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Scott is an author of Baseball Prospectus, and member of both our fantasy and prospect teams.
Scott Delp: Hi everyone. Might be a bit choppy for a bit. I’m doing some volunteer work that was supposed to be over an hour ago. Still got some run to it but will get started here as well.
Ronnie Woo Woo (Chicago): When do we panic on the Cubs rotation, especially Quintana?
Scott Delp: I don’t know that we panic yet. I think we give things some time to stabilize and then take a closer look at results and peripherals and see where we are. Then we panic...
Not really but there had to be concerns going into the season. I want to see a bit more and more regular work ... and some warmer weather.
Rickey H (Oaktown): Albers gets most of the Saves in Mil until Knebel is back?
Scott Delp: He’s the consensus choice. I’m not so sure. Knebel is out another five weeks minimum and a lot can happen in that time. Hader has the stuff to do the job including the mentality. Barnes can do it. Over time it would not surprise me to see Taylor Williams get some high leverage chances. It’s a great opportunity for Counsell to develop a committee based on matchups. We’ll see.
Bsg (Tucson): Is Gilbert lara off life support or is it small sample size and he will regress?
Scott Delp: Well it’s definitely a small sample size. Real Gilbert Lara is somewhere in between last season and where he is now. I think it will be less last season when it settles in but maybe not nearly as close as we’d all like to this season so far.
Bsg (Tucson): Is this the season will benson figures it out and shoots up the rankings as a legit prospect?
Scott Delp: I don’t know if this will be the telltale season. He has improved incrementally over the past year and he’s in full season ball as a teen. We know we want to see a big increase in the game power or a big decrease in the swing and miss though some combination of the two would work. It’s in there. My guess is that this isn’t the year he takes a big leap but we might see if that leap is possible.
Jett (Skyward): When you look in your crystal ball, do you see Alec Hansen and/or Alex Faedo carving out successful careers as mid-rotation starters?
Scott Delp: I'd say definitely for Faedo. Helath/durability is really the only question for him. The stuff is not in question. Hansen is another story. There is still some reliever risk with him. The fastball is a plus pitch, but beyond that there's not a lot of consistency. Crystal ball-he becomes a very good back-end bullpen guy. I'm looking forward to seeing both this season and nope to give you more after those views.
roxfan12 (Denver): What's your long-term expectation for Austin Hays?
Scott Delp: Long term, he should be a decent corner outfielder. I just don't see the hit tool getting him to a point where he is a star. Pitchers learned something about him in the majors last season and his K rates in AA so far this season are similar. He needs to figure out an adjustment to take step forward.
Keith (Switzerland): Is Jeff Hoffman finished?
Scott Delp: I'm not sure I'd say definitively finished, but shoulders are not as fixable as elbows and it seems that he is not finding his way back so well to this point.
Keith (Portland): Taylor Trammell a superstar?
Scott Delp: The big question there is on defense. If the arm can keep him in center, everything else says he'll be very good. If he has to move to left, then he's less of a star and more of a solid regular.
Keith (Wyoming): Concerned about Giolito thus far?
Scott Delp: I was never completely on the Giolito bandwagon, but I just think at this point he still has some developing to do. He still 23, he's 6'6". I don't want to make excuses, but the whether thus far has been brutal and sometimes that can be a factor. Let's give him some time to adapt and see where he is. I think he'll wind up a functonal back-end arm.
Keith (San Antonio): Josh Naylor for real?
Scott Delp: Six homers in 44 plate appearances isn't real for anyone, but Naylor could put himself back into prospect relevance if he can continue the kind of plate discipline he's shown so far. He has made some adjustments and the results so far are pretty impressive. I'll be keeping a close eye on his progress over the next month or so to see if the changes are going to give him some sustainable success. He's still only 20.
Keith (Crystal Lake): Is this just who Jon Gray is?
Scott Delp: Yes, but it's not bad exactly. He's this guy and the results will fluctuate at times. The peripherals tell us he's the same guy he was last year.
The Lion Queen (Here): Franchy Cordero is dripping with excitement. Do you think he can keep a regular job and if so what type of season will he have this year?
Scott Delp: I don't see him staying in the lineup regularly once everyone is healthy. I know that Margot was off to a slow start, but it's his job when he gets back.
Kevin (My neighbor's driveway): Just how good is Esteury Ruiz?
Scott Delp: He has a chance to be very good, but it's a long road. The big question is whether he can make enough contact. If he does, he can be a solid regular.
dylanrox (Des Moines): Which OF is most expendable or tradable in a 14 team weekly points format? Domingo Santana, Hicks, Haniger, CarGo, or Mazara? We start 3 OF and one UTIL and one OF may need to go.
Scott Delp: It's CarGo for me. He just looks pretty much done.
Hiura's Twin (Milwaukee): Is Keston going to see the light and someday become an asset for the Brew-Crew?
Scott Delp: Someday? He certainly should. He's not off to a great start in High-A, but he should figure it out. I still think he has a chance to be in Milwaukee by the end of the season.
Scott Delp: That's going to do it for my time today. Thanks for being patient early and thanks for all the questions. Hope we can do this again soon.
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