WEBVTT - Episode 385 - The Alex Stumpf Show | Second Half Breakdown

0:00:00.200 --> 0:00:03.560
<v Speaker 1>Welcome back everybody to the Alex Dump Show live here

0:00:03.600 --> 0:00:06.400
<v Speaker 1>in Cleveland. We are on the field, Alex. We've been

0:00:06.400 --> 0:00:08.320
<v Speaker 1>doing the show every week. If you don't believe us,

0:00:09.039 --> 0:00:11.080
<v Speaker 1>check your algorithm. I don't know if people are just

0:00:11.080 --> 0:00:14.680
<v Speaker 1>not caught up with how consistent we've been with this venture.

0:00:15.200 --> 0:00:17.040
<v Speaker 2>I've been keeping someone on the cunning room floor make

0:00:17.040 --> 0:00:19.119
<v Speaker 2>sure that it's only the best episodes. Lets see the

0:00:19.200 --> 0:00:20.280
<v Speaker 2>light of day, right right.

0:00:20.320 --> 0:00:22.520
<v Speaker 1>We're all about quality here at Bucko Banter and the

0:00:22.520 --> 0:00:25.279
<v Speaker 1>Alex Dump Show. Alex, we're here in Cleveland. Last night's

0:00:25.320 --> 0:00:28.560
<v Speaker 1>game got banged due to the air quality. You got

0:00:28.720 --> 0:00:31.640
<v Speaker 1>two weeks, three weeks. Within three weeks, you get two

0:00:31.640 --> 0:00:34.600
<v Speaker 1>double headers. How do we feel going after the break

0:00:34.600 --> 0:00:35.440
<v Speaker 1>into Cleveland?

0:00:35.960 --> 0:00:40.000
<v Speaker 2>I mean, you'd like to not have to burn your

0:00:40.000 --> 0:00:43.680
<v Speaker 2>bullpen so efficiently right out of the gate, But you

0:00:43.720 --> 0:00:47.040
<v Speaker 2>know what, the way the cards are played, they got

0:00:47.080 --> 0:00:49.159
<v Speaker 2>six games in five days, and these are six very

0:00:49.159 --> 0:00:53.000
<v Speaker 2>important games. You kind of hope that they win three

0:00:53.040 --> 0:00:54.520
<v Speaker 2>or four of them if you want to stay in

0:00:54.520 --> 0:00:56.160
<v Speaker 2>that wild card race. Alex.

0:00:56.200 --> 0:00:58.560
<v Speaker 3>We just heard Donny Kelly talk in the dugout and

0:00:59.000 --> 0:01:02.160
<v Speaker 3>O'Niel cruise was answer to the sixty day IL to

0:01:02.160 --> 0:01:04.800
<v Speaker 3>make room for Wilbert Hotel. And also Christian Curtis is

0:01:04.840 --> 0:01:06.800
<v Speaker 3>here as a twenty seventh man. We'll get into the

0:01:07.440 --> 0:01:10.600
<v Speaker 3>cruise trade rumors later, but any concern about you know,

0:01:10.720 --> 0:01:14.440
<v Speaker 3>O'Neill cruise's like overall health. Do you think there's he's

0:01:14.480 --> 0:01:17.720
<v Speaker 3>going to be back still on time for August eighth?

0:01:17.760 --> 0:01:20.040
<v Speaker 2>First of all, Christian Curtis has the roster spot open.

0:01:20.040 --> 0:01:24.160
<v Speaker 2>That's why Cruz is going to the sixty day. All along,

0:01:24.200 --> 0:01:26.640
<v Speaker 2>they maintained that this was probably gonna be late July

0:01:26.840 --> 0:01:30.119
<v Speaker 2>early August, and if you look at look, we need

0:01:30.160 --> 0:01:33.320
<v Speaker 2>to open up a roster spot right now, that's a

0:01:33.360 --> 0:01:34.880
<v Speaker 2>way to do it, you know, you just push him

0:01:34.880 --> 0:01:37.160
<v Speaker 2>back at theoretically like a week or so. It still

0:01:37.240 --> 0:01:40.080
<v Speaker 2>stinks that this was supposed to be just a day

0:01:40.160 --> 0:01:42.760
<v Speaker 2>to day injury and now it's required a sixty day

0:01:42.800 --> 0:01:46.960
<v Speaker 2>IL extent. I do expect him to probably come back

0:01:46.959 --> 0:01:49.920
<v Speaker 2>in early August, because Don Kelly just said there wasn't

0:01:49.960 --> 0:01:51.960
<v Speaker 2>a setback and that was always the timeline.

0:01:52.040 --> 0:01:55.240
<v Speaker 1>So we'll see how big was that week going into

0:01:55.240 --> 0:01:57.880
<v Speaker 1>the ulcer break. Obviously a disappointing series versus the Braves

0:01:57.920 --> 0:01:59.640
<v Speaker 1>where you feel like you should have won that series.

0:01:59.640 --> 0:02:02.120
<v Speaker 1>You ever opportunity iku and then the Brewers come into

0:02:02.160 --> 0:02:04.480
<v Speaker 1>town and it just feels like must win, right, maybe

0:02:04.520 --> 0:02:06.840
<v Speaker 1>we take two games here, got it right the ship

0:02:07.000 --> 0:02:09.000
<v Speaker 1>and you get a sweep. How big was that for

0:02:09.040 --> 0:02:10.880
<v Speaker 1>this squad that was a must win series?

0:02:11.120 --> 0:02:13.880
<v Speaker 2>Like to get a sweep there, that puts some of

0:02:13.919 --> 0:02:16.000
<v Speaker 2>they win in their sales like that could have been.

0:02:17.400 --> 0:02:19.400
<v Speaker 2>I think we're having a very different discussion over this

0:02:19.440 --> 0:02:21.359
<v Speaker 2>whole last week. If they were forty seven and fifty

0:02:21.400 --> 0:02:24.679
<v Speaker 2>after getting swept by the Brewers, like that's three big

0:02:24.720 --> 0:02:27.160
<v Speaker 2>wins against a divisional opponent, they are right in the

0:02:27.160 --> 0:02:30.680
<v Speaker 2>mix still for the wild card. I've maintained this entire time,

0:02:30.760 --> 0:02:32.799
<v Speaker 2>they just have to keep their head above water, come

0:02:32.840 --> 0:02:35.399
<v Speaker 2>to trade deadline, and hope that they supplement it through

0:02:35.400 --> 0:02:39.160
<v Speaker 2>a couple trades. They've done that so far, Alex.

0:02:39.200 --> 0:02:42.360
<v Speaker 3>The big story through June and most of early July

0:02:42.600 --> 0:02:44.680
<v Speaker 3>was Paul Skins. Right, they didn't win a game with

0:02:44.760 --> 0:02:46.600
<v Speaker 3>him on the mound from May twelfth, I think, until

0:02:46.680 --> 0:02:49.680
<v Speaker 3>the fourth of July week or slightly after. What did

0:02:49.720 --> 0:02:51.440
<v Speaker 3>you see from him from his last two stars? Do

0:02:51.440 --> 0:02:53.200
<v Speaker 3>you think he's back to the old Paul Skins.

0:02:53.560 --> 0:02:55.400
<v Speaker 2>You know that last start, and I know he had

0:02:55.400 --> 0:02:59.040
<v Speaker 2>a long hour long break because of that ten run

0:02:59.080 --> 0:03:02.600
<v Speaker 2>inning one of those days, but he still threw sixty

0:03:02.639 --> 0:03:05.240
<v Speaker 2>percent forcing fastballs and the four seemer was at ninety

0:03:05.240 --> 0:03:08.120
<v Speaker 2>six miles per hour. Like if he had a bad start,

0:03:08.520 --> 0:03:10.600
<v Speaker 2>people would be saying, he just threw a ninety six

0:03:10.639 --> 0:03:13.000
<v Speaker 2>mile prior fastball sixty percent of the time right here.

0:03:13.080 --> 0:03:16.360
<v Speaker 2>So like, I don't know if there's really any change

0:03:16.360 --> 0:03:18.120
<v Speaker 2>from what we saw in the first couple of weeks.

0:03:18.280 --> 0:03:20.560
<v Speaker 2>I'm very intrigued to see how he's gonna do this.

0:03:20.800 --> 0:03:22.560
<v Speaker 2>You know, these first starts out of the break whatever,

0:03:22.560 --> 0:03:25.960
<v Speaker 2>he actually does have a little time to unplug, to reassess,

0:03:26.040 --> 0:03:30.200
<v Speaker 2>to look at some stuff. But no, I can't look

0:03:30.240 --> 0:03:32.760
<v Speaker 2>at you know, ninety six mile prior fastballs and be like, yeah,

0:03:32.800 --> 0:03:33.200
<v Speaker 2>he's bad.

0:03:33.440 --> 0:03:34.960
<v Speaker 3>Do you think most of that has to do with

0:03:35.200 --> 0:03:37.680
<v Speaker 3>fatigue and he's throwing more than he ever has in

0:03:37.720 --> 0:03:39.640
<v Speaker 3>his life, Because you know a lot of people point

0:03:39.680 --> 0:03:41.960
<v Speaker 3>to when the average spin rate on the fastball goes down,

0:03:42.280 --> 0:03:45.800
<v Speaker 3>usually either a it's an injury or the guy's just

0:03:45.800 --> 0:03:48.400
<v Speaker 3>fatigue and he's off mechanically. Would you lean more than

0:03:48.400 --> 0:03:49.640
<v Speaker 3>it's it's because of fatigue.

0:03:50.120 --> 0:03:52.120
<v Speaker 2>I I mean, if I had to take a guess,

0:03:52.120 --> 0:03:55.600
<v Speaker 2>that'd probably be it. I mean, I stand by last

0:03:55.680 --> 0:03:57.680
<v Speaker 2>year he threw more innings than he ever threw before

0:03:57.680 --> 0:03:59.040
<v Speaker 2>in his life. It was the first time he ever

0:03:59.080 --> 0:04:02.720
<v Speaker 2>threw six months in his life. And maybe that's just

0:04:02.840 --> 0:04:05.600
<v Speaker 2>led to a different it challenges whenever it came to

0:04:05.600 --> 0:04:08.320
<v Speaker 2>conditioning and prepared for the year, like what he did

0:04:08.360 --> 0:04:11.680
<v Speaker 2>to prepare in previous years maybe wasn't enough. Like that's

0:04:11.680 --> 0:04:15.000
<v Speaker 2>just pure speculation on my part, But I'm looking at

0:04:15.040 --> 0:04:18.240
<v Speaker 2>a guy who's fastball is trended down every month, you know,

0:04:18.360 --> 0:04:21.960
<v Speaker 2>vlo wise fin wise that that's a red flag for me.

0:04:22.520 --> 0:04:24.880
<v Speaker 1>Do you see them making a move for another starting pitcher?

0:04:24.920 --> 0:04:27.040
<v Speaker 1>I know the focus has mostly been in the bullpen.

0:04:27.320 --> 0:04:30.039
<v Speaker 1>Haven't made any bullpen moves. Brought in Robert Hassel, the

0:04:30.080 --> 0:04:32.680
<v Speaker 1>third on a minor league gil. Obviously Jacob Gonzalez is

0:04:32.720 --> 0:04:35.480
<v Speaker 1>here with the squad. But what about a rotation army.

0:04:35.839 --> 0:04:39.200
<v Speaker 2>I think you have to seriously consider it because with

0:04:39.360 --> 0:04:42.640
<v Speaker 2>Mitch Keller, the quality has been an issue. With Brax

0:04:42.720 --> 0:04:45.600
<v Speaker 2>n Ashcraft and Bubba Chandler, you have to worry about

0:04:45.600 --> 0:04:48.760
<v Speaker 2>the quantity yeah, so like, if you're not Paul Skeins,

0:04:48.760 --> 0:04:50.479
<v Speaker 2>I don't know who you're going to where It's like,

0:04:50.680 --> 0:04:52.520
<v Speaker 2>I feel really good about how many innings he's gonna

0:04:52.520 --> 0:04:54.480
<v Speaker 2>throw and the quality of the innings he's kind of throw.

0:04:54.560 --> 0:04:57.200
<v Speaker 2>I think you have to look just as another guy,

0:04:57.279 --> 0:04:59.360
<v Speaker 2>like you don't need to trade for an ace. You don't.

0:04:59.400 --> 0:05:01.520
<v Speaker 2>It doesn't even have be the top of your shopping list,

0:05:01.839 --> 0:05:03.799
<v Speaker 2>but you have to look at the market, especially a lefty.

0:05:03.839 --> 0:05:05.080
<v Speaker 2>In my opinion, what are your.

0:05:04.960 --> 0:05:07.239
<v Speaker 3>Thoughts on the Robert Hassele trade? Just a low risk,

0:05:07.480 --> 0:05:09.279
<v Speaker 3>you know, gamble and a guy that was a former

0:05:09.320 --> 0:05:10.000
<v Speaker 3>first round pick.

0:05:10.360 --> 0:05:12.400
<v Speaker 2>Yeah, I mean, it never hurts and not on the

0:05:12.480 --> 0:05:15.719
<v Speaker 2>roster spot. There's literally no way this turns out to

0:05:15.760 --> 0:05:18.280
<v Speaker 2>be a bad trade. I think my big takeaway is

0:05:18.320 --> 0:05:21.320
<v Speaker 2>this guy was, you know, posting bat speeds sub seventy

0:05:21.320 --> 0:05:23.240
<v Speaker 2>miles per hour and that was still good enough to

0:05:23.279 --> 0:05:25.719
<v Speaker 2>be the number eight pick out of high school in

0:05:25.720 --> 0:05:28.320
<v Speaker 2>twenty twenty and to be the headliner in the Won

0:05:28.400 --> 0:05:33.200
<v Speaker 2>Soto trade. How much have we value player development and

0:05:33.560 --> 0:05:35.760
<v Speaker 2>certain metrics more than just even a couple of years ago.

0:05:36.040 --> 0:05:37.720
<v Speaker 1>Look at that draft though, I mean the first round

0:05:37.760 --> 0:05:39.560
<v Speaker 1>you can make an argument it's not great, but the

0:05:39.560 --> 0:05:41.839
<v Speaker 1>Pirates did pretty well in that draft. Nick and Zalez

0:05:41.920 --> 0:05:46.000
<v Speaker 1>is here, Karen Jones is here, Carmen Macchinski's here. You

0:05:46.040 --> 0:05:47.600
<v Speaker 1>could go back and look and be like, that's a

0:05:47.640 --> 0:05:48.880
<v Speaker 1>solid draft for the Pirates.

0:05:48.960 --> 0:05:51.560
<v Speaker 2>And then they traded one player to get Gi Manchoy,

0:05:51.600 --> 0:05:54.760
<v Speaker 2>they traded another player to get Connor Joe Like they

0:05:54.760 --> 0:05:56.320
<v Speaker 2>were efficient with that draft. Yeah.

0:05:56.560 --> 0:05:59.679
<v Speaker 1>Yeah, Ben likes to get his guys too, for sure.

0:06:00.400 --> 0:06:02.920
<v Speaker 1>Going back to the trade deadline, any bullpen arms that

0:06:02.960 --> 0:06:04.679
<v Speaker 1>you've been intrigued by throughout the league.

0:06:05.320 --> 0:06:07.440
<v Speaker 2>I really like Luke Weaver, and I know that's not

0:06:07.800 --> 0:06:10.080
<v Speaker 2>new opinion or anything. It will cost a lot in

0:06:10.160 --> 0:06:12.320
<v Speaker 2>terms of prospects. It'll cost a lot in terms of

0:06:12.320 --> 0:06:16.520
<v Speaker 2>dollars and cents next year. You need a stud right now.

0:06:16.560 --> 0:06:18.640
<v Speaker 2>You can't go into these games with the eighth or

0:06:18.720 --> 0:06:21.760
<v Speaker 2>ninth inning and have those type of backbreaking losses in

0:06:21.800 --> 0:06:25.039
<v Speaker 2>August in September. You have to have that inning lockdown.

0:06:25.200 --> 0:06:27.520
<v Speaker 2>I don't think Mason Miller is you know, an option

0:06:27.640 --> 0:06:30.880
<v Speaker 2>for anyone, or if they do, they're just go, you know,

0:06:31.000 --> 0:06:33.800
<v Speaker 2>package Bogarts with it in the parts. Obviously would not

0:06:33.839 --> 0:06:37.719
<v Speaker 2>take on that contract. So I'm looking at Miller. I'm

0:06:38.279 --> 0:06:41.160
<v Speaker 2>I'm not Miller of Weaver. Thank you.

0:06:41.720 --> 0:06:42.960
<v Speaker 3>What do you think the return is there? Because I

0:06:43.000 --> 0:06:44.680
<v Speaker 3>thought I saw something online the other day that it

0:06:44.680 --> 0:06:47.320
<v Speaker 3>would be a top one hundred prospect plus two arms

0:06:47.320 --> 0:06:48.599
<v Speaker 3>that are close to the big leagues.

0:06:49.720 --> 0:06:52.280
<v Speaker 2>I could buy either or of that, like I could buy.

0:06:52.360 --> 0:06:55.080
<v Speaker 3>You know, are you comfortable giving up an Edward Florentino

0:06:55.120 --> 0:06:55.680
<v Speaker 3>for a Luke Weaver?

0:06:55.800 --> 0:06:56.160
<v Speaker 1>No?

0:06:56.160 --> 0:06:58.080
<v Speaker 2>No, I would much rather give up the two major

0:06:58.160 --> 0:07:01.000
<v Speaker 2>league arms. I could deal with losing Hunter Barco and

0:07:01.080 --> 0:07:03.800
<v Speaker 2>maybe Antoine Kelly, you know, to make that trade happen,

0:07:04.080 --> 0:07:05.520
<v Speaker 2>rather than Edward Florentino.

0:07:05.880 --> 0:07:08.360
<v Speaker 1>I mean, how do you feel about prospect hugging right

0:07:08.400 --> 0:07:10.800
<v Speaker 1>now and dealing with the farm system when it comes

0:07:10.800 --> 0:07:11.720
<v Speaker 1>to the trade deadline.

0:07:11.840 --> 0:07:13.840
<v Speaker 2>I've got two guys I'm not trading, and that's Edward

0:07:13.880 --> 0:07:17.120
<v Speaker 2>Florentino and seth Rnandez. Every other prospect, in my opinion,

0:07:17.320 --> 0:07:19.040
<v Speaker 2>is on the table for the right price.

0:07:19.240 --> 0:07:22.040
<v Speaker 1>How close is Murph Gray to that untouchable?

0:07:22.240 --> 0:07:24.360
<v Speaker 2>I think Murph Gray is the second best hitting prospect

0:07:24.360 --> 0:07:27.840
<v Speaker 2>in this system. Yeah, like excluding As Merlin, who is

0:07:27.880 --> 0:07:30.160
<v Speaker 2>like a dozen at bats away from being you know,

0:07:30.480 --> 0:07:34.040
<v Speaker 2>graduating off prospect lists, Like there's a lot of bats

0:07:34.040 --> 0:07:36.440
<v Speaker 2>feed there. We have seen him every time he's faced

0:07:36.440 --> 0:07:38.600
<v Speaker 2>a higher challenge. He's frisen to it so far this

0:07:38.720 --> 0:07:41.640
<v Speaker 2>year great head on his shoulders. Got to know him

0:07:41.640 --> 0:07:43.680
<v Speaker 2>a little bit last year, Like I really think he

0:07:43.760 --> 0:07:46.640
<v Speaker 2>is someone that you hang on to. But you know what,

0:07:46.760 --> 0:07:49.280
<v Speaker 2>if it's Murph Gray for Luke Weaiver, I think I

0:07:49.320 --> 0:07:50.600
<v Speaker 2>would pull the trigger on that.

0:07:50.920 --> 0:07:54.280
<v Speaker 3>I'm a little offended as the biggest Callen Moss podcast

0:07:54.280 --> 0:07:55.760
<v Speaker 3>that he's not on your no trade list, But we'll

0:07:55.800 --> 0:07:59.200
<v Speaker 3>deal with that off camera. Going back to the bullpen.

0:07:59.600 --> 0:08:01.080
<v Speaker 3>You need more than one arm right.

0:08:01.120 --> 0:08:05.120
<v Speaker 2>Oh, absolutely, Like you need three four Like maybe iSER

0:08:05.160 --> 0:08:07.760
<v Speaker 2>can be one of those guys Hunter Stratton's kind of

0:08:07.880 --> 0:08:10.440
<v Speaker 2>that up down role that Cam Sanders was in. But

0:08:10.560 --> 0:08:13.920
<v Speaker 2>you need quality at the out of these games. Like

0:08:14.000 --> 0:08:17.440
<v Speaker 2>if Dennis Santana clicks and you, you know, get back

0:08:17.480 --> 0:08:19.600
<v Speaker 2>what he is in previous year and he's here like

0:08:19.600 --> 0:08:21.560
<v Speaker 2>your sixth or seventh inning guy, that is just a

0:08:21.600 --> 0:08:23.760
<v Speaker 2>spoil of riches. At that point. You need to go

0:08:23.800 --> 0:08:27.680
<v Speaker 2>into next into the next month knowing you're not gonna

0:08:27.680 --> 0:08:29.440
<v Speaker 2>blow games in the eighth You're not gonna blow games

0:08:29.440 --> 0:08:30.160
<v Speaker 2>in the ninth.

0:08:30.440 --> 0:08:33.320
<v Speaker 1>Talk about Cleveland real quick after the All Star break.

0:08:33.440 --> 0:08:37.120
<v Speaker 1>What are the keys to winning this series? Alex's scoring

0:08:37.160 --> 0:08:39.200
<v Speaker 1>more runs at the end of the game than the

0:08:39.200 --> 0:08:41.120
<v Speaker 1>other game. Obviously you have to do that.

0:08:41.920 --> 0:08:43.800
<v Speaker 2>I mean, whenever you look at doubleheader like this, it

0:08:44.040 --> 0:08:45.480
<v Speaker 2>comes down to how many eatings are you go to

0:08:45.520 --> 0:08:48.960
<v Speaker 2>get out of your starting pitchers Like Rain in the forecast,

0:08:49.160 --> 0:08:52.440
<v Speaker 2>it's crazy, but just the stretch they're in right now,

0:08:52.960 --> 0:08:56.520
<v Speaker 2>they need to get innings out of this rotation, especially

0:08:56.520 --> 0:08:58.120
<v Speaker 2>with all the questions in the bulb Penn.

0:08:58.320 --> 0:09:02.760
<v Speaker 3>Yeah, absolutely. Last question from me, Alex Jacob Gonzalez, how

0:09:02.800 --> 0:09:04.680
<v Speaker 3>do you feel about his future role on this team

0:09:04.679 --> 0:09:06.560
<v Speaker 3>and could this be a guy that maybe slots into

0:09:06.600 --> 0:09:09.040
<v Speaker 3>your future third basement when all of a sudden done.

0:09:09.120 --> 0:09:13.400
<v Speaker 2>I mean potentially, Like, I think there is some potential there,

0:09:13.480 --> 0:09:15.520
<v Speaker 2>some ceiling there. I think he could be a good

0:09:15.600 --> 0:09:18.360
<v Speaker 2>utility type player right now. Eager to see how he

0:09:18.440 --> 0:09:21.320
<v Speaker 2>handles shortstop. You know, with Connor Griffin on the IE

0:09:21.480 --> 0:09:24.240
<v Speaker 2>for right now, he's got the opportunity to show that

0:09:24.280 --> 0:09:26.800
<v Speaker 2>he belongs as part of this team for years to come.

0:09:26.960 --> 0:09:29.880
<v Speaker 1>Awesome, Alex, appreciate you joining the show again. Hopefully we'll

0:09:29.880 --> 0:09:31.719
<v Speaker 1>be back next week when the Pirates are at home

0:09:31.720 --> 0:09:33.640
<v Speaker 1>for yins or for losers, so we'll get a show.

0:09:33.679 --> 0:09:36.360
<v Speaker 1>And then so next time, raise it.

0:09:35.960 --> 0:09:38.360
<v Speaker 4>Best seats at the pirates gain and let me run

0:09:38.400 --> 0:09:40.600
<v Speaker 4>the base. Yeah, my time is like my money because

0:09:40.640 --> 0:09:42.920
<v Speaker 4>I can't afford to waste. Uh whyfe he is a

0:09:43.000 --> 0:09:45.840
<v Speaker 4>lloyers my date to my dates or to stick by

0:09:45.880 --> 0:09:46.400
<v Speaker 4>the plates