WEBVTT - Ranger Is Rising 0:00:15.600 --> 0:00:16.360 Hi, everybody. 0:00:16.480 --> 0:00:21.040 Welcome to the Phillies Show with Ruben Tomorrow Junior Jim Salisbury. 0:00:21.160 --> 0:00:25.240 I am Todd's Lucky. It is Thursday, April eighteenth, twenty 0:00:25.280 --> 0:00:30.040 twenty four, gentlemen. The Phillies sweep the Colorado Rockies this 0:00:30.080 --> 0:00:33.680 week at Citizens Bank Park. A lot of really good 0:00:33.720 --> 0:00:36.320 starting pitching. I know the Rockies are not the greatest 0:00:36.440 --> 0:00:39.040 offensive team or the greatest team, I should say, they 0:00:39.040 --> 0:00:42.120 do have some hitters in that lineup, but really just 0:00:42.280 --> 0:00:46.560 tremendous starting pitching, which is what this team has had 0:00:46.600 --> 0:00:51.479 all season long. And finally we start seeing some signs 0:00:51.520 --> 0:00:55.240 of life from the offense. They scored five plus runs 0:00:55.240 --> 0:00:57.840 in consecutive games for the first time this season. 0:00:58.920 --> 0:01:00.920 Kyle Schwarber with a couple of home runs. 0:01:01.080 --> 0:01:05.440 Tray Turner seems to be heating up. Bryce Harper showing 0:01:05.480 --> 0:01:10.759 some flashes here and there. Rojas, we've talked so much about. 0:01:11.240 --> 0:01:14.759 Rojas had a couple hits on Wednesday night. He's got 0:01:14.760 --> 0:01:16.840 eight hits in his last eight games. He's hitting almost 0:01:16.840 --> 0:01:18.600 three fifteen his last eight games. 0:01:19.760 --> 0:01:20.480 That's interesting. 0:01:21.920 --> 0:01:26.960 How are you guys doing and uh Ranger Suarez maybe 0:01:27.319 --> 0:01:31.640 you know, let's talk about that performance. I thought a 0:01:31.800 --> 0:01:35.760 he pitched great, of course, but man, Bryce Harper and 0:01:35.840 --> 0:01:37.920 j t Rio Mutto had some great things to say 0:01:37.920 --> 0:01:41.120 about him after that game on Wednesday night, Bryce saying, 0:01:41.160 --> 0:01:45.600 you know this guy, if he puts it together, he's 0:01:45.640 --> 0:01:46.399 gonna get paid. 0:01:46.760 --> 0:01:48.680 Jt saying, if he. 0:01:48.640 --> 0:01:50.480 Puts it together, I think we've got a one A, 0:01:50.600 --> 0:01:54.560 one B and one C. You know, what do you 0:01:54.600 --> 0:01:55.720 guys think, Ruben. 0:01:57.240 --> 0:01:59.480 Well? I love Ranger. I love everything that he brings 0:01:59.520 --> 0:02:01.120 to the table. I love the way he goes about 0:02:01.120 --> 0:02:05.600 his business. I hear people talking the people who played 0:02:06.200 --> 0:02:09.359 the game and how much they would love to play 0:02:09.400 --> 0:02:12.280 behind him because he grabs it and he throws it. 0:02:12.600 --> 0:02:17.839 I mean, he doesn't mess around. He is confident right now. 0:02:17.919 --> 0:02:20.920 I mean, obviously he had a full spring training to 0:02:20.919 --> 0:02:24.000 get himself ready for the first time in his whole 0:02:24.040 --> 0:02:29.600 career that he had actual full spring training to prepare himself, 0:02:29.639 --> 0:02:33.720 and he prepared himself very very well. And you know, 0:02:33.800 --> 0:02:37.400 he is one of the better left handers in baseball, 0:02:37.840 --> 0:02:40.680 at least for me right now. He's got obviously a 0:02:40.800 --> 0:02:44.119 very big mix of pitches, but the fact that he's 0:02:44.160 --> 0:02:48.000 breaking ball, in particular his curveball, it's gotten better and better. 0:02:48.040 --> 0:02:51.320 He worked on it in the offseason. He worked on 0:02:51.400 --> 0:02:53.400 him with his throwing program. He did a lot of 0:02:53.440 --> 0:02:57.880 different things to prepare himself in a way that has 0:02:57.919 --> 0:03:00.519 made him come out of the gate really strong. And 0:03:00.960 --> 0:03:06.320 I think that it's arguably the best, maybe the best, 0:03:06.440 --> 0:03:12.480 top three starting pitchers in baseball at this very moment 0:03:12.600 --> 0:03:16.680 when you start talking about Wheeler, Nola, and Suarez. Nice 0:03:16.720 --> 0:03:22.119 combination of different looks and different flavors and guys who 0:03:22.120 --> 0:03:25.600 are pounding the strike zone and eating up innings. 0:03:26.639 --> 0:03:29.040 Yeah, I love that phrase. Pounding the strike zone. Ranger 0:03:29.120 --> 0:03:33.920 does that. They're working quickly. It's a joy to watch 0:03:33.960 --> 0:03:37.920 a guy like that pitch, and as you mentioned, the 0:03:37.960 --> 0:03:41.040 infielders love playing behind it. I've said this before. It 0:03:41.080 --> 0:03:42.960 reminds you a lot of Cliff Ley. He can bust 0:03:43.000 --> 0:03:45.040 it in on your hands to set up that change 0:03:45.120 --> 0:03:49.280 up away. He can spot everything is when his location 0:03:49.440 --> 0:03:51.640 is on, he is dynamite and his location has been 0:03:51.680 --> 0:03:55.800 on so far well through four starts. You know, he's 0:03:55.880 --> 0:04:00.960 shown flashes of brilliance over the year years. It just 0:04:01.000 --> 0:04:05.600 looks like he's poised, and keyword poised because he's such 0:04:05.600 --> 0:04:08.760 a poised individual on the mound in terms of when 0:04:08.760 --> 0:04:11.400 all hell's break breaking loose, he kind of calms things down, 0:04:11.640 --> 0:04:13.960 but it seems like he's poised to do it for 0:04:14.040 --> 0:04:17.040 six full months, a full season and beyond. Given the 0:04:17.040 --> 0:04:21.480 Phillies a really rugged top three. You know, Harper mentions 0:04:21.480 --> 0:04:24.680 he's going to get paid. He won't be a free 0:04:24.680 --> 0:04:26.960 agent till after twenty twenty five. Who knows. The Phillies 0:04:26.960 --> 0:04:28.839 have locked up people in the past. Maybe he's the 0:04:28.880 --> 0:04:32.119 next guy, probably a little bit down the road until 0:04:32.120 --> 0:04:35.880 they see a little bit more. But you know, with 0:04:36.040 --> 0:04:39.120 free agency looming for him after twenty after twenty five. 0:04:39.040 --> 0:04:41.400 Right Todd, right, correct, twenty five, So. 0:04:41.480 --> 0:04:43.640 With free agency looming, and I'm not trying to get 0:04:43.680 --> 0:04:49.080 way ahead of myself, but I am just more it's 0:04:49.160 --> 0:04:53.360 just kind of highlights they need to cash in like 0:04:54.440 --> 0:04:57.760 soon next year or two three, while you know, these 0:04:57.839 --> 0:05:01.720 guys are still the core, guys are still producing, and 0:05:01.760 --> 0:05:06.200 you possibly, you know, I could see us top notch 0:05:07.960 --> 0:05:10.640 picture go to free agency. I'm not saying he's going to, 0:05:10.800 --> 0:05:15.320 but you know, it all kinds of kind of adds up. 0:05:16.240 --> 0:05:20.359 Hey, this Boris is agent, just like Harper. I do 0:05:20.480 --> 0:05:22.600 not know that, but it sounds like he's doing a 0:05:22.640 --> 0:05:26.919 little commercial. Sure, I mean, Harper has been known to 0:05:26.960 --> 0:05:29.159 do a commercial or two and in his day, you know, 0:05:29.200 --> 0:05:31.320 he did it for JT. He's done it, you know, 0:05:31.400 --> 0:05:36.080 maybe a little bit for Trede Turner, you know, uh Huhrez, 0:05:36.600 --> 0:05:38.839 you know, just a little commercial. 0:05:39.279 --> 0:05:41.480 I want you guys, I want you guys to educate 0:05:41.480 --> 0:05:43.000 me a little bit. And this is this might be 0:05:43.080 --> 0:05:48.360 interesting for the listeners if it seems like Ranger Suarez 0:05:48.400 --> 0:05:50.480 has so many balls hit back to him at the 0:05:50.520 --> 0:05:53.599 mound and it must have had like three or four 0:05:53.640 --> 0:05:54.720 on Wednesday just hit right. 0:05:54.640 --> 0:05:55.000 Back to him. 0:05:55.000 --> 0:05:57.040 That's how he finished the shutout. Ball hit back to 0:05:57.040 --> 0:06:00.720 the mound. It was the most fitting thing ever, most nonchalant, accurate, 0:06:01.080 --> 0:06:02.479 solid throw to first base. 0:06:02.920 --> 0:06:03.840 Very very ranger. 0:06:05.560 --> 0:06:08.119 I look this up because I was just curious. He 0:06:08.200 --> 0:06:10.440 has sixty assists. 0:06:10.600 --> 0:06:12.520 As a pitcher over the last three seasons to lead 0:06:12.560 --> 0:06:15.839 all pitchers in baseball. And I'm wondering, can you guys 0:06:15.880 --> 0:06:19.640 explain why he get so many balls hit back to him? 0:06:19.720 --> 0:06:21.920 Is that the pitches he throws is at the locations. 0:06:21.960 --> 0:06:23.840 Is how he keeps guys off balanced, you know, because 0:06:23.839 --> 0:06:25.719 you don't see a lot of you know, like I said, 0:06:25.800 --> 0:06:27.120 leads baseball over the last three years. 0:06:27.160 --> 0:06:28.600 Balls hit back to the mound. 0:06:28.800 --> 0:06:30.599 I don't know. Maybe he's such a good athlete he 0:06:30.680 --> 0:06:32.600 just gets more of them than other guys. You know, 0:06:33.040 --> 0:06:36.560 reyal Cormier used to be very good, very good fielder. 0:06:36.640 --> 0:06:40.120 Clifflee was a very good fielder. Rangers so athletic. He 0:06:40.160 --> 0:06:43.320 was a hell of a soccer player. Let me, you 0:06:43.320 --> 0:06:45.000 still see him kicking it around now and then. 0:06:46.080 --> 0:06:50.479 So to me, it's it is a combination of the 0:06:50.560 --> 0:06:53.840 fact that his mechanics are so good that he actually 0:06:53.960 --> 0:06:58.680 is facing the batter in a athletic position when the 0:06:58.680 --> 0:07:02.479 ball is struck. Many pictures and most pictures are so 0:07:02.640 --> 0:07:07.560 maximum effort that they take them spin off. And you know, 0:07:08.080 --> 0:07:12.240 years ago he used to be pitching. Coaches used to 0:07:12.320 --> 0:07:14.720 tell pictures, hey, after you deliver your pitch, you know 0:07:15.400 --> 0:07:19.440 you're a fielder. Now you're part of the fielding team. Nowadays, 0:07:19.520 --> 0:07:21.920 they don't want the pitchers to touch the ball because 0:07:21.960 --> 0:07:24.960 they're one they're not athletic, and two they're not even 0:07:25.160 --> 0:07:29.040 their bodies aren't even facing home plate when they deliver 0:07:29.080 --> 0:07:33.280 their pitches. But he is doing both both of those things. 0:07:33.280 --> 0:07:37.200 He's athletic, he delivers the pitch, he doesn't throw maximum effort. 0:07:37.520 --> 0:07:39.760 He's ready to field this position, and he feels it 0:07:39.760 --> 0:07:46.240 flawlessly because frankly, he's got big, gigantic guts. I said 0:07:46.240 --> 0:07:50.720 it guts instead of the other words. And I think 0:07:50.760 --> 0:07:53.680 that he's you know, I love the way he goes 0:07:53.720 --> 0:07:56.000 about it. He believes in himself. He's got a tremendous 0:07:56.040 --> 0:07:58.280 amount of trust in himself and confidence. 0:08:00.000 --> 0:08:03.000 He's very laid back. You talked about the poise. 0:08:02.920 --> 0:08:05.520 And you know we've talked I feel like we've also 0:08:05.560 --> 0:08:07.239 talked about you know, max effort. 0:08:07.280 --> 0:08:07.559 Guys. 0:08:08.040 --> 0:08:11.200 Top three guys, Rubiny said at the top here maybe 0:08:11.240 --> 0:08:15.239 the best top three in baseball. All three are just pitchers. 0:08:15.280 --> 0:08:17.840 I know Zach throws harder than the other two guys, 0:08:17.840 --> 0:08:22.440 but guys that change speeds, locate, you know, they're not 0:08:22.560 --> 0:08:26.360 out there just going one hundred and fifteen percent. And 0:08:26.560 --> 0:08:31.280 it's you know, Rangers probably epitomizes, epitomizes that success that 0:08:31.280 --> 0:08:32.199 they're having right now. 0:08:33.559 --> 0:08:38.560 They've got one, two and three, you know, in reputation 0:08:38.720 --> 0:08:43.000 and performance have been terrific for this team, and they've 0:08:43.040 --> 0:08:46.800 gotten really nice contributions out of four and five. I 0:08:46.840 --> 0:08:52.920 mean Christopher Sanchez again last night. You know, he's ninety seven, 0:08:53.000 --> 0:08:56.160 he's got an outstanding change up, he's getting Chase on it, 0:08:56.160 --> 0:08:59.960 he's getting swinging misses on it. I get ten strikeouts, 0:09:00.240 --> 0:09:02.880 just another really two two quality starts in a row 0:09:02.920 --> 0:09:07.160 from from Christopher Sanchez, who you know they got a 0:09:07.160 --> 0:09:09.920 few years ago on a trade, and he just keeps 0:09:09.920 --> 0:09:13.040 getting better and better. I think you could say, you know, 0:09:14.559 --> 0:09:16.760 the player development folks have done a really good job 0:09:16.800 --> 0:09:19.200 with him, and the pitching people at the big blue level, 0:09:19.200 --> 0:09:20.720 they've done a good job with him because he keeps 0:09:20.760 --> 0:09:23.920 getting better and better and he's become a mainstay on 0:09:24.000 --> 0:09:28.720 this staff. And then you got Spencer Turnbull, who will 0:09:28.760 --> 0:09:31.680 pitch on Friday night. You got another week team coming 0:09:31.720 --> 0:09:37.560 in the Chicago White Sox, and he's opportunity knocks for 0:09:37.600 --> 0:09:40.880 this team right on the schedule. But Turnbull, I see 0:09:40.920 --> 0:09:42.679 his name pop up, and I think he's done a 0:09:42.760 --> 0:09:48.480 very good job. What happens with when Tywan Walker comes back, 0:09:48.520 --> 0:09:50.480 because now we're hearing he may be back sooner than 0:09:50.559 --> 0:09:50.920 lay right. 0:09:51.160 --> 0:09:55.120 N Yeah, So Rob Rob mentions this yesterday. 0:09:55.160 --> 0:09:58.600 So last week in Saint Louis, before Walker started his rehab, 0:09:59.080 --> 0:10:00.480 he says, yeah, we're probably I want to have him 0:10:00.480 --> 0:10:03.280 get up to one hundred pitches at least before reactivate him. 0:10:03.280 --> 0:10:06.840 So we're thinking late April, early May. And then yesterday, 0:10:07.400 --> 0:10:10.280 after his second rehab start, we asked Rob how he's doing. 0:10:10.320 --> 0:10:13.400 He's like, well, he feels great, and we're gonna see 0:10:13.440 --> 0:10:15.880 what happens after his bullpen on Friday, and we're like, 0:10:15.920 --> 0:10:16.640 what do you mean. 0:10:16.679 --> 0:10:19.760 He's like, well, there's a chance. There's a chance he's ready. 0:10:21.240 --> 0:10:25.120 Interesting because you go from three to four rehab starts 0:10:25.160 --> 0:10:27.600 to maybe only two and. 0:10:29.000 --> 0:10:30.000 Had an opportunity. 0:10:31.040 --> 0:10:34.439 Mac gelp And from the Athletic and I chatted with Taiwan. 0:10:34.559 --> 0:10:35.800 Before the game yesterday. 0:10:36.440 --> 0:10:41.120 Now, Taiwan's velocity has been talked about a lot since 0:10:41.200 --> 0:10:44.440 last season. You know how it fluctuated so wildly from 0:10:44.440 --> 0:10:46.760 start to start. That's a big reason why he didn't 0:10:46.760 --> 0:10:48.520 pitch in the postseason because he didn't really know what 0:10:48.520 --> 0:10:50.400 you were going to get from him. He talked all 0:10:50.480 --> 0:10:52.559 spring about I want to get my velocity up because 0:10:52.559 --> 0:10:55.360 that's so important to be because man, I'm throwing ninety 0:10:55.360 --> 0:10:58.079 three to ninety four, My splitter plays that much better. 0:10:58.760 --> 0:11:01.480 Now he threw ninety one into first rehab start forcing 0:11:01.559 --> 0:11:03.600 fastball ninety one point one in a second. 0:11:04.120 --> 0:11:05.559 So I asked him, Yester, I said, well. 0:11:05.520 --> 0:11:08.240 How do you kind of come to terms with the 0:11:08.240 --> 0:11:10.160 fact that you've talked a lot about velocity and now 0:11:10.160 --> 0:11:12.920 you're only throwing ninety one point one? And he said, well, 0:11:12.920 --> 0:11:14.439 it's the way it's coming out of the hand. Now 0:11:14.480 --> 0:11:16.760 there's more movement and the more late life. You know, 0:11:17.040 --> 0:11:20.360 my other pitches are crisper and sharper, And it's just 0:11:21.760 --> 0:11:24.120 it's just interesting to me because there's been so much 0:11:24.120 --> 0:11:27.200 empass on the velocity and now it sounds like they've 0:11:27.240 --> 0:11:30.560 almost don't expect it to come back. Maybe I don't 0:11:30.600 --> 0:11:33.600 know what to think of it, but it is interesting 0:11:33.679 --> 0:11:36.320 because he sounds like he's going to come back next week, 0:11:36.720 --> 0:11:43.080 and can he pitch successfully at ninety one? Maybe ninety two? 0:11:43.160 --> 0:11:45.280 Maybe he gets a bump right when he comes back 0:11:45.320 --> 0:11:48.760 in the big leagues. But it's going to be interesting, 0:11:48.760 --> 0:11:50.520 And I don't know, Ken, do you guys think he 0:11:50.559 --> 0:11:54.559 can pitch successfully at a lower velocity with the stuff 0:11:54.600 --> 0:11:55.920 that he has. 0:11:55.640 --> 0:11:58.040 Well, Todd, you've mentioned it before. The first three guys 0:11:58.040 --> 0:12:02.120 in this rotation they pitched right. They pitch and it's 0:12:02.160 --> 0:12:05.760 not necessarily about velocity, but their ability to change speeds 0:12:05.800 --> 0:12:08.880 and hit their locations. And I think that that is 0:12:08.960 --> 0:12:12.960 a worry and very important element of all pitching. I 0:12:12.960 --> 0:12:15.320 mean in the bullpen, maybe not as much because you're 0:12:15.360 --> 0:12:17.280 looking for strikeouts and there it's going to be a 0:12:17.360 --> 0:12:21.360 much briefer stint, but particularly with starting pitching, man, it's 0:12:21.360 --> 0:12:24.079 about pitching and trying to get through innings and being efficient. 0:12:24.760 --> 0:12:27.120 I think there is a way and there is a 0:12:27.160 --> 0:12:30.480 pathway for Taiwan Walker to do that. But he's going 0:12:30.559 --> 0:12:33.000 to have to utilize his fastball and sinker and be 0:12:33.000 --> 0:12:37.160 able to dot it. So when I say dot it, 0:12:37.240 --> 0:12:39.120 that's one of the things. You know. He's always been 0:12:39.200 --> 0:12:41.679 sort of durable. I mean even you even last year, 0:12:41.679 --> 0:12:43.320 what do you eat at one hundred and seventy innings? 0:12:43.480 --> 0:12:46.320 Undred and eighty innings? So the durability is there and 0:12:46.320 --> 0:12:48.800 the physicality is there, but it's a matter of him 0:12:48.840 --> 0:12:53.000 being able to stay on the mound and pitch without 0:12:53.200 --> 0:12:57.720 utilizing up too many pitches overall. And that's command. And 0:12:57.760 --> 0:12:59.960 there were times during the course of the season last 0:13:00.160 --> 0:13:02.480 here where his command just wasn't there. Man, he can't 0:13:02.559 --> 0:13:05.280 go and walk four guys and average of four walks 0:13:05.320 --> 0:13:07.480 the game. He just can't do it. He's going to 0:13:07.559 --> 0:13:10.400 have to keep the walks down, hopefully, keep the ball 0:13:10.440 --> 0:13:13.360 out of the middle of the plate, and let some 0:13:13.440 --> 0:13:16.920 of his stuff work. Now, the split he relies on 0:13:17.000 --> 0:13:20.400 that sometimes when he's not commanding his fastball, he sometimes 0:13:20.440 --> 0:13:23.160 relies on that for a strike pitch, and I don't 0:13:23.160 --> 0:13:25.160 think he can survive doing that. He's going to have 0:13:25.200 --> 0:13:27.720 to be able to throw his four seemer and a 0:13:27.760 --> 0:13:30.840 sinker for strikes and be able to like utilize that 0:13:30.960 --> 0:13:33.640 in different quadrants of his own. That will make his 0:13:33.800 --> 0:13:36.840 fastball or a split finger much more effective, because then 0:13:36.880 --> 0:13:39.640 you just can't sit on you know, you just can't 0:13:39.679 --> 0:13:44.320 sit on one pitch. And I really, Kenneth, is there 0:13:44.360 --> 0:13:46.640 a pathway from the do it? Is there a roadmap 0:13:46.679 --> 0:13:49.400 for him? Yes? But he can't. He can't do it 0:13:50.080 --> 0:13:53.880 if he is not throwing his his you know, four 0:13:54.000 --> 0:13:57.440 seemers sinker to the right spots. Then it's going to 0:13:57.440 --> 0:13:58.600 be an uphill battle for him. 0:13:59.800 --> 0:14:03.760 I find it a little fascinating that, you know, Turnbull's 0:14:03.760 --> 0:14:05.640 given him a couple of good starts one so so, 0:14:05.679 --> 0:14:08.360 and he's gonna pitch again on Friday night when they 0:14:08.480 --> 0:14:11.280 you know, after Thursday's off day against the White Sox 0:14:11.760 --> 0:14:15.079 lineup he could do very well against with all the 0:14:15.200 --> 0:14:17.840 injuries and whatnot. I mean, they got the three and fifteen. 0:14:19.040 --> 0:14:24.560 Suppose he pitches really, really well again. And my question 0:14:24.720 --> 0:14:28.400 is in you know, look, Taiwan certainly go out there 0:14:28.400 --> 0:14:31.400 in Cincinnati next week, if he's back in the rotation 0:14:31.640 --> 0:14:33.760 pitch well. He could reel off three good, good ones 0:14:33.760 --> 0:14:35.360 in a row, and then the point is kind of moot. 0:14:35.440 --> 0:14:41.440 But what happens if Taiwan struggles or maybe needs time 0:14:41.480 --> 0:14:43.760 to get his legs it just doesn't pitch really well 0:14:43.800 --> 0:14:46.760 out of the gate, or if these sort of unspoken 0:14:46.840 --> 0:14:53.040 concerns manifest and he's not as good as people need 0:14:53.120 --> 0:14:54.960 him to be all of a sudden, Now, how fast 0:14:54.960 --> 0:14:58.200 do they go back to turnball. It's kind of fascinating. 0:14:58.440 --> 0:15:00.960 Especially because Taiwan has is in the second year of 0:15:00.960 --> 0:15:02.520 a seventy two million dollar contract. 0:15:02.560 --> 0:15:05.000 I mean, that's that's that's right. 0:15:05.040 --> 0:15:06.840 I mean, you know, Ruben, you can speak to that 0:15:06.880 --> 0:15:09.520 better than anybody. I mean if you're a front office guy, 0:15:10.840 --> 0:15:12.160 because you've already heard it, Like, how. 0:15:12.080 --> 0:15:13.320 Can they what are they gonna do with Turnber. 0:15:13.360 --> 0:15:14.480 What are they gonna do with turn But well, I 0:15:14.520 --> 0:15:16.360 think the argument you can make with Turnbull is or 0:15:16.400 --> 0:15:18.800 what they could say potentially, is if they move him 0:15:18.840 --> 0:15:20.120 into the long man role and say, well, this is 0:15:20.120 --> 0:15:22.560 the job that we probably had ticketed for him before 0:15:22.560 --> 0:15:24.800 the season started. You know, he was and he was 0:15:24.880 --> 0:15:27.640 going to be the long man before Tye went down. 0:15:29.160 --> 0:15:31.840 They could say, listen, Spencer's only thrown. He hasn't thrown 0:15:31.880 --> 0:15:34.120 more than sixty innings since twenty nineteen. You know, he's 0:15:34.120 --> 0:15:37.760 been hurt a lot, pandemic. We have to manage his workload. 0:15:37.560 --> 0:15:39.840 We heard a lot about that last season with Matt Strom. 0:15:39.880 --> 0:15:41.680 You know, when Stroum was in the rotation to start 0:15:41.720 --> 0:15:43.280 this season, They're like, we got to pump the bricks 0:15:43.280 --> 0:15:44.760 in this guy. We want to keep him healthy down 0:15:44.800 --> 0:15:46.000 the stretch so they. 0:15:45.880 --> 0:15:47.240 Can put him in the long man role. 0:15:47.280 --> 0:15:50.240 But you're right, Jim, It's like if he goes out 0:15:50.280 --> 0:15:53.000 and pitches what he should do against a really bad 0:15:53.040 --> 0:15:56.680 White Sox team and Ty struggles. But Ty's going to 0:15:56.720 --> 0:15:59.520 get his opportunities right because he's He's make a lot 0:15:59.560 --> 0:16:00.240 of money the. 0:16:00.240 --> 0:16:00.920 Next few years. 0:16:00.960 --> 0:16:01.880 He's going to get a shot. 0:16:02.680 --> 0:16:04.560 I mean, we talk about the back of the baseball 0:16:04.600 --> 0:16:08.480 card a lot. And here's the reality. Spencer Turnbull wise 0:16:08.520 --> 0:16:11.600 turned into a couple of good starts. Let's not necessarily 0:16:11.640 --> 0:16:14.400 annoyed him to be like the next Cy Young Award winner. 0:16:14.520 --> 0:16:17.640 His last outing, he did he did not command a 0:16:17.640 --> 0:16:20.960 strike zone all that. Well, He's got good stuff, and 0:16:21.040 --> 0:16:23.680 I think that he can be a decent starting pitcher, 0:16:23.760 --> 0:16:27.520 but he hasn't proven himself to be a you know, 0:16:27.760 --> 0:16:30.600 a someone that you can count on to take the 0:16:30.640 --> 0:16:34.360 baseball every fifth day. Now, can he be better than 0:16:34.440 --> 0:16:38.000 he has been in the past? Can he Can he 0:16:38.080 --> 0:16:40.240 get to that point? He's always had great stuff. He's 0:16:40.240 --> 0:16:44.080 had a lot of injury issues, but he was assigned 0:16:44.720 --> 0:16:49.160 to be a sort of a stopgap in case and 0:16:49.680 --> 0:16:52.640 you know, someone who was a depth pitcher to you know, 0:16:52.680 --> 0:16:56.680 in case they have a breakdown or in case exactly 0:16:56.680 --> 0:16:58.800 what happened to Taiwan Walker. He wasn't ready to go. 0:16:58.960 --> 0:17:03.640 So here's what I think is going to happen. I mean, 0:17:03.720 --> 0:17:07.040 Spencer Turnbo can throw a one hit shutout against the 0:17:07.119 --> 0:17:11.359 Chicago White Sox, a terrible, terrible hitting team, and I 0:17:11.440 --> 0:17:16.359 still think at some point that Taiwan is going to 0:17:16.400 --> 0:17:18.920 be sliding into that rotation and the spencer turnbo is 0:17:18.960 --> 0:17:22.200 going to slide into that long man role. Now, I 0:17:22.480 --> 0:17:26.600 do know Dave Dave Dombrowski well enough that if Taiwan 0:17:26.720 --> 0:17:31.160 Walker does not in his first four, three, four, five 0:17:31.200 --> 0:17:32.800 out of I don't know how long the lease is 0:17:32.840 --> 0:17:36.640 going to be. If he does not throw well that 0:17:36.880 --> 0:17:40.040 he that may be they may be flip flopped. David, David, 0:17:41.000 --> 0:17:43.760 you know, he's not afraid to like put the best 0:17:43.800 --> 0:17:48.600 people in their positions to succeed, and that Taiwan Walker 0:17:48.640 --> 0:17:51.359 is not getting the job done, then he's not getting 0:17:51.400 --> 0:17:54.880 a job done. And uh but but again, I mean, 0:17:55.240 --> 0:17:57.960 like I said, Taiwan Walker's been there, he's done it. 0:17:58.600 --> 0:18:02.040 He's had some success. He did not have a tremendous 0:18:02.080 --> 0:18:04.879 year last year, but the man ate up some innings 0:18:04.880 --> 0:18:07.880 now and he won a lot of baseball games, and this. 0:18:07.880 --> 0:18:10.199 Is and he's earned the right to get back in 0:18:10.200 --> 0:18:13.320 there with those innings. It just seems like it just 0:18:13.359 --> 0:18:18.320 seems like the timetable was just inch along a little quicker, 0:18:18.760 --> 0:18:22.000 and then maybe first you thought it would be and 0:18:22.080 --> 0:18:24.920 it almost seems like, Okay, he's ready. Let's find out 0:18:24.960 --> 0:18:27.439 because if the situation is going to come to pass 0:18:27.680 --> 0:18:30.200 where they have to flip flop them. You know, why 0:18:30.280 --> 0:18:33.600 not find out sooner rather than later. If Taiwan's going 0:18:33.640 --> 0:18:35.800 to be the guy. And I'm not saying it's going 0:18:35.880 --> 0:18:38.399 to hinge on one start in Cincinnati or one start 0:18:38.640 --> 0:18:42.560 by Turnbull on Friday Night, but you know, he's healthy, 0:18:42.560 --> 0:18:45.680 he's ready, got the arm strength game on. Let's figure 0:18:45.680 --> 0:18:46.440 this stuff out. 0:18:47.040 --> 0:18:49.000 I think it's a and I think it's a combination 0:18:49.080 --> 0:18:51.080 of things because it's different in this day and age. 0:18:51.119 --> 0:18:54.080 Like as an executive, I used to have the ability to, 0:18:54.200 --> 0:18:56.840 like if he was on a thirty day rehab or 0:18:56.880 --> 0:18:59.240 a twenty day rehab, to stretch him out to twenty 0:18:59.359 --> 0:19:03.360 days and make a decision. Nowadays, the player can basically 0:19:03.440 --> 0:19:06.359 say to you. I mean, he can say to the 0:19:06.359 --> 0:19:08.960 front office, listen, I'm ready to go. I'm a five 0:19:09.040 --> 0:19:11.800 year player or whatever the case may be. And I'm 0:19:11.800 --> 0:19:14.960 not positive on all the rules, but there could be grievances. 0:19:15.080 --> 0:19:17.119 I mean, if this guy says he's ready to go 0:19:17.200 --> 0:19:19.720 and he doesn't come to the big leagues, then he 0:19:19.760 --> 0:19:22.560 can you know, file a grievance against the team. You know, 0:19:22.560 --> 0:19:24.879 I don't think any team wants to have that happen, 0:19:25.480 --> 0:19:27.760 and so I think it's a combination of things. I 0:19:27.760 --> 0:19:29.520 think you're right, Jim. On one hand, I think they 0:19:29.520 --> 0:19:33.359 want to find out whether the guy can pitch and 0:19:33.400 --> 0:19:37.840 then make a decision after that. But but I do 0:19:37.880 --> 0:19:40.160 think that the player has a lot more He has 0:19:40.200 --> 0:19:41.920 a lot more of the hammer as far as how 0:19:41.920 --> 0:19:44.680 long he's supposed to stay on the on the d 0:19:44.840 --> 0:19:45.440 L or the other. 0:19:46.040 --> 0:19:48.600 That sounds like the conversation that happened on Wednesday and 0:19:48.680 --> 0:19:51.680 Rob's office, and you know, Taiwan went and they said 0:19:51.720 --> 0:19:53.400 I'm ready to go, and then he told us after 0:19:53.440 --> 0:19:55.160 He's like, I'm built up enough. 0:19:55.800 --> 0:19:56.680 I'm built up enough. 0:19:56.720 --> 0:19:59.520 So I mean, he's gonna throw a bullpen in session 0:19:59.520 --> 0:20:01.280 on Friday. I don't know what could possibly come out 0:20:01.320 --> 0:20:03.200 of that bullpen session on Friday where they go. 0:20:03.160 --> 0:20:04.600 You know what, I think, we're gonna give you another 0:20:04.640 --> 0:20:05.280 rehab start. 0:20:06.359 --> 0:20:08.000 I mean, would you not be floored if that was 0:20:08.040 --> 0:20:09.760 the risk that was the answer, Like, you know, we 0:20:09.880 --> 0:20:11.919 decided after this bullpen session that we're going to have 0:20:11.960 --> 0:20:13.440 him give him one more rehab start. 0:20:13.920 --> 0:20:19.000 Everybody pitches a no hitter in the bullpen exactly right. 0:20:19.280 --> 0:20:20.800 Let's think are that and he has and he has 0:20:20.800 --> 0:20:23.000 every right to do that because how many I mean, 0:20:23.640 --> 0:20:27.840 who maxed out in spring training over eighty pitches in 0:20:27.880 --> 0:20:30.840 their rotation? Not one pitcher, I think the most somebody 0:20:30.880 --> 0:20:33.399 threw with seventy eight or seventy eight nine pitches or 0:20:33.440 --> 0:20:36.760 something like that. Was it Nola or or Wheeler. I 0:20:36.760 --> 0:20:38.400 don't think they got much more than that. 0:20:38.800 --> 0:20:41.840 And that's what Taiwan threw on Tuesday in Leehigh Valley. 0:20:41.840 --> 0:20:44.680 I think it was seventy eight eightmen there, there you go, there, 0:20:44.720 --> 0:20:50.320 you go see in Cincinnati, Taiwan there or whether it 0:20:50.440 --> 0:20:52.800 might be you. 0:20:52.800 --> 0:20:55.080 You mentioned earlier in the show Todd that the offense 0:20:55.240 --> 0:20:59.240 turners for where you know, started to show some life 0:20:59.400 --> 0:21:01.959