Morning Mound Visit: sabermetrics news - 2/11/20

FanGraphs | Ben Clemens: The Padres and Rays swapped Manuel Margot and Emilio Pagán, which shows a couple of different things. For one, it shows just how much the Rays value Statcast’s OAA, where Margot ranks eighth in the league. It also shows that the Padres are trying to be a contender, as they add an elite reliever to the mix.

Baseball Prospectus | Russell A. Carleton ($): The issue with defensive value is that it is dealt out due to opportunities unlike offense with plate appearances, which are by definition not uniformly distributed. Some players play behind pitch-to-contact pitchers, which could subsequently boost or harm their defensive metrics unfairly or unevenly in relation to other players.

ESPN Insider | Bradford Doolittle ($): With the addition of Mookie Betts, the Dodgers absolutely have the best lineup in baseball. Due to acquiring the consensus second-best player in baseball, it’s one of the only times in history when a team has acquired a player that good, like when the Yankees acquired Ricky Henderson or way back when they traded for Babe Ruth. This leapfrogs the team over the Astros’ talent level, firmly putting them at the top of offensive threats in the entire league.