Baseball Prospectus - Chat with Joe Sheehan

Chat: Joe Sheehan

Welcome to Baseball Prospectus' Thursday May 01, 2008 1:00 PM ET chat session with Joe Sheehan.

Joe Sheehan writes "Prospectus Today" for Baseball Prospectus. He no longer thinks about the chat record.

Joe's chat has been rescheduled for 1 p.m. ET.

Joe Sheehan: This chat has, technically, been rescheduled four times. Let's start before something else comes up.

Laura (my computer): Just how good will Markakis be at his peak?

Joe Sheehan: He's in that area where it's not clear whether he'll be a .280 BA guy with 30+ homers, or a .320 guy with 15-20. In either case, you're looking at the AL's best right fielder once Vlad concedes the title. That could be as soon as this year.

abernethyj (Chapel Hill, NC): How many games will Jeff Clement see at catcher this year?

Joe Sheehan: Just enough to confirm that he's a first baseman or a DH. I'll say five games.

Tom (Oregon): With all the talk about the horrific Giants offense, can someone please give Fred Lewis some love? Thanks.

Joe Sheehan: I've been high on Fred Lewis for years, and am glad to see him getting playing time and using it well. The only downside is that he's been exposed as a bad defensive left fielder. He just doesn't track balls effectively. Still, it's the Giants; they can trade defense for offense.

PJ (Montréal): Hey Joe. What do you think of Conor Jackson's start? Can he sustain this kind of performance for the full year?

Joe Sheehan: He's at the top of his range, and this could be a peak season. As long as you don't get caught up in home-run numbers, Jackson is a solution. He's a .300/.380/.490 guy, and he'll peak--maybe now--25-40 points higher across the board.

Andrew ((mother's basement)): Your opinion on the Yankees so far? i'm starting to get worried, will they make the playoffs?

Joe Sheehan: The Yankees started 11-19 a few years back, so panic isn't really warranted. For all the focus on the young pitchers, what's lost is that the '07 team was a .500 team plus two of the four best players in the league. The Yankees have no viable options behind Rodriguez and Posada, so they look awful right now. Keep in mind that they're ahead of the Tigers and Indians, so it's not like they've lost ground to the real contenders.

Barry Lamar Bonds (San Fransico): If you were a GM of a baseball team would you sign me? Have I played my last game in the show?

Joe Sheehan: I would have signed you in January and figured out playing time from there. I don't know the answer to the second question; I wouldn't be surprised if you didn't get signed, and I wouldn't be surprised if a contender needing offense--there will be a dozen of those--signed you in July. The sheer quantity of bad hitters on contending teams you're better than is staggering.

Henry (Minneapolis, MN): Troy Tulowitski is undergoing 1) a bad month, 2) a sophomore slump, or 3) an expected regression given last year's inflated stats.

Joe Sheehan: 1 and 3. The sophomore slump is just a restatement of 3.

uptick (St. Louis): Hi Joe, Who do you think will have the better numbers from now to the end of the season: Mark Reynolds or Ryan Zimmerman? Thx

Joe Sheehan: Mark Reynolds, who is a more mature hitter in a better environment. A ton of Zimmerman's value as a player is in his fantastic glove.

Mike (Seattle): Is John McClaren the next Dusty Baker. They are going to kill Felix arm this year. I hope they lose 90 games so he can get fired.

Joe Sheehan: Hardly. Hernandez's pitch counts (max of 117) are fine.

Given where the upper bound of workloads by game--pitch counts--in MLB has fallen to, it is virtually impossible to damage a pitcher that way any longer. If anything, the industry should probably be working starters, especially veteran starters, harder, especially if it saves roster spots. This war is over.

metal1341 (STL): These manager mistakes that you write about, what do you think causes them to make these mistakes that seem rather simple after the fact? I would ASSUME that most managers in baseball presumably know more about a baseball game than you, but what do you think gets in the way of them making the right decision? Are they just not quick on the feet? Is it false faith in their players? Trying to show-off? Any ideas...? And that was absolutely not an insult towards you, just a generalization.

Joe Sheehan: There are a lot of skills involved in being a major-league manager. What I am certain of is that they are not selected for their ability to manage a game or a roster, but rather for their interview skills, personal relationships, and the perception of them as a leader of men. There's an erroneous assumption that all candidates will be able to handle the mechanics of the job. The ability or inability to pull the levers doesn't become apparent for some time, and is completely disconnected to the skills necessary to get yourself hired.

Taylor (Toronto): Doesn't Alex Rios have to figure into the conversation as the heir apparent to Vlad? Seems to be more patient this year and has improved his power every year as a regular and plays a pretty good RF with an above average arm.

Joe Sheehan: I'll take Markakis for the extra OBP. Both are plus right fielders, so Rios' defensive edge is smaller than it is on the field. It's a good debate, but when in doubt, I'll lean towards the OBP guy.

Steve D. (Havertown, PA): Joe, thanks so much for leaving the Orioles off your "Totally Unreal" list... I'm sure it's because you capped it at five, but thanks nonetheless. One month in, do you see something that you (and others) miscalculated about them, or are they still en route to 100 losses?

Joe Sheehan: Maybe not 100--the level of parity is such that it's hard to lose 100 games--but it's not a real good baseball team. It's not like we haven't seen this before with the O's. They started 11-7 last year, 13-11 in '06, 41-27 in '05. Spare me.

jtrichey (Indianapolis): Hi Joe, thanks for the chat. At what point do you start getting Micah Owings some starts in the field? Or starts every day?

Joe Sheehan: Never. He's a good pitcher, and not a good enough hitter to play a corner on that team. I would, however, be using him as a PH with alarming frequency. He could get 150 PAs for me.

Ryan (Philly): So Joe. We're a month in, and shockingly, the Mets haven't clinched the East yet. Do the Phillies have a shot at 75 wins this year? They've had their best April in recent memory, and have done so without Rollins and Victorino for the last 3 weeks, and with Ryan Howard looking more and more like dead in the water Mo Vaughn. Is it time to possibly start giving them their respect after basically writing them off before the season even started?

Joe Sheehan: And with Chase Utley hitting like Rogers Hornsby, and Pat Burrell and Jayson Werth over their heads. It all counts, Ryan. Romero, Lidge and Durbin have a 32/22 K/BB and a collective ERA under 1.00. The Phillies are 15-13, +11, which is basically the team I thought they were. They'll be in the hunt, and probably fall short when the pitching does. Lovely park, though.

Joe (Washington, DC): Hi Joe. What should the Yankees do with Phil Hughes?

Joe Sheehan: The (ahem) DL trip is a good idea. It doesn't really help a young pitcher to have the world focusing on him. I don't think he's hurt much, but it's not the first "injury" to provide a three-week respite and it won't be the last. I'm still bullish on his future.

Jake (S.F.): I know he was touted a bit for his strikeout rates in the minors and I was a big fan of him at the time but his couple of years bouncing between the bigs and AAA and the rotation and the bullpen seemed to have dropped him off the radar - with his hot start this year what do you think of the Giants' Jonathan Sanchez? Flash in the pan or a legitimate #3 behind Lincecum and Cain going forward?

Joe Sheehan: I think I got off the bandwagon at the wrong time, and I should have known better. The comment in BP2K8 was mine, describing how the Giants completely mishandled him the last few years. Great live arm, tremendous stuff, some command issues. He might always battle the control and be a high-variance guy, but that makes him, what, Oliver Perez? That plays. Bad on me for jumping off.

tycobb (ga): any thoughts on manny burriss?

Joe Sheehan: Fast guy who can't hit.

Will (Atlanta): I am in serious need of help, should I sell high on Volquez if I get back Hawpe? The problem is that I just lost Smoltz to the DL so I am wondering if I should hang on to Edison.

Joe Sheehan: I'm bearish on Reds pitchers because of the defense and park. You'd be buying low on Hawpe. I'd do the deal.

Henry (Minneapolis, MN): Can you give us a couple of comps for Scherzer? I guess I'm asking for a few pitchers who have sustained such violent mechanics and gone on to long and successful careers.

Joe Sheehan: I referenced Kevin Appier on the radio today, but I seem to remember reading that Appier looked worse than he was according to people who study mechanics. Craig House was a weird one and washed out quickly.

Not to be a jerk, but if I'm the Diamondbacks, I ride this train very hard for as long as it runs. This could very well be a case where a guy is better in his 0-3 years than he his the rest of his career.

Ameer (Bloomington, IN): Hey Joe, thanks for the chat! Doesn't the comment you made about Reynolds being a better hitter than Zimmerman conflict with what you said about Zimmerman being a more valuable player than Wright this year? Or is his glove THAT good?

Joe Sheehan: His glove is that good. And I'm backing off on Zimmerman a little...23/6 K/BB so far. He'll probably be OK, but I'm wondering a little.

BL (Bozeman, MT): Brian Bannister said after being pounded in Texas last night (paraphrasing): I'm a fly ball pitcher who pitches to contact in with the wind blowing out, I'm the last pitching in baseball we wanted on the mound tonight. His intelligence is well-known by now, but isn't it still refreshing for a major leaguer, in one quote, to reference park factors and accurately assess his own abilities and shortcomings?

Joe Sheehan: That's a fantastic comment. It'll never catch on, but I love hearing baseball players talk about baseball, instead of interpersonal relations, or spouting cliches, or what have you. Maybe they don't all have much to say, but wouldn't you love to talk about hitting mechanics with Barry Bonds or Manny Ramirez, or pitch selection with Pedro Martinez, or footwork with Jeff Kent? There's a lot of baseball out there to be covered in the gaps between this controversy and the next one. We're working on it.

Taylor (Toronto): Speaking of managers, what are your thoughts on John Gibbons? Losing back to back 1 run games without using your closer seems like a mistake. I know change for the sake of change isn't a winning strategy but don't the Jays need to shake things up somehow?

Joe Sheehan: What's interesting is that two years ago, Gibbons was pretty aggressive about using B.J. Ryan in the eighth inning. I wonder if the lesson he learned was, "I break guys that way." In any case, Gibbons is not part of the solution, but there's only so much to be done with that roster. Too righthanded, too slow. All the pitching and defense in the world--they have about 22% of it, actually--won't help.

Joe (Tewksbury, MA): Some friends and I are having the argument, who would you rather have long term, Melky Cabrera or Jacoby Ellsbury?

Joe Sheehan: Good one. I'll say Cabrera, who's younger, has more experience, and will hit for more power while being in a comparable OBP zone. Both are flawed CFs with one outstanding defensive skill (Cabrera's arm, Ellbury's speed). I think Cabrera eventually moves to right field, though.

Otto (Halifax): Are we at the point now that we can start making judgements and not worry (too much) about small sample size?

Joe Sheehan: You won't like this answer, but we may never be at that point. I'm struck, the longer I do this, by just how volatile player performance is, and therefore, team performance. You start to understand why GMs sign guys with no upside but not much downside, just to save the agita.

All we can do is take the information at our disposal and do the best analysis we can. That's why I emphasize the process, the reasoning, behind claims, and not just the end result.

qwerty (poiuque): Do you think Chris Young could have a long career having .230 batting averages year after year? Even if he's a 30/30 player each year?

Joe Sheehan: Rob Deer with speed and the ability to play a plus center field. That's more or less the shape of Andruw Jones' career, right?

Joe (Washington, DC): Joba Chamberlain joins the Yankee rotation in a) July, b) August, c) next year or d) never?

Joe Sheehan: Next year. I've said all along that there's no way they'd be able to take away one of Girardi's two good relievers in the middle of a pennant race.

Peter (Akron): When I think of Cliff Lee, one word comes to mind: WOW. How about you? He is finally healthy and has shown success in the past (former 18 game winner).

Joe Sheehan: I'm withholding judgment until he faces a major-league offense.

Jeff (bloomington, IN): Does your opinion about the Mariners change at all with Clement at DH and Balentien in RF? Or is that still not enough runs?

Joe Sheehan: The bullpen is still flawed, but if nothing else I like the willingness to roll the dice. Note: Balentien had a .329 OBP in Triple-A, so let's not get crazy. Since they've already traded Jones, this might work better as a showcase to flip for an impact bat. The AL West might be won at 84-78, so there's hope.

Phil (Fresno): What are your thoughts on Dana Eveland? Will his minor league success finally carry over to the bigs after been knocked around in Milwaukee and Arizona?

Joe Sheehan: I caught the bad outing last night, so I may be biased. I see a back-rotation guy who really needs a good outfield defense to succeed. Not a bad guy for a few years when he's cheap.

Jim (AZ): Obama, Clinton or McCain?

Joe Sheehan: None Of The Above!

tycobb (ga): why do the marlins think it is better for andrew miller to get rocked in the majors rather than work on comand in the minors?

Joe Sheehan: Well, I didn't mind the decision to start him up here, but it's about time for him to go back down. The Marlins probably have Wes Obermueller or someone of that ilk who can start.

Wouldn't you love to own the Marlins? Or GM them? You can do ANYTHING, and there's no fan base to alienate! It seems like this would be a great team to try all kinds of fun strategies with.

Fred (Boise): Joe, I have this delicious dilemma: I own Scott Kazmir in my AL-only roto league, and have inserted Lee. This Friday, I mist choose between one for the rest of the year. Thoughts?

Joe Sheehan: Trade Lee. If you can't trade Lee...I look at it this way: thinking Cliff Lee is better than Scott Kazmir would have been silly six weeks ago. It's not much less silly now.

BL (Bozeman, MT): Other than traveling back in time to undo the unfortunate Jose Guillen signing, what can KC do in the short- and intermediate-term to improve offensively? (Teaching Tony Pena to take a pitch doesn't count, either.)

Joe Sheehan: Honestly, not much. You could troll the wires for a Gload replacement, although Gload was, two years ago, that kind of player. There's not much reason to worry about the 2008 record, anyway. They're playing for '10.

blaseta (Calgary): Do you think we'll one day see a pitching strategy that aggresively takes into account matchups and/or ballparks? Something like the Angels or Astros shuffling their rotations to have Ervin Santana or Wandy Rodriguez pitching at home more often than typical under a set rotation. Or the Royals avoiding pitching Banny in a hitter's park? Is it realistic to expect pitchers to be able to adjust to an extra days rest or one less days rest here or there? Are the potential gains enough to offset the losses from shorter rest of the need to use an extra starter here and there?

Joe Sheehan: Not to channel Steven Goldman here, but the idea of a set rotation is fairly recent. In the 1950s and before, managers often juggled rotations to have their best pitchers pitch against the best opposition.

In general, the game has shifted too much to "roles," especially on the pitching side. I suspect players can handle a lot more uncertainty than is generally thought, and that the creation of all of these roles has been a net negative for the industry as a whole. But it keeps managers insulated from criticism, which is the real goal.

Nikko Sebastian (Scottsdale, AZ): If Scherzer lives up to his potential and Randy Johnson stays off the DL, what will Bob Melvin do with Scherzer once Doug Davis is ready to return to the rotation? It's a nice problem to have but is a sticky situation.

Joe Sheehan: Scherzer fits comfortably in the bullpen. Realistically, these situations always seem to resolve themselves via one injury or another.

SC (Philadelphia): You and others write about how risk averse baseball teams are, hence the reluctance to innovate strategically. If you were owner/GM/manager of the Marlins, what strategies would you try (serious ones, not entertaining ones)?

Joe Sheehan: I'd go back to a 10-man pitching staff with a four-man, or maybe five-day, rotation that also brought back the swingman. I would abandon the closer-centric reliever model in favor of multiple-inning stints, with an eye towards 65-appearance, 115-inning guys. I'd platoon with the extra roster spots, or given the Marlins, make more use of defensive replacements. I'd consider charging $1 for 85% of my tickets and hope to make it up on parking and concessions, and in the long term.

ballpark fan (colorado): Joe, I came across an on-line interview with you from 2004. In that interview, you said evaluating scouting and the scouting process was an area of potential future value. What, if anything, has been done in this regard? Any insights?

Joe Sheehan: None. To do this, you need data, that data being the scouts' evaluations of players, thousands of them. Teams aren't making those available.

I suspect that teams are doing more of this internally, but there's no industry-wide evaluative process, nor will there be. Say what you want about outsiders, but virtually every prediction I've ever made is available for perusal.

Jenny (Macon): Jair Jurrjens has been a savior for Bobby Cox this year. Do you think Jurrjens is playing over his head right now?

Joe Sheehan: He is over his head. Jurrjens is, right now, a #4 with a #2 upside. He certainly helps the Braves, who had real problems at the back end last season. If Smoltz goes to the bullpen, Jurrjens becomes their second-best starter.

tommy (chi town): I realize that Carlos Quentin probably won't hit like an MVP candidate for the rest of the year, but how much of this is real as I seem to remember as being a pretty decent prospect with the D Backs? Also with Josh Fields continuing to have major issues with strikeouts even in AAA. might it make sense for the sox to try and trade him come the trade deadline and try and resign Crede?

Joe Sheehan: It's real. Quentin can rake, and only some injury problems have stood in his way. That was an excellent trade by Kenny Williams, one of the best of his tenure. I confess that I thought, initially, that it was the other Sox picking him up, just because it was a nice buy-low play. Williams has developed into a good GM--erratic, but on the whole, good.

jeff (sacramento): Got a sabermetrics 101 sort of question: Ellsbury's probably never going to be an incredibly productive hitter. I can't imagine (nor does he project) .330/20 hr years ahead. That said, and not to get all Tim McCarver, the kid seems to "make stuff happen" when he's on the basepaths. He's not just stealing bases, he's freaking pitchers out, he's forcing bad throws. Is there a stat/metric that will help me understand the objective impact of that as opposed to the lazy-color-guy version of it?

Joe Sheehan: Every study that's ever been done shows that the saw about a guy on first base distracting a pitcher is garbage. Players hit MUCH worse in ABs with a stolen-base attempt than they do otherwise, and the rest of the value in having a guy on first is in the first baseman holding and creating a hole, and that happens with 95% of baserunners. Once again, I say: baseball players are much, much more mentally tough, as a group, than they're given credit for, You can't shake a major-league pitcher by taking a big lead.

ekanenh (work): Your take on the Ballistic Bissinger?

Joe Sheehan: Apathy. I'm pretty much done with differentiating among mediums. Content is content.

BL (Bozeman, MT): Is there any math on how many runs a team prevents by keeping a 12th pitcher, or scores by keeping a 14th position player? Do you have an estimate?

Joe Sheehan: No idea. I'll say that whatever runs we're talking about are different in leverage. A 12th pitcher is by definition a low-leverage guy; a 14th position player can be used in all kinds of high-leverage situations.

big tex (ca): I'd love to own the marlins. Our mascot would be Ernest Hemingway and every monday is "Mojito Monday"!! Ayyyy!!!!

Joe Sheehan: You had me at "mojito." I heart them.

big baby (nj): Better play: sac-bunting Jose Reyes to second with 0 outs, or letting him try to steal second, bottom of the 9th, tie ball game

Joe Sheehan: Letting him steal. I never understood the reflexive bunting in a situation when a high-percentage base stealer reaches in that situation. You can always bunt him to third.

Cory (Miami, OH): Joe, What do you think of Nate McClouth, pretender or real deal? Can he be a 20-20 guy?

Joe Sheehan: Big fan. He played very well as a regular last season. There's not much upside--he's older--but right now he's a quality player. Maybe 15/25 rather than 20/20.

Tony (Brooklyn, NY): Sell high on Ervin? The annual says that he's a big sleeper, so I feel like a genius for picking him up. Thanks!

Joe Sheehan: I'm a huge, huge fan, and have been harping on him for months. Love him. He's the real deal, a legit #3, maybe a #2 starter.

sriramk1027 (SF): Melky Cabrera over Jacoby? That sounds similar to Rob Neyer's manifesto that Brad Wilkerson is better than Alfonso Soriano.

Joe Sheehan: Well, mine has the benefit that Cabrera has been the better player in every season of the two players' professional careers. Wilkerson had only been better than Soriano in most years at the time that comparison was made.

Drungo (SoMd): Given a choice between Brandon Fahey, Luis Hernandez, Eider Torres, Alex Cintron, and that fat guy in Section 209 who would you make the Orioles' everyday shortstop?

Joe Sheehan: What's Cal up to?

Steve (St. Louis): You may think that this is unimportant. Given what seems to me to be an all or nothing attitude you have about winning in baseball. I was wondering how many games you think the Cardinals will win this year. You had them at 69 before the season and I figure that number has probably nudged up based on how well they have played and how many wins they have in hand. Fans that root for a team and watch them on a daily basis would rather see their team win 80 games than 70. It seems to me that in your opinion the difference is insignifigant unless you make the playoffs.

Joe Sheehan: Smart people like Nate Silver who have studied the issue have found that the difference between 70 and 80 is much smaller than the difference between 80 and 90 in terms of revenue to a team. What this means is that you shouldn't pursue 80 at the risk of not getting to 90 in a future season. As long as the Cards don't mortgage the future, then go ahead and win. Just don't get fooled and trade Chris Perez for Chad Cordero or something.

I do tend to take a harder-line position in that I'd rather see my team, if it's not going to contend--and contention is valuable even if you don't make the postseason--draft as high as possible. But that's an extreme position, I admit.

mymrbig (NOLA): I'm thinking of trading Chris Duncan for Nick Johnson in an NL-only league. Thoughts on Johnson so far? Any hope he stays healthy in his walk year?

Joe Sheehan: They're all walk years for Nick Johnson. I'd make that deal...Duncan could see his PT chipped at in St. Louis.

rje (brooklyn): Will I regret flipping Longoria, Fukudome and D. Navarro for Maine and Street in my keeper league?

Joe Sheehan: Flags fly forever. If you don't win, though...eeks.

Will (Portland, OR): How will Ichiro age? Is he in steep decline or will he bounce back to a more gradual decline?

Joe Sheehan: Players of his ilk tend to decline pretty gradually. Given Ichiro's baseball smarts, I wonder if he might not change his approach as he gets older, maybe drawing some more walks as the average slips. He's just such a unique player than I don't know what we can say about him.

dogtothedog (Toronto): what do you think the average attendance would me at Marlins games if 85% of their tickets were $1.00?

Joe Sheehan: 23K, but with wide variance around that mean.

SC (Philadelphia): So if the Royals are playing for '10, when are the Twins playing for? Seems like it'll be a crowded division in a few years as the Tribe don't seem likely to fall off a cliff and the Tigers are built for success for at least the next 2-4 years.

Joe Sheehan: They may contend next season because they have a staggering amount of MLB-ready pitching. What the Twins have not been able to do is build around an offensive core. But they'll be an above-average pitching team next year.

rogerlamarque (brooklyn): Isn't Ellsbury exactly the kind of player you want on your team for his 0-6 years? The mistake with these players is keeping them around too long and overpaying, right?

Joe Sheehan: That's the mistake with most players.

Lightning round.

Adam Lind (Boston): What Kind of numbers do you expect from me this year?

Joe Sheehan: .275/.350/.465.

jlewando (DC): Ronnie Cedeno ... Real or unreal?

Joe Sheehan: More unreal than real. At that, he's better than Ryan Theriot.

mattymatty2000 (Philly, PA): I don't understand the discounting of Ellsbury. In 191 at-bats in 58 major league games, he's hit .325/.394/.482. In a little over 1000 at-bats in the minors, he's hit .314/.390/.426. Why would you rather take Cabrera who has hit .277/.343/.396 in a little over 1000 at-bats in the majors? And don't tell me age, because Ellsbury is only 11 months older.

Joe Sheehan: Because Ellsbury has 191 MLB at-bats, and Cabrera has 1000. Reaching the major leagues and holding your own at a young age is in and of itself a predictor of future success. These two guys aren't equals, to date, in any real sense. Cabrera has done a lot more.

Tim (DC): What about using Owings occasionally as DH in inter-league matchups?

Joe Sheehan: That will probably be Chad Tracy by then.

Forden (Alberta): Given the amount of innings Halladay can pitch, Beckett's injury problems, and Sabathia's control problems at the beginning of the year is Halladay the best starter in the AL?

Joe Sheehan: Felix Hernandez.

scottziegler (Beaver Dam,WI): Clement or Butler?

Joe Sheehan: (Billy) Butler.

Jay (Philly): Werth/Victorino/Jenkins - 3 men, 2 spots. Distribution of playing time?

Joe Sheehan: A Jenkins/Werth platoon, more or less. I'd play Werth a little more than that, and Victorino a little less than full time.

David (NYC): Can Greinke keep it up striking out 4.5/9?

Joe Sheehan: If he never walks anyone or allows homers, sure.

DanBudreika (VA): How many players do you see in person before you write about them?

Joe Sheehan: A pretty small percentage. And I get in the worst trouble when I let my eyes make judgments for me.

Eric J (Norman OK): Why is Reed Johnson starting against a right-hander today?

Joe Sheehan: Lou loves him, and is just in like with Pie. This will probably end when Johnson's body pushes him to the DL, but for now...

Dioneer Navarro (On Deck, Baltimore): Am I really this good of a hitter? What's my upside?

Joe Sheehan: Same production, different shape. More .290/.375/.430. Bandwagon!

Wendy (Madrid): What about Mags as the AL's best rightfielder?

Joe Sheehan: Vlad's been ahead of him since he came over, save for '07. He still wears the crown.

Dave (NYC): Don't you think CMW has a shot at best AL starter?

Joe Sheehan: Nope.

Joe Sheehan: Thanks for all the great questions! I'll be back in a few weeks to talk more baseball!