WEBVTT - 1141 | Burning Questions for Every NL Team + Chase Burns Extended 0:00:15.800 --> 0:00:20.600 Tis League records bring. 0:00:21.760 --> 0:00:23.840 We will sue you to. 0:00:33.440 --> 0:00:35.560 The Gunner. 0:00:36.280 --> 0:00:42.760 Welcome, Haut, Welcome to the Just Baseball Show. It is 0:00:42.920 --> 0:00:46.200 Thursday July sixteenth. That's Arm Lighton and I am Peter 0:00:46.320 --> 0:00:51.040 Apple and today one burning question for every team in 0:00:51.080 --> 0:00:54.280 the National League post All Star Break. We're also going 0:00:54.360 --> 0:00:57.000 to talk about the Lance mc cullers junior trade from 0:00:57.040 --> 0:01:00.280 the Astros to the Brewers and Chase Burns of the 0:01:00.280 --> 0:01:04.800 Cincinnati Reds just got extended seven years, one hundred and 0:01:05.000 --> 0:01:07.360 five million, and Arm and I are here to break 0:01:07.400 --> 0:01:09.800 it down. 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Remember code just baseball on bet 0:01:51.760 --> 0:01:53.880 mgm arm. We got a lot to discuss today. I 0:01:53.920 --> 0:01:55.560 say we get straight into it. What do you say, 0:01:55.760 --> 0:01:58.080 Let's do it because we've been in Philly for a while. 0:01:58.280 --> 0:01:59.640 Had to take a little bit of an off day 0:01:59.680 --> 0:02:02.000 yesterday just because of travel. But we are back with 0:02:02.080 --> 0:02:05.800 a banger episode and just a reminder. Part two will 0:02:05.840 --> 0:02:09.080 be live tomorrow, so we'll do the entire American League tomorrow. 0:02:09.160 --> 0:02:11.680 Thank you everybody joining us live here on YouTube. Best 0:02:11.680 --> 0:02:13.880 way to support the stream smash the like button and 0:02:13.960 --> 0:02:16.760 subscribe button For all those audio folks, Leaving a five 0:02:16.800 --> 0:02:19.360 seur review is the best way to support the show. 0:02:19.520 --> 0:02:23.480 Ar Lance mccullus junior got traded. So the trade is 0:02:23.680 --> 0:02:27.359 mccullus junior and Colton Gordon to the Brewers for minor 0:02:27.440 --> 0:02:31.640 league outfielder Jaden Fielder and cash. The Brewers will be 0:02:31.680 --> 0:02:34.560 absorbing the two and a half million dollars remaining on 0:02:34.680 --> 0:02:37.280 mcculler's contract, only. 0:02:37.080 --> 0:02:39.920 Two and a half of the much larger number remaining 0:02:39.960 --> 0:02:42.160 on the contract, which is the interesting part. 0:02:42.360 --> 0:02:44.040 I wrote it wrong, Yeah, break that down for. 0:02:44.040 --> 0:02:47.280 Us, because it's a lot of like there's a relatively 0:02:47.400 --> 0:02:50.720 decent amount of money left on the contract for Lance 0:02:50.760 --> 0:02:54.079 mccohor's junior, and hey, that was a sunken deal, right, 0:02:54.080 --> 0:02:55.920 Like you're not going to be able to offload that money. 0:02:56.000 --> 0:02:59.560 But the fact that with Colton Gordon decent depth arm 0:02:59.560 --> 0:03:01.959 that I left that now, I think the Brewers could 0:03:02.040 --> 0:03:04.880 have an interesting opportunity to try to, like Shane Drohan, 0:03:05.000 --> 0:03:07.040 try to unlock a little bit more out of and 0:03:07.120 --> 0:03:09.880 the fact that like they're only taking on two and 0:03:09.919 --> 0:03:13.280 a half, like the Astros are only really removing two 0:03:13.280 --> 0:03:15.799 and a half million dollars of this deal. I thought 0:03:15.800 --> 0:03:19.640 it was kind of surprising to attach like a decent 0:03:19.680 --> 0:03:23.320 pitching prospect. I know Gordon has him been great, just 0:03:23.440 --> 0:03:25.160 for two and a half million dollars he gets you 0:03:25.160 --> 0:03:27.079 have Jaden Fielder coming back the other way. He's gonna 0:03:27.080 --> 0:03:28.960 be twenty two years old at low A s having 0:03:28.960 --> 0:03:31.880 a nice year, but ultimately like not even really a 0:03:31.919 --> 0:03:34.200 top thirty prospect. Maybe in the Astro system will be 0:03:34.200 --> 0:03:36.640 a top thirty prospect, like at the thirty range, like 0:03:36.720 --> 0:03:39.400 twenty eight to thirty range. But it was interesting the 0:03:39.400 --> 0:03:42.120 astros who always talk about we always talk about every 0:03:42.160 --> 0:03:44.040 dollar matters up against that CBT. 0:03:44.560 --> 0:03:45.960 Seems like they're trying to make, you know. 0:03:46.160 --> 0:03:49.200 Just create a little bit of wiggle room, also open 0:03:49.280 --> 0:03:53.000 up a forty man spot to potentially, you know, go 0:03:53.080 --> 0:03:53.840 make another move. 0:03:54.640 --> 0:03:56.840 What interests me most is why the Brewers would do 0:03:56.920 --> 0:04:01.520 this because Lance mc coll is junior, he's thrown thirty 0:04:01.680 --> 0:04:05.960 nine innings this year to a six eight six ERA. 0:04:06.200 --> 0:04:08.160 In the year before that it was only fifty five 0:04:08.200 --> 0:04:10.400 innings at a six y five one ERA, and all 0:04:10.400 --> 0:04:14.120 the underlying metrics put him at four or five sometimes 0:04:14.200 --> 0:04:17.440 even six when we're looking at expected era phip X 0:04:17.480 --> 0:04:20.640 FIP sierra, and he's been striking out north of a 0:04:20.640 --> 0:04:24.080 batter per inning. But the walks, I mean walking five 0:04:24.120 --> 0:04:28.200 per nine this year, walked over six per nine last year. Now, 0:04:28.200 --> 0:04:30.520 when his three rehab starts in the minor leagues, because 0:04:30.520 --> 0:04:33.840 he is close to returning, he's looked okay, right two 0:04:33.880 --> 0:04:36.800 four five ERA is nice, striking out eleven and eleven innings, 0:04:36.839 --> 0:04:38.600 But of course it's such a small sample and it's 0:04:38.600 --> 0:04:40.880 in the minor league, so it's tough to really know. 0:04:41.760 --> 0:04:46.600 What about mccullar's junior profile. Do you think the Brewers 0:04:46.760 --> 0:04:51.280 saw and said, that's the guy that we want to target. 0:04:52.240 --> 0:04:56.120 Yeah, that's the big question. I don't know. 0:04:56.960 --> 0:04:59.240 Obviously, he can spin a break and ball and I 0:04:59.240 --> 0:05:01.720 think that's something that you know has always been there 0:05:01.760 --> 0:05:02.120 for him. 0:05:02.279 --> 0:05:03.599 You'll get some of the rehab outings. 0:05:03.640 --> 0:05:07.840 They've been brief, like three rehab appearances, eleven innings. He's 0:05:07.920 --> 0:05:10.240 pitched to a two four five era and it looks 0:05:10.279 --> 0:05:12.800 solid overall. I think maybe they want to weaponize the 0:05:12.839 --> 0:05:17.160 Brewers McCullers and kind of a shorter one to two. 0:05:17.120 --> 0:05:19.040 Winning relief role. And we've seen like. 0:05:19.000 --> 0:05:22.920 They they have different plans for guys that sometimes can 0:05:22.960 --> 0:05:25.880 just work. So I think they're looking at just a 0:05:25.920 --> 0:05:28.480 low cost edition and a guy that maybe they can 0:05:28.520 --> 0:05:31.400 try to unlock something with and and you know, for 0:05:31.400 --> 0:05:32.080 for really nothing. 0:05:32.080 --> 0:05:34.400 And at the same time they also bring in Colton Gordon. 0:05:34.440 --> 0:05:37.000 I think that might be the more interesting part of 0:05:37.040 --> 0:05:39.200 it for them, is that they may see something in 0:05:39.240 --> 0:05:41.880 a lefty in Colton Gordon, who uh, maybe they have 0:05:41.920 --> 0:05:43.440 a little bit more of a plan for who they 0:05:43.480 --> 0:05:45.720 can develop and if they think there's an off chance 0:05:45.720 --> 0:05:47.800 that mccollors can be a decent you know, middle reliever 0:05:47.880 --> 0:05:50.520 with some tweaks. Maybe that's it, but I do wonder 0:05:50.560 --> 0:05:52.599 if it's this is kind of more of a larger 0:05:52.600 --> 0:05:55.240 effort to just go grab Colton Gordon and continue to 0:05:55.279 --> 0:05:57.160 stockpile that they're pitching depth. 0:05:57.200 --> 0:05:59.200 Gordon is throwing to a three six nine e RA 0:05:59.320 --> 0:05:59.919 in the PCL. 0:06:00.160 --> 0:06:02.720 The strikeout numbers aren't great, but the command is really good. 0:06:03.520 --> 0:06:06.120 I only walked fourteen and seventy and two thirds innings, 0:06:06.320 --> 0:06:08.839 So I think it's more about Colton Gordon here, and 0:06:08.880 --> 0:06:11.120 I think that's a guy that they're willing to take 0:06:11.160 --> 0:06:13.560 on two and a half million of you know whatever, 0:06:13.600 --> 0:06:15.640 the five to six million that was left on this 0:06:15.760 --> 0:06:18.840 deal to be able to acquire a Colton Gordon. I 0:06:18.880 --> 0:06:21.520 think is maybe the part of the deal that is 0:06:21.560 --> 0:06:22.919 really motivating the Brewers. 0:06:23.279 --> 0:06:25.560 That makes sense, but I'm sure a lot of baseball 0:06:25.600 --> 0:06:29.040 fans can relate when a pitcher like Lance mccully's junior 0:06:29.480 --> 0:06:33.960 or even Colton Gordon gets traded could be to twenty 0:06:34.000 --> 0:06:38.120 eight different teams. I we'd say, okay, nice, he goes 0:06:38.120 --> 0:06:41.080 to the Brewers, And I'm sure baseball fans like myself 0:06:41.120 --> 0:06:45.200 are thinking what do they know? And McCulloch Junior obviously 0:06:45.240 --> 0:06:46.599 has been a big time name for a while, just 0:06:46.640 --> 0:06:49.200 hasn't been able to stay healthy. Colton Gordon is kind 0:06:49.240 --> 0:06:51.760 of bounced up and down between the miners and the majors, 0:06:51.800 --> 0:06:55.000 and he's filled, you know, a decent role for the Astros, 0:06:55.040 --> 0:06:57.719 whether that be starting games in a pinch, pitching in 0:06:57.760 --> 0:06:58.240 the bullpen. 0:06:59.279 --> 0:07:00.279 What do they know? 0:07:00.680 --> 0:07:02.839 And I know I already asked you that question, and 0:07:02.920 --> 0:07:05.000 I don't think either of us can answer. I don't 0:07:05.000 --> 0:07:07.880 think anybody can answer outside of the Brewers, But I 0:07:07.920 --> 0:07:10.880 am just asking, what the hell do they know here? 0:07:11.720 --> 0:07:13.360 Yeah, I think that's gonna be the fun part. 0:07:13.600 --> 0:07:16.280 I think Gordon is going to be interesting to see 0:07:16.320 --> 0:07:18.200 what kind of arsenal tweaks they can make, because again, 0:07:18.200 --> 0:07:21.000 and especially with lefties of late, and he's not as 0:07:21.000 --> 0:07:22.800 talented as a Kyle Harris or anything like that, but 0:07:22.960 --> 0:07:24.640 you get a six four, two hundred twenty five pound 0:07:24.720 --> 0:07:27.720 lefty here that can throw out of strikes, and I 0:07:27.720 --> 0:07:30.440 think that's a guy that the Brewers are interested in 0:07:30.520 --> 0:07:32.360 being able to maybe make some arsenal tweaks with and 0:07:32.760 --> 0:07:34.040 see what they can get out of him. 0:07:34.080 --> 0:07:35.840 And then, yeah, I mean, maybe there's some. 0:07:35.720 --> 0:07:39.000 Short sort of specific plan with mccollher's. But I do 0:07:39.040 --> 0:07:41.320 think when you look at Gordon's arsenal, where he's got 0:07:41.400 --> 0:07:43.440 all these different offerings that he can attack you with, 0:07:44.280 --> 0:07:46.200 there's usually a little bit more wiggle room to make 0:07:46.200 --> 0:07:49.160 some adjustments there and lean into one pitch more than 0:07:49.200 --> 0:07:49.520 the other. 0:07:50.080 --> 0:07:50.320 You know. 0:07:50.640 --> 0:07:53.480 It's again, I believe we got like five or six 0:07:53.520 --> 0:07:55.760 different pitches that Gordon can attack you with, four seamer 0:07:55.840 --> 0:07:58.720 sweep or two seamer changeup, curveball, a cutter as well. 0:07:58.800 --> 0:08:02.240 Like I'm I'm sure the the Brewers are excited to 0:08:02.480 --> 0:08:04.040 kind of mess around with this template and see what 0:08:04.080 --> 0:08:05.680 they can get. Also another guy that gets, you know, 0:08:05.680 --> 0:08:07.200 above average extension down the mound. 0:08:07.680 --> 0:08:09.840 Well, the Reds certainly feel like they know that they 0:08:09.880 --> 0:08:13.040 have a top ten pitcher in house. Chase Burns was 0:08:13.200 --> 0:08:17.520 just extended seven years one hundred and five million dollars. 0:08:17.520 --> 0:08:20.960 It's the largest ever for a pitcher without four years 0:08:20.960 --> 0:08:24.760 of service, and it ties Homer Bailey for the largest 0:08:24.760 --> 0:08:27.960 contract given out to a Reds pitcher, tied for the 0:08:27.960 --> 0:08:32.760 third largest in team history, behind Vado and Griffy. There 0:08:32.800 --> 0:08:35.280 are no clock club options in it, and it runs 0:08:35.280 --> 0:08:39.160 through twenty thirty three, and this is, you know, right 0:08:39.240 --> 0:08:41.680 after Burns was just named an All Star after posting 0:08:41.720 --> 0:08:44.640 a two five four ERA so far this season in 0:08:44.679 --> 0:08:46.800 one hundred and two innings with one hundred and eighteen 0:08:46.880 --> 0:08:50.520 strikeouts and ranks top ten and f war per fangrafts war. 0:08:50.600 --> 0:08:53.280 So what are your thoughts on the extension. I was 0:08:53.280 --> 0:08:56.040 a little bit surprised, considering the Reds are clearly not 0:08:56.200 --> 0:08:59.320 a team to normally do this. Right. They did give 0:09:00.080 --> 0:09:02.760 Green that six year, fifty three million dollar deal, but 0:09:02.800 --> 0:09:05.360 it's not a front office known for spending big time money. 0:09:05.400 --> 0:09:08.640 But here it is seven years, nine figure deal to 0:09:08.720 --> 0:09:09.400 Chase Burns. 0:09:10.120 --> 0:09:11.920 Yeah, I mean it's it's awesome. I think it's good 0:09:11.960 --> 0:09:13.760 for baseball anytime this happens. I mean I was just 0:09:13.840 --> 0:09:17.680 at the Baseball Writers Association brunch, and you know, we 0:09:17.760 --> 0:09:20.880 heard from Bruce Meyer, the the MLBPA director, and then 0:09:20.920 --> 0:09:23.800 we also heard from from Rob Manford, and you know, 0:09:24.600 --> 0:09:27.400 two different perspectives on these types of things. 0:09:27.440 --> 0:09:30.760 I think Meyer saying that this is happening more and more, 0:09:30.800 --> 0:09:31.960 and I do agree with that. 0:09:32.320 --> 0:09:36.480 Rob Manfred implying that players like Chase Burns typically have 0:09:36.600 --> 0:09:38.240 limited options, citing New. 0:09:38.200 --> 0:09:40.760 York in LA as the typical option. 0:09:40.920 --> 0:09:43.240 So anytime this happens, I just think it's good for 0:09:43.360 --> 0:09:46.240 baseball in general and for a guy like Chase Burns, 0:09:46.280 --> 0:09:49.760 Like he gives up two years of free agency, but 0:09:49.760 --> 0:09:51.160 he's still going to be able to go hit free 0:09:51.160 --> 0:09:54.319 agency and get his bag as well. You buy out 0:09:54.320 --> 0:09:58.280 the arbitration at this point, like agents and the teams 0:09:58.360 --> 0:09:59.880 like they can model it. 0:10:00.200 --> 0:10:01.439 They got a pretty good idea of what. 0:10:01.480 --> 0:10:04.760 Chase Burns is going to cost through arbitration, even if 0:10:04.800 --> 0:10:06.520 he's a little bit better than expected, a little bit 0:10:06.760 --> 0:10:08.680 a little bit worse, So you model that out. Maybe 0:10:08.679 --> 0:10:10.480 you got to pay a little bit extra through those 0:10:10.480 --> 0:10:12.640 our years to be able to convince him to give 0:10:12.720 --> 0:10:15.440 up to free agent years. But at the same time, 0:10:15.679 --> 0:10:17.439 like I think it's a no brainer for both sides 0:10:17.480 --> 0:10:19.280 because Chase Burns is still gonna be able to hit 0:10:19.320 --> 0:10:22.480 free agency I think, just on the right side of 0:10:22.920 --> 0:10:25.440 thirty or right around thirty years old. And he also 0:10:25.480 --> 0:10:28.280 guarantees himself one hundred million dollars. The Reds, who have 0:10:28.320 --> 0:10:31.959 been really frustrating disappointing this year, lock in a piece 0:10:32.000 --> 0:10:35.200 here to continue to build towards next year and beyond 0:10:35.200 --> 0:10:37.040 and say Hey, like, we still have a really good core. 0:10:37.240 --> 0:10:39.439 We still have Ledo Cruz for several more years. That 0:10:39.520 --> 0:10:41.520 might be an extension that's hard to pull off, and 0:10:41.520 --> 0:10:44.640 that would probably skew back towards Manfred's argument, right, But hey, 0:10:45.080 --> 0:10:48.280 we have solid pieces, solid players, south Stort's playing well, 0:10:48.960 --> 0:10:50.040 Abbot's really bounce back. 0:10:50.080 --> 0:10:52.280 We have all these young pieces. It's just not all 0:10:52.280 --> 0:10:52.880 coming together. 0:10:53.240 --> 0:10:56.120 Here's another statement, and I think another reason to you know, 0:10:56.720 --> 0:10:59.080 get these fans to in a disappointing year, be able 0:10:59.120 --> 0:11:02.920 to believe that, hey, this Red front office and ownership 0:11:03.080 --> 0:11:05.120 is still trying to find ways to win and invest 0:11:05.120 --> 0:11:06.200 a little bit more into this team. 0:11:06.440 --> 0:11:09.480 We've seen a lot of pre ARB extensions with hitters, 0:11:09.520 --> 0:11:12.920 but we rarely see them with pictures. And I want 0:11:12.960 --> 0:11:15.480 to bring up this question from our YouTube live chat 0:11:15.520 --> 0:11:18.360 from Big E nine to seven two seven. I wonder 0:11:18.400 --> 0:11:20.520 if we will see more teams making this deal with 0:11:20.559 --> 0:11:23.439 their young pitchers. An example, could the Pirates lock up 0:11:23.920 --> 0:11:27.439 Brax and Ashcraft to this contract next. Do you think 0:11:27.440 --> 0:11:29.800 we're going to see a run potentially on these young 0:11:29.800 --> 0:11:32.360 starters getting extended or do you think this is more 0:11:32.400 --> 0:11:34.160 of a one off type of scenario. 0:11:35.200 --> 0:11:38.520 I mean I think teams are that's a more interesting 0:11:39.200 --> 0:11:42.560 situation because I think with pictures there's always the risk 0:11:42.760 --> 0:11:45.400 of extending those guys and just being stuck if they 0:11:45.400 --> 0:11:47.080 get injured. I mean, look, we just talked about Lance 0:11:47.160 --> 0:11:51.600 mc colors, right, and like that that contract obviously tied 0:11:51.720 --> 0:11:53.880 the Astros up a little bit, to the point that 0:11:53.920 --> 0:11:56.720 they're attaching another arm on their forty man roster to 0:11:56.800 --> 0:11:58.800 clear up a couple million dollars so that they can 0:11:58.840 --> 0:12:00.760 have a little bit more wiggle room, you know, at 0:12:00.760 --> 0:12:02.959 the trade deadline, which I also think, by the way, 0:12:02.960 --> 0:12:04.680 with the Astros very much implies that they're going to 0:12:04.679 --> 0:12:08.080 be buying. But I think we'll see it here and there, 0:12:08.160 --> 0:12:11.160 especially for the teams that are nervous about being able 0:12:11.160 --> 0:12:13.520 to retain talent but also won't be able to go 0:12:13.559 --> 0:12:16.080 out and sign a Terek Schooble, right, Like the Reds 0:12:16.080 --> 0:12:17.559 are never going to be in the hunt for a 0:12:17.640 --> 0:12:21.440 Terrek Scooble or oftentimes just any of those top top 0:12:21.480 --> 0:12:23.400 flight arms and free agency a Dylan Ce's like, they're 0:12:23.440 --> 0:12:24.920 not going to get it into the two hundred and 0:12:24.920 --> 0:12:27.280 fifty plus million dollar bidding for a free agent most 0:12:27.280 --> 0:12:29.040 of the time. So this is the way to be 0:12:29.040 --> 0:12:34.199 able to keep and secure, you know, an elite arm especially, 0:12:34.240 --> 0:12:35.760 And I think it's a little bit different with the 0:12:35.800 --> 0:12:38.719 Reds because very few top flight pitchers are going to 0:12:38.760 --> 0:12:40.760 want to sign in Cincinnati. Very few are going to 0:12:40.800 --> 0:12:43.680 want to go play in Great American Ballpark. We've already 0:12:43.679 --> 0:12:45.840 seen that. So if you have a guy there that's 0:12:45.960 --> 0:12:48.760 proven that he can throw there and proves that he 0:12:48.800 --> 0:12:52.120 doesn't care about throwing there, I think that's the guy 0:12:52.160 --> 0:12:54.439 that you've got to go outside of what you're typically 0:12:54.480 --> 0:12:56.679 used to doing and make sure you keep him. Because 0:12:56.679 --> 0:12:58.720 this is an uncharacteristic deal for the Reds. It's one 0:12:58.760 --> 0:13:00.400 of the biggest contracts they've ever given it out, and 0:13:00.400 --> 0:13:02.520 I don't think it's a coincidence that it's a pitcher 0:13:02.840 --> 0:13:05.840 who can throw in Great American and is fine, you know, 0:13:05.920 --> 0:13:08.520 consistently pitching in Great Americans. So I think it's a 0:13:08.520 --> 0:13:10.839 little bit more of a deviation from other what we'll 0:13:10.840 --> 0:13:11.720 see from other teams. 0:13:11.960 --> 0:13:14.280 I think you're totally right on that, and it kind 0:13:14.280 --> 0:13:16.880 of answers our next question. But this came to us 0:13:16.920 --> 0:13:20.040 in the discord, and you know, in our discord, which 0:13:20.040 --> 0:13:22.120 you can find a link to join in the episode description, 0:13:22.600 --> 0:13:25.760 whenever anything happens in Major League Baseball, we go to 0:13:25.840 --> 0:13:27.880 the best basebook group chat in the world to talk 0:13:27.920 --> 0:13:31.720 about it. And at Big Red Analytics brought this up 0:13:31.840 --> 0:13:34.560 and he thinks that because of it, we might see 0:13:34.559 --> 0:13:37.440 a salary floor. And let me just bring it up 0:13:37.440 --> 0:13:41.240 to you real quick. So he says, salary cap and 0:13:41.320 --> 0:13:44.920 floor almost a guarantee. No chance Red's owners make this 0:13:45.040 --> 0:13:49.120 move unless they think there's a floor. I assume you disagree. 0:13:49.160 --> 0:13:52.600 I assume that just it's hard to find pictures this 0:13:52.840 --> 0:13:55.280 good to pitch in great American bullpark. 0:13:55.640 --> 0:13:56.880 I think it's one hundred percent. 0:13:57.679 --> 0:13:59.720 Well, yeah, that it's just difficult to find an arm 0:13:59.720 --> 0:14:01.760 that's to stay there. And like, this is a rare 0:14:01.840 --> 0:14:04.439 opportunity to be able to retain a guy like that. 0:14:04.440 --> 0:14:06.560 You were gonna pay all through his arbiers anyway, So 0:14:06.600 --> 0:14:08.360 it's like it's not like you were going from zero 0:14:08.800 --> 0:14:11.120 to one hundred and five million. You're going from like 0:14:11.520 --> 0:14:15.040 forty to fifty to now or maybe like thirty. I 0:14:15.240 --> 0:14:17.679 I haven't modeled out the arbiers, but from a decent 0:14:17.760 --> 0:14:21.040 chunk of change to a little bit more by buying 0:14:21.120 --> 0:14:23.200 out two years, those two years that. 0:14:23.160 --> 0:14:25.320 You bought out would have been what. 0:14:25.240 --> 0:14:28.000 You were trying to get, you know, mid level arms, 0:14:28.160 --> 0:14:29.520 like they would have been in the market for like 0:14:30.160 --> 0:14:32.280 better than mid level, but like a Michael King like 0:14:32.280 --> 0:14:35.560 look about Michael King costs in the free agent ranks, 0:14:36.040 --> 0:14:41.080 a qualifying offer is twenty two million dollars, So like that, 0:14:41.360 --> 0:14:44.760 that's why the Reds did this, is you're just buying 0:14:44.800 --> 0:14:47.440 out two years of free agency, maybe paying a little 0:14:47.440 --> 0:14:50.320 bit extra through the arbiers to be able to do that, 0:14:50.800 --> 0:14:53.320 But it's not like a full fledge like oh, instead 0:14:53.320 --> 0:14:55.160 of spending zero dollars or spending one hundred and five, 0:14:55.280 --> 0:14:57.160 they were gonna pay him through those ar beers. Anyways, 0:14:57.200 --> 0:14:59.720 those arbers were gonna get very expensive because of how 0:14:59.760 --> 0:15:03.920 good Burns has been right away, and you would have 0:15:04.240 --> 0:15:06.000 offered him the qualifying offer, he would have turned it down, 0:15:06.040 --> 0:15:09.560 but if he had accepted it, you would be jumping 0:15:09.640 --> 0:15:11.440 up and down for twenty two million dollars. 0:15:11.480 --> 0:15:13.840 So no, it has nothing to do with that. 0:15:14.040 --> 0:15:17.240 I think that's something that especially from hearing from both 0:15:17.320 --> 0:15:20.440 sides this past week at all start week, like, I 0:15:20.440 --> 0:15:22.600 think fans are putting a little bit too much into 0:15:22.640 --> 0:15:23.920 what each of these teams are doing. 0:15:24.000 --> 0:15:26.080 And like what that might mean about the CBA. 0:15:26.200 --> 0:15:27.880 No one knows what's going to happen with the CBA 0:15:27.960 --> 0:15:31.360 yet both sides like it is still so early in 0:15:31.720 --> 0:15:36.560 the entire process. I don't think it guarantees anything, and 0:15:36.600 --> 0:15:39.040 I don't think teams are making decisions based on that 0:15:39.560 --> 0:15:41.720 as much as as people want to think that they are. 0:15:42.160 --> 0:15:43.920 Yeah, I agree with you. I don't think anything has 0:15:43.960 --> 0:15:46.680 been decided yet. So for these decisions to come down 0:15:46.680 --> 0:15:49.680 the pipeline when even these teams and even on the 0:15:49.680 --> 0:15:51.880 owner side too, they don't know exactly what's going to 0:15:51.920 --> 0:15:55.320 happen yet. There hasn't been a ton of discussions. There's 0:15:55.360 --> 0:15:59.960 been the league bringing up proposal, the MLBPA immediately saying 0:16:00.040 --> 0:16:03.320 we will not accept that proposal. Then the MLBPA comes 0:16:03.360 --> 0:16:06.360 around and send something over and the owners go absolutely not. 0:16:06.520 --> 0:16:09.360 So nothing has really happened yet. So to think that 0:16:09.400 --> 0:16:13.520 these teams are making decisions because of a guess, I 0:16:13.600 --> 0:16:15.760 just don't see that happening. Now. I think it's time 0:16:15.760 --> 0:16:19.840 to transition over to one burning question for every team 0:16:19.880 --> 0:16:23.280 in the National League post All Star Break going forward 0:16:23.600 --> 0:16:26.040 for the rest of the season. But real quick, I 0:16:26.040 --> 0:16:28.240 want to shout out our friends at Lidds. We just 0:16:28.280 --> 0:16:31.000 had that incredible event with Ryan Howard. He was a 0:16:31.000 --> 0:16:33.000 blast and you could see it on our last episode. 0:16:33.040 --> 0:16:35.120 We had a little ten minute spot with him. But 0:16:35.360 --> 0:16:40.120 if you text code baseball to two nine zero one seven, 0:16:40.320 --> 0:16:43.720 you will get fifteen percent off your first purchase at Lidds. 0:16:43.720 --> 0:16:45.520 And if you want to pick up any of the 0:16:45.560 --> 0:16:49.600 great All Star merch or any other merch we were there. 0:16:49.760 --> 0:16:53.760 They have everything. Couldn't recommend our friends at lids more. 0:16:53.880 --> 0:16:57.280 Remember to text baseball to to nine zero one seven 0:16:57.760 --> 0:17:01.480 to get fifteen percent off a LIDZ. All right, Arm, 0:17:01.600 --> 0:17:06.240 let's start at the top. One burning question. We'll start 0:17:06.240 --> 0:17:09.400 with the Dodgers. So I have one and you have 0:17:09.480 --> 0:17:11.800 one and we can kind of go back and forth 0:17:12.160 --> 0:17:15.640 for who goes first. All started off my burning question 0:17:15.720 --> 0:17:20.119 for the Dodgers. Can Kyle Tucker turn it around in 0:17:20.160 --> 0:17:23.639 the second half? And because I look at the Dodgers 0:17:23.720 --> 0:17:25.919 right now and I say, yeah, they could probably win 0:17:26.000 --> 0:17:29.640 the World Series right odds on favorite. But if Kyle 0:17:29.680 --> 0:17:32.040 Tucker is the Kyle Tucker we know he can be. 0:17:33.440 --> 0:17:36.480 I mean, they could sweep anybody. It won't even be closed, 0:17:37.040 --> 0:17:40.399 right because if they aren't firing on all cylinders, Like 0:17:40.480 --> 0:17:42.680 I don't think they were necessarily in the World Series 0:17:42.680 --> 0:17:44.760 when the Blue Jays took them to seven. But if 0:17:44.800 --> 0:17:47.520 you're telling me we can get peak astros Kyle Tucker 0:17:47.560 --> 0:17:50.439 here in the second half, I just don't know how 0:17:50.480 --> 0:17:54.000 they lose. But so far in the first half, I mean, 0:17:54.040 --> 0:17:57.040 the numbers are incredibly disappointing for a guy making sixty 0:17:57.119 --> 0:18:00.280 million dollars a year, over a million a week, he's 0:18:00.359 --> 0:18:03.080 hitting two forty four, three forty one, three seventy five 0:18:03.160 --> 0:18:06.680 for a seven to sixteen OPS with only seven homers 0:18:06.680 --> 0:18:11.720 and six deals. And what's I know, the bat hasn't 0:18:11.720 --> 0:18:14.200 been great, But what worries me as well is the defense. 0:18:14.400 --> 0:18:17.520 I Mean, what makes Kyle Tucker a sixty million dollar 0:18:17.600 --> 0:18:20.480 player is not only can he be a bat that's 0:18:20.520 --> 0:18:23.560 forty percent above league average while being a thirty thirty 0:18:23.600 --> 0:18:27.560 threat with elite play discipline, but he's a good base runner. 0:18:28.080 --> 0:18:31.000 He was a really good defender. But ever since he 0:18:31.119 --> 0:18:34.800 left Houston, like even with the Cups, he was negative 0:18:34.800 --> 0:18:38.000 one defensive run saved, negative two outs above average, and 0:18:38.080 --> 0:18:41.680 now this year with the Dodgers, it's negative three defensive 0:18:41.720 --> 0:18:45.119 run saved and negative five outs above average, and his 0:18:45.160 --> 0:18:48.840 average eggs of velocity is below ninety for the first 0:18:48.880 --> 0:18:54.800 time in his career. So again burning questions for the Dodgers. 0:18:55.880 --> 0:18:59.840 There aren't many now, but this is an area where 0:19:00.040 --> 0:19:03.600 we could see Kyle Tucker return to form. We might 0:19:03.640 --> 0:19:05.359 as well stop the podcast for the rest of the 0:19:05.359 --> 0:19:07.240 season because it's over. Yeah. 0:19:07.320 --> 0:19:09.760 I mean, that's the one area too where you'll get 0:19:09.760 --> 0:19:12.880 the Dodgers and you're just like, what's going on over there. 0:19:13.560 --> 0:19:16.880 I think that's very specific too, because I think when 0:19:16.920 --> 0:19:21.800 when you had the inconsistency of what Kyle Tucker did 0:19:21.960 --> 0:19:25.080 last year at the end of the day with the 0:19:25.119 --> 0:19:28.560 frustrations and I know Cubs fans weren't thrilled with Tucker 0:19:29.080 --> 0:19:30.040 in a Cub's uniform. 0:19:30.160 --> 0:19:31.560 He walked as much as he struck out. 0:19:31.720 --> 0:19:33.399 He was a four and a half, a f four player, 0:19:33.600 --> 0:19:38.000 twenty two homers, twenty five packs. So you follow that 0:19:38.119 --> 0:19:42.680 up with the Dodgers paying him the ridiculous AAV deal 0:19:42.720 --> 0:19:44.480 that they're paying him, and he say, all right, he's 0:19:44.520 --> 0:19:46.720 gonna be fine this year, right, like the Dodgers see 0:19:47.040 --> 0:19:50.840 something positive. Ultimately, as ugly as it got through that 0:19:51.160 --> 0:19:53.040 year with the Cubs, he was banged up. He still 0:19:53.040 --> 0:19:55.639 gave you a four win season. He still showed you 0:19:55.760 --> 0:19:57.919 enough shades to Kyle Tucker. So to follow it up 0:19:57.920 --> 0:20:00.879 with a worse year in a better hitting environ both 0:20:01.280 --> 0:20:06.159 lineup wise and field wise, uh yeah, that's definitely just 0:20:06.240 --> 0:20:08.600 a head scratcher. And I'm still trying to figure out 0:20:08.880 --> 0:20:11.360 what exactly is going on there. And you really hope 0:20:11.400 --> 0:20:14.680 it gets better soon because I know other people don't 0:20:14.680 --> 0:20:16.399 want to see that, but like I just I like 0:20:16.400 --> 0:20:18.159 seeing Kyle Tucker play at high level. As you know, 0:20:18.200 --> 0:20:20.560 he's always been one of my favorite players to watch. 0:20:20.600 --> 0:20:24.000 But right now, it's just it's sluggish. It just looks sluggish. 0:20:24.119 --> 0:20:27.679 And speaking about sluggish, look at his slugging percentage just 0:20:28.200 --> 0:20:31.040 you know, in the last handful of games or so, 0:20:31.119 --> 0:20:34.159 because lately, right he's hitting two eighty six in the 0:20:34.160 --> 0:20:36.600 month of July. I know it's you know, only really 0:20:36.640 --> 0:20:39.080 two weeks of action, but it's a lot of singles 0:20:39.080 --> 0:20:42.200 and he's walking, but he's slugging three forty three. It's 0:20:42.280 --> 0:20:44.639 just there seems to be no juice. And it's not 0:20:44.720 --> 0:20:47.400 even just the eggs of alat cities or the slugging percentage. 0:20:47.520 --> 0:20:49.920 It's you know, the base running, it's everything that makes 0:20:49.960 --> 0:20:52.399 Kyle Tucker powerful just hasn't been there, which is just 0:20:52.400 --> 0:20:55.200 shocking to me. Yep and mine. 0:20:55.560 --> 0:20:58.440 You know, I wanted to go to the Schooble route, like, no, 0:20:58.640 --> 0:21:00.760 well they go get Schoogle, But you know, I think 0:21:00.760 --> 0:21:03.399 that's already like a pretty common place question. 0:21:03.520 --> 0:21:05.760 I think the other aspect when he'll get this rosters, 0:21:06.160 --> 0:21:07.080 can Will Smith. 0:21:06.800 --> 0:21:10.880 Get healthy, because it's beyond what you get from Will 0:21:10.920 --> 0:21:15.959 Smith offensively. Obviously Shoho Tani prefers to throw to wil Smith. Now, 0:21:15.960 --> 0:21:18.080 I think the Dalton rushing stuff is over blow, and 0:21:18.119 --> 0:21:20.359 I think rushing is is going to be and it 0:21:20.440 --> 0:21:21.080 is already a. 0:21:21.080 --> 0:21:22.480 Really good major league baseball player. 0:21:22.680 --> 0:21:24.399 So you know, he was a top ten prospect for 0:21:24.480 --> 0:21:27.880 me pre debut, and I think he's gonna have a long. 0:21:27.680 --> 0:21:28.639 And successful career. 0:21:28.920 --> 0:21:31.640 But as it pertains to this year specifically, I still 0:21:31.680 --> 0:21:34.600 think there's a sizeable gap in terms of what you're 0:21:34.600 --> 0:21:37.520 going to get day in and day out, working with 0:21:37.520 --> 0:21:39.560 the pitching staff, working with a pitching staff full of 0:21:39.640 --> 0:21:42.240 vets that have thrown to Will Smith a ton versus 0:21:42.600 --> 0:21:45.399 you know, a rookie catcher that's still learning how to 0:21:45.920 --> 0:21:49.000 you know, regulate his emotions, carry himself in a way 0:21:49.040 --> 0:21:50.800 that is a little bit more even keeled for a 0:21:50.800 --> 0:21:52.560 team that's trying to win their third straight championship. 0:21:52.600 --> 0:21:54.680 Like, if you're trying to win three straight championships, even 0:21:54.720 --> 0:21:55.880 keeled is the name of the game. 0:21:55.960 --> 0:21:57.840 And I know Rushing is already making that progress, is 0:21:57.920 --> 0:22:00.480 very self aware he's gonna have it a really, really 0:22:00.480 --> 0:22:03.400 good career. But for this year to try to three 0:22:03.440 --> 0:22:05.159 peete and the pressure that comes with that, and the 0:22:05.160 --> 0:22:08.359 pressure that's only gonna mount, you need your catcher back there. 0:22:08.400 --> 0:22:11.679 You need Will Smith and he's been out since the 0:22:11.720 --> 0:22:14.600 beginning of June, and I just think there might be 0:22:14.600 --> 0:22:16.680 a little bit more going on there than you know, 0:22:17.080 --> 0:22:21.000 whatever the reports are, just like neck inflammation, whatever that means. 0:22:21.280 --> 0:22:23.879 So Smith, Like, of course you need his bat, but 0:22:23.920 --> 0:22:25.919 I just think that guy being the steward of your 0:22:25.920 --> 0:22:29.160 pitching staff as well is vital to this team being 0:22:29.200 --> 0:22:31.399 able to make their you know, their run for a 0:22:31.440 --> 0:22:32.320 third straight. 0:22:32.040 --> 0:22:34.960 Title, no doubt about it. And I'm curious too if 0:22:35.320 --> 0:22:37.119 the Dodgers feel like Will Smith is going to be 0:22:37.160 --> 0:22:39.440 back sooner rather than later and he'll be perfectly healthy. 0:22:39.480 --> 0:22:41.920 Could Dalton Rushing be on the move right. We've talked 0:22:41.920 --> 0:22:44.760 about the Dodgers making huge splashes at this deadline, and 0:22:44.840 --> 0:22:47.439 Dalton Rushing is a piece where you know, maybe you 0:22:47.480 --> 0:22:50.679 could convince a team that's not even necessarily selling to 0:22:50.720 --> 0:22:53.160 give one of their best pieces in order to get 0:22:53.200 --> 0:22:55.480 a major league talent. Kind of one of those big 0:22:55.600 --> 0:22:59.320 league swaps where again maybe it's not on the it's 0:22:59.359 --> 0:23:01.280 not on our brain of a team that could sell, 0:23:01.320 --> 0:23:03.480 but they send a pitcher over to the Dodgers, and 0:23:03.480 --> 0:23:06.160 the Dodgers give them a catcher, and both teams stay 0:23:06.200 --> 0:23:10.080 really competitive and just address needs. So I think beyond 0:23:10.240 --> 0:23:13.119 just Will Smith coming back, what that then means for 0:23:13.440 --> 0:23:16.440 Adalton Rushing and two more quick ones that I had. 0:23:17.400 --> 0:23:19.520 I'm really curious what's going to happen with Shoe Hao 0:23:19.600 --> 0:23:22.040 Toanni's knee because he got an injection right he didn't 0:23:22.040 --> 0:23:24.280 play in the All Star Game, and it was something 0:23:24.280 --> 0:23:26.160 that he was kind of dealing with, and the Dodgers 0:23:26.200 --> 0:23:28.639 scratched him from his start that was supposed to be 0:23:28.680 --> 0:23:31.520 before the All Star Game. Do they start to slowly 0:23:31.560 --> 0:23:34.040 shut him down as we get closer to October and 0:23:34.080 --> 0:23:36.760 they get back guys like Blake Snell and Tyler Glass 0:23:36.840 --> 0:23:39.760 now into the rotation, or is show heo TONI totally 0:23:39.760 --> 0:23:42.240 fine and he rattles off a season with an ERA 0:23:42.359 --> 0:23:45.480 below two and he's in the Cy Young race. That's 0:23:45.520 --> 0:23:47.719 again a burning question. I don't have the answer to that. 0:23:47.920 --> 0:23:49.760 And my last one is just what version of Mookie 0:23:49.760 --> 0:23:52.119 Betts do they get? Because in June Mookie Bets had 0:23:52.200 --> 0:23:54.280 his best month of the season, and then he turned 0:23:54.359 --> 0:23:56.400 round in the two weeks leading up to the break 0:23:56.720 --> 0:23:59.480 and put up a four to eighty two OPS. And 0:24:00.040 --> 0:24:03.080 for anyone who's watched more than one game of Dodger 0:24:03.119 --> 0:24:06.320 baseball in their life, they know that when you get good, 0:24:06.480 --> 0:24:09.239 the good version of Mookie Bets, the Dodgers are an 0:24:09.320 --> 0:24:14.360 unstoppable force. When Mooki is not hitting, or not defending, 0:24:14.440 --> 0:24:17.439 or just not playing well, the Dodgers are vulnerable. And 0:24:17.480 --> 0:24:20.080 there are plenty of great teams in the National League, 0:24:20.280 --> 0:24:22.960 which is again why I brought up Kyle Tucker. Nobody 0:24:23.000 --> 0:24:24.800 in the ALE can hang with him. Mookiy Bets could 0:24:24.800 --> 0:24:27.760 stink and Kyle Tucker could stink, and I still think 0:24:27.800 --> 0:24:30.760 they gentlemen sweep anybody in the American League. But it's 0:24:30.760 --> 0:24:34.760 about getting to the World Series. And to get to 0:24:34.800 --> 0:24:37.080 the World Series. I think the Dodgers are going to 0:24:37.160 --> 0:24:38.840 have to be firing on all cylinders in order to 0:24:38.880 --> 0:24:40.960 beat the Brewers, in order to beat the Phillies, in 0:24:41.040 --> 0:24:43.639 order to beat the Braves. Right as the dimback sneak in, 0:24:43.920 --> 0:24:45.639 Dimonback's already beating the hell out of them in the 0:24:45.680 --> 0:24:49.600 regular season and are not afraid of them. So again, 0:24:51.000 --> 0:24:53.080 this is the one team where I don't think any 0:24:53.080 --> 0:24:56.320 of the questions are actually burning, but I will say 0:24:56.359 --> 0:24:58.080 they have a lot of them, though I think that's 0:24:58.119 --> 0:24:58.680 fair to say. 0:24:58.880 --> 0:25:00.719 Yeah, I say, what happens, they have a bunch of 0:25:01.000 --> 0:25:03.760 high expectation players exactly. 0:25:03.880 --> 0:25:05.960 Let's go over to the Diamondbacks. And since I went 0:25:06.000 --> 0:25:08.760 first for the Dodgers, you're up. What's your burning question 0:25:08.840 --> 0:25:10.280 for the for Arizona? 0:25:10.760 --> 0:25:13.639 Has Mike hasn't seen enough with this team? You know? 0:25:13.720 --> 0:25:17.000 I and by enough, just is this enough for him 0:25:17.000 --> 0:25:21.520 to go out and buy and continue to try to 0:25:21.560 --> 0:25:25.880 bolster this team Because a big part of the equation 0:25:26.680 --> 0:25:30.200 for me being bullish on the Diamondbacks, you know, months ago, 0:25:30.720 --> 0:25:34.480 was the returns of the presumed returns of Corbyn Burns 0:25:34.520 --> 0:25:39.639 and AJ Puck and Justin Martinez and Martinez is trending 0:25:39.720 --> 0:25:42.280 to get back sooner rather than later, and oh my gosh, 0:25:42.320 --> 0:25:44.520 it's not going to help this team in their bullpen. 0:25:44.600 --> 0:25:46.360 But you know they have more more questions than that. 0:25:46.440 --> 0:25:48.480 Even though Lord of Scurriel was they're going to get 0:25:48.560 --> 0:25:51.679 him back. Like, there's just a lot of different options 0:25:51.880 --> 0:25:53.560 that can continue to make this team better. 0:25:54.280 --> 0:25:55.720 And especially when you saw e Rod. 0:25:55.560 --> 0:25:56.919 Throwing the ball well out of the gate and some 0:25:56.920 --> 0:25:58.560 of the other things that were going well, there was 0:25:58.600 --> 0:26:00.880 a lot of reasons to be optimistic if they could 0:26:00.920 --> 0:26:02.240 just weather the storm until July. 0:26:02.520 --> 0:26:04.080 But then Corbyn Burns is a setback. 0:26:04.200 --> 0:26:06.879 AJ Puck has a setback, and all of a sudden 0:26:06.880 --> 0:26:10.520 you're like, oh, where the reinforcements. Lord of Courriel couldn't 0:26:10.560 --> 0:26:14.160 be worse since returning from injury, and it's been tough. 0:26:14.760 --> 0:26:17.040 I do think though, with the way the team is 0:26:17.280 --> 0:26:20.800 hung around, they sweep the Dodgers going into the break, 0:26:21.000 --> 0:26:24.320 they're two games over. Mike Haysen, we talk about Preller 0:26:24.400 --> 0:26:26.640 being a madman, no one, no one's on Prewer's level, 0:26:26.760 --> 0:26:32.200 but on the spectrum of like conservative and aggressive GMS, 0:26:32.640 --> 0:26:35.840 Haysn skews well into the aggressive side of things right, 0:26:35.880 --> 0:26:38.560 Like he is well over there, probably in the ninetieth 0:26:38.600 --> 0:26:42.119 percentile of like he's ready to go, And I'm just 0:26:42.200 --> 0:26:45.080 curious if the flaws in this team will be hanging 0:26:45.080 --> 0:26:47.520 over his head too much, or if he's gonna feel like, hey, 0:26:47.520 --> 0:26:49.440 we've hung around despite this, We're gonna get some of 0:26:49.480 --> 0:26:51.679 our guys back. Burns might still come back, you know, 0:26:51.800 --> 0:26:53.640 in September, Let's go for it. 0:26:54.240 --> 0:26:57.520 My burning question is actually along those same lines, because 0:26:57.560 --> 0:27:00.679 I've I feel like if they had a couple of 0:27:00.720 --> 0:27:04.280 bats to step up from five to nine, it'll make 0:27:04.359 --> 0:27:07.280 Mike Hayson's job a little bit easier because we expect, 0:27:07.359 --> 0:27:10.600 you know, the catel Martes to bounce back. Corbyn Carrol 0:27:10.640 --> 0:27:13.520 has already been awesome. Gabby Moreno is having a really 0:27:13.560 --> 0:27:17.360 good season, right, But then you look five through nine, 0:27:17.400 --> 0:27:19.760 and of course I forgot about Heraldo Perdomo, who's still 0:27:19.760 --> 0:27:23.520 providing value defensively and you know on the bases. He's 0:27:23.520 --> 0:27:25.640 just got to get that ops up a little bit. 0:27:25.640 --> 0:27:27.040 But I think we have faith that he's going to 0:27:27.080 --> 0:27:28.919 do so I don't have any burning questions about the 0:27:28.920 --> 0:27:33.240 top four. It's the Ildemorrow Vargases of the world. The 0:27:33.280 --> 0:27:37.520 Nolan Arnado's the Lord is Gurriel Juniors. I mean these 0:27:37.520 --> 0:27:40.760 are not I mean Vargas, you know, kind of caught fire. 0:27:41.720 --> 0:27:44.560 But Lord of Curiel Junior is not a forty nine 0:27:44.640 --> 0:27:50.080 percent below league average offensive player by WRC plus Nolan Aaronado. 0:27:50.400 --> 0:27:51.960 I know he's at the tail end of his career, 0:27:51.960 --> 0:27:55.080 but he's not this bad. Ryan walshmid is a prospect 0:27:55.160 --> 0:27:57.480 that you love. I love. I drafted him in the 0:27:58.119 --> 0:28:00.879 rookie draft at the beginning of the season. He's better 0:28:00.920 --> 0:28:03.960 than being twenty percent below league average. And I think 0:28:04.000 --> 0:28:06.920 if one of those guys or two hopefully or three, 0:28:07.000 --> 0:28:11.080 why not because they got him, can step up until 0:28:11.080 --> 0:28:14.640 the August third trade deadline, help them win some more games. 0:28:15.000 --> 0:28:18.040 It'll make Mike Haysen's job a little bit easier because 0:28:18.080 --> 0:28:20.480 I'm not going to ask in the Diamondbacks rotation who's 0:28:20.520 --> 0:28:24.159 going to step up. They've lost so many pieces, like 0:28:24.240 --> 0:28:28.920 you lost Ryan Nelson, you lost Michael Soroka. Gallon just 0:28:29.000 --> 0:28:33.560 hit the il. Corbyn Burns hasn't returned, so that's more 0:28:33.640 --> 0:28:37.880 of just I hope someone does. Injuries are They're not 0:28:37.920 --> 0:28:40.040 having so many injuries in the bottom half of their lineup. 0:28:40.160 --> 0:28:42.320 These are the guys they brought in and they should 0:28:42.400 --> 0:28:45.120 be better. So my burning question for the Diamondbacks is 0:28:45.120 --> 0:28:47.520 who from five to nine in the lineup is going 0:28:47.600 --> 0:28:50.280 to step up and help the front four? Yeah? 0:28:50.360 --> 0:28:51.800 Yeah, And I think you know you're hoping when they 0:28:51.800 --> 0:28:54.320 brought in cap wlare that as he just kind of 0:28:54.320 --> 0:28:56.640 shakes the rust off. If he's in a ninety five 0:28:56.800 --> 0:28:59.000 WRC plus for them, I think they're happy with that. 0:28:59.040 --> 0:29:00.600 They just need the bottom half for the lineup to 0:29:00.600 --> 0:29:03.000 not just be a crater. And I think Walschmid is 0:29:03.040 --> 0:29:05.040 the big variable day that I'm looking at because his 0:29:05.080 --> 0:29:07.040 first one hundred and thirty Big League play appearances they 0:29:07.040 --> 0:29:09.040 send him back down the trip away. Now he's back 0:29:09.080 --> 0:29:12.280 up demolished Triple A of course, and if he can 0:29:12.280 --> 0:29:14.600 settle in and be a solid piece for them, I 0:29:14.600 --> 0:29:17.040 think that really helps length in this lineup one hundred percent. 0:29:17.120 --> 0:29:20.280 Let's move over to the San Diego Padres and I'll 0:29:20.320 --> 0:29:23.959 go first this time around. Can Jackson Merrill turn it 0:29:24.000 --> 0:29:26.920 around in the second half, because I think when you 0:29:26.960 --> 0:29:31.360 look at the Padres offense, you know people immediately go, well, 0:29:31.360 --> 0:29:36.920 what went wrong? And the big name is Fernando tacI Junior, right, 0:29:36.960 --> 0:29:40.920 we saw the home run downturn, but at the end 0:29:40.920 --> 0:29:43.440 of the day, he's been two percent abovely gaverage. It's 0:29:43.440 --> 0:29:45.360 not like he's been a hole. He just hasn't provided 0:29:45.440 --> 0:29:48.600 much power. And Manny Machado, his name has certainly been 0:29:48.600 --> 0:29:50.840 floated around there for one of the most disappointing players 0:29:50.840 --> 0:29:54.280 in Major League Baseball. But by WRC plus, he's been 0:29:54.280 --> 0:29:56.760 a better hitter than Jackson Merrill has this season. And 0:29:56.800 --> 0:29:58.680 this one's just shocking to me. Now, he has some 0:29:58.800 --> 0:30:02.080 decent counting numbers. He's got ten homers, he's got nineteen steals, 0:30:03.080 --> 0:30:06.480 the Man's Batten two nineteen arm obpad two seventy eight 0:30:06.560 --> 0:30:09.520 slug at three point fifty, he's been twenty four percent 0:30:09.720 --> 0:30:13.040 worse than a league average hitter by WRC plus, sitting 0:30:13.080 --> 0:30:16.640 at just seventy six. The strikeout rate has jumped all 0:30:16.680 --> 0:30:19.120 the way to twenty five percent. Now, I know he's 0:30:19.120 --> 0:30:21.160 still twenty three years old, and I know you and 0:30:21.200 --> 0:30:24.880 I there is no he could literally hit zero this year, 0:30:25.120 --> 0:30:27.200 and you and I are not giving up on him. 0:30:27.640 --> 0:30:30.600 But for the Padres to turn it around, especially offensively, 0:30:30.720 --> 0:30:34.200 like Jackson Merrill, has to be better, he simply does 0:30:34.280 --> 0:30:36.160 so that's my burning question for the Padres. 0:30:36.480 --> 0:30:38.600 Yeah, I mean, Meryl, it's it's one of the more 0:30:38.640 --> 0:30:41.680 shocking struggles we've seen. You know, I know that he 0:30:41.760 --> 0:30:45.200 had this the frustrations last year and struggle last year, 0:30:45.200 --> 0:30:47.640 but you had a concussion and other injuries to justify it. Like, 0:30:47.800 --> 0:30:51.760 I don't know what's going on now, and it's it's puzzling, 0:30:51.800 --> 0:30:53.600 and you know, we saw it kind of be contagious 0:30:53.600 --> 0:30:55.800 through this team, but now you've seen Machado really pick up. 0:30:56.480 --> 0:30:58.880 As you mentioned, Tatista has at least started to pick 0:30:58.920 --> 0:31:01.840 it up. Maryl was the one. He's not shown the 0:31:01.880 --> 0:31:04.480 signs of life yet at all. And like, even if 0:31:04.480 --> 0:31:06.760 he was just showing signs of life to be close 0:31:06.800 --> 0:31:09.640 to a league average hitter or just even having an 0:31:09.760 --> 0:31:12.000 upward trajectory over the last month, I think. 0:31:11.880 --> 0:31:15.760 I'd be less concerned. But right now I'm pretty darn concerned. 0:31:16.600 --> 0:31:19.360 And and it just is a I don't know, it's 0:31:19.360 --> 0:31:22.200 a weird spot for him to be in because I 0:31:22.240 --> 0:31:25.640 think he's such a glue guy for this team, especially 0:31:25.920 --> 0:31:27.760 with some of the older pieces that they have to 0:31:27.800 --> 0:31:29.880 be able to impact the game in so many different ways. 0:31:29.920 --> 0:31:34.280 And mine is more just just kind of broad because 0:31:34.440 --> 0:31:35.400 I think it's still. 0:31:35.280 --> 0:31:38.160 Kind of inevitable that this team is going to buy, 0:31:38.280 --> 0:31:42.560 so long as they don't just legitimately drop eight to 0:31:42.600 --> 0:31:43.480 the next ten. 0:31:43.520 --> 0:31:44.320 Or something like that. 0:31:44.360 --> 0:31:47.600 Like I think if they're within three to five games 0:31:47.600 --> 0:31:49.440 of five hundred, I think they're still going to go 0:31:49.520 --> 0:31:49.880 for it. 0:31:51.600 --> 0:31:52.800 How do they buy this year? 0:31:53.000 --> 0:31:54.320 I know we feel I feel like we say this 0:31:54.400 --> 0:31:59.960 every year, but last year, they you know, went out 0:32:00.080 --> 0:32:02.360 and with the Mason Miller deal, like they went out 0:32:02.400 --> 0:32:05.240 and traded one of the best prospects in Major League Baseball. 0:32:05.240 --> 0:32:07.960 Now there wasn't a lot behind that, but then he 0:32:08.040 --> 0:32:11.000 just went probably went quantity over like for all the 0:32:11.040 --> 0:32:15.000 deals and basically traded all of their quantity. You know, 0:32:15.040 --> 0:32:16.840 people are gonna say, oh, we say this every year, 0:32:16.880 --> 0:32:17.840 how is probably gonna do it? 0:32:17.880 --> 0:32:22.040 He literally traded everything everything. So there are some pieces here. 0:32:22.040 --> 0:32:24.520 And I think for Rentals, yeah, Prower can make trades happen, 0:32:25.160 --> 0:32:28.680 but Preller as aggressive as he likes to be, and 0:32:28.720 --> 0:32:29.400 we have seen. 0:32:29.240 --> 0:32:31.440 Him go nuts for Rental, Tanner, Scott and things like that. 0:32:31.480 --> 0:32:32.680 But that team was really good. 0:32:33.160 --> 0:32:35.280 Like that Danner's got had the chance to like actually 0:32:35.600 --> 0:32:37.360 pushed that team into another Acheloon. 0:32:37.600 --> 0:32:40.760 Just that team almost beat the Dodgers in twenty twenty four, 0:32:40.800 --> 0:32:43.560 who then beat the shit out of the Yankees in five. 0:32:43.680 --> 0:32:46.120 Like the Prodgers were ahead in that series. It's totally 0:32:46.240 --> 0:32:49.560 understandable to go all in at the twenty twenty four deadline. Absolutely, 0:32:49.600 --> 0:32:51.520 and then in twenty twenty five, this is a playoff team. 0:32:51.560 --> 0:32:53.960 They got there, it's just they lost in the playoffs 0:32:54.320 --> 0:32:55.200 and should happen that. 0:32:55.840 --> 0:32:58.800 And that buying was a little bit more control based, 0:32:58.880 --> 0:33:01.560 like you had Ramon Loreano with o Hearne was a rental, 0:33:01.560 --> 0:33:03.920 but it came with Loreana with control. Mason Miller was 0:33:03.960 --> 0:33:07.640 a bunch of control. And I think with that, I 0:33:07.640 --> 0:33:10.880 don't know if we see Preller go mad Man for 0:33:11.040 --> 0:33:13.840 rentals like because then I think that's also all that 0:33:13.840 --> 0:33:16.400 they can do. So this is where I'm most fascinated, 0:33:16.440 --> 0:33:18.400 like how does Preller make this happen? 0:33:18.600 --> 0:33:21.280 And the immediate answer could be Ethan Salas. 0:33:21.560 --> 0:33:23.760 They could go, but I don't think you trade that guy, 0:33:23.760 --> 0:33:27.200 and I don't even think Preller trades that guy. And 0:33:27.240 --> 0:33:29.240 I don't think that one hundred at bats of Louis 0:33:29.280 --> 0:33:31.440 Campusano swinging at a really high level is gonna be 0:33:31.560 --> 0:33:35.200 enough for him to do that either. I think school Craft, 0:33:35.240 --> 0:33:37.040 a couple other guys maybe they can make it happen. 0:33:37.200 --> 0:33:40.400 I'm just really curious to see this. This is the 0:33:40.440 --> 0:33:44.800 most hand tied aj Preller has ever been going into 0:33:44.840 --> 0:33:46.640 a deadline, and it might be the worst team he's 0:33:46.640 --> 0:33:47.800 had going into the deadline. 0:33:47.840 --> 0:33:50.000 So I'm just I just can't wait to see what 0:33:50.000 --> 0:33:50.360 he does. 0:33:50.520 --> 0:33:53.320 That's why I'm just not sold that day. By I'm 0:33:53.360 --> 0:33:55.040 really not, I mean, out of the break, they have 0:33:55.080 --> 0:34:00.320 a pretty relatively easy schedule until the deadline. Right they 0:34:00.320 --> 0:34:03.080 face the Royals, that's their first series out of the break, 0:34:03.360 --> 0:34:06.840 they theoretically should take care of business, but it's not 0:34:06.880 --> 0:34:08.879 like the Putters are that good, so who's to say 0:34:08.880 --> 0:34:11.120 that they do. Then they're going to go face teams 0:34:11.120 --> 0:34:13.480 like the Braves and the Marlins, which are going to 0:34:13.520 --> 0:34:15.840 be tough. But then you got like the Rockies and 0:34:15.880 --> 0:34:20.360 the Giants. So I think if they struggle in this stretch, 0:34:21.360 --> 0:34:24.200 I would be surprised if Pereller buys because if you're 0:34:24.239 --> 0:34:27.600 telling me like this team is not catching a second 0:34:27.680 --> 0:34:33.239 wind and they're not handling Rockies, Giants and Royals, that 0:34:33.280 --> 0:34:35.239 doesn't seem like a team that you want to add 0:34:35.280 --> 0:34:37.960 on to and trade from. This farm system that you 0:34:38.000 --> 0:34:41.800 said to yourself is now quite barren because Preller sold 0:34:41.800 --> 0:34:44.439 off a lot. What makes Preller such an incredible GM 0:34:44.520 --> 0:34:46.399 is that he's able to replenish the system. And I'm 0:34:46.440 --> 0:34:48.680 sure now that they have a couple of key names, 0:34:48.760 --> 0:34:51.319 but at what point is enough enough? 0:34:51.680 --> 0:34:53.480 Well, and that's where I think maybe they go to 0:34:53.480 --> 0:34:55.959 the bullpen and say, okay, well, if we trade you, 0:34:55.960 --> 0:34:58.319 you know they're gonna get Jeremiah strawa back relatively soon. 0:34:58.360 --> 0:35:02.000 So yeah, if we send you more a hone and 0:35:02.040 --> 0:35:03.760 I know, I know that's your your your best lefty. 0:35:03.840 --> 0:35:05.799 But if we send you more a hoone and and 0:35:05.880 --> 0:35:08.879 a prospect or something like that for a team that 0:35:09.040 --> 0:35:11.319 is is competitive as well, and we do the big 0:35:11.400 --> 0:35:13.759 leaguer for big leaguer thing that could make some sense. 0:35:13.760 --> 0:35:14.360 Be could teams. 0:35:14.440 --> 0:35:16.439 You know, if David Morgan is healthy in the next 0:35:16.440 --> 0:35:19.080 couple weeks, Morgan in a prospect like I think I 0:35:19.080 --> 0:35:22.080 could see Prower getting creative and leverage the bowl, leveraging 0:35:22.120 --> 0:35:23.600 the bullpen arms that they have too. So I just 0:35:23.600 --> 0:35:24.640 can't wait to see what he does. 0:35:24.920 --> 0:35:27.160 Yeah, no doubt about it. Let's go over to the 0:35:27.200 --> 0:35:30.200 San Francisco Giants and you're up first your one and 0:35:30.280 --> 0:35:31.799 burning question for. 0:35:31.760 --> 0:35:33.719 A team that's already out of it, it's just can 0:35:33.760 --> 0:35:35.600 they offload one of these big contracts? 0:35:35.719 --> 0:35:37.799 Yeah? That was that was mine too, I said, I 0:35:37.920 --> 0:35:39.799 just real quick, I said, can they commit to a 0:35:39.840 --> 0:35:40.520 full teardown? 0:35:41.040 --> 0:35:41.279 Yeah? 0:35:41.440 --> 0:35:44.960 And I think they wheel up to Logan Web and 0:35:45.000 --> 0:35:47.919 like can they Can they be convinced on Logan Web? 0:35:48.440 --> 0:35:53.040 I don't know, but I'm just curious about the financial side, 0:35:53.120 --> 0:35:55.120 because look, you're not gonna be able to move the 0:35:55.400 --> 0:35:58.920 Devers deal and if you somehow do incredible And. 0:35:58.880 --> 0:36:00.000 That's this part of the big question. 0:36:00.120 --> 0:36:03.120 Hey, can we give dev some credit? Though he's he's 0:36:03.239 --> 0:36:05.680 really turned it up lately, got his WRC plus up 0:36:05.680 --> 0:36:09.000 to one eighteen. Like, you know, he's a ton of 0:36:09.080 --> 0:36:12.279 national media on his you know, really rough start to 0:36:12.320 --> 0:36:14.759 the season, but ever since then, he's been a really, 0:36:14.800 --> 0:36:16.800 really good bat. Of course, he's still crazy expensive and 0:36:16.840 --> 0:36:19.520 he can't defend, but the bat has returned. 0:36:19.840 --> 0:36:21.879 Yeah, and I think he's gonna hit for a long time. 0:36:21.920 --> 0:36:23.359 I do, Like, I think he's gonna be a good bat, 0:36:23.400 --> 0:36:26.080 but I just don't as. 0:36:25.880 --> 0:36:27.640 We both know, like, no one's going to be lining 0:36:27.760 --> 0:36:31.880 up to take that deal on. So you're you're you're 0:36:31.960 --> 0:36:32.799 kind of strapped with that. 0:36:33.520 --> 0:36:36.480 You know they're gonna move Awrise, it seems like, and 0:36:36.520 --> 0:36:38.680 there's been reports I think John Hayman had reported too. 0:36:38.640 --> 0:36:41.480 Like they aren't necessarily eager to move Jong Houli. 0:36:41.600 --> 0:36:43.719 So like if they're not able to move Chapman, they're 0:36:43.719 --> 0:36:45.960 not able to move devs. Like do they just say, hey, 0:36:46.040 --> 0:36:47.960 maybe maybe this is some money that we clear off. 0:36:48.480 --> 0:36:49.960 I just look at a Damis. 0:36:49.920 --> 0:36:51.960 And I look at Matt Chapman, and I just say, like, 0:36:52.480 --> 0:36:55.279 can you somehow figure it out? Could you swap not 0:36:55.360 --> 0:36:58.800 a bad contract, but take on some maybe slightly underwater money? 0:36:59.000 --> 0:37:01.960 Like how how creative can Buster Posey get here? 0:37:02.280 --> 0:37:06.239 And we've seen Buster Posey just add and sign and 0:37:06.600 --> 0:37:07.680 you know, do kind of. 0:37:07.600 --> 0:37:10.719 The easy MLB the show type of things. Let's see 0:37:10.719 --> 0:37:11.719 Buster Posey. 0:37:11.480 --> 0:37:14.080 Try to get himself out of a situation that you know, 0:37:14.280 --> 0:37:16.040 is created by some of the moves not going the 0:37:16.040 --> 0:37:18.040 way that he wanted them to. And that happens, and 0:37:18.280 --> 0:37:20.480 that happens to a lot of gms, but and executives, 0:37:20.480 --> 0:37:24.360 but the good executives and the unemployed executives. The difference 0:37:24.360 --> 0:37:27.279 between those twos, they maneuver their way out of these situations. 0:37:27.440 --> 0:37:28.520 So I'm hungry to see. 0:37:28.480 --> 0:37:30.800 One hundred percent. And that's why I chose my words 0:37:30.800 --> 0:37:33.080 carefully when I wrote down, do they commit to a 0:37:33.120 --> 0:37:36.400 full teardown? Because I think they'll do a pretty good 0:37:36.480 --> 0:37:40.359 job at selling off these, you know, contracts that are 0:37:40.400 --> 0:37:42.000 going to end at the end of the year, these 0:37:42.040 --> 0:37:45.319 expiring deals. But will they be able to move bad 0:37:45.440 --> 0:37:49.480 contracts or will they be able to move pretty good contracts? 0:37:50.200 --> 0:37:53.560 Like is this a full teardown? Is Web gone? Is 0:37:53.640 --> 0:37:57.120 jung Huli gone? Right? Because if they're unable to move 0:37:57.520 --> 0:38:02.360 the Chapman's the damas the Devers contracts, which appear to 0:38:02.360 --> 0:38:05.080 be pretty much underwater at this point, I guess outside 0:38:05.080 --> 0:38:07.240 of Matt Chapman, I still feel like that's a fine deal, 0:38:07.840 --> 0:38:09.800 but the other two not so much. If they aren't 0:38:09.800 --> 0:38:11.680 able to move but they really need to move money 0:38:11.680 --> 0:38:14.440 off the books, are they then forced to trade a 0:38:14.480 --> 0:38:17.600 Web and a Jung hou Lee. That's why I want 0:38:17.600 --> 0:38:20.080 a step further, and I feel like that's the burning question, 0:38:20.239 --> 0:38:22.160 and it might just be a plane no right. If 0:38:22.160 --> 0:38:24.680 they're not able to move the bad contracts. They don't 0:38:24.719 --> 0:38:27.040 want to move the webs or the junghu Lei's of 0:38:27.080 --> 0:38:29.799 the world. But I am certainly curious because I could 0:38:29.840 --> 0:38:31.919 see it happening one dick. 0:38:31.960 --> 0:38:34.280 Are they willing to pay it down Toeah? It happened 0:38:34.320 --> 0:38:36.759 like Chapman, Like you got to pay that guy twenty 0:38:36.840 --> 0:38:39.719 five a year until he's thirty seven. He has a 0:38:39.719 --> 0:38:43.239 full no trade cost too. So this is this is 0:38:43.280 --> 0:38:46.040 a big test for Buster. I want to see how 0:38:46.080 --> 0:38:47.319 he works his way through it. 0:38:47.719 --> 0:38:49.960 We will see. Let's go over to the Colorado Rockies. 0:38:50.719 --> 0:38:53.000 Mine is more of a fun one. I'm curious what 0:38:53.280 --> 0:38:56.239 you brought up. But can Hunter Goodman become the eighth 0:38:56.400 --> 0:38:59.920 catcher ever to hit forty plus home runs? And I 0:39:00.160 --> 0:39:03.040 think that right when you look at Goodman's year and 0:39:03.080 --> 0:39:06.160 you see twenty seven home runs by the break, it's awesome, 0:39:06.520 --> 0:39:10.600 but almost like cal Raley hurt this narrative last year 0:39:10.640 --> 0:39:14.120 by hitting sixty with how rare it is for a 0:39:14.200 --> 0:39:17.640 catcher to hit forty plus home runs like this is 0:39:17.680 --> 0:39:20.520 a feat that the Mike Piazzas of the world, the 0:39:20.680 --> 0:39:25.360 Roy Campanella's of course cal Raley, I mean cal Rawley 0:39:25.520 --> 0:39:28.680 was the first player to hit forty homers since Salvi 0:39:28.840 --> 0:39:30.839 did it back in twenty twenty one to forty eight, 0:39:30.920 --> 0:39:34.120 and forty eight was the previous record. I mean, he's 0:39:34.200 --> 0:39:36.719 right there. Like you see the list Johnny Bench in 0:39:36.800 --> 0:39:40.879 nineteen seventy, Hobby Lopez in twenty twenty three already mentioned 0:39:40.960 --> 0:39:44.600 Roy Campanella, Todd Hunley forty one in nineteen ninety six, 0:39:44.760 --> 0:39:47.760 Johnny Bench did it again, Mike Piazza did it twice. 0:39:48.000 --> 0:39:51.040 That's it and he is on pace to do so. 0:39:51.120 --> 0:39:54.120 You look at the Fangrafts projections, the highest for the 0:39:54.120 --> 0:39:57.279 rest of the season is sixteen, the lowest is twelve, 0:39:57.400 --> 0:40:00.920 and they're generally a bit more conservative. I think this 0:40:00.960 --> 0:40:02.160 is an awesome story. 0:40:02.640 --> 0:40:03.759 Yeah, no, it is. 0:40:03.880 --> 0:40:06.880 It is, and I think there's the fact that there's 0:40:07.040 --> 0:40:09.799 something worth following there, like can a Rockies player have 0:40:09.840 --> 0:40:13.239 a historic season? Is yeah, in itself just exciting and 0:40:13.560 --> 0:40:16.280 hopefully brings keeps fans coming out to the ballpark, which. 0:40:16.080 --> 0:40:18.040 They do a great job of there at Cores. 0:40:18.080 --> 0:40:20.640 But at the same time, like you've seen a little 0:40:20.719 --> 0:40:23.360 bit of a dip in frustration and understandably so, I 0:40:23.400 --> 0:40:24.920 can't believe that they've stuck it out as long as 0:40:24.920 --> 0:40:26.560 they have, and I think it's just because the vibes 0:40:26.560 --> 0:40:28.880 are so high and it's in a great location. But 0:40:29.600 --> 0:40:31.880 there's reasons to go to the ballpark now with the Rockies, 0:40:31.880 --> 0:40:34.239 and I think Hunter Goodman's a big part of that. 0:40:34.960 --> 0:40:36.399 The other part of it is just that this team 0:40:36.440 --> 0:40:38.399 is like actually functioning, and I talk about that a lot. 0:40:38.400 --> 0:40:39.719 I think I bring it up all the time on here, 0:40:39.719 --> 0:40:42.440 But my question is just what does a functional Rockies 0:40:42.480 --> 0:40:44.600 front office look like with assets to cash in on. 0:40:45.440 --> 0:40:47.880 In the past, we've literally seen the Rockies not trade 0:40:47.920 --> 0:40:50.640 rentals and let them walk in free agency for no 0:40:50.760 --> 0:40:52.160 reason other than maybe. 0:40:51.960 --> 0:40:52.839 We could get them back. 0:40:53.360 --> 0:40:54.839 You can also get it back if you trade him, 0:40:54.840 --> 0:40:57.600 you can still sign them and he's equally a free 0:40:57.600 --> 0:41:00.480 agent if you trade him before or if you just 0:41:01.040 --> 0:41:04.120 let them walk like you're not gonna qo brent Souter, Do. 0:41:04.080 --> 0:41:07.239 You think they know that? Like you're joking rod As 0:41:07.280 --> 0:41:09.040 if they know that, I don't know if they know that. 0:41:09.239 --> 0:41:11.680 They know that now, Yeah they do now, but I'm saying. 0:41:11.480 --> 0:41:13.319 Did Deepadesta knows that now? 0:41:13.560 --> 0:41:17.000 So back then they did it like they literally didn't 0:41:17.000 --> 0:41:20.040 pick up the phone. So I just want to see 0:41:20.080 --> 0:41:21.120 what they do now, because I think this is a 0:41:21.120 --> 0:41:24.960 front office that actually operate and actually is a little 0:41:24.960 --> 0:41:29.040 bit more innovative and actually is is actively trying to 0:41:29.080 --> 0:41:32.399 improve this team. And also you have Charlie Condon, who 0:41:32.400 --> 0:41:34.080 we just talked to, you know on the call up 0:41:34.160 --> 0:41:36.080 a bunch of fun interviews from the Futurist Game. 0:41:36.120 --> 0:41:37.799 By the way, check that out on the call up, 0:41:37.840 --> 0:41:38.799 like twenty. 0:41:38.520 --> 0:41:41.120 Top prospects that we talked to two different episodes going 0:41:41.120 --> 0:41:44.839 out today and tomorrow. But Condon's did ten home runs 0:41:44.840 --> 0:41:47.160 in twenty games in Triple A six and five games, 0:41:47.200 --> 0:41:48.480 like he's ready to go at the big league level. 0:41:48.480 --> 0:41:49.320 You got to care up some space. 0:41:49.640 --> 0:41:53.560 They've got rentals, they've got pieces, they've got bullpen arms, 0:41:53.600 --> 0:41:57.960 they've got pieces. In a market where no one's selling, 0:41:59.040 --> 0:42:01.680 a lot of teams are going to be interested, Like Maniac, 0:42:01.840 --> 0:42:03.800 a lot of teams want a left handed hitting outfielder, 0:42:03.960 --> 0:42:06.040 a lot of teams need a hard throwing bullpen arms. 0:42:06.360 --> 0:42:09.319 I think there's plenty of different ways where this team 0:42:09.360 --> 0:42:13.200 can get creative and really recoup a punt as one 0:42:13.239 --> 0:42:16.640 of the few sellers in this market. So I want 0:42:16.680 --> 0:42:20.080 to see what a competent Rockies front office can do 0:42:20.560 --> 0:42:23.840 being one of the teams with the most assets to 0:42:23.880 --> 0:42:24.319 part with. 0:42:25.120 --> 0:42:27.040 I do hope they don't go full board, though, and 0:42:27.080 --> 0:42:29.560 trade a guy like Hunter Goodman. Selfishly, yeah, I don't 0:42:29.560 --> 0:42:32.160 think they trade Goodman. Yeah. Selfishly. As a Yankee fan, 0:42:32.160 --> 0:42:34.160 I would love to see him in pinstripes. But I 0:42:34.280 --> 0:42:36.640 just I think it's better for the Rockies long term. 0:42:36.680 --> 0:42:39.399 I mean, you have a guy who hit thirty one 0:42:39.560 --> 0:42:42.640 home runs last year, really broke onto the scene and 0:42:42.800 --> 0:42:45.160 is saying, hold my beer, let me do it again, 0:42:45.239 --> 0:42:48.160 and do it better this time, twenty six years old, 0:42:48.239 --> 0:42:51.200 years of control, cheap. There is no reason to trade him. 0:42:51.280 --> 0:42:54.080 I just hope they don't use this opportunity to just 0:42:54.239 --> 0:42:57.160 wipe the sleep clean and trade everyone. I think you 0:42:57.160 --> 0:42:59.200 should keep Hunter Goodman, and I think they will do that. 0:42:59.239 --> 0:43:01.120 I just wanted to put it out there that I 0:43:01.160 --> 0:43:03.920 hope they don't for the sake of the Rockies and 0:43:04.000 --> 0:43:06.080 for the sake of the fans. Right, moving into the 0:43:06.080 --> 0:43:08.480 second half of the MLB season, all right, we're going 0:43:08.520 --> 0:43:13.080 to move over to the National League Central. One burning 0:43:13.200 --> 0:43:16.560 question for every team in the National League. We move 0:43:16.719 --> 0:43:19.840 over to the National League Central with the Brewers, the Cubs, 0:43:19.840 --> 0:43:22.400 the Cardinals, the Pirates and the Reds. We're going to 0:43:22.440 --> 0:43:25.600 start up top at the division with the Milwaukee Brewers. 0:43:25.680 --> 0:43:28.080 I went first for the Rockies Arms, so you're up first. 0:43:28.400 --> 0:43:30.360 Your one burning question for the Brewers. 0:43:30.560 --> 0:43:31.439 I'm going to keep my. 0:43:31.360 --> 0:43:35.759 Theme going of just more team wide front office type 0:43:35.760 --> 0:43:38.840 of questions, and is this the one year they actually 0:43:38.880 --> 0:43:41.440 swing for the fences, because if the Brewers don't do 0:43:41.480 --> 0:43:44.040 it this year, I'm just going to embrace that they're 0:43:44.080 --> 0:43:45.960 never ever, ever ever ever going to do it. And 0:43:46.000 --> 0:43:47.759 I'm already kind of embraced that they're never going to 0:43:47.840 --> 0:43:51.000 do it, but now I will fully embrace that they 0:43:51.000 --> 0:43:51.800 will never. 0:43:51.680 --> 0:43:54.719 Ever ever ever ever ever ever buy because I just 0:43:54.800 --> 0:43:58.200 don't know if you don't do it this year. This 0:43:58.360 --> 0:43:59.640 is such a good team. 0:44:00.400 --> 0:44:03.799 You have so much talent in your farm system. It's 0:44:03.840 --> 0:44:06.280 actually it's actually gross. 0:44:06.000 --> 0:44:09.440 Like it is. It is greed. It is greed. 0:44:09.520 --> 0:44:11.920 How much talent that the brig is greedy farm system 0:44:12.080 --> 0:44:15.600 they don't have room for all of these guys that 0:44:15.680 --> 0:44:20.800 the Biloxi Shuckers are are better than entire farm systems. 0:44:20.800 --> 0:44:21.360 I'm not kidding. 0:44:21.360 --> 0:44:24.840 By like, by talent, I would take that team over 0:44:25.520 --> 0:44:28.520 some other entire farm systems. In Major League Baseball, and 0:44:29.160 --> 0:44:32.080 I mean you just your recently extended prospects. 0:44:32.080 --> 0:44:34.000 Aolie Laura is up there playing a few times a week. 0:44:34.080 --> 0:44:36.080 Like you've got Cooper Pratt up there as well, Like 0:44:36.200 --> 0:44:37.560 you also have some of the guys alread up at 0:44:37.560 --> 0:44:41.360 the big league level, and you still have a trillion prospects. 0:44:42.160 --> 0:44:46.960 Go for something crazy, do something nuts for once, please, 0:44:47.680 --> 0:44:49.360 like you don't even have to feel it. I'm not 0:44:49.360 --> 0:44:53.400 saying you have to, like fully just just like unplug 0:44:53.480 --> 0:44:57.560 the model, but defy it a little bit. Do something 0:44:57.800 --> 0:45:02.360 that shakes up the league for one ever ever, because yes, 0:45:02.520 --> 0:45:06.080 you don't want to, you know, compromise sustainable winning to 0:45:06.120 --> 0:45:09.319 push all your chips in in one season. That's why 0:45:09.320 --> 0:45:11.759 the Brewers are what they are, like, that's why they 0:45:11.760 --> 0:45:14.160 have all of this is because they have been steadfast. 0:45:14.360 --> 0:45:17.520 They have accumulated talent, they have never pushed the chips forward, 0:45:17.640 --> 0:45:19.840 and they have built the layers of talent that they have. 0:45:20.360 --> 0:45:22.880 I'm not saying you need to go absolutely nuts and 0:45:23.719 --> 0:45:28.200 just unravel that, but I do think you could trade 0:45:28.239 --> 0:45:29.960 a couple of top one hundred type of prospects. You 0:45:29.960 --> 0:45:33.000 could trade a couple a couple pieces here and go 0:45:33.080 --> 0:45:35.319 get one of the top players available, you know, in 0:45:35.360 --> 0:45:35.800 the market. 0:45:36.120 --> 0:45:37.359 I don't see why you can't do that. 0:45:37.960 --> 0:45:40.799 Use two words never and ever a lot in that 0:45:40.840 --> 0:45:43.920 statement that you just made. On a scale of one 0:45:43.960 --> 0:45:46.799 to ten evers, what are they at now? And if 0:45:46.840 --> 0:45:49.160 they don't do anything of this trade deadline in terms 0:45:49.200 --> 0:45:52.160 of big time buying, how many evers does that move 0:45:52.239 --> 0:45:52.440 up to. 0:45:52.920 --> 0:45:57.239 I think they're at about they're at an eight of 0:45:57.600 --> 0:46:00.520 never ever and if they don't do it, it's ten 0:46:00.600 --> 0:46:01.120 doors shut. 0:46:01.160 --> 0:46:02.759 I'm never gonna bring it up on the show again. 0:46:02.800 --> 0:46:03.480 I promise you. 0:46:03.960 --> 0:46:07.480 We're moving past nine. So let's say they make small moves. 0:46:07.520 --> 0:46:09.680 Does it move up to nine or does it move 0:46:09.760 --> 0:46:10.480 down to seven? 0:46:10.840 --> 0:46:12.319 It's just the same. Yeah. 0:46:12.560 --> 0:46:14.719 If anything, if they just don't make any big move 0:46:14.760 --> 0:46:16.400 this year, it's it's just gonna stay. If anything, it 0:46:16.440 --> 0:46:20.680 will go yeah, up to nine, because I just I 0:46:20.680 --> 0:46:23.920 think this is the year to do it. Really, this 0:46:23.960 --> 0:46:26.160 is such a good freaking team. 0:46:26.200 --> 0:46:29.560 The Cubs are vulnerable, yes, of course you and. 0:46:29.920 --> 0:46:33.600 If you if you look at the Dodgers and say, well, 0:46:33.640 --> 0:46:37.000 we can't do it because because of them, like then yeah, 0:46:37.520 --> 0:46:38.960 some of the things that the league is saying is 0:46:39.000 --> 0:46:40.160 probably a problem then. 0:46:40.080 --> 0:46:43.080 Because you're two games worse in the regular season. 0:46:43.440 --> 0:46:46.440 You have one of the most dominant you have probably 0:46:46.480 --> 0:46:48.400 the most dominant pitcher in the league right now in 0:46:48.480 --> 0:46:51.680 Jacob Mazerowski, and you've got plenty of talent behind them, 0:46:51.960 --> 0:46:55.360 always a good bullpen like you can win any given series. 0:46:57.040 --> 0:47:00.200 Assuming Kyle Harrison comes back and is okay. I just 0:47:00.280 --> 0:47:00.680 I wouldn't. 0:47:00.680 --> 0:47:04.080 I wouldn't understand not making a decently aggressive move. I 0:47:04.080 --> 0:47:05.799 don't even think it needs to be the craziest move ever. 0:47:05.840 --> 0:47:08.120 I'm not saying, you know, trade Leo Devrees. 0:47:08.600 --> 0:47:09.600 Yeah, I'm not Tonguy's. 0:47:09.600 --> 0:47:11.560 I'm not saying trade Hazers today, and I'm not saying 0:47:11.600 --> 0:47:15.080 trade payin you. None of those blue chip guys Jet 0:47:15.120 --> 0:47:18.560 Williams can go. You just got him for you know, 0:47:19.560 --> 0:47:23.719 Freddy Feralta. Those guys can go. And I don't think 0:47:23.719 --> 0:47:24.239 you feel it. 0:47:24.719 --> 0:47:27.520 I think your question bleeds into mind and you said 0:47:27.560 --> 0:47:33.560 something about Kyle Harrison like he should bounce back. That's 0:47:33.640 --> 0:47:37.920 my one burning question is who steps up as the 0:47:38.040 --> 0:47:41.560 number two pitcher with Harrison injured, Because I don't think 0:47:41.560 --> 0:47:44.719 it's a foregone conclusion that Kyle Harrison, once he returns 0:47:44.719 --> 0:47:48.359 from this strained left forearm. His throwing arm comes back 0:47:48.760 --> 0:47:52.280 looking like the picture that we've seen early on right 0:47:52.400 --> 0:47:55.200 to end. In his last two starts in July, it 0:47:55.239 --> 0:47:59.000 was three innings, four innings, did not look good. Stuff 0:47:59.040 --> 0:48:01.439 didn't look good, and then he's the IL or maybe 0:48:01.440 --> 0:48:04.520 he hit the IL beforehand, or regardless, wasn't a great 0:48:04.560 --> 0:48:06.960 situation there. And you got a twenty four year old 0:48:07.000 --> 0:48:09.120 pitcher who's never thrown more than one hundred and twenty 0:48:09.120 --> 0:48:12.799 four innings in his big league career so far. To 0:48:12.960 --> 0:48:15.439 think that this guy just comes back and bounces back 0:48:15.520 --> 0:48:19.680 to the basically ace that he was, I just don't 0:48:19.680 --> 0:48:23.680 think it's likely. So then I say, well, Brandon Woodriff 0:48:23.760 --> 0:48:25.680 is likely not going to be there to save you either, 0:48:26.280 --> 0:48:28.920 because in his last start, before he hit the IL, 0:48:29.400 --> 0:48:33.000 he was sitting eighty six. So I think to myself, 0:48:33.840 --> 0:48:39.040 who's coming in as the game two starter behind Jacob Azarowski, 0:48:39.400 --> 0:48:41.280 and I like some of the arms they still have left. 0:48:41.520 --> 0:48:44.400 Logan Henderson is just whenever he gets the call to 0:48:44.440 --> 0:48:47.120 come up, five innings, one run, there you go, here 0:48:47.120 --> 0:48:50.640 you go? Is that number two? Though? You got Brandon Sproude, 0:48:50.640 --> 0:48:54.000 who looks all right, but you know they lost Quinn 0:48:54.040 --> 0:48:57.400 Priester for a lot of the season. I am curious 0:48:57.440 --> 0:49:00.960 who's going to step up there. Maybe it's Kyle Harrison. 0:49:01.440 --> 0:49:03.239 I just wanted to note that it is not a 0:49:03.280 --> 0:49:06.920 foregone conclusion that he bounces back with the innings that 0:49:07.000 --> 0:49:09.759 he's got to throw coming back from a four arm 0:49:09.840 --> 0:49:13.960 injury when he didn't look good to end the first half. Again, 0:49:14.600 --> 0:49:17.520 we don't know. So my burning question is who steps 0:49:17.600 --> 0:49:19.600 up as that number two? And is it a trade, 0:49:19.640 --> 0:49:23.759 like you said, And that might be where you go, Yeah, 0:49:23.840 --> 0:49:26.040 go get a guy outside of the org to help 0:49:26.080 --> 0:49:26.640 you do that. 0:49:28.040 --> 0:49:29.720 I could see the other side and this is probably 0:49:29.760 --> 0:49:33.120 what the Brewers will do, is well, Harrison's hurt. You know, 0:49:33.600 --> 0:49:37.799 our chances went down from x percentage to y percentage. 0:49:38.640 --> 0:49:40.719 We just can't do it, you know. 0:49:40.920 --> 0:49:45.200 And I think skepticism is embedded in the very data 0:49:45.280 --> 0:49:48.480 driven front offices. And it makes sense because technically speaking, 0:49:48.520 --> 0:49:51.319 every single time you start a season off, the odds 0:49:51.360 --> 0:49:53.160 are stacked against you, no matter how good you are. 0:49:54.080 --> 0:49:58.520 But you know, I would just like to see them again. 0:49:58.560 --> 0:50:02.719 Doesn't need to be anything crazy, but just make a 0:50:02.719 --> 0:50:04.399 more impactful move than what we're used to. 0:50:04.680 --> 0:50:06.760 One hundred percent. Let's go over to the Chicago Cubs 0:50:07.880 --> 0:50:12.920 and mine is player focused. Is Nico Horner gonna bounce 0:50:12.960 --> 0:50:17.400 back in the second half. Nico Horner has been a 0:50:17.560 --> 0:50:23.120 problem this season offensively. He's hitting two thirty three Nico 0:50:23.320 --> 0:50:29.080 what six thirty one ops, four homers, thirty eight RBIs 0:50:29.160 --> 0:50:32.560 well below average and we're talking about WRC plus. Now 0:50:32.560 --> 0:50:35.760 we still got his fourteen steals. He's still playing elite defense, 0:50:35.800 --> 0:50:39.480 which is great. But for the Cubs to really compete 0:50:39.480 --> 0:50:43.240 in the National League, they need Nico Horner to step 0:50:43.320 --> 0:50:48.400 up and against righties this year arm five eighty ops. 0:50:48.440 --> 0:50:53.239 He's hitting two eleven. In July, he ended this two 0:50:53.280 --> 0:50:57.040 week stretch going five for thirty six for a three 0:50:57.280 --> 0:51:01.760 seventy three OPS. Now, the Cubs they need this offense 0:51:01.800 --> 0:51:03.840 to click on all cylinders if they really want to 0:51:03.840 --> 0:51:07.239 compete in October. I think that they'll make it right. 0:51:07.280 --> 0:51:09.560 I think that this is a playoff team. Fangrafts would agree, 0:51:09.600 --> 0:51:11.920 giving them an eighty percent shot. The Cubs have been 0:51:11.920 --> 0:51:14.080 a playoff team. They want to go far in the 0:51:14.080 --> 0:51:17.680 playoffs and it can't just be PCA and friends. I'm 0:51:17.719 --> 0:51:20.359 also looking at you. Alex Bregman needs to be better 0:51:20.360 --> 0:51:24.239 in the second half, But Nico Horner's production is so 0:51:24.560 --> 0:51:29.439 important to the fabric of the Cubs. Right, Bregman is new, Right, 0:51:30.040 --> 0:51:32.640 Nico has been their guy. And when Nico's at his 0:51:32.760 --> 0:51:36.280 best in pcight is at his best, this Cub's offense 0:51:36.280 --> 0:51:40.239 can look unstoppable. But when PCA is at his best 0:51:40.239 --> 0:51:43.920 without Nico and Nico's at his worst, they just won't 0:51:43.920 --> 0:51:46.480 be able to compete against the Dodgers of the worlds 0:51:46.600 --> 0:51:48.920 or even the Braves of the world, or I think 0:51:49.000 --> 0:51:53.800 the Brewers of the world. So Nico has to step 0:51:53.920 --> 0:51:56.400 up if the Cubs want to do anything, because the 0:51:56.480 --> 0:51:59.399 Cubs and Jed Hoyer can go out and go get 0:51:59.400 --> 0:52:02.879 a starter or two. But if Nico is still this bad, 0:52:03.800 --> 0:52:06.239 it's hard to buy in on the cubs chances in October. 0:52:06.600 --> 0:52:08.120 Well, Bregman's getting a lot of hate, and I know 0:52:08.160 --> 0:52:10.280 he's getting paid big time, but he's been twenty percent 0:52:10.360 --> 0:52:14.440 better than Nico Horner offensively, exactly. And it's not like 0:52:14.560 --> 0:52:15.839 Nico Horner's playing for free. 0:52:15.880 --> 0:52:16.120 Now. 0:52:17.160 --> 0:52:19.279 I know it's a lot less in terms of av 0:52:19.440 --> 0:52:21.840 but they they're not a lot less. 0:52:21.880 --> 0:52:24.640 It's decently less. They extended him. He's gonna be paid 0:52:24.680 --> 0:52:25.480 for a long time. 0:52:25.680 --> 0:52:28.000 They made a major financial commitment to him, so I 0:52:28.040 --> 0:52:30.320 think horners should be kind of held to the same 0:52:30.840 --> 0:52:33.359 standard or close to it, especially if he's a guy 0:52:33.360 --> 0:52:35.560 that again has been there for a while comfortable. 0:52:35.600 --> 0:52:39.040 It's just been a down year for me. It's who's 0:52:39.080 --> 0:52:39.520 your ace? 0:52:40.680 --> 0:52:43.840 Who's the guy that when he takes the ball for you, 0:52:44.640 --> 0:52:47.200 the Cubs have a better chance of winning than the 0:52:47.200 --> 0:52:49.520 other four days And I just don't know who that is, 0:52:49.560 --> 0:52:53.120 and I think they really need that. Matthew Boyd would 0:52:53.120 --> 0:52:56.840 probably be my answer right now. I know Shoda, depending 0:52:56.880 --> 0:52:59.200 on what day it is, looks like you could be 0:52:59.280 --> 0:53:01.120 him and then sometimes not. But that's like what comes 0:53:01.120 --> 0:53:03.279 with the territory with SHOWDA anyways, which is why he's 0:53:03.320 --> 0:53:06.960 not your your number one starter. And they don't have 0:53:07.160 --> 0:53:10.800 an ace by the definition, But like who is theirs? 0:53:11.280 --> 0:53:13.200 I don't know, And I feel like they need that 0:53:13.239 --> 0:53:16.640 guy that when he takes the ball, that lineup knows, hey, 0:53:16.640 --> 0:53:19.120 this is this is our day, Like we definitely have 0:53:19.160 --> 0:53:21.920 our advantage today And I just feel like every single day, 0:53:21.960 --> 0:53:25.040 all five even when they're healthy, like I know Edward 0:53:25.040 --> 0:53:27.279 Cabrera like is coming back and we'll see how long 0:53:27.320 --> 0:53:30.960 he's out from the strained hamstring. But since he got 0:53:30.960 --> 0:53:34.080 carted off with that, it's been a sod plugging in 0:53:34.360 --> 0:53:37.480 and he's been solid for him. You know, they went 0:53:37.520 --> 0:53:40.279 out and acquired Peterson, Like, who do you trust? And 0:53:40.280 --> 0:53:42.520 who's the guy that's going to be the dude for you? 0:53:42.560 --> 0:53:44.719 The equalizer? You're on a three game skid. Who do 0:53:44.760 --> 0:53:47.239 you want to take the ball right now? It's just like, Ah, 0:53:47.320 --> 0:53:49.920 we really need the offense to just go crazy and 0:53:49.960 --> 0:53:52.000 get us this win. And I think it's a really 0:53:52.000 --> 0:53:54.640 hard way to go into the second half and play 0:53:54.680 --> 0:53:56.840 through and forget the playoffs. I think they're going to 0:53:56.880 --> 0:53:58.960 make it, but like, if you don't have that guy 0:53:59.000 --> 0:54:01.960 in the playoffs, what are you gonna do? 0:54:01.960 --> 0:54:03.439 Do you think the Cubs are going to be the 0:54:03.440 --> 0:54:05.480 most aggressive team at this trade deadline? 0:54:06.480 --> 0:54:09.640 No, because they're never that aggressive. It's similar like I 0:54:09.719 --> 0:54:14.319 think they're gonna make moves, but I can never see 0:54:14.320 --> 0:54:17.680 them being the most aggressive. Jed Hoyer is just so calculated. 0:54:18.040 --> 0:54:22.120 It felt like Casey for Cabrera was kind of out 0:54:22.160 --> 0:54:22.640 of character. 0:54:22.680 --> 0:54:27.360 And even that, like there was a trade that everybody 0:54:27.520 --> 0:54:30.359 was waiting for them to do. Yeah, and just kind 0:54:30.400 --> 0:54:32.360 of putting on the table for it felt like a 0:54:32.440 --> 0:54:33.080 year plus. 0:54:33.280 --> 0:54:35.960 Remember at the last deadline they needed starters and they 0:54:36.000 --> 0:54:39.040 decided let's just go get Michael Soroka. Yep, and that 0:54:39.160 --> 0:54:42.759 wasn't enough. So we'll see, let's go over to the 0:54:42.800 --> 0:54:45.560 Saint Louis Cardinals. What's your burning question? 0:54:46.560 --> 0:54:49.200 But the Saint Louis Cardinals, I'm gonna copy paste the 0:54:49.239 --> 0:54:54.759 Diamondbacks question because has I'm Bloom seen enough? Is he 0:54:54.800 --> 0:54:57.480 seen enough to say, let's keep this team together forget 0:54:57.920 --> 0:55:01.319 sustainable win and winning like bolstering the farm system. This 0:55:01.400 --> 0:55:03.600 was supposed to be a bridge year blah blah blah 0:55:03.600 --> 0:55:08.520 blah blah, and let's go for it like and building 0:55:08.520 --> 0:55:10.560 off of that. What does go for it mean? Does 0:55:10.600 --> 0:55:12.160 go for it mean we just don't cash in on 0:55:12.239 --> 0:55:15.520 Dustin May and Riley O'Brien, or does go for it 0:55:15.560 --> 0:55:17.200 mean we add? 0:55:17.480 --> 0:55:19.680 I struggle to imagine that they add. 0:55:20.120 --> 0:55:22.239 But as we record this, as we get ready for 0:55:22.280 --> 0:55:25.680 games tomorrow, Cardinals are one game out of the wild 0:55:25.920 --> 0:55:29.640 one game out of the wild card, Like, it's wide open, 0:55:30.280 --> 0:55:35.000 and That's where I'm fascinated. Heim Bloom, very careful, very 0:55:35.040 --> 0:55:39.280 much likes to bolster the farm system, and in instances 0:55:39.320 --> 0:55:41.480 of trying to buy in the past or be aggressively, 0:55:41.560 --> 0:55:45.040 we've seen some if he you know decisions. When he 0:55:45.080 --> 0:55:48.080 was with the Red Sox, I think his hands were tied, 0:55:48.440 --> 0:55:51.280 But now in a way they're kind of tied because 0:55:51.480 --> 0:55:53.400 he can't really really swing for the fences. 0:55:53.400 --> 0:55:54.080 But could he make some. 0:55:54.000 --> 0:55:56.400 Savvy additions, like how does he go about this deadline? 0:55:56.800 --> 0:56:00.640 And at the very least, has he seen anough to 0:56:00.680 --> 0:56:04.080 not subtract some of the rentals and some of the 0:56:04.080 --> 0:56:06.279 pieces that they have that would probably be popular trade 0:56:06.320 --> 0:56:07.239 deadline candidates. 0:56:07.800 --> 0:56:10.759 My question is along the same lines, but it's more 0:56:10.800 --> 0:56:14.160 about what happens before the deadline, because I think it's 0:56:14.200 --> 0:56:16.560 easy to forget that last year the Cardinals were fifty 0:56:16.560 --> 0:56:19.080 one to forty six of the deadline or excuse me, 0:56:19.239 --> 0:56:22.000 after the All Star break, and then they went one 0:56:22.040 --> 0:56:27.640 in five and they sold. Does this Cardinals team which 0:56:27.960 --> 0:56:31.120 does look better than last year's team. Their first series 0:56:31.160 --> 0:56:34.839 is against the d Backs in Arizona, winnable series, then 0:56:34.840 --> 0:56:38.640 against the Angels, very winnable series, then against the Dambecks 0:56:38.680 --> 0:56:42.520 again it's a makeup game at home, winnable game, and 0:56:42.560 --> 0:56:45.200 then they face the Reds at home, and then of 0:56:45.239 --> 0:56:48.080 course they have a series against the Cups. But can 0:56:48.120 --> 0:56:52.200 they rattle off a hot streak be a wild card 0:56:52.239 --> 0:56:56.480 team and him Bloom goes, I think I got to 0:56:56.560 --> 0:56:59.120 unplug the model, and I think we got to go 0:56:59.200 --> 0:57:01.440 for it a little bit, not saying anything crazy like 0:57:01.480 --> 0:57:04.640 you said, but at least go for it and not sell. Right. 0:57:05.360 --> 0:57:11.440 But if they stumble against some below average teams or 0:57:11.440 --> 0:57:15.640 even average teams, and I'm Bloom goes, oh shit, now 0:57:15.680 --> 0:57:18.040 we're at five hundred. Let's say by the time they 0:57:18.040 --> 0:57:22.840 face the Cubs at the end of July, they probably sell, 0:57:22.880 --> 0:57:26.040 and they might sell big. So my question is how 0:57:26.080 --> 0:57:28.560 do they respond post All Star Break because they were 0:57:28.560 --> 0:57:31.000 at a similar record last year. Do they stumble like 0:57:31.040 --> 0:57:33.120 they did last year or do they do the complete 0:57:33.160 --> 0:57:36.880 opposite and win seven of nine games and now they're 0:57:36.920 --> 0:57:40.200 a prohibitive wild card favorite. Then what do they do? 0:57:40.320 --> 0:57:45.560 So I think actually these next four series are as 0:57:45.600 --> 0:57:48.600 important for any team as there is in this entire 0:57:48.640 --> 0:57:51.800 episode in the National League. What do the Cardinals do 0:57:51.880 --> 0:57:54.720 against those either average or below average teams? 0:57:54.960 --> 0:57:58.400 Yeah, Cardinals Diamondback's two teams that in that series can 0:57:58.960 --> 0:58:00.840 prove a lot one way, and I'm sure that's why 0:58:01.160 --> 0:58:03.160 It'll just go two to one one way or the other, 0:58:03.240 --> 0:58:05.000 and it'll be close games and no one will have 0:58:05.040 --> 0:58:08.360 any definitive idea there. But I think two teams that 0:58:08.440 --> 0:58:12.000 very much can determine their direction in the next two weeks. 0:58:12.200 --> 0:58:14.160 Let's go over to the Pittsburgh Pirates, and mine is 0:58:14.200 --> 0:58:18.160 pretty simple. Does Paul Skins regain fastball spin rate? Because 0:58:18.200 --> 0:58:20.760 we've seen drops and spin rate that can often be 0:58:20.800 --> 0:58:24.560 associated with potential injuries. So is this just a blip 0:58:25.800 --> 0:58:28.280 and he comes back throwing fuel and being the Paul 0:58:28.360 --> 0:58:32.600 Skins that we know who just recently had an ERA 0:58:32.760 --> 0:58:38.200 above three, or is this going to be a tough 0:58:38.240 --> 0:58:41.760 season for Paul Skiings and he either continues to perform 0:58:41.800 --> 0:58:46.560 poorly based on his own standards, or the worst case scenario, 0:58:46.600 --> 0:58:49.120 he gets injured. I think that's huge for the Pirates. 0:58:49.120 --> 0:58:52.080 I think the Pirates have about twelve burning questions. Yeah, 0:58:52.120 --> 0:58:54.120 like I think we could do an entire episode on them. 0:58:54.160 --> 0:58:56.240 But that's the one at top of mind for me. 0:58:56.640 --> 0:58:59.600 Your horse at the top, because we talk about guys 0:58:59.600 --> 0:59:03.360 like Mitch Heller needs to be better. He does, but like, 0:59:03.400 --> 0:59:05.360 how much better. Is he going to get Jared Jones 0:59:05.400 --> 0:59:07.400 needs to be better. He did just rattle off a 0:59:07.440 --> 0:59:10.840 six inning perfect game, right, Bubba Chandler needs to be better. 0:59:11.520 --> 0:59:13.880 He's just so inconsistent that it's hard to know if 0:59:13.920 --> 0:59:17.120 he will be. Ashcraft has already been great, There's no 0:59:17.160 --> 0:59:20.880 real questions about him. But Paul Skeins can absolutely turn 0:59:20.920 --> 0:59:22.760 it around and be the best pitcher in the National 0:59:22.840 --> 0:59:24.720 League in the second half. Again, this comes to us 0:59:24.760 --> 0:59:27.600 from Code five. Paul Skins in twenty twenty six average 0:59:27.640 --> 0:59:31.160 four seamer spin rate on April first, twenty three hundred 0:59:31.200 --> 0:59:36.280 dor pms on July first dip below two thousand, and 0:59:36.360 --> 0:59:40.360 you see a gradual decline start overstart. So that is 0:59:40.400 --> 0:59:44.120 my biggest question. Can Paul Skins return to form? 0:59:44.520 --> 0:59:44.720 Yeah? 0:59:44.760 --> 0:59:46.920 I think mine is actually what you briefly touched on 0:59:47.000 --> 0:59:50.400 there is is can Jared Jones be that clear cut 0:59:50.400 --> 0:59:53.480 three for them? Because what we saw from Jared Jones 0:59:53.480 --> 0:59:58.640 in that final start was also following up an abbreviated outing, 0:59:58.840 --> 1:00:02.000 but a really sharp one against the Phillies in Citizens Bank, 1:00:02.000 --> 1:00:05.200 where he struck out six allowed one run over four innings. 1:00:05.280 --> 1:00:08.479 Then he followed with the six perfect eight strikeouts Jared 1:00:08.520 --> 1:00:11.080 Jones one of the more talented arms in the league. Like, 1:00:11.360 --> 1:00:15.479 it's a fastball slider combination that is disgusting, and since 1:00:15.480 --> 1:00:18.160 he's returned, has had a better feel for the change 1:00:18.240 --> 1:00:20.479 up in the curveball than when we saw him first 1:00:20.560 --> 1:00:23.000 break into the big leags. But the fastball slider combination 1:00:23.120 --> 1:00:24.840 was good enough where he could just overwhelm with that. 1:00:26.120 --> 1:00:29.560 I think that Jared Jones has the pieces and the 1:00:29.600 --> 1:00:33.560 talent to be, you know, the top thirty arm in 1:00:33.560 --> 1:00:35.880 this game if it all clicks. So when you have 1:00:36.560 --> 1:00:40.200 a guy like that in this rotation where we already 1:00:40.240 --> 1:00:42.480 know Brax n Ashcraft is great and Skeens is a 1:00:42.520 --> 1:00:43.840 big question too, like in terms. 1:00:43.640 --> 1:00:45.560 Of just can he get back to what he was? 1:00:45.600 --> 1:00:47.800 But to me, I'm like, I'm just gonna I'll die 1:00:47.840 --> 1:00:50.240 on the hill of like if Skeens, if it doesn't 1:00:50.240 --> 1:00:50.880 work with him, the. 1:00:50.840 --> 1:00:52.240 Season's over, Like it is what it is. 1:00:52.280 --> 1:00:55.720 But I'm going to always have the optimism that Skeens 1:00:55.760 --> 1:00:57.840 is going to get himself right and if he doesn't, 1:00:57.840 --> 1:01:01.240 it's because of an injury most likely. So if Jared 1:01:01.320 --> 1:01:04.640 Jones can pitch to his abilities, and I think just 1:01:04.640 --> 1:01:06.840 getting further removed from TJ will help him do that. 1:01:07.520 --> 1:01:10.120 I mean, and Skens is anything close to what we've 1:01:10.160 --> 1:01:12.280 been accustomed to seeing with him. That is one of 1:01:12.320 --> 1:01:15.120 the better three headed monsters that you have in Major 1:01:15.200 --> 1:01:17.040 League Baseball. Like, that's how good I think Jared Jones 1:01:17.040 --> 1:01:19.560 can be. So he's a huge variable here because yeah, 1:01:19.600 --> 1:01:22.400 Bubba chan where Mitch Keller? Like, I think Bubba can 1:01:22.440 --> 1:01:24.200 be a lot better And I think Mitch Keller can 1:01:24.280 --> 1:01:25.920 be less bad. 1:01:26.480 --> 1:01:28.480 If those are your four and five, you're fine. 1:01:28.880 --> 1:01:32.280 If the top three guys are what they could what 1:01:32.320 --> 1:01:34.960 they're you know, possible of being able to do. So 1:01:35.640 --> 1:01:39.280 that's where I go, And I think that can really be, 1:01:39.440 --> 1:01:41.080 you know, a shot in the arm for them. 1:01:41.480 --> 1:01:44.360 The only thing that you said that I disagree with 1:01:44.560 --> 1:01:47.320 is can Mitch Keller be less bad? We haven't even 1:01:47.320 --> 1:01:50.240 seen second half Mitch Keller yet. He had been a 1:01:50.320 --> 1:01:53.880 disaster and basically every single season this time around, he 1:01:53.920 --> 1:01:55.640 had a bad first half. Is he going to right 1:01:55.680 --> 1:01:58.320 those wrongs this time or have we not even seen 1:01:58.360 --> 1:02:01.400 the worst of Mitch Keller? And Big E brings up 1:02:01.400 --> 1:02:04.360 another good point in the YouTube comments section, ben Cherrington 1:02:04.360 --> 1:02:07.840 buying in the deadline season bring back I kf, Jalen 1:02:07.880 --> 1:02:10.479 Beeks and Brian day La Cruz. That's another burning question 1:02:10.520 --> 1:02:12.920 that I have for the Pirates, like do they just 1:02:12.960 --> 1:02:15.600 bring in supplemental pieces that are really boring and do 1:02:15.760 --> 1:02:20.000 absolutely nothing, or do they actually buy here? Because I 1:02:20.080 --> 1:02:22.800 think even if Paul Skeens is good not great, and 1:02:22.880 --> 1:02:25.760 let's say Jared Jones is good not great, this team 1:02:25.800 --> 1:02:28.480 can still hit, this team can still play. I mean, 1:02:28.480 --> 1:02:30.720 they're right in the thick of it, and they've sustained 1:02:30.720 --> 1:02:33.640 injuries to Connor Griffin, sustained the injuries to O'Neil Cruz 1:02:33.680 --> 1:02:36.600 and Spenser Horowitz, and their entire rotation has not been 1:02:36.640 --> 1:02:38.560 healthy all year, and yet they are still in the 1:02:38.560 --> 1:02:42.240 wild card race. So does Ben Charrington actually buy I 1:02:42.240 --> 1:02:44.120 don't want crap, you. 1:02:44.080 --> 1:02:45.880 Know, I don't want I would want to move. 1:02:46.320 --> 1:02:48.560 I don't want them to pick up things from Lost 1:02:48.600 --> 1:02:51.160 and Found. I want them to actually spend money. 1:02:51.520 --> 1:02:53.880 Well, the move that the move that he made to 1:02:53.960 --> 1:02:56.760 go get Jacob Gonzalez and Brett and Eyert, I think 1:02:56.800 --> 1:02:58.240 is more aggressive than anything he's. 1:02:58.120 --> 1:03:00.880 Done in years. Yeah, that's a good point that Compey pick. 1:03:01.000 --> 1:03:03.400 So hope hopefully it's a sign of more to. 1:03:03.360 --> 1:03:07.959 Come absolutely, let's go over to the Cincinnati Reds. And 1:03:08.760 --> 1:03:10.600 I went first, last time, go ahead. 1:03:11.000 --> 1:03:16.120 With the Cincinnati Reds. Who goes? Who do they move? 1:03:16.800 --> 1:03:18.840 Because this is a team that is a clear cut 1:03:18.960 --> 1:03:20.400 seller at this point. 1:03:20.280 --> 1:03:25.000 I think, and like, barring a crazy run over the 1:03:25.040 --> 1:03:28.840 next few weeks, they're sellers. So you're not trading Allie, 1:03:29.120 --> 1:03:32.240 You're not trading sal You're obviously not trading Hunter Green 1:03:32.400 --> 1:03:37.800 Chase Burns. Then I think it's wide open, right like 1:03:39.240 --> 1:03:41.560 could you cash in on a JJ ble day? 1:03:42.280 --> 1:03:45.160 Do you does anybody bite on Genos Whare has no chance? 1:03:45.160 --> 1:03:48.840 I don't think do you cash in on? Cash in 1:03:48.920 --> 1:03:50.800 is a strong word on the Tyler Stevenson. I think 1:03:50.800 --> 1:03:52.480 Spencer Steer a lot of teams. 1:03:52.480 --> 1:03:54.880 With how many teams need right handed bats, I think 1:03:54.920 --> 1:03:57.320 Spencer Steer is going to attract teams. He could play 1:03:57.360 --> 1:03:59.240 like every position. They're not going to play that well. 1:03:59.240 --> 1:04:01.840 He's kind of like well Castro, but you play almost 1:04:01.920 --> 1:04:04.560 every position. I think a lot of teams would love 1:04:04.640 --> 1:04:10.080 to bring Spencer's hearing. I'm just curious what the retooling 1:04:10.120 --> 1:04:13.600 looks like for this Reds team. If Nicodolo comes back 1:04:13.600 --> 1:04:17.560 and rattles off a few sharp, healthy starts could he go. 1:04:18.560 --> 1:04:20.280 I think the Reds need to shake this thing up 1:04:20.320 --> 1:04:24.000 a little bit. I think Nick Crawl has not done 1:04:24.000 --> 1:04:26.400 a very good job obviously, even over the last couple 1:04:26.400 --> 1:04:29.920 of years. But I'm just very, very curious to see 1:04:30.240 --> 1:04:33.360 who they do end up moving, assuming that they are 1:04:33.360 --> 1:04:34.240 definitive sellers. 1:04:34.560 --> 1:04:36.240 I wonder if Abbot could be on the move too. 1:04:36.880 --> 1:04:38.840 I agree. I think that that is kind of the 1:04:38.840 --> 1:04:42.120 one burning question. Another one that I had is more 1:04:42.160 --> 1:04:45.480 team related, and I feel like we should start having 1:04:45.560 --> 1:04:48.400 some real second half auditions for a couple of players. 1:04:49.640 --> 1:04:54.680 Matt McLean has simply been bad ever since his short stint. 1:04:54.760 --> 1:04:58.520 Is a rookie, and how much longer is Matt McClain 1:04:58.680 --> 1:05:01.360 just going to get consistent every day run in this lineup. 1:05:01.920 --> 1:05:05.320 And I think Noelvie Martes he had the eighty game 1:05:05.400 --> 1:05:09.640 PD suspension. He's had short spurts where you're like, holy shit, 1:05:09.720 --> 1:05:14.919 Noelvie Barte is awesome, and then it's awful spurts, right, 1:05:15.240 --> 1:05:17.080 I think it's too early to have a real second 1:05:17.120 --> 1:05:20.320 half edition. For Edwin Arroyo, you got called up recently. 1:05:20.400 --> 1:05:23.600 He's not even twenty three yet. That one is more 1:05:23.640 --> 1:05:25.200 just I'm excited to see what he does in the 1:05:25.200 --> 1:05:28.480 second yeah, like play him, yeah, exact round an audition. 1:05:28.800 --> 1:05:33.320 I think McLain and Weelvie Marte are like, if you 1:05:33.360 --> 1:05:35.840 can't turn it around, now, we got to make some changes, yep, 1:05:36.080 --> 1:05:38.720 because they have just been consistently bad for now a 1:05:38.800 --> 1:05:42.040 long time and they're getting consistent run here and you 1:05:42.080 --> 1:05:44.160 know there's a couple other guys too, and they have 1:05:44.280 --> 1:05:47.520 good prospects that could come up and potentially help them. 1:05:47.560 --> 1:05:49.680 I just think those two I got my eyes on you, 1:05:49.960 --> 1:05:52.200 and I'm sure the Reds do too, because at this point, 1:05:52.360 --> 1:05:53.840 how much longer can we go about this? 1:05:54.520 --> 1:05:56.600 I agree, and I think this is the final, Like 1:05:56.680 --> 1:05:58.960 this is where you get your clarity to go into 1:05:59.000 --> 1:06:00.600 next offseason and say this is. 1:06:00.680 --> 1:06:02.960 We got we got to change something, and we got 1:06:02.960 --> 1:06:04.120 we got to shake some things up. 1:06:04.680 --> 1:06:09.520 And even Cabrian Hayes, what do you do? Because I think, 1:06:10.000 --> 1:06:12.400 funny enough, Armle, Let's say he has a decent second half, 1:06:14.240 --> 1:06:17.600 he's gonna start a third next year, right, If he 1:06:17.720 --> 1:06:21.280 has a bad second half, he won't. So I think 1:06:21.320 --> 1:06:24.480 that's technically a audition, even though I feel like we 1:06:24.520 --> 1:06:27.120 know the answer to him more than the other guys. 1:06:27.480 --> 1:06:30.680 Oh my gosh, it's just it's crazy when you got 1:06:30.680 --> 1:06:32.720 Souths start playing third base in the All Star Game 1:06:32.760 --> 1:06:35.480 and then you went out, you know and traded for 1:06:35.600 --> 1:06:37.920 Kybrian Hayes a year ago. Like it's it's one of 1:06:37.960 --> 1:06:40.919 more head scratching moves. And that's another. I have no 1:06:40.960 --> 1:06:42.760 idea what they're gonna do with him. For those who 1:06:42.760 --> 1:06:45.479 may not be keeping track, he is under contract until 1:06:45.480 --> 1:06:48.440 twenty twenty nine oh seven million, seven million, eight million, 1:06:48.520 --> 1:06:50.880 eight million, then a club option for twelve million that, 1:06:51.200 --> 1:06:53.760 barring a miracle, will be declined in twenty thirty. 1:06:54.400 --> 1:06:58.200 So yeah, I don't I don't know what Cabrian Hayes 1:06:58.280 --> 1:07:00.680 is going to do. What I do know is I'm 1:07:00.720 --> 1:07:03.440 going to be eating some Hampton Farms peanuts after this 1:07:03.520 --> 1:07:07.680 podcast refuel seven grams of protein per serving before we 1:07:07.720 --> 1:07:10.760 get to the National League East podcast. 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Get 1:07:35.240 --> 1:07:38.280 the top peanut prospect in the produce aisle or twenty 1:07:38.280 --> 1:07:42.400 five percent off at Hamptonfarms dot Com with code just Baseball. 1:07:42.400 --> 1:07:45.480 That's one word, just baseball for twenty five percent off 1:07:45.640 --> 1:07:47.400 at Hamptonfarms dot Com. 1:07:48.080 --> 1:07:51.800 One burning question for every team in the National League. 1:07:51.840 --> 1:07:54.840 We move over to the National League East, which features 1:07:54.840 --> 1:07:58.480 the Braves, the Phillies, the Marlins, the Nationals, and the Mets. 1:07:58.560 --> 1:08:02.120 I'll go first arm with the Atlanta Braves atop the division. 1:08:02.840 --> 1:08:07.840 What does Spencer Schwellenbach look like when he comes back? 1:08:08.280 --> 1:08:11.520 Because when you look at the Braves right now, I 1:08:11.560 --> 1:08:15.600 have no questions about Chris Sale. Chris Sale is freaking awesome. 1:08:16.520 --> 1:08:19.240 Then everybody else, I got questions about Owen Murphy. They 1:08:19.280 --> 1:08:21.639 just got called up. He threw four innings, looked pretty good. 1:08:21.680 --> 1:08:24.840 They got Grant Holmes, who's been kind of that stable 1:08:25.120 --> 1:08:28.120 arm in the rotation, has given them eighty seven innings, 1:08:28.160 --> 1:08:30.280 but he's not really a top end guy. And then 1:08:30.320 --> 1:08:34.599 you have Rainaldo Lopez, who you know, who knows what 1:08:34.720 --> 1:08:36.839 he can give you. I know he's given you solid productions. 1:08:36.840 --> 1:08:40.320 So if our underlying metrics say, don't expect that for 1:08:40.360 --> 1:08:42.280 the rest of the season. And then you have Bryce Elder, 1:08:42.280 --> 1:08:44.360 who again can be an innings eater, but you don't 1:08:44.400 --> 1:08:47.240 expect him to be at the top of the rotation. 1:08:47.520 --> 1:08:50.880 And Spencer Strider, of course, is dealing with elbow inflammation, 1:08:51.320 --> 1:08:53.280 and even when he was on the field, he did 1:08:53.320 --> 1:08:56.240 not prove he can be a really, really solid number two. 1:08:56.280 --> 1:09:00.320 But Spencer Schwellenbach should be back in August. And when 1:09:00.360 --> 1:09:03.679 Spencer Schwellenbach is on, he is one of the best 1:09:03.720 --> 1:09:06.160 young arms in Major League Baseball. I know Podcast P 1:09:06.439 --> 1:09:09.280 is in love with Spencer Schwellenbach considers him one of 1:09:09.280 --> 1:09:12.080 the better overall pitchers in Major League Baseball. I know 1:09:12.160 --> 1:09:14.240 you're a huge fan. I'm a huge fan. How could 1:09:14.280 --> 1:09:17.040 you not be? You know, he started thirty eight games 1:09:17.080 --> 1:09:19.000 in his career. He's thrown two hundred and thirty four 1:09:19.000 --> 1:09:22.000 innings to a three two three ERA with a three 1:09:22.160 --> 1:09:26.200 two seven fit, doesn't walk anybody, strikes out a batter 1:09:26.240 --> 1:09:30.719 per inning command, top of the line, really really good pitcher. 1:09:32.000 --> 1:09:34.840 Do the Braves have their number two back or do 1:09:34.920 --> 1:09:37.240 they not? That's my burning question for them. 1:09:37.640 --> 1:09:40.120 Mine was the same thing, just kind of extrapolated or 1:09:40.240 --> 1:09:42.400 just like extended out a little bit more, which was just, 1:09:42.760 --> 1:09:46.200 you know, how did the injured arms return? Because I 1:09:46.200 --> 1:09:48.000 look at Arson Waldrip and I think he plays a 1:09:48.000 --> 1:09:51.280 big part in their their whole deal as well, because 1:09:51.680 --> 1:09:53.840 I think what Waldrop showed prior to injury in the 1:09:53.960 --> 1:09:56.680 end of last year and just talking to him about that, 1:09:56.720 --> 1:09:59.320 like the arsenal tweaks and what he had been able 1:09:59.320 --> 1:10:01.880 to develop, to be able to more ground balls pitched 1:10:01.880 --> 1:10:04.719 a week contact, still have that splitter in his back pocket, 1:10:04.720 --> 1:10:07.559 but not be so one dimensional where it's just fastball 1:10:07.600 --> 1:10:10.919 splitter and it's a flat fastball. Now it's a detailed 1:10:11.000 --> 1:10:13.240 arsenal with the sinker, with the cutter, with the slider 1:10:13.280 --> 1:10:16.800 at the curveball to all work around. Still an elite 1:10:16.880 --> 1:10:20.479 splitter has made him really good. And we saw two 1:10:20.560 --> 1:10:23.000 a to Adra in fifty six and the thirds innings 1:10:23.040 --> 1:10:25.920 last year. And is he that good? Probably not, but 1:10:25.960 --> 1:10:28.120 I think he's a mid threes guy and it can 1:10:28.160 --> 1:10:31.240 be really effective for them. And you pair that with 1:10:31.360 --> 1:10:35.160 Schwellenbach with whatever you get from Strider, and this team's 1:10:35.160 --> 1:10:38.160 outlook is a whole lot different, and their deadline needs 1:10:38.439 --> 1:10:41.360 are a whole lot more attainable, and you don't have 1:10:41.400 --> 1:10:44.799 to go as crazy trying to abid with everybody on arms, 1:10:45.000 --> 1:10:46.479 and you can maybe go get some of the bats 1:10:46.479 --> 1:10:49.519 that you need, or just allocate all those resources to 1:10:49.760 --> 1:10:52.519 one big arm that you want. It makes things easier 1:10:52.640 --> 1:10:55.719 when you've got more pieces, obviously, And I think that's 1:10:55.960 --> 1:10:57.479 the name of the game here with the Braves, and 1:10:57.479 --> 1:10:59.920 it's a couple guys coming back from the same thing, 1:11:00.120 --> 1:11:04.479 right loose bodies. We've seen arms come back and be 1:11:04.600 --> 1:11:07.559 successful pretty quickly, so I think it's a fair fair question. 1:11:08.240 --> 1:11:12.320 I also think it makes alex Anthopas alex Anthopolis's life 1:11:12.760 --> 1:11:17.599 difficult considering the timing of when Schwellenbach returns is going 1:11:17.640 --> 1:11:20.719 to be post deadline. So do you run the risk 1:11:20.760 --> 1:11:24.120 of not adding a big time starting pitcher expecting that 1:11:24.200 --> 1:11:27.400 to be Schwellenbach when he returns, and then let's say 1:11:27.439 --> 1:11:32.639 he falters, then what or does he say Let's pretend 1:11:32.720 --> 1:11:35.400 Schwellenbach is not returning at all. Of course he is, 1:11:35.880 --> 1:11:37.880 but we need to add a really strong number two. 1:11:37.960 --> 1:11:40.080 We've seen them linked with the Red Sox with Sonny Gray. 1:11:40.240 --> 1:11:41.800 Now we have no idea if the Red Sox sell 1:11:41.800 --> 1:11:45.320 at all, but clearly they are in the market looking 1:11:45.320 --> 1:11:48.200 for a strong number two. So it's not even just 1:11:48.200 --> 1:11:53.240 about Schwellenbach. It's what Alexanthopolis does. Considering his return is 1:11:53.320 --> 1:11:56.040 after the break or after the deadline? Excuse me, I 1:11:56.040 --> 1:11:57.640 think that makes it difficult. 1:11:57.960 --> 1:12:00.160 Yeah, and Waldrop comes back I think before that. So 1:12:00.240 --> 1:12:02.200 like you have one maybe kind of answer. But the 1:12:02.240 --> 1:12:04.360 bigger question with the best, you know, the more talented 1:12:04.479 --> 1:12:07.479 arm is you gotta wait and see. And yeah, there's 1:12:07.479 --> 1:12:09.479 gonna be a lot to try to decide and sift through. 1:12:10.400 --> 1:12:12.800 Let's go over to the Philadelphia Phillies. I started with 1:12:12.800 --> 1:12:14.960 the Braves. You're up first, what do you what do 1:12:15.000 --> 1:12:15.320 you got? 1:12:16.040 --> 1:12:19.479 But the Phillies can Dave Dombrowski find his right handed bat, 1:12:20.040 --> 1:12:22.320 and a lot of teams out there want that right 1:12:22.320 --> 1:12:22.880 handed bat. 1:12:23.040 --> 1:12:24.200 I think you could argue. 1:12:23.920 --> 1:12:28.160 That the the Phillies needed as bad as anybody. Yeah, 1:12:28.439 --> 1:12:32.960 you don't like Abillies Garcia, if he's even available, I 1:12:33.200 --> 1:12:34.320 still don't like him. 1:12:34.360 --> 1:12:37.800 So I just don't know. I don't know when you'll 1:12:37.800 --> 1:12:38.439 get that lineup. 1:12:40.320 --> 1:12:43.519 There's not much to get excited about from the right side. 1:12:43.600 --> 1:12:43.760 Right. 1:12:44.120 --> 1:12:46.559 Trey Turner. We've talked about how frustrating he's been. He's 1:12:46.560 --> 1:12:47.280 gonna get the. 1:12:47.280 --> 1:12:48.639 Run all your one. 1:12:48.840 --> 1:12:52.040 Alcolm has been a lot better, but it's still a 1:12:52.040 --> 1:12:53.760 seventy three WRC plus on the year. 1:12:54.280 --> 1:12:54.479 J C. 1:12:54.640 --> 1:12:59.360 Real muteso he's his seventy six WRC plus the right 1:12:59.400 --> 1:13:02.920 he's in that line up. I'm not gonna I can't 1:13:02.960 --> 1:13:05.040 do the math immediately, but I'll estimate when it's a 1:13:05.080 --> 1:13:07.160 seventy six, seventy three and seventy four, it's going to 1:13:07.200 --> 1:13:10.439 be somewhere around the seventy four range right, so that 1:13:10.640 --> 1:13:12.479 all of the righting's in that lineup around seventy four 1:13:12.479 --> 1:13:16.760 to seventy five WRC plus. Hey, that's the starters. Like 1:13:16.800 --> 1:13:19.439 you know who's raising that number, Derek Hill since he's 1:13:19.439 --> 1:13:23.120 put on a Phillies uniform. So it's really rough from 1:13:23.160 --> 1:13:24.720 the right side here, and you run into a good 1:13:24.800 --> 1:13:26.439 left handed arm, you're gonna be in trouble, especially in 1:13:26.479 --> 1:13:28.479 the postseason, which is where we expect this team to 1:13:28.479 --> 1:13:31.280 be able to be as good as If Zak Wheeler 1:13:31.400 --> 1:13:33.960 gives you a seven shutout, doesn't matter if the lefty 1:13:33.960 --> 1:13:36.920 opposite of him also does. So they got to find 1:13:36.920 --> 1:13:39.360 that right handed back I think more than anybody, and 1:13:39.439 --> 1:13:41.680 knowing that a lot of teams also need need that, 1:13:42.000 --> 1:13:44.200 I'm just curious to see if if Dobrawski can pull 1:13:44.240 --> 1:13:44.799 it off. 1:13:44.800 --> 1:13:48.120 One hundred percent. And my question is along those lines. 1:13:48.160 --> 1:13:50.160 It's about a right handed hitter in the Phillies lineup. 1:13:50.360 --> 1:13:52.680 And we've been asking this question all season long. And 1:13:52.720 --> 1:13:55.479 the reason we've been asking this question is, don't expect 1:13:55.479 --> 1:13:57.439 the Phillies to really dominate in the playoffs if this 1:13:57.439 --> 1:14:00.440 guy doesn't bounce back in the second half. Can Turner 1:14:00.520 --> 1:14:03.439 bounced back and not be a complete traffic cone like 1:14:03.520 --> 1:14:05.599 he's been for the first half of the MLB season, 1:14:05.880 --> 1:14:08.240 Because we're not just talking about the offensive numbers where 1:14:08.240 --> 1:14:10.360 he's got a six thirty nine ops and he's hitting 1:14:10.360 --> 1:14:13.080 two thirty six. We're talking about being a traffic cone 1:14:13.080 --> 1:14:16.519 defensively as well up the middle at shortstop. You know, 1:14:16.560 --> 1:14:18.720 Hembo came on and says he doesn't think that he's 1:14:18.720 --> 1:14:22.360 a true shortstop. Well, whether you agree or disagree with Mbo, 1:14:22.600 --> 1:14:24.760 he's got a play shortstop right. I don't think they're 1:14:24.760 --> 1:14:26.519 going to be in the market adding a big time 1:14:26.600 --> 1:14:29.880 shortstop in order to replace Trey Turner. Trey Turner is 1:14:29.920 --> 1:14:32.160 the shortstop for the rest of the season. And if 1:14:32.200 --> 1:14:35.200 Trey Turner continues to play like this, like a below 1:14:35.240 --> 1:14:38.840 average player, don't expect much from the Phillies in October. 1:14:39.200 --> 1:14:42.519 I know that Wheeler, you know, could maybe within the 1:14:42.560 --> 1:14:44.800 cy Young this season if he gets to one hundred 1:14:44.800 --> 1:14:46.559 and seventy egs, which I know is going to be really, 1:14:46.560 --> 1:14:49.240 really hard, But that's just how well he's pitching. I 1:14:49.280 --> 1:14:53.639 know Christopher Sanchez is awesome. I do worry about him slightly. 1:14:54.360 --> 1:14:57.679 We'll be honest with you. I still think he's awesome, 1:14:57.920 --> 1:15:00.960 But is he the lead of the elite that he 1:15:01.080 --> 1:15:04.120 was at the beginning of the season. We'll see. And 1:15:04.160 --> 1:15:07.360 Lozardo is great, like they have a three headed monster 1:15:07.400 --> 1:15:11.479 in the rotation presumably, and they have Schwarper, and they 1:15:11.520 --> 1:15:15.000 have Harper, and you even have Boone playing better. But 1:15:15.439 --> 1:15:18.360 if Trey Turner at the top of your lineup is 1:15:18.439 --> 1:15:22.920 an auto out, the Phillies are an auto out. He's 1:15:22.920 --> 1:15:26.320 not important to the Philly success, so they need him 1:15:26.320 --> 1:15:29.639 to pick it up or else it'll be another year 1:15:30.240 --> 1:15:34.400 of or Wheeler pitching well and Sanchez pitching well, and 1:15:34.400 --> 1:15:37.160 maybe even Lozardo pitching well, but then the offense scores 1:15:37.280 --> 1:15:40.679 a run and they lose and the pitching won't matter. 1:15:41.200 --> 1:15:42.720 Yeah, and then the other one for me was just 1:15:42.720 --> 1:15:45.600 Brandon Marsh, Like, can the bab at God continue to 1:15:45.640 --> 1:15:47.639 just do what he's doing because they need I mean, 1:15:48.280 --> 1:15:51.880 we talked about lineup length concerns. That's with Brandon Marsh 1:15:51.920 --> 1:15:55.280 having a breakout season, so they need Marsh to continue 1:15:55.280 --> 1:15:56.719 to do what he's doing this year too. 1:15:57.360 --> 1:16:00.240 Let's go over to the Miami Marlins. I'll go first, 1:16:00.280 --> 1:16:02.240 because my guess is you've been doing a lot of 1:16:02.240 --> 1:16:07.040 more team related ones. Mine is more player focused. I 1:16:07.080 --> 1:16:10.639 am just fascinated to see what ury Perez's second half 1:16:10.680 --> 1:16:16.439 looks like because at the end of May right leading 1:16:16.479 --> 1:16:19.760 into June, he only allowed two earn runs. I know, 1:16:19.840 --> 1:16:22.479 his ten innings, but he only allowed two earned runs. 1:16:22.840 --> 1:16:25.559 And then at his first start in June he throws 1:16:25.600 --> 1:16:30.519 a seven inning perfect game, and then or excuse me, 1:16:30.560 --> 1:16:32.320 this is in July, so the other ones were ending. 1:16:32.360 --> 1:16:35.240 But basically, over his last four starts, he's looked great. Like. 1:16:35.320 --> 1:16:37.120 He gave up two earned runs in his last start 1:16:37.160 --> 1:16:40.240 before the break, and that was one of his worst starts. 1:16:40.240 --> 1:16:43.519 In a while, all the talent in the world, Like, 1:16:43.560 --> 1:16:46.280 I feel good about Sandy at least being above average, right, 1:16:46.320 --> 1:16:49.000 I think he's gonna give you his classic seven innings 1:16:49.040 --> 1:16:51.680 three runs every start. I feel really good about Max 1:16:51.680 --> 1:16:53.519 s Meyer, who is named an All Star, Like feel 1:16:53.560 --> 1:16:57.599 better about him. Eury Prez has shown he could either 1:16:57.680 --> 1:17:02.240 be a four inning, five walk for earn run guy 1:17:02.400 --> 1:17:06.639 or the most talented pitcher in the division in terms 1:17:06.640 --> 1:17:10.120 of just raw tools from a guy that young. What 1:17:10.160 --> 1:17:13.320 do we get from him? Because also the Marlins they 1:17:13.360 --> 1:17:17.439 need him, right, you look at everyone beyond Ury not 1:17:17.520 --> 1:17:20.040 a loot to hang your hat on. I think he's 1:17:20.240 --> 1:17:22.840 massive for the Marlins success moving forward in the second half. 1:17:23.400 --> 1:17:26.360 Well, if he's throwing the way that he's been throwing, 1:17:26.479 --> 1:17:29.479 I mean that now, all of a sudden, your three 1:17:29.479 --> 1:17:32.760 guys at the top, Like that's that's as good as 1:17:32.880 --> 1:17:35.160 as just about any team like you if you have 1:17:35.240 --> 1:17:37.200 Max Meyer continuing to throw the way that he's throwing, 1:17:37.760 --> 1:17:40.400 with what Yuri can do when he's on, like Sandy's 1:17:40.439 --> 1:17:43.840 your three, Yeah, And if Sandy's your three, you're in 1:17:43.880 --> 1:17:46.800 a pretty good spot. And I think that's that's the 1:17:46.840 --> 1:17:48.920 exciting part there with the Marlins. I think that's a 1:17:48.920 --> 1:17:50.439 big one. I think the other part of it is 1:17:51.120 --> 1:17:52.880 for a team that you know has been able to 1:17:52.880 --> 1:17:55.000 maneuver the bullpen this year, the way that they have, 1:17:55.400 --> 1:17:59.240 it's pretty shocking considering that they have arguably the worst 1:17:59.240 --> 1:18:01.000 closer in Major League is Fall so far this year 1:18:01.000 --> 1:18:03.759 and Pete Fairbanks, And so for me, it's can. 1:18:03.600 --> 1:18:04.920 Pete Fairbanks figure it out? 1:18:05.600 --> 1:18:07.240 I just don't see how you can be a playoff 1:18:07.240 --> 1:18:11.000 team with your closer having a six' eight THREE, era 1:18:11.640 --> 1:18:14.519 and even in the saves that he does pull, off 1:18:15.200 --> 1:18:19.400 it's like, strikeout warning track, flyout warning track fly, out 1:18:19.439 --> 1:18:21.080 like oh my, gosh that was a close, one or 1:18:21.080 --> 1:18:24.519 it's a two run lead solo, shot warning track, flyout 1:18:24.520 --> 1:18:27.559 warning track fly, out ground. Ball it's been rare to 1:18:27.600 --> 1:18:30.720 see a clean save From Pete, fairbanks even when he 1:18:30.760 --> 1:18:33.640 does do. THAT i think that's going to catch up 1:18:33.640 --> 1:18:36.200 to this team at a certain. POINT i JUST i 1:18:36.240 --> 1:18:40.519 don't know how you can survive as a team that 1:18:40.560 --> 1:18:43.920 needs to do everything right on the margins when your, 1:18:44.000 --> 1:18:48.920 closer you, know is a liability and a significant. 1:18:48.920 --> 1:18:50.439 One and it also gets to a point. 1:18:50.240 --> 1:18:53.680 Where if he continues to be a, liability do you 1:18:53.760 --> 1:18:54.559 relegate him from that. 1:18:54.640 --> 1:18:55.640 Role who's the? 1:18:55.720 --> 1:18:59.360 Closer Calvin fauche is As jackal And hyde as anybody 1:18:59.400 --> 1:19:00.960 in majoraguase because you walk six per. 1:19:01.040 --> 1:19:03.840 Nine Michael peterson's probably your. 1:19:03.840 --> 1:19:07.439 Closer HE'S ao If Pete fairbanks goes, down WHICH i 1:19:07.520 --> 1:19:11.360 love What i've seen From Michael, peterson but this guy's 1:19:11.400 --> 1:19:12.840 just figuring it out at thirty two years. 1:19:12.880 --> 1:19:14.639 Old you're going to thrust him into the closing role for. 1:19:14.600 --> 1:19:16.799 A team that's in the you, know in a, Playoff, 1:19:16.840 --> 1:19:20.120 haunch that's a big one for. Me they Need bender. 1:19:20.200 --> 1:19:21.800 Back you, know he's been banged, up AND i think 1:19:21.840 --> 1:19:25.160 that even only adds to. It bender's, Hurt king's. Hurt 1:19:26.240 --> 1:19:28.120 you Need Pete fairbanks to be the guy that you 1:19:28.200 --> 1:19:30.439 paid thirteen million dollars, for which The marlins don't. Do 1:19:31.080 --> 1:19:34.479 so that's my biggest one with them is you, know 1:19:34.520 --> 1:19:37.439 how does he? Look and, yeah And Big mike is 1:19:37.520 --> 1:19:39.000 banged up even. TOO i don't know how long he's 1:19:39.000 --> 1:19:40.920 gonna be, out if he's gonna be, Out so there's 1:19:41.000 --> 1:19:41.840 a lot of wrinkles to. 1:19:41.880 --> 1:19:44.000 It and what The marlins are going to do with the. 1:19:44.000 --> 1:19:47.200 DEADLINE i, mean let's say they play five hundred baseball until, then, 1:19:47.320 --> 1:19:49.559 right they're fifty two and forty. Five right, now over 1:19:49.600 --> 1:19:51.679 the next ten games they go five and. Five there's 1:19:51.680 --> 1:19:55.479 still seven games above five. Hundred how can you constitute. 1:19:55.560 --> 1:19:57.920 SELLING i canna understand buying in selling at the same, 1:19:57.960 --> 1:20:01.240 time but how can you do that to the? Fans 1:20:01.560 --> 1:20:05.200 if you're seven games above five hundred and you have 1:20:05.320 --> 1:20:08.320 one of the best records in The National, league how 1:20:08.360 --> 1:20:10.720 can you then tell your fans like what needs to 1:20:10.760 --> 1:20:13.600 happen for you to finally? Buy AND i understand that 1:20:13.640 --> 1:20:17.440 they're a head of, schedule but, Again i'm just fascinated 1:20:17.479 --> 1:20:18.280 to see what they do with the. 1:20:18.280 --> 1:20:22.080 Deadline, YEAH i don't think they sell unless they, completely 1:20:22.120 --> 1:20:24.439 like the wheels completely completely completely fall. 1:20:24.479 --> 1:20:26.639 Off but even their. 1:20:26.560 --> 1:20:29.479 Buying is going to be just it's not going to be. 1:20:29.520 --> 1:20:33.120 Buying it's it's like trading like it's it's it's going 1:20:33.200 --> 1:20:35.800 to be big league and maybe a filler prospect for 1:20:35.840 --> 1:20:38.840 big league because they want to preserve this farm system 1:20:39.080 --> 1:20:43.880 that admittedly like they have, talent but IT'S i don't 1:20:43.920 --> 1:20:45.400 think it's as good as they want it to. Be 1:20:45.560 --> 1:20:47.920 the farm, System SO i think that's part of their. 1:20:47.960 --> 1:20:51.240 Apprehension you got to be really careful that when you're 1:20:51.280 --> 1:20:53.920 subtracting from a big league team that has a really 1:20:54.320 --> 1:20:58.479 good thing going right now to try to also improve 1:20:58.560 --> 1:21:01.960 that big league. Team and that's where it becomes. Fascinating 1:21:02.040 --> 1:21:04.040 SO i think that's the other big question. TOO A, 1:21:04.120 --> 1:21:06.840 matins who have been pretty transparent about the fact that 1:21:06.840 --> 1:21:12.080 they are open to moving big league pieces to address 1:21:12.080 --> 1:21:15.600 a need on the big league. Team you gotta be 1:21:15.640 --> 1:21:18.599 careful with that because sometimes you can disrupt something that's 1:21:18.640 --> 1:21:19.160 working really. 1:21:19.160 --> 1:21:22.759 Well moving over to The, nationals what's your one burning 1:21:22.840 --> 1:21:23.240 question for? 1:21:23.320 --> 1:21:27.200 Him CAN c J abrams sprint through the finish? 1:21:27.240 --> 1:21:31.599 Line Because James wood's a. SUPERSTAR i feel good About. 1:21:31.479 --> 1:21:34.400 James wood being what he, is right and then you're 1:21:34.400 --> 1:21:37.960 gonna have your turbulence with a player Like James. Wood 1:21:38.400 --> 1:21:40.679 but at the end of the, DAY i think everyone's 1:21:40.720 --> 1:21:44.599 pretty comfortable that this is a superstar type of. Player 1:21:45.439 --> 1:21:49.519 Cj abrams is on pace to do some really special 1:21:49.560 --> 1:21:51.960 things this. Year he was on pace to do some 1:21:52.000 --> 1:21:54.400 really impressive things last year as. Well now he is 1:21:55.479 --> 1:21:58.800 comfortably better than he was even through the really good 1:21:58.800 --> 1:22:00.400 stretch that he had last. Year, ready he has more 1:22:00.400 --> 1:22:03.840 homers this year than he had last, year but we 1:22:03.880 --> 1:22:07.920 saw him be great and then fall off a cliff 1:22:07.920 --> 1:22:10.280 a little. Bit right he's on pace to driving one 1:22:10.360 --> 1:22:13.599 hundred and twenty, Runs he's on pace to hit thirty five, 1:22:13.640 --> 1:22:18.360 homers he's on pace to steal almost thirty. Bags this 1:22:18.400 --> 1:22:20.720 could be a really special year for a guy in 1:22:20.720 --> 1:22:22.920 his age twenty five. SEASON a lot of indications could 1:22:22.920 --> 1:22:26.479 just point towards him being just growing into himself and 1:22:26.479 --> 1:22:29.200 reaching and starting to tap into the prime right forgot 1:22:29.240 --> 1:22:32.120 that was rushed to the major. LEAGUES i think this 1:22:32.240 --> 1:22:35.880 is important BECAUSE i don't. KNOW i think that at 1:22:35.880 --> 1:22:37.040 this point they're just going to ride it out with. 1:22:37.080 --> 1:22:39.240 Him because this national, team at, first my question was 1:22:39.280 --> 1:22:41.160 going to be, like you, know how close are they 1:22:41.200 --> 1:22:43.320 to be in Competitive and then that's another big part of, 1:22:43.320 --> 1:22:45.040 it like do they struggle in the second half and 1:22:45.080 --> 1:22:47.200 maybe makes us realize that they're further away than maybe we'd. 1:22:47.200 --> 1:22:51.000 HOPED i think they're closer than than a lot of 1:22:51.000 --> 1:22:52.680 people with, thought AND i think they've proven. That and 1:22:52.840 --> 1:22:54.320 no matter how the second half, GOES i think they'll 1:22:54.320 --> 1:22:55.920 slow down a little bit And i'll probably trim some 1:22:55.920 --> 1:22:58.320 pieces and That i'll only encourage the. SLOWDOWN i think 1:22:58.320 --> 1:22:59.880 we've seen enough to say that this is a team 1:23:00.200 --> 1:23:04.080 that could absolutely be wild card contenders next year and 1:23:04.160 --> 1:23:06.559 have a lot of reasons to make. Additions but With, 1:23:06.640 --> 1:23:09.840 abrams it's like if he sprints through the finish, line 1:23:09.840 --> 1:23:12.000 it doesn't have the first half second half situation he 1:23:12.040 --> 1:23:14.400 had last year where he was an eight forty three 1:23:14.439 --> 1:23:16.439 ops in the first half and a six thirteen in 1:23:16.479 --> 1:23:19.680 the second half in his, career like that's something that 1:23:19.720 --> 1:23:21.559 he's done in his whole. Career it's just been a first, 1:23:21.600 --> 1:23:23.960 half second half. Thing twenty twenty four to twenty twenty 1:23:23.960 --> 1:23:26.559 Six Thank You podcast P eight forty three ops in 1:23:26.600 --> 1:23:29.280 the first, half six thirteen ops in the second. Half 1:23:30.479 --> 1:23:32.360 this is a guy THAT i think can solidify himself 1:23:32.400 --> 1:23:34.040 as a star in this game. 1:23:33.840 --> 1:23:38.160 As, well no doubt about. It my one burning question 1:23:38.200 --> 1:23:40.960 is about another player on The nationals who has not 1:23:41.120 --> 1:23:44.439 had a good first half and he really hasn't played 1:23:44.439 --> 1:23:47.439 well at, all but he's going to continue to get, 1:23:47.520 --> 1:23:50.559 run AND i he should continue to get more, run 1:23:50.760 --> 1:23:53.560 but at some point you have to start asking questions 1:23:54.000 --> 1:23:57.519 and that and my question is what Does Dylan cruz's 1:23:57.560 --> 1:24:01.080 second half look? Like it might be prize to learn 1:24:02.080 --> 1:24:04.960 That Dylan cruz has played one hundred and sixty THREE mlb. 1:24:05.080 --> 1:24:08.240 Games he's played a full. Season, now what do the 1:24:08.280 --> 1:24:11.880 numbers look? Like nineteen homers and thirty four steals sounds? 1:24:11.920 --> 1:24:13.439 Great is? 1:24:13.479 --> 1:24:13.599 It? 1:24:14.120 --> 1:24:17.320 No twenty five percent below league average? Offense so he's 1:24:17.360 --> 1:24:20.080 getting to your accounting numbers make it seem a little 1:24:20.080 --> 1:24:22.680 bit better than it. Is but it's not like he's 1:24:22.680 --> 1:24:25.639 playing all world. Defense he's not this all world base runner. 1:24:25.680 --> 1:24:29.040 Either and at this point he's twenty four years. Old 1:24:29.080 --> 1:24:33.240 there's still. Time not saying giving up on, him but 1:24:33.320 --> 1:24:36.080 WHAT i will say is if he has a bad 1:24:36.160 --> 1:24:39.320 second half and keeps sitting to a seventy FIVE wrc 1:24:39.439 --> 1:24:45.320 plus and racks up two HUNDRED mlb, games Does Paul 1:24:45.360 --> 1:24:48.479 taboni start to ask what do we got? Here is it? 1:24:48.560 --> 1:24:53.080 Anything AND i think that in the second half of The. Nationals, 1:24:53.640 --> 1:24:56.559 AGAIN i said it last, year AND i still think 1:24:56.640 --> 1:24:58.400 that's part of the equation right now is who's a 1:24:58.400 --> 1:25:01.160 part of the. CORE i think clearly they've Found James 1:25:01.160 --> 1:25:03.840 wood is a part of the. Core, yeah they clearly found. C. 1:25:04.040 --> 1:25:06.880 J abrams is a part of the. CORE i think 1:25:06.920 --> 1:25:09.680 there's still it's up in the air Whether Dalen lyle is, 1:25:11.120 --> 1:25:15.599 yeah And Dylan, cruz you hope, is but hasn't. Been 1:25:16.720 --> 1:25:19.080 that's my burning question IS i, mean you guys drafted 1:25:19.120 --> 1:25:22.519 him number two, overall you've given him run and nothing has. 1:25:22.560 --> 1:25:26.519 Transpired can it transpire in the second half or does it? 1:25:26.600 --> 1:25:26.680 Not? 1:25:27.280 --> 1:25:30.200 Yeah, WELL i Think lyle is he's starting to get, 1:25:30.200 --> 1:25:34.600 going and just that the cruise, situation it's just he's 1:25:34.640 --> 1:25:35.560 got to show you some signs of. 1:25:35.600 --> 1:25:37.519 Life he didn't need to be, great just some signs of. 1:25:37.520 --> 1:25:42.040 LIFE i think that's probably the biggest question, mark AND 1:25:42.120 --> 1:25:45.720 i think could be the biggest shifter of like how 1:25:45.800 --> 1:25:47.760 much more optimistic we could be about The nationals next 1:25:47.800 --> 1:25:49.439 year if If Dylan cruz is starting to play at 1:25:49.439 --> 1:25:50.680 a higher level and settle into the big. 1:25:50.760 --> 1:25:53.120 Leaks did you see that report that was put out 1:25:53.160 --> 1:25:56.760 today by The Red sox guy who does the radio 1:25:56.800 --> 1:25:59.840 In spanish for, Them he said that The Red sox 1:26:00.080 --> 1:26:05.920 The nationals are having conversations About James Wood AND i 1:26:05.960 --> 1:26:09.160 saw the report and first of, all it was, like hold, 1:26:09.200 --> 1:26:11.880 on wait a, minute it's early in the. MORNING i 1:26:11.880 --> 1:26:16.040 haven't even had my coffee. Yet first of, all The 1:26:16.040 --> 1:26:17.400 Red sox are trading for a left handed. 1:26:17.439 --> 1:26:19.479 Outfielder, yeah WELL i don't think. 1:26:19.520 --> 1:26:23.519 So and then number, two The nationals are considering Trading James. 1:26:23.560 --> 1:26:28.920 Wood both shocked. Me but it did come out from 1:26:29.000 --> 1:26:33.720 a guy who conceivably is in the. Know i'm not 1:26:33.720 --> 1:26:35.320 saying it's going to, happen BUT i did want to 1:26:35.320 --> 1:26:36.559 bring it up to see if he saw, it if 1:26:36.560 --> 1:26:37.000 you had any. 1:26:37.000 --> 1:26:41.200 THOUGHTS i didn't see. It there's there's no. 1:26:41.240 --> 1:26:42.160 SHOT i. 1:26:42.200 --> 1:26:43.800 AGREE i don't think there's absolutely no. 1:26:43.880 --> 1:26:46.479 CHANCE i don't even think it's being. DISCUSSED i don't 1:26:46.479 --> 1:26:49.120 think that makes any. Sense that's pretty shocking to even 1:26:49.720 --> 1:26:51.840 come out. With to be, HONEST i JUST i hope 1:26:51.840 --> 1:26:55.920 Maybe i'm, wrong BUT i just it doesn't seem. Fathomable 1:26:56.439 --> 1:26:58.559 there's your segment On James wood to the boss Of Red. 1:26:58.560 --> 1:27:03.599 Sox all, right let's let's end with The. Mets i'll end. 1:27:03.640 --> 1:27:07.519 It i'll go. First my burning question for them is 1:27:08.840 --> 1:27:10.880 which of these young pitchers is going to step up 1:27:10.920 --> 1:27:13.880 in the second Half Because Zach, THORNTON i, think has 1:27:13.920 --> 1:27:16.559 looked pretty good so, far really ended the first half 1:27:16.560 --> 1:27:20.080 on a high, note going Seven shutty And Nolan McLean 1:27:20.200 --> 1:27:22.479 is kind of an up and down, overall though he's 1:27:22.479 --> 1:27:24.720 had a good season with a three five to two, 1:27:24.840 --> 1:27:27.680 era BUT i think both you AND i arm can 1:27:27.720 --> 1:27:30.200 agree that he could be better than. That Freddy peralt 1:27:30.320 --> 1:27:34.080 is as good as, gone so Can Christian scott continue 1:27:34.080 --> 1:27:37.720 to look? Good you, Know sean And iah? Gone then 1:27:37.720 --> 1:27:40.400 who steps up Is Clay holmes? Gone then who steps 1:27:40.520 --> 1:27:43.240 up is A Jonah tong when he makes his return 1:27:43.280 --> 1:27:45.840 to the. ROTATION i think The mets have to start 1:27:45.840 --> 1:27:47.920 to kind of figure out who of these young starters 1:27:48.000 --> 1:27:50.280 is going to be a part of their core next, 1:27:50.360 --> 1:27:53.320 Year like how do they build out a? Rotation because 1:27:53.360 --> 1:27:56.000 one thing about The, mets even in that eighty nine 1:27:56.320 --> 1:27:58.400 win season where they went to the playoffs and took 1:27:58.439 --> 1:28:01.719 The dodgers even to six, games it wasn't really because 1:28:01.760 --> 1:28:04.280 of the. Rotation it was because it kind of breakouts from, 1:28:04.439 --> 1:28:07.240 veterans right with The Sean maniah's of the, world The 1:28:07.320 --> 1:28:10.760 David peterson's of the, World like those pitchers were never 1:28:10.840 --> 1:28:13.200 really a part of their long term. Plan they just caught. 1:28:13.240 --> 1:28:16.200 Fire i'd like to see some arms in The mets 1:28:16.280 --> 1:28:19.320 rotation that are a part of the long term, plan 1:28:19.760 --> 1:28:22.719 AND i feel like outside Of nolan, McLain they haven't 1:28:22.800 --> 1:28:25.639 figured it out. Yet SO i think this second half 1:28:25.680 --> 1:28:28.519 when they trade Away, parlton maybe they trade Away. Mania 1:28:28.600 --> 1:28:31.840 they've already traded Away. Peterson these guys that they call 1:28:31.880 --> 1:28:34.479 it from the minor, leagues and even the guy's currently 1:28:34.560 --> 1:28:38.800 on the big league, roster who starts to establish themselves 1:28:39.000 --> 1:28:40.800 as a rotation piece for next. 1:28:40.840 --> 1:28:44.679 Year, yeah mine was Actually Christian scott as, well because 1:28:44.960 --> 1:28:47.400 there you, Go i've loved this guy as a, prospect 1:28:47.520 --> 1:28:51.719 AND i think that you look at the struggles in 1:28:51.760 --> 1:28:55.400 The mets system right. Now Jonah tongue has been bad 1:28:55.520 --> 1:29:00.360 In TRIPLE. A you've Traded brandan's, Broke, Right you're gonna 1:29:00.360 --> 1:29:03.960 Lose Freddie peralta in free. Agency you're probably gonna trade 1:29:04.000 --> 1:29:05.559 him before that, Anyways, right you are going to trade 1:29:05.600 --> 1:29:05.960 him before that. 1:29:06.000 --> 1:29:08.439 Anyways nolan McLain is your guy at the. 1:29:08.479 --> 1:29:10.040 Top but then WHO. 1:29:11.360 --> 1:29:14.080 I even look at some of the pieces that they 1:29:14.120 --> 1:29:17.759 have just just throughout the farm system THAT i was excited, 1:29:17.760 --> 1:29:19.840 about Like Jack WENNINGER i thought would have debuted by 1:29:19.920 --> 1:29:20.680 now command his. 1:29:20.640 --> 1:29:23.839 Regrets At TRIPLE. A so they really need a guy. 1:29:23.640 --> 1:29:25.519 To grab onto a spot and, say, Hey i'm a 1:29:25.600 --> 1:29:29.240 rotation piece for next. Year And Christian scott's provided plenty 1:29:29.240 --> 1:29:31.920 of flashes this, year reminding me why he was a 1:29:31.920 --> 1:29:35.240 top one hundred prospect FOR us and why he's a 1:29:35.560 --> 1:29:38.200 very important PIECE i think for The mets moving forward 1:29:38.560 --> 1:29:40.280 coming back from. Injury there was gonna be some rush 1:29:40.320 --> 1:29:42.360 to shake off after, surgery BUT i think the further 1:29:42.400 --> 1:29:44.160 he's been removed from, that the sharper he has. Looked 1:29:44.160 --> 1:29:45.960 AND i do think this is a guy that could 1:29:45.960 --> 1:29:47.760 be a solid rotation piece for. 1:29:47.720 --> 1:29:50.639 Them and they, sorely sorely need it as they get 1:29:50.680 --> 1:29:51.559 ready for twenty twenty. 1:29:51.560 --> 1:29:56.160 Seven and then if they trade lindor just, KIDDING i 1:29:56.200 --> 1:29:57.720 don't think they're going to do. THAT i really am 1:29:57.760 --> 1:29:59.960 looking at this rotation BECAUSE i think it could be, 1:30:00.080 --> 1:30:02.960 good right If Christian scott steps, up If Jonah tong 1:30:03.080 --> 1:30:05.800 takes a next step and finds, it If thornton ends 1:30:05.880 --> 1:30:08.559 up being an arm for. THEM i, mean we got 1:30:08.600 --> 1:30:11.600 pieces here outside Of Noelan, McLean WHICH i think is 1:30:11.600 --> 1:30:17.519 the obvious. One but if none of them do, yikes yeah, 1:30:17.600 --> 1:30:19.800 right or if one of them, do LIKE i just 1:30:19.880 --> 1:30:22.919 want to, know AND i Think mets fans are pleading 1:30:23.000 --> 1:30:26.360 to know who is our rotation because if none of 1:30:26.400 --> 1:30:28.639 the young guys step. Up we got to go grab 1:30:28.880 --> 1:30:32.519 three arms in free agency next. Year, YEAH i don't 1:30:32.520 --> 1:30:34.439 think they want to do, that but we got a, 1:30:34.520 --> 1:30:38.840 trade so The mets are in an interesting. Spot and then, 1:30:38.920 --> 1:30:40.960 YEAH i think they got a lot to figure. Out 1:30:41.920 --> 1:30:44.479 and those are our burning questions for the second half 1:30:44.479 --> 1:30:47.320 for every team of The National. League don't Forget American 1:30:47.400 --> 1:30:52.080 league tomorrow again with arm AND. I hopefully everybody enjoyed 1:30:52.080 --> 1:30:54.719 this episode of The Just Baseball. Show thank you everybody 1:30:54.760 --> 1:30:57.519 who joined us here live on. YouTube the best way 1:30:57.560 --> 1:31:00.000 to support these YouTube live streams is to make sure 1:31:00.120 --> 1:31:02.880 to like and, subscribe and then for all those listening 1:31:02.880 --> 1:31:05.479 on audio after the, fact best way to support the 1:31:05.560 --> 1:31:08.280 show is by leaving a five star. Review the trade 1:31:08.280 --> 1:31:12.040 deadline is coming up and the discord is going to 1:31:12.040 --> 1:31:14.240 be a. Blast i'm also setting out SOME nfl future, 1:31:14.320 --> 1:31:19.240 soon so for anybody who's into the betting, space, prospects, trades, 1:31:20.000 --> 1:31:23.599 cards we got it all in the best baseball group 1:31:23.680 --> 1:31:25.360 chat in the. World if you want to sign, up 1:31:25.600 --> 1:31:27.680 you can find the link in the episode. Description if 1:31:27.720 --> 1:31:29.880 you want to get yourself Some Just baseball, Merch i'm 1:31:29.960 --> 1:31:33.080 rocking the. Hat go get yours at our Merch store, 1:31:33.160 --> 1:31:34.799 again which you can find the link in the episode. 1:31:34.800 --> 1:31:38.439 Description special shout out to PODCAST p for brilliant producing 1:31:38.520 --> 1:31:41.600 once again for Arm. Layton I'm Peter, apple see you 1:31:41.640 --> 1:31:44.080 tomorrow for The American. League and with, that thank you, 1:31:44.120 --> 1:31:51.720 everybody