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Speaker 1: Think they've really done a good job of making it

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Speaker 1: a welcoming city and making it so Japanese players feel

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Speaker 1: like this is a destination for them. Welcome into Northside Territory.

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Speaker 1: Fidel Territory Networks Cubs Podcast. I'm Sahadev Sharma with my

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Speaker 1: partner Patrick Mooney. We are your Cubs beat writers over

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Speaker 1: at the Athletic Patrick, it is time for a mail bag.

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Speaker 1: It is holiday time and the fans have a lot

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Speaker 1: of questions. They want to know what's going on. Let's

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Speaker 1: let's get right into it. I'll start it up with

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Speaker 1: this first one right here. It's from cswc Andy. He

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Speaker 1: wants to know after the Tucker acquisition, did the Cubs

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Speaker 1: needs need to go and get another big bat and arm.

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Speaker 1: Seems like they're all in on this upcoming season.

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Speaker 2: Great use of air quotes, Andy on all in because

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Speaker 2: it's the exact type of phrase that would make Jed

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Speaker 2: Hoyer cringe. So I think we're gonna have to use

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Speaker 2: it in our copy all the time this season.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, they could really use both.

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Speaker 2: I think they need another arm and all indications are

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Speaker 2: that's what they're pursuing. I think the big bat if

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Speaker 2: they had a Dodgers, Phillies, Mets level payroll would also

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Speaker 2: be on the table, but we'll get into some payroll

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Speaker 2: stuff later. I have a harder time seeing them fitting

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Speaker 2: in that big hitter. I mean, they're not going to

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Speaker 2: find a hitter better than Tucker, I don't think. And

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Speaker 2: they're just they're absolutely paranoid with good reason about running

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Speaker 2: through all of their pitching depth and being caught shorthanded.

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Speaker 2: So that's that's where I see them heading the rest

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Speaker 2: of this winter.

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Speaker 1: Right there was another question about the offense in general.

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Speaker 1: Why why aren't they more focused on getting more bats? Listen,

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Speaker 1: I think Tucker is a big enough upgrade over Cody

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Speaker 1: Bellinger that I like. Look, I get it, it was

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Speaker 1: an inconsistent offense, and it was a and there was

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Speaker 1: there were concerns about it, especially.

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Speaker 4: In May and June.

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Speaker 1: I do think the offense is better than what it

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Speaker 1: showed in May and June.

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Speaker 4: I do.

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Speaker 1: I know that bit in the butt going into last season,

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Speaker 1: but I just believe. I truly believe that. And I

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Speaker 1: think Tucker is the type of dynamic bat that changes

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Speaker 1: the look of the offense and just makes it feel

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Speaker 1: like it's going to be a little bit more consistent.

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Speaker 1: I also believe that the depth that they have is

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Speaker 1: going to be better. I think having the kids as

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Speaker 1: depth is a good thing. Like having Shaw as either

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Speaker 1: competing for third base or your starting third basement to

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Speaker 1: start this season isn't a bad thing. Al contra casey

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Speaker 1: whoever doesn't get traded, you know, like bias Teraro's or Toriato's,

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Speaker 1: having these guys like to call upon right way is

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Speaker 1: much better than what they had before. You know, it

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Speaker 1: just is it's better depth, and it is much higher upside.

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Speaker 1: I yes, they're like all indications are that.

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Speaker 4: They're getting another arm.

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Speaker 1: How they go about doing that, I think is the question,

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Speaker 1: and that leads to this next one. Do the Cubs

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Speaker 1: have a legitimate shot at Rokie Sazaki or Corbyn Burns?

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Speaker 1: Which one have the Cubs shown the most interested?

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Speaker 2: I would say one addendum to that previous question. Maybe

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Speaker 2: there's a free agent or something that so out there

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Speaker 2: in February. Maybe there's like a scenario in which your

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Speaker 2: guy falls to them.

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Speaker 4: But these two great calls, that's.

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Speaker 3: What I want to leave an allowance for that.

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Speaker 2: But these two pitchers, I don't see any sort of

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Speaker 2: you know, opportunistic value deals.

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Speaker 3: Obviously, Suzaki is.

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Speaker 2: A guy who will come on a very nice, affordable

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Speaker 2: minor league contract. The Cubs have shown far more interest

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Speaker 2: in Sazaki than Burns. I would be really surprised if

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Speaker 2: they even gave a token effort into signing Corbyn Burns.

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Speaker 2: That seems ruled out pretty early. And I don't know

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Speaker 2: what have you been hearing on Roki. I know you

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Speaker 2: talk to some people at the winter meetings of just

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Speaker 2: like what is this sky?

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Speaker 1: Thinking, Yeah, like there's not a lot of clarity. And

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Speaker 1: my guess is over the past week there's probably a

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Speaker 1: little more clarity that stuff hasn't leaked.

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Speaker 4: People aren't talking.

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Speaker 1: They don't want to, I think cause issues in any

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Speaker 1: way by by like putting it out there. I know this, Okay,

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Speaker 1: We've said this before. The Cubs feel very confident with

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Speaker 1: what they've built. As far as welcoming Japanese players to Chicago.

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Speaker 1: They felt they were at a disadvantage five, six, seven

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Speaker 1: years ago when they started recruiting these types of players

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Speaker 1: because there was a natural inclination for players to a

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Speaker 1: be on the West Coast or go like maybe even

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Speaker 1: New York, right, but New York even has a disadvantage

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Speaker 1: because of the weather, and that was the big question

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Speaker 1: with Chicago, not on the coast, not like can get

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Speaker 1: really cold, And those were two knocks against Chicago. I

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Speaker 1: think they've really done a good job of making it

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Speaker 1: a welcoming city and making it so Japanese players feel

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Speaker 1: like this is a destination for them. Can they get

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Speaker 1: rookie Suzaki? You know, I don't think they're the leader.

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Speaker 1: I don't think they're the number two. I'm not ruling

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Speaker 1: them out because we still haven't gotten clear word on

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Speaker 1: what he wants. And I also think that adding Kyle

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Speaker 1: Tucker is a really nice little, you know, little thing

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Speaker 1: to kind of push and say, like, look, we're trying

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Speaker 1: to win. It's sounds like winning is one of the

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Speaker 1: things he wants, right, Like, didn't was it Joel Wolf

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Speaker 1: that was saying like he watched the Dodgers. He watched

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Speaker 1: he watched the playoffs, and he saw that and that

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Speaker 1: appeals to him winning. He didn't get to see the

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Speaker 1: Cubs win, So maybe that is a ding against them,

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Speaker 1: But they're clearly trying to That's that's obvious to all

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Speaker 1: of us, right. I Mean, you don't make this type

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Speaker 1: of move unless you're trying to win in twenty twenty five,

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Speaker 1: not all in? Did I say that like that? How

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Speaker 1: much Jed Hoyer dislikes.

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Speaker 4: The word all in? Yes, twenty five.

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Speaker 1: Whether they're trying to in twenty five, that's for sure.

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Speaker 1: Kara Patrick, I'll let you take this one as far

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Speaker 1: as reading it.

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Speaker 3: Oh, this is a good one from Cole Winterland.

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Speaker 2: What are some of the most shocking moves you guys

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Speaker 2: have covered while on the Cubs beat?

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Speaker 3: You lead us off sat.

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Speaker 1: If moves when we're talking about moves, I think the

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Speaker 1: obvious one that comes to mind is Creig Counts All

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Speaker 1: that was not on our radar. It was one of

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Speaker 1: those like what do I do with my hands moments?

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Speaker 4: Like it was like.

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Speaker 1: That one threw me for a loop. I don't think

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Speaker 1: anyone that covers the team really expected that, and national

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Speaker 1: writers nobody expected that. It came out of nowhere. Oparatist

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Speaker 1: was a pretty pretty big shock. Outside of that, like

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Speaker 1: in game stuff like the David Bodie Homer was still

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Speaker 1: that That Grand Slam was one of the wildest things

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Speaker 1: I've ever covered a non playoffs, right, and if we're

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Speaker 1: talking about games like man that twenty sixteen run had

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Speaker 1: a few of those moments where you're just like, what

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Speaker 1: did that just happen? And like, yes, Game seven of

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Speaker 1: the World Series is the obvious one, but I still

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Speaker 1: go back to Game three, is it? Game four ending

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Speaker 1: the series? Game four of the NLDS.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, yeah that one.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, I did not. That was one of those ones

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Speaker 1: where it was like, it's happening again. The Cubs had

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Speaker 1: a great season and now they're they're gonna get bit

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Speaker 1: and and and that.

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Speaker 4: You know that doesn't uh, it didn't.

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Speaker 1: It felt like a Cubby occurrence was about to happen. Yeah,

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Speaker 1: the opposite did.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, I'm with you on the uh kubby occurrences because

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Speaker 2: I don't know if shocking is the right word, but

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Speaker 2: when I look back on kind of different eras of

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Speaker 2: this team during my time covering it, uh, certainly like

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Speaker 2: Carlos Sobrano packing up this stuff one night. That was

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Speaker 2: my quaddie basically saying, I don't know he backed up

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Speaker 2: his stuff, he told little he.

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Speaker 3: Was leaving or something like that.

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Speaker 2: That was There's a bunch of those type of uh

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Speaker 2: you know, uh out of them shock When they landed

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Speaker 2: theo Epstein and Joe Madden, that was more maybe I'd say.

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Speaker 3: Exciting, and those are kind of logical, though.

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Speaker 2: I think the Council one was the one where you

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Speaker 2: and I were texting that day like, oh, I'm thinking

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Speaker 2: of maybe doing some Folly coverage this week, or what

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Speaker 2: do you got whatever? And then just you know, I

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Speaker 2: think I had just got into my hotel room and

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Speaker 2: was kind of.

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Speaker 3: Getting ready to drive over to the GM meetings and

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Speaker 3: you text me like do you see this?

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Speaker 2: And you use probably an unprintable word or two, and

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Speaker 2: that was absolutely shocking to me. And then maybe not shock,

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Speaker 2: but more shock and awe of just you know, seeing

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Speaker 2: the World Series twenty sixteen parade, being able to like

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Speaker 2: see like that.

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Speaker 3: Was kind of overwhelming. And then.

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Speaker 2: Last one, again not sure if shocking is the right word,

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Speaker 2: but just surreal and unforgettable. We just are times at

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Speaker 2: Wrigley Field during the twenty season, uh, just no fans

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Speaker 2: in there like that In the moment, what didn't feel

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Speaker 2: quite as shocking. It was just disorienting. But like if

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Speaker 2: someone had told you, you know, only a couple of

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Speaker 2: years earlier it would be wearing masks in the press

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Speaker 2: box and then be playing in an empty stadium, that

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Speaker 2: was you know, certainly mind blowing.

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Speaker 4: But yeah, that's a good one.

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Speaker 3: I mean twenty it's a whole Yeah, that was very

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Speaker 3: I got to give Cole props. That was a very

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Speaker 3: very good, good question.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, I like to switching it up right there.

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Speaker 1: What is the premise with so many contracts set to

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Speaker 1: expire in twenty twenty six, does it feel like Tucker

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Speaker 1: would be worth a big contract past twenty twenty six

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Speaker 1: due to the vacancies.

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Speaker 4: In the lineup? That's t Tyler Dershell.

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Speaker 1: Look, I'll say this, like.

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Speaker 4: Is it.

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Speaker 1: Like I think he makes sense? Yes, I think that's

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Speaker 1: a good reason why Tucker makes sense too. Like, you

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Speaker 1: have a lot of money coming off the books a

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Speaker 1: year after he would have signed this deal extension whatever

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Speaker 1: it would be likely not an extension, but you know,

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Speaker 1: you'd have a lot of money coming up and a

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Speaker 1: lot of young players coming up, Right, what is the

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Speaker 1: deal with it?

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Speaker 4: I think they kind of I think that.

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Speaker 1: Is the deal with it. They they were they saw

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Speaker 1: a lot of young players in their system. They saw

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Speaker 1: you know, they they see they saw the opportunity like

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Speaker 1: maybe we can add a big player and if we

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Speaker 1: do with like that contract won't be in conflict with

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Speaker 1: these other contracts that we have the bigger contracts. So

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Speaker 1: you have this one big contract and and you hope

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Speaker 1: that some of these kids fill a bunch of spots,

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Speaker 1: and then you add one or two more contracts in

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Speaker 1: the half, say tie own realm.

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Speaker 4: Right now, what.

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Speaker 1: You'd have is Tucker if he if they can sign him,

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Speaker 1: and Dansby's wantson, and then it's what nothing else beyond that? Right?

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Speaker 4: Am I wrong?

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Speaker 3: Yeah?

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Speaker 1: Yeah? So so like, yes, it's lined up in that sense,

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Speaker 1: Like I don't think it's a coincidence.

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Speaker 4: And it's also not a coincidence that they tray for Tucker.

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Speaker 1: Now, like you can't like it didn't work out last

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Speaker 1: year or the way they like maybe not like what

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Speaker 1: they were expecting, but at least hoped it didn't. They

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Speaker 1: didn't have the type of season they had hoped for,

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Speaker 1: so you have to be a little bit more aggressive.

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Speaker 1: And now you have this two year window if you

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Speaker 1: want to call it that, uh, and and you extend

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Speaker 1: that with kids and then spending again so that that's

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Speaker 1: the perfect scenario. Does it play out that way?

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Speaker 4: I guess we'll see.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, good call back to the I think it was

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Speaker 2: our first question about the idea of a big bad

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Speaker 2: I mean, Jed made a clear part of this year

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Speaker 2: is they want to figure out what they have, so.

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Speaker 3: That's matchaw, Michael Bush isn't.

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Speaker 2: Really you know, going out on a limb anymore, but

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Speaker 2: obviously give him more runway if they have an injury,

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Speaker 2: you know, instead of plugging in Cody Bellinger. I'd imagine

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Speaker 2: it would be what Kevin o'kintara, if he goes hurt goold?

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Speaker 2: Could James Treanto's I mean, Owen Casey is he going

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Speaker 2: to get some some run this year? So I think

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Speaker 2: we'd have a better idea, you know, several months from now.

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Speaker 2: And it goes back to side if you're the one

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Speaker 2: who's made this point, and it always sticks in the

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Speaker 2: back of my mind of what did THEO and Jed

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Speaker 2: talk about being able to like pack every corner of

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Speaker 2: your roster with the most talent possible. It means having

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Speaker 2: those good players on pre orb minimum salaries and that

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Speaker 2: gives you the flexibility to go bigger in other areas

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Speaker 2: and if everything goes right, which I guess everything never

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Speaker 2: goes right, but we got.

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Speaker 3: We go there.

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Speaker 1: My dog is really wants her three o'clock treat at

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Speaker 1: an hour and a half early, so she's break, you know. Yeah, yeah,

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Speaker 1: I was going to say about a contra. I find

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Speaker 1: it interesting we haven't heard his name at all in

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Speaker 1: trade rumors. Maybe it just hasn't gotten leaked, but I

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Speaker 1: haven't heard his name in trade rumors, And I think

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Speaker 1: that's interesting. Like I brought up last, like in an

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Speaker 1: episode or two ago, about how.

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Speaker 4: I guess he's now the.

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Speaker 1: Main depth with with Bellinger gone right. He can play

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Speaker 1: center field, he can play all three outfield spots. He's

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Speaker 1: a supposedly a plus defensive center fielder. Maybe that's maybe

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Speaker 1: he's their main like fourth outfielder during the season, or

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Speaker 1: I guess say it would be the fourth outfielder, but

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Speaker 1: like he's your depth. Like I think that's interesting for sure.

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Speaker 1: Like it. Yeah, it's a the whole concept of everything

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Speaker 1: kind of coming off the books in twenty six. I

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Speaker 1: don't think it's a coincidence. So we'll see how they

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Speaker 1: treat it and what exactly it is they do. And

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Speaker 1: we brought this up a couple episodes ago, but who

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Speaker 1: knows what happens after this CBA expires, this current inspires

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Speaker 1: I don't know if that was part of their thinking, Like,

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Speaker 1: are they that forward thinking when they're doing these things? Maybe,

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Speaker 1: but I don't like, it'll be interesting to.

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Speaker 4: See how it all plays out. Hopefully we're not.

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Speaker 1: Talking about that much. Jeez, I really don't even want

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Speaker 1: to think about that.

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Speaker 4: All right, go for this one, Patrick, all right.

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Speaker 2: Strand thirty four wants to know, why is the media

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Speaker 2: narrative that the Cubs are focusing more on another starter

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Speaker 2: than a closer. Not having a closer the past couple

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Speaker 2: of seasons has been a huge issue teed up for you, Sad.

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Speaker 1: I mean, it's not a media narrative when when Jed

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Speaker 1: Hoyer says these things on the record that they need

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Speaker 1: more starting pitching, that they're looking for more starting pitching,

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Speaker 1: that they're aggressively pursuing more starting pitching. So it's not

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Speaker 1: the media creating this narrative and just saying like this

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Speaker 1: is what they gotta do. It's what they're doing. And

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Speaker 1: I just like the bullpen is an issue, not the closer.

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Speaker 1: Stop looking at the blone save statistics. You know why

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Speaker 1: a lot of you're seeing all those blone saves because

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Speaker 1: they couldn't get to the ninth inning was hector nerus

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Speaker 1: a problem last year, Yes, but a lot of it

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Speaker 1: happened in the seventh inning, this eighth inning. It wasn't

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Speaker 1: always the ninth inning. Does a closer saw that, Yeah, possibly,

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Speaker 1: But porter Hodge did a pretty good job.

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Speaker 4: At the end of the season.

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Speaker 1: I'm not saying you have to go into the season

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Speaker 1: with porter Hodge as your closer.

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Speaker 4: Someone. There was another question I didn't put in.

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Speaker 1: That that has to do with this, that basically says,

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Speaker 1: is it a failure if they go into next season

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Speaker 1: and with quorter Hodge as the anointed closer. I don't

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Speaker 1: like I if they don't have an obvious closer that's

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Speaker 1: not Porter Hodge. I don't think porter Hodge is the

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Speaker 1: anointed closer. I think Greig Council is kind of going

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Speaker 1: to like play around with it, and he's very he's

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Speaker 1: very good with that simple question over under Cubs payroll

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Speaker 1: and opening date two hundred and twenty million, Dan, do

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Speaker 1: boys say?

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Speaker 3: Good question?

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Speaker 2: Dan?

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Speaker 3: Kind of a sad reflection of the Cubs that it's

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Speaker 3: sort of a toss up.

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Speaker 2: I would say over in terms of like CBT calculations

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Speaker 2: right and things like that, Like that's roughly fifteen to

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Speaker 2: twenty million. There's some cash flow items or money that's

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Speaker 2: been moved around over the years in terms of signings,

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Speaker 2: mutual options like things of that nature, signing bonuses. So

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Speaker 2: I'd say it'll be over, but I have, you know,

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Speaker 2: zero confidence that'll be over the CBT threshold. And I

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Speaker 2: do think that the way this team is set up

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Speaker 2: and the way it's operated, I would expect them to

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Speaker 2: be adding at the trade deadline and maybe you know,

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Speaker 2: a couple significant additions.

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Speaker 3: And that's an area.

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Speaker 2: Where Tom Ricketts has weighed in at least once, like

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Speaker 2: he pushed that Nick Castillano steal over, like this team

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Speaker 2: needs something. So I would certainly expect it to rise

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Speaker 2: over the course this season. It would just be a

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Speaker 2: matter of you know, like on paper, twenty six man

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Speaker 2: payroll when they go to Tokyo, not sure, what.

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Speaker 4: Do you hear?

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Speaker 1: I go with AAV That's what I look at with

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Speaker 1: this stuff. So I mean, because that's how it all works, right,

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Speaker 1: that's what they're thinking. As far as if they go

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Speaker 1: over that, like triggers different things, right, So like two

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Speaker 1: hundred and forty one million is the luck first luxury

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Speaker 1: fact tax threshold. I don't think they're going to be

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Speaker 1: going over that. That's kind of their goal, right to

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Speaker 1: stay under that this year. So my usual assumption is

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Speaker 1: to give them about ten million under that. So I

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Speaker 1: think it's gonna be over, Like I just I think

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Speaker 1: it's gonna be over two twenty. Maybe not significantly to

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Speaker 1: start the season, but I think they'll push towards that

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Speaker 1: two forty one number. Not too different from what you said.

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Speaker 1: I think we're on the same page there, Patrick, all right, Okay,

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Speaker 1: thanks so much for everyone for listening and all the questions.

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Speaker 1: You really help this show go. We appreciate it. Hope

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Speaker 1: you're all having a happy holiday and a happy new

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Speaker 1: Year soon enough. Thanks so much. Take care, make sure

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Speaker 1: the rate review. Subscribe to Northside Territory. Subscribe to The Athletic,

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Speaker 1: where Patrick and I will be on top of the

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Speaker 1: off season all winter long. Thanks so much everyone, Assas