Offensive: struggles in right field, a six-man rotation, Reds court Kyle Schwarber

00:00:02
Speaker 1: Aaron Nola and welcome to the Philly Show.

00:00:08
Speaker 2: But tomorrow Junior, Jim Salisbury Todd, so lucky. It's Friday, August fifteenth, twenty twenty five. Hope everybody is doing well out there. We look great today.

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Speaker 3: We got our stuff.

00:00:21
Speaker 2: Jim is in an Jim is in his bunker in an undisclosed location. He's got this shady window covering behind him. Right now, Jimmy, Jim, blink twice, Jim, blink twice.

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Speaker 4: If you're okay, I'm doing well.

00:00:35
Speaker 1: Hold up. Hold, I'm gonna hold up today's newspaper. Oh, they don't make newspapers anymore, they don't.

00:00:43
Speaker 3: Yeah, I love your wig right now.

00:00:45
Speaker 5: I love the spiked up too, so I'll think I'm going we should go that route.

00:00:50
Speaker 1: Yeah, I look very youthful.

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Speaker 3: Very cool.

00:00:55
Speaker 4: One time, Jim, Jim Reuben.

00:00:56
Speaker 2: One time Jim bought new shoes, you know, a few years ago, and he was very proud of him, and he come in, came into the press box. He goes, look, everybody, look at my new youthful shoes.

00:01:10
Speaker 1: In clear water.

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Speaker 3: That was clear water.

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Speaker 4: He's like, oh, look, he was strolling.

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Speaker 2: He's had a little strut gontrist box chest out. He's like, look at my new youthful shoes.

00:01:24
Speaker 1: Well, I have to keep up with you guys, because your generation all you wear is sneakers.

00:01:31
Speaker 4: Sneaker shoes. Yes, it's all about comfort.

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Speaker 3: You know.

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Speaker 2: You can mix it up, you can mix it in. Yeah, you gotta be a little comfortable.

00:01:36
Speaker 3: You know. I have a little style, James, just a little stock.

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Speaker 4: I'm not wearing wingtips to the ballpark. Let's put it to you that way.

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Speaker 1: My style, My style begins and ends with Dockers pleats.

00:01:51
Speaker 3: That's the question.

00:01:52
Speaker 1: It depends how fat I am.

00:01:56
Speaker 2: Depends on what's going for you this summer. Well, I think we look good today. Phillies have not been so good the past few days. They've lost three in a row.

00:02:06
Speaker 4: You know that it's really been been the offense.

00:02:10
Speaker 2: You know, we were I was watching the game last night and they had Harrison Bader got on with leadoff single and Mundo Sosa buns of runner over roup. But I want to ask you that because you were you were kind of surprised that they that Sosa bunted there, and can you explain why that was a surprise to you? I mean, I'm not a huge bunt guy, unless it's a you know, super obvious situation giving up the out.

00:02:31
Speaker 4: Is that kind of what you were thinking there?

00:02:34
Speaker 5: Yeah, I mean I really don't like kind of play for the tie when you're on the road. But I think that the strategy behind it for Topper and there was a reason for it. I mean, he believed that his bullpen is much better than their bullpen, and you know, typically it is, but when you're not swinging the bats all that well, there are times when I sort of like to have.

00:02:53
Speaker 3: Guys just going and swing the bat.

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Speaker 5: I think I would trust Sosa to try to move the runner, hit the ball the opposite way, maybe hit them on the whole, maybe create something rather than give up, give up and out. And then when he went to three to zero with the bun attempt, I thought that he might try to like take a couple, Like he went to three to one, he threw one right down the middle, and at that three to one situation, like either let him hit at that point and maybe drive a ball out.

00:03:21
Speaker 3: Of the ballpark, or allow.

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Speaker 5: The hitter to maybe take a pitch because he ended up bunning the ball, moving the runner and getting it out, or you know, having a productive out and get the sack. But the way the Phillies are swinging the bats, I don't know, man, I don't know if like I like up outs. I know why he did it right, but they're just I just didn't agree with the strategy. I mean, I like a lot of the things that Rob Thompson does, but I didn't agree with that one.

00:03:49
Speaker 4: Yeah.

00:03:49
Speaker 1: Maybe if they would do more early in games, he wouldn't have to be playing for one runner.

00:03:53
Speaker 5: Oh you aren't kidding, you are no run support at all for Lozardo, who was really fabulous. I mean, stuff was really good yesterday.

00:04:01
Speaker 4: So I want to take.

00:04:02
Speaker 1: They've been outscored seventeen to three the last three games. We started the week. We started the week saying how everything was coming together.

00:04:11
Speaker 4: There.

00:04:12
Speaker 2: So let's let's dig a little bit more into the offense with the parks First Pitch. First Pitch is brought to us exclusively by our partners at Park Casino, Pennsylvania's number one casino.

00:04:31
Speaker 4: Uh, you're right, Jim.

00:04:33
Speaker 2: On Monday Show, we're sitting there talking about they got this nice the lead going, the Mets are tanking. You know, it's kind of looking up, you know, they're there. They have the second best record in the National League. You know, they're running down the that that first round by which is super important. In the last three games, they're betting one eighty eight with a four to seventy three OPS. So yeah, just kind of but this is kind of what we've talked about this all year. This is kind of what this this team does, you know. And one of the guys that's kind of been a culprit has been Nick Castianos. He is in a brutal funk, atrocious funk. Looking up some numbers since the All Star Break, Nick Castianos is batting one seventy eight, three walks, twenty five strikeouts, ninety three played appearances, a four to ninety three OPS. Again, that's since the All Star Break. That's third worst in baseball out of qualified hitters. He's got the lowest war out of qualified players since the All Star Break, negative point eight.

00:05:30
Speaker 4: You know.

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Speaker 2: Then he added in the defense and last Saturday in Texas, Rob sat him said it was the turf, because of the turf, the hard turf. I asked somebody in Texas As, I said, have you ever heard anybody say anything about the hard turf? In Texas and they said not once in my life if I heard anybody say anything about the hard turf. So, you know, Rob is trying to I think, just trying to find a way to get to get Nick out of the lineup and mix some other guys in.

00:05:56
Speaker 4: But could we.

00:05:59
Speaker 2: See maybe Max Kepler a little bit more in right field? Should we see a little bit more in Max Kepler and right field? Maybe Saturday Kate Cavali's on them on the right hand, or do you guys think that's something that we should see or hope to see, or do you think he's going to continue to ride out Nick.

00:06:14
Speaker 1: I think it's time that they started playing some hot hand here. I mean, you could platoon him, put Kepler over there, and you know they got baitter because he hits right. He's in lefties and he can play a heck of a center field. Maybe it's time to play him out there regular. You could play marsh regular and left, and you could platoon and right. They just haven't gotten enough out of neck. You know, I don't know what's going through Rob's head. I believe that if he feels like if he platoons Castianos, he's going to lose him all together, and he doesn't want that to happen. You do have to kind of manage the personnel in terms of how you can get the most out of a guy, and just having a guy completely disappear. It's not good for your team if you would to start platooning him. But uh, something, something's got to be done there because they're not getting anything out.

00:07:05
Speaker 3: Of him that could completely agree.

00:07:09
Speaker 5: I do think that he's gonna have to play Kepler a little bit more, believe it or not. I mean, we were talking about Kepler, who has been struggling pretty so much all year, but lately he's been swinging the bat well.

00:07:19
Speaker 3: He's gotten some.

00:07:19
Speaker 5: Good key base hits, He's hit the ball hard. I mean, he actually has a chance right now. I've watched Casianos as a bats and it almost looks like he has in Summit bats literally no chance. And when you're in that sort of a funk, I mean, there's nothing wrong with him and a guy a couple of days of a blow we used to do with Pat Burrell, you know, Charlie used to do a Pat Burrow. Charlie's done it, you know. I Mean, sometimes you just have to say hey, take a breather. We need we need some production. We're not getting production out of some of the big boys right now. Like you know, we talk a lot about some of the other guys who are not producing. But when you don't have your big two big left handed hitters doing the job. I mean, this team right now, for me, when Schwarber's not going well, the team just basically falls apart. That's one player, and when that happens, that's troublesome. I mean, some other people have to pick it up. Right now, Harper's not swinging the bat all that well. It's good to see him get a base at the left field yesterday. It was finally flipped one in the left. It was a little bit like Bobby of Bray when he struggles for a while. If he flips one in the left and he stays on the ball a little bit better. He's pulling off the ball pretty consistently right now, not swinging well.

00:08:37
Speaker 3: They're just not getting a lot of production from a lot of guys.

00:08:39
Speaker 5: But when what Sharber's down, this team basically has no offense, which is weird, and it should be much better. I mean, the bottom of the lineup was doing a nice job in Texas and they were taking some of the heat off the top of the lineup. But top of the lineup at some point has to produce. I mean, you can go through a couple of days, but you know, those guys to be better. And as far as you know, Kepper get an opportunity to play, I'd stick him in there, get him in there and let him play, and to stay Nick, get off your feet and get out of your head for a couple of games and you know.

00:09:13
Speaker 3: Let's get it going. I know it's a tough.

00:09:15
Speaker 5: Thing to manage for Rob Thompson because the players a little sense of He's used to playing every single day.

00:09:20
Speaker 3: But at some point you can't be the nice guy.

00:09:23
Speaker 5: You got to be the guy that wears the black hat and put the best team on the field.

00:09:28
Speaker 1: It's it's kind of weird, how you know, in the last week we've seen every reason why we like this team in October and every reason why we're concerned about this team in October.

00:09:42
Speaker 3: Right right.

00:09:45
Speaker 2: You know it is funny though, like you have you know Ruby, you mentioned Max Kepper in this season, he has We were talking a few weeks ago about is if Crawford comes up where is could Kepler be gone? But he is the hot hand, And that's what I think Rob needs to do right now is just and moving forward, just kind of go with the hot hand with the lineup and who hits behind Harper and Schwarber. Maybe although Alec Bohma had a couple of hits on you know, Thursday with Triple A Lee High Valley, he could be coming back soon. I think he'll slide in that four spot. But yeah, go with the hot hand. And it doesn't necessarily even have to be like a true platoon every single time. But but if Max Kepler has is swinging a good bat, hot bat, mix him in there, maybe a little bit more in right field while Nick is struggling. I mean, we're kind of think we're you know, this is about winning games, going to the postseason, figuring out what you've got, figuring out what you can do in the postseason. And I think right now you have to go with Max Keupler. And you know, like you said, though, like Schwarber and Harper aren't swinging the bat great right now. So it's not just pinning this on Nick Castians. But he struggled most of the season and certainly he has struggled terribly since the All Star breaks.

00:10:56
Speaker 1: So Schwarber is allowed a little. He's allowed to be human now, and then they need other guys to come up and pick him up and produce around him. He did sway a good that last at bat last night. Maybe that will get something going because clearly he's not allowed to have, you know, a four day.

00:11:13
Speaker 3: Slump exactly because a good team collapses.

00:11:19
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00:11:36
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00:13:20
Speaker 4: He ran into.

00:13:20
Speaker 2: Trouble obviously in that last inning that he was on the mound. But you hate to waste a pitching performance like that, because again they're they're fighting for. You want to get that second you would get. You want to get one of those top two seeds, and right now the Brewers can't lose. I feel like and so and the Dodgers are struggling, so that second seed, that one of those top two seeds, is super important. They got to get that locked down. So you hate to see and then waste a pitching performance like Wizardo.

00:13:51
Speaker 1: No question, they won't need a I wouldn't need a fourth start up to the NLC Hops correct if they were able to secure that, And that's huge the way this team lines up. It's also fewer games you have to win to get to the to get to the prize, So I'm always when the great debate about extra rest or getting the buy, I'll always take the fewer games and needed to win the fewer games to get there, especially with an aging roster, get him, get him some rest. It's not that long of a break. He should be able to ramp back up. But yeah, you need to be full bore going after that second best record in the National League.

00:14:26
Speaker 5: Yeah, Lozardo had great stuff. His sweeper was fantastic, basketball was good. He was a pinpointing until like that seventh inning. And I think it was an interesting quote from Thompson about how he should have probably had now that he's got a full contingency of bullpen, he probably should have had O'Ryan Kirkering ready for Riley Adams in that situation when he walked that first hitter, that's when he probably should have pulled him.

00:14:52
Speaker 3: There's a couple of.

00:14:52
Speaker 5: Things that Thompson didn't and I love Rob, but there's a couple of things that I disagreed with. I know it happened fast for Lizardo, but when you have a full your full bullpen, he probably.

00:15:04
Speaker 3: Should have had Oryan Kirkring ready.

00:15:05
Speaker 5: And he said it, he stated it himself for for Riley Adams in that situation to try to preserve that one run lead after the walk, even though Loazarda was throwing well, that that walk really hurt him, and then he left a fastball right middle middle and Riley Adams smoked it.

00:15:23
Speaker 3: So uh, but Lazardo was throwing really really well.

00:15:28
Speaker 5: I like the idea that they were going to the six man rotation, and you talked about it, Todd. They gotta win games, man, they gotta win games because that second place in as far as the record is concerned, is winnable.

00:15:41
Speaker 3: The other teams stink.

00:15:42
Speaker 5: The other teams are playing poorly too, and so you know, I mean, the Dodgers aren't playing great. San Diego is not really all playing all that great. They're they're having some injury issues. Now, I mean there's there's a there's a real good chance and and the Cubs obviously are a good team. But I mean again, you gotta be able to beat that second seed if you can, and they have they're good enough to be that second seed.

00:16:04
Speaker 3: They just gotta they gotta win games.

00:16:07
Speaker 2: Yeah, As as of today, the Phillies are tied for this with the Padres for the second seed. But they're both sixty nine and and fifty two. But what do you got do you guys like the I mean, we kind of thought this was coming, the six man rotation. Rob announced that on Thursday before the game in DC. So Aaron Nola is going to rejoin the rotation on Sunday. Ranger Suarez is going to pitch on Monday. Taiwan Walker. Taiwan Walker, who we again't go back into the off season. We thought, is this guy even gonna be around? And now he's pitched, so well, they're like, we are, he is the guy. He's he's the sixth man. He's gonna be the sixth man moving forward. And so it's going to give Zach Wheeler some rest his last five starts four to seven one EARRA, It's going to give Ranger Swarz a little bit more at rest his last five starts six, five to nine ARRA. And it's also going to give Christopher Sanchez some extra rest, who is approaching a career high in innings.

00:16:57
Speaker 4: So makes sense, right, no question.

00:17:01
Speaker 1: We've been talking about this like some spring training. We've been talking about it since last year that the possibility exists. I mean they I think they went to it one turn last year, but it's been out there all all season. When you go to the postseason in consecutive years like this team has, it adds extra workload on your pitchers. The example I always used, and it's stressful pitching in the postseason. I always use Madison Bumgardner as an example. I mean, he kind of hit a wall when he turned thirty, but I mean he'll take it because he won three World Series rings. He was an absolute horse. But he was pitching an extra month every year and I think it had a real took a real toll on him. Wheeler and all these guys have been pitching extra you know. Not last year was only one star. They were out of there early. But I mean, I think, you know what I'm saying. They've been talking about a six man for a long time, and it's good to be able to go to it. It's good to be able to go to it with Aaronola. He's been there, he's done that. I mean, this is a fascinating situation. He has a chance, after a kind of a lost season, he has a chance to really impact the team and really impact this race, almost in a higher gun fashion. I know he struggled, he's been up and down last you know, last year or so, and he struggled earlier this year. But let me ask you this, if if your team went out and acquired Aaron Nola at the deadline, even with all his warts, his recent warts, you would take a chance at that. And I'm really ready to take a chance that he can provide, you know, six really good weeks for this team and give them a lift and give everybody else a blow. It's a it's a really good chance for him, like I said, to do something for the team that he's kind of missed out on all season.

00:18:52
Speaker 4: He could be a starter.

00:18:54
Speaker 5: But yeah, I mean, we were talking about this six starter situation with Aner being the guy, but Painter hasn't stepped forward and and Taiwan Walker has so but I do like the idea that I'm going to sixth man rotation. As far as Nola is concerned, this is a fresh arm. It wasn't an arm issue. It was a rib and an ankle issue. And he has you know, logged a lot of innings over the over the years, but he has now he's now coming off basically you know a few months of being able to like sit back and work his way into getting back and ready and listen, he may end up being the third starter. If Suarez and you know, some of the other guys in the rotation, Lozardo, whatever. If they're not throwing the ball all that well, they're gonna pick him. They're gonna mix a match. It's gonna be Wheeler, and it's gonna be Sanchez, and after that, it's gonna be the best pitcher that's pitching at that time, And it could very well be Aaron Nola because he's been there and he's done it, and he's had some you know, success, success in the postseason.

00:19:52
Speaker 3: So I'm going to love having him back.

00:19:56
Speaker 5: I don't know how well he's going to pitch, but it's certainly going to help this team's depth. The interesting thing about this is what's gonna happen roster wise, because now you're gonna have a shorter bullpen, You're gonna have seven guys in the bullpen, You're gonna have six guys in the rotation. What is the roster move that they make. They've got a couple of difficult decisions because when Nola comes back, they'll really only have one guy that has options, and that's Max Lazarre. And do they make the move? Is it Ross, is it Romano, Is it Lazarre?

00:20:26
Speaker 3: Who gets sent out?

00:20:27
Speaker 5: And then when Alvarado comes back. They got another difficult decision on the nineteenth. Now this is basically stating, you know, the under the thought process that they were, that they're everybody's healthy, but to some really tough roster decisions to be made. Same way with Alec Boone is gonna come back, I think closer to this weekend then next week because he's getting closer.

00:20:49
Speaker 3: When Alec Bone comes, Who's it gonna be Western Wilson or Kemp?

00:20:56
Speaker 5: I think it might be Otto just because I think Western Wilson could do more things auto Kemp's inability to play defense I think hurts him.

00:21:05
Speaker 3: So there's a lot of stuff.

00:21:06
Speaker 5: To unpack here, and it's going to be really interesting some of the roster moves they have to make.

00:21:10
Speaker 2: Yeah, the bullpen, you know who goes out of that bullpen when they go to a six man is very interesting. We talked about this on Monday, like you do do you do?

00:21:18
Speaker 4: You keep?

00:21:19
Speaker 2: Even though Romano has really struggled. It was funny though. On Monday I had mentioned how his like the last eight appearances in all low leverage situations, he had pitched pretty well, and then the other night in Cincinnati Gat actually got blown up. But do you keep the depth, i e. Keep Romano or an option Maxwell's are or do you just say, you know what, Romano doesn't really have a spot for US Lazars pitching in you know, more trust you go in that route.

00:21:45
Speaker 4: So it's interesting.

00:21:45
Speaker 2: But yeah, the Phillies have They're in a stretch right now, thirty nine games in forty one days. So the six man rotation makes all the sense.

00:21:53
Speaker 1: It makes sense in so many ways. And I'm especially looking at Wheeler, I'm especially looking at Swarez. Give them a little extra time between starts because they are so hugely important.

00:22:06
Speaker 5: Yeah, in they're saying just one time through, but it may end up being a couple of times through, and if and then they're thinking about ways that they can kind of massage through this. It's probably gonna be guys maybe piggybacking something like that, where you have, you know, a guy start and then a guy following him as a starter and going to you know, a quote unquote five man rotation again. But they're gonna have to mix and match and figure it out. It's a good problem to.

00:22:31
Speaker 4: Have, it is. It is.

00:22:35
Speaker 2: So we had on Wednesday, we had Eagles GM Howie Roseman on the show, and that was a lot of fun. He had a lot of great things to say. So you haven't checked that episode out, go back and check out Wednesday. It would really I mean, he you really got to see a lot of his personality.

00:22:50
Speaker 4: I don't really know him.

00:22:50
Speaker 2: That well, obviously covering the Phillies, but a lot of a lot of great stuff, talking about winning and losing in Philly. You know you and you know Rubin you he has had a couple of drinks back in the day, right, you know. He was talking about how he as a kid, he you know, just just his love of the NFL and and just wanting to be a general manager. And jim usn't that great question at the end. It was a great cap or question because he just he just crushed it about where he's heard like go birds over the years and the weirdest places these are go birds.

00:23:23
Speaker 3: So it was awesome.

00:23:24
Speaker 4: Go go check that out. Uh, NFL season is coming up, it's right around the corner.

00:23:30
Speaker 2: It's I love the fall because he got postseason baseball, Pennant Pennant baseball, and then he got the NFL starting up, so you know, one great place to watch all of these games.

00:23:41
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00:24:42
Speaker 2: So in Cincinnati this week, guys, Kyle Schwarber, you know he grew up right outside of Cincinnati and the Reds kind of rolled out the red carpet for him, and his dad comes out and throws the ceremoniy first pitch. His youth baseball coach comes out and throws out this ceremonial first pitch.

00:25:01
Speaker 4: And this is a lot of.

00:25:01
Speaker 2: People very hot and bothered, very hot and bothered, And I, honestly, I find it a little bit ridiculous.

00:25:11
Speaker 4: You know, the idea that this is going.

00:25:14
Speaker 2: To you know, sway Kyle Schwarber in free agency, that he's going to be sitting there with two offers on the table and he's going to go, you know what, I think I'm going to sign with our five six offers on the table. He's going to, know what, I think I'm going to go to Cincinnati because I you know, I grew up a Reds fan, but also because they had my dad and my youth baseball coach come to the game and throw me a ceremonial first pitch. Do you find the this just an absolutely ridiculous suggestion that this is going to sway him one way or the other.

00:25:49
Speaker 1: It is for me, I agree, ridiculous. What and we've been talking about Cincinnati for like a year as a potential and destination. That makes a lot of sense because obviously he grew up there. He's a Reds fan as a kid. But they got some good young players, they got a ballpark with the ball Flies, and he's got this, you know, big personality. He's a giant in the community. He would have a Jim Tolmy like. It would be a Jim told me like signing for that franchise back when the Phillies signed to me, and he checked every box on the field and off the field, from player to community guy, to teammate to power hitter. Anyway, Schwarmer would fit all that for the Reds. He would make a ton of sense. We've been talking about that for like a year. In the end, I just don't It's not Cincinnati's style, and I've talked to people in an organization about it, and they admit it's just not something we do. We don't go out and sign mega free agent contracts. It's gonna come down to money. The Phillies have the money, they know his value. I don't see any way they let him get away. I don't think in the end, Cincinnati is going to be a real player, given their history and given the way they they they don't spend. And I just think John Middleton is a guy who listens to his customers and he hears the standing ovations and he sees the schwar bombs and he's gonna listen, and they're gonna get it done. He's gonna be right back here in Philadelphia.

00:27:11
Speaker 3: He sort of stole my thunder there.

00:27:13
Speaker 5: Jim, that's what happens when you're number three, And no, you should.

00:27:16
Speaker 3: I mean, I love it. I mean, listen, they you're absolutely right.

00:27:19
Speaker 5: I view him as a Jim Tomey type signing for them in Cincinnati. It's a very very similar situation and it would be big for the Cincinnati And I don't have any problem with them pulling out all stops like that. I mean, they haven't violated anything.

00:27:32
Speaker 3: They haven't.

00:27:34
Speaker 5: You know, that's not a violation of any of the rules. I mean, they're just honoring the guy. And I got no problem with that. And at the end of the day, it's always about the green Backs and the length. It's the money in the length. And you know, unless Cincinnati gets to like ninety five percent of that money at length, I don't think it's going to be a factor.

00:27:58
Speaker 3: And so and Honestly, I just don't know.

00:28:01
Speaker 5: That they have the wherewithal and the money to be able to hang with the Phillies in that situation. But it's possible. Anything's possible, obviously. I just feel like, at the end of the day, the Phillies are going to bring this guy back. He's too important to this franchise for a number of reasons that Jim's already stated, and he's he's a great person, who's a great ballplayer, and he fits Philadelphia to too.

00:28:23
Speaker 3: Dark and well.

00:28:24
Speaker 2: So, the largest contract the Reds the've ever signed a player too is the contract extension for Joey Vada. That was a ten year, two hundred and twenty five million dollar deal. The largest free agent contract that they've ever signed, if my research is correct, four years, sixty four million to Nick Castianos and Mike Mustakis in twenty twenty. Those are the largest free agent contracts they've ever signed a player. So they haven't even sniffed one hundred million dollars with a free agent. The current largest contract the Reds have is Cabrian Hayes, who they got in the trade eight years, seventy million dollars. So you know, like like for you know, Rubin, your dad played here, you grew up here, you grew up a Phillies fan. If you were Kyle Schwarber, uh, if you were having the type of career that Kyle Schwarber is having for the Seattle Mariners and you came back to play the Phillies one day and your dad threw out the first pitch to you. And then the free agency comes along and the Mariners go, We're going to give you five years, one hundred and fifty million dollars to stay in Seattle. And then the Phillies call you up and go, how about four years ninety million? But we did have your dad throw the first pitch to you before a game.

00:29:37
Speaker 4: You're signing re signing with the Mariners, just like.

00:29:39
Speaker 3: That would be correct of the time.

00:29:42
Speaker 5: Yeah, Now if less money didn't mean anything to me, and I think that there And honestly, there's so many different factors. I mean, you're talking about there's going to be some union pressure. There's all types stuff. He's probably one of the biggest. He and Tucker are going to be the biggest I think bats as far as free agency is concerned. And the Union is going to to push the envelope here, so they'll have some influence on this decision as well. They ultimately it will be the player's decision, and especially in Kyle Schwarber's case, but the Union's going to have some influence on this baby too.

00:30:13
Speaker 1: That's the That's the homecoming to watch. The potential homecoming to watch is the Cubs if they lose Talker and they have money burning a hole in their pocket. That Kyle Schwober was a cobby drafted by them, cans in majors, won a World Series with him. They're kicking themselves because they didn't trouble little more patience getting through a down year. That's the homecoming for me to watch. It shouldn't bother people that Kyle's dad caught the first pitch. It should bother people that you went into Cincinnati and lost two or three, you know correct. I also want to say this, and I've talked about this with a number of players over thirty years. It can be very distracting for a player to play at home. There can be a lot of distractions and a lot of guys don't want to come out and say it, but sometimes it's it's good to have that little bit of distance, you don't have the whole world pulling on you. So that might be something that factors into into Schwarber's thinking as well. And this is twenty twenty five. You can fly home on a private jet on an off day and be there in two hours, So it's it's it's not like you know you have to be home. You can play elsewhere and still go home out in the off season, and you know you don't play your whole life. You're going to spend the bulk of your life in your hometown. So those are all things to factor I think Kyle Schwarber is very focused and very comfortable in Philadelphia, and I also think he with a team like Cincinnati, you have to wonder is the owner in or out? You never have to worry about that. In Philadelphia. The owner is in. The ownership is in, and every year they're going to put their best foot forward. Try to put a ring on your finger. I think that matters.

00:31:56
Speaker 2: I was talking with somebody about Schwarber recently, and you know, create seen stuff, and he said, the guy wants the guy wants to win. He wants to be in a place where he knows he has a chance to win.

00:32:07
Speaker 4: In your right gym.

00:32:08
Speaker 2: So say, say the Reds go crazy and they matched the Phillies, and he goes, you know what, I do want to play for my hometown team. But he has to be then asking himself, well, they just dropped one hundred and twenty five million on me. Are they actually going to go out and keep spending money? I mean, they haven't shown the history of doing that. So okay, you can get your money and play for your hometown team. Are you going to get to the World Series. You're gonna have a chance to get to the playoffs every year? You know in Philly, you're gonna have a chance to do that. Ask Ken Griffy Junior how his experience was in Cincinnati playing for his own back. He grew up in Cincinnati a Reds fan, obviously his dad and everything like that didn't exactly work out.

00:32:46
Speaker 1: So, you know, didn't Schwarbar question not Schwarba our Castianos on his way out the door? Didn't he question ownership's commitment of Cincinnati?

00:32:54
Speaker 2: Yeah, he crushed your crushed ownership.

00:32:56
Speaker 4: He crushed ownership.

00:32:57
Speaker 1: All he has to do is kind of take the two take temperature two lockers.

00:33:02
Speaker 4: Down exactly right. Yeah, literally two lockers down. So all right, guys.

00:33:08
Speaker 2: The Phillies continue their series against the Nationals this weekend, finishing up this ten game road trip Friday night.

00:33:15
Speaker 4: It is Mackenzie.

00:33:17
Speaker 2: Gore on the mound for the Ooh, that's going to be a that's a tough.

00:33:22
Speaker 5: One, tough one for Philli. McKenzie's been struggling lately, but he's really good. He's got great stuff, and the Philly struggled against him.

00:33:29
Speaker 2: Yeah, the local nine. That's a tough one to get going against. Yeah, but they've got to do it. So we will be back on Monday.

00:33:37
Speaker 1: Smelly later, boys.

00:33:39
Speaker 3: Nice Jim.

00:33:40
Speaker 4: The Philly Show is brought to you by the Foul Territory Network.

00:33:44
Speaker 2: Subscribe to The Philly Show on YouTube and wherever you get your podcasts.