JotCast | Ben Clemens FanGraphs Chat - 7/13/20

Ben Clemens FanGraphs Chat - 7/13/20

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Ben Clemens

2:18

I can't find any of the quotes at the moment but you'll still find guys saying scoops save you three, four wins a year

Music City

2:18

I was in Nashville last month and was heckled many times for my Braves hat

Ben Clemens

2:18

What market is it, then?

Cards?

Just non-baseball?

I will say that the last time I was there I saw way more Predators jerseys and hats than I was expecting

Music City

2:18

It's a good mix of both

Ben Clemens

2:19

This is just an excuse to talk about how sweet Nashville is, and I'm in for that

Go to Nashville, people. Once COVID vaccines exist. And maybe don't stay in an AirBnB due to serious gentrification issues with them.

We stayed at a cool old hotel that used to be a railroad station, A+

Jordan

2:19

If many MiLB teams fail because of COVID, where do the prospects on those teams play next year?

Biggie

2:19

Does contraction of minor leagues make it more or less likely for mlb expansion?

Ben Clemens

2:21

There won't be an issue of not enough minor league teams left for the prospects

Teams have been wishing desperately for fewer minor league affiliates, and COVID just played right into their hands

There will be fewer minor league franchises next year, they'll hack off 40 franchises or whatever, and the best prospects will carry on

2:22

It does sound like many of these teams will change hands or enter bankruptcy proceedings or whatnot, though

Beane

2:22

Dodgers and Astros will be streaming sim games, but A's will not (don't want other teams scouting their pitching); What's your opinion, good move?

Ben Clemens

2:22

My opinion is please god stream your games

Do you actually think that people are picking stuff up on your pitchers with the atrocious camera angles that exist?

And how long would that disadvantage last? A week?

2:23

In exchange for that you get a bunch of fan interest and even maybe a #dontrunonchico moment

2:24

#DontRunOnChico

More moments where a clubhouse attendant throws out noted fast boy Chris Taylor, please

Music City

2:24

It seems like the Rays should be in Nashville asap. I can't think of another team that needs to relocate now that the A's seem to have progress on a stadium. Unless MLB is ready to expand, which it doesn't seem to be.

Ben Clemens

2:24

I would have agreed with you before 2020

2:25

I think that expansion is now very likely because it's a way to get revenue back to teams

2:26

I've been vocal about my view that the owners are crying poor without true justification, but if there are no fans in 2021 either, then you have to start worrying about a sustained downturn

Jon

2:26

Financially, more MiLB teams make sense for pro teams, right? If one out of 25 guys making the bare minimum pans out and becomes an average MLB player it pays off

Ben Clemens

2:26

You'd think

The problem is that it's zero-sum

If 30 teams each spend an extra 10 million dollars panning for prospects, the league spent 300 million dollars to add a net zero WAR

2:27

And the owners have, if not outright colluded, let's just say done a great job aligning when net financial incentives are in their favor

It's totally true that any individual team has an incentive to have more farm systems

In a world where everyone has 6 farm teams, having 7 is sweet

2:28

But everyone having 7 just puts you back at square one

This is the cartel collaboration problem, basically

James

2:28

Would you really watch streamed intrasquad summer camp games? Even as a big baseball fan I can imagine few things more boring.

Ben Clemens

2:28

Would I? Yeah. I'm a baseball writer, though.

Would people? I'm not really sure

2:29

But a lot more than 0, I think

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