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Speaker 1: Welcome into North Side Territory. Foul Territory Networks Cubs Podcast.

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Speaker 1: I'm Saha Sharma with my partner Patrick Moody. We are

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Speaker 1: your Cubs beat writers over at the Athletic Patrick. It

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Speaker 1: his time for a mail bag episode. You reached out

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Speaker 1: to the I didn't even have to tweet anything. You

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Speaker 1: reached out to the to the fans on Twitter.

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Speaker 2: I'm carrying the show once again. I get it.

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Speaker 3: You're welcome, and they they delivered.

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Speaker 1: They came at it, uh hot and heavy with the

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Speaker 1: with the questions.

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Speaker 3: Uh, you know, we're used to we're used to I.

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Speaker 1: Guess a lot of negativity in these questions and that's

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Speaker 1: obviously not the case.

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Speaker 3: It was.

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Speaker 1: It's been a it's been a good off season and

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Speaker 1: and fans feel uh uh you know, these just feel

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Speaker 1: like normal questions, like like you'd expect from a fan

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Speaker 1: base that's just excited for the season or or or

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Speaker 1: curious what more the team can do. So always, I mean,

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Speaker 1: it's nice when it's when we don't feel like we're

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Speaker 1: getting yelled at or what the Cubs are doing. So

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Speaker 1: hopefully everyone's excited for that. I know I'm excited to

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Speaker 1: get Arizona in about two weeks less than that, and

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Speaker 1: and get out of this freezing cold weather, which I'm

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Speaker 1: sure everyone is sick of by Now let's get to

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Speaker 1: the questions. This one is from Handbone. Would the Cubs

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Speaker 1: consider being opportunistic on a high end free agent lingering

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Speaker 1: on the market like Zach.

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Speaker 3: Gallon or fran Er Valdez.

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Speaker 1: Or is the roster full enough that minor league depth

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Speaker 1: is all that's left to add? Okay, So first of all,

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Speaker 1: there's there's a timer now on these things.

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Speaker 3: I don't know how to change that. Oh I got it,

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Speaker 3: timer off. Here we go.

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Speaker 1: They changed the they changed when I was working in

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Speaker 1: with here.

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Speaker 3: Okay.

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Speaker 1: Uh so hamdbone, I think he uses the perfect word here. Opportunistic. Uh,

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Speaker 1: that's what the Cubs are trying to do. Uh that's

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Speaker 1: what uh you know they always do. It's it's can

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Speaker 1: they get someone at at?

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Speaker 3: Uh?

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Speaker 1: What is the what is the phrasing they use at? Uh,

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Speaker 1: you know, at at surplus value? Right?

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Speaker 3: Is this? Does this?

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Speaker 1: Is this a signing that is more valuable than they believe?

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Speaker 1: Like that this player can bring them more value than

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Speaker 1: what the contract is. Uh, They're always looking to do that.

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Speaker 1: So yes, they're they they they would consider that. Patrick,

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Speaker 1: you kind of wrote about this, Uh, they're not done.

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Speaker 3: Yeah.

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Speaker 2: I would say that Framber is, unless something has dramatically changed,

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Speaker 2: does not appear to be like a realistic option for them.

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Speaker 2: I think that's always been our understanding this winter, that

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Speaker 2: he would be looking for something far beyond their comfort zone,

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Speaker 2: whereas obviously Gallon is someone we've talked about for what

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Speaker 2: feels like almost months now, probably months plural, and like,

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Speaker 2: I don't think it's only Gallon or Valdez either, and

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Speaker 2: it's definitely not only Gallon. That's part of why I

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Speaker 2: use that story this week as just an exercise to

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Speaker 2: look at, Hey, there's a lot of interesting names out there.

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Speaker 2: Not saying all these guys are going to be awesome

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Speaker 2: next year, that the Cubs are going to sign multiples,

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Speaker 2: but it's hard to imagine them looking at roughly thirty

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Speaker 2: starting pitchers still out there, Like if you look at

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Speaker 2: MLB trade rumors lists, maybe we maybe they stretch some

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Speaker 2: of that a bit. I don't know if all of

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Speaker 2: those guys will be major league starters this coming season,

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Speaker 2: but roughly thirty names, roughly thirty teams looking for starting

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Speaker 2: pitchers at all times. I just think to your point,

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Speaker 2: the Cubs are always opportunistic, but now they're in a

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Speaker 2: spot where they have roughly eight starting pitchers plus I

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Speaker 2: don't know what you consider Ben Brown and Jordan Wicks

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Speaker 2: at this point. Certainly at least you know kind of

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Speaker 2: Iowa adjacent depth. But to get one more guy in there,

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Speaker 2: I think they would feel really good about their winter

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Speaker 2: and that they're not desperate. They don't have to overpay,

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Speaker 2: but they can offer an opportunity to win a program

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Speaker 2: that has proven to help certain pitchers get better. And

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Speaker 2: if you're a pitcher who maybe is looking for a

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Speaker 2: bounce back scenario or maybe can't make thirty starts realistically

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Speaker 2: this year, the Cubs will find ways to fit you in.

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Speaker 2: And Craig Counsel as a manager, who I mean, you

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Speaker 2: wrote about this from the start. He has that built

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Speaker 2: in credibility for what he's done in Milwaukee. Like pictures,

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Speaker 2: know that he usually takes care of his guys.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, the one The one thing I would you mentioned

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Speaker 1: Valdez isn't isn't likely. We haven't heard much linking them

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Speaker 1: to Framber. The one thing I would say about Gallen is,

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Speaker 1: look if he's looking for an opt out after the

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Speaker 1: first year. I don't think that's the type of thing

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Speaker 1: where the Cubs would find surplus value for that they

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Speaker 1: have to give up a draft pick for signing Zach Gallen.

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Speaker 1: I think people need to remember that they didn't have

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Speaker 1: to give one up for Bregman, right because he couldn't

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Speaker 1: have the QO put on him because he's already had

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Speaker 1: it placed on him. So you know, they got one

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Speaker 1: for Tucker. Do they want to do that for one

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Speaker 1: year of a guy? I think that's that's a worthwhile question.

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Speaker 1: If it's a two year deal, three year deal with

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Speaker 1: no opt out until the second or third whatever, maybe

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Speaker 1: then it's a different conversation. But I think a opt

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Speaker 1: out after the first year is the type of thing

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Speaker 1: that would kind of be a no go for the Cubs.

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Speaker 1: There are other complicating factories, I think, like how if

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Speaker 1: you have six you know what, Let's say, I'm gonna

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Speaker 1: take more questions because this kind of addresses them. I

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Speaker 1: think people are curious about this about how does it

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Speaker 1: even work? Is the Gallon pursuit due to conviction on

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Speaker 1: the player or concern for the rotation. I'd be excited

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Speaker 1: if they are confident they can fix them, but they

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Speaker 1: also have two starting picturings going to the WBC and

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Speaker 1: injury history. I kind of shorten that up, but he's

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Speaker 1: basically saying all these guys have some sort of injury

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Speaker 1: pass and two pictures.

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Speaker 3: Look, I don't love pictures going to.

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Speaker 1: The WBC if you're talking about purely competition for the

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Speaker 1: regular season and in the summer. Like, I think the WBC

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Speaker 1: is fun. I think it's exciting. I love the idea

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Speaker 1: of it. It is a concern. It is a concern

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Speaker 1: in the back of team's minds, maybe the front of

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Speaker 1: team's minds. I don't think managers in front offices really

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Speaker 1: love pitchers participating in the Cubs have Boyd and.

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Speaker 3: Is it Tyne.

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Speaker 1: Tyne's pitching for Team Canada. It's not ideal. So to

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Speaker 1: answer the question, is the Gallon pursuitude to conviction? I

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Speaker 1: think it's just like the constant search for depth and value.

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Speaker 3: Right. Do they like Gallon?

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Speaker 2: Yeah?

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Speaker 1: I think they do. I think there are some people

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Speaker 1: that like Gallon. I think there's some people that are like,

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Speaker 1: he's fine. There are some people that I think there's

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Speaker 1: a lot we can do with him, and then they

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Speaker 1: get him back to that guy that was getting cy

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Speaker 1: Young votes, you know, which is not unusual for an offices.

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Speaker 1: Aren't all like we all love this guy, we all

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Speaker 1: are dislike him. Yeah, I think they There are people

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Speaker 1: and people that matter that think they can using the

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Speaker 1: words Jordan did uh fix him?

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Speaker 3: Uh? I also think you're you're right like I. You know, Edward.

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Speaker 1: Cabrera has a long injury history. Matthew Boyd stayed healthy

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Speaker 1: last year. Justin Steele is going to take a little

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Speaker 1: while to come back.

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Speaker 3: You know.

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Speaker 1: Jamison Tyne's getting older, seems to have muscle issues every

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Speaker 1: once in a while, lower body issues. I don't know

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Speaker 1: if any of these guys are going to get hurt.

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Speaker 1: You don't want to assume that, but you kind of

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Speaker 1: have to assume there are injuries over the course of

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Speaker 1: the season. It does become I guess the concern becomes,

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Speaker 1: how do you fit him if if there are If

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Speaker 1: everyone's healthy, you know, to start the season.

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Speaker 3: Obviously Justin Steele they can be patient with.

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Speaker 1: But if you're talking about Dione Cabrera, Boyd, Caate Horton,

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Speaker 1: and I'm sure whoever I'm blanking on the fifth person,

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Speaker 1: but show to Amnaga, I mean, I guess you can,

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Speaker 1: you know, find ways to make it work, but it's

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Speaker 1: it's hard.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, I would say, like, if I'm Zach Gallon, I

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Speaker 2: don't know if the Cubs are the place I want

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Speaker 2: to go if I'm looking for and opt out and

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Speaker 2: re entering the free agent market off after an awesome season.

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Speaker 2: I'm sure that these conversations are being had or these

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Speaker 2: issues would be addressed before sort of crunch time, But

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Speaker 2: I don't know if the Cubs are quite as desperate

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Speaker 2: as other teams for that mid rotation starter or like

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Speaker 2: if he's looking at it as yeah, you'd have a

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Speaker 2: gold glove defense behind you, and you know, a strong

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Speaker 2: game planning system and you know, a team that's supposed

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Speaker 2: to know win around ninety games, But like, are you

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Speaker 2: going to get the sort of like ideal runway to

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Speaker 2: prove that you're still not just a mid rotation guy

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Speaker 2: but top of the rotation guys. So that's kind of

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Speaker 2: where I have a hard time sort of like pounding

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Speaker 2: the table and saying, yeah, like this is their guy,

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Speaker 2: like they've been You'll kind of engaged with Gallen for

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Speaker 2: so long, like they know where he stands. You know,

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Speaker 2: he knows what the Cubs can bring, and ultimately, I think,

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Speaker 2: just like the supply of starting pitchers out there, will

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Speaker 2: ultimately lead the Cubs in another direction. But it's certainly

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Speaker 2: interesting that this hasn't gone away, like no team has

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Speaker 2: stepped sort of stepped forward and given Gallon that offer

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Speaker 2: he couldn't refuse. And maybe maybe I'm misreading it, but

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Speaker 2: I think, like we said before, the free agency stuff

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Speaker 2: is going to be like you're gonna land in Phoenix,

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Speaker 2: you know, in less than two weeks, and you'll go

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Speaker 2: out to Mesa and they'll still be like rumors to

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Speaker 2: chase Down and guys unsigned that the Cubs are still

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Speaker 2: talking to, like no doubt about that.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, there's there's an unusual amount of pictures. It feels

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Speaker 1: like out there still like it's not always it's not.

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Speaker 2: Weird receivers, right relievers. It seems like, yeah.

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Speaker 1: It's not weird for guys to linger anymore, like that's

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Speaker 1: become normal since about twenty nineteen. But this is a

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Speaker 1: little odd, like it's beyond Framber and Gallon, like Chris

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Speaker 1: Bassett is still out there. Lucas Giolito, I think it's

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Speaker 1: a pretty long list. It's a little odd. One more

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Speaker 1: specific rotation question from our guy Tyler Dershel. How likely

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Speaker 1: is it that the Cubs go with the six man rotation,

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Speaker 1: considering some will need load management.

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Speaker 3: Look, I think over the.

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Speaker 1: Course of the season, the Cubs are going to be

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Speaker 1: creative and use more than five starters. Like I can

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Speaker 1: one hundred percent guarantee that. How about that that they

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Speaker 1: will use more than five starters. But there are four

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Speaker 1: off days in the first three weeks, four off days

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Speaker 1: in the first three weeks, starting out with a six

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Speaker 1: man rotation, just like pictures are fine with that extra

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Speaker 1: day of rest now that they've gotten kind of used

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Speaker 1: to it. Maybe ten years ago, John Lester would bitch

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Speaker 1: about it, but John Lackey certainly would.

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Speaker 3: But but that's that's not a thing anymore. Guys.

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Speaker 1: You know, four days rest isn't as normal as it

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Speaker 1: used to be. Five days rest is pretty normal. So

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Speaker 1: with those off days, off days, you're going to you're

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Speaker 1: going to see a lot of that, a lot of

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Speaker 1: five days rest, And that's completely normal that they'll they'll

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Speaker 1: lean into that. But putting six in there would be

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Speaker 1: tough for them. So at some point I think they will,

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Speaker 1: like I think they'll they'll do it maybe like leading

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Speaker 1: into the All Star break or coming out of the

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Speaker 1: All Star break, or or just randomly here and there

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Speaker 1: on a long stretch. I don't see one like right away. Uh,

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Speaker 1: there's the they have a pretty solid amount of of

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Speaker 1: of off days that I'm looking at just quickly glancing

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Speaker 1: through the schedule, at least the first couple of months.

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Speaker 1: That's not like a long, like two two and a

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Speaker 1: half week stretch where you're just like, oh, they're going

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Speaker 1: to need an extra guy in there to break things up.

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Speaker 3: That's that That would be how I'd look at it.

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Speaker 1: But it's something that you're you're right about load management

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Speaker 1: in the sense that that council thinks about that stuff.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, I think the Cubs would be very happy to

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Speaker 2: have that problem. Like six healthy, effective, productive starting pitchers.

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Speaker 2: I mean, go back to last year. I can't remember

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Speaker 2: if it was like the day before the first formal

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Speaker 2: workout or the day the report date. But Jojavier Asad

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Speaker 2: I go by the way, is oblique has been nagging

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Speaker 2: him and all of a sudden, you know, he's he

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Speaker 2: basically misses all of spring training. His setback and as

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Speaker 2: I think, another setback, whatever, what I was a circumstances

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Speaker 2: where it was a long time he was out, and

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Speaker 2: I was a guy that was sort of penciled in Cabrera.

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Speaker 2: I think everyone loves the upside, but like, this guy

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Speaker 2: has been on the injured list a lot. I think

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Speaker 2: we're already getting signals that the Cups are gonna take

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Speaker 2: it slow with Justin Steele and you know, maybe you

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Speaker 2: know have and with all these guys having October in mind,

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Speaker 2: and Kate Horton and Matthew Boyd both exceeded everyone's expectations

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Speaker 2: last year in terms of availability and productivity, but still,

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Speaker 2: like Boyd definitely had his moments in the playoffs, but

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Speaker 2: you could see him towards the tail end of the

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Speaker 2: regular season his stuff just wasn't as crisp. And obviously

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Speaker 2: Horton got injured, and I know it's over. It's an

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Speaker 2: oversimplification to look at Kate Horton's innings jump year over year,

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Speaker 2: or you know, just innings as a as a raw number,

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Speaker 2: but it's it's not nothing either. I mean that was

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Speaker 2: a huge increase and we'll see, like maybe it's nothing.

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Speaker 3: Maybe he is he's just an.

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Speaker 2: Athletic freak, and it doesn't bother him and he's you know,

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Speaker 2: a cy young contender for all of this season, not

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Speaker 2: just half a season. But that hasn't been his history

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Speaker 2: up until, you know, going into spring training last year,

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Speaker 2: like they were definitely slow playing him and kind of

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Speaker 2: had the giving him the soft treatment to make sure

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Speaker 2: he'd be healthy. Like all these all these guys are

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Speaker 2: question marks.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, I mean, the injuries happen as we saw last year.

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Speaker 1: So uh, we'll see how how it lines up. We

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Speaker 1: don't want to you just can't predict how it's gonna go.

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Speaker 1: It could be something we completely can't you know, really envision.

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Speaker 1: So maybe all those injury history guys stay healthy and

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Speaker 1: the guy uh and the guys that have been healthy,

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Speaker 1: don't you know, it's just hard to know. Bullpen question,

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Speaker 1: how do you see guys? How do you guys project

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Speaker 1: the back end of the bullpen lining up? In which

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Speaker 1: guys in those slots shed wondering? I guess, you know,

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Speaker 1: like they I was just looking at the names I've

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Speaker 1: already forgotten guys like I forgot that they added like

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Speaker 1: these these very you know, not like guys that aren't

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Speaker 1: like gonna blow you away, but like Jacob Webb who's

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Speaker 1: going to be like a huge part of his bullpen,

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Speaker 1: but is in a name that's like, oh yeah, that

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Speaker 1: guy's nasty. Uh So, I mean, like those are the

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Speaker 1: guys that like bridge you to the end, right, Jacob Webb.

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Speaker 3: Who else do they have there that? I mean, I

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Speaker 3: don't even know half of the.

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Speaker 1: Obie Milner, well, like probably those are the two names

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Speaker 1: that we know that are going to do this that

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Speaker 1: are going to kind of be the bridge. And then

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Speaker 1: Mayton Palencia, Hunter Harvey or like they're you're expected potential

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Speaker 1: high leverage guys. Hunter Harvey's all about help. If he's healthy. Uh,

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Speaker 1: he's going to be a high leverage guy. He's he

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Speaker 1: has that type of stuff. We know Poalencia and Mayton

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Speaker 1: that's what they're there for. Poalencia has done it for

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Speaker 1: a year now, almost a year. Was big in the playoffs,

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Speaker 1: was that multi inning you know, fireman guy and then

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Speaker 1: Mayton is a long history of doing this. Those are

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Speaker 1: the names off you know, there's there's gonna be someone

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Speaker 1: that pops too, but right now that's kind of kind

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Speaker 1: of the way the bullpen looks as far as how

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Speaker 1: things will line up.

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Speaker 2: Chad Wonderling is an awesome name. I'm wondering if he

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Speaker 2: signed a minor league deal with the Cubs, because the

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Speaker 2: Cubs keep rolling out these relievers signed to minor league

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Speaker 2: deals and I can't most of the names don't really

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Speaker 2: ring ring bells for me, but I guarantee that one

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Speaker 2: or two of them are gonna wind up pitching huge

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Speaker 2: innings at Wrigley Field. Definitely curious about Harvey the way

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Speaker 2: you've written about him, described him, his pedigree. Super interesting

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Speaker 2: guy if he can stay healthy. And I was looking

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Speaker 2: it up the other day when you include Caleb theolbar,

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Speaker 2: they Cups invested almost thirty million dollars in their bullpen,

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Speaker 2: which isn't a lot when you look at some of

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Speaker 2: those reliever contracts out there for the high end closer,

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Speaker 2: but you compare it to previous off seasons, it kind

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Speaker 2: of blows away the amount that the Cubs have spent.

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Speaker 2: Like you know, it would be kind of a a

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Speaker 2: hector NAIs here taking on especially's salary there, But it

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Speaker 2: was really a minimalist approach to the to the bullpen,

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Speaker 2: and like here they feel confident in their process. They

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Speaker 2: went in bulk for guys that they weren't signed for nothing.

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Speaker 2: But they also didn't really like blow anyone away, and

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Speaker 2: so I'm curious to see, like how this comes together.

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Speaker 2: It was definitely it was definitely more of a priority.

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Speaker 2: I mean there are times, you know when we going

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Speaker 2: on to MESA and you just kind of look around

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Speaker 2: like they are really just throwing stuff against the wall

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Speaker 2: to see what sticks. Like there is clearly a plan

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Speaker 2: in place here and guys that they're counting on, and

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Speaker 2: we'll see who gets hurt. You know, who who has

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Speaker 2: it and who doesn't. But there's definitely more more structure,

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Speaker 2: even if the roles are undefined to a point at

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Speaker 2: this stage.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, I totally forgot about about Caleb Thielbar.

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Speaker 1: He'll obviously be in that high leverage He'll be their

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Speaker 1: most high leverage lefty to to start off the season.

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Speaker 1: I would assume a couple guys with stuff that we

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Speaker 1: know about Ben Brown and Porter Hodge. Ben Brown, I

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Speaker 1: assume will be in that swing swingman role to start off, Like,

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Speaker 1: I don't know where he'll be. Will he be stretched

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Speaker 1: out in triple A, Will he be in the bullpen

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Speaker 1: to start the season.

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Speaker 3: Will injuries pile up in the spring and he's in

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Speaker 3: the rotation? I don't know.

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Speaker 1: We don't know yet, but he certainly has the stuff

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Speaker 1: to be a nasty bullpen guy. We know what Porter

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Speaker 1: Hodge can do. He's got to lock in that command

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Speaker 1: and get it back to twenty twenty four. But he

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Speaker 1: could obviously be a big part of this. And then

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Speaker 1: two non roster invites that I think are probably the

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Speaker 1: guys that, look, they're not gonna have another Brad Keller

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Speaker 1: because that is like hitting a Grand Slam with a

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Speaker 1: non non roster invite, so it's really hard to replicate that.

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Speaker 1: But the two names I would point to our Corbyn Martin,

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Speaker 1: who has this stuff to be a really good reliever.

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Speaker 1: And then I don't think he's gonna come out of

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Speaker 1: camp because I think they're gonna slow pay play him.

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Speaker 1: Trent Thornton has had, like as has been a really

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Speaker 1: good relievers. He has good stuff. Those are two names

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Speaker 1: that I would I would keep an eye on, see

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Speaker 1: how they're doing in spring.

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Speaker 3: I don't know what their opt outs are.

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Speaker 1: We'll figure that stuff out when we get to spring,

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Speaker 1: but you know those are those are the type of

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Speaker 1: guys that could pop and you're like, Okay, you have

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Speaker 1: to add this guy or or this guy's a you know,

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Speaker 1: April Ad once he's healthy whatever it is. Uh, but there,

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Speaker 1: but there are options there with the non roster invites,

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Speaker 1: and there there have to be there. They'll always have

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Speaker 1: depth and extra guys and guys that we don't expect

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Speaker 1: to pop over the course of the year. And then

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Speaker 1: there's gonna be some minor leaguer that neither of us

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Speaker 1: are talking about that that pops. I'm sure it'll happen, right.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean, Chad, Chad really nailed it with that question.

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Speaker 2: It seems like something that you know, we'll be writing

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Speaker 2: a lot in Mesa and even once the season starts,

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Speaker 2: it's not like Council is going to anoint some closer.

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Speaker 2: It's like, we'll see what they do the first game,

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Speaker 2: so they do the next day of opportunity, and then

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Speaker 2: maybe a pattern will emerge eventually. But you know, Chad's

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Speaker 2: question makes me think of what Council acknowledge at the

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Speaker 2: winter meetings. Just like whatever we thought about the bullpen

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Speaker 2: at the beginning of last year, we were wrong. Yeah,

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Speaker 2: maybe they can get it right from the start this time.

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Speaker 3: Let's see. Yeah, Okay, last question. It is from Joe

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Speaker 3: Meedden's glasses.

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Speaker 1: The farm system does not seem to have much in

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Speaker 1: terms of impact impact prospect other than Wiggins. Should we

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Speaker 1: be concerned or is this just a normal EBB and

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Speaker 1: flow A little from column A, a little from column B. Look,

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Speaker 1: I think this last draft class could be good. I

393
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Speaker 1: think the bats are interesting. Kane Kepley was obviously awesome

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Speaker 1: in his brief exposure to par ball. Ethan Conrad seems

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Speaker 1: like one of those pop up guys that's like the

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Speaker 1: Cubs have been good about getting later in a mid round,

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Speaker 1: and for some reason he's not valued as high.

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Speaker 3: This was injury.

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Speaker 1: Cam Smith was like kind of popped late in his career.

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Speaker 1: In his college career, Matt Shaw, I believe was an

401
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Speaker 1: incredibly deep draft. So sometimes you just like these guys

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Speaker 1: have been falling for various reasons. But it sounds like

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Speaker 1: everybody seems to agree, like, oh, Conrad, if he's healthy,

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Speaker 1: like it seems like he's he's got like really high potential.

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Speaker 1: I think the question could be focused on pitching, and

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Speaker 1: here's how I'd look at it. I think the Cubs

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Speaker 1: took a step back with their player development over the

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Speaker 1: past couple of years, and I think, you know, obviously

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Speaker 1: they've made changes. Tyler Zombro's VP of pitching much more

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Speaker 1: in control of what's going to happen with the player development,

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Speaker 1: pitching development.

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Speaker 3: It's a it's he's.

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Speaker 1: Got a lot of you know, hats that he wears

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Speaker 1: in this organization, but that is a big focus of

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Speaker 1: his My understanding is there's a Vlo camp going on

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Speaker 1: right now. They're trying to get back like make sure

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Speaker 1: that that's a focus because I think, for some reason,

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Speaker 1: I don't know why, like these things. They they weren't

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Speaker 1: developing Velo as well as they had been for a

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Speaker 1: couple of years. It had been a good thing for them,

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Speaker 1: and they took a step back for a couple of years.

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Speaker 1: Is it because of the departure of Greg Breslo, Is

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Speaker 1: it because of the talent?

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Speaker 3: I don't know.

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Speaker 1: It's it's hard to nail down all these things, and

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Speaker 1: sometimes you don't get straight answers because people don't want

427
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Speaker 1: to throw people under the bus.

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Speaker 3: Whatever it may be.

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Speaker 1: Ultimately, I do think this is something that can turn quickly.

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Speaker 1: And I say that because look at Boston their pitching

431
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Speaker 1: development has shifted quickly. Look at the New York Mets,

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Speaker 1: their pitching development has shifted quickly, so these things can

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Speaker 1: change if.

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Speaker 3: You have the right talent.

435
00:24:31,240 --> 00:24:34,879
Speaker 1: They there's like a guy like Caleb Wing I believe

436
00:24:34,960 --> 00:24:37,280
Speaker 1: he was a high schooler that they drafted last draft.

437
00:24:37,720 --> 00:24:41,200
Speaker 1: Is someone that you know could pop, And they're like, okay,

438
00:24:41,359 --> 00:24:45,159
Speaker 1: with the right player development, this guy looks like a

439
00:24:45,200 --> 00:24:48,120
Speaker 1: real prospect now. And who knows, maybe there's someone else

440
00:24:48,160 --> 00:24:51,639
Speaker 1: that we're not talking about that pops. But if Tyler

441
00:24:51,720 --> 00:24:54,080
Speaker 1: Zombro is the right guy to run this and he's

442
00:24:54,160 --> 00:24:57,640
Speaker 1: got the right ideas, it could turn quickly. But yes,

443
00:24:57,960 --> 00:25:00,320
Speaker 1: it's it's a combo of normal Evan flow where a

444
00:25:00,400 --> 00:25:03,119
Speaker 1: lot of guys have graduated. It's been pretty heavy on

445
00:25:03,200 --> 00:25:07,480
Speaker 1: the position player side, and you have to have concern

446
00:25:07,600 --> 00:25:10,400
Speaker 1: when there's a gap like that, when you're like, wait,

447
00:25:10,640 --> 00:25:14,200
Speaker 1: why is there one pitcher in the top like fifteen

448
00:25:15,200 --> 00:25:18,160
Speaker 1: of this system or whatever it may be. Maybe that's hyperbole,

449
00:25:18,320 --> 00:25:20,880
Speaker 1: but you have to have you have to like look

450
00:25:20,920 --> 00:25:22,320
Speaker 1: at it and say what's going wrong?

451
00:25:22,400 --> 00:25:24,560
Speaker 3: What needs to be changed? And to their credit, they did.

452
00:25:24,600 --> 00:25:27,440
Speaker 3: They didn't wait that long. It was a year or

453
00:25:27,480 --> 00:25:30,080
Speaker 3: two of falling behind and saying, oh, oh, what's going

454
00:25:30,119 --> 00:25:30,439
Speaker 3: on here?

455
00:25:31,600 --> 00:25:35,159
Speaker 2: Yeah? I think if if Picrow Armstrong is like a

456
00:25:35,600 --> 00:25:40,440
Speaker 2: perennial MVP candidate, and Kate Horton is a regular cy

457
00:25:40,520 --> 00:25:44,399
Speaker 2: Young Award contender looking out over the next several years,

458
00:25:44,920 --> 00:25:48,399
Speaker 2: you know, before they get into the arbitration system, before

459
00:25:48,440 --> 00:25:51,520
Speaker 2: they reach free agency. Like you can weather some of

460
00:25:51,560 --> 00:25:55,400
Speaker 2: this stuff a lot better. When Baseball Operations is giving

461
00:25:55,480 --> 00:25:59,240
Speaker 2: a budget that is expected to exceed the luxury tax threshold,

462
00:25:59,320 --> 00:26:03,280
Speaker 2: you can sort of work around some of this stuff easier.

463
00:26:03,480 --> 00:26:09,240
Speaker 2: So I think all this stuff is contextual. I think

464
00:26:09,320 --> 00:26:11,439
Speaker 2: back to when the Cubs made a lot of changes

465
00:26:11,480 --> 00:26:16,720
Speaker 2: in the draft, like they had just drafted Nico Horner,

466
00:26:17,119 --> 00:26:20,800
Speaker 2: and that was not like that was towards the back

467
00:26:20,960 --> 00:26:24,560
Speaker 2: end of the first round. It wasn't like, you know,

468
00:26:24,680 --> 00:26:26,879
Speaker 2: oh my god, Like they got this guy and he

469
00:26:27,840 --> 00:26:30,720
Speaker 2: developed for a lot of different reasons, mostly Nico's own

470
00:26:31,480 --> 00:26:37,840
Speaker 2: internal drive. But you know, sometimes you know, scouting groups

471
00:26:37,880 --> 00:26:40,480
Speaker 2: get dinged or player get development, you know, gets a

472
00:26:40,520 --> 00:26:41,920
Speaker 2: bad rap, and then all of a sudden, you look

473
00:26:42,000 --> 00:26:45,879
Speaker 2: up with time things look either a lot better or

474
00:26:46,440 --> 00:26:50,880
Speaker 2: a lot worse. And you know, I'm I do think

475
00:26:50,880 --> 00:26:53,680
Speaker 2: they've figured out they've gotten better on the pitching side,

476
00:26:53,800 --> 00:26:57,600
Speaker 2: you know, relative to say ten years ago. I still

477
00:26:57,600 --> 00:27:01,960
Speaker 2: don't think they're anywhere close to where they want to be.

478
00:27:04,320 --> 00:27:06,639
Speaker 2: I think when you're also looking at the farm system

479
00:27:06,680 --> 00:27:10,159
Speaker 2: as a whole, like they seem comfortable giving moists by

480
00:27:10,200 --> 00:27:12,879
Speaker 2: Asteros roughly five hundred at bats this year as an

481
00:27:13,960 --> 00:27:19,800
Speaker 2: almost purely a designated hitter for playoff contender, like if

482
00:27:19,840 --> 00:27:24,040
Speaker 2: he hits as well, all of a sudden, this era looks.

483
00:27:25,640 --> 00:27:26,439
Speaker 3: A lot different.

484
00:27:26,680 --> 00:27:29,479
Speaker 2: And you know, I was also I'm also curious too,

485
00:27:29,560 --> 00:27:32,480
Speaker 2: like what they do at the trade deadline, Like can

486
00:27:32,600 --> 00:27:35,120
Speaker 2: they if you look out over the next several months,

487
00:27:35,200 --> 00:27:37,639
Speaker 2: can they get some guys to pop. You were the

488
00:27:37,680 --> 00:27:40,280
Speaker 2: one who actually pointed this out to me, going all

489
00:27:40,280 --> 00:27:44,119
Speaker 2: the way back to last summer of just like what

490
00:27:44,200 --> 00:27:46,440
Speaker 2: are the Cubs really have to offer, and like do

491
00:27:46,600 --> 00:27:49,359
Speaker 2: they line up? Like, you know, you need some of

492
00:27:49,440 --> 00:27:54,359
Speaker 2: those higher level prospects to entice teams. You need some

493
00:27:54,520 --> 00:27:57,479
Speaker 2: of those you know, relievers that pop up and are

494
00:27:57,480 --> 00:28:00,280
Speaker 2: throwing a hundred, and you're like take them like sells

495
00:28:00,280 --> 00:28:03,600
Speaker 2: to kind of sell high. Like teams seem to be

496
00:28:03,680 --> 00:28:09,400
Speaker 2: less interested in those like super far away lottery tickets,

497
00:28:09,760 --> 00:28:13,160
Speaker 2: And so I think it's gonna be a really critical

498
00:28:13,280 --> 00:28:18,320
Speaker 2: stretch here for you know, player development and not just

499
00:28:18,359 --> 00:28:21,399
Speaker 2: player to film, but really all of baseball operations to

500
00:28:21,520 --> 00:28:25,600
Speaker 2: kind of like get this thing back on track. And

501
00:28:25,720 --> 00:28:29,800
Speaker 2: maybe going back to previous question, some names do pop

502
00:28:29,920 --> 00:28:33,960
Speaker 2: up that we're not even thinking of, and the outlook looks.

503
00:28:35,200 --> 00:28:35,840
Speaker 3: A lot better.

504
00:28:36,840 --> 00:28:41,240
Speaker 2: But right now, I think you know, there is genuine

505
00:28:41,240 --> 00:28:44,800
Speaker 2: optimism about the season ahead, but also you know, genuine

506
00:28:44,800 --> 00:28:47,760
Speaker 2: concerns are like they're not where they want to be.

507
00:28:47,920 --> 00:28:50,120
Speaker 2: I think that's fair to say, and I think that's

508
00:28:50,160 --> 00:28:54,160
Speaker 2: something they would acknowledge, even on the record on a podcast.

509
00:28:54,200 --> 00:28:55,040
Speaker 2: I think they would say that.

510
00:28:55,440 --> 00:28:57,080
Speaker 3: Yeah, yeah, yeah, I think I agree.

511
00:28:57,120 --> 00:28:59,600
Speaker 1: I mean when you make changes, like, I think that's

512
00:29:00,120 --> 00:29:03,600
Speaker 1: that's the case, right, you're admitting that. And Jed said

513
00:29:03,600 --> 00:29:06,000
Speaker 1: as much with the pitching when I asked them directly,

514
00:29:07,160 --> 00:29:09,600
Speaker 1: that there were some concerns and they've made the changes.

515
00:29:10,160 --> 00:29:13,800
Speaker 1: Let's see what happens. I think they have some talent there.

516
00:29:13,800 --> 00:29:16,480
Speaker 1: I don't think the drafts have been abysmal. I think

517
00:29:16,520 --> 00:29:20,960
Speaker 1: there they've made some changes with the drafts that'll hopefully

518
00:29:21,080 --> 00:29:24,800
Speaker 1: you'll see some results coming next summer. But you know

519
00:29:24,960 --> 00:29:28,200
Speaker 1: that there they'll continue to adjust and player development is.

520
00:29:28,240 --> 00:29:29,320
Speaker 3: So important.

521
00:29:30,800 --> 00:29:34,160
Speaker 1: Obviously, we've learned that so well, we'll see where that

522
00:29:34,400 --> 00:29:36,680
Speaker 1: ends up and what type of talent they can churn out,

523
00:29:36,720 --> 00:29:39,600
Speaker 1: because it's it is the lifeblood of the organization.

524
00:29:40,040 --> 00:29:42,600
Speaker 3: And as annoying as.

525
00:29:43,120 --> 00:29:46,720
Speaker 1: Carter Hawkins's quote was about twenty thirty two, they have

526
00:29:46,840 --> 00:29:49,160
Speaker 1: to think about the future, they have to also do that.

527
00:29:49,320 --> 00:29:52,240
Speaker 1: And if and if you're only thinking about twenty twenty six,

528
00:29:53,720 --> 00:29:56,720
Speaker 1: it's gonna impact things. And whether it's the trade deadline

529
00:29:56,920 --> 00:29:59,520
Speaker 1: or it's twenty twenty seven, twenty eight, twenty nine, like

530
00:30:00,280 --> 00:30:03,520
Speaker 1: the system has to help you in some way. All right,

531
00:30:03,600 --> 00:30:06,040
Speaker 1: we'll be back with another mailbag episode. You guys have

532
00:30:06,160 --> 00:30:08,400
Speaker 1: given us so many questions. We've got thirty minutes worth

533
00:30:08,440 --> 00:30:12,600
Speaker 1: of answers for you today, so I mean, thanks, appreciate

534
00:30:12,680 --> 00:30:16,560
Speaker 1: the questions. We'll be back with more answering more questions tomorrow.

535
00:30:16,640 --> 00:30:18,640
Speaker 1: Thanks so much for listening. This is Northside Terrector and

536
00:30:18,680 --> 00:30:21,800
Speaker 1: make sure to rate, review, subscribe, subscribe to the YouTube channel,

537
00:30:21,960 --> 00:30:24,040
Speaker 1: and subscribe to The Athletic where Patrick and I are

538
00:30:24,080 --> 00:30:26,400
Speaker 1: on top of all things cubs. Thanks for listening, everyone,

539
00:30:26,560 --> 00:30:26,880
Speaker 1: Take care