klaw: If it doesn’t affect his performance on the field or behavior off of it (e.g., missing practices or something) this spring, then I’d say not at all. I personally do not care if a player smokes weed as long as he shows up for work and does what’s asked of him.

Jack: Is the best player in this draft, better than the best player in last years draft?
Klaw: Right now, I don’t think so.

Dave: If Amed Rosario actually plays “well” offensively this season as opposed to just “good for his age” how high do you think he can rise in the prospect rankings?
Klaw: I ranked him somewhere in the middle of those two scenarios because I anticipate a boost in his performance this year. He’s a potential top 20-25 guy if he blows up in AA this year. It’s explosive bat speed.

Jamie: Good for Fredi G to bench Mallex for trying another bunt? Is Mallex getting overrated because of his hot start?
Klaw: Yes, he’s getting way overrated. But there’s some value in his speed and contact.

Doc: How do you think the Phils should fill in for Altherr while he is out? Give Goeddel the AB’s?
Klaw: As good a solution as any. I don’t understand why people are acting like Altherr is a big loss. He was probably a below-average regular anyway.

Alex: If possible, can you briefly describe how we know WAR is a reliable stat? How do we trust the the formula really means Player A is worth 2 more wins than Player B?
Klaw: I think it’s directionally correct, but I don’t know if it has the precision that’s often imputed to it. If you want to answer that question, you should examine the components: the batting runs, the fielding, the baserunning, and satisfy yourself that those are at least directionally correct. I think the biggest problem with WAR is the R (replacement level, not Rakim Allah), which may not be the right baseline, and is not calculated the same way by everyone.

Pat: Have you played Dead of Winter?
Klaw: no, I have to live through that shit every year, why would i play it

Pat: If you were to write a book what would it be about?
Klaw: I am writing a book. It’s about baseball. More details to follow.

JWR: Youngest child is about to decide on a college. Would you rather have your child take on debt to go to an elite private school or would you prefer a flagship state college that might be less prestigious but much more affordable?
Klaw: I don’t think the ROI is typically there for the private schools. It does depend a bit on the student’s major and career plans – but those can change anyway. I think I got the ROI from my alma mater, but that’s because Harvard has an enormous alumni network and a good global brand. Lots of very good private schools don’t have those two things, so you’re getting a great education (as good as what I got) but not those fringe benefits. I certainly won’t push my daughter to go to a private school just because of prestige.

Wil: Anthony Alford, Derek Fischer, and Victor Robles all seem like similar prospects; who do you think actually achieve the most upside, despite the hype?
Klaw: Fisher’s not like the other two, who are both more electric and are better at translating their tools into performance. Alford’s still got untapped power; Robles could grow into power, but hasn’t developed it yet. Also, those guys can play center, while Fisher is still not that good in a corner despite 70 speed.

Isaac: Who are your top arms in the upcoming mlb draft?
Klaw: Not in any order. College: Hansen, Puk, Connor Jones, Jeffries, Tyler, Dunning, Sheffield. I’m forgetting 1-2 guys there. HS: Groome, Whitley, Pint, Velez, Anderson, Lawson, Manning, maybe Speas.

Scott: Tyler White going to get a legit shot at 1B in Hou? If no does he have any path to at bats short of a trade?
Klaw: Guy just hits everywhere he’s played. They’d be fools not to give him a shot, and they are not fools in Houston.

Scott: Is Andrew Lambo a candidate for successful reclamation project, or should I not get my hopes up?
Klaw: I’m not buying that one at all. He was never that good a prospect even when he was a prospect.

Robert: Do you like Michael Fulmer?
Klaw: Well I’ve never met the kid, but he seems like a pretty good pitcher.

Scott: I realize he was JUST drafted, but what are your early thoughts on Bickford’s potential? If I remember, you were a little underwhelmed by him? Didn’t mean to put words in your mouth if that wasn’t your opinion!
Klaw: Majority of scouts I talked to said “reliever,” and that’s even before you get into the medical questions – he has some kind of shoulder issue, and had a back problem before the draft. Big fastball, very inconsistent slider that would be plus one week and barely average the next, low slot, no real changeup. Healthy for two years since he didn’t sign with Toronto, though, and holds his stuff deep into games. I could see the argument that he’s got #2 starter upside, but I see more red flags too.

RSF: I saw a prospect analyst mention that Nick Plummer’s high-ish strikeout rate last year was partially due to the fact that he had a better since of the zone than most of the umps in the Gulf Coast League (i.e. he kept striking out looking at balls). Have you heard of anything like that before? And is that actually the case with Plummer?
Klaw: I’ve heard that before and it’s mostly BS. Plenty of prospects have good plate discipline. They don’t all struggle like he did. That doesn’t mean he’s a bust or anything, but I think the jump from a Michigan HS prep conference to the GCL was a huge one.

Jason: I personally believe that the discrepancies between the various WAR formula are a negative to most followers because the numbers can sometimes differ a substantial amount. Which WAR formula do you trust more?
Klaw: I look at both. If they disagree substantially, I’ll spend time on the components to understand why. If they’re close, I feel pretty confident using those values or their average as a good estimate of the player’s value. Again, I wouldn’t tell anyone to treat them as precise to the tenths digit.

Lindsay: But a right to SSM is clearly not in the Constitution. So leave it to the states. It’s as if you love the result so much that you ignore the process. You can be pro-SSM and take Scalia’s side in that case.
Klaw: Actually, the right to same sex marriage is in the 14th amendment, and you can’t leave it to the states because marriage is a part of so many federal laws, including the tax code and social security. Scalia’s argument was a copout to try to support his bigoted views.

Casey: What did you want SI to say? When has enough time passed that it doesn’t have to be mentioned?
Klaw: I wanted them to pick a player who wasn’t just accused of rape a few months ago.

Steve: Coppy had an interesting answer in a recent twitter Q&A about seeking a college bat with their 1st round pick. How is the crop of college bats this class?
Klaw: Terrible. I know that’s what they want, but if Corey Ray is gone – and in a lot of drafts he wouldn’t be a clear top 3 pick – then I don’t see a college bat worth that spot.

Drew: I saw dansby play twice at Buena vista last week. Am I crazy to compare him to jeter ? His hit tool was amazingly impressive. Not much to dislike about his game
Klaw: I’ve heard him compared to Jeter before. Don’t think Jeter swung and missed that much, but Swanson’s a better glove. I think dansby just has that look, though … if you’re not scouting, just watching, he has that star quality, so your eyes are always on him.

Matt: To chime in on JWR’s question, as someone who turned down a full scholarship from a state school to attend an expensive (non-Harvard) private university, I would agree that the ROI was not really there. I got a great education, sure, but I ultimately had to go into a lot of debt when I decided to go to grad school, and I’m not sure that the school I attended gave me much of a leg up in the job market or in getting into grad school over what the state school would’ve given me.
Klaw: Yep. This is the great college scam – grad schools too, in some cases – where they have everyone convinced that the ROI is automatically there, when it’s not for most schools.

Michael: Guys like Weaver and Sabathia presumably wouldn’t make their teams if they were 24 and making $500k. Is it fair to ask then, why don’t those teams just realize the sunk cost and release them?
Klaw: In Weaver’s case they might have to do that – how can you let him start if Carlos Perez could just catch Weaver’s fastball with his teeth?

Adam: Would you start Swanson in AAA and Albies in AA?
Klaw: No. Swanson in AA, Albies in high-A. SEC to AAA is a huge jump.

Matt: Ever seen Tetsuto Yamada or Yuki Yangita play (current NPB MVPs)? think either or both have the tools to be impact players in MLB if the ever came over?
Klaw: Don’t think I have, or at least not in too long to matter.

Ed: Hi Keith, Saw a Gooden comp for Cease’s curveball. Fair?
Klaw: No, not fair.

Andy: Patrick Kane’s Wikipedia page no longer mentions the Sexual Assault Investigation.
Klaw: Wikipedia is never wrong, you know.

Lindsay: Where in the 14th Amendment? Does equal protection apply to felons who want to vote? To people who want to marry their daughter?
Klaw: Ah yes, the incest argument, a favorite of SSM opponents (which I know you said you’re not). The government has a clear, compelling interest to prevent procreation by people that closely related due to the genetic consequences. This supersedes the 14A rights you’re claiming. As for felons voting … has this been tested? Perhaps such bans aren’t constitutional. I don’t know.

Jamie: So if Mike Trout gets accused of sexual assault with no charges and then has the triple crown locked up in September we should ignore him? I’m sure you’d do that.
Klaw: If the claim is like the one against Kane, then yes, we should cover him less, or, if we must cover him at all, in a way that doesn’t shame the victim or cast the allegations as a positive for the player. Your straw men are really tiring.

Jason: What is Eduardo Rodriguez ceiling?
Klaw: Number one starter.

Scrapper: Better pitcher over the next 3 years: Stroman or Gausman?
Klaw: Stroman.

John: Do you consider 4 seam/2 seam/Curve a 2 or 3 pitch mix? I’ve seen comments both ways on Tyler Duffy with one side arguing its not enough to succeed long term as a starter.
Klaw: I’d call that a two-pitch mix.

Jason: Do you tweet out when you are having a chat? I feel like every week you don’t I end up checking your blog like ten times
Klaw: Yes. This week I didn’t have time to set up the chat room in advance, though, because I was on the move. Family is out here in AZ with me.

Corey: Deven Marrero a good fit for STL ? Would the Sox move him and what would be a proper return if so ?
Klaw: Now that’s a move I’d like for them. One good pitching prospect in return.

Jeff: You like Corey Ray more than Buddy Reed?
Klaw: Oh God yes, not even close. I don’t think Reed will hit. Bad swing from both sides. Just looks real good in the uniform.

Jason: Where does Eddy Julio Martinez start out at?
Klaw: I’m guessing low-A, but I haven’t even asked any clubs stuff like this lately because I know they won’t make those decisions till the last week or so of March.

Rob: Putting aside pitchers, the “injury prone” label for certain batters seems a little lazy. There’s always going to be a sample size issue. Where are we at on this? Health is a skill? Or more complicated?
Klaw: Health is a “skill” in the sense that some players clearly have it more than others. I guess you can learn or improve a skill, whereas health may just be inborn.

Tom: Is an easy prediction for this year that Trout will be the best player in the AL again and finish second in the MVP voting because the Angels miss the playoffs and he doesn’t lead the league in RBI?
Klaw: Yep, Vegas won’t even take your action on that one.

Jason: Chances that Corey Seager’s career surpasses his brother Kyle?
Klaw: Better than even. I’ve always said Corey was the better brother. Kyle has peaked higher than I expected, but I’d be very surprised if Corey didn’t have several 6+ win seasons.

Scrapper: Will Kevin Maitan immediately be a top 10 prospect when he signs with a team?
Klaw: No, not at all. Getting way too far ahead of yourself on a player who’ll be just 16 when that happens.

Adam: Thoughts on Dakota Hudson at Miss State?
Klaw: I’ll refer you to Longenhagen’s last draft blog post on that one.

Craig: The Brewers’s competition for CF features more players than the cast of Too Many Cooks. Can Keon Broxton break through and be a good stopgap until Brett Phillips is ready?
Klaw: Michael Reed is better.

Lindsay: Thanks for taking my questions and answering them politely! We can agree to disagree, but I appreciate it.
Klaw: You’re welcome. I should probably qualify every answer with “i’m not a lawyer” but if you’re here you probably knew that. I’m just a guy with lots of opinions.

Mike: How good is Cal Quantril and Is there any chance he could fall to the Phillies at 2.1 this June ?
Klaw: If he does, it would probably be a Daz Cameron type deal where they’ve worked it out for him to fall. It’s not legal but I’m fine with it – the system basically forces teams to do it, and it means elite players get paid.

Sean: Is Jose Quintana the most underrated pitcher in majors?
Klaw: I don’t know how you’d measure that but yeah, he’s very underrated.

J: Hey Harvard nerd, Rich Gossage says you don’t know shitt
Klaw: Best part is how many “nerds” pushed to get his Luddite ass into the Hall of Fame.

Will in Vero: Tanner Roark — ready to be a solid starter again?
Klaw: I say yes.

John: With you’re earlier answer on pitch mix, you would agree with Tyler Duffy not succeeding long term as a starter? I assume with his curve his floor is above average bullpen arm?
Klaw: What he did in 2015 was way above any expectations I had for him, and also well above what he did in the minors, so yes, I’m expecting regression … or for him to make my annual “guys I was wrong about” list in September.

Klaw: That’s all for this week’s chat – I need to get lunch and head to a ballpark! I’ll definitely chat again next week between my spring trips.

Klaw: If they’re out of hand, I’m a give ’em handles. Klawchat.

Tim: What’s your opinion of Andy Green?
Klaw: I really know nothing of him as a tactical manager, but I like that the Padres actually considered managerial experience in the minors as if it has value (it absolutely does, in my opinion), and I have heard great things about his work with young players. I’m cautiously optimistic.

Stevie: Does Tom Murphy start at C for Col in ’16?
Klaw: If healthy? Might be a bit of a leap now, but possible later in the season.

Brian: The Braves seem to have a decent number of minor leaguers that should be able to hit, but there aren’t many with big power projection. Do you view this as a problem?
Klaw: I don’t know that I think that’s true – Davidson certainly projects for power – and power is a relatively scarce commodity. But I think this qualifies as looking for something to worry about: they have lots of pitching and players up the middle, so if they do have to trade for a power bat at a corner at some point they should have the pieces to do so.

Daniel: Back on the old ESPN chat days, you characterized and had concerns about Manaea being “all deception” in regards to his stuff and potential output. Have things changed given your current ranking of him?
Klaw: I don’t think that’s an accurate summary of my views on him at any point. It’s not like he was throwing 85 and getting guys out. He wasn’t throwing 96 like he did on the Cape, but I’ve seen him multiple times as a pro and he’s generally been at least 88-93, more often 90-94, with an above-average slider. Deception is why he puts up huge K rates despite stuff that’s more grade 55-60 than grade 65-70.

chris: what games did you go to yesterday
Klaw: I saw Nolan Martinez, Chris Murphy, and Nick Lodolo. I’m going to see Mickey Moniak today and probably Reggie Lawson tomorrow. The weather is screwing up my trip – I would have had the chance to see Lawson and Kevin Gowdy, but their games are now at the same time.

Jacob: Do you think the Braves should be encouraged by the standout performances (and surprising power)of Mallex Smith and Ozhaino Albies and does it bode well for their seasons?
Klaw: No, I think spring training stats are totally meaningless and trying to draw any conclusions from three days of games would only qualify you to participate in last night’s GOP debate.

John Uskglass: How confident are you in J. Profar still being an above average player?
Klaw: One hundred percent. If he’s healthy, he’ll be above average.

Andrew: What are your thoughts on Chris Lee’s progression since coming over to the O’s system from Houston? Could Baltimore actually be successfully developing talent for once?
Klaw: You’ll have to be more specific; I saw Lee’s last start of 2015 and saw more or less what he’s been before.

Matt: Is Ahmed Rosario more than just a glove?
Klaw: Yes. Someone asked Jonathan Mayo that same question on Twitter and I was dumbfounded. That’s a bad fake-scouting report going around if people think that’s what he is.

Philip: Padres supposedly have secret deals with Jorge Ona and Adrian Morejon I know you answered a question few weeks ago on Morejon and seem high on him. What about Ona?
Klaw: I’ve heard better on Morejon, but still good things on Ona. Still haven’t seen either. Once they’re locked up in deals, they turn into phantasms.

BD: Mike Shawaryn a worthy late first rounder?
Klaw: Will see him in April but area guys were telling me more like second round coming into the spring.

Mike P.: Who will be more known at the end of the season in Milwaukee: Hank or Arcia?
Klaw: I have no idea how this Hank story became a thing. Maybe Michigan’s Gov. Snyder should concoct a fake-dog story because it certainly seemed to generate more reader interest than poisoning kids in Flint has.

G: Do you listen to much Hip Hop? Any opinion on Kanye’s “The Life of Pablo” or Kendrick’s new release?
Klaw: Oh, I like hip hop, but please don’t lump Kanye into that genre. I thought untitled unmastered was much more interesting and streamlined than TPAB, and while he could have used some editing (track 7 anyone?), there are some real highlights that brought me back to the brief peak of jazz-rap, particularly track 8 and track 3.

Cole: Where does Alex Bregman fit with the Astros? Wouldn’t think he is the guy defensively to make Correa move to third and Jose Altuve i still at second. Is his arm strong enough for third base? Is a move to the outfield inevitable?
Klaw: It’s a 50 arm if you like it, 45 if you don’t. Second base is his ideal position. I wonder if the Astros figured he was the best player available at 2 in their minds, so if there isn’t an opportunity (with Altuve signed through 2019 including options, there probably isn’t one), Bregman would be the centerpiece in any trade for a big leaguer in July.

Andrew: You’ve mentioned the Rockies shortened Gray’s delivery. I seem to remember something similar being said about their handling of Matzek coming up. Is this a common practice in their development process and potentially problematic a la the Orioles?
Klaw: They really altered Matzek’s delivery, but aside from those two guys i’m not sure what other examples we have there. Often it’s these kids going to coaches in their offseasons, like Taijuan Walker and Aaron Sanchez apparently did, rather than getting it from coaches.

Zach: Promise it’s not driven by a hot spring start. How good is Mazara’s hit tool?
Klaw: Now, probably a 40 or 45. Future, jeez, if you wanted to push me to say 60 I wouldn’t argue too hard. He’s always had an approach well beyond his age.

Jonny B: I always get overexcited about spring training performances, despite understanding that it is foolish to do so. However, I am curious if you think there is anything about spring training that might be predictive or informative (particularly relating to prospects)?
Klaw: If a kid shows up looking different physically or mechanically, that might mean something significant. I heard secondhand that David Rollins was throwing harder with a better slider than before – now that’s a guy I would want to watch. But you can take the spring training stats sheet into the bathroom with you in case the stall is out of toilet paper.

Craig: You mentioned that you find minor league experience very useful for evaluating possible MLB managers? Because a minor league manager’s job is primarily about developing talent (a team would be thrilled with a manager who routinely finished last in his league, but consistently developed players), what traits/experiences from the minors are useful? I’m genuinely curious.
Klaw: I disagree that that’s all there is to a minor league manager’s job. No team would be thrilled with a manager who routinely finished last, because the affiliate (if it’s not owned by the MLB team) would be seriously pissed off and would seek a new affiliation – and no MLB team wants to end up in High Desert. The actual experience of running a club, handling tactical situations in-game, and balancing developmental needs with trying to win is valuable and can’t be replicated through any means other than experience.

Thomas I. Shollar: Yo Bro, trying to up my home brew game….not a home espresso drinker more of a pour over homie…Baratza Encore get it done for a grinder or is that still JV?
Klaw: I think it would. I own their Virtuoso but it’s because I needed a consistent, finer grind for espresso.

Jay: Your comment on Mac Wiliamson’s bat speed being a tad slow…is that based on what you saw pre or post surgery?
Klaw: Post. Saw him in AFL.

Bartolo4ever: I read your review of Spotlight. Just out of curiosity, which was the scene that “rang a little false” for you?
Klaw: Ruffalo’s character blowing up at Keaton. Not sure if it actually happened or not, but it seemed very made-for-commercial.

Andrew: Re: Chris Lee–> when in Houston never made it past A ball, fb sat at 89 and command shaky. Since coming to baltimore got to AA, fb 93-96, stronger and seems to have better command this spring
Klaw: He’s not 93-96 as a starter. Might do that in relief – I heard he did in instructs in short stints – but that’s not really a change when you take a guy from starting to relief and see his velocity increase.

Greg T.: Is Daulton Jefferies a first rounder?
Klaw: Yes. Although I’m not totally sure he’s there on merit.

Ed: If you’re the cubs, do you approach this draft differently? Like, would you utilize your available scouting resources to spend more time scouting the lower ranked or diamond in the rough types? Or do you approach it same as always?
Klaw: Well they have so little money to spend relative to other teams that I’d probably avoid many of the HS kids who are expected to go first round and wouldn’t be signable for less than first-round money. Can still find value later in the draft; perhaps there’s a way to scout those guys more efficiently when you’re not spending resources scouting Corey Ray or Jason Groome.

Dusty: Do you see any scenario where Desmond plays SS for the Rangers?
Klaw: If Andrus gets hurt or hits even worse than he did in 2015, don’t they have to try it?

Jake: Any industry rumors around who the Phillies will take at number 1?
Klaw: No. And if there were, they’d be bogus. It’s three months from the draft and there’s no Bryce Harper type to make this an easy question.

Kyle: I always admire your stances on twitter and speaking up on things like Baylor and Tennessee. In light of that, I’m curious to hear your thoughts on the Erin Andrews news and how you feel to be working for the same company that would make her live through that on TV
Klaw: I was not happy to see that at all, and I won’t say a word to defend ESPN’s actions, but I also have no idea who those executives might have been or if they’re still with the company. I can only hope that if they are still around that they are being made to answer for their actions. Erin deserved so much better.

Andrew: Pick one: Pandemic or Catan
Klaw: Pandemic.

Chris P: Are you looking to make any spring games, or is it all HS/college at this point?
Klaw: I have gone to spring training every year since joining ESPN. This year is no different.

Mike: If once of the Cardinals current starting five went down tomorrow, would you put Reyes on the 40 Man?
Klaw: I would have done it anyway just to make it clear that I think suspensions for weed are stupid. I have real optimism that the union is going to try to get that eliminated in the next CBA. I’m in California now and I could probably be legally high right now (I’m not, just to make that clear). There’s no justification for MLB being this far behind the times.

Anonymous: Do you think the Pirates treatment of Gerrit Cole is an example of an exploited inefficiency on PIT’s part? Figure a pitcher isn’t likely to be healthy or affordable by the time he is a FA, the player will take advantage of arbitration, why give a raise now?
Klaw: I wouldn’t have tried or threatened to cut him, but as I said on the BBTN podcast, there is no benefit to paying these guys more before they’re arb-eligible. I just wouldn’t go out of my way to antagonize them.

wrburgess: Who would you bet on being the 2016 version of Conforto, such as a 2015 draft pick that, given the chance, makes a late-season impact in the majors?
Klaw: I think Benintendi could do that. Hell, Bregman could do it if Altuve or Correa had some serious injury.

Nik: Which team will make the playoffs first, the Phillies or the Braves?
Klaw: Hm. I think Atlanta is more motivated to go spend some money to improve the team quickly in 2017-18, but the Phillies’ prospects are a bit closer to helping the big-league club.

Michael: Do you call out your colleagues when they refer to RBIs, OPS, “clutch,” or other stats/concepts you disagree with, like you do with people on Twitter? Is that uncomfortable?
Klaw: I have done so on Twitter and on air. I’ve called out colleagues for supporting anti-science and pseudoscience too. So this seems like a very silly question.

Amit: Check out any eats while you were in the bay?
Klaw: Cotogna, del Popolo, flour + water, Four Barrel, Sightglass.

Clay: Have you ever tried curing your own meat? Would love to try but I worry about getting it wrong and making people sick.
Klaw: I’ve cured and smoked bacon. I haven’t done anything to be eaten uncooked like prosciutto.

Ryan: Out of all of the Braves pitching prospects who’s most likely to reach/come close to expectations?
Klaw: Aaron Blair, because he’s just about there already.

Scott: With Archie Bradley and Jon Gray both reportedly showing increased velocity on their first spring turns, seems like both of their local media are hoping for the best and forgetting it was two inning stints after a long stretch off. How much of their problems the last two years can be tied directly to the lost ticks on their fastball?
Klaw: A lot. Although Bradley also had issues with his shoulder, and both guys have struggled to develop a good third pitch.

Ciscoskid: Any prospects that are top 2 rounds worthy out of Northern CA?
Klaw: Jefferies and Matt Manning are the two definites, although Manning is playing hoops and won’t make his first start until April 11th.

Colin: what disgusted you most about the GOP debate last night?
Klaw: I actually didn’t watch it; I’ve only read recaps and reactions, which of course are going to highlight the most ridiculous moments.

William: re: Spotlight….that Ruffalo weird accent/cadence he was going for didn’t annoy the living hell out of you?
Klaw: No – actually, I thought it enhanced the performance because it made him fall into character more. Plus I don’t know what Rezendes actually sounds like; I read an interview with Sascha Pfeifer which one of you sent to me where she said the actors all worked to adopt the real reporters’ accents and gestures.

Kevin: Thoughts on fantasy baseball (not daily). Good for the game or a hindrance?
Klaw: Good for the game. Daily fantasy, not so much.

Kevin: Best rapper ever?
Klaw: Rakim. I’ll entertain an argument for 2Pac, but Rakim is known by a single letter for a reason.

Guy Bissonnette: H ramirez end the season as the Sox 1B?
Klaw: Yes. I think he’s going to hit better than expected. He was OK before he slammed into the wall last year.

Michael: You made it seem like it was completely wrong to be in the minority on the gay marriage cases last week on Twitter. While you may not agree with originalism, it’s a legitimate way to interpret the Constitution. The ratifiers of the 14th Amendment never thought they were giving people the right to marry a person of the same sex. Leave it to the legislature.
Klaw: There are two problems with this. The ratifiers of the 14th amendment promised due process under the law to all, with no exceptions or conditions. Indeed, the authors or ratifiers of the Constitution or any amendment could not have imagined the world in which we live today, and saying that if they didn’t anticipate modern technology, biology, knowledge of genetics (of which they had none), and so on that the documents don’t apply renders them useless. As for Scalia’s argument that marriage equality should have been left to state legislatures, that’s an outright failure because so many federal laws and policies – including the favorable tax treatment of married couples and survivors’ benefits in social security – rely on marital status that it is undeniably a federal issues. Scalia was smart enough to know this, but let his own opposition to gay marriage inform his opinion instead.

Dan: Periscopes coming back soon?
Klaw: Tough to do those when I’m on a plane or in a car all the time.

Chris: Agree with the 30 games for Aroldis? I thought it was light, to be honest.
Klaw: I thought it was reasonable for a negotiated settlement (no appeal) in a case where the victim recanted, so whatever additional evidence MLB may have gathered that we don’t have, their case against Chapman was likely weaker than they’d wanted.

Steve: What kind of line would you expect from Park in Minnesota this year?
Klaw: .250ish with 75 walks and 20-25 homers? I don’t know him that well as a player, just some video.

Michael: I meant, do you do it in person? Doing it behind the comfort of a computer screen is a lot easier.
Klaw: Really? I would never say anything online or in a text that I wouldn’t repeat in person. You seem ignorant of what my job actually entails. When I say the Angels have the worst farm system I’ve ever seen, I still talk to many people in their organization and must be willing to stand up and answer for what I’ve said.

Fitzy: Does the White Sox initial aggressive assignment of Courtney Hawkins explain why he’s never really developed?
Klaw: It’s a strong hypothesis, and in my opinion, a good one that’s probably incomplete. He was fairly crude to begin with and there was always a chance he’d never hit.

Adam Trask: The underrated 9th amendment: The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people.
Klaw: No, we’re only picking and choosing amendments that fit our preconceived notions here. Please don’t confuse us.

Ronald: Do you have a feeling that, behind the scenes, Aroldis and his reps said, “we’ll settle with you if you agree to leave his free agency alone?”
Klaw: Absolutely. Not a bad strategy for them. I actually have no real problem with leaving his free agency alone while keeping him off the field for a month. MLB’s problem is not about these guys getting paid, but having them on the field at all. I would hope every opposing announcer would bring it up whenever Chapman’s in the game.

Kevin: If you have to eat at a chain which one is it?
Klaw: Shake Shack is excellent for a chain. Chipotle and Panera are solid choices when I’m in chain-world. I used to hate Panera and there are still things there I won’t touch, but often when I’m traveling I don’t want really heavy foods.

Dan: I’m pretty sure the ratifiers of the 2nd Amendment never thought they were giving people the right to carry semi-automatic weapons to kill…
Klaw: Key & Peele did a great sketch on this – maybe the framers would have loved semi-automatic weapons.

AJ: I know Andrew Suarez didnt make your top ten list for the Giants. What are your thoughts on him?
Klaw: Health history is a real concern. Could be a 4th starter if healthy but has had so many problems already I can’t forecast durability.

Nelson: Braves better off with Swanson or Simmons at shortstop?
Klaw: Simmons’ defense is irreplaceable but Swanson will provide far more offense than Simmons ever could. Probably a slight downgrade because Simmons’ glove was so good, but I still think Swanson makes a bunch of All-Star teams.

Owen (London): Did everyone else get the Robert Louis Stevenson/lighthouse reference a few weeks ago ? Fuckin’ A, bubba. This is why we love this game.
Klaw: Only a couple of people did, but that’s OK. My rule of thumb is that if one person gets one of my ridiculous references, I’m happy. Otherwise I’d lose my damn mind.

Michael: Originalists don’t agree with substantive due process. It’s completely made up to someone like Scalia. Moreover, the federal government could easily change those benefits if they wanted to. Vote people in who do if you don’t like it. I happen to be in favor of gay marriage; I just wanted it done the right way, not by nine unelected judges.
Klaw: I find the idea of leaving questions of fundamental rights up to elected officials, and thus the people who elected them, rather scary, or haven’t you noticed that the leading candidate for the GOP nomination wants to restrict the rights of Muslims?

Theo: Obviously A Espinoza looks great now. Being as small as he is and and young as he is, what are the percentages that 1) he actually makes it to the big leagues and 2) he develops reasonably well (#2/3)? Is he a lottery ticket at this point, or are the chances better?
Klaw: I was trying to think of the last guy like him – and there have been very few – who didn’t turn into anything at all. Brien Taylor? Felix did. Pedro did. Who else has there been?

BD: Any tricks to get a young child (2 in my case) to eat vegtables?
Klaw: I’m not the best one to talk, as my daughter is a great eater but still doesn’t love vegetables, but I have found that roasting them till caramelized helps bring out the sugars naturally present in the vegetables. I would often get my daughter to eat broccoli cooked like that and tossed with grated Parmiggiano-Reggiano or Pecorino Romano.

Mike: The Brewers outfield is stocked full of intriguing prospects, big fan of Michael Reed, how does he fit in there?
Klaw: I think he should be their everyday CF by year-end.

Michael D: Unlike the Rangers’ strategy to sign Desmond rather than going with an in-house platoon/rookie option, should Cleveland stick Naquin in CF as opposed to potentially overpaying for a guy like Austin Jackson? Not like Abraham Almonte was Kenny Lofton …
Klaw: I would. Even if Naquin hits .230/.290/.350 he’ll probably still help the club with his defense. And while they need a bat or three, Jackson probably isn’t the solution.

addoeh: What one regional or national chain restaurant, that isn’t close to your house, do you wish was near by?
Klaw: I’m glad Shake Shack isn’t nearby or I’d eat there too often. We do miss Grimaldi’s from Arizona as it was a favorite of my daughter’s and I happened to like their salads as well as their pizzas.

Kevin: Next to you is buster the hardest working guy in the business?
Klaw: True fact: Buster actually hasn’t slept in six years.

Marshall: How much time do teams spend evaluating an average draft pick? How much time in the farm system before the team has enough new information to make the draft position meaningless (i.e., not a factor in promotion decisions)?
Klaw: Come on, you saw Trouble with the Curve. Teams don’t see the player until a week before the draft, and then they only have the area guy see him even if he might be the first or second overall pick.

Drew: What was your impression of Connor Jones last week? And did you eat at Mas again or try somewhere new?
Klaw: I didn’t make the trip – I’m shooting for March 18th to try again.

Michael: Discrimination exists and is legal in this country. Other than rights specifically mentioned in the Constitution, legislatures decide the rest. People who love weed get incredibly discriminated in this country. Does due process and equal protection apply to them?
Klaw: Yeah, that’s not discrimination.

Lyle: I like popular music, restaurants, etc…but I want to seem super unique to people when I describe my tastes. What is wrong with me?
Klaw: Why? You like what you like. You certainly shouldn’t try to be something you’re just not.

Kevin: ever seen breaking bad and if so thoughts?
Klaw: I watched S1 and two eps of S2 and bailed. Just did not grab me.

Ed: Do you see Giolito starting the season in DC?
Klaw: No, and I’m guessing we don’t see him till late in the season given their other SP options.

Corey: Your prediction about whether or not JBJ, Castillo and Sandoval produce where the Sox expect/need them to ?
Klaw: I’ll say JBJ does, Castillo doesn’t, and Sandoval is OK but short of expectations.

Johnny: Do you think Rio Ruiz can take Atlanta’s 3rd base job by 2017? Or do you see him only being a bench guy?
Klaw: Bench guy.

Eric: Does it bother you when someone (who is hiding behind a computer screen) accuses you of hiding behind a computer screen when you criticize someone?
Klaw: You kind of just described Twitter.

Corey: Think Joe Kelly sticks as the 5th starter or ends up in ‘pen? and is Owens or Johnson (or Elias) the better replacement ?
Klaw: I think Kelly has to be in the bullpen but they seem committed to trying him as a starter again.

Jeff Chisholm: What anti science faction do you hate more: the “global warming is a myth” contingent or the “vaccines are dangerous” group?
Klaw: Do I have to choose? If you deny one part of science you might as well be denying all of it. We don’t get to pick what facts to believe. Well, we do, but if we don’t believe them all then we might as well go extinct.

Kevin: I keep hearing that the Trea Turner/Joe Ross for Wil Myers trade is a disaster for the Padres. Do you think there is a good chance Wil Myers breaks out and makes it a great deal for the Padres?
Klaw: I still have hope for Myers, but that trade will never look good for them because of how much they gave up.

John: berrios has to start in the Twins rotation right? Who else do they have….. How did they win that many game last year with that rotation
Klaw: I think he’s ready.

Klaw: I need to get rolling and figure out my plan for today as the game I was supposed to see (Moniak) was cancelled. Thanks as always for all of the questions – I’ll chat again at some point next week!

My ranking of the top 25 prospects by 2016 impact is now up for Insiders.

Klaw: I take this more serious than just a poem. Klawchat.

Chris in London: Some articles and John Henry have revived the analytics vs scouting debate? Why is there even a debate? Surely an organisation should exploit both. They’re not mutually exclusive.
Klaw: Analytics are an easy scapegoat. Remember Frank McCourt blaming them when he fired Depodesta and hired Colletti? It’s a combination of Trumpian pandering and the misconception that “analytics” are not actually produced by people the way scouting reports are.

Matt: Some warm weather in Louisville encouraged me to catch the Cardinals playing this weekend. Corey Ray was really impressive offensively and defensively (Feb. competition notwithstanding). One of my friends tried to comp him to Ken Griffey Jr. (we aren’t friends anymore), but I thought Jacoby Ellsbury is more realistic projection of his ceiling. Or am I way off as well?
Klaw: Less speed/defense than Ellsbury, more power. Bear in mind that Louisville outscored their opponentss 53-7 in those four games. I don’t think playing Pencil State and Little Sisters of the Poor counts the way some of their in-conference opponents will.

Anonymous: What do you think of Rangers’ David Perez? Beyondtheboxscore called him one of the best underrated prospects in the game. Would you agree?
Klaw: That’s silly, he’s been on the radar for at least four years and has no history of staying healthy. Great arm, of course, and if he ended up throwing 40 good innings for Texas’ bullpen this year I wouldn’t be surprised.

Matt: Since your last chat (as I’m sure you saw), Umberto Eco passed away. Did you ever read any of his works? The Name of the Rose remains the best and most challenging book I’ve ever read. An incredible blend of murder mystery fiction with medieval history, semiotics, philosophy, and religious studies all mixed in.
Klaw: Loved Name of the Rose for all the reasons you mentioned. Foucault’s Pendulum was a huge disappointment, primarily because he could not finish the plot.

Bob: Do you think Braxton Davidson has the hit tool to make enough contact to be a quality corner bat in the majors?
Klaw: Yes. He’s also got more power than stat-line scouting might lead you to believe.

Ben: I take it you don’t like Robert Stephenson’s chances of being a fulltime SP for Cincy this year?
Klaw: Is there a spot in their rotation for him? I don’t see one.

Ciscoskid: I found your comment about Gray not having little deception interesting. Is deception a skill, or attribute that you would focus on finding pitchers who had it for the Rockies rotation. So despite the stuff not being great a big deceptive fast ball might be highly effective?
Klaw: Deception comes from the delivery. If the hitter can’t see the ball till fairly late in the delivery, the pitcher gets a substantial advantage. Gray has as little deception as any pitching prospect I saw all last year, and a hard, straight fastball without deception is … well, that’s been one of Mark Appel’s problems, too.

Casey: Do you think Luke Weaver has the ceiling of a number 3 or 4 starter?
Klaw: I think he’s a reliever. FB-CH but not even a fringe-average breaking ball. Smaller guy too.

Brandon: How do you see the major league playing time for Gallo, Mazara, and Brinson playing out this year? Does Profar get first crack in the outfield?
Klaw: I don’t know, but I hope they do something like that, playing Profar, rather than acquiring a veteran to play LF. They have enough internal options to cover them until Hamilton is healthy (j/k) or one of those kids is ready to come up and perform.

Nick: Thoughts on Boras’ elite draft idea?
Klaw: He described something very much like this to me maybe four or five years ago, and I think he has the concept right. He’s absolutely correct that in any draft class there are only a few players whose market value would blow away these slot bonuses, and for most other kids, the draft shaves a little off their potential earnings but not a ton. His idea is focused on getting the Strasburg/Harper talents paid, and I support that without reservation, even though I think implementing his idea would be tricky because it creates opportunities for teams to manipulate the pool.

Jack: Will you travel to see Jason groome this year?
Klaw: He’s like 80 miles from my house, so, yes.

Alex: Does the fact that Anthony Alford has limited pro experience to date mean he could advance up prospect lists with a strong performance this year? With so few pro games he could be undervalued due to lack of exposure… What do you see his ceiling being?
Klaw: I do not believe he’s undervalued at all, nor is there a “lack of exposure.” He was a first-round talent in HS, and just played a full year in two full-season leagues. We got him. But he could shoot up into my top 10-15 this year because he’ll go to AA and now has a full season of at bats under his belt, as opposed to last year when he came in somewhat cold, with only about 150 pro AB before 2015.

Dave M: As a Cubs fan I loved your ranking of G. Torres. Are you at all concerned with his relatively high(21%) SO rate at low A?
Klaw: Well, no, or I wouldn’t have ranked him there. Also, that’s not that high a K% and he was exceptionally young for low-A.

Michael: Do you still think Foltynewicz can be an effective starter or with all the arms they’ve acquired is he just destined now for the pen??
Klaw: After the injury he might need to go to the bullpen for the interim anyway. I’d rather see him in the 8th or 9th and Blair in his rotation spot.

Jason (DC): You once were high on Dalton Pompey as a prospect. Still believe a breakout could come if given the opportunity?
Klaw: Yep, still a fan, haven’t really changed my view of him.

Dan: Understanding right now it seems unlikely. Should the Angels trade Trout? Is there any team in the league that has enough to trade for him?
Klaw: No, and just for the record (I know you’re not saying this), I never said the Angels should trade Trout. I said they will have to look at this if they don’t improve the system dramatically in the next 2-3 years or win a title in the meantime. But as long as he’s here, in his prime, and affordable, the mandate should be to build as good a team around him as possible.

PhillyJake: In Scottsdale many years ago I ate at Grimaldi’s, a brick over pizza place. When I lived in Brooklyn Heights, I used to go to his place under the Brooklyn Bridge. It was great. Wondering if the place in Scotssdale is still there and if it’s still any good?
Klaw: It’s a chain of about 20 places now, mostly in the southwest, although there’s no longer any formal connection with the locations in Brooklyn. I have tried both and actually prefer the pizza at the AZ places.

Andy: Does it worry you that someone putting together Time’s literature list may not know literature that well? I agree, Evelyn Waugh has a female sounding name, but no one looking at the list noticed that maybe he shouldn’t be on a list of top female authors.
Klaw: On the bright side, people are talking about Evelyn Waugh, and his work definitely deserves to be read. Scoop is just timeless.

Bret: With Jose Bautista’s negotiating stance making it seem highly likely he’ll be a free agent after this season, would you say that the Blue Jays window to contend will end after this season?
Klaw: I tried to say something like this but in less dramatic terms on TSN 1050 yesterday. If they get to July 15th and are not in the hunt, they should trade Bautista and begin a retooling, although they still have enough of a core that they might be able to turn it over into a contending team in 2017 if they trade shrewdly.

Scott of Lincolnshire: What in the eff are the Cubs going to do with their OF? Baez and/or Soler trade coming?
Klaw: I don’t understand the responses from fans about Baez. He hadn’t earned a thing. If this sends him back to AAA, so be it. A good September against largely non-contending teams shouldn’t change our opinion of the player.

Chris: Do you think players often read scouting reports of themselves from outside sources such as you or BA? And if not, do you think they should?
Klaw: I would hope not. I don’t write these for players. I write them for you.

Sam: Should Mazara be the Rangers LF this year?
Klaw: Doesn’t even have 100 AB above AA, right? I don’t think his bat is ready.

Derek Harvey: Just a heads up if you aren’t already aware, the link you tweeted doesn’t go here, but to an article on ESPN.
Klaw: Fixed, thanks. Too many links. (too many liiiiinks)

Jim: Obviously lots of info still trickling in, but what’s your reaction to the Brooks trade/Fowler signing and possible trades the Cubs might pursue with their outfield surplus?
Klaw: I’ll add that it’s a nice pickup for Oakland. Brooks is an up-and-down guy for me, and deployed properly Coghlan can be worth a win or two.

Matt: When it comes to teams like Atl, Philly, Cincy, etc., would you be in favor of playing the young players/prospects that are close to MLB ready or stop-gap veterans? For example, Jenkins or Blair in Atlanta rather than Kendrick or Chacin. It seems like it would make sense to get the younger players ready and lose that way instead of losing with retreads. Just my thoughts. Thanks, Keith
Klaw: I’d rather play the kids if they’re ready. I would never advocate rushing a kid to a non-contending team just for the sake of not paying a veteran, but I might argue that, say, the Twins should give Buxton the CF job now because his glove and speed will help them even if his bat isn’t quite ready.

Chris: How should qualifying offer process change? I think it’s brutal as is but not sure what would make more sense.
Klaw: All ties between free agency and the draft should be severed.

Alex: How does Aaron Judge not make the top 25 prospects by 2016 impact list? Have to assume he gets promoted when a Beltran or Ellsbury hits the DL.
Klaw: Do we have to assume that? What if he’s striking out 30% of the time in AAA? I’m a big fan of Judge’s, but there’s a significant hurdle for him to clear before he’s ready. Even AA pitchers were exploiting him on the outside edge when I saw him last summer.

Mel Judd: How long before Ray Montgomery gets a GM gig?
Klaw: Really thought the Brewers would promote him, but that whole search process seemed rigged from the start. Attanasio decided who he wanted before it began.

Jon: Is the situation with Lazarito scary and cause to finally clean up/change the international signing process?
Klaw: Not scary, just typical for down there. Lots of people have “invested” in him and want to get paid. MLB should step up its presence in the DR even further, though, because that’s the only way we’ll get more transparency in the process.

ECinDC: In the Impact Players column you mentioned that Danny Espinosa is a poor defender at SS. From the eye test (which admittedly isn’t great), he looks fantastic and had great numbers at 2B. Why the negative assessment, as I have always thought the knock on him to be the weak average/obp?
Klaw: He’s good at 2b but not at short. Also can’t hit. Other than that, great player.

Ed: Do you think Will Benson and Delvin Perez are to HS players that will end up going top 5 this year? Seems like a better HS bat crop than initially reported.
Klaw: Perez might have the best tools in the class, but his makeup is getting a lot of criticism from scouts, directors, even two GMs I asked. He doesn’t always play hard, and there have been some attitude questions even off the field. So he could go top five – he could go top 2 or 3 – or he could slide because teams worry he won’t have the commitment to be a big leaguer. Benson is in the top group of HS position players with Rutherford, Moniak, Nolan Jones.

Ben: Where would have betts and swihart ranked in your top 100 if eligible?
Klaw: Betts just had a 5-WAR season in the majors, right? You can’t put that guy on a top 100 prospects list. It’s like asking where Mike Trout would rank.

Matt B: Which Phillies prospect has the highest ceiling other than Crawford?
Klaw: Kilome. Maybe Randolph, just because he can really hit, but the bar is pretty high for his bat now that he’s in LF.

Tom: Is there any main reason that the Angels have earned their #30 ranking? Bad drafts? Constant giving up their #1 draft pick to sign past their prime free agents?
Klaw: Some bad drafts. Some drafts without high picks. Lots of trades. Some non-development of guys like Cowart, who was a legit first-round pick.

Joe: Why have you fallen of on Moancada?
Klaw: I don’t think I fell off anyone. And this is making me uncomfortable.

mike: what is the Bluejay obsession with Jay Bruce? Jacoby was hitting instructor during his most successful year, but the rumoured acquisition did not match the required additional salary for a limited budget team like Toronto
Klaw: I don’t understand it either. He’s not that good of a player.

John Uskglass: Do you ever, or how often, do you get discouraged when writing about a topic (sports) that always is looking to predict future and find answers on why things are, yet is almost entirely unpredictable because of the ever fluid nature of an athlete’s skills & inherent randomness?
Klaw: No. I recognize the nature of what I’m doing is as much entertainment as anything else. I try to do my job to the best of my abilities, but failure is built in and I’ve come to terms with that.

JT: What is your gut feeling on how Dylan Bundy performs this season?
Klaw: My gut feeling is that he’s hurt and barely pitches if at all.

Matt B: If you had to make a comparison to what Scott kingery could be, what player would you compare him to?
Klaw: Altuve. Now, that’s projecting to an unreasonable extent on Kingery’s hit tool, but bear in mind I had him as a first-round talent in June, so I’m fairly optimistic on him. It’s a similar profile, but Altuve was in the big leagues at Kingery’s age.

Dane: Having an arguement with a friend, i think a trade involving Bogaerts for Harvey straight up is awful. Pitchers are always a questionable investment. Bogaerts is a once in a lifetime player. Thoughts?
Klaw: I would not trade Bogaerts for Harvey, but I don’t think Xander is a “once in a lifetime player.”

Ted: JBJ + for Soler. Both OFs align nicer this way. Any chance?
Klaw: Makes no sense for the Cubs. The hell would they need with another outfielder?

Nate A: Keith your thoughts on the slide rule change, particularly the change in ability to review neighborhood plays?
Klaw: If this causes umps to get the neighborhood play right more frequently, great. If this means 200 more replay delays this year to overturn stubborn umps who refuse to call the neighborhood play as it should be, not great.

Thomas: What is a realistic ceiling for Max Kepler? Could he be a 300/370/450 guy with 50 XBH a year?
Klaw: Think there’s a little more power in there.

cw: Delvin Perez, AJ Puk, or Jason Groome to Philly? I’m leaning Perez
Klaw: I would bet you right now it’s none of the above. I see virtually zero chance it’s Groome, not much more it’s Perez, and if you’re offering me Puk or the field, I’m taking the field. Ray, Jefferies, Jones, one of those prep bats I mentioned – plenty of other options.

Jason: Do you see the “top” college arms like Puk and Hansen falling this spring behind the draft’s HS bats and possibly arms?
Klaw: Hansen needs to pitch well, stat. He came into the year with a red flag on his elbow, and then was awful week one. Puk will go pretty high as a “safe” college lefty with size and stuff.

Jason: Remember during the last CBA negotiations how the new IFA restrictions were to prevent large teams from throwing money around and helping to protect smaller markets. Funny how that ended up.
Klaw: Every time MLB has tried to tweak its tax code to implement social policies, it has backfired. I’m shocked, shocked to find this.

Alan: Any feedback regarding catcher Sean Murphy from Wright State?
Klaw: He seems like a solid first rounder.

RAW: I notice you didn’t mention Vogelbach in your Cubs top ten+. Is he simply a non-prospect?
Klaw: For me, yes. DH only who hasn’t hit for much power.

Alex: If Groome and Perez are picked 1-2, what names should the Braves look at with the 3rd pick? When will you post your first mock draft?
Klaw: Those guys are not 1-2. Again, I see virtually no chance the Phillies take Groome, or any HS pitcher, at 1. My first mock draft will be about three weeks before draft day, so early to mid-May. Anything too far before that is a fabrication.

Josh: Tough board game question: I have an 8 year old daughter, recently diagnosed with ASD. As part of her therapy it’s been suggested that she play board games. What are some suggestions that won’t bore me to tears? She has attention and sensory issues. Long waits between turns is bad. Things she can interact with by touch are good. She is very bright, so that’s not an issue.
Klaw: That’s a really good question. Of the games I know, many of which are aimed at older kids or adults, Splendor is pretty quick between turns and has thick plastic tokens as well as cards and cardboard badges. Jaipur, which is just a two-player game, has similar components. They’re also both simple for an 8-year-old to learn. I’ve also played Splendor with a kid about that age who has sensory processing disorder, and she liked it.

Ray: I know you value defense highly, but what kind of hitter can we expect Nick Williams to be as a big leaguer? 20 HR, 20 SB, .280 BA type bat?
Klaw: Not sold on that kind of average, and I think he’ll always be a low OBP guy. Could see that 20/20 profile though.

James: Do you believe Groome will go #1 to the Phils? Local guy , they love him.
Klaw: /slams head into kitchen table

BD: A few years ago in chat, you actually suggested the Nats move Espinosa to SS, because he could handle it, and because it would improve his trade value since there was more scarcity at SS. Just saying.
Klaw: A few years later, he’s no longer very good there. Let’s not pretend players never change or that defense doesn’t get worse as a player approaches or passes 30. Just saying.

Thomas: Just read Moneyball again recently. Do you agree with the Athletics on not taking high school players due to the risks involved? Or is it more of a case by case basis for you?
Klaw: Never. It was a good idea, briefly, while college players were being undervalued by the industry. That window closed fast.

JakeInCanada: Does Anthony Alford’s particular skillset give him a chance for a high ceiling, high floor, or both/none? He’s been impressive, considering his time away from baseball.
Klaw: High ceiling especially because I think there’s more power to come.

Kevin (DC): The Yankees are trying Refsnyder at 3B. It will likely end in disaster, but I kind of like the idea that they at least tried. Are other teams looking at this approach for player development?
Klaw: I agree. They don’t get enough credit for trying out players at different positions where they might have more value. Doesn’t have to work all the time to be a good strategy. Cardinals have done this a little, with Carson Kelly the most notable example.

Ed: Regarding your mention of Delvin Perez’s makeup concerns, would you draft a player with a great skill set hoping he will mature or would you not waste a top 10 pick on a potential headache?
Klaw: If it’s just immaturity, I’d take the risk, especially since I think he has 1-1 caliber tools (at least in this class he does). If the kid had anger issues, or a drug problem, or something else worse – none of which is true about Perez to the best of my knowledge – I would pass. I remember when Elijah Dukes was in the draft class, and I was with Toronto; he had first-round tools but we wanted no part of him.

Tom: My 9 year old son and I finished all the Kazaam books on your Jasper Fforde suggestion a couple of months ago. Any other readaloud suggestions?
Klaw: Diana Wynne Jones’ Howl’s Moving Castle and Castle in the Sky have both been hits with my daughter.

@Jaypers413: Don’t most managers and pitching coaches take more than 30 seconds just to make it to the mound?
Klaw: Well, you know, hurry the fuck up already.

John Uskglass: With regards to top prospects, what do you think a reasonable expectation is of them? I know everyone thinks a player ranked in the top ten of top 100 prospects list is destined to be a superstar, but the odds of that are way lower than people think. I would think the front office looks at it as a success if a top prospect turns out average to above average WAR seasons for multiple years and fans are disappointed in anything less than multiple 6+ WAR seasons. Like if Byron Buxton’s WAR then next 5 years (assuming regular playing time) were: 1.3, 1.6, 3.6, 3, 2.4. How many people would take that right now?
Klaw: I think the Twins would see that as very disappointing. I would too. He might only be a 1-2 WAR player now, because I’m afraid he’ll post a .290 OBP this year, but he has 4+ WAR upside and I would hope after 1000 major league PA he’d have made some adjustments at the plate.

Stu: Would Kyle Lewis be too big of a reach at #3 for Atlanta?
Klaw: Hell yes. Can’t take a college kid with that noisy a swing and that much swing and miss at 3 overall.

BD: If you were to do one… overspend your rule 4 draft budget (and take penalty), or overspend your IFA budget (and that that penalty)?
Klaw: The IFA penalty is just money, so that’s the easy choice. That said, if Bryce Harper were in the draft class, and I was picking 2nd or 3rd, you’re damn right I’d call him and offer him $20 million and take the penalty.

Chris: Matt Bowman gonna stick on Cardinals roster?
Klaw: I don’t see how. Nice pitcher, great AAA depth starter, but where does he fit for them?

Alex_NY: If you could pick one Mets starter to pitch a do or die game, who would it be?
Klaw: Harvey. No disrespect to Thor or deGrom. You could do a lot worse.

Michael: Correct me if I’m wrong, but I assume you were a baseball fan before you got into the industry. For those of us interested in sports as a career, does having baseball as a job take away some of its enjoyment and turn a hobby into a job or hassle?
Klaw: It is a job now, not a hobby. I still enjoy the sport, enjoy watching it and following it, but you see how many other hobbies or interests I have, and that is in part because I want things in my life that are not work. Baseball is work now.

David: You ever read the Game of Thrones books?
Klaw: First one. Hated it. Lurid, rapey crap.

Goldenface: Do you believe there are any analytics (velocity, pitch type, pitch F/X data, etc.) that can crack the mystery of predicting injuries, or are injuries just a thing that are too dependent on the specifics of the player in question and we won’t be able to accurately apply a large data analysis?
Klaw: I lean towards the latter. Of course, we should keep trying, but I think genetics play too big a role for us to ever get to a level of certainty that makes us comfortable with the type of decisions we make around estimates of future health.

Alex_NY: What should the Mets strategy be in the draft? Best player available, young, top HS talent, more developed college players, etc?
Klaw: Every team’s strategy should be best players available. I say “players,” because sometimes you’ll cut a deal at pick #6 to get a better player at pick #38, and that’s how you end up with the best portfolio of players.

Ryan: Can Sam Tuivailala be an above average reliever? I’ve heard that he could potentially be a closer some day. Are people only saying this because he throws hard or is that potential there?
Klaw: Slider is legit when it’s on. I think he could be a closer some day too. The sample is too small to mean much, but I like that he missed more bats in August and September last year, at least.

Daniel: You know deception is valuable when pitchers Like Chris Young and his 84 MPH are still relatively successful.
Klaw: Yep. It’s going to be a big part of Sean Manaea’s success in the majors too. Left-handed hitters especially won’t see the ball.

Dave: For the child with sensory issues, try King of Tokyo. My 8 year old loves it. Vibrant board, fun monsters, lots of dice rolls, etc.
Klaw: Thank you. Time between turns might a little long.

Jason: Blake Snell isn’t going to make an impact this year?
Klaw: I never said that.

Dan: Thoughts on the Twins saying Sano won’t play any third base this year?
Klaw: I don’t blame them.

Drew: What do you think Connor Jones’ ceiling is?
Klaw: I’m going to see him tomorrow afternoon. I think mid-rotation starter with good probability. Maybe a little more if that sink is as good as I think it is.

Michael: Do you agree with MLB’s handling of Jose Reyes? Does the result of his criminal case really matter?
Klaw: I wonder if they are hoping the criminal case solves the problem for them. If he’s convicted, or pleads to anything, they can just point to that and suspend him for a long time.

Braves: Think this news regarding Lazarito bodes well for the Braves signing him? A duo with him and Maitan would be an impressive haul…
Klaw: I think Lazarito is highly overrated by folks who have never seen him play.

cw: Are you worried about Trump being President?
Klaw: I’ll put it this way: I don’t want him to be President. But Sinclair Lewis told me it can’t happen here.

Matt: In comparison to the every-year 16 yr dominican/venezuelan J2 pitchers, how good a prospect is Adrian Morejon? i know there was a report of an 8-figure bonus, is this purely a cuba-tax? is his talent even close to justifying it?
Klaw: From what I’ve heard, he’s worth it, or something close.

Keith: If Matz stays relatively healthy moving forward, what is his ceiling? Also, is he so injury plagued? Delivery looks relatively easy, seemingly somewhat durable build…
Klaw: Look at the history of injuries. I only mentioned some of them in the top 100 capsule and there were more I omitted. It’s probably a #2 starter if you think he can handle 180+ on a regular basis. He’s never reached 150, though, and he’s been in pro ball since 2009.

José (not Peraza): I read from several sources that José Peraza was an elite defensive SS not that long ago. What happened? Is ti all mismanagement, poor evaluation or something else?
Klaw: Don’t think he was elite, but I think he could have been elite had he stayed there. Now he’s two years off the position and hasn’t developed much if at all with the bat.

Raphael: Hey Keith. How come Correa (listed at 6’4, 210 lbs) doesn’t face the same questions about being able to stick at SS as Seager does?
Klaw: Seager’s bigger and less agile. Correa faces those questions too, by the way. I don’t think Correa’s still a shortstop in five years.

Drew: If possible, while in Charlottesville,
Klaw: Love it. Been twice. Cool space too, although last time I was there it was overpacked.

PhillyJake: KLaw for President?
Klaw: Eric B. for President. I’ll be VP.

TJ: 20-80 scale, how difficult will the next round of CBA talks be between the owners and the players be? Would either side be willing to risk killing their golden goose?
Klaw: 30. Everyone’s making bank. The sticking points are all around the margins.

Paul: With 12 man pitching staffs, do you think more teams featuring staffs with lower K/9 and stuff should adopt the Rays / 3 times through the order approach for their worst starters, supplanting them with long-men? I think about the Twins rotation, and with health and their youth, you could maximize many 120 IP for the guys by turning like Nolasco/Milone/May as a caddy for the starter.
Klaw: I think that you’re going to see more teams employ long men and keep starters on shorter workloads not just for the TTO penalty, but to try to keep them healthy by just plain using them less.

Nate: Ever stayed at any of the DVC properties while at WDW? (Wondering about Old Key West in particular)
Klaw: Yes. Pricey, but high quality.

Stu: Do you have any thoughts on Jeren Kendall as a prospect, or is it too early?
Klaw: Guy was a top 20 talent out of high school. He’s only gotten better, but he’s been well-known and very well-regarded for about three years now. Could have had $1.5MM at least out of HS.

Rob: Was Gary Sanchez under consideration for your list? I gather lack of obvious playing time is an issue.
Klaw: He was not, for that very reason.

Jon: What is the best way to clean a cast iron grill pan? Steel wool?
Klaw: No, a non-abrasive pad like a Dobie. Clean right away with soap and hot water, rinse, dry FULLY, then heat with a little oil to retreat the surface.

Andy: So assuming that at the least, Reyes’ trade value is shot, the Rockies traded a possible top 15 player in MLB for extra money in 2018-2020 and 3 pitching prospects who currently rank as two possible #3’s and a future reliever. That’s bad asset management.
Klaw: Well, clearing the money was probably the priority there.

Corey: Do you think Pat Light will make a contribution in the pen this year or more likely next season? What about Marmol, Sox have identified a delivery issue supposedly and think they can fix him.
Klaw: I’ll believe in Marmol having value when I see it. This strikes me as more “the games haven’t started and we need something to write about” than “hey, this guy who hasn’t been good in six years is good again.” Light is ready to help in middle relief.

Craig: Is Eric Thames that much better than when he was a major leaguer or is the KBO that bad?
Klaw: The KBO is a lot worse than MLB and it’s a very high-offense league.

Scott of Lincolnshire: Going to NOLA for the first time (the city, not the Phillies pitcher). What’s your #1 place to eat there?
Klaw: Cochon.

mtsw: Britton for Soler make sense for both side on paper?
Klaw: Not for the Cubs.

Mike: Jason Heyward being the first MLBer younger than me was enough to make me feel old, but j2’ers born in 2000? That’s too much.
Klaw: I’m old enough now that the HS kids in this draft were all born when I was in grad school.

Scotty G: Could Carlos Martinez become an elite, Cy Young candidate pitcher this season – what is his ceiling in your opinion?
Klaw: Might put him in the Matz category of “great when healthy but not often healthy.”

Jimmy: Do you think Jorge Polanco can handle SS as soon as this season? Or is he the eventual successor to Dozier? Maybe they can just bench Dozier post-ASB since he hits like Brian Dennehey in the 2nd half.
Klaw: You’re eventually going to want more defense at short than Polanco will provide, but he might be their everyday guy there by the midpoint.

Justin: Thoughts on Isan Diaz? Does he eventually end up at 2B?
Klaw: I think third base. Not a shortstop. Looks like he’ll hit enough for 2b or 3b.

Dana: Seems like a Brett Gardner trade to the Angels for young pitching makes a lot of sense for both sides. Am I missing something?
Klaw: You’re missing the part that helps the Angels.

Bill: What is it about Devon Travis, on the field, that you are not high on? What are his major flaws?
Klaw: Don’t like the swing or the defense.

Kevin: Hi Keith, Jays Fan. Please tell me Shapiro is smart enough to not pay Bautista for his past? He has averaged about 4.5 fangraphs WAR the last 4 years. What would have been fair value for that? $20m/year? Use him for a playoff run this year and take the compensation pick for the qualifying offer at year end.
Klaw: No chance. I think Bautista made Shapiro’s life easy.

Jeff: I am very interested in your thoughts on Billy Hamilton. Does he generate enough productivity with speed and defense that it is worth playing him every day, or do you think the bat will put him on the bench?
Klaw: He does, but he should hit 8th or 9th.

Rob: It seems from Twitter that you and Jonathan Mayo are on one side of the Amed Rosario divide. Is he divisive because his profile has seemingly changed? What’s the good outcome here? Alcides Escobar with a little more bat?
Klaw: I think we’re both big believers in him, no? Rosario can hit and he’s going to come into some power. It’s bat speed and strength. He went from short-season right to St. Lucie, which dampens power considerably.

Alex: I picked up Section Eleven on your recommendation Monday after work. I finished it Tuesday, it was fantastic, thank you. Do you have any recommendations for similar books? I have read most of David Mitchell.
Klaw: Bel Canto by Ann Patchett.

Nils: Hi Keith, who is the best defensive OFer in your top 100? Maybe Brinson? Alford?
Klaw: Buxton, Brinson, Margot, Almora, Alford.

Chris: Thoughts on cooking with a slow cooker?
Klaw: I’m cooking a pork shoulder in mine right now.

Jake: What’s your feeling on expensive restaurants with lengthy tasting menus (to name a few in NYC, Ko, Blanca, Chef’s Table) – great experience, colossal waste of money, or something in between?
Klaw: I’ve had the nine-course-plus-little plates meal at the Catbird Seat in Nashville, which featured amazing food but was also very much an experience in presentation, show, and technical skills. I would have a hard time spending that kind of money on even an infrequent basis, though, as great as that meal was. I can only eat so much.

John: Please break down the Fowler deal and how it effects the Cubs and the O’s please. Thanks. Really want to get your opinion here
Klaw: There’s nothing to break down. He went back to where he was, and he was never an Oriole anyway.

Michael: How far would you be willing to go on Bautista right now? 4 years/$80MM?
Klaw: Nope. Less.

Tom: Just how bad are the Phillies going to be this year? I have some hope for a little more excitement and a few more wins than last year.
Klaw: I think they’re going to be very interesting by the second half, when a bunch of the kids should be up and playing. It may not mean more wins, but it would be a much better product to watch. I’ll probably go to some games myself once the Crawfords and Appels and Thompsons are up.

Klaw: That’s all for this week – thank you all, as always, for the questions. I will be traveling for most of March, but will do my best to chat weekly, just adjusting the day around my movements.

The index to all 30 MLB farm reports and top tens is now up; all reports are Insider except for Baltimore’s, which is free for all readers. Insiders can also read my top 100 prospects ranking and my my ranking of all 30 farm systems.

Klaw: This generation rules the nation … with Klawchat.

Danny B: Will Jacob Turner (one of your breakout picks from last year) get another opportunity to start or is he viewed as a reliever due to his fragility?
Klaw: Last I’d heard he was healthy but I can’t imagine he gets a starter’s workload, at least to start the year, given that he missed all of last season.

Jose: Hi Keith. I’d like to know your thoughts on Yulieski Gurriele and his brother. Also, did you hear something about the showcase Cuban player Alexei Bell had in Mexico? According to El Nuevo Herald the scouts were impressed with his demonstration.
Klaw: I’ve only seen Yuliesky, and he was awful. I’ve heard he was much, much better this past winter – body was better, effort was better, quality of contact was there. He was a star back in 2006 but I think you’re hoping to get maybe two productive years from him. I don’t even try to keep track of all the Cuban players’ showcases now; there are too many players and too few of them are clearly worth following at the moment. I’ll catch them when they sign.

steven: Is it fair to say that Dom Smith profiles as a somewhat similar hitter to Michael Conforto? Both are lefty, have unusually refined approaches, use the whole field and are more likely to get their value from doubles and high obp than classic power albeit Smith seems to have the edge in avg and Conforto will have more power.
Klaw: Smith has a lot more power than he’s shown, as I’ve written a few times. Both have a great approach but Smith is stronger than Conforto was at the same age.

Daniel: Travis Lakins pitched 2IP in Lowell and was ranked no.10 in the Red Sox system (soxprospects has him at 23). What led you to place him so high?
Klaw: It has absolutely nothing to do with how much a player played in pro ball last year. He pitched the whole spring (96 innings) for Ohio State and was scouted the whole spring too. The rankings are based on scouting reports, mine and those of scouts I talk to, as much as statistics.

Justin S.: In your top 10 for each Farm you included impact players for 2016. I was curious why you left off players like Seager (too obvious), Giolito , PJ Crawford, Jose Peralta and Julio Urias ? Do you believe they aren’t going to get called up this year?
Klaw: Seager’s already up and has a job. I don’t think those others are getting called up any time soon.

Fitzy: In your Blue Jays report, you mentioned that Rowdy Tellez couldn’t turn on an average fastball, but I believe that he homered off James Paxton in the AFL on an up and in fastball. Was Paxton’s velocity down? Just curious, thanks for all your great work.
Klaw: Two problems with this question. One, if I say a player “can’t hit lefties,” I don’t mean he’s going to go 0 for 150 against them. So Tellez might occasionally cheat on a fastball and hit it, but over a long span of time good fastballs will eat him up. Two, Paxton was only throwing fastballs and changeups, no breaking balls, so Tellez could easily cheat whereas a lefty who could spin something away from him wouldn’t permit that.

Jay B: Is the Cubs’ 2018 CF currently in their system?
Klaw: Almora is the safest bet for that.

Cliff: Why are you such a pompous douschebag?
Klaw: Because someone has to put illiterates like you in their place.

Amit: Quick analysis on the A’s/Brewers trade from last week?
Klaw: You saw my notes on the prospects in the Brewers farm report, so needless to say I wouldn’t have given Nottingham up for a below-average regular like Davis.

Woodman: Giants avoided arbitration with Belt, but local radio is saying he’s not the long-term 1B solution and that Giants should move Posey to 1B full-time in a few years. Posey is one of the best catchers in baseball. Is it smart to throw away a great catcher to make him a good 1B?
Klaw: If the concern is injury, yes. You also see some teams move catchers (Harper, Myers) out from behind the plate to get their bats in the lineup 160 games a year rather than 135, which is understandable but of course can take quite a toll in lost value. And if the player doesn’t hit, as Myers hasn’t other than his rookie year, then you might have a below-average regular where behind the plate you might have had an average one.

Tom R.: Is all of Newman’s value tied to his glove or do you really think he will be a good enough hitter to be a borderline star?
Klaw: I think he can hit and I know he can really run. The Pirates are going contrarian – in an era where many teams have taken strikeouts from hitters as the cost of doing business, they’re following the Royals’ model and focusing on guys who put the ball in play. I don’t know if it’s right but I love the idea.

Chris: Non-baseball Q: Preferred way to cook a duck? I roasted my first duck recently, and used a “steam the whole bird, then cut up and roast the pieces” method. It came out great, but was thinking of maybe doing legs/thighs and breasts using different methods next time (e.g. roast breast meat, confit legs).
Klaw: I cooked one whole once and won’t do it again. Better to braise or confit the legs, sear the breasts (or sous-vide and sear?), and save the bones to make the best stock you’ll ever make at home.

Scherzer’s Blue Eye: What does Fedde need to do to crack your Hundee?
Klaw: A third pitch would be a good start. I’m not sure what he has now is more than fourth starter worthy.

Drew: If something horrible happened to Joe Mauer, is Max Kepler ready on opening day ?
Klaw: Yes. But you make it sound like you’re planning something.

Ruhlman: What kind(s) of salt do you use when cooking? Do you find a noticeable difference between Morton’s and $10/2oz. pink Himalayan sea salt?
Klaw: Nope. It’s all sodium chloride. The shape is what matters.

Andrew: I’ve seen some grades on Buxton at 80 run/80 glove, etc…which prospect(s) can you think of with multiple 80 grades – that would seem pretty rare (maybe Bo Jackson?)
Klaw: Gallo has 80 power and an 80 arm. See that a lot with guys who were also good pitchers in HS – Buxton was mid-90s when I saw him.

Ryan: Hey Keith, I know you touched on it briefly in your top 10 for the Cardinals but I was wondering if you could expand a bit more on why you had Plummer below Woodford despite Plummer ranking a lot higher in your 2015 draft rankings. Thanks
Klaw: I explained at the top of the chat last week that I don’t rely on my own previous rankings to create the next set – that becomes stubbornness rather than just consistency. Plummer looked more raw over the summer than expected, while Woodford was at least as advanced as we thought going into the draft, maybe a little more so.

Andrew: “Tanking” has been a big topic recently – I would contend that there is a difference between “designing a team for failure” and simply not wasting money on players who won’t ultimately make a team significantly better and exchanging assets for long-term value. Is this an argument of semantics? I just don’t see it as “designing teams to fail.”
Klaw: I agree with you. Tanking in baseball doesn’t really work. It’s just not wasting money. NBA teams seem to actually tank.

Ed: I believe the Cubs are starting Happ in high A to help develop his skills at 2nd. My question is, don’t you get essentially the same experience at a defensive position no matter what level you play, and therefore wouldn’t it make sense to continue to develop his bat at the appropriate level?
Klaw: You’d expect balls in play to be harder, or more consistently hard, the higher up in the minors you go.

Pat: Keith – Have a question about Bundy’s exclusion from your Orioles org rankings. Why include Hart – who you admit has to repeat A ball and has no power or speed — and not Bundy. Think even a relief career is unlikely for Dylan at this point?
Klaw: Bundy has a calcification in his shoulder and it’s unclear how much he’ll be able to pitch.

Jack: Newman’s performance in the PAC-12 doesn’t concern you at all? The guy had a low-.300s OBP in conference play as a junior…
Klaw: yeah, but what did he do on alternate Tuesdays?

Jerry: Keith, You were previously very high on Brandon Nimmo, it not longer seems to be the case. What has changed? Where did the athleticism go? Odds he can still be a big league regular? MLB starting CF?
Klaw: He just stopped getting better at an age and level when he should have gotten better. He never developed power, and his defense in CF has slipped a little bit each year.

Larry: Jorge Mateo will likely be a better player as a whole than Billy Hamilton, true?
Klaw: I’ll bet on that, yes.

Jesse: Shaun King and the NY Daily News have embarrassed themselves. Work like that gives journalism a bad name. He obviously had a goal to diminish Peyton Manning because of his belief Cam Newton was criticized for his behavior after the SB because of race. That’s not a defense for Peyton Manning because I believe it’s two separate issues. Just terrible journalism there. How do you not have an attorney assist with an article like that?
Klaw: I agree he should have had an attorney assist with the article, but the only part that matters is the court filings, not what King did or didn’t say about them. (Also, of course Newton was criticized for his behavior because of race.)

Eric: Of the no longer eligible prospects, who are some of your breakout sleepers for 2016?
Klaw: I’ll write that article at some point in March.

Danny: I know this is a hypothetical, but should the Jays have kept Syndergaard instead of Sanchez? (Or do you attribute significant part of current difference in their outlook to the team’s approaches, which would have been different…)
Klaw: If Sanchez had gone to the Mets instead, perhaps his delivery wouldn’t have changed for the worse, and he’d be in the Mets’ rotation. It’s far from certain – I mean, it’s clear that the Mets did very well in getting Thor – but it’s a possible scenario given what did happen with Sanchez afterwards.

Craig: Can Jake Nottingham be a passable MLB catcher or is his long-term future at 1B? Does he hit well-enough to justify a transition to 1B?
Klaw: I think there’s a reasonable enough chance he can catch that I’d leave him there for now.

Tom: Is most scouting of HS players done at showcase events? Seems like it would be tougher to gauge value at actual HS games.
Klaw: Showcase events bring their own problems – pitchers coming in for one inning trying to air it out, players getting maybe two at bats and trying to hit something hard or out, game outcomes not mattering. So scouts will fan the country all spring seeing those same players in real games for their high school teams as much as they can.

Nick: If the Mets have 5 reasonable, healthy starters when Wheeler comes back (big if), what do you think about easing him back from TJ as an 8th inning guy for this season only?
Klaw: Hate it. Guy coming off TJ shouldn’t be used as a short reliever, where it’s get up for an inning, air it out, and maybe come back again the next day. Long reliever, sure, throw 2-3 innings here and then take 3 days off.

Tom: Are there examples of successful MLB pitchers that have missed as much time as Taillon and Bundy due to injuries in the minors?
Klaw: Steven Matz missed two years and contributed in the majors last year.

Drew: Ben Carson is a really smart guy. That just blows my mind.
Klaw: He also denies evolution, so, ease up there.

Brian: Keith – don’t think I see you review many classic crime/detective novels, but have you read any from that genre you would recommend?
Klaw: I don’t review many of them but I’ve read a ton – all of Chandler and Hammett, a dozen or more of Stout’s Nero Wolfe novels, Jim Thompson’s books, James Cain, and so on.

Pat: People make a big deal out of the PECOTA projections. It’s an admirable attempt, but really is it possible to accurately project in mid-February an win/loss record? Seems like there are way too many variables
Klaw: I think you’re right, and I think it’s stupid to go to execs or coaches or players and shove a projection in their face and say “See? This computer says you suck! Care to comment?” but there is no question in my mind that well-built computer projections will beat any individual person’s guesses on standings (yes, including mine).

Pat: Going off that high school scouting question, it seems likely that a lot of players would slip through the cracks. Particularly if the players aren’t attending showcases.
Klaw: This is why teams employ area scouts, and should continue to do so, perhaps even adding more, even in the face of what seems like an industry trend toward employing fewer.

Jim: When scouting a HS game with only one known prospect, do scouts spend the time he is not pitching/batting looking for diamonds in the rough or do they just mess around on their phone?
Klaw: Usually I spend that time tweeting to you and the other scouts spend the time reading my tweets.

Justin: When a player like Joc Pederson demonstrates good plate discipline and pitch recognition in terms of walk rate, but also has a high strikeout rate, what are some things that it might be attributable to?
Klaw: Don’t think he has good pitch recognition, just good ball/strike recognition. Could be attributable to a poor two-strike approach, or to the bat head getting out of the zone too quickly, or lack of bat speed to catch up to good fastballs in the zone.

michael: would you say that your top 100 prospects list is indicative of the trade value that they would have in the market? For example, would you always trade your #51 prospect if you had the opportunity to get #50?
Klaw: The difference between #51 and #50 is negligible.

BD: Ole Miss SS Errol Robinson is a ___ round draft pick?
Klaw: Second. Maybe third, probably second.

Joe: On talent alone, would Bundy still be in your top 100? I know this is basically a ridiculous question, but could you help settle a pretty big argument I’ve had with some people?
Klaw: What talent remains? If you’re asking where he’d rank had he never gotten hurt, the answer is he’d be in Baltimore’s rotation and not on my rankings.

Jon: Does the string of Baltimore pitching non success stories scare you away from Kevin Gausman? How would you compare the outlook between him and a not as heralded prospect, up and comer like DeSclafani or Heston?
Klaw: The way they’ve messed with his position on the rubber would scare me, yes. But if he goes somewhere else, like Jake Arrieta, he could become the star he was supposed to be out of LSU.

Allan: BA put a 50 on Gallo’s hit tool. If he gets there, a league average hitting Gallo is a demi-god, right?
Klaw: Yeah, that player probably ends up in the Hall of Fame. I would not put a 50 on his hit tool myself, but if that’s what he is, he’s probably going to hit 500 homers.

Tom: Anytime you offer an opinion about the DBacks, their fans always seem to point out you don’t know what you’re talking about. Of course, their only counter ever is “Goldschmidt.” So by Rickey Henderson type math, doesn’t that mean you’re right 99% of the rest of the time?
Klaw: Sure, but even so, getting some players wrong (and I’ve had my share) doesn’t mean I’m wrong on all players. It’s a cowardly response to change the subject like that.

Dan: I’ve been watching a lot more TV with my kids while on leave helping my wife (brain tumor removed last month). I’m surprised at how long some of those shows have been on the air for (eg Peppa Pig and Bubble Guppies). I know you’re not a big TV guy but are there any shows you particularly liked watching with your daughter? I have the ones I like, the ones I tolerate (mentioned above), and ones that are strictly to be watched while I’m in the other room. For the record, I don’t stick them in front of the TV all day but do allow some relaxation times.
Klaw: I hope your wife’s doing better now. We tried to keep my daughter on PBS shows (except Caillou) as long as we could. Once she started on Nick Jr. we noticed a big dropoff in quality. We got some mileage out of Dinosaur Train and Sid the Science Kid before the insipid Bubble Guppies showed up.

Pat: Gausman doesn’t have to go somewhere else to have success if the O’s reevaluate their one-size-fits-all approach to developing arms. You’d think by now they would have done so.
Klaw: It’s their way or the highway. After this many years and this many arms going wrong, they still haven’t made the adjustment.

Cataniac: Is it fair to say that short of a Josh Lueke or Ben Christensen situation with a demonstrably bad human, you root for every prospect to excel?
Klaw: Yep. Even ones I’ve said will not be good. These are real people with dreams and goals, most of whom work hard to achieve something unattainable to the rest of us. I could never root against any of these kids.

Jason: Wait, I just read the NY Daily News article by Shaun King this morning. Now, after a previous question, I went back and read the “backlash” which just seems to be whole heaps of the logical fallacy of attacking the person of Shaun King. Did I miss something? Like you said, the court records are there. Are people having trouble believing the court records? I also don’t understand how people can ignore the job track of Peyton’s victim. Why do people want to defend abusers?
Klaw: The genetic fallacy had a huge week on social media. And people want to defend abusers when admitting that, say, Peyton Manning sexually assaulted a woman and repeatedly worked to ruin her life would conflict with their childlike adulation of a man who was good at throwing a football.

Urban: Recognizing you can’t be everywhere all the time, how do you balance in-person scouting vs. video scouting, especially when it comes to players in the amateur draft?
Klaw: This is why I try to talk to lots of scouts. Even players I see, I often see just once in the spring, not the 3-4 times I’d like for a first-rounder.

BD: You mentioned Blake Perkins, but not Andrew Stevenson. Any thoughts on him?
Klaw: Thought he might be a fourth outfielder. Maybe.

Josh: Is it now officially draft season for you?
Klaw: More or less. Starting this weekend.

Addoeh: My 5 year loved Dino Dan. He learned a lot about dinosaurs and became interested in that show.
Klaw: Dino Dan is just Willard for the single-digit set.

Todd: Better player when all is said and done: Jimmy Rollins or J.P Crawford?
Klaw: I think Crawford is a better prospect right now than Rollins was at the same age. Rollins got almost everything out of his abilities; if Crawford does the same, he’ll end up the better player.

Scott: I see that Josh Hamilton’s knee is bothering him again, should the Rangers, at this point, make him a bench player and let Gallo play or would Gallo benefit from more AAA time?
Klaw: Gallo would benefit from more AAA time, and so would Mazara, but if Hamilton misses half the year – and you know you’re thinking that’s what’s going to happen – then I’d rather push one of those kids a little than go spend money on some fill-in.

Josh: Why do you think zach eflin is a bullpen pitcher? He is still young for his level.
Klaw: That’s not any sort of counterargument. A player can be young for his level and still lack the essential tools or skills to reach some particular ceiling. I like Eflin, but there’s no consistent breaking ball there.

Ed: I continue to be befuddled by the Dbacks’ all in approach for this year, especially since the same strategy failed miserably for the Pads last year. I get that LaRussa / Stewart are stuck in the past but you’d think that a responsible owner would be more diligent in who they pick to run their team. Especially with the size of the contracts they’ve handed out and the complete forsaking of the future of the club through internal development.
Klaw: I truly don’t understand how Kendrick can look at how the team’s been run the last sixteen or seventeen months and think “This is fine, I’m okay with the events that are unfolding currently.” Even if the team is better right now, they’re so much worse off in the long run for all of these trades.

Jason: It’s only natural that you would be closer with certain front offices or scouts, or that you would just have more access to inside information for certain teams than others. How do you work to avoid inadvertent bias in prospect rankings?
Klaw: I talk to people in every single organization every winter, and to scouts with plenty of organizations, building in redundancy wherever possible. I don’t think there’s any such bias in my rankings.

Hank: Did Nomar Mazara come out of nowhere? Not to say he wasn’t a known commodity, but it sure seems like he’s the biggest riser in the prospect community.
Klaw: I’ve had him stuffed for a while now. Don’t think he rose that fast.

Chris: New DIIV album: the same “not bad but the songs all start sounding the same as with their last album” or “pretty decent and one I’d recommend?”
Klaw: All DIIV songs sound the same to me. It’s a nice sound, but I can’t really tell them apart. New album could easily be the last one with the songs reordered and I might not notice the difference.

Urban: Are there certain types of pitches that might be more effective based on height? For example, would it make more sense to try and teach a slider to someone below 6 ft. as opposed to a curve, or no difference?
Klaw: In theory, yes, but then Sonny Gray and Marcus Stroman both have these outstanding curveballs and how could you take that away from a kid who has the laxity in his wrist to throw one? One thing I do believe, though, is that a shorter pitcher who doesn’t naturally get plane or sink on his four-seamer should learn a two-seamer or true sinker. Otherwise he’ll be homer-prone.

Molly: Other than Seager, will any of the Dodgers prospects have an impact on this season?
Klaw: I don’t see where, barring injury. If Kendrick gets hurt, Micah Johnson could play second. If Pederson gets hurt (or doesn’t hit again), Trayce Thompson could play CF. No idea how far away Yusnier Diaz is. I really like Jharel Cotton as a reliever – he could be one of those off-radar relievers who’s pitching the 8th inning in October.

Mike: Thoughts on Bowie as a rapist? Seems he’s getting a Manning like pass because of his great career, but he slept with at least one 15 year old and was accused by others of rape.
Klaw: Also gets a bit of a pass because he’s dead, and because the 15-year-old has said it was consensual and has never regretted it. (Still illegal – I’m not defending him.) We should just stop pretending our sporting and artistic heroes are somehow beyond doing awful things.

John: I was surprised Adam Brett Walker didn’t get mentioned in the other Twins prospects. Supposedly his raw power matches or exceeds Sano’s. Is his hit tool so poor he has no real chance of making it to the majors?
Klaw: That’s false on his raw power. He can’t hit and is awful anywhere but 1b.

FG: As a scout you always seem to know what to look for in a player and often write in your articles changes you think a player should make to have more success. That makes me curious as to why you dont think youd be a good coach (your words)? WHere is the disconnect in the two. Thanks!
Klaw: I think it’d be very hard to establish credibility with players when I didn’t play and never coached before. I’m also not at all sold that I have complete enough knowledge to help players enough to do that job.

Skippy: Has Michael Ohlman reestablished himself as a legit piece or did he have a fluke season? I also read he’s improved defensively?
Klaw: Just a guy repeating a level and getting marginally better. I heard nothing about him improving defensively.

Terry: Is Sam Travis’ ceiling Eric Hosmer without the glove?
Klaw: This comp doesn’t work for me.

Andrew: I think you’ve mentioned a few times that the Astros encouraged Appel to throw a 4-seamer instead of a 2-seamer (or vice versa?), which you suggested could have been a mistake…why would they have done this? What is the perceived advantage? Thanks.
Klaw: I know Houston has emphasized throwing four-seamers up for swings and misses. In general, that’s true, and it’s an underutilized pitch because of the fear of missing and giving up hard contact. But some pitchers are better able to pitch like that than others. Appel doesn’t have great deception in his delivery and his four-seamer is too true for him to get away with this.

James: I don’t want to be the guy who defends sexual assault either, but can we also agree that 18 is a rather arbitrary age to choose as the legal “age of consent”? If the woman said it was 100% consensual and she doesn’t regret it, etc. does Bowie need some sort of scarlet letter attached to him for all of history?
Klaw: Fifteen is still a child in the view of most western societies. I know you’re not defending sexual assault, but age of consent laws are there to protect children.

Mike: Any strategy for identifying someone who seems like they don’t fit the mold e.g. Sale’s wild delivery, but still end up successful?
Klaw: Nope, not really. I think you’re guessing much of the time, and figuring the payoff of a successful bet is so big – as it was in Sale’s case – that it mitigates the risk. The White Sox have also handled him exceptionally carefully; I think 3x he’s had to be shut down very briefly for elbow soreness, but he’s never suffered a serious injury to any part of his arm, and the White Sox deserve credit for that too.

Bill: Give us a few guys who could be this years Matt Duffy? Basically a non prospect to a serviceable player his rookie year
Klaw: If I knew who the next Matt Duffy was … I guess I wouldn’t be able to get rich off it, He’s a great story but he took me by surprise as much as everyone else (including, I think, the Giants).

Bill: Does Mancini have enough bat speed to be a regular 1B? Are we looking at Matt Adams 2.0
Klaw: Don’t believe so.

J: Do you see Josh Bell or Clint Frazier ever being All-Stars? Which will have the better career?
Klaw: Bell could by hitting .320 some year even if the power never comes. Frazier still has more work to do to make an All-Star outcome realistic.

Leonard: Conforto has supposedly been working some in RF this offseason – any chance he can be ok there even just in spot starts?
Klaw: I think his range would be fine, but does he have the arm you want in RF?

Hank: If he were eligible, where would Vince Velasquez have ranked on your Phillies top 10? Do you view him as a starter or reliever?
Klaw: Starter. Biggest problem has been remaining healthy. He’s had a hard time getting through a full year without an injury. And I don’t like trying to re-rank guys who’ve lost eligibility because their major-league performance gives us far more information than we have on other prospects.

Bruce Bochy: Best chance to be a 1 or 2? Bickford, Beede, Suarez, or other?
Klaw: None of the above for me.

Brian: Keith, new CBA coming up. If you could pick three things for the MLB to change about amateur talent acquisition (foreign or domestic) what would they be?
Klaw: Aside from just killing the draft entirely? End free-agent compensation – signing a player should not cost you a draft pick. I’d blow up the whole international system, which has been a complete failure. And I’d enforce the rules on pre-July 2nd deals. Maitan getting “locked up” by Atlanta a year before he’s eligible is a joke, and ends up hurting the player. Look at Chris Torres, who claimed he was jilted by the Yankees when they had a seven-figure deal in place; if a team backs out of a pre-July 2nd agreement the player has no legal recourse. This is MLB’s problem to fix. Oh, also, a predraft medical combine is a must. No more Brady Aikens. It happened last june too – those players’ medicals just haven’t become public.

Eric Reining: Do you believe Josh Morgan has the talent and/or makeup to make this catching experiment work out in the long run?
Klaw: I honestly am not qualified to answer that question. But I love that they’re trying it.

Brett: Will Ke’Bryan ever develop enough power to be an impact/star 3B? He is a big guy and have heard he can put on a power display during BP
Klaw: I think he can be an impact guy just with the glove and hit tool, but there could be 15 HR there too. That’s all for this week. Thank you as always for reading, especially with all the content I put up in the last seven days, and for all of your questions.

My top 100 prospects ranking is up for Insiders, as is my ranking of all 30 MLB farm systems.

Klaw: I understand a fury in your words … but not the words. Klawchat.

John: How does Jose Peraza hit 293/.316/.378 as a 21-year-old in AAA and drop from #24 in your rankings last year to off the list??
Klaw: So this seems like a good first question because I can start by clearing up a misconception or two. First, the 2015 list is not just (2014 ranking + 2015 performance). I start from scratch each year, and if that means correcting a mistake or two (or ten) from the previous year’s list, so be it. If I tried to use old lists as a basis for future ones, I’d just be perpetuating old errors. There’s value in being consistent, but too much so is just stubbornness. Second, nothing about this list is purely performance-based; the rankings are based in scouting, in physical tools and baseball skills, as much as they are in performance, probably more so. As for Peraza, a second baseman with no power and a .316 OBP is not someone who belongs on a top 100. The reports from the past year were worse than the year before, and now with two years gone from shortstop, the odds of him being able to return there seem quite slim.

Tommy Ballgame: Where does Brady Aiken start the year since he’s coming back from TJ? Mahoning Valley or Lake County?
Klaw: I’m assuming extended spring training.

Brian: Who were some of the Atlanta players that missed your top 100?
Klaw: Full reports on all 30 teams, including top tens, notes on other prospects (ranging from three to fifteen more per system), 2016 impact prospects, sleepers, and prospects who’ve slid, will all be up next week.

Ryan: What have you heard about Austin Riley and what does he have to do to be on the list next year? Was it just a sample size issue?
Klaw: Riley was not a first-round talent in June, with questions about his hit tool, especially his bat speed. He was just OK in the GCL, then had 30 great games in Danville. Why would he be a top 100 guy? It’s awfully quick – with no new favorable scouting information – to say he should have been a top 15 pick in the draft, which would be the implication of a top 100 ranking.

Josh Meyer: What do you make of Kohl Stewart’s lack of minor league strikeouts?
Klaw: Strong groundball guy, still learning to pitch and develop some of his offspeed stuff, especially the changeup. Don’t scout the stat line. His stuff is good and he’s only been doing the baseball thing full-time for three years now.

john: Surprised to not see Carson Fulmer on your list. Thoughts?
Klaw: Reliever. I don’t put anyone I expect to be a reliever (like Josh Hader) on the top 100.

Len: Where could Jason groome rank on this list next year? Comparable to Rodgers?
Klaw: Not comparable.

Paul: What do you attribute Sean Newcomb’s high walk rate to? Is it a simple mechanical tweak or something bigger?
Klaw: There’s nothing to tweak in his mechanics – his delivery is very easy, almost effortless, but I think the result is that he doesn’t truly repeat the arm swing pitch to pitch enough for real command (or control, in this case). You can’t really fix that. Changing a pitcher’s arm stroke is almost all downside.

Randy: Wow, definitely a bold ranking on Allard. Any concerns about his ability to handle the workload of an MLB starter with his frame?
Klaw: Obviously not or I wouldn’t have ranked him there. He’s not frail.

Nate: Can you elaborate on your Yusniel Diaz ranking and why he cracks the 100 without having played a single professional inning yet? What do you see for him in 2016, and what should his timeline to the majors be?
Klaw: Actually, he did play some professional innings in Cuba. If we’re ignoring guys who’ve never played in organized ball, then should Kolby Allard (all of six innings after signing) be off the list too?

Alan: You’re obviously high on Atlanta’s future with the team and overall prospect rankings. Do you have any concern about their lack of power bats? It seems to be the only thing this team is missing on paper for the future.
Klaw: No, because I think they will have enough pitching depth to trade for whatever they need. And Davidson’s still got more power than he’s shown to date – he’s pretty young and can flash that plus raw in BP.

Ed: Jon Gray (40 IP) meet service time to miss the list or he’s just fallen that far in a year?
Klaw: He’s gone backwards. Someone altered his delivery, so he’s lost a lot of power. His fastball is down, his slider went from a 70 to a 50, and he has zero deception. That’s why he got whacked around in the big leagues – hitters see the straight four-seamer and hit it. Back in college, he finished way more over his front side, got more tilt on the slider, was touching 99, and even had a better changeup. I don’t know what caused the alteration, but I saw it and so did every scout I asked about Gray for these reports.

Brendan: I noticed you have Kevin Newman at 23, and I haven’t seen him in a top 100 list anywhere else. I know you don’t look at any other lists when making your own, but just curious as to what stands out to you the most. Thanks!
Klaw: Well, you could ask those other folks why a true shortstop who’s a 65 runner, rarely strikes out, and has a strong history of hitting for average (at U of A and two summers on the Cape) isn’t a top 100 prospect. I think that’s a pretty valuable asset myself.

Bring DH to NL: Lack of position the main reason that Corneilus Randolph is not on the list?
Klaw: It’s a rather significant issue. It’s left field or bust for him.

Gene: Keith what gives with the trend in arm injuries with Oriole minor league pitcher related to the side of the rubber. Historicallym this was an issue with Arrieta when he was an Oriole and now it seems to be affecting Harvey and Bundy. I understand moving from one side to the other to produce a bit more deception, but if it is causing these guys to throw against their bodies, which produces injuries, why risk it? The Orioles also were opposed to Arrieta and Bundy throwing cutters, which led to control issues for Arrieta and injury for Bundy. Wouldn’t it be smarter to work on helping young pitcher further develop what they already do well instead of forcing them to throw only fastball/curveball/change up?
Klaw: You’re preaching to the choir here. The real problem is a one size fits all philosophy. Moving guys on the rubber because you think all RHP should be on the 3B side is a mistake in concept. Don’t move a guy who isn’t having trouble, and don’t try to make them all look the same.

Dave: Hector Olivera – where would he have slotted on this list (if at all) if you would have considered him? Thanks
Klaw: If we ignore that he’s older than dirt, he still wouldn’t have made it. I don’t think he’s a regular.

Ben in Boca: Hey Keith – I’m not usually a fan of “how could you” but wondering what your thought process is putting Steven Matz as low as you did (37). He’s already proven to be a viable (if injury-prone) major league talent, and probably an early candidate for NL ROY. As a Mets fan I was surprised to see a different Met (Dom Smith) ranked higher. What gives?
Klaw: As low as 37? Seems like a pretty good ranking to me, especially for a guy who has never thrown 150 innings in any regular season since signing in 2009. Great stuff, zero evidence of durability.

Josh Cookson: Your top 100 prospects include an organization’s best prospects, but is it fair to say the org rankings reflect the next tier (101-500 or so)? With the Brewers at 5 and the Astros at 17, I’m assuming you see much more impact and depth outside of the top tier guys in those two systems?
Klaw: The org rankings reflect everyone I’d call a prospect in each system. That ranges from 13 guys in the worst system (Angels) to probably 25 or so in the best systems.

Dan: Was Taillon’s omission simply that he hasn’t pitched in 2 years, or some deeper long-term health or performance issue?
Klaw: It’s that after two years off the mound, we don’t really know what his stuff will look like when he returns, or when he will be able to handle a regular workload. I like him quite a bit, but I have to be realistic that not many guys miss two years and come back to be durable starters.

JD Moss: No Carson Fulmer? And does MIchael Kopech have a chance to shoot up the lists this year with a solid showing?
Klaw: Kopech might have made the list if he hadn’t been suspended and had shown he could hold that stuff all year. He was off the charts in short stints in instructs. Definite candidate to be top 50 next offseason.

Danny FannyBannanny: No love for Cornelius Randolph?
Klaw: Can we drop the delusion that leaving a player off the top 100 is “no love?”

Doug Bersani: Do you survey other Top 100 prospects lists? And if so, was it crazy that MLB.com still has Hunter Renfroe in their Top 100?
Klaw: I’ve seen MLB’s because Jonathan Mayo and I talk a lot and we’ve been swapping stories about prospects for the last two weeks. I don’t think that’s crazy (nor would I sit here and tell you Jonathan’s crazy because he might see it and he is legitimately crazy and might come after me).

Woodman: How close is Clayton Blackburn to the majors? He’s got good control, averages nearly a K per inning. Was wondering why the Giants shelled out big dough for both Cueto and Samardzija when Blackburn looks nearly ready.
Klaw: He’s ready, but he’s not close to Cueto’s quality or Samardzija’s potential. Blackburn’s a really good fifth starter candidate, but it’s great command of very average stuff.

Jose R: Robert Stephenson is called the “The Lighthouse”? No he’s not. You made that nickname up.
Klaw: Of course I did. And my hat is off to anyone who gets the reference.

Chris A: Which Dodger prospect outside of the 7 in your top 100 has the most potential to join the top 100 next year?
Klaw: Austin Barnes had a legitimate argument to be on the list this winter.

Sara: I don’t see Hunter Renfroe here, but your thoughts on him?
Klaw: Don’t think he’ll hit for enough average/OBP to be more than a fringy regular. Big tools except the tool that counts the most.

KLAW hates my team: You mentioned a few months ago that you thought Eddy Julio Martinez would be in the running for the top pick in this years draft, but he didn’t make the top 100. Is this mainly due to lack of certainly being that you haven’t seen him play in a game?
Klaw: Nobody’s seen him play – and his brief time in the CNS wasn’t great (plus I think it was two years ago). My gut on his upside was not enough to just stuff the guy into the top 100. Yes, it’s my list, but it’s grounded in way more than what my eyes see.

Ed: Would love to hear you elaborate on what Victor Robles offensive profile might look like if he develops?
Klaw: Big debate on whether he’s going to have power or not. Could easily be in top 20 next year. It’s not so much power as very hard contact, and sometimes that ends up being big power anyway (like mah boy Goldschmidt, who doesn’t even have much loft in his swing). I think we’re looking at .300ish with a solid OBP, 12-15 homers, lots of steals, good defense in center.

Ian: Is the Alex Reyes rank “jump” (from 77 to 8) the highest jump you’ve ever penned in one season?
Klaw: I’ve had guys go from off list to top ten before. It’s part of the fun – and yet another reason why I don’t look at my own older lists when doing this.

Matt (PGH): Harold Ramirez was on your 2015 Mid-Season Top 50. Why did he drop off your 2016 Top 100 Prospects List?
Klaw: Again, he did not “drop off.” He can really hit, but he’s LF only without much power, defense, or clear OBP beyond the batting average. Good prospect, limited ceiling.

Quinn: Is it crazy to say that Victor Robles scouts a lot like Aaron Hicks did a few years ago?
Klaw: I don’t think they’re very similar beyond speed and position.

John Uskglass: Is there a reason, at least that it seems to me, why pitching prospects are almost always listed as just throwing a Fastball, Curve/slider, or change? I look at way too much brooks baseball and damn near every pitcher in the majors throws two different types of fastball as well as two off speed pitches. Is this something they develop after they get up, or is it something they’ve always had but seldom used in minors?
Klaw: A lot of player development folks emphasize throwing one fastball type to develop command, then allow the reintroduction of the other later on, or they add a two-seamer because the pitcher is struggling to avoid contact with the four-seamer.

Shane: Just a fun guess, but how many seasons in his career will Gallo lead MLB in HR?
Klaw: Three.

Mike: Let’s get this out of the way. Why do you hate my team so much and why didn’t you rate the prospect that I think is great because he’s on my team and I heard he hit two home runs in one game even though I’ve never seen him and don’t know how to scout?
Klaw: Yeah, i’m already getting plenty of that along with complaints that you have to actually pay dollars to read my work.

Hogie: How close was Erick Fedde to making the list? Would it help if I told you he has bad ass long hair now?
Klaw: Not close. And … no.

Hugo Z: I’m all for tossing out Touki’s Asheville game, but his ERA is still over 4 without it.
Klaw: ERA is a terrible way to evaluate a pitching prospect, especially one that young and raw.

Danny: What do you think the ceiling for Brady Aiken is? What current player do you think he could most be compared to if he reaches his potential?
Klaw: Before we knew anything about his elbow, I thought he had ace ceiling. I’ll stay with that for now, since all we really know is that he had TJ and is healthy and throwing.

Brian White: Brewers took a HUGE jump. Fair to stay David Stearns has done an excellent job thus far?
Klaw: To be totally fair, Doug Melvin was at the helm for most of the improvements to the system, and Stearns has added to what was already in place.

Colin: Any hottakes on the GOP race?
Klaw: Just my gut – and I’m way out of my league here – but I think the GOP’s powers that be will rally behind Kasich at some point and try to push him over Trump to be the eventual candidate, based on “electability.” (Is that just the “pitchability” of political writing? God, I feel dirty.)

Mike: Why did you not rank Jon Gray, Carson Fullmer or Jameson Taillon in the top 100?
Klaw: When asking a question like this, give me reasons why I should have ranked those players where you want them. The obvious, if flippant, answer is that I thought the 100 players I did rank are better prospects.

Jeremy: What do you mean when you say a player has “great hands”? Is that just the ability to get the ball in the glove?
Klaw: The ability to catch a ball cleanly and make the transfer. Some guys just have hard hands and can’t receive (at any position) well.

Dan: In your Top 100 Prospects list from last January, you had Buxton as the #2 prospect in baseball; he’s again at #2 in your list today. But in your Top 50 Prospects update last July, he’s nowhere to be found. Was this just a simple oversight or was there a reason (skills concern, prospect eligibility, injury, etc.) for his omission?
Klaw: He was in the majors.

TC: I see you’re pretty high on Amed Rosario. Assuming he takes another leap with his bat this year, is it possible he’s the Mets starting SS in 2017?
Klaw: Possible if rather optimistic. This is a big year for him – he’s still more potential than production, although the tools are impressive.

Rick: I know this is purely hypothetical, but injuries aside, where would Matz probably rank just on talent alone? I’m assuming his injury history knocked him down a bit.
Klaw: Thing is, if he didn’t have this injury history, he would probably be entering his third or fourth year in the big leagues.

Justin: Is there anything in particular that makes you think Wilson Contreras’s performance last season was predictive progress rather than an aberration?
Klaw: Tools are there. Great swing. Very athletic kid. Can even run a little. Throws well. Receiving is not great. But definitely performance supported by the scouting report.

Rob Manfred: Why do you hate all of our 30 teams? Jeez!
Klaw: yeah but I like you more than the other guy who was before you.

Eric: Let me get this straight – the Orioles have one of the worst farm systems and they’re considering giving up their first two picks in this draft so they can sign Gallardo and Fowler? Have they just given up on planning for the future?
Klaw: Signing Gallardo makes no sense. He’s just not that good any more, certainly not enough to give up a first-round pick and pay him. He doesn’t make them a playoff team. Both guys still probably don’t make them a playoff team.

Dave: There are 10 shortstops in the top 25, and a bunch of other top shortstops “graduated” from the list last year. Is that position just that valuable, is it going through a renaissance, or will a lot of these guys be moved off the position eventually (like we know Seager will)?
Klaw: The best players tend to start out as shortstops, and shortstops who can actually play the position and also project to hit have the highest ceilings because of how low replacement level is there. The same would be true of catchers, but there isn’t much catching talent in the mid- to high minors yet.

Matt: Just had an interesting office convo regarding this chat that we need you to settle – Should this chat be pronounced “Clawchat” or “Kay-Law chat”?
Klaw: My nickname has been “Klaw” (like “claw”) for about 25 years now. So it’s two syllables, Klawchat.

thedirkatron: The Rangers have 5 guys in your top 100 — including two in the top 12 — plus a deep group of intriguing guys after that, but are “only” 9th, behind teams like Milwaukee and Pittsburgh whose systems don’t appear as strong. Was there anything in particular that led you to slot Texas closer to 10 than 5?
Klaw: As I said earlier, the org rankings are not merely a reflection of who’s on the top 100, but the depth throughout each team’s system. Texas has thinned out after trades and promotions, while Milwaukee has restocked and Pittsburgh just stays loaded.

Alex: Has Gary Sanchez greatly improved his prospect status over the past year? Seems like he’s made some real strides in terms of maturity, defense, and even hitting.
Klaw: Yes. Seems like he finally grasped that he had to work on his defense and had to earn promotions, rather than having things handed to him because he was the golden boy who got the big bonus. It’s actually a really great thing to see, and to hear from Yankees’ personnel. I’m sure they’re relieved too, given what they paid him.

Jack: Any idea where Lazarito might rank on this list if he were a “prospect?” Maybe not high at all due to age/maybe you just haven’t seen him yourself?
Klaw: I don’t have any 16-year-olds on this list right now, and Lazarito is not the kind of elite prospect who would defy that rule of thumb.

MS: Thoughts on taking hallucinagtic drugs to treat anxiety and depression?
Klaw: Are you channeling Cary Grant?

Justin: Klaw – Awesome job as always on the Top 100. Maybe there’s hope with Dom Smith’s physique since he’s doing the offseason training regiment with other Mets? Although…he did do it last year from the sound of it.
Klaw: Klaw about an hour ago

BravePap: Ever thought about helping out MLBTR? They’re my favorite, but they could use someone like you.
Klaw: I sort of have this other job already…

Adam: Robert stephenson didnt make your list. Only a few catcher did though, would he be next catcher on the list or further down?
Klaw: Do you mean Tyler Stephenson? He is on the “ten who just missed” column, which I think goes up tomorrow.

Tony: Does it appear that Tapia’s stance is here to stay? If it ‘normalizes’, what kind of power might be in there?
Klaw: I wouldn’t touch him until and unless he has problems hitting.

Adam: How close was Duane Underwood to making the top 100? Thanks for all your hard work!
Klaw: Not close at all.

Rodney: Would Maitan have made the list if eligible, and if so, in what range?
Klaw: He might be elite, unlike Lazarito, but no, absolutely not.

BD in DC: No Reynaldo Lopez because you think he is a reliever?
Klaw: Yes. I see very little chance he can stay a starter with that delivery and iffy command.

Bob: The angst over where a person’s favorite team is ranked is so silly. In theory, every team could have a good system and the gap between #1 and #30 isn’t that great. What people need to pay more attention to are the comments about the system and how it got to this point. Yeah, I know, there’s no place for reason on the internet.
Klaw: This is why I don’t put numerical grades on players – some people would focus on those and ignore the words that actually tell the story of the player.

Justin: In re: to the top farm systems, The Mets and KC fell the most from 15′ to 16′. Is this a product of making the WS? All the more amazing and scary how good the Cubs are/will be.
Klaw: It’s a product of promoting and trading talent to get to the World Series. The Royals promoted a slew of prospects the last few years, then traded three prospects for Cueto and one for Manaea. They also had their top prospect, Raul Mondesi, Jr., suffer through a miserable year of injury and non-performance (at a level where he was really young). The Mets promoted Thor and Conforto, traded two top ten arms for Clippard and Cespedes, and didn’t have a first-round pick. I’m not saying these were bad decisions, just that those are reasons why the systems slid in my rankings.

Always someone: You didn’t include a prospect I like in your top 100. Does that mean you think he’s merely worthless as a baseball player, or that he deserves to be drawn and quartered?
Klaw: I prefer to see such players broken on the wheel.

Rich, Baton Rouge: Keith, thank you for all you do for those with anxiety issues. My Question: Do you see PIT OF Ramirez, SS Tucker or 3B Hayes making a big leap in the rankings next year?
Klaw: Love Hayes. Not sure he’ll get a ton of affection from the industry because he’s not going to hit for much power, but a possible 70 defender at third who can hit and rarely strikes out … that’s a pretty good player, no?

Ed: Nice to Albert Almora back on the list. Would you say he’s progressed well since last year, or is it fair to say with all of the promotions in 2015 that the top 100 this year isn’t rated quite as high as last years?
Klaw: I think both are fair. Promotions really hit the minors hard, so this year’s list is skewed more towards players who are further away or a touch flawed. But he did make some modest progress at the plate, and he could always field.

Michael: Do you Arismendy Alcantara turning things around this year?
Klaw: I think he has the ability, but I honestly don’t know what the true reasons were behind his 2015 struggles.

Willy Adames: why do you think Mr Robertson is better than me? Defense?
Klaw: Better hitter/OBP guy and much more likely to stay in the middle infield. Now that’s a good question – nice and specific so I know what you want me to answer!

Eddy: Is there anyone you realized you were much higher on than others?
Klaw: I knew I was higher on Newman, because I had him 2nd in the draft class but he went 19th overall. Like I said above, his profile (hit, run, true SS) seems quite valuable to me.

Jaime: Saw a story that Matt Davidson changed his offseasoon workout to focus more on the mental side of the game. If he gets his head right, does he have the physical tools to bounce back?
Klaw: I’ve kind of written him off at this point, but we see former prospects revamp themselves all the time and resurface, often with club number two or three. JD Martinez comes to mind. He has been better with Detroit than he ever promised to be with Houston.

Anonymous: What do you see the Rockies rotation looking like in 2 or 3 years?
Klaw: Hesitating to put Butler in there because he has had so many health problems, but he’d be there on merit, along with Freeland, Hoffman, and some mix of Gray, Bettis, Senzatela, etc. Hard for them to fill a rotation without another big trade since they don’t believe FA starters will ever sign there. (Although I heard the schools are good.)

JP: does Dylan Bundy falling off mean you think he’s destined for the bullpen at this point?
Klaw: It means I have no confidence whatsoever in the health of his shoulder.

Patrick: Keith, several years ago the Royals were your top team. After lots of promotions and trades they’ve seemed to nearly exhaust their minors. They won a championship, but anything (not including FA signing) that you feel will haunt them??
Klaw: That flag will exorcise any ghosts who try to haunt them.

James: Good afternoon! Let’s say that an org recommends a pitcher change his delivery, mound position, etc. And let’s say the pitcher doth protest. Can a pitcher do himself damage within the org by resisting, even if he’s concerned about the impact of that change on his future health/ability/prospects?
Klaw: He’d be right to do so and I wish more pitchers would push back. I think this happened to Appel in Houston and he complied with their wishes, speeding up his delivery, ditching the two-seamer, going to the slide-step even though he can get long in the back so now his arm doesn’t catch up … and voila, results that don’t match the stuff.

DO: Your rankings and commentary show that you weren’t a big fan of the Kimbrell trade for the sox. Considering that A) they dealt from a position of prospect redundancy and B) had a system so strong that they could easily withstand the prospect loss, I’m make the case that the deal is not nearly as bad as some evaluators suggest. In a vacuum I would not want to trade two top 50 prospects for a 60 inning pitcher, but the state of the Sox system can almost justify it. Thoughts?
Klaw: I’m fine with trading prospects, but you have to get appropriate value in return, and they did not.

FinFinnFinnn: Can you highlight why Bobby Bradley is a better prospect than Cody Bellinger?
Klaw: Much more confidence in the hit tool. Bellinger did get to play in a great hitter’s league in a good hitting environment last year, and he did and will strike out a lot. Both good prospects though.

Lucas: Reese McGuire drew any consideration? Does his defense alone will get him in the majors?
Klaw: Don’t think he’ll hit enough to be an everyday guy but he is a no-doubt big leaguer for me.

Dan: Non-baseball question. You’re against keeping with the status quo on something ridiculous for the argument of “it’s always been that way.” How do you feel about February? Why do we still have a month that is multiple days shorter than the other months?
Klaw: If you want to make an argument like this, it’s time to switch to the damn metric system already.

Bill (NY): Is it insane to think Dansby’s best case scenario kinda sounds like Jeter?
Klaw: No, and if you got that from my capsule, it wasn’t entirely accidental.

Jason: Hi Keith. Have you seen Tigers OF Michael Gerber? Regardless, do you think he can be a big league regular?
Klaw: Yep, in fall league. Nice player. Maybe a good player. Probably falls a bit short of regular status.

Jay: KLaw, Where would Roman Quinn had fallen had he not been injured? Do you think he has upside still or to much of an injury risk?
Klaw: Call me when he has a full, healthy season. Forgive me if I’m not waiting by the phone.

Ron: Hi Keith- Any info on Wander Javier that the Twins signed?
Klaw: Is he one of the seven Wanders?

Nick: Does Wuilmer Becerra have the type of potential to be on this list a year from now?
Klaw: Absolutely.

Steve: Hey Keith, thanks for the top 100. It’s one of maybe seven reasons why I keep my Insider subscription. I have a general question about how much you factor in when you see a player into your rankings. If you see a guy on an off day do you think that one time image of him could cloud your overall perspective? Same goes if you see a guy and he’s 4/4 with a bunch of frozen ropes. How do you couch what you see on one occasion with what a player does over the course of a season?
Klaw: That’s the nature of scouting. You have to always remember what you saw is one snapshot among many. Since I don’t sit on a player for three or four days, I talk to scouts and execs all year long to get more information.

Michael: Wouldn’t the chance that Severino succeeds (however large or small that may be) give you more reason to consider pitchers you think are relievers? Even if there is a 75% chance a pitcher is a reliever, does the other 25% (with upside) make them top 100 material?
Klaw: There will always be exceptions. If I divide the universe of pitching prospects into guys I think will be starters and guys I think will be relievers, some of the former will end up relievers, and some of the latter will end up starters. But as long as those exceptions are relatively few, I will work with the same basic heuristics on putting pitchers into those buckets.

Dave: Arcia, Phillips, and Lopez are the top full season prospects for the Brewers. Is their next wave all at the Low A level or lower? Ray Montgomery did an amazing job for them on their 2015 draft.
Klaw: Yes he did. They have a bunch of other good full-season prospects, though, some of whom are on the top 100.

Brad: If you lose your first round draft pick, you also lose that amount of money to spend?
Klaw: Yeah, so it stings twice under the new system.

JP: move Ray or De La Rosa to the bullpen in May to make room for Shipley?
Klaw: Ray is a starter for me. Rubby is a two-pitch reliever.

Ryan: Isan Diaz get any consideration for the top 100? And does high level performances from Northeast high school prospects jump out more to you considering their limited ability to practice and play the game?
Klaw: I love what he did last summer but no, not really a top 100 guy yet.

RSF: What’s the thinking behind no relievers on the list? Too hard to project greatest out of someone that isn’t considered a potential starter? I would think a high end reliever provides enough value to justify inclusion.
Klaw: A high end reliever might provide that value, but identifying which guys might be those 3-4 relievers who can give you a couple of 2+ WAR seasons is a fool’s errand. The attrition rates are just too high.

Nate: Would any angels place in your hypothetical top 200 list?
Klaw: I love Jahmai Jones – he’s somewhere in the next 50.

Chris: Where are Brett Jackson and Matt Szczur? I thought you said the Cubs have a good system!
Klaw: I fear we’re going to do this all over again with Brett’s brother Drew, in the Mariners’ system.

JD: Would you say when you are in the 80s and 90s its hard to rank 91 over 90 with a lot of certainty (just as an example). Would it be easier to do it in pods of guys in the higher rankings, like these 3 guys are 100,99,98 in any particular order.
Klaw: No question. Towards the end, I’m just more focused on “does this guy belong” than “is this guy really better than the guy right behind him and really worse than the guy right above him” because that way lies madness.

Logan: In your top 100 you talk about Dom Smith being overweight, but he is listed at 185 pounds?
Klaw: Pro tip: Listed weights and heights may not be accurate.

aaron: Keith- How much of Gleyber Torres’ rating is tied to being a shortstop? As he probably won’t play there with the Cubs already with Russell, how would being at 2nd or 3rd affect his high slot?
Klaw: If he’s truly a shortstop, then that’s how I’ll rate him. Club context does not apply. Otherwise I might downgrade every Rockies’ starter because of what pitching in Denver does, but I treat their guys like I’d treat any other team’s starters.

Mike B: Can Rafael Devers stick at third base?
Klaw: I say so. He’s a good defender there now.

Chris: What is the difference between raw power and in game power and why do the two sometimes fail to correlate as closely as you would think?
Klaw: You have to hit before you can hit for power. And some guys can’t do both at the same time.

Zed: Do you think the Yankees are better served giving Gary Sanchez time at Triple-A to start the year, or backing up McCann and introducing him to the major league preparation of pitchers and catchers?
Klaw: Still needs to work on enough with receiving, framing, game-calling, etc. that he should play every day in AAA.

Forsyth: You seem a bit down on Moncada. I expected him to be a top 10 guy. Do you think there may have been a bit too much weight on the first couple months, when he was getting reacclimated to competitive baseball? Once he got settled in, he seemed to resemble the hype, meaning 20+ HR pop, excellent speed (SB-wise). Granted from my vantage point the best I can do is scout the box scores, but does he have a chance to bounce back into the top 10 if his 2nd half wasn’t a mirage?
Klaw: If you read the capsule, you can see my concerns, many of which revolve around his defense.

Nick: What type of power output are you hoping for from Dominic Smith now that he is out of poor hitter’s parks?
Klaw: I think he has 15-20 HR in him now, but it will also require a bit of a change in approach where he’s not going the other way quite so often. (I think all 5 of his FSL homers were to the opposite field.) I saw him pull a homer at Salt River, and saw him do it at least once as an amateur, so it’s in there, but he’s eschewed pulling the ball because he’s played in two parks that were bad for LH pull power.

Peter: Sounds like you expect Alex Bregman to be ready to hit in the majors pretty soon. How would you arrange Houston’s infield after his promotion? The most obvious opening would be third, but your writeup described Bregman as more of a 2B-type.
Klaw: He doesn’t have the arm for third. I wonder if he’ll end up trade bait because they are so well set at short at 2b. He’s not far off at all – if Schwarber and Conforto can go from college to the majors in 12-13 months, Bregman certainly can.

Brian: When you scouted Sano, did you ever think the OF was a possibility?
Klaw: I think I brought up his defensive, uh, inadequacies when I saw him in Beloit a few years back. That same game, he hit a fucking laser over the batter’s eye, so I get too worked up about the glove.

KJ: Do you see Alex Blandino as a starter or a utility guy ultimately?
Klaw: Starter, but at 2b, not shortstop.

Eric: Dilson Herrera barely missed the AB cutoff to be rookie eligible so he’s obviously not on the list. Not asking for a specific number, but what bucket would you put him in on the top 100 (if he’d still be there at all). Thanks again, you’re why I’m an insider.
Klaw: Back 20 or so. Always liked him. Got squeezed out last year when the minors were kind of stuffed. My vocabulary appears to be getting worse as this chat goes on.

Matt: He’s obviously not a prospect, but I’d be curious to get your take on what sort of impact Yulieski Gurriel could still have in MLB. He was a potential superstar once upon a time, but now he’s unlikely to see the field until after his 32nd birthday.
Klaw: Last time I saw him (last summer?) he looked awful. Out of shape, everything slow, unrecognizable. Then I hear he looked incredible in the Caribbean World Series. So I have no idea.

Zorak: I saw you got n to it on twitter with a Mets fan about Fulmer and the Cespedes deal. First off, sorry in advance for how obnoxious my fellow Mets fans will be for the next 10 months, and second, more in abstract, does the fact that Cespedes re-signed with the Mets change the value of the deal? or is that static? Does acquiring a player and extending him make it worth paying a higher price to get him?
Klaw: The extension is separate. The Mets paid full market value for Cespedes’ services in 2016 and potentially beyond. So they gave up Fulmer for two months of Cespedes. If you’re happy with that, because they reached the WS, great. I don’t think it was great value, but it’s not as lopsided as Meisner for Clippard was.

Emily: How do you go about making the list? Do you have names on flashcards and lay them all out? How do you insure that you don’t miss anybody?
Klaw: I keep a spreadsheet with top tens, then separate notes files for each of the 30 teams where I list anyone I can think of plus anyone else the team sources i talk to bring up.

Will: Why was Jacob deGrom never on anyone’s radar?
Klaw: I’ve told the story before, but he made my Mets top 10 one year and I had Mets fans calling me an idiot or whatnot because of that. (I think they wanted Hansel Robles over him, maybe?) Then the next year he was just kind of OK, not bad certainly, but scouts were on the fence about him starting or relieving. I remember watching his major-league debut and thinking “what the holy hell is that?” because no one, not even Mets people, described THAT to me.

Zach: What has happened to Colin Moran to make him fall out of the top 100?
Klaw: Not great defensive 3b who has not hit for power. Tough profile.

Ridley Kemp: Do you think Jacob Nottingham will be able to remain behind the plate and, if not, do you think he’ll hit enough to keep a job at another position?
Klaw: I do, at least, I’d leave him there for a couple more years to see how he develops. Guy’s a bulldog and certainly athletic enough to handle it.

UGW: Mike Shawaryn a 1st round pick for you? Whats his MLB ceiling?
Klaw: Not a first rounder, although I’m going to try to see him in the spring (try, because their schedule is a joke). Tough arm action for a starter.

Ryan: What do you make of Bubba Starling at this point?
Klaw: Probably an extra OF ceiling.

Brian: What do you consider your weaknesses in scouting (e.g. overestimating or underestimating a certain skill set)?
Klaw: I definitely struggle with catcher defense and command or finesse pitchers.

Steve: How do you see Ian Happ progressing? I’ve read concerns about his bat missing a lot last season. Any concern there? Is he destined for the OF or can he handle 2B duties at the MLB level?
Klaw: Second base for me. Bat missing meaning a lot of swing and miss? He’s definitely a high walk/high strikeout guy but I don’t think he’s a guy who struggles with contact so much as a guy who likes to work the count a lot and isn’t afraid of striking out.

Scott: You are really low on Jose De Leon. Can you elaborate as to why this is? He is among the highest risers on most lists. Thanks for all the great work!
Klaw: He’s on the top 100. That’s low? He’s got a fairly limited ceiling compared to the guys above him, but has great makeup and intelligence that should carry him through some needed adjustments. It’s a pretty true fastball and he’ll have to work around that.

Jackie: So, are Seager and Buxton the frontrunners for the KLAW ROY Awards?
Klaw: Exactly. Hard to argue against either guy given skill sets and opportunities.

Larry: If AJ Reed’s floor is “.260 hitter with a slew of walks and 25-30 homers,” that strikes me as potentially deserving a higher ranking than one right around #50, no? Is that his floor? What’s his ceiling?
Klaw: For a mediocre defensive 1b, that’s about right. If he could play another position or even played first like Dom Smith, then he’d be higher.

Garth M.: Was junior Fernandez close to making the cut?
Klaw: Yes. He’s on the just missed list. I think. I may have written too much and now I don’t remember what I filed last week.

kent: So not to make this a Dom Smith chat, but if he has the power tool, why did he go the other way? I mean isn’t the tool more important than results or catering to stats?
Klaw: Prospects tend to be judged and promoted on stats, not tools. Hitting a bunch of flyouts to the right field warning track does not get you called up to double-A.

SAge: How’s the food in Beloit?
Klaw: The Culver’s is excellent. I recommend a butterburger and a concrete.

Ben: Are you not doing Periscope chats anymore from now on? We really liked them, you know.
Klaw: I got horribly sick in mid-January, and have been working around the clock since then on these rankings.

Ciscoskid: Would doing a completely separate ranking for high probability relievers have any value?
Klaw: I will do a ranking by position piece next week and will include a handful of relief prospects.

Bob: Your writing specialty (at least the money-making part) is about prospects which means you have to approach your job just like a scout for a major league club. Does it feel at all weird that your work doesn’t go into anyone’s draft analysis but is disseminated to us yahoos instead?
Klaw: Actually most of you yahoos are wonderful to talk to and deal with, online and in person. The handful of trolls I get can’t undermine that at all. I view what I do for readers as a privilege, and I’m honored that you choose to pay to read my work and to give your time to read it and come interact with me. So thank you all for your loyal readership. It does help me power through these team reports (just ten left to write!) as I’m trying not to fall asleep at the kitchen table. I’ll be back for another chat next week!

Klaw: Double up or quit, double stake or split, it’s Klawchat.

JP: would Lazarito crack your top 100, if eligible?
Klaw: Absolutely not. Wouldn’t even be a consideration.

Adam: If the Braves sign Lazarito does that mean they are out on Maitan? If they wait until July can they sign both?
Klaw: He would have to agree to wait until July 2nd to sign. That’s not legal, but then again, nothing that happens in the international free agent market seems to be legal any more. There are African dictatorships that laugh at how corrupt baseball’s IFA system is.

Dave: How high would Conforto probably be on the top 100 if he didnt meet playing time conditions like Matz?
Klaw: Probably top 20. Very high floor, some All-Star potential, but not the super high ceiling of top 10 guys. I’ve always believed he’d hit and I think the limited pro sample we’ve seen so far supports that.

Bob: Greetings, Keith. Can we talk Ichiro for the HOF? Career WAR of 58.4 which is not a typical slam dunk number. He trails non-HOFers Reggie Smith and Dwight Evans, and is tied with Sammie Sosa. Assuming he doesn’t add to that figure appreciably, under what criteria do we put him in the HOF (as everyone assumes will happen)? He didn’t start in American baseball until he was 27? His Japanese stats should count too? What are your thoughts on this?
Klaw: I have no objection to giving some weight to his performance in Japan. I also don’t object to considering Ichiro’s impact on the game, here and globally. He was very much a star in the subjective sense of the word – the Fame part of the Hall of Fame. I think he’ll sail in on the first ballot because his support will be so broad, and if I have the vote I’ll give one to him.

Josh: How quickly do you think that Groome could love through the minors?
Klaw: Freudian slip? Not quickly at all. Big arm, not advanced or polished.

Dean Gulberry: As always, appreciate the chat! What is your opinion of Josh Hader? Did you get to see him pitch when you were in the AFL?
Klaw: Great arm, two above-average or better pitches, reliever’s arm action and delivery, but a really uncomfortable at bat, especially for lefties. I don’t know how any LHB ever sees the ball out of his hand.

Rob: I’m sure you’re getting a lot of questions about Dickerson-McGee. What can you tell us about Kevin Padlo? A few observers seem to think he’s the hidden gem in the trade.
Klaw: Yeah, I’m not buying it. Actually would probably rate Marquez, who has two above-average pitches but some reliever risk, over Padlo, who doesn’t have a great body and may not stick at 3b.

Joe: Will Corey Seager stick at SS? If he does, will he ever be good, or adequate, defensively?
Klaw: He’ll spned the majority of his MLB career at 3b. Might be adequate for a year at SS, but even so I think the plays he can’t get to will start to become a problem.

JP: rank these OF: Judge, Conforto, Mazara, Brinson, Benintendi
Klaw: You’ll get the answer to that next week when my top 100 comes out.

JP: more likely to be a useful starter: Bundy or Kolek
Klaw: Kolek. Bundy might be through as a potential starter.

Craig: Which team has done more in the past 12 months to improve its farm system: Philadelphia or Milwaukee?
Klaw: Milwaukee.

Mr. Robot: RIP Bloc Party. Didn’t think things could have gotten worse than “Four” but “Hymns” is just a snooze. Thanks for the memories, go in peace.
Klaw: Yep. Their album and St. Lucia’s were both huge disappointments. Megadeth’s was too – it’s like Mustaine is trying to recapture the Hangar 18 sound and just can’t find it.

Dance!: You were talking up Jake Lamb quite a bit last year but then he dealt with some injury stuff after a ridiculous April. What do you expect from him this year?
Klaw: Above-average offense, more OBP and doubles than HR, and at least solid-average defense at 3b.

Francisco, Atlanta: Hi Keith! Thanks for the chat. How good is Nick Senzel ?
Klaw: No clear position, and hasn’t shown much power in games. He might go in the first round because of the paucity of college bats, but I know plenty of scouts who think he’s a 2nd round talent or less.

Claudio: Coppolella recently stated that, while the general BPA rule will apply in next draft, they would love to get a college hitter. Do you buy it? (I don’t) and if it’s true, what’s your view of Buddy Reed?
Klaw: I don’t buy it, because there may not be a good enough college bat where they pick, and I don’t think Reed can hit. It’s a bad swing on both sides of the plate.

Ozzie: What is the ceiling for Eddy Martinez? Do you expect the Cubs to start him in South Bend?
Klaw: I only saw a workout – he really doesn’t have a lot of game experience – but he has All-Star tools. South Bend is probably right, just let him move quickly if he turns out to be really advanced at the plate. We just don’t know much yet.

Trent: Instead of costing a team a first round pick, would it make more sense to cost a team overall bonus pool money instead for a qualifying offer player? It seems like teams might be more willing to sign a guy that would help their team if it cost them, say $600k, to sign a QO guy and get to keep their pick. I get that that may bring down certain amateur players signings but it could also help others get more.
Klaw: I just want to see free agency disconnected from the draft. No system that MLB has tried has ever done anything but put an artificial drag on salaries – it’s a tax, and rational actors respond to taxes by reducing their demand or the price they’re willing to pay, Bernie – and the idea that you can use the draft to compensate low-revenue teams for lost free agencies has failed repeatedly in practice.

Jonathan Orr: Best Cardinals starter out of Gonzales, Lyons, and Cooney
Klaw: Gonzales. Other two are probably 6th starter/swingman types.

Tom: How much merit do you give the influx of “tanking is killing the game!” discussions?
Klaw: Zero. It’s not killing the game because this isn’t basketball, and it is absolutely the result of the incentives MLB and the union set up in the last CBA. I mean, would Phillies fans rather see a bad, expensive 72-win team, or a bad, young, cheap 65-win team? I’m betting the latter. Give the fans Nola and Thompson and Velazquez and Crawford and put the future on TV every night instead of signing a bunch of garbage veterans to one-year, $10 million deals just to pretend you’re competing.

Jason: I am guessing your top 100 comes out next week?
Klaw: Indeed, as I have announced here on the dish several times already. The top 100 and the org rankings come out next Thursday and Wednesday, respectively. The team reports (top 10 + notes) will come out the following week, because I lost a week to a respiratory infection.

Mike: Would Kevin Maitan crack your top 100? If not, has any 16 year old cracked it?
Klaw: No, and none since Sano. Only three ever did and Sano is the only one to turn into anything.

Jose: Any red flags concerning Blake Ruhterford? ie. age, competitive spirit?
Klaw: Age (nearly 19) and the fact that he’s a corner guy already so you’re betting entirely on the bat and power.

Craig: I know you’re very high on Dom Smith but I saw you mention in a previous chat that you’re concerned about his lack of pulling ability so far – how big of a concern do you think that is?
Klaw: Not a lack of ability, but a reluctance to do so, as he’s spent two years in parks that discourage it. He has big pull power – he hit a homer at Salt River to right-center in October that might have landed on the 202 – but knowing that pulling balls in Savannah or St. Lucie would result in a lot of F9s, he chose to just go the other way all day. That’s very sensible, but now that he’s going to AA it’s time to let ‘er rip.

Kerry: Dalbec is rated pretty high for his power. But he pitched well too. Could he do both in MLB?
Klaw: No and I have real doubts about his hit tool. Might be a 35 present grade.

Jimmy: Thanks for taking our questions and your thoughtful answer. Always look fwd to Klawchat. Have you ever been to SXSW? Did you enjoy it? I’ve been several times over the last 11 years but not since 2013. I’ve heard it has changed a lot in the last few years but I am still excited to go.
Klaw: Would love to but the timing isn’t great for my day job. Maybe when someone hires me to be the omnibus music/books/boardgame critic I’ll go.

Zach: Keith, thanks as always for being a fan of dead trees. I know you are a big Strange and Norrell fan – are there any other “fantasy” authors or titles that you’d recommend for adults in a similar vein?
Klaw: Lev Grossman’s Magicians series – I’ve read the first two, with number three on my shelf – and which is also now a Syfy series.

Anonymous: I know a lot can happen between now and June, but Coppy has said a college bat is the likely target for Atlanta at #3. Kyle Lewis an option, you think? Too high for him?
Klaw: Way too high. The only college bat I might consider up there is Corey Ray, and even he has a big question mark in the 60 Ks last year. (Never when I’m in the park, though. I swear he’s gone 12-for-10 over the games I’ve seen.)

Mike: How much time in the minors will Lazarito likely need, assuming he’s legit?
Klaw: That guy has gotten way more press than his workouts have merited. He may get his $20-30 million but I haven’t found a scout that put in a report that would get him close to that money.

Robert: I do not recall hearing much hype for Willson Contreras when he was listed as a third baseman. How much has moving to catcher full time impacted his jump in just about everybody’s prospect ratings? Or has his bat just been that much better than initially thought?
Klaw: Well he also finally started to hit last year. Tools were always there but years of poor performance made them seem irrelevant – eventually, you have to hit.

Steve: How about just if you lose a FA, you get a pick at the end of the first round. No disincentive for teams to sign players, just compensation for those who lose. Could be real simple – biggest 5 total contracts get picks at end of first round, next biggest 5 get picks at end of second round, next biggest 5 get picks at end of third round.
Klaw: I like this, as long as it’s not tied to a QO, because you get low-payroll teams with a disincentive to even offer the QO (out of fear the player takes it) and thus will see fewer compensatory picks going to the teams that in theory need them most.

Steve: I might have missed it, but what did you think of the Cespedes deal. If he opts out, it’s $27M for a year of Cespedes plus a first round pick.
Klaw: Not on it. He’s not a $27 million player and he’s not a centerfielder. By the way, that’s “if he opts out AND the Mets offer AND he signs elsewhere.”

Rob: On baseball reference, Mark Grace has negative dWAR for his career despite winning 4 gold gloves. He likely would have won more if not playing simultaneously with Will Clark. I’m open minded but can you make a case for dWAR being wrong?
Klaw: I can make a case for dWAR being wrong, especially on first basemen, but Gold Gloves are evidence of nothing except how bad major-league coaches can be at evaluating defense.

Steve: I think I read the worst thing ever this week. Did you see the “neomasculinity” group that is holding meetings to legalize rape? What is wrong with people??
Klaw: Yes, and they cancelled the meetups, but only after getting a ridiculous amount of press attention that probably drove lots of traffic and men’s rights idiots to their site. Their message is abhorrent, but not illegal here, and it’s such a fringe group that giving them publicity probably did them more good than harm. That said, I wish they’d held the meetups so opponents could go and confront them.

Michael: Do you buy every book you read or go to the library?
Klaw: It’s a mix. I get a lot of books as gifts, or gift cards to bookstores; I go to used bookstores a lot; I buy some ebooks when I see something good is on sale; and I go to the library, which is right down the street, especially for something I know I’ll never read again.

Hank: What is your opinion on the Klentak, Macphail regime in philly? Can they bring me a world series?
Klaw: So far, very good. Should learn more over the next ten months as they make more changes to the front office and overall direction.

HugoZ: If a team like Atlanta were willing to pay a bigger bonus to Lazarito than another team that wanted him
Klaw: Problem is the deal is unenforceable. If he has something go wrong – an injury, an off-field incident – Atlanta can just walk away and he could be left with nothing, or just a lot less. That’s my main issue with the current system, that neither side has any protection at all from the other party just walking away.

Steve: Who is the best pitching prospect left in the Mets system? Chris Flexen? Wow, hope they don’t need another starter anytime soon.
Klaw: Not counting Matz? I have Gsellman next up, but he’s 8th overall in the system. No other pitchers in their top 10.

Jeremy: I see some MILB leagues referred to as being pitcher or hitter-friendly. What makes them that way?
Klaw: Ballparks and altitude are the two main factors.

Matt: Do you think some portion of lefty hitters struggling against LHP comes from a self-fulfilling prophecy? Hitters are told early on how much different it is facing a lefty and they must change their approach to succeed. So, hitters alter their typical approach to face this challenge and it doesn’t work for them. It doesn’t seem that righty hitters do this when they face RHP.
Klaw: I think the number one reason is the lack of AB. RHB get way more reps vs RHP than LHB will ever get against LHP.

Steve: I’ve heard serious questions about Cechinni’s defense at SS. Can he stick there, and if not is he still a useful prospect?
Klaw: Hands and range are fine. Has a 6 arm, but had legit accuracy issues last year (out of the blue). I’d still bet on him staying there … but hey, hanging out with the team shrink wouldn’t be a bad idea either.

Rob: It’s odd that the “tanking is killing the game” conversation is so big now when arguably the best and most interesting teams in the AL (Astros) and NL (Cubs) spent the first half of this decade “tanking.” The evidence seems to indicate that tanking is good for the game when your team sucks.
Klaw: Yep. I really have no objection to it. There’s no MLB team like the 76ers right now. The Astros did get there, briefly, but remember, when Luhnow took over, the top levels of the farm system were bleak – all the talent from those Bobby Heck drafts was still about two years away at the time.

Steve: Sandy mentioned yesterday that they’ll try d’Arnaud and Plawecki at other positions during the spring – good idea? Any chance they’ll stick?
Klaw: Yeah, good idea on d’Arnaud given his problems staying healthy – I think he’s had two concussions already, plus a host of other injuries. For his own health I’d like to see him somewhere else, but I don’t see the spot for him with Conforto in LF and Duda at 1b.

Michael: Is it simply a matter of Tyrell Jenkins cutting down the walks and missing more bats for him to finally get the call to Atlanta??
Klaw: I mean, that’s not a simple matter.

Matt: I know the rankings will help answer this question, but is A.J. Reed’s potential hit/power enough to make him a superstar despite his lack of speed or defensive skill?
Klaw: How about star rather than superstar?

Tim: Early to project (and doubt he makes your top 100) but is Tyler Stephenson a sure-fire Catcher on the defensive side? He seems to be mentioned mostly as a bat-first catcher.
Klaw: Plus-plus arm, good athlete, not at all sold on the receiving or on the body staying back there. Looks a lot like Wieters, and Wieters is an anomaly and a bad framer.

Colin: Word is the Rangers are trying Josh Morgan at catcher. Thoughts on this?
Klaw: Yes, I’m surprised that got out but it is true and I love the idea. Could be a Russell Martin type back there.

Addoeh: So you’ve recently been to the Dominican and Puerto Rico. When is the scouting trip to Cuba?
Klaw: Ask my bosses. I’m in. I want to go get drunk where Hemingway used to get drunk.

Marshall: Any predictions on Sano in RF – I assume somewhere between horrendous and bad. Not a lot (any?) of guys his size patrolling OFs at the major league level.
Klaw: He could be a -5 runs guy if he puts some work into it. Great arm, actually a good athlete for someone his size. But I’ve never gotten the sense he wanted to work on defense. He just likes to hit.

JF: Given that this is likely Strasburg’s last year in DC, how would you assess his career so far? What does he need to do to become an elite pitcher—probably somewhere else in 2017?
Klaw: He’s never really pitched as aggressively as his stuff would indicate. He should be going after guys like “here it is, fuck you, try and hit it.” He nibbles, he pitches away from contact, he gets tentative when there are men on. That’s a perfectly fine approach for guys with lesser stuff. I want him to pitch like peak Verlander, who looked like he might tear your head off and was happy to just blow guys away with power, whether it was velocity or just some hellacious breaking ball.

Michael: Any reaction to the Iowa caucus?
Klaw: It’s a really dumb way to pick a candidate.

Matt: I saw pre-draft write-ups on Benintendi comparing him to guys like Jon Jay and Mark Kotsay. Are those still apt comparisons, or did he improve his stock so much last year (particularly with the bat) that he’s risen to a different level of prospect?
Klaw: Don’t think those were apt on draft day. Maybe before the college season? Kid’s got power and neither of those comps did.

Greg: Are you enjoying Savage’s Adore more than Silence Yourself? I tried several times to get into Silence Yourself, but something wasn’t clicking for me (although their live show is outstanding).
Klaw: It’s very different, still good but a real change of pace and tone. Maybe less consistent track to track, but Silence Yourself could feel a little repetitive and Adore nevre does.

Steve: Nimmo with a torn tendon in his foot. It’s starting to look like he’s never going to put it together. Is his ceiling 4th OF now?
Klaw: Yeah, I thought that was his ceiling coming out of 2015. Used to have higher hopes for him but he hasn’t developed like I expected.

Dave Stewart: The key to winning baseball is to bat your worst hitter leadoff so he gets more plate appearances than anyone, but only if he’s fast.
Klaw: The mere idea that Segura is a top-of-the-order bat with sub-.290 OBPs says everything we need to know about how Dave Stewart views baseball. He last worked in a front office in 2001, and his criteria on players seem to have remained there.

Ed: If you’re the Cubs do you continue to develop Dylan Cease as a starter? Any concerns with his delivery?
Klaw: Yes, absolutely a starter, and no on the delivery. Not even sure what you’re referring to with that.

Hank: I know the top 100 is coming next week, but do you think Orlando Arcia is major league ready? I like the trade for the Brewers, but I’m worried about them bringing up Arcia too early.
Klaw: Glove is ready. Instincts are already there. Bat probably not quite, but he wouldn’t be terrible if he went right to the majors. I think he’ll make a lot of contact and play plus defense and help the team.

Chris: In regards to the Mets & Cespedes. Isn’t it better to overpay him for 1 year then being stuck with 2-3 dead years on the back end of a 5-6 year contract?
Klaw: Isn’t it better to just not pay him at all? There wasn’t a better use for the money they gave him, Cabrera (who can’t play short at all), and de Aza?

ballsandgutters: You think Jesse Biddle is worth a spot on the Pirates 40 man roster?
Klaw: I don’t. They’ll probably outright him in March, but they’ll have to re-add him in October to prevent him leaving as a minor league free agent, and then in March 2017 he has to stay on the 40-man because a second outright would give him the right to elect free agency immediately. And I don’t see him worth a 40-man spot for all of 2017.

Claudio: Swanson and Albies will both stay at SS this year, do you see Swanson in AA and Albies in High-A to start the year? Suppose they both make it to ATL, am I wrong if I think the best dp setup would be Swanson at 2b and Albies at SS?
Klaw: I would do what you suggest – send Swanson right to AA because he played and raked in the SEC. I also think Swanson is the more likely long-term shortstop than Albies.

Scott: Do you see any chance that Marcus Semien can stick at SS? I feel like his bat would make him valuable even with slightly below average D
Klaw: I do not. Also not a very good hitter – he had a big April and then went back to his old self, .306 OBP the rest of the way with a lot of strikeouts (22-23%).

Dan: Does Casey Kelly have anything left that would make him a contributor to the Braves over the next few seasons?
Klaw: Yes, but I think they need to make a real change to his repertoire due to the lack of deception in his delivery and movement on his fastball. Maybe the answer is a cutter, or a two-seamer, but he hasn’t missed bats like his stuff should, and when that happens consistently, you have to make some kind of change.

Anonymous: Hey KLaw, thank you for doing these chats! What do you think of a Benintendi and Vazquez for Teheran swap?
Klaw: I think that makes no sense for Boston.

Mike: O’s just traded for Despaigne from SD. Does he have any potential? Or just a guy? (if that)
Klaw: Just a guy. I heard San Diego got Cosme, which is one of the best restaurants in NYC, so that’s a clear win.

Anonymous: Another key difference between “tanking” in MLB vs other sports is that it’s a much harder transition to professional baseball than for other sports. Take a top guy in NFL/NBA you have a much clearer idea of what you’re getting, correct?
Klaw: I think that’s true, but I can’t claim to know the other drafts that well – it seems like they have their share of high-profile flops at the top of the draft too.

Alex: How small do you think the win now window is in Arizona before they start getting old and regretting trading away all the young talent?
Klaw: The regret will end up in the laps of the next regime.

Frank: Hey Keith. How would you handle Anthony Alford this year. Start him in AA and move him up to AAA with success halfway through. Maybe a cup of tea in September. I worry about the Jays OF with Bautista (old and gets injured a decent amount), Saunders (Injury prone), and Dalton Pompey (unproven). Pillar seems to be the only guy I don’t worry about.
Klaw: You can’t let major-league needs dictate the development plan for a player. You move Alford up when he’s shown he has nothing left to learn at his current level. He should start in AA, but that’s a big leap for him, and he still has just under 600 total PA in pro ball. Rushing him makes less sense than rushing most prospects.

Lee: Seems like a Bradley Jr. for Sano trade seems like great match-up for both teams. Which team do you think would balk at that?
Klaw: No way the Twins do that. Not only is that a big loss of value for them, but with Buxton and Kepler, why do they need a CF?

Will: A week later, and I’m still worked up over last week’s Top Chef episode. Should the producers have realized the issues of the episode and judging and made this week a double elimination? Seems so stupid to see someone go home for making “dainty” food instead of bad food when no one knew what the hell a beefsteak was.
Klaw: I don’t get that worked up over it, but it was one of their worst episodes for that very reason. No one seemed to understand the challenge, and the challenge itself was kind of antithetical to the whole concept of the show.

Steve: Just wondering – if the Wilpon’s are indeed willing to spend $140M on payroll going forward, does this make you any more bullish on the Mets window?
Klaw: It helps, but I don’t think I’m bearish on the team. They’re probably still the favorites in the division and we saw that they’re well built for October.

Brian Morris: Max Kepler, Bradley Zimmer, Jesse Winker: are we looking at 3 OF prospects that have similar tools/outlooks? Which bat plays better long term?
Klaw: Not similar at all – Winker is a corner OF only, while the other two are above-average runners who can play CF.

Jeff R: How’s your health tool looking? I hope you’re feeling better and stronger. Thanks again for all your work.
Klaw: Still kind of tired – I slept almost two more hours this morning after getting my daughter on the bus – but the evil Levoquin did its job and has not yet blown out my tendons.

JR: Was happy to see you call out Manning in your “stick to baseball” column this week. I had heard this before, but he certainly tends to get a free pass. Also getting a free pass is Kobe Bryant. He’s making his retirement tour and you never hear anything about the CO rape.
Klaw: We pick and choose when to remember sexual assault cases. Peyton can’t legally answer questions about it, so it’s unfair to ask him directly, but completely fair to bring it up in all this bullshit talk about his “legacy.”

Alex: The biggest problem with tanking is the strategy really only works if you can get the first or second pick in the draft and all the extra money in the bonus pool that comes from those slots. With 7-8 teams tanking the strategy really doesn’t help teams picking in the 5-7 range. Remember the Astros had a lot of top picks to make the strategy work.
Klaw: Right. If the Phillies can trade for one of those competitive balance picks, it puts them in a way better spot. In fact, let’s just make all draft picks tradeable in the next CBA, like I’ve been arguing they should do for the last decade.

Chris: Do you think Lopez makes it to the Nats this year out of the pen, or does he still need to work on that command in the minors?
Klaw: Could appear this year, don’t think command will be an issue if he’s in the pen.

Chris: It seems like Josh Naylor is stuck at 1B, but do you think his bat plays enough there to still be in your top 100 prospects?
Klaw: He’s not on it and wasn’t close. Didn’t have him as a first-round talent going into the draft.

Jojo: The wife and I took our first plunge into gaming with Carcassone and Seven Wonders Duel (your rankings helped!) and we loved them. Wondering if you have any specific recommendations for a 2 player game considering our enjoyment of those two.
Klaw: I always recommend Jaipur for a purely two-player game. Here’s my review.

Nick: When do you see Taillon and Glasnow being ready for Pittsburgh?
Klaw: Glasnow by June. Taillon depends entirely on health and I don’t know enough to tell you on that one.

Mike: I would not agree you get a much clearer idea of what you are getting. Rather, you can get a player who has a much larger impact. Basketball, one player can make a much larger difference. Same with a QB in NFL…
Klaw: Strasburg was probably the clearest case of a 1-1 guy who was close to major-league ready in the last ten years, and he’s been good if not quite what was expected, certainly not enough to turn the franchise around by himself. I’m dating myself, but I remember the Magic getting Shaq and adding about 25 wins in one year, missing the playoffs in his rookie season by maybe a game. There’s no baseball equivalent to that.

Scott: Will Beede or Crick make an appearance at the big league level this year? Seems to me one of those guys could help out the bullpen since SF was looking for bullpen help? Bad idea?
Klaw: Bad idea. Crick walked a man an inning last year and I’m not sure what his outlook is. Beede is now throwing 88-89 mph sinkers, and while I’m not exactly clear on the plan there, that’s not a reliever’s pitch.

Bill: Darin gorski MLB potential?
Klaw: Sixth starter or up-and-down guy. If that.

Nick: I know it’s (really) early but have you seen any of the 2017 Draft prospects? Mark Vientos, JJ Schwarz, etc.?
Klaw: Schwarz yes, loved what I’ve seen so far, could be a top five pick (in the abstract – I don’t know the class that well yet). Haven’t seen Vientos.

Nick: Have you ever listened to Run the Jewels? If not, there’s a chance you’d like them. They have a more old school and refined sound than mainstream rap.
Klaw: Listened to both albums, didn’t like them.

Paul: KLaw – curious how many of the restaurants on Eater’s latest National 38 list you’ve tried? I know I’ve seen you write several of them up. I’ve only been to 4, all in the Southeast (Husk, Fig, Pooles, Gunshow just last weekend), but have some of the others circled for upcoming travel. Gunshow was truly awesome by the way… you should definitely check it out when in Atlanta. Would recommend going with a party of 4 or even 6 if possible, though. We were able to try every dish on the menu by going with 6. Cheers!
Klaw: Been to eight of them, yet neither of the Philly entries – Zahav is a tough reservation, and Vedge is going to have to be a solo outing since I don’t know many folks who would willingly go to a vegan restaurant. Poole’s is great. Didn’t like Oleana at all. I heard from a DC friend that people actually pay others to stand in line to get a table at Rose’s Luxury – like, this is a side job where people advertise on Craigslist that they will stand in line for you for a fee. I can’t imagine the food living up to that kind of hype.

Blueberry Johnson: Keith, would you say you have an 80 time management? You do a lot of stuff and it’s kind of amazing. Any big insights on time management you can share?
Klaw: I don’t think I would say that. I don’t watch a lot of TV, and I don’t burn a lot of time doing ‘nothing.’ I’m always busy with something, whether it’s work, reading, family time, stuff around the house. I get a lot of satisfaction from completing mundane stuff, which helps motivate me. The other day I changed some fuses in one of our cars – a very routine bit of maintenance, but I was still psyched to do it (and not pay someone else $50 or so for a five minute job).

Bama Pezz: I don’t believe for a second that Chris Correa acted alone. He probably had an IT guy helping him as well as mentioning it and sharing information to multiple people in the org. Isn’t the likelihood of him taking the fall for this for all parties to move on with minimal damage much more likely?
Klaw: I have zero inside info on this topic, but my gut response was identical to yours.

Alex in Austin: Do you see any chance these Time Warner and Fox Sports contracts with teams blow up? I can’t imagine the ratings justify these prices and as marketing dollars move away from cable to more digital media, where is the revenue going to come from?
Klaw: It does seem inevitable that the traditional cable model, pushing big subscriber fees on the customer as part of tying arrangements (which could be ruled an antitrust violation at some point, no?), is going to see an accelerating decline. We just dropped DirecTV after 14 years to take a much cheaper, smaller package as part of a Verizon FiOS bundle. Lost maybe 2-3 channels we liked, but saved a ton of money in the process.

Jon: During the Cespedes press conference, Sandy indicated the Mets will now start looking at getting the young pitchers signed to extensions. Syndergaard would be the obvious place to start for that, no?
Klaw: Of their young arms he’s the one I’d try hardest to sign, and Matz would be the least because of his injury history.

Woodman: Christian Arroyo had a good year in San Jose and fall league last year. What’s his potential and possible arrival time frame in SF?
Klaw: Not a shortstop but plus hit tool. Probably a solid two years away.

John: I’m driving across the country next week. Any recommendations for an audio book? For that format, I prefer an entertaining plot even more than usual. That’s mainly so I stay awake/alert, but also because I find I don’t retain details as much when I listen rather than read.
Klaw: Best audiobook I’ve listened to in the last two years was Bill Nye reading his own Undeniable, where he tears apart creationist claims against evolution (here’s my review). He has so much energy and infuses a lot of humor into the work that it kept me alert through a couple of long, dull drives.

bobby: Important stuff first: Best Super Bowl snack to serve? Also, morality of the move aside, now that the Yanks have the Big 3 in the bullpen, how would you use Betances? 2 innings a pop in 60 games or so? Or a strict 7, 8, 9 of the big 3 for, say, 80 games?
Klaw: If you have any thought to keeping guys healthy, days off is key. So two innings a pop for 50-60 games is better than 75 innings in 70-75 games. We don’t know much about pitcher health but I think we know, or at least have strong evidence to indicate, that rest is a big help.

Janey: How many college bats or arms come out of nowhere? In other words, are most guys who were not thought as first rounders when in high school?
Klaw: Benintendi was a rare event: A draft-eligible sophomore who was hurt his freshman year and I think skipped the summer, so he emerged very late. It’s more common for a guy like Anthony Rendon, who was little-known in high school, to show up his freshman year and suddenly look like a first-rounder, after which we get three springs and two summers of scouting looks and data to evaluate.

Chris: What happened to DJ Peterson, and do you think he’s destined to be a AAAA player?
Klaw: Hasn’t been the same since the injury to his face, but was always a bit limited anyway – 1b only, not geared to hit for both average and power.

Greg: Better comparison than Shaq (also dating myself)- Spurs lost Robinson for a year, finished last, got Duncan, and then won the title.
Klaw: Ah yes, reminds me of that year when we were on a trip to Italy and visiting my cousins in Genova during the NBA finals. I asked my younger cousin if he knew who won, and he said yes, the “Sant’Antonio Spurs.”

Taybor: Any reason you and your wife stopped at one kid? She seems to bring you so much joy that I’d think you’d want a 2nd.
Klaw: Several reasons, but two big ones: My wife was nauseous for five solid months while pregnant, and my daughter has been adamant since she was four that she does not want a sibling at all.

Mickey: Hansel Robles was quietly absolutely dominant down the stretch (2.63 era, .804 whip, 11.2 k/9, 4.64 k/bb over his last 41 innings) – should he be the mets setup man this yr? Future closer? Or are his inconsistencies too much?
Klaw: Definitely setup material. You don’t buy or trade for relievers – you make them.

Ted: Best piece of advice for an upcoming college graduate about to enter the “real world?”
Klaw: I could probably give a whole speech on this, but the hardest thing for me was learning to be professional, to act like an adult as a 21-year-old in an office in the workforce, surrounded by super smart people who would look down on my immaturity. Working harder and being more conscious of how I appeared – I’m definitely an introvert, and often shy, but back then it could manifest itself in behavior or commentary that others would find immature – even just for that first year would have made a huge difference to my career had I chosen to stay in that line of work.

Bill: But mets need matz, he’s a lhp, all others rhp ,no?
Klaw: This does not strike me as a counterargument. Who cares if you have five righties? And if Matz can’t stay healthy – he’s never thrown 150 innings in a calendar year – then why would his lefthandedness make him a better candidate for a long-term contract?

Dave: If there was no reserve clause in MLB and no player union, would players make more money than they do now? It seems to me that an open market for player services would give the players more money. So, players like Kris Bryant would make a lot more, and older players would make a lot less.
Klaw: If you had more true free agency, with players getting there at 3 or 4 years of service, then yes, the scenario you outline seems likely.

Dave: Do you think taxing the rich at over 70% would help or hurt the economy? Some of those more “socialist” European countries seemingly have little chance for climbing the economic ladder, and there is very little job creation.
Klaw: I say hurt. Didn’t we have punitive tax rates for the highest income earners (not the “rich” – that’s wealth, not income) in the 1950s, until JFK pushed through a tax cut?

Hank: Will you watch the Super Bowl?
Klaw: Eh. Maybe. It’s not a priority.

Dave: Does a soft throwing sidearm pitcher like David Berg have any place it today’s MLB? Or do you think he would just get lit up.
Klaw: Don’t see him as a big leaguer.

Mike: Is McCullers in the same group of possible aces as Berrios & Reyes?
Klaw: Reyes is a possible ace. I don’t think Berrios or McCullers is.

Nick: Re the bird with the clipped wing, would you expect it to take an additional year for him to find his swing like a guy going down with a wrist or thumb injury and not getting back to his normal power numbers until a full year after he gets back?
Klaw: Impossible to say because we don’t know how his swing will look post-surgery. Will he be restricted? Will he be reluctant to let it go, the way Heyward was for a few years after his shoulder injury? It’s not good news, certainly.

Hank: Bigger impact for the Rangers this season: Nomar Mazara, Joey Gallo or Lewis Brinson?
Klaw: Gallo will get the most opportunities with the big club, but Mazara is the best bet to produce if he gets the chance.

Brian Morris: My son is just starting to get into reading…any suggestions for good children’s books?
Klaw: We loved the Paddington series. They’re good for a wide range of ages – you might need to read them to him because some of the vocab is a little advanced, but the stories are good for ages 4 to 100.

Klaw: That’s all for this week’s chat, as i need to do some more top 100 writing and I have a phone call scheduled for 3 pm. Thanks for all of the questions. Assuming the current schedule holds, I will try to do two chats next week, one the day the org rankings come out, another the day the top 100 comes out. I’ll continue to post updates here on the dish.

Klaw: Birth, school, work, Klawchat, death.

Marshall: Do you think Gallo will ever figure out his contact issues, or he destined to become a sort of uber-Mark Reynolds type of player?
Klaw: I think where I’ve got him ranked implies that I think he’ll make more than enough contact, although I talk about it quite a bit in the player capsule. So without spoiling too much, I’ll say I think he’ll more a lot more than a Reynolds type – he’s still really young, and he’s a much more athletic kid than a lot of folks realize because he’s so freaking big.

Jackie: What penalty would you give the Cardinals for the hacking fiasco? It hasn’t to be more than just a punishment, it has to be a deterrent to the other teams against committing a similar felony, right?
Klaw: Well I would think jail was a sufficient deterrent, and I’m somewhat loath to start tagging the entire team for what may have been the acts of a single, rogue employee. (Of course, it’s possible he wasn’t acting alone, in which case, drop the hammer, Rob.)

Chris: Hey Keith, sorry if this is a dumb question, but I’m just curious how the whole “reimbursing high school signees for college tuition” works? Do you have to play a certain amount of time in pro ball? Can you only use that tuition money at certain schools? I think it’s really cool that teams do this and I just wanted to learn more, figured you could give a better, streamlined answer than anyone else
Klaw: Not a dumb question. You don’t have to play a certain amount of time, and you can use it to attend any school, even one different from the one you left to play pro ball. It’s why signing out of HS is the right move the vast majority of the time, no matter what some coach says on twitter about the “experience.” In my life, I’ve discovered that you can buy a lot of great experiences with money.

James: Who would you take number one overall in the draft?
Klaw: I have not seen Alec Hansen yet so I can’t really answer. I think the decision set should include Groome, Perez, presumably Hansen, and … man, that ended quick. I’ve seen Puk a lot and don’t think he’s 1-1 on merit, although the Phils could also choose to do a deep discount there and overspend later on.

Anonymous: How you doing?
Klaw: I’m not dead, so that’s good. Fever is gone and while I don’t still need the inhaler it’s helping. I don’t know what I had but I basically lost a week to it.

Tim: Hey Keith, hope you’re feeling better. Spring training is around the corner – and with it everyone’s favorite game – “Scout meaningless spring box scores!”. Personally, I’d rather know what you or another scouts are actually looking at in the players you are scouting during the month of March. Are you looking at mechanical changes for hitters/pitchers? Maintaining positive changes that players exhibited last year? Consistency in delivery/swing path? Or if it’s hard to scout at Spring Training, why exactly? Thanks.
Klaw: Stuff, health, bodies, mechanics, but not performance. This guy’s throwing harder, this guy has a new pitch, this guy is missing 4 mph. This guy showed up fat, this guy showed up in the Best Shape of His Life, this guy isn’t throwing like he used to. Spring training is the month of fake looks, so I try to keep it very simple to minimize the chance that I’ll get fooled.

John: What’s your view on Ian Happ’s chance at sticking at second? Does the bat play enough to be an above-average corner outfielder?
Klaw: I always had him as a 2b going back to I think his sophomore year in college. He’s absolutely agile and athletic enough. And yes, I think it’d play in RF, but that’s a much less valuable outcome.

Ryan: A friend and I need to settle an argument. Most unbreakable MLB record. My thought is Cy Young’s completed games record. His choice is Ricky’s stolen base record. Which record do you feel is most unbreakable?
Klaw: Any pitching record from before World War I is untouchable. If anything, those are going to become more distant as we stop asking pitchers to turn lineups over four times and increase the use of more relievers for longer stints.

Adam: YES!!!! Thursdays have been so boring!
Klaw: you’re telling me. I spent last Thursday on the couch trying to figure out what was real and what was a hallucination.

Theo: How does the age of a player factor into your evaluation? For instance, Blake Rutherford is 19, which is a year or more older than other HS seniors. Would a guy like Moniak, who is of normal age, be a better prospect in your eyes, since he has that extra year to develop?
Klaw: It matters and it doesn’t. (!) Historically, yes, older HS players have worse probabilities, very young HS players have much better probabilities. We would think of a 19-year-old mashing in low-A very differently than a 21-year-old doing the same; why wouldn’t we consider age the same way for amateur players? That said, there are some tools that are age-immune. Byron Buxton was past 18.5 on his draft day, but he was an 80 runner with an 80 arm, a probable 70 glove, bat speed, and the frame for power.

Jim: How good is Victor Robles? Is he already a top 15 prospect?
Klaw: Top 15 for the Nationals? Yes. I really hope you weren’t asking top 15 in baseball because no.

ProBeauNO: What’re your thoughts on Eddy Julio Martinez and Vlad Guerrero Jr.? Either potential impact players?
Klaw: Both, I think. I saw EJM work out, which is not the same as seeing him play in actual games, but if that guy was now entering his third spring of college, assuming he had two years of even adequate performance behind him, we’d be talking about him near the top of this draft.

David: Scouting reports reference “body control.” What does that mean?
Klaw: Think of it as a more comprehensive look at physical coordination. My wife and daughter love So You Think You Can Dance, and every year there are dancers who call their style “animation,” where they seem to be manipulating individual muscles in robotic movements. That’s 80 body control. And it’s important in baseball because the more you can control your muscles, the better you can repeat your mechanics, and the less you’re going to waste energy on inefficient movements.

AL (DC): Does the contract for Fister seem light? Seems rumors were two years and $10 per. But obviously those are rumors. Do you find it odd no one wanted to go more than 1 year? Especially teams (Orioles) that desperately need any and every pitching golden ticket?
Klaw: I was surprised he didn’t end up with two years somewhere, yes. It’s a perfect one-year flier – if his stuff is just gone, you release him.

Bored at Work: Read today that 92% of American girls between 3-12 have owned a Barbie at one point. Has your opinion of that toy option changed in light of the new sizes they’re coming out with? I’d guess your daughter doesn’t have any interest in such things — but, hypothetically, are you more likely to buy one for her now than, say, a year ago? (Assuming you haven’t already?)
Klaw: She never got into Barbie and we never encouraged it. She watched a couple of episodes of the new animated series and we had to ban it because it was so insulting to everyone’s intelligence.

CK: Keith, you’ve stated many times your views that college athletes should be paid for their labors, a position I certainly understand and agree with. Do you have thoughts on how we might ever get to that point, considering that we’re not starting from a blank slate and have to work in the world as it currently exists? In particular, it seems to me that the money brought in by big-time football and basketball not only supports exorbitant salaries for coaches and administrators, but allows the nonrevenue sports at big time schools, almost all of which lose money, to exist. Do you see any way to withstand the opposition the inevitable cutbacks for those sports would cause, particularly since Title IX concerns would become a big part of the issue?
Klaw: If we set Title IX aside for a moment, who cares about the other sports? Why is it the responsibility of football players to make sure the golf team still has putters? I get this argument all the time – “well, then say goodbye to non-revenue sports,” to which I say, “Okay.” Fund your own sports just like every other student club has to fund itself. Have a bake sale. But stop free-riding on the labors of other athletes.

Eric: Hi Keith, do you see the Mets drafting a pitcher with their 1st round pick this year, with the trade of Fulmer and Molina out with TJ the well is finally dry when it comes to top tier pitching prospects in the pipeline. Due to the weak free agent crop next year I wouldn’t be shocked to see the Mets trade 1 of their aces if the return is right, this is more reason to go with a pitcher in the 1st round, what are your thoughts on the Mets draft plan, any names you think they may be targeting?
Klaw: I don’t see them drafting for need like that – teams that do so nearly always regret it – but I agree with your second point about them potentially trading one of the young starters. It has to be in the back of Sandy’s mind that any of those kids could blow out (again) at any time, and if the opportunity came up to trade, say, Matz, who is super talented but always hurt, for a durable asset like a high-end position player prospect, he has to at least consider whether that’s the better long-term play.

Sean: Were you surprised by the Cespedes deal? Should he have taken Nats’ offer or is he better off with short term contract?
Klaw: Nats apparently offered a ton of deferred money so the Mets’ offer was probably worth more. I’m surprised the market didn’t give him more guaranteed money, yes.

Amy: What do you expect from Trey Ball this year and going forward? What’s his projected floor/ceiling at this stage?
Klaw: This is a big year for him. Velocity backed up and has never really returned, and the loss of arm speed backed up the breaking ball too. Still a good athlete, hard worker, good frame, but the stuff is just not sufficient.

Julie: Bad thing about being sick is it will be hard for you to report to spring training in the best shape of your life.
Klaw: I feel like the shape I’m likely to report in would be trapezoid.

Jeff: Thanks for recommending Jasper Fforde. My daughter and I enjoyed working through the first three Kazam books – any idea when the fourth will come out?
Klaw: I believe he’s now saying 2017. He’s become very cagey about release dates lately. There’s supposed to be a one-off adult novel from him this spring.

Mike: I just wanted to say thank you for all your discussion of your anxiety issues. Your openness and story on Stigma Fighters prompted me to finally seek some help and it’s already paying dividends with my own anxiety disorder.
Klaw: You’re welcome. I’m thrilled to hear that it helped. That is the reason I wrote it.

Johnny (Woburn, MA): Keith, thanks for taking my question! Could you see Moncada/Benintendi reaching the Majors before the end of the year?
Klaw: Benintendi, possibly. Moncada, I highly doubt it.

Ray A.: Are the SF Giants linked to Cuban prospect LAZARITO at all? They already went over on Fox, so it seems smart for them to gamble on this potential superstar.
Klaw: I spoke to three scouts who saw him in San Cristobal last week. Not one said he was a “potential superstar” or even close to that.

Roy: Why do people assume devers cant keep his weight down for 3b? Infuriating to see such lazy analysis.
Klaw: He’s also not fat. He’s big, but not heavy or fat or out of shape or plump or adipose or any of that. Just a big guy.

Miles: You have to bet on Fister either being his 2014 self or his 2015 self… No copout “in between”. Which way do you lean?
Klaw: I think he can recapture much of 2014, but no way would I say all of it given the velo drop.

Andy: Are you still going to be able to make the whole book o prospects in 10 days? While your ESPN editors may disagree, as a fan, please don’t rush them. Put in all 26 million (rough estimate) words.
Klaw: So the top 100 and the org rankings (1 to 30) will still run Feb 8-9 or 9-10, as planned. We may push the team reports back to the following week because of the time I lost. I’m still not doing a lot of phone stuff because I have a bad cough, which is not helping.

Sean: You seem to be pretty high on dom smith, what do you expect form him as a big leaguer?
Klaw: He was the 11th pick in the draft and raked in the minors, so I don’t think I’m high on him at all. I think he’s going to hit for a very high average with some power and plus-plus defense at first. If he’s going to get to more than just “some” power, he’s going to have to start to pull the ball more.

Brian: thanks for the chat, what kind of power numbers do you expect Bogaerts to get to this year? It seemed like last year he was just focusing on improving his contact rate, slapping the ball the other way. Do you think he could jump up to 20 – 25 hrs this year if he focuses on driving the ball more?
Klaw: Yes, I do. Ball really comes off his bat well – I wouldn’t be surprised if he grew into hitting a handful of oppo homers every year too.

addoeh: What song, with your surname in the title, would you choose for your walk-up music; Breaking The Law or I Fought the Law (Clash version)?
Klaw: Breaking the Law. More intimidating, which clearly I need.

Sean: Do you have a scouting report or opinion of Thomas Eshelman – HOU?
Klaw: He’s a Phillie now. Fifth starter type. Outstanding command of fringy stuff.

Adam: What are your thoughts on Kevin Maitan? Isnt he too young for the type of hype he is receiving?
Klaw: He can really hit, and there’s going to be power there. As for him being too young … I mean, there’s no appropriate age to compare someone to Miguel Cabrera, right? I’m more concerned about the joke of a system that lets him be “locked up” by a team 18 months before the signing date.

Scherzer’s Blue Eye: How soon do we see Giolito?
Klaw: August. Just a guess but they’ve handled him so carefully it’s going to end up slowing his march to the majors.

Raphael: Hypothetical question: If a player racks up 100 WAR (a clear hall of famer), then continues playing and racks up -60 WAR (40 career WAR, not a hall of famer), should this player still make the hall of fame?
Klaw: I would actually say yes, although I know MGL had a big rant on Twitter a few weeks ago where he made a decent argument that the answer should be no.

Scherzer’s Blue Eye: Speaking of Cespedes, would be shocked to see him revert to his .260/.300/.450 slashline?
Klaw: Not at all. I don’t see any reason to think he suddenly became a different player because he beat the crap out of some bad pitching at the ideal time last year. (Slight exaggeration there.)

Jeremy: How much are tools learned or innate? Are some tools more learnable/developable than others?
Klaw: Tools are not learned. Skills are learned, mechanics are learned, but tools are innate.

Frank: Glad you are feeling better. Never saw you comment on the giants signing of Denard Span. Curious what your thoughts were on this deal? Thanks
Klaw: Money was fine, but don’t like him to play CF there – that’s a big park, with some flyball guys on staff – for the next three years. Thought they should have aimed for a better defender, even though I think the contract itself was probably just about right.

Ed: What are your favorite Rex Stout novels? Fer de Lance and Over My Dead Body are at the top for me. Thank you for doing these chats and sharing your opinions on your passions.
Klaw: I love both of those and Some Buried Caesar.

Charles: Even Jeter would get benched before he put up -60 WAR.
Klaw: I assume his question was prompted by Griffey’s career, where he was a zero or worse from age 30 on. So, if you’re a HoFer for 11 years – like, inner-circle good – and then just do some stat-padding that doesn’t really help the team, are you a HoFer or not?

Marshall: Tyler Duffey cam out of relative no where to be probably the Twins best pitcher down the stretch last season, I can’t assume that will be his ceiling going forward, but what do you think?
Klaw: Agreed. Fifth starter. Nothing he ever did before indicates he can keep doing what he did.

Alex: What about the system has him locked up? If someone comes along and blows away the supposed offer he has from the Braves what prevents him from taking it?
Klaw: Those deals are very, very rarely broken. The entire system is built on mutual trust. If you, as a trainer, renege on a deal with one club to take more money from another, teams will not commit money to your players the following year. Now that said, if I were GM of a team not under the penalty for 2016-17, I’d absolutely call Maitan’s guy on July 1st right around midnight and offer him $8 million and just DARE him to turn it down. And when he did, I’d make sure it became public, so MLB has to change the system. It is horribly broken and Manfred has a great opportunity to scrap it and start over.

JD: Speaking of hallucinations, have you watched/will you watch The Knick or Hannibal? Both incredible for different reasons, both very difficult to watch sometimes.
Klaw: Neither. I will not watch Hannibal. That kind of pandering does not appeal to me.

Jeff: How did Ian Kennedy get 5 years? Ian Kennedy!
Klaw: I think that’s my least favorite deal of the offseason, but the offseason isn’t over yet.

Scott of Lincolnshire: You’ve been advocating that swing bullpen position for years. Are teams like the Cubs fitting your vision of how a full pitching staff should look like? A couple of studs at the top, and then a bunch of #4/5 starters to fill out the rotation and half the bullpen?
Klaw: Yes, looks like Wood and Warren and possibly Richard will all be longer relievers this year. I love it.

Aubrey: At what point can Astros’ fans fairly question if Jim Crane is just unwilling to spend money on free agents? I know the team was a year or so ahead of schedule in 2015, but they have a very low payroll vs. Market size, and have clear needs that could be addressed.
Klaw: Oh, you can ask that now. Go ahead. He’ll answer you as soon as he finishes dealing with the cash call from his investors.

Keith: Re: Dom Smith – I’ve seen other reports that people are divided on the power thing. What you describe sounds vaguely Keith Hernandez- like – what’s wrong with an awesome defensive 1st baseman who hits 15 homers, lots of doubles and .300/.350 on base? Sounds like a star to me.
Klaw: These “other reports” are scouting the stat line, not the player. Anyone can sit home, read players’ stats off Baseball-Reference, and pretend to rank prospects.

Mike: Why didn’t Ke’Bryan Hayes go higher in the draft?
Klaw: I believe because people saw a lack of power in a corner player. But if he’s a 70 defender who never strikes out and hits .280 with a .360 OBP and 10 homers … I mean, Bill Mueller wasn’t even that good and he was a solid regular.

PRS: Are thinking about a re-fresh on the iOS board game rankings?
Klaw: I’m thinking about a lot of things I’d like to do right now and can’t because I’m like a walking corpse and still have to do the top 100. I finished The Caine Mutiny, The Mearseault Investigation, and The Vorrh in the last week and don’t have time to write any of them up.

Marshall: The Twins have gotten some criticism from fans for not going hard enough after new RP – however, I actually think we can get more bang for our buck by augmenting the bullpen with your power arms that are near the majors (Burdi, Reed, Chargois, Meyer, etc).
Klaw: Yeah that is the worst possible thing they could do. Plus ownership clearly doesn’t want to spend a ton on payroll, so why would Ryan spend it in the place where ROIs tend to be terrible?

Greg: What are your thoughts on Blake Rutherford? Do you think he is #1 on the braves early list at #3?
Klaw: I don’t think teams really have “early lists” like that now when most players won’t start playing for a month. I also don’t think he’s at all their kind of player, based on that group’s draft history. He’s a bat, but not an athlete.

Brenden: If you’re the Rangers how do you handle Profar coming back? Odor and Andrus look to have him blocked in the infield.
Klaw: Let him go to AAA and play every day for a while. It’s quite possible this will work itself out via injury, an external trade offer, or non-performance by Andrus.

Keith: I know you pay little attention to “other reports” and view players through your own lens but are there other scouts/websites etc. whose opinions you value even when different than your own?
Klaw: I think Jim Callis and Jonathan Mayo at MLB do a fantastic job. Baseball America remains very thorough and if I have a dumb question on a player (like how tall is he, or what HS did he attend) they’re the best resource. Chris Crawford at BP worked for me and I’ve always thought highly of his eye. And Kiley McDaniel (RIP) always did great work for me and then for FG.

Raphael: I was thinking more Rose than Griffey. The question is less about players accruing -60 WAR (which is obviously never ever going to happen) than if we should discredit players for awful performances in addition to their great ones, and if so, how much.
Klaw: I think the subjective argument against Rose is that for the last 900 games of his career, he was probably hurting his teams rather than helping them, and some of that was in pursuit of a personal milestone. (I would bet a lot of folks don’t remember how bad he was in 1980, when the Phillies won the WS, but first basemen with ISOs of 0.073 are not terribly valuable creatures.) The selfishness of his actions at the end of his career should leave a bitter taste in everyone’s mouths. Does that cancel out a 75-WAR career beforehand? Probably not, but I’m open to the discussion. Of course, now we know what a terrible person he is, so this is academic.

Alex in Austin: What does Connor Jones need to show you this year to be a top 5 pick?
Klaw: I think he gets there with a strong statistical performance and consistent velocity. He can be 92-95 as a starter with sink and the good changeup and then we’re just debating little things. He doesn’t have the red flags of every other college starter in the draft, but he also doesn’t have that sexy 98 mph fastball.

David: Raimel Tapia has a reputation for an unorthodox swing/approach. How confident are you that he can succeed at the plate in the majors?
Klaw: He does not have that “reputation.” He has an unorthodox swing, period. I’ve never seen anyone hit like it, and with two strikes he looks like an ostrich trying to hide its head in the sand. (I know they don’t really do that.) I think he has exceptional hand-eye coordination, though, and that alone will get him TO the majors. To succeed, he’s going to have to develop more of a plan at the plate and some better recognition of spin.

Todd: Think Tyler White can have some Billy Butler-esque medium high OBP medium high power seasons as a DH?
Klaw: Yes I do. Don’t sleep on him just because he’s 5’10” and a little, um, adipose?

James: Can you comment on the Bob Ryan suspension?
Klaw: No because I don’t know what you’re talking about.

David: Reading “Chasing the Scream”. Does Sheriff Arpaio have a role in Pres. Trump’s administration?
Klaw: At some point, does Trump say to these endorsers, “nah, I’m good, thanks.” Because next up will be the head of the Aryan Nations or something.

jay: Thoughts on the initial Shapiro/Atkins regime in Toronto, fans are revolting. How would you rate their offseason to date?
Klaw: Jays fans are revolting? Come on, they’re perfectly nice people, don’t say that about them.

Mike: Fangraphs’ projections are pretty down on the Giants’ infield. Was last year for real, or is the concern about regression legit?
Klaw: I’d absolutely take the under on Crawford’s power, Kelby’s whatever, and probably Panik’s BABIP. But I think Duffy can really hit and Panik will still put the ball in play a ton.

Chris: Would a Ref for Cowart trade be fair and make sense? Better long term organizational fits position-wise.
Klaw: Probably not, because Refsnyder isn’t a second baseman.

Charles: What MLB players (if any) have the LeBron James power of getting a manager fired?
Klaw: I truly wonder – based on zero inside intel – what would happen if Mike Trout’s agent said to Arte Moreno, “Mike is unhappy with the manager.” That seems like the one player and the one situation where it might really topple the mountain.

Tim: I’m so confused when people say things like ” I wouldn’t be shocked to see the Mets trade 1 of their aces if the return is right…” when a team is in the middle of a contending period. Good teams don’t actually trade established, high value assets like an “Ace” during a contending period do they? I understand pitchers are volatile but aren’t they also the most irreplaceable part of a team?
Klaw: I don’t think they’re the most irreplaceable part of a team, but also, the return is the key variable. If you can trade Steven Matz for Bryce Harper, you do it. That’s a lopsided example, but what if the Pirates called and offered you Gregory Polanco for Matz? A five-tool guy who’s already made some adjustments in the majors for a pitcher who is certainly more valuable right now on a day-by-day basis, but who has yet to throw 150 innings in a pro season?

bobby: I know you have been suspect of L Severino’s ability to stay healthy with his arm action. If you were Girardi/Cashman would you come up with a different plan for him to protect against that, use up his bullets now and figure it out later, or have those concerns abated for you?
Klaw: Two arguments here. One, you could say we want to protect him, so we’re going to make him strictly a three-times-through-the-order guy, and maybe put some low pitch count on him too. Or, two, you could say, fuck it, they ALL get hurt at some point, and he’s been great for us, so just use him normally and if it ends some time, well, at least we got value while we could. I kind of lean towards the latter. I hate the delivery, but some bad deliveries last for years and some good ones blow out.

Thomas: I’ve seen you speak highly of it in the past, but would Raglan Road still be your go-to recommendation for Disney Springs? Thanks.
Klaw: Downtown Disney. Still like it a lot for a casual dinner. I think the best restaurant on the property is Jiko at Animal Kingdom Lodge.

Dave: What do you think the odds are that Sandoval’s offense and defense bounce back to career levels in 2016 and that Ramirez can play a passable first base?
Klaw: Low, low, high.

Hank: Out of the 5 tools, which do you see as the most important?
Klaw: People will overlook many sins if you can hit.

Chris: I didn’t see a write-up on the Scott Kazmir signing. What have been your thoughts on the Dodgers’ offseason, specifically the construction of the rotation? Should they have just signed Greinke or do you like the depth added with Kazmir, Maeda and Yasiel?
Klaw: I would have signed Greinke rather than go with the quantity approach. I don’t think Sierra is MLB rotation depth for this year, though. Probably further down the line.

Kieran: Thoughts on Conforto’s numbers for a full year? Is he a star in the making with a middle of the order bat or does he not have that upside?
Klaw: I think he’s a star in the making – .400 OBP with 20-25 HR and good LF defense? Maybe 25 HR is too optimistic, but even 20 HR would make him a star with that other stuff.

Michael: Has Clint Frazier’s development thus far been what you would have expected or would you be a bit concerned?
Klaw: It’ s been what I would have expected, but I had real concerns about the hit tool in HS and frankly see all the same issues there today.

Chris: Given your normal propensity to be (rightly) player-centric at all levels of baseball, I am surprised by your Sev answer. Team uses him up and blows him out before he’s had a chance to earn real money?
Klaw: Isn’t that right for the team? I’m not offering a moral judgment but what I think is sound business advice.

Tom: Have the pirates been deliberately forgoing power for contact in the draft recently(and in free agency for that matter)? It seems like every hitter they have drafted the last two years is a contact hitter with modest power potential.
Klaw: Contact is a very rare skill in MLB right now. Perhaps they’re responding to that. A team without a lot of power but whose hitters put the ball in play all the time did just win two straight AL pennants, so maybe it’s not a bad idea?

mike: aaron sanchez has put on 25 pounds this offseason “working out” with stroman. assuming no overhaul to his delivery, this doesn’t change the outlook for him as a starter does it?
Klaw: No. Until he restores his old delivery he’s probably going to have to work out of the bullpen.

Nils: Can Jon Singleton claim and hold on to the 1B job for the forseeable future? Or is he just keeping the seat warm for Reed?
Klaw: I would not be at all surprised if Reed made a real push for that job in March. He might just be the best option today, and while I know about OMG SUPER TWOOOO and all that, I’d rather get another 150 PA from him now versus saving a million bucks in 2019.

Johnny: How do you find all the articles for your weekly Stick to Baseball? Twitter generally?
Klaw: Twitter, facebook, noodling around, often I am reading something I found on twitter but the link that ends up in StB is something else on that site that proved more interesting.

Johnny: Do you ever skip words/chapters/pages when reading or are you just an awesome speed reader? I read slow because I often repeat sentences or even pages to really absorb them but I end up reading very slow.
Klaw: If I’m skipping content it’s time to put the book down. I got 30 pages into The Uplift War last week and found myself glazing over all his made-up words so I bailed.

Scott of Lincolnshire: Dan Vogelbach. Now that I’ve mentioned him, I think we can all feel better about our lives.
Klaw: Indeed, and now our chat has ended, let us go in peace. Current plan is a chat next week and two the week after, one on org top 30 day, one on top 100 day. As always watch this space, twitter, facebook for updates. Thanks for your patience!

Klaw: Don’t laugh – I heard it happened before. Klawchat.

Eric, Arlington, VA: Hi Keith, how the hell did David Eckstein get two votes for the HOF? I don’t know what’s more absurd, him getting two or him getting twice as many votes as Garret Anderson, who is probably 10x better.
Klaw: I have two problems with these votes. One is that they show those voters aren’t taking the responsibility and privilege of voting very seriously. If you don’t want to respect the vote, fine – abstain. Surrender your vote. But don’t throw away votes on the Ecksteins or the Jay Bells of the world. The other is that voters might vote for clearly unqualified candidates rather than voting for candidates with better cases. Chaz Scoggins voted for Eckstein; his ballot was otherwise quite good, with 8 players I’d have had on my own list of 10. But he could not possibly argue that Eckstein was the 10th best player on the ballot – better than Edmonds or Trammell, to name two guys he omitted. So he voted for, say, the top 9 players in his opinion, plus someone who was definitely not the 10th-best … and that 10th-best guy would have benefited far more from the vote.

Bruce: Are you starting to load up on stock (or index funds) right now, or waiting to see how much further the markets will drop?
Klaw: I don’t try to time the market. I invest in index funds (basically just my 401k … we’ve put money into renovating our house rather than investing) and just add every month.

Nick: Hi Keith… I have made my way through all of Chandler’s and Hammett’s works and am currently about midway through MacDonald’s Archer stories. Have a recommendation for what should be next for a hard-boiled fan?
Klaw: Big fan of Rex Stout’s Nero Wolfe novels, although they don’t have the violent aspect of the other two. You might also like Jim Thompson’s noir crime novels.

Jason: With Oakland trading Lawrie that Donaldson trade looks really really really bad for Beane doesn’t it? I mean one prospect for Donaldson is crazy.
Klaw: It’ll never look like a good deal for Oakland but Barreto might be a star and is at least a damn good prospect.

Jeff: I don’t understand the love for Hoffman and not for Edgar Martinez. How can you bash a guy for not playing defense but applaud a guy for only pitching one inning?
Klaw: Because otherwise rational writers and fans remain obsessed with the save statistic.

Justin (DC): Re: Raines and Bagwell in the Hall of Fame, Raines and Bagwell got very close this year, but do they have a shot next year? I worry that both (particularly Raines) were helped a great deal by the voter purge, but the voter pool will not change as much next year. Without change in the voter pool, will he get the 6% he needs to join?
Klaw: Raines will benefit from his last year on the ballot; I don’t think any player has gotten as close as those two guys did without getting in. We should see those two and at least one of Vlad (whose reputation exceeds the value advanced metrics put on his career) or Pudge (who will probably get blacklisted by some voters over PED suspicions). It’s not out of the question we get Hoffman too.

Mitch Cupcheck: Can you help settle a chili debate? My wife likes to saute the peppers and onions we use before they enter the dutch oven with the meat and other ingredients. My thought is, with chili being more of a stew, throwing them in raw and letting the whole thing simmer for 90-120 minutes will soften them plenty. Which side are you on?
Klaw: Sweat them, don’t saute them.

Mitch Cupcheck: By the way, how is your daughter feeling?
Klaw: Thanks for asking. She feels better, and the fever has been down for over 24 hours now, but she’s still coughing like she’s had a pack-a-day habit since birth. I think she’s also got a little cabin fever since, with the pneumonia and the holidays, she hasn’t been in school in over two weeks.

Michael: What do you think of Vlad Guerrero’s case for the HOF? His fWAR is a lot lower than I would have guessed.
Klaw: I think he’ll get in anyway, but his “analytical” case is a hard one – he gets crushed for bad defense once his legs started going. It’s a bit of the Sheffield argument, although Sheff is also hurt by PED suspicions. If Sheff had been a full-time DH his whole career, he’d have much more support from the online/analytical crowd.

Derek Harvey: How do you like the Chris Carter signing for Milwaukee. Of the 1B FA out there, which would you have taken were you the Brewers?
Klaw: Solid scrap-heap signing. Type of move they should be looking to make while they wait for the farm system to spit out more big leaguers.

Elton: Paul DePodesta to the Cleveland Browns is not a move I would have ever expected but (as a Browns fan) intrigues me a lot. Curious that he would leave baseball though, no?
Klaw: No, I think Depo’s a brilliant guy who enjoys intellectual challenges, and will certainly find one there, probably exceeding anything he was likely to find in MLB.

John: Are you shocked that Edmonds fell off the ballot?
Klaw: No, but I wish he had not. He was at least a borderline candidate, and someone I would have likely checked off if I had a ballot and had more than ten slots.

Anonymous: Rank these sketch comedy show: Python, SNL, Kids in the Hall, Mad TV
Klaw: Python over everyone.

Tom: What was AJ Pollock’s perceived ceiling when he was drafted? It wasn’t this high, right?
Klaw: Right. I don’t think anyone saw this power ceiling. I absolutely did not.

Johnny (Woburn, MA): What is the ceiling of Rafael Devers on the Red Sox? More of a Wily Mo Pena type, or Miguel Sano? Thanks!
Klaw: I think his ceiling is more that of a white guy.

Tom: Not a question, but I did want to tell you that your review of Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell caused me to purchase it on iTunes. I loved the book, and I was unsure if the series would live up to it. Thanks!
Klaw: Glad to hear it – hope you enjoy it as much as I did. If you hate it, please don’t fire walnuts at me.

JT: Does the Brewers return for Gomez look better now because of the saturated outfield market in FA?
Klaw: I think it looks better now because Houser looked so much better after he got to Milwaukee.

Nick: I’m getting more and more excited about JP Crawford. If he reaches the upper quartile of his potential, do you think he could be a .300/.400/.500 type of guy? Essentially what I’m asking is if you think the power potential is there for something like that.
Klaw: Don’t think he’ll have that kind of power but I do think he could peak at .300/.380/.450. The guy you described is a runaway MVP.

sam: no question this time, just a thanks for the chats, and a comment that (based on the chats & this blog) you’re an interesting dude.
Klaw: You’re welcome, and thank you. I hope to be interesting because it keeps me employed. Plus I don’t want to ever be boring.

BirderBob: Trey Mancini strikes me as a guy whom the prospect analysts don’t love, but who simply gets it done. Am I crazy think he’s the Orioles starting 1B by the end of the year?
Klaw: Scouts don’t like him either. Yes, I think you’re crazy to think that.

Brian: Matt Strahm in the Royals system. Do you like him as a prospect and do you think he is a starter or a bullpen guy? If a starter what kind of upside do you see? Thank you.
Klaw: Chance for a starter but much more likely a quality reliever. Has thrown harder in the past than what I saw from him in the playoffs.

David: So with the recent voter purge for the HOF, I found it odd that the ex-Rockies’ beat writer for the Denver Post published his ballot today, giving full disclosure that he no longer covers baseball and instead has been the Denver Broncos’ beat writer for the last two years. I knew this already since I read him in the Post daily, but just wondering why he didn’t lose his vote… wasn’t the point to eliminate everyone who doesn’t cover the game regularly any more?
Klaw: They eliminated voters who were at least ten years away from covering the game, I believe. I think it’s a great first step although I’d be fine with further pruning.

dlf: I need advice from a coffee snob – how does a moka (not mocha) compare to an espresso and is getting a small moka pot a good addition?
Klaw: Espresso is brewed at a much higher pressure (at least 9 bar) than coffee from a moka pot so it’s a totally different product. A moka pot is a lot cheaper than a real espresso machine.

Jason: Is franklyn kilome a top 100 type prospect?
Klaw: I don’t think so, although I haven’t started assembling the global 100 yet (I do that last).

Fitzy: My theoretical ballot for next year: Bonds, Clemens, Bagwell, Raines, Schilling, Mussina, Edgar, Walker, Pudge, Guerrero. Does this make sense to you?
Klaw: Yes, mine would probably look quite similar.

Joe: How often do you read books a second time? Do you think rereading a book is a waste of time that could be spent reading a new book? Soooooo many books, so little time!
Klaw: I have read about 1100 books in my life and I think I’ve read fewer than 20 books twice. I read mostly fiction and if I already know the plot it’s hard to maintain my interest in reading a novel a second time around.

jay: Can Connor Greene fill a bullpen role in the big leagues this season? or should he be left in the minors?
Klaw: Leave in the minors. Rushing Castro didn’t do him any favors.

Jon: Anderson Espinosa future ace potential?
Klaw: Sure, although at 17 he’s got a lot of physical/health hurdles to clear.

Dustin: What are your thoughts on the Rangers/Marlins talks of Chi Chi for Ozuna?
Klaw: Don’t see why they’d want Ozuna with Brinson close to ready.

Mike: I believe Bagwell/Raines should get in, but it’s a joke that so many people would change their vote. They are either HOF’s in your opinion or not. Just as dumb that Piazza had to wait four years. Also, when I read your tweet yesterday I thought it said Baines will get in next year.
Klaw: I think most of the voting is dumb. We have way too many voters who don’t take the responsibility seriously. That’s how someone like Raines, who was obviously a HoFer when he played and whose career, evaluated objectively, more than meets the established standard, is going to take ten years to get in.

Scott: Can you compare the bats of Jesse Winker and Josh Bell? I know Bell changed positions so the comparison may make a little less sense. But I’m curious about their career paths. Is it as simple as Winker safer floor lower upside and Bell the more pop but average might not stay? Both take their walks. Does Bell give up switch hitting? Thanks very much.
Klaw: Bell has more upside but I don’t think his floor is that different; he has exceptional hand-eye coordination and great plate discipline, but has untapped power Winker can’t match.

Matt: What would be a reasonable stat line for Hector Olivera this season?
Klaw: I’m just not on it – he may have some power but the approach isn’t great and every scout I’ve spoken to about him has killed his lack of athleticism.

Ray Grace: Assuming the deal goes through what is Maeda’s ceiling for the Dodgers?
Klaw: Fourth starter type. Doesn’t seem to be real physical or durable and he’s already had some little arm issues.

Ray: Can Ian Happ handle 2b on an everyday basis? Can he be a .275-20 HR-20 SB type hitter for the Cubs?
Klaw: I think he can although they’ve also considered playing him in CF. He’s a pretty good athlete despite a body that doesn’t immediately look it.

Michael: I don’t think either should be in, but how does Hoffman do so much better than Wagner? Shouldn’t voters who value closers dig a little deeper and see they were pretty similar?
Klaw: Saves. It’s entirely about saves. That one stat weighs far too heavily in voters’ minds.

White haired clown: Obviously, frank isn’t the #1 in Boston, but when I saw the David Price contract all I could think was here we go again with the reckless spending philosophy and long term structural problems. Any comment?
Klaw: I don’t agree – no problem with that contract, and I don’t think Frankie Troglodytidae is making the calls there.

Sam: Your thoughts on jeff Kent as a HOF? Numbers are ver favorable to biggio but no where near the amount of support. Why do you think that is?
Klaw: Poor defensive player with makeup questions and unfair suspicions of PED use?

Colin: Thoughts on Alex Gordon deal?
Klaw: Very good deal for KC. Salary is in line with or even below what offense costs right now, and while I preferred three years given his age, four isn’t unreasonable.

Michael: The Dodgers are really accumulating talent in their front office. Is that a little bit of a market inefficiency?
Klaw: Or they’re trying to reenact the opening credits of “Too Many Cooks.”

Steve: Have any of the people who did not vote for Griffey been identified yet? If so did they explain their logic?
Klaw: No, of course not. There is zero enforced accountability in this process.

Roddy: What is the most optimistic callup time for Benintendi?
Klaw: Schwarber and Conforto reached the majors about a year after signing. I don’t see why Benintendi couldn’t do the same.

Jeff Chisholm: Do you agree that the Oregon “protestors” should face felony charges once their temper tantrum ends?
Klaw: They should face charges but I don’t know what the applicable laws are.

Marshall: Longenhagen, your co-pilot on ESPN for scouting/draft articles, had a great point about the potential growth in popularity of baseball in Korea. Just as comment, wouldn’t it be awesome to baseball take hold as a major sport in Korea, or in a place like Germany should Kepler pan out?
Klaw: Yep, I’m always rooting for players from novel countries – did you know the Twins had a GCL pitcher this year from Moldova? – to succeed for this very reason.

Steve Culber: Just curious…..why are you so high on BBC shows and rarely speak of the (in my opinion) superior HBO shows?
Klaw: Perhaps I don’t think those superior HBO shows are superior? I do find British shows in general focus more on plot and dialogue and less on action or violence to move things along.

Mike: Captain Jetes the first to 100%?
Klaw: I still say no one does it.

Lee Snyder: My favorite porn star is Savanna Samson…who is yours?
Klaw: Find me one who wasn’t previously a victim or rape or sexual abuse and maybe we can talk.

Tom: For all the (well-deserved) criticism that the D-Backs’ front office receives with regard to prospect valuation, is it fair to say they do a good job with prospect development? It seems like they are bringing up a good number of their prospects and that they exceed expectations more than would be expected.
Klaw: The current regime has only been there a year, so I think it’s way premature to credit or blame them for player development results.

jay: who would you prefer over the next five years Dalton Pompey or Kevin Pillar
Klaw: Pompey has much more offensive upside and is a good defender. Pillar is a lot like Kiermaier for me – you have to place an enormous amount of trust in single-year defensive metrics to believe they will continue to be as valuable as their WAR totals from 2015 indicated.

Tyler: Did the John Hart make a mistake by publicly saying he expects the Braves to be back in contention by 2017? At this point, that seems rather unlikely, right?
Klaw: Unlikely given where the Mets are and where the Nats could be. Not totally outrageous given the state of their farm system at the moment.

Corey: If you were made the HoF czar, how many players roughly would you take out (Fingers, Rice, etc) and how many players do you think you would add in who are off the ballot now (Trammell, Dewey, etc) ?
Klaw: Trammell, Whitaker, Edmonds, Evans all would go in. I’d take a lot more out – Rice, Sutter, Catfish Hunter, Lloyd Waner, Maranville, Hack Wilson, Lindstrom, and more.

Patrick: Which sitcoms are you watching these days? I know you were a big fan of Parks and Rec and its great cast. I’m finding Brooklyn Nine-Nine’s cast very good as well.
Klaw: Brooklyn Nine-Nine and Masters of None are it.

JC: Will the Mets hit enough to really contend next year? They’ve lost their 3 and 4 hitters with not much replacing them.
Klaw: But they’ll also get a full year of Conforto, Walker to replace Murphy, hopefully a healthy Wright, even a healthy Lagares would be an improvement.

John MN: What do you think of the game theory voters: I think there are > 10 HoF on the ballot and Griffey is getting in no matter what, so vote for the 10 next.
Klaw: The only rational argument I can see for omitting him – but if that were the case, wouldn’t these three voters have spoken up by now?

Matthew: I have quite athletic 7 & 8 year old boys who really love sports, but they are pressured at this early age to pick a sport and specilize in it all year long (especially here in Hawaii). I don’t want to force them to pick one this early, as I think it will most likely lead to burn out, but if I don’t, they won’t develop. How important is it to develop skills specific to a sport, versus letting them play different sports and increasing their overall athleticism, for future sports opportunities?
Klaw: I don’t have a good, informed answer to that, but several sports-medicine experts have decried such early specialization.

JC: Do you workout?
Klaw: Girl, look at this body.

Steven Avery: Any interest in Making a Murderer?
Klaw: No because it will likely infuriate me. I’m sure it’s an excellent series, but that this shit goes on in the United States – probably all the time – is beyond depressing. We can’t make a ten-part documentary about every single miscarriage of justice, so you know most of them go unpunished.

Anonymous: With minimal salary on the books in the next year, would you look into any of the better free agents left if you’re the Phillies?
Klaw: Yes, but only if they were players likely to either 1) offer trade value in July or November or 2) to help the major league club in 2018.

JC: You should watch New Girl. It’s great.
Klaw: I tried, but I didn’t find it funny.

Marshall: What would the workload/expectations be for Brady Aiken coming into the year? I am not a Cleveland fan, but hate to see young players have their careers stopped by injury, so I am hoping for him.
Klaw: Guessing he doesn’t pitch at all till extended spring, which would be about 13 months off surgery, maybe not till June, which would be 15 months. Can’t rush him given the history there. I want to see him healthy, and for everyone who suspected the TJ surgery wouldn’t work out the same as it would for most pitchers to be wrong. But we won’t know much until he’s ready to throw at full strength and I see no reason for Cleveland to rush that.

Eric: Would you ever entertain an offer to run a team in a sport other than baseball?
Klaw: Can’t see myself enjoying that.

Mike: Why do competitive balance picks exist? The “disadvantaged” D-backs just signed Greinke for almost 200M
Klaw: They’re yet another terrible policy holdover from the Selig years. Both those picks and free-agent compensation should be axed in the next CBA. Just sever the draft from free agency. I will be curious to see if either side tries to alter the top of the draft to discourage “tanking,” however.

Mike P: I understand and agree with the arguments against Hoffman’s HOF candidacy. But I think it’s hypocritical to use the “HOF as a museum” argument to vote for PED guys (which I’m in agreement with) and not apply to Hoffman who succeeded at one stat, that while incredibly flawed and arbitrary, has been celebrated by the baseball establishment. Should “saves” be represented in the HOF? (Again, wouldn’t vote for Hoffman, but I’m not losing sleep about people who did for this reason)
Klaw: The problem I have with that is that the media invented the save (well, one mediot in particular), then celebrated players who racked up a lot of them. It feels awfully self-congratulatory, all while the stat in question has no real meaning.

Eric: In theory, if you could take a dominant reliever like Betances and stretch him out a bit so that he usually pitches 2 innings each time out and maintains about the same effectiveness over 120-130 innings per season, could that be as valuable as say a good #3 starter?
Klaw: Yes, I think it could/would be, although you would probably have to give that pitcher at least one day off after each outing.

Joey: Speaking of players from “novel countries” do you see any hope for Gift Ngope to have a major league career?
Klaw: Could see him get a cup of coffee but that’s probably it. Same as happened to Alex Liddi. Heck, MLB should even encourage a last-place team to do so some September so they can market it back in South Africa.

Tom: Hi Keith, enough with the HoF “controversies.” I’m wondering specifically about Benintendi, and how you see him profiling. Assuming he stays in CF, does he have 60 potential? More? Less? And if he were to move to RF, does he become a bit less, well, special? Thanks.
Klaw: Absolutely stays in CF for me – above-average runner who played CF well in college. It’s star upside, just without a whole lot of track record coming into 2015.

MIke: How much of C. Gonzalez’ salary will the Rockies need to eat to get some kind of meaningful prospect in return for him?
Klaw: I feel like someone would want him at $12 million a year for the next two years enough to give up a prospect for that, which would leave them paying $13 million of the $37MM he’s still owed.

Marshall: The medical community has made great strides in fixing injuries that used to be career threatening, like torn ACL, patella tendon, meniscus, etc. TJ surgery has seemingly even had an increased success rate in the last decade. But it seems like shoulder surgery improvements haven’t quite caught up yet, and maybe that is only my perception as a not-doctor. Maybe the rotator cuff muscles are just more delicate?
Klaw: The shoulder joint is substantially more complicated than the elbow joint and I doubt shoulder surgeries will ever become as routine as TJ.

Ciscoskid: Susac for Ozuna, is there equal value despite the stated desire for SP by all the reports?
Klaw: Probably, although I think I’d rather have the six years of Susac than four of Ozuna, although the Giants don’t have the need for Susac and they have a real short-term need for a RHH outfielder.

Adam: Are you a believer in Ender Inciarte?
Klaw: I believe he exists, yes.

Ciscoskid: If I am the GM of the Rockies I stop chasing the unicorn pitcher who can be dominant in Coors and build the best lineup that bludgeons teams. Is this the better way to build that roster and then hope you find a unicorn of a SP?
Klaw: It’s closer to the approach I would take in that job – build the best lineup possible, without totally ignoring defense (we know the damage allowing a high BABIP can do there), and toss the traditional pitching model entirely. O’Dowd tried to do this but frankly I think he had the wrong manager for it … well, Tracy was the wrong manager on a lot of levels, but especially for implementing an entirely new pitching paradigm.

Rob: In the years Hoffman was a primary closer (1994-2009), he averaged about 36 saves a year. In 2015, 11 pitchers saved that many games. Ten more pitchers saved at least 30. It’s just not that special of a skill–putting Hoffman in the Hall of Fame is basically rewarding him for staying healthy for 15 years.
Klaw: In a role where staying healthy and effective has been difficult. I don’t argue that he was better than many closers, but he was not exceptional in any aspect of the game except for the saves. Hoffman had 28.0 career rWAR in 1089 innings with a 2.87 ERA while pitching most of his career in great pitchers’ parks. K-Rod has 23.9 career rWAR in 892 innings with a 2.69 ERA while pitching part of his career in the AL. Is K-Rod a Hall of Famer? Because if Hoffman is, K-Rod is going to be too.

Paul: Does Addison Russell have another level to him? Does take his game up another notch?
Klaw: Several. I think he’s going to be a star. You don’t see hands like that come along very often in baseball.

Marshall: KLaw you raise an interesting point in regard to manager’s not be willing to implement more radical or “non-traditional” approaches to in game situations. We have to be getting close to a time when a GM’s are no longer forced to choose former ballplayers as their skipper’s, right?
Klaw: Doesn’t seem to be improving much. If anything we are devolving into a time where more MLB executives are hiring their friends than are conducting full searches for the most qualified candidates. It’s a negative trend for the sport overall and particularly damning for minorities working in the sport.

Dave: Some High School players are now being asked to hit the ball of a tee to measure exit velocity…is this really a good way to measure bat speed? Do you use this method.
Klaw: While exit velocity is interesting I have seen no studies that link it to anything we might care about, such as some sort of increased production. Right now it’s a fun toy.

Dana: What is Starlin Castro? A 200-hit per year All-Star or one of the worst offensive players in baseball?
Klaw: He might be both. That’s all for this week’s chat. I may be traveling next Thursday, in which case I might cancel next week and chat again on the 21st; I’ll make sure to tweet and post on Facebook if I am indeed chatting. Thank you all for reading and for all of your questions.