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

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Speaker 1: I'm a Sharma with my partner Patrick Mooney, we are

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Speaker 1: your Cubs beat writers over at the Athletic.

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Speaker 2: Patrick.

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Speaker 1: We are.

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Speaker 2: Less than two weeks away from opening day. Yeah, less

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Speaker 2: than two weeks away. Uh.

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Speaker 1: The roster has already started to trim down, right. They've

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Speaker 1: they've had two maybe three cuts, three rounds.

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Speaker 2: Yeah.

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Speaker 1: Uh, and we'll probably have more this week. And it's

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Speaker 1: it's you know, it's still a bloated it's not.

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Speaker 2: You know, everything has to happen earlier. Uh.

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Speaker 1: And and those weird Japan rules which I'm still confused

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Speaker 1: about after getting sixteen explanations.

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Speaker 3: Uh, but.

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Speaker 4: I was waiting for your hotel room to just have

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Speaker 4: like a whole big board of names.

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Speaker 1: And saying and uh, you know, yeah, try to piece

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Speaker 1: it all together.

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Speaker 5: Like that charts and twenty six yen with three inactive

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Speaker 5: but five that you bring to Japan and it's like

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Speaker 5: a thirty one man roster, but a twenty nine man

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Speaker 5: roster and also a twenty six Like the explanations we got,

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Speaker 5: we were like we got it from like four different

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Speaker 5: executives through PR most of those and it was.

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Speaker 1: Just like they're like keep coming back with new tidbits

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Speaker 1: of information. Would be like, well what if they how

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Speaker 1: about this guy? What if they need to make a

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Speaker 1: decision on it? And it was just like exhausting. And

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Speaker 1: I think the simplest way that we could put it

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Speaker 1: is that they have to they will have twenty six men.

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Speaker 1: Nico Hornet doesn't need to go on the I l

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Speaker 1: I still I cannot remember the answer on on gauge

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Speaker 1: workmen who will talk about who's who's a Rule five

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Speaker 1: draft pick?

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Speaker 2: And I cannot remember.

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Speaker 1: What needs to be done with him because there were

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Speaker 1: so many things that we discussed. But that that's the

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Speaker 1: topic of this of this episode, Patrick, it's you know,

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Speaker 1: these final decisions is the edge of the roster. Let's say,

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Speaker 1: you know, there are things that need to be done

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Speaker 1: that if they you know, Matt Shaw's playing games, he's

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Speaker 1: he's finally healthy. Javier assad is not he I think,

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Speaker 1: I don't know. I cannot recall if they just said

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Speaker 1: he's not going to be on the opening day roster,

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Speaker 1: but he's not like he can't be like it's not.

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Speaker 3: Ruled him out for the start.

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Speaker 1: Okay, Yeah, that's what I thought, I just couldn't remember

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Speaker 1: if they officially said that. And you know, so there's

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Speaker 1: the fifth starter spot that you're battling for, and then

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Speaker 1: it's the final few spots in the bullpen, which really

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Speaker 1: isn't that you know, there's not a lot of up

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Speaker 1: and down to be had there. There there's a decent amount,

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Speaker 1: but not as optionable as as Craig Counsel would like

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Speaker 1: or has had in the walk in the past. But

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Speaker 1: you know, you figure those things out as you go.

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Speaker 1: I don't think they're going to hesitate if someone's really

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Speaker 1: struggling after four outings to say like it's not working.

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Speaker 2: We got to figure out what to do here.

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Speaker 1: We got to make a change because this guy's costing

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Speaker 1: his games type stuff.

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Speaker 4: Yeah, I mean, I think it's it's crazy to think

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Speaker 4: like spring training for the Cups started on Super Bowl

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Speaker 4: Sunday and then by selection Sunday for March Madness, Sty'll

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Speaker 4: be in Japan closing in that opening day, So that's

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Speaker 4: kind of disrupt change the rhythm.

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Speaker 3: And the timelines of this.

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Speaker 4: But as Councils said at the start, like you kind

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Speaker 4: of know when the test is so you just kind

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Speaker 4: of work from that you know, you have the answers

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Speaker 4: like what you want to do, so you just kind

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Speaker 4: of move them up early. And also, you know, I

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Speaker 4: haven't heard one real like complaint yet. I guess I

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Speaker 4: haven't been fishing for this. But it seems like players

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Speaker 4: STAF counsel himself, I'm very excited about this trip to Japan.

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Speaker 4: That'd view it as a great This counsel would say

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Speaker 4: a life experience, a baseball experience, a team bonding experience,

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Speaker 4: you know, cultural experience, like all of those things. Was yeah,

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Speaker 4: when you say, like, I don't know, maybe just right

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Speaker 4: questions to get the negative answers, but they seem pretty

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Speaker 4: excited for this.

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Speaker 1: I when I when I asked Nico, I was like,

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Speaker 1: was this an easy decision, like, you know, play it safe?

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Speaker 2: And he's like it wasn't. He's like, I'm.

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Speaker 1: Missing out on something really big. He's like health wise,

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Speaker 1: it makes perfect sense. He's like, this is a bonding experience,

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Speaker 1: this is really important for us to go through, and

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Speaker 1: I'm missing out on it. And he's like that was

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Speaker 1: hard to give up. It's like, it's the right decision

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Speaker 1: for my body and to be ready for the US

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Speaker 1: portion of the start of the season, but you could

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Speaker 1: tell like he didn't even have to think about that

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Speaker 1: he came out. He quickly answered my question like no, no,

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Speaker 1: it wasn't an easy decision like this, this is a

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Speaker 1: big experience that I'm missing and that I'm bumped to

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Speaker 1: be missing. And he pointed out what you're saying about

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Speaker 1: the bonding and like they're going to grow closer on

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Speaker 1: this trip. Like he's right, like there's some pretty cool

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Speaker 1: things that will happen, and it is an exciting thing.

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Speaker 1: Like when I've brought it up to guys just and

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Speaker 1: it mostly hasn't been like you like you said, I'm

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Speaker 1: not like fishing. It was more just like chit chat

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Speaker 1: with guys. They all seem really excited, right that they

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Speaker 1: seem pumped about the opportunity. And uh and what did

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Speaker 1: Niko said? He said, you know, it's He's like, it's

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Speaker 1: it's a spectacle, Like it's almost as big as a

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Speaker 1: World Series, Like the all eyes are on us and

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Speaker 1: that's you know, and that's exciting.

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Speaker 4: Yeah, I mean players are about really they like that

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Speaker 4: Friday one twenty because it's like the only window in baseball.

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Speaker 3: This will be that like on a much bigger scale.

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Speaker 4: It seems like, I know, we rattled off a couple

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Speaker 4: of injuries at the top, but it comes have been

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Speaker 4: like pretty healthy. I mean, we'll see how long that lasts.

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Speaker 4: But in terms of like the overall tenor of the camp,

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Speaker 4: I think you'd agree it's been.

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Speaker 3: Well one.

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Speaker 4: Kind of boring. That's just kind of a post Joe Madden.

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Speaker 4: You know that World Series window, you know, fifteen sixteen

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Speaker 4: seventeen of just when the Cubs were.

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Speaker 3: Kind of a circus. You know that circus has has

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Speaker 3: left town.

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Speaker 4: Craig Council is very businesslike those players you know, as

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Speaker 4: you know well are kind of you know, baseball rats.

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Speaker 3: They're very routine oriented.

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Speaker 4: They're they're thoughtful, and they're like engaging, but they're not

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Speaker 4: necessarily loud outside of maybe peekro Armstrong's like hair decisions.

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Speaker 4: So it's been, you know, pretty business like. We'll see

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Speaker 4: what happens in these final couple of days before they

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Speaker 4: actually have to leave and make.

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Speaker 3: Some of these decisions. But I think.

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Speaker 4: Side of Alex Bregman choosing the Red Sox, I think

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Speaker 4: this camp that's pretty much gone the way they would

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Speaker 4: have wanted thus far.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, I was just quickly looking at the forty man.

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Speaker 1: It's Owen Casey and and haabire asad right like Mattshaw's

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Speaker 1: not on the forty man. So those are the two

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Speaker 1: that I am, if I'm looking at this correctly, like

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Speaker 1: that have had any sort of injury concerns.

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Speaker 2: Luke little is look at.

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Speaker 4: What happened, Yeah, look at what happened to like the

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Speaker 4: mets right of just like starters coming down left and

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Speaker 4: right and you're kind of scrambling, and cops are set

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Speaker 4: up to avoid some of that, but they haven't really

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Speaker 4: been kind of pressed into action yet to really kind

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Speaker 4: of reimagine their staff. Maybe maybe that comes sooner than later,

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Speaker 4: but right now, knock on wood, they feel pretty good

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Speaker 4: about where.

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Speaker 3: Things are at.

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Speaker 1: One name Buzz continues to grow. I assume he's probably

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Speaker 1: pitching again soon if he, like if this episode goes up.

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Speaker 2: Maybe he's already pitched again.

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Speaker 1: But Brad Keller had like one a couple bad pitches,

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Speaker 1: I think, and I didn't see him, but I from

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Speaker 1: what I understand like it.

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Speaker 2: You know he had a little bad luck behind him too.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, this guy's he's opening eyes and you and I

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Speaker 1: have talked to enough people now that that it's not

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Speaker 1: just a spring training thing. People around the league are

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Speaker 1: asking about it. Uh, there are teams that are interested,

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Speaker 1: that were interested and continue to be interested. You know,

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Speaker 1: if if he doesn't make this team, he'll have an

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Speaker 1: opt out, and he will he will be someone else

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Speaker 1: is interested. That's what that what we're gathering. Like, he

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Speaker 1: it's not like he's going to take a minor league assignment.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, I think he'll be sought after. And you were.

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Speaker 4: I'll give you credit, man, you were on top of this,

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Speaker 4: Like you landed in Mesa and I got and I

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Speaker 4: had just gotten home and Brad Keller was not on

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Speaker 4: my radar, but you were on it and just an

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Speaker 4: interesting guy who did the kind of off season you know,

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Speaker 4: pitching retreat and has opened some eyes to where it

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Speaker 4: feels like the conversation is more like how do they

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Speaker 4: use him versus whether or not they add him again,

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Speaker 4: like things could change, but he would be in demand

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Speaker 4: if he did use that opt out. I think it's

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Speaker 4: like a one point five million dollar base salary, so

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Speaker 4: as the Cubs are minding every.

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Speaker 3: Dollar that will not break their bank.

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Speaker 4: But I think, look, you've seen Craig Counsel does a

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Speaker 4: good job of utilizing his pictures, right, and that's something

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Speaker 4: we had heard. I think you made the point of,

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Speaker 4: like early last year, like he has credibility in this

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Speaker 4: space when he's talking two pictures for an NRI guide.

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Speaker 3: I'm told the Cubs made a pretty compelling presentation to Killer.

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Speaker 4: Over the winter, and the Cubs have You've written about

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Speaker 4: this a ton man, like they have a good track

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Speaker 4: record of kind of the change of scenery guys or

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Speaker 4: the one tweak away type guys.

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Speaker 3: Get them, get him.

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Speaker 4: Away from the worst White Sox team ever and like

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Speaker 4: put him in a different environment.

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Speaker 3: The velos ticked up. I'm assuming he's.

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Speaker 4: Pretty pretty confident with the way things are going. It

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Speaker 4: seems like you know the guy they're gonna gonna add.

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Speaker 1: So I was told by someone that essentially the Cubs

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Speaker 1: were searching this. I think this is too simplistic, but

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Speaker 1: they were searching for the next Colin Snyder. If you

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Speaker 1: don't know who Colin Snyder is. He spent two years

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Speaker 1: with the Royals.

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Speaker 2: The peripherals were awful, the e RA was bad. Just

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Speaker 2: there was nothing.

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Speaker 1: There was nothing you'd look at that would say this

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Speaker 1: guy is a good picture.

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Speaker 2: Just nothing like it's strike.

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Speaker 1: I'm looking at a strike out rate it was fourteen

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Speaker 1: point six and twenty twenty two and eleven point six

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Speaker 1: with a thirteen point seven walk rate in twenty twenty three.

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Speaker 1: Just awful numbers, like this is not a good pitcher.

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Speaker 1: Last year forty one and two thirds innings with the

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Speaker 1: Mariners one ninety twenty seven point eight strikeout rate, seven

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Speaker 1: point seven walk rate, Like just like that's an awesome reliever.

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Speaker 1: They when when searching for that guy they I heard

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Speaker 1: they identified Keller as a potential guy that could could

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Speaker 1: be the next Colin Snyder.

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Speaker 2: We'll see how that is.

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Speaker 1: But I think you're what you basically said there of

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Speaker 1: this isn't as much as you're making the team as

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Speaker 1: much as like what sort of role does he hold

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Speaker 1: on this team. I think they're really excited about that.

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Speaker 1: You know, they'll they'll have to make a forty man

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Speaker 1: move for him. But these are the types of things

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Speaker 1: you need. Something someone else told me while I was there,

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Speaker 1: I was like, it feels like the bullpen is much better,

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Speaker 1: like at least much deeper, and and they meant this

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Speaker 1: not a rip of the player, but they said, it's

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Speaker 1: nice that we're coming into the season where if Jose

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Speaker 1: Quass was here, he'd be like our eighth option, but

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Speaker 1: like to pick from as far as final spot. He

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Speaker 1: made the final spot last year. They have eight guys

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Speaker 1: above him now in that sense, right, and that wasn't

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Speaker 1: they Quas is perfectly fine guy and and could have

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Speaker 1: be an adequate reliever struggled with the Cubs, Right, But

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Speaker 1: I think the point is like so deep, so deep,

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Speaker 1: so many options, and now Keller is kind of shooting

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Speaker 1: up that list of options, and yeah, I think I

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Speaker 1: think they'll have a decision to make and I and

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Speaker 1: I don't. I don't think it's a hard decision in

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Speaker 1: the sense like you kind of had to keep him.

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Speaker 1: Like he's he's opened that many eyes and he's got

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Speaker 1: the type of stuff. It's not smoke and mirrors here,

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Speaker 1: he's got stuff that makes you think, like this guy

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Speaker 1: can help the team, and you don't don't overthink it.

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Speaker 4: Yeah, it's not as important member too, like when you're

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Speaker 4: in spring training and like you hear you know, managers

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Speaker 4: in the front office, it's about all the forty man roster,

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Speaker 4: you know, and then it comes to one eighty three

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Speaker 4: games the last two years and they haven't made the

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Speaker 4: playoffs in a full season since twenty eighteen. Right, So

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Speaker 4: it's like we're not talking about, you know, the Los

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Speaker 4: Angeles Dodgers and how they keep adding players somehow. It's like,

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Speaker 4: you know, they if this guy is as good as

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Speaker 4: they think he is, if he can make an impact.

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Speaker 4: Adam like, there's always guys that people. Players always get hurt, right,

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Speaker 4: Pitchers always get hurt. Like there's something else will happen

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Speaker 4: to where an opportunity will open. So I thought it

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Speaker 4: was just you mentioned because I love this up. The

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Speaker 4: other day they had eight the eight guys in their

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Speaker 4: opening a bullpen last year, six are gone. I guess

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Speaker 4: technically maybe Yanci Almonte is now back on the field,

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Speaker 4: but still the point being like same like Julian Marrickweather,

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Speaker 4: it's got great stuff, but Ken State healthy instead of

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Speaker 4: like counting on him is like, oh, this this is

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Speaker 4: one of our high leverage guys last year, so let's

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Speaker 4: just pencil him in for the eighth in. I'm like, no,

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Speaker 4: he's kind of more more closer towards that a spot

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Speaker 4: on the pen and not like the eighth inning automatic guy.

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Speaker 4: And you know, Luke Little is still on the team,

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Speaker 4: but they essentially ruled him out for the start of

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Speaker 4: opening day, you know, maybe even before the first formal workout,

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Speaker 4: just like a right, let's give this guy a base,

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Speaker 4: let's get him, you know, create some momentum going into

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Speaker 4: the season. It's like when you start adding more talent,

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Speaker 4: like guys get pushed down, they can still help. Julian

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Speaker 4: mother Veryweather is still very talented and could have a

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Speaker 4: big year, but you're not counting on what was it

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Speaker 4: last year? It was like Mark Letter, Junior epart Auzala

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Speaker 4: and Julian Merriweather. It's like, you know those guys were

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Speaker 4: pushed pretty hard the year prior. Yep, and now you

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Speaker 4: just create you know, more pathways for counsel to get

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Speaker 4: the ball to Ryan Presley.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, no, absolutely, yes.

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Speaker 1: I like the way you put that, and just like

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Speaker 1: pushing guys like Julian Merriweather. Would I be surprised if

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Speaker 1: he gets some high liverage innings and is awesome. No,

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Speaker 1: I would not be surprised by that. But also that

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Speaker 1: like I remember, I don't know if it was reading

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Speaker 1: your Presley piece or something like, it kind of like

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Speaker 1: hit me like, oh, I think I was like looking

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Speaker 1: at him in the clubhouse, and I was like, he

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Speaker 1: actually looked good the other day on the mound, like

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Speaker 1: he was throwing like ninety eight ninety nine. That's a

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Speaker 1: good sign. But I like, I'm not like not thinking

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Speaker 1: of him as someone that they absolutely need to have

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Speaker 1: a successful bullpen and that's that's how you build a

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Speaker 1: successful then.

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Speaker 2: So it just it feels like it's.

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Speaker 1: One of the better bullpens, better groups that they've had

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Speaker 1: in a while. We'll see if that translates into success,

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Speaker 1: because bullpens are weird and volatile and you never know,

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Speaker 1: but it you know, Brad Keller is the name we'll

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Speaker 1: keep an eye on as far as let's see if

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Speaker 1: he's he's part of that impact group in the bullpen,

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Speaker 1: because obviously it has been a thorn in their side

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Speaker 1: over the past couple of years at different at various

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Speaker 1: points in the season. Uh, there's when we're talking about

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Speaker 1: the bottom of the roster, then the final few spots.

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Speaker 1: It's a third base maybe whatever you want to call

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Speaker 1: it infield role, Like you know, extra infielder Matt Shaw

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Speaker 1: would be the starter, right he's he's not an extra

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Speaker 1: infield or if he makes this team out of camp,

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Speaker 1: he's going to be playing at some point. It's whether

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Speaker 1: do you want to get him there to Japan for

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Speaker 1: opening Day or do you want to take it a

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Speaker 1: little easy?

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Speaker 2: Does he not?

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Speaker 1: Does something happen this week where it's like, you know,

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Speaker 1: we don't want to push him whatever, sounds like Council

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Speaker 1: isn't isn't ruling that out him him being there. But

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Speaker 1: you know, I think I think the two names Brewhan

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Speaker 1: Vidal Bruhan. You know, this was a trade for with

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Speaker 1: the Marlins where they sent Matt Mervis there. I don't

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Speaker 1: think anyone was like hugely excited about the move. But

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Speaker 1: he's a former top prospect and he looks good. He

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Speaker 1: looks good early in camp. I guess it's not early,

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Speaker 1: but he looks good.

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Speaker 2: Whatever.

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Speaker 1: Ten games into camp and then Gauge Workman looks good too,

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Speaker 1: and and Council loves defense. You said it like, if

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Speaker 1: you can play defense, Council is gonna notice you.

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Speaker 2: And he noticed that right away.

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Speaker 1: In fact, one of my first days at camp, our

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Speaker 1: friend Jesse Rodgers asked about Gauge Workman in the home

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Speaker 1: run that he hit, the first home run that he hit,

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Speaker 1: and and Council quickly made a point he acknowledged the

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Speaker 1: home run and all that. He quickly made a point.

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Speaker 1: He's like, it's more important the defensive plays that he made.

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Speaker 1: He's like, that's what I noticed. He's like, he made

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Speaker 1: two defensive plays that stood out to me. That's going

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Speaker 1: to open my eyes and and you know, keep keep

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Speaker 1: a guy on my mind.

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Speaker 3: He didn't say that's a bad take, Jesse. In the

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Speaker 3: response to our guy.

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Speaker 2: There was back and forth. There was there was some

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Speaker 2: fun yea as there usually is.

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Speaker 3: No Yeah, it's a council had a you know, a

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Speaker 3: couple of good lines. Like the other day.

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Speaker 4: I know with Bruhan, he's like, I know it's kind

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Speaker 4: of cliche, but you look up the end of every game,

351
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Speaker 4: his uniform is just like completely dirty, like he's making

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Speaker 4: things happen.

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Speaker 3: Workman has.

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Speaker 4: Checked a lot of boxes and you know, took advantage

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Speaker 4: of this opportunity with you know, Nico Horner being ruled

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Speaker 4: out for the Tokyo series, with Shaw having that setback

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Speaker 4: with his oblique and it's like, yeah, we don't go

358
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Speaker 4: crazy with spring training numbers. But like when you're those

359
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Speaker 4: guys on the bubble, you have to do something right.

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Speaker 4: It's not like you know, they have these long major

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Speaker 4: league track records to where you can lean on on that, Like, No,

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Speaker 4: these are guys fighting for their professional careers. They have

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Speaker 4: opened eyes. I think they've probably exceeded expectations. As far

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Speaker 4: as that could change. That doesn't really mean anything at

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Speaker 4: this point, but they're squarely in the conversation. And I

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Speaker 4: think another name not on the graphic there is Nicki Lopez,

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Speaker 4: who I have a hard time not I don't know

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Speaker 4: if it would have fit in there, but.

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Speaker 3: You know, I don't.

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Speaker 4: I have a hard time seeing him not making this

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Speaker 4: team if he's healthy. I just think in terms of

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Speaker 4: peace of mind for what Council wants and values, he's

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Speaker 4: a plus defender at multiple positions where you have like

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Speaker 4: injuries slash unproven young players. I think he has a

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Speaker 4: pretty he has at least you kind of know what

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Speaker 4: the floor is with him and the kind of baseline

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Speaker 4: competency that I.

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Speaker 3: Think would be hard to just let go. I mean,

379
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Speaker 3: they brought him in for a reason.

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Speaker 1: Right, Yeah, they they and they've worked on some various

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Speaker 1: things with him.

382
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Speaker 2: They worked on like kind of like his.

383
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Speaker 1: Pre pitch, how he like his footwork, I think was

384
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Speaker 1: what Council was talking about Uh, and we almost immediately

385
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Speaker 1: have almost immediately seen that paid dividends. His defenses look

386
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Speaker 1: good in spring training. These are types of things like

387
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Speaker 1: defense is like that translates, right, Like when you make

388
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Speaker 1: a defensive play, that's not like that translates from spring

389
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Speaker 1: training to the regular season. We don't need to overthink that. So, yeah,

390
00:20:37,359 --> 00:20:39,400
Speaker 1: you're right, right right, you made a good you made

391
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Speaker 1: a good play. That's you know, it doesn't matter who

392
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Speaker 1: hit the ball, you made a good play. Ye, So

393
00:20:45,240 --> 00:20:49,719
Speaker 1: like that matters. He I don't know if it was

394
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Speaker 1: what it was, but there someone suggested to me, a

395
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Speaker 1: scout suggested to me that he wasn't himself last year.

396
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Speaker 2: He didn't.

397
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Speaker 1: I don't know if that's physically what it was. I

398
00:20:59,800 --> 00:21:02,240
Speaker 1: need to follow up more. They feel like he's in

399
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Speaker 1: a good place, whatever that means. We should probably get

400
00:21:05,480 --> 00:21:07,919
Speaker 1: some clarity there. But I just like it sounds like

401
00:21:07,920 --> 00:21:11,879
Speaker 1: he's in a better place. Uh, he's he likes the Cubs,

402
00:21:11,880 --> 00:21:16,000
Speaker 1: He's wanted to play here. I think Naperville is that right.

403
00:21:16,320 --> 00:21:16,840
Speaker 2: At least for.

404
00:21:18,640 --> 00:21:23,480
Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, so you know that's not that's not Chicago,

405
00:21:23,600 --> 00:21:28,320
Speaker 1: but it's you know, it's Chicago Land area. I'm sure

406
00:21:28,320 --> 00:21:33,200
Speaker 1: he uh is happy to be with the Cubs. It's

407
00:21:33,240 --> 00:21:36,719
Speaker 1: a I agree, like A. I don't know what that

408
00:21:36,840 --> 00:21:41,520
Speaker 1: means as far as him Japan is that is that

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Speaker 1: him later on?

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Speaker 2: Yeah? Uh?

411
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Speaker 1: Is he willing to take a couple of weeks in

412
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Speaker 1: spring training before he makes it his decision.

413
00:21:50,880 --> 00:21:51,199
Speaker 3: I'm not.

414
00:21:51,359 --> 00:21:54,920
Speaker 1: I don't have the exact date on his opt out. Uh,

415
00:21:55,320 --> 00:21:58,280
Speaker 1: So maybe you can punt it a little bit further.

416
00:21:58,320 --> 00:22:00,840
Speaker 1: And if you want to keep gauge workmen, if you

417
00:22:00,880 --> 00:22:03,760
Speaker 1: want to see if Bruhan has finally tapped into that

418
00:22:04,119 --> 00:22:05,800
Speaker 1: prospect status.

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Speaker 2: Whatever, you know. Who knows. I'm just speculating on all

420
00:22:09,560 --> 00:22:10,119
Speaker 2: those things.

421
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Speaker 1: But these are these are the types of decisions at

422
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Speaker 1: the bottom of the roster that they're gonna have to make,

423
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Speaker 1: and I do think they're interesting and all of it.

424
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Speaker 1: Just like the bullpen, having depth is a good thing,

425
00:22:21,640 --> 00:22:26,200
Speaker 1: having these final like is this make or break? But

426
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Speaker 1: we always say it, and it's it's a holdover from

427
00:22:28,240 --> 00:22:30,879
Speaker 1: the theo Epstein era and it's something Jed Hoyer learned

428
00:22:30,880 --> 00:22:35,119
Speaker 1: from him. THEO coming into that sixteen season, was obsessed

429
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Speaker 1: with depth. He was like it almost seemed like from

430
00:22:38,280 --> 00:22:40,120
Speaker 1: at least from my perspective, I don't want to speak

431
00:22:40,160 --> 00:22:42,359
Speaker 1: from you, like I was like, this is over the top,

432
00:22:43,000 --> 00:22:46,359
Speaker 1: but he was right, Like he was right, like you

433
00:22:46,520 --> 00:22:50,199
Speaker 1: need every bit of talent that you can find to

434
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Speaker 1: ensure it doesn't matter how good you're starting nine is.

435
00:22:54,480 --> 00:22:56,960
Speaker 1: You need more behind it because you don't know what's

436
00:22:56,960 --> 00:22:58,480
Speaker 1: going to happen over the course of the year. You

437
00:22:58,600 --> 00:23:02,400
Speaker 1: have to assume all sorts of things may happen, prepare

438
00:23:02,480 --> 00:23:04,920
Speaker 1: for it. And then and then you know who knows

439
00:23:06,359 --> 00:23:08,520
Speaker 1: who knows how good it gets, and and you know

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00:23:08,840 --> 00:23:11,840
Speaker 1: who knows how how much that depth helps, which I

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00:23:12,000 --> 00:23:14,840
Speaker 1: think is what they're building, trying to build, not that

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00:23:14,960 --> 00:23:17,440
Speaker 1: upper tier talent. Yet it's not as good as it's

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00:23:17,440 --> 00:23:19,480
Speaker 1: not good. I'm not comparing this to twenty sixteen. I'm

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00:23:19,520 --> 00:23:21,000
Speaker 1: just saying depth is a good thing.

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00:23:22,760 --> 00:23:22,960
Speaker 3: Yeah.

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00:23:23,080 --> 00:23:25,320
Speaker 4: No, I mean even just to the degree of like

447
00:23:25,480 --> 00:23:29,080
Speaker 4: you know, letting Tommy Listella sort of go on his

448
00:23:29,240 --> 00:23:32,639
Speaker 4: sabbatical there and you know, welcoming back to the team

449
00:23:32,800 --> 00:23:35,920
Speaker 4: just because he thought maybe there's that one matchup out

450
00:23:35,960 --> 00:23:40,679
Speaker 4: there or you know, one pinchit at that you know

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00:23:40,800 --> 00:23:43,000
Speaker 4: where he could make a difference. I mean, someone like

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00:23:43,800 --> 00:23:49,200
Speaker 4: Chris Coglin wound up you know coming back. Obviously the

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00:23:49,320 --> 00:23:53,840
Speaker 4: Kyle Schwarber collision here in Arizona right at the start

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00:23:53,880 --> 00:23:58,520
Speaker 4: of the season. Cubs are not there. Yeah, certainly not

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00:23:58,560 --> 00:24:01,880
Speaker 4: on the position player side. I think it's very easy

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00:24:02,560 --> 00:24:06,320
Speaker 4: to see, like us looking back, like man, we spent

457
00:24:06,359 --> 00:24:09,600
Speaker 4: a lot of time talking about gauge workman of just

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00:24:09,640 --> 00:24:14,160
Speaker 4: like you know, these there are big question marks at

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00:24:14,240 --> 00:24:14,879
Speaker 4: third base.

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00:24:16,400 --> 00:24:18,000
Speaker 3: You know, I think Michael Bush is a good player,

461
00:24:18,000 --> 00:24:20,600
Speaker 3: but it's been one rookie.

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00:24:20,640 --> 00:24:22,080
Speaker 2: It's one right we got.

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00:24:23,240 --> 00:24:25,399
Speaker 4: We think Nico Horner is going to be healthy, that

464
00:24:25,440 --> 00:24:26,840
Speaker 4: he's on good track, but like.

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00:24:28,480 --> 00:24:31,760
Speaker 3: We'll see, right if you yeah a set, Babby Dan.

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00:24:32,119 --> 00:24:33,520
Speaker 2: I mean, you're you're absolutely right.

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00:24:33,520 --> 00:24:36,040
Speaker 1: There's so many of them, like beyond Like I like

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00:24:36,320 --> 00:24:38,600
Speaker 1: how Miguel Amaya has looked. Maybe he's turned a corner.

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00:24:38,720 --> 00:24:42,840
Speaker 1: I don't know, Pa, we we talked about him last episode. Yeah,

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00:24:42,920 --> 00:24:45,840
Speaker 1: I think he's gonna be good. I can't guarantee it.

471
00:24:45,920 --> 00:24:48,440
Speaker 1: Like there's not there, You're you're right there their question marks,

472
00:24:48,480 --> 00:24:50,080
Speaker 1: and that's why you need depth. That's why you sign

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00:24:50,600 --> 00:24:54,560
Speaker 1: depth like Jankowski and Greg Allen Frankly behind pc A.

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00:24:54,920 --> 00:24:57,200
Speaker 1: You know, like I who knows how long those guys

475
00:24:57,200 --> 00:24:59,720
Speaker 1: will be around. They'll probably stick around as far as

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00:25:00,240 --> 00:25:02,840
Speaker 1: the minor league side for a little bit. But that's

477
00:25:02,880 --> 00:25:05,119
Speaker 1: the type of depth you need. You need because you

478
00:25:05,119 --> 00:25:07,040
Speaker 1: need guys that have played before that can at least

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00:25:07,040 --> 00:25:11,560
Speaker 1: give you league average production and then and hope that

480
00:25:11,840 --> 00:25:14,680
Speaker 1: you hope you get better from the younger players. It's

481
00:25:14,720 --> 00:25:18,040
Speaker 1: it's always, it's a truth with any any good team.

482
00:25:18,359 --> 00:25:20,359
Speaker 1: You need young players to step up and perform. If

483
00:25:20,359 --> 00:25:22,040
Speaker 1: they don't, that could really hurt.

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00:25:22,359 --> 00:25:24,399
Speaker 3: And those pleasant surprises can happen too.

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00:25:24,520 --> 00:25:28,280
Speaker 4: I think, particularly on the pitching side, we've seen with

486
00:25:28,359 --> 00:25:29,960
Speaker 4: the Cubs in recent years of kind.

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00:25:29,800 --> 00:25:32,960
Speaker 3: Of rebuilding on the fly and plugging.

488
00:25:32,560 --> 00:25:36,560
Speaker 4: In guys who you know we weren't talking about, you know,

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00:25:36,800 --> 00:25:41,240
Speaker 4: a Porter Hodge type for example last year opens Council's eyes.

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00:25:41,680 --> 00:25:41,920
Speaker 2: Yep.

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00:25:42,359 --> 00:25:44,359
Speaker 4: I don't think we've spent a whole lot of time

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00:25:44,680 --> 00:25:48,080
Speaker 4: writing about him. I know you had mentioned him, you did,

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00:25:48,119 --> 00:25:49,159
Speaker 4: but I know I didn't.

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00:25:49,160 --> 00:25:53,600
Speaker 1: And yeahs was a fan, Yeah, Breslo was a fan,

495
00:25:53,720 --> 00:25:58,639
Speaker 1: So I talked to him about Hodge at various points

496
00:25:58,680 --> 00:26:02,320
Speaker 1: over the years. Yeah, we'll see who those surprises are,

497
00:26:02,359 --> 00:26:04,200
Speaker 1: if any, if it's any of the guys we even mentioned,

498
00:26:04,200 --> 00:26:06,080
Speaker 1: like you said, we could look back in two months

499
00:26:06,119 --> 00:26:07,840
Speaker 1: and be like, why do we waste a segment on

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00:26:07,960 --> 00:26:10,400
Speaker 1: those guys? But that's that's part of spring training.

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00:26:11,640 --> 00:26:12,120
Speaker 2: All right.

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Speaker 1: Thanks so much everyone for listening. This is north Side Territory.

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Speaker 1: Make sure to rate, review, subscribe, Subscribe to the YouTube channel,

504
00:26:20,080 --> 00:26:22,159
Speaker 1: Subscribe to The Athletic where Patrick and I are on

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00:26:22,200 --> 00:26:23,840
Speaker 1: top of all things Cubs.

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00:26:24,400 --> 00:26:26,120
Speaker 2: Thanks so much for listening. Everyone, take