WEBVTT - What we’re hearing about the Cubs: 2016 reunion, trade chips, deadline priorities 0:00:06.200 --> 0:00:09.680 Welcome into Northside Territory File Territory Networks Cubs Podcast. I'm 0:00:09.720 --> 0:00:12.639 Zadiv Sharma with my partner Patrick Mooney. We are your 0:00:12.720 --> 0:00:17.439 Cubs beat writers over at the Athletic. Patrick. Before we 0:00:18.079 --> 0:00:21.279 get to the show, I want to direct everyone to 0:00:21.600 --> 0:00:26.439 Foul Territory Shop dot com. The shop the twenty twenty 0:00:26.440 --> 0:00:29.240 six All Star collection now at the new look site. 0:00:29.320 --> 0:00:32.519 The drop features every all Star including PCA. Keep an 0:00:32.560 --> 0:00:36.160 eye out for more officially licensed gear throughout the rest 0:00:36.240 --> 0:00:40.279 of the season and playoffs at foul Territoryshop dot com. 0:00:40.680 --> 0:00:43.280 You can scan that QR code if you're watching on 0:00:43.800 --> 0:00:49.800 YouTube right now. But that's Foul Territoryshop dot com. All right, Patrick. 0:00:51.240 --> 0:00:56.040 It was the ten year reunion this weekend of you know, 0:00:56.160 --> 0:01:01.040 the series No No Cubs fan can forget a World Series. 0:01:03.400 --> 0:01:06.760 I was not there on Saturday. You covered it. Tell 0:01:06.840 --> 0:01:10.120 us tell us about the event, tell us about the 0:01:10.760 --> 0:01:13.600 vibes and how it was. 0:01:15.959 --> 0:01:18.919 Yeah, it was hot. I think a lot of people. 0:01:20.080 --> 0:01:22.240 I it was some long nights there for the twenty 0:01:22.280 --> 0:01:28.200 sixteen crew, and they certainly enjoyed themselves out in the 0:01:28.280 --> 0:01:32.520 right Fields bleachers there. I guess our guy Nick Fredell 0:01:32.840 --> 0:01:35.880 was out there for that home run ball that Michael 0:01:35.920 --> 0:01:40.760 Bush hit that you know, Rissol did not actually catch. 0:01:40.880 --> 0:01:44.200 That was a spirited debate on our slack breaking news 0:01:44.319 --> 0:01:49.400 channel or whatever channel. It was just sort of like, wait, 0:01:49.560 --> 0:01:51.760 did this just happen? And didn't something like this happen 0:01:51.800 --> 0:01:56.400 actually last year? But just very very Rizzo, you know, 0:01:56.520 --> 0:01:59.600 man of man of the people out there. And yeah, 0:01:59.600 --> 0:02:02.640 I think it was almost you know, I think it's 0:02:02.720 --> 0:02:07.320 kind of funny to do a quote champions Gate when 0:02:07.360 --> 0:02:09.440 you have three World Series titles in one hundred and 0:02:09.480 --> 0:02:16.040 fifty years, But I thought it blends in well, just 0:02:16.120 --> 0:02:21.639 kind of visually, and I think they did a good 0:02:21.720 --> 0:02:25.040 job overall, just like kind of bringing those guys together. 0:02:25.080 --> 0:02:26.960 I mean that's I mean, that's what theo Epstein said. 0:02:27.000 --> 0:02:30.079 Like everything was first class, Like this was not a 0:02:30.160 --> 0:02:35.040 one afternoon It was really a full itinerary over multiple 0:02:35.120 --> 0:02:41.799 multiple days, families involved, you know a lot of kind 0:02:41.840 --> 0:02:47.440 of picking up where they left off, and it's almost 0:02:47.680 --> 0:02:50.800 almost fool proof in the sense like that team was 0:02:50.880 --> 0:02:56.240 just so larger than life and they just created so 0:02:56.320 --> 0:03:00.200 many great memories for Cubs fans that just like you know, 0:03:00.280 --> 0:03:04.040 putting their face on the video board or just kind 0:03:04.040 --> 0:03:06.480 of giving a glimpse of them walking out onto the field. 0:03:08.360 --> 0:03:11.720 It was a kind of an automatic slam dunk. You know, 0:03:12.440 --> 0:03:15.079 good feelings and you know the Cubs, you know, won 0:03:15.120 --> 0:03:20.040 a Series one, two games played pretty well. And yeah, 0:03:20.040 --> 0:03:23.000 there are two people that I chose to write about 0:03:23.040 --> 0:03:24.720 just because I thought they were just kind of a 0:03:24.760 --> 0:03:29.679 newsworthy angle. And I think maybe we start with David Ross. 0:03:30.520 --> 0:03:34.280 Yeah, I mean, obviously, like Ross is a it's a 0:03:34.320 --> 0:03:39.640 fascinating story, right, Like I mean, like the hero like 0:03:39.680 --> 0:03:44.520 a hero's welcome, carried off the field? Was he like 0:03:44.600 --> 0:03:46.920 carried off the field? Am I remembering this right? Yeah? Yeah? 0:03:47.040 --> 0:03:49.960 And I didn't make this up? Okay, yeah, yeah it. 0:03:50.000 --> 0:03:52.000 Sounds made up, but it really was. 0:03:52.440 --> 0:03:57.200 After you know, just like a huge figure on that 0:03:57.240 --> 0:04:01.360 World Series team obviously comes back and manages the team 0:04:01.400 --> 0:04:06.920 and is unceremoniously fired to hire Craig Counsel. Could very 0:04:07.000 --> 0:04:12.040 easily have been an awkward situation for him returning, you know, 0:04:12.240 --> 0:04:15.960 being around Jed Hoyer, the man who fired him. How 0:04:16.080 --> 0:04:20.360 was that situation? Like, what were your feelings? How was 0:04:20.680 --> 0:04:23.880 Ross kind of behaving? I guess did it feel awkward 0:04:23.880 --> 0:04:26.039 in any way? No? 0:04:26.200 --> 0:04:29.279 He was definitely in character. You know, he spoke with 0:04:29.320 --> 0:04:32.160 a group of us alongside Anthony Rizzo, so they had 0:04:32.160 --> 0:04:34.440 their kind of banter back and forth. Like you know, 0:04:34.520 --> 0:04:39.839 Rizzo was like, you know, take off your sunglasses. He 0:04:39.920 --> 0:04:44.200 used another word in front of sunglasses. When you're doing 0:04:44.200 --> 0:04:49.960 an interview. Someone asked Ross about being a coach, and 0:04:50.000 --> 0:04:51.320 he was like, I was never a coach. I was 0:04:51.360 --> 0:04:54.479 the manager. Like he has that sharpness to him, and 0:04:54.839 --> 0:04:56.919 you know, my question was just I felt it just 0:04:56.960 --> 0:04:59.320 had to be asked, like, at any point in this 0:04:59.440 --> 0:05:02.040 planning for their union, do you have any second thoughts? 0:05:02.080 --> 0:05:04.719 And he said no. He said, this is all about 0:05:04.960 --> 0:05:08.800 kind of the brotherhood they created, Like wherever these guys are, 0:05:09.080 --> 0:05:12.680 I'll drop everything and be there. You know, it's about 0:05:12.800 --> 0:05:19.039 celebrating the team's accomplishment, not really his individual feelings. He 0:05:19.080 --> 0:05:22.640 said that feels like a whole other chapter of his life. 0:05:23.880 --> 0:05:26.200 That's why he went to Cups convention in January. So 0:05:26.240 --> 0:05:30.719 I feel like there were some intermediate steps before walking 0:05:30.760 --> 0:05:34.359 out onto the Wrigley Field grass and holding the World 0:05:34.360 --> 0:05:39.000 Series trophy during the national anthem, and so you know, 0:05:39.080 --> 0:05:40.680 I think I may have said this before, but I 0:05:40.680 --> 0:05:45.960 think it's kind of like David Ross got that job. 0:05:46.240 --> 0:05:48.719 When him getting into the job, that means Joe Madden 0:05:48.760 --> 0:05:51.200 loses a job. So there was some awkwardness in how 0:05:51.200 --> 0:05:54.960 he got the job, and I understand why he was 0:05:55.040 --> 0:05:57.840 hired then, but it was sort of a very narrow 0:05:57.880 --> 0:06:01.680 criteria with a specific group of players and you know, 0:06:01.720 --> 0:06:05.920 club officials upstairs. I think, on balance, he did a 0:06:05.960 --> 0:06:09.279 pretty good job, and now, weirdly, I think he's a 0:06:09.360 --> 0:06:12.479 much more attractive candidate. I think he has a lot 0:06:12.480 --> 0:06:16.159 of really good experiences, but it seems like at the moment, 0:06:16.200 --> 0:06:19.800 at least, there isn't that same sort of mutual interests 0:06:19.880 --> 0:06:21.279 that I don't know if he has that sort of 0:06:21.320 --> 0:06:24.039 godfather figure the way that theo Epstein was to kind 0:06:24.040 --> 0:06:30.080 of like you know, annoint him, or that same set 0:06:30.120 --> 0:06:34.400 of players and coaches in front off the staff that 0:06:34.440 --> 0:06:36.520 where he can kind of be plugged in the same way. 0:06:36.560 --> 0:06:39.640 But I think he you know, he learned a lot 0:06:39.760 --> 0:06:42.880 from his time in Chicago, and you know, the sense 0:06:42.960 --> 0:06:47.560 that I got was not bitterness, It was appreciation for like, Wow, 0:06:47.600 --> 0:06:50.719 how lucky you are to be part of this team. 0:06:50.839 --> 0:06:53.080 You know that you know, he jokes about John Lester, 0:06:53.120 --> 0:06:56.000 made him a lot of money. You know, it got 0:06:56.080 --> 0:07:03.120 him in into ESPN, has this podcast through Anthony Rizzo, 0:07:03.200 --> 0:07:04.680 Like a lot of great things that in his life 0:07:04.720 --> 0:07:07.480 came through the Cubs, And I think that is the 0:07:07.760 --> 0:07:13.240 overriding feeling. But still I think the urine would have 0:07:13.240 --> 0:07:15.560 been a little different if he was still the manager, 0:07:15.720 --> 0:07:17.200 And I think these last couple of years would have 0:07:17.240 --> 0:07:19.240 felt a little different in terms of that connection to 0:07:19.280 --> 0:07:20.120 twenty sixteen. 0:07:20.760 --> 0:07:23.160 Yeah, well there's a couple of things here. We don't 0:07:23.240 --> 0:07:25.120 can get into the whole psychology of it, but it 0:07:25.160 --> 0:07:27.360 wouldn't I don't think it'd be the healthiest thing to 0:07:27.520 --> 0:07:31.000 still be upset about. Obviously, I'm assuming he wasn't thrilled 0:07:31.320 --> 0:07:33.640 at the moment and for a little while afterwards. But 0:07:33.680 --> 0:07:36.200 to hold on to that for what it would be 0:07:36.360 --> 0:07:39.600 like we'd be pushing three years now. Right since he's 0:07:39.640 --> 0:07:43.320 been fired, it's like two and a half years. Like 0:07:43.400 --> 0:07:46.680 hopefully he's moved past the whatever, the bitterness or the 0:07:46.720 --> 0:07:50.920 anger that he likely felt initially. But he also it 0:07:50.960 --> 0:07:55.760 wasn't like it was a disastrous tenure, Like he wasn't fired. Yeah, 0:07:55.880 --> 0:07:59.480 because yeah, he wasn't fired because like this is a 0:07:59.520 --> 0:08:03.160 mess and they need to find someone else. Hoyer just 0:08:03.280 --> 0:08:06.520 viewed it as an opportunity. He viewed Craig Counsel as 0:08:06.520 --> 0:08:08.200 the best manager in the game, and he went and 0:08:08.200 --> 0:08:10.560 got him, Like you get it. It was pretty like 0:08:11.560 --> 0:08:15.840 it was devoid of like sentimentality, or you could argue 0:08:15.880 --> 0:08:18.720 it was a callous move whatever, but he went and 0:08:18.760 --> 0:08:21.480 did what he thought was best for the organization at 0:08:21.520 --> 0:08:25.960 the time. Yeah, it is interesting that he's not more 0:08:26.000 --> 0:08:30.520 talked about as a potential manager though for other teams. 0:08:31.120 --> 0:08:34.120 You're right, like he doesn't have that connection that theo 0:08:34.200 --> 0:08:38.000 Epstein connects connection that he obviously had with the Cubs. 0:08:39.120 --> 0:08:41.360 But yeah, no, I'm not surprised that he's not like 0:08:41.679 --> 0:08:45.200 lamenting it and sitting there bitter still like he's He's 0:08:45.520 --> 0:08:49.199 is a guy that can spin things pretty positively. He's 0:08:49.200 --> 0:08:51.720 also a very confident guy. I don't think he thinks 0:08:51.760 --> 0:08:55.040 he's like like, he believes he's a good manager and 0:08:55.320 --> 0:08:58.560 he's better than he was even when he was managing 0:08:58.640 --> 0:09:01.640 the Cubs, Like he learned something from that tenure. I like, 0:09:01.720 --> 0:09:04.440 he's not looking to, like, you know, take a minor 0:09:04.520 --> 0:09:06.960 league job or something like that. I think he believes 0:09:06.960 --> 0:09:10.160 he's a good manager and deserves another shot at it, 0:09:10.240 --> 0:09:13.600 so someone that didn't sound like he was ready to 0:09:13.600 --> 0:09:15.960 get back in the game as far as running things 0:09:16.960 --> 0:09:21.320 theo Epstein, you asked him about the potential of him being, 0:09:21.720 --> 0:09:23.720 you know, running baseball ops somewhere again. 0:09:25.400 --> 0:09:27.960 Yeah, I felt I needed just that quote on the 0:09:28.000 --> 0:09:32.200 record for whenever hiring and firing season really starts up again. 0:09:32.480 --> 0:09:36.000 And obviously he has a minority ownership stake in the 0:09:36.040 --> 0:09:40.120 Red Sox, so like there's like eight steps ahead. But 0:09:40.120 --> 0:09:42.960 I'm assuming you'd have to unwind that if you wanted 0:09:42.960 --> 0:09:48.160 to join another major league team. But yeah, he's very 0:09:48.280 --> 0:09:51.840 comfortable in his life on the East Coast, with a 0:09:51.880 --> 0:09:58.720 mix of personal and professional responsibilities, spending time with his family. 0:09:59.320 --> 0:10:01.280 He's really enjoyed that. 0:10:02.760 --> 0:10:02.960 You know. 0:10:03.920 --> 0:10:09.040 I think one way he sort of marks this ten 0:10:09.080 --> 0:10:11.800 year reunion is you know, when the Cubs one sixteen, 0:10:12.360 --> 0:10:15.959 you know he's sitting there with his older son viewing 0:10:15.960 --> 0:10:19.360 it through his eyes, and you know he is now 0:10:20.120 --> 0:10:24.320 preparing to go off to college. And so that's kind 0:10:24.320 --> 0:10:27.000 of how how time flies. And I don't know, I 0:10:27.040 --> 0:10:30.880 just wanted to ask it because you know, Ross felt 0:10:30.880 --> 0:10:34.280 that deep connection to THEO, like THEO had this swagger, 0:10:34.760 --> 0:10:39.600 this confidence, this gravitas about him, that he was never 0:10:39.640 --> 0:10:44.320 a player, but he could always just sort of say 0:10:44.559 --> 0:10:48.200 screw it, like he could always walk away or he 0:10:48.320 --> 0:10:52.360 could you know, go at. He could manage up, he 0:10:52.360 --> 0:10:54.640 could manage down. He could speak to the media in 0:10:54.720 --> 0:10:57.920 ways that not everyone can. He could talk to players 0:10:57.960 --> 0:11:00.839 in ways that not everyone can. I should at as well. 0:11:01.559 --> 0:11:06.640 And so Ross felt that with THEO, I think more 0:11:06.679 --> 0:11:10.000 than Jed, even though they had a fairly good relationship 0:11:10.040 --> 0:11:13.720 going into it, like that was Theo's higher even if 0:11:13.800 --> 0:11:17.600 Jed you know, signed off on it after twenty nineteen. 0:11:17.800 --> 0:11:22.640 And so just hearing THEO, you know talk about you know, 0:11:22.679 --> 0:11:26.400 being background the guys and you know, telling the old 0:11:27.080 --> 0:11:31.040 old stories and getting a run around Chicago for a 0:11:31.080 --> 0:11:34.880 couple late nights, I was just curious if if that 0:11:34.960 --> 0:11:37.720 got the competitive juices flowing again. The Red Sox are 0:11:37.760 --> 0:11:40.520 playing a lot better now. I think maybe the quote 0:11:40.520 --> 0:11:43.120 would have been viewed differently if they were still in 0:11:43.200 --> 0:11:48.079 a tailspin. But no, he's you know, he felt liberation 0:11:48.320 --> 0:11:50.720 was the word he used when the Cubs won in sixteen, 0:11:50.800 --> 0:11:53.040 knowing that that would give him the freedom to walk 0:11:53.080 --> 0:11:56.920 away whenever he wanted, if they hadn't won. He never 0:11:56.920 --> 0:11:59.160 would have walked away voluntarily. He knew that was like 0:11:59.440 --> 0:12:02.719 the job to do. So I don't know, something to 0:12:02.800 --> 0:12:06.280 keep in the back of your mind, you know, I 0:12:06.320 --> 0:12:09.680 thought it was worth asking, Like, if he's standing there, 0:12:10.160 --> 0:12:14.360 I had to look forward somehow. I don't know how 0:12:14.400 --> 0:12:20.080 many of those opportunities will become available this offseason. I 0:12:20.080 --> 0:12:23.680 guess the Angels are kind of in transition. I guess 0:12:23.720 --> 0:12:28.200 the Padres are in the process of finalizing a sale. 0:12:28.800 --> 0:12:33.840 But you know, you can afford to be juicy. So like, 0:12:33.920 --> 0:12:37.240 whatever jobs are out there, there are very few that 0:12:37.240 --> 0:12:41.400 would appeal to him, just in an abstract sense. And 0:12:41.440 --> 0:12:44.840 so it sounds like, you know, he's pretty set on 0:12:45.440 --> 0:12:48.680 continuing in this role with the Fenway Sports Group. 0:12:49.200 --> 0:12:51.800 Yeah. No, it really like I'm not sure what more 0:12:51.840 --> 0:12:54.560 he has to prove there. Maybe just them, like you said, 0:12:54.559 --> 0:12:57.640 the competitive juices. That's the only thing I could imagine 0:12:57.720 --> 0:13:00.520 him just want like wanting that competitiveness and like to 0:13:00.559 --> 0:13:03.360 be in the mix again. But it makes sense for 0:13:03.480 --> 0:13:06.800 him to stay, you know, kind of out of that 0:13:06.920 --> 0:13:09.520 side of things. Let's take a quick break and talk 0:13:09.559 --> 0:13:12.000 about some baseball stuff, some stuff going on in the field. 0:13:12.040 --> 0:13:16.280 And just how the Cubs could possibly improve this team 0:13:16.320 --> 0:13:19.880 over the coming weeks. What if you can actually have 0:13:19.920 --> 0:13:20.240 it all? 0:13:20.400 --> 0:13:24.640 And I'm talking about mint Mobile taking the premium wireless 0:13:24.679 --> 0:13:29.080 bouginess crats, but then bringing it to the transparency in 0:13:29.120 --> 0:13:31.319 pricing and the affordability in pricing. 0:13:32.160 --> 0:13:34.680 They're going to lay everything out there with a cheap 0:13:34.720 --> 0:13:38.000 bill that you know what everybody can handle right now. 0:13:38.320 --> 0:13:40.880 You can even bring your current phone and your number. 0:13:40.920 --> 0:13:42.600 If you're thinking about it and you're like, I'm worried 0:13:42.600 --> 0:13:45.360 about that, No worries. They have you covered because they're 0:13:45.400 --> 0:13:48.800 able to convert people all the time to the Mintmobile way. 0:13:49.000 --> 0:13:51.920 Go to mintmobile dot com slash territory. That's mintmobile dot 0:13:51.960 --> 0:13:54.880 com slash territory. Cut your wireless bill of fifteen bucks 0:13:54.880 --> 0:13:57.000 a month at mintmobile dot com slash territory. 0:13:57.000 --> 0:13:57.360 That's it. 0:13:57.520 --> 0:14:00.680 There's no catch upfront payment of forty five dollars for 0:14:00.720 --> 0:14:03.000 three months, ninety dollars for six months, or one hundred 0:14:03.000 --> 0:14:05.720 and eighty dollars for twelve month. Plan required fifteen dollars 0:14:05.800 --> 0:14:09.120 per month equivalent taxes and fees extra initial plan term 0:14:09.240 --> 0:14:12.200 only greater than fifty gigabytes may slow when network is 0:14:12.240 --> 0:14:16.800 Busy includes up to twenty gigabyte hotspot capable device required availability, 0:14:16.840 --> 0:14:21.280 speed and coverage varies Cementmobile dot Com. 0:14:21.440 --> 0:14:26.760 All right, Patrick, when when talking about how the Cubs improve, 0:14:27.600 --> 0:14:31.000 it's important to understand, you know, how their system is. 0:14:31.480 --> 0:14:35.440 And I asked Jed Eyer about like the state of 0:14:35.480 --> 0:14:38.320 the system essentially, like how where he felt things were, 0:14:38.400 --> 0:14:41.760 and it was pretty clear. It's been a good year. 0:14:42.040 --> 0:14:46.400 You know that they've they've improved, the system's gotten better. 0:14:47.960 --> 0:14:52.160 And it primarily that's happened on the position player side. 0:14:52.240 --> 0:14:55.520 Like it's a lot of position players either you know, 0:14:56.640 --> 0:14:59.120 had bounce back seasons, I guess, or or kind of 0:14:59.160 --> 0:15:02.280 broke out. Uh. And and it's looked good. It's it's 0:15:02.280 --> 0:15:05.200 a it's a ton of talent there as far as 0:15:05.320 --> 0:15:09.360 bats go. Curious to see how many of them are 0:15:09.400 --> 0:15:11.720 available in the trade, you know, Like I think the 0:15:11.760 --> 0:15:14.480 big name that everybody saw breakout this year is Josiah 0:15:14.560 --> 0:15:18.600 Hartshort sixth round, sixth round pick out of high school, 0:15:19.160 --> 0:15:21.840 high school kid. Uh. They paid him, well, it wasn't 0:15:21.920 --> 0:15:24.000 like it. They were shocked that this is how it 0:15:24.040 --> 0:15:28.040 turned out. They liked him, they tarted him, and he's 0:15:28.040 --> 0:15:30.880 he's played really well, he's a top fifty ish prospect. 0:15:30.920 --> 0:15:35.520 Some would say better than that. And and I would 0:15:35.560 --> 0:15:40.040 say from just like understanding how these how how this 0:15:40.720 --> 0:15:43.960 you know front office works. This guy isn't going anywhere 0:15:44.040 --> 0:15:48.680 unless they're getting a pitcher who's around for more than 0:15:48.720 --> 0:15:52.480 this season. He's not going for a rental. Jefferson Rojas 0:15:52.560 --> 0:15:55.680 is probably like the code number one in the system. Uh, 0:15:55.920 --> 0:16:02.200 you know, middle infielder, contact power. We're very highly thought 0:16:02.240 --> 0:16:05.720 of prospect as well. And those are the types of names. 0:16:05.920 --> 0:16:10.040 If they're moved, you're not seeing, you're not seeing, you know, 0:16:10.160 --> 0:16:13.880 unless the Cubs get in on Trek's schooble and and 0:16:13.920 --> 0:16:17.400 we're talking about a different thing and some like then maybe, 0:16:17.760 --> 0:16:20.800 And even then, I just don't think that's how Jed 0:16:20.880 --> 0:16:22.280 Hoyer and Carter Hawkins think. 0:16:24.280 --> 0:16:26.880 No, I mean what jumped out to me and your 0:16:26.960 --> 0:16:31.440 piece is Jackson Wiggins. This idea we kind of alluded 0:16:31.480 --> 0:16:35.760 to it over the weekend of you know, if they've 0:16:35.800 --> 0:16:39.400 restocked the pitching side a bit, if there are some 0:16:39.520 --> 0:16:43.880 injury concerns, like normally, if you're trading a pitcher, you'd 0:16:43.920 --> 0:16:48.080 like to backfill on some level. And it seems like 0:16:49.400 --> 0:16:54.000 Wiggins plus one of these hitters, even if they're sort 0:16:54.000 --> 0:16:59.560 of on a second tier of prospects, like that will 0:16:59.560 --> 0:17:03.360 get you something that can help in a pennant race. 0:17:03.480 --> 0:17:06.800 Like I know that's not maybe that doesn't get you 0:17:06.880 --> 0:17:09.640 a two time cy Young Award winner, but he might 0:17:09.640 --> 0:17:14.280 not get traded anyways. And I think the main takeaway 0:17:14.320 --> 0:17:17.320 from your show is like Cubs are open for business, 0:17:17.440 --> 0:17:18.480 right Yeah. 0:17:18.720 --> 0:17:24.120 I don't think there's any pitching prospect off the off 0:17:24.200 --> 0:17:27.280 the table, like as far as like they drafted a 0:17:27.280 --> 0:17:30.199 bunch of guys. I feel like they're you know, they 0:17:30.359 --> 0:17:34.679 they are high on who they drafted and and guys 0:17:34.680 --> 0:17:37.560 are available. There's also I mean there's some injuries. Caleb 0:17:37.560 --> 0:17:41.200 Wing is a is a young guy that looked good 0:17:41.240 --> 0:17:45.199 for you know, high school guy drafted last summer. I 0:17:45.280 --> 0:17:48.840 believe he's out for the season. I don't know exactly 0:17:49.240 --> 0:17:52.080 it's an arm injury. I don't know exactly what's going on, 0:17:52.240 --> 0:17:54.720 but they don't sound optimistic that he's going to pitch 0:17:54.720 --> 0:17:58.840 again this year. Dominic Reed is someone they drafted last 0:17:58.880 --> 0:18:01.439 year that was the that was pitching. Well, he's got 0:18:01.480 --> 0:18:03.120 a shoulder issue. He's not going to get on the mound. 0:18:03.160 --> 0:18:06.359 It doesn't sound like again before the deadline, which likely 0:18:06.440 --> 0:18:08.119 makes it hard to move a guy like that, Like 0:18:08.160 --> 0:18:09.800 you can't. It's it's hard to move guys that are 0:18:09.840 --> 0:18:12.960 injured unless someone's just like Naborn with this guy and 0:18:13.000 --> 0:18:15.840 willing to take the risk. But it also dampens their 0:18:15.920 --> 0:18:18.680 value obviously. But there's they're they're willing to move the 0:18:18.720 --> 0:18:22.439 guys like that. You know, everyone that was in the 0:18:22.480 --> 0:18:24.879 system pre draft, every arm that was in the system 0:18:24.920 --> 0:18:27.960 pre draft, I would say, it's available for the right 0:18:28.520 --> 0:18:30.800 for the right price. You know, they they're they're willing 0:18:30.840 --> 0:18:33.920 to move these guys. They're they're they didn't love their 0:18:33.960 --> 0:18:38.360 pitching in general in the system. Uh, that's why they 0:18:38.480 --> 0:18:41.479 went so heavy with with pitching in the drafty. They 0:18:41.520 --> 0:18:44.959 were trying to find better fits and guys that they 0:18:44.960 --> 0:18:47.800 felt were higher upside and they could develop and and 0:18:47.920 --> 0:18:53.040 turn into you know, big pieces of of either the 0:18:53.080 --> 0:18:55.439 major league team or or do this again in a 0:18:55.480 --> 0:18:56.119 couple of years. 0:18:57.560 --> 0:19:01.000 Yeah, I think some of these guys they have to trade. 0:19:01.080 --> 0:19:04.359 I know, you don't want to make moves out of 0:19:04.400 --> 0:19:09.720 like desperation or feeling boxed in, but like you know, 0:19:10.920 --> 0:19:14.640 Seaw Ramirez, then you get to that next layer of 0:19:14.680 --> 0:19:18.920 like a James Treanto's. Yeah, it was at triple A. 0:19:19.119 --> 0:19:21.879 He was a second round pick in the twenty one draft. 0:19:21.960 --> 0:19:27.800 He had reclassified the Cubs bought out his commitment to UNC. Thinking, 0:19:27.880 --> 0:19:31.359 like the best college hitters in the draft, this is 0:19:31.400 --> 0:19:33.919 what it looks like when they're in high school. And 0:19:34.720 --> 0:19:42.600 he hasn't gained a ton of traction in terms of, like, 0:19:43.720 --> 0:19:47.199 you know, being that next man up or generating a 0:19:47.200 --> 0:19:52.080 ton of buzz. The power just hasn't really come. But 0:19:52.160 --> 0:19:55.600 as you put it, he's quietly hitting like three fourteen 0:19:55.680 --> 0:20:00.040 now with an eight hundred plus ops. He is on 0:20:00.040 --> 0:20:04.600 only twenty three years old. He's on the forty man 0:20:04.760 --> 0:20:07.879 roster as you put it, like the best thing for 0:20:07.960 --> 0:20:12.240 his career would probably be getting traded to a rebuilding 0:20:12.280 --> 0:20:18.240 situation where he could get some runway. And like he's 0:20:18.280 --> 0:20:22.159 not the only player in that sort of predicament, Like 0:20:22.200 --> 0:20:27.720 there's not a clear path to Wrigley, And sometimes the 0:20:27.760 --> 0:20:31.320 longer you keep these guys, the less valuable they become. 0:20:31.760 --> 0:20:35.040 Yeah, it feels like Torianto's needs to be moved for 0:20:35.840 --> 0:20:38.360 both sides, like to maximize his value for the Cubs 0:20:38.520 --> 0:20:40.800 and for him to get a chance to you know, 0:20:41.600 --> 0:20:44.520 you get some major league ginnings, get out there and 0:20:44.600 --> 0:20:47.280 get in some games for some team that's you know, 0:20:47.440 --> 0:20:51.040 rebuilding and willing to give him time out there. Kane Kepley. 0:20:51.240 --> 0:20:53.840 I saw something online yesterday that he may have left 0:20:53.840 --> 0:20:56.119 a game injured. But that's a guy that, you know, 0:20:57.240 --> 0:21:04.760 center fielder like good defender, fast. He doesn't have power, 0:21:04.800 --> 0:21:07.560 but he gets on base a ton. Can you know, 0:21:07.600 --> 0:21:10.600 make a ton of contact? Like what's his path? Like, 0:21:10.880 --> 0:21:13.800 how is he gonna get to the big leagues for 0:21:13.920 --> 0:21:16.800 the Cubs? It just doesn't make sense with Pek or 0:21:16.880 --> 0:21:19.919 Armstrong in trench and center field. That's a guy that 0:21:20.000 --> 0:21:25.240 has some value. There's there's some good depth here. I 0:21:25.480 --> 0:21:28.320 like one name that I don't think the Cubs would 0:21:28.400 --> 0:21:31.520 move because it's hard to find young catchers his own 0:21:31.600 --> 0:21:34.359 as he's kind of broken out this year. I know 0:21:34.440 --> 0:21:40.119 he's twenty five. Catchers develop a little slowly. I just 0:21:40.160 --> 0:21:43.159 think I could see him like he feels like someone 0:21:43.200 --> 0:21:45.560 that like next year at this time, we're talking about like, oh, 0:21:45.600 --> 0:21:47.400 own a Ors is playing pretty well for the major 0:21:47.520 --> 0:21:52.040 league team. He's a nice bat. That's that's just my 0:21:52.240 --> 0:21:55.240 personal opinion just talking to people around the team like, 0:21:55.800 --> 0:21:58.520 and I also remember it was a year and a 0:21:58.560 --> 0:22:04.000 half ago they were desperate for catching. Like, you don't 0:22:04.040 --> 0:22:08.320 just give away catching in a trade. It's unless you're 0:22:08.520 --> 0:22:10.639 you know, unless a team is admin. It's kind of 0:22:10.680 --> 0:22:15.439 like when when the Cubs got Michael Bush, the Dodgers 0:22:15.480 --> 0:22:18.199 didn't want anyone else but Sire Hope. You know, the 0:22:18.240 --> 0:22:21.080 Cubs didn't want to give Zire Hope away, But that's 0:22:21.119 --> 0:22:23.960 who the Dodgers demanded in that trade, and that's what 0:22:24.000 --> 0:22:25.440 they need to do get the deal done. So I 0:22:25.440 --> 0:22:28.240 guess if there's a deal where they're getting someone that 0:22:28.280 --> 0:22:31.280 they rarely value, you could see, Like, I don't think 0:22:31.280 --> 0:22:34.760 any of these guys are really untouchable, but that's that's 0:22:34.760 --> 0:22:37.359 a name that I would add to like the just 0:22:37.400 --> 0:22:41.159 below Hartshort and Rojas, maybe even equal with them, just 0:22:41.160 --> 0:22:44.240 because he's a catcher and they're so hard to develop catchers, 0:22:44.240 --> 0:22:48.040 so hard to get catchers. He's supposedly pretty good behind 0:22:48.080 --> 0:22:50.280 the plate, and he's just raking everywhere he goes. He's 0:22:50.359 --> 0:22:53.160 kind of broke out in the AFL and hasn't stopped hitting. 0:22:54.680 --> 0:22:57.520 Yeah, I think know the Cubs don't have the number 0:22:57.520 --> 0:23:02.800 one farm system. Yes, some of these trades like will 0:23:02.840 --> 0:23:07.399 have to hurt, Like that's the the idea, But I 0:23:07.440 --> 0:23:10.879 think they have enough to be credible in just about 0:23:10.920 --> 0:23:17.240 any conversation, particularly when you include a Matt Shaw once 0:23:17.280 --> 0:23:20.000 he's healthy, or if you can discuss like I don't 0:23:20.000 --> 0:23:26.880 think they're going to trade Moistus Biasteros, but teams will 0:23:27.520 --> 0:23:30.080 have to listen, you know, if you're if you're that 0:23:30.200 --> 0:23:33.480 open minded, and there are if you're structuring a deal, 0:23:34.080 --> 0:23:38.280 you know, you can kind of go longer with Jefferson 0:23:38.359 --> 0:23:43.879 ROAs you can give an immediate everyday player in a 0:23:43.960 --> 0:23:47.040 Matt Shaw. And obviously there are you know, kind of 0:23:47.119 --> 0:23:53.320 degrees within those ranges later on pitching. But you never 0:23:53.440 --> 0:23:58.960 know what another team's model or scouting group might say. 0:23:59.000 --> 0:24:02.400 I think the Cubs, if another team is dead set 0:24:02.440 --> 0:24:05.400 on getting pitching, the Cubs are just like at a disadvantage. 0:24:05.440 --> 0:24:08.720 But there are other ways to sort of compensate to 0:24:08.800 --> 0:24:09.880 a degree for that. 0:24:10.400 --> 0:24:13.199 Yeah, And it's also important to remember, like when we 0:24:13.280 --> 0:24:16.919 talk about you know, like a maybe a mistrade like 0:24:16.960 --> 0:24:21.080 the Michael Soroka trade, Eli Morgan trade, like the prospect 0:24:21.119 --> 0:24:24.280 that you gave up Ronnie Cruz and Alphone's seen Rosario 0:24:24.359 --> 0:24:28.159 they may never become good major leaguers. I think the 0:24:28.280 --> 0:24:31.240 issue you have with those trades is you didn't get 0:24:31.359 --> 0:24:34.600 the value of what those like Ronny Cruz is more 0:24:34.680 --> 0:24:37.040