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

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Speaker 1: presented by Fox One. I'm Scott Coleman and I am

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Speaker 1: joined on the show today by the Great Stephen Tolbert.

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Speaker 1: And Stephen, we've got a big show on the horizon

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Speaker 1: as we take we dive on the financial state of

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Speaker 1: the Braves heading into the off season.

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Speaker 2: What's up, buddy, Yeah? Man.

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Speaker 3: So, Sean and I did a show last week and

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Speaker 3: we did a mailbag episode and a lot of great questions.

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Speaker 3: We got a ton of questions, actually too many to

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Speaker 3: answer one show, But one question we got repeatedly, probably

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Speaker 3: four or five times, was can you guys do a

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Speaker 3: show or a segment or something on the state of

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Speaker 3: the payroll before we get into the winter. And this

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Speaker 3: was on our board anyways to do, because it is

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Speaker 3: something we need to do before we get into the

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Speaker 3: actual player movement of the offseason. And so that's what

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Speaker 3: tonight or today's show is gonna be. We're gonna go

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Speaker 3: through the payroll of the team, the cash payroll of

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Speaker 3: the team, player by player, kind of give.

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Speaker 2: Us state of the state of the.

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Speaker 3: Roster from a payroll perspective, and then we're gonna hit

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Speaker 3: on individual guys talk about different storylines around payroll, just

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Speaker 3: so everybody has kind of a primer before we get

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Speaker 3: into the offseason. So the way we're gonna do this

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Speaker 3: is we kind of grouped all the players into you know, sections,

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Speaker 3: and we're gonna go section by section. So Scott, I'm

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Speaker 3: gonna start by just listing out the names and the salaries,

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Speaker 3: and then I'm gonna kick it to you for some thoughts.

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Speaker 3: So if people want to follow on, this is the

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Speaker 3: twenty twenty six cash payroll, what guys are set to

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Speaker 3: make next year, where payroll sits going in to twenty

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Speaker 3: twenty six before the offseason starts. So the first group

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Speaker 3: I have is the top five guys, which is Austin

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Speaker 3: Riley at twenty two million, Matt Olsen at twenty two million,

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Speaker 3: I have Spencer Streider at twenty million. I have Chris

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Speaker 3: Sale this is a team option at eighteen million, and

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Speaker 3: to have Ronald Acuney Junior at seventeen million. So I

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Speaker 3: have some thoughts, but I want to kick it to

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Speaker 3: you first, Scott. Of that group of five, those kind

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Speaker 3: of top five big big players, big dollar players, does

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Speaker 3: any from a payroll perspective, does anything stand out.

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Speaker 4: Yeah.

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Speaker 1: I mean, I'm gonna give you credit for talking about

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Speaker 1: this earlier today, but you know, Chris Sale, that eighteen

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Speaker 1: million dollar club option is a virtual lock to be

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Speaker 1: picked up. But that being said, this is the final

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Speaker 1: year of team control the Braves have for Chris Sale.

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Speaker 1: It's a very reasonable eighteen million dollars. And we know

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Speaker 1: that when Sale has been healthy and on the mound,

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Speaker 1: he's been pitch for pitch as good as anybody in baseball.

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Speaker 4: The question is will the Braves.

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Speaker 1: Try to work out a contract extension of some kind

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Speaker 1: with Sale? I think you could probably talk me into it,

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Speaker 1: because this dude is just awesome and whenever he's been healthy,

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Speaker 1: he's been I mean, there's no one better than Chris

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Speaker 1: Sale when he's on the mound. I mean, maybe you

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Speaker 1: can make an argument for Trek Schoubl or Paul Skeens,

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Speaker 1: but even then, the numbers of the last two seasons

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Speaker 1: are comparable. The concern, of course, with Sale is that

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Speaker 1: you hold your breath every time he takes the mound

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Speaker 1: because while it's never really been a shoulder or an

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Speaker 1: elbow injury to sail knock on wood, I mean, he

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Speaker 1: just has the longest list of weird injuries I have

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Speaker 1: ever seen for a baseball player.

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Speaker 3: Yeah and yeah, I was talking about this today. There's

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Speaker 3: age an injury risk that you have to bake in.

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Speaker 3: I don't think I think he's been too good to

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Speaker 3: sign like the Charlie Morton Special, which was the one

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Speaker 3: plus one that he just kept recentting. Remember, he just

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Speaker 3: kept like every year he would just sign this contract

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Speaker 3: again and again, the Braves would just keep re upping him.

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Speaker 3: I think Chrissell has been too good for that. I

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Speaker 3: think he would need a real extension.

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Speaker 2: Two years.

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Speaker 3: Maybe, you know, it's gonna depend on what he's willing

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Speaker 3: to take. You'd probably have to be willing to take

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Speaker 3: a little bit of a discount. I think it would

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Speaker 3: be under what his market value would be. But it

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Speaker 3: is interesting that he's in the last year of his

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Speaker 3: deal and we haven't heard anything yet about an extension,

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Speaker 3: and I think there's a chance. In terms of other

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Speaker 3: guys on the list, Strider gets bumped up, big bump

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Speaker 3: from four million last year twenty twenty five to twenty

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Speaker 3: million this year. Listen, is it fair? No, But the

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Speaker 3: reality is when you make twenty million dollars, the expectation

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Speaker 3: for you is different, Like you, the Braves just need

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Speaker 3: more from him at you know, that's probably like close

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Speaker 3: to ten percent of the payroll, maybe like eight percent

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Speaker 3: depending on what they do this offseason. But that's a

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Speaker 3: significant number for a guy who was still not quite

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Speaker 3: sure from an injury perspective and from a performance perspective

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Speaker 3: what they're going to get.

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Speaker 1: And I mean, let me ask you this. So twenty

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Speaker 1: twenty six is, believe it or not, the last guaranteed

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Speaker 1: year on Ronald'cunya Junior's contract. Now the team has two

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Speaker 1: club options beyond this. Three more years of team control

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Speaker 1: for Acunya.

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Speaker 4: Is fine.

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Speaker 1: It's not like they're going into the very final year

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Speaker 1: here and the extension talks are going to be brought

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Speaker 1: to the front burner.

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Speaker 4: But it is.

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Speaker 1: I think with Akunya, if he had a clean bill

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Speaker 1: of health, I think absolutely contract extension talks would would

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Speaker 1: probably come up at this point.

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Speaker 4: But he does not have a clean bill of health.

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Speaker 1: With the multiple acls, he's just I mean, who his

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Speaker 1: whole career, that is the literal one and only thing

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Speaker 1: that has held Ronald Acunya Junior back. Yeah, the consensus

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Speaker 1: best player in baseball or it very worse, the second

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Speaker 1: best player in baseball. So I don't think we will

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Speaker 1: get to the Acunya extension talks this offseason, but I

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Speaker 1: could see it becoming a conversation this time in twelve months.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, that went by fast. Good lord.

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Speaker 3: It just it seems like yesterday he was signing that deal,

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Speaker 3: one of the most talked about contracts in the history

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Speaker 3: of baseball because of the talent he was. You know,

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Speaker 3: there was all this consternation by the union because he

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Speaker 3: was such a team From the deal. Of course, Acuna

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Speaker 3: goes on to tear two different acls, which kind of

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Speaker 3: justified like, hey, I locked up my life changing money early.

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Speaker 3: Like I don't care what you guys say, Like, you know,

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Speaker 3: there's massive injury risk here, especially for one hundred.

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Speaker 4: Million dollars guaranteed. Steve.

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Speaker 1: He could have signed that deal and never played another

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Speaker 1: game again, and he would have made a hundred I

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Speaker 1: know we've talked about contracts over the years, but every

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Speaker 1: dollar in baseball is guaranteed.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, and like his grands great grandkids, great great grandkids.

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Speaker 2: Are set for life with that kind of money, Like

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Speaker 2: I get it.

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Speaker 3: That's why I never blame players for taking that life

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Speaker 3: changing money early, even if they left some on the table.

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Speaker 3: Technically you have no idea what's gonna happen. And the

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Speaker 3: Kunya is a great example. Now Alcunya has been able

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Speaker 3: to come back from the injury. Twenty twenty three wins

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Speaker 3: the MVP. Last year, I mean on a PERV game basis,

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Speaker 3: he was just as good in twenty twenty five as

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Speaker 3: he was in twenty twenty three. He just didn't play

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Speaker 3: as much. So that is a fascinating That is a

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Speaker 3: fascinating contract because, like you said, twenty twenty six last year,

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Speaker 3: the guaranteed money, I would think they would be aggressive.

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Speaker 2: With it, but I don't know.

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Speaker 3: The injury history is gonna scare people. Listen, outfield defense

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Speaker 3: is a young man's game, and it's a healthy man's game.

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Speaker 3: It is not for the over thirty crowd. It's not

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Speaker 3: for the multiple ACL tear crowd. Like, how is he

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Speaker 3: gonna age? Is a valid question. I think he's gonna

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Speaker 3: hit the lights out for the rest of his career.

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Speaker 2: But where's he gonna play?

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Speaker 4: Is it gotta be a.

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Speaker 3: DH Those are all real questions. So but yeah, seventeen,

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Speaker 3: I mean he makes seventeen million dollars a year and

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Speaker 3: has basically every year. I mean, that's it's crazy what

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Speaker 3: the Braves.

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Speaker 2: Have him on.

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Speaker 3: You know, obviously Olson and Riley both make twenty two

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Speaker 3: million dollars a year. They're gonna make twenty two million

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Speaker 3: dollars a year in perpetuity, like this is the the.

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Speaker 2: Max of their deals.

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Speaker 3: There's no more escalators in neither one of their contracts.

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Speaker 3: So just to recap the top five guys twenty two million,

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Speaker 3: Riley twenty two million, Olsen twenty Strider eighteen million sale

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Speaker 3: unless he signs a contract extension where there could be

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Speaker 3: an escalator of that base pay. You know, he could

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Speaker 3: sign a contract extension for two point fifty and make

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Speaker 3: twenty five million a year, and that eighteen turns into

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Speaker 3: twenty five, so I'll have to see on that and

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Speaker 3: then acune at seventeen for the last year. So for

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Speaker 3: those five guys, that's basically one hundred million dollars for

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Speaker 3: the top five guys on the roster.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, it's you know, the Braves need that core five

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Speaker 1: to be good and healthy, and that's been the big thing.

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Speaker 1: And you know, even Austin Riley, like you know, his

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Speaker 1: injuries have have mounted up the last twenty four months,

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Speaker 1: and he is paid like a superstar. Yeah, and there

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Speaker 1: maybe not a superstar, but a star. He's not making

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Speaker 1: One Soto money or Aaron Judge money.

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Speaker 4: But you know, the.

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Speaker 1: Braves need Riley to be one better. I think objectively

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Speaker 1: we can say the Braves need Austin Riley to be better,

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Speaker 1: but two hopefully healthier and sure him getting hit with

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Speaker 1: one hundred mile an hour fastball last year, like that's

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Speaker 1: that's not Austin Riley's fault, but we need let's get

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Speaker 1: one hundred and fifty games I mean, one hundred and

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Speaker 1: fifty games of a healthy, slugging Austin Riley would do

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Speaker 1: wonders for this lineup, regardless of what else they do.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, and the big thing has been when he even

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Speaker 3: when he's been on the field and you just said it,

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Speaker 3: the slugging. The slugging is everything for Austin. Really, his

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Speaker 3: game is built on power. Meant, the man's got to

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Speaker 3: hit homers and doubles like that's what he's He's not

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Speaker 3: an on base guy. He's never going to be a

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Speaker 3: big dad defensive guy like he he could probably be

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Speaker 3: neutral on defense.

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Speaker 2: He's never gonna be a big base running guy.

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Speaker 3: His value comes from hitting the ball over the fence,

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Speaker 3: hitting the ball in the gaps. And there may not

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Speaker 3: be more a single more important number for any one

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Speaker 3: player on the roster than Austin Riley's slugging percentage. So

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Speaker 3: twenty twenty six is a big year, but like we said,

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Speaker 3: he's locked in for a long time, twenty two million

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Speaker 3: every year for the next like eight years. And so yeah,

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Speaker 3: those big five, the Braves need big time production.

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Speaker 1: All right, Stephen, We are going to keep breaking down

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Speaker 1: this Brave's roster and talk about kind of the next

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Speaker 1: tier of players who will be under contract next season.

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Speaker 1: But first, Henry Territory is brought to you today by

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Speaker 1: the folks at Fox one. Fox one is now live

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Speaker 1: streaming all of your Fox favorites together in one place,

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Speaker 1: including the World Series, which begins on Friday, and Steven,

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Speaker 1: we should have a heck of a World Series on

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Speaker 1: our hands. Toronto Blue Jays, La Dodgers. It's not David

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Speaker 1: and Goliath. I mean, the Dodgers are kind of Goliath

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Speaker 1: at this point. The Blue Jays are not exactly a

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Speaker 1: low payroll you know, underdog here. But Game one is

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Speaker 1: Friday in the Rogers Center up in Toronto, and I mean,

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Speaker 1: what are your takes on this series. I'm hoping for

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Speaker 1: a great series, and I mean, I'll speak for myself.

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Speaker 1: I hope Toronto find finds a way to win this thing.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, I just hope Toronto finds a way to be

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Speaker 3: competitive where Milwaukee wasn't. And you know, I mean La

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Speaker 3: just dogged. I mean they dishragged Milwaukee for four games.

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Speaker 3: So yeah, I think so Toronto's got a fighting chance.

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Speaker 3: They might get Bobaschett back, which would help a ton.

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Speaker 3: He's been like right on the verge of coming back

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Speaker 3: this whole time. Vlad Guerrero Junior is just a monster,

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Speaker 3: Just an absolute playoff monster. George Springer, He's got a

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Speaker 3: ton of playoff experience with all those astros teams, Like

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Speaker 3: I give the Blue Jays a fighting chance, man, like

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Speaker 3: they it's an unbelievable home crowd they have in Toronto.

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Speaker 2: It's gonna be fun.

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Speaker 3: Obviously, Fox has the World Series, so it's gonna be

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Speaker 3: on Fox one, so you know, anybody can check it

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Speaker 3: out on Fox one. But yeah, it's gonna be a

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Speaker 3: fun series. I'm actually looking for. I hate that it

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Speaker 3: doesn't start till Friday. We said speed it up a

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Speaker 3: little bit, but when it does get going, that will

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Speaker 3: be a fun series.

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Speaker 1: You know, I will say it's rare for me to

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Speaker 1: get goosebumps from a non like a sports moment that's

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Speaker 1: not one of my teams.

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Speaker 4: Like, you know, you think about Jorge.

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Speaker 1: Solaiers homer in the World Series and you get goosebumps

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Speaker 1: watching it. That home run from George Springer in Game

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Speaker 1: seven with let's Go Blue Jays being chanted by forty

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Speaker 1: five thousand people and the crowd pop. I mean, I

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Speaker 1: think I watched like ten different angles of that home

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Speaker 1: run from George. I mean, that's what baseball in the

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Speaker 1: playoffs is. It just makes it so great, like the

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Speaker 1: the anticipation and the build up and then it's just

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Speaker 1: that one swing. I mean, we'll see where the series

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Speaker 1: goes from here, but there's there are legions of fans,

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Speaker 1: now Blue Jays fans, who will watch that clip for

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Speaker 1: the rest of their lives.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, it reminded me. Remember Jose Bautista did it a

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Speaker 3: couple of years ago, or not a couple probably like

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Speaker 3: ten years ago. But like the Blue Jays just hit

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Speaker 3: like massive Game seven home runs like that's what they

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Speaker 3: do as a franchise. Yeah, it's gonna be a fun series.

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Speaker 3: I hope it's competitive. I hope the Blue Jays really

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Speaker 3: show up. If they hit the way they hit in

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Speaker 3: the first two series, I think they can make it

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Speaker 3: a series. Dodgers are just a They're just a wagon though,

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Speaker 3: so you know, we'll see what happens.

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Speaker 4: A right, Stephen.

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Speaker 1: We have hit on the biggest names on the Braves roster.

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Speaker 1: That being said, there is kind of an interesting middle

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Speaker 1: group of veterans who are all making around the same

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Speaker 1: amount of money. So let's kind of break down that

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Speaker 1: second tier of Brave salaries on this roster.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, so we had the big five, which is obviously

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Speaker 3: Riley Olsen Strider selling Acunya. So after that group, you

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Speaker 3: have the next group, and these are the other four

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Speaker 3: players on the team that make eight figure salaries, which

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Speaker 3: is ten million or more. The first name is ha

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Speaker 3: Sun Kim at sixteen million. Then you got Jerkson Profar

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Speaker 3: at fifteen million, you got Murphy Sean Murphy at fifteen million,

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Speaker 3: and you got Ronaldo Lopez at fourteen million. So we're

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Speaker 3: not gonna do a hass on Kim segment. We have

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Speaker 3: we have beat that horse. That horse is just a

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Speaker 3: pile of glue. The way we have beat, We have

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Speaker 3: covered that from every angle. People get it by Now

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Speaker 3: he's got a sixteen million dollar player option. If he

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Speaker 3: picks it up, the Braves have a shortstop and they

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Speaker 3: have an extra sixteen million dollars in the peril. And

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Speaker 3: if he doesn't, they have an exchange sixteen million to spend.

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Speaker 3: But they have a hole at shortstop. And that's just

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Speaker 3: the beginning and end of it. So we're gonna not

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Speaker 3: go into that today. Jerkson Profar gets a bump. He

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Speaker 3: goes from twelve million last year to fifteen million the

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Speaker 3: next two years of his deal. Now remember the Braves

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Speaker 3: only had to pay six million of that last year

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Speaker 3: because of the eighty game suspension. So the Braves go

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Speaker 3: from essentially paying him six million last year to fifteen

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Speaker 3: million this year. Sean Murphy at fifteen million. Now, this

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Speaker 3: is where I'm gonna stop Scott and.

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Speaker 2: Ask you a question. How okay?

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Speaker 3: And Brad and I talked about this on our show,

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Speaker 3: and I think you guys talked about it on your

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Speaker 3: Sunday show as well. How okay with you are you

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Speaker 3: with the prospects of Drake Baldwin just looking like a

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Speaker 3: monster again next year and Sean Murphy playing like a

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Speaker 3: forty percent catcher role making fifteen million dollars a year.

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Speaker 2: How just if you're if you're a king of the

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Speaker 2: world or king of the braves, how are you? How

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Speaker 2: do you feel about that?

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Speaker 1: It does not feel like the best use of funds

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Speaker 1: to have Murphy making a considerable chunk of the payroll,

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Speaker 1: let's say seven eight percent of the entirety of the payroll.

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Speaker 1: If Drake Baldwin takes the next step that we want

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Speaker 1: and expect him to take, I mean, he was fantastic

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Speaker 1: as a rookie. Even if he even if Baldwin repeats

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Speaker 1: what he did as a rookie, you got to have

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Speaker 1: Baldwin in there for one hundred and forty games as

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Speaker 1: catcher and DH, assuming they don't add just an absolute

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Speaker 1: bopper at the DH spot. I think Sean Murphy catching

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Speaker 1: is totally fine. His offensive production as a really really good,

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Speaker 1: I would even say elite defensive catcher is totally fine.

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Speaker 1: We know he's not gonna have a high batting average.

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Speaker 1: He's always been somebody who strikes out, although his strikeout

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Speaker 1: rate was elevated this past season, but he has a

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Speaker 1: ton of power and he can change a game with

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Speaker 1: one swing with a three run homer. That being said,

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Speaker 1: you're not really wanting to sit Baldwin and you don't

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Speaker 1: really want Murphy as your DH, like as a DH

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Speaker 1: Murphy just I mean, unless he goes back to like

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Speaker 1: the first half of twenty twenty three with the Braves.

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Speaker 1: Murph has never really hit to the level of a

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Speaker 1: DH since coming over, so but at the same time,

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Speaker 1: trading him feels dangerous because if something were to happen

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Speaker 1: to Baldwin, the Braves are in gigantic trouble at the

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Speaker 1: catcher spot, where you've gone from like two good options

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Speaker 1: to zero. And I know injuries are impossible to count for,

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Speaker 1: but trading good, reliable catchers is a dangerous game. We

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Speaker 1: saw it with with William Contreras and shay Leanngeleers. I

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Speaker 1: mean that there are only so many good catchers in

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Speaker 1: the league.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, that fifteen million dollars. It just sticks out like

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Speaker 3: a sore thumb. It really does, especially if the Braves

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Speaker 3: need extra fun somewhere.

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Speaker 2: I don't know what you do.

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Speaker 3: I mean, honestly, it does. I said this to Brad

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Speaker 3: a couple of days ago. It does help if you

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Speaker 3: think about them as a collective that together Sean Murphy

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Speaker 3: and Drake Baldwin make sixteen million dollars, Like, it goes

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Speaker 3: down a little bit easier when you consider that, like

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Speaker 3: Drake Baldwin might get the lion's share of starts and

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Speaker 3: you might have fifteen million dollars sitting on the bench

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Speaker 3: a lot of games, and so, yeah, it is good.

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Speaker 3: It's gonna be fascinating to see what they do there. Obviously,

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Speaker 3: we've talked about that a bunch. The last thing I'm

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Speaker 3: gonna ask on this group is and Brad brought this

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Speaker 3: up to me in our show, and I never actually

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Speaker 3: thought about it before. So I'm gonna ask you this.

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Speaker 3: I'm gonna give you a hypothetical. Let's say the San

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Speaker 3: Francisco Giants or pick a random team. Call Alexenthopplinson says, Hey,

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Speaker 3: I know you guys need some extra funds. That Ronaldo

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Speaker 3: Lopez contract that you guys just restructured last year. We'll

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Speaker 3: take that off your hands. We're not gonna give you

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Speaker 3: anything for it, but we'll take the contract off your

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Speaker 3: hands to free up some cash. Especially since we know

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Speaker 3: you want to sign a starter. Anyways, are you hanging

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Speaker 3: up immediately? Are you are you listening to that phone

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Speaker 3: call a little more?

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Speaker 1: That's a great question. And just to set the stage,

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Speaker 1: fourteen million dollars is what Ronaldo Lopez is out, which

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Speaker 1: is not nothing for a guy who missed basically the

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Speaker 1: entirety of last year. You know, the idea of giving

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Speaker 1: away a player, like virtually giving away a player who

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Speaker 1: was so good just a calendar year ago. My first

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Speaker 1: lean was no, Yeah, like, if a team wants to

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Speaker 1: like trade actual assets for Ronaldo Lopez, then sure.

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Speaker 4: I'm not married to him by any means.

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Speaker 1: There's creative ways to build a roster. Maybe you take

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Speaker 1: that fourteen million that Lopezz owned and you trade him

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Speaker 1: for a nice piece, and then you have some money

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Speaker 1: freed up to add otherwise. But to answer your question, no,

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Speaker 1: I would not dump Ronaldo Lopez is fourteen million the

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Speaker 1: same way I'd probably be open to dumping the nine

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Speaker 1: and a half million dollars that Aaron Bummer is owed.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, the shoulder is the wild card there, right, And

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Speaker 3: then you know, obviously you know Ronaldo makes another I

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Speaker 3: think like eight million bucks in twenty twenty.

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Speaker 4: Seven, so it was a weird contract structure.

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Speaker 1: I'm not entirely sure what the Braves are doing, but

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Speaker 1: I'm sure they had a reason for it.

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Speaker 3: It did like eight fourteen and eight or something like that.

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Speaker 3: So I think they owe him twenty two million over

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Speaker 3: the next two years.

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Speaker 2: But it's the shoulder. You just don't know.

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Speaker 3: And that's kind of the gamble you're gonna have to

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Speaker 3: take right now. Is I'm betting fourteen million dollars on

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Speaker 3: next year's payroll that that shoulder is going to be okay,

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Speaker 3: and I'm going to get a productive pitcher at some level.

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Speaker 3: Maybe it's bullpen, maybe it's starter. But you know, if

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Speaker 3: if a team call and said, hey, we'll take it all.

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Speaker 3: We're not gonna give anything, we'll take it all, I

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Speaker 3: don't know, I could go.

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Speaker 2: I could go either way.

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Speaker 1: That's that's when I would make a phone call to

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Speaker 1: my team trainers and doctors and say, what, what's the

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Speaker 1: deal with Ronaldo's shoulder? Is this thing as clean as

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Speaker 1: it's ever gonna be or if there's any real hesitancy

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Speaker 1: that he's gonna be able to throw and be healthy again,

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Speaker 1: then that obviously sways it a significant way for me.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, so we'll see. But those nine guys, those are

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Speaker 3: the top nine. So those nine guys together make about

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Speaker 3: one hundred and sixty million dollars. You know, that's significant

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Speaker 3: for you know, what is the top forty percent of

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Speaker 3: your payroll in terms of number of players making one

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Speaker 3: hundred and sixty million dollars for a team that doesn't spend.

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Speaker 3: These aren't the Yankees or the Mets or the Dodgers,

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Speaker 3: like they spend decently well, but they're they're not at

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Speaker 3: the very top of the list.

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Speaker 1: And that is that is with the assumption Storry to

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Speaker 1: cut you off. That is with the assumption of Hassan

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Speaker 1: Kim at sixteen million, whether he opts in or Alex

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Speaker 1: works out a contract extension or whatever between now and

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Speaker 1: when the off season begins, or even in the early

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Speaker 1: days of the offseason, if you don't have hass On Kim,

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Speaker 1: if he opts out and becomes a free agent, then

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Speaker 1: that group is closer to like one hundred and forty

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Speaker 1: five million. Do I have that math right?

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Speaker 2: Do you have that math correct?

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Speaker 3: And you know, I'll let people decide at home for

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Speaker 3: themselves which of the two scenarios they would prefer to

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Speaker 3: have hass On Kim on the team, but another sixteen

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Speaker 3: million dollars earmarked to a player.

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Speaker 2: Or if they would rather have no hass On.

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Speaker 3: Kim on the team but an extra sixteen dollars to spend,

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Speaker 3: I would I would just prefer to have the player.

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Speaker 2: But you know, so, I.

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Speaker 1: Don't want to get us too off track, but I

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Speaker 1: want to ask you a hypothetical I've been playing in

437
00:21:54,160 --> 00:21:58,520
Speaker 1: my head. Sure, say that Alex has a set amount

438
00:21:58,560 --> 00:22:02,000
Speaker 1: of money million, sixty million, We will never know what

439
00:22:02,080 --> 00:22:04,520
Speaker 1: the number is, but a good amount of money, but

440
00:22:04,600 --> 00:22:07,160
Speaker 1: not so much money that he can just like spend

441
00:22:07,400 --> 00:22:11,480
Speaker 1: and buy every player he wants. Okay, is there a

442
00:22:11,520 --> 00:22:14,359
Speaker 1: scenario in your mind where Alex spends big on a

443
00:22:14,400 --> 00:22:19,480
Speaker 1: starting pitcher, and he spends healthy on a closer which

444
00:22:19,520 --> 00:22:23,440
Speaker 1: they're gonna need, and he spends on another bullpen arm,

445
00:22:23,480 --> 00:22:27,520
Speaker 1: like a middle tier bullpen arm, and he looks at

446
00:22:27,560 --> 00:22:30,840
Speaker 1: it and goes, you know, Hassan Kim's market has really ballooned.

447
00:22:31,440 --> 00:22:35,119
Speaker 1: But I could add a really good hitting outfielder in

448
00:22:35,200 --> 00:22:39,679
Speaker 1: DH for relatively similar money to what Hassan Kim is

449
00:22:39,680 --> 00:22:43,560
Speaker 1: going to command. And then short of a trade which

450
00:22:43,760 --> 00:22:45,199
Speaker 1: I don't think they're going to be able to do

451
00:22:45,520 --> 00:22:48,080
Speaker 1: you run it back with Nick Allen one more time,

452
00:22:48,640 --> 00:22:51,880
Speaker 1: knowing that you've added a good outfielder DH to your mix.

453
00:22:52,000 --> 00:22:54,719
Speaker 1: Is that is that a scenario that you would entertain

454
00:22:54,920 --> 00:22:58,240
Speaker 1: or are you just sew over this awful shortstop situation

455
00:22:58,359 --> 00:23:01,800
Speaker 1: and you're basically willing to give hass On Kim any

456
00:23:01,880 --> 00:23:05,359
Speaker 1: contract that he wants short of just something completely asinine.

457
00:23:07,680 --> 00:23:10,159
Speaker 3: That's a good question, and Alex has done that before

458
00:23:10,200 --> 00:23:12,440
Speaker 3: where he's like, I needed a starter, I couldn't find

459
00:23:12,480 --> 00:23:15,640
Speaker 3: a starter, so I just added more bullpen like he's

460
00:23:15,640 --> 00:23:18,080
Speaker 3: played that game before where you move the pieces around

461
00:23:18,080 --> 00:23:20,320
Speaker 3: a little bit to fit what one is available in

462
00:23:20,359 --> 00:23:22,560
Speaker 3: the market. Because he's and he said that before too,

463
00:23:22,560 --> 00:23:24,639
Speaker 3: like what's available is what's available. I can't make a

464
00:23:24,880 --> 00:23:27,080
Speaker 3: I can't create a player out of thin air. Like

465
00:23:27,440 --> 00:23:29,360
Speaker 3: if it's not available in the market, I can't. There's

466
00:23:29,359 --> 00:23:34,280
Speaker 3: nothing I can do about it. Yeah, I would. The

467
00:23:34,320 --> 00:23:35,919
Speaker 3: devil would be in the details there. I would have

468
00:23:35,960 --> 00:23:40,480
Speaker 3: to see what those specific players are. I I would.

469
00:23:41,640 --> 00:23:45,359
Speaker 3: There's so little depth behind shortstop that it's basically sign

470
00:23:45,480 --> 00:23:49,240
Speaker 3: Kim back or just or just kind of be content

471
00:23:49,320 --> 00:23:50,720
Speaker 3: to have a nothing there.

472
00:23:51,640 --> 00:23:53,159
Speaker 2: But if they got a like good.

473
00:23:53,119 --> 00:23:55,600
Speaker 3: Enough starting, there's a world like if they sign Dylan

474
00:23:55,680 --> 00:23:58,320
Speaker 3: Cease and they give me a good reliever and maybe

475
00:23:58,320 --> 00:24:02,000
Speaker 3: like a bat a DH one hundred percent. Like I

476
00:24:02,040 --> 00:24:03,800
Speaker 3: don't think you can tie it all to shortstop. I

477
00:24:03,800 --> 00:24:05,639
Speaker 3: do think you have to be flexible a little bit.

478
00:24:05,680 --> 00:24:08,040
Speaker 2: I could. I would be okay with that. I think again,

479
00:24:08,080 --> 00:24:10,320
Speaker 2: it would be yeah, player.

480
00:24:10,000 --> 00:24:13,040
Speaker 3: And contract specific, but I think in general, the general

481
00:24:13,040 --> 00:24:14,800
Speaker 3: sense of your question, I think i'd be okay with that.

482
00:24:15,440 --> 00:24:19,040
Speaker 1: Yeah, I think so too. I think my preference is

483
00:24:19,080 --> 00:24:22,560
Speaker 1: to get Hassan Kim locked up or make a trade

484
00:24:22,600 --> 00:24:24,919
Speaker 1: for a shortstop that's just not on our radar. Like

485
00:24:25,800 --> 00:24:29,359
Speaker 1: I mean, if Corey Seeger is somehow available this offseason

486
00:24:29,400 --> 00:24:31,480
Speaker 1: and Texas is willing to play ball and throw some

487
00:24:31,520 --> 00:24:33,600
Speaker 1: money in, like of course you're gonna have that.

488
00:24:33,680 --> 00:24:38,760
Speaker 3: What's the guy in Colorado, the shortstop Tivar? Yeah, Like

489
00:24:38,960 --> 00:24:41,439
Speaker 3: I was looking at his numbers, like right after the

490
00:24:41,480 --> 00:24:45,080
Speaker 3: season he had a crazy year for like expected stats,

491
00:24:45,119 --> 00:24:47,320
Speaker 3: like his expected numbers were through the roof dish. I

492
00:24:47,359 --> 00:24:49,640
Speaker 3: don't know if he changed anything, but something like that,

493
00:24:49,680 --> 00:24:52,520
Speaker 3: like we're not thinking about I would love I think

494
00:24:52,600 --> 00:24:53,919
Speaker 3: Tovar assigned to an extension too.

495
00:24:53,920 --> 00:24:55,840
Speaker 2: I think it's pretty cheap. Well I know it's cheap

496
00:24:55,840 --> 00:24:58,720
Speaker 2: because if the Rockies are the ones that signed it, so.

497
00:24:58,720 --> 00:25:02,600
Speaker 3: Yeah, that's gonna be fascinating to So, yeah, nine players

498
00:25:03,200 --> 00:25:05,520
Speaker 3: make around one hundred and sixty million if Kim is

499
00:25:05,560 --> 00:25:07,959
Speaker 3: back at sixteen, if not, it's eight players making one

500
00:25:08,000 --> 00:25:10,800
Speaker 3: hundred and forty five million. And that's the top kind

501
00:25:10,800 --> 00:25:14,879
Speaker 3: of nine guys, all right, Scott. So after those top nine,

502
00:25:15,920 --> 00:25:18,240
Speaker 3: you get to the bottom six and we're going through

503
00:25:18,240 --> 00:25:20,760
Speaker 3: the guaranteed contracts right now. So I'm just gonna list

504
00:25:20,800 --> 00:25:23,399
Speaker 3: out the names and I'll throw it to you for

505
00:25:23,440 --> 00:25:26,840
Speaker 3: any thoughts on any of them. So obviously we ended

506
00:25:26,880 --> 00:25:29,520
Speaker 3: at Lopez at fourteen million, so below him is Bummer

507
00:25:29,680 --> 00:25:32,000
Speaker 3: at nine point five million. We've talked about that contract

508
00:25:32,080 --> 00:25:37,000
Speaker 3: a lot. Joejimenz and nine million, mister forgotten Man because

509
00:25:37,000 --> 00:25:39,480
Speaker 3: he didn't pitch at all in twenty twenty five. He

510
00:25:39,520 --> 00:25:42,719
Speaker 3: makes nine million dollars next year. Michael Harris is at

511
00:25:42,720 --> 00:25:45,480
Speaker 3: eight million next year. And then you got the three

512
00:25:45,880 --> 00:25:50,639
Speaker 3: club option guys Ozzie at seven million, Pierce Johnson at

513
00:25:50,640 --> 00:25:55,119
Speaker 3: seven million, and Tyler Kinley at five million, of those six,

514
00:25:55,640 --> 00:25:57,600
Speaker 3: anything interesting about that group.

515
00:25:59,119 --> 00:26:02,359
Speaker 1: I think the most interesting name there is Joe Jimenez

516
00:26:02,800 --> 00:26:05,920
Speaker 1: and just crossing our fingers that he is going to

517
00:26:06,000 --> 00:26:08,639
Speaker 1: be back and close to the guy he was a

518
00:26:08,720 --> 00:26:12,040
Speaker 1: year ago. Yeah, because I mean Jimenez was arguably like

519
00:26:12,080 --> 00:26:15,040
Speaker 1: a top ten, top fifteen reliever in the game in

520
00:26:15,119 --> 00:26:17,840
Speaker 1: twenty twenty four, and then he had that, of course,

521
00:26:17,880 --> 00:26:22,680
Speaker 1: like relatively routine knee cleanup procedure, and then I think

522
00:26:22,720 --> 00:26:25,439
Speaker 1: it was the GM meetings and all of a sudden,

523
00:26:25,440 --> 00:26:28,440
Speaker 1: it's like, oh, by the way, Joejamenez had needed major

524
00:26:28,520 --> 00:26:29,919
Speaker 1: knee surgery and he's out.

525
00:26:29,800 --> 00:26:33,080
Speaker 4: For the year. It was like whoa. And in hindsight,

526
00:26:33,119 --> 00:26:34,840
Speaker 4: I obviously we talked about it. We knew it was

527
00:26:34,840 --> 00:26:38,240
Speaker 4: a loss. That was a massive loss for this bullpen,

528
00:26:38,920 --> 00:26:39,280
Speaker 4: and he.

529
00:26:39,200 --> 00:26:41,240
Speaker 1: Was under contract, so it's not like you can just

530
00:26:41,280 --> 00:26:43,320
Speaker 1: throw that nine million dollars off to the side. It

531
00:26:43,359 --> 00:26:46,359
Speaker 1: was like it was a suspension where you recouped some

532
00:26:46,440 --> 00:26:49,080
Speaker 1: of the money. Like that was a massive loss for

533
00:26:49,160 --> 00:26:51,399
Speaker 1: this bullpen. And I mean, something tells me, Steven, we

534
00:26:51,400 --> 00:26:55,360
Speaker 1: wouldn't have seen Hector Nerris on opening Day if Joejamenez

535
00:26:55,359 --> 00:26:57,600
Speaker 1: in his ninety eight million hour fastball was sitting out

536
00:26:57,600 --> 00:26:58,400
Speaker 1: there ready to go.

537
00:26:59,119 --> 00:26:59,520
Speaker 4: Who knows.

538
00:26:59,520 --> 00:27:01,800
Speaker 1: I'm not saying Joejamenez would have been the difference between

539
00:27:01,840 --> 00:27:04,159
Speaker 1: a good season and a bad one. But to me,

540
00:27:04,520 --> 00:27:07,159
Speaker 1: they need to get Jimenez back. It will be I

541
00:27:07,200 --> 00:27:10,720
Speaker 1: mean close to eighteen months since he fired a competitive

542
00:27:10,760 --> 00:27:13,199
Speaker 1: pitch in a game by the time spring training and

543
00:27:13,240 --> 00:27:16,720
Speaker 1: opening day rolls around. He's a big boy, so you know,

544
00:27:16,760 --> 00:27:19,000
Speaker 1: that's a lot of torque that he puts on his knees.

545
00:27:19,400 --> 00:27:21,760
Speaker 1: It was encouraging to see him throw towards the end

546
00:27:21,800 --> 00:27:23,560
Speaker 1: of the season, but it sounded like he was still

547
00:27:23,640 --> 00:27:27,880
Speaker 1: kind of touch and go with his recovery. So I mean, Joejmenez,

548
00:27:28,119 --> 00:27:31,320
Speaker 1: they need him healthy next year. That transforms the bullpen

549
00:27:31,440 --> 00:27:35,800
Speaker 1: so much if he's good and ready to roll well.

550
00:27:35,800 --> 00:27:37,720
Speaker 3: And it makes it complicated that he did not come

551
00:27:37,760 --> 00:27:40,160
Speaker 3: back and pitch at any point in the season, because

552
00:27:40,280 --> 00:27:43,359
Speaker 3: now you have to make this decision of what to

553
00:27:43,359 --> 00:27:46,959
Speaker 3: do with your bullpen without knowing exactly what he is

554
00:27:47,080 --> 00:27:47,320
Speaker 3: or what.

555
00:27:47,320 --> 00:27:48,199
Speaker 2: He's going to give you.

556
00:27:48,680 --> 00:27:51,879
Speaker 3: Yeah, and I think I know I'll never know this

557
00:27:51,920 --> 00:27:53,679
Speaker 3: for sure. I think one of the reasons that we

558
00:27:53,760 --> 00:27:57,240
Speaker 3: have Aaron Bummer making nine point five million is because

559
00:27:57,280 --> 00:27:59,479
Speaker 3: of that Joejamenez injury last year, because you remember they

560
00:27:59,520 --> 00:28:03,520
Speaker 3: restruck Aaron Bummer's deal where he was gonna make six million.

561
00:28:03,560 --> 00:28:06,000
Speaker 3: They bumped him down to three million last year so

562
00:28:06,080 --> 00:28:09,480
Speaker 3: that he would make nine and a half million in

563
00:28:09,520 --> 00:28:11,800
Speaker 3: twenty twenty six. And I think they, I think they

564
00:28:11,840 --> 00:28:14,720
Speaker 3: needed to free up some funds after they realized Joejimenez

565
00:28:14,840 --> 00:28:17,000
Speaker 3: was just gonna be sitting on the shelf eating nine

566
00:28:17,000 --> 00:28:20,640
Speaker 3: million dollars a payroll. And so, and that's the other

567
00:28:20,720 --> 00:28:24,200
Speaker 3: name on this list, Like the most obvious spot, more

568
00:28:24,200 --> 00:28:27,439
Speaker 3: obvious than Sean Murphy to go if you need to

569
00:28:27,480 --> 00:28:31,159
Speaker 3: clear money is Aaron Bummer at nine point five. And

570
00:28:31,200 --> 00:28:34,879
Speaker 3: this is a pro Aaron Bummer podcast, Like we have

571
00:28:34,960 --> 00:28:38,920
Speaker 3: defended Aaron Bummer religiously on this show because of how

572
00:28:38,960 --> 00:28:42,000
Speaker 3: he gets used. He's never been used properly. Is you

573
00:28:42,040 --> 00:28:46,640
Speaker 3: know his expected numbers, his purfles always look fantastic. But

574
00:28:46,840 --> 00:28:48,560
Speaker 3: nine and a half million dollars for Aaron Bummer is

575
00:28:48,600 --> 00:28:51,440
Speaker 3: a lot of money, and especially if you if when

576
00:28:51,440 --> 00:28:54,080
Speaker 3: you have other needs on the roster. So I think

577
00:28:54,120 --> 00:28:56,560
Speaker 3: that's clearly the spot where you go if you need

578
00:28:56,560 --> 00:28:58,479
Speaker 3: a trade, if you need to clear money.

579
00:28:58,800 --> 00:29:00,720
Speaker 2: And then you have the three option guys who are

580
00:29:00,760 --> 00:29:02,440
Speaker 2: all you know. I'll give you credit.

581
00:29:02,440 --> 00:29:04,880
Speaker 3: Scott, You're the first one I heard say it, and

582
00:29:04,920 --> 00:29:08,719
Speaker 3: the first time I really thought about it, Like, is

583
00:29:08,760 --> 00:29:12,240
Speaker 3: Pierce Johnson at seven million dollars a no brainer? And

584
00:29:12,280 --> 00:29:14,560
Speaker 3: I had always just kind of assumed it was, And

585
00:29:14,560 --> 00:29:16,680
Speaker 3: then you were like, well, we should probably talk about this.

586
00:29:16,720 --> 00:29:19,000
Speaker 3: It's such a low buyout. It's like a two hundred

587
00:29:19,000 --> 00:29:21,240
Speaker 3: and fifty k buyout. Like that's that's another place where

588
00:29:21,280 --> 00:29:23,400
Speaker 3: you could get real savings if you if you wanted.

589
00:29:23,920 --> 00:29:26,040
Speaker 3: Ozzie had that great second half, I think I think

590
00:29:26,040 --> 00:29:29,240
Speaker 3: they're coming back at seven million. I would be surprised.

591
00:29:29,400 --> 00:29:32,840
Speaker 3: And then Tyler Kinley was quietly fantastic in the second

592
00:29:32,880 --> 00:29:34,959
Speaker 3: half when the Braves traded for him, I'd be very

593
00:29:34,960 --> 00:29:37,160
Speaker 3: surprised at five minute if they didn't bring him back.

594
00:29:37,680 --> 00:29:40,000
Speaker 3: Any final thoughts on the on the club option guys.

595
00:29:40,960 --> 00:29:43,360
Speaker 1: I think my one the question I'm going to post

596
00:29:43,360 --> 00:29:46,400
Speaker 1: to you and people listening. So Aaron Bummer nine and

597
00:29:46,400 --> 00:29:52,160
Speaker 1: a half million, yeah, Pierce Johnson seven million, yeah, Tyler

598
00:29:52,240 --> 00:29:56,600
Speaker 1: Kinley five million. That's twenty one and a half million

599
00:29:56,640 --> 00:30:02,040
Speaker 1: dollars to three relievers who are fine they're not bad

600
00:30:02,240 --> 00:30:05,680
Speaker 1: like that. That is a fine trio of relievers now,

601
00:30:05,920 --> 00:30:08,000
Speaker 1: ninth inning of the World Series. I don't know if

602
00:30:08,040 --> 00:30:10,440
Speaker 1: I would trust any of those three out there necessarily,

603
00:30:10,480 --> 00:30:13,400
Speaker 1: but elite relievers are hard to find. But my question

604
00:30:13,520 --> 00:30:16,480
Speaker 1: to you is, come opening day six months from now,

605
00:30:17,120 --> 00:30:21,240
Speaker 1: is that trio on the roster Bummer, Johnson, and Kinley

606
00:30:21,640 --> 00:30:23,840
Speaker 1: or do they decline one of those club options or

607
00:30:23,880 --> 00:30:26,040
Speaker 1: do they trade? I mean, they could even pick up

608
00:30:26,080 --> 00:30:28,600
Speaker 1: Pierce Johnson's option and then trade him, or pick up

609
00:30:28,680 --> 00:30:31,800
Speaker 1: Tyler Kinley's option and trade him. That seems less likely,

610
00:30:31,880 --> 00:30:35,760
Speaker 1: but that's a significant amount of money. And then if

611
00:30:35,760 --> 00:30:38,880
Speaker 1: you throw in Joejimenez, that's in thirty million bucks to

612
00:30:39,000 --> 00:30:43,360
Speaker 1: four relievers who are not exactly you know, world beaters

613
00:30:43,400 --> 00:30:44,920
Speaker 1: out there when they're healthy.

614
00:30:45,760 --> 00:30:47,480
Speaker 3: Yeah, and you still, I mean, none of them have

615
00:30:47,560 --> 00:30:52,320
Speaker 3: really closed. Like you got thirty million bucks tied into

616
00:30:52,320 --> 00:30:53,360
Speaker 3: a bullpen, you're still on.

617
00:30:53,240 --> 00:30:54,680
Speaker 4: The closer right.

618
00:30:54,960 --> 00:30:57,280
Speaker 3: That's before you you know, count in Dylan Lee, although

619
00:30:57,280 --> 00:30:58,640
Speaker 3: he's gonna make very little money.

620
00:30:59,200 --> 00:31:01,680
Speaker 2: It's a great question. I would if you put a.

621
00:31:01,600 --> 00:31:03,240
Speaker 3: Gun in mind said, is Aaron Burmer gonna be on

622
00:31:03,280 --> 00:31:05,520
Speaker 3: the roster next year? I would say no. I really

623
00:31:05,560 --> 00:31:07,880
Speaker 3: feel like they're gonna try to move that. Again, I've

624
00:31:07,920 --> 00:31:10,080
Speaker 3: said this before, do not expect any sort of return,

625
00:31:10,240 --> 00:31:12,480
Speaker 3: and that would that would almost certainly just be a

626
00:31:12,560 --> 00:31:16,440
Speaker 3: dump to clear the money. But that money might be

627
00:31:16,840 --> 00:31:20,320
Speaker 3: that money might be extremely important. And again this is

628
00:31:20,360 --> 00:31:22,760
Speaker 3: a pro am Bumber contract or podcast, but like that's

629
00:31:22,840 --> 00:31:25,040
Speaker 3: just the nuts and bolts of I'm dealing with a

630
00:31:25,080 --> 00:31:27,560
Speaker 3: payroll and dealing with a budget, Like you gotta make

631
00:31:27,640 --> 00:31:32,320
Speaker 3: tough calls. So I'm gonna say no, all three of

632
00:31:32,360 --> 00:31:33,920
Speaker 3: those guys will not be on the rush. I can't

633
00:31:33,920 --> 00:31:36,360
Speaker 3: tell you which my guess would be Aaron Bummer. We'll

634
00:31:36,360 --> 00:31:38,959
Speaker 3: see how they go. I do think Pierce at seven million,

635
00:31:40,320 --> 00:31:40,680
Speaker 3: I don't know.

636
00:31:40,760 --> 00:31:42,880
Speaker 2: I could go either way. I think Kenley at five minute.

637
00:31:43,160 --> 00:31:47,160
Speaker 3: Ironically it might be like my most obvious yes, because

638
00:31:47,160 --> 00:31:48,920
Speaker 3: it's so little money and he was so good.

639
00:31:49,040 --> 00:31:50,840
Speaker 2: I don't know. I could talked out of that one too,

640
00:31:51,280 --> 00:31:52,520
Speaker 2: So we'll see what they do.

641
00:31:53,120 --> 00:31:56,000
Speaker 1: Yeah, it's fair value, don't get me wrong, especially on

642
00:31:56,800 --> 00:32:00,000
Speaker 1: Johnson and killing that's fair. But the ultimate question is

643
00:32:00,120 --> 00:32:03,880
Speaker 1: how much money does Alex and Thopless have And if

644
00:32:03,880 --> 00:32:05,960
Speaker 1: he feels confident, then he can go do all of

645
00:32:06,000 --> 00:32:09,479
Speaker 1: his checklist items and keep those relievers. Then sure, of

646
00:32:09,520 --> 00:32:12,720
Speaker 1: course I would take Aaron Bummer over the total unknown

647
00:32:12,760 --> 00:32:16,440
Speaker 1: of picking up three lefty veterans on nothing contracts and

648
00:32:16,480 --> 00:32:19,880
Speaker 1: hoping we saw how bad that can go. It happened

649
00:32:19,880 --> 00:32:22,320
Speaker 1: six months ago when they rotated half of a bullpen

650
00:32:22,360 --> 00:32:26,640
Speaker 1: out by April fifteenth. I mean, that was a disaster. It's,

651
00:32:27,400 --> 00:32:29,960
Speaker 1: you know, very interesting to see. I think we're going

652
00:32:30,040 --> 00:32:32,479
Speaker 1: to get an inkling of what the financial situation is

653
00:32:32,520 --> 00:32:35,160
Speaker 1: going to be based on what the Braves do with

654
00:32:35,200 --> 00:32:37,640
Speaker 1: a couple of those reliever club options.

655
00:32:38,080 --> 00:32:40,440
Speaker 3: Yeah, it'll be very similar to the Travis Darnaut situation

656
00:32:40,640 --> 00:32:44,400
Speaker 3: last year where we're like, oh, oh, they just they

657
00:32:44,400 --> 00:32:47,720
Speaker 3: didn't even pick up that option. They obviously need the money.

658
00:32:47,840 --> 00:32:49,920
Speaker 3: If we get to like the fifth day after the

659
00:32:49,960 --> 00:32:53,200
Speaker 3: World Series and like Pierce Johnson has been his option

660
00:32:53,280 --> 00:32:55,920
Speaker 3: has been declined, You're right, that's going to be an

661
00:32:55,960 --> 00:32:58,240
Speaker 3: indication of kind of where we're headed and what they need.

662
00:32:58,640 --> 00:33:02,720
Speaker 3: So just to recap for everybody, that was fifteen players

663
00:33:02,760 --> 00:33:08,040
Speaker 3: on guaranteed contracts for twenty twenty six. Those fifteen players, again,

664
00:33:08,120 --> 00:33:10,600
Speaker 3: this is including all of the guys with options being

665
00:33:10,680 --> 00:33:14,480
Speaker 3: picked up. Those fifteen players make two hundred and.

666
00:33:14,440 --> 00:33:17,440
Speaker 2: Five million dollars for next season.

667
00:33:17,760 --> 00:33:21,080
Speaker 3: Now, you can subtract him if you want, because he's

668
00:33:21,120 --> 00:33:23,440
Speaker 3: the only in there with a player option. If you

669
00:33:23,480 --> 00:33:27,920
Speaker 3: subtract him, then it's fourteen players making basically one hundred

670
00:33:27,920 --> 00:33:30,600
Speaker 3: and ninety million, one hundred and eighty nine million. So

671
00:33:30,960 --> 00:33:33,360
Speaker 3: however you think that situation is gonna go, you can

672
00:33:33,400 --> 00:33:35,640
Speaker 3: change it depending on that. But that's where the Braves

673
00:33:35,640 --> 00:33:38,880
Speaker 3: are right now in terms of guaranteed contracts. And for

674
00:33:39,600 --> 00:33:45,160
Speaker 3: a context, last year, they ended the season around two

675
00:33:45,240 --> 00:33:48,120
Speaker 3: hundred and fifteen million dollars in terms of cash payrol.

676
00:33:48,160 --> 00:33:51,400
Speaker 3: It's tough to get an exact number. They added so

677
00:33:51,600 --> 00:33:55,520
Speaker 3: many players via the waiver wire last year, it's tough

678
00:33:55,520 --> 00:33:57,680
Speaker 3: to always get like the exact number of what they

679
00:33:57,720 --> 00:34:01,000
Speaker 3: paid versus what the other team paid. You know, you

680
00:34:01,080 --> 00:34:03,000
Speaker 3: got to put a margin of ara of like five

681
00:34:03,040 --> 00:34:06,600
Speaker 3: million dollars in there, but around two hundred and fifteen million,

682
00:34:06,960 --> 00:34:09,120
Speaker 3: Between two hundred and fifteen and two hundred and twenty million,

683
00:34:09,120 --> 00:34:12,320
Speaker 3: I'm comfortable saying is where they ended twenty twenty five.

684
00:34:13,200 --> 00:34:16,600
Speaker 3: And with if Kim comes back at sixteen million with

685
00:34:16,760 --> 00:34:19,919
Speaker 3: just fifteen players, they're already at two hundred and four

686
00:34:20,000 --> 00:34:24,399
Speaker 3: two hundred and five million dollars. So if they want

687
00:34:24,440 --> 00:34:29,120
Speaker 3: to add anything significant this offseason, and again that's before

688
00:34:29,160 --> 00:34:31,040
Speaker 3: we get into any of the arbitration guys, because we

689
00:34:31,080 --> 00:34:32,680
Speaker 3: don't know which ones they're going to pick up, before

690
00:34:32,680 --> 00:34:35,480
Speaker 3: we get any of the pre arb guys. If they

691
00:34:35,520 --> 00:34:38,759
Speaker 3: want to add something significant this offseason, the bottom line

692
00:34:38,800 --> 00:34:41,600
Speaker 3: is they're gonna have to raise payroll because they just

693
00:34:41,640 --> 00:34:45,120
Speaker 3: don't have enough room. I think people might be surprised

694
00:34:45,160 --> 00:34:47,640
Speaker 3: by how much money they already have guaranteed for next

695
00:34:47,680 --> 00:34:50,160
Speaker 3: year relative to what they spent in twenty twenty five.

696
00:34:51,280 --> 00:34:53,759
Speaker 3: I mean, I I've looked at I've looked at this

697
00:34:53,840 --> 00:34:56,840
Speaker 3: list a lot. I've done this breakdown a few times.

698
00:34:57,200 --> 00:34:59,600
Speaker 3: I can't come up with any other conclusion. Then, if

699
00:34:59,640 --> 00:35:01,960
Speaker 3: the Brave want to get aggressive with some additions this winter,

700
00:35:02,320 --> 00:35:04,240
Speaker 3: they're gonna have to add They're gonna have to raise payrol.

701
00:35:05,280 --> 00:35:06,000
Speaker 4: Yeah, that's right.

702
00:35:06,080 --> 00:35:07,880
Speaker 1: So we are going to take a quick break to

703
00:35:07,920 --> 00:35:10,480
Speaker 1: hear another word from our partners on the podcast. But

704
00:35:10,760 --> 00:35:12,360
Speaker 1: when we come back, Steve and I are going to

705
00:35:12,440 --> 00:35:16,560
Speaker 1: talk about some of those arbitration eligible and pre or players,

706
00:35:16,800 --> 00:35:18,960
Speaker 1: and then also just kind of give our big picture

707
00:35:19,040 --> 00:35:21,799
Speaker 1: takes on the team and some things we're hoping to

708
00:35:21,840 --> 00:35:24,719
Speaker 1: see this offseason. We right back after a word from

709
00:35:24,719 --> 00:35:25,320
Speaker 1: our partners.

710
00:35:26,120 --> 00:35:30,320
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711
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Speaker 1: All right, Stephen, we are back, and we're back in

731
00:36:30,320 --> 00:36:32,760
Speaker 1: the Hammer Territory podcast presented.

732
00:36:32,360 --> 00:36:33,560
Speaker 4: By Fox One.

733
00:36:34,120 --> 00:36:37,040
Speaker 1: Now we are going to take probably a quicker look

734
00:36:37,360 --> 00:36:39,879
Speaker 1: at the back end of this roster with the pre

735
00:36:40,040 --> 00:36:43,120
Speaker 1: arbitration players who are very cheap next year, as well

736
00:36:43,160 --> 00:36:45,480
Speaker 1: as a couple of decisions they have to make with

737
00:36:45,640 --> 00:36:47,439
Speaker 1: arbitration eligible players.

738
00:36:48,960 --> 00:36:49,200
Speaker 2: Yeah.

739
00:36:49,239 --> 00:36:53,640
Speaker 3: So obviously, and I hope people kind of know this

740
00:36:53,680 --> 00:36:56,839
Speaker 3: by now, but arbitration is three years of service time

741
00:36:56,920 --> 00:36:58,800
Speaker 3: between three years of service time and six years of

742
00:36:58,840 --> 00:37:04,120
Speaker 3: service time. The pre arbitration players are zero years of

743
00:37:04,120 --> 00:37:07,480
Speaker 3: service time to three years of service time. So the

744
00:37:08,239 --> 00:37:13,839
Speaker 3: critical pre arbitration players that we're talking about are the Drake, Baldwin's,

745
00:37:14,520 --> 00:37:19,399
Speaker 3: the Spitcher, swollen Box, the Grant Homes. You know, if

746
00:37:19,480 --> 00:37:23,200
Speaker 3: Nachall Alvarez is on the roster, then obviously he's a

747
00:37:23,360 --> 00:37:25,800
Speaker 3: you know, and pre arbitration is about.

748
00:37:25,600 --> 00:37:28,000
Speaker 2: Eight hundred K is the league minimum.

749
00:37:28,040 --> 00:37:30,160
Speaker 3: So a good way an easy way to think about

750
00:37:30,160 --> 00:37:33,319
Speaker 3: that as every four pre arbitration guys you have on

751
00:37:33,360 --> 00:37:36,120
Speaker 3: your roster is about three million bucks added to payrol.

752
00:37:36,520 --> 00:37:39,000
Speaker 2: So that's how I typically think about it in my head.

753
00:37:39,239 --> 00:37:41,480
Speaker 3: So if you think of just those four pre ARB

754
00:37:41,520 --> 00:37:48,480
Speaker 3: guys right off the top, Baldwin, Schwellenbach, Nach, all Alvarez,

755
00:37:48,520 --> 00:37:51,440
Speaker 3: and Grant Holmes, that's three million bucks added to payroll.

756
00:37:51,680 --> 00:37:54,480
Speaker 3: So again, we're gonna go through these very quickly. Anybody

757
00:37:54,520 --> 00:37:58,000
Speaker 3: on that list of players you have any thoughts on whatsoever?

758
00:37:58,680 --> 00:38:02,200
Speaker 1: No, no one really, I mean health permitting. They should

759
00:38:02,239 --> 00:38:04,879
Speaker 1: all be in for good to great seasons. Other than

760
00:38:04,880 --> 00:38:06,680
Speaker 1: maybe like Nacho, we'll see if he's on the big

761
00:38:06,719 --> 00:38:09,319
Speaker 1: league rouster. But yeah, I mean, let's get Schwambach back

762
00:38:09,320 --> 00:38:11,840
Speaker 1: and healthy, Let's get Baldwin out there for one hundred

763
00:38:11,840 --> 00:38:14,719
Speaker 1: and forty games. Let's not have a sophomore slump, which

764
00:38:14,719 --> 00:38:17,360
Speaker 1: I think is often overlooked in baseball because it feels

765
00:38:17,360 --> 00:38:20,240
Speaker 1: like that happens more often than maybe folks should realize.

766
00:38:20,239 --> 00:38:22,800
Speaker 1: But yeah, good group of young, cheap controlled players.

767
00:38:23,080 --> 00:38:27,319
Speaker 3: And I will say that those salaries are you know,

768
00:38:27,440 --> 00:38:31,120
Speaker 3: it's assuming they're a contract extension is not worked out

769
00:38:31,160 --> 00:38:33,840
Speaker 3: with any of them, and obviously that could change, especially

770
00:38:33,840 --> 00:38:36,919
Speaker 3: with this franchise, that could change tomorrow. They might sign

771
00:38:37,000 --> 00:38:39,480
Speaker 3: Drake Baldwin. Tomorrow to a contract extension, and how much

772
00:38:39,520 --> 00:38:42,640
Speaker 3: money he makes in twenty twenty six changes. So as

773
00:38:42,680 --> 00:38:45,640
Speaker 3: it stands now, those those level players are making about

774
00:38:45,680 --> 00:38:48,680
Speaker 3: eight hundred k next year. And again every four that

775
00:38:48,719 --> 00:38:50,680
Speaker 3: you have on the team is about three million bucks.

776
00:38:50,840 --> 00:38:52,799
Speaker 3: So now we're gonna get to the arbitration guys. And

777
00:38:52,840 --> 00:38:55,960
Speaker 3: the arbitration guys it's it's much more complicated. I'm not

778
00:38:56,040 --> 00:38:58,359
Speaker 3: gonna go through the whole arbitration process on here. It's

779
00:38:58,360 --> 00:39:01,799
Speaker 3: basically they use a store norms. They come up with

780
00:39:02,040 --> 00:39:03,520
Speaker 3: a number of the player comes up with the number

781
00:39:03,520 --> 00:39:05,160
Speaker 3: of the team comes on the number. If they can't

782
00:39:05,160 --> 00:39:06,799
Speaker 3: agree on the number, it goes to a panel. The

783
00:39:06,800 --> 00:39:07,640
Speaker 3: panel has to pick.

784
00:39:07,480 --> 00:39:08,120
Speaker 2: One of the numbers.

785
00:39:08,440 --> 00:39:11,759
Speaker 3: It's it's needlessly complicated. I don't understand why they do

786
00:39:11,760 --> 00:39:12,239
Speaker 3: it this way.

787
00:39:12,560 --> 00:39:15,000
Speaker 2: But the critical guys.

788
00:39:14,719 --> 00:39:17,920
Speaker 3: On the list for the Braves are and this is

789
00:39:18,280 --> 00:39:20,560
Speaker 3: we're gonna go in kind of order of likelihood. Dylan

790
00:39:20,640 --> 00:39:23,759
Speaker 3: Lee in his projection MLB Trade Rummers, does a great

791
00:39:23,800 --> 00:39:24,799
Speaker 3: job of projecting these.

792
00:39:24,960 --> 00:39:27,320
Speaker 2: His projection for next year is about two million bucks.

793
00:39:27,880 --> 00:39:30,560
Speaker 3: Eli White at about a million bucks one point two.

794
00:39:31,160 --> 00:39:34,279
Speaker 3: Nick Allen at one point five is gonna be fascinating

795
00:39:34,280 --> 00:39:37,680
Speaker 3: with Hasan Kim. Joey Wentz at one point one is

796
00:39:37,719 --> 00:39:40,360
Speaker 3: gonna be fascinating because he has no minor league options.

797
00:39:40,440 --> 00:39:43,800
Speaker 3: Keep that in mind. Jake Fraley at almost four million

798
00:39:44,400 --> 00:39:47,160
Speaker 3: is where we're gonna start seeing maybe some squeeze if

799
00:39:47,160 --> 00:39:49,480
Speaker 3: they have other stuff they need to do. And then

800
00:39:49,520 --> 00:39:52,000
Speaker 3: you get into like the Joel Piamps at three and

801
00:39:52,000 --> 00:39:53,920
Speaker 3: a half million. My guess is he gets non tendered.

802
00:39:53,960 --> 00:39:56,640
Speaker 3: But we'll see Alex Manoa at two point two man

803
00:39:56,760 --> 00:40:02,719
Speaker 3: could be fascinating. Viidol Bruhan, whatever you know. Suarez one

804
00:40:02,719 --> 00:40:06,160
Speaker 3: point five, I doubt it. Anybody on that list jump

805
00:40:06,160 --> 00:40:06,600
Speaker 3: off to you.

806
00:40:07,960 --> 00:40:09,920
Speaker 1: Yeah, I mean I think just to go through quickly.

807
00:40:10,200 --> 00:40:11,840
Speaker 4: Dylan Lee no brainer.

808
00:40:12,480 --> 00:40:14,880
Speaker 1: I think Eli White is a no brainer with his

809
00:40:15,239 --> 00:40:17,759
Speaker 1: ability to play everywhere, and I mean the guy just

810
00:40:17,840 --> 00:40:20,880
Speaker 1: flies on the bases. And I mean I think Eli

811
00:40:20,920 --> 00:40:23,480
Speaker 1: White is maybe not a lock for this roster, but

812
00:40:23,680 --> 00:40:24,239
Speaker 1: very likely.

813
00:40:25,000 --> 00:40:25,760
Speaker 4: I think Nick.

814
00:40:25,600 --> 00:40:28,000
Speaker 1: Allen, even at a million, million and a half, I

815
00:40:28,000 --> 00:40:30,560
Speaker 1: think he's likely to come back just because his glove

816
00:40:30,640 --> 00:40:33,520
Speaker 1: is so elite. You could play him. I mean you

817
00:40:33,520 --> 00:40:35,480
Speaker 1: could play him at second, you could play him at short,

818
00:40:35,520 --> 00:40:37,879
Speaker 1: you could play him at third. Obviously, you don't want

819
00:40:37,960 --> 00:40:41,040
Speaker 1: Nick Allen's bad out there. But you know, let's say

820
00:40:41,080 --> 00:40:43,799
Speaker 1: the Brave signed has On Kim and Kim rolls his

821
00:40:43,840 --> 00:40:46,560
Speaker 1: ankle in June and you need Nick Allen to be

822
00:40:46,600 --> 00:40:49,560
Speaker 1: your shortstop for three weeks. That that's not gonna kill you.

823
00:40:49,600 --> 00:40:52,960
Speaker 1: Like the Braves would be okay in that scenario. Yeah,

824
00:40:53,000 --> 00:40:55,560
Speaker 1: So that group, I think Lee White and Allen are

825
00:40:55,600 --> 00:40:59,439
Speaker 1: all locks. My guess on Joey Wentz, I think Joey

826
00:40:59,520 --> 00:41:02,920
Speaker 1: Wentz will be back with the Braves, but my hunch

827
00:41:03,120 --> 00:41:06,440
Speaker 1: is they will not tender him arbitration because he does

828
00:41:06,480 --> 00:41:10,160
Speaker 1: not have minor league options and work out even if

829
00:41:10,200 --> 00:41:12,200
Speaker 1: they want to pay him a million dollars, but like

830
00:41:12,320 --> 00:41:15,279
Speaker 1: rework it as a two way contract so he can

831
00:41:15,280 --> 00:41:17,880
Speaker 1: go to the miners. Because I just can't see a

832
00:41:17,920 --> 00:41:21,960
Speaker 1: scenario where Joey Wentz is in this rotation come opening day.

833
00:41:22,000 --> 00:41:24,000
Speaker 1: But it would be awesome to have him around, and

834
00:41:24,280 --> 00:41:26,680
Speaker 1: I would think because he had some success, Wentz would

835
00:41:26,680 --> 00:41:29,560
Speaker 1: be up for a contract like that. And then Jake

836
00:41:29,640 --> 00:41:33,920
Speaker 1: Frayley for three and a half million. I'm personally not

837
00:41:34,040 --> 00:41:36,920
Speaker 1: really interested at that level. I think if you if

838
00:41:36,960 --> 00:41:40,120
Speaker 1: the Braves are in love with Jake Frayley. They will

839
00:41:40,160 --> 00:41:44,000
Speaker 1: have an opportunity to deal with him in January and February.

840
00:41:44,239 --> 00:41:46,840
Speaker 1: I don't think Jake Frayley's gonna have twenty five teams

841
00:41:46,840 --> 00:41:50,560
Speaker 1: calling his agent if the Braves decline to tender him arbitration.

842
00:41:50,880 --> 00:41:53,120
Speaker 1: But if you want Freyley, I think there'd be an

843
00:41:53,120 --> 00:41:55,840
Speaker 1: opportunity to bring him back at a similar amount to

844
00:41:55,920 --> 00:41:58,080
Speaker 1: three and a half million dollars.

845
00:41:58,640 --> 00:42:02,560
Speaker 3: Yeah, Freiley is the like dylanly is a no brainer.

846
00:42:02,920 --> 00:42:05,480
Speaker 3: Like you said, I think why I agree with you.

847
00:42:05,640 --> 00:42:07,920
Speaker 3: Eli White is a hell of a bench piece like I,

848
00:42:08,000 --> 00:42:10,840
Speaker 3: can play all three outfield spots, apparently could play shortstop,

849
00:42:10,880 --> 00:42:12,399
Speaker 3: which I learned in twenty twenty five.

850
00:42:12,440 --> 00:42:14,239
Speaker 4: I didn't know that because at least he can do

851
00:42:14,280 --> 00:42:16,440
Speaker 4: a home run. I mean he's got to.

852
00:42:16,840 --> 00:42:20,400
Speaker 3: He had ten homers last year I think, and in

853
00:42:20,640 --> 00:42:22,520
Speaker 3: not a full time role either, So I think that's

854
00:42:22,560 --> 00:42:25,080
Speaker 3: a no brainer. I think he's a really good bench piece.

855
00:42:26,560 --> 00:42:29,400
Speaker 3: Nick Allen at one point five is interesting because I

856
00:42:29,520 --> 00:42:32,360
Speaker 3: and I said this to Brad, if you sign Kim,

857
00:42:32,920 --> 00:42:35,200
Speaker 3: I just don't know having a glove only player on

858
00:42:35,239 --> 00:42:37,759
Speaker 3: the bench what he provides if you're never gonna use

859
00:42:37,840 --> 00:42:39,640
Speaker 3: him in that role, Because if you signed Kim to

860
00:42:39,680 --> 00:42:42,080
Speaker 3: a big number. It's not like you're bringing Kim out

861
00:42:42,080 --> 00:42:44,239
Speaker 3: of the game in the eighth and ninth innings. He's

862
00:42:44,239 --> 00:42:47,120
Speaker 3: gonna play. So I don't know what a I said

863
00:42:47,120 --> 00:42:49,160
Speaker 3: this when they benched Orlando last year, like if you

864
00:42:49,160 --> 00:42:52,399
Speaker 3: can't hit off the bench, I don't know. I don't

865
00:42:52,440 --> 00:42:55,160
Speaker 3: know how much I love you on the bench because

866
00:42:55,200 --> 00:42:56,880
Speaker 3: your glove never really gets used.

867
00:42:57,440 --> 00:42:59,120
Speaker 2: We'll see. I could be talked into it.

868
00:42:59,560 --> 00:43:02,920
Speaker 3: But yeah, freely at three million is the is the

869
00:43:03,120 --> 00:43:05,520
Speaker 3: fascinating one because I was just doing math in my

870
00:43:05,560 --> 00:43:08,040
Speaker 3: head as you were talking. So let's say they do

871
00:43:08,280 --> 00:43:10,400
Speaker 3: they say they have four or five pre ARP guys

872
00:43:10,440 --> 00:43:13,480
Speaker 3: making a total of like three four million bucks. And

873
00:43:13,560 --> 00:43:16,200
Speaker 3: let's say they pick up Dylan Lee, Eli White, Nick Allen,

874
00:43:16,239 --> 00:43:18,080
Speaker 3: and Joy Wentz. Let's say those are the only ones

875
00:43:18,120 --> 00:43:21,680
Speaker 3: they pick up. Well, right there, that's two hundred and

876
00:43:21,719 --> 00:43:25,920
Speaker 3: fifteen million dollars in payroll for everybody they guaranteed contracts,

877
00:43:26,160 --> 00:43:28,360
Speaker 3: the pre arb and the arbitration guys two hundred and

878
00:43:28,360 --> 00:43:30,080
Speaker 3: fifteen million, which is right where they were at the

879
00:43:30,120 --> 00:43:33,239
Speaker 3: end of last year. That would be fascinating. If they're

880
00:43:33,280 --> 00:43:37,320
Speaker 3: already starting two thousand, they're already starting the off season

881
00:43:38,120 --> 00:43:40,040
Speaker 3: with a payroll that ended last season.

882
00:43:41,920 --> 00:43:44,200
Speaker 2: What do you think where do you think payroll is

883
00:43:44,239 --> 00:43:47,160
Speaker 2: gonna go? Do you think they're how how aggressive are

884
00:43:47,160 --> 00:43:49,800
Speaker 2: we getting in twenty twenty six? What's your best guess?

885
00:43:50,320 --> 00:43:54,520
Speaker 1: What is the office complex situation in the greater Atlanta area?

886
00:43:54,560 --> 00:43:56,399
Speaker 2: How many buildings are for sale?

887
00:43:56,760 --> 00:44:01,520
Speaker 1: How many office spaces with really nice employee lounges and

888
00:44:02,200 --> 00:44:03,840
Speaker 1: fancy water fountains?

889
00:44:03,840 --> 00:44:03,960
Speaker 4: Like?

890
00:44:04,000 --> 00:44:07,960
Speaker 1: Surely, what is the fact machine situation to That's right,

891
00:44:08,680 --> 00:44:14,360
Speaker 1: Braves holding LLC is licking their chops. In all seriousness,

892
00:44:15,400 --> 00:44:18,520
Speaker 1: the Braves reset the luxury tax last offseason.

893
00:44:18,840 --> 00:44:19,160
Speaker 4: Correct.

894
00:44:20,080 --> 00:44:22,400
Speaker 1: I know that Alex and Thopolis will take to his

895
00:44:22,520 --> 00:44:25,400
Speaker 1: grave that they didn't care about the luxury tax for

896
00:44:25,440 --> 00:44:28,600
Speaker 1: the third year they had a player. They were working

897
00:44:28,600 --> 00:44:30,319
Speaker 1: on a deal that would have taken him over the tax.

898
00:44:30,560 --> 00:44:31,640
Speaker 4: That's all good and dandy.

899
00:44:31,719 --> 00:44:33,759
Speaker 1: If Alex wants to come on the show and show

900
00:44:33,840 --> 00:44:35,600
Speaker 1: us his notebook of what he was playing to do,

901
00:44:36,120 --> 00:44:40,799
Speaker 1: by all means open in by open. But I think

902
00:44:40,880 --> 00:44:45,480
Speaker 1: it was a clear decision to reset the tax and

903
00:44:45,520 --> 00:44:51,279
Speaker 1: to not pay a penalty. So my optimistic hope and

904
00:44:51,320 --> 00:44:53,560
Speaker 1: what I truly believe is that payroll is going to

905
00:44:53,600 --> 00:44:58,800
Speaker 1: go up the number of like two hundred and forty

906
00:44:58,840 --> 00:45:02,640
Speaker 1: two hundred and fifty MILLI feels very appropriate to me.

907
00:45:02,920 --> 00:45:05,840
Speaker 1: That would be that'd be a healthy increase of fifteen

908
00:45:05,880 --> 00:45:08,879
Speaker 1: to twenty percent. But you don't have the tax considerations

909
00:45:08,880 --> 00:45:12,080
Speaker 1: for at least one year, and they had the All

910
00:45:12,080 --> 00:45:15,040
Speaker 1: Star Game, which brought in money, and the front office

911
00:45:15,120 --> 00:45:18,680
Speaker 1: and ownership felt on the bottom line a decline in

912
00:45:18,680 --> 00:45:20,840
Speaker 1: ticket sales or they're going to feel a decline in

913
00:45:20,880 --> 00:45:23,040
Speaker 1: ticket sales in the second half.

914
00:45:22,920 --> 00:45:24,640
Speaker 4: Because the team wasn't good.

915
00:45:24,880 --> 00:45:28,400
Speaker 1: The Surest Park has been basically sold out every weekend

916
00:45:28,520 --> 00:45:32,440
Speaker 1: series for six years, and it was not I mean

917
00:45:32,480 --> 00:45:35,600
Speaker 1: you look at the crowd shots in August and September.

918
00:45:35,640 --> 00:45:37,640
Speaker 1: I mean there were a lot of seats open. Now

919
00:45:37,800 --> 00:45:39,879
Speaker 1: maybe those seats have been sold and people didn't want

920
00:45:39,920 --> 00:45:41,680
Speaker 1: to go to the park, but then you're losing out

921
00:45:41,680 --> 00:45:45,360
Speaker 1: of concessions and parking and all that revenue. So my

922
00:45:46,080 --> 00:45:50,640
Speaker 1: sincere hope is that they raised payroll a healthy amount

923
00:45:50,920 --> 00:45:53,520
Speaker 1: to let alex Enthopolis do what he needs to do

924
00:45:54,080 --> 00:45:56,120
Speaker 1: to get this roster from a I think a good

925
00:45:56,160 --> 00:45:59,120
Speaker 1: one right now, Like objectively, this is a pretty good roster.

926
00:45:59,840 --> 00:46:01,839
Speaker 1: I think it can be a great one, and it's

927
00:46:01,840 --> 00:46:03,279
Speaker 1: not like they need to go out and spend a

928
00:46:03,360 --> 00:46:06,200
Speaker 1: trillion dollars this offseason in order to make it happen.

929
00:46:07,840 --> 00:46:09,439
Speaker 2: Yeah, So two thoughts there.

930
00:46:10,000 --> 00:46:12,600
Speaker 3: One, that's why we keep talking about ways to clear

931
00:46:12,640 --> 00:46:17,120
Speaker 3: payroll if they want to Aaron Bummer being like, maybe

932
00:46:17,120 --> 00:46:18,959
Speaker 3: you don't want to start the season at two hundred

933
00:46:18,960 --> 00:46:21,040
Speaker 3: and fifteen, which is where you ended last year. Like,

934
00:46:21,080 --> 00:46:23,200
Speaker 3: if you don't want, if you want more room than that,

935
00:46:23,640 --> 00:46:26,640
Speaker 3: then you can always clear payroll. And there's some places

936
00:46:26,640 --> 00:46:29,640
Speaker 3: to go in the roster where you can do that. Two,

937
00:46:30,280 --> 00:46:32,520
Speaker 3: because the Braves are a publicly traded company, we are

938
00:46:32,560 --> 00:46:36,040
Speaker 3: going to learn when they do their Q three financial report,

939
00:46:36,040 --> 00:46:38,719
Speaker 3: which comes out in the middle of November, and Q

940
00:46:38,800 --> 00:46:41,680
Speaker 3: three is July, August, and September, which is when the

941
00:46:41,680 --> 00:46:44,799
Speaker 3: Braves are non competitive. We're gonna see exactly how much

942
00:46:44,840 --> 00:46:49,480
Speaker 3: revenue they how much their revenue dropped really at the

943
00:46:49,480 --> 00:46:51,680
Speaker 3: beginning of the off season. Well know, I mean, it's

944
00:46:51,719 --> 00:46:54,680
Speaker 3: one of the few advantages of having your team be

945
00:46:54,719 --> 00:46:56,960
Speaker 3: a publican traded companies. We get a full look at

946
00:46:57,000 --> 00:47:00,520
Speaker 3: their revenue. Most teams don't get that. Basically, teams get

947
00:47:00,560 --> 00:47:03,640
Speaker 3: that so we're gonna see exactly how much revenue dropped

948
00:47:03,640 --> 00:47:07,480
Speaker 3: in July, August, and September. I was at a couple

949
00:47:07,560 --> 00:47:10,080
Speaker 3: of those games. One of them was on a Friday night.

950
00:47:10,560 --> 00:47:14,360
Speaker 3: It was not even half full. This was in August

951
00:47:15,280 --> 00:47:17,160
Speaker 3: because the team was terrible and they were fifty games

952
00:47:17,160 --> 00:47:19,400
Speaker 3: out of first place. And so, yeah, you're right the revenue.

953
00:47:19,600 --> 00:47:21,800
Speaker 3: The revenue is gonna be affected in the second half.

954
00:47:23,000 --> 00:47:25,920
Speaker 3: The fact that they're already at last year's ending payroll

955
00:47:26,000 --> 00:47:31,040
Speaker 3: to start the offseason is notable to me. I don't

956
00:47:31,040 --> 00:47:32,520
Speaker 3: know what they're gonna do. I don't know where they're

957
00:47:32,560 --> 00:47:34,520
Speaker 3: gonna go. I could definitely see like a two hundred

958
00:47:34,520 --> 00:47:36,520
Speaker 3: and fifty million dollars payroll. Alex has got some things

959
00:47:36,520 --> 00:47:38,040
Speaker 3: he needs to do, like they need a starter.

960
00:47:38,520 --> 00:47:38,759
Speaker 2: I don't.

961
00:47:38,800 --> 00:47:41,360
Speaker 3: I have not talked to a single person on this podcast,

962
00:47:41,400 --> 00:47:43,920
Speaker 3: off this podcast, the people we talked to behind the scenes.

963
00:47:44,280 --> 00:47:46,440
Speaker 3: I have not talked to a single person who didn't

964
00:47:46,480 --> 00:47:50,160
Speaker 3: include a legit, like front level starting pitcher in their

965
00:47:50,280 --> 00:47:53,799
Speaker 3: needs list. And those are expensive as hell in the

966
00:47:53,840 --> 00:47:57,200
Speaker 3: free agent market. So the Braves have things they got

967
00:47:57,200 --> 00:47:59,640
Speaker 3: to spin, like Hassan Kim might cost a We talk

968
00:47:59,760 --> 00:48:01,400
Speaker 3: you and I talked about that like haslike Kim might

969
00:48:01,440 --> 00:48:03,759
Speaker 3: cost more than you think he does, Like even if

970
00:48:03,760 --> 00:48:05,719
Speaker 3: it's like sixteen seventeen, Mane, it might be for three

971
00:48:05,800 --> 00:48:09,120
Speaker 3: or four years, so we'll see. I am very curious

972
00:48:09,160 --> 00:48:11,040
Speaker 3: and I did not realize until we did this how

973
00:48:11,160 --> 00:48:14,040
Speaker 3: high payroll already was for twenty twenty six, that it

974
00:48:14,120 --> 00:48:17,080
Speaker 3: was already at like last year's ending level, because you

975
00:48:17,200 --> 00:48:19,680
Speaker 3: just think Marcelo Zuna is coming off, Rostel Glaciers is

976
00:48:19,680 --> 00:48:20,040
Speaker 3: coming off.

977
00:48:20,040 --> 00:48:22,200
Speaker 2: We got some money freed up, but there was also

978
00:48:22,200 --> 00:48:22,960
Speaker 2: some big raiss.

979
00:48:23,000 --> 00:48:26,040
Speaker 3: Spencer Streyder went up a bunch, you know, they renegotiated

980
00:48:26,040 --> 00:48:30,120
Speaker 3: this Ronaldo Lopez contracting. Now he makes more. So it's

981
00:48:30,400 --> 00:48:33,360
Speaker 3: it's gonna be a fascinating thing to watch where where

982
00:48:33,400 --> 00:48:36,280
Speaker 3: exactly payroll goes as we get the offseason started.

983
00:48:36,760 --> 00:48:41,680
Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, I mean it's it is the question because

984
00:48:41,719 --> 00:48:43,640
Speaker 1: if you're telling me that they are going to invest

985
00:48:43,680 --> 00:48:47,920
Speaker 1: what they should invest in this team, Like I mean, Steven,

986
00:48:47,960 --> 00:48:50,760
Speaker 1: there's a world where you and I are doing serie

987
00:48:50,920 --> 00:48:53,800
Speaker 1: or season predictions in March and we're like, this roster

988
00:48:53,960 --> 00:48:57,360
Speaker 1: is stacked, and yes, they need guys like Michael Harris

989
00:48:57,400 --> 00:49:00,000
Speaker 1: and Ozzi Alby's to carry their weight and be better

990
00:49:00,000 --> 00:49:01,759
Speaker 1: better than what they were for the better part of

991
00:49:01,840 --> 00:49:04,399
Speaker 1: last year. But like again, man, you add a good

992
00:49:04,440 --> 00:49:07,479
Speaker 1: starter to this rotation, add a couple of bullpen arms

993
00:49:07,560 --> 00:49:10,239
Speaker 1: or maybe mix in or you know, shift out two

994
00:49:10,239 --> 00:49:12,239
Speaker 1: of those bullpen arms we talked about and bring in

995
00:49:12,280 --> 00:49:16,400
Speaker 1: some fresh blood at a shortstop. That's a massive improvement

996
00:49:16,440 --> 00:49:21,239
Speaker 1: over what they got last year. It's you don't have

997
00:49:21,280 --> 00:49:23,759
Speaker 1: to connect too many dots to feel really good about

998
00:49:23,760 --> 00:49:26,319
Speaker 1: this team's chances next year, but they do have to

999
00:49:26,360 --> 00:49:29,319
Speaker 1: spend money. I have a hard time and I and

1000
00:49:29,960 --> 00:49:33,040
Speaker 1: rightfully so, I think this fan base is going to

1001
00:49:33,120 --> 00:49:37,600
Speaker 1: explode if they have another offseason like last one year

1002
00:49:37,800 --> 00:49:40,240
Speaker 1: where they didn't do a damn thing other than add

1003
00:49:40,520 --> 00:49:43,800
Speaker 1: a like pretty good outfielder. Rightfully, so we're going to

1004
00:49:43,840 --> 00:49:47,840
Speaker 1: crucify him on this podcast. Fans should show how angry

1005
00:49:47,840 --> 00:49:50,760
Speaker 1: they are by not buying tickets and not financially supporting.

1006
00:49:50,760 --> 00:49:52,920
Speaker 1: The tickets are expensive as hell, man, Like, if you've

1007
00:49:52,920 --> 00:49:55,719
Speaker 1: got a family of four, the proposition of taking a

1008
00:49:55,760 --> 00:49:59,640
Speaker 1: family of fod to a truest park on a Friday night, tickets, food, parking,

1009
00:49:59,680 --> 00:50:03,880
Speaker 1: team shop, that is a very hefty financial commitment. We know,

1010
00:50:04,239 --> 00:50:06,879
Speaker 1: as you said, because they're a publicly traded company, we

1011
00:50:07,000 --> 00:50:08,960
Speaker 1: know what kind of money is flowing in and out

1012
00:50:09,000 --> 00:50:12,640
Speaker 1: of this team. Spend the money, open the checkbook, pay

1013
00:50:12,680 --> 00:50:16,760
Speaker 1: the extra couple million dollars to add a good starting pitcher,

1014
00:50:17,200 --> 00:50:19,560
Speaker 1: Spend the money to get Hass on camera an equally

1015
00:50:19,600 --> 00:50:23,640
Speaker 1: good shortstop. Like the time is now, because this this

1016
00:50:23,760 --> 00:50:25,320
Speaker 1: core is not getting younger.

1017
00:50:25,880 --> 00:50:29,080
Speaker 3: Yeah, and that's the that is the critical point, is

1018
00:50:29,120 --> 00:50:33,879
Speaker 3: that this this is your window. Like you you got,

1019
00:50:34,520 --> 00:50:36,959
Speaker 3: you know, a thirty year old first basement, a twenty

1020
00:50:37,280 --> 00:50:40,040
Speaker 3: eight year old third basement, Like you're in the middle

1021
00:50:40,080 --> 00:50:44,360
Speaker 3: of your window. Like, this is why you rebuild to

1022
00:50:44,440 --> 00:50:47,320
Speaker 3: get this core of talent so that when you're here

1023
00:50:48,320 --> 00:50:51,680
Speaker 3: you can push all in and go win a World Series.

1024
00:50:51,719 --> 00:50:55,359
Speaker 3: And yeah, if they have another offseason that they had

1025
00:50:55,400 --> 00:50:57,920
Speaker 3: a last offseason where they don't don't address the pitching

1026
00:50:57,920 --> 00:51:00,920
Speaker 3: staff at all, They wait until January add one piece,

1027
00:51:02,200 --> 00:51:05,480
Speaker 3: it's good, my god, what that would be a nuclear

1028
00:51:06,280 --> 00:51:10,879
Speaker 3: reaction from the fan and deservedly so deservedly so so yeah,

1029
00:51:11,000 --> 00:51:12,920
Speaker 3: just so, just to recap the episode, we did the

1030
00:51:12,920 --> 00:51:15,919
Speaker 3: full payroll depending on how many of the arbitration guys

1031
00:51:15,960 --> 00:51:19,120
Speaker 3: they pick up. They're right around two hundred and fifteen

1032
00:51:19,120 --> 00:51:21,239
Speaker 3: million dollars, which is where they ended last Yearson, in

1033
00:51:21,320 --> 00:51:22,200
Speaker 3: terms of cash payrol.

1034
00:51:22,520 --> 00:51:23,720
Speaker 2: This is just cash payrol.

1035
00:51:24,000 --> 00:51:25,920
Speaker 3: We're not doing the whole luxury tax where we factor

1036
00:51:25,960 --> 00:51:28,839
Speaker 3: in player benefits and all that stuff. It gets way complicated.

1037
00:51:29,200 --> 00:51:30,879
Speaker 3: There's like five people on the planet that care about

1038
00:51:30,880 --> 00:51:32,960
Speaker 3: that stuff anyway. So this is cash is much easier

1039
00:51:32,960 --> 00:51:37,000
Speaker 3: to swallow, much easier to digest. Two hundred and fifty

1040
00:51:37,000 --> 00:51:38,640
Speaker 3: million is where they sit. They got a lot of

1041
00:51:38,680 --> 00:51:41,879
Speaker 3: stuff to do. There's ways to cut money. We'll see

1042
00:51:41,920 --> 00:51:42,319
Speaker 3: what they do.

1043
00:51:43,560 --> 00:51:43,799
Speaker 4: Yep.

1044
00:51:43,960 --> 00:51:46,880
Speaker 1: So as we sit here today, will time stamp this.

1045
00:51:47,000 --> 00:51:50,839
Speaker 1: It's about seven thirty Eastern time on Tuesday night. Just

1046
00:51:51,200 --> 00:51:53,520
Speaker 1: in case, inevitably when the show hits your feeds, if

1047
00:51:53,520 --> 00:51:56,400
Speaker 1: the Braves hire a manager or send out a blue

1048
00:51:56,400 --> 00:51:59,839
Speaker 1: box because they've worked at a contract extension, Hey, that's fine,

1049
00:52:00,000 --> 00:52:01,880
Speaker 1: Stephen and I will happily jump back on and do

1050
00:52:01,960 --> 00:52:06,560
Speaker 1: another show. But until then, I think everyone's kind of

1051
00:52:06,600 --> 00:52:10,040
Speaker 1: waiting anxiously. Who's going to be the manager and just

1052
00:52:10,120 --> 00:52:14,000
Speaker 1: what kind of offseason is ahead of us, and Lord

1053
00:52:14,080 --> 00:52:16,160
Speaker 1: help us all if it's a repeat of last winter.

1054
00:52:16,239 --> 00:52:20,000
Speaker 1: I mean that's going to be the grab your pitchforks

1055
00:52:20,000 --> 00:52:22,640
Speaker 1: and torches because we're you know that that would be very.

1056
00:52:22,480 --> 00:52:24,760
Speaker 2: Bad, especially for us in the content business.

1057
00:52:25,239 --> 00:52:28,120
Speaker 1: That's right, That's right. Give the people something to talk about. Alex,

1058
00:52:28,160 --> 00:52:30,719
Speaker 1: please make moves so we can do lots of fun

1059
00:52:31,320 --> 00:52:34,920
Speaker 1: emergency podcasts. All right, Stephen, That is going to do

1060
00:52:34,960 --> 00:52:39,080
Speaker 1: it for this financial breakdown of the Atlanta Braves. As always,

1061
00:52:39,120 --> 00:52:42,520
Speaker 1: a big thank you for the people for checking out

1062
00:52:42,600 --> 00:52:46,279
Speaker 1: the show. If you're an audio listener, please do us

1063
00:52:46,360 --> 00:52:49,359
Speaker 1: a gigantic favor and go over to YouTube and click

1064
00:52:49,400 --> 00:52:50,600
Speaker 1: subscribe for us.

1065
00:52:50,680 --> 00:52:51,600
Speaker 4: That really helps us.

1066
00:52:51,560 --> 00:52:54,600
Speaker 1: Grow the channel. And if you're watching on YouTube, one,

1067
00:52:54,680 --> 00:52:57,400
Speaker 1: welcome aboard. And two, if you're not already subscribed, please

1068
00:52:57,480 --> 00:53:00,360
Speaker 1: do us a big favor and hit that button.

1069
00:53:01,480 --> 00:53:01,760
Speaker 4: Four.

1070
00:53:02,200 --> 00:53:05,560
Speaker 1: Steven Tolbert, you can follow Steven on Twitter at b

1071
00:53:05,680 --> 00:53:08,480
Speaker 1: Underscore Outliers. You can follow me over there if you

1072
00:53:08,520 --> 00:53:11,880
Speaker 1: would like to hear about how great Daniel Jones is at.

1073
00:53:11,760 --> 00:53:13,600
Speaker 2: Oh Scott, My God, the Colts.

1074
00:53:13,840 --> 00:53:16,600
Speaker 4: There we go, Colts Fever taking over the Nation.

1075
00:53:17,120 --> 00:53:19,440
Speaker 1: I am at Scott Coleman fifty five. We will be

1076
00:53:19,480 --> 00:53:22,040
Speaker 1: back with more shows later in the week. Until then,

1077
00:53:22,080 --> 00:53:23,640
Speaker 1: we will see everybody, next time,