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Speaker 1: Wine was worth you know, seven fifty and he took

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Speaker 1: it and he's one of the great players in the game.

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Speaker 1: I love him. I brag about that was the first

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Speaker 1: one to sign him for you know, for a lot

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Speaker 1: less than that.

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Speaker 2: Here we go National's All Star closer Kyle Finnegan with

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Speaker 2: us on Foul Territory back on the show. Hey, great

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Speaker 2: to see you. And also you're back at NAT's camp.

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Speaker 2: So what was the last you know, a few weeks

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Speaker 2: for you, Like.

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Speaker 3: It was hectic, you know, just at home, trying to

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Speaker 3: stay ready and work through the free agent process and

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Speaker 3: you know, just trying to take my time with my

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Speaker 3: with my agent and figure out the best landing spot

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Speaker 3: for me. And you know, I wasn't complaining about getting

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Speaker 3: an extra two weeks at home with the family and

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Speaker 3: the kids. So, you know, spring training's long enough as

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Speaker 3: it is. So I was ready to go.

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Speaker 4: Where did it look like you were gonna go? Because

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Speaker 4: I'm looking at your hair, and the first thing I

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Speaker 4: think is, man, the Yankees always build their bullpen. I'm like,

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Speaker 4: I don't know they would have had to cut that,

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Speaker 4: like Samson's locks off there.

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Speaker 3: You know, early on the you know, a bunch of opportunities.

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Speaker 3: But then you know, as guys, you know, teams get

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Speaker 3: their guys, and names stop start to come off the board,

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Speaker 3: so to the team. So the options, you know, started

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Speaker 3: to narrow, and there were some some fits that.

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Speaker 1: We really liked.

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Speaker 3: And you know, I always knew that the Nationals would

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Speaker 3: be would be an option, and we stayed engaged all

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Speaker 3: off season and happy to be back here so I

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Speaker 3: can keep the flug going for a little bit longer.

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Speaker 5: What was that like?

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Speaker 6: I want to know, because people that don't know you

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Speaker 6: were non tendered. I was non tendered once, but I

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Speaker 6: never got to get numbers, but I saw what you

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Speaker 6: signed for. Did you get to the point of the

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Speaker 6: Nationals where you even discuss numbers, because where you go

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Speaker 6: to the net, sorry, people that don't know you go.

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Speaker 6: You would go to the team and say I want

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Speaker 6: twenty five million, and the Nationals to come back and say, oh,

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Speaker 6: we want to offer you two million, and then you

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Speaker 6: try to meet somewhere in the middle. Did it ever

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Speaker 6: get to that point before they Because to me, you

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Speaker 6: were kind of a surprise non tender. I thought you

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Speaker 6: made the All Star team. Yet what thirty eight saves

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Speaker 6: last year? You would think that that would be again

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Speaker 6: they'd want to stick around here.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, I think, you know, the arbitration process isn't perfect,

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Speaker 3: and I think certain things are overvalued and and I

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Speaker 3: think Saves is unfortunately one of those, which was, you know,

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Speaker 3: the thing I did the best last year. So it

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Speaker 3: was a possibility. I knew it was a possibility going

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Speaker 3: into it. You know, they're they're running a business as well, and.

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Speaker 5: I think.

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Speaker 3: They wanted to keep an open mind as you know,

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Speaker 3: using that money to they could bring me back at

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Speaker 3: maybe a lower price and still still help build the

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Speaker 3: team somewhere else. So it was it was a surprise.

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Speaker 3: But at the same time, I wasn't you know, I

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Speaker 3: didn't have any animosity towards the team.

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Speaker 6: Because why not that that's that would to me? I mean,

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Speaker 6: I know non tendered me, and I was like, I'm

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Speaker 6: out of here. I would never have gone back.

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Speaker 3: Well, I think at the you know, I knew that

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Speaker 3: they would still be an option like on the table,

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Speaker 3: and at that point, you know, you become a free agent.

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Speaker 3: You know, it's just kind of level playing field and

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Speaker 3: you want to get the best offer you can get.

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Speaker 3: So if it was the Nationals grade, if it was

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Speaker 3: somebody else. You know, it was just kind of a

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Speaker 3: let's see how this process plays out and see where

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Speaker 3: we go.

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Speaker 4: Did you make the right choice because you said there

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Speaker 4: were some other offers in the sense of like other

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Speaker 4: teams that wanted a guy, did you, because we look

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Speaker 4: at the ones that are outward facing, are the huge

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Speaker 4: ones like Wan Soto got offered four hundred million and

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Speaker 4: then ended up signing for seven hundred as this offseason

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Speaker 4: played out, were there bigger offers in what you got

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Speaker 4: or better offers as far as like you're comfortable within that?

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Speaker 4: I get that, you know, the org like this team

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Speaker 4: would have been more of like an upper echelon team.

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Speaker 5: Yeah.

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Speaker 3: No, I think I made the right decision, you know,

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Speaker 3: thinking about all the factors, you know, financially, and then

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Speaker 3: you know, places that we feel comfortable and the role

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Speaker 3: and you know, all things considered, I think this was

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Speaker 3: an up being the best landing spot for me. So

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Speaker 3: happy to be that.

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Speaker 6: Can you tell us the other teams that we're talking

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Speaker 6: to you, I don't understand why know, when everyone's like, oh.

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Speaker 5: I can't say who else was interesting?

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Speaker 1: Why not?

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Speaker 5: I mean, you know, I want to know.

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Speaker 3: It's it's all the teams that you see that we're

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Speaker 3: looking for bullpen you know, but there's like different stages

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Speaker 3: of teams called the check in on you, and some

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Speaker 3: teams are you know, start talking numbers. So it's kind

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Speaker 3: of hard to be like.

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Speaker 6: Yeah, you know, who do we guys, who do we

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Speaker 6: have on that? They said, Oh, Jack Flaherty. Jack Flaherty

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Speaker 6: said he had a hard time this free agentine. He said, yeah,

105
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Speaker 6: teams are just calling, so what's going on? Yeah, age like, well,

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Speaker 6: he's throwing bullpens and he's ready to go and he's healthy.

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Speaker 5: What's going on with you? Guys are like, okay, we'll

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Speaker 5: check back later. And that was it. There was no

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Speaker 5: any engagement.

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Speaker 3: There's a lot of that, just you know, casual conversations,

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Speaker 3: just checking in, like keeping you you know, kind of

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Speaker 3: like teams letting you know that they're thinking about you,

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Speaker 3: but not necessarily at the point of let's start negotiating.

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Speaker 6: They send you like a card, Yeah, they we're thinking

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Speaker 6: about keep us in mind.

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Speaker 5: It's like a recruiting process.

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Speaker 6: But was it You had never been a free agent before, right,

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Speaker 6: so you was it different than you thought? Because I

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Speaker 6: always tell people I was a free agent A bunch

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Speaker 6: of times, and it's not.

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Speaker 5: Everyone thinks, oh, you can go to whatever.

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Speaker 6: You can go to the Dodgers or the Yankees, or

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Speaker 6: the or the Gnats or wherever. You just pick wherever

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Speaker 6: you want to go. And I try to explain to

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Speaker 6: you it doesn't work like that. It's it takes them to

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Speaker 6: want you, and then you have to agree on a

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Speaker 6: number and you have to want to go there. Was

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Speaker 6: it different than you thought it was going to because

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Speaker 6: I'm sure when you got non tended you were like,

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Speaker 6: you're you're and your wife and your family was like, oh,

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Speaker 6: this is great, we can go to you're from, you know,

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Speaker 6: right to Houston area. Oh I could go to the Astros,

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Speaker 6: or I could go here, I could go there. And

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Speaker 6: then they're like, wait, they didn't call, so now now

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Speaker 6: where do I go?

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Speaker 1: Yeah?

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Speaker 3: I think you know, as a player, you know that

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Speaker 3: playing for your hometown team is like something you always

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Speaker 3: want to do, or you know you have a team

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Speaker 3: that you grew up liking, or so when you get

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Speaker 3: to free agency, that's that's I think it's only human

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Speaker 3: to think that that's the first thing that comes to mind.

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Speaker 3: But then it's like you said, it's you know, teams

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Speaker 3: are looking for certain things. They got certain dollars they

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Speaker 3: can spend. They you know, gms are given their their budgets,

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Speaker 3: and so you start with a you start with a

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Speaker 3: big list, and then it starts to shrink and you

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Speaker 3: kind of dial in on a few teams that you

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Speaker 3: think would make sense and that also have interest in you.

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Speaker 3: And at the end of the day, it was, you know,

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Speaker 3: the Nationals made the most sense.

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Speaker 1: Kyle.

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Speaker 2: I know, you don't strike out the entire world. And

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Speaker 2: sometimes it bothers me that teams, you know, all say, oh,

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Speaker 2: we got to fix this pitching injury epidemic. And then

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Speaker 2: the way that they value free agents sometimes bothers me.

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Speaker 2: Jose Kintana is a perfect example. We named some names.

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Speaker 2: I won't go back to it, but there are quite

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Speaker 2: a few pitchers that sign for more that just frankly,

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Speaker 2: are not as good at run prevention as Jose Kantana.

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Speaker 2: Where do you think we're at state of the game

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Speaker 2: with the way that front offices are valuing pitching.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, I think you know, it's stuff first and foremost,

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Speaker 3: they you know, strikeouts. Guys that strike people out and

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Speaker 3: don't give up damage are doing really well in free

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Speaker 3: agency and you know, that's the testament to to where

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Speaker 3: like training has gone in this day and age, and

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Speaker 3: you know, guys are just bigger, stronger, faster and can

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Speaker 3: do with the technology. You can just dial in on

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Speaker 3: on things that produce with and swing this. And so

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Speaker 3: you've got these extremes, I think. And you know, for

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Speaker 3: someone like me, I'm always working, you know, to try

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Speaker 3: and get my my stuff nastier. But for me, like

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Speaker 3: I pride myself in being a guy that that answers

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Speaker 3: the bell every time. And and you know, the best,

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Speaker 3: my best ability is my availability. So you know, I

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Speaker 3: may not be striking out the world out there yet,

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Speaker 3: but I've been healthy and and and feeling good. And

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Speaker 3: that's something that's been really important to me throughout my career.

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Speaker 2: F T FAM. If you love ripping packs of cards,

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Speaker 2: there is a modern way to do that now on

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Speaker 2: Arena Club with their slap packs and crafts. I know,

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Speaker 2: you ripping slab packs and getting that sweet card that

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Speaker 2: you've always been looking for.

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Speaker 4: Yeah, and you don't have to go through all the

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Speaker 4: other ones, all the crafts cards that are in there. Bang,

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Speaker 4: you just get the big one, the one that you're

188
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Speaker 4: just peeking right around the corner when you open that pack,

189
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Speaker 4: the one you expect to get.

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Speaker 2: Also, Arena Club will make you an instant offer for

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Speaker 2: your card based on its market value. You'll get an

192
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Speaker 2: instant offer of ninety percent of the estimated value, so

193
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Speaker 2: you can accept it on the spot, simple, fast and

194
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Speaker 2: risk free. Use that cash to buy more slab packs

195
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Speaker 2: and you can get your cards officially graded by Arena Club.

196
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Speaker 2: So go check it out right now FTFAM. You can

197
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Speaker 2: get twenty percent off your first slab pack or card

198
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Speaker 2: purchase by going to Arena club dot com slash foul

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Speaker 2: and then use the code foul. That's Arena Club dot

200
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Speaker 2: com slash foul code foul for twenty percent off your

201
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Speaker 2: first purchase. Get after at FTFAM.

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Speaker 5: What's the most important attribute?

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Speaker 4: Being able to throw one hundred or being able to

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Speaker 4: be a guy that has a different mindset and able

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Speaker 4: to lock in. Because you took a lot long time

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Speaker 4: to get to the big leagues. You're twenty eight years

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Speaker 4: old by the time you finally made it, so you've

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Speaker 4: had those ups and downs. But what's what's in your

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Speaker 4: closer role? What's better to have just elite level stuff

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Speaker 4: or that mindset.

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Speaker 3: I think the mindset is huge because you've seen guys

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Speaker 3: that have the stuff that maybe get thrown into the

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Speaker 3: role and there's stuff plays down or or it starts

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Speaker 3: to speed up on you. So I think guys that

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Speaker 3: are able to slow down the game and understand the

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Speaker 3: situations and just have that calm heartbeat and like a

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Speaker 3: huge belief in themselves because you know, it can get

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Speaker 3: going pretty fast there. And the strategy of you know,

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Speaker 3: the score and the situation plays into how you're going

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Speaker 3: to attack a hitter or if you're going to put

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Speaker 3: a guy on. And it's just different little intricacies in

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Speaker 3: the ninth inning that are different than say the seventh

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Speaker 3: and eighth. But you know, having crazy stuff certainly helps.

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Speaker 3: But I think there's there's so thing more too to

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Speaker 3: the ninth inning.

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Speaker 5: Totally totally all right. That leads me to the experts

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Speaker 5: before we're gonna get to your light show.

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Speaker 6: And I'm sure Crowdsy, I think Krowtsy might ask the

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Speaker 6: same question, But I'm gonna ask you about as a closer.

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Speaker 6: People say, oh, anyone can close. There's a difference between

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Speaker 6: the ninth inning and the eighth, the seventh to sixth inning.

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Speaker 3: Right, Yeah, I mean I think if you ask any

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Speaker 3: reliever if they'd rather throw the seventh or the ninth,

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Speaker 3: they're gonna tell you they want to throw the ninth.

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Speaker 3: And I think for me, something I lean on is

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Speaker 3: like I enjoy being the guy that the manager's trusting

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Speaker 3: to be out there in the ninth inning. You know,

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Speaker 3: sometimes sometimes it goes great, sometimes not so great, but

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Speaker 3: you know it's just you want you're you're out there

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Speaker 3: and you're just trusting in the in the plan that

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Speaker 3: that you and the staff have have come up with,

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Speaker 3: and it's just being in being the ultimate competitor, you know,

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Speaker 3: during the ninth inning. It's it's what everybody he wants

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Speaker 3: and you can feel the excitement pickup and.

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Speaker 5: You say, it's just different. I'm just say this real

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Speaker 5: quick before crowds. He goes.

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Speaker 6: Do you say that people say they want to pitch

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Speaker 6: the night. There's plenty of people I played with and

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Speaker 6: you've played with. They're like, I'm good in the sixth

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Speaker 6: and the seventh. Okay, I'm just gonna stay there.

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Speaker 5: Yeah.

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Speaker 3: I mean, you know, I guess it's not for everybody,

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Speaker 3: but for you know, a back end guy, I think

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Speaker 3: you would want as many guys that won't grad ninth

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Speaker 3: as possible.

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Speaker 4: All right, we're gonna we're gonna show that video again

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Speaker 4: that we just showed real quick. Here two things, did

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Speaker 4: you pick this light show out and like? And if

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Speaker 4: you didn't, do you like it? And the second thing,

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Speaker 4: you walked right by the bullpen cart? Will you ever

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Speaker 4: ride the bullpen cart?

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Speaker 5: In? So I did.

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Speaker 3: I picked the song and they our crew here with

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Speaker 3: the Nationals cued up the lights to the to the

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Speaker 3: what's the song? It's Tomorrow by Silverchair.

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Speaker 5: Never heard it, but I'll take your word for it.

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Speaker 3: It's pretty good. I enjoyed it. But the cart, I've

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Speaker 3: taken the cart one time and it was it was

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Speaker 3: like a tribute to do you know. We all took

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Speaker 3: the cart and actually I've took taking it twice. Steve

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Speaker 3: Steve c Schek, all time teammate. He said it was

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Speaker 3: his last year. He was thinking about hanging it up,

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Speaker 3: and he was like, you know, boys were taking the

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Speaker 3: cart today and we took it. We listened to Steve.

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Speaker 5: That's awesome.

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Speaker 2: I love that, Kyle. Awesome to see you. Thanks for

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Speaker 2: closing out the show with us, dude, and good.

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Speaker 5: Luck and I wish we could get the lights.

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Speaker 6: You know, Mark bought these cheap lights, so we can't

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Speaker 6: get them to change colors, right, so they're only white.

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Speaker 3: Sorry, guys, we'll save it for the Sea guys.

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Speaker 2: Nationals longtime front office leader Mike Rizzo with us back

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Speaker 2: live on foul Territory. Mike, great to see you and

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Speaker 2: ask campaign so far. You like the team that you

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Speaker 2: put together?

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Speaker 1: Oh yeah, all good? You know with this there's point

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Speaker 1: in camp. But no injuries is a good thing. And uh,

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Speaker 1: guys are playing with energy and trying to get their

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Speaker 1: work done. It's it's it's nice. It's a nice. There's

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Speaker 1: a good vibe in camp.

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Speaker 5: How do you have such a good tam because you

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Speaker 5: just told me you have a two year old? Yeah,

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Speaker 5: like two one?

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Speaker 1: Two years old? Yes, yes, wow my boy Sonny Wow. Yeah,

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Speaker 1: well I'm out in the son all day, all day,

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Speaker 1: all year, so yeah.

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Speaker 6: Wow, I can't imagine having a two year old. I

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Speaker 6: just I've been through it.

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Speaker 5: I mean yeah, I'm like, yeah.

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Speaker 2: No, it's a trainer. That's a trainer. AJ A best

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Speaker 2: way to stay and chape run around with.

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Speaker 5: The cha chasing around.

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Speaker 6: Yeah yeah, all right, Well let's get back to baseball

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Speaker 6: now because I'm kind of in the state of show.

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Speaker 5: So what's been the thing for camp? What? What? What?

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Speaker 5: What's maybe? What's the everyone You go to the camps

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Speaker 5: and everyone's like, Oh, how's the mood's gray? Where this?

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Speaker 6: What's what's kind of the theme? What are you guys

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Speaker 6: looking to see or accomplished in this years camp? Before

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Speaker 6: you break to start the season.

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Speaker 1: You know, it's a good time of year. You know,

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Speaker 1: you've been through it. It's my forty third spring training.

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Speaker 1: You know, it's spring training is great, it's you know,

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Speaker 1: everyone's optimistic, it's it's but it's it's really time to

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Speaker 1: get your work and to really set the foundation of

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Speaker 1: what we're trying to do and accomplish this year. And

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Speaker 1: I think that, you know, Davey's a good messenger, he's

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Speaker 1: you know, he's always the upbeat guy and uh and

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Speaker 1: uh you know players love playing for him. And I

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Speaker 1: think that when when we start a camp, you know,

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Speaker 1: we want to get you know, a couple of things,

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Speaker 1: you know, uh, out in the forefront right away, it's

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Speaker 1: you know, you know, we're we're we're here to compete

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Speaker 1: this year. You know we're not you know, you know,

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Speaker 1: I'm not on this on the radio saying that we're

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Speaker 1: the best team and we're going to win the World Series,

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Speaker 1: but but we're going to compete every day to win

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Speaker 1: every game. And and you know, uh I remember in

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Speaker 1: twenty twelve, you know, I want to you know, all

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Speaker 1: the analysts and all the all the systems and picked

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Speaker 1: us to win, you know, seventy one games we winn,

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Speaker 1: winn ninety eight and the division and playoffs and that stuff,

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Speaker 1: and so.

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Speaker 5: We're, uh, you know what the Cardinals. No, that wasn't

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Speaker 5: the Cardinals.

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Speaker 1: That was the Cardinals year in the playoffs. Yeah, we

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Speaker 1: had the game five, we had the leading game five,

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Speaker 1: and we lost. Sorry, that was uh, it was a

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Speaker 1: painful time in my life.

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Speaker 5: Pretty sorry, I'm sorry.

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Speaker 1: We got back in twenty nineteen, so yeah, that was

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Speaker 1: you know, it was a year we weren't you know,

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Speaker 1: we were we were young and up and coming and

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Speaker 1: that type of thing, and things clicked and we went

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Speaker 1: on a run with one of the most games of

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Speaker 1: anybody in baseball. So uh uh, you know, the messages

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Speaker 1: is to uh, you know, Davy says all the time,

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Speaker 1: keep you know, you know, be where your feet are

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Speaker 1: every day, want to know all that stuff. But that

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Speaker 1: that really translates for us, and uh and uh, you

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Speaker 1: know kind of put beside. We don't want to hear

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Speaker 1: that we're rebuilding and wait to the future. And in

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Speaker 1: the future is today at one o'clock when we played

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Speaker 1: you know, we played the Cardinals, So that's kind of

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Speaker 1: our mood. And uh, you know what we've laid in

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Speaker 1: front of these guys, and uh, I think they've you know,

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Speaker 1: if they've taken it to heart. And you know, we've

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Speaker 1: got and we've got one of the youngest teams in baseball.

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Speaker 1: But I think that that's that's no excuse for not

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Speaker 1: playing the game the right way, not having the right attitude,

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Speaker 1: not coming to work every day, you know, ready to

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Speaker 1: you know, you know, really compete against the opponents.

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Speaker 4: You're you were a player, so you still have that

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Speaker 4: competitive now okay, now can you hear me?

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Speaker 3: Now?

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Speaker 4: Yes, perfect, You were a player, so you still have

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Speaker 4: that competitive drive in there.

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Speaker 5: Did you have a good off season this year? Do

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Speaker 5: you look at it that.

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Speaker 4: Way as like as as a GM president of Baseball

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Speaker 4: Operations who's making moves to build a team. Did you

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Speaker 4: have a good off season if you don't necessarily execute

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Speaker 4: everything that you were looking to do in that particular offseason.

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Speaker 1: Yeah. Yeah, first of all, yeah, I am extremely competitive,

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Speaker 1: probably too competitive at times. But yeah, you know, we

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Speaker 1: we attacked the off season this way. You know, we had,

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Speaker 1: we had a budget to spend, we had we had

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Speaker 1: a lot of money from ownership. They gave us, you know,

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Speaker 1: they gave us our payroll and uh and you know,

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Speaker 1: our my job is to do, uh, do the best

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Speaker 1: I can with the money I was given. And uh, look,

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Speaker 1: not only to win today, but win tomorrow and in

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Speaker 1: the future and be a be a sustainable, championship caliber club.

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Speaker 1: And we think that we checked off a lot of

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Speaker 1: the boxes that we that we wanted to check off.

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Speaker 1: And uh, you know, we're we're gonna give our young

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Speaker 1: core group of guys a real opportunity to play and

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Speaker 1: uh and get at bats and get innings under the belt.

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Speaker 1: But brought in some veterans to to help that process along,

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Speaker 1: you know, a learning process. You know, some veterans in

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Speaker 1: the middle of the lineup, some veterans in the bullpen

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Speaker 1: to help us win games when we're supposed to win them.

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Speaker 6: I have to ask because I as as a as

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Speaker 6: a baseball fan, you guys were like my sleeper pick

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Speaker 6: to make a big splash infe agency this year. I

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Speaker 6: was talking one of the big guys that were out there.

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Speaker 6: It didn't happen, which is fine. You have your budget,

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Speaker 6: you have you have to do what you have to do.

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Speaker 6: But are you disappointed because when the Nationals you mentioned

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Speaker 6: to do total when you guys not really good, you

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Speaker 6: go get Sures or you go get Corbin. You bring

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Speaker 6: in guys from outside the organization to help you get over.

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Speaker 5: The hump and win the World Series?

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Speaker 3: Right?

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Speaker 5: Is it time now?

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Speaker 6: With the core that you have of Cruise and Wood

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Speaker 6: and Ruiz and some of the Mackenzie Gore and some

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Speaker 6: of the other pitchers coming through, and some of the

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Speaker 6: young guys you still have coming Morales and House and

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Speaker 6: some of the other guys, is it time for the

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Speaker 6: Nationals to go out and make that splash again like

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Speaker 6: they did with Worth right and again sures are and

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Speaker 6: all these other guys. Is it getting to that point

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Speaker 6: where now we have a core, we need to go

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Speaker 6: supplement it with some veteran guys that can help us

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Speaker 6: get to the next level.

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Speaker 5: Which for the.

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Speaker 6: Nets now, because listen, you did it, you won the

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Speaker 6: World Series, So now that is the goal for the Nationals.

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Speaker 1: It's definitely the goal. It's always been the goal before, during,

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Speaker 1: and after, you know, since we won it. And you know,

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Speaker 1: nobody likes rebuilding, nobody likes losing games and wait till

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Speaker 1: next year and that type of thing, and we certainly don't.

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Speaker 1: We're I think we're getting to the point where you say,

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Speaker 1: where you when you see an opportunity to make yourself

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Speaker 1: so much better for not only for that particular year

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Speaker 1: of what for years going forward. That's what we're That's

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Speaker 1: what we're looking to do when when the we've we've

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Speaker 1: always been aggressive when the opportunity knocks and when when

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Speaker 1: it's time for us to go Billy being told me

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Speaker 1: a long long time ago, when you see your when

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Speaker 1: you see your opening and your green light, step on

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Speaker 1: the gas and go for it. And I think that

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Speaker 1: we employed that that concept, you know, back in twenty ten,

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Speaker 1: twenty eleven, going into twelve and thirteen, and when we

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Speaker 1: we systematically when our young kids popped and they became

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00:19:32,520 --> 00:19:36,000
Speaker 1: good players and allotted us to you know, go into

438
00:19:36,000 --> 00:19:39,120
Speaker 1: the free agent market and and kind of hand picked

439
00:19:39,160 --> 00:19:41,639
Speaker 1: the guys that not only fit for us positionally, but

440
00:19:41,720 --> 00:19:44,240
Speaker 1: fit for us between the lines in the clubhouse, in

441
00:19:44,280 --> 00:19:48,280
Speaker 1: the community and taught us how to become champions.

442
00:19:48,840 --> 00:19:51,879
Speaker 4: One of the guys that you dfaide, one of the

443
00:19:51,880 --> 00:19:56,680
Speaker 4: guys you dfaide this off season was Kyle Finnegan. Can

444
00:19:56,680 --> 00:20:00,399
Speaker 4: you walk us through the process of an ORG saying Okay,

445
00:20:00,400 --> 00:20:03,720
Speaker 4: we're gonna d f a you, but then come back

446
00:20:03,720 --> 00:20:06,240
Speaker 4: to him and say, oh, yeah, you were a closer.

447
00:20:06,520 --> 00:20:07,720
Speaker 5: We'd love to have you back.

448
00:20:09,520 --> 00:20:12,639
Speaker 1: Well, you know the the again again. You know, we

449
00:20:12,760 --> 00:20:16,720
Speaker 1: we we all have we all have payrolls and we

450
00:20:16,800 --> 00:20:19,679
Speaker 1: have to adhere to and we felt that that you know,

451
00:20:19,920 --> 00:20:24,560
Speaker 1: uh at at his arbitration number, Finney's arbitration number, we

452
00:20:24,560 --> 00:20:27,800
Speaker 1: we could we could uh uh have more bang for

453
00:20:27,840 --> 00:20:31,360
Speaker 1: our buck using it somewhere else. And uh and then

454
00:20:31,440 --> 00:20:35,560
Speaker 1: when this the off season went through, we made some

455
00:20:35,840 --> 00:20:39,800
Speaker 1: uh kind of uh judicial bullpen helps and tweaks and

456
00:20:39,840 --> 00:20:42,480
Speaker 1: that type of thing. Uh, but always stayed in contact

457
00:20:42,560 --> 00:20:45,120
Speaker 1: with with finn Uh I have. I have a great

458
00:20:45,160 --> 00:20:47,920
Speaker 1: affinity for him and and uh, you know, he he's

459
00:20:47,960 --> 00:20:50,320
Speaker 1: a guy who fits kind of the uh you know

460
00:20:50,400 --> 00:20:52,920
Speaker 1: them o that I like in in in our players.

461
00:20:52,960 --> 00:20:55,840
Speaker 1: He's uh, you know, he's ultra competitive, takes the ball

462
00:20:56,040 --> 00:20:59,399
Speaker 1: never says no. Uh, you know, grinds it out and uh,

463
00:20:59,560 --> 00:21:01,920
Speaker 1: you know that twenty seven thousand is no joke. I

464
00:21:01,960 --> 00:21:04,760
Speaker 1: think it's you know, it separates a lot of relief pitchers.

465
00:21:05,200 --> 00:21:07,080
Speaker 1: He's been, you know, he's been the guy on the

466
00:21:07,080 --> 00:21:10,959
Speaker 1: mound thirty out of thirty out of forty three times.

467
00:21:11,320 --> 00:21:13,199
Speaker 1: You know, got the final out for us, which is

468
00:21:13,920 --> 00:21:16,520
Speaker 1: which is a skill set in itself. So always kept

469
00:21:16,520 --> 00:21:19,960
Speaker 1: in contact with him, was always professional with him, and

470
00:21:21,240 --> 00:21:24,879
Speaker 1: with great respect. Even when when you dfa guy or

471
00:21:24,960 --> 00:21:27,240
Speaker 1: release a guy or whatever, trade a guy, you know,

472
00:21:27,240 --> 00:21:29,480
Speaker 1: there has to be that mutual respect between player and

473
00:21:29,520 --> 00:21:33,040
Speaker 1: general manager. And I think that at least from my side,

474
00:21:33,119 --> 00:21:34,920
Speaker 1: you know, I have nothing but respect for him and

475
00:21:34,960 --> 00:21:38,400
Speaker 1: his family. Always treated Finny in a professional way, gave

476
00:21:38,440 --> 00:21:41,000
Speaker 1: him an opportunity. If people remember when he was he

477
00:21:41,119 --> 00:21:43,399
Speaker 1: was a kind of a perpetual minor league player. Who

478
00:21:43,440 --> 00:21:45,480
Speaker 1: gave him that that one big league contract to get

479
00:21:45,560 --> 00:21:48,119
Speaker 1: him over here, and he just he just ran with

480
00:21:48,160 --> 00:21:50,280
Speaker 1: it with the help of Hickey and and do little

481
00:21:50,320 --> 00:21:53,720
Speaker 1: in those guys Ricky Bonus in the bullpen, helping him,

482
00:21:54,040 --> 00:21:56,600
Speaker 1: you know, develop some pitches. And you know, he had

483
00:21:56,600 --> 00:22:00,800
Speaker 1: that demeanor that was was conduced to get that twenty

484
00:22:00,840 --> 00:22:04,000
Speaker 1: seventh out an attitude, right, yeah, he has he has

485
00:22:04,040 --> 00:22:07,200
Speaker 1: an attitude and that definitely. Yeah.

486
00:22:07,280 --> 00:22:07,520
Speaker 5: Yes.

487
00:22:07,640 --> 00:22:11,040
Speaker 6: We just had Nathaniel Lowe in here and he said

488
00:22:11,080 --> 00:22:12,560
Speaker 6: he was surprised he got traded here.

489
00:22:12,720 --> 00:22:15,720
Speaker 5: Why him? Why? Why? Why? Why? Nathaniel? I know he's

490
00:22:15,880 --> 00:22:16,800
Speaker 5: he's an awesome dude.

491
00:22:16,840 --> 00:22:19,000
Speaker 1: So yeah, great guy, great guy. Had a lot of

492
00:22:19,000 --> 00:22:22,600
Speaker 1: good reports on him. You know, we we uh had

493
00:22:22,640 --> 00:22:24,720
Speaker 1: a lot of relationships with people in Texas and said

494
00:22:24,800 --> 00:22:27,000
Speaker 1: have they rave about him? But he kind of feeled

495
00:22:27,000 --> 00:22:29,720
Speaker 1: the skill set they were looking for, you know, kind

496
00:22:29,720 --> 00:22:33,719
Speaker 1: of two way player. Uh, that it can excel offensively

497
00:22:33,840 --> 00:22:36,600
Speaker 1: defensively with a young core of infielders.

498
00:22:36,640 --> 00:22:37,320
Speaker 5: You know how that is.

499
00:22:37,840 --> 00:22:41,040
Speaker 1: Uh. You know, having a good defensive first basement over

500
00:22:41,080 --> 00:22:43,800
Speaker 1: there really changes the dynamic and that didn't field. I

501
00:22:43,800 --> 00:22:46,080
Speaker 1: think it will improve us, not only because he's at

502
00:22:46,119 --> 00:22:48,919
Speaker 1: first base and a Gold Glove winner and a and

503
00:22:48,960 --> 00:22:53,800
Speaker 1: a great defender, but because the the the ease of

504
00:22:53,480 --> 00:22:55,720
Speaker 1: of of of mind for the rest of the infielders.

505
00:22:55,800 --> 00:22:57,800
Speaker 1: Let it fly, you know, just keep it down and

506
00:22:57,800 --> 00:22:59,560
Speaker 1: he's gonna he's going to help you out. And and

507
00:22:59,600 --> 00:23:03,600
Speaker 1: that thing. Uh, and the left handed bat that you

508
00:23:03,640 --> 00:23:07,040
Speaker 1: know it draw some walks, see some pitches, grinds out

509
00:23:07,080 --> 00:23:09,879
Speaker 1: at bats, he's got he takes really good at bats.

510
00:23:09,880 --> 00:23:13,320
Speaker 1: And uh, and he's got some power and and a

511
00:23:13,359 --> 00:23:15,320
Speaker 1: guy that will hit in the middle of our lineup

512
00:23:15,320 --> 00:23:17,320
Speaker 1: and kind of eased the ease the burden of the

513
00:23:17,480 --> 00:23:19,920
Speaker 1: of the younger guys, you know, along with Josh Bell

514
00:23:20,080 --> 00:23:23,480
Speaker 1: and h and a couple a couple other veterans.

515
00:23:23,960 --> 00:23:28,520
Speaker 2: Hey, mike Wan Soto is forever a part of National's history.

516
00:23:29,200 --> 00:23:31,720
Speaker 2: You guys made a really really big offer to him

517
00:23:31,880 --> 00:23:35,040
Speaker 2: several years back. What was your reaction, you know, a

518
00:23:35,040 --> 00:23:39,280
Speaker 2: few months ago when you saw the final number for him.

519
00:23:39,800 --> 00:23:42,600
Speaker 1: Yeah, you're you're only worth with someone's willing to give

520
00:23:42,600 --> 00:23:45,960
Speaker 1: you someone wanted to give. Thought one was worth you know,

521
00:23:46,080 --> 00:23:48,159
Speaker 1: seven fifty and and he took it. He's one of

522
00:23:48,200 --> 00:23:49,359
Speaker 1: the great players in the game.

523
00:23:49,760 --> 00:23:50,360
Speaker 5: I love him.

524
00:23:50,560 --> 00:23:53,680
Speaker 1: Uh, I I brag about that. Was the first one

525
00:23:53,680 --> 00:23:55,400
Speaker 1: to sign him for you know, for a lot less

526
00:23:55,440 --> 00:23:57,679
Speaker 1: than that. When he was sixteen years old, he turned into.

527
00:23:57,680 --> 00:23:59,720
Speaker 5: Offered hundred million or whatever it was.

528
00:23:59,720 --> 00:24:03,000
Speaker 1: Right, Yeah, we did, and uh and uh, but I

529
00:24:03,080 --> 00:24:05,080
Speaker 1: like the first sign when we were sixteen, we offered

530
00:24:05,119 --> 00:24:07,600
Speaker 1: him some money. We got him to sign, and we

531
00:24:07,720 --> 00:24:10,080
Speaker 1: developed him and he turned into a star before our

532
00:24:10,160 --> 00:24:13,600
Speaker 1: very eyes, you know, culminated in in a World championship

533
00:24:13,720 --> 00:24:16,399
Speaker 1: and uh, you know, uh, Juan and I will always

534
00:24:16,440 --> 00:24:19,480
Speaker 1: have that. So got nothing but fond memories for him.

535
00:24:19,800 --> 00:24:21,280
Speaker 1: Now we want to you know, we want to stick

536
00:24:21,280 --> 00:24:23,120
Speaker 1: it to him when we play when we played the Mets,

537
00:24:23,160 --> 00:24:25,040
Speaker 1: you know, one hundred and fifty times a year, it

538
00:24:25,080 --> 00:24:28,080
Speaker 1: seems like, but we'll be seeing a lot of Wan

539
00:24:28,200 --> 00:24:30,720
Speaker 1: and uh and but one of the one of the

540
00:24:30,760 --> 00:24:31,760
Speaker 1: great young men in the game.

541
00:24:32,560 --> 00:24:35,520
Speaker 2: The other part of that storyline, Mike, for me is

542
00:24:35,680 --> 00:24:39,280
Speaker 2: when Soto faces a team that has many players that

543
00:24:39,440 --> 00:24:43,080
Speaker 2: were received in that trade with the Padres. So what

544
00:24:43,200 --> 00:24:45,119
Speaker 2: have been your thoughts on the way that trade has

545
00:24:45,160 --> 00:24:46,320
Speaker 2: worked out for your franchise.

546
00:24:47,400 --> 00:24:49,520
Speaker 1: Well, I think it worked out great for both sides.

547
00:24:49,560 --> 00:24:51,960
Speaker 1: You know, the Padres, you know, we're aggressive. They got

548
00:24:51,960 --> 00:24:54,040
Speaker 1: what they wanted to get, and we, you know, we

549
00:24:54,040 --> 00:24:57,960
Speaker 1: were we were in the market to uh to get

550
00:24:59,240 --> 00:25:02,040
Speaker 1: a bevy of aspects for him, and I thought we

551
00:25:02,040 --> 00:25:04,760
Speaker 1: we did a good job. I mean, you look at

552
00:25:04,160 --> 00:25:08,280
Speaker 1: the the talent level of the guys that we received back.

553
00:25:08,960 --> 00:25:11,200
Speaker 1: I still think we're you know, we're still they're still

554
00:25:11,240 --> 00:25:14,600
Speaker 1: bearing fruit. But I see, I think everyone sees the

555
00:25:14,600 --> 00:25:17,600
Speaker 1: the skills set, the tool set, and UH and the

556
00:25:18,040 --> 00:25:20,480
Speaker 1: and the the impact they have on our roster each

557
00:25:20,520 --> 00:25:22,680
Speaker 1: and every day. And when you know, you get five

558
00:25:22,720 --> 00:25:26,720
Speaker 1: good players and a big leader that that they threw

559
00:25:26,760 --> 00:25:30,000
Speaker 1: in uh for for a guy, that's really all you

560
00:25:30,000 --> 00:25:32,919
Speaker 1: can ask for. And UH when when you trade a

561
00:25:32,920 --> 00:25:36,199
Speaker 1: guy like Juan Soto at his age, with his with

562
00:25:36,280 --> 00:25:39,119
Speaker 1: his service time and control left, you better get a

563
00:25:39,119 --> 00:25:42,000
Speaker 1: good a good haul for him and uh and oftentimes

564
00:25:42,200 --> 00:25:44,120
Speaker 1: no matter what you get for him, it's not enough.

565
00:25:44,200 --> 00:25:46,639
Speaker 1: But we think that we did. We did as good

566
00:25:46,680 --> 00:25:50,080
Speaker 1: a job as you could do trading uh a a

567
00:25:50,119 --> 00:25:51,280
Speaker 1: superstar like jan.

568
00:25:51,200 --> 00:25:53,760
Speaker 5: So, okay, last one and we're gonna let you go

569
00:25:53,760 --> 00:25:55,960
Speaker 5: because you have a lot of work to do. Yes, No,

570
00:25:56,200 --> 00:25:56,520
Speaker 5: you can't.

571
00:25:56,560 --> 00:25:58,720
Speaker 6: You can't say, Frank Thomas only since you've been with

572
00:25:58,760 --> 00:26:02,040
Speaker 6: the Nats, best player you've drafted or signed, because you've

573
00:26:02,040 --> 00:26:07,520
Speaker 6: got You've got Harper Strasburg was really good when he

574
00:26:07,560 --> 00:26:11,199
Speaker 6: was healthy. I mean, Rendon, there's there's a lot of

575
00:26:11,240 --> 00:26:13,600
Speaker 6: swan So do we just mentioned so the best in

576
00:26:13,680 --> 00:26:16,159
Speaker 6: the national era of you? Who do you think is

577
00:26:16,160 --> 00:26:17,960
Speaker 6: the best player that you've drafted or signed.

578
00:26:18,760 --> 00:26:21,680
Speaker 1: Well, well, it's uh, Harp's won a couple m v

579
00:26:21,800 --> 00:26:27,720
Speaker 1: P since then. Juan's been great. Rendon was fabulous for

580
00:26:27,840 --> 00:26:31,320
Speaker 1: us for six years. I drafted Sersier back in the day.

581
00:26:31,400 --> 00:26:34,960
Speaker 1: He's got three s. Trey was a trade, but he

582
00:26:35,119 --> 00:26:37,280
Speaker 1: was he was unbelievable before.

583
00:26:37,280 --> 00:26:39,359
Speaker 6: You really drafted him, because he traded for him, like

584
00:26:39,560 --> 00:26:41,800
Speaker 6: before he even played a game where we already traded

585
00:26:41,840 --> 00:26:42,160
Speaker 6: for him.

586
00:26:42,240 --> 00:26:45,880
Speaker 1: Yeah, you know, it's uh, you know, I always get

587
00:26:45,880 --> 00:26:47,720
Speaker 1: to ask this question, you know, the Mount rushmore of

588
00:26:47,760 --> 00:26:50,440
Speaker 1: the Nationals and and all that stuff. But uh, but

589
00:26:50,720 --> 00:26:52,600
Speaker 1: we know we've we've run We've run a lot of

590
00:26:52,600 --> 00:26:56,320
Speaker 1: superstars through this organization. Uh. And when you say, you

591
00:26:56,400 --> 00:26:58,760
Speaker 1: know the guys that I've signed, it's a wee thing here.

592
00:26:58,840 --> 00:27:01,800
Speaker 1: It's you know, it's never it's never me, it's us.

593
00:27:01,840 --> 00:27:04,600
Speaker 1: And uh, I a lot of times just put the

594
00:27:04,640 --> 00:27:06,720
Speaker 1: final you know, they get me to the two yard

595
00:27:06,760 --> 00:27:08,200
Speaker 1: line and I go over the I go over the

596
00:27:08,280 --> 00:27:10,360
Speaker 1: for the touchdown. But we had a lot of great

597
00:27:10,359 --> 00:27:13,600
Speaker 1: players here and we're pick one. I'm going to pick

598
00:27:14,280 --> 00:27:18,480
Speaker 1: I'm not going to pick one one.

599
00:27:18,520 --> 00:27:18,840
Speaker 5: Wesh.

600
00:27:19,080 --> 00:27:22,160
Speaker 1: Well, you know, uh, you know the cy young winners

601
00:27:22,200 --> 00:27:25,520
Speaker 1: that I've had, you know, mad Max I. Uh, and

602
00:27:25,560 --> 00:27:30,280
Speaker 1: then you sign them draft. We're paying them. We'll pay

603
00:27:30,359 --> 00:27:33,280
Speaker 1: them for a couple more years. Brandon Webb was a

604
00:27:33,280 --> 00:27:36,320
Speaker 1: cy young winner. He was filthy, he was filthy. Uh.

605
00:27:36,560 --> 00:27:38,760
Speaker 1: Strauss was great, Jordan Zimmerman was great.

606
00:27:39,040 --> 00:27:39,200
Speaker 5: Uh.

607
00:27:39,480 --> 00:27:40,920
Speaker 1: You know, we've had we've had a lot of We've

608
00:27:40,920 --> 00:27:42,960
Speaker 1: been lucky here. We've we've done we've done some good.

609
00:27:42,840 --> 00:27:45,760
Speaker 6: Things at Bryser How about this Brayser.

610
00:27:45,440 --> 00:27:48,919
Speaker 1: One Bryser one, I'm going to say it's a tie.

611
00:27:49,040 --> 00:27:53,440
Speaker 1: Oh my god, really talking about two time m v

612
00:27:53,560 --> 00:27:55,960
Speaker 1: P and uh and uh, you know, one of the

613
00:27:56,160 --> 00:27:57,920
Speaker 1: one of the best hitters on the planet to to

614
00:27:57,920 --> 00:28:00,920
Speaker 1: this day. So I I couldn't. I couldn't. I couldn't

615
00:28:00,960 --> 00:28:01,720
Speaker 1: decide between the two.

616
00:28:01,800 --> 00:28:02,960
Speaker 5: Got a great resume, I really could.

617
00:28:03,119 --> 00:28:04,520
Speaker 6: Listen, you've got a great I mean we didn't even

618
00:28:04,560 --> 00:28:07,040
Speaker 6: talk about Frank Thomas. I wouldn't let him because he

619
00:28:07,040 --> 00:28:09,840
Speaker 6: did sign Frank Thomas, so I can't even include that

620
00:28:09,920 --> 00:28:11,520
Speaker 6: in the conversation. I mean, it was a first ballot

621
00:28:11,560 --> 00:28:13,200
Speaker 6: Hall of Famer along with some of those other guys.

622
00:28:13,200 --> 00:28:15,080
Speaker 6: So you've had a nice run. Thank you very much,

623
00:28:15,200 --> 00:28:16,760
Speaker 6: che for joining US, and good luck to them as

624
00:28:16,800 --> 00:28:17,520
Speaker 6: it's pleasure.

625
00:28:17,600 --> 00:28:21,840
Speaker 1: Thank you, Thanks Mike, good to see it. Thanks guys,