Morning Mound Visit: sabermetrics news - 2/19/20

FanGraphs | Rian Watt: The Brewers signed Brock Holt to a two-year, $8 million contract, a fair deal for a player with above-average offense, the ability to play anywhere, yet somehow declining baserunning value. Still, he should get his fair share of reps in the infield depending on Keston Hiura’s sophomore season performance, as well as the persistent risk of injuries.

Baseball Prospectus | Matthew Trueblood ($): Too often, baseball analysts believe that Last Year’s Record + Additions = This Year’s Projected Record, and that couldn’t be further from the truth. The Dodgers are “losing” three games in the last year vs. projected record despite adding Mookie Betts, and that’s because last year’s record is more happenstance + talent + chemistry, and a mixture of other factors.

The Ringer | Justin Sayles: Jose Altuve’s justification for not taking his shirt off in the 2019 ALCS has sparked controversy because it possibly means he was wearing a buzzer, yet the evidence is really fuzzy. He claims he got a tattoo in July, yet no one has seen it in full. He claims it was not complete and that it needed to be fixed, but again, there is no real way to sure.