Grayson Rodriguez joins FT after getting traded from O's to Angels

00:00:04
Speaker 1: About territory is back with Angels starting pitcher Grayson Rodriguez had to make sure I said that right.

00:00:11
Speaker 2: How does it sound, man? How you doing?

00:00:13
Speaker 3: Yeah, dude's pretty crazy. I was shocked at first, but man, I'm excited. A couple of the guys have already reached out, dude, and I'm pumped up.

00:00:21
Speaker 4: Can I tell you that?

00:00:22
Speaker 5: Oh?

00:00:23
Speaker 4: Oh yeah, I like it.

00:00:26
Speaker 2: I like it. Tell me about some of the comments. You don't have to give me the.

00:00:28
Speaker 1: Names, obviously, but what have you talked about, either with teammates and or with staff about what's coming up for you?

00:00:36
Speaker 4: Yeah?

00:00:37
Speaker 3: So, well, when I first heard the news, obviously, Perry the GM called me Kurtzuzuki, and then the day after talk to Dark No Little Happy Nito reached out today Kouchi. So talking to some of these guys, man's got me really pumped up and fired up and uh ready to get out there and play with them.

00:00:56
Speaker 6: What does that? What does that look like for you? What does that look like? Because we don't rarely have guys on here right after they're traded, let alone like a starting pitcher. Who's I mean, we're November twenty first, So your throwing program has to be kind of at a place where you're getting ready for spring training. How does that look for you? And do you have to like connect with the Angel staff. Let's see, I'm trying to think who's is it Frosty? Is Frosty the head trader there?

00:01:21
Speaker 3: Mike frost Dad, yep, yeah, yeah, talk to Frosty already. I mean everything just kind of transitions over. You know, there's really not much that changes for me, just kind of staying on the same programs that I'm on.

00:01:35
Speaker 4: You know, there might be a little tweaks and adjustments.

00:01:37
Speaker 3: Talking to Mike Maddox, Uh, the new pitching coaches got me excited.

00:01:42
Speaker 4: So we're we're.

00:01:43
Speaker 3: Gonna go over some throwing stuff that we might want to change just a little bit. But uh yeah, I mean just keep rolling with what I'm doing and uh, get ready for spring training.

00:01:54
Speaker 5: Let me ask you this because something I've been traded a bunch of times, like, did you know beforehand that this might happen? Or did was your agent giving you a hint? And were you surprised at all? Like what what was your first thought once you even heard the notion of you know, this might happen?

00:02:08
Speaker 6: Dude?

00:02:12
Speaker 3: Yeah, Saturday, I was at like a charity golf tournament for the high school that I went to.

00:02:18
Speaker 4: My brother's a senior there.

00:02:19
Speaker 3: They were doing like a fundraiser, and my agent texted me and he was like, hey, he's like, got a weird call from the Angels.

00:02:25
Speaker 4: He's like call me back. And I was like, oh lord, what could this be?

00:02:30
Speaker 3: But talk to him and he just said that you know that, you know that they had reached out and asked like, you know, how I was feeling and stuff like that. And he's like, you know, there's probably not gonna be anything come of it, you know, just kind of something that can happen, you know, time to time, get a lot.

00:02:46
Speaker 4: The call was like that, but he's like just wanted you to know. So I was like all right. And then I was flying me and my wife.

00:02:53
Speaker 3: We were going down to the Oriole Spring training Complex in Sarasota Tuesday night. I was going to go down there just for a few days, just to check in throw see some of the medical staff there. On the flight, got a text from the Orioles GM saying, Hey, call me asap.

00:03:12
Speaker 4: And I was like, told my wife, I.

00:03:13
Speaker 3: Was like, well, you know, the GM doesn't really want to just chit chat with you at nine pm at night on a Tuesday. Kind of knew something was up there, but I got off the plane, called him, and then you know, kind of found out the news and got a call from Perry and Kurt soon after, and I was super excited. I was shocked at first, but now I'm pretty pumped up about it.

00:03:34
Speaker 6: All Right. So a lot of what I have said about this trade on here has gotten some visceral hate from Orioles fans, and I'm not going to tell you what they've said about you, but I'm going to tell you that on this show, we are impartial. We're not Oriols fans. We're not We're fan of people. And the times that you've come on, you've been injured, we've watched you pitch in real games, Like I see you as a real person. And I'm gonna say this for real, I feel like the Angels, nothing against Tailor Award, fleeced the Orioles in this trade because I see you as an elite starting pitcher that has not been on the field as much as you want to be. How do you see yourself? And then I'll continue to ask questions from this from this standpoint.

00:04:28
Speaker 3: Yeah, I mean, you know, obviously, like I said, I was shocked. It was odd, But I mean, like, you know, what can I say, Like, you know, obviously last year you know, didn't go how I wanted to.

00:04:39
Speaker 4: I knew.

00:04:40
Speaker 3: I knew in spring training last year that I was going to really be facing some challenges, you know with my arm just because you know, when I'm throwing at spring training and stuff, which you know, like it's kind of been talked about a little bit, but I had some bone spurs removed in August, and they've been in there for like three or four years. Like this is something that I've dealt with for a while ever since I was probably in double A, Triple A. I want to say, you know, it would kind of come and go. So it was nothing that was like like really serious, you know, like I said, like, you know, it kind of flare up maybe spring training, beginning of the season.

00:05:18
Speaker 4: Go away, come back, go away.

00:05:22
Speaker 3: Last year was kind of the first time that it came and like stayed with me, and uh, you know, we kind of knew that, uh, you know, it's gonna be something that I was gonna have to battle, and you know, it's always in the back of your mind having a deal with something like that, and then you know, kind of having those those tweaks, those tweak injuries of the lat you know, it was just those spurs just really kind of weren't.

00:05:42
Speaker 4: Helping the situation.

00:05:44
Speaker 3: And uh, you know, like we didn't decide, we decided to not get the surgery, uh at spring training, and then just kind of got to a point where it was like I can just you know, I can't, can't take it. So I had them removed in August and now I'm throwing, you know, feeling good.

00:05:58
Speaker 4: But yeah, I mean, the I.

00:06:00
Speaker 3: Don't know, it's kind of you know, it's just kind of weird. You know, I didn't think the Orioles would trade me, but obviously the Angels wanted me bad enough, and uh, it's kind of a cool feeling.

00:06:12
Speaker 6: That's actually what I was gonna ask you. Do you feel like the Orioles didn't want you or do you feel like the Angels wanted you back? Because if you look at the Angels rotation, they're they're in need of some dudes, and they never ardi Moreno never goes to like that long extension for pictures in free agency essentially, that's what he got in you we got a four year deal out of Grace at Rodriguz.

00:06:36
Speaker 4: Yeah, like like I was saying, like I was pretty surprised. You know.

00:06:39
Speaker 3: It's something that like, you know, we've always joked around about, you know, like me and my wife, like you know, what would happen, you know, if we got traded, But it was never something that was kind of like you know in the picture to us. But I mean, you know, it happened, and like I said, you know, you're kind of sad, like at first because most of those guys in the in the Orioles Clubhouse, you know, I came up in the minor leagues with you know, I mean like I've known you know, Gunner and Adley ever since I was nineteen years old, so like played with them a while. I'd say, yeah, like kind of leaving your friends behind. But then you know, seeing like the opportunity that it's now in front of you, like to go completely from the East coast to the west coast, you know, Orange County like la, Like, I mean, my wife is super excited to live there. You know I am too. Like the weather's great man, like it's it's kind of it's just a weird spot. I would say, like, you know, there's a little bit of sadness, you know, leaving some guys behind that you know, you grinded with in the minor leagues. But then you know, looking forward to your new teammates, your new organization, like everything about it is just super super exciting.

00:07:47
Speaker 4: So I'm really looking forward to it.

00:07:50
Speaker 6: Who was the first guy that texted you from the Orioles? You already mentioned the Angels guys. Did they do all the Orioles guys? Did they lose your number? You know, you get traded and contact?

00:08:03
Speaker 3: Yeah, I mean there's some of them I haven't heard from, so you know, might have you know, I might have to call him out. Yeah, might have to call him out, but no, I think Yeah, Gunner was the first one that reached out player wise, so yeah, I mean I knew knew Gunner would reach out. There's a couple of others, yeah, he from haven't heard from him yet, and you know it might be because you know, we're in the middle of some fantasy football stuff.

00:08:28
Speaker 4: You know, the playoffs are neck and neck.

00:08:31
Speaker 3: You know, they might just you know, hate me from fantasy football, right now, but uh, yeah, we'll see, so.

00:08:38
Speaker 6: That's fair. That's fair. All right. So you talked about the bone. Did you call them bone chips or bone spurs in your elbow?

00:08:47
Speaker 4: Bone spurs? So they were like they were attached.

00:08:50
Speaker 3: But I mean just barely so uh yeah, they came loose pretty quick, so they weren't floating, but but they were definitely there and uh causing so inflammation in that tricep area.

00:09:02
Speaker 6: What about the shoulder? What about the bone chip in your shoulder? Is that a is that cleaned up? Was that something? How long did that bother you? And did it create did it create more of damage? Because sometimes when that stuff's in there, it creates a little bit more damage and that's why they want to try to get stuff like that out if they can.

00:09:20
Speaker 3: Yeah, there's yeah, thankfully there's no bone chips or anything in my shoulder.

00:09:25
Speaker 4: Yeah.

00:09:25
Speaker 3: So, I mean it's just kind of like the only kind of issues I've dealt shoulder wise are just kind of in the lat and like you know, like I said, there's nothing major.

00:09:35
Speaker 4: You know, we've seen.

00:09:36
Speaker 3: I've tried to see just about every doctor there is to try to figure out, you know, kind of why there was a small reoccurrence of an injury keep happening. You know, there's no surgery required for any of this, just kind of like you know, you just like tweaking your hammy just barely.

00:09:52
Speaker 4: You know, you can't run at full speed.

00:09:53
Speaker 3: You're kind of figuring out You're just trying to figure out why it keeps happening, and that's kind of what we've been doing. And you know, everybody we spoke with, you know, we all kind of came back to the same conclusion of having the bone spurs in there and the elbow not being able to get to full extension. And you know, if you can't get out there and fully extend, well, you know what muscle slows down.

00:10:13
Speaker 4: Your arm when you're throwing, it's your lap.

00:10:15
Speaker 3: So you know, if you can't if you can't get out there to extension, you can't slow your arm down quick enough. You know, your lat's firing twice as hard as having to work just as much. So it's all kind of come back to the same conclusion. So, you know, getting these bone spurs out, it's been a huge relief. You know, hopefully this is all behind us and in the past. You know, we're going to learn from it.

00:10:37
Speaker 6: You know.

00:10:37
Speaker 3: Obviously you don't want to go through a season like I had last year where you don't even throw an inning, but you know you can kind of just really look back and reflect and you know, change your program and figure out you know, what you need, what you don't need, and you know, just move on.

00:10:51
Speaker 6: Okay, So a play on words, because I'm an idiot. The chip on your shoulder was not in your shoulder. It's a chip in your shoulder. A chip on your shoulder. You're gonna have a chip on your shoulder. Uh like four pitching next year?

00:11:07
Speaker 3: Yeah, for sure, for sure. Yeah, definitely circling the Orioles on the calendar if I, uh, if I get to pitch against them, you know, obviously I only get to throw against those guys in spring training, you know, and that's definitely heated. There's a lot of trash talk that goes on. I love talking crap to him about it. So seeing them, you know in the box real game, it's gonna be It's gonna be.

00:11:31
Speaker 4: Fun for me for sure.

00:11:32
Speaker 3: So you know, I'm not gonna say I'm gonna hit anybody, but I mean, I don't know, maybe want to let maybe want to let loose at somebody not gonna name any names, and leave that out there for him, try to scare them over there.

00:11:44
Speaker 4: I love, it's gonna be super fun.

00:11:47
Speaker 3: It's gonna be super fun day to pitch against them.

00:11:51
Speaker 5: That's all I'm talking about. Pitching too, Man, you have a great arsenal pitches. In twenty twenty four, you doubled pretty much your your curveball usage. Is there are you this off season? Is there gonna be something else different that you want to you know, get after and use during the season, or it's going to be you know, you're daily of what here it is, you see it and what you get.

00:12:11
Speaker 3: Yeah, I mean I think it'll depend a lot on you know, kind of you know, how I'm feeling that day, what's kind of kind of going in the bullpen, maybe kind of what the lineup's gonna show us. And I think in Baltimore, you know a lot of that stuff is kind of already determined before the game starts. Now, you know, sometimes it works, sometimes it you know, goes really wrong. But like I said, it'll be good to just kind of, you know, be with Maddox. Who's you know, I'm not gonna say an old school guy, but you know, doesn't lean as heavy on analytics and just go out there and pitch.

00:12:49
Speaker 4: Man, It's gonna be so much fun.

00:12:52
Speaker 6: Does he talk to you anything about like because you said he said, I, hey, there's one thing, there's one thing that we wanted to work on. Has he met mention anything about innings since you didn't throw it all this year? But you said he's old school. Old school guys are like, here's the ball, Grayson, go throw. And I know Maddix a little bit from the two weeks that he was a pitching goes where I was. But do you think there's any kind of innings limit? Do you feel that on yourself without the team even saying anything.

00:13:22
Speaker 3: You know, I mean, I have no idea. I'm gonna be honest with you. Hadn't had any kind of conversations like that.

00:13:26
Speaker 6: You know.

00:13:26
Speaker 3: I'm not saying that there won't be any conversations about it. I'm sure there will be, but right now, I mean, you know, I haven't. We haven't talked about that, you know. Right now, just focused on getting ready, making sure we show up the spring training healthy and ready to throw. I think that's you know, kind of at the front. You know, we might worry about the innings limit or whatever if there is one. We'll worry about that down the road and we get there. But right now, just focus on being an angel and getting my arm ready to go back out and throw.

00:13:55
Speaker 2: And Grayson, we got those dates.

00:13:56
Speaker 1: You might know him already, but June twenty two to twenty four Orioles at Angels. August four to six, Angels are in Baltimore, So you got a little time get nice and cozy with the new team, and then you'll get a little Baltimore on the calendar a couple different times this year, which which will be nice. But I mean, I know it's way far ahead, it's in August, but will you will you have like emotions flowing? I mean, this is your your OG organization for a while here.

00:14:24
Speaker 3: Yeah, I mean, I'm sure there will be, you know, some extra juices going just because I know those guys, you know, I mean, it just means a little bit more. If you have a buddy step in the box or something, you know, you want to do everything you can to punch him out, you know. Yeah, I mean I think it'll definitely be It'll definitely be fun, you know, there's not gonna be any kind of bad blood there. I don't think just because you know the guys in that clubhouse, that's not who trades me. But yeah, it'll be interesting to see when we get there, and I'll definitely be looking forward to it.

00:14:54
Speaker 1: Hey, I was doing some homework, So I think you were the actual last first round pick by the previous front office regime, right, you were drafted by Dan Duquette and his group, and then Michael Lias came in. So my question is, do you do you think that ever kind of affects things where you know, one group really knows a guy and they're attached to him from the jump versus you know, another group coming in and just not having that same like original connection.

00:15:21
Speaker 3: Yeah, I mean, for sure, you know, I think you know, you kind of see it with one of my good buddies, Dal Hall. He was in the draft before me, so obviously a duquet guy. You know, he was traded. There really wasn't a whole lot of guys from my draft class that have made it to the big leagues. I know Drew ram was one. He was also traded. So yeah, I mean, I guess you can kind of look back and see like, Okay, these guys were in the organization, you know, with the previous regime, and you know, most of them are gone.

00:15:53
Speaker 4: I think the only ones left.

00:15:55
Speaker 3: I think there's only three if I'm not mistaken, and that's gonna be Ryan Mountcastle, Keegan Achan and Felix Fautista I think are the only three that are still there from the pre Michael Eis era. You might have a fact check me on that, but uh yeah, I don't know. It might have something to do with it, it might not, but that's something that you know, we've kind of joked around about too sometimes.

00:16:20
Speaker 5: Now, when you get traded, you got to go through physicals and evaluations and medical stuff. Did you do that already? So all that's taken care of. Everything went well with that, especially you know with your arm and everything.

00:16:34
Speaker 3: No, I mean I got a call that said, hey, you've been traded to the Angels like that, this is it.

00:16:38
Speaker 4: You know, it's done deal. So yeah, there's nothing, there's no physicals.

00:16:42
Speaker 6: You know.

00:16:42
Speaker 4: I was talking about that with my dad yesterday.

00:16:45
Speaker 3: He was asking me about that, and I was like, you know, I mean, you know, we're good to go, so perfect, awesome.

00:16:51
Speaker 1: Wait, so So Grayson, what's next off the field here? You mentioned how yeah, there's there's some gorgeous whether you certainly got traded to a nice spot. In terms of living life outside of baseball, how does your off season change with the location change for the fam?

00:17:08
Speaker 3: You know, I mean, obviously never been to an Arizona spring training. Excited about that. I guess we'll have to worry about finding a place to save for that first, and then you know, I hadn't really you know, obviously I don't know the first thing about Los Angeles. I don't know if there's any white tailed deer there. If there are, i'd love it, But.

00:17:29
Speaker 4: I don't know. I really proud about it.

00:17:32
Speaker 3: The only time I've been to LA played there in high school once there was like a tournament, and then just the times that we've played against the Dodgers and the Angels when i've been with the Orioles, So that's literally the only times I've been over there.

00:17:46
Speaker 4: Weather it was fantastic.

00:17:49
Speaker 3: But yeah, I mean, I really don't know much about it right now, so gonna gonna be learning about it soon, i'd imagine.

00:17:55
Speaker 5: Last question here. You know, you talk about white tailed deal first off, like Trout, big time hunter, so maybe maybe talk to him about it. Have you had of a conversation with him yet at all?

00:18:07
Speaker 3: Yeah, I've had a few conversations with Trout over the last year or so. We got some some mutual friends, you know, obviously huge Eagles fan boo. Actually I actually hunt a bunch with two of the former Eagles players. So got some Eagles connections with some friends up there in Philly. You know, I'm from Texas. I'm not gonna say I'm a Cowboys fan. Definitely watching the game every Sunday, though, I'm watching the Cowboys. So that week one of the NFL season, Cowboys Eagles in Philly, there is definitely some messages from Mike Trout.

00:18:46
Speaker 4: About the matchup.

00:18:48
Speaker 3: So yeah, I've been talking to Trout for a little while about hunting stuff, sharing some game camera pictures with him and whatnot. And uh, yeah, I guess now we're teammates. So maybe he'll invite me to hunt his place, and I'll invite him to.

00:19:00
Speaker 5: My place, you never know, and find a way to get him back into the playoffs. What do you say about that?

00:19:07
Speaker 4: Absolutely?

00:19:08
Speaker 3: Man, I know I was asked about They're like, well, you know, what are your views on you know, October baseball, And I'm like, the goals to be in October. You know, it doesn't matter who you're playing for, that's the goal. And then you know, if you don't get there, you failed. So that's definitely going to be the goal. And I you know, I think we can do it, you know, I mean, you know when I was with the Orioles in twenty three, you know it, we went from winning I think it was like maybe eighty games, seventy eight, eighty eighty two, I don't know whatever the number was, to like winning one hundred and one. Like it's just boomed, like it just happened. And that's kind of the cool thing, you know, seeing that that can happen, that can take place. You know, we won the division in twenty three. You know, I think it's definitely attainable in LA with the Angels.

00:19:51
Speaker 6: All Right, Grayson, listen, you're not you didn't say you're Cowboys fan, but you watch the games. Okay. You are currently twenty six years old. Happy birthday, by the way, it was just five days ago. Is your birthday? What a what a what a nice birthday for you. But you don't know what winning is for a Cowboys because you're only twenty six years old. So it's okay. Just go watch the games, enjoy what you do, and that's totally fine. Just make sure when you argue with Trouty about Eagles, Cowboys, whatever it is, that like he he's he's dominated the rivalry.

00:20:28
Speaker 4: Yeah. Well, I'm just gonna let you know that you're wrong. All right.

00:20:31
Speaker 3: Look up Dak Prescott's record versus the Eagles. Okay, two, I do know what winning is because that documentary came out this year and I got to watch that.

00:20:39
Speaker 4: So saw some.

00:20:40
Speaker 3: Film on an the boys, you know, winning, So now I can say that I've seen it. So, yeah, you're romocrats over there.

00:20:50
Speaker 6: Well, I watched a documentary on the Revolutionary Ward. Doesn't mean that I lived it, Okay, So I'm just saying.

00:20:57
Speaker 3: I'm willing to bet you are a liar. You did not watch a documentary on the Revolutionary War.

00:21:02
Speaker 6: Okay. I saw there was a documentary and I skipped over it to watch to watch Rusty. No, my teachers love me. My teachers love me.

00:21:20
Speaker 1: I'm a big George Washington fan. A good way to go out. We're getting a little bit of self feedback here. But but Grayson, if you can hear us, you're the man.

00:21:28
Speaker 2: Oh there we go. He's back. Grayson, you're the man.

00:21:30
Speaker 1: Thank you for joining us, and yeah, have a great Thanksgiving and all that. We'll catch you, I think before Christmas will get you back one more time before the season or before the year ends. But but congrats, man, you're gonna love life and the warmth out there.

00:21:43
Speaker 2: So thanks for joining us. Dude.

00:21:45
Speaker 4: Yeah, I appreciate y'all. Thank you all for having me on.

00:21:47
Speaker 3: Hopefully Nagatos, Texas gets some fiber optic internet before Christmas. Okay, then we won't Then we won't lose signals.

00:21:56
Speaker 2: So yeah, please please please thank you.

00:21:59
Speaker 1: We love your backdrop two always at home, so we will work on that for you in Texas.

00:22:04
Speaker 2: Thanks grace, and talk to you soon.

00:22:05
Speaker 4: About all right, catch y'all later.

00:22:08
Speaker 2: Hey.

00:22:08
Speaker 1: Carl Anthony Towns held a Yamamoto rookie card and Todd Father. He just unleashed it for seventy two grand and good good thing too, because he needs it. Man, he's struggling. He only makes what do you think, I don't prop my head makes a ton of money. I means it's superstar.

00:22:26
Speaker 2: That's pretty cool, though, good job.

00:22:29
Speaker 1: Good slip, I mean, Jesus, good flip, Tod Father, that's a good flip.

00:22:35
Speaker 2: I had that bad boy, and it went up a lot, a lot as he became.

00:22:40
Speaker 5: The best, best time to sell it right now, great call, Yes, prices guess in October.

00:22:47
Speaker 6: I need you to guess when he's making in twenty twenty.

00:22:49
Speaker 2: Five, forty five million.

00:22:53
Speaker 6: Fifty six starts with a five fifty three point one four million Carl Anthony Towns. Don't Paul Chauncey billups, okay, but they also have like that's sick. I think that's awesome. Seventy two g's. That's a good pool. That's a good pool.

00:23:12
Speaker 1: Yeah, he gets paid that much for maybe a quarter of basketball.

00:23:16
Speaker 2: Maybe hmmm, maybe a quarter.

00:23:22
Speaker 5: I don't know.

00:23:23
Speaker 2: But still that's a good flip. That's a good flip.

00:23:25
Speaker 6: No, not even, cra no, I not even. It'd be closer to like two no, sick. Yeah, it will be more like one hundred thousand per quarter.

00:23:39
Speaker 1: Okay, so close close. That's crazy. Right, Hey, good job, man, you just played a quarter of basketball. Here's one hundred gee's. That's more than any average annual value in baseball, Right, what's Soto at.

00:23:53
Speaker 4: Cooky?

00:23:55
Speaker 6: I don't know. Well, no, I mean show Hay is fifty six? No after after defers.

00:24:01
Speaker 2: Now net present value?

00:24:03
Speaker 6: I thought his net present value was fifty six.

00:24:06
Speaker 1: No, he signed what it was a ten year, seven hundred, right, the net present value is four fifty, so that's forty five forty six.

00:24:15
Speaker 6: Yeah, I think it's yeah. I think it's like forty six, forty five, forty six somewhere in there. So you're right. No, no, but the NBA has a cap, so it's much easier for everybody to compete.

00:24:25
Speaker 7: I think you're gonna say that it's sorry, sorry, I'm trying to find with the aav oh fifty one for Soto.

00:24:36
Speaker 2: Yeah, he's got to be.

00:24:38
Speaker 6: Carl Anthony Towns most most people in here don't even know what team he plays for.