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Speaker 1: Welcome into North Side Territory. Foul Territory Networks. Cubs podcast

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Speaker 1: totally lost track of my my.

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Speaker 2: I'm Ron Burgundy, I'm Saani Patrick Mooney.

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Speaker 1: We are your Cubs beat writers for the Athletic. Uh.

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Speaker 1: We we just wear the same clothes, Okay, day after day.

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Speaker 1: This is a different day, different different podcasts altogether. Just

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Speaker 1: because we're wearing the same clothes, it does not mean

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Speaker 1: we just recorded back to back podcast.

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Speaker 3: Come on now, people. Uh we did.

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Speaker 2: Over questions.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, we we sent out well Patrick sent out

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Speaker 1: the bat signal. Uh you all responded, we got we

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Speaker 1: got too many questions. So maybe we'll do another uh

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Speaker 1: mail bag later in the week again. Uh, we'll change

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Speaker 1: for that episode.

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Speaker 3: Okay. Uh.

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Speaker 2: A lot of logistical issues too, if you you're coming

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Speaker 2: down to Arizona soon and I'm leaving Arizona soon. So

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Speaker 2: I was actually doing the sort of math today joking

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Speaker 2: with one of our colleagues that I think I may

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Speaker 2: not actually see you in person until like April fourth

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Speaker 2: at the uh Wriggley opener, because me and Japan one

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Speaker 2: of us will be in Arizona. Yeah, and then yeah,

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Speaker 2: maybe the Wriggly open.

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Speaker 3: So yeah, Okay, well we'll see.

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Speaker 2: That ye black each other on slack and yeah you

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Speaker 2: constantly but not actually first.

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Speaker 1: All right, so you guys delivered with good questions. We'll

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Speaker 1: get to some of them to today and and hopefully

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Speaker 1: more uh you know later this week.

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Speaker 3: We'll see, we'll see. I think, uh, you guys, you.

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Speaker 1: Know there's some frustration, but but also some legit excitement. Uh.

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Speaker 1: This one is I think a good question from Tyler

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Speaker 1: Dershel what options are there for first or third if

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Speaker 1: shar Bush get hurt. Seems like depth is still an

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Speaker 1: issue for this team. I'm going to start off by

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Speaker 1: saying a couple things, which is, I think.

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Speaker 3: We got a few questions like this.

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Speaker 1: The depth can't be like superstars or like really good players,

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Speaker 1: Like that's just not like that's not realistic, right because

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Speaker 1: I'm not saying Tyler saying that, But there were some

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Speaker 1: questions where like what if these guys get hurt. Yeah,

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Speaker 1: if guys get hurt, the people that you're replacing them with,

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Speaker 1: in all likelihood are not going to be as good.

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Speaker 3: Like it's just not.

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Speaker 1: But you do need better depth. Absolutely. John Birdie is

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Speaker 1: a quality depth piece. I know he's not a big name.

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Speaker 1: I know he's not exciting, but that's kind of what

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Speaker 1: depth is.

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Speaker 3: Like. Depth is a guy like John.

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Speaker 1: Birdie and he can play third, He's played a little

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Speaker 1: first right now. That is i'd say number one depth

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Speaker 1: piece right at third at and I guess first right now.

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Speaker 1: But also I mean then you have like gauge workmen.

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Speaker 1: We have no clue what he is outside of we

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Speaker 1: know he's a good defender, right Vidal Bruhan question mark,

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Speaker 1: big question mark right, former top prospect. I think he's

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Speaker 1: lower on the depth chart right now when you have Birdie.

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Speaker 1: Other than that, you know Nicky Lopez solid depth piece, fine,

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Speaker 1: and that's fine, you know, experienced guy. But Patrick, there's

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Speaker 1: there could be more coming right like this isn't they're not.

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Speaker 1: It doesn't seem like they're done. At least there's a

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Speaker 1: chance to add some more depth as far as backups

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Speaker 1: at these spots too.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, Tyler, I think your concern is shared by the

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Speaker 2: front office, the manager, and the coaching staff. Look, Justin

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Speaker 2: Turner is a name that we've heard a couple of

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Speaker 2: different times. Postpregnant. The Cubs have looked at a variety

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Speaker 2: of names. From what I'm told, I don't know if

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Speaker 2: Justin Turner can like legit play third base anymore. Buddy

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Speaker 2: would be a nice partner from Mike Michael Bush at

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Speaker 2: first base. He can DH and he's strung together like

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Speaker 2: several solid seasons in his late thirties, and he's interested

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Speaker 2: in Chicago. The idea of the Cubs in Wrigley Field

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Speaker 2: kind of kind of got mixed signals on Jose Glecias

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Speaker 2: I'd mentioned that earlier of like I mean, had been

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Speaker 2: a fantastic defender earlier in his career. This like amazing

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Speaker 2: energy presence with the Mets, you know, his offensive profile.

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Speaker 2: Like no team, no analytically driven team, is going to

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Speaker 2: be like yes to that very much. I'm sure looking

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Speaker 2: at their IVY calculations, like not sure how strong the

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Speaker 2: interest is on either side. But Glaciers is a name

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Speaker 2: that you know, has kind of been on the radar.

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Speaker 2: One thing that popped up as well, like Alexander Canario

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Speaker 2: trying our first base. I think Uncle said, like, do

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Speaker 2: not make a story out of this, like this is

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Speaker 2: just kind of trying something out for a guy who's

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Speaker 2: out of minor league options.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, I was about to say no options, Like yeah, that.

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Speaker 2: Could be a way to help them make the team

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Speaker 2: or stay on the team in general, in terms of

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Speaker 2: like the bench council addressed us like look cubs out

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Speaker 2: like a essentially roll out the same line of every day.

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Speaker 2: There's not a ton of like platoon mix the match pieces.

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Speaker 2: It's very much like this is the core. I mean,

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Speaker 2: that's why Alex Bregman was viewed internally as such an

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Speaker 2: ideal fit for this roster. But I will say the

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Speaker 2: depth piece that is very nice is if Nico Horner

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Speaker 2: gets back to being able to play shortstop like that

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Speaker 2: is a huge deal for him, his future value, his

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Speaker 2: his career wherever it goes. And also in case something

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Speaker 2: happens to Dansby that they could plug him in. And

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Speaker 2: I think that's another The idea of depth will also

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Speaker 2: pop up with Saya Suzuki. I think we'll probably get

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Speaker 2: into that later, but like he's the DH now, but

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Speaker 2: we'll see if everyone can post, you know, for one

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Speaker 2: hundred and fifty games or wherever.

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Speaker 1: His council said anything about backup centerfielder, is that Canario

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Speaker 1: at the moment.

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Speaker 2: That is a good question. I mean Carnario was last

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Speaker 2: year and that was a guy they had talked about

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Speaker 2: like if we don't sign Bellinger, you know, let's put

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Speaker 2: Canario out there. I think Sale will work in left.

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Speaker 2: That was an another thing that came out that like

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Speaker 2: he can only play right, like and only give Tuger

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Speaker 2: days off there that you know he'll see some some

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Speaker 2: time in the corners. I mean, John Birdie's depth. You

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Speaker 2: can play the outfield as well. I think he has

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Speaker 2: played center field. I don't know if you really feel

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Speaker 2: that comfortable plugging him in, but yeah, I mean Tyler's right,

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Speaker 2: I mean so out of you said it before, like

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Speaker 2: a lot is riding on the Matt Shaws and the

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Speaker 2: pre Co Armstrongs and the Michael Bushes of this roster,

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Speaker 2: no doubt.

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Speaker 1: Right, So I just want to give some numbers here,

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Speaker 1: Like Justin Turner is a really quality bench bat.

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Speaker 3: If he's going to be your bench bat, you know,

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Speaker 3: like he'll be forty.

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Speaker 1: He played one hundred and thirty nine games last year,

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Speaker 1: five hundred and thirty nine polate appearances, and had a

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Speaker 1: one to seventeen way to runs great a plus. That's

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Speaker 1: I mean, that's like it's really quality. And if you're

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Speaker 1: a part time player and you give them that, it's

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Speaker 1: great like that. That is just a great player to

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Speaker 1: have on your bench, great veteran to have on your bench.

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Speaker 1: If you can get him three hund undred played appearances

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Speaker 1: or something like that, I think.

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Speaker 3: You'd be thrilled.

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Speaker 1: Jose Iglesias had an insane season last year, a one

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Speaker 1: thirty seven way to runs great A plus. He's always

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Speaker 1: been a great defender career high according to Fangrafts two

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Speaker 1: point five war. Okay, but he's not that type of

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Speaker 1: offensive player. That's not happening again three eighty two Babbitt,

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Speaker 1: Like it's just not happening again, right, I mean, really

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Speaker 1: good defender.

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Speaker 3: You know you're what you're getting with the glove.

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Speaker 1: My guess is that offense goes back to what it's

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Speaker 1: been pretty much for his career, which is like his

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Speaker 1: career is ninety way to runs great A plus, so

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Speaker 1: below average bat. You know, I know Council loves offense,

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Speaker 1: I mean loves defense and will play a guy if

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Speaker 1: you know, purely for their defense. I don't know, I

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Speaker 1: think you want like I think i'd like to see

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Speaker 1: a bench bat like Turner. I that's just my thought

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Speaker 1: on this. You did you missed out on Bregman. I

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Speaker 1: think Turner's a really good fit for what the team

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Speaker 1: needs coming off the bench.

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Speaker 3: I really like what he could bring.

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Speaker 1: I don't know if they can get that done, but

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Speaker 1: I think that would be like a really, really nice ad.

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Speaker 3: I'd be impressed if they could pull that off.

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Speaker 1: Before we get to a few more questions, let's take

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Speaker 1: All right, let's get back to some of these questions,

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Speaker 1: A lot of Jed questions, right what's up with Jed

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Speaker 1: and Ricketts?

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Speaker 3: Essentially what's the deal.

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Speaker 1: With from cubnach here we have After hearing Jed's comments

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Speaker 1: after missing on Bregman, I started wondering, are the Rickets

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Speaker 1: restricting Jed on twenty twenty five payroll or future obligations

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Speaker 1: after his contract expires?

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Speaker 3: What do you think on that, Patrick, I.

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Speaker 2: Mean, there's clearly limitations on the twenty twenty five payroll.

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Speaker 2: I don't think that's necessarily a statement on Jed as

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Speaker 2: much as the Cups thinking that, you know, almost three

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Speaker 2: million people show up at Wrigleyfield no matter what, they

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Speaker 2: got a team on paper that should win between eighty

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Speaker 2: five and ninety games, and that this payroll is pretty

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Speaker 2: similar to what it was last year before Bellinger I

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Speaker 2: mean that's what I heard loud and clear, that it took,

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Speaker 2: you know, an appeal or a presentation to ownership to

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Speaker 2: get the Bellinger deal done. I do think the future obligations,

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Speaker 2: there's a couple of things going on there, like the

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Speaker 2: CBA expiring after twenty twenty six. That is something the

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Speaker 2: Cups have is certainly on their radar. I don't know

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Speaker 2: if it's like determinative or like an absolute sort of

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Speaker 2: like rule, but if you look at it, I think

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Speaker 2: Dansby is the only guy on true. Yes, yes, that's right,

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Speaker 2: that's right, that's right. Showdo We'll see what happens after

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Speaker 2: this year. There's a couple of different ways I basically

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Speaker 2: showed to Dansby Jed was not authorized to get off

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Speaker 2: of bregmant a fifth or a sixth year. I think

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Speaker 2: Jed's status is like a little bit of a factor there.

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Speaker 2: But again I don't like I think they trust Jed.

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Speaker 2: I think that he's running the team the way they want.

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Speaker 2: It's just that they don't. They don't like to go long,

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Speaker 2: they don't like to reset the market. Their only way

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Speaker 2: they use deferred money in the sense of like mutual

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Speaker 2: options or a payment a portion of a signing bonus.

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Speaker 2: But you know, the financial mechanisms given to baseball operations

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Speaker 2: are not like that, you know, overwhelming. I would say,

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Speaker 2: it's like a payroll that's bigger than everyone else in

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Speaker 2: the nash League Central, not really commensurate with market size

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Speaker 2: or keeping up with sort of baseball inflation when you

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Speaker 2: look at where they were in twenty nineteen. So right,

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Speaker 2: that's I don't know, what do you think where do

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Speaker 2: you think they're they're at? Yeah?

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Speaker 3: I mean like, so, I don't know what it is.

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Speaker 1: Was it the twenty eighteen season where they kept spending, right,

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Speaker 1: they went out and got Moro Garbish and and who's

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Speaker 1: who's a third one?

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Speaker 3: My picture?

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Speaker 1: It was the Rockies picture while Chatwood, yeah Chatwood. They

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Speaker 1: got three guys and none of them impacted the team

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Speaker 1: and they still won ninety five games. It seemed like

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Speaker 1: there was kind of a cutoff there where Ricketts wasn't

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Speaker 1: thrilled with the return on investment of those free agents,

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Speaker 1: like bought into the you know, free agency is inefficient. Yes,

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Speaker 1: it is the most inefficient way, a very inefficient way

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Speaker 1: to build a team and kind of turned off the

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Speaker 1: money spigot.

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Speaker 3: Was it just Covid was.

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Speaker 1: It, you know that did that kind of change his

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Speaker 1: thinking with spending.

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Speaker 3: I think it's a combination of things.

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Speaker 1: And I think, yeah, like someone asked, like, how much

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Speaker 1: did the world winning the World Series change the thinking?

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Speaker 1: I think all of those impacted this what's happening now.

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Speaker 1: I don't think there's some like huge fissure here between

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Speaker 1: Jed and Tom. I think it's the reality of the situation.

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Speaker 1: And I think Jed came into the job kind of

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Speaker 1: knowing the situation, and maybe it gets frustrating at times

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Speaker 1: when you're constantly saying, like, you know, there's more that

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Speaker 1: we can do. We should leverage the power that we have,

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Speaker 1: the financial might that we have, and they're not Like

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Speaker 1: if they're at two ten and it takes special presentations

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Speaker 1: to get two forty for special players, it's kind of

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Speaker 1: silly in my opinion, right, And it's his money and

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Speaker 1: he gets to do what he wants with it.

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Speaker 3: It's his team.

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Speaker 1: So like there're people have asked like a bunch of

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Speaker 1: different things, like the CBA thing is not I don't

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Speaker 1: think it's just limited to the Cubs. Someone was saying, like,

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Speaker 1: why are the Cubs only team that are so worried

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Speaker 1: about the CBA. Why is Rickets so worried? No, no, no, no,

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Speaker 1: this is this is most teams that aren't named the

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Speaker 1: Los Angeles Dodgers in New York mets like they're all

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Speaker 1: thinking about this because what they want is to have

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Speaker 1: in place is a salary cap or some sort of

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Speaker 1: space or to.

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Speaker 2: Know the you know, the rules. They want to know

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Speaker 2: the rules.

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Speaker 1: In general, right, right, because there's a feeling that spending

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Speaker 1: could be curtailed in some way.

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Speaker 3: Right.

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Speaker 1: There is a feeling that, you know, if we don't

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Speaker 1: have to spend this money, you know, why why spend it?

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Speaker 1: Maybe the rules will be an owner's favor in some

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Speaker 1: way where they they can get a star without having

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Speaker 1: to think about a four hundred million, five hundred million

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Speaker 1: dollar contract. Right now, that could mean a couple of

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Speaker 1: years without some of these teams signing one of those

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Speaker 1: four hundred and five hundred million talents like Kyle Ducker.

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Speaker 1: But that's just the reality that it looks like we're facing, right.

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Speaker 1: I don't think it's a cub specific thing. I think

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Speaker 1: it's an owner's looking for ways to like, Okay, what

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Speaker 1: what's it going to look like in two years?

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Speaker 3: What's the landscape gonna look like? Do I not?

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Speaker 1: Am I spending this money foolishly? And I don't have

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Speaker 1: to sign this guy to a huge contract, and then

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Speaker 1: I can go after big free agents after the CBA,

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Speaker 1: you know, after that's done. I'm kind of speculating there.

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Speaker 1: I haven't heard specifics on like the exact thinking, but

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Speaker 1: that like that kind of adds up.

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Speaker 3: They're they're looking for ways to curtail spending. We know.

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Speaker 1: That's what the issue is with the CBA, Like what

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Speaker 1: they're going to beout heads about.

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Speaker 2: I mean, just two kind of historical comps here of

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Speaker 2: like just a general feeling we know, like whatever sort

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Speaker 2: of thing is going on or like a trend or

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Speaker 2: an idea going on in baseball. Usually the Cubs like

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Speaker 2: take it to an extreme right of some of the

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Speaker 2: like conservative risk averse, like cost cutting, budget conscious stuff.

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Speaker 2: Cubs usually take it to a degree that other organizations don't.

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Speaker 2: That is just kind of a gut feel. That's kind

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Speaker 2: of my read on it. The others like when THEO

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Speaker 2: got here, you know, that new CBA kicked in and

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Speaker 2: it totally changed his game plan or like severely curtailed

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Speaker 2: something he wanted to do. He wanted to do what

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Speaker 2: they did in Boston of like just blowing it out

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Speaker 2: in the draft and internationally, and all of a sudden

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Speaker 2: there were restrictions and that had to change their strategy

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Speaker 2: in a major dramatic way. And so no one knows

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Speaker 2: what the next labor deal will look like or you know,

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Speaker 2: it's probably wishful thinking ownership's part in terms of what

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Speaker 2: they were getting.

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Speaker 3: Ont they're not getting a cat.

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Speaker 2: But like you would like to know the rules right

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Speaker 2: like before you So it's not it's not totally you know,

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Speaker 2: crazy to like be aware of that.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, no, I mean it is. It's it's an inconvenience

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Speaker 1: for fans. Certainly. I get the frustration there, and and

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Speaker 1: I saw some people kind of like suggesting the opposite, right,

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Speaker 1: like they shouldn't spend money, Like why are you demanding

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Speaker 1: that they spend all this money or that they spend

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Speaker 1: on free agents. The argument isn't that they shouldn't build

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Speaker 1: with youth or they shouldn't you know, draft and develop,

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Speaker 1: Like it's about doing all of it, Like that's the thing,

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Speaker 1: Like that is the advantage of being a big market

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Speaker 1: team with a smart front office. You should do it

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Speaker 1: all like the Mets aren't just going to spend money.

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Speaker 1: The reason they brought David Stearns in is to revamp

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Speaker 1: the front office and and have a draft and development

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Speaker 1: machine like the Brewers did, and then they spend. That's

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Speaker 1: what Andrew Friedman did, took that what he didn't Tampa Bay.

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Speaker 1: He's doing the draft and development. They're a machine and

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Speaker 1: they spend, and like, that's what you want. That's what

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Speaker 1: fans should want, Like spend, don't just spend? Do it

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Speaker 1: all the Cubs can, Like that's the argument. It's not

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Speaker 1: just spend, only spend and do that and do nothing

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Speaker 1: else is not the argument. Like I want to see

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Speaker 1: Matt Shaw play. If Bregman would have come, great, but

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Speaker 1: Matt Shaw's fun peek or Armstrong great. I'm glad he's

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Speaker 1: getting every day burn and center field. You know, like

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Speaker 1: there there is a way to do both, and we

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Speaker 1: can see it on both coasts. The Cubs should be

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Speaker 1: able to do it as well. Here's a question on

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Speaker 1: Saya's zuki. I think this is I'm really curious on

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Speaker 1: what you have to say here because I wasn't there,

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Speaker 1: so I don't have full feel for it. How valuable

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Speaker 1: can say it be as a DH. I'll that's an

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Speaker 1: interesting question because defensive value isn't their thoughts on the

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Speaker 1: disconnect between him and council. I want to know your

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Speaker 1: thoughts there. What did you feel? If I can just say,

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Speaker 1: like from what I read, it felt like Counsel was

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Speaker 1: going out of his way to kind of say, like

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Speaker 1: to kind of take some heat there and and make

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Speaker 1: sure that it's like this is my fault. I should

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Speaker 1: have communicated more and be like the I'm the manager.

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Speaker 3: It's all on me.

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Speaker 1: I take the blame, not some like huge like wedge

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Speaker 1: issue between the two that like can't be resolved, or

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Speaker 1: like counsel had major screw up. How could he not

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Speaker 1: talk to this guy and communicate with this guy? Kind

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Speaker 1: of felt like that's and I'm not there, so I

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Speaker 1: didn't get the full feel of it. Well, why don't

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Speaker 1: you tell me and tell the listeners what what what

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Speaker 1: you got from that?

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Speaker 2: I think you're right to an extent of like when

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Speaker 2: the manager uses the word lazy to describe himself, like

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Speaker 2: that's a quote that's going to catch anyone's attention. I

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Speaker 2: don't know if it's like council versus Saya as much

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Speaker 2: as counsel is the one who kind of has to

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Speaker 2: deal with Saya because Saya would rather not be a

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Speaker 2: time And this all took place against the backdrop of

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Speaker 2: the Cubs firing Saya's translator in the middle of last season,

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Speaker 2: which both Saya and council said that personal decision was

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Speaker 2: like unrelated to any sort of issue between them, but

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Speaker 2: it was curious. Then you had Saya's agent, Joel Wolff

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Speaker 2: at the winter meetings after his Rokie Sazaki press conference,

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Speaker 2: is asked about Say and says, oh, yeah, you know,

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Speaker 2: I mean Jed's approached us about, you know, teams where

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Speaker 2: he might approve a trade to when he has a

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Speaker 2: no trade clause. And I think Joel said that was

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Speaker 2: a very small universe. So that has been kind of

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Speaker 2: just out there. And then you have Joel also saying,

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Speaker 2: you know, when Say was coming over from Japan, the

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Speaker 2: team told him he was going to be a full

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Speaker 2: time DH, he probably wouldn't have signed there. So you

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Speaker 2: have those things that the Cubs Saya all have to

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Speaker 2: sort of piece together. And again, like Saya is extremely talented,

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Speaker 2: a tires worker, is well liked by his teammates, So no,

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Speaker 2: it's not like it's some sort of you know, enormous

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Speaker 2: clubhouse distraction. But there's like a lot of stuff going

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Speaker 2: on here. And oh, by the way, like they spent

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Speaker 2: roughly one hundred million dollars, They invested a one hundred

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Speaker 2: million dollars roughly in say it to be a huge

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Speaker 2: part of the next great Cubs team. Cubs have not

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Speaker 2: made the playoffs during that time. He has not played

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Speaker 2: like one hundred and fifty games. He's not been an

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Speaker 2: All Star. He's been good, No doubt Saya is good.

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Speaker 2: But I think what what council said to Saya, what

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Speaker 2: he repeat to us was like, people think there's more

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Speaker 2: in there, because I think you can do it. And

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Speaker 2: like we've were talking about depth and have the Cubs

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Speaker 2: seem kind of thin certain areas, Like I mean, you've

408
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Speaker 2: been writing this like from the jump, like you look

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Speaker 2: at certain traits of say, you look at stretches where

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Speaker 2: he's produced, like they need that monster season from him,

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Speaker 2: and like so all of this stuff going on to

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Speaker 2: me made it a really interesting just dynamic to present

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Speaker 2: the beginning of spring training and then we'll see what happens.

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Speaker 1: Right and how valuable can he be as a DH

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Speaker 1: I think that's just like kind of you touched on it,

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Speaker 1: Like council, the team, everyone, like the organization. They believe

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Speaker 1: he has like a really high ceiling as an offensive player,

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Speaker 1: right if like no defensive value from him, like he

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Speaker 1: if he can scratch that potential, which is like I

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Speaker 1: just quickly looked it up. One fifty way to runs

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Speaker 1: created plus from August first on that was one point

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Speaker 1: six war. You do that for six months, that's almost

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Speaker 1: five war according to Fangres. That's awesome just from a

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Speaker 1: DH that's really good if you're getting just offensive value,

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Speaker 1: I mean a one fifty way to run screat at

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Speaker 1: plus is gonna get you MVP votes, you know, like

427
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Speaker 1: that's an All Star and that's one of the best

428
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Speaker 1: offensive players in the game. Like that's so if he

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Speaker 1: can be that guy, I don't know, like I want to.

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Speaker 3: See the consistency.

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Speaker 1: I want to see, like I really wish you wouldn't

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Speaker 1: have gotten hurt that at that point when he did,

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Speaker 1: like he was crushing the ball last year and I

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Speaker 1: just remember watching his spring and being like, if he

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Speaker 1: brings this into the season, this guy's a freak. Like

436
00:24:38,440 --> 00:24:42,560
Speaker 1: everything was being hit at like insane velocity. It was

437
00:24:42,560 --> 00:24:44,320
Speaker 1: fun to watch it in the spring, and I thought

438
00:24:44,359 --> 00:24:45,680
Speaker 1: he was going to carry it into the season, and

439
00:24:45,800 --> 00:24:48,600
Speaker 1: the injury kind of slowed everything down. But he's an

440
00:24:48,640 --> 00:24:51,760
Speaker 1: impactful offensive talent and there's no doubt about that. He

441
00:24:51,800 --> 00:24:53,800
Speaker 1: needs to stay on the field, stay healthy, and deliver

442
00:24:53,880 --> 00:24:56,360
Speaker 1: a full season. And then I think you have this

443
00:24:57,040 --> 00:25:00,320
Speaker 1: really talented one two punch in him and Tucker, and

444
00:25:00,760 --> 00:25:02,160
Speaker 1: we'll see who else develops.

445
00:25:02,160 --> 00:25:04,639
Speaker 3: Who else? I mean, I like you and half in

446
00:25:04,680 --> 00:25:05,880
Speaker 3: the sense that he's a.

447
00:25:06,000 --> 00:25:09,960
Speaker 1: Really consistent, solid piece, and then you have talent all

448
00:25:09,960 --> 00:25:10,840
Speaker 1: across the diamond.

449
00:25:10,920 --> 00:25:13,280
Speaker 3: It's just who's going to step up and really be

450
00:25:13,320 --> 00:25:14,520
Speaker 3: impactful offensively.

451
00:25:14,880 --> 00:25:16,960
Speaker 1: It has a chance to be a good offense, right,

452
00:25:16,960 --> 00:25:20,040
Speaker 1: and say is a huge part of that. Like the

453
00:25:20,160 --> 00:25:24,320
Speaker 1: key along with Tucker, those two guys have healthy, productive seasons,

454
00:25:24,359 --> 00:25:26,280
Speaker 1: it's going to be a good offense in all likelihood.

455
00:25:27,800 --> 00:25:31,040
Speaker 1: Last question for Mike Taylor, sound, if we basically have

456
00:25:31,160 --> 00:25:34,399
Speaker 1: our team out at spring, what names are the most

457
00:25:34,720 --> 00:25:38,640
Speaker 1: likely to be targeted arm or bat that Like, that's

458
00:25:38,680 --> 00:25:43,520
Speaker 1: a I believe I didn't edit that fully, but I

459
00:25:43,560 --> 00:25:51,320
Speaker 1: believe that's a trade deadline question, right, And look, it's

460
00:25:51,359 --> 00:25:55,320
Speaker 1: impossible to know what they need right right now, and

461
00:25:55,440 --> 00:25:57,879
Speaker 1: we don't know. Like, I think it's really dangerous to

462
00:25:57,920 --> 00:25:59,520
Speaker 1: say these are the teams that are going to be bad,

463
00:25:59,520 --> 00:26:01,680
Speaker 1: because there's going to be four teams that we think

464
00:26:01,720 --> 00:26:04,159
Speaker 1: are great that are gonna stink, and four teams that

465
00:26:04,200 --> 00:26:06,119
Speaker 1: we think stink that are going to be good. Like

466
00:26:06,160 --> 00:26:07,280
Speaker 1: that's just how baseball is.

467
00:26:07,320 --> 00:26:09,080
Speaker 3: It's weird. We can't predict it.

468
00:26:09,080 --> 00:26:11,720
Speaker 1: It was two years ago, twenty twenty three when people

469
00:26:11,720 --> 00:26:14,199
Speaker 1: are like, what's the the Cubs have no chance because

470
00:26:14,240 --> 00:26:16,359
Speaker 1: these six teams are going to make the playoffs and

471
00:26:16,400 --> 00:26:18,280
Speaker 1: no other team has a chance in that now And

472
00:26:18,320 --> 00:26:20,119
Speaker 1: like three of those teams made the playoffs, three of

473
00:26:20,119 --> 00:26:20,720
Speaker 1: them didn't.

474
00:26:20,840 --> 00:26:23,440
Speaker 3: Weren't very good. You know. It's just baseball is like that.

475
00:26:25,520 --> 00:26:30,480
Speaker 1: Reliever, I'll say that, I will right, I will put

476
00:26:30,680 --> 00:26:32,600
Speaker 1: I will put a bet on that right now that

477
00:26:32,680 --> 00:26:35,440
Speaker 1: the Cubs are trading for reliever, if they're in contention

478
00:26:35,760 --> 00:26:38,359
Speaker 1: at the deadline, that that is for sure.

479
00:26:38,560 --> 00:26:40,720
Speaker 2: Yeah, you can take that to the bank. Actually, like

480
00:26:40,840 --> 00:26:42,840
Speaker 2: you had said this a couple episodes ago of kind

481
00:26:42,840 --> 00:26:47,600
Speaker 2: of I forget what wise baseball person told you this,

482
00:26:47,800 --> 00:26:51,440
Speaker 2: but just the idea of like you don't as a reminder,

483
00:26:51,800 --> 00:26:53,000
Speaker 2: you don't know what your needs are going to be

484
00:26:53,040 --> 00:26:55,480
Speaker 2: in June, you know, like we're gonna wrapped up in February.

485
00:26:55,520 --> 00:26:58,080
Speaker 2: It's like, s let this play out a bit. That

486
00:26:58,200 --> 00:27:02,200
Speaker 2: is the spin zone version of missing out on ragmant.

487
00:27:02,320 --> 00:27:02,840
Speaker 3: I don't have.

488
00:27:03,280 --> 00:27:07,000
Speaker 2: Disability for that point that was made to me recently.

489
00:27:07,840 --> 00:27:12,480
Speaker 2: Part of why you know, we don't think the Cubs

490
00:27:12,480 --> 00:27:15,239
Speaker 2: are going to make a major trade is like there

491
00:27:15,240 --> 00:27:17,560
Speaker 2: are many teams that are just flat out not really

492
00:27:17,560 --> 00:27:20,879
Speaker 2: trying this year. It's basically the White Sox they're going

493
00:27:20,960 --> 00:27:23,639
Speaker 2: to be really, really bad, and the Rockies are just

494
00:27:23,720 --> 00:27:26,240
Speaker 2: kind of like a weird organization that they're hard to

495
00:27:26,359 --> 00:27:33,159
Speaker 2: like category are than just they're an odd operation. So like,

496
00:27:35,480 --> 00:27:38,600
Speaker 2: I don't know, would Ryan McMahon makes sense if Matt

497
00:27:38,640 --> 00:27:42,800
Speaker 2: Shaw doesn't you know, pan out, but with the Rockies

498
00:27:42,800 --> 00:27:47,680
Speaker 2: even uh trade him? Uh? You know, I'm curious too,

499
00:27:47,760 --> 00:27:53,600
Speaker 2: Like the Cups pretty healthy and pitched really well in

500
00:27:53,640 --> 00:27:56,200
Speaker 2: the rotation last year, Like is that going to continue?

501
00:27:56,240 --> 00:28:00,480
Speaker 2: I know you're a big weather conspiracy guy. Let's come

502
00:28:00,560 --> 00:28:03,440
Speaker 2: up here in Masa like it could flip the other

503
00:28:03,480 --> 00:28:07,479
Speaker 2: way and all of a sudden needing more of a

504
00:28:07,600 --> 00:28:14,600
Speaker 2: frontline type starter, you know, I'm interested to see, like

505
00:28:15,200 --> 00:28:17,600
Speaker 2: the Blue Jays seem to be approaching that sort of

506
00:28:17,680 --> 00:28:20,520
Speaker 2: like twenty twenty one Cubs, but they don't have the

507
00:28:20,560 --> 00:28:24,520
Speaker 2: World Series title. That's a team to circle in a

508
00:28:24,560 --> 00:28:30,119
Speaker 2: really tough division. You know, the Rais will trade or

509
00:28:30,320 --> 00:28:31,359
Speaker 2: anyone at any time.

510
00:28:31,440 --> 00:28:35,440
Speaker 1: And right, I was about to say that just going

511
00:28:35,480 --> 00:28:37,800
Speaker 1: on the list, you know, I'll give you another team

512
00:28:37,880 --> 00:28:40,240
Speaker 1: that if they're out of it may need a reset

513
00:28:40,400 --> 00:28:41,160
Speaker 1: is Seattle.

514
00:28:41,440 --> 00:28:43,000
Speaker 3: If they if they're struggling, Yeah, I.

515
00:28:43,000 --> 00:28:45,120
Speaker 1: Think they that's a team that could kind of need

516
00:28:45,120 --> 00:28:48,760
Speaker 1: to shake things up. Miami does have pitching if they're healthy,

517
00:28:49,240 --> 00:28:53,240
Speaker 1: it could be interesting there, Padres if they if they struggle,

518
00:28:53,440 --> 00:28:56,480
Speaker 1: they may have to sell just to kind of get

519
00:28:56,560 --> 00:28:59,440
Speaker 1: like move some money right or or like shake things up.

520
00:29:00,560 --> 00:29:02,840
Speaker 1: Outside of that, like it's gonna like you kind of

521
00:29:03,160 --> 00:29:06,920
Speaker 1: eliminate the n L Central teams. There's nobody that like stands.

522
00:29:06,600 --> 00:29:08,400
Speaker 3: Out to me. The Al West is kind of a

523
00:29:08,520 --> 00:29:09,240
Speaker 3: up for grabs.

524
00:29:09,520 --> 00:29:11,880
Speaker 1: Like I said, Seattle is like in this like in

525
00:29:11,960 --> 00:29:14,760
Speaker 1: this like Malaise where it's like they just kind of

526
00:29:14,800 --> 00:29:17,320
Speaker 1: have been there and and they're good, not great.

527
00:29:18,200 --> 00:29:20,640
Speaker 3: So I that's why I kind of circle them. I agree,

528
00:29:20,640 --> 00:29:21,240
Speaker 3: with you on the Rays.

529
00:29:21,280 --> 00:29:23,920
Speaker 1: If the Rays are like one of the most aggressive

530
00:29:23,920 --> 00:29:27,080
Speaker 1: teams in the sense that like if they like if

531
00:29:27,080 --> 00:29:30,239
Speaker 1: they're not in it, they just they know, they know

532
00:29:30,280 --> 00:29:32,840
Speaker 1: how to like they make moves, they shake things up,

533
00:29:32,960 --> 00:29:34,920
Speaker 1: and I think they're gonna be good this year just

534
00:29:34,960 --> 00:29:38,360
Speaker 1: because I don't, like I couldn't name, like I couldn't name.

535
00:29:38,560 --> 00:29:40,520
Speaker 3: A lot of their rotation right now.

536
00:29:40,840 --> 00:29:43,600
Speaker 1: But by mid season, like they're gonna have two All

537
00:29:43,640 --> 00:29:47,440
Speaker 1: Stars in their rotation and like, you know, five top

538
00:29:47,480 --> 00:29:50,240
Speaker 1: prospects that came up that are just like mashing the ball,

539
00:29:51,240 --> 00:29:53,680
Speaker 1: you know, like I think Junior coming Arrows like a stud,

540
00:29:54,240 --> 00:29:55,840
Speaker 1: you know, like all these like they have all these

541
00:29:55,880 --> 00:29:58,160
Speaker 1: guys that are just like really exciting and young, and

542
00:29:58,800 --> 00:30:01,600
Speaker 1: they always you know, they always surprise. So that they

543
00:30:01,600 --> 00:30:04,160
Speaker 1: had an off season last year, so all the more

544
00:30:04,160 --> 00:30:07,840
Speaker 1: reason why I expect the Rays to be back. But yes,

545
00:30:07,920 --> 00:30:09,920
Speaker 1: if they're out of it, they will trade guys and

546
00:30:09,960 --> 00:30:12,400
Speaker 1: they'll be aggressive with it, and they're they're always looking

547
00:30:12,400 --> 00:30:15,040
Speaker 1: to make moves. I like that organization a lot. The

548
00:30:15,040 --> 00:30:18,200
Speaker 1: way they run things and the way they think. It's

549
00:30:18,240 --> 00:30:21,840
Speaker 1: like they're they're very willing to kind of switch on

550
00:30:21,920 --> 00:30:24,240
Speaker 1: a dime. What they need to do, and they're always

551
00:30:24,240 --> 00:30:27,280
Speaker 1: thinking outside the box. Cleveland's kind of a team like

552
00:30:27,320 --> 00:30:30,600
Speaker 1: that too, right, always willing to move guys. Cubs fans

553
00:30:30,760 --> 00:30:33,120
Speaker 1: wouldn't want their teams to behave like that. Like, I

554
00:30:33,160 --> 00:30:34,760
Speaker 1: don't think you should want to do that, but at

555
00:30:34,800 --> 00:30:37,000
Speaker 1: some point you may have to make these tough decisions

556
00:30:37,080 --> 00:30:38,240
Speaker 1: and be creative.

557
00:30:38,600 --> 00:30:40,640
Speaker 3: Maybe that's you know, if Tom Rickets is.

558
00:30:40,560 --> 00:30:44,520
Speaker 1: Going to not spend two hundred and sixty million plus

559
00:30:44,560 --> 00:30:47,320
Speaker 1: every year, then maybe maybe maybe we end up seeing

560
00:30:47,360 --> 00:30:49,120
Speaker 1: some of these types of moves with the Cubs in

561
00:30:49,440 --> 00:30:51,880
Speaker 1: coming years. If not, you know, and if they struggle,

562
00:30:52,000 --> 00:30:54,400
Speaker 1: I mean, who's to say that they're not. We can't

563
00:30:54,440 --> 00:30:57,080
Speaker 1: just assume they're buyers. They have a bunch of.

564
00:30:57,800 --> 00:30:58,400
Speaker 2: You a lot.

565
00:31:00,040 --> 00:31:01,400
Speaker 3: You're right, you're right, you're right.

566
00:31:01,880 --> 00:31:08,520
Speaker 2: To see them out of the playoff race in July, Yeah,

567
00:31:08,520 --> 00:31:11,000
Speaker 2: that would be make a very interesting season for us cover.

568
00:31:11,280 --> 00:31:16,640
Speaker 2: But yeah, I would a highly motivated front office.

569
00:31:16,320 --> 00:31:19,480
Speaker 1: To I agree, you're right, You're yeah, they're gonna have

570
00:31:19,480 --> 00:31:21,680
Speaker 1: to be aggressive. They're gonna have to get creative. If

571
00:31:21,680 --> 00:31:23,920
Speaker 1: they're not, If for some reason, they're out of it,

572
00:31:24,240 --> 00:31:26,960
Speaker 1: all right, Patrick, we maybe we'll have another mail bag

573
00:31:27,000 --> 00:31:30,240
Speaker 1: episode later this week, but that's it for today. Thanks

574
00:31:30,280 --> 00:31:32,320
Speaker 1: so much for listening everyone. Make sure to rate, review,

575
00:31:32,360 --> 00:31:35,760
Speaker 1: and subscribe to north Side Territory, subscribe to the YouTube channel,

576
00:31:35,800 --> 00:31:38,520
Speaker 1: and subscribe to The Athletic where we are on top

577
00:31:38,560 --> 00:31:41,520
Speaker 1: of all things cubs. Thanks so much for listening to everyone.

578
00:31:41,600 --> 00:32:11,600
Speaker 1: Take no, I wived, I lived,