1
00:00:21,440 --> 00:00:23,720
Speaker 1: Hello everyone, and welcome back to the Hemor Territory Podcast.

2
00:00:23,760 --> 00:00:26,759
Speaker 1: This is episode three four three. My name is Brad

3
00:00:26,840 --> 00:00:29,639
Speaker 1: Roland and I'm joined on this Sunday evening edition of

4
00:00:29,720 --> 00:00:33,080
Speaker 1: the podcast my good friend Scott Coleman. Scott, we're less

5
00:00:33,240 --> 00:00:36,760
Speaker 1: than three weeks away from opening day and we've also,

6
00:00:37,360 --> 00:00:39,800
Speaker 1: at the same time reached No Man's Slam of spring training.

7
00:00:40,240 --> 00:00:43,880
Speaker 2: How are you hello, Brad. You took the words out

8
00:00:43,880 --> 00:00:47,080
Speaker 2: of my mouth. We have officially hit the dog days

9
00:00:47,080 --> 00:00:49,959
Speaker 2: of spring training. There's always a lot of excitement when

10
00:00:49,960 --> 00:00:54,240
Speaker 2: the fellas show up. What's new, what's exciting? Spring training?

11
00:00:54,280 --> 00:00:57,440
Speaker 2: Games get going early storylines, and then you kind of

12
00:00:57,480 --> 00:01:00,960
Speaker 2: hit that wall. And I'm guessing if you survey, they'd say, yeah,

13
00:01:01,000 --> 00:01:03,400
Speaker 2: you kind of hit a wall there early mid March.

14
00:01:03,800 --> 00:01:06,520
Speaker 2: You still have twenty or so games to go down

15
00:01:06,520 --> 00:01:09,720
Speaker 2: in Florida. But at the same time, opening day is

16
00:01:09,800 --> 00:01:12,840
Speaker 2: less than three weeks away, and we will be there before.

17
00:01:12,600 --> 00:01:16,560
Speaker 1: We know it, absolutely, And you know for baseball siccos

18
00:01:16,680 --> 00:01:19,760
Speaker 1: like us, the WBC is definitely helping with that. By

19
00:01:19,760 --> 00:01:21,320
Speaker 1: the way, can catch it on Foxwall'll talk without that

20
00:01:21,360 --> 00:01:24,280
Speaker 1: more later on in this podcast. And I would say

21
00:01:24,319 --> 00:01:27,400
Speaker 1: the biggest thing that happened around the Braves in the

22
00:01:27,480 --> 00:01:29,920
Speaker 1: last couple of days is actually Ozzy Alby's hitting a

23
00:01:29,959 --> 00:01:33,240
Speaker 1: really really fun walk off home run in WBC on Saturday,

24
00:01:33,600 --> 00:01:36,280
Speaker 1: and that kind of sparked Ozzie talk, which is natural.

25
00:01:36,520 --> 00:01:39,120
Speaker 1: Ozzy's been around for a long time, but he's interesting.

26
00:01:39,160 --> 00:01:42,280
Speaker 1: He's kind of entering an interesting season. And we've done

27
00:01:42,319 --> 00:01:45,399
Speaker 1: some of these like position capsules on the show. So

28
00:01:45,440 --> 00:01:47,360
Speaker 1: if you're new to the podcast, first of all, join

29
00:01:47,440 --> 00:01:50,400
Speaker 1: us a subscribe. We're part of foul Territory network of podcasts.

30
00:01:50,400 --> 00:01:54,520
Speaker 1: We are here herebi Territory. We covered Braves all year round. Subscribe,

31
00:01:54,840 --> 00:01:57,400
Speaker 1: tell your friends all that fun stuff. But we've done

32
00:01:57,440 --> 00:01:59,720
Speaker 1: the Catchers for example, we did You and I talked

33
00:01:59,720 --> 00:02:01,720
Speaker 1: about Matt Olsen and Austin Riley, we did, we did

34
00:02:01,760 --> 00:02:06,160
Speaker 1: the Outfield. We did a pre Jerkson Profar suspension DH episode.

35
00:02:06,160 --> 00:02:09,120
Speaker 1: That's a lot's changed on that one, for example, But

36
00:02:09,440 --> 00:02:12,040
Speaker 1: we're kind of due for a middle infield look and

37
00:02:12,080 --> 00:02:14,400
Speaker 1: that was a good kind of peg to go with

38
00:02:14,919 --> 00:02:17,520
Speaker 1: on this one after the Ozzie heroics on Saturday. But

39
00:02:18,200 --> 00:02:21,560
Speaker 1: I mean, look zooming out. We love Ozzie on the podcast.

40
00:02:21,680 --> 00:02:25,040
Speaker 1: We always have. He also was not very good last season,

41
00:02:25,600 --> 00:02:27,400
Speaker 1: to the point where there were people, not really us,

42
00:02:27,480 --> 00:02:29,040
Speaker 1: people were like, hey, are the brand's gonna pick up

43
00:02:29,040 --> 00:02:31,239
Speaker 1: his option? And I was like, well, yes, they're going

44
00:02:31,280 --> 00:02:33,440
Speaker 1: to do that. But that even him, even that competition

45
00:02:33,560 --> 00:02:39,239
Speaker 1: happening at all, spoke to how uninspiring Ozzie was last season.

46
00:02:39,320 --> 00:02:42,480
Speaker 1: So let's just start broad like, let's you know, walk

47
00:02:42,520 --> 00:02:44,919
Speaker 1: off home or in a WBCs side, how are you

48
00:02:44,960 --> 00:02:48,800
Speaker 1: feeling about the Ozzie experience as twenty twenty six approaches?

49
00:02:49,919 --> 00:02:53,040
Speaker 2: This feels like such an important year for Ozzy Albys

50
00:02:53,280 --> 00:02:57,120
Speaker 2: and I mean really his career, and you know he is,

51
00:02:57,320 --> 00:03:00,200
Speaker 2: he came up young, and I mean, can you believe

52
00:03:00,280 --> 00:03:03,639
Speaker 2: this is going to be Ozzie's tenth season with the Braves?

53
00:03:03,919 --> 00:03:06,640
Speaker 1: No, I cannot to answer your question that was probably rhetorical. No,

54
00:03:06,720 --> 00:03:07,840
Speaker 1: I cannot believe that that's its.

55
00:03:07,919 --> 00:03:10,680
Speaker 2: Yeah, it feels impossible. I mean I remember him and

56
00:03:10,720 --> 00:03:13,480
Speaker 2: Acunya and Riley and all those guys coming up and

57
00:03:13,639 --> 00:03:17,480
Speaker 2: here we are almost a decade later. But it's fair

58
00:03:17,520 --> 00:03:21,400
Speaker 2: to say that last year was the worst season statistically

59
00:03:21,720 --> 00:03:25,239
Speaker 2: for Ozzie Alby's and this is a really important year,

60
00:03:25,639 --> 00:03:27,320
Speaker 2: and I think it was a no brainer that he

61
00:03:27,400 --> 00:03:28,920
Speaker 2: was going to be on the team this year, and

62
00:03:28,960 --> 00:03:30,720
Speaker 2: if you held my feet to the fire, I will

63
00:03:30,800 --> 00:03:33,520
Speaker 2: say that Ozzie's probably on the braves again come twenty

64
00:03:33,600 --> 00:03:37,080
Speaker 2: twenty seven because of that contract and being so team friendly.

65
00:03:37,320 --> 00:03:40,000
Speaker 2: He's a leader in the clubhouse, he's beloved by his teammates.

66
00:03:40,400 --> 00:03:44,640
Speaker 2: But statistically in terms of his performance, we really need

67
00:03:44,640 --> 00:03:46,600
Speaker 2: to get Ozzie on it, back on the right track

68
00:03:46,840 --> 00:03:49,280
Speaker 2: like he was. I mean, there's no real way to

69
00:03:49,320 --> 00:03:51,920
Speaker 2: spend his last season as positive other than the fact

70
00:03:51,960 --> 00:03:54,120
Speaker 2: that he had a better second half than first half.

71
00:03:54,200 --> 00:03:56,880
Speaker 2: And maybe there's something there, but for the most part,

72
00:03:56,920 --> 00:03:59,000
Speaker 2: on the whole, it was about as uninspiring as it

73
00:03:59,040 --> 00:03:59,800
Speaker 2: gets last year.

74
00:04:00,720 --> 00:04:03,080
Speaker 1: Yeah, and I mean you said it. The way to

75
00:04:03,120 --> 00:04:07,520
Speaker 1: be mildly encouraged is that he did have the injury

76
00:04:07,920 --> 00:04:10,440
Speaker 1: concerns that could have contributed to some of what he

77
00:04:10,560 --> 00:04:12,960
Speaker 1: was not doing, and also he was much better late

78
00:04:12,960 --> 00:04:15,640
Speaker 1: in the year. And you know, I don't always love

79
00:04:15,720 --> 00:04:18,960
Speaker 1: first half second half splits as like indicators, because there's

80
00:04:19,040 --> 00:04:21,679
Speaker 1: been some studies to tell you that like not always

81
00:04:21,720 --> 00:04:23,880
Speaker 1: the case second half. It's like, oh, second half will

82
00:04:23,880 --> 00:04:26,440
Speaker 1: be translating, It's not always like that. But he had

83
00:04:26,440 --> 00:04:29,240
Speaker 1: a one to eleven doubrs plus after the all start

84
00:04:29,279 --> 00:04:33,120
Speaker 1: break last year. Look, if he does that, that's not superstar.

85
00:04:33,120 --> 00:04:35,719
Speaker 1: Ozzie Alby's what you fororted with at times earlier in

86
00:04:35,720 --> 00:04:38,360
Speaker 1: his career. If he does that, no one should complain

87
00:04:38,400 --> 00:04:40,359
Speaker 1: whatsoever I would do. I would dance in the streets.

88
00:04:40,360 --> 00:04:42,160
Speaker 1: I don't know about you. I'd be very excited about that.

89
00:04:42,240 --> 00:04:44,279
Speaker 2: Do that again all day Yeah, all day long, no

90
00:04:44,440 --> 00:04:46,520
Speaker 2: questions asked. Take that every single day of the week.

91
00:04:47,080 --> 00:04:50,120
Speaker 1: Yeah. And he's always been kind of interesting case. I mean,

92
00:04:50,240 --> 00:04:54,840
Speaker 1: brace fans know this, but he's so small, which he's

93
00:04:54,880 --> 00:04:56,680
Speaker 1: also been able to hit for a lot of power

94
00:04:56,720 --> 00:04:58,840
Speaker 1: despite being I don't know when he's even listed that,

95
00:04:58,920 --> 00:05:00,760
Speaker 1: but I've stood next to the man. He's probably five

96
00:05:00,760 --> 00:05:03,800
Speaker 1: to five. Like, he's extremely small, but he's also a

97
00:05:03,800 --> 00:05:06,840
Speaker 1: barrel of a human being. He's really he's jacked. He's strong,

98
00:05:07,120 --> 00:05:08,880
Speaker 1: hits for power in a way that guys his side

99
00:05:08,960 --> 00:05:11,400
Speaker 1: just shouldn't hit. But his bat speed's always been a

100
00:05:11,400 --> 00:05:14,640
Speaker 1: little bit funny, like he's got these he's got platoon splits.

101
00:05:14,640 --> 00:05:16,560
Speaker 1: He's always been matching from the right side. It's a

102
00:05:16,600 --> 00:05:21,080
Speaker 1: he's a very nuanced, interesting player, but also means it's

103
00:05:21,160 --> 00:05:23,320
Speaker 1: kind of hard to figure out, like what kind of

104
00:05:23,360 --> 00:05:26,840
Speaker 1: aging curve he's gonna have, because by just age, he

105
00:05:26,960 --> 00:05:31,159
Speaker 1: shouldn't really be a huge concern about like being on

106
00:05:31,200 --> 00:05:34,200
Speaker 1: the downside. But when last season happens and some of

107
00:05:34,279 --> 00:05:36,680
Speaker 1: his underlying metrics are that's never been as good as

108
00:05:36,680 --> 00:05:38,880
Speaker 1: his actual production, which is why it's such an interesting case.

109
00:05:39,240 --> 00:05:41,840
Speaker 1: But a little bit of a drop here, drop there.

110
00:05:42,320 --> 00:05:44,800
Speaker 1: Maybe he peaks early because of his size, Like that's

111
00:05:44,800 --> 00:05:47,640
Speaker 1: not crazy to think about. It just leaves a lot

112
00:05:47,640 --> 00:05:49,720
Speaker 1: of uncertainty. And he had that you know, that handmate

113
00:05:49,720 --> 00:05:53,760
Speaker 1: bone injury. I still think that, you know, as long

114
00:05:53,760 --> 00:05:56,800
Speaker 1: as he's right physically, I do have a belief. I

115
00:05:56,800 --> 00:05:58,360
Speaker 1: don't know about you. I have a belief that Ossie

116
00:05:58,400 --> 00:06:01,400
Speaker 1: will hit enough. The defense is also controversial.

117
00:06:01,560 --> 00:06:01,919
Speaker 2: I don't know.

118
00:06:01,960 --> 00:06:03,600
Speaker 1: It's such a We don't want to talk about Azzie

119
00:06:03,600 --> 00:06:05,920
Speaker 1: for an hour. We probably could because how many interesting

120
00:06:06,040 --> 00:06:07,320
Speaker 1: aspects there are to his game.

121
00:06:07,760 --> 00:06:09,679
Speaker 2: No, I will say it was really good to see.

122
00:06:09,760 --> 00:06:13,400
Speaker 2: So the home run in the World Baseball Classic, Ozzie

123
00:06:13,440 --> 00:06:15,560
Speaker 2: was facing a right handed pitcher, so he was on

124
00:06:15,600 --> 00:06:18,600
Speaker 2: the left side, which has always been the far inferior side.

125
00:06:18,640 --> 00:06:21,279
Speaker 2: Of his switch hitting ability, and he hit the ball

126
00:06:21,480 --> 00:06:24,839
Speaker 2: three hundred and ninety feet to right center field. So

127
00:06:24,920 --> 00:06:27,320
Speaker 2: if there was any concern about Ozzy in his hand

128
00:06:27,440 --> 00:06:30,320
Speaker 2: being healthy after he broke that hamdmate bone the final

129
00:06:30,360 --> 00:06:33,200
Speaker 2: week of last year, it's a good sign. And Ozzie

130
00:06:33,200 --> 00:06:35,600
Speaker 2: said he's one hundred percent whenever he showed up down

131
00:06:35,640 --> 00:06:39,520
Speaker 2: to training camp. But it is fair to say that

132
00:06:39,560 --> 00:06:43,680
Speaker 2: when you look at Ozzie's profile, especially offensively, everything has

133
00:06:43,720 --> 00:06:46,800
Speaker 2: gone in the wrong direction the last couple of seasons.

134
00:06:47,200 --> 00:06:50,279
Speaker 2: And he was never a batted ball stat cast god,

135
00:06:50,520 --> 00:06:52,919
Speaker 2: which you were talking about, But I mean, if you

136
00:06:53,040 --> 00:06:55,640
Speaker 2: just blindly showed me his savant page and his stat

137
00:06:55,680 --> 00:06:58,120
Speaker 2: cast profile, it was I mean, there was a lot

138
00:06:58,160 --> 00:07:01,040
Speaker 2: of blue on their last season. The only thing that

139
00:07:01,080 --> 00:07:03,440
Speaker 2: Ozzie did really well was he doesn't strike out a lot,

140
00:07:03,480 --> 00:07:06,480
Speaker 2: which is something he's never really done, and he makes

141
00:07:06,600 --> 00:07:09,359
Speaker 2: whenever he does make contact with the ball, he's not

142
00:07:09,600 --> 00:07:11,760
Speaker 2: driving it the way he was earlier in his career,

143
00:07:11,800 --> 00:07:14,680
Speaker 2: when he was hitting twenty five to thirty homers seemingly

144
00:07:14,720 --> 00:07:17,360
Speaker 2: every season when he when he was in his prime.

145
00:07:18,160 --> 00:07:20,000
Speaker 2: It would be interesting to note there are so few

146
00:07:20,120 --> 00:07:23,360
Speaker 2: five foot five, five foot six power hitting second baseman

147
00:07:23,440 --> 00:07:26,600
Speaker 2: to I mean not just second basement five foot six

148
00:07:26,680 --> 00:07:29,160
Speaker 2: power hitters. In the one hundred and fifty year history

149
00:07:29,160 --> 00:07:33,080
Speaker 2: of baseball, very few, very very very few. So I

150
00:07:33,080 --> 00:07:36,560
Speaker 2: would I would lean towards Ozzie being past his prime,

151
00:07:36,640 --> 00:07:39,520
Speaker 2: given just kind of his physical stature and everything. But

152
00:07:39,920 --> 00:07:42,600
Speaker 2: I do think he has shown over the last decade

153
00:07:42,600 --> 00:07:44,960
Speaker 2: that when he is right, he can be a really

154
00:07:45,080 --> 00:07:47,720
Speaker 2: valuable player to this team. And the fact that he

155
00:07:47,880 --> 00:07:50,520
Speaker 2: was more of himself a seven to fifty oh ps

156
00:07:51,080 --> 00:07:53,880
Speaker 2: one eleven WRC plus in the second half of last

157
00:07:53,960 --> 00:07:55,720
Speaker 2: year was definitely encouraging.

158
00:07:56,160 --> 00:07:59,720
Speaker 1: Yeah, I would agree, Even as an Ozzie enthusiast, I

159
00:07:59,720 --> 00:08:03,840
Speaker 1: can't imagine arguing that he's not beyond his prime. This

160
00:08:03,960 --> 00:08:06,160
Speaker 1: is a guy that has had four seasons with twenty

161
00:08:06,200 --> 00:08:07,960
Speaker 1: four homers or more to your point about being a

162
00:08:08,000 --> 00:08:09,880
Speaker 1: second two of them with thirty home runs or more.

163
00:08:10,440 --> 00:08:13,120
Speaker 1: His size, his profile is pretty crazy, but he does

164
00:08:13,200 --> 00:08:15,320
Speaker 1: have to have some power, like that's part of the thing.

165
00:08:15,640 --> 00:08:19,320
Speaker 1: If you're looking for more mild encouragement, he did have some,

166
00:08:20,160 --> 00:08:22,480
Speaker 1: you know, cress in a good way. In walk rate

167
00:08:22,720 --> 00:08:24,480
Speaker 1: last year it was up to like eight percent, which

168
00:08:24,520 --> 00:08:26,680
Speaker 1: is incredible, but For Ozzy, he's always been a very,

169
00:08:26,760 --> 00:08:29,880
Speaker 1: very free swinger. I'll take that. Historck cart Right has

170
00:08:29,920 --> 00:08:33,400
Speaker 1: been low always, So there's some on the margins, like maturity,

171
00:08:33,400 --> 00:08:34,839
Speaker 1: stuff that looks like it's going in maybe in the

172
00:08:34,880 --> 00:08:37,760
Speaker 1: right direction for Ozzie at the plate, play, discipline, et cetera.

173
00:08:37,840 --> 00:08:41,120
Speaker 1: Up you know, zips has him being like a I

174
00:08:41,160 --> 00:08:44,080
Speaker 1: don't know, and like a league average hitter going into

175
00:08:44,080 --> 00:08:46,800
Speaker 1: the season, which again I would probably take, to be

176
00:08:46,840 --> 00:08:49,880
Speaker 1: honest with you, Hopefully, if you're the Braves, you want

177
00:08:49,920 --> 00:08:54,880
Speaker 1: some more upside beyond that. Defensively, Ozzie's always been polarizing.

178
00:08:55,480 --> 00:08:58,120
Speaker 1: He can't throw, if we're being honest, He's got a

179
00:08:58,160 --> 00:09:00,320
Speaker 1: very bad arm. Everyone. That's the one thing everybody agrees

180
00:09:00,400 --> 00:09:02,240
Speaker 1: on is that he has no he's a very bad arm.

181
00:09:02,679 --> 00:09:05,480
Speaker 1: But actually, if you look at some of the more

182
00:09:05,520 --> 00:09:10,560
Speaker 1: advanced metrics, you know you're out above averages, your stat cast, fielding,

183
00:09:10,600 --> 00:09:13,720
Speaker 1: run value metrics. He actually improved last year from the

184
00:09:13,720 --> 00:09:16,600
Speaker 1: previous year. He had really really ugly numbers in twenty

185
00:09:16,600 --> 00:09:19,640
Speaker 1: four and they were better. Now, improving is not mean good.

186
00:09:20,080 --> 00:09:22,480
Speaker 1: He was still below average last season and basically every

187
00:09:22,640 --> 00:09:26,160
Speaker 1: catch all metric. Defensively, I am of the mind, and

188
00:09:26,200 --> 00:09:27,640
Speaker 1: I don't know how you feel. I'm in the vine

189
00:09:27,679 --> 00:09:31,400
Speaker 1: that Ozzie is not a good defender. I also don't

190
00:09:31,440 --> 00:09:35,520
Speaker 1: at sit up at night worrying about Ozzie's defense all

191
00:09:35,559 --> 00:09:37,439
Speaker 1: that much like that. I don't know if I don't

192
00:09:37,440 --> 00:09:38,719
Speaker 1: if that makes sense at all. It's like I think

193
00:09:38,720 --> 00:09:42,040
Speaker 1: he's below average. I also think he's like a total

194
00:09:42,040 --> 00:09:44,199
Speaker 1: hack out. There is gonna get you killed. The arm

195
00:09:44,280 --> 00:09:46,640
Speaker 1: is a mess. But they know that and they play

196
00:09:46,679 --> 00:09:48,800
Speaker 1: him in a way to try to maximize what he

197
00:09:48,840 --> 00:09:51,959
Speaker 1: can do. So I you know, there's always been the

198
00:09:52,000 --> 00:09:54,200
Speaker 1: wars about Ozzie. It's kind of the reverse of Riley.

199
00:09:54,240 --> 00:09:56,920
Speaker 1: There's always been the AUSCIN rally defense discourse. Ozzy's kind

200
00:09:56,920 --> 00:09:58,720
Speaker 1: of a different way. But it's also always happened like

201
00:09:58,720 --> 00:10:00,920
Speaker 1: oh is this guy good or not? No one this

202
00:10:00,840 --> 00:10:03,839
Speaker 1: is good now, But it's like how bad or how

203
00:10:03,840 --> 00:10:06,679
Speaker 1: worried are you? And my wriometer is fairly low. It's

204
00:10:06,679 --> 00:10:08,000
Speaker 1: just that he's gonna be kind of what he is.

205
00:10:08,040 --> 00:10:11,720
Speaker 2: I think, Yeah, I mean without if you didn't tell

206
00:10:11,760 --> 00:10:16,079
Speaker 2: me what his range defensive metrics were, I would have

207
00:10:16,360 --> 00:10:20,240
Speaker 2: said they were better than what those numbers shown, and

208
00:10:20,760 --> 00:10:23,640
Speaker 2: defensive metrics are not gospel. They're not perfect. The people

209
00:10:23,640 --> 00:10:26,040
Speaker 2: behind the defensive metrics would say they are not perfect.

210
00:10:26,080 --> 00:10:28,760
Speaker 2: But I think in terms of his range in the balls,

211
00:10:28,800 --> 00:10:31,120
Speaker 2: I think Ozzie gets to the baseballs that he should

212
00:10:31,160 --> 00:10:33,880
Speaker 2: get to. He's not someone who you watch and every

213
00:10:33,960 --> 00:10:36,000
Speaker 2: night it feels like he's stolen out because of an

214
00:10:36,040 --> 00:10:39,520
Speaker 2: incredible play ranging to his left or right. But the

215
00:10:39,760 --> 00:10:44,880
Speaker 2: arm is so bad. I mean, there was a game,

216
00:10:45,440 --> 00:10:48,400
Speaker 2: a couple of games was two years ago where Ozzie

217
00:10:48,400 --> 00:10:51,080
Speaker 2: missed a couple of games and they brought in just

218
00:10:51,120 --> 00:10:54,000
Speaker 2: some total scrub to play second base. I forget his name.

219
00:10:54,040 --> 00:10:57,360
Speaker 2: He was on the roster for like five minutes. And

220
00:10:57,520 --> 00:11:01,000
Speaker 2: even then, the difference in double play and the arm

221
00:11:01,080 --> 00:11:03,440
Speaker 2: strength of this guy who was dfa like a week

222
00:11:03,520 --> 00:11:07,680
Speaker 2: later was shocking compared to how bad Ozzie's arm was.

223
00:11:08,080 --> 00:11:11,000
Speaker 2: It's just it's not good. You hope that if there's

224
00:11:11,040 --> 00:11:13,080
Speaker 2: a double play that it's hit to Ozzie instead, so

225
00:11:13,160 --> 00:11:14,959
Speaker 2: we can flip it to the shortstop who's gonna have

226
00:11:15,000 --> 00:11:17,120
Speaker 2: a much better arm. But yeah, I mean, the arm

227
00:11:17,120 --> 00:11:19,800
Speaker 2: has been bad. But defensively, I think overall, I don't

228
00:11:20,000 --> 00:11:22,360
Speaker 2: I don't lose sleep at night thinking oh Man second

229
00:11:22,360 --> 00:11:24,760
Speaker 2: base is a total disaster for the Atlanta Braves.

230
00:11:25,480 --> 00:11:28,360
Speaker 1: It's funny because in a different era, and to be clear,

231
00:11:28,400 --> 00:11:30,880
Speaker 1: we're not in this era, but Ozzie has always been

232
00:11:31,040 --> 00:11:35,040
Speaker 1: an absolutely elite fielding percentage guy. Like if you if

233
00:11:35,040 --> 00:11:36,760
Speaker 1: you were to go back twenty years when they didn't

234
00:11:36,760 --> 00:11:39,520
Speaker 1: have MAT's metrics and looked at like only errors, Ozzie

235
00:11:39,480 --> 00:11:41,520
Speaker 1: would actually groan out really well. Last year he led

236
00:11:41,720 --> 00:11:44,000
Speaker 1: the National League at second base in field a percentage.

237
00:11:44,360 --> 00:11:47,400
Speaker 1: He has make mistakes, Yeah, he's just not He can't.

238
00:11:47,679 --> 00:11:49,800
Speaker 1: He can't do spectacular things. And the arm I just

239
00:11:49,880 --> 00:11:53,520
Speaker 1: checked that. It's it's second percentile on stock cast, which

240
00:11:53,679 --> 00:11:56,120
Speaker 1: tracks if you ever watch him from baseball. At this point,

241
00:11:56,760 --> 00:11:59,040
Speaker 1: gone are the days ten years ago when him talking

242
00:11:59,080 --> 00:12:00,160
Speaker 1: about him play shorts up.

243
00:12:01,000 --> 00:12:04,040
Speaker 2: Yeah it was uh yeah. And when you were trying

244
00:12:04,040 --> 00:12:06,199
Speaker 2: to trade Ozzie, which is a list.

245
00:12:08,520 --> 00:12:11,800
Speaker 1: Shots are at cole But uh yes, I'll own it.

246
00:12:12,040 --> 00:12:14,679
Speaker 1: I did say. I did say long ago, even though

247
00:12:14,679 --> 00:12:17,240
Speaker 1: I love Ozzie, that if you were going to pla

248
00:12:17,280 --> 00:12:18,840
Speaker 1: him a shortstop, you probably could have got a lot

249
00:12:18,840 --> 00:12:20,560
Speaker 1: for him a trade. And I was wrong about that.

250
00:12:20,600 --> 00:12:22,360
Speaker 1: He ended up being like a really awesome second basement.

251
00:12:22,440 --> 00:12:25,719
Speaker 2: But there you go. Owning it ten years later is

252
00:12:25,800 --> 00:12:28,440
Speaker 2: what we do on this podcast, a podcast of honor

253
00:12:28,720 --> 00:12:32,200
Speaker 2: and integrity. Only here I will say one last note

254
00:12:32,200 --> 00:12:35,960
Speaker 2: on Ozzie's offense. We have known for years this guy

255
00:12:36,160 --> 00:12:39,760
Speaker 2: just kills left handed pitching. Yep. And for the first

256
00:12:39,800 --> 00:12:42,720
Speaker 2: time ever last season he was not good against lefties

257
00:12:42,760 --> 00:12:45,840
Speaker 2: at all. It was almost bizarre, like Twilight Zone type

258
00:12:45,840 --> 00:12:48,559
Speaker 2: of stuff. I don't know if Ozzie's ever going to

259
00:12:48,600 --> 00:12:51,040
Speaker 2: be a great hitter against right handed pitching, because over

260
00:12:51,080 --> 00:12:53,480
Speaker 2: his entire career he's almost been like sub average in

261
00:12:53,520 --> 00:12:56,480
Speaker 2: that regard. But against lefties, I think if you're telling

262
00:12:56,480 --> 00:12:59,040
Speaker 2: me that Ozzie's going to give you average production against

263
00:12:59,080 --> 00:13:01,760
Speaker 2: righty's and then just get back to mashing lefties, he's

264
00:13:01,800 --> 00:13:03,840
Speaker 2: going to be totally fine on offense.

265
00:13:05,120 --> 00:13:06,840
Speaker 1: Yeah, and we could move off from Ozzie. I do

266
00:13:06,880 --> 00:13:09,520
Speaker 1: want to ask you this kind of hypothetical. You know,

267
00:13:09,640 --> 00:13:12,360
Speaker 1: Zips has him projected as like a essentially a two

268
00:13:12,400 --> 00:13:15,720
Speaker 1: win player, which is like a fourteen to fifteen million

269
00:13:15,760 --> 00:13:18,160
Speaker 1: dollar a year player. He's making half of that, So

270
00:13:18,280 --> 00:13:20,520
Speaker 1: by the just the raw calculation, you would say, yeah,

271
00:13:20,640 --> 00:13:22,840
Speaker 1: you'd love to have that how would you feel if

272
00:13:22,840 --> 00:13:24,400
Speaker 1: he just did that, Like if Ozzie was like a

273
00:13:24,400 --> 00:13:26,679
Speaker 1: one point eight Fangrafts war, so a little bit better

274
00:13:26,720 --> 00:13:28,960
Speaker 1: than last year, but not what he used to be,

275
00:13:29,720 --> 00:13:31,840
Speaker 1: would you kind of shrug and say, Okay, that's fine.

276
00:13:31,880 --> 00:13:33,360
Speaker 1: Like what would your reaction be if you just kind

277
00:13:33,360 --> 00:13:34,760
Speaker 1: of met his projections?

278
00:13:35,040 --> 00:13:38,040
Speaker 2: Yes, I would take it. If it's the end of

279
00:13:38,040 --> 00:13:40,679
Speaker 2: September and you're saying that Ozzie was, you know, had

280
00:13:40,679 --> 00:13:43,560
Speaker 2: one hundred WRC plus and was a two war player

281
00:13:43,600 --> 00:13:46,320
Speaker 2: and the defense continue to not grade out very well,

282
00:13:46,400 --> 00:13:49,000
Speaker 2: I won I would believe you in two I would.

283
00:13:49,040 --> 00:13:52,040
Speaker 2: I would probably take it. Yeah, I'm kind of with

284
00:13:52,120 --> 00:13:53,720
Speaker 2: you on that, I think so.

285
00:13:55,000 --> 00:13:59,000
Speaker 1: Yeah, in the end, Ozzie is pretty good at baseball,

286
00:13:59,160 --> 00:14:01,880
Speaker 1: still not eleit like he used to be. Maybe he'll

287
00:14:01,880 --> 00:14:03,840
Speaker 1: be a lead that'd be awesome if he was. Maybe

288
00:14:03,960 --> 00:14:06,000
Speaker 1: this this home run in the WBC will spring board

289
00:14:06,040 --> 00:14:08,520
Speaker 1: Ozzie it to something great and we'll leave it there

290
00:14:08,520 --> 00:14:12,560
Speaker 1: for now. But interesting player and certainly could be an

291
00:14:12,600 --> 00:14:15,079
Speaker 1: indicator of his future in Atlanta. I mean, there's a

292
00:14:15,160 --> 00:14:17,040
Speaker 1: chance if he has another bad season that they have

293
00:14:17,080 --> 00:14:20,200
Speaker 1: to move on, either via declining the option or trading him.

294
00:14:20,240 --> 00:14:22,760
Speaker 1: Or all that stuff so big Year, But we've always

295
00:14:22,760 --> 00:14:25,080
Speaker 1: liked Ozzy and he's a fun player that literally everyone

296
00:14:25,120 --> 00:14:27,480
Speaker 1: loves around the around the club, of which matters too,

297
00:14:27,560 --> 00:14:31,160
Speaker 1: Like it's a vibes thing. Even him and Runnie play against.

298
00:14:31,160 --> 00:14:32,960
Speaker 1: I guess you show the recently in the WBC. It's

299
00:14:33,320 --> 00:14:34,040
Speaker 1: it's a lot of fun.

300
00:14:34,080 --> 00:14:37,440
Speaker 2: So yeah, I mean grade a human being. Like there

301
00:14:37,480 --> 00:14:39,920
Speaker 2: was a story about I think an elementary school wrote

302
00:14:40,000 --> 00:14:42,600
Speaker 2: him about a fish tank in their classroom and he

303
00:14:42,800 --> 00:14:45,160
Speaker 2: showed up and I think might have even bought fish

304
00:14:45,240 --> 00:14:46,840
Speaker 2: for the fish tank and bought a bunch of things

305
00:14:46,840 --> 00:14:49,800
Speaker 2: for the kids, Like there is no doubt eighty grade

306
00:14:49,880 --> 00:14:52,120
Speaker 2: human being. Ozzie Alby's all of.

307
00:14:52,120 --> 00:14:55,080
Speaker 1: Our WBC coverage on this podcast Watch my Friends at

308
00:14:55,120 --> 00:14:57,960
Speaker 1: Fox one, which is live now, stream all your Fox

309
00:14:58,000 --> 00:15:00,880
Speaker 1: favorites together in one place, all of WBC over the

310
00:15:00,880 --> 00:15:03,120
Speaker 1: next couple of weeks, and after that the best place

311
00:15:03,200 --> 00:15:06,840
Speaker 1: to find MLB action all season long. We just mentioned this,

312
00:15:06,960 --> 00:15:09,360
Speaker 1: but Ozzie had maybe the coolest moment, or was one

313
00:15:09,360 --> 00:15:11,440
Speaker 1: of the coolest moments OFWB so far, with that walk

314
00:15:11,480 --> 00:15:13,840
Speaker 1: off home run. If you are a fan of the

315
00:15:13,920 --> 00:15:16,400
Speaker 1: USA team, which I know, I know, I'm writing for

316
00:15:16,440 --> 00:15:19,280
Speaker 1: the US. It's just what it is. They are mashing

317
00:15:19,680 --> 00:15:21,880
Speaker 1: thus far. Recorded a Saday night, they're two to zero

318
00:15:22,160 --> 00:15:25,400
Speaker 1: with a massive run differential, and nothing has threatened. I

319
00:15:25,440 --> 00:15:27,600
Speaker 1: don't know if you saw this yet. Over the weekend, Scott,

320
00:15:27,760 --> 00:15:29,960
Speaker 1: there was a game in which Julio t Ron faced

321
00:15:30,000 --> 00:15:33,520
Speaker 1: Michael Soroka in a pitching matchup a WBC and old

322
00:15:33,520 --> 00:15:35,920
Speaker 1: school Braves fans really enjoying that, really enjoying.

323
00:15:36,040 --> 00:15:39,240
Speaker 2: Man. Yeah, the WBC is so much fun. I mean,

324
00:15:39,280 --> 00:15:42,080
Speaker 2: it's just a great event and there's so much emotion

325
00:15:42,400 --> 00:15:46,760
Speaker 2: and passion. I forget which team, maybe Taiwan was. The

326
00:15:46,800 --> 00:15:49,920
Speaker 2: players were in tiers on the field because they staved

327
00:15:49,960 --> 00:15:52,840
Speaker 2: off elimination and came back to win. I mean again,

328
00:15:52,960 --> 00:15:55,200
Speaker 2: grown men crying on the field because they were so

329
00:15:55,320 --> 00:15:57,880
Speaker 2: happy and relieved that they were advancing. I mean, that's

330
00:15:57,880 --> 00:15:59,520
Speaker 2: how much it means to some of these players.

331
00:16:00,240 --> 00:16:03,200
Speaker 1: Yeah, my personal favorite moment so far with WBC, beyond Ozzy,

332
00:16:03,280 --> 00:16:06,920
Speaker 1: which was fun, the Junior Camonero home run trot was

333
00:16:07,000 --> 00:16:08,960
Speaker 1: one for the absolute ages. If you haven't seen this,

334
00:16:09,040 --> 00:16:11,280
Speaker 1: go find it. I think he might have taken like

335
00:16:11,280 --> 00:16:13,880
Speaker 1: a full minute to round the bases. There were there

336
00:16:13,920 --> 00:16:16,440
Speaker 1: was choreograph like touchdown celebrations. At the end of it,

337
00:16:16,480 --> 00:16:19,960
Speaker 1: there were dances. Old school fans would not have enjoyed it,

338
00:16:19,960 --> 00:16:22,960
Speaker 1: but I loved it. I absolutely loved it. It was

339
00:16:23,640 --> 00:16:25,600
Speaker 1: it was peak. So if you want to look ahead

340
00:16:25,680 --> 00:16:28,280
Speaker 1: number one, check it out the entire way on Fox one.

341
00:16:28,680 --> 00:16:32,320
Speaker 1: Scheduling wise, the US plays on Monday at eight o'clock

342
00:16:32,520 --> 00:16:36,680
Speaker 1: against Mexico on Tuesday at nine o'clock. I guess Italy.

343
00:16:37,000 --> 00:16:41,600
Speaker 1: In the meantime, the Braves contributions are mostly focused on

344
00:16:42,320 --> 00:16:44,920
Speaker 1: Group D, which is Venezuela and Another Ones. Of course,

345
00:16:45,000 --> 00:16:47,400
Speaker 1: Ronnie is playing for Venezuela. Another Ones took a hit

346
00:16:47,440 --> 00:16:49,480
Speaker 1: with the absence of Profar, but they still have some

347
00:16:49,920 --> 00:16:54,320
Speaker 1: Braves investments, including Ozzy of course, and keep an eye

348
00:16:54,360 --> 00:16:56,320
Speaker 1: on also once this all the pool play is still

349
00:16:56,360 --> 00:16:59,120
Speaker 1: going through Wednesday. Watch all that at Fox one, and

350
00:16:59,160 --> 00:17:03,000
Speaker 1: then the big really happens after that. Quarterfinals on Friday

351
00:17:03,200 --> 00:17:06,359
Speaker 1: and on Saturday, Semifinals on Sunday and Monday fifteenth to sixteenth,

352
00:17:06,480 --> 00:17:08,720
Speaker 1: and then the final after that. So I don't know

353
00:17:08,720 --> 00:17:11,280
Speaker 1: about you, Scott, I'll be watching throughout. I'm really really

354
00:17:11,359 --> 00:17:15,480
Speaker 1: enjoying the WBC. It's a nice anecdotes, antidotes. Antidotes is

355
00:17:15,480 --> 00:17:19,600
Speaker 1: the one I'm looking for to some nameless, faceless sprint

356
00:17:19,600 --> 00:17:22,080
Speaker 1: training baseball. It's the exact opposite of that. Like it's

357
00:17:22,160 --> 00:17:23,960
Speaker 1: just vibes are off the charts.

358
00:17:24,600 --> 00:17:27,200
Speaker 2: Yeah, it's great. And the way they've set up the

359
00:17:27,800 --> 00:17:31,600
Speaker 2: bracket in the WBC, we're gonna get some really good

360
00:17:31,680 --> 00:17:35,119
Speaker 2: baseball teams squaring off this week, the best of the best.

361
00:17:35,200 --> 00:17:38,000
Speaker 2: And again, so much energy, so much passion. Some of

362
00:17:38,040 --> 00:17:41,480
Speaker 2: the crowds, like down in Miami have been electric for this.

363
00:17:41,840 --> 00:17:44,159
Speaker 2: It's just so much fun to watch. And hopefully the

364
00:17:44,240 --> 00:17:46,440
Speaker 2: US team keeps winning. And hey, I mean if it

365
00:17:46,480 --> 00:17:49,600
Speaker 2: wants to be like US Venezuela and the championship or

366
00:17:49,600 --> 00:17:51,359
Speaker 2: in the semi finals, I mean, that would be a

367
00:17:51,520 --> 00:17:52,160
Speaker 2: ton of fun.

368
00:17:52,480 --> 00:17:54,560
Speaker 1: Yeah I would. I'd like to watch Roncounya face the

369
00:17:54,640 --> 00:17:55,600
Speaker 1: US and the WBC.

370
00:17:55,720 --> 00:17:56,200
Speaker 2: That would be.

371
00:17:56,520 --> 00:17:58,280
Speaker 1: Certainly a lot of fun. Keep it luck with Fox

372
00:17:58,320 --> 00:18:01,359
Speaker 1: One the entire way through and from the WBC for

373
00:18:01,440 --> 00:18:04,320
Speaker 1: the World Series, to the World Cup, to NASCAR, IndyCar,

374
00:18:04,520 --> 00:18:06,960
Speaker 1: college basketball, et cetera. With Fox One, you get it

375
00:18:07,000 --> 00:18:10,000
Speaker 1: all live. Start your seven A free trial today offers

376
00:18:10,040 --> 00:18:11,879
Speaker 1: a subject to change down well with Fox one today

377
00:18:11,880 --> 00:18:15,359
Speaker 1: and stream the WBC live through March seventeenth. Go to

378
00:18:15,400 --> 00:18:19,760
Speaker 1: foxone dot com for complete terms and conditions Fox won streaming.

379
00:18:20,000 --> 00:18:23,840
Speaker 1: Now all right, Scott, we talked about Ozzie, Let's go

380
00:18:23,880 --> 00:18:27,720
Speaker 1: to the other side of the second base bag and

381
00:18:27,840 --> 00:18:31,080
Speaker 1: the shortstop spot. We spent a lot of time this winter.

382
00:18:31,200 --> 00:18:33,000
Speaker 1: If people are just joining us for the first time

383
00:18:33,160 --> 00:18:36,120
Speaker 1: or ramping up in the spring, first of all, welcome back.

384
00:18:36,600 --> 00:18:38,919
Speaker 1: Second of all, we talked about Hassan Kim a lot,

385
00:18:38,960 --> 00:18:43,119
Speaker 1: both before he signed, after he signed, after he suffered

386
00:18:43,119 --> 00:18:46,680
Speaker 1: an injury that was ill timed for everyone involved. All

387
00:18:46,760 --> 00:18:48,640
Speaker 1: that so we won't do the whole thing again because

388
00:18:48,640 --> 00:18:51,560
Speaker 1: that would be a three hour podcast. But as of now,

389
00:18:51,640 --> 00:18:53,440
Speaker 1: Hassan Kim is of course on a one year deal

390
00:18:53,560 --> 00:18:56,040
Speaker 1: with the Braves. There was excited about that for good reason.

391
00:18:56,480 --> 00:18:59,280
Speaker 1: He is injured right now. No update recently on him

392
00:18:59,280 --> 00:19:01,080
Speaker 1: at the Brave set of few weeks ago. Now they

393
00:19:01,080 --> 00:19:04,040
Speaker 1: are hoping to have him back, you know, roughly early

394
00:19:04,119 --> 00:19:06,960
Speaker 1: May or so. I don't know if no news is

395
00:19:07,000 --> 00:19:09,320
Speaker 1: good news on that or not. We'll find the helps.

396
00:19:09,520 --> 00:19:11,280
Speaker 1: Nothing's been good news so far for the Braves. That's

397
00:19:11,280 --> 00:19:14,240
Speaker 1: bring training, so only God knows. I haven't even had

398
00:19:14,280 --> 00:19:16,159
Speaker 1: a chance to wait on Profarliot on the podcast. You

399
00:19:16,640 --> 00:19:19,200
Speaker 1: guys did it for me in good fashion. But I

400
00:19:19,280 --> 00:19:20,560
Speaker 1: also Kim still hurt, still hurt.

401
00:19:21,000 --> 00:19:24,119
Speaker 2: Yeah, Yeah, we'll cross our fingers. It seemed like, at

402
00:19:24,200 --> 00:19:26,240
Speaker 2: least a couple of weeks ago, the Braves felt like

403
00:19:26,320 --> 00:19:29,680
Speaker 2: his timeline to return was on the earlier side, which

404
00:19:29,720 --> 00:19:32,480
Speaker 2: would be very welcomed. As we're going to talk about tonight,

405
00:19:32,520 --> 00:19:35,520
Speaker 2: the Braves are in decent shape at shortstop without Kim

406
00:19:36,040 --> 00:19:38,680
Speaker 2: by way of Mauricio Dubon. But I think we all

407
00:19:38,720 --> 00:19:41,160
Speaker 2: know that whenever you get Kim back to play shortstop

408
00:19:41,240 --> 00:19:43,960
Speaker 2: for you just about every day, that freeze up Dubon

409
00:19:44,080 --> 00:19:46,280
Speaker 2: to be your super utility man. I think it's just

410
00:19:46,280 --> 00:19:48,840
Speaker 2: going to help everybody out a little bit more, especially

411
00:19:48,840 --> 00:19:50,960
Speaker 2: knowing that you're not going to have jerks in Profar.

412
00:19:51,960 --> 00:19:54,800
Speaker 1: Yeah, and you know, Kim is not a superstar. He's not.

413
00:19:54,880 --> 00:19:57,080
Speaker 1: He's not a masher either at the plate. I'm just

414
00:19:57,080 --> 00:19:59,240
Speaker 1: gonna say that out loud. He'll be thirty this season

415
00:20:00,520 --> 00:20:02,960
Speaker 1: last four years, just like a league average hitter, one

416
00:20:02,960 --> 00:20:05,280
Speaker 1: of three worc plus last year.

417
00:20:05,480 --> 00:20:06,080
Speaker 2: Of course, the.

418
00:20:06,440 --> 00:20:10,080
Speaker 1: Kind of strange, surprising arrival in Atlanta when he was stealth,

419
00:20:10,560 --> 00:20:12,400
Speaker 1: tried to pass through waivers and the brains just claim

420
00:20:12,480 --> 00:20:13,800
Speaker 1: him in the middle of the night. I was like, oh, hey,

421
00:20:13,880 --> 00:20:14,840
Speaker 1: haws On Kim's on this team.

422
00:20:14,880 --> 00:20:17,359
Speaker 2: Now that was fun. I gotta say, man. I was

423
00:20:17,400 --> 00:20:21,399
Speaker 2: in Europe, I remember, I remember, and I got a

424
00:20:21,440 --> 00:20:24,639
Speaker 2: text I think from you and just like Braves, claimed

425
00:20:24,640 --> 00:20:27,439
Speaker 2: Hassan Kim. And it was eight o'clock or so. We

426
00:20:27,440 --> 00:20:29,280
Speaker 2: were heading to dinner and I was like, what the hell,

427
00:20:30,920 --> 00:20:31,240
Speaker 2: how was it?

428
00:20:31,320 --> 00:20:33,480
Speaker 1: How was the How's he available? Like what was going

429
00:20:33,520 --> 00:20:35,600
Speaker 1: on here? Because you know, the previous winner we talked

430
00:20:35,600 --> 00:20:37,680
Speaker 1: about Hassan Kim is a potential guy that could sign,

431
00:20:37,760 --> 00:20:39,919
Speaker 1: and it was it's this whole year long saga of

432
00:20:39,960 --> 00:20:41,879
Speaker 1: Hassan Kim. And he arrived. It was fine, and he

433
00:20:41,920 --> 00:20:44,720
Speaker 1: wasn't great, but he was fine. He showed enough to

434
00:20:44,760 --> 00:20:47,200
Speaker 1: get a one year deal worth twenty million dollars and yeah,

435
00:20:47,520 --> 00:20:49,679
Speaker 1: and when you're one year investment is also part of

436
00:20:49,720 --> 00:20:52,560
Speaker 1: Alex's general strategy of like not committing long term.

437
00:20:52,640 --> 00:20:55,280
Speaker 2: So there you go. You know, the bar was so

438
00:20:55,560 --> 00:20:59,320
Speaker 2: low at Shortstop when Kim came in and this guy

439
00:20:59,359 --> 00:21:02,359
Speaker 2: looked like Barry Bonds in his prime compared to what

440
00:21:02,400 --> 00:21:05,000
Speaker 2: they were getting out of Nick Allen as shortstop, I

441
00:21:05,000 --> 00:21:07,919
Speaker 2: mean he was very average. Kim was very average with

442
00:21:07,960 --> 00:21:10,199
Speaker 2: the Braves. He had some really good moments and then

443
00:21:10,240 --> 00:21:12,920
Speaker 2: some bad slumps as well, but compared to Nick Allen,

444
00:21:12,960 --> 00:21:15,879
Speaker 2: it was night and day difference. And hopefully, even though

445
00:21:15,960 --> 00:21:18,320
Speaker 2: Kim is going to be we'll call it six weeks

446
00:21:18,359 --> 00:21:21,800
Speaker 2: behind his peers, hopefully there's not too much of an

447
00:21:21,840 --> 00:21:24,159
Speaker 2: adjustment period and he's able to hit the ground running.

448
00:21:25,240 --> 00:21:28,920
Speaker 1: Yeah, and I would imagine the Braves will be cautious

449
00:21:28,920 --> 00:21:30,840
Speaker 1: with him. Part of why they're able to do that

450
00:21:30,960 --> 00:21:33,720
Speaker 1: even easier is that they have Maricia o'ban we'll talk

451
00:21:33,720 --> 00:21:36,159
Speaker 1: about the second who is a huge upgrade in the

452
00:21:36,240 --> 00:21:39,560
Speaker 1: utility spot, like a guy who can like plausibly play

453
00:21:39,600 --> 00:21:43,520
Speaker 1: every day shortstop like Mariss dban is just better version

454
00:21:43,520 --> 00:21:46,320
Speaker 1: of Nick Allen, which isn't great, but and they didn't

455
00:21:46,320 --> 00:21:47,680
Speaker 1: hope they were hoping not to have him play shorts

456
00:21:47,760 --> 00:21:49,480
Speaker 1: up all the time, but he can't do it, which

457
00:21:49,520 --> 00:21:53,720
Speaker 1: is very helpful on Kim just as a refresher. He's,

458
00:21:53,880 --> 00:21:55,800
Speaker 1: you know, he's got a little bit of foot speed,

459
00:21:56,000 --> 00:21:58,200
Speaker 1: not a great you know, like he's protected to still

460
00:21:58,200 --> 00:22:01,320
Speaker 1: seventeen bases by zips. For example, he'll take a walk

461
00:22:01,680 --> 00:22:04,560
Speaker 1: eleven percent walk right. The last four years very solid

462
00:22:04,880 --> 00:22:10,080
Speaker 1: strikeouts are relatively modest. Defensively, he used to be awesome.

463
00:22:11,280 --> 00:22:13,359
Speaker 1: The jury is out on what he actually is now.

464
00:22:13,520 --> 00:22:16,840
Speaker 1: He had a shoulder injury that was a big talk

465
00:22:17,160 --> 00:22:20,320
Speaker 1: two winters ago when the Braves might have considered signing him.

466
00:22:20,520 --> 00:22:22,280
Speaker 1: He was coming off shoulder surgery, missed a lot of

467
00:22:22,320 --> 00:22:24,560
Speaker 1: last season because of that, and the numbers were not

468
00:22:24,600 --> 00:22:27,240
Speaker 1: as good last year. Will he bounce back with a

469
00:22:27,440 --> 00:22:31,359
Speaker 1: full off season of shoulder ramp up. One would hope

470
00:22:31,560 --> 00:22:34,320
Speaker 1: the Braves did have access to him medically in a

471
00:22:34,359 --> 00:22:36,760
Speaker 1: way that other teams maybe wouldn't have, and they still

472
00:22:36,760 --> 00:22:39,239
Speaker 1: felt good enough to give him a deal, which to

473
00:22:39,280 --> 00:22:43,000
Speaker 1: me is a small positive indicator. But that there is

474
00:22:43,000 --> 00:22:44,960
Speaker 1: some uncertain about a defense. I mean it's not like

475
00:22:45,119 --> 00:22:47,840
Speaker 1: it's not gonna be terrible, but like his range from

476
00:22:47,880 --> 00:22:49,639
Speaker 1: where he was, you know, three years ago, as like

477
00:22:49,680 --> 00:22:51,440
Speaker 1: a gold glove guy to what he was last year

478
00:22:51,520 --> 00:22:52,840
Speaker 1: was fairly big.

479
00:22:53,920 --> 00:22:57,920
Speaker 2: I think you can probably hope or expect good defense

480
00:22:57,960 --> 00:23:00,440
Speaker 2: at shortstop. Yeah, I don't know of how Song Kim

481
00:23:00,520 --> 00:23:02,080
Speaker 2: is gonna go out there and win a gold glove,

482
00:23:02,280 --> 00:23:04,439
Speaker 2: like a legitimate gold glove, like he did with the

483
00:23:04,440 --> 00:23:05,560
Speaker 2: Padres a few years ago.

484
00:23:05,720 --> 00:23:08,919
Speaker 1: Well, you mentioned Nick Allen. Nick Allen was so awesome

485
00:23:09,000 --> 00:23:11,600
Speaker 1: last year that like he's not gonna be Nick Allen defensively,

486
00:23:11,760 --> 00:23:13,679
Speaker 1: Like Nick Allen can't hit at all, which we've already

487
00:23:13,680 --> 00:23:15,520
Speaker 1: said on this podcast. But it's the opposet of what

488
00:23:15,560 --> 00:23:18,119
Speaker 1: you said earlier. But you know, Ozzie versus random backup

489
00:23:18,160 --> 00:23:21,480
Speaker 1: second baseman. Nick Allen is like a truly elite defender

490
00:23:21,800 --> 00:23:24,600
Speaker 1: and Huston Kim probably isn't. So just keep that in

491
00:23:24,640 --> 00:23:26,160
Speaker 1: mind when you're trying to value it him, Like Nick

492
00:23:26,160 --> 00:23:28,920
Speaker 1: Allen shouldn't be the baseline. Nick Allen is awesome. Oh

493
00:23:29,000 --> 00:23:31,240
Speaker 1: so you could be good and not be Nick Allen.

494
00:23:31,280 --> 00:23:32,200
Speaker 1: It's kind of my point there.

495
00:23:32,400 --> 00:23:34,600
Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean Nick Allen was as good defensively as

496
00:23:34,600 --> 00:23:37,520
Speaker 2: a shortstop. I mean Dan's Bey was really good, but honestly,

497
00:23:37,680 --> 00:23:41,000
Speaker 2: Andrelton Simmons cams to mind for just how Nick Allen

498
00:23:41,040 --> 00:23:44,360
Speaker 2: wasn't quite Simmons good, but man, Nick guy could, I mean,

499
00:23:44,520 --> 00:23:47,480
Speaker 2: everything hit the shortstop found its way into Nick Allen's glove.

500
00:23:47,880 --> 00:23:50,520
Speaker 1: He was the more boring version of Andrelton, Andrelton would

501
00:23:50,520 --> 00:23:52,960
Speaker 1: make plays that would make your jaw drop. Nick Allen

502
00:23:53,040 --> 00:23:56,760
Speaker 1: just made every play like an impressive fashion too, but

503
00:23:56,960 --> 00:24:00,840
Speaker 1: not quite the highlights of Andrewson. But anyway, saying there

504
00:24:00,880 --> 00:24:04,840
Speaker 1: was a spoiler, spoil spoilage, potentially for Brace fans, Kim

505
00:24:04,880 --> 00:24:06,600
Speaker 1: could be good and not be Nick Allen, and I

506
00:24:06,600 --> 00:24:08,199
Speaker 1: think that's kind of where I project him to be.

507
00:24:08,240 --> 00:24:10,040
Speaker 1: I don't know about you. I feel fine about it.

508
00:24:10,119 --> 00:24:14,160
Speaker 1: Pretty good defensively is all I need from Hassan Kim.

509
00:24:14,240 --> 00:24:17,159
Speaker 1: But the shoulder is a legitimate point of when he

510
00:24:17,200 --> 00:24:19,439
Speaker 1: comes back, I'll be intrigued to see how he's grading

511
00:24:19,440 --> 00:24:21,639
Speaker 1: out with the arm, what it looks like on tape,

512
00:24:21,840 --> 00:24:22,479
Speaker 1: all that stuff.

513
00:24:22,840 --> 00:24:25,560
Speaker 2: Yeah, the pathway for the Braves to be good this

514
00:24:25,600 --> 00:24:30,359
Speaker 2: season is I think getting average, maybe slightly above average

515
00:24:30,400 --> 00:24:34,119
Speaker 2: production from their second basement and their shortstop. And if

516
00:24:34,160 --> 00:24:37,040
Speaker 2: they get that, as long as their stars play leg

517
00:24:37,160 --> 00:24:40,440
Speaker 2: stars are awfully close to it. I'm talking to Kunya Olsen,

518
00:24:40,880 --> 00:24:43,840
Speaker 2: Riley Baldwin. You have a couple of wild cards in

519
00:24:43,880 --> 00:24:47,080
Speaker 2: there with Michael Harris, you have a couple of injuries

520
00:24:47,119 --> 00:24:49,760
Speaker 2: coming back with Sean Murphy, for example. But to me,

521
00:24:49,840 --> 00:24:51,879
Speaker 2: if you're telling me the middle of the infield just

522
00:24:52,040 --> 00:24:55,960
Speaker 2: average production. You're not gonna get MVP votes for Ozzie

523
00:24:56,000 --> 00:24:58,720
Speaker 2: Alby's or Hassan Kim in the year twenty twenty six.

524
00:24:59,000 --> 00:25:01,360
Speaker 2: But if they're just if they their jobs, I think

525
00:25:01,400 --> 00:25:03,000
Speaker 2: the Braves are going to be in pretty good shape.

526
00:25:03,840 --> 00:25:06,120
Speaker 1: Yeah. And you know, not to double down to it's

527
00:25:06,160 --> 00:25:08,159
Speaker 1: on this We are talk on Nick Allen individually, but

528
00:25:09,359 --> 00:25:13,359
Speaker 1: as a team last year at shortstop, the Braves were

529
00:25:13,800 --> 00:25:17,720
Speaker 1: dead last in all of baseball in WRC plus at

530
00:25:17,760 --> 00:25:21,480
Speaker 1: the position, at a fifty six WRC plus at shortstop

531
00:25:21,520 --> 00:25:24,280
Speaker 1: last year. That is impossible for a team that is trying,

532
00:25:24,680 --> 00:25:26,680
Speaker 1: and the Rays were trying. That is they all hitch

533
00:25:26,720 --> 00:25:29,600
Speaker 1: your that's a pitcher. I mean literally, that's a pitcher hitting.

534
00:25:29,640 --> 00:25:32,720
Speaker 1: Is your shortstop a good hitting pitcher? Yeah? And you

535
00:25:32,760 --> 00:25:34,840
Speaker 1: know the next best next worst team, I should say,

536
00:25:34,920 --> 00:25:38,040
Speaker 1: was the Rockies, who were terrible. Like good teams, you

537
00:25:38,040 --> 00:25:41,920
Speaker 1: can't have that. Also, even with Nick Allen's superlative defense

538
00:25:42,880 --> 00:25:46,160
Speaker 1: included here, the Braves were still the third worst team

539
00:25:46,200 --> 00:25:50,200
Speaker 1: in baseball at Fangrafts war at shortstop last season. There

540
00:25:50,240 --> 00:25:52,720
Speaker 1: is a lot of room for improvement. I wouldn't project

541
00:25:52,760 --> 00:25:54,080
Speaker 1: them to be in the top ten. I know they're

542
00:25:54,080 --> 00:25:56,199
Speaker 1: not projected to be in the top ten when you

543
00:25:56,240 --> 00:25:58,840
Speaker 1: factor in Kim's absence. And that said, I just says

544
00:25:58,880 --> 00:26:01,280
Speaker 1: about Azzie earlier as well. You know, the Braves are

545
00:26:01,280 --> 00:26:05,359
Speaker 1: projected to be still like a bottom five to bottom

546
00:26:05,400 --> 00:26:10,080
Speaker 1: eight team at shortstop post Kim injury. Because of Kim's absence,

547
00:26:10,720 --> 00:26:15,360
Speaker 1: some projection uncertainty. Dubon's just a guy. I feel okay, though,

548
00:26:15,440 --> 00:26:17,520
Speaker 1: Like I think I'm higher than that. I don't think

549
00:26:17,520 --> 00:26:19,639
Speaker 1: there's gonna be awesome shortstop, but if you said that

550
00:26:19,720 --> 00:26:23,720
Speaker 1: they were Lee gaverage, I would be excited about that.

551
00:26:23,720 --> 00:26:25,640
Speaker 1: That's way better than they were last year, and there's

552
00:26:25,640 --> 00:26:27,400
Speaker 1: probably some upside beyond that if Kim has a good year.

553
00:26:28,000 --> 00:26:31,040
Speaker 2: Yeah, and I think too. While you have Mauricio Dubon

554
00:26:31,320 --> 00:26:35,000
Speaker 2: as you're starting shortstop for probably all of April to

555
00:26:35,040 --> 00:26:37,480
Speaker 2: be sure, and hopefully it's not too deep into May

556
00:26:37,880 --> 00:26:40,120
Speaker 2: when Kim comes back. But you know what, if you're

557
00:26:40,160 --> 00:26:45,000
Speaker 2: Mauricio Dubon, who is a fantastic defender, a true super

558
00:26:45,119 --> 00:26:48,919
Speaker 2: utility Gold Glove level player, you just want Dubon to

559
00:26:49,040 --> 00:26:51,879
Speaker 2: keep his head above water when he's hitting and just

560
00:26:51,880 --> 00:26:54,760
Speaker 2: play really good, steady defense at shortstop. I think that's

561
00:26:54,800 --> 00:26:57,080
Speaker 2: all you can ask for at that point. And again

562
00:26:57,400 --> 00:26:59,000
Speaker 2: what I said a minute ago, I think you're just

563
00:26:59,040 --> 00:27:02,760
Speaker 2: looking for average production up the middle. If you can

564
00:27:02,800 --> 00:27:04,720
Speaker 2: get that, I think the Braves are going to be

565
00:27:04,720 --> 00:27:06,320
Speaker 2: in pretty good shape. And that, of course, is going

566
00:27:06,400 --> 00:27:08,120
Speaker 2: to be a I mean that's easier said than done

567
00:27:08,160 --> 00:27:11,000
Speaker 2: though with Mauricio Dubon, because he is somebody who has

568
00:27:11,040 --> 00:27:13,400
Speaker 2: never been much of an offensive threat, and I think

569
00:27:13,440 --> 00:27:16,040
Speaker 2: a lot of his value has come with the Astros

570
00:27:16,080 --> 00:27:18,760
Speaker 2: being able to play basically every position on the diamond

571
00:27:18,840 --> 00:27:21,920
Speaker 2: other than catcher. You know, being at shortstop every single

572
00:27:22,000 --> 00:27:25,159
Speaker 2: day is a legitimate challenge Like that's it's so hard

573
00:27:25,240 --> 00:27:28,600
Speaker 2: to be a good major league shortstop on a team

574
00:27:28,640 --> 00:27:31,320
Speaker 2: that wants to be a contender, you're just gonna have

575
00:27:31,359 --> 00:27:33,159
Speaker 2: to hope. I don't think it's a guarantee the Dubond

576
00:27:33,240 --> 00:27:35,280
Speaker 2: is going to be awesome, even if we did like

577
00:27:35,320 --> 00:27:38,119
Speaker 2: the addition in a vacuum.

578
00:27:37,600 --> 00:27:39,760
Speaker 1: I think I trust the glove. I think it's gonna

579
00:27:39,800 --> 00:27:41,399
Speaker 1: be good at short stop. Whether he hits or not

580
00:27:41,560 --> 00:27:44,960
Speaker 1: is up for debate. For sure, he is a two

581
00:27:45,000 --> 00:27:46,760
Speaker 1: time goal leve winner. In fact, two of the last

582
00:27:46,800 --> 00:27:49,840
Speaker 1: three seasons. You already mentioned him, but like part of

583
00:27:49,880 --> 00:27:52,080
Speaker 1: that utility has his utility of playing to be able

584
00:27:52,080 --> 00:27:54,320
Speaker 1: play everywhere. But he's actually a good defender at shortstop

585
00:27:54,359 --> 00:27:58,080
Speaker 1: by the numbers, he just has been the best interesting

586
00:27:58,600 --> 00:28:00,960
Speaker 1: thirty one years old, so looks still firmly in the

587
00:28:01,040 --> 00:28:04,040
Speaker 1: age range where he should be, not like declining at

588
00:28:04,040 --> 00:28:08,520
Speaker 1: this point. A career eighty five WRC plus, so not

589
00:28:08,640 --> 00:28:10,639
Speaker 1: a good hitter, like better than Nick Allen, but not

590
00:28:10,680 --> 00:28:13,680
Speaker 1: a great hitter. Has has a big platoon split though,

591
00:28:14,160 --> 00:28:16,640
Speaker 1: which is notable, and it's a big enough sample size

592
00:28:16,680 --> 00:28:18,760
Speaker 1: for a guy who is thirty one that I actually

593
00:28:18,840 --> 00:28:20,840
Speaker 1: kind of trust his sample size a little bit more.

594
00:28:21,200 --> 00:28:25,440
Speaker 1: He has a one to eleven WRC plus against lefties,

595
00:28:25,760 --> 00:28:27,600
Speaker 1: so he's been a good hitter against lefties, not a

596
00:28:27,600 --> 00:28:30,160
Speaker 1: great one, but a good one, and a pretty terrible

597
00:28:30,200 --> 00:28:34,199
Speaker 1: one against righty's. Now, map platoon split is easier to

598
00:28:34,280 --> 00:28:37,200
Speaker 1: manage once Kim comes back and he becomes a utility

599
00:28:37,240 --> 00:28:42,360
Speaker 1: guy because and ironically he actually fits the team pretty

600
00:28:42,360 --> 00:28:47,560
Speaker 1: well there because, especially with Profar notably absent, Eustremski hits

601
00:28:47,680 --> 00:28:51,760
Speaker 1: Righty's really well, Dubon hits lefties really well, so once

602
00:28:51,840 --> 00:28:54,680
Speaker 1: Kim comes back, I could see a world where you

603
00:28:54,760 --> 00:28:57,719
Speaker 1: kind of sprinkle Dubon and left field. Sometimes you kind

604
00:28:57,760 --> 00:28:59,760
Speaker 1: of sprinkled, you know what I'm saying, like to make

605
00:28:59,760 --> 00:29:02,800
Speaker 1: sure not having to play yeas every day against lefties,

606
00:29:02,880 --> 00:29:05,760
Speaker 1: for example, or you know when Sean Murvy goes Back's

607
00:29:05,800 --> 00:29:08,160
Speaker 1: kind of the same thing where Murphy as a platoon

608
00:29:08,160 --> 00:29:10,400
Speaker 1: split that you would think he hits lefties better than righty's.

609
00:29:10,880 --> 00:29:12,760
Speaker 1: There is some utility that's part the wrong word to

610
00:29:12,840 --> 00:29:16,040
Speaker 1: use right now in this context, but to Dubon's platoon split,

611
00:29:16,160 --> 00:29:17,920
Speaker 1: like you don't want to have one, but if you

612
00:29:18,000 --> 00:29:19,960
Speaker 1: have one that actually compliment with some of your other players,

613
00:29:20,400 --> 00:29:22,040
Speaker 1: it's a little bit easier to use him.

614
00:29:22,920 --> 00:29:25,640
Speaker 2: Well, even in center field. You know, if Michael Harris,

615
00:29:26,240 --> 00:29:29,320
Speaker 2: we're hoping, let's hope that Michael Harris bounces back, but

616
00:29:29,720 --> 00:29:31,920
Speaker 2: I mean even if Mike is hitting right handed, pitching

617
00:29:31,960 --> 00:29:34,840
Speaker 2: really well or hitting it better but not hitting lefties,

618
00:29:35,400 --> 00:29:38,080
Speaker 2: I bet you five bucks that Mauricio Dubon is going

619
00:29:38,160 --> 00:29:40,600
Speaker 2: to see some time in center field this year. Not

620
00:29:40,760 --> 00:29:42,360
Speaker 2: every day, And I'm not saying it's going to be

621
00:29:42,400 --> 00:29:45,240
Speaker 2: a pure platoon, but I could see it if Mike

622
00:29:45,360 --> 00:29:47,640
Speaker 2: is scuffling and he's in a two for thirty skid

623
00:29:48,000 --> 00:29:50,040
Speaker 2: and they're facing a really good leftyw that night. You

624
00:29:50,200 --> 00:29:53,360
Speaker 2: probably could play Dubon in center field at least to start,

625
00:29:53,440 --> 00:29:55,920
Speaker 2: and then later in the game you could move pieces

626
00:29:56,000 --> 00:29:58,520
Speaker 2: around and all that. And of course this only comes

627
00:29:58,560 --> 00:30:01,480
Speaker 2: into play more than like once Hastan Kim is healthy

628
00:30:01,600 --> 00:30:04,040
Speaker 2: and assuming that him is healthy and Ozzie is healthy

629
00:30:04,080 --> 00:30:06,800
Speaker 2: and Riley is healthy, which at this point is probably

630
00:30:06,880 --> 00:30:09,880
Speaker 2: easier said than done. But it does go to the

631
00:30:10,040 --> 00:30:13,400
Speaker 2: overall theme of even with Jerks and Profar being a

632
00:30:13,480 --> 00:30:18,080
Speaker 2: big dummy and getting themselves suspended again, there's still even

633
00:30:18,120 --> 00:30:22,520
Speaker 2: without profile, there is still significantly more depth and versatility

634
00:30:22,640 --> 00:30:24,920
Speaker 2: with this position player group than there has been in

635
00:30:25,000 --> 00:30:25,600
Speaker 2: recent years.

636
00:30:26,880 --> 00:30:28,680
Speaker 1: Yeah, and that was a purposeful investment.

637
00:30:28,760 --> 00:30:28,880
Speaker 2: You know.

638
00:30:28,920 --> 00:30:31,480
Speaker 1: The Profar thing hurts it obviously, but the brain I

639
00:30:31,480 --> 00:30:33,840
Speaker 1: think Alex talks about this. I think with a new

640
00:30:33,920 --> 00:30:37,360
Speaker 1: manager they wanted to have more depth. They did it.

641
00:30:38,280 --> 00:30:42,520
Speaker 1: It's been knocked already, but that's you know, Look where

642
00:30:42,520 --> 00:30:44,680
Speaker 1: would the Braids b right now if they hadn't added depth,

643
00:30:45,440 --> 00:30:47,440
Speaker 1: if they hadn't signed a shrimp Ski, if they hadn't

644
00:30:47,480 --> 00:30:50,240
Speaker 1: signed Duban and they just kind of right it back

645
00:30:50,280 --> 00:30:53,040
Speaker 1: with what they had last year plus Kim, they would

646
00:30:53,080 --> 00:30:57,080
Speaker 1: be in a bad way at this moment. Yeah, alas,

647
00:30:57,680 --> 00:31:01,080
Speaker 1: all right, before we move on the back of middlelandfielder quickly,

648
00:31:01,240 --> 00:31:05,120
Speaker 1: is Hoorne Mateo right now with Kim out as projected

649
00:31:05,160 --> 00:31:07,520
Speaker 1: to be Uh, he can't hit, but he can run

650
00:31:08,120 --> 00:31:10,800
Speaker 1: and he is a decent, decent glove, not a great

651
00:31:10,840 --> 00:31:13,040
Speaker 1: glove by any means, but like he's the kind of player.

652
00:31:13,080 --> 00:31:14,400
Speaker 1: This is what I would say, He's the kind of

653
00:31:14,400 --> 00:31:17,720
Speaker 1: player that you would have as your backup, backup infielder.

654
00:31:17,880 --> 00:31:18,959
Speaker 1: And that's what the Brays are right now.

655
00:31:19,760 --> 00:31:22,800
Speaker 2: Yeah, you know Horage Mateo. If folks missed it during

656
00:31:22,840 --> 00:31:25,680
Speaker 2: the off season. Mateo was signed twenty four hours after

657
00:31:26,200 --> 00:31:29,360
Speaker 2: the Braves announced that Hassan Kim had injured his hand.

658
00:31:29,760 --> 00:31:31,320
Speaker 1: It was like, hey, this guy's out. We're at in

659
00:31:31,360 --> 00:31:31,640
Speaker 1: this sky.

660
00:31:32,040 --> 00:31:35,840
Speaker 2: Yes, for one million dollars. I think it's like it

661
00:31:35,960 --> 00:31:39,040
Speaker 2: was the epitome of a reaction signing because you didn't

662
00:31:39,040 --> 00:31:41,520
Speaker 2: want to go into the season without any kind of

663
00:31:41,800 --> 00:31:45,680
Speaker 2: decent backup middle infielder. But Jorge Mateo is that you

664
00:31:45,760 --> 00:31:49,520
Speaker 2: said he never hits, He's okay, defensively, he was elite

665
00:31:49,760 --> 00:31:52,280
Speaker 2: a few seasons ago, but has not been anywhere close

666
00:31:52,320 --> 00:31:55,480
Speaker 2: to that. He actually had elbow surgery, he had ucl

667
00:31:55,600 --> 00:31:59,080
Speaker 2: construction reconstruction surgery at the end of twenty twenty four

668
00:32:00,200 --> 00:32:02,720
Speaker 2: impacted his twenty twenty five or he was just dreadful.

669
00:32:03,160 --> 00:32:05,920
Speaker 2: So maybe they that he's almost, you know, eighteen months

670
00:32:05,960 --> 00:32:08,720
Speaker 2: removed from that surgery, he'll be healthier, maybe a little

671
00:32:08,800 --> 00:32:11,440
Speaker 2: more productive. But I think in a perfect world, the

672
00:32:11,560 --> 00:32:14,280
Speaker 2: Braves one do not have to call on Jorge Matail

673
00:32:14,440 --> 00:32:18,960
Speaker 2: very much. And two, assuming most everybody is healthy, when

674
00:32:19,040 --> 00:32:22,040
Speaker 2: Hasan Kim comes back, I think the early odds on

675
00:32:22,120 --> 00:32:25,120
Speaker 2: favorite to get squeezed off the roster is probably Jorge Matail.

676
00:32:26,160 --> 00:32:28,520
Speaker 1: Yeah, and even then, like, look, there's a world of

677
00:32:28,560 --> 00:32:31,280
Speaker 1: which is he's name on the team. The investment's so low,

678
00:32:31,720 --> 00:32:33,320
Speaker 1: Like right now, with what they have, he'd be on

679
00:32:33,400 --> 00:32:35,560
Speaker 1: the team, but like they could, they could sign somebody

680
00:32:35,600 --> 00:32:37,160
Speaker 1: in the next two weeks that they think it's just

681
00:32:37,240 --> 00:32:40,160
Speaker 1: better than horrid too and shake hands. It's a million nucks,

682
00:32:40,240 --> 00:32:42,120
Speaker 1: Like it's it's not that it's not a real investment.

683
00:32:42,560 --> 00:32:43,800
Speaker 1: I think could be on the team, to be clear,

684
00:32:43,960 --> 00:32:46,240
Speaker 1: but anytime you have a number that low, you have

685
00:32:46,280 --> 00:32:49,000
Speaker 1: a bad spring, or somebody just comes available that's shocking.

686
00:32:49,520 --> 00:32:50,920
Speaker 1: You kind of go to the guy and say, hey man,

687
00:32:51,480 --> 00:32:53,400
Speaker 1: thanks for here's here's here's a million.

688
00:32:53,640 --> 00:32:57,239
Speaker 2: Enjoy I mean it's basically the veteran minimum. I think

689
00:32:57,360 --> 00:33:00,600
Speaker 2: the league minimum is like seven hundred thousands some change, right,

690
00:33:00,800 --> 00:33:03,440
Speaker 2: So it's a little bit more because Mateo's been around,

691
00:33:03,520 --> 00:33:05,680
Speaker 2: but I mean it is what it is. You have

692
00:33:05,840 --> 00:33:07,920
Speaker 2: to have somebody on your roster who can play back

693
00:33:07,960 --> 00:33:09,640
Speaker 2: up shortstop, and there is.

694
00:33:09,680 --> 00:33:11,320
Speaker 1: A real role for him if they want to keep

695
00:33:11,360 --> 00:33:14,920
Speaker 1: him around. With the speed like he he would be

696
00:33:15,000 --> 00:33:17,400
Speaker 1: your pitch runner right now, Like I know you let

697
00:33:17,440 --> 00:33:20,160
Speaker 1: Whit could run as well, Moteo can fly. That would

698
00:33:20,160 --> 00:33:22,160
Speaker 1: be a useful thing in a playoff SERI or suthing

699
00:33:22,160 --> 00:33:23,200
Speaker 1: like that on the line. I think if they make

700
00:33:23,360 --> 00:33:27,040
Speaker 1: they make it that far potential use. But also to

701
00:33:27,120 --> 00:33:30,320
Speaker 1: your point, could be an easy part ways candidate when

702
00:33:30,440 --> 00:33:33,840
Speaker 1: Kim returns at any rate. That's the middle endfield the Braves,

703
00:33:34,480 --> 00:33:37,400
Speaker 1: it would be really really nice if they were not

704
00:33:37,520 --> 00:33:39,200
Speaker 1: terrible in the middle endfield, and that's when they were

705
00:33:39,280 --> 00:33:41,120
Speaker 1: last year. I mean, that's the thing, Like we love

706
00:33:41,160 --> 00:33:45,040
Speaker 1: Ozzie and he wasn't individually terrible, but he was not good.

707
00:33:45,360 --> 00:33:48,000
Speaker 1: And when combined with shortstop, the Braves were one of

708
00:33:48,040 --> 00:33:49,720
Speaker 1: the worst teams in the league in the middle endfield.

709
00:33:49,760 --> 00:33:50,120
Speaker 1: Last years.

710
00:33:50,280 --> 00:33:50,760
Speaker 2: That happened.

711
00:33:51,080 --> 00:33:53,360
Speaker 1: That's what happened on the field, and they can't afford

712
00:33:53,400 --> 00:33:55,880
Speaker 1: that again. They have to have at least one of

713
00:33:55,920 --> 00:33:58,280
Speaker 1: those spots has to go better than it went last year.

714
00:33:58,400 --> 00:33:59,920
Speaker 1: You could live with short stop a little bit more

715
00:34:00,080 --> 00:34:02,720
Speaker 1: Ozzie has a great season, but if he doesn't, you

716
00:34:02,800 --> 00:34:03,760
Speaker 1: need more for a short stop.

717
00:34:03,800 --> 00:34:04,400
Speaker 2: And we all know that.

718
00:34:04,560 --> 00:34:06,480
Speaker 1: But man, it's like, look at the numbers. And I

719
00:34:06,480 --> 00:34:09,040
Speaker 1: won't bore everybody with this, but they were literally one

720
00:34:09,080 --> 00:34:10,959
Speaker 1: of the three or four worst teams in the league

721
00:34:10,960 --> 00:34:13,520
Speaker 1: at Millenfield, and that's tough for our team that's.

722
00:34:13,360 --> 00:34:17,640
Speaker 2: Trying to win. Yeah, last year, let us never talk

723
00:34:17,680 --> 00:34:21,320
Speaker 2: about last year. I say on opening day, but on

724
00:34:21,480 --> 00:34:25,719
Speaker 2: opening day twenty six we enacted into law no more

725
00:34:25,840 --> 00:34:28,840
Speaker 2: talking about the twenty twenty five season ever again on

726
00:34:28,960 --> 00:34:29,600
Speaker 2: this podcast.

727
00:34:31,160 --> 00:34:32,840
Speaker 1: You said it. Now we got to convinced Sean and

728
00:34:32,880 --> 00:34:36,640
Speaker 1: Stephen they'll quite forget. But that's okay. We love you guys,

729
00:34:36,880 --> 00:34:38,640
Speaker 1: all right. In a second, we have some news and

730
00:34:38,719 --> 00:34:40,520
Speaker 1: notes to hit on the pod, A lot going on

731
00:34:40,640 --> 00:34:44,359
Speaker 1: in spring training. An injury today, for example, to Joey

732
00:34:44,400 --> 00:34:46,759
Speaker 1: Wentz that hopefully isn't so bad. Some bright spots did

733
00:34:46,800 --> 00:34:48,640
Speaker 1: your friends has, but it's really good the other day.

734
00:34:49,200 --> 00:34:51,439
Speaker 1: All that more after award from a partners.

735
00:34:51,960 --> 00:34:55,720
Speaker 3: In the pharmaceutical world, there's no room for air quality, cleanliness,

736
00:34:55,719 --> 00:34:59,520
Speaker 3: and consistency are everything Fast and All supports pharma operations.

737
00:34:59,520 --> 00:35:02,680
Speaker 3: We control inventory solutions, clean room ready products, and a

738
00:35:02,719 --> 00:35:05,920
Speaker 3: supply chain built for trace ability. Our local teams help

739
00:35:05,960 --> 00:35:09,479
Speaker 3: you reduce contamination risk, eliminate surprises, and keep production moving

740
00:35:09,960 --> 00:35:13,200
Speaker 3: fastenal where precision and supply means confidence in every batch.

741
00:35:13,719 --> 00:35:17,360
Speaker 2: Want to learn more, visit fascinall dot com for Industrial

742
00:35:17,440 --> 00:35:21,480
Speaker 2: Supplies and Innovative Solutions. That's f A S T E

743
00:35:21,800 --> 00:35:23,239
Speaker 2: n A L dot com.

744
00:35:24,719 --> 00:35:27,920
Speaker 1: All right, Scott, let's do some news and notes here.

745
00:35:29,239 --> 00:35:31,600
Speaker 1: The jerks and profile saga continues. I know there is

746
00:35:31,680 --> 00:35:36,160
Speaker 1: a you know, there's the is it appeal grievance? How

747
00:35:36,200 --> 00:35:38,239
Speaker 1: you want to put that? No one thinks that they're

748
00:35:38,239 --> 00:35:40,560
Speaker 1: gonna win that, so he'll he'll not be here. I

749
00:35:41,000 --> 00:35:42,759
Speaker 1: will not do my I thought about give him my

750
00:35:42,760 --> 00:35:45,440
Speaker 1: thoughts you've heard. You've heard everybody else's thoughts. You've heard Steven,

751
00:35:45,440 --> 00:35:49,160
Speaker 1: you've heard Sean, you furt Scott. You don't need my thoughts. Bat.

752
00:35:49,280 --> 00:35:53,040
Speaker 1: It's all bad, nothing's good. And actually, you know I

753
00:35:53,120 --> 00:35:55,120
Speaker 1: was talking about offline. I don't want to out us

754
00:35:55,200 --> 00:35:57,920
Speaker 1: on this, but it's, uh, what's your thought about the

755
00:35:57,920 --> 00:36:00,600
Speaker 1: brain's not doing anything so far in respect? Because you

756
00:36:00,640 --> 00:36:03,319
Speaker 1: know you just mentioned with Wry Matteo they did make

757
00:36:03,360 --> 00:36:07,480
Speaker 1: an immediate move when Kim went down with Profar, No

758
00:36:07,600 --> 00:36:11,800
Speaker 1: such move has happened. Now you got dom Smith for example,

759
00:36:11,920 --> 00:36:14,000
Speaker 1: like you got some guys that maybe you're comparable to

760
00:36:14,120 --> 00:36:17,000
Speaker 1: what you could have done. Honestly, the Braves might reasonably

761
00:36:17,080 --> 00:36:19,800
Speaker 1: think that Dom Smith is like the same level of

762
00:36:19,840 --> 00:36:22,360
Speaker 1: player that can sign and that's not crazy. But what

763
00:36:22,440 --> 00:36:24,080
Speaker 1: do you think about I'm not doing anything so again

764
00:36:24,160 --> 00:36:25,080
Speaker 1: so far on Marching?

765
00:36:25,400 --> 00:36:31,600
Speaker 2: Yeah, so many thoughts on Profar for that knucklehead. Again.

766
00:36:31,800 --> 00:36:34,279
Speaker 2: I said this on the Emergency Reaction show. I think

767
00:36:34,320 --> 00:36:36,560
Speaker 2: Steven and Sean talked about it as well. But the

768
00:36:36,719 --> 00:36:40,120
Speaker 2: timing was just so bad. I mean you you could

769
00:36:40,200 --> 00:36:43,080
Speaker 2: not have come up with worse timing for a one

770
00:36:43,120 --> 00:36:44,520
Speaker 2: to sixty two game suspension.

771
00:36:44,840 --> 00:36:48,000
Speaker 1: If it was a month earlier. I am ninety four

772
00:36:48,080 --> 00:36:50,480
Speaker 1: percent confident Marcelo Zuna would be on the Atlanta Braves

773
00:36:50,600 --> 00:36:50,880
Speaker 1: right now.

774
00:36:51,080 --> 00:36:53,960
Speaker 2: Yeah, I'd be at ninety eight percent quite honestly. But

775
00:36:54,560 --> 00:36:58,400
Speaker 2: it didn't happen, and stuff happens, I will say so,

776
00:36:58,800 --> 00:37:02,200
Speaker 2: the Braves not only saved fifteen million dollars. Assuming Profar

777
00:37:02,320 --> 00:37:05,000
Speaker 2: does indeed get suspended, and everybody thinks it's not going

778
00:37:05,080 --> 00:37:07,840
Speaker 2: to be overturned. I think it's been like eleven years

779
00:37:07,880 --> 00:37:11,520
Speaker 2: since a ped suspension was overturned in Major League Baseball.

780
00:37:11,600 --> 00:37:12,359
Speaker 2: It's not going to happen.

781
00:37:12,400 --> 00:37:15,360
Speaker 1: Guys and the news breakers, you know, passing Rosenthal or

782
00:37:15,440 --> 00:37:17,520
Speaker 1: got can't like. No one is talking like it's going

783
00:37:17,600 --> 00:37:19,920
Speaker 1: to be overturned. Like they're doing the right they're saying

784
00:37:19,960 --> 00:37:21,719
Speaker 1: the right thing is they're catching the language to say, hey,

785
00:37:21,760 --> 00:37:24,200
Speaker 1: this is still what it is. But if you listen

786
00:37:24,239 --> 00:37:26,239
Speaker 1: to the tone, I don't pass and talk to the

787
00:37:26,280 --> 00:37:29,400
Speaker 1: guys and land on the fan Can's been doing his podcast.

788
00:37:29,680 --> 00:37:31,719
Speaker 1: No one's being like, well, if they win it like that,

789
00:37:32,000 --> 00:37:35,320
Speaker 1: that's not happening. So you can read between the lines, yeah, exactly.

790
00:37:35,800 --> 00:37:39,520
Speaker 2: So because of that, the Braves saved fifteen million dollars

791
00:37:39,640 --> 00:37:43,040
Speaker 2: in Profar as pure salary, and actually it's eighteen million

792
00:37:43,080 --> 00:37:46,280
Speaker 2: dollars in total because the Braves are in the luxury

793
00:37:46,400 --> 00:37:48,719
Speaker 2: tax so it's twenty percent of what Profile makes. So

794
00:37:49,080 --> 00:37:53,080
Speaker 2: eighteen million dollars has come up. Now, I understand their

795
00:37:53,120 --> 00:37:55,719
Speaker 2: frustrations and I have them too, that the Braves have

796
00:37:55,840 --> 00:37:58,920
Speaker 2: not made a reactionary move over the last week to

797
00:37:59,040 --> 00:38:04,200
Speaker 2: losing Profar. That being said, who's out there, like, genuinely,

798
00:38:04,280 --> 00:38:08,080
Speaker 2: who's out there? We can dream up a Byron Buxton

799
00:38:08,200 --> 00:38:12,640
Speaker 2: trade on March tenth, or a Yondi Diaz trade on

800
00:38:12,840 --> 00:38:16,680
Speaker 2: March tenth, or pick your good hitting kind of DH

801
00:38:16,760 --> 00:38:19,280
Speaker 2: in baseball and put him on the Braves. Of course,

802
00:38:20,320 --> 00:38:24,520
Speaker 2: but how many teams are trading away good players in March.

803
00:38:24,880 --> 00:38:27,080
Speaker 2: They're also trying to sell tickets, So good luck selling

804
00:38:27,160 --> 00:38:29,200
Speaker 2: to ownership. Hey, Bud, we're going to trade away one

805
00:38:29,200 --> 00:38:31,799
Speaker 2: of our good players two weeks before the season when

806
00:38:31,800 --> 00:38:35,000
Speaker 2: we're calling everybody to buy tickets, like, it's just not

807
00:38:35,080 --> 00:38:37,279
Speaker 2: gonna happen. I don't think I'm not holding my breath.

808
00:38:38,200 --> 00:38:42,200
Speaker 2: And you know, Zach Lttel just signed with the Washington Nationals.

809
00:38:43,200 --> 00:38:46,280
Speaker 2: Put that saga to bed. I mean, maybe if Lucas Giolito,

810
00:38:46,440 --> 00:38:47,960
Speaker 2: I don't know what that dude is waiting for.

811
00:38:48,719 --> 00:38:51,960
Speaker 1: Well, yeah, to me, it's like, if the Braves want

812
00:38:52,000 --> 00:38:56,160
Speaker 1: to Lucas Gioledo, they would have signed him by now. Yes, absolutely,

813
00:38:56,200 --> 00:38:58,080
Speaker 1: I mean, maybe the Prince will come down and Alex.

814
00:38:58,280 --> 00:39:00,440
Speaker 1: Maybe Alex is just being Alex and he's like, I

815
00:39:00,520 --> 00:39:02,680
Speaker 1: will give you this amount and not a dollar more,

816
00:39:03,080 --> 00:39:05,080
Speaker 1: and maybe Giulida comes down to it. That's at least

817
00:39:05,120 --> 00:39:08,239
Speaker 1: plausible to me. But you're right, I mean, I we're

818
00:39:08,280 --> 00:39:10,320
Speaker 1: in the We've talked about it already on this podcast.

819
00:39:10,360 --> 00:39:12,680
Speaker 1: We're in the middle of the dog days of spring training.

820
00:39:13,400 --> 00:39:16,560
Speaker 1: That's also kiss for transactions, like guys haven't been cut yet,

821
00:39:16,960 --> 00:39:19,760
Speaker 1: Like guys might get cut or traded like in two weeks.

822
00:39:20,239 --> 00:39:22,520
Speaker 1: The praise might be waiting for that to say, we'll

823
00:39:22,560 --> 00:39:25,319
Speaker 1: pounce on somebody if they come available. But uh, that's

824
00:39:25,400 --> 00:39:27,279
Speaker 1: my that was my reaction when we were talking about

825
00:39:27,320 --> 00:39:29,239
Speaker 1: this earlier about how like, hey, they haven't do anything yet.

826
00:39:29,400 --> 00:39:30,880
Speaker 1: I was like, it's kind of the time. You wouldn't

827
00:39:30,880 --> 00:39:34,279
Speaker 1: do anything. I mean, and let's this Giulido like, and

828
00:39:35,120 --> 00:39:37,560
Speaker 1: I would sign Zacle till I said that already. Whatever,

829
00:39:37,960 --> 00:39:42,160
Speaker 1: But aside from that, maybe you wait till March twentieth

830
00:39:42,200 --> 00:39:45,080
Speaker 1: and see who shakes loose. I don't know, yeah, or

831
00:39:45,600 --> 00:39:48,680
Speaker 1: or you just wait until the trade deadline and say

832
00:39:49,560 --> 00:39:52,120
Speaker 1: you keep Tom Smith, hope Dom Smith hits and you

833
00:39:52,200 --> 00:39:55,680
Speaker 1: know whatever, and then you have eighteen million dollars to

834
00:39:55,880 --> 00:39:58,880
Speaker 1: spend at the deadline for trades, where in theory you

835
00:39:58,960 --> 00:40:02,200
Speaker 1: could use that cash to entice a selling team of hey,

836
00:40:02,480 --> 00:40:04,480
Speaker 1: we'll take that contract off your hands. We're not going

837
00:40:04,560 --> 00:40:07,320
Speaker 1: to give you any prospects, but you can clear seven

838
00:40:07,360 --> 00:40:09,759
Speaker 1: million dollars off your books, which is probably something their

839
00:40:09,800 --> 00:40:12,520
Speaker 1: ownership group would want to do if the team is bad.

840
00:40:12,640 --> 00:40:14,439
Speaker 1: Of course, the Braves have to get to the trade

841
00:40:14,480 --> 00:40:16,719
Speaker 1: deadline still in it and competitive.

842
00:40:17,040 --> 00:40:18,120
Speaker 2: That's easier said than done.

843
00:40:18,160 --> 00:40:20,239
Speaker 1: But which last year didn't happened By the way, last year,

844
00:40:20,280 --> 00:40:22,600
Speaker 1: we were all jumped up for the trade deadline and

845
00:40:22,600 --> 00:40:23,960
Speaker 1: it was like by the time they actually arrived they

846
00:40:24,000 --> 00:40:26,879
Speaker 1: were out of it. So hopefully that what happened again.

847
00:40:28,280 --> 00:40:31,160
Speaker 1: That's the latest on the transactional front. It's quiet obviously

848
00:40:31,239 --> 00:40:34,839
Speaker 1: in in responsive Profar. There was an injury today. Joey

849
00:40:34,960 --> 00:40:39,080
Speaker 1: Wentz heard his right leg covering first base. You know,

850
00:40:39,120 --> 00:40:40,919
Speaker 1: he kind of walked. It was kind of reportedly walking

851
00:40:40,960 --> 00:40:44,120
Speaker 1: around the clubhouse. The Beat guys talked about how he

852
00:40:44,200 --> 00:40:47,840
Speaker 1: might have avoided serious injury. That's a good thing. I

853
00:40:47,920 --> 00:40:50,319
Speaker 1: haven't heard anything official on that as of Sunday nights.

854
00:40:51,080 --> 00:40:53,520
Speaker 1: He is, of course a contender for a rotation spot

855
00:40:53,920 --> 00:40:56,920
Speaker 1: or even a bullpen spot. He's kind of he's fringy.

856
00:40:57,000 --> 00:40:58,480
Speaker 1: We all know that about Joey Wentz. Like he's a

857
00:40:58,800 --> 00:41:02,480
Speaker 1: decent enough pitcher out of options, which might lead him

858
00:41:02,520 --> 00:41:04,960
Speaker 1: to be kept more often than not. But not a

859
00:41:05,040 --> 00:41:07,000
Speaker 1: great timing for someone who's trying to make the team

860
00:41:07,040 --> 00:41:09,439
Speaker 1: with no options. Yeah, so we'll see.

861
00:41:10,120 --> 00:41:13,320
Speaker 2: Yeah, scary moment. It sounds like by all accounts that

862
00:41:13,560 --> 00:41:17,439
Speaker 2: Joey has avoided a very serious injury, which is great news.

863
00:41:17,480 --> 00:41:19,920
Speaker 2: I mean, it was not good from those in attendants.

864
00:41:20,040 --> 00:41:23,480
Speaker 2: It looked pretty bad. The fact that Wentz was carted off.

865
00:41:23,560 --> 00:41:25,279
Speaker 2: Of course, it was like, oh geez, But he was

866
00:41:25,320 --> 00:41:27,520
Speaker 2: able to walk it off and seemed to be okay.

867
00:41:27,560 --> 00:41:30,560
Speaker 2: I know. Mark Bowman said that the initial belief is

868
00:41:30,600 --> 00:41:33,200
Speaker 2: that he avoided a very serious injury, which is good

869
00:41:33,560 --> 00:41:35,239
Speaker 2: and who knows. By the time, folks, you are listening

870
00:41:35,280 --> 00:41:37,879
Speaker 2: to this podcast on Monday, maybe there's an update. We'll

871
00:41:37,960 --> 00:41:40,800
Speaker 2: just cross our fingers that Joey is not going to

872
00:41:40,840 --> 00:41:43,120
Speaker 2: be seriously injured and we'll be back on the mound

873
00:41:43,280 --> 00:41:44,200
Speaker 2: sooner rather than later.

874
00:41:44,920 --> 00:41:47,600
Speaker 1: Elsewhere in spring, we got some questions about James Karenshack.

875
00:41:47,719 --> 00:41:52,200
Speaker 1: We did mention on a show recently interesting bullpen guy,

876
00:41:52,480 --> 00:41:55,560
Speaker 1: like certainly in the battle for a bullpen Roll has pedigree,

877
00:41:56,440 --> 00:41:59,440
Speaker 1: was really good with the Guardians, you know, four or

878
00:41:59,480 --> 00:42:02,480
Speaker 1: five years ago and has had injuries and stuff, but

879
00:42:02,560 --> 00:42:04,400
Speaker 1: has looked really good start, got the sile on Saturday,

880
00:42:04,440 --> 00:42:05,759
Speaker 1: and people like, wait, what's going on with this guy?

881
00:42:05,880 --> 00:42:08,200
Speaker 1: Like he's people just catching up to him being even

882
00:42:08,360 --> 00:42:10,400
Speaker 1: in the mix for the bullpen. But a name that

883
00:42:10,640 --> 00:42:13,480
Speaker 1: Sikos would know from the American League. But have you

884
00:42:13,600 --> 00:42:16,759
Speaker 1: had any reaction to James Karenchak in his quest to

885
00:42:16,800 --> 00:42:17,319
Speaker 1: make the team?

886
00:42:18,200 --> 00:42:20,520
Speaker 2: You know, I think Karen Chack. I mean he might

887
00:42:20,640 --> 00:42:23,200
Speaker 2: be the odds on favorite at this point to win

888
00:42:23,280 --> 00:42:29,200
Speaker 2: the final bullpen spot. I retweeted the highlight clips at

889
00:42:29,239 --> 00:42:31,400
Speaker 2: Scott Coleman fifty five if folks want to find that

890
00:42:32,080 --> 00:42:34,280
Speaker 2: he struck out the side on Saturday, as you mentioned,

891
00:42:34,400 --> 00:42:37,640
Speaker 2: And I mean Karen Chack he's got some stuff.

892
00:42:37,840 --> 00:42:39,120
Speaker 1: He's kind of nasty when he's right.

893
00:42:39,239 --> 00:42:42,520
Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, you know, and it's funny Karen Chack. So

894
00:42:42,640 --> 00:42:45,960
Speaker 2: he has a big fastball which moves insane. I think

895
00:42:46,000 --> 00:42:50,319
Speaker 2: it added twenty IVB on Saturday, and douce vertical break

896
00:42:50,360 --> 00:42:53,000
Speaker 2: which is wicked, has a ton of spin. And then

897
00:42:53,040 --> 00:42:56,560
Speaker 2: he pairs that fastball that really moves with a twelve

898
00:42:56,560 --> 00:42:59,440
Speaker 2: to six curve that's kind of like a hammer. And

899
00:42:59,560 --> 00:43:04,000
Speaker 2: not only he had this fastball curveball combination, but he

900
00:43:04,160 --> 00:43:06,880
Speaker 2: comes over the top when he delivers a pitch, and

901
00:43:07,239 --> 00:43:10,040
Speaker 2: he's got some funk in his delivery. I don't know

902
00:43:10,080 --> 00:43:12,120
Speaker 2: if it was intentional, but he was doing some like

903
00:43:12,520 --> 00:43:15,319
Speaker 2: almost like stutter step things with his glove to throw

904
00:43:15,400 --> 00:43:18,560
Speaker 2: off hitters timing, which hey, if it's legal, by all

905
00:43:18,640 --> 00:43:20,399
Speaker 2: means you couldn't do it with a run on first base.

906
00:43:20,480 --> 00:43:22,520
Speaker 2: But if there's no one on base, I believe it's

907
00:43:22,520 --> 00:43:26,200
Speaker 2: all fair game. He's got some stuff, and he's obviously

908
00:43:26,280 --> 00:43:29,279
Speaker 2: a player who has every incentive in the world to

909
00:43:29,400 --> 00:43:32,160
Speaker 2: get his career back on track. As you said, once

910
00:43:32,239 --> 00:43:34,919
Speaker 2: an elite reliever with the Guardians was very very good.

911
00:43:35,480 --> 00:43:39,360
Speaker 2: Basically he was kind of effectively wild Karen Shak was

912
00:43:39,640 --> 00:43:41,920
Speaker 2: where he would strike out everybody. He would issue a

913
00:43:41,960 --> 00:43:44,560
Speaker 2: few walks, but nobody could hit the guy, so he

914
00:43:44,760 --> 00:43:46,880
Speaker 2: was fine. I think the Raves are hoping this is

915
00:43:47,000 --> 00:43:49,240
Speaker 2: kind of a you know, diamond in the rough pickup.

916
00:43:49,320 --> 00:43:51,400
Speaker 2: And he looks so good this spring.

917
00:43:52,080 --> 00:43:54,319
Speaker 1: Yeah, I mean he's only thirty years old, Like he's

918
00:43:54,360 --> 00:43:57,520
Speaker 1: not you know, live arm. Obviously you mentioned the strikeouts.

919
00:43:57,560 --> 00:43:59,720
Speaker 1: He was striking out, like thirteen for nine, had almost

920
00:43:59,719 --> 00:44:01,919
Speaker 1: like a forty percent strike out right for three years,

921
00:44:02,040 --> 00:44:05,480
Speaker 1: Like really, missus bats did walk guys for sure, that's

922
00:44:05,640 --> 00:44:07,560
Speaker 1: part of the deal, like with I got with guys

923
00:44:07,600 --> 00:44:10,200
Speaker 1: that strike out with that many guys. But I'm not

924
00:44:10,239 --> 00:44:13,160
Speaker 1: saying it's gonna be that again by any means. But

925
00:44:13,320 --> 00:44:14,920
Speaker 1: if the Braves, I mean they clearly brought him in

926
00:44:15,000 --> 00:44:18,000
Speaker 1: thinking they might have something to reclaim with his stuff

927
00:44:18,560 --> 00:44:21,960
Speaker 1: and the stuff pops, So not guaranteeing anything at all,

928
00:44:22,040 --> 00:44:25,959
Speaker 1: but he's that impressive showing on Saturday turned some heads

929
00:44:26,000 --> 00:44:28,359
Speaker 1: in Braves Country and perhaps with the organization as well,

930
00:44:28,440 --> 00:44:30,759
Speaker 1: So we'll keep an eye on him for sure. And

931
00:44:30,920 --> 00:44:33,000
Speaker 1: like there is there is a spot n two available

932
00:44:33,239 --> 00:44:37,319
Speaker 1: in the bullpen. Certainly at least one TVD on, Look,

933
00:44:37,480 --> 00:44:38,800
Speaker 1: maybe there's a world in which they were gonna have

934
00:44:38,880 --> 00:44:40,640
Speaker 1: Joey Joey Wentz beying in the bullpen and he can't

935
00:44:40,680 --> 00:44:42,400
Speaker 1: do it because he's heard or something. There's a lot

936
00:44:42,440 --> 00:44:44,800
Speaker 1: of uncertainty with the end of the rotation and the

937
00:44:44,920 --> 00:44:48,120
Speaker 1: end of the bullpen, and entered James Karen Check to

938
00:44:48,840 --> 00:44:54,080
Speaker 1: embrace such a role. Wet's discussed Diddier f wintess real quick.

939
00:44:54,560 --> 00:44:59,480
Speaker 1: He if people don't remember this, by some miracle, came

940
00:44:59,560 --> 00:45:03,200
Speaker 1: up last year, got chilled but with starting games that

941
00:45:03,719 --> 00:45:05,960
Speaker 1: he just turned twenty when he was coming up and

942
00:45:05,960 --> 00:45:08,640
Speaker 1: it was clearly not quite ready yet. And we said

943
00:45:08,719 --> 00:45:10,680
Speaker 1: that I know Gore Vidak, who we've had on several

944
00:45:10,719 --> 00:45:13,040
Speaker 1: times talking about prospects, is a fan of Diddy heer

945
00:45:13,080 --> 00:45:15,560
Speaker 1: and was like, do not write this guy off like

946
00:45:15,880 --> 00:45:18,560
Speaker 1: he came up too early. That's fine. Still a really

947
00:45:18,640 --> 00:45:20,800
Speaker 1: really good prospect, like maybe not on the level of

948
00:45:21,320 --> 00:45:24,520
Speaker 1: a nationally like Cambinitti or JR. Ritchie even but certainly

949
00:45:24,560 --> 00:45:27,080
Speaker 1: in that next tier if nothing else, like really really

950
00:45:27,160 --> 00:45:32,000
Speaker 1: good pitcher prospects who's still young and similar to Karen Chak,

951
00:45:32,320 --> 00:45:36,000
Speaker 1: he looked really good on Saturday and some of the numbers.

952
00:45:36,040 --> 00:45:38,520
Speaker 1: Some of the observations were like, Hey, this guy's going

953
00:45:38,560 --> 00:45:40,239
Speaker 1: to be really good. Maybe not be right now, but

954
00:45:40,360 --> 00:45:43,520
Speaker 1: it might be two years from now. But people were excited,

955
00:45:43,520 --> 00:45:44,480
Speaker 1: and I think with good reason.

956
00:45:45,800 --> 00:45:48,560
Speaker 2: Yeah, you look at so Diddy or Fuentez two innings

957
00:45:48,840 --> 00:45:52,520
Speaker 2: through twenty four pitches and twenty of them were fastballs.

958
00:45:53,320 --> 00:45:56,240
Speaker 2: So there was no advanced scouting report here. It was Diddier,

959
00:45:56,360 --> 00:45:59,160
Speaker 2: take the ball and throw it really hard and nobody

960
00:45:59,600 --> 00:46:03,040
Speaker 2: could hit him. The fastball averaged ninety seven point four

961
00:46:03,120 --> 00:46:06,359
Speaker 2: miles an hour, It touched ninety eight point eight miles

962
00:46:06,360 --> 00:46:08,800
Speaker 2: an hour, and it was up in the zone. And

963
00:46:09,040 --> 00:46:11,760
Speaker 2: that was something that was kind of in Didtier's scouting report,

964
00:46:11,840 --> 00:46:14,680
Speaker 2: where his fastball looks hittable, but then it just kind

965
00:46:14,719 --> 00:46:17,040
Speaker 2: of gets on hitters really fast and up in the

966
00:46:17,160 --> 00:46:19,840
Speaker 2: zone and nobody can really hit it. I think with Didtier,

967
00:46:19,960 --> 00:46:22,280
Speaker 2: it's clear that he just he still needs to develop

968
00:46:22,320 --> 00:46:25,200
Speaker 2: his secondary pitches. I think he have a decent chance

969
00:46:25,239 --> 00:46:27,480
Speaker 2: to get big leaguers out with that fastball, but as

970
00:46:27,520 --> 00:46:29,640
Speaker 2: we know, you're going to need more than that. Of

971
00:46:29,719 --> 00:46:32,960
Speaker 2: those twenty four pitches, only four sliders as well, So

972
00:46:33,400 --> 00:46:35,800
Speaker 2: we'll see as he continues to get reps in the spring,

973
00:46:35,960 --> 00:46:38,480
Speaker 2: see what he does. I ultimately think Didtier is going

974
00:46:38,560 --> 00:46:40,759
Speaker 2: to begin the year in Gwinett. But I do think

975
00:46:40,800 --> 00:46:43,560
Speaker 2: he is absolutely somebody who could have his name called

976
00:46:43,560 --> 00:46:46,640
Speaker 2: again this summer, and hopefully with another year of refine

977
00:46:46,680 --> 00:46:48,600
Speaker 2: it down in the minor leagues, he's able to come

978
00:46:48,680 --> 00:46:50,640
Speaker 2: up and be more effective than he was last year.

979
00:46:50,719 --> 00:46:53,480
Speaker 2: He just I mean, he wasn't ready, but so few

980
00:46:53,600 --> 00:46:57,520
Speaker 2: I mean, unless you're a talent, of all talents, especially pitchers.

981
00:46:57,840 --> 00:46:59,480
Speaker 2: I mean, how many times do you see twenty year

982
00:46:59,480 --> 00:47:01,920
Speaker 2: old pitchers come up and be even remotely effective.

983
00:47:02,680 --> 00:47:04,359
Speaker 1: Yeah, we have the numbers back then when we're doing

984
00:47:04,440 --> 00:47:06,960
Speaker 1: the show. But like he had been the youngest to

985
00:47:07,120 --> 00:47:09,040
Speaker 1: pitch in the National League, and so you know, it

986
00:47:09,120 --> 00:47:10,880
Speaker 1: was one of those a lot of those like youngest

987
00:47:10,960 --> 00:47:13,040
Speaker 1: to do, youngest to do, youngest, brave to pitch it

988
00:47:13,040 --> 00:47:15,880
Speaker 1: along all these things, and yeah, he looked like it

989
00:47:16,719 --> 00:47:18,520
Speaker 1: like he would have been just he had been nineteen,

990
00:47:18,600 --> 00:47:20,160
Speaker 1: like two weeks before that or something like that. So

991
00:47:21,800 --> 00:47:25,280
Speaker 1: maybe Richie's more likely to be up sooner than Didier,

992
00:47:25,719 --> 00:47:28,640
Speaker 1: But I think that it's I don't know what I

993
00:47:28,880 --> 00:47:32,160
Speaker 1: bet on him making a start this season. I think

994
00:47:32,160 --> 00:47:35,359
Speaker 1: I probably would, oh yeah, just to stay on brand

995
00:47:35,440 --> 00:47:37,040
Speaker 1: with myself and how many pitchers are gonna need to

996
00:47:37,040 --> 00:47:39,439
Speaker 1: get through a season. I think he is not maybe

997
00:47:39,520 --> 00:47:41,960
Speaker 1: the first guy up, second guy up, but in the

998
00:47:42,040 --> 00:47:45,319
Speaker 1: top three or four to fill in on a certain day,

999
00:47:45,800 --> 00:47:49,120
Speaker 1: you know, just as a reminder, we've seen guys like

1000
00:47:49,239 --> 00:47:51,520
Speaker 1: you know, Darius Fines has started games for this team.

1001
00:47:51,760 --> 00:47:53,600
Speaker 1: Like it's like you go down the line and that's

1002
00:47:53,600 --> 00:47:56,320
Speaker 1: not a shot Darius Fines, just Dylan Dodd in the

1003
00:47:56,480 --> 00:47:59,959
Speaker 1: pre reliever portion, like pick a guy, like a million

1004
00:48:00,040 --> 00:48:01,560
Speaker 1: of these guys, and I think Diddier is so much

1005
00:48:01,600 --> 00:48:04,879
Speaker 1: more talented than those guys to where yeah, by July

1006
00:48:05,000 --> 00:48:08,400
Speaker 1: August he pitches and maybe doesn't stay up, but like

1007
00:48:08,600 --> 00:48:10,880
Speaker 1: if they need a guy, he'll be in Gwinette and

1008
00:48:11,000 --> 00:48:14,480
Speaker 1: call him up. And I would be more comfortable with

1009
00:48:14,560 --> 00:48:16,960
Speaker 1: it a year later than I would have been last season.

1010
00:48:17,080 --> 00:48:19,440
Speaker 1: And I think, you know, the stuff is awesome.

1011
00:48:19,200 --> 00:48:22,120
Speaker 2: So that's fun. And I will say the one thing

1012
00:48:22,239 --> 00:48:24,680
Speaker 2: I want for Ditty or Frontees in twenty twenty six,

1013
00:48:24,800 --> 00:48:27,320
Speaker 2: other than pitching Game seven of the World Series and

1014
00:48:27,360 --> 00:48:29,640
Speaker 2: winning it for the Braves, but the other thing I

1015
00:48:29,719 --> 00:48:32,600
Speaker 2: want other than a World Series. Is for the Braves

1016
00:48:32,640 --> 00:48:36,520
Speaker 2: to keep it consistent with Didtier. Don't don't jerk him

1017
00:48:36,520 --> 00:48:39,080
Speaker 2: back and forth between Gwinett and Atlanta. Don't have him

1018
00:48:39,120 --> 00:48:41,000
Speaker 2: make two starts in Gwinett and then come up and

1019
00:48:41,080 --> 00:48:43,000
Speaker 2: pitch out of the bullpen for a week and in

1020
00:48:43,120 --> 00:48:45,320
Speaker 2: emergency duty with the Braves and then make a start

1021
00:48:45,400 --> 00:48:47,040
Speaker 2: and then sit in the bullpen for eight days and

1022
00:48:47,080 --> 00:48:48,880
Speaker 2: then send them to Guenette and have him make three

1023
00:48:48,920 --> 00:48:50,760
Speaker 2: starts in Gwinett and then make a start in Atlanta.

1024
00:48:50,920 --> 00:48:53,600
Speaker 1: And then right now it's like prepared.

1025
00:48:53,800 --> 00:48:56,719
Speaker 2: You're a listen, this is what happens when it's the

1026
00:48:57,239 --> 00:48:59,200
Speaker 2: dog days of March and we got to talk about stuff.

1027
00:48:59,280 --> 00:49:02,760
Speaker 2: But I think my point of just keep it consistent.

1028
00:49:03,280 --> 00:49:05,960
Speaker 2: Hopefully he's able to make a lot of starts with Gwinnett,

1029
00:49:06,280 --> 00:49:08,480
Speaker 2: and if the Braves feel like he's ready, then call

1030
00:49:08,600 --> 00:49:10,200
Speaker 2: him up to Atlanta and give him a chance to

1031
00:49:10,280 --> 00:49:10,759
Speaker 2: really stick.

1032
00:49:11,680 --> 00:49:14,919
Speaker 1: Yeah, take the take the long game with him. Still twenty.

1033
00:49:14,960 --> 00:49:17,319
Speaker 1: He'll be twenty until June. He's still twenty eight years old.

1034
00:49:18,040 --> 00:49:20,839
Speaker 1: That's still incredibly young. And we're nine months removed from

1035
00:49:20,840 --> 00:49:23,239
Speaker 1: the saga when he came up like he's still so young,

1036
00:49:23,400 --> 00:49:25,480
Speaker 1: Like even pur to Richie, he's two years are gonna Richie?

1037
00:49:25,480 --> 00:49:27,200
Speaker 1: Three years are going to Richie, Like he's really really,

1038
00:49:27,360 --> 00:49:30,239
Speaker 1: really young. And I agree with you. Just keep him

1039
00:49:30,280 --> 00:49:32,879
Speaker 1: on a plan at that. If that means he comes

1040
00:49:32,960 --> 00:49:35,560
Speaker 1: up and mixing spot start and in August, that's fine,

1041
00:49:35,920 --> 00:49:40,560
Speaker 1: But just like, keep him consistently starting for me, try

1042
00:49:40,600 --> 00:49:43,439
Speaker 1: to take every possible shot at him being a starter. Yeah,

1043
00:49:43,600 --> 00:49:45,800
Speaker 1: oh yeah, don't fool around with him going back and

1044
00:49:45,840 --> 00:49:49,680
Speaker 1: forth all that stuff before are you out of here?

1045
00:49:50,160 --> 00:49:50,279
Speaker 2: Uh?

1046
00:49:50,360 --> 00:49:53,000
Speaker 1: We talked about Mike Babe Ruthu Schremsky a few times

1047
00:49:53,000 --> 00:49:55,960
Speaker 1: already in the first couple of weeks of spring training.

1048
00:49:56,120 --> 00:49:58,800
Speaker 1: Uh he homeward again on Saturday against the lefty. That

1049
00:49:59,239 --> 00:50:01,719
Speaker 1: was like, oh, okay, we're doing that, Mike. That's that's

1050
00:50:01,800 --> 00:50:04,440
Speaker 1: nice to see. That was my would take away. I mean,

1051
00:50:04,640 --> 00:50:06,840
Speaker 1: he's been incredible in the spring. He's not gonna do this,

1052
00:50:07,239 --> 00:50:10,759
Speaker 1: I'm pretty sure, but uh him Olbinger's lefty is good

1053
00:50:10,760 --> 00:50:13,239
Speaker 1: news because he's look he's for better or worse. He's

1054
00:50:13,280 --> 00:50:14,840
Speaker 1: gonna face more lefties than he was doing that he

1055
00:50:14,920 --> 00:50:17,960
Speaker 1: was gonna face pre profar suspension. That's just the reality.

1056
00:50:18,080 --> 00:50:20,920
Speaker 2: Yeah, So Yeah, we know that Yatski is going to

1057
00:50:21,000 --> 00:50:23,680
Speaker 2: hit righties. But to give you an idea, so Yastremski

1058
00:50:23,800 --> 00:50:27,959
Speaker 2: homered off of left on Saturday. In the twenty twenty

1059
00:50:28,040 --> 00:50:32,319
Speaker 2: four and twenty twenty five seasons combined, Mike hit two

1060
00:50:32,440 --> 00:50:33,920
Speaker 2: home runs off of lefties.

1061
00:50:34,520 --> 00:50:36,799
Speaker 1: Yeah, I mean his splits are what they are, right,

1062
00:50:37,040 --> 00:50:39,440
Speaker 1: and that's fine. Like he's still be valuable player. I

1063
00:50:39,560 --> 00:50:42,000
Speaker 1: don't think that anyone should assume. Maybe I'm not saying

1064
00:50:42,040 --> 00:50:45,239
Speaker 1: he can't do it, No one should assume he's going

1065
00:50:45,280 --> 00:50:48,719
Speaker 1: to hit lefties. Well, you just should not, even even

1066
00:50:48,719 --> 00:50:50,799
Speaker 1: with him looking like this at the spring training. Maybe

1067
00:50:50,840 --> 00:50:53,279
Speaker 1: he's a whole new man. He's gonna fe the lights

1068
00:50:53,320 --> 00:50:55,759
Speaker 1: come on or whatever, but you should not assume that

1069
00:50:55,840 --> 00:50:58,760
Speaker 1: he can hit lefties until we see a lower sample

1070
00:50:58,800 --> 00:51:01,160
Speaker 1: of him doing it, because he's just never and even.

1071
00:51:01,080 --> 00:51:03,800
Speaker 2: Just be decent against lefties. Like, No, no one should

1072
00:51:03,800 --> 00:51:06,759
Speaker 2: expect him to carry an eight hundred ops. But if

1073
00:51:06,840 --> 00:51:09,680
Speaker 2: Mike can at least be playable where even in like

1074
00:51:09,800 --> 00:51:11,640
Speaker 2: late in the game, say it's the seventh inning and

1075
00:51:11,640 --> 00:51:13,600
Speaker 2: there's runners on base and they bring in the lefty,

1076
00:51:14,040 --> 00:51:17,120
Speaker 2: if he's serviceable enough where you're not like, oh, dear God,

1077
00:51:17,280 --> 00:51:20,040
Speaker 2: bring in anybody like if he can hold his own

1078
00:51:20,120 --> 00:51:22,440
Speaker 2: so then you aren't automatically taking him out whenever he

1079
00:51:22,520 --> 00:51:25,480
Speaker 2: gets matchup against with the lefty Layton games. That would

1080
00:51:25,480 --> 00:51:27,719
Speaker 2: be huge for this team. It would be.

1081
00:51:28,520 --> 00:51:30,759
Speaker 1: And on that same similar front, Austin Riley is having

1082
00:51:30,800 --> 00:51:34,200
Speaker 1: a great spring that's really good. I mean there's nothing

1083
00:51:34,239 --> 00:51:36,759
Speaker 1: really Austin Rolly can show me in spring training that's

1084
00:51:36,800 --> 00:51:39,200
Speaker 1: gonna like change my opinion to him. But it's definitely

1085
00:51:39,320 --> 00:51:42,120
Speaker 1: good that he's looks good. Like after coming off last season,

1086
00:51:42,680 --> 00:51:45,560
Speaker 1: you already did a full on capsule about Riley and

1087
00:51:45,600 --> 00:51:47,279
Speaker 1: Olsen and how rally is He's got to be good.

1088
00:51:47,320 --> 00:51:49,799
Speaker 1: They'd be really helpful, he was. He's checking the box

1089
00:51:49,880 --> 00:51:51,759
Speaker 1: that he can poss with check look for a star.

1090
00:51:52,200 --> 00:51:55,000
Speaker 1: I just don't care about spring training. But it's better

1091
00:51:55,040 --> 00:51:56,640
Speaker 1: to be good than bad, so that's nice.

1092
00:51:57,320 --> 00:51:59,680
Speaker 2: Yeah, Riley's been hitting the ball all over the field.

1093
00:52:00,040 --> 00:52:02,279
Speaker 2: I'm hitting the ball hard, which is great, has a

1094
00:52:02,400 --> 00:52:04,400
Speaker 2: couple of home runs, and I mean he is just

1095
00:52:04,520 --> 00:52:05,000
Speaker 2: looks good.

1096
00:52:05,239 --> 00:52:07,279
Speaker 1: It just looks good too. I mean, yeah, I don't

1097
00:52:07,280 --> 00:52:09,160
Speaker 1: I don't like to default to that. And it's not

1098
00:52:09,280 --> 00:52:11,200
Speaker 1: like the moneyball scene, but the scouts around the table.

1099
00:52:11,239 --> 00:52:12,960
Speaker 1: I'm not trying to do that, but like, he looks

1100
00:52:13,040 --> 00:52:15,480
Speaker 1: like he's out in. He's got the hair, he's got

1101
00:52:15,520 --> 00:52:17,120
Speaker 1: the he's got the hair of a beard thing going

1102
00:52:17,239 --> 00:52:20,000
Speaker 1: like it's it's a whole vibe for Austin Ryer right now,

1103
00:52:20,040 --> 00:52:21,080
Speaker 1: which I'm enjoying so.

1104
00:52:21,920 --> 00:52:24,319
Speaker 2: Really important year. And to me, if the Braves are

1105
00:52:24,360 --> 00:52:26,560
Speaker 2: going to get back to the top of the NL

1106
00:52:26,600 --> 00:52:28,480
Speaker 2: East and have a real chance to make a run

1107
00:52:28,560 --> 00:52:32,400
Speaker 2: this upcoming year, it's almost impossible for me to imagine

1108
00:52:32,400 --> 00:52:36,200
Speaker 2: that scenario without Austin Riley being really good. That's now,

1109
00:52:36,640 --> 00:52:39,200
Speaker 2: maybe that's that's too much weight to put on. I'm

1110
00:52:39,200 --> 00:52:41,160
Speaker 2: not saying it's only Austin Riley. I'm not saying he

1111
00:52:41,280 --> 00:52:43,719
Speaker 2: is the make or break. It's kunya. It's also and

1112
00:52:43,760 --> 00:52:45,880
Speaker 2: it's bald when it's the pitcher staying healthy, all of

1113
00:52:45,960 --> 00:52:48,520
Speaker 2: those things. But to me, if you tell me that

1114
00:52:48,640 --> 00:52:52,359
Speaker 2: Riley has another bad season by his standards or gets

1115
00:52:52,440 --> 00:52:56,279
Speaker 2: hurt again, my my opinion of how this season will

1116
00:52:56,320 --> 00:52:59,000
Speaker 2: go will drop significantly.

1117
00:52:59,760 --> 00:53:02,920
Speaker 1: Yeah, I mean, that's the clearest path to them being

1118
00:53:03,719 --> 00:53:08,879
Speaker 1: a ninety five win team is being a top five

1119
00:53:09,000 --> 00:53:12,279
Speaker 1: to seven offense. That's just it's the easiest way to

1120
00:53:12,320 --> 00:53:15,000
Speaker 1: do it. Check uncertainty is what it is. If you

1121
00:53:15,120 --> 00:53:19,560
Speaker 1: match enough, things are gonna be better for you, and

1122
00:53:19,760 --> 00:53:22,040
Speaker 1: there is a pathway to that. But to your point,

1123
00:53:22,080 --> 00:53:25,040
Speaker 1: the pathway to being a top five offense, it's hard

1124
00:53:25,080 --> 00:53:27,640
Speaker 1: to see that without Austin being good. Like maybe there's

1125
00:53:27,640 --> 00:53:29,799
Speaker 1: a road where you did where everything else goes well

1126
00:53:29,960 --> 00:53:31,840
Speaker 1: and you get there, But it's just easier if Austar

1127
00:53:31,880 --> 00:53:34,600
Speaker 1: away is a start, that'd be great. So a good

1128
00:53:34,760 --> 00:53:36,360
Speaker 1: a good couple of weeks to sign off on that,

1129
00:53:36,520 --> 00:53:39,799
Speaker 1: and we'll check that out in the future. We'll save

1130
00:53:39,880 --> 00:53:42,719
Speaker 1: this for later in a more deep dive fashionst at

1131
00:53:42,760 --> 00:53:45,719
Speaker 1: the end of the podcast about the we've talked about

1132
00:53:45,760 --> 00:53:47,879
Speaker 1: a lot, but the rotation battle. We've tried to put

1133
00:53:47,880 --> 00:53:49,520
Speaker 1: that away from the last couple of weeks because we

1134
00:53:49,600 --> 00:53:52,520
Speaker 1: talked about it so much for so long post injuries.

1135
00:53:52,880 --> 00:53:54,319
Speaker 1: But Elbrigay hit hard today.

1136
00:53:54,360 --> 00:53:55,000
Speaker 2: It was not good.

1137
00:53:55,640 --> 00:53:57,480
Speaker 1: It's one it's one day to point he was he

1138
00:53:57,520 --> 00:54:00,480
Speaker 1: had been fine before that, but uh, just throw it

1139
00:54:00,520 --> 00:54:02,279
Speaker 1: out there. That was a We got questions about that,

1140
00:54:02,360 --> 00:54:04,960
Speaker 1: like you guys spread yep, we saw it. It wasn't great.

1141
00:54:05,600 --> 00:54:07,680
Speaker 1: It's also one spring start I don't. That's not gonna

1142
00:54:07,719 --> 00:54:10,040
Speaker 1: change my mind about Bryce Elder. He's still the same

1143
00:54:10,080 --> 00:54:12,440
Speaker 1: guy he always was, for better and worse. But just

1144
00:54:12,520 --> 00:54:14,520
Speaker 1: say out, we did see it. He got hit harder today.

1145
00:54:15,360 --> 00:54:15,759
Speaker 1: We'll see.

1146
00:54:16,360 --> 00:54:19,800
Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, that's I mean, fifth starter is probably the

1147
00:54:19,880 --> 00:54:22,719
Speaker 2: most important spot on the roster.

1148
00:54:22,880 --> 00:54:25,440
Speaker 1: Bat maybe sixth starter too, as we still have not

1149
00:54:25,560 --> 00:54:27,280
Speaker 1: heard them say they're not going to do six starters

1150
00:54:27,320 --> 00:54:28,000
Speaker 1: for the game season.

1151
00:54:28,200 --> 00:54:30,440
Speaker 2: So yeah, so you know, we talked about it being

1152
00:54:30,520 --> 00:54:32,600
Speaker 2: the dog days, but you can be sure that all

1153
00:54:32,680 --> 00:54:34,960
Speaker 2: eyes are on the back end of the rotation. It

1154
00:54:35,160 --> 00:54:38,680
Speaker 2: seems like knock on every piece of wood within twenty

1155
00:54:38,760 --> 00:54:42,520
Speaker 2: miles of me that it's been mostly good news on

1156
00:54:42,680 --> 00:54:47,680
Speaker 2: the healthy four starters. Sales Strider, Holmes, Lopez, velocities have

1157
00:54:47,800 --> 00:54:50,359
Speaker 2: ticked up. They've all pitched pretty well for the most part.

1158
00:54:50,520 --> 00:54:53,000
Speaker 2: They're doing things you want to see. But we know

1159
00:54:53,120 --> 00:54:56,040
Speaker 2: that fifth starter spot is really up for grabs, and

1160
00:54:56,480 --> 00:54:58,719
Speaker 2: and I think it's something that depending on how Jr.

1161
00:54:58,880 --> 00:55:01,480
Speaker 2: Richie pitches, maybe in how Diddy or fue Test pitches,

1162
00:55:01,760 --> 00:55:04,279
Speaker 2: see what the prognosis is on Joey Wentz and of

1163
00:55:04,360 --> 00:55:07,520
Speaker 2: course everybody's favorite Price Elder. The next couple of weeks,

1164
00:55:07,560 --> 00:55:09,200
Speaker 2: we should get clarity on who is going to be

1165
00:55:09,280 --> 00:55:12,080
Speaker 2: in this rotation come opening day. Yeah.

1166
00:55:12,120 --> 00:55:14,440
Speaker 1: I almost didn't even want to mention it, but because

1167
00:55:14,440 --> 00:55:16,800
Speaker 1: of the Wentz uncertainty, it was like, okay, we supposed

1168
00:55:16,800 --> 00:55:19,280
Speaker 1: to talk about this too. You still got Martin Perez

1169
00:55:19,360 --> 00:55:23,960
Speaker 1: kicking around camp. Yeah, they gotta fill the ending somehow.

1170
00:55:24,320 --> 00:55:26,799
Speaker 1: I know, why shouldn't said? I almost I never say

1171
00:55:26,800 --> 00:55:29,359
Speaker 1: I know. I don't believe it will be our guy,

1172
00:55:29,440 --> 00:55:31,880
Speaker 1: Cookie Carrasco. I think I think we're okay on that,

1173
00:55:32,239 --> 00:55:35,680
Speaker 1: but otherwise a lot of uncertainty, just for you at

1174
00:55:35,680 --> 00:55:40,280
Speaker 1: the end of the podcast, Yeah, Martin Perez, Bryce Elder,

1175
00:55:40,600 --> 00:55:46,360
Speaker 1: Joey Wentz, and look acquisition X whether it's Giliada or not.

1176
00:55:46,680 --> 00:55:48,680
Speaker 1: Could be somebody gets cut, could be somebody gets traded for.

1177
00:55:49,360 --> 00:55:52,719
Speaker 1: I'm not closing the door. Call me, call me someone

1178
00:55:52,760 --> 00:55:55,160
Speaker 1: who has too much autimism. That's always funny to say

1179
00:55:55,160 --> 00:55:57,800
Speaker 1: about me in general, if you know me as a pessimist.

1180
00:55:58,280 --> 00:56:00,720
Speaker 1: But yeah, I guess they'll sign somebody or trade for somebody.

1181
00:56:00,760 --> 00:56:04,960
Speaker 2: It's possible they could. There there are spring training deals

1182
00:56:05,280 --> 00:56:08,759
Speaker 2: like the obviously wasn't wasn't all, say Kimbrel traded like

1183
00:56:08,920 --> 00:56:11,200
Speaker 2: two days before opening day back. I mean we're talking

1184
00:56:11,360 --> 00:56:14,160
Speaker 2: years ago now, but I mean Kimbrel was moved. There

1185
00:56:14,239 --> 00:56:16,839
Speaker 2: are moves made in March. They're they're hard to pull off,

1186
00:56:17,320 --> 00:56:19,919
Speaker 2: but not impossible. And sure if if a team gets

1187
00:56:20,000 --> 00:56:22,399
Speaker 2: to the end of spring training and maybe has too

1188
00:56:22,480 --> 00:56:24,560
Speaker 2: many starting pitchers and they're like, you know what, maybe

1189
00:56:24,600 --> 00:56:26,280
Speaker 2: we trade this guy for some salary.

1190
00:56:26,560 --> 00:56:28,440
Speaker 1: Too many storting pictures is a funny concept.

1191
00:56:28,560 --> 00:56:32,240
Speaker 2: But I understand right, yes, but I'm I'm not holding

1192
00:56:32,280 --> 00:56:35,520
Speaker 2: my breath a sadly. I think we're going to get

1193
00:56:35,880 --> 00:56:38,799
Speaker 2: more Bryce Elder with the Atlanta Braves in twenty twenty six,

1194
00:56:38,920 --> 00:56:41,600
Speaker 2: and those nights I'm not available for the podcast, Brad,

1195
00:56:41,640 --> 00:56:43,360
Speaker 2: I will let you know now I am. I am

1196
00:56:43,440 --> 00:56:44,759
Speaker 2: unavailable whatever those days.

1197
00:56:45,080 --> 00:56:47,960
Speaker 1: I really hope Steven and Sean are available because they're

1198
00:56:47,960 --> 00:56:49,000
Speaker 1: going to be some of those I think.

1199
00:56:49,000 --> 00:56:51,200
Speaker 2: So we should let them know. That's actually going to

1200
00:56:51,239 --> 00:56:55,600
Speaker 2: be a set rule whenever brass order well, no, not

1201
00:56:55,719 --> 00:56:57,680
Speaker 2: even just meet you too. We'll get you out of

1202
00:56:57,719 --> 00:57:02,439
Speaker 2: it only step And when Bryce Elder starts, it could

1203
00:57:02,440 --> 00:57:03,040
Speaker 2: be a Monday.

1204
00:57:03,600 --> 00:57:06,920
Speaker 1: Look, you you might that that actually might kill Stephen Sean.

1205
00:57:07,160 --> 00:57:09,400
Speaker 1: Sean is an optimistic guy. He would find a way

1206
00:57:09,440 --> 00:57:11,959
Speaker 1: to deal with it. It might kill Stephen just saying

1207
00:57:11,960 --> 00:57:12,399
Speaker 1: that loud.

1208
00:57:12,640 --> 00:57:15,760
Speaker 2: It might, but what's it. God gives his toughest battles

1209
00:57:15,800 --> 00:57:18,880
Speaker 2: to his strongest soldiers. Well, Steven, you're up, brother. Here

1210
00:57:18,920 --> 00:57:22,480
Speaker 2: you go all br all the time. Our resident Bryce Elders.

1211
00:57:23,080 --> 00:57:24,840
Speaker 1: He's gonna love hearing this. At the hour mark of

1212
00:57:24,880 --> 00:57:26,640
Speaker 1: this podcast. Okay, Scott, let's get out of here. We've

1213
00:57:26,640 --> 00:57:27,440
Speaker 1: gone long. It's Sunday.

1214
00:57:27,440 --> 00:57:27,880
Speaker 2: It's you and me.

1215
00:57:27,960 --> 00:57:30,840
Speaker 1: It's what we do. But thank you to everyone listening.

1216
00:57:30,680 --> 00:57:31,120
Speaker 2: To the show.

1217
00:57:31,200 --> 00:57:34,720
Speaker 1: As always, please subscribe to Hammer Territory anywhere you get

1218
00:57:34,760 --> 00:57:39,240
Speaker 1: your podcasts, Apple, Spotify, YouTube, et cetera. Also check out

1219
00:57:39,240 --> 00:57:41,520
Speaker 1: the entire Foul Territory network of podcast, the main show,

1220
00:57:42,360 --> 00:57:45,680
Speaker 1: Caro Rosenthal Show, There's All Kind There's an Injury Territory podcast.

1221
00:57:46,120 --> 00:57:47,880
Speaker 1: Everyone made the joke about that being the Brave show.

1222
00:57:48,080 --> 00:57:49,960
Speaker 1: It was a good joke. Everyone made it. We had

1223
00:57:50,000 --> 00:57:53,560
Speaker 1: fun but genuinely awesome network of podcast. You're going to

1224
00:57:53,560 --> 00:57:57,280
Speaker 1: follow Scott on Twitter. It's at Scott Coleman fifty five.

1225
00:57:58,000 --> 00:58:00,840
Speaker 1: This is Mark Scott College basketball season and you were

1226
00:58:00,960 --> 00:58:02,320
Speaker 1: you were at a game the other day. We were

1227
00:58:02,360 --> 00:58:04,800
Speaker 1: talking about you were Sony pictures court side. If you

1228
00:58:04,920 --> 00:58:07,680
Speaker 1: fee on the floor seats in Arizona, it's like it's

1229
00:58:07,720 --> 00:58:09,320
Speaker 1: like you and Sean Elliott are side by side at

1230
00:58:09,360 --> 00:58:12,840
Speaker 1: Arizona games. I'm just picking a random Arizona lump. Anything

1231
00:58:12,840 --> 00:58:13,880
Speaker 1: else to add for you out here?

1232
00:58:14,800 --> 00:58:18,000
Speaker 2: I will say that is a good tease that the

1233
00:58:18,120 --> 00:58:21,520
Speaker 2: show that all of America is waiting for next week

1234
00:58:22,480 --> 00:58:25,440
Speaker 2: Sunday Night edition of The Hammer Territory podcast a week

1235
00:58:25,480 --> 00:58:30,920
Speaker 2: from right now Scott and Brad's Mini NCAA tournament preview show, and.

1236
00:58:31,040 --> 00:58:33,760
Speaker 1: Everyone, everyone, everyone. At the end of the podcast is, uh,

1237
00:58:33,960 --> 00:58:36,120
Speaker 1: we'll give you a clear delineation, everybody. When we'ren't talk

1238
00:58:36,160 --> 00:58:39,800
Speaker 1: about baseball, We'll say, hey, that's it, stick around if

1239
00:58:39,840 --> 00:58:42,800
Speaker 1: you want to. Yeah, And then inevitably every year is like, wait,

1240
00:58:43,120 --> 00:58:45,000
Speaker 1: why is this about basketball? It's like we just told

1241
00:58:45,040 --> 00:58:45,800
Speaker 1: you to sign off. Guys.

1242
00:58:46,000 --> 00:58:50,520
Speaker 2: Sorry, there are there are no less than thirty seven

1243
00:58:50,640 --> 00:58:52,640
Speaker 2: individuals who will listen to that episode.

1244
00:58:52,680 --> 00:58:52,880
Speaker 1: Brad.

1245
00:58:53,040 --> 00:58:57,040
Speaker 2: It will be great. It will be good content. Yes, huge, huge,

1246
00:58:57,040 --> 00:58:59,640
Speaker 2: our biggest show ever. But in all seriousness, we will

1247
00:58:59,680 --> 00:59:02,440
Speaker 2: be back plenty of content on the feed. Maybe we'll

1248
00:59:02,480 --> 00:59:05,720
Speaker 2: get some good news isn't that such a crazy thought

1249
00:59:05,800 --> 00:59:07,920
Speaker 2: that we'll get some good Atlanta Braves news instead of

1250
00:59:08,080 --> 00:59:12,080
Speaker 2: suspensions or injuries or not signing players. We'll get some

1251
00:59:12,160 --> 00:59:15,080
Speaker 2: good news. Let's speak it into existence. Whenever that happens,

1252
00:59:15,320 --> 00:59:17,800
Speaker 2: be subscribed, keep it locked. We'll be here to break

1253
00:59:17,840 --> 00:59:18,280
Speaker 2: it all down.

1254
00:59:19,080 --> 00:59:21,320
Speaker 1: Thank you Scott as always for being here. Thank you

1255
00:59:21,480 --> 00:59:25,840
Speaker 1: to the listener for checking out the podcast one more time, subscribe, rate, review,

1256
00:59:25,880 --> 00:59:28,120
Speaker 1: and importantly, if you're a brace fan, I promise you

1257
00:59:28,320 --> 00:59:30,240
Speaker 1: know someone else in your life it's a Brace fan,

1258
00:59:30,600 --> 00:59:32,600
Speaker 1: tell them about the show. They might not like it,

1259
00:59:32,880 --> 00:59:35,040
Speaker 1: but tell them about the show. We very much appreciate that.

1260
00:59:35,480 --> 00:59:37,760
Speaker 1: Have them give us a chance. And we're almost there.

1261
00:59:38,000 --> 00:59:40,240
Speaker 1: Let's three weeks ago until baseball starts to count. In

1262
00:59:40,280 --> 00:59:43,120
Speaker 1: the meantime, check out Fox one. WBC is gonna be

1263
00:59:43,120 --> 00:59:45,120
Speaker 1: awesome Brans coverage all the way through. We'll have more

1264
00:59:45,160 --> 00:59:48,200
Speaker 1: to come later on this week. We'll see everybody next time.