Chat with Rob Neyer

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Neyer Archive: Chats | Columns

Scott (Boston)


Is there any chance Beane actually keeps Holliday? He traded a guy who is about to make a lot of money (Street) and two throw-ins for a valuable commodity. Doesn't this reek of another trade for more prospects?

Rob Neyer
  (12:02 PM)


Everyone seems to think they're keeping Holliday and making a run for the West next year. But that probably means signing a key free agent -- Rafael Furcal? -- this winter.

brett(sc)


who do you think should have won the gold glove for 3rd base? (chipper maybe)

Rob Neyer
  (12:03 PM)


It seems to have been a truly awful year for NL third baseman. I had David Wright as the best in the league (but behind six or seven American Leaguers).

jsm (dallas)


Lots of talk between you and Evan Grant about Michael Young lately. I love EG, he's a great beat writer, but you're right on this issue. My question is what should the Rangers do with Young and his contract, and what do you think they will do? 3b? 2b?

Rob Neyer
  (12:07 PM)


I think they're stuck with him, and he's probably not moving off shortstop. Look, he's not a bad player, and while he does have a bad contract, that's now a sunk cost. You just keep running him out there, hope he hits .300 and doesn't kill you with the glove.

Nick (NYC)


Do you really think the A's will get Furcal? Are he and Holliday enough to make Oakland a legit contender in 2009?

Rob Neyer
  (12:08 PM)


There will be plenty of bidders so the odds are against the A's getting him. But I do think he and Holliday could push the A's to 85 wins, and from there it's not far to contending.

Michael (Baltimore Maryland)


Should Boston kick the tires on a SP? I love Buhholz but isn't it doubtful that Beckett, Lester, Matsuzaka, Wakefield and Buchholz are enough for an entire season given their ages and injury histories?

Rob Neyer
  (12:12 PM)


Yes, I do believe the Red Sox will enter spring training with five legit starters *plus* Buchholz.

Floyd (Los Angeles, CA)


Cap'n Jetes' contract is up in 2010, by which time he'll be a man without a position. Is it conceivable the Yanks will let him walk?

Rob Neyer
  (12:14 PM)


2010? Really? Seems like just yesterday he signed that monsta-deal ... Sure, anything's conceivable. But I think it's unlikely, particularly if he doesn't embarrass himself at shortstop -- I mean, obviously embarrass himself -- and/or the Yankees enjoy some postseason success. I suspect we may see Jeter at third base and A-Rod at first someday.

PJ (atlanta)


Last try (come on this is a big hot stove story!) What do you make of this Willingham/Olsen for Emilio Bonifacio deal? It doesn't look like the Marlins really need a 2B or a speed guy unless Uggla is on his way out too. Is this another fire sale?

Rob Neyer
  (12:15 PM)


They don't need a 2B and Uggla's defense isn't so bad that he needs to move to 3B. I'm not sure what they're doing, but I don't see them dealing Uggla now.

Jon (Chicago)


Is there anywhere I can find out who the 3 BBWAA voters were who had Volquez on their ballots?

Rob Neyer
  (12:20 PM)


Well, since you asked ... Another BBWAA member tells me it was Jeremy Cothran (Newark Star Ledger), John Klima (Los Angeles Daily News) and Jay Paris (North County Times). But really, I don't blame those guys nearly as much as the system that didn't have a fail-safe for something like this. Frankly, the NL Rookie of the Year results -- now locked in forever -- simply demonstrate how antiquated and ill-run the BBWAA still is.

Doug (Cincinnati)


If Edinson Volquez was eligible for Rookie of the year, shouldn't he have won it?

Rob Neyer
  (12:22 PM)


I still probably would have voted for Soto, but Volquez would have been one fine candidate. If he were eligible. Which he weren't.

Joe (Madison, WI)


After thoroughly looking at the stats, I really don't see how Santana should not win the NL Cy Young. You agree? Faced harder competition, was on a better team, better ERA, that enormous game that last Saturday. Should have won about 22 games, led the NL in innings. Lincecum had 2 more wins, and more strikeouts, but strikeouts shouldn't really be a factor, who cares how someone gets the outs as long as they get the batters out. Santana just had the better season.

Rob Neyer
  (12:24 PM)


I analyzed the candidates in the blog today, and I can't find a hair's difference between Lincecum and Santana. The quality of competition does matter, but the strikeouts matter, too. Always have, always will, and should.

Matt (Florida)


AL Cy Young, Lee or K-Rod?

Rob Neyer
  (12:24 PM)


Lee should win, but I'm not sure that he will.

Alex (Oakland)


Do you see Holliday's numbers going down next season? He really thrived in Coors Field and I think he will miss it.

Rob Neyer
  (12:26 PM)


He will. No question. But he'll still be a pretty good hitter, he's a decent left fielder, and an excellent baserunner, and will represent a huge upgrade for the A's.

Michael (Huntington Beach, CA)


What do you value more in deciding an MVP, how you affected your team or your statistics?

Rob Neyer
  (12:29 PM)


Is there a difference?

DJ Cuse


Will Glavine, Maddux, and Smoltz all end up retiring before the start of next season and go into the HOF together?

Rob Neyer
  (12:30 PM)


Unless they've hatched some super-secret plan, the odds that all three will make the same decision this winter seem awfully low to me. It'd be cool, though...

Jake (Duluth MN)


Do you still think Mauer should be M.V.P?

Rob Neyer
  (12:31 PM)


I believe he was my choice, but there are a half-dozen other ALers just about as worthy.

Larry (Albany)


Yes there's a difference. Wasn't one of the values of Jack Morris that he would pitch deep into games to save the bullpen and that his ERA may have suffered because of it?

Rob Neyer
  (12:32 PM)


That would be valuable, if it were true. But there's little or no evidence suggesting that Morris's career ERA was hurt by his durability.

Rick (San Diego)


What is your take on the Hoffman situation? Alderson messed up on this one with the Fans.

Rob Neyer
  (12:33 PM)


Rick, I woke up this morning and came straight to the chat, haven't seen any of the details. But they had to cut the cord at some point, and that's usually painful for everyone.

John - Philly


Rosenthal is stating the Hoffman release puts the Mets in a good position to land a closer without overpaying. Can they get K-Rod for 3 years if all other "big spenders" balk?

Rob Neyer
  (12:35 PM)


I'm not smart enough to figure out what Hoffman has to do with K-Rod . . . The latter's agent did suggest last week that he would be "flexible," which suggests to me that the mega-deal maybe wasn't out there.

John (NY)


Votto's numbers were as good or better than Soto... Soto won because he caught for a division winning team. I bet Votto would have recieved more attention in a big media market. Votto .297/.368/.506 with 24 HR and 84 RBI. Soto .285/.364/.504 with 23 HR and 86 RBI.

Rob Neyer
  (12:36 PM)


Soto would have won if he'd caught for a last-place team. Big difference between a catcher with those numbers and a first baseman.

Jason *Bmore


Seems like Carlos Gonzalez has all the tools to succeed, yet he keeps getting jettisoned in these crazy trades during the offseason. What gives? Attractive talent not worth keeping?

Rob Neyer
  (12:41 PM)


I think he frustrated the A's because he's got more tools than performance, at least right now. I mean, 13 walks and 81 strikeouts in half a season? That's just not Oakland Baseball.

Mike (Chicago)


Alexi deserved more than only second place votes. In five years who will be better Longoria or Ramirez?

Rob Neyer
  (12:43 PM)


In five years, Longoria will be 28 and Ramirez will be (at least) 32. You know the math there, right?

Slew (Seattle)


Do strikeouts matter when assessing how someone *did*? (I whole heartedly agree that they matter when assessing how someone *will do*.)

Rob Neyer
  (12:43 PM)


I think strikeouts are, at the very least, an excellent tiebreaker.

Tommy (ATL)


How long until the Reds realistically are a playoff team? Lots of young players falling into place, but how long do you see it taking?

Rob Neyer
  (12:45 PM)


They still have some work to do. If they get Jay Bruce and Johnny Cueto going like Joey Votto and Edinson Volquez, they might have something. Not quite a first-place team. But something.

Jeremy (NYC)


With Pat Burrell unlikely to re-sign how do you see the Phillies addressing their outfield situation?

Rob Neyer
  (12:46 PM)


They're talking about platooning Geoff Jenkins and Greg Dobbs out there. Doesn't seem to me like a championship plan.

Scott (D.C.)


I really can't see how Lee doesn't win the cy in the AL. K-Rod had 69 chances to hold a lead for one inning and did it 62 times. On Lee's side, besides being the most dominant pitcher in the AL and pitching three times the innings, he has a 22-3 (!) record, and we know how the BBWAA feels about W-L...

Rob Neyer
  (12:48 PM)


I think you're probably right, Scott. The voters do like their bling, and most years K-Rod's would be shinier. But 22-3 should be enough.

Jeremy (NYC)


Follow-up on the Phils: Dobbs and Jenkins are both Lefties...that doesn't make for much of a platoon

Rob Neyer
  (12:51 PM)


Good point, Jeremy. And Matt Stairs, supposedly in the mix as well, also is a lefty. So it's hard to see a happy ending there. My guess is that Jenkins gets some time and they fight a right-handed hitter to help out.

David (Houston, TX)


Will the Rays lock-up BJ Upton soon as they have with Crawford and Longoria?

Rob Neyer
  (12:52 PM)


I'm sure they'd like to, David. But apparently he's expressed the desire to enjoy the fruits of free agency in a few years. Given his occasional lack of effort, it might be a good idea to keep him motivated anyway.

Jamie, New York, New York


We all know the Mets bullpen blew a bunch of games for Johan. If Johan was 19-7, instead of 16-7, would you call him the favorite to win today?

Rob Neyer
  (12:54 PM)


Yeah, I probably would. Not that he *should* be the favorite, necessarily. And let's not forget the wild card that is C.C. Sabathia. He's going to get some support, but I have no idea how much, as there's never been anyone quite like him (Sutcliffe pitched more in '84, Doyle Alexander pitched less in '87).

James (Columbus)


Do you think the current economy will have any substantial impact on MLB? I personally would not be amazed to see a substantial drop in attendance this season, followed by a drop in ticket prices and players salaries over the next few years. Your thoughts?

Rob Neyer
  (12:57 PM)


James, I saw a report yesterday suggesting that if the Big 3 automakers go under, it'll mean three million Americans lose their jobs. I don't think the feds would let that happen, but a similarly catastrophic event could bring huge changes in the entertainment industry. I don't think we're there yet, though. I think we'll see a small drop in attendance next year, but beyond that . . .

Jason (Vegas)


You pick the Indians to win the AL Central again right? Fantastic I will put money on the White Sox again. Who do you have in the AL East?

Rob Neyer
  (12:58 PM)


I'm not picking the Indians, officially. I want to see what everybody does between now and Opening Day. And that goes double for the East, where we've got four contenders.

Knauff (Minneapolis, MN)


Hi Rob- You wrote in the blog today that AT&T park is not a pitcher's park because it was the 7th & 8th easiest park to score runs in over the past few years, but it is the toughest NL home run park. If it's a tough home run park, it would seem to follow that it would be a pitcher's park because more fly balls stay in play. What do you think causes AT&T to give up runs while keeping the ball in the yard?

Rob Neyer
  (1:00 PM)


It's a fantastic place for doubles and triples hitters, and thus a pretty good park for batting average generally.

Jason (Birmingham)


Hi Rob. I've seen reports that the Red Sox were doing homework on Dontrelle Willis. Do you think a Willis for Lugo swap happens?

Rob Neyer
  (1:01 PM)


Hey, anything's possible and that's the classic sort of headache-trading deal. I sure would love to see that homework, though. Thanks for all the questions, and until next time don't forget: "If you can't fix it, you gotta stand it."

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