1 00:00:00,240 --> 00:00:02,640 Speaker 1: They need to take a hard look at themselves and say, 2 00:00:02,640 --> 00:00:06,240 Speaker 1: who are we? Do we trade our potential creations or 3 00:00:06,280 --> 00:00:08,879 Speaker 1: do we go even deeper? At some point you have 4 00:00:08,960 --> 00:00:17,040 Speaker 1: to acknowledge reality. Welcome everyone to the Monday edition of 5 00:00:17,120 --> 00:00:20,680 Speaker 1: Fair Territory. The season is in full swing. We're about 6 00:00:20,720 --> 00:00:23,919 Speaker 1: a quarter of the way through, and the storylines are 7 00:00:23,960 --> 00:00:27,080 Speaker 1: developing left and right. For that reason, we have a 8 00:00:27,200 --> 00:00:29,200 Speaker 1: jam pack show today. So I want to get right 9 00:00:29,240 --> 00:00:31,319 Speaker 1: to the topics, and I want to start with a 10 00:00:31,360 --> 00:00:34,760 Speaker 1: guy who is sixth in the majors in ops. He 11 00:00:34,840 --> 00:00:37,279 Speaker 1: hit two home runs on Saturday. He has been a 12 00:00:37,320 --> 00:00:41,080 Speaker 1: season long phenomenon for the New York Yankees. Yes, I'm 13 00:00:41,120 --> 00:00:44,120 Speaker 1: talking about Juan Soto. And why was he in the 14 00:00:44,159 --> 00:00:48,400 Speaker 1: news last week? Well because Yankees owner Hal stein Render said, 15 00:00:48,840 --> 00:00:51,680 Speaker 1: quite predictably, he'd like to talk to Sodo about an 16 00:00:51,720 --> 00:00:55,040 Speaker 1: extension before the season is over, and then Sodo responded 17 00:00:55,280 --> 00:00:58,760 Speaker 1: quite predictably, Yeah, I'm open to that kind of discussion. 18 00:00:59,400 --> 00:01:00,960 Speaker 1: I'm not going to spend a whole lot of time 19 00:01:01,000 --> 00:01:02,880 Speaker 1: on this, because we shouldn't spend a whole lot of 20 00:01:02,880 --> 00:01:06,240 Speaker 1: time on this. Of course, they're open, the Yankees are 21 00:01:06,319 --> 00:01:10,559 Speaker 1: to talking. Of course, Soto is open. As he said 22 00:01:10,640 --> 00:01:14,119 Speaker 1: to an extension, will this happen. No, it's not going 23 00:01:14,160 --> 00:01:17,000 Speaker 1: to happen. Wan Soto has been aiming to go free 24 00:01:17,040 --> 00:01:20,800 Speaker 1: agent to the market since he turned down that fifteen year, 25 00:01:21,080 --> 00:01:23,960 Speaker 1: four hundred and forty million dollar offer from the Nationals 26 00:01:24,319 --> 00:01:27,000 Speaker 1: just two years ago in twenty twenty two. That's what 27 00:01:27,120 --> 00:01:29,679 Speaker 1: prompted his trade to the Padres, then to the Yankees, etc. 28 00:01:31,000 --> 00:01:32,800 Speaker 2: That is what is going to happen here. 29 00:01:32,920 --> 00:01:36,800 Speaker 1: Soto is represented by Scott Boris. Scott Boris likes his clients, 30 00:01:36,880 --> 00:01:40,720 Speaker 1: prefers his clients to establish their values on the open market. 31 00:01:41,080 --> 00:01:44,960 Speaker 1: So Soto could wind up very much like Aaron Judge did, 32 00:01:45,319 --> 00:01:47,760 Speaker 1: going to the open market, seeing what his value is 33 00:01:47,800 --> 00:01:50,720 Speaker 1: there and then ending up back with the Yankees. Or 34 00:01:51,320 --> 00:01:54,080 Speaker 1: he could prompt a bidding war between the Yankees and 35 00:01:54,120 --> 00:01:57,080 Speaker 1: say their Crushtown rival, the Mets, and perhaps a couple 36 00:01:57,080 --> 00:01:59,600 Speaker 1: of other teams that would be willing to go into 37 00:01:59,680 --> 00:02:02,480 Speaker 1: the fire one hundred million dollar range for him. These 38 00:02:02,520 --> 00:02:04,760 Speaker 1: things will all take place, but they're not going to 39 00:02:04,800 --> 00:02:09,240 Speaker 1: take place until free agency opens November December January. Maybe 40 00:02:09,240 --> 00:02:12,600 Speaker 1: this drags out. I seriously doubt it will. Boris is 41 00:02:12,600 --> 00:02:16,040 Speaker 1: going to need to move quickly next offseason, more quickly 42 00:02:16,080 --> 00:02:19,000 Speaker 1: than he did this past one, because he has a 43 00:02:19,040 --> 00:02:22,680 Speaker 1: wealth of free agents, a number of big names, some 44 00:02:22,720 --> 00:02:27,000 Speaker 1: of whom will be in intense demand Soto foremost among them. 45 00:02:27,080 --> 00:02:30,200 Speaker 1: Corbyn Burns will be maybe right there with him, So 46 00:02:30,400 --> 00:02:34,040 Speaker 1: Wan Soto extension, don't count on that. Don't go to 47 00:02:34,080 --> 00:02:36,320 Speaker 1: bed and I thinking, well, I might wake up to 48 00:02:36,360 --> 00:02:38,560 Speaker 1: breaking news to him. No, no, it's not going to happen 49 00:02:39,040 --> 00:02:43,280 Speaker 1: elsewhere this weekend. Shota Imenaga, this guy is maybe the 50 00:02:43,280 --> 00:02:46,079 Speaker 1: pitching story of the season, well, one of two. We'll 51 00:02:46,080 --> 00:02:49,560 Speaker 1: get to the other one shortly. Zero point four ERA 52 00:02:49,760 --> 00:02:53,080 Speaker 1: through nine starts. That's the lowest ERA through nine starts 53 00:02:53,160 --> 00:02:57,120 Speaker 1: in major league history. Fernando Vealezuela had a zero point 54 00:02:57,160 --> 00:02:59,960 Speaker 1: nine to one in his first nine major league starts. 55 00:03:00,280 --> 00:03:03,960 Speaker 1: Imanaga has surpassed that. And it's kind of amazing that 56 00:03:04,040 --> 00:03:07,280 Speaker 1: this has happened because at a time when the Cubs 57 00:03:07,760 --> 00:03:10,800 Speaker 1: earlier in the season were without Cody Bellinger and Seya 58 00:03:10,840 --> 00:03:15,440 Speaker 1: Suzuki and Justin Steele, and now they are without Dansby Swanson, 59 00:03:16,080 --> 00:03:20,079 Speaker 1: Jordan Wicks, Nico Horne. The past few games, they have 60 00:03:20,320 --> 00:03:22,960 Speaker 1: had a need for someone to step up and be 61 00:03:23,040 --> 00:03:26,679 Speaker 1: a star for them to stay in contention. Immanaga has 62 00:03:26,720 --> 00:03:30,200 Speaker 1: done just that. So it's kind of interesting here, right 63 00:03:31,200 --> 00:03:33,760 Speaker 1: Maybe the wrong Japanese picture got three hundred and twenty 64 00:03:33,760 --> 00:03:37,800 Speaker 1: five million. I'm talking about Yoshinobu Yamamoto. He's done quite 65 00:03:37,840 --> 00:03:41,640 Speaker 1: well himself. But Imanaga was four years fifty three million, 66 00:03:42,240 --> 00:03:45,440 Speaker 1: looking like right now the best free agent deal of 67 00:03:45,480 --> 00:03:49,200 Speaker 1: them all. So you might ask, what did teams miss here? 68 00:03:49,280 --> 00:03:52,280 Speaker 1: Why didn't he get more money? Well, glad you asked. 69 00:03:52,760 --> 00:03:55,960 Speaker 1: Patrick Moody and Sahadi Sharma of The Athletic are working 70 00:03:56,000 --> 00:03:59,520 Speaker 1: on a story about that right now, a general Inmanaga 71 00:03:59,560 --> 00:04:02,480 Speaker 1: story that touch on that topic how he was viewed 72 00:04:02,560 --> 00:04:06,040 Speaker 1: within the industry. Oh and by the way, those two guys, 73 00:04:06,840 --> 00:04:09,720 Speaker 1: Patrick and Sahadev, they are the hosts of a new 74 00:04:09,760 --> 00:04:13,440 Speaker 1: podcast here on the Territory Network. Theirs is going to 75 00:04:13,480 --> 00:04:16,680 Speaker 1: be cub centric. It's going to be called north Side Territory. 76 00:04:16,680 --> 00:04:19,560 Speaker 1: It's actually available right now. They're going to bring their 77 00:04:19,600 --> 00:04:23,039 Speaker 1: expert insight and go to analysis on the Cubbies all 78 00:04:23,080 --> 00:04:26,919 Speaker 1: season long. So north Side Territory is available wherever you 79 00:04:27,080 --> 00:04:31,320 Speaker 1: get your podcasts. So you have that to look forward 80 00:04:31,360 --> 00:04:33,960 Speaker 1: to and you have if you're a Pittsburgh Pirates fan. 81 00:04:34,200 --> 00:04:36,680 Speaker 1: Finally something to look forward to as well as we 82 00:04:36,720 --> 00:04:40,960 Speaker 1: stick in the NL Central Paul Skeens. If you weren't 83 00:04:41,000 --> 00:04:43,720 Speaker 1: watching Friday, you missed one of the great performances of 84 00:04:43,760 --> 00:04:46,800 Speaker 1: the season. It was his second major league start. It 85 00:04:46,880 --> 00:04:49,279 Speaker 1: was in the afternoon at Wrigley Field. You know what 86 00:04:49,320 --> 00:04:52,400 Speaker 1: I'm talking about. Seven straight strikeouts to open the game, 87 00:04:52,920 --> 00:04:56,680 Speaker 1: six scoreless innings with eleven strikeouts in all. It was 88 00:04:56,839 --> 00:04:59,640 Speaker 1: one of the more dominant pitching performances of the season, 89 00:05:00,120 --> 00:05:03,640 Speaker 1: really of any season, and again from a guy in 90 00:05:03,680 --> 00:05:07,400 Speaker 1: his second major league start. Now we've talked at length 91 00:05:07,440 --> 00:05:10,920 Speaker 1: about Skeens, what he brings, who he is, what the 92 00:05:10,960 --> 00:05:14,000 Speaker 1: Pirates might become, and that's what I want to focus 93 00:05:14,040 --> 00:05:16,279 Speaker 1: on here because that is what is most interesting to me. 94 00:05:17,160 --> 00:05:19,680 Speaker 1: The Pirates right now have two of the best young 95 00:05:19,720 --> 00:05:23,600 Speaker 1: starting pitchers in the game, Skeens and Jared Jones. These 96 00:05:23,640 --> 00:05:27,360 Speaker 1: two guys are capable, it would seem, based on their 97 00:05:27,360 --> 00:05:30,239 Speaker 1: early performances, and I know it's somewhat of a small sample, 98 00:05:30,560 --> 00:05:34,240 Speaker 1: they would seem capable of somewhat carrying this team through 99 00:05:34,240 --> 00:05:38,320 Speaker 1: the season and keeping them in contention. But they of 100 00:05:38,360 --> 00:05:41,120 Speaker 1: course cannot do it alone. And there is a serious 101 00:05:41,200 --> 00:05:44,320 Speaker 1: question here how much leash the Pirates will allow them 102 00:05:44,360 --> 00:05:47,560 Speaker 1: because they are younger, Because Skeens in particular is coming 103 00:05:47,600 --> 00:05:49,680 Speaker 1: out of college. He's not going to be throwing one 104 00:05:49,720 --> 00:05:53,120 Speaker 1: hundred and fifty innings. Okay, we get all that, but 105 00:05:53,200 --> 00:05:57,400 Speaker 1: you have these two gems, right, these two pitchers who 106 00:05:57,640 --> 00:06:01,640 Speaker 1: are at the top of their game so far. If 107 00:06:01,839 --> 00:06:05,560 Speaker 1: the Pirates, do you use this as a springboard to contention, 108 00:06:06,200 --> 00:06:09,240 Speaker 1: do you actually be aggressive at the deadline? Do you 109 00:06:09,320 --> 00:06:11,760 Speaker 1: spend perhaps a little bit of money at the deadline 110 00:06:11,800 --> 00:06:14,479 Speaker 1: to get some more offense, because right now they're not 111 00:06:14,520 --> 00:06:18,400 Speaker 1: a great offensive club, that's been their biggest problem. Or 112 00:06:18,440 --> 00:06:21,080 Speaker 1: do you simply go and play for tomorrow as you've 113 00:06:21,120 --> 00:06:24,040 Speaker 1: done all along in the last few years while rebuilding. 114 00:06:24,440 --> 00:06:28,279 Speaker 1: And by the way, it would be somewhat justified to 115 00:06:28,320 --> 00:06:31,400 Speaker 1: go slowly here and build these guys up and not 116 00:06:31,600 --> 00:06:34,560 Speaker 1: go for it this year. That's said, we've seen it. 117 00:06:34,560 --> 00:06:38,200 Speaker 1: How many times? How many times do opportunities slip away? 118 00:06:38,320 --> 00:06:41,840 Speaker 1: Four teams like the Pirates, they get there and then 119 00:06:42,000 --> 00:06:45,640 Speaker 1: they don't realize the potential that they should. Their owner 120 00:06:45,680 --> 00:06:48,440 Speaker 1: doesn't spend in the offseason and they're back, not at 121 00:06:48,440 --> 00:06:51,200 Speaker 1: square one, but they're not taking the step forward that 122 00:06:51,240 --> 00:06:54,359 Speaker 1: they should. This is a moment for the Pirates to 123 00:06:54,520 --> 00:06:58,839 Speaker 1: take that step forward. And we wrote earlier this year 124 00:06:58,960 --> 00:07:02,880 Speaker 1: in February, Stephen Nasbind and I about the Pirates, about 125 00:07:03,560 --> 00:07:07,160 Speaker 1: the owner, Bob Nutting, who does not spend about how 126 00:07:07,200 --> 00:07:10,320 Speaker 1: their development has not been very good, and actually their 127 00:07:10,360 --> 00:07:13,960 Speaker 1: development right now with these two guys looking much better, Hey, 128 00:07:14,200 --> 00:07:17,480 Speaker 1: this is the time, in my opinion, not to go crazy. 129 00:07:17,520 --> 00:07:20,680 Speaker 1: I don't expect them to do that or do anything irresponsible, 130 00:07:21,080 --> 00:07:25,000 Speaker 1: but see what you have here, Understand what you have here, 131 00:07:25,360 --> 00:07:29,480 Speaker 1: and try to maximize it, yes, even in the short term. 132 00:07:29,880 --> 00:07:31,600 Speaker 1: One other thing I want to touch on here in 133 00:07:31,640 --> 00:07:34,480 Speaker 1: the first block of the show, and this is kind 134 00:07:34,480 --> 00:07:37,200 Speaker 1: of a story that is the other way. It's the 135 00:07:37,240 --> 00:07:41,160 Speaker 1: story of a struggling veteran, a guy who suddenly is 136 00:07:41,200 --> 00:07:44,440 Speaker 1: having problems on the mound. I'm talking about Edwin Diaz, 137 00:07:44,480 --> 00:07:48,200 Speaker 1: the great Mets closer, who has blown three straight saves, 138 00:07:48,360 --> 00:07:52,560 Speaker 1: has gone two and a third innings in those particular outings, 139 00:07:52,560 --> 00:07:55,760 Speaker 1: and given up seven runs, most recent of which was Saturday. 140 00:07:56,240 --> 00:07:59,160 Speaker 1: It was reported by Steve Gelibs of SNY and others 141 00:07:59,520 --> 00:08:03,080 Speaker 1: that after that particular outing, he was at his locker 142 00:08:03,560 --> 00:08:08,360 Speaker 1: essentially sobbing, and he was consoled by teammates. Edwin Diaz 143 00:08:08,400 --> 00:08:12,200 Speaker 1: takes this seriously. He was crushed, and you can understand why. 144 00:08:12,240 --> 00:08:14,360 Speaker 1: Here's a guy who missed all of last year, coming 145 00:08:14,400 --> 00:08:17,640 Speaker 1: off that knee injury in the WBC. All he wants 146 00:08:18,120 --> 00:08:20,680 Speaker 1: is to get back to where he was in this 147 00:08:20,960 --> 00:08:26,280 Speaker 1: entire episode of Diaz at his locker, of course, almost inconsolable. 148 00:08:26,920 --> 00:08:30,440 Speaker 1: It just serves as another reminder of how difficult this 149 00:08:30,520 --> 00:08:33,880 Speaker 1: game is to play, even for the best of the best. 150 00:08:34,440 --> 00:08:36,600 Speaker 1: Edwin Diaz a couple of years ago was the best 151 00:08:36,600 --> 00:08:39,160 Speaker 1: of the best in his role. We see it all 152 00:08:39,200 --> 00:08:43,559 Speaker 1: the time, players struggling, great players, struggling. Guys who you 153 00:08:43,600 --> 00:08:47,000 Speaker 1: would never think would have a problem playing baseball have 154 00:08:47,080 --> 00:08:51,480 Speaker 1: a problem playing baseball. And as fans, as media, it's 155 00:08:51,520 --> 00:08:55,720 Speaker 1: really important to remember that this game, above all, it's 156 00:08:55,800 --> 00:08:58,640 Speaker 1: a mental battle as well as a physical battle, and 157 00:08:58,679 --> 00:09:01,880 Speaker 1: it's a long season, and it's tough to sustain. And 158 00:09:01,920 --> 00:09:05,000 Speaker 1: I've talked about this before. Early in my career, late 159 00:09:05,120 --> 00:09:08,080 Speaker 1: nineteen eighties, Tim Kirkchin now at the ESPN, was at 160 00:09:08,080 --> 00:09:10,440 Speaker 1: the Baltimore Morning Sun. I was at the Baltimore Evening 161 00:09:10,520 --> 00:09:13,560 Speaker 1: Sun and Tim was my competitor, but he taught me 162 00:09:13,600 --> 00:09:16,160 Speaker 1: a lot and one of the first lessons he taught me, 163 00:09:16,679 --> 00:09:20,320 Speaker 1: he said, ken, do not forget, ever, how hard it 164 00:09:20,360 --> 00:09:23,280 Speaker 1: is to play this game, and it kind of has 165 00:09:23,360 --> 00:09:25,760 Speaker 1: to inform your writing the way you look at things, 166 00:09:26,080 --> 00:09:27,640 Speaker 1: and I would urge fans to look at it the 167 00:09:27,640 --> 00:09:31,040 Speaker 1: same way. These guys care. They take it seriously. They 168 00:09:31,120 --> 00:09:33,680 Speaker 1: want to be at the best level they can be. 169 00:09:34,559 --> 00:09:37,640 Speaker 1: It doesn't always happen. Time out for the inside Dish. 170 00:09:37,679 --> 00:09:39,280 Speaker 1: This is the part of the show where I go 171 00:09:39,360 --> 00:09:41,680 Speaker 1: inside a story I've written, or inside a trend in 172 00:09:41,720 --> 00:09:45,280 Speaker 1: the game, inside something or other, And this week I 173 00:09:45,320 --> 00:09:48,200 Speaker 1: actually want to talk about a three story set that 174 00:09:48,320 --> 00:09:51,840 Speaker 1: Jason Stark and I combined on last week. And this 175 00:09:51,880 --> 00:09:54,880 Speaker 1: will be a little bit of inside journalism. And maybe 176 00:09:54,880 --> 00:09:57,560 Speaker 1: some of you not necessarily interested in that, but I 177 00:09:57,600 --> 00:10:01,040 Speaker 1: think a lot of you are, and ig get questions 178 00:10:01,040 --> 00:10:04,120 Speaker 1: about how we come up with stories, why we do 179 00:10:04,240 --> 00:10:07,199 Speaker 1: stories a certain way, how we execute them. So I'll 180 00:10:07,320 --> 00:10:10,040 Speaker 1: kind of take you through the thinking here, because this 181 00:10:10,080 --> 00:10:12,960 Speaker 1: one actually was more interesting than many of the others, 182 00:10:13,400 --> 00:10:16,600 Speaker 1: and it was a combined effort from the very start, 183 00:10:17,120 --> 00:10:21,280 Speaker 1: but it started with Jason and I taking separate angles, 184 00:10:21,360 --> 00:10:25,000 Speaker 1: so to speak. It started back in spring training, and 185 00:10:25,200 --> 00:10:29,000 Speaker 1: Jason has a list of ideas before spring training that 186 00:10:29,040 --> 00:10:32,200 Speaker 1: he concocts of things he wants to get to. He 187 00:10:32,320 --> 00:10:35,440 Speaker 1: is very specific about that. He is a fountain of ideas. 188 00:10:35,520 --> 00:10:38,160 Speaker 1: He always has things he wants to write about, and 189 00:10:38,240 --> 00:10:42,560 Speaker 1: one of them was this existential crisis with the starting pitcher, 190 00:10:42,720 --> 00:10:46,560 Speaker 1: the disappearance of the value of the starting pitcher. So 191 00:10:46,600 --> 00:10:49,040 Speaker 1: he had that in his head, and then when I 192 00:10:49,080 --> 00:10:52,200 Speaker 1: got the spring training, I had my own thoughts. But 193 00:10:52,240 --> 00:10:55,440 Speaker 1: I operate differently than Jason. I'm not a guy who 194 00:10:55,480 --> 00:10:58,400 Speaker 1: makes a list of ideas. I generally work off the 195 00:10:58,440 --> 00:11:02,560 Speaker 1: news and I like to walk into a clubhouse, talk 196 00:11:02,640 --> 00:11:05,320 Speaker 1: to guys and see what I come up with. And 197 00:11:05,400 --> 00:11:08,000 Speaker 1: often I come up with really good ideas just doing 198 00:11:08,040 --> 00:11:08,640 Speaker 1: it that way. 199 00:11:09,160 --> 00:11:09,880 Speaker 2: It's not as. 200 00:11:09,800 --> 00:11:12,400 Speaker 1: Organized as the way Jason goes about it, but it 201 00:11:12,440 --> 00:11:16,400 Speaker 1: works for me. So before I went to Blue Jays camp, 202 00:11:16,520 --> 00:11:18,480 Speaker 1: I spoke with our Blue Jays writer at the Athletic, 203 00:11:18,520 --> 00:11:20,440 Speaker 1: Kaitlin McGrath. I said, Kaitlin, what do you got on 204 00:11:20,440 --> 00:11:24,200 Speaker 1: this team? What's interesting? And she said, one thing I 205 00:11:24,280 --> 00:11:27,840 Speaker 1: find interesting is Chris Bassett. Chris Bassett was very proud 206 00:11:28,000 --> 00:11:31,440 Speaker 1: last year to pitch two hundred innings, and he would 207 00:11:31,480 --> 00:11:34,240 Speaker 1: be pretty good talking about that. So I talked to 208 00:11:34,320 --> 00:11:37,520 Speaker 1: Bassett and I had Jason's list of ideas he had 209 00:11:37,559 --> 00:11:39,000 Speaker 1: presented to me. He had given to me, this is 210 00:11:39,040 --> 00:11:40,760 Speaker 1: what I'm going to be working on in spring training. 211 00:11:41,520 --> 00:11:45,560 Speaker 1: And Bassett was pretty passionate about getting to two hundred innings, 212 00:11:45,600 --> 00:11:47,720 Speaker 1: what that meant to him. And then I thought, you 213 00:11:47,760 --> 00:11:51,040 Speaker 1: know what, I'll start talking to other starting pitchers about 214 00:11:51,080 --> 00:11:54,440 Speaker 1: the same topic, two hundred innings, what that means, how 215 00:11:54,480 --> 00:11:57,440 Speaker 1: to get back to that level, how starting pitchers can 216 00:11:57,559 --> 00:12:02,199 Speaker 1: get back to that magic number that is so elusive. 217 00:12:01,760 --> 00:12:02,640 Speaker 2: In today's game. 218 00:12:03,559 --> 00:12:05,760 Speaker 1: I talked to Garrett Cole, I talked to Aaron Nola, 219 00:12:06,120 --> 00:12:09,200 Speaker 1: I talked to Zach Wheeler, and most notably, I talked 220 00:12:09,240 --> 00:12:13,000 Speaker 1: to Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander, who told me that 221 00:12:13,040 --> 00:12:16,400 Speaker 1: they had been talking amongst themselves last year with the 222 00:12:16,440 --> 00:12:20,280 Speaker 1: Mets about some ways to enhance the starting picture, things 223 00:12:20,320 --> 00:12:23,280 Speaker 1: that could be done, and Scherzer had been part of 224 00:12:23,840 --> 00:12:28,480 Speaker 1: the labor negotiations. He had suggested some things, as he 225 00:12:28,559 --> 00:12:31,760 Speaker 1: would do in that kind of situation, and some of 226 00:12:31,800 --> 00:12:34,319 Speaker 1: them really didn't get very far off the ground at all. 227 00:12:34,480 --> 00:12:37,000 Speaker 1: So I went to Jason with this. I said, hey, man, 228 00:12:37,040 --> 00:12:39,000 Speaker 1: I'd like to write about what these guys are saying. 229 00:12:39,600 --> 00:12:43,000 Speaker 1: And he said, WHOA remember my idea about the starting pitcher. 230 00:12:43,240 --> 00:12:46,280 Speaker 1: And at that point we decided, okay, let's figure out 231 00:12:46,320 --> 00:12:49,160 Speaker 1: a way to combine all this and present it in 232 00:12:49,240 --> 00:12:52,680 Speaker 1: a readable form so people can understand what we're getting at. 233 00:12:53,160 --> 00:12:57,600 Speaker 1: And as this went on, Jason started talking to executives 234 00:12:57,640 --> 00:13:00,840 Speaker 1: and people within the game, and he was talking to 235 00:13:00,880 --> 00:13:05,880 Speaker 1: them about possible rule changes, things that maybe could be 236 00:13:06,080 --> 00:13:09,240 Speaker 1: enacted to bring back the starting picture. And why is 237 00:13:09,240 --> 00:13:14,640 Speaker 1: this important? It's important as an entertainment aspect of the game. 238 00:13:15,120 --> 00:13:18,000 Speaker 1: It's important in that respect. As Jason started the first 239 00:13:18,000 --> 00:13:19,439 Speaker 1: story with the. 240 00:13:19,440 --> 00:13:21,480 Speaker 2: Words who's pitching tonight? 241 00:13:21,800 --> 00:13:24,920 Speaker 1: Those used to be really meaningful words in this sport 242 00:13:25,120 --> 00:13:28,920 Speaker 1: because fans would get excited about matchups starting pitching matchups. 243 00:13:28,960 --> 00:13:32,480 Speaker 1: They would buy tickets to see starting pitchers. So Jason 244 00:13:32,559 --> 00:13:35,000 Speaker 1: was so listening ideas as I was talking to these 245 00:13:35,040 --> 00:13:38,800 Speaker 1: starting pitchers, and we came up with a lot of stuff, 246 00:13:39,160 --> 00:13:42,560 Speaker 1: too much stuff really for one story. We have a 247 00:13:42,600 --> 00:13:45,120 Speaker 1: certain word count that we'd like to stick to for 248 00:13:45,200 --> 00:13:48,400 Speaker 1: stories at the Athletic. Three thousand is the max. That's 249 00:13:48,480 --> 00:13:52,120 Speaker 1: quite a lengthy story, But Jason and I figured we've 250 00:13:52,160 --> 00:13:54,520 Speaker 1: got a lot more than three thousand here. We're not 251 00:13:54,559 --> 00:13:55,880 Speaker 1: going to be able to get it. 252 00:13:55,800 --> 00:13:58,760 Speaker 2: In three thousand. It's not going to happen. 253 00:13:58,960 --> 00:14:01,680 Speaker 1: So we broke it up, and we broke it into 254 00:14:01,720 --> 00:14:06,000 Speaker 1: three stories. The first was a story laying out the problem, 255 00:14:06,360 --> 00:14:10,719 Speaker 1: describing what was going on, talking about how the sport 256 00:14:11,160 --> 00:14:13,960 Speaker 1: might want to adopt rule changes similar to the rule 257 00:14:14,040 --> 00:14:17,600 Speaker 1: changes it adopted last year to enhance the entertainment value. Right, 258 00:14:18,240 --> 00:14:20,600 Speaker 1: That's what the pitch clock is all about, That's what 259 00:14:20,640 --> 00:14:24,080 Speaker 1: the banning of shifts was all about. And we laid 260 00:14:24,120 --> 00:14:29,000 Speaker 1: out the problems. We presented four possible rule changes, and 261 00:14:29,040 --> 00:14:32,440 Speaker 1: we also, actually Jason did most of the writing here 262 00:14:32,760 --> 00:14:37,120 Speaker 1: presented possible problems with those solutions. And the four things 263 00:14:37,160 --> 00:14:40,640 Speaker 1: that were in that story were a rule saying you 264 00:14:40,720 --> 00:14:43,800 Speaker 1: must go six innings, a rule called the double hook, 265 00:14:43,840 --> 00:14:46,720 Speaker 1: which you might have read about before, in which a 266 00:14:46,760 --> 00:14:49,360 Speaker 1: team would lose its DH the moment it pulls its 267 00:14:49,360 --> 00:14:52,400 Speaker 1: starting pitcher. This was tried in the Atlantic League, and 268 00:14:52,440 --> 00:14:55,680 Speaker 1: they decided that if you do it before the end 269 00:14:55,720 --> 00:14:57,880 Speaker 1: of the fifth that is, when. 270 00:14:57,720 --> 00:14:59,800 Speaker 2: You lose your DH. If beyond that you don't, because 271 00:15:00,000 --> 00:15:00,320 Speaker 2: I want to. 272 00:15:00,320 --> 00:15:02,880 Speaker 1: Lose your DH in the late innings whatever, that's a 273 00:15:02,920 --> 00:15:05,560 Speaker 1: possibility too, and actually one that a lot of players 274 00:15:05,600 --> 00:15:08,320 Speaker 1: are behind. Then there was a rule no more than 275 00:15:08,360 --> 00:15:12,480 Speaker 1: eleven pitchers on a roster, and a rule banning the sweeper. Now, 276 00:15:12,480 --> 00:15:15,600 Speaker 1: this one only would take place, or would be needed, 277 00:15:15,880 --> 00:15:19,560 Speaker 1: if it was determined by MLB's study group that the 278 00:15:19,600 --> 00:15:24,240 Speaker 1: sweeper is indeed causing injuries. We've seen other sports ban 279 00:15:24,520 --> 00:15:27,920 Speaker 1: certain parts of the game when they've been determined to 280 00:15:27,960 --> 00:15:30,640 Speaker 1: be too dangerous and if there was a certain pitch 281 00:15:30,640 --> 00:15:34,960 Speaker 1: along those lines. Okay, now we know, and we knew 282 00:15:35,160 --> 00:15:37,280 Speaker 1: going into this that a lot of these things were 283 00:15:37,320 --> 00:15:42,240 Speaker 1: not necessarily practical. That especially with talk of banning the 284 00:15:42,280 --> 00:15:45,320 Speaker 1: sweeper or limiting how hard a pitcher can throw. You're 285 00:15:45,360 --> 00:15:47,800 Speaker 1: telling a player not to be the best he can be. 286 00:15:48,440 --> 00:15:49,760 Speaker 2: That's kind of a tough thing to do. 287 00:15:50,360 --> 00:15:53,280 Speaker 1: So that was one story, and then we had another 288 00:15:53,280 --> 00:15:56,120 Speaker 1: story with some of the other rule changes that were 289 00:15:56,720 --> 00:15:59,160 Speaker 1: being discussed within the game. I think there were twelve 290 00:15:59,320 --> 00:16:02,080 Speaker 1: in all. And then there was a third story with 291 00:16:02,280 --> 00:16:05,600 Speaker 1: Verlander and Schurz are just kind of talking about how 292 00:16:05,640 --> 00:16:08,680 Speaker 1: they saw the problem and what they saw in their 293 00:16:08,760 --> 00:16:12,720 Speaker 1: vast experience. These are the two leading pictures and games 294 00:16:12,720 --> 00:16:16,480 Speaker 1: started and innings pitched currently active. These are guys who 295 00:16:16,520 --> 00:16:18,520 Speaker 1: are going to the Hall of Fame. These are people 296 00:16:18,520 --> 00:16:20,880 Speaker 1: that we think and I would expect most people would 297 00:16:20,920 --> 00:16:22,480 Speaker 1: think should be listened. 298 00:16:22,120 --> 00:16:23,800 Speaker 2: To in this kind of conversation. 299 00:16:24,160 --> 00:16:28,520 Speaker 1: So with this article or these series of articles, we 300 00:16:28,600 --> 00:16:32,240 Speaker 1: didn't necessarily think that we were going to get changed tomorrow. 301 00:16:32,280 --> 00:16:36,160 Speaker 1: We knew that we weren't. Because Baseball right now, as 302 00:16:36,160 --> 00:16:40,600 Speaker 1: I mentioned, has this committee or this study it's conducting. 303 00:16:41,040 --> 00:16:42,800 Speaker 1: They want to get to the heart of the injury 304 00:16:42,880 --> 00:16:46,520 Speaker 1: question before deciding what kinds of rules they might want 305 00:16:46,560 --> 00:16:50,680 Speaker 1: to implement to help bring back the starting pitcher. But 306 00:16:50,800 --> 00:16:54,760 Speaker 1: the Commissioner, Rob Manford has spoken of doing this, of 307 00:16:54,880 --> 00:16:58,520 Speaker 1: getting back to a time when that matchup, that matchup 308 00:16:58,520 --> 00:17:01,080 Speaker 1: of starting pictures would be something that excites fans and 309 00:17:01,200 --> 00:17:04,159 Speaker 1: brings them to the park. Sometimes you don't want to 310 00:17:04,200 --> 00:17:05,879 Speaker 1: go back to the past, you don't want to be 311 00:17:05,880 --> 00:17:08,359 Speaker 1: too nostalgic about the sport. We move forward. But in 312 00:17:08,400 --> 00:17:11,840 Speaker 1: this particular case, I would think most people are in 313 00:17:11,880 --> 00:17:15,640 Speaker 1: agreement that they'd like to see more starters going six 314 00:17:15,720 --> 00:17:18,879 Speaker 1: and seven and openers or bullpen games and things along 315 00:17:18,920 --> 00:17:24,000 Speaker 1: those lines. It would require this massive shift in thinking 316 00:17:24,160 --> 00:17:27,399 Speaker 1: that would take place after rules were put into effect, 317 00:17:27,800 --> 00:17:30,159 Speaker 1: a shift in thinking that would extend down to the 318 00:17:30,200 --> 00:17:32,760 Speaker 1: youth levels of baseball, where a lot of these problems 319 00:17:32,760 --> 00:17:36,560 Speaker 1: are starting, and it would be something that probably is 320 00:17:36,680 --> 00:17:38,879 Speaker 1: years away. There would be a phase in with some 321 00:17:38,920 --> 00:17:42,280 Speaker 1: of these rules as we discuss. So I encourage you 322 00:17:42,320 --> 00:17:45,040 Speaker 1: to read the three articles if you haven't already. The 323 00:17:45,040 --> 00:17:47,919 Speaker 1: first one is quite long, that's the three thousand word one. 324 00:17:48,119 --> 00:17:51,320 Speaker 1: Then the other ones are shorter, and it's all rather interesting. 325 00:17:51,400 --> 00:17:55,000 Speaker 1: And the purpose here, again was not to say we 326 00:17:55,080 --> 00:17:58,440 Speaker 1: need change tomorrow. The purpose was to start a conversation. 327 00:17:58,800 --> 00:18:03,440 Speaker 1: That's often what we like to do as journalists. Sometimes 328 00:18:03,480 --> 00:18:07,080 Speaker 1: we have bigger fish to fry than others. But this 329 00:18:07,359 --> 00:18:09,639 Speaker 1: was a case where we just wanted to start the 330 00:18:09,680 --> 00:18:13,439 Speaker 1: conversation getting going, and I think we were effective in 331 00:18:13,440 --> 00:18:15,960 Speaker 1: that regard. I checked this morning. There were five hundred 332 00:18:16,000 --> 00:18:18,760 Speaker 1: and fifty comments on the first article. Because people are 333 00:18:18,800 --> 00:18:22,080 Speaker 1: passionate about where they want to see the game go. 334 00:18:22,920 --> 00:18:27,320 Speaker 1: Jason is among the most passionate journalists about where he 335 00:18:27,359 --> 00:18:29,199 Speaker 1: wants to see the game go and I share that 336 00:18:29,240 --> 00:18:33,399 Speaker 1: passion with him. And one more word here about Jason. 337 00:18:33,680 --> 00:18:36,880 Speaker 1: This guy is one of the most special baseball writers 338 00:18:36,920 --> 00:18:40,160 Speaker 1: of all time. That's why he received the BBWA Career 339 00:18:40,200 --> 00:18:43,440 Speaker 1: Excellence Award. That's why he's going to be honored next month, 340 00:18:43,480 --> 00:18:46,959 Speaker 1: I believe as the National Sports Media Association's Hall of 341 00:18:46,960 --> 00:18:50,760 Speaker 1: Famer for this year. From the writing perspective, Jason is 342 00:18:50,800 --> 00:18:54,600 Speaker 1: really really special. I can't stress it enough. He drove 343 00:18:54,760 --> 00:18:56,760 Speaker 1: a lot of this a lot of what we try 344 00:18:56,800 --> 00:18:59,639 Speaker 1: to accomplish here. I love working with him. It's been 345 00:18:59,680 --> 00:19:02,280 Speaker 1: one of the great privileges of my career and I 346 00:19:02,320 --> 00:19:05,280 Speaker 1: hope you guys enjoyed this package of stories. Time now 347 00:19:05,320 --> 00:19:08,040 Speaker 1: for Grill and Ken. Let's get to your questions. The 348 00:19:08,040 --> 00:19:11,040 Speaker 1: first one this week comes from Productive Outs, who asks 349 00:19:11,800 --> 00:19:15,280 Speaker 1: which MLB organization has the bleakest future and why is 350 00:19:15,320 --> 00:19:17,639 Speaker 1: it the Angels. I like where you're going with this, 351 00:19:17,680 --> 00:19:21,000 Speaker 1: Productive Outs. I like the leading question that you're asking here, 352 00:19:21,119 --> 00:19:24,560 Speaker 1: but I'm not necessarily going to agree it's the Angels. 353 00:19:25,040 --> 00:19:27,639 Speaker 1: They certainly are one of the teams that have the 354 00:19:27,640 --> 00:19:30,240 Speaker 1: bleakest future. But I think you have to start with 355 00:19:30,280 --> 00:19:32,400 Speaker 1: the A's, And you have to start with the A's 356 00:19:32,440 --> 00:19:34,800 Speaker 1: because of their ownership and because of the way that 357 00:19:34,960 --> 00:19:37,720 Speaker 1: they've gone about it over the past several years, and 358 00:19:37,760 --> 00:19:40,600 Speaker 1: the lack of trust that I have and many people 359 00:19:40,680 --> 00:19:44,639 Speaker 1: have with their ability to write the ship in Sacramento 360 00:19:44,680 --> 00:19:47,120 Speaker 1: the next three seasons at least, and then in Las 361 00:19:47,240 --> 00:19:50,840 Speaker 1: Vegas they have the game's weakest farm system. They have 362 00:19:50,880 --> 00:19:54,600 Speaker 1: an ownership problem. We've discussed it many times. The Angels 363 00:19:54,640 --> 00:19:57,480 Speaker 1: too have an ownership problem. The Rockies as well have 364 00:19:57,520 --> 00:20:00,560 Speaker 1: an ownership problem. The Rockies, at least I have some 365 00:20:00,680 --> 00:20:03,400 Speaker 1: young players that you can dream on a little bit. 366 00:20:03,440 --> 00:20:05,800 Speaker 1: The Angels do as well, some of their position players, 367 00:20:06,160 --> 00:20:09,159 Speaker 1: even some of their pitchers. There's a core there, a 368 00:20:09,280 --> 00:20:12,399 Speaker 1: nucleus where you can imagine them getting better. And I 369 00:20:12,400 --> 00:20:14,160 Speaker 1: guess you could even say the same for the A's. 370 00:20:14,640 --> 00:20:17,960 Speaker 1: But in each case the owner stands in the way 371 00:20:18,160 --> 00:20:20,760 Speaker 1: of better days ahead. So I don't know that I 372 00:20:20,760 --> 00:20:23,640 Speaker 1: would say the Angels have the bleakest future all three 373 00:20:23,640 --> 00:20:26,000 Speaker 1: of those clubs. I'm not necessarily in. 374 00:20:25,840 --> 00:20:28,240 Speaker 2: Love with going forward all right. 375 00:20:28,320 --> 00:20:31,240 Speaker 1: Next question, This one comes from Daniel Muller, who asks 376 00:20:31,680 --> 00:20:34,880 Speaker 1: good question here, trade now or trade at the deadline. 377 00:20:34,920 --> 00:20:39,800 Speaker 1: Sanudo's from Mexico. Thank you, Daniel for the question. Fans 378 00:20:39,840 --> 00:20:42,760 Speaker 1: ask this all the time. Why can't trades happen sooner? 379 00:20:42,880 --> 00:20:47,320 Speaker 1: Why does the deadline have to be where this activity 380 00:20:47,600 --> 00:20:50,879 Speaker 1: for the most part is taking place. And the reason 381 00:20:51,160 --> 00:20:53,840 Speaker 1: really goes to the nature of the deadline itself and 382 00:20:53,880 --> 00:20:58,280 Speaker 1: the way the sport and life itself is governed by deadlines. 383 00:20:58,680 --> 00:21:00,560 Speaker 1: A lot of us don't act in until we have 384 00:21:00,600 --> 00:21:04,159 Speaker 1: to act right well, Baseball teams operate the same way, 385 00:21:04,560 --> 00:21:10,479 Speaker 1: and the deadline is what drives the intense transaction period 386 00:21:10,560 --> 00:21:14,360 Speaker 1: in late July because teams know at that point who 387 00:21:14,440 --> 00:21:17,040 Speaker 1: they are for the most part, and they also know 388 00:21:17,280 --> 00:21:19,800 Speaker 1: what they need and that. 389 00:21:19,760 --> 00:21:21,000 Speaker 2: They're running out of time. 390 00:21:21,440 --> 00:21:25,280 Speaker 1: So right now, sure, teams can see pretty much who 391 00:21:25,280 --> 00:21:27,200 Speaker 1: they are. We're at the quarter pole or the three 392 00:21:27,280 --> 00:21:30,040 Speaker 1: quarters pole, whatever you want to call it, and teams 393 00:21:30,080 --> 00:21:32,520 Speaker 1: have an idea of where their weaknesses are, there's. 394 00:21:32,320 --> 00:21:33,280 Speaker 2: No question about that. 395 00:21:33,400 --> 00:21:37,000 Speaker 1: But other clubs are reluctant to trade. Some clubs are 396 00:21:37,000 --> 00:21:41,480 Speaker 1: reluctant to concede, and it just doesn't happen very often 397 00:21:42,040 --> 00:21:44,720 Speaker 1: where a team or two teams line up and say 398 00:21:44,800 --> 00:21:47,960 Speaker 1: let's do this right now. It happened with the Padres 399 00:21:48,000 --> 00:21:51,600 Speaker 1: and Marlins with the Arise trade, two very unique circumstances. 400 00:21:51,640 --> 00:21:54,800 Speaker 1: The Marlins essentially quit on the season. The Padres are 401 00:21:54,920 --> 00:21:57,879 Speaker 1: always aggressive and will trade at anytime, as we've seen 402 00:21:58,200 --> 00:22:01,119 Speaker 1: under aj Preler many times. But that, of course was 403 00:22:01,160 --> 00:22:05,280 Speaker 1: the exception in not the rule. Again, the deadline is 404 00:22:05,320 --> 00:22:09,240 Speaker 1: what drives this thing, and the fact, the panic, the 405 00:22:09,240 --> 00:22:12,240 Speaker 1: reality that sets in knowing that you will not be 406 00:22:12,320 --> 00:22:15,639 Speaker 1: able to improve your team after this specific date. That 407 00:22:15,800 --> 00:22:17,760 Speaker 1: is why teams don't act until then. 408 00:22:19,720 --> 00:22:20,040 Speaker 2: All right. 409 00:22:20,119 --> 00:22:22,800 Speaker 1: Third question from Chris Correa, who asked the Mariners now 410 00:22:22,840 --> 00:22:26,359 Speaker 1: have six prospects listed in Baseball America's top one hundred, 411 00:22:26,600 --> 00:22:29,240 Speaker 1: with Seattle sitting atop the AL West despite having the 412 00:22:29,280 --> 00:22:32,720 Speaker 1: twenty fifth ranked offense. What are the chances Jerry Depoto 413 00:22:32,800 --> 00:22:35,040 Speaker 1: makes a big splash by moving any of these guys 414 00:22:35,040 --> 00:22:38,320 Speaker 1: for immediate help at the big league level. Okay, the 415 00:22:38,320 --> 00:22:42,000 Speaker 1: Mariners six in Baseball America's top one hundred, four in 416 00:22:42,160 --> 00:22:45,480 Speaker 1: MLB dot Coms, and three in Keith Laws, so there's 417 00:22:45,520 --> 00:22:49,480 Speaker 1: some debate about how many great prospects they have. Regardless, 418 00:22:49,840 --> 00:22:53,200 Speaker 1: your question is a valid one, and I talked earlier 419 00:22:53,320 --> 00:22:56,200 Speaker 1: about the Pirates sort of needing to seize the moment 420 00:22:56,560 --> 00:23:01,119 Speaker 1: right as they have Paul Skins and j Jones pitching 421 00:23:01,160 --> 00:23:05,320 Speaker 1: an extremely high level. The Mariners are in an even 422 00:23:05,400 --> 00:23:08,959 Speaker 1: more urgent position because their pictures are not guys that 423 00:23:09,000 --> 00:23:13,000 Speaker 1: are innings restrictions or will be. Their pictures are somewhat 424 00:23:13,119 --> 00:23:18,120 Speaker 1: established and again peaking at an early part of their careers. 425 00:23:18,119 --> 00:23:21,600 Speaker 1: You know what I'm talking about, Gilbert and Kirby and 426 00:23:21,600 --> 00:23:26,280 Speaker 1: of course Luis Castillo, and they are a team that 427 00:23:26,320 --> 00:23:29,439 Speaker 1: can dream here a little bit. Brian wu and Bryce Miller, 428 00:23:29,520 --> 00:23:32,960 Speaker 1: all these guys they have, and they know what they 429 00:23:32,960 --> 00:23:36,080 Speaker 1: have now. Their problem in the off season was ownership 430 00:23:36,119 --> 00:23:39,359 Speaker 1: pulled back, got freaked out by the RSN uncertainty and 431 00:23:39,560 --> 00:23:42,600 Speaker 1: didn't really allow them to spend the way they probably 432 00:23:42,640 --> 00:23:46,520 Speaker 1: would have liked to have spent. They do have payroll flexibility. 433 00:23:46,560 --> 00:23:48,560 Speaker 1: As we get to the deadline, they'll be able to 434 00:23:48,600 --> 00:23:52,199 Speaker 1: do some things. What kinds of things remains to be 435 00:23:52,240 --> 00:23:55,760 Speaker 1: seen and how willing they'll be able and how willing 436 00:23:55,760 --> 00:23:58,600 Speaker 1: they'll be to trade their prospects a couple of middle 437 00:23:58,600 --> 00:24:01,960 Speaker 1: infielders to catcher Harry four. I don't know where they're 438 00:24:02,000 --> 00:24:03,640 Speaker 1: going to go with that, and I don't know how 439 00:24:04,000 --> 00:24:08,200 Speaker 1: necessarily they will see it. But the Mariners do realize. 440 00:24:08,240 --> 00:24:10,880 Speaker 1: I know this that this is a moment they have 441 00:24:10,960 --> 00:24:13,439 Speaker 1: to take advantage of. Who knows how long they'll have 442 00:24:13,520 --> 00:24:16,840 Speaker 1: these pitchers, who knows how long they'll stay healthy. This 443 00:24:17,240 --> 00:24:20,880 Speaker 1: is the time final question. This comes from Rocky. It's 444 00:24:20,920 --> 00:24:24,200 Speaker 1: about another team in an urgent position. This one quite 445 00:24:24,200 --> 00:24:27,600 Speaker 1: different from the Mariners. It's about the Blue Jays, and 446 00:24:27,680 --> 00:24:32,399 Speaker 1: Rocky asked, please explain the blue Jays situation. Well, the 447 00:24:32,520 --> 00:24:35,600 Speaker 1: general manager, Ross Atkins spoke to reporters a couple of 448 00:24:35,640 --> 00:24:37,960 Speaker 1: days ago and tried to explain it, and it wasn't 449 00:24:38,000 --> 00:24:41,920 Speaker 1: received very well. What he said. Basically, he said, we're 450 00:24:41,960 --> 00:24:44,240 Speaker 1: in an urgent spot here, but we still believe in 451 00:24:44,320 --> 00:24:48,560 Speaker 1: our team, we still can get there, etc. The Blue Jays, 452 00:24:48,640 --> 00:24:51,359 Speaker 1: because of the expanded playoffs and the addition of the 453 00:24:51,359 --> 00:24:54,200 Speaker 1: third wildcard, are not necessarily. 454 00:24:53,560 --> 00:24:54,520 Speaker 2: Out of anything. 455 00:24:54,920 --> 00:24:57,160 Speaker 1: They're in the middle of the wildcard race. I think 456 00:24:57,200 --> 00:24:59,639 Speaker 1: three and a half games back something along those lines. 457 00:25:00,119 --> 00:25:00,760 Speaker 2: Not terrible. 458 00:25:01,200 --> 00:25:03,960 Speaker 1: Problem is they haven't played well, and this goes back 459 00:25:03,960 --> 00:25:06,240 Speaker 1: to last year when they didn't play all that well, 460 00:25:06,480 --> 00:25:09,040 Speaker 1: got in, got knocked out quickly. We all know the 461 00:25:09,160 --> 00:25:12,560 Speaker 1: history there, and this is about a team that has 462 00:25:12,640 --> 00:25:16,159 Speaker 1: yet to fulfill its potential and didn't really add in 463 00:25:16,160 --> 00:25:20,240 Speaker 1: the offseason despite being involved in some pretty big pursuits. 464 00:25:20,600 --> 00:25:23,919 Speaker 1: They did kind of complimentary parts rather than big ones 465 00:25:24,000 --> 00:25:27,359 Speaker 1: because they were shut out on Otani, shut out on Soto, etc. 466 00:25:28,680 --> 00:25:31,960 Speaker 1: The Jays, We've talked about this before, are at a crossroads. 467 00:25:32,680 --> 00:25:35,600 Speaker 1: Either they're going to get into this thing, get into 468 00:25:35,600 --> 00:25:40,120 Speaker 1: the race, establish themselves as serious contenders and not paper tigers, 469 00:25:40,800 --> 00:25:43,720 Speaker 1: or they need to take a hard look at themselves 470 00:25:43,720 --> 00:25:46,960 Speaker 1: and say who are we. Do we trade our potential 471 00:25:46,960 --> 00:25:49,639 Speaker 1: free agents or do we go even deeper and trade 472 00:25:49,680 --> 00:25:52,160 Speaker 1: some of our players under control? Yes, I'm talking about 473 00:25:52,160 --> 00:25:55,440 Speaker 1: Guerrero and bishett I don't know that they want to 474 00:25:55,480 --> 00:25:56,280 Speaker 1: go to those lengths. 475 00:25:56,560 --> 00:25:57,720 Speaker 2: I don't know that they want to go. 476 00:25:57,640 --> 00:26:00,639 Speaker 1: To either of those lengths actually, because they don't want 477 00:26:00,640 --> 00:26:02,440 Speaker 1: to give up on this season. They've invested a lot 478 00:26:02,480 --> 00:26:05,480 Speaker 1: in this season, club record payroll. At the same time, 479 00:26:06,480 --> 00:26:09,600 Speaker 1: at some point you have to acknowledge reality, and that's 480 00:26:09,640 --> 00:26:12,040 Speaker 1: where the Blue Jays are. I can't explain their situation 481 00:26:12,200 --> 00:26:15,679 Speaker 1: better than that. Thanks everyone for your questions, Thanks for watching, 482 00:26:15,760 --> 00:26:20,920 Speaker 1: thanks for listening. You know where to find us YouTube, Apple, Spotify, Like, subscribe, 483 00:26:21,119 --> 00:26:23,359 Speaker 1: and remember this was only the first of two shows 484 00:26:23,359 --> 00:26:26,359 Speaker 1: this week. We'll be back Thursday with Alana Rizzo.