JotCast | Dan Szymborski FanGraphs Chat

Dan Szymborski FanGraphs Chat - 8/15/16

Dan Szymborski

12:00

Another Monday at noon, so I'm coming home to you guys, with my own blood in my mouth.

Otis Redding

12:00

Can the Orioles keep pace in the AL East? Will 3 AL East teams make the playoffs?

Dan Szymborski

12:01

I think they can - other teams have weak spots too. It won't help though if Miley is execrable instead of lousy.

I think the two AL East runners-up end up being the wild card, though it's obviously quite uncertain.

senpaisanto

12:01

Hickey

12:01

Are these baby Bronx bombers or whatever the hell the media calls them, the real deal for seasons to come? Or do the Yankees trade as usual for a quality player that washes out in 2 years

Dan Szymborski

12:01

I think they'll do well, which annoys the hell outta me as an O's fan

daneyko

12:01

after a strong finish in 2015, do you think Carlos Rodon will be a solid SP for the rest of the season ?

Dan Szymborski

12:01

I'm still optimistic on Rodon.

Toki

12:02

When are the Mariners going to call up Vogelbach? He has to be an upgrade over Lind.

Dan Szymborski

12:03

It's still a fairly conservative organization, even with the GM upgrade. I think at this point, they're going to wait a couple weeks to call him up when rosters expand rather than make any awkward roster moves at this point

Q-Ball

12:03

Is Robin Ventura going to manage the White Sox next year? Or is he gone?

Dan Szymborski

12:04

I think he's gone after the season - two disappointing perceived seasons in a row and someone's gotta take the axe.

Bobby

12:04

Is Danny Duffy an ace now, or is the bottom going to fall out?

Dan Szymborski

12:04

I wouldn't call him an ace, but I think he's a very good pitcher.

Toki

12:04

What's going on with Conforto? Are his struggles at the major league level going to continue or is this an adjustment he can make?

Dan Szymborski

12:04

I think he'd have been fine if the team had just left him there and showed a little patience.

Q-Ball

12:04

Apparently, D-Backs ownership has to decide by Aug 31 on options for Dave Stewart and Co. Should they be fired? How much of the D-Backs problems are their fault, or unforseeable?

Dan Szymborski

12:05

The fact is, they *did* take a very risky approach, this was one of the outcomes.

Remember, after all those moves, they still don't project to be as dangerous as the Giants/Dodgers

And really, I've seen no evidence of particular executive creativity on Stewart's part.

12:06

There are few enough jobs and so many talented baseball out there that you need to have a reason *to keep* a GM in order to not fire them.

Justin

12:06

What better evidence of Cardinal Devil Magic do we need than Jedd Gyorko and Brandon Moss?????

Michael

12:06

Hi Dan,

Dan Szymborski

12:06

Caveman Jones

12:07

Been watching the CWC? Have a favorite participant so far?

Dan Szymborski

12:07

Brian Kendrick because his bro Neal might be reading this. Also Tony Nese and Zack Sabre Jr.

Actually, I like Kendrick a lot, I'm just fooling.

Zonk

12:07

Zach Grienke overall has been decent. Just fine. Competitive starter. But with $170 mil due over the next 6 years, "decent" and "fine" is a big problem, isn't it?

Dan Szymborski

12:08

Well, there are still good reasons to think he's better than this.

Baba Yaga

12:08

Who would be your CY picks right now? Still plenty of room here on the Kyle Hendricks bandwagon.

Dan Szymborski

12:09

Probably Hamels over Quintana. NL, I might still vote for Kershaw simply because even with the lower IP total, he had such an advantage over the others, but more likely Scherzer.

12:10

Though if I turn out to actually be a voter this year -- which is doubtful as I'm at the bottom of seniority in Cincy BBWAA -- I'll have to stop talking about it at that point.

The Decadent Moose

12:10

Which fan base have you alienated more in August, the Braves, Royals or Szymborskis?

Dan Szymborski

12:10

My only Szymborski enemy is my archnemesis, Michigan Dan Szymborski.

Michael

12:10

Hi dan, people always say the mlb draft is a crapshoot and prospects are unpredictable. But is that really true? Once they reach certain points, shouldn't we be able to predict, to some degree?

Dan Szymborski

12:10

The draft is a crapshoot to a degree, but certainty increases as they go up the ladder.

Zock jr

12:10

Surprised Joey Votto has managed to claw that average up to .303? Stupid of me to doubt after the .250 first half?

Dan Szymborski

12:11

That quickly, yes. And yes.

Dr. Met

12:11

is yoyoing severino the best for his development?