WEBVTT - Strider’s impact, Luis Robert’s shrinking value, O’s missing GM 0:00:00.040 --> 0:00:03.120 Their leadoff men are on basing about two seventy thus 0:00:03.120 --> 0:00:05.960 far this year, and Ronald is a market improvement to that, 0:00:06.120 --> 0:00:08.520 and I think that makes Olsen better, Riley better. 0:00:15.400 --> 0:00:18.919 Grand McCauley covers the Braves for ninety two nine in 0:00:18.960 --> 0:00:21.959 the game host of From the Diamond, among many other 0:00:22.120 --> 0:00:25.240 gigs all over the Brave scene. Back with us, Grant, 0:00:25.239 --> 0:00:27.440 we love having you on, Thanks for the time, give 0:00:27.480 --> 0:00:30.960 us the goods. First on Spencer Strider. So he's back 0:00:31.360 --> 0:00:34.519 and had very I would say candid words about how 0:00:34.560 --> 0:00:37.120 he was pissed about his first start pack, then his 0:00:37.159 --> 0:00:39.159 second start of the year and second start since the 0:00:39.200 --> 0:00:41.280 long surgery. So where are we at with him? 0:00:42.080 --> 0:00:42.320 Yeah? 0:00:42.360 --> 0:00:44.000 I think this is going to be a matter of, 0:00:44.360 --> 0:00:46.879 in some respects knocking the rust off. And it's kind 0:00:46.880 --> 0:00:49.400 of a shame that he works so hard for a 0:00:49.520 --> 0:00:52.159 calendar year to get himself back, only to land on 0:00:52.240 --> 0:00:55.160 the injured list with a separate malady that caused him 0:00:55.160 --> 0:00:57.720 to sit around. And I say that loosely because obviously 0:00:57.760 --> 0:01:01.319 he was still working over that time. So I think 0:01:01.360 --> 0:01:02.840 he's going to kind of have to get back to 0:01:02.880 --> 0:01:06.240 where he was before the hamstring and then find his 0:01:06.319 --> 0:01:09.120 way to make his incremental improvements. But there is no 0:01:09.360 --> 0:01:11.280 two ways about the fact that this is one of 0:01:11.360 --> 0:01:15.119 the most competitive pitchers players I think maybe in any 0:01:15.120 --> 0:01:17.600 sport for that matter. And he's very candid and he's 0:01:17.720 --> 0:01:20.600 very direct about his expectations for himself and what he 0:01:20.640 --> 0:01:22.759 wants to provide to the Atlanta Braves. So I think 0:01:22.800 --> 0:01:24.320 you heard some of that or read some of that 0:01:24.400 --> 0:01:27.240 after last night's start. It's kind of a journey throughout 0:01:27.240 --> 0:01:29.679 the course of coming back from an injury like this 0:01:29.760 --> 0:01:31.399 to get back to where he wants to get to. 0:01:31.920 --> 0:01:35.480 But if hard work and those and talent we combine 0:01:35.520 --> 0:01:37.440 the way that they have for Spencer Strider in the past, 0:01:37.880 --> 0:01:40.000 I would think that he's going to find his way there. 0:01:40.040 --> 0:01:41.400 It just might take a little while. 0:01:42.240 --> 0:01:44.400 Yeah, and I agree totally with you. This guy is 0:01:44.440 --> 0:01:46.760 an absolute stud. He's been doing it for a couple 0:01:46.800 --> 0:01:49.680 of years now. Now. My question along those lines are, 0:01:49.720 --> 0:01:51.880 how did how does his teammates perceive him? I mean, 0:01:52.280 --> 0:01:54.760 he talks this you know, big thing about you know, 0:01:54.840 --> 0:01:56.960 not doing well, which I think is courageous. I think 0:01:57.120 --> 0:01:59.560 is honesty. I love honesty, Like, how do how do 0:01:59.680 --> 0:02:02.200 his team mates take them? And they got to be 0:02:02.440 --> 0:02:04.760 happy as a clam right now having him back. 0:02:05.160 --> 0:02:05.920 No doubt about it. 0:02:05.960 --> 0:02:08.080 And I actually heard Mett Olson say after a game 0:02:08.240 --> 0:02:11.680 on the recent homestand or the recent road trip rather 0:02:11.840 --> 0:02:14.239 that like, he's one of the leaders of this club. 0:02:14.520 --> 0:02:16.520 And I think that it's easy to see and easy 0:02:16.520 --> 0:02:19.040 to understand why because of who he is and how 0:02:19.040 --> 0:02:21.079 he approaches the game on and off the field. He 0:02:21.160 --> 0:02:24.720 has a tremendous respect, I think, for his opportunity and 0:02:24.840 --> 0:02:27.520 his job each and every time he takes the ball, 0:02:27.840 --> 0:02:29.919 and that's one of the things that I think makes 0:02:30.000 --> 0:02:33.120 him so authentic. And I think we all like authenticity, 0:02:33.120 --> 0:02:35.640 and Spencer Strider is one of those people that doesn't 0:02:35.680 --> 0:02:38.800 come around too incredibly often, so it's tremendous to have 0:02:38.960 --> 0:02:41.600 him back in there. But obviously he knows he wants 0:02:41.639 --> 0:02:44.359 to get himself back to that level physically where he's 0:02:44.360 --> 0:02:46.399 able to impact the game the way that he's used 0:02:46.400 --> 0:02:48.680 to doing prior to this most recent elbow surgery. 0:02:49.639 --> 0:02:52.120 I think this next streak they have going along here 0:02:52.160 --> 0:02:54.880 they got after Washington, here, they got San Diego, Philly 0:02:54.880 --> 0:02:58.079 and Boston. I feel like this is gonna, in my opinion, 0:02:58.160 --> 0:03:00.760 prove to be where they're at right now. During the season, 0:03:00.800 --> 0:03:02.519 not saying if they do bad, they're not going to 0:03:02.560 --> 0:03:05.560 climb back, but this is a big series coming up. 0:03:05.600 --> 0:03:08.120 Where do you see this Brave's team. They're five hundred 0:03:08.160 --> 0:03:09.360 right now, where do you see this going? 0:03:10.080 --> 0:03:10.320 Yeah? 0:03:10.360 --> 0:03:12.480 And how hard was it to get to five hundred 0:03:12.520 --> 0:03:14.560 when you start to season zero and seven. So I 0:03:14.560 --> 0:03:17.359 think they probably felt behind or behind the eight ball 0:03:17.400 --> 0:03:19.639 a little bit early on, but we're able to keep 0:03:19.680 --> 0:03:22.200 the confidence that it is a long season, it's a marathon. 0:03:22.360 --> 0:03:24.440 And once they were able to get back to some 0:03:24.600 --> 0:03:27.359 version of full strength, which obviously we can talk about 0:03:27.400 --> 0:03:30.359 how Ron Lacuna Junior could factor into that they were 0:03:30.400 --> 0:03:32.320 going to play the kind of baseball they expect to. 0:03:32.520 --> 0:03:35.760 And since starting out five and thirteen, they pretty much 0:03:35.800 --> 0:03:38.440 have played at about a six hundred clip. That will 0:03:38.520 --> 0:03:41.480 punch your ticket to the postseason, even if you've had 0:03:41.560 --> 0:03:44.080 a less than stellar start, and that ultimately is their 0:03:44.080 --> 0:03:46.400 big goal. But you're going to have to test yourself 0:03:46.400 --> 0:03:48.240 against the kinds of teams that you're going to see there. 0:03:48.440 --> 0:03:50.680 They know all about the Padres and the Phillies and 0:03:50.680 --> 0:03:53.760 clubs like that, especially the last three years in October, 0:03:53.840 --> 0:03:55.800 So even if nobody's looking at it and saying it 0:03:55.840 --> 0:03:58.320 is to your point, the end all be all. You'd 0:03:58.360 --> 0:04:00.640 like to measure yourself up against the be and feel 0:04:00.680 --> 0:04:02.960 like you're on the right path. And I think the 0:04:03.000 --> 0:04:05.520 Braves have been. But this will be the latest test 0:04:05.560 --> 0:04:08.520 to kind of see where this version of the Braves 0:04:08.640 --> 0:04:10.000 is at this point in the season. 0:04:11.160 --> 0:04:13.520 Obviously, they you know, they don't want to be five hundred, 0:04:13.520 --> 0:04:15.440 but they're happy that they're five hundred right now based 0:04:15.480 --> 0:04:19.120 on how it started. But back to Strider, how long 0:04:19.160 --> 0:04:23.360 do you think the ORG can continue to lean on 0:04:23.480 --> 0:04:26.280 him or how long do you think the ORG feels 0:04:26.440 --> 0:04:30.040 like they're fine with some diminished velocity. You saw him 0:04:30.080 --> 0:04:34.039 get hurt yesterday by breaking balls that you're like, eh, 0:04:34.279 --> 0:04:37.000 normally those breaking balls are not the ones he's throwing 0:04:37.000 --> 0:04:40.240 in those locations. And then he got hit hurt by 0:04:40.600 --> 0:04:44.600 ninety five by Dylan Cruz. He looked more mortal. So 0:04:44.680 --> 0:04:47.200 how long can the ORG say, hey, you know what, 0:04:47.320 --> 0:04:48.880 we know, we're not going to get one hundred percent 0:04:49.040 --> 0:04:53.160 Strider for the first however many starts. But how long 0:04:53.320 --> 0:04:56.840 is that for the Braves? Yeah, it's a good question. 0:04:57.160 --> 0:04:59.520 I think as long as he's competitive in keeping them 0:04:59.560 --> 0:05:02.600 in game, he will continue to get the opportunity to 0:05:03.000 --> 0:05:05.760 make those improvements and to get back to where he is. 0:05:05.839 --> 0:05:09.520 But obviously, to the point of everything that everybody's doing 0:05:09.560 --> 0:05:11.240 all year long, you want to win. And that's not 0:05:11.279 --> 0:05:13.360 lost on Spencer's strider either, which is why I think 0:05:13.400 --> 0:05:16.320 those comments last night, particularly referencing, Look, they had to 0:05:16.360 --> 0:05:18.520 send Bryce Elder out for me to get this chance, 0:05:18.800 --> 0:05:20.840 and I'm not pitching well. And if I don't pitch well, 0:05:20.880 --> 0:05:23.400 I don't deserve to be out there. So with that, 0:05:23.440 --> 0:05:25.559 it's the backdrop of all of this. If those Candi 0:05:25.640 --> 0:05:27.480 comments are to be taking at face value, which I 0:05:27.520 --> 0:05:30.159 have no reason to believe they're not, he understands what's 0:05:30.160 --> 0:05:32.520 at stake. If he's not able to make these adjustments, 0:05:32.560 --> 0:05:35.760 now are the days of ninety seven ninety eight continually 0:05:35.760 --> 0:05:39.719 in the zone and you know this fastball slider behind him. 0:05:39.960 --> 0:05:41.919 I don't know if I'm prepared to say that, because 0:05:41.960 --> 0:05:44.680 I think that Spencer wanted to make some improvements to 0:05:44.920 --> 0:05:48.520 his arsenal that allowed him to be able to be 0:05:48.120 --> 0:05:50.960 a true pitcher and to have that finesse and to 0:05:51.000 --> 0:05:53.880 be able to have options to keep hitters off of 0:05:53.920 --> 0:05:56.960 certain pitches and just evolve, I guess, but at some 0:05:57.040 --> 0:05:58.719 point I think you got to go with what works. 0:05:58.760 --> 0:06:01.000 And he said this before to him last spring when 0:06:01.000 --> 0:06:04.240 the curveball was the big conversation. Look, I'm a fastball, 0:06:04.279 --> 0:06:06.520 slider pitcher. I know that, but I do like to 0:06:06.560 --> 0:06:08.680 have other options, and I think he's trying to work 0:06:08.680 --> 0:06:09.400 on some of those. 0:06:09.440 --> 0:06:10.560 But back to the. 0:06:10.440 --> 0:06:12.360 Main point, You've got to be able to compete with 0:06:12.400 --> 0:06:14.479 your best stuff, and I think that Spencer Strider is 0:06:14.480 --> 0:06:16.880 not quite there in terms of his absolute best and 0:06:16.920 --> 0:06:18.440 most consistent fastball for sure. 0:06:19.440 --> 0:06:22.080 Okay, first I need to ask a question to set 0:06:22.160 --> 0:06:25.719 up my next question. It's just yes or no. Rono 0:06:25.800 --> 0:06:29.320 Viccunya will not be an MVP caliber player right when 0:06:29.360 --> 0:06:35.839 he gets back. I'm gonna say no, Okay, that's fine, 0:06:35.880 --> 0:06:37.359 and that's fine. I'm not gonna hold you to it. 0:06:37.400 --> 0:06:41.279 If he does awesome, great, not expecting seventy bags, a 0:06:41.320 --> 0:06:45.479 million homers, all that stuff. Yet with Olsen just hitting 0:06:45.520 --> 0:06:47.719 with not Olsen just hitting his tenth home run, I 0:06:47.720 --> 0:06:52.960 think last night, is he the biggest key or is 0:06:53.000 --> 0:06:56.440 Austin Riley the biggest key in this lineup moving forward 0:06:56.520 --> 0:06:57.320 the rest of the season. 0:06:58.040 --> 0:07:01.240 I think moving forward, the rest of this. If we're 0:07:01.279 --> 0:07:04.919 putting Acuna over off into his own special category, that 0:07:05.160 --> 0:07:09.000 Matt Olson is probably the most important X factor Outside 0:07:09.040 --> 0:07:10.960 of that, I think we've seen what we need to 0:07:10.960 --> 0:07:13.600 see from Austin Riley, But I would probably put those 0:07:13.600 --> 0:07:15.400 guys in a dead heat, a one A one B 0:07:15.640 --> 0:07:18.600 kind of scenario if you're talking about the importance of 0:07:18.640 --> 0:07:20.800 stacking this lineup to do the kind of damage the 0:07:20.800 --> 0:07:23.320 Braves are accustomed to. But keep in mind what Matt 0:07:23.360 --> 0:07:25.680 Olsen was a couple of years ago, a fifty plus 0:07:25.760 --> 0:07:27.960 homer hitter who can drive in one hundred and forty runs. 0:07:28.240 --> 0:07:31.040 If that's the ceiling, and maybe it's the outlier, it's 0:07:31.080 --> 0:07:34.600 still not crazy to think that he can do seventy 0:07:34.640 --> 0:07:36.920 five percent of that, which would make him by my 0:07:37.000 --> 0:07:39.200 simple math, you're a forty homer hitter who couldkno get 0:07:39.200 --> 0:07:41.040 one hundred ten or one hundred and twenty runs, and 0:07:41.120 --> 0:07:43.600 that is most definitely what the Braves need. But to 0:07:43.680 --> 0:07:46.400 drive in those kind of runs, how about having Acunya 0:07:46.480 --> 0:07:48.120 back at the top of the order, even if he's 0:07:48.120 --> 0:07:51.480 not the MVP. For his career per one sixty two, 0:07:51.840 --> 0:07:54.560 Ronald has averaged one hundred and thirty runs score. That's 0:07:54.560 --> 0:07:56.400 what they need at the top of the order because 0:07:56.400 --> 0:07:59.480 their leadoff men are on basing about two seventy thus 0:07:59.480 --> 0:08:02.400 far this year, and Ronald is a market improvement to that. 0:08:02.520 --> 0:08:05.720 And I think that makes Olsen better, Riley better, Ozuna better, 0:08:05.720 --> 0:08:06.560 and on down the list. 0:08:08.240 --> 0:08:10.680 Krats. I'm gonna let everyone in on a little secret. 0:08:10.720 --> 0:08:14.000 I am not a fan of carrying around physical cash. 0:08:14.160 --> 0:08:18.080 I go cash app where you can send, receive, or 0:08:18.120 --> 0:08:21.040 transfer money with family and friends. It's super easy. They 0:08:21.160 --> 0:08:23.480 got your back to Like, if you're trying to send 0:08:23.480 --> 0:08:26.160 some money and you maybe put in the wrong account name, 0:08:26.200 --> 0:08:28.920 they'll be like, hey, this is a sketchy account. 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That's money, that's cash. 0:09:06.440 --> 0:09:12.880 At Has Nick Allen filled in admirably or just filled 0:09:12.920 --> 0:09:14.760 in for this Braves team? 0:09:15.480 --> 0:09:18.360 I think he's filled in admirably. Defensively speaking, he has 0:09:18.400 --> 0:09:22.360 been above and beyond I think anybody's realistic expectations, even 0:09:22.400 --> 0:09:24.320 if you kind of knew maybe he was a glove 0:09:24.360 --> 0:09:27.560 first infielder, the plays that he makes, the setup that 0:09:27.600 --> 0:09:30.280 he has, the instincts that he has, I mean, it's 0:09:30.360 --> 0:09:32.880 been very, very impressive. And he's not going to hit 0:09:32.880 --> 0:09:34.840 a ton. I think we've kind of seen, you know, 0:09:35.080 --> 0:09:37.880 what we saw coming in. Maybe that's there's not much there, 0:09:38.200 --> 0:09:41.080 though his minor league numbers were encouraging that maybe. 0:09:40.800 --> 0:09:41.800 There was a little something. 0:09:41.880 --> 0:09:44.199 But I think if the rest of this lineup is hitting, 0:09:44.320 --> 0:09:47.240 you're pretty happy with what you're getting defensively. But to 0:09:47.280 --> 0:09:49.520 go back to the conversation of the winter and really, 0:09:49.559 --> 0:09:52.679 since Dansby Swanson left, are the Braves settled at shortstop? 0:09:52.920 --> 0:09:54.000 I'm not convinced of that. 0:09:55.440 --> 0:09:59.120 Still a lot of question marks, and we're forty eight 0:09:59.200 --> 0:10:01.760 games in, we're almost what we're getting there. It seems 0:10:01.840 --> 0:10:05.560 like the year is flying right by my question to 0:10:05.600 --> 0:10:07.600 you is, I know it's a little far away, but 0:10:07.960 --> 0:10:10.960 can you see this team during the trade deadline do 0:10:11.040 --> 0:10:13.400 something here, especially if they are, you know, a few 0:10:13.440 --> 0:10:15.600 games out, or is this a team right now? It's like, 0:10:16.040 --> 0:10:18.560 we'll see where we go. Hopefully we get everybody back 0:10:18.600 --> 0:10:19.200 after injury. 0:10:19.960 --> 0:10:22.320 I feel like they're set up to do something at 0:10:22.320 --> 0:10:25.720 the trade deadline, and there's almost more pressure to do 0:10:25.840 --> 0:10:28.800 so because they weren't able to accomplish their winter goals. 0:10:29.040 --> 0:10:32.640 I mean, in no version of the script would I say, well, 0:10:32.679 --> 0:10:34.600 the Braves looked at their pitching staff and thought they 0:10:34.640 --> 0:10:36.760 didn't need anything. I think they would have liked to 0:10:36.800 --> 0:10:39.480 have gotten another high leverage reliever, which was only exacerbated 0:10:39.480 --> 0:10:41.720 when Joey Menez could be out for the year. And 0:10:41.760 --> 0:10:43.800 I think they would have liked to have added somebody 0:10:43.840 --> 0:10:47.679 to fortify the rotation and really give them that standout group. 0:10:48.240 --> 0:10:50.000 So I think that those are still areas that they're 0:10:50.000 --> 0:10:52.360 going to go out and shop for now, getting Strider 0:10:52.400 --> 0:10:55.240 back and hopefully finding his form again, which is a 0:10:55.280 --> 0:10:58.200 big part of his return, is an impact arm. It's 0:10:58.240 --> 0:11:01.360 a question about that Acunya back. I mean, what club 0:11:01.400 --> 0:11:03.760 wouldn't like to be looking at players like that and 0:11:03.880 --> 0:11:07.199 welcoming those guys back in for the run through the 0:11:07.280 --> 0:11:09.480 dog days this summer and beyond the trade deadline and 0:11:09.679 --> 0:11:11.560 all the things that are ahead. So I think that 0:11:11.600 --> 0:11:14.040 they are poised to do something at the trade deadline, 0:11:14.120 --> 0:11:16.520 and I've heard Alex Anthopolos talk about it. The math 0:11:16.600 --> 0:11:19.160 for them, how they look at the luxury tax and 0:11:19.520 --> 0:11:22.040 when you get to the trade deadline, you're really only 0:11:22.080 --> 0:11:24.360 talking about having to pay for a third of that 0:11:24.440 --> 0:11:26.920 player's salary for the year. So I think that could 0:11:26.960 --> 0:11:31.320 make them a very intriguing team out there lurking for 0:11:31.440 --> 0:11:33.320 some big names and some big ads when the trade 0:11:33.320 --> 0:11:36.080 deadline does get here, and to be frank, they might 0:11:36.120 --> 0:11:36.560 need them. 0:11:37.880 --> 0:11:42.439 Does Craig Kimberl get more or less than five saves 0:11:42.480 --> 0:11:44.880 on this season for the Atlanta Braves. 0:11:45.440 --> 0:11:47.800 I'm going to say less because I do think Ryce 0:11:47.840 --> 0:11:51.200 Eleglacias is capable of figuring it out, so it's kind 0:11:51.200 --> 0:11:54.000 of out of Craig Kimberl's hands. He's been trending better 0:11:54.000 --> 0:11:56.160 in Triple A Guinette. I think the velocity is finally 0:11:56.200 --> 0:11:58.199 starting to tick up. He's starting to make back to 0:11:58.280 --> 0:12:00.800 back appearances. I think he could be a factor. I mean, 0:12:00.840 --> 0:12:03.360 you look at that resume, how could you overlook him 0:12:03.480 --> 0:12:07.080 or underestimate him? But there were some serious questions at 0:12:07.080 --> 0:12:09.040 the end of last year about his ability to be 0:12:09.200 --> 0:12:11.880 that guy in the ninth inning for the final three outs, 0:12:11.920 --> 0:12:13.920 which is a crazy thing to say about someone who's 0:12:13.920 --> 0:12:16.160 fifth all time and saves. But I still think it's 0:12:16.160 --> 0:12:18.719 a Glacius's job to lose. I don't think we've seen 0:12:18.760 --> 0:12:21.200 the best version of ryceell Iglesias, and I think that 0:12:21.240 --> 0:12:24.120 those adjustments can and will be made, and the Braves 0:12:24.200 --> 0:12:26.600 very much need him to because they don't need one 0:12:26.640 --> 0:12:29.160 more question on top of everything else, which is who's 0:12:29.200 --> 0:12:30.760 going to get the last three outs for us? 0:12:32.800 --> 0:12:35.680 Grant, tell me where we're at with Rice l. I 0:12:35.679 --> 0:12:41.320 mean he's still pretty consistently giving up runs. I mean 0:12:41.360 --> 0:12:43.800 I'm not seeing even in the past, what five six 0:12:43.840 --> 0:12:47.560 appearances now a lot of clean outings. The era is 0:12:47.640 --> 0:12:51.120 close to six. What are you seeing, right, I don't 0:12:51.120 --> 0:12:54.000 see every single appearance. What are you seeing? And why 0:12:54.000 --> 0:12:55.240 do you think that it can be fixed? 0:12:56.200 --> 0:12:59.160 His home run rate, I believe should normalize. I mean, 0:12:59.160 --> 0:13:01.319 he's not going to give up eighteen or twenty home 0:13:01.400 --> 0:13:03.400 runs this year. And the Braves certainly aren't going to 0:13:03.920 --> 0:13:06.120 allow that to happen in the ninth inning most certainly, 0:13:06.400 --> 0:13:08.120 so they're going to have to sort that out. And 0:13:08.120 --> 0:13:10.160 that's the adjustment I think he has to make. Because 0:13:10.679 --> 0:13:13.080 last year he allowed four homers and roughly seventy innings. 0:13:13.120 --> 0:13:16.200 He's already allowed to believe half a dozen in twenty 0:13:16.320 --> 0:13:19.240 or thereabouts innings this year, so that rate is off 0:13:19.280 --> 0:13:22.079 the charts. But he's looked better. I feel like over 0:13:22.120 --> 0:13:24.760 the past week or two. He was used infrequently early on. 0:13:24.920 --> 0:13:27.000 I don't know if that might have kind of gotten 0:13:27.080 --> 0:13:29.240 him a little bit out of the norm coming out 0:13:29.240 --> 0:13:32.360 of spring training because he didn't have save opportunities there 0:13:32.400 --> 0:13:34.920 for about two weeks, so that could be part of it. 0:13:34.960 --> 0:13:37.120 But the stuff's still there. I think he's just made 0:13:37.120 --> 0:13:39.600 some mistakes. He's hung some pitches, and he hasn't been 0:13:39.640 --> 0:13:43.000 able to get away with those mistakes. But I haven't 0:13:43.040 --> 0:13:45.839 noticed anything that makes me feel like Ryce I Iglesias 0:13:46.120 --> 0:13:48.600 looks like a shell of himself, or that he's just 0:13:49.000 --> 0:13:51.280 doesn't have it. I think he's just got to make 0:13:51.320 --> 0:13:53.720 those adjustments. The Braves believe he can and he will. 0:13:54.120 --> 0:13:57.120 But as we all know, father time is undefeated and 0:13:57.200 --> 0:14:00.240 you know, closers, relievers. I mean, it's volatile, like you 0:14:00.360 --> 0:14:03.040 just don't have guys that you know, never run into 0:14:03.240 --> 0:14:06.160 a bad patch or a bad you know time in 0:14:06.200 --> 0:14:08.280 their career where they maybe get taken out of that 0:14:08.360 --> 0:14:11.200 leverage position. That being said, that would be the most 0:14:11.280 --> 0:14:14.280 unideal thing to happen at think in the bras bulpin 0:14:14.480 --> 0:14:16.199 as it's currently constructed. 0:14:16.880 --> 0:14:19.720 And the confidence flow of that position, right, I mean, 0:14:19.840 --> 0:14:23.120 yesterday we spoke to Pap about it. It's like, even 0:14:23.160 --> 0:14:25.960 if you're unlucky, but it happens a few times in 0:14:26.000 --> 0:14:30.440 a row, things can spiral. Yeah, yeah, so we'll see 0:14:30.440 --> 0:14:32.960 what happens. But Grant always great insight. Great to have 0:14:33.040 --> 0:14:35.920 you on everyone watching here. If you don't already get 0:14:35.920 --> 0:14:38.080 Granted file, you can see everything that he's doing. But 0:14:38.320 --> 0:14:40.920 on Twitter it's just his name first and last, Grant McCauley. 0:14:41.080 --> 0:14:44.400 Thank you, Grant, good to see you. Thanks guys, Let's 0:14:44.400 --> 0:14:46.240 get some more. That's what he said. Let's go to 0:14:46.400 --> 0:14:49.680 Luis Robert through an interpreter. He said, right now, as 0:14:49.720 --> 0:14:51.880 my season is going, I don't think anybody is going 0:14:51.920 --> 0:14:53.520 to take a chance on me. I just focus on 0:14:53.560 --> 0:14:56.400 trying to get better. I can't think of anything else. 0:14:57.120 --> 0:14:59.600 I mean, he's the sub two hundred batting average, sub 0:14:59.600 --> 0:15:03.760 three hundre on base, just a hair over three hundred 0:15:04.400 --> 0:15:09.120 on his slugging percentage. You're kind of like, damn, what happened? 0:15:10.240 --> 0:15:12.560 This was a really fun player to watch. He's had 0:15:12.600 --> 0:15:18.880 trouble staying on the field, but it's like space jam. Yeah, 0:15:18.960 --> 0:15:20.520 someone took his powers. 0:15:20.880 --> 0:15:24.000 Yeah, listen, I'm not a big fan of the quote. 0:15:24.040 --> 0:15:27.160 I feel like he's kind of throwing in the towel here. 0:15:27.200 --> 0:15:29.480 How about how about saying, hey, listen, I know I'm struggling, 0:15:29.520 --> 0:15:32.040 but I'm one bad away from getting my mind right 0:15:32.080 --> 0:15:35.600 and getting after it. I want to He's a confident guy. 0:15:35.680 --> 0:15:38.200 I believe he's gonna get back on track. I like 0:15:38.280 --> 0:15:40.360 the way he plays. I mean, listen, a couple of 0:15:40.400 --> 0:15:43.120 years ago, I have forty home runs, one or two 0:15:43.160 --> 0:15:47.360 home runs. He had thirty eight or thirty nine, and 0:15:47.400 --> 0:15:49.920 he's he's fine. He's just going through it right now. 0:15:50.240 --> 0:15:52.520 You know that kind of quote there that would steer 0:15:52.600 --> 0:15:55.080 me away from wanting a guy the confidence. I mean, listen, 0:15:55.320 --> 0:15:56.800 you're in the big leagues for a reason. You're going 0:15:56.840 --> 0:15:59.280 to struggle. That's part of it. It's how you get 0:15:59.280 --> 0:16:01.360 out of it. All of the sun. These next three weeks, 0:16:01.560 --> 0:16:03.040 he can go off on a terry, but about in 0:16:03.040 --> 0:16:05.840 two fifteen, no time. That's that's the biggest problem. The 0:16:05.880 --> 0:16:08.640 psyche up here. You gotta be mentally strong in baseball 0:16:08.680 --> 0:16:10.800 and here a quote like that. It's kind of sad 0:16:10.840 --> 0:16:14.120 at the same time because we know and we've seen 0:16:14.200 --> 0:16:17.120 him do really good. I just think he's mentally needs 0:16:17.120 --> 0:16:19.400 to get right and understand how good he really is. 0:16:21.120 --> 0:16:26.840 Chris gets he's like, no, stop stop talking, stop talking. 0:16:27.440 --> 0:16:30.640 This has been the mo around him, and we had 0:16:30.640 --> 0:16:32.760 never really heard much from him. The m around him 0:16:32.840 --> 0:16:36.720 was like, don't know, Like is he fully engaged every 0:16:36.800 --> 0:16:41.840 game because he still has his superpowers. He clearly wants 0:16:41.920 --> 0:16:43.680 to get a stolen base he's got. I think he's 0:16:43.760 --> 0:16:45.560 leading the league right now. I think he's got seventeen 0:16:45.640 --> 0:16:49.160 or eighteen stone bases. Like he's running when he's on 0:16:49.240 --> 0:16:52.440 his on base percentage, while it is lower than his 0:16:52.520 --> 0:16:56.040 career norm, his walk rate has gone up. Maybe that's 0:16:56.080 --> 0:17:00.240 because nobody's around him. To me, if he he's a 0:17:00.320 --> 0:17:03.440 change of scenery guy, the GM that trades for him, 0:17:04.680 --> 0:17:09.119 is taking a risk that wherever he fits into, he's 0:17:09.160 --> 0:17:11.919 going to be like, you know what I want. I 0:17:11.960 --> 0:17:13.679 want to win and I want to be the best 0:17:13.720 --> 0:17:17.120 player that I can be, because when he is that guy, 0:17:17.960 --> 0:17:20.720 I don't believe in outliers. I don't believe, and I 0:17:20.800 --> 0:17:24.159 believe when you have a season, an elite season like 0:17:24.200 --> 0:17:28.040 he had, you're only playing under that. That is not 0:17:28.320 --> 0:17:32.400 like he'll never reach that again. I disagree. I think 0:17:32.880 --> 0:17:38.720 he's playing below those expectations. And really, it's hard to 0:17:38.800 --> 0:17:40.919 come to the park every day if you're not motivated 0:17:40.960 --> 0:17:43.440 for something. He's got a contract, it's going to be 0:17:43.440 --> 0:17:45.880 a little bit till he needs another contract. But your 0:17:45.920 --> 0:17:49.320 team is losing one hundred games back to back seasons. 0:17:49.400 --> 0:17:53.359 Last year they weren't even competitive at all. So it's hard. 0:17:53.440 --> 0:17:55.880 It's hard to get going for some guys because he's 0:17:55.920 --> 0:17:58.720 not really he's not playing for his life. And if 0:17:58.720 --> 0:18:02.560 he keeps malasing through the season, he's not gonna have 0:18:02.600 --> 0:18:03.359 any trade value. 0:18:03.400 --> 0:18:08.240 He's right, he's not gonna cost as much right now. 0:18:08.280 --> 0:18:10.320 If the White Sox do want to move him. It 0:18:10.359 --> 0:18:13.560 gets tricky for the Socks though, because then you're like, okay, 0:18:13.600 --> 0:18:17.400 we have basically no payroll, so that's not the problem. 0:18:17.880 --> 0:18:19.879 We might as well let him try to find it 0:18:19.920 --> 0:18:23.119 again and increase his value. There's still years left on 0:18:23.160 --> 0:18:24.640 the deal. It's not like he's a free agent after 0:18:24.680 --> 0:18:27.800 this season either, So it does get tricky when it 0:18:27.800 --> 0:18:28.919 comes to the asking price. 0:18:29.560 --> 0:18:32.639 That's very tricky, and it's not a good time for 0:18:32.680 --> 0:18:37.240 the White Sox right now at all. I mean to 0:18:37.280 --> 0:18:38.800 get anybody really in return. 0:18:38.880 --> 0:18:45.520 Yeah, Alloy was a very promising bat and by the 0:18:45.600 --> 0:18:49.040 end of trade deadline time last year, the Orioles picked 0:18:49.080 --> 0:18:52.119 him up. Are like the Orioles and I don't remember 0:18:52.119 --> 0:18:54.920 it being a big return. And you're like, or he might. 0:18:55.000 --> 0:18:56.440 Did he get cut or did he get traded? I 0:18:56.440 --> 0:19:00.159 don't even know whatever it was. My point is, CRATSN 0:19:00.520 --> 0:19:03.680