Chase Burns debut day, Reds buyers/sellers? Superstars Elly & Abbott

00:00:00
Speaker 1: I think there's a shot, and I think they this is the time that they want to go for it and get better. Now we'll see how much they're willing to pay.

00:00:13
Speaker 2: See ring Rose Grants from the Athletic. They covered the Reds joining us right now. Trent, good to see you, and hey, this is a big, big headline, especially with they're a currently out. Chase Burns is going to enter the show on Tuesday for the Reds. So let's dive into that right from the jump. Here, what do you know? We're you surprised about the timing and how much of an impact can this make in the rotation?

00:00:38
Speaker 1: Honestly, wasn't that surprised. You know, this is a team organization. Last year when Rhet Lauder had a chance to come up and they needed them, he came up. They needed somebody and they've proven that they're not scared of doing that. And so it's exactly what they told Chase Burns last year when they drafted him and said, hey, we don't want you to shoot to throw the rest of this year, and he wasn't really excited about it and he wanted to pitch. But once Louder came up and they were good to their word, he's eased it his his worries and so then all he did was just go out and dominate. I mean, what is it eighty three strikeouts or eighty nine strikeouts to thirteen walks, and like, even if you dig deeper in that of those thirteen walks, four were in his first triple A start, and then the first six were in his first four starts, So he had three and all the other starts, which is when you're hitting one hundred and striking out that many batters, that's pretty impressive.

00:01:45
Speaker 3: Hey, Trent, I want to ask a question that last time I was on the show aj As And when you have a guy, you know, shooting through the minor leagues like Burns with that type of arm, and you have a guy like cag Leon with the ability to hit forty homers at the big le level, when you see an arm fly through the organization like this, and you see a bat fly through the organization like this, I want to get your take.

00:02:07
Speaker 4: I'm gonna take AJ's question here that he's asking to pass.

00:02:11
Speaker 3: Who do you go with in the draft? You know, do you go with that big batter, do you go with that possible arm? When we know that sometimes arm is an injury away or who knows what away.

00:02:21
Speaker 4: From not being who we thought they were gonna be.

00:02:25
Speaker 1: Yeah, it's tough, you know, you always kind of think about that. And the Reds kind of just go with who they liked the most. And they really liked CAGs, they really liked Nick Kurtz, the first baseman at wake Forest, but they just felt like Chase Burns was someone they couldn't pass up. And if you remember last year, everybody's talking about Bazanna or Charlie Condon going one two and which one's gonna go one and then the other would go two? And the Reds kind of went off board and went with Burns and kind of took some heat, like people criticized that pick at the time, and they just said, hey, we really like this guy. And and you know, I was talking to the signing scout today and he said, you know, I put a seventy on his fastball of seventy on the slider, but I put an eighty on his competitiveness and that is what really tipped the scales in his his favor.

00:03:25
Speaker 5: Okay, Trent C Trent, which one is it?

00:03:27
Speaker 1: Is it Trent or C. Trent. It's both, but Trent's fine.

00:03:31
Speaker 2: What is every show?

00:03:34
Speaker 1: I know? But I want to know what the C stands for?

00:03:37
Speaker 5: Charles, Charles, Charlie, You're Charlie from now on, Charlie, by the way, Burnt, well, Charlie, you're not not.

00:03:48
Speaker 2: Those are your options. He just gave them to you, and then you tried to give him a different option.

00:03:52
Speaker 5: Because I heard a called a lot of things that I can exactly exactly see. So that's the point. See, Scott tried to nick himself. That's how you get a nickname, Scott, you give it to someone else. Now, Trim, all right, Seriously, I mean Burns, those one hundred Burns has a nasty slider.

00:04:08
Speaker 4: We all know this.

00:04:09
Speaker 5: But could they give him an easy, easier landing spot than the Yankees, Like they gotta go Yankees off the bat?

00:04:14
Speaker 1: Like they couldn't have given.

00:04:15
Speaker 5: Him Rockies or something White Sox or I mean someone like that, they went Yankees.

00:04:23
Speaker 1: I mean, you know, the duries don't always happen, and holes in your rotation don't always happen when you want him. But honestly, from what I've talked to Chase and the people I've talked around with him. I think if you gave him his his brothers, he would pick the Yankees of the Dodgers. You know, face show Hay or Judge right away, first inning in the big leagues. He's gonna face Aaron Judge. How are we doing? You get an idea where you stand real quick when that guy's at the plate?

00:04:56
Speaker 4: Yeah?

00:04:56
Speaker 3: Yeah, I want to ass you know, you talk about the elite fast ball, talk about the least slider, and I know he's done it. I know he competes, and it's a different level. How much of that is stuff that we're looking at? And I know college is different as well because we saw him overpower a lot of hitters. But how much of that is a guy who actually is coming here he's going to be able to rely on some command as well, because you know, as we know, a lot of guys come up here with stuff, but what lose them is that ability to command the strike zone, and up here stuff still gets hit. Where's he as far as the organization believes, as far as a command standpoint goes.

00:05:33
Speaker 1: They're they're just over the moon. I mean they wanted him to fail somewhere along the way. And even if you look Atrhet Louder, Like Rhet Louder when he went up to Double A last year, he struggled for his first three or four starts and then kind of got it together touched. I think he had one start in Triple A and then you know, he made six starts in the Big League and put up a one to one six ERA or something like that, and so, like, you know, I think they were really hoping that someone would hit them somewhere along the way, just to be like, hey, you know, this isn't all that easy. But you know, all the places they had to play them and pitch them, nobody could touch them. So uh yeah, it's uh, it's it's pretty crazy.

00:06:18
Speaker 5: It's weird, though, Trent. Did you know the Reds, unlike the Cubs who were in their division, when they brought up their young stud Horton, they used an opener because they didn't want them to have to face the top of the Mets line up the first time, you know, because Lindor Soto and Alonzo they only come up once again, so if you don't face them that first time, you're never gonna have to face them. I love that, Tito Francona's little more old schools, like, hey, Chase Burns, guess what you throw a hunter with a nasty slider, Go get the Yankees in the first thing.

00:06:43
Speaker 1: Let's see what you got.

00:06:44
Speaker 5: But that's to me, that is awesome of the kid.

00:06:48
Speaker 1: I believe in you, right and and and you know that is Tito's superpower is that he lets everybody think that he believed in them one hundred percent. He connects with everybody and he you know, I think they think this kid is so special that this is where he wants to be and where he should be and where he can compete like I. You know, he may not. Maybe he gets hit around today, but I don't think that that's or tomorrow. But I don't think that's gonna deter him or change anything. It'll just be that learning. And that's Hey, this is the big leagues. You got to you gotta face those guys. Sometimes you might as well see where you are. And like I said, you know that first inning you're going to see where you are.

00:07:36
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00:07:52
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00:07:54
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00:08:02
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00:08:36
Speaker 5: Is that have it the best picture in the National League bescience Paul's games? Maybe I mean Andrew Avas having a great best He's gotta you.

00:08:45
Speaker 1: Would hope, so he's yeah, you would really hope. So because well, I'm already working on that story. But but yeah, like the guy is, you know, here's a throwback from the mustache to the body like you could just put a dart in his hand, and he looked like he was part of the rotation with Tom Browning and Mario Soto. But you want to talk about command, that's really what he does, and the sequencing and just he's not the biggest guy. He doesn't have the best stuff. I mean, there's ninety five. Let's let's say, like, let's I'm not throwing ninety five and it's still really impressive, but he's not Chase Burns stuff. But he carries himself like that, and he pitches with that confidence and that intelligence, and he is he's one of the best pitchers at pitching that I've seen recently.

00:09:43
Speaker 2: All Right, I'll jump in here and take it to the position player Superstar. Where we're at on Ellie de la Cruz. It looks like if you go in the past, what two weeks or so, he's picked up the pop and now all of the rates that are actually at a career high for him. So he is taking the next step? Is he you know, one fifty ops plus guy and not yet? But he's also super young, and I mean when you add up everything he's doing, he's at superstar status, isn't he.

00:10:12
Speaker 1: Yeah, I don't. I don't put anything past him, you know, like I I don't know that there's anything on the baseball field that he can't do. I mean, we're talking to somebody and they're like, man, we got I'd love to see him on the mound, you know, after a ninety nine mile an hour relay throw on the dot. He's It's one of those things like I still remember the day that I first heard his name. I had someone call me and just say, hey, someone of the Reds told me they found their tattoos. And then we were like whoa. He's like, yeah, they think that's a little hyperbolic, but this kid could be really good. And like you kept hearing these things about oh where he what he could be, and at the end he just said, Okay, forget all that. We don't care about the ceiling. We care about the floor because the ceiling just doesn't exist, and it just doesn't. It's like the ceiling a great American ball park, there is none and it could just keep going up. And so yeah, this kid is just keeps getting better and he's a competitor and he is a really smart person, and I think that's a big part of his success and why they think that he can get even better is because of the intelligence and maturity that he has at a very young.

00:11:31
Speaker 3: Age, having guys like Elie Deli Cruz, having guys at the helm like Tito Francona. You talk about the confidence, and I think that is and I think a lot of people would agree that as Tito's superpower. But I think at right now, what two games now over five hundred, this team is still young, still.

00:11:50
Speaker 4: Very much in the mix. When you look at the NL Central, what.

00:11:53
Speaker 3: Are you hearing as far as moves, as far as trade deadline, because they're still not quite there.

00:11:58
Speaker 4: There's still a few pieces that need to be had.

00:12:01
Speaker 3: What is the how high is the confidence level that they're going to, you know, be buyers and not sellers and go I really try to make a push for his nail Central.

00:12:11
Speaker 1: I think they will be buyers, but I don't know if they're gonna make big splashes. It'll probably be more on the margins. But but you know, because you need they're not They do not hit left hand as well. The outfield has been inconsistent. Other than TJ Friedle if you want to talk about underrated guys. TJ. Friedel's having a heck of a season and when he is healthy like he was two years ago and this year, he is a great tone setter at the top of the lineup. But but third corner outfields just haven't quite found it. They're hoping that Austin Hayes coming back is part of that. You've seen Matt McClain kind of turn it around after struggling early, you know, Noel v Marte, you know, But but you're counting on Here's the thing is, I think they're counting on those guys coming back and being healthy. But no Elily Mart's track record is up and down. Austin Hayes has been on the i L three times already this year. When he's been on the field, he's been great. But if you're counting on that, that's you know, you always hear about, oh, we're counting on who's going to return. I just don't know if you can count on those guys because you haven't been able to.

00:13:22
Speaker 3: So so there's a chance I'm sorry, a I was gonna say so, So there's a chance they could be sellers if you if you're really being a realistic about the roster, is what I mean. I'm just I don't want to insinuate. But when that answer, well, I think they.

00:13:36
Speaker 1: Could do something. I think they could do something where they take from one of their strengths and address one of their weaknesses, you know, one of those kind of deals. But those are tougher to do it this time, and we shall see. It'll it'll be interesting. I think they are going to add and try to make a run at this division, because you can. I mean, the Cubs are really good. The Cubs are maybe the best lineup in baseball, but you know, you still have questions about them and their their rotation. So I think there's a there's a shot, and I think they this is the time that they want to go for it and get better. Now we'll see how much they're willing to pay. That was my question.

00:14:23
Speaker 5: How much are they willing to pay? And is this roster as it's constructed now good enough to make the postseason. Because here's the problem with the National League.

00:14:30
Speaker 1: They're in the National.

00:14:31
Speaker 5: League, right, Dodgers are going to be in Bill, these Mets are probably going to be in the division. Winner of the Central is probably going to be in That's probably going to be the Cubs. Giants are Giants, Padres, one of them is probably going to be in. There's five. You got one spot left for Braves. I can't count them in, but a Brewers of Diamondbacks, Reds. There's a lot of people that are fighting. Three Cardinals are another one. You can throw them in there too, right, So there's like five six teams and then if you get.

00:15:01
Speaker 1: In, listen, if you get in, whoa.

00:15:04
Speaker 5: Boy, looko I got I might have to play the Phillies in the first round, or the Mets or the I mean.

00:15:09
Speaker 1: Yeah, geez like wow, oh, I'll say the Phillies or Mets are going. Oh do I want to face Hunter Green and Andrew Abbot? Uh? You know? True? Like I like the Reds in a series, especially a short series. If they're pitching is lined up because you know, if Hunter Green is back, and then Andrew Abbot, lidolo, uh you know, maybe Chase Burns maybe uh rtt Louder, maybe Nick Martinez, Brady Singer. I mean we're talking Brady Singer as your five four or five. That's pretty good, you know. So I like the Reds pitching, and I really like them in a short series with that pitching, However, getting there might be tougher than advancing.

00:15:52
Speaker 5: All Right, I got to ask you this. Did the Reds win the Brady Singer Jonathan India trade? Did they win it? Because India is not having a great and Singer's doing what he always does, which is pitched every fit day, give you innings, give you quality innings. Yeah, he's not going to be a one eight e er a guy, but he's going to be low high threes, low fours and give you quality innings, give you a chance to win every time out. Did they win that swap of former Gator teammates.

00:16:17
Speaker 1: I think both teams got what they wanted. You know, John and Andy hasn't really hit yet, but but I think there's some other impact that he's made. I would say right now, if you're just looking at the onfield stuff, Yeah, Singer is probably a head and war and all that. But I think both teams, you know, it was just one of those trades that made so much sense for both sides, and I don't know that either is regretting it right now, So I don't I don't know that there has to be a winner and loser. I think maybe both teams won.

00:16:50
Speaker 2: I gotta lose because there you go, okay, well, and also still, yeah, let's give it a little more time. Here's one where I feel like we've had enough time. I remember talking you soon after the Jamer Candelario signing and we were like huh. And I guess it helped a little bit when we saw that Noel v Marte was popped for Royds, although it sounded like they didn't know about that until it happened, so again I was like, huh, okay, so they didn't know. And he now in back to back years, is below replacement level, right, and if you're going on winds above replacement, which is a very popular metric for front offices. So how much of a bust has that signing been? And do you think there's a chance that as he's returning here, if he keeps showing kind of nothing with the bat and he's not a helpful guy on defense, that they could cut him.

00:17:40
Speaker 1: I think it's possible. I've kind of wondered, you know, he just he's returning from a rehab assignment today. They you know, he played US twenty games and they had to activate him and they didn't show much urgency to get them to Saint Louis and just said meet us in Cincinnati, you know, and I'm not sure exactly where he's gonna play, especially with Marte on the way back. And yeah, it's you know, Spencer Steer is bat I think is coming around and he's he's turned out to be a pretty good defensive first baseman. San Diego Espanol is a guy that you could kind of put in every everywhere, and I think maybe he's best served as more of a bench guy. But you know, you still have Christian and Carnesci on strand and then Marte coming back. I just I've never understood and Nick Krawl is very good explaining his thought process. And I've talked to Nick a lot of times and kind of gone and see at least scene where they were coming from. I still don't get the Jamber Candelaria signing, and and yeah, sadly it's turned out to be to be, uh not a good one. Yeah.

00:18:52
Speaker 2: Hey, we point out when we're wrong, but I'm going to point out when we're right, and our show was hitting that one pretty hard, just like you and AJ. I know it's only ninety one played appearances, but For example, this season, his ops plus one hundreds league average is eleven in about a fifth of a seasons of played appearances, so it's it's not working for him anymore. Anyway, What do you got?

00:19:11
Speaker 1: Last one?

00:19:12
Speaker 5: Right before we let you go through and I got to ask you over your shoulder, you have Terry Francono's book. Did you have to read that before you hot, before the Reds hired him, or before you could get your first interview with him? And then when you did finally get to know him. Did he sign it for you?

00:19:29
Speaker 1: He did not sign it for me, And I bought it right after they hired him, just to read up and do my homework, because that's kind of what we did at Georgia. We actually read and do our homework.

00:19:39
Speaker 5: Oh so it's a picture book. It's a picture book, is what you're saying. Has a lot of pictures, a lot of illustrations. You're like, oh, that's funny, bing pang pao, like in Batman, I get it now, I get.

00:19:50
Speaker 4: It, splat bang I would enjoy that.

00:19:53
Speaker 2: Actually, the Tito picture book it probably good. Yeah, the chicken and Beer chapter would be awesome.

00:19:59
Speaker 5: And by the way, Charlie Condon is not off to a good start. I know he went to Georgia and he's your guy, but he Chase Burns was a better pick than him.

00:20:05
Speaker 1: I'm just saying right now as it right now, that's it right now. But yeah, you're.

00:20:09
Speaker 2: Right, and it's to see Trent's benefit because he gets to watch Chase on Tuesday. So Trent, thank you for stopping by. Good to see you, and we'll catch you soon.

00:20:20
Speaker 1: All right, sounds good, guys. Thanks