1
00:00:04,880 --> 00:00:08,720
Speaker 1: Welcome into Northside Territory, foul Territory Network's Cubs Podcast. I'm

2
00:00:08,760 --> 00:00:12,559
Speaker 1: Sahadev Sharma with my partner Patrick Moody. We are your

3
00:00:12,640 --> 00:00:20,880
Speaker 1: Cubs beat writers at The Atlantic. I'm Ron Burgundy. I

4
00:00:20,880 --> 00:00:24,119
Speaker 1: I miss It's something that I don't norally say, and

5
00:00:24,160 --> 00:00:28,440
Speaker 1: now my head has run off. Anyways, we are the

6
00:00:29,280 --> 00:00:33,320
Speaker 1: This is the Cubs podcast for foul Territory Network. Patrick,

7
00:00:33,320 --> 00:00:35,520
Speaker 1: We're going to talk a little bit about Kyle Tucker here.

8
00:00:36,320 --> 00:00:39,519
Speaker 1: You know, I feel like for a year now, it's

9
00:00:39,560 --> 00:00:42,479
Speaker 1: been about a year since they acquired Kyle Tucker, we

10
00:00:42,560 --> 00:00:44,920
Speaker 1: have been talking about this.

11
00:00:46,240 --> 00:00:49,800
Speaker 2: Or alluding to this, the inevitable.

12
00:00:49,880 --> 00:00:52,840
Speaker 1: Departure of Kyle Tucker, that this was a one year

13
00:00:54,200 --> 00:00:57,760
Speaker 1: stint with the Cubs. This is not something that we

14
00:00:57,880 --> 00:01:02,240
Speaker 1: are surprised by that the Cubs are not. You know,

15
00:01:02,280 --> 00:01:05,600
Speaker 1: when you see these public lists of who the Cubs

16
00:01:05,959 --> 00:01:09,399
Speaker 1: or who is interested in Kyle Tucker, you're not seeing

17
00:01:09,400 --> 00:01:13,119
Speaker 1: the Cubs on there. So, you know, I don't think

18
00:01:13,160 --> 00:01:16,520
Speaker 1: it's a huge surprise to see all these other teams.

19
00:01:16,520 --> 00:01:18,959
Speaker 2: And now we're seeing noise that.

20
00:01:19,640 --> 00:01:22,720
Speaker 1: The Toronto Blue Jays, who have been incredibly active, already

21
00:01:22,720 --> 00:01:26,560
Speaker 1: signed Dylan SE's Cody Ponce a solid bounced by a

22
00:01:26,600 --> 00:01:29,880
Speaker 1: candidate who was in Korea for the last couple of years.

23
00:01:30,360 --> 00:01:34,760
Speaker 1: And now they're showing real interest in Kyle Tucker, who

24
00:01:35,280 --> 00:01:38,160
Speaker 1: was out touring their spring training facility.

25
00:01:38,400 --> 00:01:38,960
Speaker 2: Apparently.

26
00:01:40,160 --> 00:01:44,959
Speaker 3: Yeah, that's a nice local trip for Kyle who grew

27
00:01:45,080 --> 00:01:52,040
Speaker 3: up in Tampa, not all that far from Toronto's longtime

28
00:01:52,800 --> 00:02:00,160
Speaker 3: base in Dunedin, I believe, and so that facility have

29
00:02:00,240 --> 00:02:02,800
Speaker 3: good coverage of that in the athletic with our colleagues

30
00:02:02,840 --> 00:02:08,120
Speaker 3: Ken Rosenthal as well as Mitch Bannon. Uh, they've made

31
00:02:08,160 --> 00:02:11,800
Speaker 3: some substantial upgrades there over the years, and I think

32
00:02:12,880 --> 00:02:15,919
Speaker 3: that was the big moment when shoe Otani was also

33
00:02:16,600 --> 00:02:17,239
Speaker 3: spotted there.

34
00:02:17,280 --> 00:02:20,400
Speaker 4: Clearly they need better better security or something or I.

35
00:02:20,360 --> 00:02:23,800
Speaker 2: Don't know, why do people keep getting spotted.

36
00:02:23,680 --> 00:02:28,840
Speaker 3: Or I mean maybe you know the various agencies, UH

37
00:02:29,160 --> 00:02:31,639
Speaker 3: want that out there. But no, look, when we had

38
00:02:31,639 --> 00:02:33,680
Speaker 3: to do this sort of Kyle Tucker tears of where

39
00:02:33,680 --> 00:02:37,160
Speaker 3: he might land, the Cubs were in this kind of

40
00:02:37,200 --> 00:02:42,840
Speaker 3: category onto themselves of like, you know, maybe if everything

41
00:02:42,840 --> 00:02:45,040
Speaker 3: goes wrong for Kyle Tucker and free agency and he

42
00:02:46,080 --> 00:02:50,119
Speaker 3: needs kind of a soft landing spot. Whereas the Blue

43
00:02:50,200 --> 00:02:56,160
Speaker 3: Jays were had this unbelievable momentum coming off their pennant

44
00:02:56,160 --> 00:02:59,799
Speaker 3: winning run to the World Series Game seven of the

45
00:02:59,800 --> 00:03:03,280
Speaker 3: World World Series, and there's a lot of components that

46
00:03:03,320 --> 00:03:08,640
Speaker 3: go into that. It's obviously the revenues generated as Canada's team,

47
00:03:08,720 --> 00:03:13,640
Speaker 3: to have an entire country to yourself essentially as a market.

48
00:03:14,200 --> 00:03:19,120
Speaker 3: They're just the viability as a contending club for the

49
00:03:19,160 --> 00:03:24,600
Speaker 3: next several years, the momentum from signing Ladd Junior to

50
00:03:24,680 --> 00:03:29,359
Speaker 3: that monster extension, then also seeing that atmosphere on TV

51
00:03:29,560 --> 00:03:32,520
Speaker 3: and kind of the stage the Blue Jays were on.

52
00:03:33,720 --> 00:03:37,600
Speaker 3: Players certainly notice things like that, and after years of

53
00:03:38,360 --> 00:03:41,600
Speaker 3: kind of being the bridesmaid or perhaps being used for

54
00:03:41,880 --> 00:03:47,960
Speaker 3: leverage in talks with your player's actual preferred destinations, this

55
00:03:48,040 --> 00:03:51,560
Speaker 3: is a great time for them to strike. And I

56
00:03:51,640 --> 00:03:56,400
Speaker 3: do think Kyle Tucker is probably better suited to being

57
00:03:56,560 --> 00:04:00,480
Speaker 3: kind of more of a complementary player next to Vladd

58
00:04:00,560 --> 00:04:04,280
Speaker 3: Junior than being that face of the franchise time.

59
00:04:06,080 --> 00:04:07,800
Speaker 2: This is something that's fascinating to me.

60
00:04:07,840 --> 00:04:11,520
Speaker 1: When I saw this, I don't think I maybe I

61
00:04:11,560 --> 00:04:14,600
Speaker 1: had seen the Blue Jays connected to Kyle Tucker before,

62
00:04:14,640 --> 00:04:17,479
Speaker 1: but I never really thought of them as like one

63
00:04:17,480 --> 00:04:22,400
Speaker 1: of the top candidates for Kyle Tucker. But also you know,

64
00:04:22,480 --> 00:04:27,600
Speaker 1: once Lad Junior signed that extension, we were talking Kyle Tucker,

65
00:04:29,120 --> 00:04:33,080
Speaker 1: you know, comps with Blad Junior. So to think that

66
00:04:33,320 --> 00:04:35,599
Speaker 1: the Blue Jays have a shot to have both of

67
00:04:35,640 --> 00:04:39,240
Speaker 1: them on their roster, just I just thought that was interesting.

68
00:04:39,360 --> 00:04:41,800
Speaker 1: I didn't It was not something that had entered my

69
00:04:41,880 --> 00:04:46,680
Speaker 1: mind as a possibility, certainly not when last season started

70
00:04:46,800 --> 00:04:51,120
Speaker 1: and Glad steigned that extension. I think in the spring,

71
00:04:51,240 --> 00:04:53,320
Speaker 1: right or was it right before the spring?

72
00:04:54,440 --> 00:04:56,440
Speaker 3: It was right after opening day because I remember, well,

73
00:04:56,800 --> 00:05:00,919
Speaker 3: we talked to Tucker in the Wrigley Field clubhouse. I

74
00:05:00,920 --> 00:05:02,440
Speaker 3: think he had won some sort of like I don't know,

75
00:05:02,560 --> 00:05:04,680
Speaker 3: player of the Week award or something like that, And

76
00:05:04,720 --> 00:05:08,119
Speaker 3: it was right right around that's maybe the day after

77
00:05:08,240 --> 00:05:13,080
Speaker 3: Vlad's deal, And that was obvious, the obvious question, and

78
00:05:13,200 --> 00:05:16,360
Speaker 3: like he was now the clear consensus, you know, far

79
00:05:16,400 --> 00:05:20,359
Speaker 3: and away number one position player in this class.

80
00:05:20,839 --> 00:05:23,200
Speaker 1: Yeah, and I think that what you were kind of

81
00:05:23,640 --> 00:05:27,960
Speaker 1: touching on before, the idea that the Cubs were only

82
00:05:28,200 --> 00:05:32,479
Speaker 1: in on this if somehow his market cratered, that's like

83
00:05:32,720 --> 00:05:36,880
Speaker 1: an impossibility with this class, With this free agent class,

84
00:05:36,920 --> 00:05:40,560
Speaker 1: there's just no one there, like even if even if

85
00:05:40,560 --> 00:05:43,920
Speaker 1: you want to say like that second half, uh brought

86
00:05:43,960 --> 00:05:47,279
Speaker 1: about questions and are is he is he going to age?

87
00:05:47,279 --> 00:05:51,400
Speaker 1: For go with every negative thought you want to have,

88
00:05:51,800 --> 00:05:55,960
Speaker 1: like someone's going to pay him, Like it's just inevitable

89
00:05:55,960 --> 00:05:58,880
Speaker 1: when you are when when this is what the class is,

90
00:05:58,920 --> 00:06:01,480
Speaker 1: When this is what the free age classes, and he's

91
00:06:01,600 --> 00:06:05,720
Speaker 1: as talented and has the type of ceiling that he has,

92
00:06:05,760 --> 00:06:09,040
Speaker 1: it's just hard. There's just no way you can get

93
00:06:09,080 --> 00:06:11,599
Speaker 1: away from the idea that this is going to be

94
00:06:11,640 --> 00:06:16,640
Speaker 1: a highly paid player. Now it's just like who are

95
00:06:16,680 --> 00:06:19,440
Speaker 1: the true suitors and who's coming after him and who's

96
00:06:19,440 --> 00:06:23,240
Speaker 1: gonna pay him. Toronto is kind of like in this

97
00:06:23,320 --> 00:06:28,000
Speaker 1: perfect situation where like you said, I think they're better

98
00:06:28,440 --> 00:06:31,200
Speaker 1: set up financially than maybe San Diego, But it kind

99
00:06:31,200 --> 00:06:33,599
Speaker 1: of does feel like they're having their San Diego moment

100
00:06:33,640 --> 00:06:35,760
Speaker 1: where it's like, Okay, it's time to go get us

101
00:06:35,760 --> 00:06:38,400
Speaker 1: a world series. We were really close, and I think

102
00:06:38,440 --> 00:06:42,080
Speaker 1: the Padres have been really close over the years. You

103
00:06:42,120 --> 00:06:44,960
Speaker 1: don't want to miss that window, and they're kind of

104
00:06:45,000 --> 00:06:47,880
Speaker 1: looking at it in that sense. I don't know what

105
00:06:47,920 --> 00:06:50,279
Speaker 1: that payroad is gonna look like if they do sign Tucker.

106
00:06:50,360 --> 00:06:52,840
Speaker 2: But you know, I don't think fans really care about that.

107
00:06:52,960 --> 00:06:57,760
Speaker 1: Go go get them. I think that the Cubs Cubs

108
00:06:57,839 --> 00:06:59,880
Speaker 1: fans to kind of put this to the Cubs. I

109
00:07:00,080 --> 00:07:03,080
Speaker 1: think they would like to see that type of aggression

110
00:07:03,160 --> 00:07:03,760
Speaker 1: from their team.

111
00:07:03,839 --> 00:07:06,440
Speaker 2: But you know, I think I think.

112
00:07:06,240 --> 00:07:11,440
Speaker 1: We're seeing while we aren't seeing the big signings yet,

113
00:07:11,640 --> 00:07:13,600
Speaker 1: I think you and I are hearing enough to make

114
00:07:13,640 --> 00:07:17,800
Speaker 1: it feel like there's the Cubs will do something that

115
00:07:17,920 --> 00:07:21,880
Speaker 1: should at least, you know, upgrade the roster, if not

116
00:07:22,000 --> 00:07:25,679
Speaker 1: the offense in in whole like that, the roster should

117
00:07:25,760 --> 00:07:29,360
Speaker 1: be getting better in the coming weeks.

118
00:07:29,200 --> 00:07:30,680
Speaker 2: As we you know.

119
00:07:30,600 --> 00:07:33,800
Speaker 1: We're a few days away from heading to Orlando in

120
00:07:33,800 --> 00:07:36,000
Speaker 1: the Winter meetings.

121
00:07:35,760 --> 00:07:38,160
Speaker 4: That's two points here. I think.

122
00:07:39,360 --> 00:07:41,440
Speaker 3: I don't think the Cubs are necessarily done adding to

123
00:07:41,480 --> 00:07:42,800
Speaker 3: the position player side.

124
00:07:42,880 --> 00:07:45,560
Speaker 4: I know that has sort of been you know.

125
00:07:45,560 --> 00:07:48,000
Speaker 3: One conclusion that has been jumped to when they say

126
00:07:48,280 --> 00:07:50,560
Speaker 3: we're focused on pitching. We could play a game tomorrow

127
00:07:50,600 --> 00:07:54,000
Speaker 3: with our group, and yes, they're not desperate. I also

128
00:07:54,040 --> 00:07:57,840
Speaker 3: don't think, you know, days before the Winter Meetings, that

129
00:07:57,840 --> 00:08:00,960
Speaker 3: they're totally shutting off that possibilit I think they're actually

130
00:08:01,600 --> 00:08:06,800
Speaker 3: exploring some of those concepts and then look like Kyle Tucker.

131
00:08:07,240 --> 00:08:10,480
Speaker 3: I wrote it the other day. Throughout his career has

132
00:08:10,520 --> 00:08:15,720
Speaker 3: been highly valued by the baseball industry, so there's no like, oh,

133
00:08:15,720 --> 00:08:18,840
Speaker 3: who cares he's gone, like not a big deal, Like no,

134
00:08:18,920 --> 00:08:22,040
Speaker 3: like coming out of high school, you know, this powerhouse

135
00:08:22,120 --> 00:08:25,760
Speaker 3: high school program in Florida, he was number five pick

136
00:08:25,800 --> 00:08:29,280
Speaker 3: in the draft, and then he was like a top ten,

137
00:08:29,440 --> 00:08:32,240
Speaker 3: top twenty consensus prospect on all those lists.

138
00:08:32,280 --> 00:08:34,640
Speaker 4: When you go on to his Baseball reference page, then

139
00:08:34,679 --> 00:08:35,640
Speaker 4: he you.

140
00:08:35,640 --> 00:08:38,400
Speaker 3: Know, was a what he made the he's made the

141
00:08:38,440 --> 00:08:41,839
Speaker 3: playoffs every year of his career. He's got all this hardware,

142
00:08:43,040 --> 00:08:48,160
Speaker 3: you know, great back of the baseball cards. So yeah,

143
00:08:48,160 --> 00:08:51,360
Speaker 3: like that's that's gonna sting. Like the Cubs on Opening Day,

144
00:08:52,880 --> 00:08:55,240
Speaker 3: unless and make another big move, will probably not have

145
00:08:55,360 --> 00:08:57,880
Speaker 3: as good an offense on paper.

146
00:08:58,520 --> 00:09:02,240
Speaker 4: But I do think certain things have changed since.

147
00:09:03,160 --> 00:09:06,160
Speaker 3: You know, the time they acquired him. Obviously, Peter Armstrong,

148
00:09:06,200 --> 00:09:10,240
Speaker 3: it was not you know, necessarily consistent or a smooth

149
00:09:10,440 --> 00:09:15,160
Speaker 3: level production. But he was a whatever thirty thirty guy,

150
00:09:15,280 --> 00:09:19,440
Speaker 3: All Star mv P candidate for months, Like will he

151
00:09:19,720 --> 00:09:20,840
Speaker 3: exactly duplicate that?

152
00:09:21,080 --> 00:09:21,640
Speaker 4: We don't know?

153
00:09:22,960 --> 00:09:25,480
Speaker 3: Could he find maybe a more consistent level that certainly

154
00:09:25,480 --> 00:09:30,520
Speaker 3: seems reasonable, especially given his intelligence, you know, and passion

155
00:09:31,880 --> 00:09:36,320
Speaker 3: for the game. Michael Bush becoming an everyday first baseman,

156
00:09:36,480 --> 00:09:41,600
Speaker 3: you know, a monster in October, that's a big deal.

157
00:09:41,760 --> 00:09:45,240
Speaker 3: Say a Suzuki took kind of a next step forward.

158
00:09:45,720 --> 00:09:48,480
Speaker 3: He can play some more right field. And then one

159
00:09:48,520 --> 00:09:50,840
Speaker 3: Casey and moist is by a stereos are going to

160
00:09:50,840 --> 00:09:52,240
Speaker 3: be a part of this one way or the other.

161
00:09:52,360 --> 00:09:55,600
Speaker 3: We don't know exactly how, you know. I think things

162
00:09:55,600 --> 00:09:57,800
Speaker 3: can change quickly in the offseason, and that's kind of

163
00:09:59,480 --> 00:10:03,000
Speaker 3: what play are told generally, you know, in those exit

164
00:10:03,040 --> 00:10:06,160
Speaker 3: meetings or you know, kind of off season communications of

165
00:10:06,240 --> 00:10:08,920
Speaker 3: like this is kind of our plan. It could change,

166
00:10:08,960 --> 00:10:11,920
Speaker 3: but we see envision these roles for you and and

167
00:10:11,960 --> 00:10:16,319
Speaker 3: I think Casey and Biasteros will get some runway. You

168
00:10:16,520 --> 00:10:19,840
Speaker 3: saw how Matt Shaw improved from the first half to

169
00:10:19,920 --> 00:10:25,880
Speaker 3: the second half, and even both those hitters have stacked

170
00:10:25,960 --> 00:10:30,000
Speaker 3: up a lot of good experiences from from when the

171
00:10:30,040 --> 00:10:32,760
Speaker 3: Cubs acquired Tucker that like, if you could not have

172
00:10:32,800 --> 00:10:34,960
Speaker 3: gone into last year, we're like, oh, and Casey moys

173
00:10:34,880 --> 00:10:37,680
Speaker 3: this boy Steros, like that's ye, Like you couldn't have

174
00:10:37,679 --> 00:10:42,559
Speaker 3: done that. I think now it is reasonable to expect

175
00:10:42,559 --> 00:10:48,960
Speaker 3: them to contribute to winning team because they did last year. Obviously,

176
00:10:49,240 --> 00:10:52,800
Speaker 3: Casey missed some of that runway because of the concussion.

177
00:10:53,360 --> 00:10:54,959
Speaker 4: Right Biasteros looked good.

178
00:10:55,640 --> 00:10:58,480
Speaker 3: I mean, these are we don't know what they're going

179
00:10:58,520 --> 00:11:01,040
Speaker 3: to become, but the baseball industry he has valued them

180
00:11:01,080 --> 00:11:05,719
Speaker 3: fairly highly as a top level as top level prospects

181
00:11:06,440 --> 00:11:09,920
Speaker 3: like these are not like retreads, Like they're there. It's

182
00:11:10,040 --> 00:11:12,319
Speaker 3: kind of a moment for them to sink or swim

183
00:11:12,400 --> 00:11:15,000
Speaker 3: to some extent, and they have a manager, Craig Council,

184
00:11:15,040 --> 00:11:17,600
Speaker 3: who's proven to be very patient in that regard.

185
00:11:18,400 --> 00:11:22,079
Speaker 1: Yeah, there's probably still a way to I mean there

186
00:11:22,200 --> 00:11:25,160
Speaker 1: is there are ways to upgrade this offense with a

187
00:11:25,480 --> 00:11:29,280
Speaker 1: you know, a more established presence and get those guys

188
00:11:29,520 --> 00:11:30,480
Speaker 1: regular playing time.

189
00:11:30,520 --> 00:11:32,640
Speaker 2: I think you want to see what they can do.

190
00:11:33,120 --> 00:11:35,480
Speaker 1: I think you, you know, you'd feel a lot better

191
00:11:35,679 --> 00:11:38,120
Speaker 1: if Casey got a little bit more time and showed

192
00:11:38,160 --> 00:11:41,040
Speaker 1: a little bit more. By Sterrus, obviously by Starrus, I

193
00:11:41,080 --> 00:11:43,040
Speaker 1: think it was like two or three weeks whatever it

194
00:11:43,160 --> 00:11:45,800
Speaker 1: was where he was really hitting. It was nice to see, though,

195
00:11:45,840 --> 00:11:49,000
Speaker 1: Like those are things you want to see young players

196
00:11:49,040 --> 00:11:54,079
Speaker 1: do when they get their opportunity. And obviously Shaw's second

197
00:11:54,160 --> 00:11:56,640
Speaker 1: half showed that, you know, this guy can handle the

198
00:11:56,640 --> 00:11:57,240
Speaker 1: big leagues.

199
00:11:57,520 --> 00:11:59,680
Speaker 2: There's growing pains with all these guys.

200
00:11:59,679 --> 00:12:04,120
Speaker 1: There will be, but I think fans in general and

201
00:12:04,440 --> 00:12:07,120
Speaker 1: maybe this front office would be feel more secure if

202
00:12:07,160 --> 00:12:11,080
Speaker 1: they had another bat, you know, if they could go

203
00:12:11,120 --> 00:12:14,680
Speaker 1: out and get another bat. And you know, I don't

204
00:12:14,720 --> 00:12:16,959
Speaker 1: think we should rule it out. It's not something we're

205
00:12:16,960 --> 00:12:21,280
Speaker 1: going to rule out. But that said, I think we've

206
00:12:21,280 --> 00:12:25,000
Speaker 1: seen where the priority is uh and and and it's pitching.

207
00:12:26,040 --> 00:12:30,000
Speaker 1: Something that that we found that you know that happened

208
00:12:30,000 --> 00:12:32,800
Speaker 1: over the last week. Was it last week early this week?

209
00:12:32,840 --> 00:12:38,320
Speaker 1: Whenever it was Dylan Ceeses off the market? Uh, that

210
00:12:38,440 --> 00:12:41,120
Speaker 1: the Cubs were in on Dylan Cees, I think is

211
00:12:41,160 --> 00:12:44,640
Speaker 1: something that uh, nobody wants to hear that, right, and

212
00:12:44,679 --> 00:12:46,960
Speaker 1: the fans that want to hear that the Cubs were interested.

213
00:12:47,000 --> 00:12:49,920
Speaker 1: The Cubs were willing to spend up to a certain point,

214
00:12:50,840 --> 00:12:54,199
Speaker 1: but they were and that's just not something we've heard

215
00:12:54,720 --> 00:12:57,600
Speaker 1: of late when it comes to the Cubs and free agency.

216
00:12:57,640 --> 00:13:01,480
Speaker 1: I mean, the last time they spent huge in free agency?

217
00:13:01,520 --> 00:13:04,720
Speaker 1: Am I remembering this right? Like the last really big

218
00:13:04,760 --> 00:13:06,880
Speaker 1: contract was Dansby Swanson.

219
00:13:07,040 --> 00:13:08,480
Speaker 2: Is that right? Uh?

220
00:13:09,760 --> 00:13:14,080
Speaker 1: And then the last pitcher was Darvish. The last nine

221
00:13:14,160 --> 00:13:17,560
Speaker 1: figure pitcher was you, Darvish? I mean, that's pre pandemic,

222
00:13:18,240 --> 00:13:21,960
Speaker 1: that's a that's a long time for this team to

223
00:13:22,080 --> 00:13:26,760
Speaker 1: be aggressively pursuing pitching. Maybe they were out there hunting

224
00:13:26,800 --> 00:13:29,880
Speaker 1: some pitching beforehand. They haven't landed a nine figure pitcher

225
00:13:29,880 --> 00:13:34,560
Speaker 1: in a while. They still haven't, but at least at

226
00:13:34,640 --> 00:13:37,040
Speaker 1: least they were in on and Dylan Cees and they're

227
00:13:37,080 --> 00:13:42,080
Speaker 1: showing real interest in getting an impactful arm that can

228
00:13:42,200 --> 00:13:44,240
Speaker 1: miss some bats for this rotation.

229
00:13:45,400 --> 00:13:50,400
Speaker 3: Totally understand the skepticism. Cubs fans don't want to hear

230
00:13:50,440 --> 00:13:56,040
Speaker 3: oh wow, like they were interested, but it is useful

231
00:13:56,080 --> 00:13:59,760
Speaker 3: to know that the Cubs are engaging at that level

232
00:14:00,640 --> 00:14:06,400
Speaker 3: of the pitching market this early in the offseason.

233
00:14:06,440 --> 00:14:08,800
Speaker 4: As well. We've seen the Cubs sort of hang.

234
00:14:08,760 --> 00:14:11,880
Speaker 3: Back a lot of the time, you know, waiting deeper

235
00:14:11,920 --> 00:14:16,400
Speaker 3: into January, sometimes after the start of spring training to

236
00:14:16,520 --> 00:14:19,280
Speaker 3: kind of strike on some of these guys. So the

237
00:14:19,320 --> 00:14:23,240
Speaker 3: fact that you know, that Sea steal kind of came together,

238
00:14:23,800 --> 00:14:27,680
Speaker 3: i think right before Thanksgiving. The fact that the Cubs

239
00:14:27,680 --> 00:14:31,560
Speaker 3: were in on that makes you think they're not going

240
00:14:31,640 --> 00:14:36,000
Speaker 3: to withdraw from the market like obviously Dylan sees is

241
00:14:36,040 --> 00:14:38,320
Speaker 3: kind of a unique picture in a lot of ways.

242
00:14:38,320 --> 00:14:43,560
Speaker 3: But there are still lots of quality starting pitchers out there,

243
00:14:44,440 --> 00:14:46,080
Speaker 3: and there's no reason to think the Cubs are just

244
00:14:46,120 --> 00:14:51,800
Speaker 3: going to like give up on that pursuit. Obviously, Cease

245
00:14:53,080 --> 00:14:56,160
Speaker 3: has that swing and miss, he has great durability, but

246
00:14:56,240 --> 00:15:00,160
Speaker 3: he's not He's not the only option out there there.

247
00:15:00,200 --> 00:15:04,400
Speaker 3: And I'd imagine as we get we get down Orlando,

248
00:15:04,720 --> 00:15:08,240
Speaker 3: if not before then, to see see some more movement

249
00:15:09,080 --> 00:15:13,280
Speaker 3: in that direction. And the Cubs have money to spend,

250
00:15:13,320 --> 00:15:17,960
Speaker 3: it's not probably as much as fans and media would

251
00:15:18,000 --> 00:15:20,600
Speaker 3: expect or want, you.

252
00:15:20,560 --> 00:15:23,800
Speaker 4: Know, those opening day payrolls next year.

253
00:15:24,680 --> 00:15:29,520
Speaker 3: Don't expect the Cubs to like, you know, lap the Dodgers, Phillies,

254
00:15:29,800 --> 00:15:34,280
Speaker 3: Mets Blue Jays. And that's a separate conversation, that's a

255
00:15:34,280 --> 00:15:36,440
Speaker 3: whole nother episode of where they should be.

256
00:15:36,560 --> 00:15:41,400
Speaker 4: But where I they will be will be closer to

257
00:15:41,560 --> 00:15:42,320
Speaker 4: like that CBT.

258
00:15:42,520 --> 00:15:47,000
Speaker 3: And again, the CBT should not be the end all

259
00:15:47,040 --> 00:15:50,680
Speaker 3: be all, that should not be this like firm guard rail,

260
00:15:50,840 --> 00:15:54,280
Speaker 3: But the Cubs have not been you know, up or

261
00:15:54,400 --> 00:15:57,360
Speaker 3: past that except for that kind of one off year.

262
00:15:58,040 --> 00:15:59,040
Speaker 4: I forget which one it was.

263
00:15:59,080 --> 00:16:02,520
Speaker 1: It just barely trip twenty four, right, it was twenty four,

264
00:16:02,600 --> 00:16:05,240
Speaker 1: they barely went over, and then last season they dip

265
00:16:05,280 --> 00:16:05,640
Speaker 1: back there.

266
00:16:05,800 --> 00:16:12,200
Speaker 3: Said okay, so it's like if they're around that mark,

267
00:16:12,720 --> 00:16:19,640
Speaker 3: that would be honestly progress, I mean, smaller relative progress,

268
00:16:20,280 --> 00:16:25,760
Speaker 3: but they have they have some maneuverability here and they

269
00:16:25,800 --> 00:16:27,360
Speaker 3: can go go bigger on pitching.

270
00:16:28,000 --> 00:16:28,200
Speaker 2: Yeah.

271
00:16:28,280 --> 00:16:32,800
Speaker 1: Look so right now, according to roster resource, they're at

272
00:16:32,920 --> 00:16:35,840
Speaker 1: like one ninety six, well between one ninety six and

273
00:16:35,920 --> 00:16:38,760
Speaker 1: one ninety seven, let's say, and the and the first

274
00:16:39,120 --> 00:16:42,880
Speaker 1: threshold is to forty four. Uh, you know, so let's

275
00:16:43,160 --> 00:16:47,320
Speaker 1: let's give them between forty five and fifty million. You're

276
00:16:47,320 --> 00:16:48,480
Speaker 1: gonna you're gonna want.

277
00:16:48,360 --> 00:16:51,440
Speaker 2: To leave some maybe I don't. I don't know.

278
00:16:51,520 --> 00:16:56,080
Speaker 1: I assume normally they want to leave some space for

279
00:16:56,600 --> 00:16:57,880
Speaker 1: deadline acquisitions.

280
00:16:58,400 --> 00:16:58,520
Speaker 2: Uh.

281
00:16:59,800 --> 00:17:03,680
Speaker 1: But but this is this at least sounds like it's

282
00:17:03,680 --> 00:17:06,639
Speaker 1: going to be better than last offseason, where you know,

283
00:17:06,800 --> 00:17:10,080
Speaker 1: they were pretty much at their budget, pretty much at

284
00:17:10,119 --> 00:17:13,440
Speaker 1: their budget and then had to possibly make an exception

285
00:17:13,840 --> 00:17:16,560
Speaker 1: to even think about adding someone like Bregmant. Now it

286
00:17:16,640 --> 00:17:19,440
Speaker 1: sounds like, okay that the budget may be a little

287
00:17:19,480 --> 00:17:24,680
Speaker 1: bit higher and closer to the CBT, and we'll see

288
00:17:24,680 --> 00:17:27,399
Speaker 1: if that means, you know, you go past the CBT

289
00:17:27,520 --> 00:17:30,200
Speaker 1: at the deadline or that is like the full full

290
00:17:30,280 --> 00:17:36,000
Speaker 1: season budget. Who knows, but it should give some optimism

291
00:17:36,040 --> 00:17:39,520
Speaker 1: that they can continue to be aggressive and try and

292
00:17:39,640 --> 00:17:43,439
Speaker 1: add a swing and mispitcher, you know, missing out on

293
00:17:43,560 --> 00:17:46,439
Speaker 1: ceases not the end of the world. There there are

294
00:17:46,440 --> 00:17:48,240
Speaker 1: a lot There's going to be a lot of action

295
00:17:48,440 --> 00:17:52,760
Speaker 1: over the next ten days, probably ten days to two weeks.

296
00:17:52,760 --> 00:17:54,320
Speaker 2: I think we're going to hear a lot of things.

297
00:17:54,359 --> 00:17:55,080
Speaker 2: We're going to see a.

298
00:17:55,080 --> 00:17:59,600
Speaker 1: Lot of movement, and and the Cubs almost certainly, I.

299
00:17:59,520 --> 00:18:01,960
Speaker 2: Would say, will be will be involved.

300
00:18:02,440 --> 00:18:05,239
Speaker 1: Whether they get one of those big names, we'll see, uh,

301
00:18:05,880 --> 00:18:08,680
Speaker 1: but you know they're there are there's you know obviously,

302
00:18:09,320 --> 00:18:12,439
Speaker 1: uh Tatsuya in Ma is A is a name that

303
00:18:13,080 --> 00:18:16,480
Speaker 1: the Cubs have been linked to. Uh. You would expect

304
00:18:16,480 --> 00:18:18,600
Speaker 1: that they'll continue to be linked to him. We'll see

305
00:18:18,920 --> 00:18:23,239
Speaker 1: where that ends up. Michael King, Zach Gallon. These are

306
00:18:23,240 --> 00:18:25,639
Speaker 1: all names we've mentioned before and that I think the

307
00:18:25,640 --> 00:18:27,439
Speaker 1: Cubs are going to continue to be involved in.

308
00:18:27,480 --> 00:18:28,720
Speaker 2: And I think that's you know.

309
00:18:29,240 --> 00:18:33,480
Speaker 1: That that that's incredibly important for them to add to

310
00:18:33,560 --> 00:18:36,679
Speaker 1: this rotation. And we've even heard like they continue to

311
00:18:36,680 --> 00:18:40,119
Speaker 1: be involved in inclosers and high leverage relievers.

312
00:18:40,640 --> 00:18:40,920
Speaker 2: Uh.

313
00:18:41,320 --> 00:18:43,560
Speaker 1: You know, multiple names have gone off the board and

314
00:18:43,600 --> 00:18:47,800
Speaker 1: they've been involved, uh in general. Uh for for those

315
00:18:47,800 --> 00:18:51,159
Speaker 1: guys outside of like the Edwin Diaz, Devin Williams, I

316
00:18:51,200 --> 00:18:54,320
Speaker 1: don't think we've heard much on that front. But beyond that,

317
00:18:54,480 --> 00:18:59,920
Speaker 1: like the the next step, Uh, they're involved. And again,

318
00:19:01,200 --> 00:19:03,960
Speaker 1: I think fans are going to be frustrated until they

319
00:19:04,000 --> 00:19:04,879
Speaker 1: don't want to hear involved.

320
00:19:04,880 --> 00:19:06,720
Speaker 2: They want to hear the signing, but.

321
00:19:08,400 --> 00:19:11,359
Speaker 1: The budget news and the fact that they're that they're

322
00:19:11,520 --> 00:19:16,240
Speaker 1: you know, I guess you know back in the mix

323
00:19:16,600 --> 00:19:19,480
Speaker 1: for these types of players that they just weren't like

324
00:19:19,880 --> 00:19:23,920
Speaker 1: really they they're constantly searching for that deal and constantly

325
00:19:23,960 --> 00:19:27,439
Speaker 1: searching for that lower level h type free agent and

326
00:19:27,600 --> 00:19:33,840
Speaker 1: hoping for what was Jed's line outperformed projections that was

327
00:19:33,880 --> 00:19:38,520
Speaker 1: their hope, right, and and projections are important like that.

328
00:19:38,520 --> 00:19:41,080
Speaker 1: That's a lot of these front officers rely on those things.

329
00:19:41,119 --> 00:19:46,280
Speaker 1: But you don't want to like strictly be relying on outperformance,

330
00:19:46,760 --> 00:19:49,080
Speaker 1: uh to get to where you need to be. Uh.

331
00:19:49,840 --> 00:19:52,280
Speaker 1: So you know, I think that this is a better

332
00:19:52,600 --> 00:19:57,000
Speaker 1: feeling for the offseason. Uh, to complete that you need

333
00:19:57,040 --> 00:20:00,720
Speaker 1: to sign and and get the players, but it does

334
00:20:00,840 --> 00:20:03,320
Speaker 1: it does feel a little bit more optimistic as we

335
00:20:03,400 --> 00:20:06,720
Speaker 1: headed to the Winter meetings from where we were even

336
00:20:06,720 --> 00:20:08,399
Speaker 1: a year ago, even though they did pull off that

337
00:20:08,440 --> 00:20:12,200
Speaker 1: massive trade for Kyle Tucker. It just it's a it's

338
00:20:12,240 --> 00:20:15,720
Speaker 1: a different feeling around this team and what they can

339
00:20:15,920 --> 00:20:17,160
Speaker 1: or cannot pull off.

340
00:20:18,480 --> 00:20:19,959
Speaker 3: Without a doubt. And look at I mean, just look

341
00:20:20,000 --> 00:20:22,520
Speaker 3: at the team on the field. I mean those two

342
00:20:22,600 --> 00:20:28,719
Speaker 3: playoff rounds, the postseason atmosphere at Wrigley Field, the the

343
00:20:28,720 --> 00:20:33,480
Speaker 3: big crowds, the revenues generated off of a you know,

344
00:20:33,560 --> 00:20:37,760
Speaker 3: compelling season, competitive season start to finish like that is

345
00:20:38,800 --> 00:20:40,600
Speaker 3: all that matters.

346
00:20:40,840 --> 00:20:43,520
Speaker 4: And you do see.

347
00:20:44,760 --> 00:20:47,480
Speaker 3: Like a stable enough foundation to where they can go

348
00:20:47,520 --> 00:20:49,320
Speaker 3: out and do some of that stuff. And these last

349
00:20:49,320 --> 00:20:53,280
Speaker 3: couple of years had been kind of like building almost

350
00:20:53,280 --> 00:20:55,320
Speaker 3: from scratch. They had a lot of holes to fill,

351
00:20:55,359 --> 00:20:57,600
Speaker 3: they had a lot of pieces to put together, and

352
00:20:57,640 --> 00:21:03,000
Speaker 3: now you're really looking for impact and those type of

353
00:21:03,080 --> 00:21:04,800
Speaker 3: talents are out there and available.

354
00:21:06,440 --> 00:21:10,840
Speaker 1: Absolutely, Okay, we're gonna have plenty going on next week.

355
00:21:10,920 --> 00:21:14,120
Speaker 1: We have one more episode this week, but we'll save

356
00:21:14,640 --> 00:21:17,160
Speaker 1: all the info. We have plenty of info and things

357
00:21:17,160 --> 00:21:19,760
Speaker 1: where we're gonna gather and share with all of you.

358
00:21:19,960 --> 00:21:22,600
Speaker 1: So hopefully there's plenty of Cubs rumors for us to

359
00:21:23,119 --> 00:21:26,320
Speaker 1: track down over the next ten tennis days. But we

360
00:21:26,359 --> 00:21:28,920
Speaker 1: will be in Orlando starting Sunday. We'll have one more

361
00:21:28,920 --> 00:21:31,520
Speaker 1: episode this week. Thanks so much for listening everyone, This

362
00:21:31,560 --> 00:21:34,200
Speaker 1: is north Side Territory. Make sure to rate, review, subscribe,

363
00:21:34,240 --> 00:21:37,480
Speaker 1: subscribe to the YouTube channel, and subscribe to the Athletic.

364
00:21:37,720 --> 00:21:39,959
Speaker 1: We're Patrick and I are on top of all things Cubs.

365
00:21:40,200 --> 00:21:41,479
Speaker 1: Thanks for listening everyone.

366
00:21:41,560 --> 00:22:06,680
Speaker 2: Take it. No I wave do they do?

367
00:22:11,080 --> 00:22:11,800
Speaker 1: Relisted