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Travis Sawchik FanGraphs Chat
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Travis Sawchik
12:02
Happy All-Star Break, folks
And more important, happy Trade Value Series Week
12:03
I know who is ranked No. 1 but I can't tell you
Mookie Betts
12:03
I have to be one of the favourites/if not the favourite for AL MVP? Right?
Travis Sawchik
12:04
You're in the discussion but you're actually behind Trout AND Jose Ramirez in fWAR and Lindor is not far behind you
The AL MVP race (and Cy Young race) are shaping up to be more interesting than the actual AL postseason races, since they don't really exist outside of the AL East
Sandy Ravage
12:04
Would a deal for Choo (Tex retains salary), Diekman and Kela make sense for Cleveland? What would Texas be able to get out of a deal like that?
Travis Sawchik
12:05
Choo would make sense ... if he wasn't owed $40 million. If Texas was willing to pick up the majority of those dollars, perhaps Cleveland would be willing to flip a significant prospect. I suspect Cleveland's focus is on controllable bullpen help
HappyFunBall
12:06
Is it wrong that I'm more excited for the trade value series than I am for anything related to the All Star Game?
Travis Sawchik
12:06
Totally normal. In fact, I'd be concerned if the reverse was true
12:07
My dream is to one day have a trade value ranking, and projected surplus value total, for every player in professional baseball. (Sorry, Kiley)
Bo
12:07
Do you tune in to any of the All Star festivities? I can't seem to watch the HR Derby for more than a round...
Travis Sawchik
12:10
I'm not as interested in the ASG as I once was, for sure. ... I think the format could probably change. US vs. The World would be interesting, I think. This is a topic for another day, perhaps, but I think baseball would benefit from going to more geographic-based alignment and killing interleague play
12:11
With modern cable/digital broadcasts and highlights we see all the stars every night, if we choose to tune in. What would add interest to World Series and All-Star Game is if neither league met during the regular season
Sleepy
12:11
“…the actual AL postseason races, since they don't really exist outside of the AL East.”

[checks standings]

Uh, Travis, the A’s are 1.5 games closer to the M’s than the Yanks are to the Sox.
Travis Sawchik
12:13
The A's are making things interesting for second wild card, that's the other item of interest, for sure. But larger point is we have four AL teams with 98% playoff odds or greater and its July 16. That's probably not great for baseball interest
Can't read good
12:13
What are some good competitions to add to HR Derby/ASG festivities to make it more on par with NBA? Pitching to targets? Hitting to targets? Dizzy bat race?
Travis Sawchik
12:13
Spin-rate contest? Perhaps with and without pine tar?
AT
12:14
What does the change in manager mean for underachieving cards hitters?  Particularly Fowler, Wong and Pham.
Travis Sawchik
12:17
I don't know that it will have much if any impact on overall productive. But I suspect we'll see better communication and in-game decision making and planning in StL
Scott
12:17
Why isn't cracking down on pine tar included as a way to increase offense? It wouldn't need any input from the players (I think).
Travis Sawchik
12:17
I think it would be really difficult to enforce
12:18
Can you red flag spin-rate gainers?
E
12:18
I don't even know how my Dad would react if he turned on the TV and there a was spin-rate contest going on
Travis Sawchik
12:18
It would be good theatre, I promise
12:19
More seriously, I'd actually like to see the Futures Game moved to Monday. It think it gets lost a bit on Sunday with regular game action going on
Ray Liotta as Shoeless Joe
12:19
#1 has to be Ohtani, right? I cannot fathom how any player could be more valuable given talent and control, even with the injury issue.
Travis Sawchik
12:20
I am forbidden to reveal rankings. Stay tuned!
brood550
12:20
What would a hypothetical Cubs trade to get Degrom look like?
Travis Sawchik
12:21
Having Gleyber and/or Eloy in the system would have helped entertain such a hypothetical
Dan
12:21
Is there one deal out there that lets the Yankees catch the Red Sox in the east?  Does Machado/Moustakas move the needle?  Their need is starting pitching but idk about any of the guys being thrown around ie Happ, Hamels
Travis Sawchik
12:22
We have the Yankees finishing four games back of the Red Sox, and only seven players added in the last five years have produced 2+WAR in the second half for their new clubs after the deadline ... so probably not one deal
12:24
But a lot can happen. An ace, would help the cause, of course. But so would  Sanchez going on a tear, Bird staying healthy. There are some internal upside options for Yankees in the second half
Jorge
12:24
I guess for the next 4 days, I can finally focus on work!!
Travis Sawchik
12:25
Expect praise from your supervisor in the coming days. The danger is you're going to raise productivity expectations during the ASG
Jorge
12:26
Who cares about the A's or the M's, they're 1 and done if you consider the wildcard a playoff game
Travis Sawchik
12:27
While any postseason chase is interesting, we haven't seen teams willing to make huge bets on the Wild Card in the two Wild Card era
And for good reason as it's a coin flip
Desperate, Confused Marlins Fan
12:29
are you trading Andujar and Sheffield for Degrom?
Travis Sawchik
12:29
For 2-plus year of control of a legit ace, that's a reasonable start, I think
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