1
00:00:00,200 --> 00:00:03,320
Speaker 1: Okay, Bellinger is opted out. Do you want the flexibility

2
00:00:03,320 --> 00:00:06,480
Speaker 1: for the young players? Okay, that's that's consideration. But we

3
00:00:06,559 --> 00:00:08,240
Speaker 1: have to they have to figure out what they're.

4
00:00:08,080 --> 00:00:08,799
Speaker 2: Doing a catcher.

5
00:00:11,840 --> 00:00:16,520
Speaker 1: Welcome into Northside Territory Foul Territory Network's Cubs Podcast. I'm

6
00:00:16,560 --> 00:00:20,000
Speaker 1: Sahad Sharma with my partner Patrick Mooney, where your Cubs

7
00:00:20,000 --> 00:00:24,120
Speaker 1: beat writers for the Athletic Patrick. It is the off season,

8
00:00:24,520 --> 00:00:28,160
Speaker 1: as we started last week with the breakdown of Jed

9
00:00:28,240 --> 00:00:34,320
Speaker 1: Hoyer's posts or after season presser. Uh, the playoffs are happening.

10
00:00:34,840 --> 00:00:37,080
Speaker 1: They're pretty exciting. I'm not sure how how locked in

11
00:00:37,120 --> 00:00:39,320
Speaker 1: you are on this, but I've had it on in

12
00:00:39,360 --> 00:00:42,239
Speaker 1: the background at minimum for for the past week and

13
00:00:42,280 --> 00:00:45,440
Speaker 1: it's it's been wild that the I mean started with

14
00:00:45,680 --> 00:00:49,120
Speaker 1: those those wild card games were crazy with with Pete

15
00:00:49,120 --> 00:00:53,360
Speaker 1: Alonzo's sending the Brewers home. But obviously the Cubs, that's

16
00:00:53,400 --> 00:00:55,920
Speaker 1: their goal, right to get even though the Brewers aren't

17
00:00:55,920 --> 00:00:58,080
Speaker 1: the team that go deep in the playoffs every year,

18
00:00:58,560 --> 00:01:00,800
Speaker 1: they get their shot, right they they get they get

19
00:01:00,800 --> 00:01:02,880
Speaker 1: a chance in there. For the past whatever six of

20
00:01:02,920 --> 00:01:05,720
Speaker 1: the last seven seasons, they've they've been doing it. So

21
00:01:06,080 --> 00:01:10,120
Speaker 1: that's that's the bare minimum for the Cubs expectations. And

22
00:01:11,080 --> 00:01:15,440
Speaker 1: I guess right now the what they need to figure

23
00:01:15,480 --> 00:01:16,479
Speaker 1: out and what we're going.

24
00:01:16,440 --> 00:01:17,920
Speaker 2: To talk about is how do they get there?

25
00:01:18,080 --> 00:01:21,520
Speaker 1: What what are the priorities that they have to uh,

26
00:01:22,000 --> 00:01:24,600
Speaker 1: you know that they're going to organize this this winter,

27
00:01:24,840 --> 00:01:26,560
Speaker 1: like what what are they looking at?

28
00:01:26,640 --> 00:01:29,040
Speaker 2: What? How do they upgrade this team?

29
00:01:29,160 --> 00:01:32,520
Speaker 1: I think the biggest decision, the first thing that that

30
00:01:32,680 --> 00:01:35,119
Speaker 1: kind of sets up the off season for them is

31
00:01:35,120 --> 00:01:36,040
Speaker 1: is Cody Bellinger.

32
00:01:36,120 --> 00:01:38,360
Speaker 2: It's the decision he makes.

33
00:01:39,400 --> 00:01:44,240
Speaker 1: If Bellinger opts in uh, it's not a disaster for

34
00:01:44,480 --> 00:01:46,880
Speaker 1: this front office that they'd be thrilled with that.

35
00:01:46,959 --> 00:01:48,960
Speaker 2: I'm sure maybe not thrilled.

36
00:01:48,880 --> 00:01:52,120
Speaker 3: Yeah, I would they even experienced the motion in the

37
00:01:52,160 --> 00:01:55,840
Speaker 3: front office like thrill just like too strong of a term.

38
00:01:55,920 --> 00:01:59,800
Speaker 3: I think there would be a value recalculation more than

39
00:02:00,320 --> 00:02:01,560
Speaker 3: you know, the thrill.

40
00:02:02,120 --> 00:02:03,360
Speaker 4: Of opt out decisions.

41
00:02:04,760 --> 00:02:12,040
Speaker 1: That's fair. There's there's definitely that that have to decide

42
00:02:12,080 --> 00:02:14,280
Speaker 1: what what is the value here? And and and what

43
00:02:14,320 --> 00:02:16,679
Speaker 1: did what do we just do? What how do we

44
00:02:17,040 --> 00:02:20,239
Speaker 1: go uh? How do we move going forward? I think

45
00:02:20,320 --> 00:02:23,200
Speaker 1: would be uh the way they look at it, you know,

46
00:02:23,360 --> 00:02:27,480
Speaker 1: I I think it's if if I were in their shoes.

47
00:02:27,480 --> 00:02:30,320
Speaker 2: I think the opt out would be the best thing, right.

48
00:02:30,680 --> 00:02:35,320
Speaker 1: I mean, how often Jed Hoyer talk about financial flexibility

49
00:02:35,440 --> 00:02:38,120
Speaker 1: right like that that's something he and Carter loved to

50
00:02:38,160 --> 00:02:38,720
Speaker 1: talk about.

51
00:02:39,440 --> 00:02:42,320
Speaker 2: Uh and and it gives them more. I think.

52
00:02:44,000 --> 00:02:47,280
Speaker 1: The sense I think we're both getting is that's the

53
00:02:47,320 --> 00:02:53,000
Speaker 1: way it's leaning, right and and like and I think,

54
00:02:53,240 --> 00:02:57,000
Speaker 1: you know, Jed kind of like he didn't say that,

55
00:02:57,840 --> 00:03:01,120
Speaker 1: but he kept saying like we expected him to. If

56
00:03:01,120 --> 00:03:03,760
Speaker 1: he had a good season, he'd have a lot of options.

57
00:03:03,880 --> 00:03:07,880
Speaker 1: I think he has a lot of options, you know, like, yeah.

58
00:03:07,480 --> 00:03:12,800
Speaker 3: No, I think Scott Boris that's his lean is towards

59
00:03:12,919 --> 00:03:18,480
Speaker 3: free agency in the open market, establishing his value. I

60
00:03:18,480 --> 00:03:21,920
Speaker 3: think on balance, it was a good season and the

61
00:03:22,000 --> 00:03:25,640
Speaker 3: Cubs kind of look at those Boris you know, pillow

62
00:03:25,680 --> 00:03:29,160
Speaker 3: opt out contracts, as you know, if the player returned,

63
00:03:29,200 --> 00:03:32,760
Speaker 3: it means something went wrong. And Bellinger finished the season

64
00:03:32,800 --> 00:03:38,240
Speaker 3: healthy and productive. His age versatility still line up, and

65
00:03:38,320 --> 00:03:41,040
Speaker 3: I think having that distance from his last two years

66
00:03:41,040 --> 00:03:44,640
Speaker 3: with the Dodgers is important as well. Scott has already

67
00:03:44,640 --> 00:03:51,160
Speaker 3: told us his Wrigly Farmer's Almanac theory in terms of

68
00:03:52,640 --> 00:03:55,240
Speaker 3: Wriggly being a tough place to hit this year, And honestly,

69
00:03:55,280 --> 00:03:59,320
Speaker 3: if Wriggly played normal, I think we already would have

70
00:03:59,400 --> 00:04:05,200
Speaker 3: known that he was going to opt out. As you wrote,

71
00:04:05,600 --> 00:04:09,840
Speaker 3: Scott has a even by his standards, a very prominent

72
00:04:09,920 --> 00:04:12,200
Speaker 3: list of clients who are free agents right now, and

73
00:04:12,200 --> 00:04:15,960
Speaker 3: I think that will give Scott even more insight into

74
00:04:16,040 --> 00:04:18,200
Speaker 3: the market and kind of where to push those buttons

75
00:04:18,240 --> 00:04:24,160
Speaker 3: with different teams. So, you know, if we had to bet,

76
00:04:24,200 --> 00:04:27,159
Speaker 3: I think we would say he's gone. And I don't

77
00:04:27,160 --> 00:04:29,360
Speaker 3: think the Cubs are gonna be all that super interested

78
00:04:29,400 --> 00:04:32,479
Speaker 3: in a re engagement in terms of like being that

79
00:04:32,800 --> 00:04:36,279
Speaker 3: fallback team because they do have PCA and center Michael

80
00:04:36,279 --> 00:04:41,200
Speaker 3: Bush at first and cross your fingers, say a Suzuki

81
00:04:41,279 --> 00:04:45,720
Speaker 3: playing more right field or getting someone someone else emerging

82
00:04:45,760 --> 00:04:48,640
Speaker 3: and having say more as a DH but that on

83
00:04:49,360 --> 00:04:53,200
Speaker 3: you know, on a Bears victory Monday October seventh, I

84
00:04:53,200 --> 00:04:55,920
Speaker 3: think we'd say Bellinger is probably gone.

85
00:04:56,240 --> 00:04:58,960
Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, I think we're on the same page there.

86
00:04:59,000 --> 00:05:01,640
Speaker 1: And I was thinking you said it. I was like,

87
00:05:01,760 --> 00:05:05,719
Speaker 1: Boris is already he's already floated what he's going to like,

88
00:05:05,760 --> 00:05:08,160
Speaker 1: how he's going to present Bellinger. Yeah, of course, And

89
00:05:08,600 --> 00:05:11,359
Speaker 1: I'm and I'm very curious to hear the play on

90
00:05:11,440 --> 00:05:14,760
Speaker 1: words he has for us a month from now in

91
00:05:15,279 --> 00:05:16,680
Speaker 1: where it will be San Antonio.

92
00:05:17,360 --> 00:05:17,760
Speaker 2: Uh.

93
00:05:17,839 --> 00:05:21,760
Speaker 1: And then Uh, surely there will be some some fun.

94
00:05:22,360 --> 00:05:24,120
Speaker 1: I'm not sure if it'll be if he'll go back

95
00:05:24,120 --> 00:05:27,280
Speaker 1: to the Farmer's Almanac. Maybe he will. Uh, there's gonna

96
00:05:27,279 --> 00:05:31,200
Speaker 1: be some weather related puns and Bellinger Uh and and

97
00:05:31,200 --> 00:05:33,920
Speaker 1: and you're right, Like the numbers were kind of jarring

98
00:05:33,960 --> 00:05:36,440
Speaker 1: when when Jed pointed him out and then and then

99
00:05:36,440 --> 00:05:38,359
Speaker 1: I looked him up and confirmed them, I was like, Wow,

100
00:05:38,720 --> 00:05:42,559
Speaker 1: that's so that's a pretty jarring difference between last season

101
00:05:42,600 --> 00:05:47,320
Speaker 1: and this season at Wrigley Field. For Cody Bellinger, Uh,

102
00:05:47,520 --> 00:05:51,880
Speaker 1: I do think there's something when when we talk about

103
00:05:52,920 --> 00:05:59,320
Speaker 1: him opting out, it's about it's not just about filling

104
00:05:59,360 --> 00:06:02,080
Speaker 1: that spot, right, It's not just about filling that spot

105
00:06:02,120 --> 00:06:05,960
Speaker 1: with another bat. In my opinion, there's something to be said.

106
00:06:06,000 --> 00:06:08,000
Speaker 1: And I don't know if this is the right route

107
00:06:08,240 --> 00:06:11,159
Speaker 1: for the Cubs, but there's something to be said for

108
00:06:11,920 --> 00:06:16,000
Speaker 1: having space for guys like Casey and al Contra to play.

109
00:06:17,120 --> 00:06:20,680
Speaker 1: My problem with that is the situation that they're in

110
00:06:20,760 --> 00:06:24,000
Speaker 1: right now and the pressure there is to win. But

111
00:06:24,400 --> 00:06:27,800
Speaker 1: I think there is value to finding a spot for

112
00:06:27,839 --> 00:06:31,080
Speaker 1: the guys like that to play. It doesn't work as

113
00:06:31,120 --> 00:06:34,000
Speaker 1: well in a big market. I think if you're in

114
00:06:34,040 --> 00:06:38,520
Speaker 1: Cleveland or Tampa Bay, that's exactly what you do. I

115
00:06:38,520 --> 00:06:42,800
Speaker 1: think it's harder to do here, especially considering the situation

116
00:06:43,080 --> 00:06:45,960
Speaker 1: that they're in. There's a lot of pressure to win.

117
00:06:47,120 --> 00:06:50,120
Speaker 1: But it may like those are the types of things

118
00:06:50,160 --> 00:06:53,440
Speaker 1: that Cleveland's allowed to do without the media pressure and

119
00:06:53,480 --> 00:06:56,000
Speaker 1: the market pressure. And then they have seasons like they

120
00:06:56,120 --> 00:06:58,440
Speaker 1: just had with a bunch of guys that majority of

121
00:06:58,560 --> 00:07:01,480
Speaker 1: us haven't heard of until midway through the season, where like,

122
00:07:01,600 --> 00:07:03,840
Speaker 1: this guy's having a good season. Who are these six

123
00:07:03,920 --> 00:07:08,080
Speaker 1: relievers that nobody's ever heard of? But that's that was

124
00:07:08,200 --> 00:07:09,800
Speaker 1: just a thought that popped into my head.

125
00:07:10,040 --> 00:07:12,440
Speaker 3: No, I'm glad you brought that up, because a player

126
00:07:12,480 --> 00:07:13,760
Speaker 3: actually mentioned.

127
00:07:13,400 --> 00:07:14,880
Speaker 4: That to me towards the end of the season.

128
00:07:14,960 --> 00:07:17,960
Speaker 3: I'm kind of thinking about Bellinger stuff, and it was like, hey,

129
00:07:18,080 --> 00:07:21,480
Speaker 3: you know, you got to give Allen Casey some run

130
00:07:21,680 --> 00:07:24,280
Speaker 3: like that, Like like this was kind of an unsolicited,

131
00:07:24,520 --> 00:07:29,160
Speaker 3: unprompted Uh. You know, there's probably an element of fantasy

132
00:07:29,160 --> 00:07:33,080
Speaker 3: baseball playing GM with that too, but like Casey has

133
00:07:33,400 --> 00:07:37,280
Speaker 3: opened up a lot of eyes and is that left

134
00:07:37,320 --> 00:07:41,840
Speaker 3: handed thumper that you'd be looking for? And that's not

135
00:07:41,880 --> 00:07:43,960
Speaker 3: the first time I think we've heard people and this

136
00:07:44,040 --> 00:07:50,160
Speaker 3: is not just like you know, hub pr PD people

137
00:07:50,240 --> 00:07:52,840
Speaker 3: like pumping up their prospects, like there is I think

138
00:07:52,920 --> 00:07:55,520
Speaker 3: a sense throughout the game of like, oh, Owen Casey

139
00:07:55,600 --> 00:07:59,360
Speaker 3: has something there that you know if you're looking at

140
00:07:59,400 --> 00:08:02,160
Speaker 3: that group of or is like he should hit and

141
00:08:02,240 --> 00:08:06,120
Speaker 3: produce at the major league level. But you're right, like,

142
00:08:06,520 --> 00:08:08,920
Speaker 3: what are you going to do when it's this kind

143
00:08:08,960 --> 00:08:12,480
Speaker 3: of playoffs or bust year of like how disciplined are you?

144
00:08:12,520 --> 00:08:16,440
Speaker 3: How willing are you to kind of put your stake

145
00:08:16,520 --> 00:08:17,680
Speaker 3: in the future.

146
00:08:17,400 --> 00:08:18,440
Speaker 4: When you have to win now?

147
00:08:19,520 --> 00:08:22,800
Speaker 1: Yeah, and I and you know they can't. They can't

148
00:08:22,840 --> 00:08:26,640
Speaker 1: make decisions based on fan reaction. But can you imagine

149
00:08:26,680 --> 00:08:30,120
Speaker 1: if they lose Bellinger and the moves that they do

150
00:08:30,160 --> 00:08:33,400
Speaker 1: on offense are minimal and it's and it's with an

151
00:08:33,440 --> 00:08:36,880
Speaker 1: eye to make room for guys like Matt Shaw and

152
00:08:36,920 --> 00:08:39,640
Speaker 1: Owen Casey and Kevin ol Contre like it would it

153
00:08:39,640 --> 00:08:44,640
Speaker 1: would be insane, I don't. I mean, I think one

154
00:08:44,679 --> 00:08:48,640
Speaker 1: area that it's very obvious that we've been talking about

155
00:08:48,720 --> 00:08:52,840
Speaker 1: basically since the deadline is catcher, right, It's probably also

156
00:08:52,960 --> 00:08:56,920
Speaker 1: the hardest spot to upgrade, Yes, in a significant manner.

157
00:08:58,160 --> 00:09:00,560
Speaker 1: I think if you can do that right, if you

158
00:09:00,559 --> 00:09:05,280
Speaker 1: can significantly upgrade there and get someone like Logan o'happy

159
00:09:05,760 --> 00:09:09,199
Speaker 1: cal rally from from Seattle. I'm just throwing out names

160
00:09:09,200 --> 00:09:12,920
Speaker 1: of guys of teams that have young catchers that could

161
00:09:13,120 --> 00:09:15,480
Speaker 1: maybe hit the market, like trade market.

162
00:09:16,000 --> 00:09:16,800
Speaker 2: I don't think.

163
00:09:16,880 --> 00:09:20,280
Speaker 1: I think o'hapi is a very big long shot to

164
00:09:20,360 --> 00:09:21,000
Speaker 1: hit the market.

165
00:09:21,000 --> 00:09:22,600
Speaker 2: Cal rally, you.

166
00:09:22,559 --> 00:09:24,840
Speaker 1: Know, I don't know. I don't know what Seattle wants

167
00:09:24,840 --> 00:09:27,440
Speaker 1: to do. I don't know how they view I believe

168
00:09:27,440 --> 00:09:32,000
Speaker 1: it's Ford No, no, no, not Ford? Well there yeah,

169
00:09:32,080 --> 00:09:36,840
Speaker 1: no Ford is there? Is there prospect catcher prospect? You know?

170
00:09:37,400 --> 00:09:37,719
Speaker 1: Does it?

171
00:09:37,880 --> 00:09:41,880
Speaker 2: Does Atlanta want to move move a catcher?

172
00:09:42,000 --> 00:09:42,080
Speaker 4: Like?

173
00:09:42,120 --> 00:09:44,280
Speaker 1: These are some of the ways you can look at

174
00:09:45,200 --> 00:09:49,080
Speaker 1: upgrading the spot. Finding a veteran. If you move a

175
00:09:49,160 --> 00:09:51,520
Speaker 1: Maya in there, then you need to sign another veteran.

176
00:09:52,000 --> 00:09:54,440
Speaker 1: All sorts of ideas and or like if you move

177
00:09:54,440 --> 00:09:56,120
Speaker 1: a Maya and you have a veteran, do you have

178
00:09:56,200 --> 00:09:59,320
Speaker 1: bia steros there? You know that they have they have

179
00:09:59,600 --> 00:10:02,280
Speaker 1: different way they can look at this. It's the benefit

180
00:10:02,320 --> 00:10:06,160
Speaker 1: of having a deep farm system. But I think that's

181
00:10:06,200 --> 00:10:08,680
Speaker 1: the spot that we have to do. If we're looking

182
00:10:08,720 --> 00:10:13,520
Speaker 1: at offense, that's where you start saying, Okay, Bellinger is

183
00:10:13,559 --> 00:10:17,720
Speaker 1: opted out. Do you want the flexibility for the young players. Okay,

184
00:10:17,720 --> 00:10:21,000
Speaker 1: that's a consideration, but they have to figure out what

185
00:10:21,000 --> 00:10:24,720
Speaker 1: they're doing at Catcher, Like that's a big area where

186
00:10:24,720 --> 00:10:26,840
Speaker 1: you can't have the type of production that you had

187
00:10:26,840 --> 00:10:28,280
Speaker 1: in April, May and June.

188
00:10:28,600 --> 00:10:30,199
Speaker 5: I love a great deal, but I'm not going to

189
00:10:30,280 --> 00:10:32,640
Speaker 5: run sprints in the outfield just to save a few bucks.

190
00:10:33,000 --> 00:10:36,280
Speaker 5: It has to be easy, no hoops, no bs. With

191
00:10:36,400 --> 00:10:38,840
Speaker 5: mint Mobile, it really is that easy to get wireless

192
00:10:38,880 --> 00:10:41,120
Speaker 5: for fifteen dollars a month with the purchase of a

193
00:10:41,160 --> 00:10:44,640
Speaker 5: three month plan. Purchase and activation is super easy too.

194
00:10:44,760 --> 00:10:48,160
Speaker 6: To get started, go to mintmobile dot com slash territory.

195
00:10:48,480 --> 00:10:51,640
Speaker 6: All plans come with high speed data and unlimited talk

196
00:10:51,679 --> 00:10:54,840
Speaker 6: and text delivered on the nation's largest five G network.

197
00:10:55,000 --> 00:10:57,720
Speaker 6: You can use your own phone with any mint Mobile

198
00:10:57,720 --> 00:10:59,679
Speaker 6: plan and bring your phone number.

199
00:11:00,000 --> 00:11:01,960
Speaker 5: You get this new customer offer and your new three

200
00:11:01,960 --> 00:11:04,880
Speaker 5: month premium wireless plan for just fifteen bucks a month.

201
00:11:05,240 --> 00:11:09,800
Speaker 5: Go to mintmobile dot com slash territory that's mintmobile dot

202
00:11:09,840 --> 00:11:13,079
Speaker 5: com slash Territory. Cut your wireless build of fifteen bucks

203
00:11:13,080 --> 00:11:17,240
Speaker 5: a month. At mintmobile dot com slash Territory.

204
00:11:16,800 --> 00:11:19,839
Speaker 7: Forty five dollars upfront payment required equivalent to fifteen dollars

205
00:11:19,920 --> 00:11:22,240
Speaker 7: a month. New customers on their first three month plan

206
00:11:22,320 --> 00:11:26,320
Speaker 7: only speed slower above forty gigabytes on unlimited plan. Additional taxes, fees,

207
00:11:26,360 --> 00:11:29,400
Speaker 7: and restrictions apply. See mint mobile for details.

208
00:11:30,160 --> 00:11:33,120
Speaker 3: Yeah, I was interested to see it was just the

209
00:11:33,120 --> 00:11:36,920
Speaker 3: headline on LB trade rumors, but I guess already Moreno

210
00:11:37,000 --> 00:11:41,120
Speaker 3: gave an interview, I believe, to the Orange County newspaper,

211
00:11:41,280 --> 00:11:45,839
Speaker 3: the Registry, I believe, essentially saying that the Angels plan

212
00:11:45,960 --> 00:11:49,720
Speaker 3: to compete next year, that he was going to increase budget.

213
00:11:49,760 --> 00:11:53,640
Speaker 3: Now who knows, right, and like the Angels are very

214
00:11:55,120 --> 00:12:00,439
Speaker 3: quirky organization, I would say, But my gut eat off

215
00:12:00,480 --> 00:12:02,800
Speaker 3: of that headline was yeah, they're not probably not looking

216
00:12:02,880 --> 00:12:07,280
Speaker 3: to move Poppy. Obviously, Seattle has been in this very

217
00:12:07,280 --> 00:12:12,560
Speaker 3: weird place for a couple of years now. Looking at

218
00:12:12,559 --> 00:12:16,760
Speaker 3: that list of free agents, it's not like super compelling

219
00:12:16,960 --> 00:12:23,240
Speaker 3: and just knowing how this front office thinks. Even going

220
00:12:23,240 --> 00:12:26,120
Speaker 3: back to kind of Wilson Contreras. This free agency right

221
00:12:26,120 --> 00:12:27,880
Speaker 3: like capture is not an area where they want to

222
00:12:27,920 --> 00:12:33,719
Speaker 3: sink like long term dollars into any ways. But did

223
00:12:33,800 --> 00:12:37,120
Speaker 3: you create more of a lane for the cases of

224
00:12:37,160 --> 00:12:42,840
Speaker 3: your system than you still have to wield those dollars

225
00:12:42,880 --> 00:12:46,000
Speaker 3: that are coming back to you? And I would imagine

226
00:12:46,600 --> 00:12:50,080
Speaker 3: maybe you just go bigger in the rotation and maybe

227
00:12:50,120 --> 00:12:55,120
Speaker 3: you take more risks in the bullpen to get a

228
00:12:55,160 --> 00:12:58,600
Speaker 3: little more certainty on the front end.

229
00:12:58,640 --> 00:13:00,320
Speaker 4: And you had a good piece up on the flag

230
00:13:00,400 --> 00:13:03,720
Speaker 4: this past weekend. Of all, they comes.

231
00:13:03,400 --> 00:13:07,600
Speaker 3: Fast complaining about the bullpen like they're gonna do the

232
00:13:07,679 --> 00:13:11,520
Speaker 3: exact same thing. Yeah this offseason, now there is some

233
00:13:11,559 --> 00:13:13,880
Speaker 3: wiggle room within that. But what's kind of your read

234
00:13:14,000 --> 00:13:17,400
Speaker 3: on where they're going in the bullpen for twenty twenty five?

235
00:13:17,880 --> 00:13:20,640
Speaker 1: Well, I mean, I you know, Jed did admit that

236
00:13:20,679 --> 00:13:23,440
Speaker 1: he kind of dropped the ball there, right, and you

237
00:13:23,440 --> 00:13:26,200
Speaker 1: know I I you can read that in so many

238
00:13:26,200 --> 00:13:29,880
Speaker 1: different ways. It all depends like where what's your starting point? Right?

239
00:13:29,920 --> 00:13:32,240
Speaker 1: If your starting point is like they missed out on

240
00:13:32,320 --> 00:13:35,680
Speaker 1: guys like Josh Hater or they need an established star

241
00:13:35,840 --> 00:13:38,440
Speaker 1: in the bullpen, then then you're going to hear that

242
00:13:38,679 --> 00:13:42,320
Speaker 1: as it's time to be aggressive and get get you know,

243
00:13:42,400 --> 00:13:46,520
Speaker 1: big name bullpen arms. I think having talk to these

244
00:13:46,559 --> 00:13:51,360
Speaker 1: guys for over a decade now and understanding how Jed thinks,

245
00:13:51,880 --> 00:13:55,679
Speaker 1: he that's just not I would be shocked if they

246
00:13:55,760 --> 00:13:59,720
Speaker 1: suddenly go in that direction, like there's no value there.

247
00:14:00,240 --> 00:14:02,959
Speaker 2: Uh, like my and.

248
00:14:02,760 --> 00:14:05,280
Speaker 1: And I agree, Like there are things that I disagree

249
00:14:05,320 --> 00:14:07,480
Speaker 1: with with the way they go about things. And part

250
00:14:07,480 --> 00:14:09,920
Speaker 1: of it is I I think they you know, they

251
00:14:10,200 --> 00:14:13,440
Speaker 1: should be spending money in different areas on big names.

252
00:14:13,800 --> 00:14:15,760
Speaker 2: This is not the area where you do that.

253
00:14:15,920 --> 00:14:20,320
Speaker 1: Like, I mean, I was just talking about the playoffs,

254
00:14:20,320 --> 00:14:22,920
Speaker 1: Like watch the playoffs. How many of these guys were

255
00:14:23,000 --> 00:14:24,920
Speaker 1: names that are coming out of Bullpens.

256
00:14:24,960 --> 00:14:25,640
Speaker 2: How many of them?

257
00:14:25,840 --> 00:14:30,200
Speaker 1: And like it's I mean, Jeff Hoffman is on a

258
00:14:30,240 --> 00:14:33,960
Speaker 1: one year deal for like not very much money. Uh,

259
00:14:34,000 --> 00:14:36,800
Speaker 1: he's going to get paid this winter, I think, but

260
00:14:37,640 --> 00:14:40,720
Speaker 1: you you want to get that deal, not the get

261
00:14:40,760 --> 00:14:44,000
Speaker 1: paid deal. Right. That's that's what Jed Hoyer. That's what

262
00:14:44,080 --> 00:14:46,440
Speaker 1: THEO said. And Jed Hoyer feels the same way.

263
00:14:46,960 --> 00:14:47,360
Speaker 6: Uh.

264
00:14:47,520 --> 00:14:50,680
Speaker 1: You know they spent on the back end of Brandon

265
00:14:50,720 --> 00:14:54,040
Speaker 1: Morrow and spend instead of finding the Brandon Morrow the

266
00:14:54,080 --> 00:14:57,920
Speaker 1: next Brandon Morrow. I think that's and and they've done

267
00:14:58,480 --> 00:15:01,880
Speaker 1: a solid job of that. I think the key is

268
00:15:02,120 --> 00:15:06,160
Speaker 1: they finally have some young guys starting to pop up.

269
00:15:06,280 --> 00:15:09,160
Speaker 1: They need them to stay healthy. They really needed the

270
00:15:09,600 --> 00:15:12,960
Speaker 1: starters to stay healthy to kind of see who filtered

271
00:15:13,000 --> 00:15:16,800
Speaker 1: out and who Like Ben Brown. I think we talk about, like,

272
00:15:17,880 --> 00:15:23,280
Speaker 1: you know, these great young players that teams develop into

273
00:15:23,400 --> 00:15:28,040
Speaker 1: dominant closers, whether it's Emmanuel Classe or Devin Williams. I'm

274
00:15:28,080 --> 00:15:33,120
Speaker 1: probably forgetting a dozen, but Ben Brown's that type of

275
00:15:33,160 --> 00:15:36,560
Speaker 1: guy in my opinion. Yeah, this guy that you say like, okay,

276
00:15:36,640 --> 00:15:41,040
Speaker 1: here's your dominant future closer. Right, he could start too,

277
00:15:41,400 --> 00:15:43,440
Speaker 1: so I'm not ruling that out. I think it would

278
00:15:43,440 --> 00:15:44,920
Speaker 1: have been nice if he stayed healthy and you can

279
00:15:45,000 --> 00:15:47,160
Speaker 1: kind of figure out what direction he's going in twenty

280
00:15:47,200 --> 00:15:49,800
Speaker 1: twenty five. But that's still kind of up in the air,

281
00:15:50,160 --> 00:15:54,120
Speaker 1: and maybe because of you know, I don't know. I

282
00:15:54,120 --> 00:15:56,440
Speaker 1: don't know if injuries pushes him more into a starter

283
00:15:56,920 --> 00:16:00,120
Speaker 1: or a leever role. But we'll see what he is

284
00:16:00,360 --> 00:16:03,200
Speaker 1: going forward. But I really do believe he has if

285
00:16:03,240 --> 00:16:05,440
Speaker 1: he were to be a reliever, he'd be a force

286
00:16:05,840 --> 00:16:08,160
Speaker 1: out of the bullpen. Tommy how Toby I'm not sure

287
00:16:08,160 --> 00:16:10,680
Speaker 1: if I ended up including this quote, but Tommy Hobby

288
00:16:10,760 --> 00:16:14,040
Speaker 1: kind of said, sometimes we get a little too stuck

289
00:16:14,200 --> 00:16:19,280
Speaker 1: in roles and that can be a problem, and you

290
00:16:19,360 --> 00:16:21,840
Speaker 1: have to kind of stay out of that mentality, especially

291
00:16:21,920 --> 00:16:24,760
Speaker 1: early in the season, because I mean, maybe they stuck

292
00:16:24,800 --> 00:16:28,680
Speaker 1: with al Zalai too long because of what he did

293
00:16:28,720 --> 00:16:31,160
Speaker 1: the year before, and he should have just been reduced

294
00:16:31,200 --> 00:16:34,360
Speaker 1: to a smaller role earlier as he tried to figure

295
00:16:34,400 --> 00:16:36,760
Speaker 1: things out, or they gave him a rest or whatever

296
00:16:36,800 --> 00:16:39,880
Speaker 1: it was with his arm barking right like, things like that.

297
00:16:39,960 --> 00:16:44,640
Speaker 1: And I think, you know, injuries did impact this a

298
00:16:44,640 --> 00:16:46,440
Speaker 1: lot because you don't know what Luke Little is and

299
00:16:46,480 --> 00:16:49,320
Speaker 1: he did seem to be finding something near the middle

300
00:16:49,360 --> 00:16:52,760
Speaker 1: of the season there, right before his injury. But I

301
00:16:52,880 --> 00:16:55,120
Speaker 1: just I don't think they're going to spend big. I

302
00:16:55,160 --> 00:16:56,960
Speaker 1: do think they're going to add a little bit more

303
00:16:57,000 --> 00:17:01,560
Speaker 1: depth instead of getting spending nine million on Hector Narris type. Uh,

304
00:17:01,760 --> 00:17:04,840
Speaker 1: maybe you spend maybe there's a bunch of minor league

305
00:17:04,880 --> 00:17:08,560
Speaker 1: signings and like four million dollars to like three four

306
00:17:08,600 --> 00:17:12,679
Speaker 1: million dollar deals or something like that. Right. I was

307
00:17:12,720 --> 00:17:14,960
Speaker 1: talking to a scout the other day who was talking

308
00:17:14,960 --> 00:17:18,600
Speaker 1: about how like, it's really hard for relievers to get paid,

309
00:17:20,200 --> 00:17:22,800
Speaker 1: and we were I was like, what you almost want

310
00:17:22,880 --> 00:17:26,800
Speaker 1: to be is like a failed starter and near the

311
00:17:27,000 --> 00:17:30,480
Speaker 1: end of your contract, kind of like Jeff Hoffman, you

312
00:17:30,640 --> 00:17:33,639
Speaker 1: have this breakout season as a reliever, then you're gonna

313
00:17:33,640 --> 00:17:37,120
Speaker 1: get paid, right or is it Robert Stevenson with the

314
00:17:37,200 --> 00:17:39,840
Speaker 1: with the who got paid by the Angels, Like that

315
00:17:39,880 --> 00:17:42,479
Speaker 1: type of stuff is how you get paid as a

316
00:17:42,520 --> 00:17:46,280
Speaker 1: non closing reliever. So so that they have to be creative,

317
00:17:46,320 --> 00:17:48,639
Speaker 1: they have to continue to develop. Porter Hodge is a

318
00:17:48,720 --> 00:17:51,480
Speaker 1: huge development for them. I think Orge Lopez is a

319
00:17:51,560 --> 00:17:54,639
Speaker 1: name we should continue to watch if he's healthy and

320
00:17:54,640 --> 00:17:57,720
Speaker 1: and it sounds like they had a good experience with him,

321
00:17:58,040 --> 00:18:00,679
Speaker 1: and he had a really good experience with the Cubs.

322
00:18:01,880 --> 00:18:05,280
Speaker 1: I'd continue to keep an eye on him. And there's

323
00:18:05,320 --> 00:18:08,840
Speaker 1: no way they're going to get whoever the Josh hater

324
00:18:09,000 --> 00:18:11,920
Speaker 1: of is this of this free agent market, but there

325
00:18:12,320 --> 00:18:16,719
Speaker 1: they do need to address it and just be aggressive

326
00:18:16,920 --> 00:18:20,320
Speaker 1: and thoughtful with how they do it. One other thing

327
00:18:20,760 --> 00:18:25,639
Speaker 1: I believe by fangrafts war, only four of the top

328
00:18:25,760 --> 00:18:30,200
Speaker 1: twenty five relievers in baseball are on multi year deals

329
00:18:30,280 --> 00:18:33,680
Speaker 1: that pay them over five million dollars a year. Wow,

330
00:18:33,920 --> 00:18:37,280
Speaker 1: Like it's just it's just not the way teams do it. Like,

331
00:18:37,320 --> 00:18:39,960
Speaker 1: no smart team is doing that. No smart team is

332
00:18:40,000 --> 00:18:42,400
Speaker 1: going out there. Like the Padres were a little aggressive

333
00:18:42,480 --> 00:18:45,280
Speaker 1: with their bullpen, right, but they also like and they

334
00:18:45,320 --> 00:18:48,280
Speaker 1: went out and got to guys to studs at the

335
00:18:48,320 --> 00:18:51,119
Speaker 1: deadline too, So I get it. I think going out

336
00:18:51,160 --> 00:18:53,199
Speaker 1: at the deadline when you're competing makes a lot of

337
00:18:53,200 --> 00:18:55,720
Speaker 1: sense to be aggressive and probably pay a little bit

338
00:18:55,760 --> 00:18:57,920
Speaker 1: more than you want to prospect wise, but that's when

339
00:18:57,920 --> 00:19:00,000
Speaker 1: you're competing, and that's at the middle of the seas,

340
00:19:00,119 --> 00:19:02,520
Speaker 1: and it's just how things are done. I think giving

341
00:19:02,520 --> 00:19:05,600
Speaker 1: out five year deals to relievers is just not a

342
00:19:05,680 --> 00:19:08,679
Speaker 1: thing this this front office will do.

343
00:19:08,800 --> 00:19:11,800
Speaker 3: Yeah, I'm just looking at Hoffman's Baseball reference page and

344
00:19:11,840 --> 00:19:13,400
Speaker 3: I was like, where do I remember that name from?

345
00:19:13,440 --> 00:19:17,560
Speaker 3: And he was a guy like speaks to his pedigree

346
00:19:17,600 --> 00:19:19,959
Speaker 3: as a prospect. You know, he went ninth overall in

347
00:19:20,000 --> 00:19:23,120
Speaker 3: twenty fourteen. He was a name the Cubs at least

348
00:19:23,160 --> 00:19:26,480
Speaker 3: kicked around. Obviously not like super serious, but like that's

349
00:19:26,720 --> 00:19:28,800
Speaker 3: that's how much heat was around him when he was

350
00:19:28,840 --> 00:19:31,600
Speaker 3: coming out of East Carolina.

351
00:19:32,040 --> 00:19:33,080
Speaker 4: Yeah, East Carolina.

352
00:19:33,200 --> 00:19:36,560
Speaker 3: So like that was kind of the the ceiling that

353
00:19:36,680 --> 00:19:39,040
Speaker 3: teams saw in him, and he went ninth overall and

354
00:19:39,160 --> 00:19:41,760
Speaker 3: bounced around and you know needed to.

355
00:19:41,960 --> 00:19:43,720
Speaker 4: Matt gilbur colleague has written a.

356
00:19:43,680 --> 00:19:46,920
Speaker 3: Lot about Hoffman and kind of how this happened, and

357
00:19:47,000 --> 00:19:49,879
Speaker 3: you know what his value has been. And I think

358
00:19:49,920 --> 00:19:52,920
Speaker 3: it'd be interesting to see who you know, we are

359
00:19:53,000 --> 00:19:58,200
Speaker 3: in the winter of Craig Council of like he was

360
00:19:58,200 --> 00:20:01,320
Speaker 3: supposed to be this bullpen whisper, and they Cubs did

361
00:20:01,359 --> 00:20:04,520
Speaker 3: figure it out, but as you wrote, it felt kind

362
00:20:04,520 --> 00:20:07,119
Speaker 3: of a lot like the year before of like, you know,

363
00:20:07,840 --> 00:20:12,639
Speaker 3: took some time it they did not come through at

364
00:20:12,640 --> 00:20:18,440
Speaker 3: the biggest moments. Council's preservation methods I think was appreciated

365
00:20:18,480 --> 00:20:21,800
Speaker 3: by Pictures in terms of managing for the long haul.

366
00:20:21,840 --> 00:20:24,760
Speaker 3: But you have basically his guy was the bullpen coach,

367
00:20:24,800 --> 00:20:30,080
Speaker 3: Darren Holmes and he's out. We got to imagine that

368
00:20:30,160 --> 00:20:34,080
Speaker 3: he has some strong ideas about either strength and conditioning

369
00:20:34,200 --> 00:20:37,479
Speaker 3: or that high performance group, as well as kind of

370
00:20:37,520 --> 00:20:41,479
Speaker 3: the the formulas the Cubs are using to identify some

371
00:20:41,520 --> 00:20:44,600
Speaker 3: of these guys of like, what what did the Brewers do?

372
00:20:44,680 --> 00:20:46,639
Speaker 4: What have the Cubs not done?

373
00:20:46,840 --> 00:20:48,920
Speaker 3: Because there are a lot of guys who pass through

374
00:20:48,920 --> 00:20:52,120
Speaker 3: the Cubs organization, who played major roles for the Brewers

375
00:20:52,119 --> 00:20:55,640
Speaker 3: this year. So i'd imagine that's going to be part

376
00:20:55,640 --> 00:20:58,959
Speaker 3: of this of like who does Craig counsel trust. I mean,

377
00:20:59,000 --> 00:21:02,639
Speaker 3: our understanding is quarter Hodge is someone that counsel like

378
00:21:02,680 --> 00:21:03,800
Speaker 3: saw in spring trainings.

379
00:21:03,560 --> 00:21:06,040
Speaker 4: Like whoa who is this guy? Like where where's this been?

380
00:21:06,200 --> 00:21:09,199
Speaker 3: So I think that may help in terms of just

381
00:21:09,280 --> 00:21:14,800
Speaker 3: the evaluation skills. Councils talked a lot about process on

382
00:21:14,840 --> 00:21:20,000
Speaker 3: that end. He could also be We're not sure yet

383
00:21:20,119 --> 00:21:22,000
Speaker 3: right of like what sort of voice he's going to

384
00:21:22,080 --> 00:21:24,639
Speaker 3: be this offseason other than it's going to be heard,

385
00:21:24,720 --> 00:21:29,880
Speaker 3: Like is he going to be pushing for more certainty

386
00:21:29,960 --> 00:21:34,560
Speaker 3: and maybe different types of guys or is his like

387
00:21:35,160 --> 00:21:39,879
Speaker 3: love of process such that he generally sort of agrees

388
00:21:39,920 --> 00:21:42,320
Speaker 3: with them, right? I mean, like he's not necessarily thinking

389
00:21:42,359 --> 00:21:45,840
Speaker 3: they have to go huge in the bullpen, but they

390
00:21:46,200 --> 00:21:49,439
Speaker 3: could probably do more than they have in reason.

391
00:21:50,280 --> 00:21:54,639
Speaker 1: Yeah, And I you know, I kind of come in

392
00:21:55,160 --> 00:21:58,359
Speaker 1: like it in between on this, like I don't think

393
00:21:58,400 --> 00:22:01,239
Speaker 1: you should. I don't think signing Josh Hater makes a

394
00:22:01,240 --> 00:22:03,200
Speaker 1: ton of sense, Right, You've got to develop Josh Hater.

395
00:22:03,320 --> 00:22:05,160
Speaker 1: You got to find a way to have those guys

396
00:22:05,160 --> 00:22:09,080
Speaker 1: in your system. And again, Josh Hater started as a starter, right,

397
00:22:09,160 --> 00:22:11,240
Speaker 1: Like a lot of these guys are starters that that

398
00:22:11,440 --> 00:22:13,800
Speaker 1: can't go five or six innings.

399
00:22:14,119 --> 00:22:15,600
Speaker 2: So that's part of it.

400
00:22:15,680 --> 00:22:19,320
Speaker 1: And so signing a guy off the you know that

401
00:22:19,400 --> 00:22:21,919
Speaker 1: gets dfaid or non tendered or whatever, that is a

402
00:22:21,960 --> 00:22:24,000
Speaker 1: starter that you're like, I like his stuff, let's try

403
00:22:24,080 --> 00:22:26,000
Speaker 1: him as a reliever. That makes a ton of sense.

404
00:22:26,040 --> 00:22:28,120
Speaker 1: But I also don't think it's it's ridiculous to sign

405
00:22:28,160 --> 00:22:30,800
Speaker 1: a guy to a two year deal. They have that

406
00:22:30,880 --> 00:22:34,080
Speaker 1: type of Yeah, they should be able to do that, right,

407
00:22:34,160 --> 00:22:36,840
Speaker 1: a two year, sixteen million dollar deal, Like what is

408
00:22:36,920 --> 00:22:40,160
Speaker 1: Matt Straman. I'm not sure what type of deal he has,

409
00:22:40,560 --> 00:22:43,240
Speaker 1: but that type of deal is is like he's been

410
00:22:43,280 --> 00:22:46,320
Speaker 1: really valuable for the Phillies and they need a lefty.

411
00:22:46,600 --> 00:22:48,400
Speaker 4: Like, it's so good he's signed an extension.

412
00:22:48,440 --> 00:22:50,160
Speaker 3: I think it was maybe a two year deal something

413
00:22:50,160 --> 00:22:53,200
Speaker 3: like that, and they extended it during that term.

414
00:22:53,200 --> 00:22:54,240
Speaker 4: That's how well it worked out.

415
00:22:54,640 --> 00:22:57,000
Speaker 1: Yeah, So I mean like these are the types of

416
00:22:57,800 --> 00:23:00,320
Speaker 1: I don't think it's crazy to go two years and

417
00:23:00,400 --> 00:23:03,199
Speaker 1: like sixteen right, if you find the right guy that

418
00:23:03,280 --> 00:23:07,280
Speaker 1: you like I think you need to there needs to

419
00:23:07,320 --> 00:23:07,920
Speaker 1: be a balance.

420
00:23:07,960 --> 00:23:09,639
Speaker 2: It's not all scrap heap guys.

421
00:23:09,680 --> 00:23:11,760
Speaker 1: I do agree with what you're saying there, Like a

422
00:23:12,160 --> 00:23:16,320
Speaker 1: council probably loves that in Milwaukee they were able to

423
00:23:16,359 --> 00:23:18,200
Speaker 1: do that and find a bunch of scrap heap guys,

424
00:23:18,200 --> 00:23:20,440
Speaker 1: But they also have to do that out of necessity, right,

425
00:23:20,800 --> 00:23:23,560
Speaker 1: or that's just the way it works there. The Cubs

426
00:23:23,600 --> 00:23:27,080
Speaker 1: can't like the whole benefit of going to the Cubs,

427
00:23:27,359 --> 00:23:29,879
Speaker 1: as Greg Counsel, right, like the whole benefit of Andrew

428
00:23:29,920 --> 00:23:34,439
Speaker 1: Friedman going from Tampa Bay to to La David Stearns

429
00:23:34,480 --> 00:23:38,040
Speaker 1: going from Milwaukee to the Mets. Like there's a reason

430
00:23:38,119 --> 00:23:40,800
Speaker 1: they do that, right, It's not just because these are

431
00:23:40,840 --> 00:23:43,320
Speaker 1: bigger jobs and they're getting paid a lot.

432
00:23:43,480 --> 00:23:45,600
Speaker 2: It's because you can do different things.

433
00:23:45,640 --> 00:23:51,040
Speaker 1: And didn't Council say that like it in his interesting like,

434
00:23:51,119 --> 00:23:54,520
Speaker 1: so like you should be able to do different things.

435
00:23:54,560 --> 00:23:59,040
Speaker 1: Now there may be some frustration that they don't, you know,

436
00:24:00,040 --> 00:24:02,840
Speaker 1: maybe some frustration and I'm not saying we know that

437
00:24:02,880 --> 00:24:05,800
Speaker 1: with Counsel, but maybe perhaps all around, Like I think

438
00:24:06,240 --> 00:24:09,200
Speaker 1: they'd like to act like a top five market instead

439
00:24:09,240 --> 00:24:11,520
Speaker 1: of just a top ten at the bottom of the

440
00:24:11,520 --> 00:24:15,080
Speaker 1: top ten market, right right, And there's a big difference

441
00:24:15,119 --> 00:24:17,520
Speaker 1: in that, like probably like thirty forty million a year

442
00:24:18,160 --> 00:24:21,240
Speaker 1: and that that's, you know, the way this front office works.

443
00:24:21,240 --> 00:24:23,080
Speaker 1: It's a lot of different players that you can do

444
00:24:23,119 --> 00:24:27,199
Speaker 1: different things with. So yeah, I do think there's a

445
00:24:27,280 --> 00:24:30,639
Speaker 1: mix there. You don't just go like searching for the

446
00:24:30,680 --> 00:24:35,840
Speaker 1: next secret bullpen arm, you know, and it's not Sometimes

447
00:24:35,840 --> 00:24:39,080
Speaker 1: I feel like front offices can get too cute with this,

448
00:24:39,240 --> 00:24:41,520
Speaker 1: you know, they can. It's like, how do we outsmart

449
00:24:41,560 --> 00:24:45,680
Speaker 1: everyone else by getting six league minimum guys and three

450
00:24:45,720 --> 00:24:50,320
Speaker 1: of them work out? You know, there's there's other ways

451
00:24:50,359 --> 00:24:52,760
Speaker 1: to do it. I like that, right. I like that

452
00:24:52,800 --> 00:24:56,800
Speaker 1: they've found Ryan Tapara and Chris Martin and you know,

453
00:24:57,040 --> 00:24:59,360
Speaker 1: taking like it's smart to identify those guys, like, hey

454
00:24:59,680 --> 00:25:02,639
Speaker 1: we have Tommy Outoby is really good at identifying these things,

455
00:25:02,680 --> 00:25:05,320
Speaker 1: and he sees he thinks he can do this, this

456
00:25:05,400 --> 00:25:09,240
Speaker 1: and this with these guys. Let's sign Chris Martin and

457
00:25:09,240 --> 00:25:11,719
Speaker 1: and they got Chris Martin paid, They got Bryan t parapay,

458
00:25:11,760 --> 00:25:12,840
Speaker 1: They get these guys paid.

459
00:25:13,560 --> 00:25:14,480
Speaker 2: They can continue to.

460
00:25:14,400 --> 00:25:17,240
Speaker 1: Do that, but also maybe give someone a one or

461
00:25:17,600 --> 00:25:21,480
Speaker 1: you know, a little bit more money makes sense. Maybe

462
00:25:21,520 --> 00:25:25,280
Speaker 1: the narrow steel scares people off, even fans off on that,

463
00:25:25,359 --> 00:25:27,120
Speaker 1: But I think you need to do a better job

464
00:25:27,160 --> 00:25:28,960
Speaker 1: identifying that those guys.

465
00:25:29,359 --> 00:25:31,560
Speaker 3: I think it is also building towards what we've both

466
00:25:32,080 --> 00:25:33,040
Speaker 3: written of, like.

467
00:25:34,680 --> 00:25:36,200
Speaker 4: You got to invest heavy in.

468
00:25:36,160 --> 00:25:40,080
Speaker 3: The front of your rotation that we've talked about how

469
00:25:40,080 --> 00:25:44,680
Speaker 3: hard catching is and how volatile the bullpen is. They

470
00:25:44,760 --> 00:25:49,000
Speaker 3: have this cluster of young talent at the Triple A

471
00:25:49,119 --> 00:25:51,720
Speaker 3: level in terms of position players, like, something's gonna have

472
00:25:51,720 --> 00:25:53,280
Speaker 3: to give here, They're gonna have to pick a lane,

473
00:25:53,280 --> 00:25:58,600
Speaker 3: They're gonna have to have some conviction, and to me,

474
00:25:58,800 --> 00:26:04,880
Speaker 3: the rotation is the clearest path to upgrading. There's good

475
00:26:04,920 --> 00:26:09,360
Speaker 3: class of free agent pitchers. The how to be pitching

476
00:26:09,400 --> 00:26:12,240
Speaker 3: it for the structure has been pretty good in this

477
00:26:12,400 --> 00:26:16,520
Speaker 3: area at identifying you know, the right pieces, whether it's

478
00:26:16,520 --> 00:26:21,120
Speaker 3: shoda or tie on, and so like, if you sign

479
00:26:21,200 --> 00:26:26,879
Speaker 3: a guy who slots into where like show DOA's a

480
00:26:26,960 --> 00:26:29,880
Speaker 3: third starter times of four starter, Like that's pretty good.

481
00:26:29,920 --> 00:26:34,080
Speaker 3: And then there's that just kind of domino effect of

482
00:26:34,920 --> 00:26:38,080
Speaker 3: you have more guys available to pitch out of your bullpen.

483
00:26:38,200 --> 00:26:42,920
Speaker 3: You have good depth at Triple A Iowa, you're pitching staff.

484
00:26:43,800 --> 00:26:45,919
Speaker 3: The first guy to the last guy is just a

485
00:26:45,960 --> 00:26:52,040
Speaker 3: lot better, more connected, gives counsel a lot of options.

486
00:26:52,080 --> 00:26:54,240
Speaker 3: So I think that when we go to the GM

487
00:26:54,280 --> 00:26:56,320
Speaker 3: meetings next month in San Antonio, I think we're gonna

488
00:26:56,359 --> 00:27:00,840
Speaker 3: be all over the starting pitching options, like who fits

489
00:27:01,040 --> 00:27:03,600
Speaker 3: their criteria. And that's the process that I'd imagine is

490
00:27:03,920 --> 00:27:07,720
Speaker 3: kind of it's not fully underway, It soon soon will be.

491
00:27:07,880 --> 00:27:11,439
Speaker 3: Certainly those early offseason moves or early offseason kind of

492
00:27:11,440 --> 00:27:12,560
Speaker 3: brainstorming has.

493
00:27:12,400 --> 00:27:13,480
Speaker 4: Got to be happening now.

494
00:27:14,080 --> 00:27:17,160
Speaker 1: Yeah, No, I one hundred percent agree there. The more

495
00:27:17,320 --> 00:27:19,800
Speaker 1: we listen to people talk and the more I just

496
00:27:19,880 --> 00:27:22,720
Speaker 1: kind of look at how they may have to build things.

497
00:27:22,760 --> 00:27:24,920
Speaker 1: And that's part of why I said what I said

498
00:27:24,920 --> 00:27:28,679
Speaker 1: about the offense and the position players, because I expect

499
00:27:28,760 --> 00:27:32,280
Speaker 1: them to be pretty aggressive with starting pitching. It just

500
00:27:32,520 --> 00:27:35,359
Speaker 1: may make the most sense with and you know, you

501
00:27:35,359 --> 00:27:37,480
Speaker 1: can get creative with the trades.

502
00:27:37,119 --> 00:27:38,680
Speaker 2: Too there like it.

503
00:27:38,800 --> 00:27:42,400
Speaker 1: I haven't fully looked at guys that are on teams

504
00:27:42,720 --> 00:27:46,119
Speaker 1: that like to trade starters like pre Art, like at Tampa.

505
00:27:46,240 --> 00:27:48,560
Speaker 1: I'ven't fully looked at what Tampa's doing right, like they're

506
00:27:48,600 --> 00:27:50,720
Speaker 1: a team that's going to trade, like they probably have

507
00:27:50,760 --> 00:27:53,080
Speaker 1: a guy about to hit arm. That makes perfect sense

508
00:27:53,080 --> 00:27:56,680
Speaker 1: for the Cubs, right whatever that is. Teams like that

509
00:27:57,280 --> 00:27:59,760
Speaker 1: try and take advantage of that. And this is where

510
00:28:00,040 --> 00:28:02,760
Speaker 1: if you're not going to spend the the you know,

511
00:28:03,440 --> 00:28:06,240
Speaker 1: thirty million dollars a year type money, then at least

512
00:28:06,400 --> 00:28:10,359
Speaker 1: leverage your big market money in some fashion. And that's

513
00:28:10,400 --> 00:28:13,120
Speaker 1: taking advantage of the small market teams by taking their

514
00:28:13,320 --> 00:28:17,760
Speaker 1: expensive quote unquote players and you know, you have to

515
00:28:17,760 --> 00:28:20,720
Speaker 1: pay a hafty price, usually in prospect value. But that's

516
00:28:21,240 --> 00:28:24,440
Speaker 1: we have to see that happen this winter. Almost certainly

517
00:28:24,480 --> 00:28:28,000
Speaker 1: there will be at least one trade where fans are like,

518
00:28:28,040 --> 00:28:32,160
Speaker 1: oh no, not that prospect being traded. But it's gonna happen.

519
00:28:32,160 --> 00:28:34,040
Speaker 1: It has to happen at some point. You can't keep

520
00:28:34,040 --> 00:28:37,480
Speaker 1: all of these guys and expect to instantly get better.

521
00:28:37,520 --> 00:28:40,360
Speaker 1: I mean, sometimes it works out, but that's that's usually

522
00:28:40,400 --> 00:28:42,760
Speaker 1: the small market teams that really cling to the prospects

523
00:28:42,800 --> 00:28:45,960
Speaker 1: and then play them all, you know, and then that

524
00:28:46,120 --> 00:28:48,160
Speaker 1: have to trade some veterans to make that happen as well.

525
00:28:48,200 --> 00:28:50,160
Speaker 2: It's just not what the Cubs are doing right now.

526
00:28:51,240 --> 00:28:55,160
Speaker 1: So yeah, I'm curious to see that the starting pitcher

527
00:28:55,240 --> 00:28:56,840
Speaker 1: is going to be I agree, with you. We're gonna

528
00:28:56,840 --> 00:28:58,960
Speaker 1: we're gonna have to really dig in on that. You know.

529
00:28:59,320 --> 00:29:01,360
Speaker 2: I think Max Read is a name that that you

530
00:29:01,400 --> 00:29:02,000
Speaker 2: wrote about.

531
00:29:03,000 --> 00:29:05,440
Speaker 1: I think I think he makes sense and he's really interesting.

532
00:29:06,080 --> 00:29:06,440
Speaker 6: Uh.

533
00:29:06,480 --> 00:29:09,200
Speaker 1: And and you're absolutely right you push jameson ty On

534
00:29:09,400 --> 00:29:12,800
Speaker 1: is your fourth starter entering next year. And I don't

535
00:29:12,800 --> 00:29:16,160
Speaker 1: care like whatever order it is, show to steal and

536
00:29:16,360 --> 00:29:19,200
Speaker 1: free agent whatever order that ends up being, whoever is

537
00:29:19,200 --> 00:29:23,320
Speaker 1: the one, two or three, like maybe they're all close

538
00:29:23,640 --> 00:29:26,880
Speaker 1: in value that that that's what you want to get to.

539
00:29:27,160 --> 00:29:30,120
Speaker 1: I think you do that. That should that that's probably

540
00:29:30,120 --> 00:29:33,720
Speaker 1: going to be our primary focus, what what we focus on,

541
00:29:33,760 --> 00:29:36,760
Speaker 1: and I think it may be like what what they're

542
00:29:36,840 --> 00:29:40,400
Speaker 1: really digging in on, and then you accomplish that that's

543
00:29:40,400 --> 00:29:44,520
Speaker 1: a really good, uh first step in getting this team,

544
00:29:44,840 --> 00:29:47,520
Speaker 1: uh you know, you know, five more wins or whatever

545
00:29:47,600 --> 00:29:50,920
Speaker 1: else whatever you're trying to do uh for next season.

546
00:29:51,000 --> 00:29:55,000
Speaker 1: So I think that's where on that that's that's what

547
00:29:55,120 --> 00:29:57,520
Speaker 1: we believe. I think that they've made that pretty clear

548
00:29:57,560 --> 00:29:59,280
Speaker 1: with some of the ways they've talked about it.

549
00:30:00,760 --> 00:30:03,360
Speaker 2: So that's my expectation there.

550
00:30:03,560 --> 00:30:06,720
Speaker 1: And then you find a catcher and then whatever unique

551
00:30:06,760 --> 00:30:10,520
Speaker 1: trades they come up with smaller signings with the relievers,

552
00:30:10,600 --> 00:30:13,480
Speaker 1: whether it's mid tier or just you know, things we

553
00:30:13,520 --> 00:30:16,400
Speaker 1: don't even notice until June. It's like, oh, this guy's awesome.

554
00:30:16,400 --> 00:30:19,960
Speaker 1: How the hell do they get them? That type of

555
00:30:20,000 --> 00:30:23,640
Speaker 1: stuff always happens for most teams, So we'll see what

556
00:30:23,680 --> 00:30:26,320
Speaker 1: it is. I think starting pitching is going to be

557
00:30:26,320 --> 00:30:28,840
Speaker 1: really fascinating, and I wonder if it is one of

558
00:30:28,840 --> 00:30:30,080
Speaker 1: the first dominoes to fall.

559
00:30:30,320 --> 00:30:33,520
Speaker 2: That's still two months away, though.

560
00:30:33,680 --> 00:30:35,960
Speaker 1: It was just crazy to think we've got some time

561
00:30:36,000 --> 00:30:39,600
Speaker 1: before the action really starts. But about a month from

562
00:30:39,640 --> 00:30:42,080
Speaker 1: now is when you and I will be wrapping things

563
00:30:42,160 --> 00:30:45,640
Speaker 1: up in the in San Antonio, and I think that

564
00:30:45,680 --> 00:30:47,480
Speaker 1: will be the start of it all for us as

565
00:30:47,480 --> 00:30:51,040
Speaker 1: far as what direction they're going and how aggressive they're

566
00:30:51,040 --> 00:30:51,400
Speaker 1: going to be.

567
00:30:51,440 --> 00:30:54,080
Speaker 2: We'll get a good feel start to get a good

568
00:30:54,120 --> 00:30:54,600
Speaker 2: feel for that.

569
00:30:54,680 --> 00:30:57,040
Speaker 1: At least we don't have to worry about a new

570
00:30:57,080 --> 00:31:04,040
Speaker 1: manager popping up out of nowhere.

571
00:31:01,560 --> 00:31:06,360
Speaker 3: Like nightmare flashbacks landing at the GM meetings after last year.

572
00:31:07,320 --> 00:31:12,000
Speaker 4: Wild. Welcome to a one year, certainly one year anniversary look.

573
00:31:11,800 --> 00:31:14,800
Speaker 3: Back on the Capito Higher because that was, yeah, an

574
00:31:14,800 --> 00:31:15,920
Speaker 3: out of nowhere one.

575
00:31:16,160 --> 00:31:19,400
Speaker 2: Yeah, that was wild? All right? Thanks so much for listening.

576
00:31:19,840 --> 00:31:22,280
Speaker 1: We will come back at you later this week with

577
00:31:22,360 --> 00:31:26,280
Speaker 1: another episode This is north Side Territory. Make sure to subscribe,

578
00:31:26,360 --> 00:31:27,080
Speaker 1: rate and a review.

579
00:31:27,880 --> 00:31:29,360
Speaker 2: Subscribe to the YouTube.

580
00:31:29,040 --> 00:31:31,800
Speaker 1: Channel please, that be really helpful, as well as subscribe

581
00:31:31,880 --> 00:31:33,560
Speaker 1: to The Athletic where Patrick and I will have you.

582
00:31:33,600 --> 00:31:34,760
Speaker 2: Covered all off season.

583
00:31:35,200 --> 00:31:37,600
Speaker 1: Thanks so much for listening to everyone, We really appreciate it.

584
00:31:37,680 --> 00:31:38,080
Speaker 2: Take care,