Tigers sign Verlander, Lindor’s potential surgery, Ken Rosenthal on Braves losing Spencer Schwellenbach

00:00:04
Speaker 1: This is how I want to start. You know how pitchers and catchers are coming through and it's awesome, it's a great time of year. Football's done. And what is one of the first questions that comes through from reporters to managers about their pitching staff.

00:00:19
Speaker 2: Do you have enough pictures?

00:00:21
Speaker 1: After that? It's who's opening bam? Okay, Alex Corus shows up day one today and this morning he goes, let's get this shit over with crochet opening day. And sorry, if you don't like that, we curse. We don't do it that often, but that is directly what Alex Corras said. I'm reading the quote that Tim Healy posted on twinter. Okay, I just want to put that out there. I think it's funny. You know, people get obsessed with who you're who cares first game.

00:00:47
Speaker 2: Everyone knows on most teams you already know. Now there's very few teams where you don't know. Most teams, you can go through the list and pretty much name most of them. For most teams, yamotos for the Dodgers more than likely. I mean, if you start, if we start running through the teams, you can pretty much come up with almost I mean again, I'm gonna have to look at him real quick. But like most teams can you can tell without even thinking that hard about it, all right, I mean, if you go White Sox, that's because it could be anyone start, But no, it's just too popped up on the scores. Okay, Cubs, Alex Bregman, Matthew Boyd, Sure No, Okay Yankees or Kate Horton. Yeah, Yank, it won't be Kate Horton, Yankees, Max Freed, Max Freed, Okay, Baltimore No, or Trevor Rodgers or Trevor Rodgers, Okay, Boston Crochet, Kansas City, Reagan's if he's healthy, right, Texas Jacob de Grom, Arizona, Merrill Kelly probably m hm. Colorado, Sigana. Now they just signed up.

00:01:56
Speaker 1: We're gonna talk about that later.

00:01:57
Speaker 2: San Diego. Joe muskro were paveda, probably paveda. Okay, Michael Seattle, But you're kind.

00:02:04
Speaker 1: Of proving he's probably kind of going against my point that it's like whatever matters.

00:02:10
Speaker 2: It was more Okay, it doesn't matter, it matters.

00:02:13
Speaker 1: Opening Day is a big deal.

00:02:14
Speaker 2: It is, and it matters. But like there's certain places like if Garrett Cole is healthy, Guess what he's opening day right for the Braves Chris Sale. If he's healthy. Guess what I mean. Obviously you got to throwing if healthy, because there are people that get hurt in spring training. But I mean, you know, the Braves Chris Sale is going to be the opening day starter if he's healthy.

00:02:30
Speaker 1: Sanduel Contract for my Eric School for Detroit. Yes, I would say you were picking some teams where it was a little more questionable.

00:02:37
Speaker 2: Logan, Okay, the only reason the Cubs is questionable is because Justin Steele isn't going to be there probably right. Otherwise it would be Justin Steele.

00:02:43
Speaker 1: Half the teams. We've got it down already. So I just thought it was a fun.

00:02:47
Speaker 2: Giants logan Web, Yes, I mean it's it's not it's it's just kind.

00:02:53
Speaker 1: Of funny Braves Chris Sale, which takes me right to what I want to do.

00:02:57
Speaker 2: But before that, before we get into this, I just want to say this. I went, so I don't know, Krats, how much Cratz has ever been to Orlando and you live here now. Last night I decided to go to Disney Springs. And if you don't know what Disney Springs is, it's like a shopping area of Disney.

00:03:13
Speaker 1: Then there many times circ.

00:03:14
Speaker 2: The solet in a restaurants, a bunch of restaurants, and it has a movie theater and has all this crazy stuff.

00:03:20
Speaker 1: For Disney vibes. But you don't have to pay to get in.

00:03:22
Speaker 2: No exactly. And so I went to dinner. I went to Morimoto, by the way, if you haven't been to Morimoto, to have the best duck ever. But that's a whole I don't need to get into that. But the traffic, by the way, the Morimoto and Philly Crats is off, oh so good. Every time I'm there. I try to go there. The traffic for me to get from my house to Disney, which is like under ten miles, easily under ten miles.

00:03:46
Speaker 1: Be careful.

00:03:47
Speaker 2: What you're about to say is ridiculous. It's only one road in and out, so you can only go one way. The traffic it took me to go get three quarters of a mile just because they're working on a new interchange. But that little area, I know you're saying about rays, but to get that to get like that three quarters a mile took me twenty five minutes because the lights can we not synchronize lights. Can we not synchronize light you're the mayor of Orlando.

00:04:13
Speaker 3: I don't know.

00:04:13
Speaker 2: But it's not just here, it's everywhere. And then the other thing that I want to say this about Disney. They have this thing in their parking garages at the Disney Springs that has the red light and it tells you how many parking spots are opened down each row, and it tells you so you can look up at the I can't everywhere do that. You look up at the light and if it's green, that means there's nobody parked, and then you can turn down there and go park if you want it. And it says like seven, so you know down that road there's seven.

00:04:37
Speaker 1: The good ones, the modern ones have it. It just it costs money to say. It's a system.

00:04:41
Speaker 2: It's awesome.

00:04:41
Speaker 1: It is awesome, but just be careful because after our whole segment a week and change ago about how Orlando can handle a big league team, I did get many texts like Orlander's traffic is so bad. I was like, sorry, I'm on the other side of town. There's no traffic.

00:04:57
Speaker 2: Yeah, we don't have a lot of traffics now, except if I go to Disney, which I don't ever go.

00:05:01
Speaker 1: You've been to Magic Games. There's no traffic around there. I mean not right when you're like pulling up around the arena, but like nothing. No, I am desensitized. I'm coming from New York City, thirty minutes on a street or an avenue all the time. I know, so everything with a grand.

00:05:18
Speaker 2: The point was more like, can we get everywhere to have those little lights things? So when you go to park you're like, oh, I could like that here.

00:05:24
Speaker 1: New York City does have the traffic lights lined up on the streets and it works.

00:05:28
Speaker 2: Yes, agreed.

00:05:28
Speaker 1: I mean it's still disaster, but it's way better that way. Yes, we will try and introduce Orlando to that concept at some point. Okay, now back to spring training. First of all, we have a gorgeous calendar put together by producer Lady. It shows our spring training schedule. Many of you have been waiting for it. Here it is if you're listening on podcast platforms. I'm not going to spend two minutes saying every team in what day it is right now, but we will post it. And also you should check out our YouTube channel and give us a subscribe and you can see what it looks like. I'll just give you week one and then we need to move on to the news. We start with the Kansas City Royals on Tuesday the seventeenth, Guardians Camp on the eighteenth of February, like coming up in a week, and then that night we'll be at Playmaker's Classics. So we'll do double shows A's on Thursday, Dodgers Camp, Friday including which should be a very special sit down that we did like last year with Dave Roberts, and Saturday, Yes, Saturday at Mariners Camp, Sunday at Rangers Camp. We'll do a little weekend action while we soak up all of the time available in Arizona. There it is, I'll you been asking and now you see it. Aja. You know what I love about Hello Fresh the variety. Every single week I can choose from over one hundred recipes.

00:06:47
Speaker 4: That's a lot of recipes.

00:06:49
Speaker 2: Agreed. You can go and you can narrow it down, Scott to whatever you want. Family friendly, because you know I got kids sometimes the need to eat, so you can go family friendly, pescatarian, vegetarian, whatever you want to do, healthy options. However you want to refine your search on HelloFresh. It will spit out delicious, healthy ingredients that then you get to cook, which I love to cook. I keep saying it. I love to cook. I love to chop up the ingredients and make beautiful dishes.

00:07:17
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00:08:04
Speaker 2: He had tell me John last year, right, what do you have he missed them significant amount of time?

00:08:09
Speaker 1: No he didn'tj No, he.

00:08:11
Speaker 2: Had tell me John in college.

00:08:12
Speaker 1: I know that he had a fractured elbow in early July of last year.

00:08:17
Speaker 2: Nice, this sucks. Hopefully it does bone spurs, because bone spurs are pretty you can pretty much go in and cut them out and be back not too long. But if it's not bone spurs, Man, the Braves can't lose. Can't afford to lose Schwallenbach for sixty day. Maybe Zach Gallon slideshoo.

00:08:37
Speaker 1: Makes too much sense, doesn't.

00:08:38
Speaker 2: Justin Verlander, Max Scherzer.

00:08:41
Speaker 1: Hey Kratz. Let's remember last year Atlanta had every picture missing significant time from what I recall. So I'm going to agree with AJ and take the easy route and say the Braves do public earnings calls. They're a publicly traded company. They make a ton of money. They have said that they like to be aggressive. They have a high ranked payroll, so this is not a cheap thing. But when you do have resources and you have an injury to someone you were expecting to give you one hundred and fifty plus innings Zach Allen online one, Chris Bassett online two, etc.

00:09:17
Speaker 3: I bet it becomes the Chris Bassett play. I'm not saying he's better than I'm not saying I'm not saying he's better than Zach Allen. I'm just saying it feels like the Braves won't dip into the possibility of a two or three year deal with the first year opt out for Zach Gollen. You know, I don't know where Zach Allen's market's at. It just feels like a Chris Bassett signing would be very very Braves esque in the sense that I think he's besides Gallon of the veterans that are left, he's the best pitcher. He pitches, he knows how to make pitches, and he's had success in the East. Yeah, I would I would say that would be the route. But man like to me, it should have happened before because of how many guys were hurt last year. All of those dudes are not going to be healthy this year, so they knew this is going to happen. This is where your depths. We're going to talk about some other teams that have some depth issues. You can't all be the Dodgers. Maybe the Blue Jays have it perfect, but you have to. It's it's time. It's time. You got to go out and get one of these guys in their fortunate there's still some available.

00:10:32
Speaker 1: Are the Braves the most cursed injury team over the last year because many of their fans feel like that's the case. When almost every starter was hurt last year and Hassan Kim was signed, boom he gone for a while, slipped on ice, Spencer spelling back, boom he gone before guys are even putting their name tags back on at spring training.

00:10:53
Speaker 2: Yeah, cursed, most curse, I don't want to say cursed happens to every other teams have problems.

00:11:00
Speaker 1: They're up there, They're in my power rankings for injury bit teams.

00:11:03
Speaker 3: No.

00:11:04
Speaker 2: Yeah, but also you know what's been weird about the Braves. Yes, they've been injury bit and they don't have the depth that they thought they had, I don't think, but they've also been bit by guys just haven't had as good of years. I mean, Acunia obviously has had some knee problems and have been hurt. But some of the other guys that they were counting on for a while, I mean, I know, haven't had the years that they were counting on and they've been banged up. So maybe I don't want to say a curse, but I'm just saying it's the natural progression of life at this point because guys are just it seems like, again, I don't know, it would have to dig into the numbers here. I just feel like more guys go on the IL now than it used to in the past. And I don't know if that's a medical thing, a team thing, a load management thing, or what it is, but it just seems that way. It might not be true, but it just seems like that more guys go on the IL for minor things than they used to.

00:11:53
Speaker 3: It seems like their rotation last year it was almost historic like to lose as many guys as they did. But I don't feel like we should put them in the all the Braves are breaking pitchers category for some reason. And this is maybe just this is just my feeling on the outside watching it. It just feels like they were snake bit maybe cursed. I don't know, but I just feel like they pitching last year for them. The fact that they did as well as they did based on how many guys were injured, just shows what the organization has and they rarely need to go outside of the organization on a big, huge, big, huge, long term deal.

00:12:34
Speaker 2: I know they were big in on Nola.

00:12:37
Speaker 3: Maybe that was to just get the Phillies to pay more, but they've really done an incredible job of the reclamation project of Rinaldo Lopez reclamation Project of Sale, who they ended up extending afterwards like that is an absolute steal. The fact that they've been able to call guys up from the minor leagues, not just this past year, not just this last ten years, thirty years, They've always the Braves have always done this. So if there's a team that I feel like can overcome injuries, especially in the pitching, it's them. When you talk about the position players, that's a little bit different. Like Acuna still had a great year coming back from that injury, and you know he's gonna be the guy, But are the other guys going to step up and have even close to career years like they did when they had that unbelievable regular season and got bounced in the playoffs.

00:13:28
Speaker 2: Lopez is he back? Firs? Do we know that he's back?

00:13:32
Speaker 3: That's why we got to find out when when all the pitchers and catchers report all of a sudden, it's like, oh wait, yeah, we got to talk about these guys. We gotta oh, what happened to Schwellenbach? Like they knew about Schwellenbach before today, he didn't just all of a sudden get swelling. They call once every two weeks, once a month in the offseason something is something is swelling. Obviously you don't want you don't want to have to go get imaging. But when you have swelling in your throw elbow, it's rarely is it Like, Oh, I just I just pushed it a little bit too early. So hopefully it is just bone spurs and that can be like a five six weeks shut down, which another five six weeks started up, then you go on your rehab. So yeah, you're looking at possibly end of June early July, if that's what it is.

00:14:22
Speaker 1: Yeah, and by the way, on Lopez, I mean, it seems like he's going to be a camp doing his thing. I mean, the shoulder was the latest to kind of bite him towards the end of the year. And yeah, he barely pitched last year, so we'll see. Let's talk to Ken about this right now, to the Inside Scoop with Ken rosenthal Ft senior insider, Ken, what do you think of this? News for the Braves. Losing Spencer Schwellenbach for significant time never fun to start camp this way.

00:14:53
Speaker 5: Not at all, especially when the Braves already were looking for a starting pitcher Scott, so they were in the market one. Now this only increases the urgency for them to make another move. The good news is, if there is good news here, and it's certainly not good news when you hear any picture getting hurt, is that there are plenty of pictures available, and Zach Gallan obviously is the best of them, but you've also got Lucas Gilido and Chris Bassett, Max Chuerz or Justin Verlander, Jose Quintana, any number of others, Zach Luttel. So it's not as if the Braves cannot go out and get someone. But of course they were counting on Spencer Schwellenbach to be a big part of what they were going to do and hopefully what they still will do with him in twenty six.

00:15:38
Speaker 3: There's a lot of tiers of pictures, tiers of how much a pitcher's gonna cost, tiers of ability, tiers of age. Is there any idea of what tier they were going in? Do they have a certain amount of money allotted. Can they go over ten million? Is over fifteen that they were looking at, and could that go up now the schwellenbox hurt.

00:15:58
Speaker 5: It's not clear exactly what they are willing to spend. Eric. The one thing that is a little bit different with them, and they've been unwilling to deal with this because of the qualifying offer situation is the loss of a draft pick. They've got their pick that they would lose would be number twenty six overall, and that's kind of a high pick to lose. They've been reluctant to do that. They would do it for the right picture. I don't know that Zach Gollan on a short term deal is going to be the right picture. I still expect him to go back to Arizona, but I don't know that it changes anything for them financially. They were going to spend what they were going to spend, and the guys out there now are only going to get a certain amount. They're not going to be incredibly lucrative deals. But again my question would be, Okay, do you now need two instead of one? Maybe you take one of the veterans that is still out there and you trade for someone else. I'm not exactly sure. Obviously this's just happened, but again this was already considered by them to be an area of need.

00:17:00
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00:17:05
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00:17:18
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00:18:02
Speaker 2: Wow, so Ken, was it Verlander? Is it Sureser? I mean, I know we can't speculate on this, but Hurston Waldrup is already there. You know, Where's Smith? Sharver is Ronaldo Lopez?

00:18:14
Speaker 1: Does this?

00:18:15
Speaker 2: How much? Does this? I guess hurt the Braves right in the long run in the division that is not easy. I mean, the Phillies are loaded again, the Mets reloaded. The Braves are supposed to be able to compete with them. Everyone you know in our internet chats is the Marlins are going to be really good, even though I have to see it. And then you have the Nationals, So the teams in that division and the National League in general is going to be tough to make the playoffs how quickly? I mean, gosh, this is this is just one of those moves. It seems devastating almost for the Braves. And we haven't even started spring training yet. Aja.

00:18:49
Speaker 1: We reluctant to call it that.

00:18:50
Speaker 5: And the only reason I say that is because he is only the first pitcher who's going to get hurt this season. There are going to be so many others that occur. They are going to be so many things that happen that we can't anticipate. We do know the Braves probably are going to find at least one other starting pitcher, So it's a little early for me to get into a doom mode on any team. But clearly this is a setback in what you correctly described as one of the game's most competitive divisions. There's no doubt about that. Phillies, Mets, and Braves. You probably could flip a coin before today on which one you think is the best. Obviously, different people will have different opinions. The Marlins, I don't expect them necessarily to be with those three, but they won seventy nine games last season and their position.

00:19:36
Speaker 1: To do even better.

00:19:37
Speaker 5: So it's a tough division, and any injury is going to swing playoff odds and all of that. It's just a question of one, how long is he out? And two who do they find to replace him?

00:19:51
Speaker 2: Ken, you said you won't play dude by the way, Smith Sharver had TG in June, so he's probably he's not gonna be around this year more than likely, maybe at the end. But also you said it's too early to put the doom on somebody because of an injury. You wouldn't even do that with the Colorado Rockies and Chris Bryant going on the sixty d l You won't give us the doom and gloom for the Rockies and you think they still have a chance at the playoffs a j I.

00:20:13
Speaker 5: Was worth talking about teams that actually have changs.

00:20:17
Speaker 2: Oh you just said no teams.

00:20:19
Speaker 1: You're right, you're right.

00:20:20
Speaker 5: You took me literally, and I appreciate you taking me literally, agent instead of misquoting me. So I take it back. The Colorado Rockies. I'll put the doom on them.

00:20:31
Speaker 1: Wow, they want to springs trading. Such a glass app full conversation, breaking news everyone. Justin Berlander back to the Detroit Tigers. I knew it was happening before it was happening. And the Tiger territory shirt today.

00:20:45
Speaker 2: We were that. I know why you wore that shirt and then not, just In Verlander, can you tell us why? Yeah, because Scott wors is coming on. You're trying to kiss up because the.

00:20:54
Speaker 1: Scot well, no, the Tigers went against Scott.

00:20:57
Speaker 2: So you're wearing that.

00:20:59
Speaker 1: I'm just wearing it as a theme. There's no bias here. I'm just showing it as a theme because we're going to talk.

00:21:03
Speaker 2: About I love this signing, do you yeah? Listen? It gives him another guy and he bitched really well in the second half. Did And also, if this is Justin's last year, he goes back to where it all started, and if they have a nice year and make a nice run and he does, okay, it doesn't do okay. At least he went back to where it all started and he could finish out. He knows Lakeland very well. He knows the Tigers are trying after the from Brevaldez signing. He knows from Brevaldez very well. He I mean schoolble Valdez, Flaherty, Verlander, ries Olsen, whoever the other fifth guy is, I mean the Casey myes. That's pretty good five, right, And then how if they could just get some hits. We need some hits. But h but other than that, I mean, listen, the rotation is nice.

00:21:48
Speaker 3: They added, They added Finnegan, they added Kenley Jansen as AJ said, like they do it to score runs. But Aj Hinch came on and he told us, look like we scored runs last year.

00:22:00
Speaker 2: We were not.

00:22:01
Speaker 3: Yes, it didn't go well at the end, it didn't go well. The end of the end of the season. I mean you have a you have an extra you have an extra uh extra inning game to end your season, and you don't and you don't score any runs. Like, yeah, it's gonna be the narrative. But maybe they believe in the offense more than we believe in them. Maybe they aren't afraid of the strikeouts like we're a little bit afraid of it. But justin Verlander, I would say slots in is the number five. And with the second half that he had and the fact that he put together a nice I think he's got below a four year I think it was like a three eight three eight five something like that. Like he's gonna give you some nice innings. That's what that's what they're bringing him in for, especially until Reese Olsen is one hundred percent. And it's something that like you went, I was saying it before we got cut off.

00:22:56
Speaker 2: Is this all in?

00:22:57
Speaker 3: Like, did they go and get the two best free agents?

00:22:59
Speaker 1: No?

00:23:00
Speaker 3: Did they see a need to add someone else to their rotation? Yes, they added Framber, which I said before makes them, in my opinion, the best one two punch just because you could add me to it and the one two punch of me and Scooble becomes one of the best. Like obviously with Framber it is a massive upgrade.

00:23:23
Speaker 2: And to me, this is a case.

00:23:26
Speaker 3: This is a case where you sit there and you go, would Verlander have signed there.

00:23:30
Speaker 2: If it was just Scooble.

00:23:33
Speaker 3: Maybe he saw that they've made the they've made the they've made the post season in the last two years with Scooble, and it feels like it can help him out.

00:23:44
Speaker 1: Yeah, Verlander thirteen mil, you can so eleven of that's deferred until twenty thirty.

00:23:50
Speaker 2: He doesn't care. He's got plenty of of course, that's my point.

00:23:53
Speaker 1: It's all good. Why are only the Dodgers getting crap for giving out deferrals where.

00:24:00
Speaker 2: Most teams are doing it now. A lot of teams do it now. Yeah, a lot of teams has been doing it. A lot of advance paying Chris Davis still like forever, a lot of Boni is still getting paid from like thirty plus years ago. This has always been a thing.

00:24:15
Speaker 1: A lot of fans think, like that's one of the big problems in the sport. I'm like, it's really.

00:24:19
Speaker 2: Because he's making seventy but he's only making two.

00:24:23
Speaker 1: Otani's ruining a lot of things because he's really good. He's really marketable, so anyone that has him that knows what they're doing, has a significant advantage.

00:24:31
Speaker 2: Also, listen, what he did was smart, not only for the team but also for him personally because of the tax.

00:24:37
Speaker 1: Then, right, but he's not the only person to avoid taxes by getting signing bonuses or tals.

00:24:41
Speaker 2: Kyle Tucker just did it.

00:24:42
Speaker 1: Half the league does that.

00:24:44
Speaker 2: I tried it every time I'd signed a free agent contract. I tried it all. I always wanted a signing bonus because I live in Florida and I didn't have a state tax. It would save me a lot of money. Right well, I was always like, yeah, give me a signing I'll pull you for the minimum during the year, give me a signing bonus.

00:24:57
Speaker 1: It's not avoiding anything either, It's just that's what every but he does.

00:25:01
Speaker 2: I know we're talking about Berlander and all that, But did you see the thing on uh? I think Boomer Sison did it. And I know we're past football baseball season where Sam Darnold lost money playing in the Super Bowl. That was a little bit better. It was a little bit, but it was just interesting because of the way they did it. Anyways, you have to watch it if you haven't seen it. He made it. Players made one hundred and seventy three thousand dollars, but he got tax like two hundred and fifty thousand, so he ended up like I mean, but it's it's he manipulated a little bit. But it's just kind of like, whoa wait, funny. I don't know if it's true or not, but there's a couple of people that I've seen do it, but Boomer Sizon was kind of the one that brook Anyways.

00:25:39
Speaker 1: I would take the loss to win the super Bowl. But it is funny.

00:25:42
Speaker 2: It is Yeah, of course you take the loss to win the super Bowl. But think it's just amazing that that's even being brought up because when you were in the Super Bowl, you're like, man, I made so much money. Anyways, Uh.

00:25:52
Speaker 1: For Berlander, by the way, just going through some of his profile from last year, felt like something clicked mechanically in around July is when he talked about it, and that does track with the numbers four nine ninety first sixteen starts, two six zero era last thirteen starts and he did this what about a month in the first half with the strained right peck, but still gave the team one hundred and fifty two innings. So there are some signs that JV could have a very strong season here all right, back to some segments. We're up and running, and this is not one that we love to do, but this is a normal segment during the season. We don't have to do it much in the off season. Spring training has begun. Unfortunately, we started our show with the Spencer Schraenbach News and now we learn during the last interview we had that Francisco Lindor might need hammetbone surgery. Now you look and go, okay, recovery timetable six weeks. If he ends up needing this, he could still be ready for opening day. It could be tricky.

00:26:59
Speaker 2: The hammer I had it, I had it. I don't know if we can do my my zoom in I talked, okay, yeah, he kind of. I have a scar right here. I did mine at the end of the year. I also saw David Ortiz have this happen to him, and he he did not have surgery, and he tried to play through it. He did lose his power because you don't understand how bad this hurts. It's a little tiny handmate, it's a little tiny hook. It's like it's like, I mean, it's like this big right but it goes right here in your hand and it holds all these ligams and tendons in place, and you don't really need it. It's just kind of there. And but when you break it off, it hurts so bad. I remember I was My hand was stuck. I couldn't move. I couldn't move these three fingers. I was like, what am I like? The game I did? It was in triple A. I did it off a position player and I had to have the umpire throw the ball back to the picture in the top of the ninth inning, so he was I was like, here, I can't throw, and so the umpire had to throw the ball back to the picture of the entire inning. And I've never felt anything like that. And then go and get surgery. I was lucky mine was at the end of the year. It cost me a September call up, but whatever with that. But guys that rush back from this, it bothers him for a long time. So if I'm listening to Francisco, you got a long year I know you want to be there on an opening day, but make sure you're right, whatever hand it's in, make sure you're right, because again, I saw David Ortiz come back from this without having surgery, and it took him a long time to be right because every swing it hurts like it hurt hurts.

00:28:26
Speaker 1: Here's the problem for the Mets. They missed the playoffs barely last year. The team could look totally different this year and it could be a much rosier season for them.

00:28:35
Speaker 2: Yes, but a sixty percent Francisco Lindor is not going to be as good as if you wait a week and he's one hundred.

00:28:40
Speaker 1: Percent totally agree. I'm just saying it sucks that one of your superstars in this spot when you get to camp. I mean, of course, he originally wanted to play in the WBC. I don't know when this popped up. In particular, he didn't get cleared insurance wise anyway, but now it sounds like he could miss some time. It's not confirmed, but this was brought up by the team. This isn't like a rumor. This isn't the spreading rumor segment, Kratz. This is David Stearns talking at Metz camp today and actually giving out two bits of news. The other side was Wan Soda moving from right field to left field this year. But here's more. He's going to see a hand specialist talking about Lindor on Wednesday, and hamt surgery could be an option. Also Soda moving to left your thoughts on both.

00:29:27
Speaker 3: So the moving to left is I think is a bigger deal than people will let on. I mean, he has a lot of he gets a lot of assists in the outfield, but it's because guys keep running on him. He made a concerted effort to improve his defense. I think there's less ground to cover in left field in city field, but I don't know. I think it's interesting. Obviously, the big news is possibility that they could lose Lindor Or, which I think Aj alluded to or said, maybe not losing for any real games, but rush him back because if you look at Lindoor, he has been the picture of health. He has been out there, he plays every single day. This contract he signed with the Mets has been a steal.

00:30:14
Speaker 1: So far.

00:30:15
Speaker 3: He has been exactly what they wanted. He's slightly getting better every year, Like I get it. He had some slow starts, but he finishes right around his his career average, his career ops plus every year. He had a bump up last year, Like he's out there every single day, and when a guy has something little a handmad bone is never going to break again. The issue what AJ is saying is if you come back too soon, and I think six weeks is on the longer side. I usually hear guys trying to rush at four weeks. But to me, if he comes back and he's not one healthy, does a wrist get hurt? Does he hurt his shoulder? People are like, what is a hamdmate and the shoulder? Just because you're manipulating something that you do. Last year he had seven hundred and thirty two played appearances. If that hand hurts, are you compensating with something else? So hopefully they have everything set up and he knows you got to be one hundred, one hundred and fifty games of Francisco indoor at one hundred percent is better than him at one hundred and sixty two games at eighty percent.

00:31:22
Speaker 1: No doubt. And also, while we're at it in the NL East, we did learn over the past twenty four hours a confirmation that Zack Wheeler is not going to be ready for opening day, but hopefully back somewhat soon. It still does bring up the last year. Yeah, take it s low. It still does bring up the question if the Phillies are going to explore adding another arm.

00:31:43
Speaker 2: True, they could, absolutely.

00:31:45
Speaker 1: There's still enough veteran arms out there. Are they going for Gallon? I don't think so, although.

00:31:50
Speaker 2: That would be ambassatres or something like that would look nice.

00:31:52
Speaker 1: Yeah, there's some veteran arms. Julio hasn't signed. Ye. Yeah, I know the injury issue at the end of the year, but he had some good arts last year, so we'll see. We knew that though, right Kratz, because I saw it pop up yesterday. But Philly knew that it was going to take a little time for Wheeler.

00:32:11
Speaker 2: Yeah.

00:32:11
Speaker 1: I don't think anyone expected them on day one.

00:32:14
Speaker 2: I don't think. I don't think they were.

00:32:15
Speaker 3: I think they were hopeful for it, which begs the question do they have enough depth. We won't get to it today, but the Phillies are a team that that depth used to be Christopher Sanchez, that depth used to be you know, some guys in the minor leagues. They're testing that depth right now.

00:32:46
Speaker 1: Hey, two signings we didn't have time to get to, but we will do them for thirty seconds each right now, Iron Savali and the Ace, the thirty year old getting six million dollars this coming season to be a veteran arm on the team also can make an additional one and a half mil via incentives. Hey, this is what the A's need. Cool, No, but they need pitching down cool. It falls off there for.

00:33:06
Speaker 2: Them, I know. Cool. So if allays a veteran guy.

00:33:11
Speaker 1: Good, happy, great, nice, because they're going to bang I think, I mean got a nice core of hitters there that are lot. No, it does not. They just got stronger krats. As we keep moving along, Chicano signing with the Rockies five million bucks on a one year contract. It was a slow off season for him for a while, but he finds a home and he looked like a back end starter, right. He had his good moments, his tougher moments for a team that was in a tough spot last year, and he actually was adamant. I saw on one show, like maybe a podcast in Japan or something like that, how he said he had no thoughts of returning to Japan. He was like, I'm staying here. I want to get a major league job, and he did five million bucks to keep rolling in a very tough environment. He likes to challenge himself.

00:33:57
Speaker 3: Two dudes that are cop potent big league pitchers, where you have them in the rotation, no big deal. They're set up. They're set up for a tough season. Not the teams that they're on, the environment that they're pitching in. It's like saying, hey, I'm a home run hitter. I'm gonna go sign with the Giants and approve it. Deal, Like that's tough. Likes there's some parks that you avoid. We'll see how these guys navigate. Colorado for Chicano and Sacramento for Savali.

00:34:28
Speaker 2: I get it.

00:34:28
Speaker 3: Half your games are on the road, but half your games are in a tough, tough environment for pitchers who do not strike out enough batters.

00:34:39
Speaker 1: Yep and Chicano initially tried to get into the bigs, and then the posting window expired. He decided to stay in Japan, and then he stayed with the Yumi or Giants out there. I was looking back men. He got four years forty nil back then. It's good money in the NPB, but then came back here for twenty twenty five and he'll continue in twenty twenty six. All right, let's run through a few promos on the way out. Number one a reminder to everyone spring training schedule up and running. It is beautiful. We're looking at it if you're listening on the podcast. Again, I'm not going to do them all right now, but flip back to the beginning of the show and I went through the first five or six camps. Very excited for it, and there will be a sponsor attached to it, which we will name at a later date. Next up, we're also working on more of the YouTube membership content. We hear you fans that want to give a little and give some love and get additional emojis and some preferences in the chat. We also are working on some of those cool content videos, so if you want to check those out, then go for it. The Loyalty Badge and thirteen members only videos. That number continues to grow. Kipness, krats, aj Todd Father, et cetera telling some cool inside the story, so check that out. Five bucks a month. And lastly, this show just switched dates. Hot sheat every Tuesday three o'clock Eastern time on the Baseball America YouTube channel. So we're ending right now, they're starting, and it enables us to go right from this national show to theirs. So give them a little bit of love. See where your prospects are at. Enjoy hot sheet. We are back tomorrow. We have a player joining us tomorrow. Nine. Sure, yeah, I lined it up. I'm just making sure that I say the right player's name. It is actually two players, Zach Geloff, Justin Robleski and Will Venable joining us tomorrow. Oh, this is fun. Tomorrow's going to be good one. We'll see that