Keith, what are the Braves doing with Swanson? Numbers in Double A are just OK and they aren't going to compete next year. What's the point?

Love the work you've done this week subbing for Buster. Been a must listen all week. What's your take on the supposed rift between Rick Hahn and Kenny Williams? As a fan of the team I don't think they'll ever be serious contenders as long as Williams is on the premises as he has no long-term vision whatsoever. His ego won't allow a rebuild. I actually feel for Hahn, who SEEMS to understand what's needed but can't act due to the egos above him.

Do you think KC's plan with Strahm is to use him out of the pen this year and then move him into the rotation next year?

You have better access than me, so can you help get this done: if it takes more than a minute, minute and a half, to review a replay, there isn't enough evidence to overturn and it stands. Please tell Manfred to make this happen. Thanks

Why are you bias against the Diamondbacks? Just kidding, great write up.

Altuve or Trout for best player in baseball right now?

What have you thought of Musgrove so far?

How do you view Swanson relative to Trea Turner? Braves fan here, but I've watched a lot of Nats games over the past month and Turner looks like a star player with a better than advertised hit tool and a dynamic trait that Swanson doesn't have (speed), does Swanson's all-around prowess still give him the advantage in your mind?

What do you think about Encarnacion signing with Houston in the offseason? Seems like a good fit to fill in at DH and hit at Minute Maid.

Hey Keith, have been real busy the past couple of days and have finally caught up with the flooding in Louisiana , especially Baton Rouge. Now please correct me if I am wrong because this may sound awful or morbid, but why do we (our country) keep funneling time, effort, and resources to parts of Louisiana that are already below sea level? Did we not learn anything for Hurricane Katrina? While people continue to believe that global warming is some hoax, homes and businesses will be underwater in those areas in the next couple hundred years. It's happening now. It is just a matter of time until those sea levels rise a couple of feet and nothing can be saved.

Hey Keith, finally got the opportunity to do my first freelance scouting trip this past week to a Snappers - Timber Rattlers game. I loved it. I loved it so much I went down to Clinton, IA on Monday and Peoria, IL Tuesday to watch some more prospects (K. Tucker, A. Jackson, J. Woodford, T. Blankenhorn). I wanted to ask about something I saw in my first game regarding Trent Clark. He was playing CF when there was a ball hit to him off a broken bat. He took a pretty awful first step backwards and the ball eventually fell in front of him. Are broken bat hits extremely difficult to judge (as I imagine)? Does your average defensive outfielder make that play more routinely or is that something only seen out of gold-glove caliber players?

Can you recommend chapter book for a precocious 3.5 year old? I got the original Wizard of Oz on hold, but I'm not quite sure. I've got some lined up in the next year or two, but would like to start something sooner. Thanks.

Is Gavin Cecchini a viable option for Mets next season at 2B? I'd like to see him get some reps in bigs this season, totally understand the Vegas inflation factor on offensive numbers but would bringing him up for a look hurt at all?

Is it a huge blunder that the rock bottom Braves called up its top prospect and waste his service time?

Any guys from the complex leagues or even DSL that have popped up or you're hearing good things about that might make team top 20s or do next year? I've heard Jonathan Guzman referenced a couple time times.

Seems like a repeat of last year for Soler: early struggles, prolonged hamstring injury, excellent hitting upon return. What is it with this guy, and what do you think his future looks like?

What happened with Joba Chamberlin and Phil Hughes? Why didn't they pan out as expected?

Who do you like better to be the Yankees' first baseman of the future, Bird or Austin?

Worried about Cody Reed after a rough start to his big league career?

Regarding Chad Kuhl, when you say "doesn't have a pitch to get lefties out", are you saying that he just doesn't utilize a 3rd pitch (like a changeup) or are you saying that the changeup he has is completely unusable? I saw him throwing changeups pretty frequently against a LHH-heavy Dodgers lineup and wasn't sure if that was a new step for him or if it doesn't matter because the pitch itself is just horrible. Thanks!

Who is a potential riser in the Sox farm over the next year? Josh Pennington? Roniel Raudes? Luis Alexander Basabe?

Any intel as to who the PTBNL in the Lucroy trade is?

I agree with you re: closers and Cy Young/MVP potential. But I saw you interact with someone on twitter yesterday who was using WPA as an argument. Am I correct that your argument against that was that WPA for closers is somewhat like RBI for hitters, in that it is arbitrarily inflated by [managerial decisions]/[spot in lineup and quality of hitters a batter hits behind] and thus not reflective of actual talent and value?

If so, do you think that WPA overrates closers - and maybe high leverage relief situations in general - since the relievers themselves are so fungible?

Why did the Padres agree to take back Rae? Seems strange considering he made a start with the Marlins and he would have taken a physical before the trade was completed?

Is Patrick Corbin's major regression due to something that the org has done or is it just a cautionary tale that TJS is not a definite.

Rowdy Tellez is up to .295/.387/.499 after a brutal start to the season. He is walking almost 13% of the time, while only striking out 18% (with 16 homers to boot). He is just 21 years young. While he undoubtedly has a "bad body", and is likely to be a DH, is there nothing to like in his profile, given his age and inexperience at the level? Admittedly, I've only scouted his stat line--is he someone that you have to watch in person to pick out his flaws? I believe you said he has a long swing or one that can't handle high velocity...is there any way he can make it work? His slash line at his age just seems excellent, and I would think some AA pitchers can hit the mid to high 90's...does Rowdy have a chance at a big league future?

Keith, loved the debate with Stark and was totally on your side. Who do you think is the frontrunner as of now?

I commend you for you D-Backs article. Usually it seems, national press tries to stay above the fray to not give the appearance of impartiality. Nothing that was said was factually inaccurate, and the results have not been there, in large part likely due to the process. I am sure that you have your share of accusations of bias, (#meow) but analysis from people more in the know than I am, is why I pay for ESPN insider.

Missed your amateur coverage this summer Keith, hope you're ok. Can you give us a couple of your top names? This class better than last?

The fact that an Olympian in High School cant accept an endorsement or even a concert ticket or else 2 years later she wont be eligible to compete in the NCAA has to be one of the dumbest things I learnt this olympics

Hey Klaw,
Earlier this month Preller said SD's farm system had bottom 5 talent when he arrived and now has top five talent. Do you agree with the first part of that comment?

Most people hit right-handed. Why is being a lefty pitcher so coveted?

Hi Keith...
Long time reader, first time questioner. Seems like it's been a positive year on farm for Padres in many areas but not at SS. Granted I'm mostly "boxscore scouting" but looks like a lost year for Guerra....Giron and Rondon just mediocre. Wondering what you think about Luis Urias. Is he a possible avg MLB regular in the future and, if so, can he play short?

Keith, outstanding post today on the Arizona front office. Do you ever get concerned about the backlash you might get from teams when you draft such things? Nevertheless, I'm really glad you're speaking out vs organizational ineptitude as it hurts the game and your recent post on domestic violence was very much needed.

There is so much unwarranted emphasis on pitch velocities during a major league broadcast that with some broadcasts it's almost the dominate topic. Scouts bring their own guns apparently. In your experience what it the difference between the stadiums guns and the readings a scout is getting?

You've been skeptical about Luis Severino's ability to start long-term, but you also tend to advocate letting a player start until it's clear they no longer can. Given the lack of upper-level Yankees pitching prospects, would you let Severino try starting again next year? Or should they just leave him in the bullpen as a potential multi-inning relief ace?

What are your go to quick meals when you have a busy week and limited cooking time?

What are your thoughts, if any, on Derrick Hall? Do you think he should go to? It seems, after two failed two failed general managers, he bears a lot of the responsibility for where the team is now, especially since he could have kept Jerry DiPoto and avoided all of this.

Yadier Alvarez going to be a top 100 guy for you? I know Longenhagen says he has him valued at 60 FV. Thoughts on his performance in his debut year?

Do you like UA and PG separating their games so that the best players can participate in both showcases, or would you rather have them closer together so that more kids get the exposure?

Manny Machado still in the MVP discussion?

What exactly is a "hitch" in reference to a player's swing?

What are your thoughts on Newcomb's improvement?

As a GM, how do you properly value an injury prone superstar like Stanton? He's clearly capable of hitting 50, but will he ever have a season with enough at bats to reach those levels?

Am I wrong in my thinking that a prospects hit tool is the most important tool by a wide margin? Are prospects that don't have a lot of exciting tools but can just flat out hit underrated by the industry?

Do you believe Alex Reyes will be able to develop into a frontline starter?

Could you see the Yankees starting the 2017 season with 4 starting rookies? (Greg Bird, Aaron Judge, Gary Sanchez, Tyler Austin)

Keith, we hear a lot about Greene, Faedo, Wright and others as potential 1-1 candidates. Where are the potential 1-1 bats?

Does Jordan Montgomery have enough fastball to be a starter?

I like that you do it, but can it ever be awkward running into people you criticize? What happened if you saw Dave Stewart or Terry Collins at the Winter Meetings and they said something to you, even something innocent?