1
00:00:05,080 --> 00:00:09,400
Speaker 1: Welcome into North Side Territory Foul Territory Networks Cubs podcast.

2
00:00:09,600 --> 00:00:12,920
Speaker 1: I'm your host SAH Day of Sharma with Patrick Moodey,

3
00:00:12,960 --> 00:00:15,319
Speaker 1: my co host. I said that differently than I normally do,

4
00:00:15,440 --> 00:00:18,200
Speaker 1: didn't I, Patrick? That's because this is the same time

5
00:00:18,200 --> 00:00:23,560
Speaker 1: we're recording this podcast. He recorded last night Big Alex

6
00:00:23,600 --> 00:00:27,200
Speaker 1: Bregman preview for is he Gonna Choose the Cubs?

7
00:00:28,040 --> 00:00:30,760
Speaker 2: Is he come into the Cubs? Maybe it's really happening, And.

8
00:00:30,960 --> 00:00:36,000
Speaker 1: Know that podcast got dumped it in the trash. Bregman

9
00:00:36,240 --> 00:00:40,600
Speaker 1: goes to Boston three year deal, one hundred and twenty

10
00:00:40,720 --> 00:00:45,360
Speaker 1: million dollars, you know, opt outs after year one and

11
00:00:45,680 --> 00:00:48,239
Speaker 1: or two. Just a really good deal for him if

12
00:00:48,280 --> 00:00:50,440
Speaker 1: he's looking to go to a bigger market and and

13
00:00:50,479 --> 00:00:53,880
Speaker 1: that's what he wants to do. Uh, but the Cubs

14
00:00:54,280 --> 00:00:57,720
Speaker 1: didn't really come close here all things considered. I mean,

15
00:00:58,000 --> 00:01:02,200
Speaker 1: you you just reported in your latest these four years

16
00:01:02,440 --> 00:01:06,039
Speaker 1: one point fifteen I believe, so just the wasn't even

17
00:01:06,080 --> 00:01:12,480
Speaker 1: matching a three year offer from Boston. So like it's

18
00:01:12,560 --> 00:01:16,840
Speaker 1: just unbelievable. How you know, it seemed like they were

19
00:01:16,840 --> 00:01:19,920
Speaker 1: in this and that they were serious. But you know,

20
00:01:20,080 --> 00:01:23,560
Speaker 1: he's he's headed to Boston now, and the offer really

21
00:01:23,680 --> 00:01:26,319
Speaker 1: wasn't all that competitive, and when you when you really

22
00:01:26,360 --> 00:01:28,679
Speaker 1: break things down, no.

23
00:01:28,680 --> 00:01:29,080
Speaker 3: It wasn't.

24
00:01:29,120 --> 00:01:31,760
Speaker 4: And I'm sure in ownership's mind they felt like they

25
00:01:31,800 --> 00:01:38,759
Speaker 4: were stretching and going, you know, far beyond a comfort zone.

26
00:01:38,840 --> 00:01:43,160
Speaker 4: But we all know how free agents keep score. It's

27
00:01:44,319 --> 00:01:50,280
Speaker 4: years overall dollars, you know, the guarantee, the average annual value,

28
00:01:50,560 --> 00:01:53,400
Speaker 4: and like by all of those metrics, the Cubs were

29
00:01:53,440 --> 00:01:57,280
Speaker 4: not particularly close, Like this was not.

30
00:01:58,720 --> 00:01:59,960
Speaker 3: All that competitive.

31
00:02:00,040 --> 00:02:02,560
Speaker 4: I mean, I'm sure they they were serious too, they

32
00:02:02,600 --> 00:02:08,760
Speaker 4: put work into it. I think you know, they could

33
00:02:08,800 --> 00:02:11,960
Speaker 4: have felt like it was plausible at some point, but

34
00:02:12,000 --> 00:02:14,760
Speaker 4: they also knew like this was not something that was

35
00:02:14,800 --> 00:02:17,160
Speaker 4: going to blow him away. It was not something that

36
00:02:17,200 --> 00:02:21,080
Speaker 4: was going to separate them from the pack. And I

37
00:02:21,120 --> 00:02:26,040
Speaker 4: think the real interesting part we'll get into is how

38
00:02:26,400 --> 00:02:32,440
Speaker 4: Jed Hoyer today is Thursday, right Thursday morning, came out

39
00:02:32,480 --> 00:02:34,880
Speaker 4: and met the media and you know, there was at

40
00:02:34,960 --> 00:02:39,640
Speaker 4: least one, probably two cameras on him, and he just

41
00:02:39,680 --> 00:02:42,720
Speaker 4: flat out said Bregman was an exception. You know, they're

42
00:02:42,760 --> 00:02:47,080
Speaker 4: pretty cool to their budget limits. Now there is you know,

43
00:02:48,440 --> 00:02:52,600
Speaker 4: some flexibility. They could do a couple of smaller things

44
00:02:52,639 --> 00:02:57,480
Speaker 4: here in spring training. In season, they'll have, you know,

45
00:02:57,639 --> 00:03:01,040
Speaker 4: some funds. Maybe they're opportunistic again and they could present

46
00:03:01,120 --> 00:03:05,959
Speaker 4: something larger to the board. But I mean, at the moment,

47
00:03:06,040 --> 00:03:10,160
Speaker 4: this was Bragman was an exception, a unique opportunity, and

48
00:03:10,200 --> 00:03:14,440
Speaker 4: they still would not go long, would not make the

49
00:03:14,520 --> 00:03:15,559
Speaker 4: highest offer.

50
00:03:15,360 --> 00:03:17,480
Speaker 3: Would not them away with a V.

51
00:03:17,960 --> 00:03:22,600
Speaker 4: And philosophically, he said, the organization does not really approve

52
00:03:22,680 --> 00:03:26,560
Speaker 4: of deferrals. So that's one more mechanism that it's kind

53
00:03:26,600 --> 00:03:34,960
Speaker 4: of off the table here. So like, you know, not

54
00:03:34,960 --> 00:03:38,119
Speaker 4: not going to get it done, not when Scott Boris

55
00:03:38,400 --> 00:03:41,880
Speaker 4: is on the other side, and you know, not when

56
00:03:43,120 --> 00:03:45,880
Speaker 4: if you look at his numbers at Fenway Park, Uh,

57
00:03:45,920 --> 00:03:50,360
Speaker 4: pretty outstanding. And also just you knew the Tigers were

58
00:03:50,400 --> 00:03:54,520
Speaker 4: sort of desperate and not desperate aggressive. The Red Sox

59
00:03:54,680 --> 00:03:59,840
Speaker 4: were under a ton of pressure locally, and the report

60
00:03:59,880 --> 00:04:02,920
Speaker 4: was out there that you know, the Astros you know,

61
00:04:03,000 --> 00:04:05,840
Speaker 4: already presented that offer to him. I think it was

62
00:04:05,880 --> 00:04:08,200
Speaker 4: like six and one fifty six something.

63
00:04:07,920 --> 00:04:08,640
Speaker 3: In that range.

64
00:04:08,680 --> 00:04:11,280
Speaker 4: So like that was like there was kind of a

65
00:04:11,560 --> 00:04:14,160
Speaker 4: baseline or a framework out there that was known, and

66
00:04:14,680 --> 00:04:17,400
Speaker 4: you know, the Cubs did not circle his name at

67
00:04:17,400 --> 00:04:22,560
Speaker 4: the start of the off season. They didn't like put

68
00:04:22,600 --> 00:04:25,080
Speaker 4: the full court press on Boris at the GM meetings,

69
00:04:25,360 --> 00:04:27,520
Speaker 4: but like, as this lingered, he thought, hey, maybe the

70
00:04:27,640 --> 00:04:30,960
Speaker 4: Cups have a chance. And in the end they were

71
00:04:31,000 --> 00:04:32,719
Speaker 4: not close at all.

72
00:04:33,800 --> 00:04:37,360
Speaker 1: Yeah, it's a it was jarring to see some of

73
00:04:37,440 --> 00:04:40,240
Speaker 1: the quotes I saw. I watched about five I'm not

74
00:04:40,279 --> 00:04:41,960
Speaker 1: sure if he only spoke for five minutes, but I

75
00:04:41,960 --> 00:04:44,280
Speaker 1: watched a five minute clip of Jed talking.

76
00:04:44,480 --> 00:04:46,440
Speaker 5: There was a lot in those five minutes.

77
00:04:46,760 --> 00:04:48,400
Speaker 3: Yeah, more than like half an hour.

78
00:04:48,720 --> 00:04:50,200
Speaker 4: Normally it's like half an hour, and there's a lot

79
00:04:50,200 --> 00:04:52,480
Speaker 4: of fluff or who cares type of stuff.

80
00:04:52,520 --> 00:04:56,560
Speaker 1: This was right to the point, right, And I'm sorry,

81
00:04:56,560 --> 00:04:58,520
Speaker 1: but my dog gets standing right there and wants to

82
00:04:58,520 --> 00:05:00,320
Speaker 1: come inside, So I'm gonna go run in that.

83
00:05:00,360 --> 00:05:02,039
Speaker 2: But I have to read something to this.

84
00:05:02,640 --> 00:05:07,159
Speaker 3: I think it's pretty important. Well, and I know where

85
00:05:07,480 --> 00:05:08,520
Speaker 3: where you're going with this.

86
00:05:08,640 --> 00:05:13,200
Speaker 4: And the example of Cody Bellinger, which we all thought

87
00:05:13,279 --> 00:05:16,280
Speaker 4: was sort of like, hey, maybe this is the roadmap

88
00:05:16,320 --> 00:05:21,400
Speaker 4: to getting him NA And it's Cody Bellinger, a Boris guy.

89
00:05:21,680 --> 00:05:25,760
Speaker 4: You know, Boris has Regman and you know, maybe you

90
00:05:25,760 --> 00:05:29,040
Speaker 4: know the Cubs do keep this this powder dry and

91
00:05:29,080 --> 00:05:34,239
Speaker 4: that they could kind of go go huge in terms

92
00:05:34,279 --> 00:05:36,440
Speaker 4: of aav and this.

93
00:05:36,360 --> 00:05:39,120
Speaker 3: Is like you also look at like the comes has

94
00:05:39,120 --> 00:05:40,000
Speaker 3: been building.

95
00:05:39,640 --> 00:05:42,160
Speaker 5: For years, right, this is like the moment, the right

96
00:05:42,200 --> 00:05:43,400
Speaker 5: player at the right moment.

97
00:05:44,320 --> 00:05:48,560
Speaker 1: And we never hear Jed talking like this, almost never right,

98
00:05:48,760 --> 00:05:52,640
Speaker 1: but this, I thought it was pretty pointed, and I

99
00:05:52,640 --> 00:05:55,120
Speaker 1: think we need to highlight this. He said, we were

100
00:05:55,160 --> 00:05:58,000
Speaker 1: at our budget last year and Bellinger was still available.

101
00:05:58,120 --> 00:06:01,120
Speaker 2: They were at their budget before they signed Ballinger. Is

102
00:06:01,160 --> 00:06:02,640
Speaker 2: what he's saying. Just remarkable.

103
00:06:02,880 --> 00:06:05,480
Speaker 1: I was really thankful that the Ricketts family allowed us

104
00:06:05,520 --> 00:06:07,920
Speaker 1: to go way over budget last year to sign Belly.

105
00:06:08,360 --> 00:06:11,359
Speaker 1: It was the same thing. We're really close right now

106
00:06:11,400 --> 00:06:15,480
Speaker 1: to our budget limits. That's you know what he said

107
00:06:15,480 --> 00:06:17,600
Speaker 1: to you guys. We have a little bit of money

108
00:06:17,760 --> 00:06:20,839
Speaker 1: for some small in season things, but this was obviously

109
00:06:20,839 --> 00:06:25,119
Speaker 1: a significant exception. Listen if their budget, if they're coming

110
00:06:25,200 --> 00:06:27,360
Speaker 1: up close to their budget, Vangraft says, they're a two

111
00:06:27,360 --> 00:06:31,640
Speaker 1: o nine. Say it's a few million short. Fine, that's

112
00:06:31,640 --> 00:06:36,040
Speaker 1: not realistic. That's not a major market. That's not how

113
00:06:36,120 --> 00:06:39,840
Speaker 1: Chicago should behave. Where's their advantage now? So now they

114
00:06:39,880 --> 00:06:42,400
Speaker 1: have to behave like Milwa. They really have to act

115
00:06:42,600 --> 00:06:45,839
Speaker 1: like a small market team. There's no you need to

116
00:06:45,839 --> 00:06:48,600
Speaker 1: bludge in the competition with your financial might. That's how

117
00:06:48,640 --> 00:06:51,240
Speaker 1: I look at it. You are the Chicago Cubs, and

118
00:06:51,320 --> 00:06:56,320
Speaker 1: this is becoming a joke. It's just I mean, I've

119
00:06:56,360 --> 00:06:59,040
Speaker 1: said it before. Yes, I get it, they're not super

120
00:06:59,120 --> 00:07:01,240
Speaker 1: cheap and acting like to Pittsburgh Pirates.

121
00:07:01,800 --> 00:07:03,640
Speaker 2: But you are the Chicago Cubs.

122
00:07:03,680 --> 00:07:06,919
Speaker 1: You should not be outside of the top ten or

123
00:07:07,000 --> 00:07:10,280
Speaker 1: lingering around barely getting into the top ten. It is

124
00:07:10,320 --> 00:07:13,880
Speaker 1: embarrassing and to and I'm sick of it. I'm sick

125
00:07:13,920 --> 00:07:17,360
Speaker 1: of hearing Tom Rackets bring up the Arizona Diamondbacks or

126
00:07:17,840 --> 00:07:19,560
Speaker 1: or any other team that doesn't spend.

127
00:07:19,600 --> 00:07:20,120
Speaker 2: That makes it.

128
00:07:20,240 --> 00:07:23,240
Speaker 1: Yes, good for them, that's great that there are teams

129
00:07:23,280 --> 00:07:26,080
Speaker 1: like that, because we need baseball to be healthy and

130
00:07:26,160 --> 00:07:29,320
Speaker 1: competitive and not just one or two teams dominating with

131
00:07:29,440 --> 00:07:33,520
Speaker 1: the that spend the most. That's good. That doesn't mean

132
00:07:33,640 --> 00:07:35,720
Speaker 1: that's not an excuse to not spend. That's not an

133
00:07:35,720 --> 00:07:38,240
Speaker 1: excuse to not act like a big market team. And

134
00:07:38,320 --> 00:07:41,400
Speaker 1: now you're handcuffing your front office and they're on one

135
00:07:41,480 --> 00:07:44,680
Speaker 1: year deals and you're acting like all the pressures on them.

136
00:07:44,720 --> 00:07:46,600
Speaker 1: How about you give them the money to act like

137
00:07:46,640 --> 00:07:49,400
Speaker 1: a big market team. How about they go out and

138
00:07:49,440 --> 00:07:52,600
Speaker 1: push teams around and say, we're signing Alex Bregman and

139
00:07:52,680 --> 00:07:55,240
Speaker 1: we have more room to spend and it's not an

140
00:07:55,240 --> 00:07:58,120
Speaker 1: inconvenience and we're be able to add at the deadline.

141
00:07:58,240 --> 00:08:01,080
Speaker 1: This is just like it's that we have to listen

142
00:08:01,120 --> 00:08:04,520
Speaker 1: to this. There's a reason theo Epstein left. There's a

143
00:08:04,560 --> 00:08:08,840
Speaker 1: reason that they weren't adding after they added you Darvish,

144
00:08:09,000 --> 00:08:12,240
Speaker 1: and suddenly they're just not this big market team that

145
00:08:12,280 --> 00:08:14,600
Speaker 1: can go and spend and act like the Chicago Cubs.

146
00:08:14,960 --> 00:08:17,280
Speaker 1: Like they looked like they were headed in that direction

147
00:08:17,360 --> 00:08:19,600
Speaker 1: in twenty sixteen, that this was going to be a

148
00:08:19,640 --> 00:08:22,160
Speaker 1: team that pushed around the NL Central. The NL Central

149
00:08:22,200 --> 00:08:25,480
Speaker 1: can't compete financially with the Cubs, they can compete in

150
00:08:25,480 --> 00:08:28,440
Speaker 1: other ways. And now you're not giving them that full

151
00:08:28,480 --> 00:08:33,480
Speaker 1: advantage and you're handcuffing this front office. And thankfully, I

152
00:08:33,480 --> 00:08:35,720
Speaker 1: feel like I'm seeing some people more and more talk

153
00:08:35,800 --> 00:08:40,000
Speaker 1: about it about like how this is mostly on ownership,

154
00:08:40,200 --> 00:08:42,560
Speaker 1: like act like a big market team.

155
00:08:42,800 --> 00:08:45,800
Speaker 2: Stop with this nonsense. It's just it's a joke.

156
00:08:47,120 --> 00:08:48,560
Speaker 4: I mean, I have to look it up, but I

157
00:08:48,600 --> 00:08:52,120
Speaker 4: mean the Diamondbacks might have a higher payrel than the

158
00:08:52,120 --> 00:08:53,079
Speaker 4: Cubs at the moment.

159
00:08:52,960 --> 00:08:53,600
Speaker 3: I'm not sure.

160
00:08:53,640 --> 00:08:57,760
Speaker 4: I mean, like the Cubs ruled out Corbyn Burns like

161
00:08:58,160 --> 00:09:01,839
Speaker 4: immediately the start of this offseason, as you know, as

162
00:09:01,880 --> 00:09:04,640
Speaker 4: we were both reported right like kind of coming out

163
00:09:04,679 --> 00:09:08,240
Speaker 4: of the GM meetings. So like, the Diamondbacks have done

164
00:09:09,920 --> 00:09:11,560
Speaker 4: some really impressive things.

165
00:09:11,720 --> 00:09:15,240
Speaker 1: By luxury tax, you're right there, they're almost ten million

166
00:09:15,280 --> 00:09:17,760
Speaker 1: over the Cubs according to roster Resource.

167
00:09:17,920 --> 00:09:21,000
Speaker 2: By luxury tax payroll, they are above the Cups.

168
00:09:21,280 --> 00:09:24,520
Speaker 4: Okay, So I mean we're looking at, you know, kind

169
00:09:24,520 --> 00:09:28,839
Speaker 4: of this migration towards the National League of a lot

170
00:09:28,880 --> 00:09:31,679
Speaker 4: of premium talent, and.

171
00:09:31,520 --> 00:09:33,640
Speaker 3: You know, you're talking about the Dodgers, You're talking about Wuan.

172
00:09:33,600 --> 00:09:40,520
Speaker 4: Soto, Burns coming back to the NL, and really the

173
00:09:40,559 --> 00:09:47,160
Speaker 4: teams that have broken the molds or kind of gone

174
00:09:47,240 --> 00:09:51,080
Speaker 4: far beyond what people thought were possible are in the

175
00:09:51,160 --> 00:09:54,560
Speaker 4: National League. The mess right, the Dodgers, the Padgers are

176
00:09:54,559 --> 00:09:57,079
Speaker 4: sort of coming back in this limbo stage, but they

177
00:09:57,160 --> 00:10:02,040
Speaker 4: kind of, you know, totally reimagined what was possible in

178
00:10:02,080 --> 00:10:05,800
Speaker 4: that market. You have the Diamondbacks, a very well run

179
00:10:05,880 --> 00:10:08,559
Speaker 4: front office and then an owner who's kind of unpredictable,

180
00:10:08,600 --> 00:10:12,800
Speaker 4: who will do stuff like that. Who will rip Jordan

181
00:10:12,840 --> 00:10:18,600
Speaker 4: Montgomery after giving him that pillow contract last year? You know,

182
00:10:18,720 --> 00:10:23,520
Speaker 4: the the Giants are kind of in the Cubs ballpark

183
00:10:23,920 --> 00:10:29,600
Speaker 4: for payroll. Braves are more or less like Cubs payroll

184
00:10:30,240 --> 00:10:33,319
Speaker 4: plus a bragman salary, Like you know the Phillies.

185
00:10:34,320 --> 00:10:36,280
Speaker 3: I think they're around three hundred million.

186
00:10:36,040 --> 00:10:43,040
Speaker 4: Now, So like this is what they're competing against. Obviously,

187
00:10:43,160 --> 00:10:49,200
Speaker 4: the NL Central has sort of gone into retreat or hibernation.

188
00:10:50,240 --> 00:10:53,840
Speaker 4: But otherwise, when Jed says wins are at a premium,

189
00:10:53,880 --> 00:10:56,440
Speaker 4: particularly in the National League this year, like this is

190
00:10:56,480 --> 00:11:00,480
Speaker 4: what he's talking about. They wanted a difference maker who

191
00:11:00,559 --> 00:11:03,560
Speaker 4: could give them some breathing room. And now it just

192
00:11:03,559 --> 00:11:05,439
Speaker 4: feels like if they do make the playoffs, if a

193
00:11:05,480 --> 00:11:07,120
Speaker 4: lot of things go right, it's gonna be like sort

194
00:11:07,160 --> 00:11:11,440
Speaker 4: of just kind of hanging on and getting in instead

195
00:11:11,480 --> 00:11:13,400
Speaker 4: of like just kind of rolling into the year. I mean,

196
00:11:13,480 --> 00:11:17,640
Speaker 4: you were there in twenty sixteen that camp, how they

197
00:11:17,720 --> 00:11:22,200
Speaker 4: started the season, even with Kyle Schwarber's injury, that was

198
00:11:22,200 --> 00:11:24,520
Speaker 4: a team that just knew it was stacked and had

199
00:11:24,600 --> 00:11:26,720
Speaker 4: like answers upon answers.

200
00:11:26,800 --> 00:11:29,080
Speaker 3: This is a team that has lots of.

201
00:11:29,120 --> 00:11:33,720
Speaker 4: Nice players, Kyle Tucker, who's clearly not getting an extension.

202
00:11:33,840 --> 00:11:36,200
Speaker 4: If this has taught us anything, he's not getting an

203
00:11:36,200 --> 00:11:41,440
Speaker 4: extension from the Cubs. Some nice pitchers, a different bullpen,

204
00:11:42,800 --> 00:11:47,120
Speaker 4: and then you just hope Craig Counsel does his Milwaukee magic.

205
00:11:47,760 --> 00:11:49,560
Speaker 2: Yeah, and listen, I like this team.

206
00:11:49,600 --> 00:11:51,400
Speaker 1: I think they're good enough to make the playoffs and

207
00:11:51,760 --> 00:11:55,080
Speaker 1: anything can happen, sure in the playoffs. It's just really

208
00:11:55,240 --> 00:11:58,439
Speaker 1: like when you hear things like we're up against our

209
00:11:58,480 --> 00:12:03,640
Speaker 1: budget and things like that, it just it's and it

210
00:12:03,679 --> 00:12:06,079
Speaker 1: makes it makes me roll my eyes.

211
00:12:06,160 --> 00:12:08,480
Speaker 2: That's all. That's my only reaction. I don't like.

212
00:12:08,559 --> 00:12:12,720
Speaker 1: I don't think like, oh, poor billionaires, wish they could,

213
00:12:13,000 --> 00:12:15,400
Speaker 1: you know, find a few extra bucks to make this work.

214
00:12:15,640 --> 00:12:19,000
Speaker 1: It's just not it's it shouldn't be how it is.

215
00:12:20,400 --> 00:12:24,360
Speaker 1: Beyond that, Patrick, beyond that, curious what you're hearing as

216
00:12:24,400 --> 00:12:27,720
Speaker 1: far as what more they may do, And then like,

217
00:12:28,040 --> 00:12:31,120
Speaker 1: what does this mean that they can be aggressive at

218
00:12:31,160 --> 00:12:34,960
Speaker 1: the deadline if they only add smaller pieces?

219
00:12:35,400 --> 00:12:39,520
Speaker 4: Yeah, I mean I would say like there is precedent

220
00:12:39,640 --> 00:12:41,959
Speaker 4: for that. I mean Tom Rickis was the one who

221
00:12:42,040 --> 00:12:46,520
Speaker 4: personally like authorized Nick Castillanos.

222
00:12:45,480 --> 00:12:47,240
Speaker 3: In I guess was that twenty nineteen.

223
00:12:48,040 --> 00:12:51,319
Speaker 4: That was nineteen, Yes, of right, like this team needs

224
00:12:51,360 --> 00:12:55,760
Speaker 4: a spark, we need to do something different, Let's go

225
00:12:55,840 --> 00:12:56,199
Speaker 4: for it.

226
00:12:57,200 --> 00:13:01,600
Speaker 5: That Obviously the player worked out really well, team did not.

227
00:13:03,080 --> 00:13:06,440
Speaker 3: As well. Poom poom.

228
00:13:06,440 --> 00:13:12,240
Speaker 4: But like, I don't know, we had heard names like,

229
00:13:12,400 --> 00:13:15,360
Speaker 4: you know, earlier in the offseason of like David Robertson.

230
00:13:15,480 --> 00:13:17,800
Speaker 4: I'm not sure if that.

231
00:13:18,520 --> 00:13:21,000
Speaker 5: Is even like within range right now.

232
00:13:21,880 --> 00:13:29,360
Speaker 4: Sure, you know, they could do Justin Turner type. Mark

233
00:13:29,480 --> 00:13:33,160
Speaker 4: Canna is kind of a name. I kind of I'm

234
00:13:33,160 --> 00:13:36,240
Speaker 4: not sure how great the fit would be, but you know, JD.

235
00:13:36,360 --> 00:13:39,680
Speaker 4: Martinez would be like a hitter that would give them

236
00:13:39,720 --> 00:13:44,040
Speaker 4: some some power and some of the intangibles that Bregman

237
00:13:44,480 --> 00:13:50,760
Speaker 4: would have brought. They're always looking for pitching, right and

238
00:13:50,840 --> 00:13:55,320
Speaker 4: maybe guys get a little more anxious those free agents

239
00:13:55,480 --> 00:13:57,520
Speaker 4: who are still out there as you know, once like

240
00:13:58,120 --> 00:14:02,960
Speaker 4: full squad starts and you know, the games are approaching.

241
00:14:03,320 --> 00:14:04,800
Speaker 3: But like in terms of.

242
00:14:06,360 --> 00:14:08,760
Speaker 4: It's not like, okay, they were gonna give Bregman like

243
00:14:08,880 --> 00:14:13,400
Speaker 4: whatever twenty eight million plus. That doesn't mean those funds

244
00:14:13,440 --> 00:14:19,440
Speaker 4: are automatically redistributed within baseball operations like that was you know,

245
00:14:19,640 --> 00:14:20,120
Speaker 4: kind of on.

246
00:14:20,080 --> 00:14:22,280
Speaker 3: This case by case things and some of the smaller stuff.

247
00:14:22,320 --> 00:14:25,960
Speaker 4: It's not like they need board meetings to sign you know,

248
00:14:27,280 --> 00:14:32,400
Speaker 4: some aging bench player or something like that. But I

249
00:14:32,440 --> 00:14:36,680
Speaker 4: don't know how many big opportunities are out And this

250
00:14:36,720 --> 00:14:37,720
Speaker 4: is what we talked about.

251
00:14:37,520 --> 00:14:39,880
Speaker 5: In our you know podcast that got.

252
00:14:40,720 --> 00:14:43,760
Speaker 4: Got spiked there, like there isn't like a plan be

253
00:14:44,800 --> 00:14:48,160
Speaker 4: equivalent when you don't get Alex Bregman. I mean, is

254
00:14:48,160 --> 00:14:51,400
Speaker 4: a two time World Series champ gold glove third basement

255
00:14:52,040 --> 00:14:54,680
Speaker 4: the one position in your everyday lineup that had that

256
00:14:54,800 --> 00:14:58,240
Speaker 4: question mark. As much as they like Matt Shaw like,

257
00:14:58,640 --> 00:15:03,880
Speaker 4: Bregman was the piece and that is why ownership greenlit

258
00:15:06,400 --> 00:15:11,040
Speaker 4: Jed going beyond the number that he had already been provided.

259
00:15:11,120 --> 00:15:15,640
Speaker 4: There is not another Bregman to bring to them at

260
00:15:15,640 --> 00:15:19,040
Speaker 4: this moment. And so while I'm sure they play well,

261
00:15:20,040 --> 00:15:24,960
Speaker 4: things are looking pretty good, and they see something out

262
00:15:25,000 --> 00:15:31,280
Speaker 4: there during the season, I'm sure they would authorize it.

263
00:15:31,720 --> 00:15:34,360
Speaker 4: I mean, Ricketts has told us they should wind up

264
00:15:34,440 --> 00:15:39,240
Speaker 4: being around the CBT, which is two or forty one dollars,

265
00:15:39,360 --> 00:15:43,800
Speaker 4: but they're not anywhere close to it at this point,

266
00:15:43,880 --> 00:15:46,480
Speaker 4: and I think when they leaf for Japan, I don't

267
00:15:46,480 --> 00:15:48,840
Speaker 4: think they're gonna be like that.

268
00:15:49,760 --> 00:15:53,680
Speaker 1: Drastically closer to it, right, and and anyone hoping for

269
00:15:53,720 --> 00:15:57,360
Speaker 1: like some massive trade with the Padres. Everything that I've

270
00:15:57,400 --> 00:16:00,000
Speaker 1: heard over the past twenty four hours is yeah, they

271
00:16:00,080 --> 00:16:02,800
Speaker 1: have added a couple of pictures over the past two days. Right,

272
00:16:02,800 --> 00:16:06,240
Speaker 1: they added like a fifth starter type and then Nick

273
00:16:06,280 --> 00:16:07,240
Speaker 1: Pavetta as well.

274
00:16:07,320 --> 00:16:07,520
Speaker 2: Right.

275
00:16:07,880 --> 00:16:10,920
Speaker 1: I think some people thought that that may mean that, oh,

276
00:16:11,160 --> 00:16:14,480
Speaker 1: Dylan Cees is available, Michael King is available. What I'm

277
00:16:14,480 --> 00:16:17,160
Speaker 1: hearing is no, like a J Preller wants to go

278
00:16:17,200 --> 00:16:19,800
Speaker 1: into the season with those guys if he's gonna move, uh,

279
00:16:20,040 --> 00:16:22,520
Speaker 1: like they did it. So they're their concern isn't the

280
00:16:22,560 --> 00:16:24,920
Speaker 1: luxury tax. It's it's pure cash flow.

281
00:16:25,120 --> 00:16:25,320
Speaker 2: Uh.

282
00:16:25,400 --> 00:16:28,480
Speaker 1: So that that's so they're not That's why like these

283
00:16:28,520 --> 00:16:31,880
Speaker 1: the way these deals are structured, they're okay. They they

284
00:16:32,400 --> 00:16:37,480
Speaker 1: Preller got creative, Preller has it's it's it's less about

285
00:16:37,560 --> 00:16:40,720
Speaker 1: like going of the over the luxury tax threshold and

286
00:16:40,840 --> 00:16:42,000
Speaker 1: purely about cash.

287
00:16:42,400 --> 00:16:42,640
Speaker 5: Uh.

288
00:16:42,840 --> 00:16:46,040
Speaker 1: We'll see if something becomes available at the deadline, and

289
00:16:46,040 --> 00:16:47,560
Speaker 1: maybe that makes a ton of sense for them.

290
00:16:47,560 --> 00:16:51,040
Speaker 2: They can leverage their depth and and see who's.

291
00:16:50,840 --> 00:16:52,960
Speaker 1: Really like, see what their needs are, and they can

292
00:16:53,240 --> 00:16:55,080
Speaker 1: move Dylan Ceas or or someone else.

293
00:16:55,320 --> 00:16:55,720
Speaker 2: I don't know.

294
00:16:55,800 --> 00:16:58,960
Speaker 1: I'm just as speculating now, but that that's not happening,

295
00:16:59,120 --> 00:17:01,600
Speaker 1: Like it doesn't sound like it's happening unless there's a

296
00:17:01,720 --> 00:17:02,480
Speaker 1: change of thinking.

297
00:17:02,880 --> 00:17:05,600
Speaker 2: The only way that happens is if you pay above.

298
00:17:05,400 --> 00:17:07,840
Speaker 1: And beyond, right, if you bowl a J Preller over

299
00:17:08,119 --> 00:17:10,920
Speaker 1: and say, here's, you know, three of my five top

300
00:17:10,960 --> 00:17:13,960
Speaker 1: prospects that are all major league ready, or two top

301
00:17:14,000 --> 00:17:16,840
Speaker 1: prospects that are on the verge and a guy that's

302
00:17:16,920 --> 00:17:19,280
Speaker 1: already ready to pitch in the big leagues or something

303
00:17:19,320 --> 00:17:21,760
Speaker 1: like that, right, And you shouldn't do that.

304
00:17:21,800 --> 00:17:24,920
Speaker 2: I mean, you know, unless you're just that piece away.

305
00:17:25,119 --> 00:17:27,439
Speaker 1: And I do think someone like Dylan Cees changes the

306
00:17:27,720 --> 00:17:30,880
Speaker 1: like kind of structure of this team. And you look

307
00:17:30,920 --> 00:17:35,200
Speaker 1: at like at Dylan Ceese. Is is that like I'd

308
00:17:35,200 --> 00:17:38,200
Speaker 1: almost make the argument that I would if you if

309
00:17:38,200 --> 00:17:40,000
Speaker 1: you had to, like, you know, all things being equal,

310
00:17:40,000 --> 00:17:42,280
Speaker 1: if you're saying Dylan Cees versus Alex Bregman, you only

311
00:17:42,320 --> 00:17:46,399
Speaker 1: get one to this team, I could. I can listen

312
00:17:46,480 --> 00:17:49,080
Speaker 1: to and understand the argument. For Dylan Cees. They don't

313
00:17:49,080 --> 00:17:52,520
Speaker 1: have a front of the rotation bat messer. They have

314
00:17:52,760 --> 00:17:56,879
Speaker 1: like majority of their prospects are position players. I like

315
00:17:56,920 --> 00:17:58,720
Speaker 1: the upside a lot of those of a lot of

316
00:17:58,720 --> 00:18:00,840
Speaker 1: those guys, as much as I like Ben Brown, as

317
00:18:00,920 --> 00:18:03,600
Speaker 1: much as Kate Horton maybe you know, healthy and back

318
00:18:03,640 --> 00:18:05,960
Speaker 1: to who he was in twenty three. I just like

319
00:18:06,000 --> 00:18:09,320
Speaker 1: the idea of Dylan Cee's fronting a rotation that's really

320
00:18:09,359 --> 00:18:14,040
Speaker 1: talented but probably misses that no doubt Ace that that

321
00:18:14,119 --> 00:18:18,320
Speaker 1: guy with the dominant stuff that shuts down the other lineup.

322
00:18:19,920 --> 00:18:22,320
Speaker 2: That's just my two cents on it. But it's not happening.

323
00:18:22,600 --> 00:18:24,639
Speaker 1: It's just they're they're not going to pay the price

324
00:18:24,680 --> 00:18:27,040
Speaker 1: that it would take to bowl Preller over, and I'm

325
00:18:27,040 --> 00:18:30,440
Speaker 1: not sure that they should. But there's no pivot here,

326
00:18:30,520 --> 00:18:33,120
Speaker 1: I guess is the point. There's this, Like you said,

327
00:18:33,119 --> 00:18:36,159
Speaker 1: there's nobody else comparable on the pre agent market, and

328
00:18:36,200 --> 00:18:41,479
Speaker 1: that trade just isn't there. So yeah, right now it

329
00:18:41,520 --> 00:18:43,840
Speaker 1: looks like this is I mean, in Hoyer said it,

330
00:18:43,880 --> 00:18:46,159
Speaker 1: this is pretty much the team that he expects to

331
00:18:46,960 --> 00:18:50,639
Speaker 1: go to Japan. You know, small moves here and there

332
00:18:52,359 --> 00:18:55,360
Speaker 1: as much as this is. You know, the excitement was building.

333
00:18:55,440 --> 00:18:58,360
Speaker 1: This does feel like a little bit of a letdown.

334
00:18:58,760 --> 00:19:01,760
Speaker 1: I don't want to suck the excitement out of the season.

335
00:19:02,400 --> 00:19:05,159
Speaker 1: I think more of the it's just more of a

336
00:19:05,200 --> 00:19:10,000
Speaker 1: reality check and a little bit of like behind the curtain.

337
00:19:10,320 --> 00:19:13,280
Speaker 1: I just think, what that quote that I read from

338
00:19:13,359 --> 00:19:16,960
Speaker 1: Jed Hoyer is so important and it needs to be

339
00:19:18,280 --> 00:19:21,240
Speaker 1: I mean, I think that's the story. Frankly, I think

340
00:19:21,280 --> 00:19:24,280
Speaker 1: that like when he says that, And I don't think

341
00:19:24,280 --> 00:19:25,880
Speaker 1: I fully appreciated when he.

342
00:19:25,840 --> 00:19:27,160
Speaker 2: Says that about Belly too.

343
00:19:28,119 --> 00:19:30,720
Speaker 1: They were up against the budget already and they decided

344
00:19:30,760 --> 00:19:33,000
Speaker 1: to go way over. Like, what what are we talking

345
00:19:33,000 --> 00:19:36,919
Speaker 1: about here, Patrick, Like, that's that's a little ridiculous in

346
00:19:36,960 --> 00:19:37,520
Speaker 1: my opinion.

347
00:19:38,880 --> 00:19:39,760
Speaker 3: Yeah, I mean it was.

348
00:19:39,720 --> 00:19:42,200
Speaker 4: Just barely over and they wound up just barely over

349
00:19:42,280 --> 00:19:45,399
Speaker 4: the CVT. So it's just and they wound up with

350
00:19:45,440 --> 00:19:48,240
Speaker 4: eighty three again, and so yeah, I mean, no doubt

351
00:19:49,480 --> 00:19:53,080
Speaker 4: Jed Hoyer has been the star of spring training thus far.

352
00:19:53,760 --> 00:19:55,880
Speaker 3: His candor in.

353
00:19:55,920 --> 00:19:59,840
Speaker 4: Terms of the anxiety he's feeling in the last year

354
00:20:00,240 --> 00:20:05,919
Speaker 4: deal and then even taking us through, walking us through

355
00:20:06,880 --> 00:20:09,639
Speaker 4: the offer and some of the finances and some of

356
00:20:09,680 --> 00:20:19,919
Speaker 4: the philosophical differences at the moment is pretty fascinating. It

357
00:20:20,040 --> 00:20:24,320
Speaker 4: just shows the pressure everyone is under. Because I do think,

358
00:20:24,480 --> 00:20:31,439
Speaker 4: like Tom Ricketts and Jed Hoyer are aligned in a

359
00:20:31,440 --> 00:20:34,359
Speaker 4: lot of ways, and I think Jet isn't running the

360
00:20:34,400 --> 00:20:38,480
Speaker 4: team sort of the way the family wants. But at

361
00:20:38,480 --> 00:20:46,040
Speaker 4: this particular moment, you know, ownership did not blow anyone away.

362
00:20:47,200 --> 00:20:52,000
Speaker 4: It was very much kind of an offer that was

363
00:20:52,040 --> 00:20:54,159
Speaker 4: pretty easy for Bregman to pass on.

364
00:20:56,040 --> 00:20:59,840
Speaker 1: Yep, certainly a disappointment for the fans, but you know,

365
00:21:00,440 --> 00:21:03,080
Speaker 1: let's try and stay positive for spring training. We don't

366
00:21:03,080 --> 00:21:07,440
Speaker 1: want to crash the twenty twenty five season before it starts.

367
00:21:07,280 --> 00:21:09,800
Speaker 5: Like the full squad they haven't had a full squad workout.

368
00:21:09,880 --> 00:21:14,880
Speaker 3: Yeah, that's just like what all right.

369
00:21:14,880 --> 00:21:17,399
Speaker 1: We'll try and be more uplifting in the future. But

370
00:21:18,040 --> 00:21:20,399
Speaker 1: that was a kind of a crash and burn moment

371
00:21:20,800 --> 00:21:25,160
Speaker 1: to start the spring. Thanks so much for listening to everyone.

372
00:21:25,240 --> 00:21:27,520
Speaker 1: This is north Side Territory. Make sure to rate and review,

373
00:21:27,560 --> 00:21:31,200
Speaker 1: Subscribe and subscribe to the YouTube channel. Subscribe to The

374
00:21:31,240 --> 00:21:33,200
Speaker 1: Athletic where Patrick and I are on top of all

375
00:21:33,200 --> 00:21:37,159
Speaker 1: things Cubs. We appreciate all of you. Thanks for listening.

376
00:21:37,240 --> 00:21:39,560
Speaker 1: We'll be back with another episode later this week. Thanks

377
00:21:39,600 --> 00:21:40,000
Speaker 1: to take Care

378
00:22:00,800 --> 00:22:05,840
Speaker 2: The doss to Dodge above