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Speaker 1: Hello everyone, and welcome back to the Hammer Territory podcast.

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Speaker 1: I'm Scott Coleman and I am joined on the show

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Speaker 1: today by the one and only Stephen Tolbert Stephen. It

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Speaker 1: is the week between Christmas and New Year's. It is

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Speaker 1: a lawless time in this country, no rules. I've been

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Speaker 1: watching so much TV and binging and getting caught up

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Speaker 1: on stuff. I've been doing all kinds of stuff around

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Speaker 1: the house. I've been I don't know, man, Like it's

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Speaker 1: a great time of year to do absolutely nothing.

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Speaker 2: How are you, what's up, buddy? Yeah? I saw a

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Speaker 2: tweet that was like, this is the one time of

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Speaker 2: year where it's not only okay to to do nothing,

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Speaker 2: it's like it's your duty to do nothing productive. Like

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Speaker 2: you should just be watching football, you should be eating,

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Speaker 2: you should be you know, playing with whatever you got

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Speaker 2: for Christmas. You should this. This is the time of

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Speaker 2: year where you do nothing, and it's like the most

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Speaker 2: American thing you can do. I love this time of year. Obviously,

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Speaker 2: you get to take a lot of time off usual

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Speaker 2: for family. One thing that does suck, the baseball calendar

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Speaker 2: does come to a screeching halt. And we're already talking

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Speaker 2: about an off season. That's not exactly the fastest offseason

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Speaker 2: to begin with, but once you get to like Christmas Eve,

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Speaker 2: the next like seven to ten days are pretty dead. Now,

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Speaker 2: Sean and I mentioned on our last show the Braves

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Speaker 2: have done stuff at this time of year before. Famously,

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Speaker 2: the Chris Sale trade happened on December thirtieth, a couple

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Speaker 2: of years ago, so it's not impossible that something could happen,

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Speaker 2: but typically, yes, it is a very slow time, and

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Speaker 2: you know, finding topics to talk about is not the easiest,

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Speaker 2: but we're used to this at this point. We're we're

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Speaker 2: pretty much pros at this point of coming up with

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Speaker 2: topics to talk about even when there's not much happening.

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Speaker 2: And at least for us, the Braves have been pretty

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Speaker 2: busy this offseason, so we haven't had to do too

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Speaker 2: many of.

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Speaker 1: These, that's right, And I mean, shoot, a year ago,

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Speaker 1: I mean we're seasoned veterans at this point. Yeah, that

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Speaker 1: was every day. It was like, all right, when of

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Speaker 1: the Braves gonna do something? When of the Braves gonna

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Speaker 1: do something? And thankfully, a much more action packed off

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Speaker 1: season so far for the Braves, and that actually takes

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Speaker 1: us into the first of a few mailbag questions that

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Speaker 1: we wanted to get into on the show today, and

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Speaker 1: one of them was really interesting from James, who wrote

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Speaker 1: to us and said, if the Braves are mostly done

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Speaker 1: this offseason, have they done enough to get back to

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Speaker 1: the top of the East. It's an interesting thought. And

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Speaker 1: to be clear, I just want to say, before people

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Speaker 1: start yelling at their radio or at their computer screen

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Speaker 1: or wherever they watch or listen to the show, that

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Speaker 1: Steven and I don't necessarily think the Braves are done

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Speaker 1: this offseason. I still think they have money to make

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Speaker 1: a move. There's still room on this roster to add

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Speaker 1: a pitcher or two, maybe a bench piece. But hypothetically,

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Speaker 1: let's say that nothing else works out, Steven, this is

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Speaker 1: the roster. Opening day is tomorrow, and this is pretty

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Speaker 1: much the roster the Braves are going to roll in

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Speaker 1: with other than maybe a depth signing or two that

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Speaker 1: would not be needle movers. Big picture, and then we'll

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Speaker 1: go into the offense and the pitching. But like bluntly,

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Speaker 1: if I said, Stephen, is this roster good enough today

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Speaker 1: after an off season of a half dozen moves, is

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Speaker 1: it good enough to get back to the top of

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Speaker 1: the East and win a couple of playoff series.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, so it is kind of a fascinating thought experiment

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Speaker 2: of you know, if he froze all the rosters right now,

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Speaker 2: where is everybody? And I think, and I'll be just

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Speaker 2: to hear if you agree to disagree with this, Scott,

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Speaker 2: I think pretty easily, the Braves would be the best

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Speaker 2: roster in the East. The Mets have done more subtracting

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Speaker 2: than adding. They've lost Alonso, They've lost a few guys,

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Speaker 2: and they have.

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Speaker 1: A demo just trained Jeff McNeil. All of the dislikable

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Speaker 1: players on the Mets are now gone, which is gonna

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Speaker 1: be weird.

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Speaker 2: Right So, and obviously there's a lot of smoke. I mean,

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Speaker 2: they could add Tucker, they could add Marte. But if

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Speaker 2: you just froze the rosters right now, I think the

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Speaker 2: Braves are clearly better than the Mets. The Phillies are

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Speaker 2: the question that you have to ask. They don't have

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Speaker 2: regers Forrez right, we don't know. Zach Wheeler has this

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Speaker 2: thorscic out with syndrome stuff that you have no clue

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Speaker 2: what you're gonna get from him. They did get Schwarber back,

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Speaker 2: which helps a lot, but they're they're like Core is

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Speaker 2: not young, and so like health for health, player for player.

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Speaker 2: I would take the Braves roster right now over the Phillies. Now,

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Speaker 2: when you add in the Dodgers, if you're talking about

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Speaker 2: like winning the World Series, it's a whole different conversation.

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Speaker 2: But we're focused on the East. If you froze all

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Speaker 2: the rosters right now, I would, and I could take

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Speaker 2: any of the five teams in the East, I would

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Speaker 2: take the Braves roster out. For talent. Now, obviously there's

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Speaker 2: injury stuff, there's you know, what are you going to

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Speaker 2: get from Austin Ryders. There's all a thousand questions we

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Speaker 2: can talk about with Braves, but just talent for talent, yeah,

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Speaker 2: I'm taking the Braves right now of the five teams

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Speaker 2: in the East. You know, obviously, if the Mets ap

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Speaker 2: Phillies continue to do stuff at the Braves continue to

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Speaker 2: do stuff, it'll change the equation. But I think so,

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Speaker 2: I think if I think the Braves have done enough

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Speaker 2: where I could comparably say and I think they'll probably

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Speaker 2: even be projected right there with the Phillies to be

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Speaker 2: one of the best teams in the nationally and arguably

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Speaker 2: the best team in the East.

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Speaker 1: So we look at the Fangrafs roster projections as of

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Speaker 1: December twenty eighth, and there's still a lot of free

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Speaker 1: agents out there. These things can change. The Braves could add,

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Speaker 1: the other teams are going to add, for sure, pretty

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Speaker 1: healthy free agent class still out there for everybody to add.

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Speaker 1: But that being said, for an objective look at how

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Speaker 1: the computers view the Braves, Atlanta is currently projected as

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Speaker 1: the sixth highest war in pitching and the fifth highest

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Speaker 1: war among their hitters, and that includes defense as well.

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Speaker 1: And when you combine the sixth best projected pitching war

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Speaker 1: and fifth best offensive war hitter war, that puts the

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Speaker 1: Braves at number two in the National League, behind only

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Speaker 1: the Dodgers, and basically tied for third and fourth behind

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Speaker 1: the Dodgers, the Yankees, and they're right there with the

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Speaker 1: Toronto Blue Jays. Not a bad group of teams. And

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Speaker 1: again these are one opinion of Fangrafts projections and models

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Speaker 1: and simulations. But as we sit here today, the computers

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Speaker 1: view the Braves in a similar tier as probably the

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Speaker 1: Yankees and the Blue Jays and a couple other teams

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Speaker 1: below them, the Dodgers, are in their own stratosphere. But

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Speaker 1: that's what happens when you have an unlimited budget and

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Speaker 1: really no means of not being able to make a move.

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Speaker 2: And I will say one thing about the projection systems,

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Speaker 2: specifically for the Braves. So if people don't know, the

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Speaker 2: way projection systems work is they typically take the last

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Speaker 2: three years of data and use those to come up

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Speaker 2: with a some sort of forecast for what each player

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Speaker 2: is going to do. Take those individual inputs, add them

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Speaker 2: together for a team input. So that's how most projection

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Speaker 2: models work. Everybody's formula is a little different, but that

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Speaker 2: is the nuts and bolts of how projection systems work

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Speaker 2: that matters in this conversation for the Braves because within

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Speaker 2: that three year window is still the twenty twenty three season.

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Speaker 2: So there's a couple of players on the Braves whose

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Speaker 2: projections still look decent, but they only look that way

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Speaker 2: because twenty twenty three is still in that model. Yeah,

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Speaker 2: guys like Michael Harris who have been trending the wrong

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Speaker 2: direction in the last two years still have a decently

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Speaker 2: healthy projection because twenty twenty three is still grouped in

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Speaker 2: Austin Riley is kind of similar so I understand if people,

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Speaker 2: you know, if you look into the projections a little more,

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Speaker 2: if people say, well, you know, I could see Michael

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Speaker 2: Harris being quite a bit like I think Michael Harrison's

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Speaker 2: projection for next year is like a one to fifteen

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Speaker 2: WRC plus. He hasn't come close to that in a

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Speaker 2: long time, like I'm taking. I would certainly take the

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Speaker 2: under on that right now. But the reason it's that

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Speaker 2: is because models don't just look at the last year,

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Speaker 2: the last two years. They take the last three and

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Speaker 2: that's how it works for everybody, and so it's consistent.

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Speaker 2: But I understand people who are gonna take the under

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Speaker 2: on a couple of those. So that is important to

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Speaker 2: remember that the Braves projections are still gonna look pretty

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Speaker 2: good because twenty twenty three is still grouped in there.

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Speaker 2: I'm fine, and I it's completely reasonable if you're listening

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Speaker 2: at home thinking I'm gonna take the under on a

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Speaker 2: couple of these guys, because I probably would take the

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Speaker 2: under on a couple of these guys as well.

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Speaker 1: For sure. And you know, when I look at this roster,

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Speaker 1: and let's talk about the lineup first for little while, Stephen,

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Speaker 1: And actually there was a good point made on Buster

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Speaker 1: One's podcast a couple of days ago about the Braves,

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Speaker 1: and while sure, adding Hassan Kim, adding Mauricio Dubon, adding

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Speaker 1: Mike Yastremsky is not going to turn this team into

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Speaker 1: a World Series champion overnight, it does raise the floor

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Speaker 1: so much compared to what we just watched a year ago.

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Speaker 1: The Braves won seventy six games in twenty twenty five,

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Speaker 1: and it never felt that way. They were ten games

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Speaker 1: below five hundred, and it might as well have been

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Speaker 1: thirty because this team was basically dead. When did Chris

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Speaker 1: Sale break his ribs? Like the middle of June? That

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Speaker 1: for we did an emergency podcast on a Saturday afternoon,

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Speaker 1: and we maybe didn't come out and fully say, yeah,

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Speaker 1: the season's over see in twenty twenty six, but I

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Speaker 1: think we were feeling the vibes.

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Speaker 2: Like this Schwallenbuch went down like a week later, so yeah,

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Speaker 2: it was brutal.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, what are you gonna do? Everybody got hurt. So

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Speaker 1: I think with the lineup and then we'll talk about

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Speaker 1: the pitching. But for me, the additions are not huge

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Speaker 1: needle movers, but just some of the things that you

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Speaker 1: look at when you look back on last year, were

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Speaker 1: shocking Like Nick Allen was the worst hitter in baseball

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Speaker 1: by a country mile. Among hitters with four hundred or

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Speaker 1: more played appearances, he had a fifty three WRC plus Stephen,

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Speaker 1: the next qualified hitter, had a sixty eight. So not

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Speaker 1: only was Nick Allen the worst hitter in baseball, but

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Speaker 1: he was fifteen points worse than the second worst hitter

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Speaker 1: in baseball. And he played virtually every single day from

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Speaker 1: the middle of April until September. First, you think about

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Speaker 1: losing Jerks and Profar a week ind of the year.

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Speaker 1: Alex Verdugo didn't get four hundred played appearances, but he

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Speaker 1: was just about as bad as Nick Allen, especially after

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Speaker 1: those first couple of weeks. They only got ninety seven

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Speaker 1: games out of Ronald Dcunya Junior. They only got one

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Speaker 1: hundred and two games out of Austin Riley, And sure

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Speaker 1: those players didn't have great years, but they also just

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Speaker 1: weren't available for forty percent of the season. So do

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Speaker 1: I think this team is going to get back to

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Speaker 1: the twenty twenty three highs of a historic offense. No,

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Speaker 1: But I think just eliminating some of the just complete

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Speaker 1: and total crap out of the bottom third of this

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Speaker 1: group is going to raise the bar significantly.

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Speaker 2: Yeah. I mean, remember, for the first month of last year,

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Speaker 2: the outfield was Jared Kellnick and left, Michael Harris and center,

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Speaker 2: and Brian De la Cruz and right. Remember that. Yeah,

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Speaker 2: and the two guys on the corner were so bad

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Speaker 2: they got sent to the miners or DFA almost immediately.

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Speaker 2: Michael Harris was right there with Nick Allen as maybe

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Speaker 2: the worst hitter in baseball, at least for the first

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Speaker 2: half when the again what we just said, the Brave

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Speaker 2: season was basically over, you know, before the first half

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Speaker 2: was so I mean you add in shortstop what you

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Speaker 2: already talked about, plus the outfield, all three outfield positions

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Speaker 2: were just I mean, they were just nothing. They were

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Speaker 2: zeros until Lacunya came back in the middle of May,

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Speaker 2: and Michael Harris didn't start hitting until like August, and

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Speaker 2: even then he hit for like three weeks and then

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Speaker 2: never hit again. So yeah, there was just so many

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Speaker 2: spots in the lineup last year where it was just

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Speaker 2: it was not you were getting nothing, you were getting

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Speaker 2: zero production. And then add on top of the fact

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Speaker 2: that Austin Riley was not his normal self. Marcelo Zuno

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Speaker 2: was not his normal self. You know, Sean Murphy was

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Speaker 2: up and down and was hurt. He was hurt to

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Speaker 2: start the year. You know, the offense was carried in

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Speaker 2: the first half by Drake Baldwin, a little bit of

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Speaker 2: Matt Olsen and not much else. And then Acunya came back,

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Speaker 2: and at least when Acuny came back, he at least

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Speaker 2: hit Like Acuna had a one sixty WRC plus last year.

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Speaker 2: The first like month he was back, he had like

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Speaker 2: a two to ten year. He was a monster when

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Speaker 2: he first came back. I mean then he settled into

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Speaker 2: about a one to sixty, which is still an elite season.

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Speaker 2: But yeah, there's just so many less just complete disaster spots,

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Speaker 2: and the Braids were running out like four or five

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Speaker 2: disaster spots last year. You know, Michael Harris can be

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Speaker 2: pretty bad now and it's not going to kill you

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Speaker 2: because Michael Harris is pretty easily the worst hitter in

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Speaker 2: the lineup as currently constructed, Like I would not be

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Speaker 2: we can talk about lineup construction if you want to.

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Speaker 2: I would not be surprised at all if they had

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Speaker 2: Harris batting ninth. With this current group, I can't think

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Speaker 2: of anybody that's gonna start that would bat below Harris

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Speaker 2: so and there were times last year that Harris was

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Speaker 2: betting like sixth because they had so many just complete,

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Speaker 2: you know, black holes in the lineup. So the floor

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Speaker 2: is just substantially higher. Is the ceiling as high as

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Speaker 2: it could be? No, they could have gone some bigger,

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Speaker 2: you know, acquisitions this offseason, and they still might. But

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Speaker 2: the floor is significantly higher, and that matters because that's

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Speaker 2: what happened last year. The Braves went straight down to

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Speaker 2: their floor the first seven games of the season and

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Speaker 2: basically never got up. And raising the floor helps a lot.

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Speaker 1: I feel pretty good about the one through five in

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Speaker 1: this lineup in some order. I think there are those

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Speaker 1: some real questions six through nine. We're gonna talk about

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Speaker 1: that and more in just a moment after a quick

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Speaker 1: word from our partners. All right, Stephen, let's talk about

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Speaker 1: this lineup here. I feel pretty good about one through

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Speaker 1: five in the order in some form. It's going to

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Speaker 1: be a kunya profar Olsen, Riley Baldwin, and I think

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Speaker 1: those five might be pretty interchangeable, quite honestly, and I'm

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Speaker 1: curious to see what Walt Weiss ultimately does. Do you

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Speaker 1: any qualms with that? I mean, we've talked about Austin

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Speaker 1: Riley is such an important player for this team, Like

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Speaker 1: we don't know what Jerks and Profar is going to

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Speaker 1: do in year two after a suspension, though he was

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Speaker 1: quite good after this suspension. But to you, does that

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Speaker 1: one through five feel just about ironclad, assuming healthy?

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Speaker 2: Yes, I think one hundred. That's they're going to be

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Speaker 2: the first five hitters in the order of barning something. Now,

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Speaker 2: how good I feel about it. It's gonna be tied

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Speaker 2: a lot to Austin Riley, and we'll have one time

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Speaker 2: to dive into previews once we get closer to spring training.

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Speaker 2: But Austin Riley, his slugging percentage is going to have

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Speaker 2: a massive impact on this lineup and its output, its

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Speaker 2: production overall. But just off names, just off you know

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Speaker 2: what they've done in their careers, track records sitting here today. Yeah,

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Speaker 2: I feel really good about that top.

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Speaker 1: Five, But for me, the guarantees kind of stop there now.

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Speaker 1: Hassan Kim. We've talked about hass On Kim a lot

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Speaker 1: this offseason. Go back and listen to the emergency edition

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Speaker 1: of the show when they signed him, and the seemingly

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Speaker 1: every episode we talked about Kim for fifteen minutes before

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Speaker 1: he ultimately signed a solid hitter, was pretty rough with

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Speaker 1: Tampa Bay, and then saw him play pretty well with

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Speaker 1: the Braves last year, but not a guarantee. Even with

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Speaker 1: when he was healthy and firing in San Diego, he

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Speaker 1: was a slightly above average hitter, and now he's thirty

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Speaker 1: years old coming off a down yere. I don't know

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Speaker 1: what you can expect from Azzie Alby's. I don't know

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Speaker 1: what to expect from Michael Harris. And we like the

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Speaker 1: Mike Yastremsky signing, and if he's used correctly against right

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Speaker 1: handed pitching, I think that's going to be a lift.

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Speaker 1: But he's also someone who's basically never going to see lefties,

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Speaker 1: and we'll see how that platoon kind of plays out.

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Speaker 1: But that's Alby's, Harris, Kim, and Yastremsky basically in some

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Speaker 1: kind of order, and you could probably debate that order

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Speaker 1: six through nine that all have some kind of question,

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Speaker 1: whether it be more of a mild question or a

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Speaker 1: full stop loud what on earth are we going to

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Speaker 1: get from Alby's and Harris because of those two have

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Speaker 1: yet another bad year all of a sudden, you're talking

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Speaker 1: about a couple of black holes at the bottom of

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Speaker 1: your order.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, Ozzie is just I've never really encountered a situation

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Speaker 2: like Ozzie where somebody who's still in the prime of

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Speaker 2: his career and I know he's had injuries, and injuries

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Speaker 2: could just be the answer to this question. But who's

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Speaker 2: overall skills have just diminished so much for somebody who's

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Speaker 2: still like twenty eight years old. And maybe it isn't

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Speaker 2: Maybe it's just the injuries have piled up and he's

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Speaker 2: just never been able to get fully back to the

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Speaker 2: guy he was five years ago. So and what that

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Speaker 2: leads to is just entire just complete uncertainty. When it

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Speaker 2: was like, what are you gonna get from it? No

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Speaker 2: one knows, Like if Ozzie get at the very least,

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Speaker 2: if Ozzy Geld just hit left handed pitching, it would

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Speaker 2: help so much because I think it gets right handed pitching.

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Speaker 2: I'm I'm pretty comfortable with this lineup because I think

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Speaker 2: you Stromsky will hit right handed pitching if nothing else.

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Speaker 2: And he adds another bopper to that kind of top five,

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Speaker 2: but I guess left handed pitching you don't have that.

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Speaker 2: I would love if they go, if they went and

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Speaker 2: got I think I think Profar is Gonnadh quite a bit.

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Speaker 2: I think sty is gonna be the left fielder, And

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Speaker 2: if they went and got a platoon guy to help

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Speaker 2: him against the lefties, I would feel much better about

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Speaker 2: that spot. But yeah, Harris Ozsi and Kim, I mean,

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Speaker 2: you have to say Kim, listen, he has a longer

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Speaker 2: track road of success. But the last thing we saw

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Speaker 2: out if Kim was a very very average to below

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Speaker 2: average hitter. How much of that was the injury. We'll

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Speaker 2: find out. But he's making twenty million bucks, so the

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Speaker 2: Braves need him to hit a little bit. And I

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Speaker 2: don't think he's gonna win like a gold club at

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Speaker 2: short stuff either, Like I think most of his value

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Speaker 2: is probably gonna come from his bat. So yeah, it's

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Speaker 2: a fair point. I'm very curious what he looks like

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Speaker 2: a full year on one team, a full year removed

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Speaker 2: from the injury. But yeah, that's fair. I mean, I'm

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Speaker 2: not gonna sit here and blow smoke up any of

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Speaker 2: these guys and tell you they're great, because I don't

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Speaker 2: know Michael Harris has all the talent in the world,

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Speaker 2: but what is that worth if you can't layoff pitches

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Speaker 2: that are five feet you know, outside. So, yeah, that

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Speaker 2: is the big question of the lineup, along with what

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Speaker 2: is Austin What is twenty twenty six version of Austin

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Speaker 2: Rovy gonna look like?

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Speaker 1: So let's set aside Ronald Acunye Junior, because if he's healthy,

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Speaker 1: there's I mean, there's like he's as guaranteed of a

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Speaker 1: baseball player as there is correct.

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Speaker 2: If a Kunya is healthy, Chris Sale of the offense,

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Speaker 2: if he's healthy, he's gonna be good.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, perfect analogy. Austin Riley you talked about. The Braves

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Speaker 1: absolutely need Austin Riley to be closer to the hitter

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Speaker 1: he was from twenty twenty one to mid twenty twenty four,

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Speaker 1: and they also need him to be healthy. And the

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Speaker 1: injuries aren't really his fault. Him getting hit in the

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Speaker 1: hand by one hundred mile an hour fastball last year, Like,

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Speaker 1: that's not on him, man, Like that's gonna happen if

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Speaker 1: he was constantly pulling, you know, ham strings or always

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Speaker 1: nagging something or oblique injuries, then it's on him. A

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Speaker 1: little bit more, I think, but most of his injuries

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Speaker 1: have not been Riley's fault. Matt Olsen is about as

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Speaker 1: consistent as it gets. I feel good. I think you

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Speaker 1: feel good about Drake Baldwin. Maybe he improves, maybe he

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Speaker 1: takes a small step back. But but for me, Michael

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Speaker 1: Harris is the ceiling elevator six through nine in this order.

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Speaker 1: Because if you're telling me we're doing a podcast in

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Speaker 1: July and we're talking about Michael Harris being an All

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Speaker 1: Star Game candidate, I could see that. I could also

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Speaker 1: see us doing podcasts in July where we're asking legitimately,

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Speaker 1: is it time to do a Mikeystremsky, Mauricio Dubon, Eli

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Speaker 1: White mix in center field and send Mike to Gurnett

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Speaker 1: or to figure out a different long term solution for

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Speaker 1: this team at centerfield. I think everything in that range

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Speaker 1: is on the table and it will go a long

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Speaker 1: way in deciding how good the Braves are next season.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, there's no bigger swing player and I mean that

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Speaker 2: both figuratively and literally than Michael Harris.

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Speaker 1: Uh.

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Speaker 2: Maybe you could argue Austin, I guess, because Austin does

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Speaker 2: have like MVP potential, But so does Harris We've seen

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Speaker 2: like at his very best because the defense is so

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Speaker 2: elite at a premium position, Like just like a one

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Speaker 2: twenty WRC plus out of Michael Harris is like an

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Speaker 2: MVP candidate, so one hundred percent. Like the problem with

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Speaker 2: Mike is that his his flaw. It's it's the Hobby

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Speaker 2: Baias problem, it's the Jeff freen Core problem. Like his

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Speaker 2: flaw ends careers, Like if you don't get it fixed,

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Speaker 2: it can it can completely change the trajectory of your career,

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Speaker 2: like it did Frank Corp, like it did Bias, who

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Speaker 2: looked like who came up and looked like both were

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Speaker 2: gonna be just some of the best hitters in baseball,

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Speaker 2: and then their big flaw got exposed. And unfortunately for Mike,

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Speaker 2: he has the exact same flaw. He has no idea

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Speaker 2: what pitches to swing at and what pitches to take,

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Speaker 2: and a lot of the time he decides before the

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Speaker 2: pitch is thrown if he's gonna swing or not, and

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Speaker 2: you just cannot You cannot do that at this level.

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Speaker 2: Pitchers are too good there. They will eat your lunch

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Speaker 2: for massive, massive chunks of this season. You might get

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Speaker 2: hot every once in a while. You might guess right

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Speaker 2: for a week or two weeks or three weeks, but

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Speaker 2: overall you're gonna struggle and until he fixes that, until

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Speaker 2: he learns how to take pitches that are not strikes.

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Speaker 2: This is kind of the reality of where we just

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Speaker 2: have no clue what we're gonna get, and I don't

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Speaker 2: know that he knows, and I don't know that the

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Speaker 2: team knows. Quite honestly, you know, I know he changed

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Speaker 2: his batting stance and he changed his hands, but listen,

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Speaker 2: until you know, until you can identify a bad pitch

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Speaker 2: and a good pitch, there's not much else that matters.

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Speaker 2: So yeah, absolutely Mike is the big swing player for

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Speaker 2: this team because if he can figure it out, if

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Speaker 2: he can take a step and his ball strike, you know, understanding,

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Speaker 2: then it could be massive. And if he doesn't, you're

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Speaker 2: one hundred percent correct, we could be having a very

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Speaker 2: very tough conversation about like is it time to move

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Speaker 2: on from Michael Harris, which is crazy to talk about,

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Speaker 2: like a twenty five year old who is that talented,

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Speaker 2: but like, and you can you can certainly live with

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00:22:48,080 --> 00:22:50,840
Speaker 2: the defense and center because it's so good. You could

431
00:22:50,840 --> 00:22:52,919
Speaker 2: probably live with it at like the night spot in

432
00:22:52,960 --> 00:22:55,159
Speaker 2: your order, and that's where the rest of the lineup

433
00:22:55,200 --> 00:22:57,679
Speaker 2: comes into play. Like if he's the worst hitter on

434
00:22:57,720 --> 00:23:00,960
Speaker 2: your team, it's much less palatable like last year where

435
00:23:00,960 --> 00:23:04,520
Speaker 2: he was batting six or seventh at times, but one

436
00:23:04,560 --> 00:23:07,920
Speaker 2: hundred percent, if Mike actually learns to take a ball

437
00:23:07,960 --> 00:23:10,639
Speaker 2: every once in a while, it could completely change the

438
00:23:10,680 --> 00:23:11,760
Speaker 2: outcome of this offense.

439
00:23:13,040 --> 00:23:15,960
Speaker 1: And if you're looking to be optimistic about the Braves

440
00:23:15,960 --> 00:23:19,480
Speaker 1: moving forward on offense, you would hope that with the

441
00:23:19,640 --> 00:23:23,959
Speaker 1: additions to the depth and the bench for this team,

442
00:23:24,280 --> 00:23:27,560
Speaker 1: they're not going to have players in situations where you

443
00:23:27,600 --> 00:23:29,720
Speaker 1: don't want to play them every day but you have

444
00:23:29,920 --> 00:23:33,680
Speaker 1: no other choice. And that's basically what the Braves were

445
00:23:33,720 --> 00:23:37,160
Speaker 1: for the entirety of last year. You couldn't sit Nick Allen.

446
00:23:37,440 --> 00:23:41,320
Speaker 1: Nick Allen was the replacement for Orlando Arcia, who was

447
00:23:41,440 --> 00:23:45,080
Speaker 1: unplayable at least Now you have Mauricio Dubon, a really

448
00:23:45,119 --> 00:23:48,359
Speaker 1: capable utility man. You have Eli White, who I don't

449
00:23:48,359 --> 00:23:50,600
Speaker 1: think you won out there for one hundred and sixty

450
00:23:50,600 --> 00:23:53,240
Speaker 1: two games. But if Eli White plays a couple times

451
00:23:53,280 --> 00:23:56,720
Speaker 1: a week and is used against lefties and used strategically

452
00:23:56,800 --> 00:23:58,760
Speaker 1: and can come in and steal a base and run

453
00:23:58,800 --> 00:24:02,040
Speaker 1: into an occasional homer like that's fine, And I love

454
00:24:02,080 --> 00:24:05,200
Speaker 1: adding Yastremsky to the mix. Maybe not a star player,

455
00:24:05,280 --> 00:24:07,560
Speaker 1: but a nice player you can rotate in. I mean,

456
00:24:07,560 --> 00:24:09,720
Speaker 1: I think Ystromsky's probably going to hit six in this

457
00:24:09,800 --> 00:24:12,399
Speaker 1: lineup against Rdy's and that's where he should be. He

458
00:24:12,440 --> 00:24:15,760
Speaker 1: can be really valuable bat in, driving a lot of runs.

459
00:24:16,000 --> 00:24:19,320
Speaker 1: I would just hope that the additions on the offensive

460
00:24:19,359 --> 00:24:21,880
Speaker 1: side will prevent the Braves from having to run out

461
00:24:22,400 --> 00:24:26,600
Speaker 1: Michael Harris just completely underwater every single day, or if

462
00:24:26,600 --> 00:24:29,160
Speaker 1: a player is just in the slump of all slumps,

463
00:24:29,760 --> 00:24:31,480
Speaker 1: they can take him out for two or three days

464
00:24:31,480 --> 00:24:34,359
Speaker 1: and let him reset and physically and mentally reset and

465
00:24:34,400 --> 00:24:37,520
Speaker 1: put someone else out there, so you're not having quite

466
00:24:37,640 --> 00:24:40,240
Speaker 1: literally some of the worst players in baseball out there

467
00:24:40,320 --> 00:24:42,879
Speaker 1: every single game, as was the case for a good

468
00:24:42,960 --> 00:24:43,960
Speaker 1: chunk of last season.

469
00:24:45,800 --> 00:24:48,159
Speaker 2: Yeah, and then getting profar for one hundred and sixty

470
00:24:48,200 --> 00:24:51,360
Speaker 2: two games, which is half of what they got last year,

471
00:24:51,359 --> 00:24:53,520
Speaker 2: and then the same with Akunya. You know, of course

472
00:24:53,560 --> 00:24:56,399
Speaker 2: Acunya is is much more volatile because of injuries. But

473
00:24:57,280 --> 00:24:59,200
Speaker 2: they got I mean, they didn't get one hundred and

474
00:24:59,200 --> 00:25:01,800
Speaker 2: sixty two games on a those two guys combined last year,

475
00:25:01,960 --> 00:25:06,640
Speaker 2: so or maybe right at one sixty two. So yeah,

476
00:25:07,080 --> 00:25:08,960
Speaker 2: at the top of the lineup, I'm very curious to

477
00:25:09,000 --> 00:25:10,440
Speaker 2: see what they do at the top of the lineup

478
00:25:10,480 --> 00:25:12,320
Speaker 2: with a Kunyan Profar. I would love Acunya a bat

479
00:25:12,359 --> 00:25:15,439
Speaker 2: second in between Profar and Olsen, but I have a

480
00:25:15,440 --> 00:25:18,200
Speaker 2: feeling why he's gonna bat him third. But yeah, just

481
00:25:18,240 --> 00:25:20,960
Speaker 2: getting Profar and Acunya in the lineup for most of

482
00:25:21,000 --> 00:25:25,040
Speaker 2: the season is I mean. Profar was substantially better than

483
00:25:25,119 --> 00:25:28,080
Speaker 2: I thought he would. I really was under the impression

484
00:25:28,119 --> 00:25:31,280
Speaker 2: that his twenty twenty four season with the Padres was

485
00:25:31,320 --> 00:25:35,240
Speaker 2: gonna be a mirage, and he proved me wrong because

486
00:25:35,720 --> 00:25:38,119
Speaker 2: he struggled right when he came back for about two weeks,

487
00:25:38,480 --> 00:25:41,879
Speaker 2: and then he took off and he was easily the

488
00:25:42,000 --> 00:25:45,040
Speaker 2: third best sit in the lineup behind acunyaan Olsen, Like easily,

489
00:25:45,680 --> 00:25:49,320
Speaker 2: that's even factoring in Baldwin. Like. Profar was capital a

490
00:25:49,320 --> 00:25:51,880
Speaker 2: awesome once he got going it when he came back

491
00:25:51,920 --> 00:25:54,400
Speaker 2: like he's not. It's not a small deal that he's

492
00:25:54,440 --> 00:25:57,480
Speaker 2: gonna be hopefully playing a full season next year. I

493
00:25:57,480 --> 00:25:59,560
Speaker 2: think he's gonna DH most of the time because just

494
00:25:59,600 --> 00:26:01,879
Speaker 2: trimsk is just better and left than he is. But

495
00:26:02,680 --> 00:26:05,199
Speaker 2: that's not a small deal to have Profar, you know,

496
00:26:05,280 --> 00:26:07,400
Speaker 2: for most of the season. Obviously, it's not a small

497
00:26:07,440 --> 00:26:09,199
Speaker 2: deal to have a Kunya most of the season. So

498
00:26:09,240 --> 00:26:11,159
Speaker 2: they got to stay healthy and then all you know,

499
00:26:11,240 --> 00:26:13,879
Speaker 2: then obviously Austin is the is the wild card, but yeah,

500
00:26:14,080 --> 00:26:17,280
Speaker 2: there's potential. I just love how they have protected their

501
00:26:17,320 --> 00:26:19,399
Speaker 2: floor a lot more than they had last year, and

502
00:26:19,440 --> 00:26:21,760
Speaker 2: some of it wasn't their fault. You don't know that

503
00:26:21,800 --> 00:26:24,639
Speaker 2: Profar is gonna get popped for an eighty game suspension.

504
00:26:25,119 --> 00:26:28,120
Speaker 2: You know, you had no idea that they were hoping

505
00:26:28,160 --> 00:26:29,879
Speaker 2: Jared Kelnick would be better than he was. They had

506
00:26:29,880 --> 00:26:31,720
Speaker 2: no idea he was gonna be like out of baseball.

507
00:26:33,160 --> 00:26:35,840
Speaker 2: You know, they could have spent more money last offseason,

508
00:26:35,840 --> 00:26:39,359
Speaker 2: of course, But yeah, having those guys back is gonna

509
00:26:39,400 --> 00:26:41,680
Speaker 2: matter a lot. I don't know if any of it's

510
00:26:41,680 --> 00:26:44,400
Speaker 2: gonna matter as much as getting MVP level Austin Riley

511
00:26:44,480 --> 00:26:46,000
Speaker 2: back in the middle of the order, though, especially now

512
00:26:46,000 --> 00:26:48,320
Speaker 2: that you were assuming they're not gonna bring a Zuno back.

513
00:26:48,320 --> 00:26:51,119
Speaker 2: I guess that's not technically one hundred percent. But you

514
00:26:51,160 --> 00:26:54,399
Speaker 2: know you're not gonna have that fifty, you know, forty

515
00:26:54,440 --> 00:26:56,640
Speaker 2: five fifty home or bat in the middle the way

516
00:26:56,680 --> 00:26:58,879
Speaker 2: you have the last few years. You really need that

517
00:26:59,000 --> 00:27:02,040
Speaker 2: to be Austin, especially for the right side against lefties,

518
00:27:02,480 --> 00:27:05,920
Speaker 2: you need Austin to take that role. So Austin Riley's

519
00:27:06,119 --> 00:27:07,760
Speaker 2: I mean, Austin Rally's just got to be the X

520
00:27:07,800 --> 00:27:09,480
Speaker 2: factor of this team if he comes, if he goes

521
00:27:09,520 --> 00:27:11,879
Speaker 2: back to twenty twenty two, Austin Riley, this could be

522
00:27:11,920 --> 00:27:14,439
Speaker 2: the best offense in baseball. It really could.

523
00:27:15,160 --> 00:27:18,720
Speaker 1: There is just so much variance with this group and

524
00:27:19,280 --> 00:27:23,879
Speaker 1: a higher floor. Yes, absolutely, and I still think, in

525
00:27:23,880 --> 00:27:26,800
Speaker 1: my heart of hearts, I think Austin Riley can bounce back. Yeah,

526
00:27:27,320 --> 00:27:30,720
Speaker 1: I don't think Michael Harris is in the final, you know,

527
00:27:30,920 --> 00:27:33,600
Speaker 1: twelve months of him being a useful major league player,

528
00:27:33,880 --> 00:27:36,160
Speaker 1: I have to think all the talent is gonna eventually

529
00:27:36,160 --> 00:27:40,159
Speaker 1: went out and maybe he's never the Seven War MVP

530
00:27:40,400 --> 00:27:43,359
Speaker 1: candidate that Michael Harris looked like he might be as

531
00:27:43,440 --> 00:27:45,639
Speaker 1: the Rookie of the Year a few years ago. But

532
00:27:45,760 --> 00:27:48,600
Speaker 1: at least being like an average hitter with a gold

533
00:27:48,600 --> 00:27:51,520
Speaker 1: Glove in center field and can run the bases that

534
00:27:51,560 --> 00:27:52,560
Speaker 1: would be huge.

535
00:27:52,560 --> 00:27:54,160
Speaker 2: For this team.

536
00:27:54,359 --> 00:27:56,479
Speaker 1: All right, Stephen, let's take another quick break. But then

537
00:27:56,520 --> 00:27:58,720
Speaker 1: let's talk about the pitching staff. We've talked about it

538
00:27:58,800 --> 00:28:01,320
Speaker 1: quite a bit this offseason, the rotation and the bullpen.

539
00:28:01,600 --> 00:28:06,880
Speaker 1: Quick word from our partners. All right, Stephen, let's talk

540
00:28:06,880 --> 00:28:09,359
Speaker 1: about the rotation, and we have talked about the rotation

541
00:28:09,560 --> 00:28:13,840
Speaker 1: a lot this offseason. But it's the week between Christmas

542
00:28:13,880 --> 00:28:16,399
Speaker 1: and New Year's. Let's do it one more time, and

543
00:28:16,400 --> 00:28:18,639
Speaker 1: who knows, maybe the Braves will add a starting pitcher

544
00:28:19,000 --> 00:28:22,760
Speaker 1: in the Connects couple of weeks. We know that if healthy,

545
00:28:23,280 --> 00:28:28,119
Speaker 1: we feel good. Chris Sale, Spencer Schwallenbach, Spencer Strider that

546
00:28:28,280 --> 00:28:33,000
Speaker 1: is locked in one, two, three at present, my guest

547
00:28:33,040 --> 00:28:36,520
Speaker 1: would be Ronaldo Lopez would be your four. And because

548
00:28:36,520 --> 00:28:39,000
Speaker 1: he is out of options and the Braves clearly like him,

549
00:28:39,560 --> 00:28:42,360
Speaker 1: I think Bryce Elder would be the five to start

550
00:28:42,400 --> 00:28:46,080
Speaker 1: the year. That's just my opinion. Hirston Waldrip has options.

551
00:28:46,120 --> 00:28:49,280
Speaker 1: Bryce Elder does not, and for whatever reason, this team,

552
00:28:49,760 --> 00:28:52,840
Speaker 1: because of probably his reliability and durability, even if it's

553
00:28:52,880 --> 00:28:56,320
Speaker 1: not necessarily good production, you can count on Bryce to

554
00:28:56,360 --> 00:29:00,200
Speaker 1: eat innings. And we know that Alex values depth. That

555
00:29:00,320 --> 00:29:04,520
Speaker 1: rotation is not exactly great. I think it would look

556
00:29:05,080 --> 00:29:08,240
Speaker 1: so much better with one more arm added so you

557
00:29:08,240 --> 00:29:10,880
Speaker 1: could get Elder out. I actually think Bryce might have

558
00:29:10,920 --> 00:29:14,360
Speaker 1: a future as a decent middle reliever if he knew

559
00:29:14,360 --> 00:29:16,440
Speaker 1: he could ramp up his velocity for an inning or

560
00:29:16,480 --> 00:29:20,920
Speaker 1: two at a time. But let that aside. This rotation.

561
00:29:21,000 --> 00:29:21,880
Speaker 1: Where are you at with it?

562
00:29:22,560 --> 00:29:25,080
Speaker 2: So are you putting Holmes? Do you think Holmes is

563
00:29:26,040 --> 00:29:28,440
Speaker 2: more bullpen down at the moment? Is that what you're thinking?

564
00:29:29,240 --> 00:29:31,600
Speaker 1: That would be my guess. I will also believe that

565
00:29:31,680 --> 00:29:35,280
Speaker 1: elbow is healthy when he makes it through two months

566
00:29:35,280 --> 00:29:37,920
Speaker 1: of spring training and the game start. I hope. So

567
00:29:38,320 --> 00:29:40,760
Speaker 1: I love Grant Holmes, but my guess is, yes, if

568
00:29:40,760 --> 00:29:42,520
Speaker 1: I had to put money on it, he's either going

569
00:29:42,560 --> 00:29:44,360
Speaker 1: to be injured or in the bullpen.

570
00:29:45,960 --> 00:29:50,360
Speaker 2: Yeah, it's so tough to have guys who don't have options,

571
00:29:50,880 --> 00:29:54,520
Speaker 2: who don't have a clear spot. Because Joey wentz Is

572
00:29:55,600 --> 00:29:59,160
Speaker 2: is in that same boat of could be useful, but

573
00:29:59,520 --> 00:30:02,200
Speaker 2: you can't him into Gwinnett. So either gonna put him

574
00:30:02,200 --> 00:30:03,920
Speaker 2: in the bullpen? What do you do? I think WinCE

575
00:30:04,000 --> 00:30:06,200
Speaker 2: is actually probably gonna be in the bullpen, But yeah,

576
00:30:06,200 --> 00:30:09,040
Speaker 2: the rotation is I mean, a lot of it's gonna

577
00:30:09,040 --> 00:30:11,280
Speaker 2: come down to Schwallenbach, A lot of it's gonna come

578
00:30:11,320 --> 00:30:14,200
Speaker 2: down to Strider. I'm supremely confident as long as he

579
00:30:14,240 --> 00:30:16,520
Speaker 2: say out the Chris Sale is gonna be awesome, because

580
00:30:16,560 --> 00:30:18,840
Speaker 2: he's always been awesome as long as he's been healthy.

581
00:30:19,720 --> 00:30:22,080
Speaker 2: After that, I have a lot of questions, which is

582
00:30:22,080 --> 00:30:24,160
Speaker 2: why I want to get another starter, and we've talked

583
00:30:24,200 --> 00:30:26,560
Speaker 2: about that at nauseum because I have no idea what

584
00:30:26,640 --> 00:30:28,560
Speaker 2: you I have no clue what we're gonna get from

585
00:30:28,560 --> 00:30:31,360
Speaker 2: Spencer Strider. I have no clue a is he gonna

586
00:30:31,360 --> 00:30:34,120
Speaker 2: stay healthy, because that's not It's never been a given

587
00:30:34,160 --> 00:30:37,400
Speaker 2: for him. But now we've added this another layer of

588
00:30:37,440 --> 00:30:41,240
Speaker 2: even if he is healthy, what's Spencer Strider you're gonna get?

589
00:30:41,520 --> 00:30:45,080
Speaker 2: And we just don't know. And there's just so many

590
00:30:45,280 --> 00:30:47,640
Speaker 2: You want to talk about variants, I mean, the lineup

591
00:30:47,640 --> 00:30:50,440
Speaker 2: has tons of variants. The bullpen, I mean, the rotation

592
00:30:50,600 --> 00:30:53,040
Speaker 2: has got maybe twice as much variance as the is

593
00:30:53,080 --> 00:30:58,480
Speaker 2: the lineup does because like Spencer Swallenbach broke his elbow

594
00:31:00,160 --> 00:31:02,920
Speaker 2: according to him, because of this increased velocity, well, does

595
00:31:02,960 --> 00:31:05,960
Speaker 2: he have to now come back and throw with less velocity.

596
00:31:05,960 --> 00:31:07,280
Speaker 2: What is that going to do to his stuff? What

597
00:31:07,320 --> 00:31:08,720
Speaker 2: is that going to do to his production? I have

598
00:31:08,840 --> 00:31:11,960
Speaker 2: no idea. Is that the reason he broke the elbow

599
00:31:12,040 --> 00:31:14,480
Speaker 2: or is it something else? Is he you know, how

600
00:31:14,520 --> 00:31:17,200
Speaker 2: healthy is he? We have no idea. Ronaldo Lopez just

601
00:31:17,240 --> 00:31:20,600
Speaker 2: missed an entire season with a shoulder issue. What is

602
00:31:20,600 --> 00:31:22,120
Speaker 2: he going to look like? We have no idea. Grant

603
00:31:22,160 --> 00:31:27,440
Speaker 2: Holmes has pending like Tommy John level concern on his

604
00:31:27,480 --> 00:31:30,479
Speaker 2: elbow that you were just talking about. You know, they

605
00:31:30,520 --> 00:31:33,440
Speaker 2: say he's healthy now, but what is that worth? Like,

606
00:31:33,800 --> 00:31:36,080
Speaker 2: there's no way he's ramping up or pitching at the

607
00:31:36,120 --> 00:31:39,840
Speaker 2: level that he will become February. So there's just so

608
00:31:40,000 --> 00:31:43,920
Speaker 2: many questions after Chris Sale, and listen, Chris Sale's thirty

609
00:31:44,240 --> 00:31:47,280
Speaker 2: six years old, and is you know, has a long

610
00:31:47,360 --> 00:31:49,720
Speaker 2: injury history. It's mostly freak stuff, but even he is

611
00:31:50,080 --> 00:31:55,440
Speaker 2: a certain level of uncertainty I have. That's why I

612
00:31:55,480 --> 00:31:59,560
Speaker 2: desperately want another starter, just because that's too many questions.

613
00:32:00,160 --> 00:32:05,000
Speaker 2: Every rotation has injury questions. The Braves have another level

614
00:32:05,240 --> 00:32:07,200
Speaker 2: of injury. I mean their entire rotation was on the

615
00:32:07,240 --> 00:32:09,480
Speaker 2: sixty al at one point last year. That's not even

616
00:32:09,480 --> 00:32:11,680
Speaker 2: mentioning A J. Smith Schaal who's coming back from actual

617
00:32:11,720 --> 00:32:15,520
Speaker 2: Tommy John surgery. Yes, they have Waldrop, but again Elder

618
00:32:15,560 --> 00:32:18,120
Speaker 2: doesn't have options. Wins doesn't have options. These other guys

619
00:32:18,160 --> 00:32:21,080
Speaker 2: are really young, unproven. I know they have talent, the miners,

620
00:32:21,080 --> 00:32:25,440
Speaker 2: but it's unproven. It's very young. You need another starter.

621
00:32:26,040 --> 00:32:29,200
Speaker 2: The names sound good, and the production can be good,

622
00:32:29,400 --> 00:32:33,120
Speaker 2: but it's so many questions, and you have to assume

623
00:32:33,160 --> 00:32:36,200
Speaker 2: that a couple of those are gonna be answered poorly,

624
00:32:36,720 --> 00:32:39,080
Speaker 2: Like you just have to assume that. Like I don't

625
00:32:39,080 --> 00:32:40,920
Speaker 2: know that Grant Holmes is gonna be healthy. I don't

626
00:32:40,920 --> 00:32:42,280
Speaker 2: know if we're not a little bit it's gonna be healthy.

627
00:32:42,280 --> 00:32:44,800
Speaker 2: I don't know if Spincher, Swallenbacker, Spincer Strider gonna be healthy.

628
00:32:45,200 --> 00:32:46,920
Speaker 2: My guess is some of those guys will be and

629
00:32:47,000 --> 00:32:49,600
Speaker 2: some won't. So you have to kind of assume that,

630
00:32:49,920 --> 00:32:52,720
Speaker 2: and you need another starter. In my opinion, the names

631
00:32:52,720 --> 00:32:56,320
Speaker 2: sound good, the production, the track records look good, but

632
00:32:56,760 --> 00:32:59,200
Speaker 2: the number of health questions they have just built in

633
00:32:59,600 --> 00:33:01,800
Speaker 2: A starter would go a long way.

634
00:33:03,000 --> 00:33:05,520
Speaker 1: And if you want to build a bear case here,

635
00:33:06,720 --> 00:33:11,280
Speaker 1: Hurst and Waldrip made ten starts. Whenever I mentioned the rotation.

636
00:33:11,600 --> 00:33:13,680
Speaker 1: I see a lot of people just putting his name

637
00:33:13,720 --> 00:33:18,040
Speaker 1: in pen as if he's I'm not there. I think

638
00:33:18,080 --> 00:33:21,320
Speaker 1: Waldrop can be a totally fine third fourth starter in

639
00:33:21,360 --> 00:33:23,720
Speaker 1: the majors. But we have to pump the brakes a

640
00:33:23,760 --> 00:33:27,840
Speaker 1: little bit. Yes, I mean we as a collective have

641
00:33:27,960 --> 00:33:31,560
Speaker 1: had our hearts broken by young starting pitching over the

642
00:33:31,680 --> 00:33:34,960
Speaker 1: last decade. For all of the winning the Braves have done,

643
00:33:35,080 --> 00:33:39,280
Speaker 1: god knows, we've seen young talented, promising pitchers come up,

644
00:33:39,520 --> 00:33:42,400
Speaker 1: look really good and then get hurt or just not

645
00:33:42,480 --> 00:33:45,640
Speaker 1: take that next step. They'll be more scout on Waldrip.

646
00:33:45,760 --> 00:33:48,720
Speaker 1: Hitters will see him, they'll be more video. So every

647
00:33:48,760 --> 00:33:51,120
Speaker 1: time I mentioned Waldrip as hey, he might open up

648
00:33:51,120 --> 00:33:54,480
Speaker 1: in Gwinett. From a roster crunch perspective, some people like

649
00:33:54,600 --> 00:33:57,680
Speaker 1: lose their minds at that. And sure, if I needed

650
00:33:57,680 --> 00:34:00,000
Speaker 1: the Braves to win one game tomorrow, I would say

651
00:34:00,160 --> 00:34:04,600
Speaker 1: Kirston Waldrip over Bryce Elder, no questions asked. But we

652
00:34:04,640 --> 00:34:06,600
Speaker 1: also have to pump the brakes just a little bit

653
00:34:06,680 --> 00:34:09,400
Speaker 1: and realize this is a very young kid who up

654
00:34:09,480 --> 00:34:13,080
Speaker 1: until June of last season looked like he might be

655
00:34:13,080 --> 00:34:15,719
Speaker 1: become a reliever eventually for this team. And then he

656
00:34:15,760 --> 00:34:18,320
Speaker 1: made some adjustments and looked really good down the stretch

657
00:34:18,320 --> 00:34:21,279
Speaker 1: in August and September, But not a guarantee by any

658
00:34:21,320 --> 00:34:24,440
Speaker 1: means that Waldrop is just a lock to make thirty

659
00:34:24,480 --> 00:34:25,960
Speaker 1: starts with a mid three e er.

660
00:34:27,480 --> 00:34:30,160
Speaker 2: Oh yeah. And it was a fluke that he was

661
00:34:30,200 --> 00:34:33,080
Speaker 2: even in Atlanta to have that research. Like the only

662
00:34:33,120 --> 00:34:36,480
Speaker 2: reason he even got to Atlanta was because the speedway

663
00:34:36,520 --> 00:34:39,360
Speaker 2: game got rained out and Spencer started getting pitch it

664
00:34:39,800 --> 00:34:41,920
Speaker 2: and he had and he was the only guy available,

665
00:34:42,280 --> 00:34:44,440
Speaker 2: and to drive him up and pitch the next day

666
00:34:44,440 --> 00:34:47,200
Speaker 2: at the speedway, and he looks so damn good that

667
00:34:47,239 --> 00:34:48,759
Speaker 2: they gave him another start, and then they gave him

668
00:34:48,760 --> 00:34:49,200
Speaker 2: another start.

669
00:34:49,200 --> 00:34:49,520
Speaker 1: But that was it.

670
00:34:49,560 --> 00:34:52,200
Speaker 2: I mean, he wasn't pitching great at Gwinett when that

671
00:34:52,320 --> 00:34:54,440
Speaker 2: all went down either anyway he was, I mean, he

672
00:34:54,480 --> 00:34:57,520
Speaker 2: was just a guy available, So one hundred percent we

673
00:34:57,560 --> 00:34:59,000
Speaker 2: got to pump the brakes on the Walter. And he

674
00:34:59,040 --> 00:35:00,960
Speaker 2: should not, in any way, shape or form, be the

675
00:35:00,960 --> 00:35:04,120
Speaker 2: reason you don't acquire a starter, especially when he has options,

676
00:35:04,600 --> 00:35:06,400
Speaker 2: Like that's the last guy that should be standing in

677
00:35:06,440 --> 00:35:08,719
Speaker 2: the way of improvements. You want to tell me that

678
00:35:08,760 --> 00:35:11,440
Speaker 2: you don't want to do improvements because of Ronaldo Lopez

679
00:35:11,520 --> 00:35:13,680
Speaker 2: or Grant Holmes. All right, I'll listen to that a

680
00:35:13,719 --> 00:35:16,040
Speaker 2: little bit. But a guy with options should not ever

681
00:35:16,080 --> 00:35:19,520
Speaker 2: stand in the way of improvements, and guys who have

682
00:35:19,560 --> 00:35:21,960
Speaker 2: injury histories the way Grant Holmes and Ronaldo Lopez and

683
00:35:22,000 --> 00:35:24,960
Speaker 2: Spencer Strider and Chris Sale have should also not stand

684
00:35:24,960 --> 00:35:29,719
Speaker 2: in the way of improvements. So, yeah, the Braves have

685
00:35:29,840 --> 00:35:32,200
Speaker 2: a decent amount of pitching depth, but it is not enough,

686
00:35:32,239 --> 00:35:34,560
Speaker 2: and it is it is nowhere close to certain enough

687
00:35:34,920 --> 00:35:37,400
Speaker 2: where they should just be out on any starter. And

688
00:35:37,440 --> 00:35:41,000
Speaker 2: I don't think they are that. This is some fans

689
00:35:41,040 --> 00:35:43,120
Speaker 2: that are taking I don't think the team is thinking

690
00:35:43,160 --> 00:35:45,920
Speaker 2: like that. I think the team very much understands the

691
00:35:45,960 --> 00:35:48,640
Speaker 2: point that we're making, agrees with the point we're making,

692
00:35:48,640 --> 00:35:51,840
Speaker 2: and wants a starter. It's just very expensive. It's just

693
00:35:51,840 --> 00:35:54,200
Speaker 2: the most expensive thing to get because everybody needs it.

694
00:35:54,400 --> 00:35:56,440
Speaker 2: Not everybody needs a left field or not everybody needs

695
00:35:56,440 --> 00:35:59,319
Speaker 2: a DH not everybody needs a catcher. Everybody needs more

696
00:35:59,400 --> 00:36:03,200
Speaker 2: starting pitching, everybody needs more bullpen. It's just extremely expensive

697
00:36:03,239 --> 00:36:06,000
Speaker 2: to get. So we'll see, we'll see if they'll be

698
00:36:06,040 --> 00:36:06,480
Speaker 2: able to do.

699
00:36:06,440 --> 00:36:10,400
Speaker 1: It, and hopefully it's still fresh in the back of

700
00:36:10,440 --> 00:36:13,120
Speaker 1: all these minds that just a couple of years ago,

701
00:36:13,400 --> 00:36:19,680
Speaker 1: Bryce Elder started Game three of the NLDS in Philadelphia,

702
00:36:20,040 --> 00:36:23,680
Speaker 1: and a year later A. J. Smith Shaver started Game

703
00:36:23,800 --> 00:36:28,400
Speaker 1: one of a best of three in San Diego. And

704
00:36:28,440 --> 00:36:31,000
Speaker 1: I know there was circumstance. There was the hurricane that

705
00:36:31,080 --> 00:36:33,720
Speaker 1: made the Braves play like six games in four days

706
00:36:33,800 --> 00:36:36,279
Speaker 1: or whatever it was, and it was miserable, and in

707
00:36:36,320 --> 00:36:40,360
Speaker 1: normal circumstances that would not have happened. But we've seen

708
00:36:40,480 --> 00:36:42,879
Speaker 1: and not only do you need that depth today? Sure,

709
00:36:43,000 --> 00:36:45,239
Speaker 1: maybe if you want to be really optimistic and go

710
00:36:45,600 --> 00:36:48,240
Speaker 1: Sale and Schwellenbach and Strider, they're going to be mostly

711
00:36:48,239 --> 00:36:51,080
Speaker 1: healthy and either Lopez or Holmes are going to be

712
00:36:51,120 --> 00:36:54,280
Speaker 1: mostly healthy, and they have JR. Ritchie waiting in the rings,

713
00:36:54,280 --> 00:36:56,879
Speaker 1: and maybe Diddy or Fuentes can come back. But then

714
00:36:56,960 --> 00:36:59,120
Speaker 1: you got to get to October, and then you have

715
00:36:59,160 --> 00:37:00,799
Speaker 1: to have two or three guys you feel good about

716
00:37:00,840 --> 00:37:03,560
Speaker 1: in October to get you to where the Braves ultimately

717
00:37:03,600 --> 00:37:05,880
Speaker 1: want to go to the World Series. That's just not

718
00:37:05,920 --> 00:37:07,759
Speaker 1: a risk I'm willing to take. It's not a risk

719
00:37:07,800 --> 00:37:09,680
Speaker 1: you're willing to take. I don't think it's a risk

720
00:37:09,719 --> 00:37:12,840
Speaker 1: the front office is hoping to take unless the starting

721
00:37:12,880 --> 00:37:16,640
Speaker 1: pitching market just goes completely sideways, where you know, franber

722
00:37:16,719 --> 00:37:19,640
Speaker 1: Valdez gets two hundred and ten million dollars like Dylan

723
00:37:19,680 --> 00:37:22,719
Speaker 1: Sees did, and Ranger Suarez gets a six year deal

724
00:37:22,719 --> 00:37:24,879
Speaker 1: as a guy who barely breaks ninety miles an hour,

725
00:37:25,400 --> 00:37:28,040
Speaker 1: that I would sure still hope they would find somebody

726
00:37:28,040 --> 00:37:30,280
Speaker 1: to add to the rotation, either in trade or whatever

727
00:37:30,320 --> 00:37:32,640
Speaker 1: they have to do. But it's just you can never

728
00:37:32,719 --> 00:37:35,440
Speaker 1: have enough starting pitching. And there's enough questions about this

729
00:37:35,520 --> 00:37:37,840
Speaker 1: group that I think we're on the same page.

730
00:37:39,160 --> 00:37:41,719
Speaker 2: And now those are enough questions, there's enough built in

731
00:37:41,880 --> 00:37:45,960
Speaker 2: versatility with Holmes and Lopez being able to pitch out

732
00:37:45,960 --> 00:37:48,319
Speaker 2: of the bullpen that even if you get to a

733
00:37:48,360 --> 00:37:51,319
Speaker 2: situation where some miracle has happened and most of these

734
00:37:51,320 --> 00:37:54,440
Speaker 2: guys are healthy, you have you can find ways to

735
00:37:54,600 --> 00:37:57,520
Speaker 2: use all of them throughout the season. Go to a

736
00:37:57,560 --> 00:38:00,680
Speaker 2: six man rotation, limit everybody's innings, and try to get

737
00:38:00,680 --> 00:38:03,439
Speaker 2: everybody to October. That's what the Dodgers did last year. Listen,

738
00:38:03,560 --> 00:38:06,160
Speaker 2: nobody can spend like the Dodgers. But I don't want

739
00:38:06,160 --> 00:38:08,560
Speaker 2: people to look at the Dodgers' roster and just say, oh, well,

740
00:38:08,600 --> 00:38:11,000
Speaker 2: they can spend more money in anybody. There's nothing to

741
00:38:11,080 --> 00:38:14,279
Speaker 2: learn from them. That's short sighted. You should be able

742
00:38:14,360 --> 00:38:17,080
Speaker 2: to see that the Dodgers had like thirteen starting pitchers

743
00:38:17,160 --> 00:38:19,879
Speaker 2: last year, they didn't have any of them. I don't

744
00:38:19,880 --> 00:38:21,200
Speaker 2: have it in front of me. I guarantee you the

745
00:38:21,239 --> 00:38:23,279
Speaker 2: Dodgers didn't have a single pitcher pitch more than like

746
00:38:23,320 --> 00:38:25,640
Speaker 2: one hundred and forty innings last year. And what they

747
00:38:25,640 --> 00:38:27,040
Speaker 2: did was they were able to get all of them

748
00:38:27,120 --> 00:38:30,280
Speaker 2: to October healthy and then use them all different ways.

749
00:38:30,960 --> 00:38:34,040
Speaker 2: Tyler Glast was pitching on the bullpen, Soasaki became their closer.

750
00:38:34,400 --> 00:38:37,040
Speaker 2: Ya'm a moso a tany pitched like once every ten days,

751
00:38:37,040 --> 00:38:40,919
Speaker 2: but when he pitched, he was awesome. Like, you can

752
00:38:41,040 --> 00:38:44,000
Speaker 2: use the versatility that you have on your roster with

753
00:38:44,080 --> 00:38:46,680
Speaker 2: Holmes and Lopez being able to pitch on the bullpen

754
00:38:47,440 --> 00:38:49,759
Speaker 2: to move guys around. If you do get to a

755
00:38:49,840 --> 00:38:52,640
Speaker 2: situation where everybody's healthy, go to a six man rotation.

756
00:38:53,239 --> 00:38:56,240
Speaker 2: Keep Chris Sale as healthy as you can by limiting

757
00:38:56,280 --> 00:38:59,560
Speaker 2: in his innings. Like, there's ways to do it. You

758
00:38:59,600 --> 00:39:02,160
Speaker 2: don't have to say, well, we got five guys, there's

759
00:39:02,200 --> 00:39:04,880
Speaker 2: nothing we can do Like that's just short sighted and

760
00:39:04,920 --> 00:39:08,440
Speaker 2: it's being unimaginative and it's being you know, it's lacking

761
00:39:08,480 --> 00:39:12,120
Speaker 2: creativity when there's very clearly versatility on the roster. Go

762
00:39:12,120 --> 00:39:16,279
Speaker 2: get another starter and help everybody gets October healthy. That

763
00:39:16,400 --> 00:39:18,800
Speaker 2: is the only goal. The whole point right now is

764
00:39:18,840 --> 00:39:21,200
Speaker 2: to win a World Series. I don't care about divisions,

765
00:39:21,360 --> 00:39:23,279
Speaker 2: don't I don't care about any of that. The whole

766
00:39:23,320 --> 00:39:25,839
Speaker 2: goal is to get to October and to win it.

767
00:39:26,080 --> 00:39:28,640
Speaker 2: And to do that you got to get a critical

768
00:39:28,640 --> 00:39:30,960
Speaker 2: mass of that pitching healthy. And the only way to

769
00:39:31,000 --> 00:39:33,120
Speaker 2: do that, in my opinion, especially with all the health

770
00:39:33,440 --> 00:39:37,520
Speaker 2: concerns around the rotation, is to throw numbers at the problem.

771
00:39:37,880 --> 00:39:41,040
Speaker 2: Throw numbers. It's a six to seven month marathon to

772
00:39:41,080 --> 00:39:43,080
Speaker 2: get there. You gotta throw numbers at the problem. You

773
00:39:43,120 --> 00:39:45,000
Speaker 2: can't have Chris Sale pitch in one hundred and ninety

774
00:39:45,040 --> 00:39:47,920
Speaker 2: innings and spenc your Swallobot pitch one hundred and eighty innings.

775
00:39:48,320 --> 00:39:50,560
Speaker 2: I don't want to do that. Let's use some depth

776
00:39:51,040 --> 00:39:55,440
Speaker 2: and collectively gets October and then finally maybe see the

777
00:39:55,480 --> 00:39:59,720
Speaker 2: actual full capability of this team in an October playoff.

778
00:39:59,360 --> 00:40:02,879
Speaker 1: Series and guess what we want the Braves to get

779
00:40:02,880 --> 00:40:05,760
Speaker 1: back to the World Series guess which team they're probably

780
00:40:05,760 --> 00:40:07,480
Speaker 1: going to have to go through in order to get

781
00:40:07,480 --> 00:40:10,560
Speaker 1: to the world seats. Exactly, the Dodgers, who are going

782
00:40:10,600 --> 00:40:13,279
Speaker 1: to be rolling out three hundred million dollars pitchers in

783
00:40:13,320 --> 00:40:18,800
Speaker 1: their bullpen in Game four. Go at somebody, Go at somebody,

784
00:40:19,400 --> 00:40:21,560
Speaker 1: all right, Stephen. One final quick break and then we're

785
00:40:21,560 --> 00:40:27,040
Speaker 1: going to talk about the bullpen. All right, Stephen, Let's

786
00:40:27,200 --> 00:40:29,359
Speaker 1: kind of breeze through this bullpen, because I think if

787
00:40:29,400 --> 00:40:33,000
Speaker 1: there's one area on this roster that's probably going to

788
00:40:33,040 --> 00:40:36,719
Speaker 1: get a little more infusing, infusing of talent or at

789
00:40:36,800 --> 00:40:39,840
Speaker 1: least depth in the next few weeks, might be the bullpen.

790
00:40:40,760 --> 00:40:42,960
Speaker 1: I feel really good about the eighth and nine innings,

791
00:40:43,160 --> 00:40:46,160
Speaker 1: as good as you can feel with Suarez and Iglesias

792
00:40:46,200 --> 00:40:49,200
Speaker 1: out there, and I feel good about Dylan Lee assuming

793
00:40:49,239 --> 00:40:53,760
Speaker 1: he's healthy. For me, that's kind of where the guarantees stop.

794
00:40:55,880 --> 00:40:57,600
Speaker 1: I don't know, I mean, where are you at with

795
00:40:57,680 --> 00:41:01,520
Speaker 1: this bullpen. It's it's somehow both a good bullpen late,

796
00:41:01,719 --> 00:41:03,880
Speaker 1: but getting to the eighth and ninth innings might be

797
00:41:03,960 --> 00:41:05,120
Speaker 1: somewhat of an adventure.

798
00:41:05,880 --> 00:41:09,480
Speaker 2: I'm stuck in between. I'm kind of up two minds

799
00:41:09,480 --> 00:41:11,960
Speaker 2: of the bullpen, where I want them to add depth,

800
00:41:11,960 --> 00:41:13,640
Speaker 2: but I don't want them to spend any more money

801
00:41:13,640 --> 00:41:17,320
Speaker 2: on the bullpen because I want them to spend money.

802
00:41:17,800 --> 00:41:19,560
Speaker 2: I want them to continue to spend money. I just

803
00:41:19,560 --> 00:41:22,279
Speaker 2: wanted to be on the rotation because again, I think

804
00:41:22,320 --> 00:41:24,480
Speaker 2: you can be creative with some of your starters if

805
00:41:24,480 --> 00:41:29,080
Speaker 2: everyone's healthy, to help the bullpen. Like i've I'm a

806
00:41:29,120 --> 00:41:31,520
Speaker 2: big fan of the idea of putting Ronaldo Lopez at

807
00:41:31,560 --> 00:41:34,120
Speaker 2: the end with these these two closers that you've acquired

808
00:41:34,520 --> 00:41:38,080
Speaker 2: are signed along with Dylan Lee and just having a

809
00:41:38,160 --> 00:41:42,680
Speaker 2: nasty like top four. But yeah, like depth wise, it's

810
00:41:42,719 --> 00:41:45,520
Speaker 2: probably not great. It depends on how you view like

811
00:41:45,920 --> 00:41:48,960
Speaker 2: Joe pie Amps right, it's kind of it depends on

812
00:41:48,960 --> 00:41:51,799
Speaker 2: how you view Aaron Bummer. How does wat Wise view

813
00:41:51,840 --> 00:41:54,600
Speaker 2: Aaron Bummer is a question I would love an answer

814
00:41:54,680 --> 00:41:56,879
Speaker 2: to because I know how Brian Sticker viewed him, which

815
00:41:56,920 --> 00:41:59,400
Speaker 2: was he didn't love him. Are the brave you know

816
00:41:59,440 --> 00:42:02,160
Speaker 2: we've heard with the Bridges are shopping Aaron Bummer. It's

817
00:42:02,200 --> 00:42:05,000
Speaker 2: not a stunning development. I mean, we've we've said all

818
00:42:05,040 --> 00:42:07,919
Speaker 2: off season they would probably love to reallocate his ten

819
00:42:07,920 --> 00:42:11,239
Speaker 2: million dollars somewhere else, which I would agree with. But

820
00:42:11,320 --> 00:42:14,120
Speaker 2: the wild card of it all is Joejimenez, because if

821
00:42:14,160 --> 00:42:16,880
Speaker 2: he's back, then all of a sudden, the back the

822
00:42:16,920 --> 00:42:21,360
Speaker 2: middle of the bullpen looks much stronger. But we have

823
00:42:21,480 --> 00:42:24,479
Speaker 2: given they have as optimistic if they have been about

824
00:42:24,520 --> 00:42:27,520
Speaker 2: like Rinaldo Lopez and Grant Holmes, is as pretty much

825
00:42:27,560 --> 00:42:31,200
Speaker 2: pessimistic as they've been about Joe Jimenez, if we're being honest.

826
00:42:31,719 --> 00:42:33,560
Speaker 2: So I think as we sit here today, we kind

827
00:42:33,560 --> 00:42:36,279
Speaker 2: of have to assume he might not be a part

828
00:42:36,280 --> 00:42:38,200
Speaker 2: of the equation, and if you get anything from him,

829
00:42:38,200 --> 00:42:42,879
Speaker 2: then nuts and bonus. So I would love like one

830
00:42:42,920 --> 00:42:45,640
Speaker 2: more proven like I would love Pierce Johnson back on

831
00:42:45,680 --> 00:42:48,040
Speaker 2: like a five million dollar deal. I don't think I

832
00:42:48,080 --> 00:42:50,480
Speaker 2: want anything like crazy, though, because I want them to

833
00:42:50,480 --> 00:42:52,399
Speaker 2: spend money at the rotation. I don't know I could

834
00:42:52,400 --> 00:42:54,720
Speaker 2: be talked into a lot. I think they have enough talent.

835
00:42:56,560 --> 00:42:58,799
Speaker 2: Some of it's gonna have to be from guys maybe

836
00:42:58,840 --> 00:43:02,480
Speaker 2: you weren't expecting. But if you add a starter, then

837
00:43:02,520 --> 00:43:04,440
Speaker 2: you can move one or two of those starters to

838
00:43:04,480 --> 00:43:06,040
Speaker 2: the bullpen, and all of a sudden, the bullpen looks

839
00:43:06,120 --> 00:43:09,040
Speaker 2: much better. So you know, it's all connected, of course

840
00:43:09,080 --> 00:43:11,720
Speaker 2: to the rotation. But I feel okay about the bullpen.

841
00:43:11,800 --> 00:43:14,080
Speaker 2: I'm not signing these two guys at the end makes

842
00:43:14,120 --> 00:43:16,960
Speaker 2: me feel tremendously better than I felt at the beginning

843
00:43:17,000 --> 00:43:19,400
Speaker 2: of the off season. The middle guys might have to

844
00:43:19,440 --> 00:43:22,359
Speaker 2: be internal options or a couple of these starters moved over.

845
00:43:23,920 --> 00:43:26,920
Speaker 1: I feel okay about this bullpen. I do agree. I

846
00:43:26,960 --> 00:43:30,560
Speaker 1: think a reunion with Pierce Johnson sounds good, or even

847
00:43:30,600 --> 00:43:33,760
Speaker 1: Tyler Kinley if money is tight. Let's say the Braves

848
00:43:33,760 --> 00:43:35,960
Speaker 1: do go at a starter and they still have a

849
00:43:36,000 --> 00:43:38,359
Speaker 1: little bit of money. Maybe Kinley you could bring back

850
00:43:38,440 --> 00:43:42,160
Speaker 1: for four million dollars next season. And there's also probably

851
00:43:42,160 --> 00:43:45,600
Speaker 1: a dozen other free agents just like Tyler Kinley who

852
00:43:45,640 --> 00:43:48,640
Speaker 1: the Braves might like more, and then that'd be fine

853
00:43:48,680 --> 00:43:51,880
Speaker 1: with me. But I think one more kind of middle tier,

854
00:43:52,120 --> 00:43:54,799
Speaker 1: maybe even middle lower tier free agent in this group

855
00:43:54,800 --> 00:43:57,200
Speaker 1: would make me feel a lot better again. I feel

856
00:43:57,280 --> 00:43:59,640
Speaker 1: as good as you can feel in late December about

857
00:43:59,640 --> 00:44:02,680
Speaker 1: the ninth innings of this group, maybe even the seventh

858
00:44:02,680 --> 00:44:04,960
Speaker 1: inning if you want to make some assumptions about who

859
00:44:05,040 --> 00:44:07,719
Speaker 1: else is going to be out there. But you know,

860
00:44:07,960 --> 00:44:10,600
Speaker 1: we saw last year the Braves just could not win

861
00:44:11,160 --> 00:44:14,120
Speaker 1: a close game to save their lives, and some of

862
00:44:14,160 --> 00:44:16,520
Speaker 1: that is just weird variants and the ball doesn't always

863
00:44:16,520 --> 00:44:18,799
Speaker 1: bounce your way. And I would like to think that's

864
00:44:18,840 --> 00:44:22,000
Speaker 1: going to equal out in twenty twenty six. But one

865
00:44:22,080 --> 00:44:26,520
Speaker 1: more kind of more proven arm would make me sleep better.

866
00:44:26,600 --> 00:44:29,680
Speaker 1: And also knowing that you did sign like Ian Phillips

867
00:44:30,040 --> 00:44:32,080
Speaker 1: who was good with the Yankees a couple of years ago,

868
00:44:32,600 --> 00:44:36,680
Speaker 1: to a non guaranteed deal, or James Carranchak or whatever

869
00:44:36,719 --> 00:44:41,440
Speaker 1: his name was. They signed Ian Hamilton, Ian Hamilton and Himton.

870
00:44:41,480 --> 00:44:44,200
Speaker 1: I keep saying Ian Anderson in my brain and then

871
00:44:44,239 --> 00:44:47,800
Speaker 1: I mess it up and then forgive us. It's minute

872
00:44:48,040 --> 00:44:50,359
Speaker 1: forty five of this podcast, and it is the week

873
00:44:50,440 --> 00:44:52,240
Speaker 1: between Christmas and New Years.

874
00:44:52,239 --> 00:44:56,479
Speaker 2: But and there are some interesting name like Day's bell

875
00:44:56,680 --> 00:45:01,719
Speaker 2: has upside. He just has equal amounts of downside because

876
00:45:01,719 --> 00:45:04,560
Speaker 2: he doesn't know where the ball is going. Karen Shack,

877
00:45:04,640 --> 00:45:07,520
Speaker 2: James Karenshak, who's with the Cleveland who's with Cleveland for

878
00:45:07,800 --> 00:45:09,960
Speaker 2: like four years before he'd been hurt. He was one

879
00:45:09,960 --> 00:45:11,560
Speaker 2: of the best relievers in baseball when he was healthy.

880
00:45:12,040 --> 00:45:14,239
Speaker 2: If he's healthy, that can you know that has upside.

881
00:45:14,640 --> 00:45:17,640
Speaker 2: There's always the young guys like Hayden Harris and Laura.

882
00:45:19,280 --> 00:45:23,239
Speaker 2: There's there's talent, and there's upside. It's there's just not

883
00:45:23,320 --> 00:45:26,680
Speaker 2: a lot of proven like reliability. I think it's what

884
00:45:26,719 --> 00:45:30,640
Speaker 2: you're saying, Like one more like reliable guy would would

885
00:45:30,680 --> 00:45:34,080
Speaker 2: make everybody feel better. Like just adding Tyler Kenley back

886
00:45:34,120 --> 00:45:37,160
Speaker 2: alone would make me feel quite a bit better. But

887
00:45:37,239 --> 00:45:40,560
Speaker 2: I understand, like I also understand, we've spent enough on

888
00:45:40,560 --> 00:45:42,160
Speaker 2: the bullpen. We don't want to spend any more money

889
00:45:42,160 --> 00:45:44,080
Speaker 2: on the bullpen. Like I would get that logic as well,

890
00:45:44,200 --> 00:45:45,719
Speaker 2: which is why I would sign a starter and move

891
00:45:45,760 --> 00:45:48,560
Speaker 2: a starter to the bullpen, kill two birds with one sewn.

892
00:45:48,680 --> 00:45:49,640
Speaker 2: But we'll see what they do.

893
00:45:50,680 --> 00:45:53,000
Speaker 1: Maybe they're gonna just kind of piece it together with

894
00:45:53,840 --> 00:45:55,839
Speaker 1: four through eight in the bullpen, or five through eight

895
00:45:55,840 --> 00:45:59,279
Speaker 1: in the bullpen, knowing that relievers are always available at

896
00:45:59,280 --> 00:46:01,879
Speaker 1: the deadline, if you have to go out and make

897
00:46:01,920 --> 00:46:06,319
Speaker 1: a move or two. We'll see, all right, Stephen, that

898
00:46:06,480 --> 00:46:08,840
Speaker 1: is gonna do it. For this edition of the Hammer

899
00:46:08,960 --> 00:46:13,160
Speaker 1: Territory podcast, we were gonna talk a couple of mailbag questions,

900
00:46:13,360 --> 00:46:15,439
Speaker 1: and of course we talked for forty five minutes about

901
00:46:15,440 --> 00:46:18,200
Speaker 1: the state of this roster. If they don't do anything else,

902
00:46:18,280 --> 00:46:20,160
Speaker 1: and one more time. I think Steven and I are

903
00:46:20,160 --> 00:46:22,560
Speaker 1: both decently confident that they're going to go out and

904
00:46:22,600 --> 00:46:25,280
Speaker 1: add something more to the rotation, maybe to the bullpen,

905
00:46:25,400 --> 00:46:28,360
Speaker 1: maybe to the bench. But I thought this was a

906
00:46:28,360 --> 00:46:30,279
Speaker 1: good kind of state of the roster as we go

907
00:46:30,400 --> 00:46:32,160
Speaker 1: into twenty twenty six.

908
00:46:32,960 --> 00:46:37,560
Speaker 2: Yeah, and there's enough smoke out I know. I am.

909
00:46:38,239 --> 00:46:41,280
Speaker 2: I'm about like ninety nine percent confident they are actively

910
00:46:41,320 --> 00:46:44,799
Speaker 2: trying to add. I think they're trying to add at

911
00:46:44,800 --> 00:46:47,120
Speaker 2: the top of the roster, which is the most expensive

912
00:46:47,120 --> 00:46:49,520
Speaker 2: place to add and usually the hardest place to get

913
00:46:49,520 --> 00:46:53,480
Speaker 2: stuff to the finish line. So that's the stuff. Like

914
00:46:53,840 --> 00:46:56,359
Speaker 2: I'm very curious what their Plan B and Plan c's

915
00:46:56,400 --> 00:47:00,120
Speaker 2: are if like Plan A doesn't work out, Do they

916
00:47:00,160 --> 00:47:02,880
Speaker 2: have a Plan B? Or is that when they kind

917
00:47:02,920 --> 00:47:05,840
Speaker 2: of lean on the younger guys, especially in the rotation

918
00:47:06,120 --> 00:47:07,839
Speaker 2: that it's a question I'd be interested to know, Like

919
00:47:08,400 --> 00:47:11,640
Speaker 2: is a Chris Bassett even like on their radar or

920
00:47:11,960 --> 00:47:15,600
Speaker 2: is it? Are they just big game hunting and that's it,

921
00:47:16,840 --> 00:47:18,719
Speaker 2: you know, That's what we don't know. So and I

922
00:47:18,760 --> 00:47:21,200
Speaker 2: can make an argument one way or the other for that, probably,

923
00:47:21,560 --> 00:47:24,080
Speaker 2: But yeah, I do think they're trying and I do

924
00:47:24,120 --> 00:47:26,480
Speaker 2: think they have money to spend. It's just gonna be

925
00:47:26,480 --> 00:47:28,640
Speaker 2: can they get stuff to the finish line? And these

926
00:47:28,680 --> 00:47:31,440
Speaker 2: big deals, especially at the top of the market, are

927
00:47:31,880 --> 00:47:34,080
Speaker 2: the toughest to get there. So we'll see what happens.

928
00:47:35,280 --> 00:47:38,000
Speaker 1: We will indeed, and as always, if and when the

929
00:47:38,000 --> 00:47:41,560
Speaker 1: Braves make another move, we will be back, more podcasts,

930
00:47:41,600 --> 00:47:44,560
Speaker 1: more content. We never go away even when it is

931
00:47:45,000 --> 00:47:46,759
Speaker 1: I mean we talked about this is the time of

932
00:47:46,760 --> 00:47:48,960
Speaker 1: week to get caught up on your TV shows and

933
00:47:49,000 --> 00:47:51,600
Speaker 1: play with your toys and see your kids, see your family.

934
00:47:52,080 --> 00:47:53,640
Speaker 1: We are not alone in that. I think a lot

935
00:47:53,640 --> 00:47:56,920
Speaker 1: of baseball executives use this ten day period to just

936
00:47:57,000 --> 00:47:59,359
Speaker 1: kind of unplug, and good for them. I can only

937
00:47:59,440 --> 00:48:02,000
Speaker 1: imagine what Alex this calendar looks like on a day

938
00:48:02,040 --> 00:48:04,080
Speaker 1: to day basis when he's trying to get deals done,

939
00:48:04,120 --> 00:48:06,840
Speaker 1: and they did get quite a few deals done before

940
00:48:07,320 --> 00:48:11,000
Speaker 1: the holiday break. Anything else from you, Steven as we

941
00:48:11,040 --> 00:48:12,719
Speaker 1: wrap up this episode.

942
00:48:12,640 --> 00:48:17,080
Speaker 2: No, just a late happy Merry Christmas and early happy

943
00:48:17,120 --> 00:48:19,279
Speaker 2: New Year to everybody out there. It's obviously it was

944
00:48:19,280 --> 00:48:22,239
Speaker 2: a great twenty twenty five. Another team didn't perform the

945
00:48:22,280 --> 00:48:27,200
Speaker 2: way we wanted, but you know the amount of support

946
00:48:27,320 --> 00:48:32,040
Speaker 2: you guys showed this show over twenty twenty five, even

947
00:48:32,040 --> 00:48:37,560
Speaker 2: with a kind of a disappointing season, was pretty remarkable. Actually,

948
00:48:37,600 --> 00:48:39,920
Speaker 2: at times, I know we say thank you a lot,

949
00:48:40,000 --> 00:48:44,480
Speaker 2: but sincerely, thank you so much for the support. We're

950
00:48:44,520 --> 00:48:46,319
Speaker 2: not going anywhere in twenty twenty six. We'll be here

951
00:48:46,360 --> 00:48:49,160
Speaker 2: to cover the team. Hopefully it's a much more enjoyable season.

952
00:48:49,200 --> 00:48:52,839
Speaker 2: But the amount of support you guys show us is incredible.

953
00:48:53,160 --> 00:48:55,640
Speaker 2: We appreciate it, and on to twenty twenty six and

954
00:48:55,680 --> 00:48:57,040
Speaker 2: hopefully better baseball ahead.

955
00:48:58,200 --> 00:49:01,920
Speaker 1: Amen, I echo everything that Stephen just said. A big

956
00:49:01,960 --> 00:49:03,600
Speaker 1: thank you to everybody for checking out the show.

957
00:49:03,920 --> 00:49:04,680
Speaker 2: We'll be back.

958
00:49:04,600 --> 00:49:07,360
Speaker 1: Later this week with even more on the Hammer Territory

959
00:49:07,400 --> 00:49:10,719
Speaker 1: podcast network, and until then, we will see everybody next time.