Starting pitchers Nick Martinez & Drew Rasmussen join FT @Rays camp

00:00:03
Speaker 1: Take us into the locker room about the things that are talked about, because my my, my explanation was, you're talking constantly as Team USA about not being these guys friends. Who cares if it's your teammates. What are the things that you heard and the team talked about when you were on the WBC team.

00:00:20
Speaker 2: I think I don't I don't know if we I don't remember us, you know, single handedly pointing you know, one country out or anything. But it was definitely the vibe was, you know, we're playing for our country. We have this honor to wear this jersey, and uh, you know, we want to do our best to represent it and focus on USA, right and we're trying to win a gold medal for USA. So uh, it's not a matter of just singling any any country out. It's more of playing together and trying to you know, make something special happen.

00:00:48
Speaker 3: Yeah, let's get back to raise camp here. How excited you to be here?

00:00:51
Speaker 4: You strike me as a guy who's always wanting to strive to be better and learn, you know, with the Rays, very attractive to come sign here in the offseason.

00:00:59
Speaker 2: Yeah, for for that reason, right, they have an amazing reputation and you know, getting guys better, communicating their their you know, playing for cash, you know, for great things about them. I was working with Snyde has been great already and he's got a great reputation. So it's it's just it was very exciting to uh join an organization that has that reputation of you know, especially with the older, older pitchers, you know, to to get them back to their you know, highest highest performance level.

00:01:28
Speaker 1: What did they tell you in the off season when they're making that pitch, say, you know what, hey, you know this is what we see? Or what did they what what was talked about that made you finally make the decision to go to Tampa.

00:01:39
Speaker 2: Yeah, that they they had the tools available to help me get back on track to the best version of myself. Right, they were able and they knew how to communicate that and show me. And you know, I'm very confident and that I'm with the right you know, we're going to have some direction and and how how to be successful. So I feel like as as players, you give us direction and we can accomplish whatever that that objective is. And so we were able to do it, you know, get into the big leagues, you know, that was our main focus.

00:02:05
Speaker 5: And then throughout throughout the big leagues.

00:02:07
Speaker 2: You know, in the beginning, you're trying to survive and you may be left, you know, not knowing how to how to be successful. And then once you once you learn how to be successful, now it's just a game of adjustments and and you know how you can kind of stay relevant and stay ahead of the curb.

00:02:21
Speaker 5: And I feel like I'm in a great place for that.

00:02:23
Speaker 4: Yeah, a little easier decision knowing they're playing in the trap instead of the spring training facility.

00:02:28
Speaker 3: And also you talked about your journey a little bit too.

00:02:31
Speaker 4: Tell us a little bit about your journey, how you had to go pitch overseas and be able to come back, what you've learned about yourself, maybe things that you learned, you know, going overseas to pitch, because we're obviously seeing a lot of guys go over there and come back and have a ton of success.

00:02:45
Speaker 6: Yeah.

00:02:45
Speaker 5: Yeah, it's been a wild roller coaster for me.

00:02:47
Speaker 6: Man.

00:02:48
Speaker 2: I uh, yeah, I'm super grateful that, you know, for my time in Japan and having gone over there. For me, it was a chance and an opportunity to work on my craft at a high enough level where you know, at the time when I went, I felt like, and I still think it's true where teams value the success in Japan more than they value success in Triple A. And I never viewed myself as a depth guy, and I was kind of labeled, you know, I got non tendered my first year going to URB and so I was, you know, kind of labeled as just a depth guy, someone that can you know, be reliable in the big leagues. But maybe we be on the DFA train or being Triple A and kind of use them. However, you know, whenever we see fit and I always obviously I'm gonna believe more in myself, and so I wanted to kind of shake that label, and going to Japan, you know, was an opportunity for me to show that, and.

00:03:40
Speaker 5: I was able to do that. It worked out, Yeah, it worked out.

00:03:42
Speaker 6: Yeah.

00:03:44
Speaker 1: What's the biggest takeaway pitching wise that you took from Japan that you still lean on today.

00:03:51
Speaker 3: Yeah.

00:03:51
Speaker 2: Over there, you have to stay locked in every pitch. And I know people say that here at this at this level, obviously, just over there it's like it's death by a thousand cuts. They're trying to clog the bases. They're trying to make your you know, jack up your pitch count and make you work for every out, and so at that time of my career, I've obviously lacked that, and so just being able to know mentally that I had the mental fortitude to keep going helped a lot here when when I got back, And it's just a matter of, you know, as soon as you get punched in the face or in the mouth, you know, punch back and keep you know, keep going. And then overall, you know, my you know, my first three four years in the big leagues were uh, the last few were a lot of up and down, and it's kind of a mental grind doing that. Uh, you start to lose the passion for playing a little bit. And so just going to Japan reignited that passion for me, reignited that fire, and I've just i haven't let go of that since since I've been playing over there. It was a nice, you know, refreshing reminder of you know, why I play this game, and I've just you know, kind of chasing that feeling the whole time.

00:05:00
Speaker 4: Is that what's allowed you to be so okay with going from starting the bullpen to starting the bullpen, just doing whatever they asked because you love the game so much. And is it still difficult because you do yourself as a starter.

00:05:14
Speaker 2: Yeah, so it's something that I've done basically my whole career, or I've done both, and I've always viewed myself as a starter. And even when I came back from Japan, you know, I thought, you know, when I first sign with the Padres, I wanted to be a starter. I thought, you know, that's what you know they signed me as in that first year that contract that get moved to the pen. And it wasn't always easy, you know, it took about it took until you know, even the middle of twenty three for me to really embrace it because there were you know, I'm always down for anything, but if there was you know, with the Padres, if there was a need where I felt like I can, I can help out and I was doing something else, it was it was starting. You know that that part meant to do get a little harder. But it's all about like switching your focus on like why why you're doing it? If we're trying to win ball games and I don't care what role role I'm doing, you know, So if it's the first or ninth, if I have the ball and this team's focus is winning ball games, I don't care.

00:06:13
Speaker 5: You know, at what point I get to.

00:06:14
Speaker 2: Baseball, I just want to want to help us win so and especially as I'm getting older, I'm getting less and less chances to win a World Series, so I just want to get on it.

00:06:22
Speaker 5: You know, World Series, We're going to see what happens.

00:06:26
Speaker 7: The number one rated ticketing app is seat geek, and you can get ten percent off on seat geeks app by using the code territory ten, So you should use it.

00:06:35
Speaker 1: Aj Oh, I'm definitely going to use it for WBC games in Miami because I want to go to the semifinals.

00:06:40
Speaker 8: In the finals, they're going to be sold out.

00:06:41
Speaker 1: Absolutely spring training games for the people out there who want to go to spring training games.

00:06:45
Speaker 3: Absolutely great idea.

00:06:46
Speaker 1: Best seats radar one through ten, and I.

00:06:48
Speaker 3: Recently had to use SeatGeek to buy tickets to a Florida Gators basketball game that was sold out.

00:06:53
Speaker 1: So I love the code territory ten percent off and the rating is the best.

00:06:57
Speaker 7: Yes, he's talking about each ticket rated on a scale of ten, so you know you're getting a good deal, so look for the green dots.

00:07:02
Speaker 8: Green means good, red means bad. And of course we have a code for you.

00:07:06
Speaker 7: Like I mentioned, it's territory ten for ten percent off your next set of tickets at se geek. That's ten percent off any tickets with promo code t E R R I O R Y one zero. Make sure you click the link in the description and download the app and have the code automatically added to your account so you can use it later.

00:07:24
Speaker 5: Thank you to seek geek.

00:07:26
Speaker 1: Are you able to convey that in free agency, because I know we hear some guys are like, yeah, they wanted me, but it's kind of be more that swing roll fifth starter back in. Was that conveyed when you were talking to teams and was there a chance you could have gone somewhere else had they been more like solidified in being in the starting rotation or that focus on winning?

00:07:51
Speaker 2: Yeah, so I think for me, the focus on winning is most important. And then uh, I just communicate that you know I did it with cash, I do it with you know, I did it with the reds. If our focus is winning, I'll do whatever whatever you need me to do. And I think that's yeah, we convey that message in spring, and I'm trying free agency and throughout the year. I mean, if we're if we're getting on a run and the team needs me to bounce back and forth, I'm open to whatever. You know, just winning ball games is my number one priority, and so, you know whatever, it's a lot of fun winning at the big league level, right like celebrating and getting on some nice runs. It makes the year so much more fun. So that's always just been the focus. And however we get there than whatever.

00:08:34
Speaker 4: Speaking of focus, what are the things you're kind of focusing on here in camp? Is a particular pitch? Is it ourm angle? And is there a conversation you've had with your pitching coach that's kind of really stood out so far?

00:08:46
Speaker 8: Yeah?

00:08:47
Speaker 2: So I think, you know, for me, the biggest separator from my previous years from twenty two to twenty four and my twenty twenty five season was I threw a lot of strikes and I can command the ball very well, but my first pitch strikes were down from from previous years, and that's a big factor for me to be successful. It's to be you know, obviously, I think for anyone to be successful right, the more chances, you know, the more times you are oh one, then you are one to oh, you're going to be more successful. So that's, you know, from from that standpoint, that's been a big focus in camp so far. It's really attacking guys and getting aggressive in the zone early. And then also another one from a mechanical standpoints, pitching from probably a more natural slot. Sometimes I tend to climb a little higher than I normally do. I'm pretty I climb pretty high already, but sometimes I try to get even higher. And so being in a more natural slot, you know, and mechanically those are i'd say the two focuses for.

00:09:39
Speaker 1: Me, Nick, you know who makes the most this year on the race? No, No, it's you. So does that mean you're going to Does that mean you're going to pay for all the dinners?

00:09:51
Speaker 8: Like?

00:09:51
Speaker 1: Is that something where you're like you sign a contract and you look at the contracts and go, oh crap, Like you.

00:09:57
Speaker 8: Know, yeah, I'm a big hang guy.

00:10:00
Speaker 2: So if the team's hanging, I'm there and I'm not shy about throwing the credit card on the table and paying for stuff. So if if we're if the boys are down to have a good time. So am I and I and I want to just I want to be a part of it. So uh yeah, I don't mind it all paying for dinners or any any way the guys can get together.

00:10:20
Speaker 1: What's your way of getting together? You say you just you sound like you're like kind of chill, like if everybody else wants together, But what what are some of the ways?

00:10:26
Speaker 2: Yeah, I would like to go to dinner, big, big, you know, show dinners are always a lot of fun. Uh, kind of a lost it's starting to become a lost art, right guys are Guys are playing more video games now and traveling, and now everyone's traveling in sweatsuits and it's kind of hard to land in the city, you know, in sweatsuits and then go, hey, let's go to dinner, you know, and have a show dinner when you got to wait for your bags and then you know, it's ten o'clock at night by the time you get your bags and you can't go to dinner anymore. So I'm a big proponent like kind of you know, show flight, kind of dress up a little bit. I'm big on the dropping goes. Let's go to this drop and go to dinner somewhere, and then you know, if it does turn out to be a late night getting into the city late and guys still want to hang out. You know, my room's always open to hang out, you know, have a few adult beverages and pops, Yeah, some pops and talk about the game or who are about to play, or just shoot the shit with the guys and on the off days golf. I mean, I'll do whatever for a hang I got. I got three daughters. We had a house full of girls. So if the boys are hanging, I'm there any excuse to house.

00:11:37
Speaker 8: I love that.

00:11:38
Speaker 7: Hey, Nick, question for you going back to the free agency period for a moment, you know, how much activity was there? How many other discussions I don't know if you want to list teams, but also just other creative situations where teams were like I only want you to be a starter or reliever, or there were multi year deals versus taking this.

00:11:54
Speaker 8: Kind of deal.

00:11:55
Speaker 7: Because I feel like you've had a unique process, not just this offseason but the one before where it's like, yeah, hey, sometimes the qualifying offer is the move.

00:12:03
Speaker 2: Right, right, So this this off season different from the rest, and that it was just such a slow developing off season four starting pitchers specifically, and so the luxury of talking about roles and and and choosing teams wasn't as it wasn't like years before. It was, uh, you know as I signed like February tenth, I think it was like right before that.

00:12:28
Speaker 5: I usually leave the spring.

00:12:29
Speaker 2: Training on the tenth and so to me, that's that's obviously really latent. So it was more of you know, as soon as we got the amount of interest from the Rays that we got, it was really just kind of rolling with it and going and then just communicating like they viewed me as a starter. They want me to start, but on my end it's, hey, man, if we're trying to win, then whatever you need me to do, I'm up for it. So this off season was unique in that it was just slower, right, this just slower developing, So we didn't have the luxury to talk about or choose from, you know, so many different teams you know this, or leverage teams to get to against each other, really right, So it was really just running, running with the ball and joining you know, joining the race.

00:13:09
Speaker 1: Can you give us two people from camp that joining it you're really surprised of Besides the size of Yondi Diaz's biceps. Yes, two people rais camp that you didn't know or hadn't really heard much of that you've been surprised with.

00:13:24
Speaker 2: Uh yeah, I mean Yandy is an easy one, right. You see you see him like sixty feet six inches away and that's a huge human.

00:13:31
Speaker 5: But then you see him, you.

00:13:32
Speaker 3: Know in the gym, does he work out with a cutoff? No?

00:13:35
Speaker 5: No regular shirt?

00:13:37
Speaker 2: And I mean he I think he touches every weight that's in there. So uh yeah, he works out every day obviously. Uh I say what drewe Rashminssen has got quadzillous.

00:13:49
Speaker 5: I mean, you guys got him coming on next.

00:13:50
Speaker 2: You're gonna have to separate these chairs a little bit, all right, Guy's got some massive legs. I'm also impressed with mac shame just not pitching for two years, coming and pumping the zones at ninety seven.

00:14:05
Speaker 5: He's thralling back at like ninety five.

00:14:08
Speaker 2: I'm giving every ounce I get just to hit ninety three. So I'm impressed with you know, his his journey back onto the mound and his work ethic and stuff. Had Matt See as a throwing partner, and we're both excited about uh, he's throwing today, so I'm excited to, you know, see what he's been working on here. But we were both excited about what the rays are able to do and like kind of you know, how they can take us to the next level. And so that's gonna be very exciting to even watch them today.

00:14:38
Speaker 7: Nick, we really appreciate the time.

00:14:40
Speaker 8: Man.

00:14:40
Speaker 7: Great to catch up with you. We always enjoy it and then have fun the rest of camp. We'll talk to you during the year.

00:14:45
Speaker 5: Yeah sounds good.

00:14:45
Speaker 6: Thanks guys.

00:14:58
Speaker 4: Yeah, A first off, Big Martinez wasn't lying about the guy's quads.

00:15:02
Speaker 3: He called you Quadzilla. He said.

00:15:04
Speaker 4: One of the most impressive things you know that he was surprised when he came into camp was the size of your quads. You're either not wearing your pants tight enough because you hear Spencer Strider Quadzilla.

00:15:14
Speaker 3: These things are massive. I did have to slide over.

00:15:16
Speaker 4: Secondly, he walked in when we were talking about Jesus Lezardo's deal and he smiled, cheeked the cheek and I said, just stay healthy.

00:15:24
Speaker 3: Everything will take care of itself.

00:15:27
Speaker 9: Yeah, the stay healthy part, We're working on it every single day.

00:15:30
Speaker 8: So yeah, thank you.

00:15:32
Speaker 9: Guys for having me, you know, excited to be here, Excited to talk with you guys, a little bit excited for you guys to be in Port Charlotte. Perfect day down here. Not too hot yet, but I got a feel and that's going to change.

00:15:44
Speaker 4: When you talk about state, when you talk about staying healthy, what are the things that you're doing behind closed doors and how instrumental of the Ray's been and trying to keep you healthy, and what have you changed maybe from last year going into the off season and what you're doing here in spring training.

00:16:01
Speaker 9: First and foremost in the weight room, trying to be more efficient with how my day goes.

00:16:05
Speaker 8: More reps doesn't always mean better, you know.

00:16:07
Speaker 9: I think for the longest time, I always you know, I joke about it now or I would say, you know, if if some is good, more must be better.

00:16:14
Speaker 8: But that's not always the case. As I've gotten older, you.

00:16:17
Speaker 9: Know, maybe a little bit more efficient in the weight room with my time and with my efforts. On top of it, the organization, I mean, they got me wearing one of the pulse one of the pulse trackers to track throwing stress, throwing volume. You know, I think when it comes to like trying to pay attention to workload in general. It was never the days that I felt really good or I don't feel so good that I'm able to manage workloads.

00:16:42
Speaker 8: It's always the days I'm right in the middle.

00:16:45
Speaker 9: You know, we always laugh about it, but in our bullpens here for me, at least, the really good bull depends and the really really bad bullpens I can shut off real quickly. Right if on a day you're really good, you throw fifteen quality fifteen quality pitches were good there, you know I touched it, I did it, I did what I needed to for today. On the days it's going horrible, I'm not getting any better anyway today, So I can step back and say, you know what, I think I'm good. But it's the days where I'm right in the middle where it's like, let's just keep throwing, keep throwing. You know, we can we can figure something out here. And so I think the rays of the organization has been great about helping me just track workload and stress on the arm. Specifically, from that perspective, do.

00:17:25
Speaker 1: You trust them or how long did it take you to trust them in that because you're a guy that just you've just said it, you're going after going after it. You want to work harder. How long did it take for you to trust them? And was it like, Okay, I'll try it this time and if it doesn't work, no, I'm back to my way.

00:17:43
Speaker 9: Uh well, I mean from the performance side of things. I mean, since the second I got here, it seems like everything they give me seems to work out. So that makes things pretty easy, right when you take something that seems foreign, feels funny in your hand, especially when we're talking about new pitch shapes, new new new maybe usages or how often we're throwing certain things. They say something I might push back a hair, you know, I take it into game, and you know, two or three starts in, you're like, hey, this is this is kind of working out for me at this point. And so I think the track record on the performance side speaks for itself.

00:18:18
Speaker 8: Here.

00:18:18
Speaker 9: It's not just me, you know, I think I see you see a bunch of guys who come here and they find success.

00:18:23
Speaker 8: But the organization as a whole is great.

00:18:25
Speaker 4: Man.

00:18:25
Speaker 9: They the first thing they do is they want to get to know you as a person, right, and if once we build that personal connection, then it's really easy to get you to buy into it, to to what we preach and how we preach it, and and from the medical side and then the strength side.

00:18:39
Speaker 8: They give you the freedom to do what what it is you want. But I think they're.

00:18:43
Speaker 9: Really really good about putting up like bumpers on a bowling alley, where it's like, hey, we're gonna let you do do some pretty extreme stuff. We're not really gonna We're not gonna really intervene until we believe that you're starting to go down a path that could could raise some issues moving forward, and and that's when are going to step in.

00:19:00
Speaker 8: But I mean, they're they're very open.

00:19:02
Speaker 9: It's kind of an ongoing conversation with how I am physically, and they always meet me where I'm at and from there, you know, we have conversations about where it is we want to go and how it is we want to get the body feeling better or stronger or more mobile, And like I said, it's just kind of an ongoing conversation at all times.

00:19:21
Speaker 4: Yeah, speaking of staying healthy, and you mentioned pitch usage and different grips and pitch design. Have you have they implemented any of that stuff with you in this spring training in order.

00:19:33
Speaker 3: To keep you healthy.

00:19:34
Speaker 4: Is that a reason they felt like maybe some of the health issues has popped up because of.

00:19:39
Speaker 3: Usage or grip or stuff. Or is it more.

00:19:42
Speaker 4: About the physical side of things that maybe you were doing in the weight room or the lack of things that you were doing in order to take care of your body.

00:19:49
Speaker 9: Yeah, I you know, like I said, I always fell into the camp of I need to do more, I need to do it more.

00:19:53
Speaker 8: You know, you kind of get it at least.

00:19:55
Speaker 9: Shoot, our generation got to beat into our heads, right like if I just work harder, everything's always going to work out, and at some point that just takes a toll on the body.

00:20:03
Speaker 8: So, like I said, they've.

00:20:04
Speaker 9: Helped me become more efficient in what I do off the field so that I can be better at what I do on the field for a longer period of time. And so I don't necessarily think it has anything to do with pitch grips or what it is with pitch shapes and that kind of stuff.

00:20:19
Speaker 8: You know, it's it's you know, it's no it's no secret.

00:20:23
Speaker 9: Right velocity, velocity in the game is going up, and if you want to perform, the trade off is potential health or there is a potential trade off of health for performance. And I mean, shoot, just me personally, the way the way I am when it comes to how this game, how I play this game, you know I'm going to perform to the highest level I possibly can. And if me getting hurt is the risk, you know, I guess at this point, I'm so experienced at being hurt that it's just one of those things that it's a risk I'm somewhat willing to take because shoot, they did a great job getting me fixed up the first couple of times and getting me back on the field and performing at a pretty high level.

00:21:01
Speaker 7: We love Hello Fresh, shout out to them, and over one hundred recipes to choose from each week to provide variety. There the spice of life. They don't make it boring for you when you're preparing food. Also, there's three times the seafood for no up charge.

00:21:15
Speaker 8: AJ.

00:21:15
Speaker 7: They wanted you to know that you can impress your guests or your family with new grass fed steak ribis, and you can make meals with seasonal produce like pairs, apples and asparagus.

00:21:25
Speaker 3: Well, listen, Scott, I'm trying to stay in my playing slash fighting shape. So I need the seafood, I need the protein, and I need the veggies.

00:21:31
Speaker 9: And plus I want to look cool when people come over and say, Wow, you made all this stuff, and I'll be like easy peasy.

00:21:37
Speaker 7: A new slogan, HelloFresh making AJ look good. So go to HelloFresh dot com slash ft one zero FM to get ten free meals plus a free Zwilling knife one hundred and forty four dollars ninety nine per cent value on your third box offer valid while supplies last. Free meals applied to This discount on first box new subscribers only varies by plan. Because when dinner tastes this good, nothing hits like home cooking.

00:22:02
Speaker 1: Tell me the differences, but also the similarities. One difference, one similarity between Chris hook pitching coach, or your big debut with the Brewers, And I think you also had them in the minor leagues? Am I correct?

00:22:16
Speaker 8: With the Brewers? I missed Hookie in the minor leagues?

00:22:19
Speaker 9: He was he had already, he'd already moved his way on up into the cushy seat before I got there.

00:22:24
Speaker 1: Gotcha, gotcha? So Hooky and Kyle Snyder the race pitching caps because both organizations have found value in great pitchers but also found value in people who consider you know, the cast offs.

00:22:39
Speaker 9: Yeah, both are great people. Like I said, I think relationships are probably the strongest foundation of how you get guys to buy into what you want them to do on the field. And both of them do a really good job of understanding who their guys are and what it is they like to do, how it is they like to go about their business. When I was with HOOKEI and Milwaukee, Man I was out of the bullpen and I was, Shoot, if you could text him, Man, I guarantee you he would tell you. I was probably the most stressful guy to watch day in and day out. Right, you're just getting called up, You're trying to not get sent down. You're loving, you know, loving life in the big leagues. I was just put into the bullpen for my first time, and that's an experience in its own right. I didn't know what I was doing down there. I was nervous, I was anxious all the time, and so he was really having to manage me personally more so than you know. He was helping me from a performance standpoint and helping me, you know, developed becoming a major league pitcher and all, but man, he was really having to manage who I was as a person and just the nerves and in the anxiety that comes along with debuting and being fresh into the big leagues. And then when I got over here with Snydes, you know, they're both really laid back, which I really I need because man, I'll start circling and I'll start spinning in my own you know, spinning my wheels. But just the way they deliver their messages. Man, there, it's it's incredible. And like I said, when you the foundation that they do with the relationships, it's really easy to buy into what it is they want you to do on the field.

00:24:07
Speaker 4: Yeah, you've been here a while, but you also know part of being a raised there's a lot of turnover. Yeah, what do you like to do off the field, or how do you kind of get you know, the five six of you guys starters? What do you guys kind of do to kind of jive during spring training to become a collective unit.

00:24:22
Speaker 9: Yeah, this group likes to fish and golf, and I'm not great at either, but I'll go.

00:24:27
Speaker 8: You know, I think that's kind of.

00:24:29
Speaker 9: At least early on here. Like you said, the group is so different year in and year out, But I mean Pep and Mac they can really swing the clubs.

00:24:39
Speaker 8: Mac likes to fish as well.

00:24:41
Speaker 9: We've gotten together with the Matt's family a little bit away from the field, and then Nick's back and forth right now between here and Miami and seeing his family and that kind of stuff. And I'm doing the same. Mine's up in Saint Pete right now, so you know when we're in town. Yeah, we like to hang out. We I mean we sit, we talk in the clubhouse a lot. I found myself in the weird role of being the guy people ask questions to this year, which is like I said, you know, I still look at myself as the young guy who's asking all the questions.

00:25:08
Speaker 8: But it's definitely a change.

00:25:11
Speaker 9: And but you know, just trying to help him out and you know, get comfortable with how this organization operates. You know, there's just minor things. Every organization does a little bit differently. So if we can get them up to speed with what it is we do and how we go about it, you know, I think by opening day that's going to put them in the right spot.

00:25:26
Speaker 8: To have success moving forward.

00:25:28
Speaker 1: You talk about teammates. One of your teammates a few years ago was Randy or Rosarina. Did you see him get denied? And how do you how did you view that knowing Randy, but also how did you view that looking at it from Col's point of view.

00:25:44
Speaker 9: Uh, so, I'm gonna be like full transparency. Judge hit the homer and what the first or second? And I said, all right, this one's over. I'm going to bed. So I didn't really see it actually happened in real time, right, I mean, Captain America hops up there and hits a backside home or like come on now. But you know, getting to play with Randy Man awesome in the clubhouse, loved it great. Get get to see him again last year in Atlanta and actually spend some time with him. The little bit i've been around cal seems awesome as well. I just in the moment, it seems like what the typical protocol as you go and you you know, you tap the catcher on the back or in the shinnies and you're just like, all right, let's get this thing going.

00:26:24
Speaker 8: We're here to compete.

00:26:25
Speaker 9: So maybe just wrong time, you know, wrong place, wrong time, and so that's all.

00:26:31
Speaker 8: I got on it.

00:26:32
Speaker 7: Man, Hey, if it was you, what would you do, Because I mean, I don't think.

00:26:39
Speaker 8: They come out to shake my hand. We're gonna get a free strike call. So life's good. Of course. My point is here, that's good.

00:26:46
Speaker 7: My point though, is it's not that because we've seen that. We even saw that earlier in the WBC with the Australia Catcher. We saw that last time with Randy and Will Smith. Right, guys get in game ode and they're like, no, right now, you're not my teammate. But Randy after the game had all kinds of comments. I don't know if you caught any of them, just kind of calling Klaut saying I love your parents, but but I'm mad at you. And there was some choice words included with that. So you know, Randy, Well, some people are like, he was probably just playing to the moment or getting really emotional, or is there a little bit of gamesmanship and drawing up more drama.

00:27:18
Speaker 5: In the WBC.

00:27:20
Speaker 8: What was Randy to day talking about.

00:27:23
Speaker 9: This is like a WWE script going on? Or if they match back up here coming up?

00:27:28
Speaker 5: I like it.

00:27:29
Speaker 9: No, I mean Randy with us was always you know, like high energy, big personality, great to be around, a lot of fun to watch. Like I said, I've only spent limited time around around Cal, but he seems awesome as well.

00:27:42
Speaker 8: I got a feeling.

00:27:44
Speaker 9: I don't think it was you know, Cal was probably behind the plate, like, hey man, I'm working with my pitcher here right now. We got to get this pitch call in, we got to get on the same page. We've had limited time to work together as is, and so yeah, I got a feeling. Man, he was just locked into the game, and that's what happened in all.

00:28:01
Speaker 1: Right, Drew last one from me. I talk all the time about how you know, the draft is completely different than it is, and I don't. I think we'd be remiss if we didn't talk a little bit about your draft process, because I'll walk it through. You were. You were draft out of high school by the Diamondbacks the thirty ninth round, did not sign then by the Rays in the first round, yeah, did not sign Yeah, then by the Brewers in the sixth round the next year, and did sign Yep. The draft the draft has changed a ton. Do you feel like your experience would have been alleviated had they or would have been different had the draft been like it is now.

00:28:49
Speaker 9: Well, I mean, realistically, you know, we talk about my junior year in college and guys, guys who get drafted in the first round signed.

00:28:56
Speaker 8: I failed my physical.

00:28:58
Speaker 9: And the smartest, the smartest organization in baseball did what they do right, like, let somebody else rehab them.

00:29:03
Speaker 8: We'll claim him on the backside.

00:29:06
Speaker 9: But it's just one of those things that, yeah, I mean, things are different now. I know there's less rounds for sure, you know, I mean the chance there's a chance that if the system was the way it is now, I don't get picked up at all. Right, you only have so many limited picks that you know, Milwaukee taking a shot on me in the six might not have worked out the same way that it did.

00:29:27
Speaker 8: What oh gosh, nine years ago. Is that where we're at now? Holy smokes?

00:29:33
Speaker 9: And so it's just one of those things where, you know, I think everything has its time and place and fortunate to be drafted by Milwaukee, I mean the draft process. Man, I was coming off my second Tommy John and they just said, look, this is exactly how everything's going to go. And if you know, as long as you perform up to expectations. You know, you can expect to you know, rehab the year of twenty eighteen. You can expect that if you're playing well, man, we want to get you to double A in twenty nineteen, and they stuck to their word. Man, that organize was great, you know, and I'm very blessed and humbled to have the opportunity to play for the Milwaukee Brewers.

00:30:07
Speaker 8: That was great.

00:30:08
Speaker 9: And then getting traded over here, you know, just kind of a full circle moment. I do like to laugh with Shane because he got drafted. McClanahan got drafted in the spot that was for compensation and not signing me to the year prior. And now the two of us are are best friends. And you know, life always has a way of working out, and it's just one of those things that you know, through the process. I got two organizations. I love, two organizations I can root for as long as we're not playing each other. And the opportunity to make a best friend all because of you know, failing one physical.

00:30:40
Speaker 1: I love that you said that because in twenty nineteen I was in Big League camp with the Brewers. Yeah, I was this close in your first live I don't think you weren't invited to big league camp, but you came over and you threw on the big league field against us, and I was this close to getting in that bat and you got to your pitch out for whatever that was, if it was twenty five or however much it was. But I remember standing there and I was like, this guy's had too Tommy John, Like, this guy's an absolute monster. I think you touched like ninety eight that day.

00:31:14
Speaker 9: Yeah, in a live VP, man, I wish I could still do it, but I don't got that in live vps anymore.

00:31:19
Speaker 1: You you look like you looked exactly like you look now in a sense that you're just smiling. You were happy to be out there, and I was like, I definitely want to take this guy deep, but he looks like he's so happy. And you ran out of pitches before I got to face you, so I never got to face you.

00:31:34
Speaker 3: Brother.

00:31:35
Speaker 9: You're talking about ninety eight, but could you imagine being the first hitters you're facing in two years being big league.

00:31:40
Speaker 8: Guys and you're just like, what do we got under the hood right now?

00:31:44
Speaker 1: That's good.

00:31:44
Speaker 3: You did from what I remember, you.

00:31:46
Speaker 1: Did good, But obviously I didn't get into bat Well.

00:31:54
Speaker 3: Drew, we can't thank you enough.

00:31:55
Speaker 6: Man.

00:31:56
Speaker 3: This is my first time meeting you.

00:31:57
Speaker 4: I can't thank you enough for your thoughtful, your authenticity.

00:32:02
Speaker 3: You've got a big fan of me.

00:32:03
Speaker 4: Hopefully you stay healthy, and most most importantly, for wearing your.

00:32:07
Speaker 3: Shorts here.

00:32:09
Speaker 9: They are fellows and all their glory.

00:32:14
Speaker 5: We got it.

00:32:14
Speaker 7: The Quad camp.

00:32:16
Speaker 8: The quad Cam's gonna have a count.

00:32:18
Speaker 5: Yeah.

00:32:19
Speaker 8: The love it true. You're the man.

00:32:21
Speaker 5: Thank you so much.

00:32:22
Speaker 8: Appreciate you. Good luck. We'll talk soon. Okay, yeah, thanks guys,