Mariano Rivera pitched 3 innings in game 7 in 2003. I'm just sayin'.

Do you think what was referred to as "Catcher's ERA" 10-20 years ago was an imperfect precursor to what we have more recently come to understand as the ways catchers impact results?

Given the current state of the Mariners COFs, it seems likely that Tyler O'Neill could be up as soon as the All-Star Break. Is there any reason to think that he could (or even should) break camp with the team, though? Muddle through in RF with some combo of Gamel/Smith/Heredia until then?

Mike Schur wrote a great piece on Mike Trout yesterday. Do you ever just shake your head at the people that are watching some Mantle/Griffey/Mays hybrid monster and not consider him to be the MVP? The guys career WAR is already higher than several hall of famers and hes only 25...Its a shame that i dont have the luxury to watch him more frequently.

Where does Bumgarner rank for you in the hypothetical "Pitcher (past and present) I would want starting for my team in a win or go home game." ? Who would you place above him?

Thoughts on Ausmus being brought back for another year?

What do you say to climate change deniers that sat stupid shit like it's just weather? Any go to sites you use?

With the Falvey announcement made official on Monday, do you expect a complete overhaul of the scouting staff?

There's been a lot of cooling on the idea of Eduardo Rodriguez becoming a 1/2 (which was the buzz for a while). What do you ultimately see for him going forward?

No sketch comedy in the TV Book. What would you add if you could? Mr. Show for me all the way.

Am I stupid for being excited for the Wold Baseball Classic?

I believe you said a few weeks ago that you would not consider Happ for the Cy. Why not? Also, does Aaron Sanchez warrant a mention in the discussion?

Keith, I know this question deals with a lot of speculation, but if Atlanta can add a couple of starting pitchers either via FA or trade, is it plausible to think a winning record could happen next season? Thanks for answering.

In a previous chat, you mentioned you take Escitalopram for anxiety/depression (and that it makes a significant difference), was that prescribed by a general practitioner? Did you bring up Escitalopram or did the doctor? I'd like to approach this subject with a medical professional but I don't know where to start.

One thing that stands out about Bumgarner is how he is one of the most fierce competitors in our galaxy. As a scout, do you pay attention to the willingness of a kid to compete and the desire to win, or is that something that is hard to detect and shows up when the competition gets consistently better at the pro level?

Read your Cleveland / Boston write-up. Couldn't help but notice that the Red Sox were always referred to as the "Red Sox" and the Indians were always referred to as "Cleveland". Thank you for doing that.

The Twins are now on the clock! Everyone knows the Twins have had a difficult time developing pitchers. Do you have any idea what Twins fans should expect upcoming drafts to look like?

Last night an awful hitter was intentionally walked so the Giants could face the opposing pitcher instead. Remind me why the DH is bad again?

Not sure how to word this. How do you feel about the Arizona management shake up? Your article probably did not alert the ownership of the problem unless they were hiding in a hole somewhere. However it was a very public way of outing bad decision making. I expect you feel bad for the guys but they made their choice of how to run the organization.

Do you like the Renteria choice by the White Sox?

Doesn't the MVP question vis-a-vis Trout have to include a definition of what MVP means? Is Trout the best player alive? Yes. Did he have such a large impact on his team? Well, they still finished 2nd last in their division, so how much value could he have added? Was he valuable to MLB as a whole? Somewhat, although he would be more so in New York or Chicago, but should geography play into that? To me, an MVP has to be on a team that had a somewhat successful season, because then he provided value by lifting the team to a level it otherwise would not have achieved.

Do you think it is possible for MiLB players to ever obtain collective bargaining rights? Separate or MLBPA offshoot. I know there are structural barriers to such a union, but my blood boils at the wage suppression tactics of MLB and it's owners.

Why do HOF voters say that they are waiting for the HoF to make a decision about steroid users? Clearly, they already have. When Pete Rose gambled, he was quickly banned for life by the HoF. Now, with steroids, no ban has been announced or even hinted at. De facto, the HoF has made clear that (1) Steroids are not as problematic as gambling, and (2) Steroids are not a disqualifier.

When is the '17 draft rankings coming?

Do you have a budget at ESPN, as in if you want to hire someone do you have that freedom?

"Hey let's not give Trout the MVP award he deserves because Arte Moreno signed Pujols and Josh Hamilton! Makes sense! Mookie gets MVP for his crucial role in developing David Ortiz and acquiring Porcello and Price!"

To the 9% nationally who say you are voting for Gary Johnson - he doesn't know who the leader of North Korea is or what is happening in Syria. Vote for someone with a chance to win.

Is there any grouping of words you hate more than "I know its a small sample size BUT..."? Shouldn't everybody know by now that a SSS by definition is not indicative of a significant change?

Per Nick Cafardo - "Bryan Minniti, Mike Bell, Ray Montgomery, Peter Woodfork and Kim Ng all in the running for D'Backs GM job" - who would you pick?

Ubaldo Jimenez has been in the top 10 in his league in walks every year in the last 9. He also has been known to just lose a ball like in a wild pitch or HBP. Please explain to people that IBB Encarnacion is a bad idea.

Charleston, SC good choice for Top Chef? With so many good food towns, I would have preferred a road trip through the South, like last year in California.

Would you rather have Buddy Reed or Bryan Reynolds in your system?

Do you have a go-to carrot soup recipe? I have a newfound affinity for it. I've tried about 4 different recipes with each being really different. Latest one was the ginger carrot soup from Boma at WDW.

What is your opinion of starting rotations having RHP and LHP? Does it matter? Do you think the braves need to add a LH starter?

Kris Bryant had a 7.7 WAR. The Cubs finished 17.5 games in first place. Obviously, the Cubs didn't need Bryant to finish in first place. (I tried to make this sound as dumb as possible)

I've always argued this with people from the devil's advocate standpoint, but would love to hear your opinion. I constantly hear fans across baseball complain about how their ownership is "cheap" and doesn't want to spend the money necessary to win. I've heard for years as a Pirates fan, and from other fanbases. I’ve always been skeptical of those kinds of statements because in reality, none of these people truly know what the books look like. I happen to think that for some of these owners, their teams are not the profit centers people paint them to be and are more doing it because it’s cool and as a way of civic pride. Where do you stand on this? Do you think that teams are actually not making the margins people imagine or the other way around?

Thoughts on Cody Bellinger? Would you comp him to say, a Brandon Belt?

How many ABs for a hitter against a specific pitcher before it's no longer SSS, and actually significant?

Could Trey Mancini have an impact for the Orioles next year? He looked okay in the few at bats he had this year.

Say tomorrow that baseball loses their anti-trust exemption... would there really be any negative setback for the sport?

(1/2) Klaw, long time reader. Was hoping you might have some helpful resources you can direct me to, just to cope with a situation that has recently thrown our whole family for a loop. Long story short: my wife (mid-30's) recently revealed that she was abused as a child, by her sister's husband (currently mid-40's). No one knew it, not even me. She held it in for nearly 25 years. Of course, the man denies it and her sister has chosen to stay with him. We have very good reason to believe he is physically abusive (she has called the police on him before). As a result of all this, her sister has basically been isolated from the rest of our family, as her decision to stay with him is being seen as a tacit approval of his behavior. But I think the true reason she stays is because she is afraid of him, and for good reason. I feel like there is nothing we can do to this man, practically speaking.

(2/2) And part of me feels bad for shunning my sister in-law, knowing she is in a bad situation. But what else are we to do? We are seeking counseling, but other than that I can't see of any other way to proceed, other than keeping our distance from her (we have children too, FWIW).

Thoughts on Taylor Trammell and Mickey Moniak? Do they seem pretty similar to you in terms of value and/or potential?

The Leopard by Giuseppe di Lampedusa is one of my favorite novels, but one of only a few Italian novels I've read. Any suggestions for similar writers/novels?

Looking forward, but if Heyward was a FA this year & signed an identical contract to what he has remaining, would you be OK with it?

Could you ask your wife to update her blog (linked at the top). Her writing is good, but it hasn't been updated in three years.

Having a good friend over for the weekend and want to make them a really nice dinner. I've drastically improved my cooking the past few years but said friend is vegetarian where the staple of most of my tried and true dishes are meat-based. Anything you'd recommend for a vegetarian based meal? Thanks!

Will Senzel be the full time 3B at some point next season?

If writers aren't going to put Trout on the top of their MVP ballots because he's not on a playoff team, by that logic shouldn't they leave him off altogether? I mean, if they aren't going to vote him #1, why would they vote him #2 ahead of Donaldson?

Hi Keith, do you like the 1 game Wild Card? I feel as if a three game series would be better and more fair. 1 game just seems so un baseball, even though I do love the instant drama.