1
00:00:00,120 --> 00:00:04,400
Speaker 1: Great energy, a good work effect, really freakish talents, but

2
00:00:04,720 --> 00:00:08,360
Speaker 1: a front office, a coaching fact, needs to see results.

3
00:00:12,600 --> 00:00:17,079
Speaker 1: Welcome to North Side Territory, your Chicago Cubs podcast on

4
00:00:17,160 --> 00:00:20,599
Speaker 1: the Foul Territory Network. This is Patrick Mooney of The

5
00:00:20,640 --> 00:00:24,279
Speaker 1: Athletic opening it up for a mailbag episode. During this

6
00:00:24,440 --> 00:00:28,600
Speaker 1: final stretch before the trade deadline, the Cub's last gasp

7
00:00:28,680 --> 00:00:32,519
Speaker 1: attempt to avoid a selloff has failed. The offense scored

8
00:00:32,840 --> 00:00:35,720
Speaker 1: nine runs in the first six games out of the

9
00:00:35,760 --> 00:00:40,400
Speaker 1: All Star Break, losing two must have series against real

10
00:00:40,440 --> 00:00:45,880
Speaker 1: playoff contenders. Cubs President Baseball Operations Jed Hoyer has already

11
00:00:45,960 --> 00:00:49,879
Speaker 1: signaled that he has no plans to add rental players

12
00:00:49,920 --> 00:00:53,239
Speaker 1: for the final two months of the season, and he

13
00:00:53,360 --> 00:00:55,440
Speaker 1: is not someone who likes to sit out the action

14
00:00:55,560 --> 00:00:59,120
Speaker 1: at this time of year, so that almost certainly means selling,

15
00:01:00,360 --> 00:01:02,560
Speaker 1: and it's really not that hard of a decision at

16
00:01:02,560 --> 00:01:06,080
Speaker 1: this point. At the start of Thursday's off day, the

17
00:01:06,160 --> 00:01:10,080
Speaker 1: Cubs are forty nine and fifty five, eleven games back

18
00:01:10,120 --> 00:01:13,240
Speaker 1: in the division and five games out of a wild

19
00:01:13,360 --> 00:01:17,160
Speaker 1: card spot. Look for Hoyer's front office to at least

20
00:01:17,160 --> 00:01:20,720
Speaker 1: move some relievers before the deadline, such as Mark Letter, junior,

21
00:01:21,280 --> 00:01:23,880
Speaker 1: and we'll see how much deeper those cuts go as

22
00:01:23,880 --> 00:01:28,360
Speaker 1: the Cubs pivot towards the future. Once again, let's get

23
00:01:28,400 --> 00:01:32,000
Speaker 1: into your questions. All right, let's get into your questions.

24
00:01:32,040 --> 00:01:34,800
Speaker 1: We'll start here with Brian Deal, who wonders do you

25
00:01:34,800 --> 00:01:38,240
Speaker 1: think that the old slogan There's always next year is

26
00:01:38,240 --> 00:01:40,960
Speaker 1: something that helps Gen and company sleep at night?

27
00:01:41,160 --> 00:01:41,479
Speaker 2: Now?

28
00:01:42,440 --> 00:01:47,760
Speaker 1: I think this is something that certainly helps ownership and

29
00:01:47,840 --> 00:01:52,920
Speaker 1: the business side get through their work days. Clearly, if

30
00:01:52,920 --> 00:01:56,040
Speaker 1: you're at Regally at all during this homestand you just

31
00:01:56,120 --> 00:02:01,840
Speaker 1: saw enormous crowds, you know, standing room only forty thousand

32
00:02:01,840 --> 00:02:05,920
Speaker 1: plus up in the high thirties for a team that

33
00:02:06,000 --> 00:02:11,760
Speaker 1: is now in last place and getting prepared for a

34
00:02:11,840 --> 00:02:18,560
Speaker 1: sale at the trade deadline. Within baseball operations, though, I

35
00:02:18,600 --> 00:02:23,280
Speaker 1: would not characterize Jed Hoyer as feeling super comfortable right now.

36
00:02:23,360 --> 00:02:23,680
Speaker 2: I know.

37
00:02:25,400 --> 00:02:28,120
Speaker 1: What you may see on Marquee and kind of the

38
00:02:28,919 --> 00:02:33,560
Speaker 1: patience and the rationality that he shows on camera. That

39
00:02:33,720 --> 00:02:35,280
Speaker 1: is just part of his job that he has to

40
00:02:35,320 --> 00:02:40,280
Speaker 1: project calm, that he has to look at the long

41
00:02:40,440 --> 00:02:44,320
Speaker 1: view and take all of those things into account.

42
00:02:44,320 --> 00:02:45,160
Speaker 2: But I would not.

43
00:02:46,600 --> 00:02:52,280
Speaker 1: Characterize the front office right now as being super comfortable

44
00:02:52,280 --> 00:02:54,760
Speaker 1: with how this has played out. They're very much aware

45
00:02:55,600 --> 00:02:59,600
Speaker 1: of how it looks when the team that you assembled

46
00:03:00,480 --> 00:03:02,880
Speaker 1: is in last place and can't keep up in a

47
00:03:03,000 --> 00:03:09,240
Speaker 1: very big, mediocre mix of teams in this wild card race.

48
00:03:09,919 --> 00:03:15,240
Speaker 1: Jed has one more season remaining on his contract. I

49
00:03:15,240 --> 00:03:18,640
Speaker 1: would still be surprised if ownership decided to move on

50
00:03:18,840 --> 00:03:23,640
Speaker 1: from what has been a very logical, rational plan that

51
00:03:23,760 --> 00:03:28,320
Speaker 1: aligned with ownership's long term interests. Like, in a lot

52
00:03:28,320 --> 00:03:32,760
Speaker 1: of ways, this is sort of the team that they

53
00:03:32,840 --> 00:03:38,200
Speaker 1: had wanted built, meaning a steady flow of young pitching,

54
00:03:38,640 --> 00:03:44,200
Speaker 1: some rational by free agent standards deals for players who

55
00:03:44,240 --> 00:03:50,160
Speaker 1: have performed really well. Talking about showda Inmanaga, Jameison ty On,

56
00:03:51,160 --> 00:03:57,040
Speaker 1: even Dansby Swanson. While he has not performed at all offensively,

57
00:03:57,160 --> 00:04:00,480
Speaker 1: he's still a gold glove shortstop and the guy that

58
00:04:01,720 --> 00:04:07,600
Speaker 1: analytically they had sort of targeted as the one who

59
00:04:07,640 --> 00:04:10,000
Speaker 1: made the most sense for them as part of that

60
00:04:10,840 --> 00:04:14,240
Speaker 1: a great shortstop class from a couple of years ago.

61
00:04:14,400 --> 00:04:16,120
Speaker 2: So this is.

62
00:04:16,279 --> 00:04:20,599
Speaker 1: A long way of maybe getting around the fact that, yeah,

63
00:04:20,640 --> 00:04:22,560
Speaker 1: this team should be much better right now, and that

64
00:04:22,600 --> 00:04:27,440
Speaker 1: there's absolutely no hiding from that. You look back to

65
00:04:27,520 --> 00:04:32,240
Speaker 1: the twenty twenty one trade deadline. There's not a lot

66
00:04:32,480 --> 00:04:35,280
Speaker 1: to show for it. I think if you look at

67
00:04:35,279 --> 00:04:37,840
Speaker 1: the farm system, it is in better shape than it

68
00:04:37,920 --> 00:04:41,200
Speaker 1: had been, but you don't see any sort of Chris

69
00:04:41,240 --> 00:04:45,000
Speaker 1: Bryant type prospects knocking down the door. And you know,

70
00:04:45,120 --> 00:04:50,719
Speaker 1: really it's just been another weird year of where things

71
00:04:50,800 --> 00:04:53,400
Speaker 1: just haven't synced up. You know, the Cubs have not

72
00:04:53,520 --> 00:04:57,240
Speaker 1: clicked in all phases of the game. I think firing

73
00:04:57,800 --> 00:05:03,800
Speaker 1: David Ross and bringing in Craig count was inevitably going

74
00:05:03,839 --> 00:05:07,679
Speaker 1: to put more focus on Jed Hoyer and his front office.

75
00:05:07,720 --> 00:05:13,560
Speaker 1: And right now the Cubs have not come close to

76
00:05:13,680 --> 00:05:17,200
Speaker 1: delivering on the promises that they made, and I think

77
00:05:17,240 --> 00:05:20,320
Speaker 1: that's why this coming off season there's going to be

78
00:05:20,320 --> 00:05:24,040
Speaker 1: a ton of pressure on them to get outside their

79
00:05:24,600 --> 00:05:29,599
Speaker 1: comfort zone, make some bigger deals, and it's setting up

80
00:05:29,640 --> 00:05:35,039
Speaker 1: a playoffs or bust year next year, assuming they get.

81
00:05:34,880 --> 00:05:39,240
Speaker 3: That aircrats here from FT, I'm a former athlete that

82
00:05:39,600 --> 00:05:43,400
Speaker 3: really pays attention to his routine, and AG one every

83
00:05:43,440 --> 00:05:46,479
Speaker 3: morning before my workouts is something that gets my day going.

84
00:05:46,880 --> 00:05:50,320
Speaker 4: Hey, bron here. Ag one is a foundational nutrition supplement

85
00:05:50,400 --> 00:05:53,560
Speaker 4: that delivers daily nutrients and gut health support and it's

86
00:05:53,600 --> 00:05:56,200
Speaker 4: backed by multiple research studies, so you can trust what

87
00:05:56,240 --> 00:05:57,279
Speaker 4: you're putting in your body.

88
00:05:57,640 --> 00:06:00,799
Speaker 3: Unlike other products which only test their ingredients in isolation,

89
00:06:01,040 --> 00:06:03,680
Speaker 3: ag one tests their formula.

90
00:06:03,360 --> 00:06:06,200
Speaker 4: As a whole Ready for this stat, ninety seven percent

91
00:06:06,200 --> 00:06:08,840
Speaker 4: of people in a research study felt more energy after

92
00:06:08,960 --> 00:06:11,560
Speaker 4: thirty days of drinking ag one. If I had to

93
00:06:11,600 --> 00:06:14,799
Speaker 4: recommend one product to support whole body health, it's ag

94
00:06:14,920 --> 00:06:17,000
Speaker 4: one and that's why FT is excited to have them

95
00:06:17,000 --> 00:06:19,720
Speaker 4: as a new partner. Starting your journey with ag one

96
00:06:19,839 --> 00:06:22,200
Speaker 4: is a win. Try ag one and get a free

97
00:06:22,200 --> 00:06:25,000
Speaker 4: one year supply of vitamin D three, K two and

98
00:06:25,440 --> 00:06:28,160
Speaker 4: five free ag one travel packs with your first purchase

99
00:06:28,320 --> 00:06:31,880
Speaker 4: at drinkag one dot com slash foul. That's drink ag

100
00:06:32,000 --> 00:06:37,080
Speaker 4: one dot com slash fo ul go check it out ftfam.

101
00:06:37,360 --> 00:06:40,520
Speaker 1: Aaron Baker Backer. Sorry, I'm not sure exactly how to

102
00:06:40,640 --> 00:06:43,480
Speaker 1: pronounce your name, but Erin, you have a very good

103
00:06:43,560 --> 00:06:47,159
Speaker 1: question here. What is the front office's view of Christopher Morell?

104
00:06:47,480 --> 00:06:50,080
Speaker 1: Seems like a great guy, but his play hasn't been

105
00:06:50,080 --> 00:06:53,240
Speaker 1: great this year. With prospects on the way behind him.

106
00:06:53,520 --> 00:06:57,800
Speaker 1: How much more leash does he have? Aaron, I think

107
00:06:57,839 --> 00:07:02,920
Speaker 1: everyone around the Cubs recognizes that super Morell has great energy,

108
00:07:03,520 --> 00:07:09,600
Speaker 1: a good work ethic, some really freakish talents, and to

109
00:07:09,640 --> 00:07:13,120
Speaker 1: his credit, he has gotten better in certain areas. I

110
00:07:13,120 --> 00:07:17,280
Speaker 1: think if you saw just this past homestand some they

111
00:07:17,320 --> 00:07:19,200
Speaker 1: had that one inning there of just like one great,

112
00:07:19,360 --> 00:07:21,760
Speaker 1: great defensive play after another.

113
00:07:21,800 --> 00:07:24,760
Speaker 2: I think he has improved at third base. I think his.

114
00:07:26,400 --> 00:07:31,280
Speaker 1: Swing decisions and his offensive approach has improved as well.

115
00:07:31,440 --> 00:07:36,200
Speaker 1: But at a certain point, a front office, a coaching

116
00:07:36,240 --> 00:07:39,640
Speaker 1: staff needs to see results, and.

117
00:07:39,560 --> 00:07:41,920
Speaker 2: That just hasn't been there right now.

118
00:07:41,960 --> 00:07:44,560
Speaker 1: And it stands out even more because the Cubs have

119
00:07:45,040 --> 00:07:49,200
Speaker 1: so many other weak spots in their lineup that you

120
00:07:49,280 --> 00:07:52,480
Speaker 1: can't really hide him, you know, in the bottom third

121
00:07:52,480 --> 00:07:54,480
Speaker 1: of your lineup and let him figure it out. Like

122
00:07:54,560 --> 00:07:57,840
Speaker 1: they need him to be just a middle of the

123
00:07:58,000 --> 00:08:03,640
Speaker 1: order slugger, and it hasn't quite gotten there yet. I mean,

124
00:08:03,680 --> 00:08:07,400
Speaker 1: you're looking at a slightly below average major league hitter

125
00:08:07,720 --> 00:08:13,080
Speaker 1: in terms of OPS plus, certainly not the leap the

126
00:08:13,160 --> 00:08:17,440
Speaker 1: Cubs had hoped for. You're looking at a.

127
00:08:17,360 --> 00:08:19,640
Speaker 2: Guy who made his debut.

128
00:08:19,680 --> 00:08:29,240
Speaker 1: In twenty twenty two. He's accumulating service time. This is

129
00:08:29,320 --> 00:08:32,120
Speaker 1: just not a point where you can say, like, oh,

130
00:08:32,120 --> 00:08:34,439
Speaker 1: We're just going to run it back with Christopher and

131
00:08:34,520 --> 00:08:39,240
Speaker 1: you know guarantee that he's your third baseman slash DH

132
00:08:39,280 --> 00:08:44,960
Speaker 1: and I'm not really as focused on the prospects behind him.

133
00:08:45,040 --> 00:08:47,920
Speaker 1: You know, maybe Mattshaw does come up or whatever. But

134
00:08:48,000 --> 00:08:50,760
Speaker 1: I think what we were just talking about earlier, the

135
00:08:50,800 --> 00:08:52,880
Speaker 1: pressure to win in twenty twenty five. I'm not sure

136
00:08:52,880 --> 00:08:55,280
Speaker 1: how you can just like move on from Christopher Morrell

137
00:08:56,559 --> 00:08:59,600
Speaker 1: and then just hand a job to Matt Shaw or

138
00:08:59,640 --> 00:09:02,680
Speaker 1: some o their prospect and hope that he figures it

139
00:09:02,760 --> 00:09:05,200
Speaker 1: out on a fly. I think you would probably be

140
00:09:05,240 --> 00:09:09,240
Speaker 1: looking more at does Alex Bregman want to come and

141
00:09:09,320 --> 00:09:13,000
Speaker 1: play in Chicago or is there some other like short

142
00:09:13,080 --> 00:09:18,040
Speaker 1: term fix or a complimentary player to work with morell.

143
00:09:20,160 --> 00:09:23,839
Speaker 1: I think if Christopher was having a better year, you'd

144
00:09:23,880 --> 00:09:27,560
Speaker 1: probably hear his name mentioned more prominently.

145
00:09:27,040 --> 00:09:28,560
Speaker 2: In trade rumors as well.

146
00:09:28,640 --> 00:09:31,400
Speaker 1: So we'll see what he does the last two months

147
00:09:31,400 --> 00:09:34,160
Speaker 1: of the year. I don't think that leash has run out,

148
00:09:34,160 --> 00:09:36,920
Speaker 1: but it is just by definition shorter because he's been

149
00:09:36,960 --> 00:09:39,640
Speaker 1: around for a few years now and has not definitively

150
00:09:39,720 --> 00:09:42,200
Speaker 1: answered the question of whether or not like he can

151
00:09:42,240 --> 00:09:43,000
Speaker 1: be a third baseman.

152
00:09:43,240 --> 00:09:45,720
Speaker 2: Where's he going to play, and.

153
00:09:45,960 --> 00:09:49,079
Speaker 1: The Cubs are really sort of stuck with a group

154
00:09:49,120 --> 00:09:57,079
Speaker 1: of position players. Otherwise, Aaron Schmidty wonders, and this is

155
00:09:57,120 --> 00:10:00,000
Speaker 1: a good one as well. Hate to be talking about

156
00:10:00,200 --> 00:10:03,800
Speaker 1: twenty twenty five in July, but here we are. Do

157
00:10:03,840 --> 00:10:05,920
Speaker 1: you think Corbyn Burns is a good fit for the

158
00:10:05,960 --> 00:10:08,400
Speaker 1: twenty twenty five rotation? If the Cubs deal tie On

159
00:10:08,559 --> 00:10:12,280
Speaker 1: at the deadline? Starting pitching is hardly a hole, but Burns,

160
00:10:12,280 --> 00:10:14,280
Speaker 1: Steele and Shoto would be one of the best top

161
00:10:14,320 --> 00:10:15,280
Speaker 1: three in baseball.

162
00:10:17,559 --> 00:10:18,480
Speaker 2: Aaron, You're right.

163
00:10:18,559 --> 00:10:21,760
Speaker 1: It's not never a good sign when in the middle

164
00:10:21,760 --> 00:10:24,760
Speaker 1: of a playoff race, your team or you as a

165
00:10:24,800 --> 00:10:29,760
Speaker 1: fan is wondering about the upcoming class of free agents. Yes,

166
00:10:29,840 --> 00:10:32,040
Speaker 1: I think Corbyn Burns will be a good fit for

167
00:10:32,120 --> 00:10:37,600
Speaker 1: any team that wants to win the World Series. In

168
00:10:37,679 --> 00:10:40,920
Speaker 1: terms of reality check, I believe he switched to Scott

169
00:10:41,000 --> 00:10:45,640
Speaker 1: Forres as his representative head of free agency.

170
00:10:45,920 --> 00:10:48,720
Speaker 2: And if just being honest, if you've.

171
00:10:48,640 --> 00:10:52,440
Speaker 1: Looked at the Cubs history of free agent deals and

172
00:10:52,640 --> 00:10:55,720
Speaker 1: Scott's history of free agent deals for pitchers, I'm thinking

173
00:10:55,760 --> 00:10:58,920
Speaker 1: of Garrett Cole as one comp that will probably be

174
00:10:59,120 --> 00:11:02,520
Speaker 1: top of mind. I don't see the Cubs running out

175
00:11:02,559 --> 00:11:05,520
Speaker 1: and doing that. However, there's gonna be a lot more

176
00:11:05,520 --> 00:11:09,640
Speaker 1: pressure on them to deliver that kind of star power.

177
00:11:09,679 --> 00:11:13,720
Speaker 1: And you know, I'm not I would not automatically assume

178
00:11:14,280 --> 00:11:17,280
Speaker 1: that tie on will be gone at the deadline, though

179
00:11:17,280 --> 00:11:21,880
Speaker 1: it is certainly a possibility. I think you're right that

180
00:11:21,960 --> 00:11:25,679
Speaker 1: starting pitching is not the weakness. I think if you're

181
00:11:25,720 --> 00:11:29,760
Speaker 1: gonna go huge in free agency, you gotta get some

182
00:11:29,920 --> 00:11:33,120
Speaker 1: slug in the middle of that lineup like that. To me,

183
00:11:33,760 --> 00:11:36,640
Speaker 1: someone who can hit three run homers, someone who can

184
00:11:36,679 --> 00:11:38,839
Speaker 1: carry an offense at a time, someone who can help

185
00:11:39,000 --> 00:11:42,720
Speaker 1: pull an offense out of those slumps so that only

186
00:11:42,800 --> 00:11:45,240
Speaker 1: lasts a couple of games or a week and not

187
00:11:45,440 --> 00:11:49,160
Speaker 1: like two months. That to me is the number one priority.

188
00:11:49,200 --> 00:11:51,520
Speaker 1: But I don't think you can look at all the

189
00:11:51,520 --> 00:11:55,080
Speaker 1: injuries the Cubs have experienced this year and really just

190
00:11:55,360 --> 00:11:58,240
Speaker 1: the state of pitching health in general across the game

191
00:11:58,280 --> 00:12:03,520
Speaker 1: and feel like the Cup are totally set in the rotation.

192
00:12:04,920 --> 00:12:11,480
Speaker 1: I think adding another starter would certainly make sense. You

193
00:12:11,600 --> 00:12:12,920
Speaker 1: can't rule that out.

194
00:12:13,080 --> 00:12:14,199
Speaker 2: And Burns.

195
00:12:15,000 --> 00:12:20,560
Speaker 1: Burns' relationship with counsel, as well as his history with

196
00:12:20,640 --> 00:12:22,240
Speaker 1: the Cubs kind of coming out of the draft you

197
00:12:22,280 --> 00:12:24,040
Speaker 1: know there's a guy that was on their radar.

198
00:12:24,160 --> 00:12:25,720
Speaker 2: I think all of those things.

199
00:12:27,280 --> 00:12:29,959
Speaker 1: Are going to have him on that short list of

200
00:12:30,040 --> 00:12:34,599
Speaker 1: like kind of dream guys who could really like change

201
00:12:35,080 --> 00:12:41,280
Speaker 1: the perception of this team. I'm going to group these

202
00:12:41,400 --> 00:12:46,760
Speaker 1: next prospect next prospects related questions together because I thought

203
00:12:48,360 --> 00:12:49,760
Speaker 1: it was a good way to kind of think about

204
00:12:49,760 --> 00:12:54,000
Speaker 1: things moving forward. Brad asks, how does the front office

205
00:12:54,080 --> 00:12:56,280
Speaker 1: view the logjam of outfield prospects?

206
00:12:57,679 --> 00:12:57,920
Speaker 2: BC?

207
00:12:58,120 --> 00:13:01,440
Speaker 1: Hornets SB wonders any chance of seeing one of the

208
00:13:01,440 --> 00:13:06,200
Speaker 1: outfield prospects being called up this season? Oh and KC

209
00:13:06,559 --> 00:13:11,880
Speaker 1: question mark a reference to own Casey. Then Tyler Dershel asks,

210
00:13:12,160 --> 00:13:14,200
Speaker 1: in order for the prospects to play, they have to

211
00:13:14,200 --> 00:13:16,199
Speaker 1: get rid of the logjam of offensive players at the

212
00:13:16,200 --> 00:13:19,360
Speaker 1: major league level who would be the most realistic.

213
00:13:18,920 --> 00:13:19,800
Speaker 2: To move off of.

214
00:13:20,360 --> 00:13:24,840
Speaker 1: Okay, So this idea of a logjam of outfield prospects,

215
00:13:25,160 --> 00:13:27,720
Speaker 1: or that the Cubs have like way too many great

216
00:13:27,800 --> 00:13:32,319
Speaker 1: prospects to fit onto one one major league field, I'm

217
00:13:32,360 --> 00:13:35,600
Speaker 1: not buying it. I think that is a mindset that

218
00:13:35,640 --> 00:13:39,840
Speaker 1: the Cubs have to get out of. We've seen all

219
00:13:39,840 --> 00:13:44,360
Speaker 1: the injuries that Brendon Davis has experienced. Unfortunately, in the

220
00:13:44,400 --> 00:13:45,360
Speaker 1: early portion.

221
00:13:45,320 --> 00:13:46,040
Speaker 2: Of his career.

222
00:13:47,240 --> 00:13:51,320
Speaker 1: The Cubs clear for whatever reason, haven't gotten a good answer.

223
00:13:51,600 --> 00:13:55,320
Speaker 1: Don't really trust or want to see much.

224
00:13:55,240 --> 00:13:56,400
Speaker 2: Of Alexander Canario.

225
00:13:56,679 --> 00:14:00,240
Speaker 1: And that is both while David Ross was on the

226
00:14:00,280 --> 00:14:06,080
Speaker 1: team and Craig Council managing the team. Sure, Kevin Contra

227
00:14:06,840 --> 00:14:09,719
Speaker 1: could be a really nice player, I don't think he

228
00:14:09,800 --> 00:14:14,800
Speaker 1: is like that close yet, though certainly he has the

229
00:14:14,840 --> 00:14:19,520
Speaker 1: physical abilities to make up some of those development gaps.

230
00:14:19,560 --> 00:14:23,960
Speaker 1: And you know, really one of the things that Jed

231
00:14:24,040 --> 00:14:26,840
Speaker 1: Hoyer stressed this week during his media session was like,

232
00:14:27,480 --> 00:14:30,840
Speaker 1: there is no scenario that they're considering in which they

233
00:14:30,880 --> 00:14:35,320
Speaker 1: would just like let a whole bunch of these kids play,

234
00:14:35,600 --> 00:14:38,880
Speaker 1: like they wouldn't call it a rebuild, you know, three

235
00:14:39,600 --> 00:14:40,160
Speaker 1: years ago.

236
00:14:40,880 --> 00:14:41,920
Speaker 2: They're not going to call it a.

237
00:14:41,960 --> 00:14:46,200
Speaker 1: Rebuild in year five of Jed Hoyer's contract. So that

238
00:14:46,360 --> 00:14:50,200
Speaker 1: is one reason why I'm curious about this trade deadline

239
00:14:50,200 --> 00:14:52,760
Speaker 1: of are they going to move some of this minor

240
00:14:52,840 --> 00:14:58,880
Speaker 1: league inventory. Are they in a position to do a

241
00:14:58,960 --> 00:15:03,360
Speaker 1: deal that helps them for twenty twenty five and maybe

242
00:15:03,360 --> 00:15:04,560
Speaker 1: even helps this year.

243
00:15:04,600 --> 00:15:06,200
Speaker 2: I mean, those deals are really.

244
00:15:06,000 --> 00:15:07,920
Speaker 1: Hard to pull off, and this front office doesn't have

245
00:15:07,960 --> 00:15:11,200
Speaker 1: a long track record of doing that, they've been pretty

246
00:15:11,480 --> 00:15:15,000
Speaker 1: clearly defined buyers or sellers.

247
00:15:16,920 --> 00:15:18,000
Speaker 2: August and September.

248
00:15:18,280 --> 00:15:20,080
Speaker 1: I do think there will be more of a shift

249
00:15:20,080 --> 00:15:26,440
Speaker 1: towards player development, though perhaps that does mean Owen Casey.

250
00:15:28,080 --> 00:15:31,840
Speaker 1: I think it's a red flag though that how quickly

251
00:15:32,640 --> 00:15:36,440
Speaker 1: Craig Council had dismissed the idea of oh, that next

252
00:15:36,480 --> 00:15:40,000
Speaker 1: hitter up from Iowa. I think there are real questions

253
00:15:40,040 --> 00:15:44,680
Speaker 1: about the development tracks of some of these players, not

254
00:15:45,040 --> 00:15:50,080
Speaker 1: Casey in particular, but just the enormous gap between Triple

255
00:15:50,120 --> 00:15:56,760
Speaker 1: A and the majors has become very, very apparent, and

256
00:15:57,520 --> 00:16:02,080
Speaker 1: the Cubs don't have a lot of spots, as Tyler mentioned,

257
00:16:02,560 --> 00:16:05,480
Speaker 1: to just give players five hundred bats.

258
00:16:05,480 --> 00:16:07,200
Speaker 2: Now, that is sort of happening.

259
00:16:07,320 --> 00:16:10,880
Speaker 1: With Pete kow Armstrong, and I do think defensively he

260
00:16:11,000 --> 00:16:14,000
Speaker 1: brings so much impact that the Cubs can at a

261
00:16:14,040 --> 00:16:16,720
Speaker 1: premium position that the Cubs can live with some of that.

262
00:16:16,880 --> 00:16:21,280
Speaker 1: But yeah, like Tyler said, their Cubs are very quickly

263
00:16:21,400 --> 00:16:25,320
Speaker 1: or all of a sudden seemingly become stuck, and that's

264
00:16:25,360 --> 00:16:29,840
Speaker 1: something that they have to deal with at this deadline.

265
00:16:30,040 --> 00:16:32,400
Speaker 2: As well as next to off season.

266
00:16:32,840 --> 00:16:39,280
Speaker 1: Sean Healy asked was the Craig Council hiring a rushed decision, Sean,

267
00:16:39,320 --> 00:16:44,000
Speaker 1: that is a very interesting idea. I would say that

268
00:16:44,280 --> 00:16:48,800
Speaker 1: Jed Hoyer's style is very deliberate. I'm not sure if

269
00:16:48,800 --> 00:16:54,280
Speaker 1: he ever makes rushed decisions or decisions out of emotions.

270
00:16:54,400 --> 00:16:57,960
Speaker 1: You have to remember just how long the Cubs had

271
00:16:58,000 --> 00:17:03,200
Speaker 1: watched Council coach up the Brewers and how frustrated Jed

272
00:17:03,280 --> 00:17:06,359
Speaker 1: and THEO were watching the Brewers come back. And you

273
00:17:06,920 --> 00:17:09,160
Speaker 1: catch the Cuds in twenty eighteen and the year before,

274
00:17:09,200 --> 00:17:12,439
Speaker 1: they really pushed the defending World Series champs, you know,

275
00:17:12,480 --> 00:17:15,040
Speaker 1: into a place where they did sort of like jump

276
00:17:15,080 --> 00:17:18,320
Speaker 1: out and rush into a Jose Quintana trade just to

277
00:17:18,320 --> 00:17:21,600
Speaker 1: try and energize their team and fend off a really

278
00:17:22,800 --> 00:17:27,160
Speaker 1: tough Milwaukee group as well. And so you're going back

279
00:17:27,200 --> 00:17:30,600
Speaker 1: to the end of last season, and I think this

280
00:17:30,760 --> 00:17:34,120
Speaker 1: is where you know, when a team doesn't make the playoffs,

281
00:17:34,840 --> 00:17:41,600
Speaker 1: some unpredictability can creep in. And so Hoyer had all

282
00:17:41,600 --> 00:17:44,440
Speaker 1: of October to think about this. The Brewers were bounced

283
00:17:44,480 --> 00:17:48,280
Speaker 1: out of the playoffs very quickly by the Arizona Diamondbacks,

284
00:17:48,440 --> 00:17:53,159
Speaker 1: and really, as Hoyer was kind of stewing over what

285
00:17:53,280 --> 00:17:57,399
Speaker 1: he thought should have been playoff trip. He's seeing the

286
00:17:57,440 --> 00:18:03,280
Speaker 1: council situation unfold in Milwaukee, and so I think Council's

287
00:18:03,320 --> 00:18:06,119
Speaker 1: track record is so long that I wouldn't call it

288
00:18:06,200 --> 00:18:11,120
Speaker 1: a rushed decision, And I think Hoyer's nature is such

289
00:18:11,160 --> 00:18:13,200
Speaker 1: that I wouldn't call it a rush decision. But yeah,

290
00:18:13,240 --> 00:18:17,040
Speaker 1: it it hasn't worked out the way they thought yet

291
00:18:17,160 --> 00:18:21,399
Speaker 1: doesn't mean it won't be a great hire in the

292
00:18:21,480 --> 00:18:27,760
Speaker 1: long run, but certainly it has created a perception that

293
00:18:28,000 --> 00:18:33,440
Speaker 1: leads into a final question here that really jumped out

294
00:18:33,440 --> 00:18:35,480
Speaker 1: at me as something that like I've been thinking about

295
00:18:35,480 --> 00:18:37,760
Speaker 1: on my own, something I've been talking.

296
00:18:37,359 --> 00:18:40,080
Speaker 2: About with other reporters, and.

297
00:18:40,000 --> 00:18:45,119
Speaker 1: It's from Hoops says Council is a steady presence. So

298
00:18:45,240 --> 00:18:48,080
Speaker 1: are the guys in the clubhouse. No grit, no sandpaper.

299
00:18:48,560 --> 00:18:50,960
Speaker 1: The Cubs seem to have responded to Justin Steele showing

300
00:18:51,040 --> 00:18:54,119
Speaker 1: some fire, but have now lost it again. Does this

301
00:18:54,160 --> 00:18:58,000
Speaker 1: team need some sandpaper in the everyday lineup? If Council can't,

302
00:18:58,040 --> 00:19:02,080
Speaker 1: Slash won't provide it. This is kind of an unanswerable thing,

303
00:19:02,560 --> 00:19:04,600
Speaker 1: and it is, but it is something that the Cubs

304
00:19:04,640 --> 00:19:08,359
Speaker 1: will no doubt be asking themselves in the audit of

305
00:19:08,440 --> 00:19:13,520
Speaker 1: this season, like the mix of personalities, and I think

306
00:19:13,520 --> 00:19:20,600
Speaker 1: you're right, Hoops, that this group of players is very professional, diligent, hardworking,

307
00:19:20,920 --> 00:19:24,359
Speaker 1: and I think counsel is right to stress how long

308
00:19:24,920 --> 00:19:28,080
Speaker 1: the season is and to be yourself and that you

309
00:19:28,119 --> 00:19:31,960
Speaker 1: can't manufacture a lot of this stuff. At the same time,

310
00:19:32,240 --> 00:19:34,360
Speaker 1: it's hard to look at this group and how things

311
00:19:34,400 --> 00:19:37,160
Speaker 1: have unfolded and think like, yeah, they got it right,

312
00:19:37,160 --> 00:19:42,200
Speaker 1: that this is like a great kind of chemistry, the intangibles,

313
00:19:42,240 --> 00:19:47,040
Speaker 1: whatever it is, the stuff that you can't measure. However,

314
00:19:48,040 --> 00:19:50,400
Speaker 1: after covering the end of the Joe Madden error, I

315
00:19:50,440 --> 00:19:59,080
Speaker 1: am very very hesitant to point at things like grit

316
00:19:59,280 --> 00:20:04,040
Speaker 1: and emotional temperament when it's clear that the Cubs have

317
00:20:04,640 --> 00:20:09,280
Speaker 1: so many obvious talent deficiencies like up and down their roster,

318
00:20:09,720 --> 00:20:13,760
Speaker 1: like if you have the catching setup is not good enough.

319
00:20:13,840 --> 00:20:17,160
Speaker 1: Third base has been a question mark for a long time.

320
00:20:17,480 --> 00:20:21,959
Speaker 1: Picrow Armstrong's defense elite in center field, his offense nowhere

321
00:20:22,000 --> 00:20:26,080
Speaker 1: close to that level. Yet you have guys with long

322
00:20:26,160 --> 00:20:30,640
Speaker 1: track records and who have long term contracts who.

323
00:20:30,600 --> 00:20:32,600
Speaker 2: Have clearly underperformed.

324
00:20:34,240 --> 00:20:37,360
Speaker 1: If Cody Bellinger hits a couple more home runs, if

325
00:20:37,560 --> 00:20:41,280
Speaker 1: Dansby Swanson gets just a little bit closer to what

326
00:20:41,359 --> 00:20:46,080
Speaker 1: has been his career norm. Are we talking about this

327
00:20:46,440 --> 00:20:50,600
Speaker 1: or are we kind of lauding them for their kind

328
00:20:50,600 --> 00:20:54,239
Speaker 1: of quiet determination and their stick to itiveness. I don't know,

329
00:20:54,320 --> 00:20:59,360
Speaker 1: but by playing down to this level, it is certainly

330
00:20:59,440 --> 00:21:03,679
Speaker 1: up opened a whole new line of questioning that is

331
00:21:04,480 --> 00:21:07,720
Speaker 1: quite frankly not comfortable for anyone.

332
00:21:07,359 --> 00:21:10,080
Speaker 2: Involved in the Cubs organization.

333
00:21:10,480 --> 00:21:15,119
Speaker 1: So thank you everyone for your questions, Thank you for listening.

334
00:21:15,520 --> 00:21:19,680
Speaker 1: Thank you to our Foul Territory crew behind the scenes

335
00:21:19,760 --> 00:21:25,280
Speaker 1: who just hustle and work around the clock, and they will.

336
00:21:25,160 --> 00:21:29,679
Speaker 2: Continue to do so around the trade deadline.

337
00:21:30,160 --> 00:21:33,440
Speaker 1: Our buddy SAIDI Sharma, my co host and colleague at

338
00:21:33,440 --> 00:21:36,639
Speaker 1: the Athletic. We'll be back from vacation here very soon.

339
00:21:36,760 --> 00:21:38,600
Speaker 2: We'll be coming at you with another.

340
00:21:38,320 --> 00:21:42,600
Speaker 1: Episode, and we'll be responding to everything that happens around

341
00:21:42,600 --> 00:21:43,560
Speaker 1: the trade deadline.

342
00:21:43,720 --> 00:21:45,920
Speaker 2: Thank you for listening, Take care, Bye,