1 00:00:00,200 --> 00:00:00,760 Speaker 1: Right now. 2 00:00:00,920 --> 00:00:04,040 Speaker 2: If I had to guess, I would say that Vladimir 3 00:00:04,080 --> 00:00:07,040 Speaker 2: Guerrero Junior is walking as a free agent, walking away 4 00:00:07,080 --> 00:00:09,160 Speaker 2: from the Blue Jays and they're getting nothing but draft 5 00:00:09,160 --> 00:00:15,840 Speaker 2: pick compensation and return. Welcome everyone to the Thursday edition 6 00:00:16,000 --> 00:00:20,239 Speaker 2: of Fair Territory. I'm Ken Rosenthal here with Alana Rizzo. Alana, 7 00:00:20,280 --> 00:00:23,159 Speaker 2: we have some news already today. Aaron Boone getting a 8 00:00:23,160 --> 00:00:26,160 Speaker 2: two year extension that covers him for the next three seasons. 9 00:00:26,280 --> 00:00:29,120 Speaker 2: He's under contract for this year. And I find it 10 00:00:29,200 --> 00:00:33,599 Speaker 2: interesting that two of the managers Dave Roberts knocked out 11 00:00:33,640 --> 00:00:36,400 Speaker 2: in the postseason last year, Padres Mike Schultz, and the 12 00:00:36,479 --> 00:00:39,559 Speaker 2: Yankees Aaron Boon have gotten extensions and he has not 13 00:00:39,760 --> 00:00:43,040 Speaker 2: gotten one yet, but I fully expect him to alta. 14 00:00:43,120 --> 00:00:45,520 Speaker 2: We have some news on another front as well, more 15 00:00:45,600 --> 00:00:46,360 Speaker 2: show related. 16 00:00:46,840 --> 00:00:49,000 Speaker 3: Yeah, Ken, always great to be with you. Hello everybody, 17 00:00:49,040 --> 00:00:51,800 Speaker 3: and welcome to this live edition on this Thursday afternoon. 18 00:00:52,360 --> 00:00:55,600 Speaker 3: Spring training is underway. The first spring training lineup has 19 00:00:55,680 --> 00:00:58,200 Speaker 3: been posted. It is the Cubs, it is the Dodgers. 20 00:00:58,280 --> 00:01:01,000 Speaker 3: Full swing in full effect as far as that is concerned. 21 00:01:01,200 --> 00:01:03,279 Speaker 3: So Monday, we're going to start moving our show. We're 22 00:01:03,320 --> 00:01:05,440 Speaker 3: going to actually be on the air at ten thirty 23 00:01:05,600 --> 00:01:08,880 Speaker 3: Eastern just to be in the swing of spring training. 24 00:01:09,000 --> 00:01:11,399 Speaker 3: It also makes sense that we just kind of lead 25 00:01:11,480 --> 00:01:13,760 Speaker 3: into foul territory. So Ken and I will be on 26 00:01:14,000 --> 00:01:17,440 Speaker 3: next week ten thirty am on Monday as well as 27 00:01:17,600 --> 00:01:20,960 Speaker 3: on Thursday. So just a bit of housekeeping stuff for that, 28 00:01:21,080 --> 00:01:23,960 Speaker 3: so everybody can follow you Ken on Monday. But let's 29 00:01:24,000 --> 00:01:26,679 Speaker 3: get back to the baseball news at hand. And things 30 00:01:26,720 --> 00:01:29,320 Speaker 3: are still a little bit messy in Boston as far 31 00:01:29,360 --> 00:01:33,360 Speaker 3: as the Raphael Devers Alex Bregman third base situation. What's 32 00:01:33,360 --> 00:01:35,000 Speaker 3: the latest all on. 33 00:01:35,080 --> 00:01:38,200 Speaker 2: I've got to admit I'm fascinated by this story, maybe 34 00:01:38,240 --> 00:01:41,280 Speaker 2: more so than I should be. And I've written the 35 00:01:41,440 --> 00:01:45,600 Speaker 2: night that put Gregman signed, I wrote that, Hey, Devers 36 00:01:45,720 --> 00:01:48,160 Speaker 2: should be the DH Bregman should be the third baseman. 37 00:01:48,200 --> 00:01:51,120 Speaker 2: Gregman is coming off his first goal glove. Devers does 38 00:01:51,200 --> 00:01:54,880 Speaker 2: not rate well defensively, and I felt, you're trying to 39 00:01:54,880 --> 00:01:57,880 Speaker 2: put the best team possible on the field, this is 40 00:01:57,920 --> 00:02:00,480 Speaker 2: the way you have to go and from the Red 41 00:02:00,520 --> 00:02:04,240 Speaker 2: Sox perspective. Also, Devers's shoulders are still not right. He's 42 00:02:04,240 --> 00:02:06,160 Speaker 2: still kind of getting into the swing of things. He 43 00:02:06,240 --> 00:02:09,480 Speaker 2: also came into camp late. And my other concern for 44 00:02:09,560 --> 00:02:12,280 Speaker 2: Devers is if he plays third base and then it 45 00:02:12,320 --> 00:02:15,200 Speaker 2: starts off badly, how are the fans going to react 46 00:02:15,280 --> 00:02:19,160 Speaker 2: knowing that he did not change positions. And there's one 47 00:02:19,200 --> 00:02:24,840 Speaker 2: other element to Jose. Altuve is entertaining the alfield playing 48 00:02:24,840 --> 00:02:28,520 Speaker 2: the outfield at age thirty five, perfectly willing to move 49 00:02:28,560 --> 00:02:30,840 Speaker 2: off second base, where he was not and has not 50 00:02:30,919 --> 00:02:34,280 Speaker 2: been a good defender for some time. Why can't Devers 51 00:02:34,320 --> 00:02:36,720 Speaker 2: be the same type of team guy. That would be 52 00:02:36,760 --> 00:02:41,360 Speaker 2: the argument. But I can see Devers' perspective too, and 53 00:02:41,400 --> 00:02:43,440 Speaker 2: I do see both sides of this, and that's why 54 00:02:43,480 --> 00:02:47,359 Speaker 2: it's so interesting to me. Devers is just twenty eight. 55 00:02:47,560 --> 00:02:50,000 Speaker 2: It's not like al Tuve who's getting toward the end 56 00:02:50,080 --> 00:02:52,720 Speaker 2: of his career. Devers is twenty eight in the second 57 00:02:52,760 --> 00:02:55,760 Speaker 2: year of a ten year manager and thirteen point five 58 00:02:55,800 --> 00:02:59,680 Speaker 2: million dollar contract. It's not easy to DH and the 59 00:02:59,720 --> 00:03:04,040 Speaker 2: Red Sox argument Alana that this was heim Bloom who 60 00:03:04,040 --> 00:03:07,360 Speaker 2: made this decision, not the current leadership group. I don't 61 00:03:07,360 --> 00:03:09,760 Speaker 2: buy that. It was not just heim Bloom who said 62 00:03:09,800 --> 00:03:13,120 Speaker 2: to Ralphael Devers, listen, you're going to play third base 63 00:03:13,160 --> 00:03:16,120 Speaker 2: for a long time. They all kind of indicated that 64 00:03:16,200 --> 00:03:19,359 Speaker 2: to him. So while Alex Korus said that, and while 65 00:03:19,400 --> 00:03:21,760 Speaker 2: that's certainly an argument the Red Sox could use, I 66 00:03:21,800 --> 00:03:23,760 Speaker 2: don't really buy it that much. And the other thing 67 00:03:24,480 --> 00:03:27,840 Speaker 2: that troubles me about this from the Red Sox perspective 68 00:03:27,840 --> 00:03:31,160 Speaker 2: toward Devers is that they didn't really give him a 69 00:03:31,200 --> 00:03:35,080 Speaker 2: heads up. It seems like he found out after Bregman 70 00:03:35,200 --> 00:03:36,840 Speaker 2: signed that this was the way it's going to be. 71 00:03:36,920 --> 00:03:38,760 Speaker 2: They asked him about it in a meeting, Will talked 72 00:03:38,760 --> 00:03:41,880 Speaker 2: to him about it, So I do see where Devers 73 00:03:42,000 --> 00:03:46,160 Speaker 2: was coming from. That said, the bottom line is, as 74 00:03:46,200 --> 00:03:48,320 Speaker 2: I said earlier, you've got to put the best team 75 00:03:48,360 --> 00:03:52,000 Speaker 2: on the field, and for that reason, I would expect 76 00:03:52,280 --> 00:03:55,160 Speaker 2: at least Bregmant to play some third base this year. 77 00:03:55,200 --> 00:03:57,080 Speaker 2: I don't know how they would work it out exactly. 78 00:03:57,120 --> 00:04:00,320 Speaker 2: I don't know that it's even that viable or mart 79 00:04:00,560 --> 00:04:03,720 Speaker 2: to play a guy there part time and split positions 80 00:04:03,760 --> 00:04:07,560 Speaker 2: between third and second for Bregman. Again, the best Red 81 00:04:07,560 --> 00:04:12,480 Speaker 2: Sox alignment is Bregman third, Devers at DH. But Devers 82 00:04:12,640 --> 00:04:14,720 Speaker 2: is a guy who does work at it, and he's 83 00:04:14,760 --> 00:04:17,120 Speaker 2: a guy who doesn't want to move off the position, 84 00:04:17,640 --> 00:04:20,200 Speaker 2: so it's really sticky in Boston right now, actually in 85 00:04:20,240 --> 00:04:21,680 Speaker 2: Fort Myers. 86 00:04:21,800 --> 00:04:23,800 Speaker 3: Ken does the fact that Dever is coming off of 87 00:04:23,800 --> 00:04:26,159 Speaker 3: that shoulder surgery and he's obviously behind the eight ball 88 00:04:26,200 --> 00:04:28,400 Speaker 3: a little bit as he recovers from that, does that 89 00:04:28,520 --> 00:04:31,560 Speaker 3: factor into this decision at all? 90 00:04:31,600 --> 00:04:34,240 Speaker 2: It should. It's another reason why you wouldn't want to 91 00:04:34,240 --> 00:04:36,760 Speaker 2: play him necessarily a third base to start the season. 92 00:04:37,279 --> 00:04:42,119 Speaker 2: And the difficult part here also is that Bregman hasn't 93 00:04:42,120 --> 00:04:45,240 Speaker 2: opt out after this year. So if Bregman opts out 94 00:04:45,360 --> 00:04:47,560 Speaker 2: after one season, which if he has a great year 95 00:04:47,640 --> 00:04:50,400 Speaker 2: he will, even with a forty million dollars salary coming 96 00:04:50,440 --> 00:04:54,039 Speaker 2: over the next two years, he probably would, then the 97 00:04:54,080 --> 00:04:56,880 Speaker 2: Red Sox are telling Raffie Devers, uh, can you go 98 00:04:56,960 --> 00:04:58,839 Speaker 2: back to third? How's that work it out? Can we 99 00:04:58,880 --> 00:05:03,240 Speaker 2: do this now? So it's a complex situation, But the 100 00:05:03,279 --> 00:05:05,599 Speaker 2: point I wanted to make on the show today was 101 00:05:05,680 --> 00:05:08,440 Speaker 2: I do see Dever's side of it, and it's not 102 00:05:08,600 --> 00:05:11,400 Speaker 2: simply that a player is selfish and he won't do 103 00:05:11,440 --> 00:05:14,839 Speaker 2: it's best for the team. These players, all players have 104 00:05:14,960 --> 00:05:17,520 Speaker 2: a lot of pride. That's where they why they get 105 00:05:17,560 --> 00:05:22,160 Speaker 2: to where they are. So again, Devers, you can understand 106 00:05:22,200 --> 00:05:25,800 Speaker 2: his point of view, but in the greater picture, when 107 00:05:25,800 --> 00:05:27,880 Speaker 2: it comes down to what is best for the team. 108 00:05:28,120 --> 00:05:30,479 Speaker 2: What is best for the team is not Raphael Devers 109 00:05:30,520 --> 00:05:31,200 Speaker 2: at third base. 110 00:05:32,279 --> 00:05:34,000 Speaker 3: When you're talking about what's best for the team, I 111 00:05:34,040 --> 00:05:37,520 Speaker 3: would think that continuing to talk about an extension with 112 00:05:37,600 --> 00:05:40,200 Speaker 3: Vladimir Guerrero Junior is not what's best for the team. 113 00:05:40,240 --> 00:05:41,839 Speaker 3: I really thought that this would have been done a 114 00:05:41,880 --> 00:05:45,119 Speaker 3: couple of years ago ken in terms of making lad 115 00:05:45,200 --> 00:05:47,719 Speaker 3: a Toronto blue Jay for life now. He gave the 116 00:05:47,720 --> 00:05:50,440 Speaker 3: team until the eighteenth to offer him an extension that 117 00:05:50,480 --> 00:05:52,560 Speaker 3: both sides agreed on. He said he would not talk 118 00:05:52,640 --> 00:05:56,440 Speaker 3: contract extension within the season. What are you learning about 119 00:05:56,440 --> 00:05:59,599 Speaker 3: this side of things from Toronto's perspective, because they did 120 00:05:59,640 --> 00:06:02,080 Speaker 3: say that they gave him a fair offer in terms 121 00:06:02,080 --> 00:06:04,960 Speaker 3: of value. But it seems like Vladimir Guerrero Junior seems 122 00:06:05,000 --> 00:06:07,680 Speaker 3: to think that he's a little bit more valuable to 123 00:06:07,720 --> 00:06:09,279 Speaker 3: the team than the Jays think that he is. 124 00:06:09,320 --> 00:06:11,599 Speaker 2: What can you tell us a lot on We don't 125 00:06:11,640 --> 00:06:15,240 Speaker 2: know the numbers here, and I do expect and assume 126 00:06:15,400 --> 00:06:18,000 Speaker 2: that the Jays made a very sizeable offer and they 127 00:06:18,000 --> 00:06:19,599 Speaker 2: said it was a record for their club. Well, the 128 00:06:19,600 --> 00:06:22,159 Speaker 2: record's only one hundred and fifty million, so it was 129 00:06:22,279 --> 00:06:25,160 Speaker 2: probably I don't know, four hundred five hundred that range 130 00:06:25,720 --> 00:06:29,200 Speaker 2: with deferrals. Perhaps I don't know exactly. And we know 131 00:06:29,360 --> 00:06:33,039 Speaker 2: also Vladimir Guerrero was not satisfied with whatever they offered. 132 00:06:33,520 --> 00:06:37,040 Speaker 2: And you're right, as I wrote the other night, the 133 00:06:37,160 --> 00:06:41,719 Speaker 2: Jays had every ability, every chance to do this earlier, 134 00:06:41,760 --> 00:06:43,400 Speaker 2: and they should have done it earlier when they could 135 00:06:43,400 --> 00:06:46,360 Speaker 2: have got him for a lot less. And the Jays 136 00:06:46,480 --> 00:06:50,719 Speaker 2: talk a lot about discipline, staying disciplined, and about their process, 137 00:06:51,040 --> 00:06:53,400 Speaker 2: and they say that in this particular case they did 138 00:06:53,400 --> 00:06:57,640 Speaker 2: get somewhat emotional and raise their offer beyond their comfort level. 139 00:06:58,000 --> 00:07:01,200 Speaker 2: But obviously the offer was not good enough. And when 140 00:07:01,200 --> 00:07:04,119 Speaker 2: you talk about discipline and process, that's well and good, 141 00:07:04,720 --> 00:07:07,159 Speaker 2: but at some point you've got to win these negotiations. 142 00:07:07,200 --> 00:07:08,960 Speaker 2: And what I mean by win is get the player. 143 00:07:09,560 --> 00:07:13,920 Speaker 2: So if you're the J's and you didn't value him 144 00:07:14,040 --> 00:07:17,560 Speaker 2: enough to give him an early extension at maybe Fernando 145 00:07:17,680 --> 00:07:21,560 Speaker 2: Tattis juniors level when Tattis signed that contract in twenty one, 146 00:07:21,600 --> 00:07:24,120 Speaker 2: then Vladdie had the monster year could have done it right, 147 00:07:24,160 --> 00:07:27,080 Speaker 2: then Laddy would have taken I'm sure something along the 148 00:07:27,080 --> 00:07:29,960 Speaker 2: lines of tatus after twenty one you didn't do it. 149 00:07:30,000 --> 00:07:32,720 Speaker 2: Then you didn't value him in twenty four because you 150 00:07:32,760 --> 00:07:35,600 Speaker 2: took him to arbitration over a split of less than 151 00:07:35,680 --> 00:07:38,800 Speaker 2: two million dollars, not an insignificant sum, but you fought 152 00:07:38,880 --> 00:07:42,600 Speaker 2: him in a hearing and he beat you. So if 153 00:07:42,800 --> 00:07:45,880 Speaker 2: you have concerns about him in some way, and they 154 00:07:45,880 --> 00:07:48,000 Speaker 2: have not said that, They keep saying we love Laddie, 155 00:07:48,000 --> 00:07:50,360 Speaker 2: we want him here a long time, but you haven't 156 00:07:50,400 --> 00:07:52,720 Speaker 2: loved him enough to take care of this early. If 157 00:07:52,720 --> 00:07:55,400 Speaker 2: you had those concerns, and if you saw where the 158 00:07:55,440 --> 00:07:57,960 Speaker 2: market was going, and you should have seen it was 159 00:07:58,000 --> 00:08:03,720 Speaker 2: going pretty high, even Sodo, then why didn't you trade him? 160 00:08:03,920 --> 00:08:06,080 Speaker 2: If you didn't want to pay him, why didn't you 161 00:08:06,080 --> 00:08:09,600 Speaker 2: trade him? And again, every step of the way, I'm 162 00:08:09,640 --> 00:08:13,400 Speaker 2: just not following where Toronto has gone here and the 163 00:08:13,440 --> 00:08:17,000 Speaker 2: debate over Vladimir Gerrero Junior's worth is he worth five 164 00:08:17,080 --> 00:08:20,080 Speaker 2: hundred million plus? That is a fair debate. We can 165 00:08:20,120 --> 00:08:23,720 Speaker 2: certainly argue the merits both ways there and maybe it 166 00:08:23,800 --> 00:08:27,080 Speaker 2: leans more toward no, it's not good money or the 167 00:08:27,160 --> 00:08:30,360 Speaker 2: right kind of deal for a first baseman. But again, 168 00:08:30,400 --> 00:08:34,360 Speaker 2: if you're the Jays, you didn't have vision here, and 169 00:08:34,440 --> 00:08:38,240 Speaker 2: especially after Sodo signed that was early December, you could 170 00:08:38,240 --> 00:08:41,240 Speaker 2: have pivoted right there and traded Flatty because you knew 171 00:08:41,240 --> 00:08:43,840 Speaker 2: he was going to ask for something bigger, even if 172 00:08:43,840 --> 00:08:45,480 Speaker 2: it's not close to Sodo, it was going to be 173 00:08:45,520 --> 00:08:48,480 Speaker 2: some monster number. And yet they didn't do that. They 174 00:08:48,520 --> 00:08:51,679 Speaker 2: have insisted on competing as hard as they can this year, 175 00:08:51,720 --> 00:08:54,560 Speaker 2: which of course we all applaud. But the problem is 176 00:08:55,360 --> 00:08:59,160 Speaker 2: what happens after this year. Flatty might be gone, Boba 177 00:08:59,200 --> 00:09:02,840 Speaker 2: Shet almost will be gone. Where are you? And that 178 00:09:03,000 --> 00:09:04,400 Speaker 2: is the issue I have with. 179 00:09:04,360 --> 00:09:07,560 Speaker 3: Toronto here, Yeah, especially in that division ken And it's 180 00:09:07,559 --> 00:09:10,400 Speaker 3: not like they didn't have about five hundred million plus 181 00:09:10,480 --> 00:09:13,640 Speaker 3: earmarked for both Juan Soto and Sho hey Otani, missing 182 00:09:13,679 --> 00:09:15,840 Speaker 3: out on both of those guys. So it's not as 183 00:09:15,920 --> 00:09:19,920 Speaker 3: if Toronto doesn't have the money. I'm not saying Vladimir Junior, 184 00:09:20,280 --> 00:09:23,199 Speaker 3: Vladimir career or junior rather is worth five hundred plus million. 185 00:09:23,240 --> 00:09:25,400 Speaker 3: Maybe he is, maybe he isn't. He's what worth what 186 00:09:25,480 --> 00:09:27,800 Speaker 3: the market will give him. But it's not like they 187 00:09:27,840 --> 00:09:30,080 Speaker 3: don't have the money. Why are they so hesitant to 188 00:09:30,080 --> 00:09:32,440 Speaker 3: spend it on their what could have been their franchise player. 189 00:09:33,400 --> 00:09:37,320 Speaker 2: That's a good question, Alana. And with Soto, they offered 190 00:09:37,880 --> 00:09:42,000 Speaker 2: less than seven hundred million according to Sportsnet, And Soto 191 00:09:42,160 --> 00:09:45,080 Speaker 2: is a player who got that deal largely because he 192 00:09:45,160 --> 00:09:47,200 Speaker 2: is a hitter. He's not a great defender, he's not 193 00:09:47,240 --> 00:09:49,600 Speaker 2: a great base runner. He might be a DH within 194 00:09:49,880 --> 00:09:53,000 Speaker 2: four or five years. Guerrero is the same type. Now, 195 00:09:53,040 --> 00:09:55,560 Speaker 2: first base is a less valuable position on the defensive 196 00:09:55,559 --> 00:09:58,160 Speaker 2: spectrum than right or left field, but not that much 197 00:09:58,240 --> 00:10:02,200 Speaker 2: less valuable. And yes, Guerrero is a below average defender. 198 00:10:02,240 --> 00:10:05,200 Speaker 2: He rates that way, we all get it. But if 199 00:10:05,240 --> 00:10:07,280 Speaker 2: you think he's going to be an e leite hitter, 200 00:10:07,440 --> 00:10:10,280 Speaker 2: not Wan Soto. He hasn't been as consistent as Wan Soto. 201 00:10:10,360 --> 00:10:12,760 Speaker 2: He hasn't been as good as Wan Soto. But if 202 00:10:12,800 --> 00:10:15,080 Speaker 2: you expect he can be a top ten ops guy 203 00:10:15,160 --> 00:10:18,840 Speaker 2: as he was last season, well then you have to 204 00:10:18,920 --> 00:10:21,320 Speaker 2: understand that he's going to ask for a lot of 205 00:10:21,360 --> 00:10:24,680 Speaker 2: money given what Sodo got. That's the way this works. 206 00:10:25,160 --> 00:10:27,360 Speaker 2: And you can point to Soto as an outlier if 207 00:10:27,360 --> 00:10:30,679 Speaker 2: you're the J's, but you offered less than seven hundred 208 00:10:30,720 --> 00:10:32,840 Speaker 2: million or just under seven hundred million, whatever it was 209 00:10:32,920 --> 00:10:35,840 Speaker 2: for him, So he's an outlier, Yes, but you were 210 00:10:35,840 --> 00:10:38,440 Speaker 2: willing to go there, well, then why not do it 211 00:10:38,480 --> 00:10:40,920 Speaker 2: for your own guy at a lesser level. Yeah. 212 00:10:40,960 --> 00:10:44,040 Speaker 3: And you know, they talk a lot about the way 213 00:10:44,080 --> 00:10:46,760 Speaker 3: that players talk in this game, and they say it 214 00:10:46,880 --> 00:10:50,600 Speaker 3: oftentimes big time talent doesn't want to go to Toronto because 215 00:10:50,640 --> 00:10:52,400 Speaker 3: of the way that they treat top talent. I mean, 216 00:10:52,440 --> 00:10:54,320 Speaker 3: this is kind of playing out in front of our 217 00:10:54,440 --> 00:10:56,520 Speaker 3: very eyes in terms of if lad's the guy, you 218 00:10:56,640 --> 00:10:58,920 Speaker 3: better pay him, and they haven't done that, and who 219 00:10:58,920 --> 00:11:01,200 Speaker 3: knows what that team is going to look like next season. 220 00:11:01,240 --> 00:11:02,760 Speaker 3: All Right, much more to come as far as the 221 00:11:02,840 --> 00:11:05,679 Speaker 3: lead is concerned. But right now, let's hear from our 222 00:11:05,720 --> 00:11:08,720 Speaker 3: friends over at foul Territory a word on arena club. 223 00:11:08,720 --> 00:11:11,839 Speaker 4: We'll be right back, uh, Todd father, remember the good 224 00:11:11,840 --> 00:11:14,520 Speaker 4: old days when we would have the cards and the binders, 225 00:11:14,520 --> 00:11:16,400 Speaker 4: but then they get all messed up and we're trying 226 00:11:16,440 --> 00:11:19,320 Speaker 4: to sell online and it's just real clunky. They really 227 00:11:19,360 --> 00:11:20,959 Speaker 4: actually weren't the good old days, were they? 228 00:11:21,840 --> 00:11:24,880 Speaker 1: No? They were definitely not. But now there's a better way. 229 00:11:24,920 --> 00:11:27,440 Speaker 1: The arena club has been dominant with this. They you 230 00:11:27,480 --> 00:11:29,680 Speaker 1: get to trade your card, you could sell them, but 231 00:11:29,760 --> 00:11:32,640 Speaker 1: the best part for me is getting them graded. I 232 00:11:32,679 --> 00:11:35,600 Speaker 1: love everything about that, this new age of getting cards graded. 233 00:11:35,640 --> 00:11:38,840 Speaker 1: You could display them on your online showroom, your mobile device. 234 00:11:39,000 --> 00:11:41,040 Speaker 1: It's the coolest thing in the world. 235 00:11:41,240 --> 00:11:44,800 Speaker 4: Whether you're buying, selling, trading, or displaying. Arena Club is 236 00:11:44,840 --> 00:11:47,600 Speaker 4: the all in one trading card platform. You have to 237 00:11:47,600 --> 00:11:50,360 Speaker 4: sign up for an account at Arena club dot com 238 00:11:50,400 --> 00:11:54,120 Speaker 4: slash foul. Just like Todd Father mentioned, there's a process 239 00:11:54,160 --> 00:11:56,760 Speaker 4: that combines AI and human grading to get the job 240 00:11:56,840 --> 00:11:59,640 Speaker 4: done right now, twenty percent off your first slab pack 241 00:11:59,720 --> 00:12:02,240 Speaker 4: work hard purchase by going to Arena club dot com 242 00:12:02,240 --> 00:12:06,920 Speaker 4: slash foul use codefoul. That's arenaclub dot com slash foul 243 00:12:07,000 --> 00:12:10,040 Speaker 4: codefoul for twenty percent off your first purchase. 244 00:12:11,920 --> 00:12:13,880 Speaker 3: All right, I appreciate Arena Club being a part of 245 00:12:13,880 --> 00:12:16,760 Speaker 3: the show here Unfair Territory with Ken Rosensal By the way, 246 00:12:16,800 --> 00:12:18,280 Speaker 3: you can be a part of the show as well. 247 00:12:18,280 --> 00:12:20,240 Speaker 3: Get your questions and we're going to be doing Grill 248 00:12:20,280 --> 00:12:23,360 Speaker 3: and Ken here momentarily. But before we get to Grill 249 00:12:23,400 --> 00:12:26,520 Speaker 3: and Ken, Ken, let's finish off the lead with the 250 00:12:26,600 --> 00:12:30,559 Speaker 3: ABS Automatic Ball and Strike System coming to a baseball 251 00:12:30,640 --> 00:12:32,880 Speaker 3: field near you. It's here before we know it. 252 00:12:34,040 --> 00:12:37,680 Speaker 2: Nineteen of the thirty spring training teams have the ability 253 00:12:37,720 --> 00:12:40,120 Speaker 2: to have abs in their parks. We're going to see 254 00:12:40,120 --> 00:12:44,440 Speaker 2: it this spring. It's experimental, and I am really interested 255 00:12:44,480 --> 00:12:47,480 Speaker 2: to see and curious to see how this plays out. 256 00:12:47,559 --> 00:12:51,480 Speaker 2: The idea is each team will have two challenges per game. 257 00:12:51,520 --> 00:12:54,280 Speaker 2: You can challenge a specific ball or strike call. It 258 00:12:54,320 --> 00:12:57,400 Speaker 2: has to come from a player on the field pitcher, catcher, hitter, 259 00:12:57,840 --> 00:13:02,440 Speaker 2: and has to come almost instantaneously. You get the correct 260 00:13:02,440 --> 00:13:05,720 Speaker 2: call overturned, then you retain the challenge if. 261 00:13:05,559 --> 00:13:06,040 Speaker 3: You do not. 262 00:13:06,559 --> 00:13:08,840 Speaker 2: If you miss, then you lose the challenge, kind of 263 00:13:08,840 --> 00:13:12,000 Speaker 2: like replay. The way it works. Now, what I am 264 00:13:12,080 --> 00:13:14,600 Speaker 2: interested to see is not so much how this plays out, 265 00:13:14,640 --> 00:13:18,280 Speaker 2: though that's part of the intrigue here, just how hitters 266 00:13:18,280 --> 00:13:21,040 Speaker 2: will react to it and pitchers will see whether they're 267 00:13:21,280 --> 00:13:23,480 Speaker 2: comfortable with it or not, and whether it's doing what 268 00:13:23,520 --> 00:13:25,800 Speaker 2: it's supposed to do, get the ball strike calls right. 269 00:13:26,240 --> 00:13:31,280 Speaker 2: What I am interested to see are any unintended consequences 270 00:13:31,280 --> 00:13:33,520 Speaker 2: that might come out of this, because, if you remember, Alana, 271 00:13:33,679 --> 00:13:36,760 Speaker 2: when replay was introduced, the idea was to get the 272 00:13:36,800 --> 00:13:40,760 Speaker 2: intrigious calls right, just get the really bad calls correct. 273 00:13:41,360 --> 00:13:44,720 Speaker 2: And what happened over time is that it became much 274 00:13:44,800 --> 00:13:46,880 Speaker 2: more than that. And you see the play at second 275 00:13:46,920 --> 00:13:50,200 Speaker 2: base where the base runner's foot comes slightly off the 276 00:13:50,240 --> 00:13:52,680 Speaker 2: bag and then boom, they slap a tag on him. 277 00:13:52,840 --> 00:13:55,680 Speaker 2: You replay it and he's out. That was not the 278 00:13:55,720 --> 00:14:01,120 Speaker 2: original intent of replay. And with ABS thematic ball strikes system, 279 00:14:01,160 --> 00:14:03,360 Speaker 2: there are going to be some things that happen that 280 00:14:03,440 --> 00:14:07,040 Speaker 2: maybe the league does not anticipate, that no one anticipates, 281 00:14:07,440 --> 00:14:10,280 Speaker 2: and it'll be interesting to see how everyone reacts to 282 00:14:10,360 --> 00:14:13,280 Speaker 2: those things that might happen now. Scott Brown asked a 283 00:14:13,360 --> 00:14:16,280 Speaker 2: question on Twitter the other day or x I should 284 00:14:16,280 --> 00:14:20,160 Speaker 2: say about, Hey, if this thing works out, well, can 285 00:14:20,200 --> 00:14:23,880 Speaker 2: the league implement it immediately? That's not how it works. 286 00:14:24,160 --> 00:14:27,200 Speaker 2: There's a Joint Competition Committee that exists now and they 287 00:14:27,240 --> 00:14:30,000 Speaker 2: have to go through the process. There are clubs on 288 00:14:30,040 --> 00:14:33,480 Speaker 2: that committee, there are players and umpires. The clubs the 289 00:14:33,560 --> 00:14:35,920 Speaker 2: league have the majority of the votes. They can do 290 00:14:35,960 --> 00:14:39,320 Speaker 2: whatever they want, essentially, but you have to give forty 291 00:14:39,320 --> 00:14:42,240 Speaker 2: five days notice to implement a rules change. It used 292 00:14:42,280 --> 00:14:44,480 Speaker 2: to be a year, but now under the current CBA 293 00:14:44,600 --> 00:14:47,240 Speaker 2: it's forty five days. And you're not going to implement 294 00:14:47,280 --> 00:14:49,800 Speaker 2: this thing in the middle of the season. But if 295 00:14:49,840 --> 00:14:53,240 Speaker 2: it does go well, the goal of testing it now 296 00:14:53,280 --> 00:14:56,680 Speaker 2: would be to get feedback, make some tweaks, create buying 297 00:14:57,400 --> 00:15:00,680 Speaker 2: and again, I'm just really interested to see how it works, 298 00:15:00,720 --> 00:15:05,880 Speaker 2: how catchers adapt, how hitters react, how everything just plays out. 299 00:15:06,120 --> 00:15:07,880 Speaker 3: Yeah, the game is changing in a lot of different ways. 300 00:15:07,880 --> 00:15:09,760 Speaker 3: And remember when everybody was up in arms about the 301 00:15:09,800 --> 00:15:12,320 Speaker 3: bigger bases and not being able to throw over the 302 00:15:12,360 --> 00:15:14,600 Speaker 3: first as many times, the pitch clock, all of those 303 00:15:14,600 --> 00:15:17,440 Speaker 3: different things, and we've moved on, the world did not end, 304 00:15:17,440 --> 00:15:19,480 Speaker 3: and they're gonna, you know, implement this, test it out, 305 00:15:19,560 --> 00:15:21,640 Speaker 3: get some feedback, and who knows, maybe we'll have it 306 00:15:21,800 --> 00:15:25,680 Speaker 3: league wide for the twenty and twenty six season. Okay, 307 00:15:25,960 --> 00:15:28,840 Speaker 3: time now for Gorilla and Ken. Get those questions in 308 00:15:34,000 --> 00:15:36,440 Speaker 3: all right, Ken, As I mentioned, today is the first 309 00:15:36,680 --> 00:15:40,200 Speaker 3: game in terms of spring training games, the Cubs, the Dodgers, 310 00:15:40,200 --> 00:15:42,360 Speaker 3: a few other clubs are playing as well. The Cubs 311 00:15:42,360 --> 00:15:44,680 Speaker 3: and the Dodgers a preview for their Tokyo series that 312 00:15:44,920 --> 00:15:48,280 Speaker 3: is happening in less than a month before it actually counts. 313 00:15:48,320 --> 00:15:50,520 Speaker 3: So my question to you is we get this thing 314 00:15:50,640 --> 00:15:54,040 Speaker 3: kicked off here. What are some of your favorite spring 315 00:15:54,400 --> 00:15:58,760 Speaker 3: training cliches. A really funny article in The Athletic, of course, 316 00:15:58,840 --> 00:16:00,800 Speaker 3: in the Best Shape of Our Lives, Shape of Our Lives, 317 00:16:00,880 --> 00:16:03,920 Speaker 3: ranking the best MLB spring training cliches. What's your favorite? 318 00:16:05,000 --> 00:16:07,640 Speaker 2: Well, that one is really the topper for me because 319 00:16:07,640 --> 00:16:09,680 Speaker 2: it's a joke. Every year I'm in the best shape 320 00:16:09,680 --> 00:16:11,440 Speaker 2: of my life. Yeah, we hear it all the time. 321 00:16:11,560 --> 00:16:13,320 Speaker 2: I'm going to go off the board a little bit. 322 00:16:13,720 --> 00:16:16,680 Speaker 2: This isn't a spring training cliche, but it's something you 323 00:16:16,760 --> 00:16:20,320 Speaker 2: hear virtually every day of the season when a player 324 00:16:20,400 --> 00:16:23,840 Speaker 2: is complimenting another player or a manager is complimenting a player. 325 00:16:24,400 --> 00:16:28,280 Speaker 2: Hey man, he's fun to watch right now, Yeah, we 326 00:16:28,360 --> 00:16:31,320 Speaker 2: get it. He's fun to watch. It's fun to watch baseball, period, 327 00:16:31,400 --> 00:16:33,520 Speaker 2: and some guys are more fun to watch than others. 328 00:16:34,000 --> 00:16:37,160 Speaker 3: Yeah, a couple of mine. For me, I love it's 329 00:16:37,200 --> 00:16:40,560 Speaker 3: the lidlifter, Like the lidlifter to spring training, the first 330 00:16:40,560 --> 00:16:43,720 Speaker 3: game of the season, the lidlifter, you know, double dip 331 00:16:43,800 --> 00:16:47,200 Speaker 3: of course with you know, two games, doubleheader. And probably 332 00:16:47,360 --> 00:16:51,200 Speaker 3: my other favorite that I like, you know a lot 333 00:16:51,240 --> 00:16:53,320 Speaker 3: when it comes to spring training because every time you 334 00:16:53,360 --> 00:16:55,560 Speaker 3: see somebody for the first time in a new season, 335 00:16:55,600 --> 00:16:58,200 Speaker 3: Happy New Year, Happy New Year, Happy New Year, Happy 336 00:16:58,240 --> 00:17:00,720 Speaker 3: New Year. And you say that, you know, like every 337 00:17:00,720 --> 00:17:02,040 Speaker 3: time you see so. I don't know how long you 338 00:17:02,080 --> 00:17:04,000 Speaker 3: can go into spring training, you know, kind of like 339 00:17:04,080 --> 00:17:06,720 Speaker 3: Larry David, like by January fourth, you can no longer 340 00:17:06,760 --> 00:17:08,200 Speaker 3: say Happy New Year. I don't know how long you 341 00:17:08,280 --> 00:17:11,200 Speaker 3: go in spring training. But those are some of my favorites. 342 00:17:11,200 --> 00:17:14,120 Speaker 3: All right, now, let's get serious here. You only get 343 00:17:14,160 --> 00:17:17,720 Speaker 3: to ask Ken Rosenthal a question a couple of times 344 00:17:17,720 --> 00:17:20,320 Speaker 3: a week. So this one has to do with Marcus Stroman. 345 00:17:20,400 --> 00:17:22,800 Speaker 3: J Farrell three five, three oh five to me means 346 00:17:22,800 --> 00:17:25,360 Speaker 3: that he lives in Miami. We'll see Stroman posted as 347 00:17:25,359 --> 00:17:28,600 Speaker 3: a Yankee starter on Friday. Is this a message or 348 00:17:28,680 --> 00:17:29,680 Speaker 3: is it a PR move? 349 00:17:30,480 --> 00:17:32,840 Speaker 2: I don't know. Maybe the question is John Farrell of 350 00:17:33,000 --> 00:17:38,399 Speaker 2: the former Red Sox ilk. I doubt it, Stroman. I 351 00:17:38,400 --> 00:17:40,800 Speaker 2: don't know if it's a PR message or some kind 352 00:17:40,840 --> 00:17:43,560 Speaker 2: of move along those lines. In fact, I doubt it. 353 00:17:44,160 --> 00:17:47,200 Speaker 2: What teams generally do is line up their starting pitchers 354 00:17:47,280 --> 00:17:51,399 Speaker 2: in a particular way so that for opening day everything's fine. 355 00:17:51,440 --> 00:17:54,280 Speaker 2: They want Cole, however, it's going to work out every 356 00:17:54,320 --> 00:17:57,280 Speaker 2: fifth day until opening day or every six however, they're 357 00:17:57,280 --> 00:17:59,840 Speaker 2: going to do it. That to me drives this thing 358 00:18:00,000 --> 00:18:03,000 Speaker 2: more than anything else. So I don't know that Stroman 359 00:18:03,080 --> 00:18:06,240 Speaker 2: pitching the first game for the Yankees means anything in particular. 360 00:18:06,520 --> 00:18:08,480 Speaker 2: Maybe they want to get him out there as often 361 00:18:08,520 --> 00:18:11,720 Speaker 2: as possible to showcase him, to show other teams, hey, 362 00:18:12,119 --> 00:18:14,720 Speaker 2: this guy is ready. That would be, if anything, the 363 00:18:14,760 --> 00:18:17,640 Speaker 2: motivation beyond simply the schedule, all. 364 00:18:17,600 --> 00:18:20,359 Speaker 3: Right, So probably not looking too deep into that, just 365 00:18:20,440 --> 00:18:22,040 Speaker 3: kind of the way that the schedule works out, how 366 00:18:22,040 --> 00:18:24,520 Speaker 3: they're going to line him up, making sure that say, 367 00:18:24,520 --> 00:18:26,280 Speaker 3: hey he's still good, maybe he can still be a 368 00:18:26,320 --> 00:18:29,040 Speaker 3: trade piece. We'll see, all right. Will Dee wants to 369 00:18:29,080 --> 00:18:32,000 Speaker 3: know which of the five Mariner starters makes the biggest 370 00:18:32,119 --> 00:18:35,120 Speaker 3: jump in twenty twenty five. One thing that the Mariners 371 00:18:35,119 --> 00:18:37,359 Speaker 3: had last year Ken was a very good starting rotation. 372 00:18:37,440 --> 00:18:38,680 Speaker 3: Who makes the biggest improvement. 373 00:18:39,600 --> 00:18:42,600 Speaker 2: It's interesting because they're all really good, But the guy 374 00:18:42,720 --> 00:18:45,200 Speaker 2: I would look to to make the biggest improvement would 375 00:18:45,240 --> 00:18:49,520 Speaker 2: be Brian Wu. And Brian Wu has incredible ability. There 376 00:18:49,520 --> 00:18:51,240 Speaker 2: were a couple of times last year where he got 377 00:18:51,240 --> 00:18:53,560 Speaker 2: physically off kilter a little bit and they had to 378 00:18:53,640 --> 00:18:57,000 Speaker 2: back off him. But if he can stay healthy, he 379 00:18:57,400 --> 00:19:00,480 Speaker 2: because of his talent level. Certainly is the kind of 380 00:19:00,520 --> 00:19:03,919 Speaker 2: guy that can make a jump maybe beyond even what 381 00:19:03,920 --> 00:19:07,360 Speaker 2: we're expecting. I don't expect Luis Castillo to improve that much. 382 00:19:07,400 --> 00:19:10,240 Speaker 2: Logan Gilbert, No, not even the same kind of thing, 383 00:19:10,320 --> 00:19:15,280 Speaker 2: George Kirby Miller. They're all who they are. But Wu 384 00:19:15,359 --> 00:19:17,000 Speaker 2: to me is the guy who maybe can make the 385 00:19:17,000 --> 00:19:17,960 Speaker 2: biggest lead forward. 386 00:19:18,520 --> 00:19:22,000 Speaker 3: Do the Mariners have the best starting rotation in the 387 00:19:22,040 --> 00:19:24,000 Speaker 3: Al West or in the American League? 388 00:19:24,119 --> 00:19:24,680 Speaker 1: Is that fair? 389 00:19:25,440 --> 00:19:27,720 Speaker 2: You can make the argument that it's the best in baseball, 390 00:19:28,160 --> 00:19:31,920 Speaker 2: even including the Dodgers. It's that good. But the question 391 00:19:32,000 --> 00:19:35,560 Speaker 2: with the Mariners is are they going to hit enough? Remember, 392 00:19:35,560 --> 00:19:39,640 Speaker 2: their only offensive additions really are Jorge Polanco and Donovan Solano. 393 00:19:39,680 --> 00:19:42,680 Speaker 2: These are accomplished veterans, quality guys to have on a team, 394 00:19:43,160 --> 00:19:44,840 Speaker 2: not Pete Alonso and Alex Bredman. 395 00:19:45,280 --> 00:19:47,439 Speaker 3: Yeah, no question about that, all right. Next question for 396 00:19:47,520 --> 00:19:49,760 Speaker 3: you here, Ken on Grill and Ken. That's regarding a 397 00:19:49,840 --> 00:19:52,480 Speaker 3: veteran free agent pitcher still available. I mean there's a 398 00:19:52,480 --> 00:19:55,160 Speaker 3: lot Wesley wants to know. Multiple mid tier veteran pitchers 399 00:19:55,160 --> 00:19:57,119 Speaker 3: are still in the market. I'm sure teams will be 400 00:19:57,160 --> 00:19:59,960 Speaker 3: adding once injuries happen, but a lot could use one. Now, 401 00:20:00,040 --> 00:20:02,880 Speaker 3: a good point by Wesley, did you learn nothing from 402 00:20:02,920 --> 00:20:07,080 Speaker 3: pitchers like Monty last year? I'm assuming he's meaning Jordan Montgomery. 403 00:20:07,080 --> 00:20:11,560 Speaker 2: Of course, that's a fair question, but I would ask 404 00:20:11,600 --> 00:20:14,600 Speaker 2: that question in this particular case of the clubs and 405 00:20:14,720 --> 00:20:15,520 Speaker 2: not the players. 406 00:20:15,560 --> 00:20:15,720 Speaker 1: Now. 407 00:20:15,760 --> 00:20:19,439 Speaker 2: With Montgomery last year and with Blake Snell, there was 408 00:20:19,480 --> 00:20:24,160 Speaker 2: certainly a debate over why that delay occurred, those delays, 409 00:20:24,440 --> 00:20:27,280 Speaker 2: and the agent, Scott Boris, clearly had something to do 410 00:20:27,320 --> 00:20:30,159 Speaker 2: with it. Now, Scott would say that it was the market. 411 00:20:30,240 --> 00:20:32,080 Speaker 2: The teams weren't ready to spend at the level that 412 00:20:32,119 --> 00:20:34,199 Speaker 2: they needed to spend to get these players. I get it, 413 00:20:34,440 --> 00:20:37,840 Speaker 2: But at the same time, the teams were not liking 414 00:20:37,920 --> 00:20:40,919 Speaker 2: the prices that were being asked. Now, with guys like 415 00:20:42,080 --> 00:20:45,720 Speaker 2: jose Kintana and Andrew Heeney and all of these starting 416 00:20:45,760 --> 00:20:48,880 Speaker 2: pitchers who are still out there, Kyle Gibson, Lancelynn, these 417 00:20:48,880 --> 00:20:51,480 Speaker 2: guys are not looking to break the bank. So it's 418 00:20:51,520 --> 00:20:55,360 Speaker 2: a question of teams being in a position where they 419 00:20:55,359 --> 00:20:58,560 Speaker 2: can squeeze free agents and where they can continue to 420 00:20:58,640 --> 00:21:01,680 Speaker 2: bleed these guys and try to get the lowest prices possible, 421 00:21:02,240 --> 00:21:06,680 Speaker 2: and how it will affect them. It depends when they sign. 422 00:21:06,760 --> 00:21:09,639 Speaker 2: If a guy signs in late March, it could affect 423 00:21:09,720 --> 00:21:12,760 Speaker 2: him more. Now. We've seen pitchers over the years succeed 424 00:21:12,800 --> 00:21:15,040 Speaker 2: in those situations. I remember Kyle Losch when you were 425 00:21:15,080 --> 00:21:18,640 Speaker 2: signed in late March and pitched really well. But it's 426 00:21:18,680 --> 00:21:20,760 Speaker 2: not the way you want to go about it, for sure. 427 00:21:21,160 --> 00:21:24,600 Speaker 2: And once the injuries start, and they already have started 428 00:21:24,600 --> 00:21:26,480 Speaker 2: to some degree, you're going to see these guys I 429 00:21:26,520 --> 00:21:29,560 Speaker 2: would expect in camp. But if you're a Lance Land 430 00:21:29,600 --> 00:21:31,760 Speaker 2: or Kyle Gibson too, you're not playing for two million 431 00:21:31,800 --> 00:21:34,560 Speaker 2: dollars or one million dollars. You're a major league veteran, 432 00:21:34,560 --> 00:21:37,520 Speaker 2: You're accomplished, and you don't want what these teams are 433 00:21:37,560 --> 00:21:38,520 Speaker 2: selling you right now. 434 00:21:39,040 --> 00:21:40,720 Speaker 3: Yeah, at that point, you just take it to the house. 435 00:21:40,760 --> 00:21:42,919 Speaker 3: I mean, you've achieved pretty much everything you want to 436 00:21:42,960 --> 00:21:44,840 Speaker 3: do in your career. You're not going to take a 437 00:21:44,920 --> 00:21:48,959 Speaker 3: value to undervalue yourself, especially when you're a veteran and 438 00:21:49,000 --> 00:21:50,720 Speaker 3: you have families at home and you're taking that much 439 00:21:50,720 --> 00:21:51,760 Speaker 3: time away from your kiddos. 440 00:21:51,800 --> 00:21:52,120 Speaker 4: All right. 441 00:21:52,160 --> 00:21:55,120 Speaker 3: Sicilian wants to know if the J's are doing poorly 442 00:21:55,240 --> 00:21:59,199 Speaker 3: by the trade deadline, Vlad will likely get traded. Do 443 00:21:59,280 --> 00:22:01,360 Speaker 3: you think Blad be traded at the death. I mean 444 00:22:01,720 --> 00:22:03,920 Speaker 3: enough with the trading of this guy, like something needs 445 00:22:03,960 --> 00:22:06,679 Speaker 3: to happen with him, sign him, do an extension, or 446 00:22:06,720 --> 00:22:07,160 Speaker 3: trade him. 447 00:22:07,160 --> 00:22:10,400 Speaker 2: Now, first, going back to the last question, I don't 448 00:22:10,400 --> 00:22:12,600 Speaker 2: want to dismiss a million dollars or two million dollars. 449 00:22:12,600 --> 00:22:14,480 Speaker 2: We all know that's a lot of money, but in 450 00:22:14,520 --> 00:22:17,360 Speaker 2: a relative sense for baseball players, it's not a lot 451 00:22:17,400 --> 00:22:20,359 Speaker 2: of money. Okay, Now, vlad if they are out of 452 00:22:20,400 --> 00:22:24,200 Speaker 2: contention at the deadline, will they finally see the light? 453 00:22:24,440 --> 00:22:26,560 Speaker 2: I thought they should have traded flat a year ago. 454 00:22:27,400 --> 00:22:30,000 Speaker 2: I don't know. They've put so much into this season, 455 00:22:30,080 --> 00:22:34,480 Speaker 2: and it's sort of difficult if you're any good at all, 456 00:22:34,640 --> 00:22:37,280 Speaker 2: to be out of contention by the deadline. The Jase 457 00:22:38,040 --> 00:22:41,159 Speaker 2: likely will be even in a bad season somehow in 458 00:22:41,240 --> 00:22:43,720 Speaker 2: the wildcard mix. How far are they going to be out? 459 00:22:43,880 --> 00:22:46,439 Speaker 2: Remember there are six playoff teams in each league. Now 460 00:22:46,480 --> 00:22:49,399 Speaker 2: it's a little easier to make the playoffs, and as 461 00:22:49,480 --> 00:22:52,600 Speaker 2: much as they've invested in this season, they're not going 462 00:22:52,640 --> 00:22:56,520 Speaker 2: to give up on it easily. So right now, if 463 00:22:56,560 --> 00:22:59,800 Speaker 2: I had to guess, I would say that Vladimir Guerrero 464 00:23:00,359 --> 00:23:02,760 Speaker 2: is walking as a free agent walking away from the 465 00:23:02,760 --> 00:23:05,359 Speaker 2: Blue Jays and they're getting nothing but draft pick compensation 466 00:23:05,520 --> 00:23:06,000 Speaker 2: in return. 467 00:23:06,680 --> 00:23:09,399 Speaker 3: Okay, we'll see what happens again. It's the saga with 468 00:23:09,520 --> 00:23:12,639 Speaker 3: Vladimir Gerriwer Junior continues as far as Toronto is concerned. 469 00:23:12,760 --> 00:23:15,440 Speaker 3: Last question here for you, Ken on Grill and Ken 470 00:23:15,520 --> 00:23:18,679 Speaker 3: comes from Michael Weiss. Which division is going to be 471 00:23:18,720 --> 00:23:22,000 Speaker 3: the most competitive in baseball in twenty twenty five. I 472 00:23:22,080 --> 00:23:24,159 Speaker 3: like this question because I think parody is good for 473 00:23:24,200 --> 00:23:26,160 Speaker 3: the game. We need more competitive divisions. 474 00:23:27,280 --> 00:23:29,680 Speaker 2: Actually, I think there are several divisions that could really 475 00:23:29,680 --> 00:23:32,280 Speaker 2: be competitive, and one of them is the ALE East. 476 00:23:32,400 --> 00:23:36,520 Speaker 2: We were just talking about it. Toronto is I think 477 00:23:36,560 --> 00:23:39,000 Speaker 2: improved over where they were last year. They've done some 478 00:23:39,040 --> 00:23:42,040 Speaker 2: good things. Tampa Bay is always competitive, the Red Sox 479 00:23:42,160 --> 00:23:45,000 Speaker 2: clearly are improved, the Orioles are good, and the Yankees 480 00:23:45,000 --> 00:23:48,760 Speaker 2: are the defending league champions. The AL Central is going 481 00:23:48,800 --> 00:23:51,480 Speaker 2: to be a very competitive division. We saw three playoff 482 00:23:51,480 --> 00:23:55,320 Speaker 2: teams come out of that division last year Detroit, Kansas City, Cleveland, 483 00:23:55,800 --> 00:23:59,160 Speaker 2: and now the AL West. Because Houston seemingly has taken 484 00:23:59,160 --> 00:24:02,480 Speaker 2: a step back. Certainly they're a different team without Presley 485 00:24:02,600 --> 00:24:06,560 Speaker 2: and Tucker and Bregman well, you've got projection systems kind 486 00:24:06,560 --> 00:24:11,000 Speaker 2: of showing them. Even with Texas and Seattle, all three 487 00:24:11,080 --> 00:24:13,679 Speaker 2: teams kind of in the same range. NL East is 488 00:24:13,720 --> 00:24:16,919 Speaker 2: going to be competitive. The NL Central, I don't know 489 00:24:16,920 --> 00:24:19,320 Speaker 2: how competitive it's going to be. The Cubs conceivably could 490 00:24:19,400 --> 00:24:21,560 Speaker 2: run away with it, and then the Dodgers in the 491 00:24:21,680 --> 00:24:24,480 Speaker 2: NL West, you would expect they'd win the division. But 492 00:24:24,520 --> 00:24:26,879 Speaker 2: the Diamondbacks are going to be good with Corbyn Burns, 493 00:24:26,880 --> 00:24:29,639 Speaker 2: the Giants think they've improved, and the Padres are going 494 00:24:29,680 --> 00:24:33,200 Speaker 2: to be very good again. So I expect that there's 495 00:24:33,240 --> 00:24:36,359 Speaker 2: going to be a lot of competition throughout the season 496 00:24:36,400 --> 00:24:38,880 Speaker 2: and throughout the league. If I had to guess, I'd 497 00:24:39,000 --> 00:24:41,119 Speaker 2: say the AL East will be the most competitive. 498 00:24:41,640 --> 00:24:43,400 Speaker 3: Well, I definitely hope we have a lot of competition, 499 00:24:43,480 --> 00:24:45,600 Speaker 3: because it's much better for the game when all thirty 500 00:24:45,640 --> 00:24:49,440 Speaker 3: teams legitimately have a chance to win. That's not necessarily 501 00:24:49,520 --> 00:24:51,320 Speaker 3: the case in twenty twenty five, but there are a 502 00:24:51,400 --> 00:24:54,119 Speaker 3: handful of teams that certainly do Okay. Time now for 503 00:24:54,320 --> 00:25:04,919 Speaker 3: Dude of the Week, Dude, Dude, dude, and Ken you 504 00:25:04,960 --> 00:25:08,320 Speaker 3: had like a late inning scratch in terms of who 505 00:25:08,359 --> 00:25:11,119 Speaker 3: your Dude of the Week was it went from I 506 00:25:11,160 --> 00:25:13,520 Speaker 3: believe Justin Turner. I can't remember who your original Dude 507 00:25:13,560 --> 00:25:14,960 Speaker 3: to the Week was, but it's changed. 508 00:25:14,960 --> 00:25:17,879 Speaker 2: Who is it? Justin Turner was going to be my 509 00:25:17,960 --> 00:25:20,360 Speaker 2: Dude of the week just because this is his seventeenth year. 510 00:25:20,400 --> 00:25:22,600 Speaker 2: He's had an amazing career for a guy who is 511 00:25:22,640 --> 00:25:25,320 Speaker 2: at one point non tendered. But my Dude of the 512 00:25:25,359 --> 00:25:29,200 Speaker 2: Week is someone who in New York Mets camp made 513 00:25:29,240 --> 00:25:32,679 Speaker 2: waves this morning because of a gift he purchased for 514 00:25:32,760 --> 00:25:34,800 Speaker 2: a player who gave up his number. I'm talking about 515 00:25:34,840 --> 00:25:38,280 Speaker 2: Wan Soto, who received number twenty two from Brett Baty. 516 00:25:38,320 --> 00:25:42,280 Speaker 2: And what did Brett Baty get in suv? That the 517 00:25:42,320 --> 00:25:45,680 Speaker 2: normal bottle of wine for changing numbers. That's pretty good 518 00:25:45,720 --> 00:25:48,200 Speaker 2: stuff right there. So Wan Soto is my due to 519 00:25:48,240 --> 00:25:51,800 Speaker 2: the Week. Now. A former player pointed out, well, let's 520 00:25:51,800 --> 00:25:54,280 Speaker 2: see what kind of suv it is. No, No, we're 521 00:25:54,320 --> 00:25:57,320 Speaker 2: in the real world here. Somebody gives you an SUV. 522 00:25:57,680 --> 00:26:00,359 Speaker 2: No matter what bottle it is, it's a nice SUV. 523 00:26:00,880 --> 00:26:03,680 Speaker 2: So Juan Soto due to the Week for his generosity. 524 00:26:04,000 --> 00:26:05,879 Speaker 3: I love that. I love that there was a bow 525 00:26:05,960 --> 00:26:08,120 Speaker 3: on the suv. But what I loved about the thing 526 00:26:08,200 --> 00:26:10,919 Speaker 3: more is that Juan Soto's in full uniform. Why is 527 00:26:10,920 --> 00:26:13,399 Speaker 3: he in full uniform in the parking lot giving Brett 528 00:26:13,440 --> 00:26:16,000 Speaker 3: Madi an suv? Good for you one soda, that's the 529 00:26:16,080 --> 00:26:17,920 Speaker 3: nice thing to do. And listen, I'll give you my 530 00:26:18,000 --> 00:26:19,800 Speaker 3: number if you want to give me a car any 531 00:26:19,880 --> 00:26:20,560 Speaker 3: day of the week. 532 00:26:20,600 --> 00:26:24,280 Speaker 2: All right, and sixty five million, I get it. But 533 00:26:24,280 --> 00:26:25,000 Speaker 2: that's still I know. 534 00:26:25,080 --> 00:26:27,080 Speaker 3: But he didn't. He didn't have to give him a car. 535 00:26:27,119 --> 00:26:29,199 Speaker 3: I mean, that's that's very generous of him. Okay, so 536 00:26:29,400 --> 00:26:31,840 Speaker 3: let me. I'm kind of on the same lines as 537 00:26:31,840 --> 00:26:34,760 Speaker 3: you are with your Justin Turner pick. My dude of 538 00:26:34,800 --> 00:26:37,320 Speaker 3: the week is Andrew McCutcheon for the same exact reason. 539 00:26:37,359 --> 00:26:41,320 Speaker 3: This is the guy that's entering his seventeenth season. Andrew 540 00:26:41,400 --> 00:26:45,639 Speaker 3: McCutcheon is just a good dude. He's a guy that 541 00:26:45,680 --> 00:26:48,560 Speaker 3: you want on your team. He's never about drama. He's 542 00:26:48,640 --> 00:26:51,240 Speaker 3: never had a problem off the field. He's a good 543 00:26:51,320 --> 00:26:54,320 Speaker 3: human being. He's good in the community. He's a great teammate. 544 00:26:54,400 --> 00:26:57,719 Speaker 3: Guys keep wanting him back. Obviously, he's a Pittsburgh Pirate 545 00:26:57,760 --> 00:26:59,720 Speaker 3: for life. When you think of Andrew McCutchen, you think 546 00:26:59,720 --> 00:27:03,560 Speaker 3: of the Pittsburgh Pirate pirates. He follows one person on Instagram, 547 00:27:03,600 --> 00:27:06,560 Speaker 3: his wife. This guy is about no nonsense, no drama. 548 00:27:06,640 --> 00:27:11,119 Speaker 3: Congratulations Andrew McCutchen your seventeenth season in the Bigs. Not 549 00:27:11,200 --> 00:27:13,680 Speaker 3: many people are ever fully vested at ten years. And 550 00:27:13,720 --> 00:27:16,320 Speaker 3: look at what Andrew McCutchen has been able to accomplish. 551 00:27:16,359 --> 00:27:17,360 Speaker 3: He is my dude of the week. 552 00:27:17,400 --> 00:27:17,720 Speaker 4: All right. 553 00:27:17,840 --> 00:27:21,720 Speaker 3: Time now for the John Fisher dork of the week. 554 00:27:30,280 --> 00:27:32,320 Speaker 3: All right, this is the other end of the spectrum. 555 00:27:32,359 --> 00:27:35,040 Speaker 3: Ken somebody that leaves us shaking our heads? Who is 556 00:27:35,080 --> 00:27:36,160 Speaker 3: your dork of the week? 557 00:27:37,240 --> 00:27:41,320 Speaker 2: Texas A and M Baseball, Now, they instituted a policy 558 00:27:41,440 --> 00:27:44,600 Speaker 2: that they have since rescinded that players would not be 559 00:27:44,640 --> 00:27:48,840 Speaker 2: available to the media after losses. Now, I am generally 560 00:27:49,440 --> 00:27:53,200 Speaker 2: lenient on amateur players and how they should be covered 561 00:27:53,200 --> 00:27:59,040 Speaker 2: differently than professional players. However, college right now you have nils. 562 00:27:59,200 --> 00:28:01,960 Speaker 2: The guys are close to pros and actually are pros 563 00:28:02,280 --> 00:28:06,440 Speaker 2: that they ever were before. So no, let's not protect 564 00:28:06,600 --> 00:28:10,520 Speaker 2: let's not shield the children here, it's not necessary. And 565 00:28:10,560 --> 00:28:13,960 Speaker 2: you know what, Also, I don't know how good Texas 566 00:28:13,960 --> 00:28:16,400 Speaker 2: A and M is and how many first round, second round, 567 00:28:16,440 --> 00:28:19,280 Speaker 2: third round picks they might have, but guess what part 568 00:28:19,359 --> 00:28:22,040 Speaker 2: of becoming a major league player or even a minor 569 00:28:22,119 --> 00:28:24,080 Speaker 2: league player is learning how to deal with the media 570 00:28:24,200 --> 00:28:27,679 Speaker 2: after losses. Oh my gosh, sometimes you even have to 571 00:28:27,680 --> 00:28:31,520 Speaker 2: talk to writers then, So thankfully texas A and m 572 00:28:31,520 --> 00:28:37,160 Speaker 2: rescinded this policy because that was a really, really bad idea, no. 573 00:28:37,280 --> 00:28:39,880 Speaker 3: Question about it. How about some accountability And one thing 574 00:28:39,920 --> 00:28:42,120 Speaker 3: I love about players in this game are if you're 575 00:28:42,200 --> 00:28:44,680 Speaker 3: zero for five or five for five, you're still posting 576 00:28:44,760 --> 00:28:47,280 Speaker 3: at your locker in answering questions. I mean, the media 577 00:28:47,360 --> 00:28:50,800 Speaker 3: has a job to do as well. And yeah, accountability 578 00:28:50,840 --> 00:28:53,120 Speaker 3: is huge. I feel like that's a very generational thing 579 00:28:53,160 --> 00:28:55,600 Speaker 3: that perhaps us those a little bit younger than you 580 00:28:55,680 --> 00:28:58,040 Speaker 3: and I Ken Rosenthal don't necessarily want to be held 581 00:28:58,080 --> 00:29:01,720 Speaker 3: accountable for things. Okay, is also dealing with the media, 582 00:29:01,840 --> 00:29:05,840 Speaker 3: but perhaps sometimes less is more. And my dork of 583 00:29:05,840 --> 00:29:07,080 Speaker 3: the week and I like him, I have a lot 584 00:29:07,120 --> 00:29:08,720 Speaker 3: of respect for him, But my dork of the week 585 00:29:08,760 --> 00:29:11,880 Speaker 3: is Tristan Cassis. Where he's again he was asked the 586 00:29:12,000 --> 00:29:15,760 Speaker 3: question in fairness, but sometimes I think the appropriate answer 587 00:29:15,840 --> 00:29:18,960 Speaker 3: would have been that's above my pay grade. I think 588 00:29:19,000 --> 00:29:20,960 Speaker 3: the team is going to put people in the best 589 00:29:21,000 --> 00:29:22,920 Speaker 3: position for the team to win, you know, the sum 590 00:29:22,960 --> 00:29:25,320 Speaker 3: is bigger than the parts type of situation. And he 591 00:29:25,400 --> 00:29:27,640 Speaker 3: said that he thought that Bragman should not play third 592 00:29:27,680 --> 00:29:29,640 Speaker 3: and that Devers should play third. And I don't know 593 00:29:29,720 --> 00:29:32,600 Speaker 3: that that is something that he perhaps should have said, 594 00:29:32,720 --> 00:29:34,640 Speaker 3: just based on the amount of time he's had in 595 00:29:34,680 --> 00:29:37,760 Speaker 3: the big leagues, especially when then later on in the week, 596 00:29:37,800 --> 00:29:41,280 Speaker 3: Alex Bregman was then asked a veteran player, a World 597 00:29:41,360 --> 00:29:44,640 Speaker 3: Series Championship player, that said, I'll put I'll play wherever 598 00:29:44,720 --> 00:29:48,240 Speaker 3: the team wants me to play. So again, Tristan Cassis 599 00:29:48,320 --> 00:29:51,240 Speaker 3: is a unique personality. I love that sometimes he does 600 00:29:51,280 --> 00:29:53,920 Speaker 3: speak his mine, but I think in that situation, I mean, 601 00:29:54,600 --> 00:29:58,120 Speaker 3: you're not a guy that makes those decisions, So take 602 00:29:58,160 --> 00:30:00,560 Speaker 3: that off of your plate and say, hey, you know, 603 00:30:00,640 --> 00:30:02,720 Speaker 3: those around me that are in a better position to 604 00:30:02,760 --> 00:30:05,800 Speaker 3: make those decisions will Because now we're talking about it here, 605 00:30:05,840 --> 00:30:07,400 Speaker 3: I am calling him a dork of the week. And 606 00:30:07,440 --> 00:30:10,320 Speaker 3: sometimes less is more agreed. 607 00:30:10,720 --> 00:30:15,360 Speaker 2: And in this game, perhaps more than other games other 608 00:30:15,440 --> 00:30:17,520 Speaker 2: professional sports, you kind of have to know your place. 609 00:30:17,840 --> 00:30:19,840 Speaker 2: And there's good in that and there's bad in that. 610 00:30:20,000 --> 00:30:23,200 Speaker 2: And we've seen over the years that the young players 611 00:30:23,200 --> 00:30:26,720 Speaker 2: needed to be given some more freedom. I love guys 612 00:30:26,760 --> 00:30:29,880 Speaker 2: who speak their mind. We love that as writers media. 613 00:30:29,960 --> 00:30:32,840 Speaker 2: But at the same time, Tristan Cassis is just going 614 00:30:32,920 --> 00:30:35,000 Speaker 2: to get himself in trouble if he keeps saying stuff 615 00:30:35,040 --> 00:30:35,280 Speaker 2: like this. 616 00:30:35,920 --> 00:30:36,720 Speaker 3: Yeah, that's just it. 617 00:30:36,960 --> 00:30:37,200 Speaker 2: Again. 618 00:30:37,240 --> 00:30:39,920 Speaker 3: I didn't want the heat on him. I like tristan' 619 00:30:40,080 --> 00:30:41,840 Speaker 3: he's a good young man and he's a good player, 620 00:30:42,440 --> 00:30:44,480 Speaker 3: but yeah, I don't want him to have to deal 621 00:30:44,520 --> 00:30:46,120 Speaker 3: with all this stuff. And sometimes, like I said, I 622 00:30:46,120 --> 00:30:48,520 Speaker 3: think less is more. By the way, before we close 623 00:30:48,600 --> 00:30:50,560 Speaker 3: the show and get to our good friends at bet MGM, 624 00:30:51,040 --> 00:30:53,640 Speaker 3: Mike LOVERTI wants to know, Hey, Alana, have you ever 625 00:30:53,680 --> 00:30:55,640 Speaker 3: heard a photo day? Yes, Mike, I have heard a 626 00:30:55,640 --> 00:30:58,080 Speaker 3: photo day, But the players don't necessarily have to go 627 00:30:58,160 --> 00:31:01,440 Speaker 3: into the parking lot in full unify. Okay, so there's that. 628 00:31:01,480 --> 00:31:04,040 Speaker 3: I've been to many photo days, Mike. All right, that 629 00:31:04,520 --> 00:31:05,479 Speaker 3: is neither here nor there. 630 00:31:05,480 --> 00:31:05,800 Speaker 1: All right. 631 00:31:05,840 --> 00:31:09,040 Speaker 3: Time now for our friends at BETEMGM. From February sixteenth 632 00:31:09,120 --> 00:31:11,719 Speaker 3: until March second, players can join in on the BEDMGM 633 00:31:11,720 --> 00:31:15,240 Speaker 3: Poker Winter Online Championships. Players can compete for a prize 634 00:31:15,240 --> 00:31:20,520 Speaker 3: pool of over one point five million dollars guaranteed in 635 00:31:20,640 --> 00:31:23,520 Speaker 3: twenty one trophy events player cards right in the Winter 636 00:31:23,600 --> 00:31:26,600 Speaker 3: Online Championships, and you could also claim a share of 637 00:31:26,640 --> 00:31:31,480 Speaker 3: an additional ten grand on the Winter Online Championships leaderboard. 638 00:31:31,480 --> 00:31:34,840 Speaker 3: Gambling problem or concern, there is help. Call one eight 639 00:31:35,000 --> 00:31:38,400 Speaker 3: hundred gambler. All right, Ken, thanks for everybody for watching. 640 00:31:38,480 --> 00:31:41,680 Speaker 3: We appreciate you guys very much. Foul Territory is next, 641 00:31:41,680 --> 00:31:44,720 Speaker 3: and just a reminder, Ken is back on Monday at 642 00:31:44,840 --> 00:31:48,880 Speaker 3: ten thirty Eastern for spring training. As fair territory leads 643 00:31:48,960 --> 00:31:51,560 Speaker 3: right into foul territory, have a great day, guys,