WEBVTT - MLB Free Agency Preview (Ep. 910) 0:00:05.400 --> 0:00:08.520 What's going on? Everybody, Welcome into Fantasy Pros. This is 0:00:08.560 --> 0:00:12.480 the Fantasy Baseball Podcast. We are doing our free agency 0:00:12.520 --> 0:00:16.080 preview today. It's a slightly delayed episode because of some 0:00:16.120 --> 0:00:18.840 scheduling conflicts. I was pushing up kidney stones earlier in 0:00:18.880 --> 0:00:20.880 the week and doing some traveling, so we had to 0:00:20.880 --> 0:00:23.200 push this one back. But we are very excited to 0:00:23.280 --> 0:00:26.319 kick off our off season baseball content a little bit 0:00:26.400 --> 0:00:29.360 earlier than usual. But we love baseball, we love talking 0:00:29.400 --> 0:00:31.920 about it. We could only keep us away for so long. 0:00:32.200 --> 0:00:34.680 I am your host today. Joel Rico joined for I 0:00:34.720 --> 0:00:36.560 believe the first time we've ever done a show together 0:00:36.640 --> 0:00:39.800 by the Wonky Penguin. Kelly Kirby, Kelly, how you doing today. 0:00:39.800 --> 0:00:40.600 It's great to talk with you. 0:00:40.640 --> 0:00:43.680 Finally, I'm doing pretty well. I'm very excited to be 0:00:43.760 --> 0:00:46.440 on podcast with you. I think whenever I've seen you 0:00:46.479 --> 0:00:48.080 on like leading off, I'm like, nah, I think you 0:00:48.120 --> 0:00:50.319 and I would have some really good vibes. So I'm 0:00:50.320 --> 0:00:52.160 glad they put us together for this, And I'm really 0:00:52.200 --> 0:00:54.680 glad that you might be past your kidney stones because 0:00:54.680 --> 0:00:55.639 that just sounded horrific. 0:00:56.080 --> 0:00:59.240 So they're still kicking around in there, but We've got 0:00:59.280 --> 0:01:01.560 the right comment nation of meds that makes it so 0:01:01.600 --> 0:01:05.199 I can get through a podcast and get back into 0:01:05.200 --> 0:01:07.080 the working world after having to take a couple of 0:01:07.160 --> 0:01:10.160 days off. But it's great to be back talking baseball. 0:01:10.200 --> 0:01:12.560 I haven't done a podcast in a few weeks, and 0:01:12.600 --> 0:01:14.200 we got a lot of fun players to talk about. Today, 0:01:14.200 --> 0:01:16.000 we are going to be breaking down the free agent 0:01:16.080 --> 0:01:19.760 class of twenty twenty four slash twenty twenty five, and 0:01:19.840 --> 0:01:22.640 I think there's really nowhere else to start except with 0:01:22.760 --> 0:01:25.479 Juan Sota, who is the by far the biggest name 0:01:25.520 --> 0:01:27.760 available in the class. There is a chance that he 0:01:27.800 --> 0:01:30.039 gets the biggest contract we've ever seen. I know that 0:01:30.120 --> 0:01:32.840 there's you know, with all the deferred money and all that, 0:01:32.880 --> 0:01:35.160 things do get complicated, But Wan Soto is going to 0:01:35.240 --> 0:01:38.720 get an absolute haul that could exceed six hundred million dollars, 0:01:39.200 --> 0:01:41.080 and it probably should after the year he just put 0:01:41.120 --> 0:01:43.959 together one hundred and twenty eight runs, forty one homers, 0:01:43.959 --> 0:01:45.520 which was a career high for him, one hundred and 0:01:45.600 --> 0:01:48.400 nine RBI, seven stolen bases, and he also hit two 0:01:48.480 --> 0:01:50.920 eighty eight with a four to nineteen on base five 0:01:50.960 --> 0:01:53.840 to sixty nine slugging. I do think that the landing 0:01:53.880 --> 0:01:57.240 spot does come down to probably three places. I've heard 0:01:57.240 --> 0:01:59.280 Toronto thrown around in there. I'm not going to get 0:01:59.360 --> 0:02:02.080 hurt again on that front. We just did that last offseason. 0:02:02.480 --> 0:02:05.080 It does seem like New York in terms of the 0:02:05.160 --> 0:02:06.960 Yankees and the Mets are going to be the front runners, 0:02:06.960 --> 0:02:09.680 and also the Dodgers. Kelly, do you have a lean 0:02:09.800 --> 0:02:11.600 right now or where you think Wan Soto is going 0:02:11.639 --> 0:02:12.920 to be playing come April. 0:02:13.440 --> 0:02:15.120 I think it'll be really hard for him to not 0:02:15.360 --> 0:02:17.600 go back to the Yankees, given that they made it 0:02:17.600 --> 0:02:21.600 to the World Series, they came close, and he and 0:02:21.680 --> 0:02:25.320 Judge just created such a monstrous you know, two three 0:02:25.400 --> 0:02:28.400 or however they were batting toward the end, that that 0:02:28.440 --> 0:02:31.040 would make the most sense. I would love if the 0:02:31.040 --> 0:02:33.040 Blue Jay has got him, but I understand you wanting 0:02:33.080 --> 0:02:35.919 to avoid that type of thing two years in a row, 0:02:36.480 --> 0:02:39.680 and maybe we just won't track planes this offseason. But 0:02:40.560 --> 0:02:42.440 I suppose you could go to the Mets. I just 0:02:42.480 --> 0:02:45.519 feel like I feel like the Yankees are gonna kind 0:02:45.520 --> 0:02:48.960 of come in like hard for him given what they've done, 0:02:49.080 --> 0:02:51.639 and if the Dodgers swoop in and get him, then 0:02:51.800 --> 0:02:54.640 you know, that's just the end. Of baseball as we 0:02:54.680 --> 0:02:55.359 know it, right, So. 0:02:57.160 --> 0:02:59.800 If he goes to the Dodgers, it's I'm not sure 0:02:59.840 --> 0:03:02.079 how closely you follow basketball, but this is essentially the 0:03:02.160 --> 0:03:05.920 Kevin Durant to Golden State move from well seven years 0:03:05.960 --> 0:03:09.720 ago or so. You lose the championship to the superpower 0:03:10.200 --> 0:03:11.800 and you think, all right, can't beat him, might as 0:03:11.840 --> 0:03:14.360 well join him. I hope for baseball's sake that they 0:03:14.400 --> 0:03:16.960 don't get Wan Soto. There's another big free agent we're 0:03:16.960 --> 0:03:18.760 going to touch on in just a minute, And honestly, 0:03:18.840 --> 0:03:21.520 most of the big free agents we've listed potential landing spots. 0:03:21.919 --> 0:03:23.640 The Dodgers are going to be in on all of 0:03:23.680 --> 0:03:26.000 the big names. But if they get Wan Soto and 0:03:26.040 --> 0:03:29.520 you're trotting out however you want to arrange them Otani 0:03:29.639 --> 0:03:33.200 bets Freeman Soto, maybe they get ta Oscar Hernandez back, 0:03:34.000 --> 0:03:35.360 they might win one hundred and thirty eights. 0:03:35.440 --> 0:03:38.000 Yeah. I thought that last year when they had just 0:03:38.080 --> 0:03:41.080 the three, the Freeman, Bets and Otani, I was like, who, 0:03:41.200 --> 0:03:43.760 what pitcher is going to want to go at that threesome? 0:03:44.120 --> 0:03:46.560 You can't add a fourth like this. I think it 0:03:46.560 --> 0:03:49.720 would be devastating and as a Cubs fan, I would 0:03:49.760 --> 0:03:52.000 prefer he stay out at the National League, So maybe 0:03:52.000 --> 0:03:55.440 that's why I'm really hoping Yankees. But yeah, I also 0:03:55.440 --> 0:03:58.120 think from a fantasy perspective that on the Yankees he 0:03:58.520 --> 0:04:01.000 has a good chance of, like those numbers, keeping them 0:04:01.080 --> 0:04:04.240 up really high if they could bring in anyone else 0:04:04.280 --> 0:04:06.680 in that lineup to kind of help boost them, which 0:04:06.720 --> 0:04:09.880 I think they would if they got him. So I 0:04:10.000 --> 0:04:12.560 like him there, especially with the short porch. But it 0:04:12.640 --> 0:04:15.440 is yeah, like I said, as long I don't I 0:04:15.440 --> 0:04:17.480 would just prefer not being the Dodgers. 0:04:17.920 --> 0:04:20.599 So if it's the Dodgers, it's I mean, for a 0:04:20.600 --> 0:04:23.560 fantasy point of view, that would be amazing for want 0:04:23.640 --> 0:04:26.119 Soto's value. He might have one hundred and fifty runs 0:04:26.120 --> 0:04:28.960 and one hundred and forty RBI and god only knows 0:04:28.960 --> 0:04:31.840 what else he could put up in that lineup. I'm 0:04:31.880 --> 0:04:33.480 not sure how they would arrange it. I would imagine 0:04:33.480 --> 0:04:36.560 he'd be baddened first or second, considering the on base prowess. 0:04:36.600 --> 0:04:39.200 But you could take those four names, saw them at 0:04:39.240 --> 0:04:41.760 the wall, and it wouldn't really matter how you come 0:04:41.839 --> 0:04:44.200 up with them one through four. It would be ridiculous. Now, 0:04:44.279 --> 0:04:48.320 I do think the Yankees need to really really push 0:04:48.720 --> 0:04:51.800 for getting want Soto back. Whether it's ten years, fifteen years, 0:04:51.960 --> 0:04:53.799 sign him until he's one hundred years old, it doesn't 0:04:53.800 --> 0:04:56.640 matter because if he leaves, you got Aaron Judge who 0:04:56.720 --> 0:04:59.880 is on the wrong side of thirty, You got Jazz Chisholm, 0:05:00.200 --> 0:05:03.560 and then that's kind of it. Offensively, we saw them, 0:05:03.560 --> 0:05:06.159 even with Juan Soto this year, kind of struggle outside 0:05:06.160 --> 0:05:09.080 of the Sodo Judge incredible pairing. They kind of need 0:05:09.120 --> 0:05:10.680 to get him back, and that would also be, as 0:05:10.720 --> 0:05:13.520 we saw this past season, a really great fantasy spot 0:05:13.560 --> 0:05:16.160 for him in terms of the Mets. I don't know 0:05:16.240 --> 0:05:18.480 how great that would be in terms of the counting stats, 0:05:18.520 --> 0:05:20.360 especially if Pete a Lonzo were to leave. They're still 0:05:20.400 --> 0:05:22.599 Francisco Lindor. But I think we probably both agree that 0:05:22.720 --> 0:05:25.599 would be the weakest landing spot from a fantasy point 0:05:25.600 --> 0:05:25.960 of view. 0:05:26.480 --> 0:05:28.680 Yeah, one hundred percent. I thought that too, where a 0:05:28.800 --> 0:05:32.680 Soto Lindor top of the order is formidable, But if 0:05:32.720 --> 0:05:36.120 they lose Alonso and they don't bring in somebody behind them, 0:05:36.160 --> 0:05:39.000 that's not the ideal spot for a fantasy. I mean, 0:05:39.000 --> 0:05:41.440 he would still be worth having, obviously, like Wansota's going 0:05:41.480 --> 0:05:43.600 to be worth having wherever he goes. But I would 0:05:43.600 --> 0:05:45.880 be way less excited if he was on the Mets 0:05:45.960 --> 0:05:46.919 just from that perspective. 0:05:47.480 --> 0:05:50.320 Yeah, I think he's a first round pick regardless of 0:05:50.720 --> 0:05:52.440 which one of the thirty teams he ends up on. 0:05:53.120 --> 0:05:55.640 But I think if I were a betting man, and 0:05:55.839 --> 0:05:59.320 occasionally I am, I think that it's probably the Yankees. 0:05:59.320 --> 0:06:01.719 They're probably going to to just give him six hundred 0:06:01.720 --> 0:06:04.240 and fifty million dollars or something. But we'll have to 0:06:04.279 --> 0:06:06.599 see how that one plays out. Let's move on to 0:06:06.600 --> 0:06:09.000 Corbyn Burns unless we have anything else to add on Sodo. 0:06:09.360 --> 0:06:10.520 Nope, that's all I've got. 0:06:11.560 --> 0:06:15.240 So Corvin Burns had a fantastic season. Fifteen wins, one 0:06:15.320 --> 0:06:17.280 hundred and ninety four innings. He struck out one hundred 0:06:17.279 --> 0:06:19.400 and eighty one batters. It was a two ninety sixy ra, 0:06:19.880 --> 0:06:22.560 a one to ten whip. The thing with Burns is 0:06:22.600 --> 0:06:26.159 that his stuff numbers the stuff plus metrics that Enosaurus 0:06:26.200 --> 0:06:28.000 has that you can check them out on fangrafts, and 0:06:28.080 --> 0:06:30.640 the strikeout rates have gone down in each of the 0:06:30.720 --> 0:06:34.640 past four seasons. Makes me a little bit nervous from 0:06:34.680 --> 0:06:37.400 a fantasy point. Of view to really invest in Corbyn 0:06:37.440 --> 0:06:41.000 Burns some potential landing spots again, the Mets, the Dodgers, 0:06:41.080 --> 0:06:44.159 the Red Sox, the Orioles. What's your look on Corbyn 0:06:44.160 --> 0:06:46.560 Burns's landing spot and do you have any concern about 0:06:46.600 --> 0:06:48.480 some of the kind of bad trends we've seen from 0:06:48.520 --> 0:06:50.000 him over the last couple of years. 0:06:50.600 --> 0:06:54.080 Yeah, I have more concerns about him based on how 0:06:54.200 --> 0:06:56.760 kind of the last year went with especially those strikeout numbers, 0:06:56.839 --> 0:06:59.880 and even I know it sounds absurd, but even like 0:07:00.040 --> 0:07:03.240 that era was seemed just a little bit higher than 0:07:03.279 --> 0:07:06.360 what you know, you expect from him on a regular basis. 0:07:06.760 --> 0:07:10.280 So in this case, I think it does matter if 0:07:10.440 --> 0:07:12.560 which park he ends up in terms of home park 0:07:12.600 --> 0:07:16.560 for pitching and I so it's like I would rather 0:07:16.640 --> 0:07:19.640 he not go to the Red Sox. But yeah, I 0:07:19.640 --> 0:07:21.800 see him. I see him more as a Met than 0:07:22.880 --> 0:07:25.000 kind of anybody else I think, so that's where I 0:07:25.000 --> 0:07:28.400 would put him, But I have I definitely have concerns. 0:07:28.440 --> 0:07:29.840 I don't know if I would take him as like 0:07:29.840 --> 0:07:31.880 the first pitcher off the board or anything next year 0:07:32.160 --> 0:07:35.000 just because he's going to turn thirty, it's it's go 0:07:35.160 --> 0:07:36.080 in that direction. 0:07:37.080 --> 0:07:39.880 In my early rankings, and again it's the calendar. Just 0:07:39.880 --> 0:07:42.880 slipped in November. They're probably gonna be torn apart and redone. 0:07:42.960 --> 0:07:45.200 But he is like a borderline top ten pitcher for 0:07:45.280 --> 0:07:47.520 me right now. I could potentially move him outside of 0:07:47.520 --> 0:07:49.320 the top ten even and I think there's there will 0:07:49.360 --> 0:07:51.400 be people who are still in on him as a 0:07:51.400 --> 0:07:54.360 as a top five, top seven pitcher. I wouldn't have 0:07:54.360 --> 0:07:56.400 a huge problem with it. But you know, he threw 0:07:56.400 --> 0:07:58.000 one hundred and niney four nings. He didn't even meet 0:07:58.000 --> 0:08:00.720 that strikeout parading threshold. That is something to worry about. 0:08:00.760 --> 0:08:03.600 The ballpark will obviously also be a factor wherever he goes. 0:08:03.640 --> 0:08:06.120 I think if he stays in Baltimore, that would be 0:08:06.360 --> 0:08:08.880 what they probably need outside of him. And you know, 0:08:08.920 --> 0:08:11.920 they've got Grace Rodriguez who hasn't quite lived up to expectations. 0:08:12.280 --> 0:08:14.640 I believe Zach Efflin is still under contract. They have, 0:08:15.160 --> 0:08:17.200 you know, the building blocks for a good rotation, but 0:08:18.080 --> 0:08:20.000 I think Corvin Burns is kind of necessary if they 0:08:20.000 --> 0:08:21.680 want to continue at the pace they've been at for 0:08:21.720 --> 0:08:24.400 the last couple of years of ninety to one hundred wins, 0:08:24.640 --> 0:08:26.840 making it, you know, hopefully making it deep in the playoffs, 0:08:26.840 --> 0:08:28.560 I think they really should make a big push to 0:08:28.600 --> 0:08:31.200 bring him back. And of course that deep wall of 0:08:31.400 --> 0:08:33.480 Mount Baltimore, whatever you want to call it, in left field, 0:08:33.720 --> 0:08:37.560 certainly does help there from a pitching standpoint, for Corvin 0:08:37.559 --> 0:08:39.760 Burns and for everybody in Baltimore that's made it more 0:08:39.800 --> 0:08:42.320 of a much more pitcher friendly park over the last 0:08:42.360 --> 0:08:44.760 couple of seasons. But you are leading the Mets at 0:08:44.760 --> 0:08:45.679 this point. 0:08:46.120 --> 0:08:49.080 I'm leaning the Mets just because I feel like the 0:08:49.120 --> 0:08:50.959 way that the season went for them, where they were 0:08:50.960 --> 0:08:53.320 so good and then they were you know, where they 0:08:53.320 --> 0:08:55.640 were so bad and then they were so good, and 0:08:55.880 --> 0:08:58.120 I felt like when it got to the playoffs that 0:08:58.200 --> 0:09:01.679 pitching just you know, when they started, QUOTEA saying at 0:09:01.720 --> 0:09:04.760 one point like who hadn't pitched all season? Like, it's 0:09:05.000 --> 0:09:07.960 very important for them to lock down somebody that they 0:09:07.960 --> 0:09:11.440 can count on. And if nothing else, Burns has been 0:09:11.440 --> 0:09:15.160 pretty consistent at giving Indians I believe, so he fills 0:09:15.200 --> 0:09:19.160 that rotation guy really strongly for them. I can definitely 0:09:19.160 --> 0:09:21.400 see Baltimore doing it with kind of the same idea 0:09:21.480 --> 0:09:26.439 that they just didn't have. They didn't have a great 0:09:27.200 --> 0:09:29.480 rotation do exactly what they wanted it to do, and 0:09:29.520 --> 0:09:31.920 so bringing him back for the Grace and Rodriguez situation. 0:09:31.960 --> 0:09:33.920 And even though they you know, brought in Trevor Rodgers 0:09:33.920 --> 0:09:37.040 in the weirdest trade in history, I don't think he's 0:09:37.080 --> 0:09:40.240 going to be in there either. So yeah, I like 0:09:40.320 --> 0:09:42.480 him in Baltimore too, I think, but I don't like 0:09:42.480 --> 0:09:43.960 I said, I'm not a big fan of him going 0:09:43.960 --> 0:09:45.920 to the Red Sox. But you can tell Mike Meyer that. 0:09:46.160 --> 0:09:50.240 So that was one of the more puzzling trades at 0:09:50.240 --> 0:09:53.240 the deadline. I mean, Trevor Rodgers and Eloy him and 0:09:53.280 --> 0:09:56.040 Az didn't save their season. It's hard to be surprised 0:09:56.040 --> 0:09:58.160 by that. E Flynn was a pretty good pick up 0:09:58.200 --> 0:10:00.880 with them. But a couple of deadlines and row as 0:10:00.880 --> 0:10:02.800 a side note, that have been a little puzzling in Baltimore. 0:10:02.840 --> 0:10:05.160 I know, they acquire Jack Flaherty in twenty twenty three. 0:10:05.440 --> 0:10:08.120 That was kind of their big move before he kind 0:10:08.160 --> 0:10:10.000 of had his resurgence, and that didn't work out too 0:10:10.000 --> 0:10:11.440 well for them. So they're gonna have to start nailing 0:10:11.480 --> 0:10:13.319 these deadlines. And I do think they are gonna have 0:10:13.320 --> 0:10:15.040 to start nailing some of these free agents if they 0:10:15.040 --> 0:10:17.520 want to remain competitive in the American League East, where 0:10:17.520 --> 0:10:20.600 outside of Toronto, every team is probably going to be 0:10:20.720 --> 0:10:23.199 very good again next season. Then we saw what can 0:10:23.240 --> 0:10:25.160 happen down the stretch to a team like Baltimore. Even 0:10:25.200 --> 0:10:28.000 though they started off really well, they did have a 0:10:28.040 --> 0:10:30.520 pretty disappointing second half and a bit of an early 0:10:30.559 --> 0:10:35.000 exit from the postseason. Let's mention Roki Sazaki, who is 0:10:35.600 --> 0:10:37.559 I just saw a report the other day. I believe 0:10:37.559 --> 0:10:40.000 it was Kylie McDaniel who said that there is a 0:10:40.120 --> 0:10:43.760 strong likelihood that he is going to be posted, and surprise, surprise, 0:10:43.800 --> 0:10:45.920 the Dodgers are going to be the team that is 0:10:46.200 --> 0:10:50.120 very in on Roki Sazaki. Japanese players do tend to 0:10:50.240 --> 0:10:51.959 like playing on the West coast. He already has the 0:10:52.000 --> 0:10:55.360 Imamoto and Otani out there. It would make sense and 0:10:55.400 --> 0:10:58.280 it would be a rather scary thing, I think for 0:10:58.920 --> 0:11:02.600 major league batters. As amazingly is still just coming off 0:11:02.600 --> 0:11:04.960 of his age twenty two season. He had a two 0:11:05.080 --> 0:11:07.560 thirty five ERA in Japan last year over one hundred 0:11:07.559 --> 0:11:10.120 and eleven innings with one hundred and twenty nine strikeouts. 0:11:10.640 --> 0:11:13.440 His whip was one point zero three. He looks like 0:11:14.000 --> 0:11:17.240 even a slightly better version almost of Yoshinobu Yamamoto and 0:11:17.320 --> 0:11:20.120 quite a bit younger. Pretty scary thought of him potentially 0:11:20.200 --> 0:11:21.040 going to the Dodgers. 0:11:21.120 --> 0:11:24.800 Kelly, Yes, and that is I think where I would 0:11:24.800 --> 0:11:26.520 put him too. I mean, like you said, they like 0:11:26.600 --> 0:11:28.880 to stay on the West coast a little bit more, 0:11:28.960 --> 0:11:31.400 and I mean, I don't know if you send Otani 0:11:31.480 --> 0:11:33.680 for a recruitment trip, like, who's going to say no 0:11:33.760 --> 0:11:37.960 to him? So it's and they've been scouting him super heavily. 0:11:38.040 --> 0:11:41.040 I was surprised to see. I mean, we were looking 0:11:41.080 --> 0:11:43.920 at a list from the Athletic as well, and I 0:11:43.920 --> 0:11:46.000 was surprised to see the Diamondbacks seem to be very 0:11:46.520 --> 0:11:49.360 very much in on him as well, which is kind 0:11:49.360 --> 0:11:52.200 of an interesting dark horse because you're still out in 0:11:52.240 --> 0:11:56.600 the west somewhere, so perhaps, but they have a much 0:11:56.679 --> 0:12:00.200 higher hill climb I think. So. Yeah. I couldn't get 0:12:00.280 --> 0:12:01.640 that he was twenty two, because I know that a 0:12:01.679 --> 0:12:03.840 lot of times coming out of the Japanese League, they're 0:12:03.920 --> 0:12:07.520 much older when they get posted, and so he would be. 0:12:07.720 --> 0:12:10.080 He would be in very interesting case studies, I think, 0:12:10.200 --> 0:12:12.760 for how Major League Baseball is going to interact with 0:12:12.960 --> 0:12:14.199 the MPB going forward. 0:12:15.480 --> 0:12:18.920 We just saw Yamamoto get the biggest ever pitching contract 0:12:19.000 --> 0:12:21.680 last season, and he's I think twenty nine or thirty 0:12:21.760 --> 0:12:24.720 years old. There's a good chance a Zaki is able 0:12:24.760 --> 0:12:27.120 to beat that on a per year basis, and even 0:12:27.120 --> 0:12:29.200 maybe on a term basis. If he gets signed to 0:12:29.280 --> 0:12:33.000 a fifteen year contract or something. It wouldn't really surprise me. 0:12:33.400 --> 0:12:36.400 It's like almost doubling his lifespan to this point in 0:12:36.480 --> 0:12:40.160 terms of the contract, almost, but it wouldn't surprise me really. Again, 0:12:40.360 --> 0:12:43.520 it's the same culprits. The Dodgers, the Mets, the Yankees, Boston. 0:12:43.600 --> 0:12:45.640 These are the teams that historically do spend, and you 0:12:45.679 --> 0:12:49.000 figure when a twenty two year old ace pops into 0:12:49.080 --> 0:12:50.839 the free agent market, they're going to do what they 0:12:50.880 --> 0:12:52.880 can to try and sign him. If I were to 0:12:52.880 --> 0:12:55.040 place money on this right now, I'd say he's probably 0:12:55.080 --> 0:12:57.120 going to go to the Dodgers. It just seems to 0:12:57.120 --> 0:13:00.800 be the most likely outcome at this point for Issazaki. 0:13:01.520 --> 0:13:03.319 We were going to talk about Garrett Cole, but he 0:13:03.360 --> 0:13:07.240 did opt back into his contract, so there's not really 0:13:07.280 --> 0:13:10.160 too much to discuss there. The Yankees didn't have much 0:13:10.200 --> 0:13:14.720 of a choice, even though Garrett Cole has some injury problems, 0:13:14.800 --> 0:13:18.679 some flash concerns, he's getting older. But without Garrett Cole 0:13:18.720 --> 0:13:21.360 in that rotation, I don't think there would be really 0:13:21.480 --> 0:13:23.800 much to talk about in New York. So no real 0:13:23.840 --> 0:13:26.200 surprise there, Kelly that they picked up the Garrett Cole option. 0:13:26.240 --> 0:13:27.400 Anything to add on him. 0:13:28.120 --> 0:13:29.800 I just I think it'll be really interesting to see 0:13:29.800 --> 0:13:33.160 where he goes and drafts for fantasy, given that his 0:13:33.240 --> 0:13:36.120 numbers have been if he and he. When he's good, 0:13:36.160 --> 0:13:38.160 he's good. When he's not good, he's not good, and 0:13:38.440 --> 0:13:41.240 you're again same age thing. How old was he? I 0:13:41.280 --> 0:13:44.800 forgot thirty four four? Yeah, so yeah, you're starting to 0:13:44.840 --> 0:13:47.440 really look at him, like how are people going to 0:13:47.480 --> 0:13:50.760 draft him based on name more than current level of talent? 0:13:50.960 --> 0:13:54.680 And it'll be interesting to see. But I always assumed 0:13:54.679 --> 0:13:56.880 he would just still be Yankee when it was all done. 0:13:56.960 --> 0:13:59.600 So yeah, the name value is going to push him 0:13:59.640 --> 0:14:03.240 up a little too high for my comfort level. I 0:14:03.240 --> 0:14:05.760 think I have him at like fifteen or sixteen, and 0:14:05.800 --> 0:14:07.600 I could make an argument that he should be top five. 0:14:07.640 --> 0:14:09.240 You could also make an argument that he should probably 0:14:09.240 --> 0:14:11.720 be like outside of the top twenty five. We're talking 0:14:11.720 --> 0:14:14.679 about the declining trends with Corbyn Burns. It's been kind 0:14:14.679 --> 0:14:16.320 of the same thing with Garrett Cole. His numbers are 0:14:16.360 --> 0:14:20.000 more closely resembling what he did in his late Pittsburgh era, 0:14:20.120 --> 0:14:22.280 early Houston era to some extent more so than what 0:14:22.280 --> 0:14:24.160 we've seen over the last five or so years. So 0:14:24.600 --> 0:14:26.600 a little bit of a decline. He's still probably going 0:14:26.640 --> 0:14:29.120 to be very solid, but not somebody that I really 0:14:29.160 --> 0:14:30.960 want to be taking in the first couple rounds where 0:14:30.960 --> 0:14:32.720 he's gone the last couple of seasons. I don't have 0:14:32.760 --> 0:14:34.880 early eightyp pulled up in front of me. There's like 0:14:35.000 --> 0:14:37.560 twenty or so drafts that have been completed. But you 0:14:37.560 --> 0:14:39.720 get the feeling that Garrett Cole is probably going to 0:14:39.720 --> 0:14:41.160 be a little too expensive for our taste. 0:14:41.160 --> 0:14:44.400 Again, yeah, I think so, And then you know, they'll 0:14:44.440 --> 0:14:45.960 make us look like fools if he does what he's 0:14:46.040 --> 0:14:49.280 what he has been doing. But I would imagine a 0:14:49.280 --> 0:14:50.640 lot of people in the industry are going to be 0:14:50.840 --> 0:14:53.480 down on him further than people outside of the industry. 0:14:54.200 --> 0:14:56.120 There's something to be said about those Hall of Fame, 0:14:56.200 --> 0:14:58.920 superstar level talents where sometimes they just do things that 0:14:58.960 --> 0:15:01.240 aren't expected of Garrett One another sog Young next year, 0:15:01.240 --> 0:15:03.480 I wouldn't be overly shocked by it, but I do 0:15:03.560 --> 0:15:05.680 think we are kind of on the back nine of 0:15:05.720 --> 0:15:09.080 his career at this point. Another pitcher who does have 0:15:09.120 --> 0:15:12.600 some injury concerns is also a free agent. That's Max Freed, 0:15:13.120 --> 0:15:15.520 coming off of a pretty solid year. There were a 0:15:15.560 --> 0:15:17.720 couple of ups and downs, but eleven wins, one hundred 0:15:17.720 --> 0:15:19.520 and seventy four innings. He struck out one hundred and 0:15:19.560 --> 0:15:22.320 sixty six batters with a three twenty five a one 0:15:22.480 --> 0:15:25.480 sixteen whip. I think there's a decent chance he goes 0:15:25.520 --> 0:15:27.760 back to Atlanta, But from some conversations I've had with 0:15:27.840 --> 0:15:30.000 people who follow the Braves, they don't know that it's 0:15:30.040 --> 0:15:34.880 all that likely. Baltimore, New York, Boston are also potential 0:15:34.960 --> 0:15:36.880 landing spots in New York, as in the Mets there. 0:15:37.400 --> 0:15:39.560 What are your thoughts on Max Freed? He has dealt 0:15:39.560 --> 0:15:42.680 with four arm elbow problems each of the last few seasons. 0:15:42.960 --> 0:15:44.800 Would that give you any pause as a team looking 0:15:44.840 --> 0:15:46.720 to sign him and as a fantasy manager looking to 0:15:46.760 --> 0:15:47.920 draft him in twenty twenty five? 0:15:48.920 --> 0:15:52.600 Yeah, I mean the left forearm neuritis never sounds good 0:15:52.640 --> 0:15:56.200 for a left handed pitcher. I have some concerns about him. 0:15:56.720 --> 0:15:59.200 I feel like he had a nice kind of bounce back, 0:16:00.040 --> 0:16:02.400 and he did come back from injury and he got 0:16:02.480 --> 0:16:05.360 up to that one one seventy four mark, so you know, 0:16:05.440 --> 0:16:07.600 he was able to he was he was able to 0:16:07.680 --> 0:16:10.440 kind of fight through it. But whenever somebody, whenever picture 0:16:10.480 --> 0:16:13.680 has an injury to that arm, I get a little 0:16:13.720 --> 0:16:16.640 bit nervous. And neritis is one of those words where 0:16:16.920 --> 0:16:19.520 you it's like, Okay, well we don't know exactly how 0:16:19.560 --> 0:16:22.800 feverar that means, and when it can like flare up, 0:16:23.480 --> 0:16:26.280 it can make it very difficult to assess. So I 0:16:26.360 --> 0:16:30.600 would I wouldn't have any concerns given what it'll take, 0:16:30.640 --> 0:16:35.640 I think to sign him, I wouldn't have too many concerns. 0:16:35.680 --> 0:16:39.240 But I do enjoy the salary comps that were compared 0:16:39.240 --> 0:16:41.160 for him were like people like Patrick Corbin and Tyler 0:16:41.160 --> 0:16:46.160 Glass now, and that's not really inspiring in terms of 0:16:46.160 --> 0:16:49.920 injury stuff. So yeah, I'm but I also think in 0:16:49.960 --> 0:16:53.800 terms of fantasy, he depending on where he lands. Again, 0:16:54.040 --> 0:16:56.640 you know, like he won't have a lot of win 0:16:56.720 --> 0:16:59.760 equity if he goes to somewhere that just doesn't have it. 0:16:59.800 --> 0:17:03.120 And Braves are a decent landing spot if they decide 0:17:03.160 --> 0:17:05.760 to resign him. But I see him landing in Boston 0:17:05.800 --> 0:17:06.399 for some reason. 0:17:08.040 --> 0:17:09.840 I think I could see that. I wouldn't love it 0:17:09.840 --> 0:17:13.640 from a ballpark standpoint, more one of the more hitter 0:17:13.720 --> 0:17:18.800 friendly ballparks. I think it's usually third, second to fourth 0:17:18.840 --> 0:17:21.040 kind of range if you look at stat cast park factors. 0:17:21.680 --> 0:17:24.239 Wouldn't be my favorite thing. From a fantasy point of view, 0:17:24.240 --> 0:17:26.720 I'd like to see him stick around in Atlanta. You're 0:17:26.720 --> 0:17:29.679 going to have a full powered lineup supposed to be 0:17:29.680 --> 0:17:32.960 a full powered lineup with Lacuna coming back. You know, 0:17:32.960 --> 0:17:35.840 Ozzie Albi's, Michael Harris, Austin Riley. All these guys missed 0:17:35.880 --> 0:17:38.399 time this season. He did still win eleven games, and 0:17:38.440 --> 0:17:40.399 double digit wins is not something that we can be 0:17:40.960 --> 0:17:43.959 so secure in with starting pitchers these days. Generally speaking, 0:17:43.960 --> 0:17:47.400 it's a win. But I would prefer to see him 0:17:47.480 --> 0:17:50.600 going back to Atlanta as opposed to going to the 0:17:50.640 --> 0:17:53.040 Mats or going to Boston. Baltimore would be kind of 0:17:53.040 --> 0:17:55.760 interesting as a landing spot. I'm not sure they'll open 0:17:55.800 --> 0:17:58.119 the books for him and carbon Burns. If they're going 0:17:58.200 --> 0:17:59.959 to sign a big starting pitcher, I'd imagine be one 0:18:00.119 --> 0:18:02.840 the other, and they probably would go more with the 0:18:02.880 --> 0:18:06.400 incumbent there and burns. But somebody that I do kind 0:18:06.400 --> 0:18:09.720 of worry about. I did a show last preseason again 0:18:09.800 --> 0:18:13.120 talking about Enosaurus, and he was reading off some stats 0:18:13.240 --> 0:18:16.560 about the recurrence of elbow and four arm injuries, and 0:18:16.560 --> 0:18:19.320 once you have one, especially if you have multiple, the 0:18:19.400 --> 0:18:22.240 recurrence is like eighty percent or something. So I feel 0:18:22.240 --> 0:18:24.640 like there will come a time when Free does need 0:18:24.680 --> 0:18:27.080