Rangers sign Andrew McCutchen, World Baseball Classic begins, Hunter Greene’s elbow issue

00:00:05
Speaker 1: Hey, the ft Spring Training Tour is engineered by Fastenal. To learn more information about the company, head over to Fastenall dot com. Fas t E na L dot com calendar for you. As we're in week three of our five week tour, thank you to the Nationals for hosting us today, and then an easy little hopover to Astro's camp as they're next to each other. Then Braves, Raise Orioles, Twins, Red Sox next week, and we finish up our tour with the Tigers, Pirates, Blue Jays, and Phillies camps. That's from the sixteenth to the nineteenth. All right, we're back and we're gonna go over a little breaking news that actually went down right before the show. Andrew McCutcheon had been trying to find a home and wanted it to be Pittsburgh. It's not Pittsburgh. It's a minor league contract and it is with the Texas Rangers. So what do you think about this?

00:00:58
Speaker 2: Guys?

00:01:00
Speaker 1: Krats, I'll start with you. I mean, you played a little bit with the Pirates. I know there was a little back and forth with McCutcheon on social media about how he was not pleased that he was not invited to FanFest and ultimately doesn't end up getting a contract with the team either.

00:01:18
Speaker 3: It's tough, it's tough to see, but at the end of the day, the season is going to start. He's going to make the team, or he's not going to make the team, whatever it is. That's the ugly part of baseball. But it's also part that you know, Andrew McCutcheon through his career, hasn't had to deal with that. And I know it's tough on him. I know it's tough, and I know he knows in his mind he's not done. He can contribute to a winning team. And I think that was a part that was probably the hardest for him, was the fact that they were planning to win and he's been there during some lean years and he's like, wait a minute, Like you guys, he wasn't looking for a handout. He's looking to be part of a winning team in his city, the city he now lives in, the city is family and his kids are he's raised, they're raising their kids in like he's been a part of the city, and he felt like this was the time that it was going to be to win and they don't want him to be a part of it. Like it's just it's I think it was tough for him, but I think he's going to an organization that also wants to win, so good for him. He does still need to make the team. That's that's huge that some people don't think, oh, well, you know, he's definitely gonna be on the team. He has to make the team, and he's kind of starting a little bit late here, but knowing Cutch, he'll be ready.

00:02:40
Speaker 4: I can't imagine him signing with Texas without him having some sort of a you're gonna make the team hawk with Chris Young before he signed it. He's not going to Texas Rangers camp and not having a somewhat of an idea of him making that team.

00:02:54
Speaker 5: And I also think that it just sucks for Pittsburgh.

00:02:56
Speaker 4: It sucks that they couldn't figure out a way to have him back in some sort of role. He's a winning player still, He's a winning guy in the clubhouse, He's a winning presence in the city of Pittsburgh.

00:03:06
Speaker 5: I just think this is this sucks for the fans. Yes, I know Kutch is.

00:03:10
Speaker 4: Living there and he's kind of embedded himself in the fabric of Pittsburgh. I just wish he could have figured out a way to spend the rest of his career, whether it's one more year or two more years, whatever it is, and go out at Pittsburgh Pirate the way he should. There's certain people that are synonymous with organizations. I know Andrew McCutcheon went and played for other teams, but he's a Pittsburgh Pirate and he should end his career one way or the other as a Pittsburgh Pirate.

00:03:35
Speaker 1: But how do you do that if the team doesn't want you and we can make a case for the team.

00:03:40
Speaker 4: Well that's my thing, Scott, Like, you can't tell me they can't find a spot for him on the on the team.

00:03:47
Speaker 1: But that's what they are saying, AJ, So I'm trying to get past that part, right, Like they for whatever reason, they don't want him back. At many times last year he was probably their best, most reliable hitter. But the team has decided they don't want him back. I mean, clearly it has been spoken there, whether you know what. At some point we'll probably find out if they had conversations and how serious it got. In my mind, clearly it didn't offer him a big league contract, right, otherwise he would be there. So he ends up signing a minor league contract. The team can say, oh, we had discussions, so we would have given him this deal. Yeah, we would have given Schwarber that deal. We would have given this guy that deal. I don't give it. Oh we had Gina. That doesn't mean anything. Twins offered fran bervald As a deal. Okay, most of that stuff is BS. So in this case, I'm trying to push forward AJ and say team didn't want him, Like, whether you agree with it or not, team didn't want him. So could it have been handled better before that point? Could the Pirates have said to him last year, Hey, dude, this is a really hard topic for us, but we're going to move on.

00:04:52
Speaker 2: After this year.

00:04:55
Speaker 4: Yeah, and maybe told him before, because then the fans could have given him a proper salute, a proper sendoff. Again, they got to figure out a way to bring him back, even if it's on one of those one day contracts, to end his career as a Pirate. Have him throw out the first pitch, have him signed some autographs, give him that moment in Pittsburgh, in that ballpark at PNC Park, so that the fans can salute Andrew McCutchen one last time.

00:05:21
Speaker 1: My thing is, I think Cutch is going to play this year. You know, I know he's got to make the team. And maybe I'm off, but I mean there was still quality at bats from him. He was around a league average hitter Kratz. I think he's still going to play. I mean, whether he makes the Rangers or another team, I think he's going to be on a big league roster.

00:05:39
Speaker 3: He's going to play. He shows he can play, and people are saying, oh, you know, well he would just be a DH or he would just like there's a spot on every team for a guy like Andrew McCutcheon. Our teams willing to not have a certain piece of flexibility. Maybe maybe not, but to me, he has. He has the ability to still play. And I think, like AJ said, like the dude played, the dude played at home the last few years. Now he's got to go to Texas, and so to go to Texas, to go to spring training with Texas, I think there's an opportunity there that the Rangers. Skip Schumacher, who have talked to a few times, has talked about changing that culture in that clubhouse to be the culture that he wants. Not necessarily you know, there was negativity or something last year, but just a culture that he wants. So to bring in a guy like Cutch, it's a no brainer when you're talking about a culture guy, a guy that just brings a different kind of energy and professionalism.

00:06:45
Speaker 1: And when it comes to play discipline, he is off the charts good. He is still one of the best in baseball. Like if you look at his stack caast page from last year, he was ninety second percentile and chase percentage, eighty eighth percentile in walk percentage. He's been really good putting together those long AB's for a long time.

00:07:02
Speaker 2: Now.

00:07:03
Speaker 1: You know, some guys stick around, maybe Carlos Santana is a good example, or even make some more money or get signed on my teams because they just want his plate to splendid rub off on the rest of the team. It doesn't Cutch bring that vibe a little bit too. If you watch his absy he does.

00:07:21
Speaker 4: He gives you a professional at bats all the time. That's why I mean they have some you know, let's be honest. I mean, as much as we like what the Pittsburgh Pirates did this offseason.

00:07:30
Speaker 5: Are they winning the World Series this year?

00:07:33
Speaker 2: No?

00:07:35
Speaker 4: Okay, I think you have a proper cutch and he can teach some of your younger kids. Think about how I'm good Connor Griffith would be if he could watch Andrew mccutcheons at bats and he could have Andrew McCutchen in the dugout, talking to him about pictures, talking to him about situations, talking to him about how to be a big leaguer.

00:07:53
Speaker 5: It's invaluable. That's the thing I have about this.

00:07:57
Speaker 4: If the Pittsburgh parson were going out and they're trying win the World Series, I get it, But they're not gonna win the World Series.

00:08:02
Speaker 5: I'm sorry.

00:08:03
Speaker 3: That's that's the issue. Aja The issue is they don't see the value in that. In my opinion, they don't see the value in that. I'm not saying Marcelo's Ozuna can't do that or Brandon Loo can't do that, but I don't think teams necessarily see the value in something that you just said is invaluable. Because they aren't trying to make the World Series, I shouldn't say that they would like to make the World Series this year. I don't think they are, But what is this year going to build for them to be able to make the World Series, for Connor Griffin to be the best big leaguer that he can be, for the entire Pittsburgh tenure, for his entire twenty year career, whatever it ends up being. And to me, I think Andrew McCutcheon pays dividends way more down the road than saying, ooh, well, we could assigned this guy who has a career, you know, who might give us a one six ops plus and Cuts is just gonna be a one oh one ops plus. I just think the value is so much greater to have a guy like that on the roster. But I'm biased.

00:09:12
Speaker 1: Yeah, And also, none of us are saying he's a superstar anymore. He used to be a superstar. He's not a superstar anymore. We get that, right. This isn't defending a player. It's just like, hey, this isn't somebody who was a five hundred ops you know, a seventy ops plus like this guy was still putting up decent numbers, you know, on a team in a ballpark. That can be difficult on a team that wasn't doing much last year offensively and yes, like AJ mentioned, did they patch up a few holes, No doubt, they didn't patch up every hole. So I'm curious to see how this plays out. And I think most people are rooting for Cutch. He's going to have a massive chip on his shoulder to try and prove something to the rest of the league, even if this is his last season. You saw it on social media. You'll see it from a guy who's a competitive guy. We'll see what he looks like in camp. Kratz, the wb has begun. We are watching real games. Yes, it is really nice. It is awesome. We've had two games so far and many, many, many more coming up. But Australia won three nothing over Chinese type. Travis Pizana is legit number one overall pick a year ago homeward.

00:10:21
Speaker 2: There he is.

00:10:22
Speaker 1: He's having a little fun representing a country that's really proud of him.

00:10:26
Speaker 2: Kratz.

00:10:27
Speaker 1: We've had him on I don't remember if it was this show or I think it was on this show, but if not, on our Baseball America Hot Sheet show. And I mean he knows how much he's carrying, not just in this WBC, but I mean he's really the face of baseball in Australia right now.

00:10:42
Speaker 3: He did a different route from my other Australian teammates, you know that were coming over, like the Glenn Williams, the Jonathan Chapel, like different guys. Maybe they didn't make it, but they came out of high school where Travis went to college. And then he was a first pick.

00:11:00
Speaker 5: You know.

00:11:01
Speaker 3: So you sit there and you go, okay, like all eyes are on him.

00:11:04
Speaker 5: I remember talking.

00:11:05
Speaker 3: We didn't we talked to him, but we also talked to somebody else and just talked. It was a one of the Australian announcers and I'm forgetting who it was. And he just said yes, thank you, thank you, and he uh, he's just like yeah, Like it's that kind of signing, that kind of accolade getting picked first in the draft. That makes other kids now ten to twelve years old in Australia they are playing baseball like have somebody to look up to. And I remember Ryan Roland Smith saying that about Glenn Williams, about other guys that had kind of like paved the path for Australian So it's awesome to see him hit a dinger and my buddy Catcher I don't know him, but he's a catcher. So Robbie Perkins going OPO thirty one years old. Dude's not even an affiliated ball OPO in Tokyo.

00:11:56
Speaker 2: Love that.

00:11:57
Speaker 1: And yeah, Korea smashed Chechi eleven in the other game, and then Checchia plays again. The next game is tonight ten o'clock Eastern time, because remember they're overseas there in Japan. They'll play Australia. So and then we had eight games on Friday, by the way, including USA versus Brazil, which we're about to talk about Team USA next on FT.

00:12:17
Speaker 3: Already, let's hold.

00:12:21
Speaker 2: Let's charge about Let's charge the Mound presented by Fox One.

00:12:27
Speaker 1: Jeremy Pana had to leave yesterday's exhibition game, and the problem for him is he took a bad hop on a ground ball and suddenly it looks like there's a finger issue there.

00:12:37
Speaker 2: He's going to see a hand specialist today.

00:12:39
Speaker 1: There's news that's coming through as we're talking about it, so it sounds like he'll miss at least the first round. I mean, my guest, Kratz is a team like Houston's not gonna let him keep rolling in a WBC after this. I mean, you're shaking your head, but I'm just saying, jose L Tube got heard last time around and had to miss some time. There is a permission factor. This is a guy who's pre big ass contract. I'm just throwing it out there aj you know too, even if it ends up not being something like too drastic and it's a short recovery. It's hard to see a team saying okay and clearing a player to go when he just suffered an injury.

00:13:19
Speaker 5: Yeah, he suck. This is what happens.

00:13:21
Speaker 4: And he could have happened anywhere, you know, just because it happened in the WBC, and people say, oh see, we knew the WBC was bad. People are gonna get injured, just goulda happen in a spring training game right here at Cacti Ballpark behind me.

00:13:32
Speaker 5: So, I mean, I hope he's okay.

00:13:34
Speaker 4: I hope he's good, and I hope this doesn't affect anything for contract for him down the road, and as certainly hope it doesn't affect him for the season.

00:13:42
Speaker 2: I mean, yeah, bad, no doubt.

00:13:44
Speaker 3: You get a bad hop at the camp that we're going through tomorrow in Houston's camp, like it's it's unfortunate. I don't think, yeah, if there's nothing wrong, I don't see them saying like, if it's not broken, I don't see the Astros saying, yeah, you can't play because going to come back to Houston's camp and play right away. To me, position players get out there, go play real games. We just talked to not seeing Nunaz and he's like, kind of over camp. What do you think some of these veterans are, like, you want them to be playing in real games pictures. I understand, But if it's broken, I also understand like he's out, like he's not he's not coming back.

00:14:25
Speaker 1: Yeah, So for the Dominican Republic roster, I mean, it would be a tough loss for them in the WBC if it doesn't end up happening, we'll get more news. We don't know a ton yet on what's going on there. I am going to transition us to for the TV crowd. We did talk a little bit during our break about how games have already begune. We're super stoked and while we're on the Astros, Shay Witcombe, you know, he's trying to make a name for himself in the big leagues. He hit two home runs for Korea in the WBC, and his manager on the Astros, Joe Spota, was just asked about it and said, Hey, we're all watching those abs count. We're tracking pitch les and track and quality of pitching, hitting, all that kind of stuff. Those at bats count to our spring training count. So I thought that was an interesting quote AJ to say, Hey, I know he can't be here for potentially a couple of weeks, but he's still trying to make a team and make a place for himself on a ball club, and we're going to count that towards what we're seeing.

00:15:20
Speaker 4: Well, it's interesting take right by Joe spotting the Astros, and then also for the player because they have to go, They have to leave the team they're trying to make, which is their bread and butter, and which is where they're going to make their money, to go play for their for a country and for glory in the WBC. How does the team look at that and how do you evaluate them if they're not here. It's a tough it's a tough thing. We talked to Freddy Peralti yesterday. He said, I didn't go to the WBC because it's a contract here and I'm on a new team and I wanted to get to know the new people. So for him to go over there and know that the astros are watching and then to perform like that, that's a big deal. It can only help because these are the front of big crowds, meaningful games early in the year, and if he's doing what he keeps doing what he's doing, it's going to help him make the team.

00:16:06
Speaker 3: The competition sometimes can be super high and super low, Like you're going to face some dudes of Chinese TYPEI they you'll never see in the big leagues. But you're going to face some dudes when they play against Korea in Japan that you're going to see you're going to see in not even ever even seeing big league spring training. So it's a hard evaluation. But like Joe Spota said, like they have it all. They have the tracking, they have everything, so they know when he's making good decisions and when he hits a dinger off with somebody that's throwing seventy nine miles an hour.

00:16:41
Speaker 2: Let's talk big picture here.

00:16:44
Speaker 1: We've got one more day until the Team USA roster gets to show what it's got in a real game. They did two exhibition games where they scored I think twenty nine runs. They played the Rockies in the last one. We got to see Kershoff for a couple outs, which was cool, and the team reaffirmed that he's really just the breaking glass emergency situation guy.

00:17:04
Speaker 2: What do we think? Who's winning this thing?

00:17:06
Speaker 1: And a J do have an MVP and X factor and named to watch something like that. I mean, you're about to go call some games out there too.

00:17:15
Speaker 5: Who do you think I'm gonna say, Scott? Who do you think I'm gonna say? Where am I from? Scott?

00:17:19
Speaker 1: I think you're gonna say New York Courtago in Poland?

00:17:24
Speaker 4: Yeah, well we need we need, we need a little more love for Polish baseball. By the way, the Polish Baseball Federation needs to figure out a way to get US Polish people into the WBC. But of course I'm going to say USA. I'm from the USA, I'm I'm proud of being in America. I'm proud to be an American. So yes, I'm writting for the USA. Who's my X factor? The whole stinking lineup for USA and Aaron Judge finally hitting the postseason? Can he carries that over to the WBC because these are meaningful like postseason games.

00:17:54
Speaker 3: Me and keep keep WBC.

00:17:58
Speaker 6: He's Dominicana, Mi Farito, Barra, Bardaves, Bull, Kieri, Kiero, Kiero, Dominicana, Bara Mucho Dinero part To me, I want the Dominican to win because that's big money for me.

00:18:13
Speaker 3: I think the Dominican is gonna win. I did something about how their pitching staff has a much better chance of not just being just slinging the rock up there. I think they have a pitching staff that matches their lineup. Does it Does their lineup match other teams lineups? Absolutely? And I think if the Dominican wins it, I think Junior Cameronaro is gonna be the MVP if they have an MVP. I don't even know. I think if US wins it, I'm looking at like a like a Bryce Harper or like an Alex Bregman. Guys that have done Team USA, guys that have you know, been there, done it, those are gonna be the guys. But to me, I got the Dominican. They're also giving me plus bet MGM was giving me plus four fifty when I locked it in, so I like you.

00:19:03
Speaker 1: Yeah, I mean we talked about this. The lineup can keep up. I think the starting pitching can keep up. AJ is kind of shaking his head. What what are you shaking your head about.

00:19:12
Speaker 5: I mean, no, I'm just listening to the music back there.

00:19:19
Speaker 2: We're gonna have a problem.

00:19:22
Speaker 1: Hey, we're hearing something too in the background. Somebody's got their mic open or something like that.

00:19:27
Speaker 2: Just just throwing that out there. All right, anyway, let's show the schedule.

00:19:31
Speaker 1: I want to show the schedule because this ties into what we're talking about here with Fox one. Of course, you can catch in games on TV two, FS one, Fox the whole deal. But we've got Japan getting going on Friday. Team USA, do you want to watch Cuba? Mexico is playing Great Britain. USA is playing Brazil, by the way, and Puerto Rico against Colombia. So tons of games. I mean, it's kind of like even more baseball all day, all night than the playoffs is for the wildcard rounds, AJ, because we've got some funky times with teams in different time zones too. So there's a ton of baseball that you can watch and it is meaningful, and you can catch it all on the Fox one app. So if you would like a free trial, a seven day free trial can come your way foxwe dot com, or you can scan that QR code that is currently on your screen to make that happen as well.

00:20:32
Speaker 2: It's WBC.

00:20:34
Speaker 1: It's the beginning of the baseball season and every Fox Saturday, including many AJ games for you all season long. It's the postseason, it's the World Series, it's the NFL, it's college football. There's so much you can find on that beautiful Fox one app here we are. Yeah, AJ lay out your schedule for us, so we started to talk about it here. But you've got a couple games, and I know you're excited about it. You get a school game in there for Fox.

00:21:01
Speaker 5: Yeah.

00:21:03
Speaker 4: I get the two big games on Fox Tomorrow night and Saturday night the USA, both USA games against Brazil and against Great Britain. Then I give it up to John Smoltz and Joe Davis for the next two USA games, and then I get to go to Miami for the quarterfinals whatever that one of the quarterfinals on Big Fox, which could be I think Dominican, Japan, Venezuela. Whoever makes it through those two pools will be the quarterfinals. And then I give it up again to Davis and Smoltz to do the Semis in the finals. So I'm looking forward to So you guys know how much I love the WBC, and I mean, just to get to be around the USA team for a couple of days is going to be. It's gonna be pretty pretty solid thing to walk in there and see basically an all star team playing against. Listen, let's be honest, Brazil and Great Britain don't have the greatest rosters, but hey, it'll be It'll be hopefully a nice tune up before Mexico and Italy step up to the US.

00:21:57
Speaker 1: I know, yeah, And I was gonna ask Aja, you know you've gone to many clubhouses all year, You're at many spring training spots right now, how do you think it's going to feel for you when you walk into a clubhouse that's I mean beyond all star status, right, It's like superstar status in that clubhouse. Everybody in one spot too. It's not even al and n outside. It's just like the biggest names in the sport all in one place. You walk around in your first glance, like looking at the.

00:22:26
Speaker 5: Lockers, Uh, what's it gonna feel like?

00:22:29
Speaker 4: I'm gonna, well, I'm happy we have FT and I'm happy that I have the Fox job because I know most of these guys, a lot of them through for having them on Foul Territory, so it's not intimidating. I remember when I first started doing this job for Foul Territory and for Fox, when you walk into a locker room, you're kind of intimidated by going up to guys. But now that we've had most of them on, it's an easy go up to them, say hi, appreciate everything you're doing, and of course I'm gonna give them a little pat on the butt and say let's go USA.

00:23:01
Speaker 1: Hey, let's do a quickie injury suck segment here. Hunter Green has some elbow issues. He's going to get an MRI. No UCL damage on this elbow, but apparently it was barking in the last five or six starts, he said.

00:23:15
Speaker 2: Of last year where he had elbow.

00:23:17
Speaker 1: Discomfort, he said it was a playoff push, so I pushed through it felt fine in the off season, said he got an injection about a week before spring training, discomfort came back. Apparently there's some bone chips going on there as well. Terry Francona talked about Hunter Green. Here's the quote. He's just not recovering the way he's comfortable. Ball's coming out pretty good. You're asking a guy to go out there and throw as hard as he can. We need to make sure he's okay, you know, just talking about again how he's going to meet with doctor Kremchik this week and then doctor Ela trash Ela Trosh I should say on what is it Monday? So stay tuned on the Hunter Green front. And then that's the quote from Hunter Green that you're looking at on the screen right now.

00:23:57
Speaker 2: But AJ, that's not good. This is the big boy on the staff.

00:24:03
Speaker 5: This is not good.

00:24:04
Speaker 4: And I remember him talking about this last year the Reds kind of they were trying to keep it quiet, but it did get out that he was dealing with something.

00:24:11
Speaker 5: So now we kind of know what it is.

00:24:13
Speaker 4: You just hope it's best case scenario and it's something small, minor that where he doesn't have to have the old Thomas Jonas. But yeah, this sucks with the Reds because the Reds are expected to really compete this year and so we'll see they still have listen, they still have a good staff without Hunter Green, but they're much better staff with Hunter Green leading the charge. Tough because I still feel like the Reds are a team that if this lineup, Maddy McClain just hit a oppo dinger the other day, like is he healthy? Is Ellie take the next step? South Stewart gonna be the guy that he kind of was is his rookie year, and like take another step. I feel like this lineup could join this pitching staff. But when you lose your number one, therefore they have other guys that can be number ones also that can be that like solid number two.

00:25:06
Speaker 3: But you know you just can't. You can't replace one hundred Green if they miss him for a significant amount of time.

00:25:12
Speaker 1: One other quick injury noe too, Andrew Kittridge has right shoulder inflammation for the orioles. He's not low probability that he'll be ready for opening day. That's the one thing to keep an eye on. With Baltimore. I'm not sure about the bullpen there, so keep an eye on that. And it's not just you get your bullpen's got to be tight in that division. Much more injury news each week on Injury Territory with Will Carroll. It's one of our newest shows, so make sure you give them a sub on YouTube and wherever you get your podcasts. At MGM Futures, we are all about the World Baseball Classic now, which has officially begun and Friday starts the journey for Team USA.

00:25:52
Speaker 2: So, guys, today, let's look at their pool and the futures.

00:25:57
Speaker 1: Of course, setting USA at minus seven hundreundred seven hundred bucks to win one hundred bucks if you've.

00:26:02
Speaker 2: Got them winning the pool.

00:26:03
Speaker 1: After that is Mexico at plus six hundred, Italy at plus twenty five hundred, and I'm basically going to stop there. I think you should stop there too. Could there be an upset of Mexico or Italy over USA? Sure it could happen. Is it likely to happen?

00:26:16
Speaker 2: Hell no?

00:26:17
Speaker 1: So guys, is there any value here? Like, for example, could Mexico pull this off? They've done it before AJ and there is some legit major league talent there. I would have liked to see Todd Bradley on this roster. He ended up not going over with Team Mexico, but I could have seen someone like that. Stuff wise can shut down a lineup for a few innings and then mix and match with a few other big league guys. But what do you think is there any value with Mexico winning out in that pool, including beating USA and making some serious money.

00:26:45
Speaker 5: You know you're looking at Mexico. I actually like Italy.

00:26:47
Speaker 4: We had lake u Terra on here, who was I believe the bench coach for Italy last time. They got some legit big league players on Italy. Now I don't know if they're pitching it get them through, but they got some hitters on that team and they've had special runs before. So Italy it was it's twenty five plus twenty five hundred, that would be the one I'd be looking at. I think I think you look in Mexico and yes they have a good team, but I think USA will be really fired up. The US could take Italy a little bit lightly, and let's not forget it's one game. All they got to do is beat them that one game, and if they do that, then they can win the pool.

00:27:17
Speaker 5: So if you're looking for me for the value, it's not in Mexico. I go big as you guys know.

00:27:22
Speaker 1: I go Italy.

00:27:24
Speaker 3: I'll take I'll take the Mexico at plus six hundred because they have beaten Team USA, and I think there's a big caveat there. Yes, they might not have the pitching. If you had TODJ. Bradley lined up, that would be awesome, but they don't. They might be pitching their better pitchers to make sure they get through and don't run into a stinker against Italy and be the team that gets knocked out. So to me, I think I think Mexico could do it because of the fact that Alijndra Kirk is on this team. You have a big league catcher that knows how to call games in big games. I think there's some value there at plus six hundred.

00:28:03
Speaker 1: Yeah, if you look at Team Italy, Aaron Nola and Michael Lorenzen part of the rotation, and then you look at the bullpen, there are some names you should know. Ron Meyernaccio has been up and down in the bigs for a while. Adam Outavino is pitching, Greg Weiser is on that roster, Gordon Grisefo. I mean, these are some names that can throw some innings and record some outs for you.

00:28:24
Speaker 2: So I like both.

00:28:25
Speaker 1: It's interesting, it's bold, but there's a reason why the plus twenty five hundred and the plus six hundred is there, so go check that out. And then also if you're betting on the WBC, it's all available for you on the betmgm app and at betmgm dot com. You can secure yourself a little odds boost token to score a bigger payout, so you can make that WBC moment a little bigger. Activate your odds Boost token for any WBC bet and you'll receive a bigger payout if that bet comes through. Gambling problem more concern, Call one eight hundred gambler. Hey, we've had an awesome run so far with the camps. I think we're about halfway through the tour, so we'll finish up this week as we talked about the calendar earlier with the Houston Astros, and then keep going in Florida. But sometimes it's cool when we have a conversation with someone aj like Miles Michaels today and then he goes out to pitch a game which is about to begin. But also a young prospect like Carson Benge who was on the show yesterday and then hit.

00:29:42
Speaker 2: A little homer.

00:29:44
Speaker 5: That's what happens. You come talk to us, good things happen. Scott.

00:29:47
Speaker 4: That's all I'm gonna say are some Benji lost a chest, but he hit a homer, so he won.

00:29:53
Speaker 1: He did there it is opposite field blast posted on the Baseball America Twitter account. One of the Mets top prospects trying to make the team.

00:30:02
Speaker 2: Remember Krats.

00:30:03
Speaker 1: When we spoke to him, I was like, hey, they left a lane open for you, and he was like, no, I'm in this competition with all these guys, these veterans, Like I know, but if he does that, he's opening day out there.

00:30:15
Speaker 3: Dingers are dingers oppo dingers. Help you make the team?

00:30:19
Speaker 2: M good call Krats? Hats? What do you got?

00:30:24
Speaker 3: I used them this year, but this last year's spring training hat. Don't be confused. I always show it. It might be the Twins hat, but it's the NAT set.

00:30:31
Speaker 2: Yeah.

00:30:32
Speaker 1: Right now, there's more pride with the Nats than than what the Twins have going on right now. Sorry, I had to do it, and you know what, I'm not even gonna be on that day so I can talk smack. But anyway, Yeah, we can show the calendar again one more time. We might as well while I'm bringing it up, so we can see where AJ's going after this now Friday.

00:30:52
Speaker 2: AJ won't be on the show.

00:30:54
Speaker 1: We'll actually have Danny Graves joining us from Astro's camp, and I think that camp is fascinating because of the infield lockjam that they're dealing with. Then we've got Braves Raised, Orioles, Twins, Red Sox. The Foul Territory calendar is engineered by Fastenall ajf bun dude, you're calling WBC right right.

00:31:13
Speaker 4: I'll see you guys, USA versus Brazil, usavers Great Britain. I'll see you guys tomorrow night on Fox, on Big Fox and Fox one.

00:31:22
Speaker 1: And on the Fox one app. And then AJ and I will be in the studio together on Monday. Kevin Pillar will be at Braves camp. So a lot happening. We'll see a Friday