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Speaker 1: Pete Alonso and Scott Boris, his agent. They could have

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Speaker 1: seen this coming. It was like this kind of train

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Speaker 1: wreck you could see coming from Afar and then it happened.

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Speaker 1: Welcome everyone to the Thursday edition of Fair Territory. We

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Speaker 1: are pleased today to be joined by a very special

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Speaker 1: co host. Her name, you know her. It's Tricia Whittaker.

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Speaker 1: She works for Apple TV on their Friday night broadcast.

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Speaker 1: She was the Raised Dugout reporter for six years. She

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Speaker 1: is also a professor at Indiana University teaching Media. So Tricia, welcome,

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Speaker 1: We're thrilled to have you. And hey, we had some

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Speaker 1: pretty big news last night.

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Speaker 2: We had some huge news last night, Ken, so I'm

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Speaker 2: glad I'm joining the show today. We have plenty to

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Speaker 2: talk about. Sometimes the off season can be a little

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Speaker 2: bit boring, but not last night, so we can get

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Speaker 2: right into it. Pete Alonso and the Mets. That was

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Speaker 2: such a big question on everybody's mind recently will he

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Speaker 2: re sign with the Mets? From Steve Cohen saying that

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Speaker 2: this has been an exhausting negotiation to a deal finally

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Speaker 2: being made between the Mets and Pete Alonso, reportedly a

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Speaker 2: two year deal fifty four million with a player opt

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Speaker 2: out after this season. So can your first initial reaction

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Speaker 2: to this deal finally being done.

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Speaker 1: My first initial reaction was wow, that is low. And

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Speaker 1: Pete Alonso of course turned down a seven year, one

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Speaker 1: hundred and fifty eight million dollar extension in June of

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Speaker 1: twenty twenty three that would have covered his final arbitration

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Speaker 1: year as well, so it was effectively six years, one

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Speaker 1: thirty eight million in his free agent years. Okay, so

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Speaker 1: what happened here, Well, what happened is Pete Alonso is

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Speaker 1: a first baseman who is thirty years old, who is

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Speaker 1: not all that athletic, not a plus person defensively or

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Speaker 1: as a base runner. Now he has elite power, we

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Speaker 1: all know that. But last season, his platform year, he

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Speaker 1: hit a career low thirty four homers. So his market

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Speaker 1: was always going to be problematic. And this kind of deal,

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Speaker 1: the one he did with the opt out after one year,

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Speaker 1: the high AAV and the high salary for this year,

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Speaker 1: which is thirty million, that's the kind of deal that

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Speaker 1: Scott Boris has done a few times in recent years.

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Speaker 1: Did it with Carlos Correa, he did it with Blake Snell,

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Speaker 1: and he did it with Matt Chapman, all to great success. Now,

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Speaker 1: those were successful deals because those players later in their

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Speaker 1: next year signed bigger free agent contracts with Jordan Montgomery,

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Speaker 1: with Cody Bellinger to an extent his kind of Still

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Speaker 1: the jury's out. They haven't been successful, the player and

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Speaker 1: the agent. So it remains to be seen now if

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Speaker 1: Pete Alonso can do what Correa and Snell and Chapman

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Speaker 1: did and build up his value this year and go

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Speaker 1: back into the market and do really well. But in

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Speaker 1: the column I wrote today, I raise all the questions

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Speaker 1: that we have about whether Pete Alonso can do that,

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Speaker 1: and I'm skeptical. Frankly, I'm skeptical that he's going to

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Speaker 1: have the same kind of success Korea, Snell and Chapman did.

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Speaker 1: It's just more problematic for him now. If he goes

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Speaker 1: out and hits forty five this year with an eight

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Speaker 1: to fifty ops, God bless him, and he'll get his money.

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Speaker 1: But yeah, again, it's going to be difficult for him

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Speaker 1: to do that. It's just the trend lines aren't pointing

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Speaker 1: toward that at all.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, I remember you talking about that in our meeting beforehand.

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Speaker 2: Just if this was a good gamble for him to make,

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Speaker 2: and one of the things you pointed to was his athleticism.

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Speaker 2: Is that one of the things that you kind of

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Speaker 2: look at for the next couple of years and think, well,

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Speaker 2: you know, this is a great deal for the Mets,

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Speaker 2: no long term commitment, the fans are happy, but for

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Speaker 2: Pete that was kind of a gamble.

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Speaker 1: Well, certainly a good deal for the Mets, and yes,

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Speaker 1: it is effectively going to cost them about sixty million

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Speaker 1: considering the luxury tax penalty that they'll be hit with,

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Speaker 1: but it's one year or maybe two, and teams always

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Speaker 1: prefer the shorter terms. So for the Mets, they have

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Speaker 1: the now player who will hit behind Juan Soto, the

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Speaker 1: additional slugger they needed. It works out really well for Alonso, Yes, Trisia,

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Speaker 1: you're absolutely right. And with Snell, he was an elite starter,

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Speaker 1: is an elite starter. Correa was a top of the

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Speaker 1: line shortstop. Is the top of the line shortstop when healthy.

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Speaker 1: And Chapman is different than Alonso in that he is

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Speaker 1: an elite defender. So those guys kind of had more

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Speaker 1: going for them in certain respects Alonzo I don't want

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Speaker 1: to detract from what he is. He is a great

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Speaker 1: power hitter, one of the great power hitters in the game,

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Speaker 1: second in home runs just to Aaron Judge in the

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Speaker 1: last six years. But it's these other things that brought

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Speaker 1: his value down. And next year, well, there will be

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Speaker 1: a lot of teams in the market for first baseman.

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Speaker 1: But Vladimir Guerrero Junior could be out there. Josh Naylor,

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Speaker 1: who is not all that dissimilar from Alonso in certain respects,

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Speaker 1: certain statistical ways, and two and a half years younger

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Speaker 1: of last four years younger. These could pose problems for

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Speaker 1: him as well. So it just seems to meet Tricia,

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Speaker 1: it's going to be something of an uphill battle for Alonzo. Now,

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Speaker 1: we've talked a lot about Pete, We've talked a lot

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Speaker 1: about the Mets all off season. We've talked a lot

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Speaker 1: about the Dodgers all off season. But I want to

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Speaker 1: talk a little bit about the team that you worked

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Speaker 1: for for the past six years, or actually the team

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Speaker 1: covered for the past six years, the Tampa Bay Rays.

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Speaker 1: And let's start first, Trisha, with what you see from

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Speaker 1: them on the field right now and how you think

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Speaker 1: this will all play out in Tampa outdoors at Steinbrenner Field,

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Speaker 1: the Yankees swing training facility.

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Speaker 2: Yeah. So there's just so much uncertainty surrounding the Rays

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Speaker 2: this offseason. And you know who I feel for the

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Speaker 2: most ken is really the fans in that area because

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Speaker 2: the fans in that area deserve a good baseball team.

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Speaker 2: They've had a good baseball team on the field, but

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Speaker 2: the uncertainty when it comes to the off the field

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Speaker 2: stuff and the stadium saga that, let's be honest, has

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Speaker 2: been going on four years. I remember when they announced

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Speaker 2: that they were going to build the stadium in Saint

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Speaker 2: Pete last year of a bunch of red flags went

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Speaker 2: up in my head. I thought, over and over again,

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Speaker 2: I don't know if they're gonna be able to get

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Speaker 2: this done. And here we are almost less than a

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Speaker 2: year later and it's looking like that this might not

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Speaker 2: be a reality for them. Then enter the hurricane, which

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Speaker 2: was devastating. It was horrible. I lived about four blocks

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Speaker 2: from Tropicana Field when I lived in Saint Pete, and

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Speaker 2: when that hurricane came through and you saw what happened

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Speaker 2: to the trap, it was just devastating. That's not something

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Speaker 2: that the Rays can control, right, So that's just an

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Speaker 2: unfortunate series of events for them. But when you look

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Speaker 2: at this season and playing at stein Berynner Field, obviously

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Speaker 2: it's not ideal for them. However, I don't think it's

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Speaker 2: gonna be as terrible as people might think. It's stein

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Speaker 2: Brennerfield because they've done a lot of renovations. It is

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Speaker 2: a very nice field. It gives fans in Tampa an

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Speaker 2: opportunity to go to the games a lot more than

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Speaker 2: they might be able to in Saint Pete. Because, let's

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Speaker 2: be honest, there's a lot of fans in Tampa who

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Speaker 2: don't go to the games in Saint Pete because it's

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Speaker 2: so far away. A lot of people don't want to

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Speaker 2: say it, but it's true. Right, you cannot just rely

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Speaker 2: on baseball fans in Saint Pete because there's not enough

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Speaker 2: of them. I lived there for six years. There are

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Speaker 2: not enough baseball fans in Saint Pete, and that's just

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Speaker 2: how it goes. But when you look at those renovations

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Speaker 2: that they're doing there at Steinbrennerfield, it looks very, very

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Speaker 2: nice and I don't think it's going to be as

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Speaker 2: much of a disruption as people might think because it's

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Speaker 2: a beautiful field, it's outside we love baseball outside it's

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Speaker 2: going to be hot, but the Rays have kind of

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Speaker 2: manipulated their schedule to make sure that they're not there

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Speaker 2: for those eighteen twenty days, you know where it just

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Speaker 2: rains every single day at four o'clock in Florida, right,

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Speaker 2: So I don't think it's going to be as bad

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Speaker 2: as people think it's going to be. I actually think

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Speaker 2: that Raised fans in Tampa are going to enjoy it.

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Speaker 2: And there's a lot of Rais fans in Tampa who

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Speaker 2: don't get to the Trap, so this might be their

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Speaker 2: opportunity to see that team, and that kind of excites

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Speaker 2: me a little bit for them.

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Speaker 1: Ken we'll get to the stadium again or a little

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Speaker 1: bit more in depth in a second, but I want

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Speaker 1: to ask about the team itself. Hasha on Kim to

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Speaker 1: me was an excellent addition. They've been struggling at shortstop

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Speaker 1: since Franco has had his issues, of course, and they've

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Speaker 1: got pictures coming back. McClanahan, Rasmussen, boz I kind of

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Speaker 1: liked them as a sneaky wild card possibility this year,

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Speaker 1: and I wonder how you see it.

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Speaker 2: Okay, Okay, I like that prediction. I worry still a

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Speaker 2: little bit about their bats, right, That was the big

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Speaker 2: problem last year. It was it was so frustrating last

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Speaker 2: year for those months watching them not be productive at

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Speaker 2: the plate. And that's really the big thing that they need.

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Speaker 1: Right.

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Speaker 2: We know that their bullpen is usually very very good.

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Speaker 2: They put together a starting rotation. They get guys that

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Speaker 2: you've never even heard of, like Drew Rasmussen. They took

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Speaker 2: him from the bullpen and turned him in to a starter.

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Speaker 2: That was very impressive. But you know, this off season

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Speaker 2: a priority for them specifically was getting themselves a catcher.

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Speaker 2: They went out and they got Danny Jansen. So I

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Speaker 2: think he's gonna be good for them. I know in

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Speaker 2: twenty twenty four he had a little bit slightly a

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Speaker 2: down year at the plate. But when you look at

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Speaker 2: Danny Jansen overall, he does have a solid track record

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Speaker 2: offensively that can really help the raise against left handed

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Speaker 2: pitching and it'll compliment you know, their left handed hitting

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Speaker 2: internal options. And it's been said that he has some

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Speaker 2: great leadership skills. I have never personally worked around him,

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Speaker 2: but I know in that clubhouse right now, leadership is

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Speaker 2: something that they need.

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Speaker 1: Right.

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Speaker 2: I think that it was difficult when Kevin Kiermeyer left

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Speaker 2: that clubhouse. His leadership was never replaced in that clubhouse.

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Speaker 2: It just it just wasn't. And you know, you can

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Speaker 2: say that Zach Eflyn might have been a little bit

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Speaker 2: of a leader, but in my opinion, the leader of

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Speaker 2: a team needs to be an everyday guy, right, And

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Speaker 2: so I think maybe Danny Jansen can fill a hole

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Speaker 2: there for the raise. I you know, I love the

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Speaker 2: rais Ken and I was there for six years, and

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Speaker 2: I really really do I think your prediction is generous. Yes,

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Speaker 2: I would like to think you're right. I just I

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Speaker 2: don't know if I see them putting it all together

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Speaker 2: this year, especially offensively. That's where the red flags go

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Speaker 2: up for me when I look at that lineup. I'm

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Speaker 2: not sure. But if you're right, I will be happy

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Speaker 2: to look back at this moment. We can clip it,

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Speaker 2: you can put it on Twitter, and you can say

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Speaker 2: old takes exposed, and I'll be fine with that.

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Speaker 1: Trisa, don't worry. I'm never right. So we're good now.

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Speaker 1: One other thing on the rays before we jump further

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Speaker 1: into the show. March thirty first is a deadline for

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Speaker 1: the owner Stuart Sternberg, to come up with a plan

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Speaker 1: or at least present his financing and what he's going

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Speaker 1: to do to make this thing work, for the county

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Speaker 1: to go forward with its bonds, and for the project

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Speaker 1: to really get back on track. I wrote recently that

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Speaker 1: what should happen here is either this deal should get

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Speaker 1: going again or Sternberg should sell the team to interest

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Speaker 1: that would move it to Tank because Tampa is the

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Speaker 1: more vibrant market than Saint Pete. I wonder if you

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Speaker 1: can share how you see it and how you see

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Speaker 1: this playing out more that Trisia. How do you see

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Speaker 1: this playing out?

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Speaker 2: This is a loaded, loaded topic. And you know, when

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Speaker 2: I worked for the Rais and when I worked for Valley,

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Speaker 2: I had to be a little bit more careful I

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Speaker 2: think about what I said. I'm still going to be

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Speaker 2: careful about what I say. Right. However, I have always,

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Speaker 2: and I don't know this might make some Raised fans angry.

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Speaker 2: I have always personally felt that the Rays would be

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Speaker 2: better in Tampa. Love I have always they do, but

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Speaker 2: you say that sometimes in Saint Pete, and it does

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Speaker 2: oh fare well for people there, and it would be

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Speaker 2: better in Tampa. Now I have seen them try to

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Speaker 2: get a deal done in Tampa and it not happened, right,

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Speaker 2: So I have my doubts about a deal over there.

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Speaker 2: But I do think Ken just reading through what has happened. Honestly,

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Speaker 2: since the day that I said that I was moving

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Speaker 2: on from the Rays, it's not been good. It is

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Speaker 2: a very murky, muddy relationship between Saint Pete and the Rays.

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Speaker 2: I mean, when you have the Panellas County commissioner tweeting

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Speaker 2: sell the team, that's not a good relationship to get

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Speaker 2: a deal done in Saint Pete. Now when you talk

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Speaker 2: Ken about Stu selling the team, he did very recently

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Speaker 2: tell the Tampa Bay Times you know that he's not

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Speaker 2: looking to sell the team or actively engage in any

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Speaker 2: talks to do so. You know, he said if it

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Speaker 2: was for sale, people would know it. Now we've also

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Speaker 2: heard many things said by the Rays that were going

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Speaker 2: to happen that never happened. So it's almost like this

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Speaker 2: mental game of not knowing what to believe. And I

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Speaker 2: living there for six years. I feel for the fans

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Speaker 2: because they got so excited when the race said we're

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Speaker 2: here to stay, We're here to stay, We're here to stay,

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Speaker 2: and it just feels like the rug has been pulled

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Speaker 2: out from under them. So I feel for them, and

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Speaker 2: in my opinion, I don't want the Rays to leave

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Speaker 2: that area, right, I think there's an appetite for baseball.

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Speaker 2: Moving to Tampa makes the most sense. The problem is

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Speaker 2: a deal never seems to get done. And you know, Ken,

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Speaker 2: like you said, if that's if the solution is still

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Speaker 2: selling the team, then so be it. A lot of

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Speaker 2: fans would probably like that. Would it be the best solution.

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Speaker 2: I'm not entirely sure. I don't know that it would

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Speaker 2: hurt things, though, I'll.

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Speaker 1: Say that depends who he sells to and depends how

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Speaker 1: this all plays out. And the way I wrote Attricia was, Hey,

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Speaker 1: this is not Stuart Sternberg, the worst owner in the world.

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Speaker 1: We have others who are worse. But yes, this is

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Speaker 1: not Stuart Sternberg, a man who is deserving of sympathy

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Speaker 1: when he's getting this great deal, or at least a

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Speaker 1: really good deal, at least before the hurricane from Saint Pete.

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Speaker 2: So yeah, and let me just say one more thing

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Speaker 2: on that. I think sometimes a lot of people give

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Speaker 2: Stu a lot of grief and I and I understand

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Speaker 2: some of the frustration, I really do. But and this

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Speaker 2: is a. I promise you this is not a team

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Speaker 2: talk opinion, because my paycheck no longer comes from there.

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Speaker 2: I did enjoy working with Stu, and for those people

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Speaker 2: who might question, you know his who he is as

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Speaker 2: a person. He is a very He's a very nice

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Speaker 2: man to work with. I just think the business side

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Speaker 2: of things in Saint Pete and Tampa have not gone

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Speaker 2: the way that he would have liked, the city would

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Speaker 2: have liked, or the fans of the team would have liked.

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Speaker 2: That's where you know, the problem lies. And sometimes I

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Speaker 2: think some of the personal attacks on Stu might not

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Speaker 2: be totally warranted. I understand the business side of it, though,

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Speaker 2: and that's been the biggest frustration for sure, and it's

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Speaker 2: had my head spinning for the last six years. So

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Speaker 2: but it's not spinning anymore because I've got there. So

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Speaker 2: all right, let's add to a break. We'll be right

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Speaker 2: back after a quick word from our friends at foul Territory.

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Speaker 2: I cannot wait to experience this segment with you, Ken,

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Speaker 2: because I watch it a lot and the questions are

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Speaker 2: entertaining and I really enjoy it. So it is time

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Speaker 2: now for Grill and Ken, where we take live questions

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Speaker 2: from our YouTube chat, and the first question will be

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Speaker 2: on the Baltimore Orioles starting pitching, because I think the

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Speaker 2: Orioles are a really exciting team for everybody to watch.

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Speaker 2: The AL East is a really fun division. And the

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Speaker 2: first question for you, Ken is from Mike Dowdy. Are

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Speaker 2: the Orioles still looking for another starting pitcher?

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Speaker 1: What say you, Mike? I keep wondering this myself. Now

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Speaker 1: they have numbers right now. They've got Efflin rod Riguez,

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Speaker 1: Dean Kramer, Tomoyuki Sugano who they signed out of Japan,

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Speaker 1: and Charlie Morton. That's five. They've got Kyle Bradish and

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Speaker 1: Tyler Wells in theory coming back from surgeries at around

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Speaker 1: the All Star break. They've got Trevor Rodgers likely starting

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Speaker 1: in the miners, and some other prospects that they could

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Speaker 1: use as well. However, they do not have anything resembling

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Speaker 1: Corbyn Burns, who of course was a key part of

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Speaker 1: the team last year. So I would love to see

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Speaker 1: them get one more starting pitching a pitcher from their perspective.

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Speaker 1: I just don't know if they're going to do it.

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Speaker 1: And yes, Dylan Cees is still out there. Yes, Luis

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Speaker 1: Castile presumably could still be had in the right deal,

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Speaker 1: But I just don't know that it's going to happen

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Speaker 1: at this point because of the numbers that they've assembled.

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Speaker 1: I'd like the quality to be a little bit better.

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Speaker 1: It's not bad, but I'd like it to be better.

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Speaker 1: I just don't know that they can accomplish that.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, let me tell you, Camden Yards was rocking last

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Speaker 2: year and it was fun to see, so you kind

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Speaker 2: of hope that again for them this year. All right.

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Speaker 2: Our next question is a question on Bregman. It's from

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Speaker 2: Armand and it says, how does Pete's contract affect Bregman.

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Speaker 1: I'm not sure it affects Bregman at all. But the

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Speaker 1: key question right now with Bregman is will he need

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Speaker 1: to take the same type of short term, high dollar

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Speaker 1: deal that will have opt outs that will enable him

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Speaker 1: to get back out into the market as quickly as

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Speaker 1: Pete will, which is next off season. Gregman had a

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Speaker 1: six year offer from the Astros. You've seen reports that

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Speaker 1: he has a six year offer from someone else, maybe

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Speaker 1: multiple six year offers. If he had a six year

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Speaker 1: offer that he found satisfactory, obviously he would have signed

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Speaker 1: by now, and he hasn't, So that's the question for me.

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Speaker 1: It's a different player than Alonzo, entirely different. Alex Bregman

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Speaker 1: is coming off his first Gold Glove at third base.

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Speaker 1: He is not the slugger that Alonzo is, but a

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Speaker 1: better pure hitter. So I don't know that they're related

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Speaker 1: in any way except that they're both represented by got

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Speaker 1: Boris and we're so late in the offseason where the

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Speaker 1: shorter deals become seemingly more part of the conversation.

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Speaker 2: Can I ask you one question about Pete that we

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Speaker 2: didn't get to earlier, since we just talked about him,

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Speaker 2: do you think that other teams are kind of looking

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Speaker 2: at that deal that the Mets made with Pete and saying, well, crap,

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Speaker 2: like we could have gotten that done.

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Speaker 1: I don't know that any other team could have gotten

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Speaker 1: it done, because I don't know that he would have

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Speaker 1: settled for that type of deal from any other team.

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Speaker 1: He is a homegrown product with the Mets. He is

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Speaker 1: a big part of what they do. He is within

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Speaker 1: striking distance of their all time home run record. He

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Speaker 1: wanted to be there. So I saw a tweet this morning.

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Speaker 1: I believe it was from Chris Catillo, who covers the

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Speaker 1: Red Sox from mass Live, saying, Hey, that would have

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Speaker 1: been a great deal for the Red Sox. Yeah, except

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Speaker 1: I I.

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Speaker 2: Saw those all morning too. I saw those all morning too.

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Speaker 2: In it, I was like, you gotta wonder what's going

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Speaker 2: through their head? All right, we got another question for you,

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Speaker 2: who ken is your favorite in the AL Central?

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Speaker 1: Wow? Good question, because the Twins have arisen this week. Yeah,

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Speaker 1: thank you Michael for that. I like the Royals obviously.

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Speaker 1: I don't know how you can bet against the Guardians,

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Speaker 1: even with all the changes that they've made, new first basement,

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Speaker 1: new second baseman. But they have Shane Bieber coming back,

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Speaker 1: the rotation should be more stable, and they just have

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Speaker 1: a way about them, right. They have done this, so

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Speaker 1: the Royals have too. They've made the playoffs last year

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Speaker 1: as well, and I like what they've done overall. I

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Speaker 1: just think the Guardians are the team to beat until

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Speaker 1: proven otherwise. And hey, Minnesota, if healthy, is the best

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Speaker 1: of these teams. Right, They've got the two arguably best

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Speaker 1: players in the division, well outside of Jose Ramirez and

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Speaker 1: Bobby Witt. But they've got two really good players College

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Speaker 1: Correa and Byron Buxton. They've got an a starting pitcher

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Speaker 1: in Pablo Lopez. They've strengthened their this week with Danny Coolom.

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Speaker 1: They are a team that, in addition, is added Harrison

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Speaker 1: Batter this week and they're rounding out nicely. But the

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Speaker 1: question is can they stay healthy. So I see it

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Speaker 1: almost as a three team race with those three, but

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Speaker 1: there's really a fourth team too. Let's not forget the Tigers.

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Speaker 1: The Tigers have resigned Jack Flaherty, They've had Glaber Torres

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Speaker 1: come aboard, They've got Alex Cobb coming aboard. They're going

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Speaker 1: to be quite formidable too. So it probably comes down

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Speaker 1: to who stays the healthiest, as it always does, and

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Speaker 1: perhaps which teams fare the best at the deadline.

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Speaker 2: Gosh, that al Central is going to be fun to watch,

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Speaker 2: especially after what the Tigers did last year. But I'm

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Speaker 2: going to have to say I think the Twins possibly

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Speaker 2: are a little bit of a dark horse if they

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Speaker 2: can stay healthy. You're right, Ken, because the conversation so

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Speaker 2: long with the Twins in their lineup is that they

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Speaker 2: haven't been able to stay healthy. Their best hitters have

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Speaker 2: not been healthy. If they can stay healthy, I think

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Speaker 2: we're going to see a very hungry Twins team. So

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Speaker 2: they're my dark horse in the Ale Central. But if

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Speaker 2: I don't go with the Twins, I would definitely go

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Speaker 2: with the Tigers can all right? Yeah, I was were

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Speaker 2: pretty safe bet if are. There are few things for

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Speaker 2: certain in life, but the White Sox not being competitive

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Speaker 2: in the Ales Central are one of those things in

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Speaker 2: life that are for certain. All right. Another question for

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Speaker 2: you is is there anything happening with the Cardinals and

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Speaker 2: trading Ronato? This is from Matthew. He said, I saw

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Speaker 2: some more talks with the Red Sox, but seems to

430
00:22:35,280 --> 00:22:37,400
Speaker 2: be nothing else happening. What say you can?

431
00:22:38,119 --> 00:22:41,520
Speaker 1: I don't think Arnado can resolve until Bregman resolves, And

432
00:22:41,600 --> 00:22:45,440
Speaker 1: once Bregman picks his team, then the Cardinals can resume,

433
00:22:45,760 --> 00:22:48,600
Speaker 1: whether it's with the Red Sox or someone else. Now,

434
00:22:48,760 --> 00:22:51,200
Speaker 1: keep in mind, no one Arnado has a full low

435
00:22:51,240 --> 00:22:53,800
Speaker 1: trade clause. We saw him invoke that clause with the

436
00:22:53,800 --> 00:22:56,720
Speaker 1: Houston Astros this offseason. He didn't want to go there.

437
00:22:56,760 --> 00:22:59,040
Speaker 1: He wanted to wait. Maybe he should have gone there.

438
00:22:59,160 --> 00:23:02,800
Speaker 1: We can second us that later after this all resolves.

439
00:23:02,920 --> 00:23:06,560
Speaker 1: But the Red Sox are a team that still has

440
00:23:06,720 --> 00:23:10,240
Speaker 1: not replaced the right handed hitting presence of Tyler O'Neil.

441
00:23:10,480 --> 00:23:13,520
Speaker 1: This is a team that needs a right handed hitter badly.

442
00:23:13,800 --> 00:23:16,840
Speaker 1: They've needed it since last year, even when they had O'Neil.

443
00:23:17,240 --> 00:23:21,879
Speaker 1: So at some point, in my view, they have to act,

444
00:23:22,040 --> 00:23:24,040
Speaker 1: and whether it's Bregmant or whether it's or not, or

445
00:23:24,119 --> 00:23:28,240
Speaker 1: whether it's something else, they need that additional bat, especially

446
00:23:28,280 --> 00:23:30,400
Speaker 1: at Fenway Park. I don't know what they're doing. They're

447
00:23:30,400 --> 00:23:33,040
Speaker 1: heavily left handed, which is fine. Most of their good

448
00:23:33,040 --> 00:23:36,199
Speaker 1: prospects are left handed. Ralphaeld Devers is left handed. We

449
00:23:36,280 --> 00:23:38,479
Speaker 1: get it, and that's the way the team just happens

450
00:23:38,480 --> 00:23:41,240
Speaker 1: to be constructed as of now. But you've got to

451
00:23:41,280 --> 00:23:44,000
Speaker 1: find some balance, and right now they don't have enough

452
00:23:44,040 --> 00:23:45,200
Speaker 1: pops on the right side.

453
00:23:46,960 --> 00:23:50,480
Speaker 2: All right, It is time now for a favorite part

454
00:23:50,520 --> 00:23:53,920
Speaker 2: of the week, and that Ken is Dude of the Week.

455
00:23:54,600 --> 00:24:01,040
Speaker 1: Dude, dude, dude.

456
00:24:04,000 --> 00:24:05,720
Speaker 2: Okay, I'm so excited to be a part of this

457
00:24:05,800 --> 00:24:07,840
Speaker 2: part of the broadcast to Ken because I see you

458
00:24:07,880 --> 00:24:10,360
Speaker 2: guys do this a lot and it's really a fun thing.

459
00:24:10,440 --> 00:24:14,080
Speaker 2: So give me Ken. We actually when we went over this,

460
00:24:14,200 --> 00:24:15,879
Speaker 2: we had the same Dude of the week, so I

461
00:24:15,880 --> 00:24:18,000
Speaker 2: have to choose a different one. But give me your

462
00:24:18,119 --> 00:24:20,280
Speaker 2: Dude of the week because it was the same as mine.

463
00:24:21,440 --> 00:24:24,040
Speaker 1: All right. Tiger fans were probably in a lather two

464
00:24:24,040 --> 00:24:26,760
Speaker 1: minutes ago when I mentioned them last among my ALE

465
00:24:26,880 --> 00:24:29,280
Speaker 1: Central teams. But the thoughts were just coming into my house.

466
00:24:30,160 --> 00:24:34,159
Speaker 1: I'm redeeming myself right now, Scott Harris. Their GM is

467
00:24:34,320 --> 00:24:37,919
Speaker 1: due to the week, and here's why. Last year he

468
00:24:38,000 --> 00:24:40,840
Speaker 1: signed Jack Flaherty to a one year, fourteen million dollar

469
00:24:40,920 --> 00:24:44,080
Speaker 1: deal to help stabilize their rotation. That was last offseason.

470
00:24:44,480 --> 00:24:47,280
Speaker 1: Then at the deadline, remember the Tigers were sellers at

471
00:24:47,320 --> 00:24:50,320
Speaker 1: the deadline, he trades Jack Flaherty for a guy who

472
00:24:50,400 --> 00:24:53,119
Speaker 1: is now their shortstop, Tray Sweeney, and a top catching

473
00:24:53,200 --> 00:24:57,600
Speaker 1: prospect they weren Loronzo. And now after getting those two

474
00:24:57,600 --> 00:24:59,800
Speaker 1: guys in the trade, guess what he did. He resigned

475
00:25:00,320 --> 00:25:02,760
Speaker 1: two years thirty five million with an opt out after one.

476
00:25:02,800 --> 00:25:05,560
Speaker 1: Now there was some good fortune here. The market for

477
00:25:05,600 --> 00:25:08,560
Speaker 1: Floherty didn't develop the way it should have. But what

478
00:25:08,640 --> 00:25:11,800
Speaker 1: Harris did the combination of those three moves really the

479
00:25:11,840 --> 00:25:14,439
Speaker 1: first signing of Flherty, the trade, and then the re

480
00:25:14,560 --> 00:25:17,320
Speaker 1: signing of Flarerty That for me is due to the

481
00:25:17,320 --> 00:25:18,840
Speaker 1: week Scott Harris.

482
00:25:19,720 --> 00:25:21,439
Speaker 2: I love that pick because that was going to be

483
00:25:21,440 --> 00:25:23,840
Speaker 2: my pick too. I especially go back to last year,

484
00:25:24,200 --> 00:25:26,480
Speaker 2: you know, when the Tigers started winning and it kind

485
00:25:26,480 --> 00:25:29,040
Speaker 2: of forced their hand in the front off and it

486
00:25:29,119 --> 00:25:32,359
Speaker 2: was like, this is a team that is capable of winning.

487
00:25:32,680 --> 00:25:35,040
Speaker 2: So you kind of wonder how things would have changed

488
00:25:35,119 --> 00:25:37,119
Speaker 2: had they not made that incredible run at the end

489
00:25:37,119 --> 00:25:39,239
Speaker 2: of the season, made the postseason, and had done what

490
00:25:39,280 --> 00:25:41,800
Speaker 2: they had done. So I would say Scott Harris is

491
00:25:41,800 --> 00:25:43,520
Speaker 2: my Dude of the week too, But since we have

492
00:25:43,600 --> 00:25:45,359
Speaker 2: to have a little bit of a different opinion on this,

493
00:25:45,440 --> 00:25:48,800
Speaker 2: we're going to have to also go with a snow

494
00:25:48,840 --> 00:25:54,320
Speaker 2: sculpture that was done by an artist of Shohei Otani

495
00:25:54,440 --> 00:25:57,160
Speaker 2: at a snow festival in Japan and can I don't

496
00:25:57,160 --> 00:26:00,920
Speaker 2: know how much experience you have with snow, but that's

497
00:26:01,040 --> 00:26:03,640
Speaker 2: very difficult to do. And I love that they included

498
00:26:03,640 --> 00:26:05,639
Speaker 2: his dog in that as well. So that has to

499
00:26:05,680 --> 00:26:07,639
Speaker 2: be my Dude of the week. Ken, what do you

500
00:26:07,680 --> 00:26:08,120
Speaker 2: think of that?

501
00:26:08,960 --> 00:26:11,800
Speaker 1: Showhy snow Tany as he is now known, That was

502
00:26:11,840 --> 00:26:15,119
Speaker 1: an awesome, awesome sculptor, and I do have experienced with

503
00:26:15,160 --> 00:26:17,879
Speaker 1: snow quite a bit of it, and there's not a

504
00:26:17,960 --> 00:26:20,359
Speaker 1: chance that I could have ever done anything even remotely

505
00:26:20,560 --> 00:26:22,120
Speaker 1: resembling that. So great job.

506
00:26:23,560 --> 00:26:25,600
Speaker 2: Yes, I love that. I love that. I wish I

507
00:26:25,600 --> 00:26:27,439
Speaker 2: would have been able to make my snowman look as

508
00:26:27,480 --> 00:26:29,960
Speaker 2: good as that. So all right, now it is time

509
00:26:30,320 --> 00:26:33,320
Speaker 2: for Dork of the Week, which is also another one

510
00:26:33,359 --> 00:26:34,639
Speaker 2: of my favorite parts of the show.

511
00:26:44,280 --> 00:26:47,040
Speaker 1: All right, let's start this off, Chris hold On. Let's

512
00:26:47,080 --> 00:26:50,359
Speaker 1: start this off with a tweet from Bill shaik in

513
00:26:50,440 --> 00:26:54,640
Speaker 1: this morning in honor of the person who is the

514
00:26:54,760 --> 00:26:56,920
Speaker 1: namesake of Dork of the Week. Let's see it from Bill.

515
00:26:57,640 --> 00:27:01,520
Speaker 1: Here we are, and we'll the owner elevating A's owner

516
00:27:01,600 --> 00:27:05,439
Speaker 1: John Fisher to their executive committee. Rob Bamford said, do

517
00:27:05,520 --> 00:27:08,639
Speaker 1: we even need to say more? Rob Bamford could be

518
00:27:08,680 --> 00:27:10,479
Speaker 1: Dork of the Week for this decision actually and the

519
00:27:10,520 --> 00:27:12,760
Speaker 1: owners who made it. But we're gonna stay away from

520
00:27:12,840 --> 00:27:15,560
Speaker 1: John Fisher. The John Fisher Dork of the Week this

521
00:27:15,600 --> 00:27:18,359
Speaker 1: week is not going to go to him. I'm gonna

522
00:27:18,359 --> 00:27:21,560
Speaker 1: give it somewhat grudgingly, somewhat reluctantly, because this guy's not

523
00:27:21,640 --> 00:27:25,640
Speaker 1: a dork. But Peter Alonzo, he misread his market. And

524
00:27:26,359 --> 00:27:29,280
Speaker 1: obviously things happen in free agency from time to time,

525
00:27:29,480 --> 00:27:33,040
Speaker 1: and you feel for the players circumstances just work against him.

526
00:27:33,080 --> 00:27:37,280
Speaker 1: But Peter Alonzo and Scott Boris, his agent, they could

527
00:27:37,320 --> 00:27:39,760
Speaker 1: have seen this coming. They could have seen the difficulty

528
00:27:40,119 --> 00:27:42,680
Speaker 1: with a guy at first base who's thirty years old,

529
00:27:42,760 --> 00:27:46,359
Speaker 1: who's not that athletic, has defensive issues, etc. Et cetera.

530
00:27:46,960 --> 00:27:50,959
Speaker 1: And yet this all transpired the way it did. It

531
00:27:51,000 --> 00:27:53,680
Speaker 1: was like this kind of train wreck you could see

532
00:27:53,720 --> 00:27:56,680
Speaker 1: coming from afar and then it happened. Now, obviously, as

533
00:27:56,720 --> 00:28:00,000
Speaker 1: I said earlier, Alonso can still get a great deal

534
00:28:00,160 --> 00:28:03,520
Speaker 1: next year, and maybe that's what happens, but for now,

535
00:28:03,640 --> 00:28:07,320
Speaker 1: this is not the outcome he wanted. So Peter Alonzo sadly,

536
00:28:07,480 --> 00:28:09,280
Speaker 1: I must say dork of the week.

537
00:28:10,440 --> 00:28:12,359
Speaker 2: I know John Fisher kind of teed that up for

538
00:28:12,480 --> 00:28:14,439
Speaker 2: us a little bit, but Peter Alonzo has to be

539
00:28:14,760 --> 00:28:17,480
Speaker 2: thrown into that category as well. So I hate the

540
00:28:17,520 --> 00:28:20,040
Speaker 2: word dork actually because everybody called me a dork when

541
00:28:20,040 --> 00:28:22,119
Speaker 2: I was in middle school because I wasn't cool and

542
00:28:22,160 --> 00:28:24,359
Speaker 2: in baseball or anything yet. But I'm going to have

543
00:28:24,440 --> 00:28:27,760
Speaker 2: to go with Jerry Depoto for dork of the week

544
00:28:27,920 --> 00:28:32,199
Speaker 2: because recently he said that the Mariners didn't have a

545
00:28:32,240 --> 00:28:35,720
Speaker 2: lot of holes to fill and that their offense doesn't

546
00:28:35,760 --> 00:28:38,479
Speaker 2: get enough credit for the things that they do well.

547
00:28:38,560 --> 00:28:43,120
Speaker 2: And if you are scrolling through Twitter or Mariner's Twitter,

548
00:28:43,200 --> 00:28:46,560
Speaker 2: you know that this did not sit well with the fans.

549
00:28:46,840 --> 00:28:51,000
Speaker 2: And yet understand why that comment might not have sat

550
00:28:51,080 --> 00:28:53,840
Speaker 2: well with the fans. The Mariners missed the playoffs for

551
00:28:53,880 --> 00:28:56,280
Speaker 2: the twenty second time in the last twenty three years,

552
00:28:56,800 --> 00:29:00,840
Speaker 2: and gosh, those fans deserve a winning team, They deserve

553
00:29:00,920 --> 00:29:06,080
Speaker 2: a competitive team, and you know, it seemed like such

554
00:29:06,160 --> 00:29:08,800
Speaker 2: a letdown because you know, they had the best starting

555
00:29:08,880 --> 00:29:13,280
Speaker 2: rotation in baseball. They have two franchise pieces in Julio

556
00:29:13,440 --> 00:29:18,200
Speaker 2: Rodriguez and Cal Rawly, And I just think that saying

557
00:29:18,240 --> 00:29:22,120
Speaker 2: something like that after clearly one of the biggest problems

558
00:29:22,120 --> 00:29:26,160
Speaker 2: for the Mariners was their offense. That qualifies you for

559
00:29:26,280 --> 00:29:29,200
Speaker 2: dork of the Week because that is just it's really

560
00:29:29,280 --> 00:29:32,520
Speaker 2: rough for the fans to hear because all they want

561
00:29:32,680 --> 00:29:35,080
Speaker 2: are players who can hit the ball, because they've got

562
00:29:35,160 --> 00:29:38,000
Speaker 2: most everything else. So that qualifies for dork of the

563
00:29:38,000 --> 00:29:38,440
Speaker 2: Week for me.

564
00:29:38,600 --> 00:29:42,960
Speaker 1: Ken one quick thought Tricia on that they're only two

565
00:29:43,200 --> 00:29:47,800
Speaker 1: major offensive editions this offseason. Jorge Polanco and Donovan Solano.

566
00:29:48,200 --> 00:29:51,320
Speaker 1: Both those guys are solid pieces, they are not difference

567
00:29:51,360 --> 00:29:53,080
Speaker 1: makers at this stage of their careers.

568
00:29:53,640 --> 00:29:56,440
Speaker 2: No non solutions to their biggest problem. Ken, this is

569
00:29:56,440 --> 00:29:59,360
Speaker 2: so much fun. I loved joining you. Before we go,

570
00:29:59,480 --> 00:30:04,080
Speaker 2: check out bet MGM's first bet fifteen hundred dollars offer

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574
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575
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578
00:30:27,120 --> 00:30:31,040
Speaker 2: once your initial wager is settled. And as always, we'd

579
00:30:31,080 --> 00:30:33,320
Speaker 2: like to remind you if you have a gambling problem

580
00:30:33,360 --> 00:30:36,280
Speaker 2: or concern, call one eight hundred gambler. Thank you to

581
00:30:36,400 --> 00:30:40,040
Speaker 2: everyone for watching and listening. Ken, thanks for putting up

582
00:30:40,080 --> 00:30:41,800
Speaker 2: with me in my first time hosting with him.

583
00:30:42,840 --> 00:30:44,680
Speaker 1: Trisa, there was nothing to put up with. You were great,

584
00:30:45,000 --> 00:30:50,120
Speaker 1: and remember join us Monday for our normal Monday Fair Territory.

585
00:30:50,160 --> 00:30:52,520
Speaker 1: That will air well after we tape it at some

586
00:30:52,560 --> 00:30:55,800
Speaker 1: point on Monday afternoon. Have a great weekend, everybody. Tricia,

587
00:30:55,840 --> 00:30:56,440
Speaker 1: thanks so much.

588
00:30:57,400 --> 00:31:00,400
Speaker 2: Thanks Ken, thanks for watching everyone Foul Territory. He is

589
00:31:00,600 --> 00:31:05,640
Speaker 2: next to stick around. M m mmm