JotCast | FanGraphs After Dark Chat

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Found a tooth in bag of popcorn

9:27

What is your best or most interesting interaction with a major leaguer since you started writing professionally about baseball?

Paul Swydan

9:28

I'll give you two. First, after interviewing Todd Helton a couple of times when I was editing Rockies Magazine, he started recognizing me in the clubhouse. One day I'm standing there interviewing Brad Hawpe, and Helton walked by and rubbed his bat across my butt as Hawpe was talking. I was like, "uh....." and I look Hawpe and Helton are doing all they can to not die laughing.

9:30

Two, once when I was walking back down the tunnel to the Red Sox clubhouse from the dugout, Dustin Pedroia yelled to me from the dugout completely unprovoked. He yelled, as only he can, "HEY GUY!" / (me looking around) "Ya?" / "NICE F***ING BEARD!"

Cody

9:30

What's the likelihood that Christian Yelich takes another step forward and bats with greater power or improved average?

Paul Swydan

9:31

I could see a little more power in there, but that's about it.

Mr. Met

9:31

Do you buy Bradley Zimmer's "improved swing" reports coming out of camp? Still seems like a .250 hitter who walks enough to steal 20 bags

Paul Swydan

9:31

No, I never buy any of that talk until they do it in April.

Matthew

9:32

Who is/was your favorite player to watch?

Paul Swydan

9:32

Pedro and Manny.

Mookie is climbing the list though.

VanExelent

9:32

Do you think Madison Bumgarner can sense when a player flips his bat, even if it's hundreds of miles away?

Paul Swydan

9:32

Hahaha. That would be one of the crappiest possible variants of a Spidey Sense.

9:33

But if we find out that he can, I'm going to start flipping bats all the time just to piss him off.

bl27

9:33

Eric Gagne is back ! Chance to sign somewhere or too difficult to remove a young prospect from 40-man roster ?

Paul Swydan

9:33

I doubt it.

Pepper

9:33

After Dark Chat is great. After Dark Char on drugs after neck surgery is the all time best! Bryce Harper draft spot of #7. Too low, too high, or right balance of risk/reward after last season? I am voting perfect spot and buying. What say you?

Paul Swydan

9:33

Too high for me. You have to get your first round pick right and after his slump last year I'm wary.

First Time Poster

9:34

Searching for saves in a 12-teamer: I've got Jensen, Osuna, and Ramos with Bearclaw and Capps as insurance/upside plays. Would you drop either of the two for Nate jones?

Paul Swydan

9:35

I'm morally opposed to owning Capps. His delivery just makes me feel dirty. Because of that I'd drop him for Jones, but I can't really make a case for it otherwise.

Jordan

9:35

Will the overall number of HRs in the MLB increase or decrease this year?

Paul Swydan

9:35

I'll say decrease.

First Time Poster

9:35

Who's gonna be the #1 prospect this time in 2018?

Paul Swydan

9:35

Robles?

You want the Longenhagen chat for that one.

Pete Wheeler

9:35

Any current players you peg as future managers? Or future announcers?

Paul Swydan

9:36

He's not a current player anymore, but I think it's only a matter of time before David Ortiz is a broadcaster.

First Time Poster

9:36

Over/Under: Dee Gordon 270/330/400

Paul Swydan

9:36

I'll be optimistic and take the over.

Matt

9:36

Paul - Who's better? Mike Trout, or Brock Holt? Not necessarily right now, but long term.

Paul Swydan

9:37

John Farrell, is that you?

python-r

9:37

How does one get a job as a scout? Straight outta college, haven't played since 6th grade

Paul Swydan

9:38

To the best of my knowledge, the best way is to go to Scout School. And the best way to get to Scout School is to get a team to vouch for your spot there. And you get that to happen by showing up to the ballpark and befriending scouts.

#coppyandthewhosaysno

9:38

Work is severely compromising my ability to participate in this chat. 👎

Paul Swydan

9:38

I'm sorry to hear that.

Yosemite Sam

9:38

Thanks for the chat. Do you think bullpenning eventually changes the way we play fbb?

Paul Swydan

9:39

That's an excellent question. I think you'd have to see usage change a little more drastically than it has for it to get to that point. If your league counts holds, you're already most of the way to accounting for the changes that have already been made.

Kevin

9:40

Is it dangerous to assume that Charlie blackmons speed is bound to come back this year? I am not sure I buy the power and average gains from last year

Paul Swydan

9:40

I would say that is very dangerous with any player, but especially a player in his 30s like Blackmon.

Pie

9:40

I have my keeper deadline coming up in a 12 team, standard with 5 keepers. I'm currently slated to keep Kershaw, Arenado, Altuve ($36 each), Bregman and Trea ($1 each). Do you think it's feasible to still cobble together a decent rest of the team with that much draft capital allocated to the keepers? For reference, my other alternatives are a bunch of $1 options: Giles, Edwin Diaz, Dahl, Porcello

Paul Swydan

9:41

Yeah I think you'll be fine.

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