WEBVTT - 1141 | Burning Questions for Every AL Team + Francisco Lindor Trade Rumors? 0:00:11.039 --> 0:00:17.520 The Times a league record. 0:00:18.960 --> 0:00:23.840 Bring we will sue you to. 0:00:33.440 --> 0:00:41.880 The gunner. Welcome, hang out, Welcome to the Just Baseball Show. 0:00:41.960 --> 0:00:45.400 It is Friday, July seventeenth. That's arm Laden. I am 0:00:45.440 --> 0:00:50.360 Peter Rapple and today one burning question for every team 0:00:50.560 --> 0:00:53.960 in the American League. This is part two after yesterday's 0:00:54.000 --> 0:00:57.440 episode Part one, going through the entire National League. But 0:00:57.440 --> 0:01:01.560 we're gonna start with this recent trade deadline report from 0:01:01.560 --> 0:01:04.880 the New York Mets. A rival executive said, the Mets 0:01:05.240 --> 0:01:09.160 have informed everyone that they're basically open for business. And 0:01:09.200 --> 0:01:11.600 we're going to end with a weekend preview. And it 0:01:11.640 --> 0:01:14.680 is all brought to you by bet MGM and BETMGM 0:01:14.760 --> 0:01:17.640 is officially live and Alberta, Canada. Or remember to use 0:01:17.680 --> 0:01:20.560 code just Baseball when you make an account because if 0:01:20.560 --> 0:01:22.679 your first pick loses, you'll get it all back in 0:01:22.760 --> 0:01:25.880 bonus bets up to fifteen hundred bucks. And everyone who 0:01:25.959 --> 0:01:29.760 has a bet mgm account can use this MLB no 0:01:30.080 --> 0:01:33.520 Sweat home Run token. You don't got to worry if 0:01:33.560 --> 0:01:37.520 your bet didn't clear the fences. Just activate your token 0:01:37.600 --> 0:01:40.360 today when you bet on any player to hit a 0:01:40.360 --> 0:01:43.440 home run in any MLB game, and if that player 0:01:43.480 --> 0:01:45.800 were to fail to go yard, you're going to get 0:01:45.840 --> 0:01:48.240 your stake back in bonus bets. Remember to use code 0:01:48.360 --> 0:01:51.960 just Baseball on bet MGM to unlock it all. Also, 0:01:52.080 --> 0:01:54.880 if you're looking for a home run bat, I personally 0:01:54.960 --> 0:01:58.600 like Cody Clements. Weirdly enough, my model makes him the 0:01:58.640 --> 0:02:01.320 most likely guy to hit up home run today, And 0:02:01.360 --> 0:02:03.320 I was thinking about it, like, what why is he 0:02:03.480 --> 0:02:03.960 number one? 0:02:04.000 --> 0:02:04.240 Show? 0:02:04.280 --> 0:02:06.800 Hey O Tani is facing the Yankees, Like, there's plenty 0:02:06.800 --> 0:02:08.880 of great bats out there. But then I look at 0:02:08.880 --> 0:02:11.960 Colin Ray with wind blowing out at Wrigley, and it's 0:02:12.000 --> 0:02:14.680 blowing out to right center, exactly where he hits most 0:02:14.720 --> 0:02:17.480 of his home runs. And Ray has allowed fourteen of 0:02:17.560 --> 0:02:21.800 sixteen home runs against left handers. So I was like, oh, 0:02:22.000 --> 0:02:24.840 Cody Clement sneaky has sixteen home runs, So I get it. 0:02:24.880 --> 0:02:27.200 So that would be my pick. What's your pick real 0:02:27.280 --> 0:02:31.320 quick for today? Yeah? Any any any feelings that you 0:02:31.360 --> 0:02:32.359 got on a home run guy? 0:02:32.800 --> 0:02:35.000 Well, now I just want to take another left handed hitteror. 0:02:36.639 --> 0:02:40.320 Playing at Wriggly there, I'll go Josh Bell, I'll stack him. 0:02:40.880 --> 0:02:41.360 I like it. 0:02:41.800 --> 0:02:47.560 Twins Nation before we get into anything. Happy birthday brother, 0:02:47.800 --> 0:02:51.440 turning twenty nine today, I put out a nice tweet. 0:02:51.680 --> 0:02:53.840 Five and a half years ago, we started just baseball 0:02:54.280 --> 0:02:56.720 and now you're the best prospect writer out there, a 0:02:56.760 --> 0:02:59.639 BBWAA member, and I hope to keep it going. 0:03:00.200 --> 0:03:01.959 I appreciate it, dude, It's been awesome. 0:03:02.000 --> 0:03:04.720 It's crazy how much of a blur it has been 0:03:04.760 --> 0:03:07.400 already five and a half years. But yeah, this is 0:03:07.440 --> 0:03:09.520 the last year for me to be able to enter 0:03:09.600 --> 0:03:12.400 free agency and get a long term deal, Like we 0:03:12.480 --> 0:03:14.760 talked about it next next year. If I try to 0:03:14.760 --> 0:03:17.800 answer free agency I'm not getting anything more than four years. 0:03:18.240 --> 0:03:20.720 Still. One of my favorite bits from part of my 0:03:20.840 --> 0:03:25.880 take is when pft is he was turning thirty and 0:03:25.919 --> 0:03:27.760 he was like, I think it's officially time to give 0:03:27.840 --> 0:03:29.120 up my dream on. 0:03:29.240 --> 0:03:30.760 Y being in the NBA. 0:03:31.120 --> 0:03:34.040 The other like the age they were like, yeah, before that, 0:03:34.120 --> 0:03:36.440 I still had a chance. So technically at twenty nine 0:03:37.000 --> 0:03:38.800 a team could still give you a look, but you 0:03:38.920 --> 0:03:41.280 got one more year of it. Yeah, this is it. 0:03:41.640 --> 0:03:42.040 This is it. 0:03:42.040 --> 0:03:43.240 I'm going to try to make the most out of 0:03:43.280 --> 0:03:45.000 this last year, maybe get on the pep tide, see 0:03:45.040 --> 0:03:46.800 what I can do well. 0:03:46.800 --> 0:03:48.920 The Mets have certainly not made the most out of 0:03:48.920 --> 0:03:53.440 this season. We got a new recent report from Chelsea James, 0:03:53.440 --> 0:03:56.720 who's an MLB insider for s n Y, and the 0:03:56.800 --> 0:04:00.600 report reads a rival executive said the mets in informed 0:04:00.640 --> 0:04:06.480 them that everyone but Juan Soto, Carson, Bengje aj Ewing, 0:04:06.880 --> 0:04:12.960 Christian Scott, and Nolan McClain are available for a trade. 0:04:13.080 --> 0:04:17.479 And my first thought immediately goes to Francisco Lindor. Are 0:04:17.520 --> 0:04:21.880 you telling me there's a chance with Bobaschett. I'm still 0:04:21.920 --> 0:04:25.120 thinking about when Paul Hembikitis aka Hembo came on the 0:04:25.120 --> 0:04:29.600 show and floated Bashett returning to Toronto. I'm thinking about that. 0:04:30.360 --> 0:04:32.640 Clay Holmes, I know he's currently on the IL, but 0:04:32.680 --> 0:04:35.320 he should be back relatively soon. Is somebody gonna go 0:04:35.360 --> 0:04:41.279 after him? But I wonder why they didn't include Lindore 0:04:41.600 --> 0:04:44.240 on this list. Now I get it. In theory, he's 0:04:44.240 --> 0:04:47.400 owed thirty two million dollars until he's thirty seven years old. 0:04:47.600 --> 0:04:50.320 He's currently thirty two years old. He's not off to 0:04:50.360 --> 0:04:55.400 that grade of a start. However, this is Francisco Lindor 0:04:55.520 --> 0:04:59.400 we're talking about. I thought the point was marrying the 0:04:59.440 --> 0:05:04.080 two door and Soto and creating a young core surrounding them. 0:05:04.160 --> 0:05:08.720 But technically, and they've been fielding off as nothing is 0:05:08.760 --> 0:05:11.159 said in stone yet, I still think it's unlikely that 0:05:11.200 --> 0:05:13.560 he's traded. Yeah, the fact that he's not on this 0:05:13.720 --> 0:05:16.440 report was the biggest thing that stuck out to me. 0:05:17.040 --> 0:05:19.360 Yeah, And it's one of those where it's not like, oh, 0:05:19.440 --> 0:05:21.760 I guess I for you know, forgot to mention him 0:05:21.800 --> 0:05:24.880 like a you know, an omission there. There's a reason 0:05:24.880 --> 0:05:27.400 why it was mentioned. I don't think he's gonna be 0:05:27.440 --> 0:05:30.559 traded either. I think between the money and the fact 0:05:30.560 --> 0:05:33.200 that that's not gonna do it in a salary dump. 0:05:33.240 --> 0:05:35.200 So whoever it's gonna be acquiring him is gonna have 0:05:35.240 --> 0:05:36.520 to still give up something. 0:05:36.800 --> 0:05:38.880 It's gonna make it really difficult for that deal to happen. 0:05:39.080 --> 0:05:39.760 But I think the. 0:05:39.640 --> 0:05:44.280 Omission of Lindor in the names of players that are untouchable, 0:05:44.800 --> 0:05:49.359 I think and large part is because they are definitely 0:05:49.600 --> 0:05:52.279 I would be expecting them to be willing to listen 0:05:52.440 --> 0:05:54.520 because you are one hundred percent not able to move 0:05:54.760 --> 0:05:57.599 Soto in that contract. No one's gonna take that on, 0:05:57.720 --> 0:06:01.080 even though it's not necessarily a bad one. The Yankees tried, 0:06:01.160 --> 0:06:03.080 maybe maybe they could try to make it curious. 0:06:03.080 --> 0:06:05.360 Do you think nobody would take it on. 0:06:06.600 --> 0:06:09.720 I think there's three teams that can one of them 0:06:09.760 --> 0:06:12.680 he's on, and then I mean the Yankees couldn't go 0:06:12.800 --> 0:06:15.040 that high and didn't want to match that structure, So 0:06:15.200 --> 0:06:16.720 you could really say there's two teams. 0:06:16.920 --> 0:06:19.720 The other would be the Dodgers, who didn't do it right. 0:06:19.800 --> 0:06:22.200 So like that's the crazy thing is like the Mets 0:06:22.240 --> 0:06:25.760 outbid everybody for SODO services, So I just I don't 0:06:25.839 --> 0:06:30.240 see that happening. And ultimately I think they keep these 0:06:30.240 --> 0:06:32.839 two together. But I think when you have the history 0:06:32.880 --> 0:06:36.400 of you know, the butting heads that they kind of 0:06:36.440 --> 0:06:38.600 have had a little bit from even though it's most 0:06:38.600 --> 0:06:42.119 of even behind closed doors, but seemingly it has become 0:06:42.160 --> 0:06:44.120 a little bit more public, the struggles of the team 0:06:44.160 --> 0:06:46.320 are only gonna make that stuff worse. Like I could 0:06:46.320 --> 0:06:48.559 see the Mets and concerns being like, hey, we should 0:06:48.560 --> 0:06:50.120 probably maybe we want to shake this up. Also the 0:06:50.160 --> 0:06:51.600 money that would clear up for the Mets to be 0:06:51.680 --> 0:06:53.720 able to go do something else. But at the same time, 0:06:53.960 --> 0:06:55.360 who are you gonna go sign a free agency this 0:06:55.480 --> 0:06:56.920 year that's better than Francisco Indoor? 0:06:57.760 --> 0:06:59.280 Who are you gonna be able to add that's better. 0:06:59.520 --> 0:07:01.440 I don't see where that would be. 0:07:01.760 --> 0:07:04.080 Wes Lindor, with the injuries, is having the worst year 0:07:04.080 --> 0:07:06.080 that he's had really of his career so far. 0:07:06.240 --> 0:07:07.720 So it's unexpected. 0:07:08.120 --> 0:07:10.360 That said, I think the larger part of this report, though, too, 0:07:10.400 --> 0:07:12.400 is said like the Mets are one of the few 0:07:12.480 --> 0:07:14.440 clear cut sellers, and I think the Mets will be 0:07:14.480 --> 0:07:17.400 one of the first teams to trade away from their 0:07:17.440 --> 0:07:18.880 ball cup. Like, I think they're going to jump start 0:07:18.920 --> 0:07:20.520 this deadline a little bit quicker than others. 0:07:20.880 --> 0:07:23.040 I agree. I think Devin Williams is certainly going to 0:07:23.040 --> 0:07:25.160 be on the move. I think Luke Weaver might be 0:07:25.280 --> 0:07:29.320 the best reliever acquired at this deadline. Considering that the 0:07:29.360 --> 0:07:32.920 Red Sox per Fangrafts have an over forty percent chance 0:07:32.920 --> 0:07:36.560 of making the playoffs, increasingly unlikely that they would be 0:07:36.600 --> 0:07:39.440 willing to part with the role as Chapman making. I 0:07:39.480 --> 0:07:42.520 think Luke Weaver potentially. I mean, who knows what the 0:07:42.520 --> 0:07:44.800 Padres are going to do if they decide that Mason 0:07:44.840 --> 0:07:47.600 Miller is on the table. Throw out that statement about 0:07:47.640 --> 0:07:50.280 Luke Weaver being the top reliever available. But if Mason 0:07:50.280 --> 0:07:52.920 Miller is not available, I think Luke Weaver would be 0:07:53.280 --> 0:07:57.119 a welcomed edition to a lot of clubhouses. Another point 0:07:57.160 --> 0:08:00.560 on Landor, John Hayman came out this morning and tweeted 0:08:00.640 --> 0:08:02.800 out that the Yankees are not in the market to 0:08:02.880 --> 0:08:07.080 add a shortstop because when considering teams who could potentially 0:08:07.120 --> 0:08:10.400 take on the money that Lindor is owed. Again, there's 0:08:10.440 --> 0:08:14.200 another shortlist, right You mentioned the Dodgers, who of course 0:08:14.560 --> 0:08:16.760 have Mookie bets at shortstop. Could they move off them? 0:08:16.800 --> 0:08:19.560 But do they want to truly add another huge contract 0:08:19.560 --> 0:08:23.040 like that? Who knows, but technically they could bring them on. 0:08:23.320 --> 0:08:26.240 The Yankees are another team like that, and maybe the Phillies, 0:08:26.320 --> 0:08:29.360 but there's just no way the Mets are trading Lindor 0:08:29.440 --> 0:08:32.720 to the Phillies when the Phillies have Francisco Lindoor. So 0:08:32.800 --> 0:08:34.680 I was surprised to see that the Yankees aren't even 0:08:34.679 --> 0:08:37.760 in the market for a shortstop. I know Volpi is 0:08:37.800 --> 0:08:41.600 not nearly as bad as Yankee fans are calling him, 0:08:41.960 --> 0:08:44.560 but if he is on the other end of that trade, 0:08:45.520 --> 0:08:48.600 I don't understand why the Yankees wouldn't at least think 0:08:48.600 --> 0:08:52.040 about it bringing Lindoor onto this team. He would be 0:08:52.080 --> 0:08:54.280 a perfect fit. Now I know he's not having that 0:08:54.400 --> 0:08:57.240 greade of a season, but the defense is still above 0:08:57.240 --> 0:09:00.000 average when you look at the difference between his walls 0:09:00.280 --> 0:09:01.880 his ex world. But he has been one of the 0:09:01.880 --> 0:09:04.680 more unlucky hitters in Major League Baseball. But I really 0:09:04.720 --> 0:09:08.640 don't need an ex Wloba bloba equation to tell me 0:09:08.760 --> 0:09:11.000 that I still believe in Francisco Or is bad at 0:09:11.080 --> 0:09:13.520 thirty two years old. I'm just citing numbers that are 0:09:13.520 --> 0:09:16.640 happening right now where even if you're the biggest Lindor hater, 0:09:17.200 --> 0:09:19.360 you can't really deny what's in front of us. 0:09:20.600 --> 0:09:22.760 Any of injuries to explain it too, like he's been 0:09:22.760 --> 0:09:23.640 banged up all year. 0:09:23.880 --> 0:09:27.319 I think the Yankee should absolutely be exploring a Francisco 0:09:27.360 --> 0:09:29.880 Lindor deal. I tweeted last night there's no way the 0:09:30.080 --> 0:09:33.599 Mets would trade Lindor to the Yankees, right. 0:09:34.720 --> 0:09:36.920 And that's another one where it's like it's not inter division, 0:09:37.000 --> 0:09:40.000 but like I think it would be a tough optic 0:09:40.080 --> 0:09:43.720 cell as well to send him that way. It's about 0:09:43.960 --> 0:09:46.120 if you whatever is left of this year, so I 0:09:46.120 --> 0:09:49.640 guess it would be about five in a quarters years 0:09:49.840 --> 0:09:53.960 left at about one hundred and one hundred and seventy 0:09:54.000 --> 0:09:56.360 five million dollars hundred and seventy two million dollars. 0:09:56.360 --> 0:09:58.240 We're going to be exact if you want to. 0:09:58.200 --> 0:09:59.720 Just make it easy math like, for the next five 0:09:59.800 --> 0:10:02.240 years after this season, it's five years of one hundred 0:10:02.240 --> 0:10:05.840 and sixty million dollars roughly for Francisco Indoor Like, there's 0:10:05.880 --> 0:10:08.480 teams that will take that on, I think, but you 0:10:08.600 --> 0:10:10.440 just start to try to match it up and it 0:10:10.440 --> 0:10:13.400 gets difficult. And also again the season that he's having 0:10:13.400 --> 0:10:16.960 makes it tougher. But at the same time, it's not 0:10:16.960 --> 0:10:19.360 like you're paying him through age forty one. It's it's 0:10:19.480 --> 0:10:22.240 up to his age thirty seven season. And I think 0:10:22.360 --> 0:10:25.920 the tough cell will be When the Mets gave this 0:10:25.920 --> 0:10:27.920 contract out, a big part of it was that you 0:10:27.960 --> 0:10:30.120 were getting those prime years. You're getting age twenty eight, 0:10:30.120 --> 0:10:33.280 twenty nine to thirty thirty one. This is kind of 0:10:33.320 --> 0:10:36.040 like the last she perceived prime year, and he's been 0:10:36.080 --> 0:10:40.680 banged up physically. So most teams aren't jumping out of 0:10:40.720 --> 0:10:45.280 their chairs to take on contracts where the best part 0:10:45.320 --> 0:10:48.600 of it is already behind them, right Like, the back 0:10:48.679 --> 0:10:51.360 years of this deal are kind of accepted as the 0:10:51.440 --> 0:10:54.240 price to pay for the prime years that you're that 0:10:54.280 --> 0:10:57.520 you were paying for and what you were getting, So ultimately, 0:10:57.559 --> 0:10:59.520 I don't think he goes anywhere. And ultimately, I think 0:10:59.640 --> 0:11:02.840 like for the Mets to be competitive sooner rather than later, 0:11:02.880 --> 0:11:05.720 I think they've got to figure out a way to 0:11:05.760 --> 0:11:08.960 make it happen with Lindor and Soto and the rest 0:11:08.960 --> 0:11:10.760 of the guys that they have around them. Like if 0:11:10.800 --> 0:11:12.880 you have your everyday shortstop figured out where he could 0:11:12.880 --> 0:11:16.000 be still, I mean, when healthy, he's arguably one of 0:11:16.000 --> 0:11:18.160 the best in the game. And then you have Soto 0:11:18.160 --> 0:11:20.160 as well, Like those are two huge building blocks. You've 0:11:20.160 --> 0:11:22.400 got the young kids, You've got McClain in the rotation. 0:11:22.559 --> 0:11:24.840 Christian Scott, who we just talked about yesterday made us 0:11:24.840 --> 0:11:27.920 look great, proceeded to just shove on the only game 0:11:27.960 --> 0:11:30.640 on TV last night, and he just continues to look 0:11:30.679 --> 0:11:31.480 like he's settling in. 0:11:31.920 --> 0:11:33.199 They have the pieces. 0:11:33.440 --> 0:11:36.320 I think you trade and really reshuffle this team, But 0:11:36.360 --> 0:11:38.200 I don't think you need to trade. You know, one 0:11:38.240 --> 0:11:40.160 of the best shortstops in Major League Baseball at an 0:11:40.160 --> 0:11:41.000 all time low. 0:11:41.600 --> 0:11:46.040 So rank the likelihood of these three players getting traded 0:11:46.600 --> 0:11:50.920 Clay Holmes, Boba Schett and Francisco Lindor, and is it 0:11:51.040 --> 0:11:52.920 in that exact order I just laid out. 0:11:53.160 --> 0:11:55.120 I think it's in that order because John Hayman pointed 0:11:55.120 --> 0:11:59.280 out something really important the other day, which is that 0:11:59.520 --> 0:12:03.080 Boba's Jets contract is almost fully paid out for this year, 0:12:03.360 --> 0:12:05.439 so you get paid like a forty million dollars signing mode. 0:12:05.520 --> 0:12:07.400 So he's do we not owe anything this year. 0:12:07.880 --> 0:12:11.400 Now, it's still a little bit of a poison pill 0:12:11.440 --> 0:12:14.079 contract because if you acquire Baschett, remember it's it's player 0:12:14.120 --> 0:12:16.120 options for next year in the year after that. So 0:12:16.120 --> 0:12:18.080 if he stinks he's going to opt in for forty 0:12:18.080 --> 0:12:20.000 plus million again, he's going to opt in for forty 0:12:20.000 --> 0:12:23.360 plus million again. But now at least it makes it 0:12:23.480 --> 0:12:26.680 semi possible that if you're acquiring Bashett, you're not taking 0:12:26.720 --> 0:12:30.160 on fifteen million dollars for the rest of this season 0:12:30.280 --> 0:12:31.360 and then the forty. 0:12:32.080 --> 0:12:33.720 So that is where it gets interesting. 0:12:33.760 --> 0:12:36.840 And maybe because the Mets already paid it out, they say, hey, 0:12:36.840 --> 0:12:39.400 if he opts in for next year, you know, we'll 0:12:39.400 --> 0:12:41.600 put in a stipulation where we'll pay down ten of 0:12:41.640 --> 0:12:44.360 it if you give us like some really good prospects, 0:12:44.360 --> 0:12:46.040 which we've seen the Mets do in the past. Right, 0:12:46.280 --> 0:12:49.760 they paid down that Verlander contract. To get better pieces back, 0:12:50.160 --> 0:12:51.640 they paid down a couple of deals, I think to 0:12:51.679 --> 0:12:52.880 get better prospects back. 0:12:53.200 --> 0:12:54.640 I don't think that would be the craziest thing in 0:12:54.679 --> 0:12:55.040 the world. 0:12:55.080 --> 0:12:57.240 So I still think it's unlikely for Baschet, but the 0:12:57.240 --> 0:13:01.440 fact that this year is already all paid out, so 0:13:01.520 --> 0:13:03.040 the team acquiring him it doesn't have to worry about it. 0:13:03.120 --> 0:13:05.120 And next year maybe the Mets get paid down a 0:13:05.120 --> 0:13:08.959 little bit. I think there's a world where it's remotely 0:13:09.040 --> 0:13:11.720 possible that Bishek could be moved. And then Clay Holmes, 0:13:11.760 --> 0:13:13.640 he's already throwing. I think they said he's inching back 0:13:13.640 --> 0:13:17.400 towards a rehab assignment the second that he looks. I 0:13:17.400 --> 0:13:18.800 don't even think he needs to be on the mountain 0:13:19.000 --> 0:13:21.000 in a regular season setting for a team to say, hey, 0:13:21.080 --> 0:13:22.720 let's go get Klay Holmes. With the way he looked 0:13:22.720 --> 0:13:25.400 this year, and with how many teams are gonna need pitching. 0:13:25.360 --> 0:13:27.520 One hundred percent, one more player that I want to 0:13:27.559 --> 0:13:31.200 throw at you that I wasn't shocked was not on 0:13:31.240 --> 0:13:36.400 this list of untouchable guys, but I was a little surprised. 0:13:36.960 --> 0:13:41.760 Francisco Alvarez, Yeah, Homers last night brought his ops up 0:13:41.760 --> 0:13:44.160 to seven seventy three. And this is on the heels 0:13:44.640 --> 0:13:46.920 of a twenty twenty five campaign where he posted his 0:13:47.000 --> 0:13:49.720 seven eighty six ops. And you can say, well, the 0:13:49.800 --> 0:13:52.920 defense isn't great, and I would agree with you. But 0:13:53.000 --> 0:13:55.120 at the same time, he is twenty four years old 0:13:55.200 --> 0:13:59.679 and is flashed really solid tools behind the plate. Right, 0:13:59.679 --> 0:14:03.760 He's flashed a good arm, he's flashed receiving skills. It's 0:14:03.800 --> 0:14:06.000 just kind of gone up and down with him defensively. 0:14:06.280 --> 0:14:09.040 Now I really don't know what to call him as 0:14:09.080 --> 0:14:12.120 a defender. At times I think he's really good. At 0:14:12.160 --> 0:14:14.400 times I think he's really poor. But then I have 0:14:14.480 --> 0:14:16.080 to remember in the back of my head, this guy's 0:14:16.120 --> 0:14:18.920 twenty four He's twenty four years old. Yeah, could he 0:14:19.000 --> 0:14:21.600 get better? Absolutely? Could this be an eight hundred oh 0:14:21.680 --> 0:14:25.920 ps bat behind the plate who's averaged defensively and sometimes 0:14:26.120 --> 0:14:29.920 showing flashes of above average, even elite abilities to receive 0:14:29.960 --> 0:14:30.600 the baseball? 0:14:31.520 --> 0:14:31.960 Yeah? 0:14:32.160 --> 0:14:36.920 Yeah, So a good amount of teams need catchers. Yeah, 0:14:37.000 --> 0:14:40.680 I think he could be a sneaky player that the 0:14:40.720 --> 0:14:43.040 Mets move at the deadline. Where we go when we 0:14:43.080 --> 0:14:46.320 see the package in return and say, WHOA, that's a lot. 0:14:46.640 --> 0:14:50.240 But then we think to ourselves, Yeah, deservedly so. 0:14:50.680 --> 0:14:54.120 Yeah, I would say they'd have to be absolutely wowed 0:14:54.160 --> 0:14:56.360 on that one. And he's one where I'm like, I 0:14:56.360 --> 0:14:58.840 wonder if they just forgot to mention him, because I 0:14:58.960 --> 0:14:59.640 just I wouldn't. 0:15:00.200 --> 0:15:02.080 It's hard for me to it didn't. 0:15:01.840 --> 0:15:04.480 Understand why they don't. Real quick, here's why I don't 0:15:04.480 --> 0:15:09.440 think they forgot him. Why they add Christian Scotty. And 0:15:09.480 --> 0:15:11.880 I love Christian scott I'm not saying that they shouldn't have. 0:15:11.960 --> 0:15:13.920 I'm glad that they did. I'm glad he's going to 0:15:13.920 --> 0:15:15.600 be a part of the Mets feature for a long time. 0:15:16.200 --> 0:15:20.000 But they picked their players on they did like this 0:15:20.160 --> 0:15:23.200 wasn't I don't really like if they said Nolan McClain, 0:15:23.320 --> 0:15:28.920 Juan Soto and Lindor and then benj and Ewing, I'd 0:15:28.920 --> 0:15:31.680 be like, yeah, I don't think they did. They didn't 0:15:31.840 --> 0:15:34.160 add specific players. 0:15:33.720 --> 0:15:37.160 Yeah yeah, And it might be just the injury history 0:15:37.280 --> 0:15:39.680 and whatever where it's just like, hey, come overwhelm us. 0:15:39.840 --> 0:15:41.520 Yeah, we really don't want to move them. 0:15:41.520 --> 0:15:43.920 But like, gum, knock our socks off, and that I 0:15:43.920 --> 0:15:47.600 guess I can understand because I think the thumb injuries 0:15:48.000 --> 0:15:50.760 have affected Alvarez is receiving because we've seen him, as 0:15:50.800 --> 0:15:53.760 you mentioned, receiveing an elite clip. But yeah, I think 0:15:53.760 --> 0:15:57.520 that's one where you'd have to just get absolutely overwhelmed 0:15:57.560 --> 0:16:00.200 with an offer. But I think the Mets are to 0:16:00.680 --> 0:16:03.800 be really savvy and just try to I mean, whatever 0:16:03.960 --> 0:16:06.800 flyer prospect you're gonna get for Viento, it's like everything, 0:16:07.040 --> 0:16:09.680 cash in every little piece that you can and see 0:16:09.720 --> 0:16:13.000 where you go. But yeah, I'm excited to see us 0:16:13.000 --> 0:16:15.080 Sterns navigates this deadline. 0:16:15.400 --> 0:16:18.200 Pry Polanco is another one, but I know he's kind 0:16:18.200 --> 0:16:19.040 of injured, but. 0:16:19.120 --> 0:16:21.840 I'm just walking about. I mean, the Viano's is hurt too, exactly. 0:16:22.160 --> 0:16:25.680 It's interesting they have a ton of guys that could 0:16:25.720 --> 0:16:28.000 potentially be on the move. I think the Mets might 0:16:28.040 --> 0:16:31.560 be the number one team to watch this deadline. But 0:16:32.480 --> 0:16:35.720 now it's time for one burning question for every team 0:16:35.760 --> 0:16:38.160 in the American League. Just want a special shout out 0:16:38.200 --> 0:16:40.760 to our YouTube live comment section. The best way to 0:16:40.800 --> 0:16:43.160 support the show is to make sure that you smash 0:16:43.160 --> 0:16:45.520 the like button and subscribe button. And for all those 0:16:45.560 --> 0:16:48.640 listening here on audio, best way to support the show 0:16:49.000 --> 0:16:53.120 is by leaving a five star review. All right, We're 0:16:53.120 --> 0:16:56.080 gonna start in the American League West, so we're gonna 0:16:56.080 --> 0:16:59.040 work wet west to east, just like we did yesterday. 0:16:59.040 --> 0:17:02.480 The American League West, of course, features the Texas Rangers, 0:17:02.560 --> 0:17:06.960 the Seattle Mariners, the Houston Astros, the Sacramento A's, and 0:17:07.000 --> 0:17:10.199 the La Angels. So we're going to start at the 0:17:10.200 --> 0:17:13.399 top of the division. And my burning question is about 0:17:13.440 --> 0:17:17.320 the division for the Texas Rangers. Can they win the division? 0:17:17.840 --> 0:17:20.240 And I think it's a question that to me is 0:17:20.280 --> 0:17:23.879 the most burning in my eyes because I guess I 0:17:23.920 --> 0:17:26.720 could ask, well, will Corey Seger come back and perform? 0:17:27.560 --> 0:17:30.600 Of course, he's injured, and at the end of the day, 0:17:30.640 --> 0:17:33.320 I just I don't know. I don't know what he 0:17:33.359 --> 0:17:35.840 gives the Texas Rangers this season, so I'm kind of 0:17:35.840 --> 0:17:37.919 just assuming he's going to be back in September. He 0:17:38.000 --> 0:17:39.920 might give a little bit of a jolt. But can 0:17:39.960 --> 0:17:43.919 they maintain this lead for the foreseeable future? Because like 0:17:44.000 --> 0:17:46.240 I said at the very beginning, when I gave out 0:17:46.320 --> 0:17:49.320 Rangers plus two fifty five, I said, ninety percent of 0:17:49.359 --> 0:17:51.800 the public is on this Mariner's team. Cal Rawley's got 0:17:51.800 --> 0:17:55.840 a five eighty two ops like the Mariners have problems. 0:17:55.840 --> 0:17:58.040 This is not a perfect team. The Astros are a 0:17:58.080 --> 0:18:01.919 few games below five hundred are not perfect, But to me, 0:18:02.080 --> 0:18:04.119 they look like the best team in the division. And 0:18:04.119 --> 0:18:06.720 then I go to Fangraphs and I look at some projections. 0:18:07.680 --> 0:18:11.040 The bat X, which is my favorite projection system on Fangraphs, 0:18:11.520 --> 0:18:14.600 has the Rangers at fifty seven percent chance to win 0:18:14.640 --> 0:18:19.480 the division atc Another one of my favorite Fangraphs projections 0:18:19.720 --> 0:18:22.879 has the Rangers not quite at fifty seven, but above 0:18:22.920 --> 0:18:26.840 the Mariners. So some of the best Fangrafts projection systems 0:18:27.080 --> 0:18:31.399 are starting to put the Rangers truly in front of 0:18:31.480 --> 0:18:33.720 the Mariners. And for any of my betters out there 0:18:33.720 --> 0:18:36.159 who missed the plus two to fifty five price based 0:18:36.200 --> 0:18:38.600 on those there is a lot of value currently on 0:18:38.600 --> 0:18:41.359 BETMGM at plus one seventy five for the Rangers. So 0:18:41.400 --> 0:18:43.879 the books haven't quite adjusted yet because they have to 0:18:43.920 --> 0:18:47.439 balance all of the money that they have gotten for 0:18:47.520 --> 0:18:49.639 people betting on the Seattle Mariners to win the division. 0:18:49.720 --> 0:18:52.879 I know, I just gave the betting version, but the 0:18:52.920 --> 0:18:57.680 baseball version is this Whyatt Langford is back, Ezekiel Durant 0:18:57.720 --> 0:19:00.400 has stepped up, Brandon Nemo has been a great edition. 0:19:01.240 --> 0:19:04.920 They have six bats in their current lineup with a 0:19:05.040 --> 0:19:08.240 WRC plus above one hundred in their current rotation. You 0:19:08.320 --> 0:19:10.919 still got to Gram, You still got to Eovaldi. You 0:19:10.960 --> 0:19:13.879 have Gore, who hasn't taken the next step like I thought, 0:19:13.920 --> 0:19:17.560 but is still a fine number three, and Kumar rock 0:19:17.640 --> 0:19:20.960 Her flashes great thist at times, and Cal Quantrill's the 0:19:20.960 --> 0:19:24.840 greatest pitcher alive. Plus they're also our closer Jake Latz, 0:19:24.880 --> 0:19:27.359 and then they have that slew of guys who not 0:19:27.560 --> 0:19:32.879 sexy names, but they do a job. My burning question 0:19:33.000 --> 0:19:36.920 to you are can the Rangers win the division? 0:19:37.600 --> 0:19:37.879 Uh uh? 0:19:38.400 --> 0:19:42.440 My burning question is in regards to what can help 0:19:42.520 --> 0:19:46.679 them win the division, which is what version. 0:19:46.400 --> 0:19:48.280 Of mackenzie going to the Rangers get good? 0:19:48.320 --> 0:19:48.480 One? 0:19:48.560 --> 0:19:50.439 This is where I'm at, Like, I think the offense 0:19:50.480 --> 0:19:52.520 you mentioned it's getting better, it's healthy. The other direction 0:19:52.560 --> 0:19:53.919 I was going to go is like can White Langford 0:19:53.960 --> 0:19:57.199 stay healthy? But like I do we talk about that 0:19:57.240 --> 0:20:02.959 so often? Yeah, Gore is I think, because he's been 0:20:03.000 --> 0:20:05.159 on the mound, is the most like pivotal with aspects here. 0:20:05.160 --> 0:20:07.520 It's like, if Langford's healthy, he's gonna perform, He's gonna 0:20:07.520 --> 0:20:08.800 be good. He's gonna be a huge cool guy for 0:20:08.840 --> 0:20:12.320 this line up. But I look at this rotation, de 0:20:12.400 --> 0:20:16.800 Gram great, You'valdy really settling in and looking good. 0:20:17.480 --> 0:20:19.160 But you mentioned like some of. 0:20:19.119 --> 0:20:21.720 The other pieces, and you know, I think they're they're 0:20:21.840 --> 0:20:24.199 they've been really solid, solidly reliable. 0:20:24.840 --> 0:20:25.000 You know. 0:20:25.040 --> 0:20:27.679 I think regular season arms, especially like what they've been 0:20:27.680 --> 0:20:29.840 able to get out of cal Quantrill actually has been 0:20:29.920 --> 0:20:32.240 quite incredible. And I think, yeah, Kumar, like with with 0:20:32.560 --> 0:20:34.320 the slider and the way that he's been able to 0:20:34.400 --> 0:20:37.520 ride that pitch to to enough success this year is great, 0:20:37.560 --> 0:20:38.520 but like he's limited. 0:20:38.560 --> 0:20:40.160 I think I think cal Quantrill's limited. 0:20:41.000 --> 0:20:44.160 Jack Rider's hurt right now, and when he comes back, 0:20:44.160 --> 0:20:46.160 we'll see, but you know that there's just been challenges 0:20:46.160 --> 0:20:46.800 for him to just. 0:20:46.840 --> 0:20:48.399 Stack successful starts. 0:20:49.119 --> 0:20:51.840 Gore is the guy to be your clear cut three here, 0:20:51.960 --> 0:20:54.159 Like he's the guy and he has a four to 0:20:54.160 --> 0:20:56.960 six three eel right. And here's the fascinating part for 0:20:57.080 --> 0:21:01.640 me is in his career, his story, Gore has been 0:21:02.680 --> 0:21:06.440 terrible in the second half terrible, and this year he's 0:21:06.480 --> 0:21:09.760 been like the surface level era looks worse than I 0:21:09.760 --> 0:21:12.679 think the underlying is. And I think he's been better 0:21:12.960 --> 0:21:17.160 than the numbers suggest, which I just wonder like, does 0:21:17.200 --> 0:21:20.600 he then turn that into better run prevention numbers on 0:21:20.640 --> 0:21:23.240 the surface, or do we see him give way a 0:21:23.280 --> 0:21:25.960 little bit in the second half and those numbers become 0:21:26.000 --> 0:21:29.560 even rougher. I don't know, but I do know if 0:21:29.560 --> 0:21:32.119 this Rangers team is going to reach their potential, like, 0:21:32.200 --> 0:21:36.640 they're gonna need a quality start out of Mackenzie Gore 0:21:36.800 --> 0:21:39.120 a lot more frequently than they're getting it right now. 0:21:39.680 --> 0:21:41.480 And then the other one is obviously Corey Seeger and 0:21:41.480 --> 0:21:43.640 I've talked about that like ad nauseum with this team 0:21:43.720 --> 0:21:46.840 right Like, this team I think really will only go 0:21:47.119 --> 0:21:51.520 as far offensively as is Seeger can take them. But 0:21:52.160 --> 0:21:54.280 the best way to hedge that is keep throwing the 0:21:54.280 --> 0:21:56.960 crap out of the baseball and Mackenzie Gore raises the 0:21:56.960 --> 0:21:59.520 ceiling of this rotation significantly. 0:22:00.040 --> 0:22:02.919 I also think that the Rangers are going to be 0:22:02.920 --> 0:22:06.080 sneaky buyers, just like they always are. Yeah, And I 0:22:06.080 --> 0:22:10.200 think when we put out trade deadline predictions or anybody 0:22:10.200 --> 0:22:12.359 does not just we, I think a lot of people 0:22:12.440 --> 0:22:15.160 just inherently forget about the Rangers. I'm not sure why 0:22:16.000 --> 0:22:18.600 they're just not floated like for example, you're hearing more 0:22:18.600 --> 0:22:21.480 about Seattle buying than you are the Rangers, and the 0:22:21.640 --> 0:22:24.119 Rangers were the team to make the shocking move for 0:22:24.240 --> 0:22:26.720 McKenzie gore. Right, They've made a lot of moves where 0:22:26.720 --> 0:22:29.040 it's like, oh, where did the Rangers come from? It's like, 0:22:29.080 --> 0:22:32.560 have you been watching the Rangers. Chris Young has been 0:22:32.600 --> 0:22:35.760 one of the most aggressive gms in baseball. They they 0:22:35.800 --> 0:22:38.719 are absolutely a team who is going to be one 0:22:38.760 --> 0:22:41.880 of the most aggressive buyers at this deadline, I believe so. 0:22:41.880 --> 0:22:44.200 So you combine that with their current team and Seeger 0:22:44.280 --> 0:22:47.560 coming back eventually and hoping that McKenzie gore has a 0:22:47.680 --> 0:22:53.719 bounce back second half, it's hard not to understand why 0:22:54.080 --> 0:22:58.040 a projection system like the bad X or ATC or 0:22:58.160 --> 0:23:01.000 my own personal model would didn't make the Rangers the 0:23:01.040 --> 0:23:03.520 current favorites to win the American League West. So again 0:23:03.560 --> 0:23:06.160 i'll throw it back to you. I know we've talked 0:23:06.200 --> 0:23:08.560 about it, but it has been like a month since 0:23:08.600 --> 0:23:11.160 we made it a prediction, and last month, I think 0:23:11.160 --> 0:23:14.200 when we talked about it, you said, I'm still going 0:23:14.200 --> 0:23:16.080 with the Mariners, but I don't feel good about it. 0:23:16.680 --> 0:23:18.720 Are you still at that point or are you starting 0:23:18.720 --> 0:23:20.480 to migrate over to my Rangers. 0:23:20.600 --> 0:23:23.760 Gosh, these teams, these both these teams, dude. 0:23:23.880 --> 0:23:26.800 Dude, what are you talking about? Rangers are two games 0:23:26.840 --> 0:23:28.359 over five hundred. That's amazing. 0:23:29.920 --> 0:23:34.480 These teams, dude, It's just unbelievable. 0:23:34.600 --> 0:23:34.960 I get. 0:23:35.560 --> 0:23:37.639 Any time you start to think one is going to 0:23:37.680 --> 0:23:41.480 separate themselves from the other, they just crater again. I 0:23:41.480 --> 0:23:45.000 would say, right now, though, I feel better about the 0:23:45.520 --> 0:23:50.920 Rangers situation with Langford back and the Segar wrinkle is 0:23:50.920 --> 0:23:53.400 going to be important, But like, I have more confidence 0:23:53.400 --> 0:23:55.120 I think in Cory Seger, who's had a rough year 0:23:55.119 --> 0:23:56.960 even when he's been on the field coming back and hitting. 0:23:57.160 --> 0:23:59.159 Then I think I do cal Rowley figuring it out 0:23:59.200 --> 0:24:02.760 at this point. So from that lens, and then you 0:24:02.800 --> 0:24:04.800 can mention like the Mariner's pitching, but those guys have 0:24:04.800 --> 0:24:08.000 been throwing the ball all year, like it's still been 0:24:08.040 --> 0:24:11.840 a battle of all battles. It's just it's hard for 0:24:11.880 --> 0:24:13.960 me and then and Julio the concussion stuff. I feel 0:24:13.960 --> 0:24:15.760 like more and more players hitting at baseball so freaking 0:24:15.760 --> 0:24:17.280 hard now that if you have a concussion, you have 0:24:17.320 --> 0:24:20.720 like if your reaction time or just your your vision 0:24:20.760 --> 0:24:23.399 is compromised by like three percent your toast like it. 0:24:23.720 --> 0:24:25.760 I feel like all these guys are having such residual effects. 0:24:25.760 --> 0:24:28.639 I hope I'm wrong, but I'm not going to be 0:24:28.680 --> 0:24:31.720 expecting Julio to just come back and swing it right away. 0:24:31.920 --> 0:24:33.119 I think there's gonna be a little bit of a 0:24:33.160 --> 0:24:33.760 process there. 0:24:33.800 --> 0:24:36.240 So I lean Rangers right now, but like I'm gonna 0:24:36.240 --> 0:24:38.840 flip flop on this probably every single week because these 0:24:38.840 --> 0:24:42.200 two teams are just there is frustrating as to come. 0:24:42.640 --> 0:24:44.159 I don't want to spend too much more time on 0:24:44.200 --> 0:24:46.000 the Rangers. I want to go over to the Mariners. 0:24:46.040 --> 0:24:48.199 I just think it's very important to note before we 0:24:48.280 --> 0:24:51.560 move on that I don't think that the Rangers offense 0:24:53.200 --> 0:24:58.280 is predicated on Corey Seeger's success, because we already talked 0:24:58.280 --> 0:25:01.640 about Langford and his eight ninet ops. But he's got 0:25:01.680 --> 0:25:04.159 another twenty eight year old teammate with an eight nineteen 0:25:04.200 --> 0:25:06.600 ops and his name is Josh Young, who has put 0:25:06.640 --> 0:25:09.480 together a fantastic year, rocking a two point seven four. 0:25:09.840 --> 0:25:12.000 Jock Peterson, remember last year when he was the worst 0:25:12.040 --> 0:25:15.040 header alive. He ain't anymore. He's been twenty two percent 0:25:15.040 --> 0:25:17.520 above league average. He's been a staple in this lineup. 0:25:17.640 --> 0:25:20.080 Brandon Imo has been great, Jake Berger is even three 0:25:20.119 --> 0:25:23.000 percent above average, and Ezekiel Duran was a two and 0:25:23.040 --> 0:25:25.119 a half win player in the first half with a 0:25:25.119 --> 0:25:28.200 one to twelve WRC plus. Right those are their six 0:25:28.400 --> 0:25:31.520 right now that have a WRC plus above one hundred. 0:25:32.160 --> 0:25:35.000 Then you add Corey Seeger to that lineup, of course 0:25:35.000 --> 0:25:37.359 it'll help. But I think that this team can weather 0:25:37.400 --> 0:25:41.040 the storm offensively until he comes back and ended up 0:25:41.080 --> 0:25:42.920 winning this division. So that's my take. 0:25:43.320 --> 0:25:45.479 Yeah, for the division, I think so. I think if 0:25:45.480 --> 0:25:47.840 they're going to do anything in the playoffs, say they 0:25:47.920 --> 0:25:50.000 need they need an anchor in there, they need, they 0:25:50.000 --> 0:25:52.880 need a little bit more going. I just it's it's 0:25:52.920 --> 0:25:56.840 a slightly above average offense and the pitching staff that's average, 0:25:56.920 --> 0:26:00.520 slightly above and that's slightly above average team. 0:26:00.640 --> 0:26:02.080 You really love a lot of the teams of the 0:26:02.080 --> 0:26:06.000 American League now better usters than the Ragers. I'll up 0:26:06.040 --> 0:26:07.880 say this. I'm sitting out of fourteen to one ticket 0:26:07.920 --> 0:26:09.000 for them to within the Petite too. 0:26:09.119 --> 0:26:10.480 Yeah, that's not bad. 0:26:10.840 --> 0:26:14.160 Let's go over to the Mariners. Uh, arm, my guess 0:26:14.240 --> 0:26:16.440 is you have the same one. Is this a lost 0:26:16.480 --> 0:26:20.119 season for cal Ralely because there's a couple there's a 0:26:20.160 --> 0:26:23.879 couple other you know, burning questions that I have for 0:26:24.000 --> 0:26:27.399 some players where I'm thinking, do we see a second 0:26:27.400 --> 0:26:30.840 half search? ARM. I don't think we see a second 0:26:30.840 --> 0:26:34.280 half search from cal Rawley. He's hitting a BUCKS sixty nine. 0:26:34.359 --> 0:26:37.360 He's got a five eighty one OPS to give him 0:26:37.359 --> 0:26:42.719 a sixty seven OPS plus. I mean, this has just 0:26:42.800 --> 0:26:47.400 been a full blown disaster at the plate. His quality 0:26:47.400 --> 0:26:51.679 of contact has dropped off the face of the planet. 0:26:52.200 --> 0:26:55.439 Thirty two percent hard hit rate this year, Arm. He 0:26:55.560 --> 0:27:00.000 was at forty nine percent last year. Strikeout rates jump 0:27:00.080 --> 0:27:05.280 to eight percent. He's chasing, he's whiffing. The baseball savant 0:27:05.320 --> 0:27:09.159 looks ugly. He's not framing well. He's got one of 0:27:09.160 --> 0:27:13.320 the slowest pop times in baseball. He's got nine home runs. 0:27:13.359 --> 0:27:16.040 And this comes to us from inside edge. Cal Rawly 0:27:16.119 --> 0:27:18.800 has chased thirty seven percent of pitches out of the 0:27:18.920 --> 0:27:21.119 zone on the first pitch of at bats this season. 0:27:21.520 --> 0:27:24.840 That is the highest Immediate League Baseball among hitters with 0:27:24.880 --> 0:27:28.920 at least one hundred and forty one total plate appearances. 0:27:29.400 --> 0:27:33.800 I can't think of a drop off like this homers. 0:27:33.400 --> 0:27:38.480 To I just think he I think he's hurt. I 0:27:38.600 --> 0:27:40.680 know that he was hurt. It's I think it's still 0:27:40.720 --> 0:27:45.840 affecting him. I really do. There's no other explanation. Everybody 0:27:45.840 --> 0:27:48.639 we've talked about, like you knew he wasn't gonna match 0:27:48.760 --> 0:27:52.200 last year, it was probably unlikely, but that stat too, 0:27:53.240 --> 0:27:56.080 where he's chasing on the first. 0:27:55.800 --> 0:27:59.840 Pitch more than anybody, or as much as anybody. 0:28:00.119 --> 0:28:02.320 It feels like to me, he looks like a guy 0:28:02.320 --> 0:28:05.200 who just feels like he's slow, Like he's slower this year, 0:28:05.200 --> 0:28:07.879 and he's cheating, and he's like, I'm not getting the 0:28:07.880 --> 0:28:09.560 barrel out as quickly as I normally do. I got 0:28:09.600 --> 0:28:11.600 I gotta decide a little bit earlier. I got to 0:28:11.600 --> 0:28:13.120 get it out there. I gotta get it out there. 0:28:13.200 --> 0:28:16.439 And it's leading to bad decisions because you're seeing the 0:28:16.480 --> 0:28:19.000 quality of contact effect affected. 0:28:19.680 --> 0:28:20.280 And I think with. 0:28:20.320 --> 0:28:22.440 That oblique and trying to play through it a little 0:28:22.480 --> 0:28:24.240 bit and come back quick from it and all those different things, 0:28:24.400 --> 0:28:27.000 I just think it's it's affecting him. 0:28:27.040 --> 0:28:27.560 I really do. 0:28:28.200 --> 0:28:31.520 There's just no way you drop off like this after 0:28:31.560 --> 0:28:33.919 what we saw from him last year, and even if 0:28:33.960 --> 0:28:36.879 the whift jumped and the chase jumped, the QOC should 0:28:36.880 --> 0:28:39.480 be there right, and it's not so I think it's 0:28:39.520 --> 0:28:42.480 injury related. The one hope you have here is that 0:28:42.880 --> 0:28:44.840 just the further removed he gets from that, maybe the 0:28:44.840 --> 0:28:46.960 All Star break helps a little bit too. He's able 0:28:46.960 --> 0:28:49.480 to just kind of get back to himself physically and 0:28:49.480 --> 0:28:53.560 start to trust himself again, because the swing decisions, to me, 0:28:53.640 --> 0:28:56.440 imply a guy that just doesn't feel like he's moving 0:28:56.480 --> 0:28:58.280 as quickly and getting the barrel out as quickly as 0:28:58.280 --> 0:28:58.960 he normally does. 0:28:59.360 --> 0:29:02.720 And it's it's now compounding the issue. 0:29:02.520 --> 0:29:06.880 One hundred percent. And I also think that that point 0:29:06.880 --> 0:29:10.440 that you made about cal Rawly potentially being injured and 0:29:10.480 --> 0:29:13.520 not wanting to come out of the game is an 0:29:13.520 --> 0:29:16.800 important one because when you hear Lyle and TJ are 0:29:16.840 --> 0:29:19.320 friends at the Marine Layer Pod talk about cal Rawly, 0:29:19.480 --> 0:29:22.840 and you know, they talk about his leadership qualities and 0:29:22.880 --> 0:29:25.720 how he's always there every day in the locker room. 0:29:26.160 --> 0:29:28.520 And this guy, even when he's hurt, he does not 0:29:28.800 --> 0:29:31.680 want to take off days ever, Like even if he's 0:29:31.720 --> 0:29:34.640 banged up, he's like, I'm catching behind the plate. He 0:29:34.720 --> 0:29:36.760 caught one hundred and twenty games last year he bag. 0:29:36.880 --> 0:29:39.120 I think he played literally every game outside of what 0:29:39.880 --> 0:29:41.840 one or two. I think he played one hundred and 0:29:41.880 --> 0:29:44.560 fifty nine games last year and one hundred and twenty 0:29:44.600 --> 0:29:47.400 of those were behind the dish, and then again this year. 0:29:47.440 --> 0:29:49.000 I know he's been banged up with injuries, but he 0:29:49.080 --> 0:29:51.800 still played fifty of his sixty six games behind the plate. 0:29:52.120 --> 0:29:54.400 This guy wants to catch every day. He knows how 0:29:54.400 --> 0:29:58.280 important it is to the Mariners arms. And I think 0:29:58.360 --> 0:30:02.400 that if he took lie detector test and told you 0:30:02.720 --> 0:30:05.120 that he was healthy, I think he would fail. And 0:30:05.160 --> 0:30:08.640 I think that's a big reason why he's having a 0:30:08.680 --> 0:30:12.240 season like this, which is a complete falloff. Yeah, I agree, 0:30:12.480 --> 0:30:15.000 So I guess maybe it was a bad burning question 0:30:16.720 --> 0:30:19.360 just I feel like, but it sold portion for the Mariners. 0:30:20.560 --> 0:30:24.280 He's everything, especially with Julio too. I mean, like Julio's 0:30:24.320 --> 0:30:27.400 heard as well. It's just can your MVP runner up 0:30:27.400 --> 0:30:30.719 that would have won MVPs in most other seasons play 0:30:31.160 --> 0:30:34.880 like a player that's not a detriment to the team 0:30:35.320 --> 0:30:39.760 like that. To go from MVP to detriment is one 0:30:39.800 --> 0:30:42.720 of the biggest Like, there's nothing a GM can do 0:30:42.920 --> 0:30:43.680 to account for that. 0:30:44.240 --> 0:30:47.680 Absolutely, let's go over the Houston Astros and mine's going 0:30:47.720 --> 0:30:49.920 to be quick. So I'll just go first. Can youord 0:30:49.960 --> 0:30:53.000 On Alvarez win the triple crown? The first since Miguel 0:30:53.080 --> 0:30:56.760 Cabrera Since twenty twelve, he's hitting three eighteen. He's four 0:30:56.800 --> 0:30:59.680 points off the batting average leader boards, behind Yanni Dias 0:30:59.720 --> 0:31:02.400 of the Ampa Bay Rays. He's got thirty one homers, 0:31:02.400 --> 0:31:05.480 which leads the American League, and he's got seventy RBIs, 0:31:05.960 --> 0:31:08.400 which leads the American League. I don't know if he's 0:31:08.440 --> 0:31:10.840 going to do it. If there was a hitter to 0:31:10.880 --> 0:31:13.000 do it in Major League Baseball, his name would be 0:31:13.120 --> 0:31:16.160 Aaron Judge, but he's injured. It could be Shoheo Tawny, 0:31:17.480 --> 0:31:20.520 or it could be Jordon Aparez, right, and he's got 0:31:20.520 --> 0:31:23.000 a real shot at doing so. Right, if he doesn't 0:31:23.000 --> 0:31:25.800 do it this year, at twenty nine years old, in 0:31:25.840 --> 0:31:28.120 this week of an American League, with Aaron Judge injured, 0:31:28.320 --> 0:31:30.240 we might not see a triple crown for a very 0:31:30.240 --> 0:31:32.280 long time. So this is the opportunity I want to 0:31:32.280 --> 0:31:33.440 see if Jordon does it. 0:31:33.760 --> 0:31:36.120 And he's I mean the exact archetype of hitter to 0:31:36.440 --> 0:31:39.320 be able to do it with just the bats ball 0:31:39.360 --> 0:31:41.320 and power that he has, and would be really fun 0:31:41.360 --> 0:31:44.000 thing to watch. And also, I mean, if he's doing that, 0:31:44.200 --> 0:31:48.120 the Astros are probably continuing to be in the hunt. 0:31:49.440 --> 0:31:51.080 That's the fun part with him. 0:31:51.080 --> 0:31:54.040 He's one of the best two strike hitters we've seen 0:31:54.080 --> 0:31:56.640 in this year. I mean, this is stupid, stupid stuff. 0:31:56.840 --> 0:31:58.920 This year in two hundred and eight played appearances with two strikes, 0:31:58.920 --> 0:32:01.200 sitting two eighty five with a eight ninety four ops 0:32:01.240 --> 0:32:05.480 fourteen homers, it's a two forty nine ops plus. It's 0:32:05.480 --> 0:32:09.080 one hundred and fifty percent better than league average with 0:32:09.160 --> 0:32:14.680 two strikes. That's just outrageous, absolutely outrageous. 0:32:15.680 --> 0:32:17.960 I don't think we'll really ever see somebody. 0:32:18.680 --> 0:32:21.440 Peyton put that up there. And Peyton, I don't know 0:32:21.440 --> 0:32:24.040 if he's ever gotten a stat wrong. I don't believe that. 0:32:24.400 --> 0:32:27.400 But forty nine ops plus with two strikes, it's like 0:32:27.760 --> 0:32:30.280 it's one of those numbers that does I it's so 0:32:30.560 --> 0:32:32.640 crazy that I can't believe it's true. 0:32:33.000 --> 0:32:36.520 You like, literally, with two strikes, he's still way better 0:32:36.640 --> 0:32:39.200 than the average hitter in an count. He's better than 0:32:39.200 --> 0:32:41.520 a lot of hitters in advantage counts with two twos. 0:32:42.440 --> 0:32:44.640 He almost want to get him to two strikes. 0:32:45.440 --> 0:32:47.719 It's great, well, you know, otherwise he's got in one 0:32:47.720 --> 0:32:49.200 thousand and fifty nine ops. 0:32:49.240 --> 0:32:49.719 So I don't know. 0:32:50.120 --> 0:32:52.920 He's still he's still worse than he normally, is it? 0:32:53.080 --> 0:32:57.520 It's special stuff. My big question with them is what 0:32:57.680 --> 0:33:06.480 is this pitching staff? Because it's not necessarily terrible like 0:33:06.600 --> 0:33:08.520 I thought it was a couple months ago. 0:33:08.760 --> 0:33:08.920 Now. 0:33:08.960 --> 0:33:12.800 It may by production standards be terrible the rest of 0:33:12.800 --> 0:33:16.280 the way, but I can look at this pitching staff 0:33:16.320 --> 0:33:20.920 now and say I could see some things going right here. 0:33:21.560 --> 0:33:26.120 Brown just needs to starter, like entire pitching staff. 0:33:26.160 --> 0:33:31.160 Ohtarters, Like what is this rotation? Because Hunter Brown is 0:33:31.160 --> 0:33:31.720 gonna be fine. 0:33:32.040 --> 0:33:34.360 He's made seven starts this year, He's coming back from 0:33:34.840 --> 0:33:37.840 a long layoff arm injury wise, I think he's gonna 0:33:37.840 --> 0:33:41.120 be and still even with himself not looking great, like 0:33:41.240 --> 0:33:43.040 he's still got a three five seventy R, like he's 0:33:43.040 --> 0:33:46.040 found a way to prevent runs. Christian Aavier just came 0:33:46.120 --> 0:33:49.280 back off the aisle from TJ and just trying to 0:33:49.280 --> 0:33:51.960 find the zone. But like he's Christian Xavier. So if 0:33:51.960 --> 0:33:54.280 he sucks the rest of the way, I get it. 0:33:54.320 --> 0:33:56.120 But if Christian Avier snaps in and he looks like 0:33:56.160 --> 0:33:58.760 a number four starter, even wouldn't be surprised. 0:33:59.080 --> 0:34:00.560 Peter Abbert's been right all year. 0:34:01.240 --> 0:34:03.560 That guy, I trust him now, is just a solid 0:34:03.680 --> 0:34:07.840 inning zeting type of guy. Arraghetty has been at points 0:34:08.440 --> 0:34:11.360 really solid, at points really frustrating. If he's somewhere in 0:34:11.360 --> 0:34:14.000 the middle there again take it and then that too, 0:34:14.040 --> 0:34:17.480 you Ami has either been completely unusable or dominant. And 0:34:18.960 --> 0:34:21.239 that's another big one where it's just like, what do 0:34:21.320 --> 0:34:23.239 you get could he get anything. 0:34:23.040 --> 0:34:24.680 Usable from him? That helps? 0:34:25.040 --> 0:34:29.279 I just think we're not running out like and then 0:34:29.280 --> 0:34:30.840 Mike Burrows is doing with a little bit of injury. 0:34:30.840 --> 0:34:32.160 Maybe he comes back and throws a little bit better. 0:34:32.160 --> 0:34:34.320 They're gonna get Kaiwait Tang back. He can eat some innings. 0:34:34.480 --> 0:34:37.400 I just feel like with this rotation, it's not one 0:34:37.440 --> 0:34:38.799 of those where you just look at and say, oh, well, 0:34:38.880 --> 0:34:40.960 none of these guys have any shot to be decent. 0:34:41.480 --> 0:34:43.719 Like you look now and you say, well, when Araghetti's hot, 0:34:43.719 --> 0:34:46.279 he looks good. We've seen Javier be good when am 0:34:46.280 --> 0:34:48.000 I is remotely throwing that wrong. 0:34:47.840 --> 0:34:49.200 With slider for a strike. He's been good. 0:34:49.239 --> 0:34:51.200 When Hunter Brown has been healthy, he's been one of 0:34:51.200 --> 0:34:53.680 the best pitchers of Major League Baseball. So if a 0:34:53.719 --> 0:34:57.080 couple of things go right with this really wide, high 0:34:57.200 --> 0:35:00.720 variance group. With the way the Astros have been trending, 0:35:00.760 --> 0:35:03.000 with the return of Josh Hater and the bullpen, and 0:35:03.040 --> 0:35:04.520 the bullpen overall is just great. 0:35:04.920 --> 0:35:06.680 Like, I just need these guys to be five and 0:35:06.800 --> 0:35:09.040 dive and I think they can survive. 0:35:10.280 --> 0:35:13.200 That's where I'm fascinated, because I think this team's gonna 0:35:13.600 --> 0:35:15.840 weirdly still just hit en off, especially with jord On. 0:35:17.960 --> 0:35:19.600 I just I don't really know what to make of it. 0:35:19.680 --> 0:35:22.120 But with this rotation, if they're able to just be 0:35:22.160 --> 0:35:25.160 half decent, I think the Astros can you find themselves 0:35:25.200 --> 0:35:25.800 in the playoffs. 0:35:27.000 --> 0:35:30.320 The Astro's rotation is emblematic of the entire American League. 0:35:30.760 --> 0:35:35.879 And here's what I mean by that. They are wildly inconsistent. 0:35:37.360 --> 0:35:40.640 They give you performances where you think, to yourself, are 0:35:40.680 --> 0:35:44.359 you a big league arm But you're still holding out 0:35:44.440 --> 0:35:47.919 hope because there's some big names, right Like you said 0:35:47.920 --> 0:35:50.439 it yourself. A tatsu Imai. We've seen what he looks 0:35:50.480 --> 0:35:53.920 like when he's dominant. We've seen another hitter, vladimirg Row, 0:35:53.960 --> 0:35:56.600 Junior Gunner Henderson. Look no, we know what they look 0:35:56.680 --> 0:36:00.200 like when they're dominant. But they have been wildly inconsistent right, 0:36:00.239 --> 0:36:02.520 and the same can be said about Spencer Arraghetty, the 0:36:02.520 --> 0:36:05.759 same can be said about Christian Javier Right. Continue to 0:36:05.760 --> 0:36:08.640 go down the list. It's guys with talent that just 0:36:08.680 --> 0:36:10.920 haven't been able to put it together this season, And 0:36:11.000 --> 0:36:13.200 with the Nashros team in the American League where it 0:36:13.239 --> 0:36:15.799 is still wide open, it's not a bad rotation to 0:36:15.840 --> 0:36:18.960 have when you're currently in a hole and you need 0:36:19.080 --> 0:36:23.400 some upside and the Ashro's rotation can deliver it. My 0:36:23.719 --> 0:36:27.040 thinking is it's not going to be enough to dig 0:36:27.080 --> 0:36:30.320 them out of said hole, because I'm sure they'll all 0:36:30.320 --> 0:36:34.200 have their points where they show that dominant talent that 0:36:34.239 --> 0:36:38.000 they have, but they will, unfortunately also have outings where 0:36:38.000 --> 0:36:42.520 the Ashros offense cannot overcome the seven runs after four 0:36:42.600 --> 0:36:47.280 innings that all five of them including Brown currently. 0:36:48.840 --> 0:36:50.359 Can do so. 0:36:51.239 --> 0:36:55.520 But if we're just talking about plain upside, I don't 0:36:55.520 --> 0:36:58.920 want back of that rotation. I just still think the 0:36:59.000 --> 0:37:01.160 Ashros are going to be on the outside looking in 0:37:01.600 --> 0:37:03.479 when it comes to the playoffs, even if they buy. 0:37:04.400 --> 0:37:07.000 I do think that there is just too much inconsistency 0:37:07.040 --> 0:37:07.800 in this rotation. 0:37:08.080 --> 0:37:11.640 Well, one other fun variable is Ronel Blanco on his 0:37:11.719 --> 0:37:15.160 way back too, and like, go hit her. I mean, dude, 0:37:15.280 --> 0:37:20.680 Ronel Blanco would be one of the most welcome stabilizers 0:37:20.680 --> 0:37:23.040 for this team, I think, which is crazy to say, 0:37:23.080 --> 0:37:25.239 but like he's only thrown two hundred and seventy four 0:37:25.239 --> 0:37:27.239 innings at the big league level, but to a three 0:37:27.280 --> 0:37:29.239 four five R and like, that's a guy though that Like, 0:37:30.160 --> 0:37:31.920 I don't think there's that much variance with I know, 0:37:31.920 --> 0:37:33.279 you do the no hitter Blake, He's gonna go out 0:37:33.280 --> 0:37:36.480 there and give you a chance. I think he's gonna 0:37:36.480 --> 0:37:38.680 be kind of Peter Lambert coated, and like, I think 0:37:38.719 --> 0:37:40.680 the Astros would kill for another one of those, so 0:37:41.160 --> 0:37:43.040 that that helps a lot too. I just think those 0:37:43.320 --> 0:37:46.440 aspects of the rotation are fascinating to me. And I 0:37:46.480 --> 0:37:48.319 think we was Nesky could potentially come back at some 0:37:48.360 --> 0:37:51.640 point this year, and then whatever they get from Burrows, 0:37:51.680 --> 0:37:54.000 who was phenomenal in the second half last year too 0:37:54.160 --> 0:37:56.480 and just has been hurt and frustrating this year. So 0:37:56.480 --> 0:37:59.120 so much variance in this rotation that I just want 0:37:59.160 --> 0:38:00.000 to see what it looks like. 0:38:00.719 --> 0:38:02.440 It is certainly going to be fun to watch that, 0:38:02.600 --> 0:38:04.640 there is no doubt about it. Let's go over to 0:38:04.640 --> 0:38:08.840 the a's and I've gone first the first three times, 0:38:08.880 --> 0:38:11.080 so you get a run of going first a's. 0:38:11.160 --> 0:38:13.800 What you got with the a's is just can Lawrence 0:38:13.800 --> 0:38:15.560 Butler find it? You know, I think this is the 0:38:15.600 --> 0:38:17.919 season's kind of over for them, right. 0:38:18.000 --> 0:38:19.719 I mean, you know, you have. 0:38:21.440 --> 0:38:23.080 Most of the guys that are banged up are probably 0:38:23.120 --> 0:38:25.040 not going to come back, and if they do, like 0:38:25.080 --> 0:38:26.719 it's you know, there's not gonna be that much time 0:38:26.719 --> 0:38:28.400 for you to gauge too much, you know about what 0:38:28.400 --> 0:38:30.279 it's going to look like. Like Denzel Clark, if he comes 0:38:30.320 --> 0:38:32.600 back and struggles, it's kind of a last year for him. Unfortunately, 0:38:32.680 --> 0:38:35.439 this year Kurtz is Nick Kurtz, and once he's back, 0:38:35.600 --> 0:38:36.319 you know, it is what it is. 0:38:36.400 --> 0:38:37.799 Rookers out for season. 0:38:38.800 --> 0:38:42.960 Lawrence Butler, you paid Lawrence Butler has shown us stretches 0:38:42.960 --> 0:38:46.480 where he has been fantastic and and this year he's 0:38:46.480 --> 0:38:48.160 been one of the worst players in Major League Baseball. 0:38:48.280 --> 0:38:50.160 They've had to throw him out there in center field 0:38:50.600 --> 0:38:53.120 because of the injury to Clark and some other guys, 0:38:53.120 --> 0:38:56.080 So that you know, that's definitely torpedo the the f 0:38:56.080 --> 0:38:58.680 wur a little bit. But at the same time, I mean, 0:38:58.760 --> 0:39:00.560 it's a five ninety one, Oh asked from a guy 0:39:00.600 --> 0:39:01.800 that has all the talent in the world. 0:39:01.800 --> 0:39:03.040 I mean they extended him for a reason. 0:39:03.040 --> 0:39:06.000 In twenty twenty four, it was a one thirty WRC 0:39:06.120 --> 0:39:09.600 plus and even like last year where there was some 0:39:09.640 --> 0:39:13.160 ebbs and flows, he hit twenty one homers, stole twenty 0:39:13.200 --> 0:39:17.200 two bags, and yeah, finished slightly below average by WRC plus. 0:39:17.320 --> 0:39:19.239 But I still think you looked at Larrence Butler and said, 0:39:19.520 --> 0:39:21.400 age twenty four season like this is this is a 0:39:21.440 --> 0:39:23.600 pretty good player, and this guy that can continue to develop. 0:39:23.680 --> 0:39:26.000 So for his age twenty five season, just turned twenty 0:39:26.040 --> 0:39:27.480 six a week ago to be hitting the wall that 0:39:27.520 --> 0:39:29.239 he has, Like, you go in the next year now, 0:39:29.239 --> 0:39:30.799 and you just don't really know what you have. 0:39:30.960 --> 0:39:34.040 If Lawrence Butler doesn't get better. If Lawrence Butler. 0:39:33.760 --> 0:39:37.760 Improves and you know, finishes the year on a higher note, 0:39:38.120 --> 0:39:39.319 you go in the next season and say, all right, 0:39:39.360 --> 0:39:41.839 well that's our corner outfielder, and you know everything's gonna 0:39:41.840 --> 0:39:44.160 be all right, and you know, we'll assume he's going 0:39:44.239 --> 0:39:46.800 to continue to build on on the second half that 0:39:46.840 --> 0:39:49.000 he had. But I think that's the big question and 0:39:49.040 --> 0:39:51.960 a couple of just interesting Lawrence Butler stats, he's slugging 0:39:52.000 --> 0:39:54.960 one seventy six with the pitcher behind in the count. 0:39:55.360 --> 0:39:58.640 So when Lawrence Butler is ahead and counts, he's slugging 0:39:58.680 --> 0:40:02.440 one seventy six. That's the lowest among MLB players with 0:40:02.440 --> 0:40:04.840 at least one hundred and forty one plate appearances. So 0:40:04.840 --> 0:40:08.680 he's not even leveraging his advantage counts. He's slugging seventy 0:40:08.719 --> 0:40:12.279 seven on high ninety five plus mile prior pitches. So 0:40:12.480 --> 0:40:15.680 you got the scouting report on him, just elevated fastball 0:40:15.680 --> 0:40:16.280 and he's toast. 0:40:16.400 --> 0:40:18.160 That's the second lowest in Major League Baseball. 0:40:18.480 --> 0:40:23.640 So he's not leveraging his advantage counts because Pittrick knowes, oh, 0:40:23.640 --> 0:40:26.640 I'm behind, I'll just throw an elevated heater and good 0:40:26.719 --> 0:40:30.279 luck Lawrence. So's it's a timing thing, it's a mechanic thing. 0:40:30.280 --> 0:40:32.680 He's going to need to figure it out, and hopefully 0:40:32.680 --> 0:40:34.120 he does in the second half because that makes it 0:40:34.160 --> 0:40:38.759 a lot easier for the Athletics to go into next 0:40:38.800 --> 0:40:39.799 year and know what they have. 0:40:40.560 --> 0:40:42.840 The only point that I wanted to add, well, just 0:40:42.880 --> 0:40:46.560 a few small ones. You mentioned tank to f war 0:40:47.280 --> 0:40:50.160 among players with at least two hundred and fifty plate 0:40:50.200 --> 0:40:54.760 appearances this season, he's second to last, behind Salvador Prez 0:40:55.200 --> 0:40:57.920 and just in front of Mark Fiento. So truly, he 0:40:57.960 --> 0:41:00.560 has been one of the least valuable players in Major 0:41:00.640 --> 0:41:05.280 League Baseball. And you said that last year in totality, 0:41:05.400 --> 0:41:08.160 the year wasn't that bad, and I agree with you. 0:41:08.280 --> 0:41:11.080 Like a ninety six WRC plus, like an ops in 0:41:11.120 --> 0:41:13.399 the seven ten, seven to twenty range, with a two 0:41:13.400 --> 0:41:16.839 win season, it's not bad. It's not great, it's like fine, right, 0:41:16.840 --> 0:41:18.560 But it's not a season that you're just giving up 0:41:18.560 --> 0:41:21.759 on a guy, of course not. But the thing is 0:41:21.840 --> 0:41:25.520 in the second half of last year, and I don't 0:41:25.560 --> 0:41:27.920 know this off the top of my head, but I 0:41:28.120 --> 0:41:32.480 remember watching him get beat a lot. Like I'm curious 0:41:32.560 --> 0:41:36.799 if the high fastball thing became more prevalent in the 0:41:36.840 --> 0:41:39.879 second half of twenty twenty five, where he posted a 0:41:39.960 --> 0:41:43.680 seventy WRC plus. Yeah, and then this year it's a 0:41:43.760 --> 0:41:47.880 very similar WRC plus and he's getting fed these high heaters. 0:41:48.320 --> 0:41:50.359 This might just be an area of the zone where 0:41:50.360 --> 0:41:53.640 he is simply overmatched. Could he come back next year 0:41:53.760 --> 0:41:59.080 and fix the problem maybe theoretically hopefully, But at the 0:41:59.080 --> 0:42:02.200 same time, I'm sure, he noticed this was an issue 0:42:02.239 --> 0:42:05.000 in the second half, and he should have fixed this 0:42:05.080 --> 0:42:08.600 going into this year, and it's been the same or 0:42:08.760 --> 0:42:12.840 arguably worse. That's what makes me nervous for Lawrence Butler 0:42:12.840 --> 0:42:15.880 long term, which is why my one burning question was truly, 0:42:16.640 --> 0:42:19.080 is he a part of the core? Is this just 0:42:19.120 --> 0:42:22.240 a sunk cost? Like is he worth it to trot 0:42:22.280 --> 0:42:25.520 out there every single day moving forward? Because this has 0:42:25.520 --> 0:42:28.640 been abysmal and he has a clear hole and it's 0:42:28.719 --> 0:42:32.560 not just this season, it's carried over from last season 0:42:32.600 --> 0:42:35.400 where he was also one of the worst hitters in baseball. 0:42:36.760 --> 0:42:40.160 Yeah, I think that's where like maybe it wasn't pressing 0:42:40.280 --> 0:42:42.879 enough for him to fully make feel like he needed 0:42:42.880 --> 0:42:45.960 to make a major overhaul change at the end of 0:42:46.000 --> 0:42:49.200 last year. I think this offseason, you know this is 0:42:49.520 --> 0:42:53.480 it's quite pressing, and if it doesn't get any better 0:42:53.520 --> 0:42:55.080 the rest of the year too, like I think clearly 0:42:55.080 --> 0:42:58.080 there's there's some need there and then you're gonna go 0:42:58.080 --> 0:43:01.279 in the next year with probably a shorterlyation if he 0:43:01.320 --> 0:43:04.640 continues to have the same issues for an athletics team 0:43:04.680 --> 0:43:07.440 that's gonna want to be competitive and was hoping to 0:43:07.440 --> 0:43:09.600 even be competitive this year, I think he'd start to 0:43:09.600 --> 0:43:11.920 see the rapt start to dwindle a little bit. 0:43:12.719 --> 0:43:15.440 Let's end one burning question in the Ale West with 0:43:15.600 --> 0:43:20.359 the La Angels, and with the Angels again pretty much 0:43:20.400 --> 0:43:22.799 a lost season at this point. Uh, they brought in 0:43:22.840 --> 0:43:25.120 a new GM, John mose Lac. I'm very excited to 0:43:25.160 --> 0:43:28.920 see what he does during the trade deadline because I 0:43:28.960 --> 0:43:32.640 know with Perry Manassian, the report was out that the 0:43:32.680 --> 0:43:35.120 Angels don't want to trade from any of their three 0:43:35.160 --> 0:43:37.640 studs at the top of the rotation, whether that be 0:43:37.760 --> 0:43:40.719 Walbert Orina, whether that be Jose Soriano, whether that be 0:43:40.840 --> 0:43:44.040 Re det Mers. So that's just one burning question again. 0:43:44.120 --> 0:43:48.560 But my big one is it's more of a fascination. 0:43:48.960 --> 0:43:52.080 I'm curious what does Grace and Rodriguez look like for 0:43:52.120 --> 0:43:54.960 the end of the season, because Grace Rodriguez so far 0:43:55.000 --> 0:43:58.280 this season hasn't come back fully healthy, hasn't looked like himself. 0:43:58.320 --> 0:44:01.920 He's pitching to an array above seven. They traded Taylor 0:44:01.960 --> 0:44:04.560 Ward it was only one year, so you kind of 0:44:04.719 --> 0:44:07.520 understand what the Orioles thought about him where they just 0:44:07.520 --> 0:44:09.640 didn't think he was gonna stay healthy. And when he 0:44:09.719 --> 0:44:14.399 is staying healthy, it's not gonna be anything worth much, right, 0:44:14.880 --> 0:44:17.239 But the Angels took an opportunity and so far the 0:44:17.280 --> 0:44:20.719 Orioles have been quote unquote proven right. But the thing is, 0:44:20.760 --> 0:44:24.000 you still have years of control for Grayson for him 0:44:24.000 --> 0:44:26.640 to turn it around. So my one burning question simply 0:44:26.680 --> 0:44:30.399 would be does that turnaround happen in the second half, 0:44:30.520 --> 0:44:32.120 because I would love to see it because I'm rooting 0:44:32.280 --> 0:44:36.239 for the guy. Like when he's on, he's he could 0:44:36.280 --> 0:44:39.240 be dominant. I mean, he could be a frontline starter. 0:44:39.440 --> 0:44:41.480 We just haven't seen it in a while. But I'm curious. 0:44:41.800 --> 0:44:44.600 Crazier things have happened than Grayson Rodriguez turning it around 0:44:44.640 --> 0:44:45.320 the second half. 0:44:45.600 --> 0:44:46.799 Yeah, and I think it's huge for them. 0:44:46.840 --> 0:44:49.160 I mean, you imagine going into next year, forget like 0:44:49.760 --> 0:44:53.040 not pitching prospect in baseball, Grayson. If Grayson Rodriguez looks 0:44:53.080 --> 0:44:54.920 like a guy that can throw to a high threes 0:44:55.360 --> 0:44:57.960 below fours, and you saw that guy to your four 0:44:58.080 --> 0:44:59.399 spot for your rotation. 0:44:59.120 --> 0:45:01.280 Next year, that's exciting. 0:45:01.320 --> 0:45:04.440 You got Soriano to debt Mercy Urania to just a 0:45:04.600 --> 0:45:07.280 respectable four, and then you just figure out the five 0:45:07.960 --> 0:45:10.319 and maybe you just go sign a back end guy. 0:45:10.400 --> 0:45:13.960 Maybe Kikuchi's healthy and you know you can go with him. 0:45:14.560 --> 0:45:19.240 That's where I think it's really interesting. So I'm fascinated 0:45:19.320 --> 0:45:21.040 by that side of thing. And that's a fun part 0:45:21.080 --> 0:45:23.360 about this rotation is like Kakuchi has been hurt pretty 0:45:23.400 --> 0:45:25.520 much the whole year. He's just starting to work his 0:45:25.600 --> 0:45:28.279 way back. You could start to talk yourself into this 0:45:28.360 --> 0:45:31.359 rotation a little bit. I mean, Kikuchi the previous two 0:45:31.440 --> 0:45:34.400 seasons was a four era in one hundred and seventy 0:45:34.400 --> 0:45:37.800 five innings with with pretty good strikeout to walk numbers. 0:45:37.840 --> 0:45:40.440 Like if that's your four and then Grayson's your five, 0:45:41.160 --> 0:45:43.000 you're in a pretty good spot. So I think that's 0:45:43.040 --> 0:45:46.040 a huge area. And for me it's you know, what 0:45:46.520 --> 0:45:48.759 is what is a selling angels? And I know even 0:45:48.760 --> 0:45:51.080 if they're not selling those guys, they're gonna sell some 0:45:51.239 --> 0:45:52.520 pieces presumably. 0:45:52.719 --> 0:45:54.799 What does that look like with John mose Lock now? 0:45:54.800 --> 0:45:57.799 And you know, I think perrym andasi AND's hands were 0:45:57.840 --> 0:46:00.839 tied to a degree, and maybe mose will be tied 0:46:00.920 --> 0:46:04.040 by what is one of the more you know, I 0:46:04.040 --> 0:46:09.920 would say overbearing and just just misguided owners and in 0:46:10.040 --> 0:46:10.920 sports and. 0:46:11.640 --> 0:46:14.600 Them that's the nicest way you could describe him, correct. 0:46:16.080 --> 0:46:19.879 And I think I'm just curious, like if Artie says, 0:46:19.920 --> 0:46:22.319 all right, well a new guy here, like, let's this 0:46:22.360 --> 0:46:25.080 guy's very experience, let me see what he can do, 0:46:25.880 --> 0:46:27.640 and like just even for some of the relief pieces, 0:46:27.640 --> 0:46:29.480 like what kind of prospects do you bring in? What 0:46:29.520 --> 0:46:32.080 does it look like? I'm just interested to see Mosaylock 0:46:32.160 --> 0:46:33.040 operate a little bit. 0:46:34.719 --> 0:46:38.200 All right, let's go over to the American League Central 0:46:38.200 --> 0:46:40.319 of a podcast Pee, let's hear from our friends at 0:46:40.320 --> 0:46:45.080 Hampton Farms Peanuts one burning question for every team in 0:46:45.120 --> 0:46:48.600 the American League. We move to the American League Central, 0:46:48.640 --> 0:46:51.800 which features the White Sox, the Guardians, the Twins, the Tigers, 0:46:52.480 --> 0:46:55.319 and the Royals will start up top even though both 0:46:55.400 --> 0:46:57.759 teams are tied. I think technically the White Sox have 0:46:57.840 --> 0:47:02.800 the better winning percentage, so we'll go that. And actually 0:47:02.840 --> 0:47:05.000 I've been going first a lot. You go first arm 0:47:05.080 --> 0:47:06.319 White Sox burning question? 0:47:06.960 --> 0:47:09.560 Can Mari Kai? Can Morikami keep it up? Is my 0:47:09.719 --> 0:47:14.480 question because this this team's identity this year in particular, 0:47:14.880 --> 0:47:17.160 is that they're gonna need to bang, like if they're 0:47:17.160 --> 0:47:18.719 gonna make the playoffs, they're gonna win the division, if 0:47:18.719 --> 0:47:22.799 they're gonna make any noise and have a strong finish. 0:47:22.920 --> 0:47:24.680 They're gonna need to bang with the best of them 0:47:24.680 --> 0:47:27.160 like they've done for a lot of this year. And 0:47:27.320 --> 0:47:29.840 I think there's a lot of reason to believe Miguel 0:47:29.920 --> 0:47:32.200 Vargus is going to continue to be Miguel Vargus. Costa 0:47:32.200 --> 0:47:34.480 Montgomery's now showed us for a pretty large sample that 0:47:34.840 --> 0:47:36.680 he's gonna be a power with guy. 0:47:36.719 --> 0:47:38.000 But the power is gonna prevail. 0:47:38.880 --> 0:47:41.319 And then Tristan Peters and you know, some of these 0:47:41.320 --> 0:47:43.640 complimentary pieces have been great. Of course, Sam Antonaci is 0:47:43.640 --> 0:47:45.400 gonna be a one thirty w RC plus I don't know, 0:47:45.440 --> 0:47:47.399 but he's gonna be above average big league bat like that. 0:47:47.440 --> 0:47:49.640 Was the whole story with him. It's just how high 0:47:49.680 --> 0:47:50.239 the floor is. 0:47:50.520 --> 0:47:53.200 But for this team to make the noise that they're 0:47:53.200 --> 0:47:55.360 gonna make, like they're not gonna aggressively buy, I just 0:47:55.400 --> 0:47:58.600 don't think that's that's realistic here. So the odds of 0:47:58.640 --> 0:48:01.600 them getting a rotation piece that's going to change things 0:48:01.680 --> 0:48:07.040 or is relatively slim. I think their staff you just 0:48:07.120 --> 0:48:10.480 kind of see if they hold serve and and the relievers. 0:48:10.040 --> 0:48:11.240 Continue to do what they're doing. 0:48:11.880 --> 0:48:14.759 I think they got a bang and Murakami before he 0:48:14.880 --> 0:48:18.200 was hurt, was giving them some of the best power 0:48:18.239 --> 0:48:20.719 production in the league. It's a nine to eleven ops, 0:48:20.800 --> 0:48:22.640 it's a thirty four percent strikeout rate. 0:48:22.800 --> 0:48:24.279 It's contact rates. 0:48:24.360 --> 0:48:29.560 That are right kind of below what typically is needed 0:48:29.920 --> 0:48:32.480 to have a consistently good season. 0:48:32.680 --> 0:48:32.839 Right. 0:48:32.880 --> 0:48:34.560 I mean, like, if you're at a there's not a 0:48:34.560 --> 0:48:37.080 lot of hitters that have had a sub sixty percent contact, right, 0:48:37.160 --> 0:48:40.400 Mourakami's at fifty nine point five and have been productive 0:48:40.440 --> 0:48:41.560 for the entirety of a season. 0:48:41.760 --> 0:48:42.960 It's really hard to do that. 0:48:43.400 --> 0:48:47.400 So that's where I look off the injury, just into 0:48:47.400 --> 0:48:50.520 a second half where the scouting reports are a little 0:48:50.560 --> 0:48:53.800 bit more detailed, the games become a little bit more important, 0:48:53.800 --> 0:48:57.000 things are a little bit tighter. Can Morikami continue to 0:48:57.120 --> 0:49:00.120 produce with a fifty nine and a half percent contact 0:49:00.440 --> 0:49:02.400 or can he improve that contact. 0:49:02.080 --> 0:49:05.120 Right one hundred percent? My one burning question for them 0:49:05.239 --> 0:49:07.919 is more about the deadline. I'm curious what they're going 0:49:07.960 --> 0:49:11.120 to do. This came from Ken Rosenthal this morning on 0:49:11.239 --> 0:49:14.640 Foul Territory. The White Sox are willing to be relatively 0:49:14.680 --> 0:49:18.520 aggressive and I quote on players with control of the deadline, 0:49:18.520 --> 0:49:21.560 but are not inclined to overpay for rentals, which actually 0:49:21.680 --> 0:49:24.920 I think is the exact direction that they want to go, right, 0:49:24.960 --> 0:49:27.680 You're not trying to send over big time prospects in 0:49:27.760 --> 0:49:29.680 order to get rentals that are not going to be 0:49:29.680 --> 0:49:33.840 a part of your future. So who are these pictures 0:49:34.880 --> 0:49:38.279 I'm assuming that they want to bring in with control 0:49:38.360 --> 0:49:41.480 And how far are they willing to go with their prospects, 0:49:41.840 --> 0:49:44.200 because if they know they're getting a picture, what let's say, 0:49:44.200 --> 0:49:46.400 with two and a half years of control with it, 0:49:46.480 --> 0:49:49.560 which is certainly now in this new White Sox contention window, 0:49:50.040 --> 0:49:53.000 are they willing to give up a Caleb Bonnemer who 0:49:53.080 --> 0:49:57.680 currently doesn't really have a spot, Considering Miguel Vargas was 0:49:57.719 --> 0:50:00.319 an All Star and has truly been one of the 0:50:00.320 --> 0:50:02.560 best hitters in baseball this year at third base, it's 0:50:02.600 --> 0:50:05.200 just twenty six years old, and they have Colson Montgomery 0:50:05.280 --> 0:50:08.160 at shortstop twenty four years old, could be the first 0:50:08.239 --> 0:50:10.719 lefty to hit forty home runs by shortstop, a left 0:50:10.719 --> 0:50:14.160 tended hitting shortstop. Ever, and you can't really move Vargas 0:50:14.160 --> 0:50:16.200 over to first base because again, like you said, you 0:50:16.239 --> 0:50:21.880 have Murakami at first. So could Caleb Bonnerber be available? 0:50:21.960 --> 0:50:25.480 Considering they also just drafted rock Chlowski, like, could they 0:50:25.600 --> 0:50:29.000 dangle him in a big time pitcher with control, which 0:50:29.040 --> 0:50:32.759 could end up being the move of the deadline. So 0:50:32.800 --> 0:50:34.840 I'm really intrigued with what the White Socks are gonna do. 0:50:35.560 --> 0:50:38.480 Yeah, and I think they hold sir, but yeah, if 0:50:38.480 --> 0:50:41.279 you get the opportunity to get a controllable arm and 0:50:41.320 --> 0:50:43.239 it helps you now, but most importantly in the next 0:50:43.280 --> 0:50:46.719 two years, who knows, who knows what they could ultimately do, 0:50:47.280 --> 0:50:51.120 but I think it'll be kind of a fascinating deadline regardless. 0:50:51.120 --> 0:50:53.360 For like, I think the White Sox and the Marlins 0:50:53.360 --> 0:50:58.160 are in very similar situations where they're gonna if they're 0:50:58.160 --> 0:51:00.400 gonna buy, they're gonna be creative, and I'm curious to 0:51:00.400 --> 0:51:01.160 see how they do that. 0:51:01.560 --> 0:51:04.360 Definitely, let's go over to the Cleveland Guardians again. You 0:51:04.400 --> 0:51:06.280 go first, what's your burning question? 0:51:06.960 --> 0:51:09.160 It's just the most obvious one for me, it's just 0:51:09.200 --> 0:51:11.640 what version of Jose Ramirez do they get upon return? 0:51:11.680 --> 0:51:14.200 You know, he comes back from that broken handmate, he 0:51:14.320 --> 0:51:17.280 wasn't having a very good year before that, and talking 0:51:17.320 --> 0:51:20.160 to some of just my friends and pro ball that 0:51:20.200 --> 0:51:24.160 have broken their handmate, Not everybody has to go this way, 0:51:24.400 --> 0:51:26.520 but some kind of felt it coming for a while, 0:51:27.000 --> 0:51:28.600 like you kind of knew that it was going to go, 0:51:28.640 --> 0:51:31.400 and then it went some It just goes, but you 0:51:31.520 --> 0:51:33.840 kind of feel it wearing and getting sore, and then. 0:51:33.680 --> 0:51:34.640 It finally goes. 0:51:35.040 --> 0:51:37.480 And so I wonder if that was the case with 0:51:37.560 --> 0:51:40.840 Jay ram because a lot of the batted ball specs 0:51:40.880 --> 0:51:43.560 like he was still really solid overall, right, like he's 0:51:43.560 --> 0:51:45.520 not whipping, he's not chasing, he's still hitting the ball 0:51:45.560 --> 0:51:46.120 hard enough. 0:51:46.600 --> 0:51:49.520 But it wasn't his typical production, right. 0:51:49.520 --> 0:51:51.399 It was a one to ten WRC plus the first 0:51:51.440 --> 0:51:54.719 seventy two games ten homers. At reminder, he hit thirty 0:51:54.800 --> 0:51:56.800 nine homers in twenty twenty four and he hit thirty 0:51:56.800 --> 0:51:59.080 homers in twenty twenty five. He was on pace for 0:51:59.560 --> 0:52:04.319 you know, twenty change this year, striking out a couple 0:52:04.400 --> 0:52:05.399 percentage points more. 0:52:05.920 --> 0:52:06.920 It's split in hairs. 0:52:07.120 --> 0:52:10.879 But coming back from the himmate as a switch hitter, 0:52:11.680 --> 0:52:13.279 just how does it affect him is the biggest question 0:52:13.280 --> 0:52:17.200 for me, because if they have twenty twenty five Jose Ramirez, 0:52:18.360 --> 0:52:20.920 I mean, I really think this team is a problem. 0:52:20.920 --> 0:52:22.960 I've made my pitch on them that I think this 0:52:23.040 --> 0:52:24.960 is one of the better Guardians teams we've seen, you know, 0:52:25.000 --> 0:52:28.000 in the last half decade, and I think he makes 0:52:28.000 --> 0:52:30.480 a big difference, obviously being the guy that sets the 0:52:30.520 --> 0:52:32.200 tone for them, but he's had to set the tone 0:52:32.239 --> 0:52:34.360 for this team with much less around him. 0:52:34.520 --> 0:52:37.399 So if they have a good Jay ram look out. 0:52:38.320 --> 0:52:41.200 So my burning question actually relates to that, and the 0:52:41.239 --> 0:52:44.240 burning question is who is going to supply the power 0:52:44.280 --> 0:52:48.160 in the second half. This Guardian's team ranks twenty ninth 0:52:48.200 --> 0:52:52.080 in home runs and the leader in the clubouts of 0:52:52.120 --> 0:52:56.080 home runs is on Hell Martinez with eleven. On Hell 0:52:56.120 --> 0:52:59.600 Martinez hasn't played a full season. Chase the latter is 0:52:59.640 --> 0:53:03.240 tied with with him at eleven, but again hasn't played 0:53:03.239 --> 0:53:06.279 the full season either, right, and also has gone through 0:53:07.840 --> 0:53:11.560 some pits and valleys and hills. I don't even remember 0:53:11.600 --> 0:53:13.200 what I'm saying, but you know what I mean. Like, 0:53:13.239 --> 0:53:15.439 it's been an up and down season for Chase the lotter. 0:53:16.400 --> 0:53:20.640 So I think to myself, Jose Ramirez is recovering from 0:53:20.640 --> 0:53:25.600 a handmaid injury. What's the most common side effect of 0:53:25.640 --> 0:53:29.600 handmaid injuries? Zap's your power a little bit. I still 0:53:29.640 --> 0:53:32.560 believe that Jose Ramirez in terms of his bat to 0:53:32.600 --> 0:53:35.799 ball abilities. Is still gonna end up putting up a 0:53:35.840 --> 0:53:38.759 good season. It's just those thirty nine home runs are 0:53:38.760 --> 0:53:41.200 not going to be there. So I look around the 0:53:41.239 --> 0:53:44.719 diamond and I say, well, Kyle Manzardo, he should be 0:53:44.800 --> 0:53:47.479 hitting more home runs, but he ain't. Chase the latter 0:53:47.600 --> 0:53:50.240 should be hitting more home runs, but he ain't. Brian 0:53:50.320 --> 0:53:52.719 Rochio has been a really solid hitter this year, but 0:53:52.760 --> 0:53:55.600 you're not banking on him for power, right. Josh Naylor 0:53:55.640 --> 0:54:00.080 has been gone. Stephen Kwan is providing nothing offensively. I 0:54:00.120 --> 0:54:02.440 expect him to be better, but it's certainly not going 0:54:02.520 --> 0:54:04.640 to be because he's putting balls. 0:54:04.400 --> 0:54:05.919 In seats, that's for sure. 0:54:07.080 --> 0:54:08.840 And I think, well, are the Guardians going to be 0:54:08.880 --> 0:54:10.960 aggressive at the deadline to go get a power bat? 0:54:11.200 --> 0:54:13.360 I don't think so. I just don't think it's in 0:54:13.400 --> 0:54:16.920 their DNA. Someone is going to have to step up 0:54:16.960 --> 0:54:19.279 in this lineup. Maybe it's Bizana, but it's not like 0:54:19.320 --> 0:54:23.480 his balltleball metrics look that good either. For the Guardians too, 0:54:23.480 --> 0:54:26.400 I think reach the peak that you're talking about, they 0:54:26.560 --> 0:54:28.840 got to hit with some juice. Yeah, And I just 0:54:28.960 --> 0:54:33.480 don't know who's going to provide the juice. If Jose Ramirez, 0:54:34.320 --> 0:54:37.439 his power is zapped from the handmate bone. And even 0:54:37.480 --> 0:54:39.960 if he is supplying the power, they still need more 0:54:40.640 --> 0:54:42.120 than just him hitting homers. 0:54:43.080 --> 0:54:45.879 Manzardo's got to do it too, man, I mean, Manzarto's 0:54:45.880 --> 0:54:47.759 got to be better than he's been. And I know 0:54:47.800 --> 0:54:49.640 this isn't homers, but if you're not gonna hit homers 0:54:49.640 --> 0:54:52.280 like Stephen Kwan's gotta be one of the better bats 0:54:52.280 --> 0:54:54.160 to ball guys and hitting for average so that you 0:54:54.200 --> 0:54:58.920 can manufacturer runs that way, right, So I agree, I mean, 0:54:59.000 --> 0:55:02.040 naturally you're gonna get the power back with Martinez hopefully 0:55:02.320 --> 0:55:03.360 coming back. 0:55:03.719 --> 0:55:04.160 Is he done? 0:55:04.280 --> 0:55:06.160 He's not done for the other they ten ai oled him, 0:55:06.160 --> 0:55:08.200 so hopefully he'll be back at some point. 0:55:08.400 --> 0:55:09.800 But it's gonna be interesting to see. 0:55:09.880 --> 0:55:13.719 Like this team has the pieces I think to make 0:55:13.760 --> 0:55:15.520 it happen, but yeah, they're gonna need a good Jay Rim. 0:55:15.560 --> 0:55:16.960 They're gonna need a couple of guys to pick it up. 0:55:17.000 --> 0:55:18.840 How Wise, I think the water is starting to after 0:55:19.160 --> 0:55:23.560 the rougher stretch. And yeah, I mean just simply, especially 0:55:23.560 --> 0:55:26.120 in the playoffs, gonna need to slug better than this. 0:55:26.680 --> 0:55:27.000 Have to. 0:55:27.239 --> 0:55:29.600 Let's go over to the Minnesota Twins, who're slugging a ton. 0:55:29.760 --> 0:55:33.160 But my biggest question for the Minnesota Twins is can 0:55:33.200 --> 0:55:37.279 this bullpen step up in any meaningful way? Because the 0:55:37.320 --> 0:55:41.480 Minnesota Twins brank ninth and ops this season. Ladies and gentlemen, 0:55:41.680 --> 0:55:47.800 damn right, my Minnesota Twins top ten offense. They're starting 0:55:47.880 --> 0:55:51.759 rotation thirteenth of the Alright, you got Joe Ryan, you 0:55:51.800 --> 0:55:54.960 got Taj Bradley taking the next step. Zebbie Matthews has 0:55:54.960 --> 0:55:59.520 even looked okay, Bailey ober is back. It's a decent rotation. 0:56:00.280 --> 0:56:04.040 But the bullpen twenty ninth in el. I mean, they're 0:56:04.080 --> 0:56:07.040 sitting in National's territory where even if they have a lead, 0:56:07.200 --> 0:56:09.640 good luck, they could blow it at any given time. 0:56:09.960 --> 0:56:12.600 Andrew Gomez has stepped in and done an okay job 0:56:12.600 --> 0:56:16.440 as the closer. But I don't trust anybody in their bullpen. 0:56:16.800 --> 0:56:19.480 But they still have some names that you kind of remember, 0:56:19.880 --> 0:56:24.560 right like Taylor Rodgers. Yeah, there's some names there can 0:56:24.960 --> 0:56:27.400 and they've tried, like they jumped started the market a 0:56:27.440 --> 0:56:29.160 little bit to go get like Tommy Nance, and I 0:56:29.160 --> 0:56:31.319 think that's a fine, fine addition there. 0:56:31.360 --> 0:56:33.440 Like they even try to get creative and like purchase 0:56:33.520 --> 0:56:37.239 wusak go from from the from the Tigers, who was 0:56:37.280 --> 0:56:38.880 just like throwing starting to throw the ball well on 0:56:38.880 --> 0:56:40.839 trip away, like they're trying. 0:56:42.360 --> 0:56:45.120 To step up because the Twins are sitting at five hundred, 0:56:45.640 --> 0:56:48.000 I mean, and sitting at five hundred in the American 0:56:48.080 --> 0:56:51.960 League is basically ten games above five hundred. So I'm 0:56:52.000 --> 0:56:54.600 not like if they don't sell, if they win a 0:56:54.600 --> 0:56:56.600 couple of games here and all of a sudden they're 0:56:56.640 --> 0:56:59.279 two games back of the division, why would they sell? 0:56:59.640 --> 0:57:02.000 No, And it's just trending more and more towards them 0:57:02.040 --> 0:57:05.279 not And I think that Tommy Nant's move, even though 0:57:05.280 --> 0:57:08.000 it's not anything crazy, I think implies that they're trying 0:57:08.000 --> 0:57:10.399 to bolster a little bit here and for the next 0:57:10.440 --> 0:57:13.319 two weeks especially to then see, you know what they're 0:57:13.320 --> 0:57:16.439 gonna do. My question is a short term, long term 0:57:16.480 --> 0:57:18.040 thing here. But I think also what help them this 0:57:18.120 --> 0:57:21.400 year is is it finally Walker Jenkins time? Yep, Jenkins 0:57:21.480 --> 0:57:24.320 was hurt, came back, he's been producing again. Saw him 0:57:24.320 --> 0:57:26.080 at the Futures game. My gosh, that guy looks like 0:57:26.120 --> 0:57:27.520 he's thirty five years old. By the way, and I 0:57:27.520 --> 0:57:29.040 don't even mean that in a negative way. He just 0:57:29.560 --> 0:57:31.920 he looks way, way, way ahead of his years. But 0:57:31.960 --> 0:57:34.120 I also look at this team that I know Byron 0:57:34.160 --> 0:57:37.280 Buckston's on the shelf right now. But when he comes back, 0:57:37.360 --> 0:57:39.920 maybe you saw at Keishaw to a corner. You figure 0:57:39.920 --> 0:57:41.840 it out. But I also think he could also start 0:57:41.880 --> 0:57:43.480 to play in the infield again, and you. 0:57:43.400 --> 0:57:45.640 Figure some things out. 0:57:46.040 --> 0:57:49.000 Regardless, You've got Alan Roaden, who I still think can 0:57:49.040 --> 0:57:51.280 be an okay player, but you got Allen Roaden playing 0:57:51.320 --> 0:57:54.080 corner outfield right now. Walker Jenkins is one of the 0:57:54.080 --> 0:57:56.440 best prospects in Major League Baseball. Not only does he 0:57:56.480 --> 0:57:59.640 give you a blend of hit and power that has 0:57:59.680 --> 0:58:02.320 really developed, he gives you a good approach. He can 0:58:02.320 --> 0:58:04.640 play all three outfield spots, so that's able to give 0:58:04.640 --> 0:58:07.560 bucks In some days off in center. And he's just 0:58:07.600 --> 0:58:11.120 a very well rounded complete player. The only drawback of 0:58:11.200 --> 0:58:13.800 Walker Jenkins now that he has added the raw power, 0:58:14.240 --> 0:58:17.560 has been injuries. So there's nothing you can really do 0:58:17.600 --> 0:58:19.000 about that other than get him up to the big 0:58:19.080 --> 0:58:21.840 leagues and have him working with a big league training 0:58:21.840 --> 0:58:23.840 staff and have him surrounded by big leaguers and big 0:58:23.920 --> 0:58:26.640 league resources. And I'll get this team if you want 0:58:26.680 --> 0:58:28.120 an addition from within. 0:58:28.720 --> 0:58:30.440 Walker Jenkins is a guy that can make a huge 0:58:30.480 --> 0:58:31.880 difference for you. Love it. 0:58:32.080 --> 0:58:35.840 Let's go over to the Detroit Tigers, and I think 0:58:35.880 --> 0:58:38.560 this is a good opportunity to talk about the latest 0:58:39.080 --> 0:58:44.520 headline from Ken Rosenthal where he said the Tigers are 0:58:44.800 --> 0:58:48.120 unlikely to trade Derek Scooble at this point. Yeah, it 0:58:48.200 --> 0:58:52.160 was also reported by Bob Nightingale that Schooble badly wants 0:58:52.200 --> 0:58:55.480 to stay in Detroit. And I want to quote Ken 0:58:55.560 --> 0:59:00.720 Rosenthal directly because really what he said is there's a 0:59:00.880 --> 0:59:03.960 far less chance of Schooble getting traded than there was 0:59:04.040 --> 0:59:06.960 on June first, And I think that was his main 0:59:07.040 --> 0:59:09.439 point that over this last month and a half, where 0:59:09.440 --> 0:59:12.160 the Tigers have arguably been the best team in the 0:59:12.200 --> 0:59:15.600 American League. Right, we're not saying much, but they've been 0:59:16.040 --> 0:59:18.720 well above average in terms of their record, and they've 0:59:18.840 --> 0:59:22.560 clawed back into this race and you're still looking at 0:59:22.600 --> 0:59:26.240 a Tigers team that can compete. It's still a good lineup, 0:59:26.480 --> 0:59:29.640 it's a fine bullpen, and he got scooball and from 0:59:29.680 --> 0:59:33.000 Berre at the top, with Troy Melton really taking a 0:59:33.000 --> 0:59:36.760 step forward, with Casey Miz putting together an excellent season. 0:59:36.760 --> 0:59:38.320 I know he's been injured on and off, but when 0:59:38.320 --> 0:59:41.160 he's been on the mound, he's been awesome. And even 0:59:41.240 --> 0:59:44.480 Kaida Montero is filled in as an excellent number five starter. 0:59:44.880 --> 0:59:48.400 I mean, this Tiger's team. I'm I could hear anything 0:59:48.480 --> 0:59:50.720 if you told me that the Tigers will claw back 0:59:50.720 --> 0:59:53.120 and they could win the freaking Pennant. I'm not really 0:59:53.120 --> 0:59:56.000 gonna give you much pushback. Nobody in the al I like, 0:59:56.360 --> 1:00:00.720 really yeah, So again, it's so wide open. I totally 1:00:00.800 --> 1:00:06.479 understand why the Tigers wouldn't trade Trek Scoobel. However, it's 1:00:06.520 --> 1:00:11.920 extremely risky, yeah, because you could get back the biggest 1:00:11.960 --> 1:00:16.080 package for a rental. Ever, in a market where they're 1:00:16.120 --> 1:00:19.480 not there's not a lot of sellers. We saw what 1:00:19.560 --> 1:00:23.280 happened with the Angels and Otani and look at where 1:00:23.320 --> 1:00:25.640 they are now. It's happened to other teams in the 1:00:25.640 --> 1:00:30.040 past two so the Tigers are making a big risk. However, 1:00:30.920 --> 1:00:36.120 in this current context, I understand why they're making said risk. 1:00:36.400 --> 1:00:38.960 So again, my one and burning question is what did 1:00:38.960 --> 1:00:41.480 the Tigers do with the deadline? Smiley, I think this 1:00:41.560 --> 1:00:44.560 is a great opportunity to talk about that schoobl report, 1:00:44.720 --> 1:00:46.200 and I'll throw it over to you, what do you 1:00:46.240 --> 1:00:47.040 think they should do? 1:00:48.200 --> 1:00:50.280 I mean, the more we we just kind of sit 1:00:50.320 --> 1:00:53.120 and look at the entire situation. They got a lot 1:00:53.120 --> 1:00:56.240 of additions coming from within too, Like Labor Torres was 1:00:56.280 --> 1:00:58.240 playing really well before he got hurt and strained his 1:00:58.280 --> 1:01:00.520 oblique and I think he's already working his way back 1:01:00.560 --> 1:01:03.439 on a rehab assignment. So you add him back, that's 1:01:03.440 --> 1:01:06.240 going to be a much needed right handed bat added 1:01:06.280 --> 1:01:09.120 to the fold there to help this offense. You then 1:01:09.200 --> 1:01:12.120 look at the pitching side of things. You're gonna get 1:01:12.160 --> 1:01:13.880 Jackson Joe back at some point this You're how they 1:01:13.920 --> 1:01:15.560 decided to use him and everything. I'm not sure, but 1:01:15.600 --> 1:01:17.840 he's thrown rehab outings. You could use him in a 1:01:17.880 --> 1:01:20.160 relief role. Again, it's not something he's unfamiliar with with 1:01:20.200 --> 1:01:23.200 this bullpen. That could probably use that down the stretch, 1:01:23.280 --> 1:01:25.400 just having him in the fold. And then of course, 1:01:25.440 --> 1:01:27.960 like when you look at the combination of mis when 1:01:27.960 --> 1:01:32.200 he's been healthy, Melton returning and being great fromber and 1:01:32.640 --> 1:01:36.720 then headlined by scoobl that rotation's money. Your five is flarity, 1:01:36.760 --> 1:01:38.320 which at that point to get through the regular season, 1:01:38.320 --> 1:01:40.200 You're fine, He's just not gonna go to many important 1:01:40.200 --> 1:01:41.040 postseason innings. 1:01:41.120 --> 1:01:43.480 I wasn't looking at any names. These are just off 1:01:43.520 --> 1:01:47.760 the top of my head. Totally forgot about Flarity. I said, well, 1:01:47.800 --> 1:01:49.760 I think is better, but I did forget about it. 1:01:49.760 --> 1:01:52.000 Well, and they've got Kyder in this like long man role. 1:01:52.040 --> 1:01:55.280 He's throwing more innings than Flarherty. If Flerity sucks, put. 1:01:55.120 --> 1:01:57.000 Kyder in the fives. But I think Kyder's better in 1:01:57.080 --> 1:01:57.439 that role. 1:01:57.480 --> 1:01:57.720 I don't. 1:01:57.760 --> 1:02:02.000 I don't know what they do, which they've got options, 1:02:02.120 --> 1:02:04.880 so all of a sudden you've got this depth pitching wise, 1:02:05.520 --> 1:02:08.439 Kiter is like you're a long man. They just need 1:02:08.440 --> 1:02:10.320 some some leverage relief arms. But the fact that they're 1:02:10.320 --> 1:02:13.400 getting some offensive reinforcements too is what's interesting to me. 1:02:13.520 --> 1:02:16.000 Is like they really need exactly a glabor torus, and 1:02:16.000 --> 1:02:19.240 they're getting labor torres back, so that I don't think 1:02:19.240 --> 1:02:19.959 they do much. 1:02:20.000 --> 1:02:21.240 I think they hold. 1:02:21.240 --> 1:02:24.200 Serve and you'll see the classic like trade a couple 1:02:24.280 --> 1:02:26.840 crappy prospects for a couple of crappy relievers and say 1:02:26.880 --> 1:02:27.520 we bought, Like. 1:02:27.560 --> 1:02:28.840 I think that's what Harris will do. 1:02:29.840 --> 1:02:34.040 But I don't blame him for doing that, because this 1:02:34.200 --> 1:02:37.800 team is good enough if everything's going right to make 1:02:37.840 --> 1:02:40.120 some noise in a crappy American league, do. 1:02:40.040 --> 1:02:41.880 You think it's in their best interest long term not 1:02:42.000 --> 1:02:43.200 to trade school and go for it. 1:02:44.200 --> 1:02:44.640 I think. 1:02:45.360 --> 1:02:49.120 I think at this point, if the team continues to 1:02:49.120 --> 1:02:51.760 show signs of life, yeah, because I think the one 1:02:51.800 --> 1:02:53.720 thing that may limit that the Schoople return is how 1:02:53.760 --> 1:02:55.920 expensive he's gonna be. Yes, he could be one of 1:02:55.920 --> 1:02:57.320 the most valuable rentals out He's also one of the 1:02:57.360 --> 1:03:01.479 most expensive rentals ever after you know, winning that arbitration case. 1:03:01.520 --> 1:03:04.040 So it shortens the list of teams willing to trade 1:03:04.080 --> 1:03:07.680 for him and also probably hampers the return some unless 1:03:07.680 --> 1:03:09.680 the Tigers wanted to eat money the other way. So 1:03:09.760 --> 1:03:12.240 then it's like if you're trading your ace and eating 1:03:12.280 --> 1:03:15.560 money when you're two games out of the wild Card, like, ah, 1:03:15.720 --> 1:03:17.640 it's just that's a tough that's a tough one to 1:03:17.680 --> 1:03:18.080 sell here. 1:03:18.120 --> 1:03:20.080 So here's the thing though, about the money, And I 1:03:20.080 --> 1:03:23.600 think this is important because he's the biggest rental potentially 1:03:23.640 --> 1:03:26.760 of all time, maybe outside of CC going to Milwaukee 1:03:26.960 --> 1:03:32.160 or something like that or SODO. The amount of tickets 1:03:32.160 --> 1:03:35.080 that these teams are going to sell and they're increased 1:03:35.160 --> 1:03:38.040 chances of not only making the playoffs, but doing well 1:03:38.040 --> 1:03:40.280 in the playoffs. I think they're gonna make their money 1:03:40.280 --> 1:03:44.600 back from this because again, like let's say, can you 1:03:44.600 --> 1:03:47.760 imagine Wrigley if they got Trek Scooble. Can you imagine 1:03:47.760 --> 1:03:49.880 a couple of other teams if they got Trek Scooble, 1:03:50.000 --> 1:03:51.720 maybe outside of the Dodgers, because. 1:03:51.640 --> 1:03:53.560 But they're gonna be like sold out anyway, So what's. 1:03:53.440 --> 1:03:56.040 The difference potentially, But I think there would be a 1:03:56.040 --> 1:03:59.040 certain there'd be a different energy if yeah. 1:03:58.960 --> 1:04:01.120 It doesn't hurt, doesn't hurt. I just think a lot 1:04:01.160 --> 1:04:04.080 of teams are are kind of like up against it. 1:04:04.160 --> 1:04:08.000 To take on ten million dollars for a couple of 1:04:08.040 --> 1:04:11.680 months is tough, especially if they're working with the CBT 1:04:11.800 --> 1:04:14.040 and whatever else it might be. So I just know 1:04:14.080 --> 1:04:16.360 in general, like for teams, it's gonna limit it some. 1:04:17.840 --> 1:04:19.840 But I agree with you, like he is a guy 1:04:19.880 --> 1:04:23.160 that's gonna change it a little bit to where yeah, 1:04:23.280 --> 1:04:25.640 like let's if we have a mid market team, did it? 1:04:26.280 --> 1:04:28.840 I think they'd have a few more butts and seats. 1:04:28.800 --> 1:04:30.360 For Tampa Bay Rays, did it. 1:04:30.720 --> 1:04:32.520 Yeah, I think there's gonna be a few more butts 1:04:32.520 --> 1:04:34.000 in seats for terrass Google starts. 1:04:34.200 --> 1:04:36.880 That's what I'm saying. Like it, this could be a 1:04:36.920 --> 1:04:40.320 particular option where yes, it's expensive on the surface, but 1:04:40.360 --> 1:04:42.880 it pays back. That's all I wanted to bring up. 1:04:43.560 --> 1:04:46.480 Let's go over to the Kansas City Royals. Tough one, 1:04:46.920 --> 1:04:49.040 tough one to have one burning question. It's been a 1:04:49.080 --> 1:04:54.320 tough year, injuries to the rotation, injuries to MIKEL Garcia, 1:04:54.520 --> 1:04:58.200 Vinnie Pascantino is not stepped up. Salvily is the least 1:04:58.280 --> 1:05:02.440 valuable player, every day player major League Baseball. The bullpen 1:05:02.480 --> 1:05:05.400 has done basically nothing. They said at thirty eight and 1:05:05.440 --> 1:05:09.000 fifty nine, they're tied with the Angels, ten games out 1:05:09.040 --> 1:05:14.400 of a wild card seasons basically over. So I guess 1:05:14.400 --> 1:05:17.400 my one burning question is I think we're still trying 1:05:17.440 --> 1:05:21.440 to find the robin to Bobby Woo Junior's batman in 1:05:21.480 --> 1:05:24.360 this lineup, and we thought it was Michael Garcia. But 1:05:24.800 --> 1:05:28.880 a below average season plus an injury, the door is open. 1:05:29.880 --> 1:05:33.360 So my burning question is, can Jack Caglione be the 1:05:33.440 --> 1:05:36.560 batman or excuse me, be the robin to Bobby vi 1:05:36.640 --> 1:05:39.040 Junior's batman for the rest of the season. So you 1:05:39.080 --> 1:05:41.400 have Bobby with Junior extended for a very long time, 1:05:42.440 --> 1:05:44.720 and then you have Jack hagleon at twenty three years old, 1:05:44.840 --> 1:05:46.760 and you go into next year thinking, all right, if 1:05:46.880 --> 1:05:50.040 Garcia can bounce back, if Vinnie can bounce back, which 1:05:50.880 --> 1:05:53.000 I don't think is a sentence we can really say anymore. 1:05:53.480 --> 1:05:55.120 I mean, how much longer do we have to see 1:05:55.120 --> 1:05:58.680 a one eight WRC plus bat at first base with 1:05:58.760 --> 1:06:01.480 no defense and then this or it's way worse than that. Yeah, 1:06:01.800 --> 1:06:04.439 So I don't I think that sentence should be thrown 1:06:04.440 --> 1:06:04.960 in the garbage. 1:06:05.000 --> 1:06:06.400 Yeah, it's just kind of he is what he is. 1:06:06.600 --> 1:06:10.560 He's going to be twenty nine. At what point do 1:06:10.640 --> 1:06:12.320 we know what a guy is? I think we do 1:06:12.400 --> 1:06:14.680 at this point. So who's going to be the batman? 1:06:14.760 --> 1:06:17.240 And I'm hoping it could be Cacs? Right, you can 1:06:17.320 --> 1:06:19.360 look at again. He's another guy who, based on the 1:06:19.400 --> 1:06:21.919 quality of contact metrics, has been a bit unlucky this year. 1:06:22.240 --> 1:06:24.720 And he's just a really exciting player and he looks 1:06:24.800 --> 1:06:27.240 the part. I mean, he looks like a Greek god 1:06:27.320 --> 1:06:30.080 out there playing baseball, and he's super fun to watch. 1:06:30.120 --> 1:06:32.040 And at least he's someone who will put butts in 1:06:32.080 --> 1:06:35.360 seats and hopefully provide some protection for Bobby Wood Junior, 1:06:35.440 --> 1:06:37.520 not only for the rest of the season, but for 1:06:37.560 --> 1:06:38.880 the long term. 1:06:39.080 --> 1:06:40.640 Yeah, and that's pretty much what I had too, but 1:06:40.920 --> 1:06:42.880 I expanded it a little bit more, which was just like, 1:06:44.200 --> 1:06:46.400 can the young bats take their leap or make their leap? 1:06:46.480 --> 1:06:51.360 Like that's I include Carter Jensen in that good Carter Jensen. 1:06:52.080 --> 1:06:54.240 You know how much I've loved him as a prospect. 1:06:54.280 --> 1:06:56.520 And there's a guy that I thought, you know, could 1:06:56.520 --> 1:06:57.680 make a run at Rookie of the year and. 1:06:58.400 --> 1:07:00.800 Had a really slow start to the year. But I 1:07:00.880 --> 1:07:01.880 think since they've let. 1:07:01.800 --> 1:07:05.000 Him start to catch again and got Salvey out of 1:07:05.000 --> 1:07:07.920 that role and let Jensen start doing what he's been 1:07:08.000 --> 1:07:10.720 used to doing, he's been a lot better and we've 1:07:10.720 --> 1:07:13.680 seen him really pick up and I know he's kind 1:07:13.720 --> 1:07:15.640 of limped into the All Star break, but overall it's 1:07:15.680 --> 1:07:18.960 just been better overall. So I think this is a 1:07:19.000 --> 1:07:22.160 guy too, between him and Kagleion, like can both of 1:07:22.200 --> 1:07:24.280 these guys take that step forward in the second half 1:07:24.280 --> 1:07:27.120 and you just bolstered this offense to where you go 1:07:27.160 --> 1:07:29.320 into next season and say, okay, last year for Mikelica 1:07:29.360 --> 1:07:33.160 because it was just injuries, but now you have four 1:07:33.280 --> 1:07:35.880 really solid big league bats that you feel great about 1:07:35.880 --> 1:07:39.120 going into twenty twenty seven, and then you build around that. 1:07:39.480 --> 1:07:42.320 And if any Pascentino is then your your fifth bat 1:07:42.520 --> 1:07:44.800 at a slightly above average one and a half win player, 1:07:44.840 --> 1:07:47.040 then that's fine. If he's your second best bat, that's 1:07:47.040 --> 1:07:50.080 a problem. So that's where it's where my mind goes. 1:07:50.120 --> 1:07:52.200 And then of course what returns they can get for 1:07:52.280 --> 1:07:54.960 Lugo and Waka and that side of things. 1:07:55.360 --> 1:07:59.000 And podcast piece said he had a good nugget for 1:07:59.200 --> 1:08:02.200 Jack kaglion And this comes to us from inside edge. 1:08:03.200 --> 1:08:07.640 Jack HAGLIONI is slugging eight twenty one in non two 1:08:07.720 --> 1:08:11.680 strike counts this season. That is the sixth best in 1:08:11.760 --> 1:08:16.560 Major League Baseball. But with two strikes, he's slugging one seventeen. 1:08:17.280 --> 1:08:21.120 That is the lowest in the American League. Reading those 1:08:21.160 --> 1:08:23.639 two numbers, arm, what does that tell you about CAGs? 1:08:24.479 --> 1:08:27.479 I mean, he just destroys velocity. He's really good when 1:08:27.520 --> 1:08:30.479 he's you know, in his like attack mode. But I 1:08:30.520 --> 1:08:33.080 think there's still this balance of trying to limit the 1:08:33.120 --> 1:08:37.679 strikeouts being a better two strike hitter per se, where 1:08:37.800 --> 1:08:40.639 CAGs is compromising. What his biggest strength is, and that's 1:08:40.680 --> 1:08:43.439 something that it's tough because everyone tells you to strike 1:08:43.479 --> 1:08:44.920 out too much, blah blah blah blah. You want to 1:08:44.920 --> 1:08:47.800 cut down on that, but you can get a lot 1:08:47.800 --> 1:08:49.960 of pitches to drive sometimes with two strikes, and if 1:08:49.960 --> 1:08:52.719 you're focused on not striking out, you're missing opportunities to slug. 1:08:53.000 --> 1:08:55.479 And I think that's always a difficult balance with young 1:08:55.479 --> 1:08:57.479 power hitters trying to get their feet, you know, under 1:08:57.560 --> 1:08:58.360 them in the big leagues. 1:08:58.800 --> 1:09:01.200 No doubt we're going to move over to the American 1:09:01.280 --> 1:09:04.760 League East next But real quick, let's hear from our 1:09:04.800 --> 1:09:06.640 friends at Hampton Farms Peanuts. 1:09:07.280 --> 1:09:10.160 The best power hitters in the game pride themselves on 1:09:10.240 --> 1:09:13.600 swinging hard and maximizing exsit velocity, and they can't do 1:09:13.720 --> 1:09:17.599 that without muscle. 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We 1:09:46.600 --> 1:09:49.400 move to the American League East, which features the Rays, 1:09:49.439 --> 1:09:52.519 the Yankees, the Red Sox, the Orioles, and the Blue Jays. 1:09:52.560 --> 1:09:55.320 We'll start up top with the Tampa Bay Rays. And 1:09:55.360 --> 1:09:57.439 I know we've talked about a lot of deadline stuff 1:09:57.520 --> 1:09:59.679 on this episode. Are on with a lot of these teams, 1:09:59.720 --> 1:10:03.400 because especially in the AL, it's so wide open that 1:10:03.560 --> 1:10:05.360 you could be a buyer one week and you could 1:10:05.360 --> 1:10:09.080 be a seller the next. The Rays are solidified buyers 1:10:09.120 --> 1:10:12.640 at this point, and my burning question is are they 1:10:12.680 --> 1:10:15.160 going to make the biggest splash of any team at 1:10:15.160 --> 1:10:18.559 this deadline. They're a fascinating team. First of all, they're 1:10:18.600 --> 1:10:21.479 three games up over the Yankees in this division and 1:10:21.560 --> 1:10:24.680 Aaron Judge is not coming back anytime soon, so I 1:10:24.680 --> 1:10:26.360 don't think that the Yankees are going to be able 1:10:26.400 --> 1:10:28.880 to close the gap. But I think the Rays are 1:10:28.880 --> 1:10:32.680 also thinking about you know, not the Rays, their new 1:10:32.720 --> 1:10:37.080 ownership group that would like to spend some money and 1:10:37.200 --> 1:10:41.040 is willing to make some flashy moves. I think they're 1:10:41.080 --> 1:10:43.519 thinking this is a good opportunity to do so right 1:10:43.600 --> 1:10:46.439 before you know, we could potentially be locked out. So 1:10:47.080 --> 1:10:50.639 I'm looking at the Rays as potentially the biggest buyer 1:10:51.120 --> 1:10:54.639 at the deadline of any team in Major League Baseball. 1:10:54.920 --> 1:10:56.720 I cannot wait to see what they do. 1:10:57.479 --> 1:10:59.920 I'm so excited because we've heard so much about it, 1:11:00.360 --> 1:11:02.400 like Leander will will swing for the fences when the 1:11:02.600 --> 1:11:06.400 right opportunity presents itself, and like having that maybe push 1:11:06.439 --> 1:11:09.920 of the back from a new ownership group will only 1:11:09.960 --> 1:11:12.200 help that. And then having a ridiculously good farm system, 1:11:12.479 --> 1:11:16.559 having a very good team that still has clear areas 1:11:16.560 --> 1:11:19.360 of need, and having the American League be as bad 1:11:19.400 --> 1:11:22.400 as it's ever been. I think is the perfect storm 1:11:22.520 --> 1:11:24.479 for this to be that time to just go for it. 1:11:24.720 --> 1:11:27.639 And also, you look at free agency and how weak 1:11:27.680 --> 1:11:29.040 it is, so if it's a player with you know, 1:11:29.080 --> 1:11:30.840 another year of control, I think the race could look 1:11:30.840 --> 1:11:32.320 at it that way too and say like, this is 1:11:32.760 --> 1:11:35.599 you know, an opportunity to make our quote unquote free 1:11:35.640 --> 1:11:38.919 agent addition as well, and who knows they could surprise 1:11:39.040 --> 1:11:41.519 us with that kind of That's one where it would 1:11:41.520 --> 1:11:44.120 be funny, Like we talked about Francisco Lindoor, like what 1:11:44.240 --> 1:11:46.280 if what if the Rays said, hey, we'll take that on, 1:11:46.920 --> 1:11:48.880 you know, And I don't think they would do that, 1:11:48.960 --> 1:11:51.040 but I just think that that is a fun wrinkle 1:11:51.080 --> 1:11:53.720 of like all of a sudden deals that we never 1:11:53.760 --> 1:11:55.640 really mocked to the Rays maybe because they're willing to 1:11:55.640 --> 1:11:57.679 take on some money, knowing the free agent classes ahead, 1:11:57.680 --> 1:11:59.280 and with the ownership group that they have, with the 1:11:59.320 --> 1:12:01.519 trays that they can make, maybe changes things a little 1:12:01.560 --> 1:12:05.240 bit so that I had the same question like is 1:12:05.280 --> 1:12:08.479 this the perfect storm for Neander to swing for the fences? 1:12:08.640 --> 1:12:11.760 And I think it is so with him looking at 1:12:11.800 --> 1:12:12.280 it this way. 1:12:12.520 --> 1:12:16.200 You have Junior Kamenaro having, you know, just this unbelievable season, 1:12:16.360 --> 1:12:18.240 and you have a three headed monster at the top 1:12:18.280 --> 1:12:21.600 that is just so much fun and so special. But 1:12:21.880 --> 1:12:24.880 you need to link them as lineup a little bit, uh, And. 1:12:24.840 --> 1:12:26.400 I think there's a lot of ways to be able 1:12:26.400 --> 1:12:26.840 to do that. 1:12:27.000 --> 1:12:29.880 So, I mean, and you'd always upgrade the rotation, but 1:12:29.960 --> 1:12:31.759 I think they they're gonna find ways to just always 1:12:31.760 --> 1:12:33.200 get outs on the mound and they've been doing that 1:12:33.240 --> 1:12:35.040 all year and you have a healthy use win klanahand 1:12:35.080 --> 1:12:37.200 and so many good things going. I just want to 1:12:37.200 --> 1:12:39.679 see a big splash And I think everything is lining 1:12:39.800 --> 1:12:40.720 up for the race to do it. 1:12:41.240 --> 1:12:44.960 Yeah, at first I thought, you know, and this was 1:12:45.040 --> 1:12:46.880 kind of a while ago now and now I definitely 1:12:46.880 --> 1:12:50.040 don't think it's gonna happen. But the idea to float 1:12:50.080 --> 1:12:52.960 into my brain that Jordan Alvarez could be a Tampa 1:12:52.960 --> 1:12:55.519 Bay Ray, Now, of course I don't think that's gonna happen. 1:12:55.520 --> 1:12:57.639 The Astros are gonna be buyers, not sellers. That's how 1:12:57.640 --> 1:13:00.479 fluid the American League is right now, how can switch 1:13:00.520 --> 1:13:03.000 on a dime. But I do think that if there 1:13:03.080 --> 1:13:06.000 is a team, like you said, to make the big splash, 1:13:06.720 --> 1:13:08.880 it's the Tampa Bay Rays. Anything else on the Rays 1:13:08.920 --> 1:13:10.360 before we move on, I feel like it's. 1:13:10.200 --> 1:13:13.280 So yeah, that was my pitch a month ago, and 1:13:13.320 --> 1:13:16.280 I was hoping that, uh yeah, that it could come 1:13:16.320 --> 1:13:20.200 to fruition. But I think the Astros play and just 1:13:20.560 --> 1:13:22.760 the way things have shaken out, and the Astros being 1:13:23.000 --> 1:13:26.160 vehemently against trading yourd on, I don't think that that 1:13:26.160 --> 1:13:28.120 pipe dream will ever happen for me now. 1:13:28.200 --> 1:13:31.000 And stay tuned here on the Just Baseball Show because 1:13:32.160 --> 1:13:34.759 as we lead up to the deadline, we will certainly 1:13:34.800 --> 1:13:38.040 be making predictions for these teams. But this isn't really 1:13:38.120 --> 1:13:41.280 a predictions episode. And again, if you are enjoying this 1:13:41.360 --> 1:13:43.680 episode of the Just Baseball Show, the best way to 1:13:43.680 --> 1:13:48.400 support liking and subscribing on YouTube and rating five stars 1:13:48.400 --> 1:13:51.840 wherever you get your podcasts. Let's move over to the 1:13:51.880 --> 1:13:56.360 New York Yankees, and I'm curious your one burning question 1:13:56.479 --> 1:13:57.200 for the Yankees. 1:13:57.960 --> 1:13:59.920 Yeah, but the Yankees' is just what version of Gary 1:14:00.160 --> 1:14:00.960 Cold do we get? 1:14:01.120 --> 1:14:04.200 Because I think they're gonna address the offense and some 1:14:04.240 --> 1:14:05.280 guys are gonna pick it up. 1:14:05.280 --> 1:14:08.040 And I could point out a few different guys. 1:14:07.720 --> 1:14:10.160 But I think for this Yankees team, A big reason 1:14:10.200 --> 1:14:12.160 why I was such a believer early in the year, 1:14:12.320 --> 1:14:14.719 going into the year, at a lot of different points 1:14:14.800 --> 1:14:16.519 in the first half was that I was like, this 1:14:16.640 --> 1:14:18.920 rotation can go toe to toe with anybody. You've got 1:14:18.920 --> 1:14:22.320 Cam Schlitzler, it looks like the cy Young favorite, and 1:14:22.760 --> 1:14:27.240 you've got, you know, solid complimentary pieces. But Max Freed 1:14:27.280 --> 1:14:31.240 has been hurt, Carlos Rodin has been hurt, and I 1:14:31.280 --> 1:14:33.080 think you need a clear cut number two. And I 1:14:33.080 --> 1:14:35.280 think it'll be Freed when he comes back, But even then, 1:14:35.600 --> 1:14:38.800 like who's your queer cut three? And Cole has been there, 1:14:38.840 --> 1:14:42.439 done that if he's pitching like we've seen him capable 1:14:42.439 --> 1:14:43.280 of pitching in the past. 1:14:43.640 --> 1:14:45.840 This even if this team isn't hitting. 1:14:46.240 --> 1:14:49.840 If you go Schlitzler to freed to, Cole can win 1:14:49.880 --> 1:14:53.280 any damn series with They'll have to address the bullpen 1:14:53.320 --> 1:14:54.880 a little bit too. But then some of the other 1:14:54.960 --> 1:14:57.400 rotation pieces you can use in different roles and like 1:14:57.520 --> 1:15:00.400 they're gonna be in the driver's seat. But if it's 1:15:00.680 --> 1:15:02.639 this kind of subdued Cole, who I know is still 1:15:02.640 --> 1:15:04.960 pitching back from TJ, so it's going to take some time. 1:15:05.439 --> 1:15:08.160 He's fine, But that's not a guy where I'm like, oh, 1:15:08.280 --> 1:15:11.200 you know, advantage Yankees in this one. So do you 1:15:11.280 --> 1:15:13.000 have the coal that you've had in the past that 1:15:13.080 --> 1:15:14.320 helps kind of carry you to make some of the 1:15:14.360 --> 1:15:15.760 playoff runs that you've been able to make. 1:15:17.520 --> 1:15:23.519 So my burning question is kind of along those lines, 1:15:24.240 --> 1:15:30.879 and how will Aaron Judge's absence affect the Yankees' trade headline? 1:15:31.800 --> 1:15:36.320 Because without Aaron Judge, the Yankees have gone eighteen and 1:15:36.479 --> 1:15:39.559 nineteen and they're averaging about four point one runs per game. 1:15:40.520 --> 1:15:42.920 With Aaron Judge in the lineup, the Yankees are thirty 1:15:42.920 --> 1:15:46.599 five and twenty three averaging five point two runs per game. 1:15:47.960 --> 1:15:50.679 The Yankees with him without Aaron Judge are two completely 1:15:50.720 --> 1:15:54.640 different teams. And we still don't have a timetable of 1:15:54.680 --> 1:15:58.080 when Aaron Judge is going to return. It certainly won't 1:15:58.120 --> 1:16:03.400 be by the deadline. So I can understand Brian Cashman 1:16:03.479 --> 1:16:07.200 and the Yankees' front office looking at this current Yankees 1:16:07.240 --> 1:16:11.000 team and thinking, Okay, if we don't get Judged back 1:16:11.040 --> 1:16:16.519 by September, and there aren't a lot of sellers and 1:16:16.560 --> 1:16:18.479 the pieces that we need to bring in are going 1:16:18.479 --> 1:16:22.719 to be expensive because of supply and demand. If there's 1:16:22.720 --> 1:16:24.439 not that much supply, there's going to be a lot 1:16:24.439 --> 1:16:30.040 more demand. Is this really the trade deadline where we 1:16:30.080 --> 1:16:33.000 address all of these needs? Because in your statement, arm 1:16:33.200 --> 1:16:36.160 you were talking about addressing the offense, potential need to 1:16:36.200 --> 1:16:38.960 address the starting rotation, and a potential need to address 1:16:38.960 --> 1:16:41.920 the bullpen. I agree with all of those things. Are 1:16:41.920 --> 1:16:46.040 you going to send prospects for rentals, send guys for 1:16:46.120 --> 1:16:49.040 years of control when you have all these different problems 1:16:49.040 --> 1:16:50.800 and you're unsure if Judge is going to come back. 1:16:51.000 --> 1:16:53.360 It is also no guarantee that Max Freed comes back. 1:16:53.360 --> 1:16:55.599 And looks like the Max freight of aolt. There is 1:16:55.640 --> 1:16:57.840 no guarantee that Garrett Cole gets better as the season 1:16:57.840 --> 1:17:02.439 goes along, because when podcast flashed his savant profile, one 1:17:02.439 --> 1:17:04.640 thing that you notice with your eyes, and it is 1:17:04.680 --> 1:17:07.920 reflected in the numbers, is that third percentile and wiff 1:17:07.960 --> 1:17:11.519 rate Army's not getting swings and misses. This stuff is 1:17:11.520 --> 1:17:14.479 not nearly as crisp as it once was with Garrett Cole, 1:17:14.600 --> 1:17:17.679 and it makes sense he's aging. Unfortunately, he hasn't looked 1:17:17.720 --> 1:17:20.120 like Zack Wheeler. He has looked like an older pitcher 1:17:20.160 --> 1:17:23.000 coming back from a big time injury, which is understandable. 1:17:23.800 --> 1:17:25.559 But I thought he could potentially be in the Wheeler 1:17:25.560 --> 1:17:29.360 bucket where almost nothing matters. He's Zack Wheeler, He's Garrett Cole. 1:17:29.880 --> 1:17:32.920 It matters. And you look at this rotation and say, 1:17:33.000 --> 1:17:36.960 Cam Schlitzler is the man. Is he going to maintain 1:17:37.040 --> 1:17:40.240 a two o five RA? Probably not right. It's gonna 1:17:40.240 --> 1:17:41.840 go up a little bit, I'm not. I know there 1:17:41.840 --> 1:17:45.439 was a lot of quotes lately about regression and that 1:17:45.439 --> 1:17:47.640 he's watching a Red Sox podcast. Whatever. I don't care 1:17:47.680 --> 1:17:49.880 about that. But does he probably finish with a two 1:17:49.960 --> 1:17:53.200 six RA, which is still an unbelievable season. Yes, could 1:17:53.200 --> 1:17:55.720 he still win the cy on Yes? Does he pitch 1:17:55.800 --> 1:17:59.559 to a two oh five? Probably not so? And then 1:17:59.560 --> 1:18:03.200 the bullpen? You like Bennar in the closer role. I 1:18:03.240 --> 1:18:06.000 love Brent Headrick. He's committed, just been awesome for the 1:18:06.040 --> 1:18:09.599 Yankees this season. It's not a lot of other names 1:18:09.600 --> 1:18:14.240 that you're in love with, especially Camillavall. So I could 1:18:14.320 --> 1:18:17.960 understand cash Man looking at this team and saying, if 1:18:18.080 --> 1:18:23.120 Judge isn't coming back anytime soon, sorry, we're standing Pat. 1:18:23.600 --> 1:18:25.360 We don't think it's worth it to go full board 1:18:25.360 --> 1:18:28.000 with this team. And to be honest with you, I 1:18:28.040 --> 1:18:28.919 agree with him. 1:18:29.240 --> 1:18:29.439 Yeah. 1:18:29.479 --> 1:18:32.320 I think that's the biggest burning question is just when 1:18:32.320 --> 1:18:34.280 do you get your Aaron Judge back in? What version 1:18:34.320 --> 1:18:37.120 of him do you get because yeah, he takes his 1:18:37.160 --> 1:18:38.320 team as far as it's gonna go. 1:18:39.600 --> 1:18:44.240 Yeah, he's the he's the bright light. Yeah that they follow, right, 1:18:44.320 --> 1:18:48.200 He's the star in the night. So without him, would 1:18:48.280 --> 1:18:50.960 you add to this team? Like my burning question, would 1:18:51.000 --> 1:18:54.000 you add to this current Yankees team with Bellinger? I 1:18:54.000 --> 1:18:56.240 know he just won All Star Game MVP, congrats to him, 1:18:56.240 --> 1:18:58.639 but he has fallen off cliff since Judge left. Ben 1:18:58.720 --> 1:19:03.679 Rice is still doing his thing. Jazz has not done 1:19:03.800 --> 1:19:07.600 much of anything this season. Austin Wells has been a 1:19:07.600 --> 1:19:08.400 complete disaster. 1:19:08.960 --> 1:19:10.920 Yeah, I mean, I think you're always going to have 1:19:10.960 --> 1:19:13.200 to that a little bit and give it the old 1:19:13.240 --> 1:19:17.240 college try, especially if you're eight or so games over 1:19:17.280 --> 1:19:19.680 five hundred and in the wild card. But you know, 1:19:19.960 --> 1:19:22.120 if Judge is ruled out for season, I think it's 1:19:22.120 --> 1:19:24.280 going to look a lot different and we're just kind 1:19:24.280 --> 1:19:25.320 of on wait and see what that. 1:19:26.120 --> 1:19:28.519 Let's go over to the Boston Red Sox. What's your 1:19:28.520 --> 1:19:30.040 burning question for Boston. 1:19:30.560 --> 1:19:33.080 The Red Sox, it's I don't think it's a matter 1:19:33.080 --> 1:19:34.120 of buying and selling anymore. 1:19:34.280 --> 1:19:35.559 I just don't think they're going to sell. 1:19:35.640 --> 1:19:39.759 So can they get Roman Anthony back and inform this season? 1:19:39.960 --> 1:19:41.679 You know, they shipped him out of Boston. 1:19:41.760 --> 1:19:45.360 He's in Fort Myers rehab and now I still don't 1:19:45.400 --> 1:19:49.800 really understand what is going on, and you know why 1:19:49.520 --> 1:19:54.120 the hand issue has been such a weirdly communicated thing 1:19:54.160 --> 1:19:58.400 and why it's held him out so long, But just 1:19:58.479 --> 1:20:01.120 continuing to try to figure that out and get him back, 1:20:01.160 --> 1:20:03.439 and I just think this is the guy that is 1:20:03.479 --> 1:20:05.679 a game changer for them with how bad Jaron Duran 1:20:05.760 --> 1:20:08.320 has been this year with the way that they are 1:20:08.360 --> 1:20:12.360 throwing the baseball. Like Roman Anthony, it's not just the 1:20:12.400 --> 1:20:14.720 fact that if he comes back and he's just above 1:20:14.760 --> 1:20:16.800 average bat or slightly above average, bet that'd be a 1:20:16.840 --> 1:20:17.679 huge addition for them. 1:20:17.880 --> 1:20:20.000 He also has the ability to be an all Star 1:20:20.120 --> 1:20:21.439 caliber bat. We've seen it. 1:20:21.560 --> 1:20:24.519 So for me, it's just if you get Roman Anthony 1:20:24.600 --> 1:20:27.479 back and he's even just a one to fifteen WRC plus, 1:20:27.479 --> 1:20:29.880 my gosh, that's huge compared to you know, what you're 1:20:29.920 --> 1:20:32.080 getting from Jaron Durant has been one of the worst 1:20:32.120 --> 1:20:34.280 hitters in Major League Baseball and some of the other 1:20:34.320 --> 1:20:36.720 guys that are getting a lot of run. But on 1:20:36.760 --> 1:20:39.120 top of that, you add in such a high ceiling 1:20:39.160 --> 1:20:42.400 player to the fold here, and that really could jump 1:20:42.479 --> 1:20:43.639 start and jolt this offense. 1:20:44.040 --> 1:20:46.360 It's funny, we're very aligned on this one. But I 1:20:46.400 --> 1:20:49.519 also added Garrett Crochet, and yeahause Gret Crochet is at 1:20:49.600 --> 1:20:52.080 least due to be back. And my one burning question 1:20:52.280 --> 1:20:55.000 was can this Red Tux team make the playoffs without 1:20:55.000 --> 1:20:58.599 a Roman Anthony or without a Garrett Crochet, And they're 1:20:58.640 --> 1:21:04.040 certainly tracking towards that right now. But yeah, you basically 1:21:04.040 --> 1:21:07.400 added all the context about Roman and with Crochet, it's 1:21:07.479 --> 1:21:10.240 just about rehabbing back, you know, from I think it's 1:21:10.280 --> 1:21:13.920 that shoulder that he's currently dealing with. Yeah, not taken 1:21:13.960 --> 1:21:15.040 if you could fact check. 1:21:15.160 --> 1:21:15.760 That for me. 1:21:19.320 --> 1:21:22.439 They have an offense where Durbin has turned it on 1:21:23.680 --> 1:21:28.960 and Duran hasn't. But you're getting contributions from guys where 1:21:29.000 --> 1:21:31.599 you think yourself, all right, they're hitting enough. But what's 1:21:31.680 --> 1:21:34.400 been the biggest thing about this Red Sox team is 1:21:34.439 --> 1:21:37.760 their rotation. You know, you got your three really talented 1:21:37.800 --> 1:21:41.960 young lefties and Bennett and Tolly and Early, and you 1:21:42.000 --> 1:21:44.519 have Ranger Swars having a great season and Sonny Gray 1:21:44.600 --> 1:21:47.200 having a great season. Like we talk about the Tigers 1:21:47.320 --> 1:21:50.960 rotation and how like Dak could propel them, the Red 1:21:50.960 --> 1:21:53.920 Sox rotation is just as good. And imagine adding a 1:21:53.960 --> 1:21:59.080 healthy Crochet to that. But my prediction is Crochet doesn't 1:21:59.080 --> 1:22:02.200 really give them much this here. So can they weather 1:22:02.280 --> 1:22:05.519 the storm? I'm starting to lean they can. 1:22:06.040 --> 1:22:07.720 Yeah, I mean they have been. 1:22:07.760 --> 1:22:10.479 I mean because without Crochet, pitching has been the strength 1:22:10.479 --> 1:22:12.839 that's got them back into it. They just brought Patrick 1:22:12.880 --> 1:22:16.040 Sandoval back and off of injury, he just gave him 1:22:16.160 --> 1:22:18.360 really good four and a thirds innings the other day. 1:22:18.200 --> 1:22:22.599 They have been throwing this guy in Wardo Rivera out there. 1:22:22.920 --> 1:22:26.320 He's been nasty as well, like they've If it's a 1:22:26.400 --> 1:22:29.800 left handed pitcher, Brezlo is going to bring him in 1:22:29.880 --> 1:22:31.559 and he's going to maximize and that's one thing you 1:22:31.560 --> 1:22:33.439 cannot take away from that guy. And so they could 1:22:33.479 --> 1:22:35.320 start to funnel some of those guys into the bullpen 1:22:35.360 --> 1:22:38.960 as well. They could put Patrick Sandival for more offensive 1:22:38.960 --> 1:22:41.519 help in a more rare big leaguer for big leaguer deal. 1:22:41.600 --> 1:22:44.160 Like they're the Red Sox are in a really unique 1:22:44.160 --> 1:22:46.479 place here all of a sudden, and with the depth 1:22:46.520 --> 1:22:48.840 that they have, and that's why I'm like, you're the 1:22:48.880 --> 1:22:50.639 one thing they won't be able to do is acquire 1:22:51.080 --> 1:22:54.639 a bat of Roman Anthony's caliber, and the only way 1:22:54.640 --> 1:22:56.639 to be able to do that is to get him 1:22:56.680 --> 1:22:58.920 healthy and get him back in the lineup. 1:22:59.040 --> 1:23:01.320 And to me, that's the thing that can really push 1:23:01.400 --> 1:23:02.080 them over the top. 1:23:02.720 --> 1:23:07.000 Let's go over to the Baltimore Orioles and my big 1:23:07.080 --> 1:23:09.559 question mark for them is do we see a second 1:23:09.640 --> 1:23:12.680 half surge from Gunner Henderson? Yep, right, I think he 1:23:12.880 --> 1:23:17.000 is the spoon that stirs the drink Gunner. So far 1:23:17.080 --> 1:23:21.120 this season, he's hitting two twenty four, which is just shocking, 1:23:22.040 --> 1:23:27.040 six ninety seven ops. Ninety five ops plus he's been 1:23:27.040 --> 1:23:31.720 worth one point nine f war this season. Now, the 1:23:32.240 --> 1:23:36.400 reason it's a question and not a statement is arm 1:23:36.439 --> 1:23:38.960 there's not a lot in the data to tell me 1:23:39.080 --> 1:23:41.160 that he's going to have a second half surge other 1:23:41.240 --> 1:23:44.280 than the trust that you have in a Gunner Henderson. 1:23:44.800 --> 1:23:47.160 But this is in twenty twenty four Gunner Henderson, who 1:23:47.160 --> 1:23:50.360 put up an eight ninety three ops. Twenty twenty five 1:23:50.400 --> 1:23:54.120 Gunner Henderson was a seven eighty seven guy. Like, is 1:23:54.160 --> 1:23:57.040 that what we should expect moving forward? Do we see 1:23:57.080 --> 1:23:59.599 twenty twenty four Gunner? Do we see more of the 1:23:59.640 --> 1:24:02.599 same where he gets worse? I mean that's in within 1:24:02.640 --> 1:24:06.320 the range of possibilities, because if he gets worse, I 1:24:06.360 --> 1:24:10.200 mean Orioles, forget about it, right, forget about October. But 1:24:10.280 --> 1:24:12.920 if he looks like twenty twenty four Gunner, you could 1:24:13.000 --> 1:24:15.719 talk me into the Orioles in October. If he's twenty 1:24:15.720 --> 1:24:18.040 twenty five Gunner, I'm like, they're going to be on 1:24:18.080 --> 1:24:21.840 the precipice. So I really do think that he is 1:24:22.000 --> 1:24:24.920 the driving force, whether or not the Orioles are going 1:24:24.960 --> 1:24:25.960 to be a playoff team. 1:24:26.160 --> 1:24:28.920 Yeah yeah, And just in general, it's just like how 1:24:29.000 --> 1:24:30.960 this day you feel about this team next year too? 1:24:31.120 --> 1:24:36.720 Is your presumed budding superstar shortstop? It really was a 1:24:36.760 --> 1:24:41.719 superstar shortstop able to look like a superstar forget superstar, 1:24:41.800 --> 1:24:46.639 all star, above average, regular, any of those. Right now 1:24:46.880 --> 1:24:48.960 he's none of those. So that was mine as well. 1:24:49.040 --> 1:24:52.760 I just can the real Gunner Henderson please stand up? 1:24:52.920 --> 1:24:57.519 Was my question, because I just don't really know what 1:24:58.360 --> 1:25:02.840 version of him this is right now. It's been frustrating 1:25:02.840 --> 1:25:04.960 to watch because of how talented he is, how funny 1:25:05.040 --> 1:25:07.040 is to watch when he's going right, it just has 1:25:07.160 --> 1:25:09.040 not been right for him all year. 1:25:09.080 --> 1:25:12.200 The approach has just been an issue. It just seems 1:25:12.240 --> 1:25:12.800 like he's in his. 1:25:12.680 --> 1:25:14.640 Head a little bit, and you know, I think for 1:25:15.200 --> 1:25:17.080 a lot of different Oiols hitters that seems to be 1:25:17.080 --> 1:25:20.320 the case. So I definitely, I definitely think it changes 1:25:20.320 --> 1:25:22.400 a lot even beyond this year, just going in the 1:25:22.439 --> 1:25:25.320 next year, if Gunnar Henderson can spread through the finish line. 1:25:25.520 --> 1:25:28.920 Because this Orioles rotation is really rounding in form and 1:25:29.000 --> 1:25:31.000 I feel like they just need a couple of offensive 1:25:31.040 --> 1:25:34.200 pieces to really lift off here. I mean, Kyle Bradish 1:25:34.200 --> 1:25:36.880 has looked better and better. Shane Boss is giving you 1:25:37.400 --> 1:25:39.679 a ton of innings at least at the very least, 1:25:39.720 --> 1:25:41.200 and he's pitched to a four to one nine era. 1:25:41.320 --> 1:25:43.840 He's been totally fine this year. Brandon Young has been 1:25:43.880 --> 1:25:46.439 an excellent story. Dean Kramer returned from injury and I 1:25:46.439 --> 1:25:49.439 still think he's a pretty talented arm. And Trevor Rodgers 1:25:49.520 --> 1:25:52.280 over the last month and change has looked a lot 1:25:52.320 --> 1:25:54.880 like the Trevor Rodgers that we saw last year. So 1:25:54.920 --> 1:25:57.960 they have this formation of a rotation. I still think 1:25:58.000 --> 1:26:00.439 their bullpen nes work, but they still have a couple 1:26:00.439 --> 1:26:03.880 of arms that you like. Pete Alonzo has ended up 1:26:03.880 --> 1:26:07.040 having a really solid season. Adley's had a good season. 1:26:07.120 --> 1:26:10.439 Taylor Ward's been twenty percent abovely gathered. Samuel Bissio has 1:26:10.479 --> 1:26:13.360 been a good bat. You're seeing Jackson Holiday kind of 1:26:13.439 --> 1:26:18.240 round into form, but that finishing blow to get the knockout, 1:26:18.320 --> 1:26:21.400 to get the Orioles to October, it's gotta be on Gunner. 1:26:21.680 --> 1:26:24.599 That's why he's just by far the biggest burning question 1:26:24.640 --> 1:26:27.840 I have for the Orioles. And we'll end it with 1:26:27.880 --> 1:26:30.800 the Blue Jays. You go first, what's your one burning 1:26:30.880 --> 1:26:32.040 question for them? 1:26:32.479 --> 1:26:35.200 Can the real vlad Guerrero Junior please stand up? Like 1:26:35.240 --> 1:26:37.360 I had to bring her to it as well, There's 1:26:37.479 --> 1:26:40.560 just no other way to go from what we have 1:26:40.720 --> 1:26:43.080 seen from him at his best versus what we've seen 1:26:43.080 --> 1:26:46.719 from him at his worst, and this has been kind 1:26:46.720 --> 1:26:49.120 of close to, if not his worst. 1:26:49.200 --> 1:26:52.080 Right, So that's just the story here. 1:26:52.120 --> 1:26:53.479 I mean, we're talking about a guy that in his 1:26:53.560 --> 1:26:56.599 career has been thirty five percent better than league average, 1:26:56.600 --> 1:26:58.639 and this year has been one percent below league average 1:26:58.640 --> 1:26:59.120 for a team. 1:26:59.000 --> 1:26:59.639 That sorely needs. 1:26:59.840 --> 1:27:01.919 Right, he's been one of the guys that's been available 1:27:02.000 --> 1:27:03.880 and healthy for a team that has been extremely banged up. 1:27:03.880 --> 1:27:05.280 You know how you weather the storm when your team's 1:27:05.320 --> 1:27:09.720 hurt all the time by your superstars, Raking, So I 1:27:09.720 --> 1:27:13.439 think this is a spot where just you need Vladgroo 1:27:13.600 --> 1:27:15.240 Junior to pick it up again. This is another one 1:27:15.240 --> 1:27:16.680 where he can maybe help you get back into the 1:27:16.720 --> 1:27:19.320 hunt here. But also just going into next season, man, 1:27:19.439 --> 1:27:22.040 just knowing that you can count on Vladdie to be 1:27:22.120 --> 1:27:23.559 the superstar that you paid him to be. 1:27:24.000 --> 1:27:26.320 No doubt about it. And this comes to us from 1:27:26.320 --> 1:27:29.040 inside edge. Vladimir grow Junior is a ground ball rate 1:27:29.080 --> 1:27:31.639 of fifty five percent on first pitch of at bats 1:27:31.640 --> 1:27:34.280 this season. It's the fourth highest in the American League, 1:27:34.320 --> 1:27:36.519 and he's averaging just three point five to six pitches 1:27:36.560 --> 1:27:40.200 per play appearance this season, ninth lowest in Major League Baseball. 1:27:40.920 --> 1:27:45.679 That is a very damning stat knowing that a lot 1:27:45.720 --> 1:27:48.840 of Laddie's at bats this year, he's not making the 1:27:48.880 --> 1:27:52.880 pitcher work. He's being way too aggressive, and when he's 1:27:52.920 --> 1:27:56.040 making contact, fifty five percent of it is on the 1:27:56.080 --> 1:27:58.720 ground when it comes to that first pitch. And I 1:27:58.720 --> 1:28:00.920 feel like that's emblematic of just what I've been seeing 1:28:00.920 --> 1:28:03.799 with my own eyes. I'm watching Vladdie swing at pitches 1:28:03.920 --> 1:28:08.599 arm that are just downright stupid. Like I wish there 1:28:08.680 --> 1:28:11.400 was chase rate and there was s chase rate where 1:28:11.400 --> 1:28:15.480 it's stupid chases where it's a two to oh count 1:28:15.760 --> 1:28:18.240 and he's swinging at a slider that was never a strike. 1:28:18.840 --> 1:28:20.200 Yeah what? 1:28:20.640 --> 1:28:23.599 Or it's a two to one count and you've got 1:28:23.600 --> 1:28:27.920 a two seamer barreling in on him and he's inside 1:28:27.960 --> 1:28:32.160 outing a ground ball to shortstop. Why pitches that were 1:28:32.200 --> 1:28:34.160 never strikes? 1:28:34.320 --> 1:28:35.639 Stupid chase rate. 1:28:35.960 --> 1:28:37.559 Bladdy leads in Major League Baseball. 1:28:37.600 --> 1:28:40.320 I swear, yeah, it is. 1:28:40.000 --> 1:28:42.400 There's a lot of swing decision models that I know 1:28:42.479 --> 1:28:46.040 teams probably used that he would be, you know, probably 1:28:46.080 --> 1:28:48.160 in that in that realm there, and it's just like 1:28:48.200 --> 1:28:51.280 you're a power hitter that and a star hitter that. Look, 1:28:51.840 --> 1:28:53.640 every edge that you give the other side they're going 1:28:53.720 --> 1:28:57.000 to try to exploit. And he's hard to get out. 1:28:57.280 --> 1:28:59.200 And in the respect that like he doesn't strike out, 1:28:59.200 --> 1:29:01.439 he hits the ball hard. The area where he makes 1:29:01.479 --> 1:29:03.400 it easier to get to get him out is that 1:29:03.439 --> 1:29:05.479 he gets himself out when you can kind of get 1:29:05.520 --> 1:29:09.480 him to chase and I would say squander the advantage 1:29:09.520 --> 1:29:13.000 counts and maybe even get himself out early. There's not 1:29:13.040 --> 1:29:15.320 a lot of reasons sometimes to come into him here 1:29:15.800 --> 1:29:18.160 when you know that he's going to maybe expand even 1:29:18.160 --> 1:29:18.920 when he shouldn't be. 1:29:19.880 --> 1:29:22.400 And I think another important note on Vladdie is that 1:29:22.479 --> 1:29:24.479 you see a hard hit rate in the sixty seven 1:29:24.600 --> 1:29:28.639 percent of forty four point three percent, but a lot 1:29:28.680 --> 1:29:30.680 of his hard contact is on the ground. When he's 1:29:30.680 --> 1:29:32.320 been putting the ball in the air, that hard hit 1:29:32.400 --> 1:29:34.679 rate is a lot lower. So you could say, well, 1:29:34.680 --> 1:29:36.960 he's still hitting the ball hard like, yeah, but it's 1:29:37.000 --> 1:29:39.080 mostly on the ground. And again when he puts the 1:29:39.120 --> 1:29:42.400 ball in the air, it's floating. That's why Vladimir Grove 1:29:42.479 --> 1:29:46.599 Junior has six home runs in three hundred and thirty 1:29:46.720 --> 1:29:49.719 six abs this year. He's got to turn it around, 1:29:49.760 --> 1:29:52.519 and Springer has to turn it around too. A big 1:29:52.560 --> 1:29:54.799 reason why the Blue Jays took the Dodgers to seven 1:29:55.400 --> 1:29:57.360 was like a lot of big swings from George Springer 1:29:57.479 --> 1:29:59.160 and the fact that he was a top five hitter 1:29:59.240 --> 1:30:02.160 in all of base ball last year by WRC plus. Yep, 1:30:02.400 --> 1:30:06.519 he's seen a seventy point drop off in WRC plus yep. 1:30:07.840 --> 1:30:10.599 Can he be better than a ninety? Yeah, he's coming 1:30:10.720 --> 1:30:11.880 in there. We need it. 1:30:12.479 --> 1:30:14.400 We were the better right handed hitters in the game 1:30:14.479 --> 1:30:17.960 last year. Like, that's just they need that from him too, 1:30:18.080 --> 1:30:20.720 and they need their Without their stars performing the way 1:30:20.720 --> 1:30:22.679 they could they should be. On top of the fact 1:30:22.680 --> 1:30:24.960 that you have all the injuries, it's it's it's gonna 1:30:24.960 --> 1:30:25.679 be really hard. 1:30:25.520 --> 1:30:26.080 To hang around. 1:30:26.680 --> 1:30:29.200 We're gonna take one last break before we get to 1:30:29.240 --> 1:30:32.639 our weekend preview where we're previewing the best games from 1:30:32.680 --> 1:30:35.640 the weekend Slate podcast. P Would you mind giving us 1:30:35.680 --> 1:30:46.920 a whoahhh weekend preview going through the best games on Friday, 1:30:47.320 --> 1:30:50.519 Saturday and Sunday. And it is brought to you by 1:30:50.680 --> 1:30:55.120 the Picket Sports app. Folks, I don't need an ad 1:30:55.200 --> 1:30:58.679 read you know why. I use the app every single 1:30:58.760 --> 1:31:01.240 day For all of my better out there. It is 1:31:01.360 --> 1:31:05.120 the best way to track your picks. I know Arum 1:31:05.200 --> 1:31:07.519 downloaded it or he had it for a long time 1:31:07.520 --> 1:31:09.559 but wasn't really using it. And then when we were 1:31:09.560 --> 1:31:11.519 at the All Star Game, he sinked one of the 1:31:11.560 --> 1:31:13.879 sports books and he immediately goes, oh, this is probably 1:31:13.920 --> 1:31:17.720 really good for betters. Right, yes, because not only does 1:31:17.760 --> 1:31:20.559 it track your total units, it tells you which areas 1:31:20.560 --> 1:31:23.200 you're good at, which areas you're bad at, so you 1:31:23.240 --> 1:31:26.719 can become a better sports better or you better at totals, 1:31:27.160 --> 1:31:29.799 Are you better at money lines? Are you better at props? 1:31:29.840 --> 1:31:32.280 Are you better at parlays? They will tell you what 1:31:32.520 --> 1:31:35.599 sport your best at. But on top of it, Picket 1:31:35.680 --> 1:31:39.080 also takes away all those odd screens. Right for all 1:31:39.120 --> 1:31:42.160 my gamblers out there, they know how much money these 1:31:42.200 --> 1:31:44.599 odd screens are so they can find the best line. 1:31:44.800 --> 1:31:48.120 Because every cent matters when you're making a pick. Picket 1:31:48.160 --> 1:31:51.559 does that immediately. In apps, you can save all of it. 1:31:51.560 --> 1:31:53.920 It is a free app, and when you download the 1:31:53.920 --> 1:31:57.720 Picket Sports Book and or the Picket Sports app, excuse me, 1:31:57.920 --> 1:32:01.599 and sync your sports book, whether that be bet, MGM 1:32:01.760 --> 1:32:05.799 or others, you will get three to one hundred dollars. 1:32:05.880 --> 1:32:08.960 It's a almost a roulette wheel in a way where 1:32:09.000 --> 1:32:10.680 you might get three, you might get eight, you might 1:32:10.680 --> 1:32:13.280 get ninety, you might get one hundred, you might get seventeen. 1:32:13.600 --> 1:32:17.559 It's a random number generator. So use code just baseball 1:32:17.560 --> 1:32:20.479 when you sink your sports book, be a better gambler 1:32:20.960 --> 1:32:25.120 and make some money while doing it. Let's start Friday's 1:32:25.200 --> 1:32:28.960 games arm and again we're using these Picket screenshots, and 1:32:29.000 --> 1:32:32.240 I think arguably the best game on the slate Dodgers 1:32:32.360 --> 1:32:37.240 versus Yankees Roki Sasaki taking on Garrett Cole, and as 1:32:37.280 --> 1:32:41.200 you can see looking at the market, it's basically an 1:32:41.360 --> 1:32:49.560 even pick them. Why Cole Roki Sasaki has been wildly consistent. 1:32:50.439 --> 1:32:53.680 That's why it's close to a pick them. But even 1:32:53.720 --> 1:32:55.800 though I'm a Yankee fan, it's hard not to lean 1:32:55.840 --> 1:32:58.280 towards the Dodgers at this price. I know Roki hasn't 1:32:58.280 --> 1:33:01.040 been great but neither is Garrett Cole. But maybe you 1:33:01.160 --> 1:33:03.400 see like Garrett Cole's best start of the year, like 1:33:03.479 --> 1:33:06.360 getting up at Yankee Stadium against the Dodgers on a 1:33:06.400 --> 1:33:09.320 Friday night. Yeah, I could see it right, And the 1:33:09.400 --> 1:33:12.519 Yankees offense doesn't scare me. I know, Dodgers Yankees. My 1:33:12.600 --> 1:33:14.519 favorite bet in this game would actually be the under, 1:33:15.000 --> 1:33:16.840 like under nine. I don't think there's gonna be that 1:33:16.920 --> 1:33:17.479 many runs. 1:33:17.840 --> 1:33:19.240 Yeah, no, it's fair enough. 1:33:19.400 --> 1:33:22.200 I think I just think Sasaki it's it's just been 1:33:22.320 --> 1:33:26.240 tough lately and you have a three game losing streak 1:33:26.240 --> 1:33:28.840 getting for the Dodgers going into the break. Not too 1:33:28.880 --> 1:33:31.240 worried about it, but I didn't think Cole gets up 1:33:31.240 --> 1:33:33.599 for this one. I do think Sasaki is gonna struggle 1:33:33.640 --> 1:33:35.360 a little bit. I think this is the one game 1:33:35.400 --> 1:33:36.719 the Yankees get out of the series. 1:33:37.120 --> 1:33:39.479 Okay, let's go over to the next game on Friday. 1:33:40.760 --> 1:33:44.160 Great pitchers matchup. I think you got the Pirates taking 1:33:44.200 --> 1:33:48.440 on the Guardians. Jared Jones for the Pirates, Gavin Williams 1:33:48.800 --> 1:33:50.960 for the Guardians. And I don't know if you guys 1:33:50.960 --> 1:33:54.000 saw I put out a pick today. I took the 1:33:54.160 --> 1:33:58.960 under seven and a half Jared Jones lately has looked diabolical. 1:33:59.320 --> 1:34:02.919 Over his last ten innings, he's given up two hits, arm, 1:34:02.920 --> 1:34:05.240 two hits, one or run with the strikeout to walk 1:34:05.320 --> 1:34:08.360 ratio of fourteen to two. I think we're getting Jared 1:34:08.479 --> 1:34:11.000 Jones ninety nine at the top and when he's that, 1:34:11.560 --> 1:34:13.680 and he could spend that slider at ninety ninety one 1:34:13.760 --> 1:34:16.000 miles an hour. Like you said earlier when we were 1:34:16.000 --> 1:34:20.160 talking about the Pirates on the National League Burning Questions episode, 1:34:20.280 --> 1:34:21.960 he could be a top thirty pitcher in the sport. 1:34:22.160 --> 1:34:24.479 And he's going up against the Guardians offense that ranks 1:34:24.479 --> 1:34:26.680 twenty first in WRC plus, Like they don't scare me. 1:34:26.920 --> 1:34:29.800 Gavin Williams on the other side, six point fifty four 1:34:29.880 --> 1:34:33.840 ops at home, opposing hitters are hitting, he keeps the 1:34:33.840 --> 1:34:36.439 ball on the ground. Pirates have the fifth highest ground 1:34:36.439 --> 1:34:40.360 ball rate against righty's. Gavi Williams does suffer a little 1:34:40.360 --> 1:34:43.720 bit with hard contact allowed Pirates ring twenty third and 1:34:43.800 --> 1:34:46.080 hard hit rate against righties on the road. I think 1:34:46.120 --> 1:34:48.040 he's set up for a good outing. I think the 1:34:48.040 --> 1:34:50.920 bullpens are both rested. I think this ends three to two, 1:34:51.760 --> 1:34:53.559 and I think the Pirates actually pull it out. I 1:34:53.560 --> 1:34:55.960 think we're going to see a really good Jared Jones outing. 1:34:56.240 --> 1:34:58.120 I think this is an awesome pitcher stool, a couple 1:34:58.160 --> 1:35:01.840 hard throwers, good heaters. I'm excited for this one. This 1:35:01.920 --> 1:35:03.519 is probably one of my favorite of the weekend. 1:35:03.880 --> 1:35:06.280 I agree. My only worry is do they play this 1:35:06.439 --> 1:35:09.560 game with the wildfires coming in from Canada. I'm in 1:35:09.640 --> 1:35:12.519 Chicago right now. The air quality is horrible. Really, I 1:35:12.560 --> 1:35:15.599 know in this area air quality is going to be affected, 1:35:15.640 --> 1:35:17.360 so I hope it doesn't affect this game. But that 1:35:17.400 --> 1:35:20.240 would be the only reason to not watch this game 1:35:20.360 --> 1:35:22.759 is if it doesn't happen because of the air quality. 1:35:23.040 --> 1:35:25.439 All right, let's move over to the next game. You 1:35:25.479 --> 1:35:32.120 got your Marlins taking on the Brewers, and it's Sandy versus. 1:35:32.640 --> 1:35:34.879 I forgot to write this one down. I know Sandy 1:35:35.000 --> 1:35:37.960 is on the mound and on the Brewer side it 1:35:38.000 --> 1:35:40.320 is Logan Henderson. No wonder I brought it up because 1:35:40.360 --> 1:35:42.719 I think Logan Henderson right now, with Kala Harrison injured, 1:35:43.040 --> 1:35:45.559 is the second best starter that the Brewers have, especially 1:35:45.600 --> 1:35:48.240 again with Brandon Woodruff injured. And as you could see, 1:35:48.240 --> 1:35:50.840 the Brewers are decent favorites, which is a little bit 1:35:50.880 --> 1:35:54.599 crazy to me considering how well that the Marlins have played. 1:35:54.600 --> 1:35:56.080 But another reason I wanted to bring. 1:35:55.880 --> 1:35:56.599 It up is. 1:35:59.320 --> 1:36:01.680 Do you like the Marlins at that price or do 1:36:01.720 --> 1:36:04.760 you see them going into Milwaukee off the break and 1:36:04.840 --> 1:36:06.320 this hot streak won't last. 1:36:07.640 --> 1:36:08.080 I don't know. 1:36:08.840 --> 1:36:12.320 I mean, I've seen anytime Logan Henderson tows the rubber, 1:36:12.920 --> 1:36:14.160 you got a really good chance. 1:36:14.720 --> 1:36:17.600 Yeah, I don't know. I love this. I love this 1:36:17.680 --> 1:36:18.320 Brewers team. 1:36:18.360 --> 1:36:21.600 I think this is a spot for them to just 1:36:21.680 --> 1:36:23.720 kind of jump out of the break here Ridy and 1:36:23.760 --> 1:36:26.840 then two lefties in the series, I think, I don't know. 1:36:26.880 --> 1:36:29.080 Henderson has been so good it's it's hard to argue 1:36:29.080 --> 1:36:31.160 against him. And I think I think he's gonna present 1:36:31.200 --> 1:36:34.280 some some some tough aps for the Marlins here it's 1:36:34.320 --> 1:36:35.080 in Milwaukee. 1:36:35.200 --> 1:36:37.040 I think there's a reason why they're the heavy favorite. 1:36:37.360 --> 1:36:39.439 Me too, I'm gonna go with the Brewers as well. 1:36:39.560 --> 1:36:43.800 Let's go over to Saturday's game, and the first game 1:36:43.840 --> 1:36:47.559 that I want to talk about is the Giants taking 1:36:47.600 --> 1:36:52.000 on the Mariners. Logan Webb against Brian wu And these 1:36:52.000 --> 1:36:56.320 screenshots are from our friends at Baltpark pal excellent model 1:36:57.280 --> 1:37:01.360 that predicts basically the outcomes using you know, whether you know, 1:37:01.400 --> 1:37:03.920 they're really really good with the weather, and they have 1:37:04.160 --> 1:37:08.400 this as a very even pick them Logan Web against 1:37:08.439 --> 1:37:14.200 Brian Wu fifty to fifty exactly on both sides. I'm 1:37:14.200 --> 1:37:16.599 curious to see when the lines come out, but as 1:37:16.640 --> 1:37:21.519 of now, Arm we're flipping a coin. I tend to 1:37:21.640 --> 1:37:24.320 lean on Wo at home because on the road, Brian 1:37:24.320 --> 1:37:26.680 Wu has just been abysmal this season, but still a 1:37:26.720 --> 1:37:29.479 team mobile, He's been awesome. I love Logan Web, but 1:37:30.000 --> 1:37:32.479 I tend to lean towards the Mariners in that game. 1:37:32.520 --> 1:37:34.080 But my guess is the Mariners are going to be 1:37:34.120 --> 1:37:35.560 minus one thirty and the Giants are going to be 1:37:35.560 --> 1:37:37.599 plus one ten, and Ballpark Palle is going to tell 1:37:37.600 --> 1:37:38.960 you there's value on the Giants. 1:37:39.360 --> 1:37:39.599 Yeah. 1:37:39.640 --> 1:37:41.479 I like the Giants just because of the way that 1:37:41.520 --> 1:37:45.200 Logan Web has just continued to pitch this year over all. 1:37:45.360 --> 1:37:47.320 But and I just think he's the kind of guy 1:37:47.360 --> 1:37:49.479 that with the way that the Mariners have swung it, 1:37:49.560 --> 1:37:51.559 you just kind of blank and you're in the sixth 1:37:51.560 --> 1:37:54.760 inning and you haven't scored yet. Wu's just not been 1:37:54.960 --> 1:37:56.600 as sharp of Wit. I know that it was a 1:37:56.640 --> 1:38:01.520 limp into the break for Web but it was at Colorado, 1:38:01.640 --> 1:38:04.240 and then still went seven innings against Toronto, though he 1:38:04.280 --> 1:38:07.439 did give up the five earn. I think bounce back 1:38:07.479 --> 1:38:10.559 start for wablow scoring and a late run decides it. 1:38:10.600 --> 1:38:12.080 I don't know which way though, but I think it's 1:38:12.080 --> 1:38:14.720 gonna be low scoring. Both offenses are kind of frustrating. 1:38:15.200 --> 1:38:18.200 Love it. Next came up White Sox against the Blue 1:38:18.280 --> 1:38:20.720 Jays and two pitchers. I have no idea what to 1:38:20.800 --> 1:38:22.720 expect from in the second half, which is why I 1:38:22.720 --> 1:38:25.160 wanted to bring up this game. You got Davis Martin 1:38:25.240 --> 1:38:27.599 going for the White Sox and you got Shane Bieber 1:38:28.040 --> 1:38:32.559 going for the Toronto Blue Jays, and this one, like 1:38:32.640 --> 1:38:35.800 Davis Martin put together a really solid first half but 1:38:36.479 --> 1:38:40.280 started to kind of falter towards the end there. And Bieber, 1:38:40.880 --> 1:38:42.720 I mean, we were talking about him when we were 1:38:42.760 --> 1:38:45.920 all in the same Airbnb in Philly, and I just said, 1:38:45.920 --> 1:38:48.320 to have people been noticing how bad he's been. I mean, 1:38:48.320 --> 1:38:50.639 this has been He's been one of the worst pitchers 1:38:50.680 --> 1:38:52.920 in baseball period. He's rocking an ERA at seven, but 1:38:53.000 --> 1:38:56.439 it's still Shane Bieber, so I still want to believe 1:38:56.479 --> 1:38:58.920 that he's going to have better days ahead. I just 1:38:58.960 --> 1:39:01.000 don't know where to go with this one. Yeah, and 1:39:01.200 --> 1:39:03.920 Ballpark pal is even kind of close. Minus one nineteen 1:39:03.960 --> 1:39:06.400 for the J's plus one nineteen for the White Sox. 1:39:07.680 --> 1:39:10.439 I can't believe making Bieber the favorite, but if you 1:39:10.479 --> 1:39:13.080 believe on a bounce back from him, and Martin continues 1:39:13.120 --> 1:39:15.040 to falter, I get it. I have no idea what to. 1:39:15.000 --> 1:39:17.599 Do with this one. Yeah, I don't know either. 1:39:18.920 --> 1:39:20.880 It seems like a tough matchup for Bieber, who's been 1:39:20.880 --> 1:39:22.840 giving up a lot of hard contact to go against 1:39:22.880 --> 1:39:25.320 a team that makes a lot of hard contact. 1:39:25.439 --> 1:39:27.200 So I think the White Sox swing it. 1:39:28.600 --> 1:39:34.479 Next one up, Twins taking on the Twins are taken 1:39:34.520 --> 1:39:37.400 on the Cubs in Wrigley, and it's Taj Bradley taking 1:39:37.479 --> 1:39:40.680 on Matthew Boyd. And I found this interesting that they 1:39:40.720 --> 1:39:43.759 make the Twins the favorite, and I think they should 1:39:43.800 --> 1:39:46.160 be the favorite. Matthew Boyd has not had that great 1:39:46.200 --> 1:39:50.559 of a season, and TOAs Bradley has really beenastic. Not 1:39:50.760 --> 1:39:52.960 fantastic is a little bit too much. That's the four 1:39:53.040 --> 1:39:55.439 point three percenter in me coming out on him. TOAs 1:39:55.520 --> 1:39:59.439 Bradley has been very solid, and again the Twins can 1:39:59.479 --> 1:40:01.719 swing it but I love that Ballpark Pal is bringing 1:40:01.720 --> 1:40:05.040 this up. Wrigley Field plus eighteen percent in terms of 1:40:05.120 --> 1:40:08.240 run environment. It is expected that the wind is going 1:40:08.280 --> 1:40:11.080 to be blowing out all weekend, so I can't wait 1:40:11.120 --> 1:40:13.759 to watch this series. I'm gonna go with the Twins 1:40:13.840 --> 1:40:16.120 and our friends at Ballpark Pal. I think they win 1:40:16.160 --> 1:40:16.479 this one. 1:40:17.600 --> 1:40:22.840 Okay, yeah, I think we get a decent one from Boyd. Okay, 1:40:22.880 --> 1:40:24.920 I'm gonna go with the Cubs. I think someone needs 1:40:24.920 --> 1:40:27.360 to step up wind blowing out. I also like that 1:40:27.400 --> 1:40:30.280 for the Cubs offense too. I think Boyd battles. 1:40:31.400 --> 1:40:33.720 Here's the thing with the Minnesota Twins. I want to 1:40:33.760 --> 1:40:37.080 put up, pull up exactly what their numbers are against 1:40:37.280 --> 1:40:40.320 left handed pitching, because I know they're really strong. 1:40:40.640 --> 1:40:43.519 Nur WRC well on the season. 1:40:44.000 --> 1:40:46.840 Oh it must have been lately what I was looking at, 1:40:48.360 --> 1:40:50.479 So maybe they are a little bit weaker against lefties. 1:40:50.479 --> 1:40:52.639 I swore maybe earlier on in the season. But whatever, 1:40:52.880 --> 1:40:55.519 it could be actually a good maybe. Then you do 1:40:55.600 --> 1:40:58.360 go with the Cubs, let's go to but I'm still 1:40:58.360 --> 1:41:02.040 going with the Twins. Let's go to Sunday game. Excellent 1:41:02.080 --> 1:41:05.439 pitching matchup in Boston on Sunday, during the day, you 1:41:05.560 --> 1:41:09.599 got Shane McClanahan taking on Sunny Gray, and McClanahan has 1:41:09.640 --> 1:41:13.000 looked great. But ballpark pal is pretty bullish on the 1:41:13.000 --> 1:41:17.800 Red Sox arm giving them basically sixty percent chance of 1:41:17.840 --> 1:41:20.360 winning this game. I'm sure they're going to be short 1:41:20.400 --> 1:41:23.240 favorites and likely the value side according to ballpark Pal. 1:41:23.360 --> 1:41:25.000 Do you agree with them? You think the Red Sox 1:41:25.080 --> 1:41:27.280 kind of take care of business because as we're recording 1:41:27.360 --> 1:41:29.840 right now, the Red Sox are beating the crap out 1:41:29.880 --> 1:41:31.880 of the Rays. It is eight to zero in the 1:41:31.920 --> 1:41:34.320 bottom of the sixth inning. Could this be a series 1:41:34.320 --> 1:41:36.920 where the Red Sox kind of take control here? Obviously 1:41:36.920 --> 1:41:40.320 not the division lead, but really make a statement like 1:41:40.520 --> 1:41:42.559 we're going to battle and we can be a playoff team. 1:41:42.880 --> 1:41:44.559 And Gray's been awesome and it's a one. 1:41:44.720 --> 1:41:46.599 They have a one to eleven WRC, plus the Red 1:41:46.600 --> 1:41:49.200 Sox against left handed pitching, so it's a pretty good 1:41:49.200 --> 1:41:52.320 matchup for him. I kind of get why the Red Sox, 1:41:52.439 --> 1:41:54.000 the hottest team in baseball right now, would be the 1:41:54.000 --> 1:41:54.840 favorite in that one. 1:41:55.120 --> 1:41:57.360 Absolutely, so we're both going with the Red Sox there. 1:41:57.439 --> 1:42:01.400 Let's go over to an excellent pitching matchup in Houston 1:42:01.479 --> 1:42:06.280 on Sunday, Kyle Bradish taken on Hunter Brown, the Orioles 1:42:06.640 --> 1:42:09.320 take on the Astros, and Ballpark Powell makes the Orioles 1:42:09.479 --> 1:42:13.519 ever so slight favorites at minus one oh three. I 1:42:13.600 --> 1:42:15.360 kind of agree with them. I'm gonna go with the 1:42:15.400 --> 1:42:18.240 Orioles in this one. Bradish has looked awesome. Brown has 1:42:18.280 --> 1:42:20.400 looked good, but not quite as good as Bradish has. 1:42:20.960 --> 1:42:23.280 And I think the Astros are vulnerable here. I'm gonna 1:42:23.280 --> 1:42:25.320 fade their ace and take the Orioles ace and go 1:42:25.360 --> 1:42:26.679 with the Baltimore Oriols. 1:42:27.560 --> 1:42:28.559 This is a tough one. 1:42:29.400 --> 1:42:31.360 I really want to see Brown kind of have that 1:42:31.439 --> 1:42:33.960 like statement on backstart, and I feel like we're still 1:42:34.040 --> 1:42:37.080 kind of waiting on that one. This wouldn't be a 1:42:37.080 --> 1:42:40.360 bad time for it to happen. But five walks last time, 1:42:40.840 --> 1:42:41.920 Bradish has look sharper. 1:42:41.960 --> 1:42:43.200 I agree with you. I'll go OHS. 1:42:43.920 --> 1:42:48.000 Game of the Weekend Dodgers Yankees Sunday Night Baseball, Yoshinobu 1:42:48.080 --> 1:42:52.120 Yamamoto against Cam Schlittler. About as good as it gets. 1:42:52.520 --> 1:42:56.200 Ballpark Powell makes the Dodgers slight favorites at minus one sixteen, 1:42:56.320 --> 1:42:58.680 and it's hard to disagree really with that. I know 1:42:58.760 --> 1:43:01.479 Cam Schlitzler is awesome. The Dodgers lineup is way better 1:43:01.520 --> 1:43:05.320 than the Yankees is, especially right now without Aaron Judge. 1:43:05.760 --> 1:43:07.719 I think Cam Shuler has put up a better season 1:43:07.760 --> 1:43:10.559 than Yamamoto. I think if you were to just grade 1:43:10.600 --> 1:43:13.560 them out on an equal playing field facing equal offenses, 1:43:13.600 --> 1:43:16.240 you would give Cam Schlitzler a slight edge, especially at home. 1:43:16.760 --> 1:43:21.120 But with the Dodgers, they're better bullpen, they're better offense. Again, 1:43:21.160 --> 1:43:22.840 I think the Dodgers kind of take care of business 1:43:22.840 --> 1:43:23.920 of the Yankees this weekend. 1:43:24.080 --> 1:43:27.679 Unfortunately. Yeah, I tend to agree. 1:43:27.720 --> 1:43:29.360 It's when I said, I think the Yankees get the 1:43:29.360 --> 1:43:31.479 first one and then the Dodgers take the next two. 1:43:31.560 --> 1:43:35.639 I do think Schlitler rises to this one and absolutely shoves. 1:43:35.680 --> 1:43:37.400 I think the Yankees bullpen gives it up. 1:43:37.600 --> 1:43:39.640 Yeah, I don't think it's going to be Cam Schlitzler 1:43:39.840 --> 1:43:41.280 as the reason they lose that game. 1:43:41.479 --> 1:43:42.760 I think bullpen gives it up. 1:43:42.960 --> 1:43:45.519 But we get a really fun pitcher's tool through the 1:43:45.520 --> 1:43:48.880 first six or maybe seven innings between two of the 1:43:48.880 --> 1:43:49.519 best in the game. 1:43:50.080 --> 1:43:54.559 An our forty five just baseball show. Hopefully everybody enjoyed it. 1:43:54.560 --> 1:43:57.240 The best way to support this YouTube live stream is 1:43:57.280 --> 1:43:59.160 make sure to smash the like button and subscribe button. 1:43:59.200 --> 1:44:01.960 And for all those listening on audio, leaving a five 1:44:02.040 --> 1:44:05.080 star review would be very very appreciated. As we send 1:44:05.120 --> 1:44:07.719 you off into the weekend, we did a weekend preview. 1:44:07.880 --> 1:44:10.000 We went over the Schooble trade report as well as 1:44:10.000 --> 1:44:13.479 one burning question for every American league team and the 1:44:13.560 --> 1:44:16.960 recent trade deadline report the New York Mets. An absolutely 1:44:17.000 --> 1:44:20.160 loaded show, we'd really appreciate your support, and if you 1:44:20.160 --> 1:44:22.360 want to dive into even more baseball stuff with us 1:44:22.439 --> 1:44:24.879 over the weekend and leading up to the deadline and beyond, 1:44:25.439 --> 1:44:27.280 join the best baseball group chat in the world. You 1:44:27.280 --> 1:44:30.320 can find the link to our discord in the episode description. 1:44:30.520 --> 1:44:33.120 Or get yourself some just Baseball merch. I'm rocking the hat, 1:44:33.240 --> 1:44:36.920 arms rocking the long sleeve tea. Make sure to go 1:44:36.960 --> 1:44:38.800 get yours again. You can find the link in the 1:44:38.800 --> 1:44:42.400 episode description. Special shout out to Podcast P for brilliant producing. 1:44:42.439 --> 1:44:46.519 Once again for arm Laighton, I'm Peter Apple. Hopefully everybody 1:44:46.520 --> 1:44:49.840 has a great weekend. Last special shout out Happy birthday brother. 1:44:50.280 --> 1:44:53.080 We will see you on Sunday night for the weekend 1:44:53.640 --> 1:44:56.200 round up and until then, with that thank you. 1:45:01.560 --> 1:45:03.880 A fact