Rockies hire DePodesta as POBO, Brewers QO Woodruff, Pirates FA abyss

00:00:05
Speaker 1: Hi, I'm ritually filling in last minute for Scott Braun, senior writer with the Athletic aircrafts Kevin Polar. Eric looks like he's moving, but he swears he's not.

00:00:17
Speaker 2: Eric.

00:00:17
Speaker 1: I gotta know what the setup is? Did you like just put that up on Ikea behind you? Like, what's the what's.

00:00:23
Speaker 2: The deal with? This is built in eighteen eighty six. I'm in a house in Cape Charles that was built well, well before you started covering the Orioles and before you started covering. So yes, you guys can figure out, and honestly, I will take I would take any kind of memes and gifts that you can put in the shelves behind me, maybe like some of the awards that I should have earned when I was playing, Like anybody that hits two oh nine should get some type of awards. But you know what, it's guy's weekend, so it's time to go.

00:00:58
Speaker 3: Like it, like it, good shot.

00:00:59
Speaker 4: I think it's a bold strategy. If you leave empty shelves, people will send you gifts. You know. I think it's smart. I please please help me fill my shelves.

00:01:10
Speaker 3: They might.

00:01:11
Speaker 1: Kevin's immediately rocking that World Series hat today, I'm sure that that was free.

00:01:15
Speaker 2: Uh yeah, I know.

00:01:16
Speaker 4: I write the coattails. I write the coat tails. Yeah. I never got there as a player, got there as a you know, reporter of sports net. The hat was not free, I'll be honest with your. Hat was not free. I had to buy it. I had to buy it.

00:01:29
Speaker 3: Wow, no discount, nothing you played there? How how is that even possible? They can't hook it? But the hat, no, I think.

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Speaker 4: I think I think one's on the way. I think one's on the way. But I wasn't gonna like cross over the line. The clubhouse attendants and you know, asked moves for a hat. You know, he had bigger things to worry about. So I just win the store. You know, got in there a little early about a hat.

00:01:52
Speaker 3: Nice like it. You get recognized, very much.

00:01:55
Speaker 4: Very much. Yeah, still alive and well in Toronto.

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Speaker 3: There you go, there you go.

00:02:00
Speaker 1: All right, Well, we got bigger things to get to than Cratsy's background and Kevin Fullar buying his own Toronto Blue Jays merchandise.

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Speaker 3: Let's charge the mound. Let's charge them about, all right, guys.

00:02:13
Speaker 1: Big news today, A Rakis finally announced the head of Baseball operations. But because it's the Rockies, they can't just announce who was rumored to be finalists guys who are in baseball, No, they go when they get Paul Depotesta. If you have to like look that up, it's because he hasn't been in baseball in a decade. If you're just a casual fan, then you know the actor Jonah Hill. Well, the movie Moneyball, Jonah Hill was modeled off of Deepost's character. So this is a interesting move, guys. I don't know how to really describe it. This is the guy who's been out of baseball for ten years, who's been engaged, as Ken Rosenthal and I wrote yesterday, I'll have Ken on later on the show to get into the details. He's been engaged with the Rockies for about a month, but he wasn't on their immediate radio, wasn't a finalist. We know they brought two guys, Amiel Sada Arizona, Matt Foreman, Cleveland too. Denver showed them around. Talks with both of those guys fell apart, mostly over personnel and how you were going to be able to do the job. It seems with Depodesta he's not quite as picky. He just wants to get back into baseball. Is this a good move kratzy for the Colorado Rockies?

00:03:20
Speaker 2: If he is allowed the mean when you think about Jonah Hill and Moneyball, he brought new ideas to an organization and maybe even to baseball that weren't in there before. If he's able to do that, if he's able to do that with the Rockies, this is a massive move for the Rockies. The issue with the Rockies the last few years has been they're very insular. They're very much like, hey, we're making a change. Everybody just carousels to the next position in the organization. If they're going with somebody outside of the organization, like Paul his experience in saying, you know what, we need to kind of make a change. The status quo has to change here, then it's it's a move that will be huge for the Rockies because talking to players that have played there, talking to players who have had success there, not just players who were there for like a year a half a year, players who were All stars and successful players, they need a change and they're behind on the times. So Paul de Potesta might be an absolute gold mine for the Rockies.

00:04:31
Speaker 4: It's definitely changed. But it's not like they went out and got someone that was working within the New England Patriots or Kansas City Chiefs. Look a look at the record of the Cleveland Browns, like how much you know he could have brought change there, but nothing really happened. So I just think it's a very Rocky esque move of maybe trying to think outside the box and trying to get someone that you know, no one else thought of. But I look at people's track record. You mentioned the two guys that they were interviewing before. You know, both teams have successful in you know, this century. You know, I don't know why the Rockies would kind of go against the grain and go get someone, especially in a football organization like the Cleveland Browns who haven't had a ton of success drafting guys. I mean, I think they lead the NFL and quarterbacks you since I mean I was alive. You know, they haven't had a winning record in a long time. You've they've they've made some mistakes on some signings. I mean where where it's like the track record that you know, maybe Cratsy's kind of referring to in towards of maybe being a good hire. I don't see it.

00:05:32
Speaker 2: I think the success track record is not there. Success track record is definitely lacking. But the fact that you look at somebody that says, hey, you know what, we need to start looking at baseball in a different way. The Rockies need to The Rockies need to get updated. They're they're that friend of yours that still has the iPhone six that's going, I'm not doing the update because you know what, you know, somebody's nobody's gonna hack into my phone and that's why I'm not doing the update. And you're like, dog, like you can't even get my text messages, like I need you to update. That's how far behind the Rockies are. And I think if this hiring does that, maybe this takes step one when the rest of baseball is on step four, step five.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, fifty six, ninety nine and one.

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Speaker 1: By the way, it was the Browns record since January twenty sixteen when de Podesta went there, as Kevin said, like it's been a disaster, and most notably.

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Speaker 3: The Deshaun Watson trade.

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Speaker 1: I mean Browns fans were kind of rejoicing, which is like never a good thing.

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Speaker 3: You're right, if he.

00:06:38
Speaker 1: Had come from a winning place. I'm all for out of the box. I love the Tony Vittello move. I think if you're a winner, then it can translate. If you bring certain things, it can translate. What exactly I'd love to know is Pauldy with Essa bringing to the Colorado Rockies and my bigger issue. And I got a lot of text messages from executives again around the game last night. That's a job that people want. That was like a coveted job. I talked to multiple executives who were in organizations, maybe not the top guy, but the second or third guy who reached out to the Rockies who were interested in that job. And they're in the current landscape of baseball. They know what has happened over the last ten years, Like do Steve Podessa know about Trajax and some of the newer things that have been going on? Like is it going to be better than Bill Schmidt? Yes, the bar was so low. But if you're really focus on making improvements, I guess you're really looking at the rest of baseball and you're saying, there's nobody here that can help us.

00:07:32
Speaker 3: You know who we need?

00:07:33
Speaker 1: The guy who's been running the Cleveland Browns into the ground for the last decade. That's our guy, because he's going to agree to keep all the people that we want to keep and work under the conditions that we have, And that, to me is troubling.

00:07:46
Speaker 4: Yeah, I mean a big part. I mean, Colorado as it stands right now is not necessarily a free agent destination. So a big part of what they have to do is draft and develop. And if you just kind of look at the Cleveland Browns track record of drafting and development, especially you know, quarterbacks in first round picks, they haven't had a lengthy track record of really nailing down the right guy and drafting and developing guys. You think about a guy like Baker Mayfield, he was you know, first round pick, first overall pick, didn't pan out in Cleveland. Now he's on his way to maybe winning an MVP. So, like you said, I'm for you know, thinking outside the box too, but I think you've got to have some sort of a track record of success in order for it to carry over from league to league.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, I agree.

00:08:34
Speaker 1: Yeah, do you guys think like this changes anything for players or they have to start winning in Colorado right for it to become a place where people are not going to want to go almost unless you do a massive overpaying and we've seen how that has gone terribly as well. Like right, you're chicking your head grass, You're like, no, right, this is a case where like this is going to be the situation for I don't know Paul de Potesta when he finally meets with the media, Like, what does he sell them on?

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Speaker 3: Is it a five year plan? Like are they far?

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Speaker 1: Aphind that it's like a seven fle year plan?

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Speaker 3: Eight year?

00:09:05
Speaker 1: Like how far are we talking here? And you know, how much leeway do we give him? Because I could come in, You could come in, Kevin can come in and fix things they're that far behind and make real changes. I know executives have been salivating over it, partly because you could have such an advantage if you figure out how to make that altitude at course field work to your advantage. There's thirty thousand fans there every night because it's a beautiful stadium, you know, in the heart of the city, in like a really cool area. So I mean, if you're Pauiti Potessa, like how are you selling the Rockies on this? And how are you selling any kind of free agents ever? To come here and that things are different.

00:09:41
Speaker 2: I don't think that. I don't think that's I don't think that's where the Rockies are right now. I don't think they're sitting there going in the next three years, we're going to start making us making ourselves a destination. They're going to need to do exactly what KP said. They have to draft. They have to create a a minor league organization that says, we have to do these types of things. We have to find these types of players, similar to what the Royals did for years, have done for years. They need outfielders that go get it, they need guys that put the ball in play. Why because their big league park is way different than every other big league park. And you either say, oh, we're at such a disadvantage in Colorado, or when I'm talking about the Royals, we're at such a disadvantage. It's such a massive park, so many hits fall in Colorado. Because that's what we're talking about. You have to figure out how do you build your team to make Colorado an advantage. And I feel like this regime, this insular organization, like I've mentioned before, has just said, oh, man, like we're such a disadvantage. Our players don't they don't recover. You know, it's so tough to pitch here. It's even tough for him because when we go on the road, no, make that eighty one games that you have at home your advantage. And if you're Paul Deepotesto, you have to change that organizational philosophy. And I think that happens in the first three years. Then you start to develop and see what type of team you have because you have athletic dudes that can run the outfield, you have a deep roster that has twenty six guys who can play because of recovery. And every GM says, oh, this is a five year deal. That's just the trash GM. New GM talk like, oh, we need five years for this. The Rockies actually need five years. They might actually need seven. I'm not sure.

00:11:46
Speaker 4: Yeah. From an inner workings perspective, since I played there, they're not that far behind in terms of facilities that they have. The clubhouse is great, the food is great, you know, weight room and all that stuff is great. So at least they're up to par with that. Where was that going. Oh, I think the most important thing that he can do is and I don't know who's rumored to be taking the manager job there, But that's the conversation that I'm looking forward to hearing. Who's going to take that job, who's willing to kind of step in. Like Cratsey said, this might be a five or seven year plan. But me as a former player in Cratzy, you could probably attest to this too. You're not necessarily running to organizations to sign there because of who's in their front office. It's usually, you know, a lot of factors a thing, but the right manager is a huge part of that.

00:12:37
Speaker 1: Yeah, that'll be fascinating to see what they do. And if this managerial cycle is any indication, it'll be somebody that nobody predicts, that nobody even sees coming.

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Speaker 4: But is there any football coaches out there looking for jobs? You know, we're an NBA coach that feels like they can just step in, Yeah, yeah, a hockey coach why not? Yeah? You know, is there like someone a hockey coach said just has been kind of looking for a job. And maybe maybe Crassy, maybe you just need to get the right phone numbers in your hand, because apparently you could just reach out and put your name in the hat for these sort of jobs these days. So make a phone call.

00:13:13
Speaker 2: I'm putting my phone on do not disturb. I don't want that phone call.

00:13:17
Speaker 3: The raise decline.

00:13:17
Speaker 1: They're twelve eleven trying to give Peter Fairbanks more money. Eleven million dollar option on Peter Fairbanks. He's now a free agent, per multiple reports.

00:13:26
Speaker 3: This is a little unusual, guys.

00:13:27
Speaker 1: They could have just done what Tampa Bay usually does, which just trade them, right, They could just pick it up and tried to flip them.

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Speaker 3: Are you guys surprised by this?

00:13:36
Speaker 4: I'm always hesitant when the Rays don't pick up a picture's option or trade them. I like Peter Fairbanks. I think he's very funny. I think he's a great picture. I think he's going to find a home somewhere and be very effective. But the Rays always have me skeptical when they don't do what they normally do.

00:13:55
Speaker 1: You're right, it's like, don't trade but thera, yeah, don't trade with the Rays.

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Speaker 2: I agree with that. But he cost money, and there's there's a few things that the Rays are allergic to, World Series Championships and money. They do not want to pay money. I think this is great for Pete obviously, people are gonna say, oh, you're a player all this stuff, Like, I'm not afraid of the peripherals that I think the Rays are looking at. That there was some there was some backtick in some things. And maybe it's because he's on the show and he's, you know, great at what he does to me as a closer in the American League East that now becomes a free agent a year early. I love this for him. I love I love the fact that for him they did not pick up his eleven million dollar option. And maybe the Rays can't spend eleven million on a closer. There's some teams out there that are going to spend eleven million on a closer. And I think, you know, I think he could be in line at least a two for twenty possibly a three for twenty eight issue. Like, I think there's there's some cash out there for him because he's done it in the toughest division.

00:15:07
Speaker 3: Yeah, he gets a.

00:15:08
Speaker 1: Million dollar buyout, So that million that I improvise guys, he's actually getting. So it's still going to be a good time in the Fairbanks house. I agree with you. I think he's going to get a two or three year deal. I think the market for him if he's healthy, and Kevin's right, I kind of raises some alarm bells, but you know, teams go through so many processes for medicals, so if he's healthy, I think he's going to be somebody that's in demand. He's been very successful, a huge part of the race success over the last couple of years. You know, it feels like they're moving on from a guy who was part of that identity.

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Speaker 3: Right.

00:15:36
Speaker 1: They cycle through so many guys, but there there always seems to be like one or two guys who have kind of made it through like two or three years of these purges, and Fairbanks has been one of those guys.

00:15:46
Speaker 3: So best of luck to him.

00:15:47
Speaker 1: He joins what is going to be a pretty robust pitching market here in free agency. I think it's a better market than we've seen in the last couple of years.

00:15:58
Speaker 3: All Right asked.

00:15:59
Speaker 1: About starting ross Akins, so the free agent class looks quote a little bit better than usual, and he said the Blue Jays have already begun some trade talks about starting pitching. That's pretty encouraging. Now, you guys think if you're the Toronto Blue Jays, it feels like they really teams say this all the time, but they want to capitalize on their run and then we don't see it happen. It feels like in KP you probably have more of an indication being so closely involved with them that they are very committed to building off of this and to continue to put those resources forward to make Toronto a perennial powerhouse.

00:16:31
Speaker 4: What do you think? Yeah, I believe they're going to ride the momentum of their success this year. Obviously it started a couple years ago with the stadium renovations. It's such a great place for you know, not only you know singles or families, you know, anyone to come to a ballpark. It's a great place to come. It's location, Downtown's beautiful. What they've done with the stadium is unbelievable. I think Shane Bieber also opting into his deal shows how there was a lot of talk about how that team can chemistry was the best that anyone had ever seen. Everyone loved everyone. For Bieber to come there get traded there, only really spend two months there. Pitch good enough and a lot of people's opinion to be able to go out and test the free agent market get a longer term deal more money really shows what they had there was really special that people want to be there, and I think Bieber is maybe showing a lot of other players like Toronto is a destination where a lot of players want to play, and I think, you know, Ross and Mark coming out and saying what they said and really trying to strike when the iron's hot and make trades or go out and try to sign free agents right away, because the foundation is really the core of guys, and the foundation, starting with Lottie is there and not everyone's window always opens entirely. I feel like the window for them is open, and I think they're going to do whatever they take, and I think they have support from ownership.

00:17:55
Speaker 2: When you're making decisions for your team in the future, you can't go recency bias. You can't be like, oh, oh, oh, we made the World Series, so we must be a really good team. You have to go with like, what have they done consistently? They have done even when they were bad. They went out and got the best pitching, They solidified their defense. I think they took a step back because they got rid of a guy like Matt Chapman who was anchoring third base. Then they were like, you know what, we are really good at defense? Doan varshow is going to be healthy? We went out and got Andre Samenez. So you have two Platinum Glove winners. So if you're a starting pitcher, all that you see from Bieber, all that you see from the postseason, you're like, this organization likes pitching, and I want to be there.

00:18:39
Speaker 1: All right, welcome back to Ft and Kratzy. This might be what you were thinking of with the qualifying offer, But Lucas Giolito his situation in Boston with the qualifying offer, there were you guys surprised at all about the news that he did not receive the qualifying offers. So maybe you weren't thinking, yes, is I think what you were thinking about with Grisham, this was a little bit of a prize. I think he didn't get the offer, which means the he's a free agent. Without that qualifying offer, they don't get a draft pick obviously if he signs with another team. I was a little surprised by this because I think people always want pitching and you always kind of stand the I feel like they would have probably gotten the draft pick. He would have probably gotten a longer term deal somewhere else. What do you guys think about this?

00:19:22
Speaker 2: I think I think he could have. I think it would have been kind of a Paveta Ironically, Paveta was with the Red Sox right before he signed with the Padres, and the Padres deal that he signed was kind of very backloaded, So I think it was a unique type of deal that he signed. And I think maybe the way that Giolito ended and kind of his ups and downs inconsistencies showed them, you know what, We're not going to give him a qualifying offer. We're not, even though he's not even thirty two years old yet, We're not going to give him that offer because I don't know that it's going to pay out. And I think ultimately, when you give somebody a qualifying offer. We just talked about it with Big WU. Do you want him back? Are the Red Sox like we will pay this guy? Because ultimately that's the decision you have to make. Are you willing to make this move and pay him the I have to figure out exactly what it is. I think it's twenty one point seven million is the qualifying offer? Essentially twenty two million dollars are you willing to do that? And I don't know that the Red Sox we're willing to do that.

00:20:26
Speaker 4: I think to answer your previous question to Ken, maybe that one year deal of twenty two point one million dollars is too much for the Red Sox. But let's hope for dialdo's sake, you know, And that was a question I probably should ask Ken too. Is because a guy doesn't receive a qualifying offer, does it diminish kind of his value in you know, he's probably worth less than what the qualifying offer is, you know, over multiple years. But let's hope in the case of Giolito, the fact that he doesn't have the qualifying offer attached to his name, it could be a beneficial to him and his family. You know, Teams are very hesitant to sign players unless they really really are going to move the needle because they value those picks so much. So in his case, hopefully it's a good thing. Hopefully he lands with the multi year deal and it's probably a lot easier without the qualifying offer over your head.

00:21:17
Speaker 1: Yeah, I agree. In the days and age of people like Prospect hugging, it does hurt guy's markets. And we've seen that in the past, we've seen guys who have that qualifying offer attached have to take a lesser deal and kind of really changes the scope of their free agency, and it's something that they can't control it all. So you guys both played. I mean, as a player, how frustrating would that be because so much of what the team decides on this qualifying offer can at times dictate what you are able to get in the winter.

00:21:46
Speaker 4: Yeah, I mean, I wasn't fortunate enough to really put myself in a position to have a qualifying offer, but I would be extremely frustrated because in no sport is it harder to reach free agency. And then in some ways, when you actually do get there as a here for agent, you're not entirely free because, like you said, there's a lot of organizations that value draft picks and prospects, and you know, maybe you're not entirely you know, bidding against every team, because there's some teams right off the top that say, nope, you have a qualifying offer, We're not going to offer you a deal.

00:22:19
Speaker 2: I obviously never made the qualifying offer even discussion, but I think anytime you take away from a player's value, and when I say a player's value. You're not taking away from Juan Soto's value, You're not taking away from the elite players in baseball, but you're taking away the value from that like what I would say the upper middle class of Major League Baseball. Then the owners win. The owners win because there's more of those guys than there are of superstars, and the superstars are always going to get paid. And I think the owners win anytime you can hold down the majority salary than the minorities.

00:23:02
Speaker 1: Right, and there was thirteen players if you're not familiar who received that qualifying offer per Reports, that list is right up there. Bobashett Dylan ce, Edwin Hazda, Gallin, Trent Grisham, Shota Shota, Imanaga, Michael King, Kyle Schwarber, Ranger, Sworrez, Glabor Torres, Kyle Tucker, Friend, Raveldez, and Brandrew Woodroff, who we discussed earlier as well. So if they do sign with another team, their original team will get a compensatory draft pick. This is also something guys that you know, we're talking about the big salary cap and the looming issues, but this is something in every CBA there could be changes like this is something that the players could say, hey, this isn't fair when you change the way this is structured as well, So this could maybe be one of the last times we see something like this.

00:23:46
Speaker 4: You know, I don't know.

00:23:47
Speaker 1: It's it's really kind of a weird part of the process, and no other sport quite does it this way right where it's like, hey, we have to pick between giving you this offer, but then we give up a draft pick and drafts are really important now ten fifteen years ago, where gms were like not prospect hugging. So I wonder if this is something a small thing, you know, way down the list that players are like, can we can we fix the system here a little bit? Because no, maybe we should just go if like why do teams need to get compensation at all?

00:24:19
Speaker 3: Right?

00:24:19
Speaker 1: Like, am I wrong here?

00:24:20
Speaker 2: Do you?

00:24:20
Speaker 3: Guys?

00:24:21
Speaker 2: Like?

00:24:21
Speaker 3: No, the weirdest process.

00:24:24
Speaker 4: It is a very weird process, and I don't fully understand it. You know, this is where I'd like defer to a Trevor May because he's so he knows all this stuff so well. I mean, I live through this, but like, there's been so many changes that I can't Obviously, in negotiations, you're giving up something to give something. This was one of those things that was given up. But it just feels weird to me. I'm thinking about like Boba Shitt. You know, guy drafted and developed by the Toronto Blue Jays, does his six years and then you put a qualifying offer on him. Is it like a way of letting the fans know, like, hey, we still care, but if you go, at least we get a draft pick. It's really weird to me. And as a player, if I was in that position, I would be a little bit frustrated because, like I said, I don't a lot of teams don't view you as entirely free when you have this kind of thing weighing over your head, and teams love draft picks and prospects so much. You know, even if it takes away from one team that's willing to negotiate from you, you work so damn hard to become a free agent in baseball. I just don't think it's right.

00:25:28
Speaker 2: I think it's a big miss by the PA, by the Players Association for not seeing the future of how this will be used by the owners by the front offices, because that is you essentially have one opportunity to go to free agency as a player, if if the big if, if you make it to six years, you become a big league free agent, and that is tough to do. And for that to even be squashed more it's almost like they're saying, Okay, you know, yes, you made it the free agency, but it's like another year that you have. But you know, and when you're talking about negotiations, you have to be cognizant of the fact that owners and gms and front offices will always be there. Players get one career and it is quick. It goes by super fast. KP knows it. He was just playing this year and now it's over. So anytime you give up anything like that, you're really squashing your opportunity to earn the most that you can in a sport that is tough, tough, tough to play.

00:26:39
Speaker 4: It's tough to earn too, really tough to earn in the spot because I mean, you're you already your salary set for your first three years, and then you go through an arbitration process, which has its inefficiencies as well too, and then you finally get out of that arbitration process and you finally want to be free and you're not entirely free. I think it's it's a miss. Hopefully it's something that it's not just me as a former player in Cratsey. Hopefully the current players right now kind of see this as something where is it worth a lockout over? No, but it's worth having a discussion over, like maybe fully understanding what was kind of given up for this, you know, maybe talking to people within the union like why did we kind of come up or why did we agree with this qualifying offer? And I know a lot of it probably has to do with smaller market teams, you know, drafting, developing guys and then really never having a chance of re signing a guy, which in theory every team has a chance to sign whoever the heck they want. Smaller market teams don't choose to sign players. It's their kind of reward of, Hey, you did a good job developing this guy and you know, holding on to him for six years, But as he walks out the door, we're going to give you a little gift a draft pick.

00:27:53
Speaker 3: Yeah, exactly. I agree. You heard it here first on FT News.

00:27:57
Speaker 1: Here the Dodgers designated for assignment start Tony Gonsolin and add outfielder Ryan Ward and left handed pitcher Robinson Ortiz to their forty man roster. They also outrighted Justin Dean and Michael Grove. This is obviously a lot of housekeeping this time of year. But Tony Gonsolin, because he was part of that World championship team, because he's been a part of that team for a while, kind of jumped out to me, guys like it's probably the end of the road for him with the Dodgers here. But great career in LA, great job in LA. I don't think there's a whole lot, you know, you can say if you're Tony Gonsolin about his time there, But clearly this is the Dodgers making space to ad payroll to ad players ahead of the free agency bonanza that we're going to see.

00:28:39
Speaker 4: I would be in line if I was a Major league GM of wanting that guy to be on my roster when healthy. He is as good as it gets. I mean, is he quite a one, No, But he's a really solid addition. Up until his recent histories, he's been a guy who's been able to take the ball, and I think he's got really really good stuff. So if I'm a GM out there right now, He's a guy that I'm on the phone with right now seeing whatever it takes to get a deal done, because I think he can help a lot of teams.

00:29:05
Speaker 2: Some of these some of these options, some of these DFAs and that kind of stuff really work out for the player because where's the where are you going to slot in with the team that you're at, And even if you know, maybe you get traded, you're still on your current contract. Now, these guys, normally, most of these guys, like when we talked about Pete Fairbanks, you have an opportunity to get a little bit more of a lucrative longer term, maybe more guaranteed money, and it just adds a little a layer of security for your family.

00:29:41
Speaker 1: Yeah, I agree. I think this starting put your market on the on the free agent side is going to be fascinating. There's some like real upgrades out there. Obviously, if Tek's Google gets traded, that's going to create a domino effect. But you look at just who's available, not including like potential trades here and there are some really interesting names and I think that there's obviously, like the always is a lot of teams after it, but some big market teams like the Mets.

00:30:04
Speaker 3: Really, you know, we're going to.

00:30:05
Speaker 1: Flex their muscle here because they have to add in my mind, two starters, you know, at least two top end starters, and then go down with the young guys as their depth. And so when teams like that are going to be that aggressive, I think it's only good for the guys that are out there that are available. There's going to be a lot of big fish chasing these guys.

00:30:23
Speaker 5: Guardians left fielder Stephen Kwan, who is controlled through twenty twenty seven. Now you talk about it, you watch the Blue Jays playing in the World Series ago, they put the ball in play, they didn't strike out man. That is Stephen Kwan to a t. But you look at his last year he was like a below average offensive performer. He really fell off from twenty twenty four, and you look at his first four years of his career is really really good blow lea garbage, really really good blowly gabage. So I guess, like you said, Jimmer's risk with every player, but Stephen Kwan, he would certainly give you more contact.

00:30:58
Speaker 2: He's a great defender.

00:31:02
Speaker 6: He they were on him in this summer, The Phillies were on him, and I heard the Guardians almost said the Indians would not get off the name Aiden Miller. So if they're still on that on that name, he probably not going to get him, but it is I do look at you know, he doesn't strike out, and that would be very appealing in this lineup to add a bat that doesn't strike out.

00:31:30
Speaker 2: But he also doesn't really slug.

00:31:31
Speaker 6: And you can say what you want about the the Blue Jays putting the ball play, and I agree they led to majors and hitting. They put the ball play. They don't strike out a lot, and that's great. Every game they won in the postseason they hit a home run, you know, so I would like to have a little bit of slug as well. I'm concerned that he was below below league average across the kind of across the board offensively last year, but you know, there's a lot to like there. I'm sure Cleveland's gonna have a very high price on him.

00:32:04
Speaker 1: Yeah, I feel like Stephen Kwan is a guy who also like every time you watch a Cleveland game, he impacts the game like he even if he doesn't have any hits, he impacts the game. I feel like he brings a lot of the intangibles on a lot of the stuff that Craig was talking about about the Cleveland way of playing. To me, Stephen Kwan kind of embodies that.

00:32:25
Speaker 2: Yeah, he impacted the All Star Game. He pushed the All Star Game into extra home run swings. I don't know how you say that, but like he's gonna always put up a good at bat. Are you okay? To me? I think Stephen Kwan is a piece to the puzzle. And the Phillies already have enough slug. Yes, Trey Turner doesn't slug as much as the other guys, but the Phillies were low on slug this past season. Before that they were okay. So they they diminished their strikeout rate last year, and to me, it's like, how far do you go? Stephen Kwan is is a plus ad to any team he gets out of.

00:33:09
Speaker 3: Oh who wrote this.

00:33:13
Speaker 1: The best player of his generation? Fade away? I did not know we were discussing. This is my column from earlier in the week.

00:33:20
Speaker 3: About something that's been bothering me.

00:33:22
Speaker 1: Guys like and I talked to Derek Peter and Calrican Jr. And like other like all time grades about this, Like, does your perspective of Mike Trout change knowing that he has not won a playoff game, and that essen stands right now. He even if he got there, wouldn't be that Mike Trout again. So he had that ten years of dominance and kind of feels like he's faded away in the saddest way for baseball. So I want to know for you guys, to.

00:33:46
Speaker 4: Tell me how you feel, how you really feel.

00:33:50
Speaker 3: I feel sad.

00:33:51
Speaker 1: I feel sad because I feel like, like my mom was a big baseball fan. The other day was like, Mike Trout is so overrated, and I feel like people say that a lot who just don't understand how good he was for ten years and how much nobody knew he was good for ten years. That's the problem. Now baseball's at an all time high end viewership. We've got all these stars, it's never been easier to make the playoffs, and we've got Mike Trout doing nothing but testifying in a wrongful debt Tyler skag suit with the Angels. It's the only time you'll see him in October. I think it's just a really sad story for baseball.

00:34:19
Speaker 4: Around free Mike Trout. I think it's time he doesn't want to be free. I think I think loyalty is like a great quality to have. I'd like to think I'm a very loyal person. It's probably my tragic flaw is when you're in with me, you're in with me, and like, I'm never breaking free from that. And Mike has obviously proven that he's very loyal to the Angels. But what have the Angels ever really done for him? You know, they haven't really built a team around him. I know they had Otani for a short amount of time, but they haven't really built a team around him. I think, you know, and maybe Mike doesn't want to leave. You know, why would you want to leave Southern California live in Newport Beach. It's great, But I think Mike is deserving of being on a team that is gonna go to the playoffs. I know there's one team that Mike would be willing to go to, and that's Philadelphia, so we could be close to home. So maybe it's time they try to figure out a deal to get Mike to Philly and allow him to play in some postseason and allow his greatness to shine once again.

00:35:16
Speaker 2: I mean, I guess the saying is, if you know, you know, But I think sometimes in baseball, if you don't know, you don't know. He's never been in another organization ever. And we clamor for guys to stay. We clamor for Clayton Kershall, don't sign with the Rangers. I know you'll go home. We want you to stay in an organization. We want to see Mike Trout on a team that's in the playoffs. Mike tried at four hundred and fifty three at bats last year and he had twenty six homers. I still think there's more. Even though Britt wrote an article staying there is it's.

00:35:52
Speaker 3: Did I I did not say that?

00:35:57
Speaker 1: All right, Let's check out this Instagram post from Bett MGM cities with the most championships in the four major sports since twenty ten. You see La at the top, hid per second, Boston and San Francisco. Then we have Miami, Kansas City, and Chicago.

00:36:13
Speaker 3: On that list.

00:36:14
Speaker 1: So not a super surprising list, but definitely a group that I think if you look at you look at those cities, you're like, yeah, well LA is a top because they've won three times since twenty twenty, so like, yeah, they are a little bit of like a modern dynasty. There, you guys surprised by that, Chicago, Miami a little surprised.

00:36:33
Speaker 4: Now, Miami surprised me a little bit. I had to think. I had to go like through my roller decks of sports teams, and then I remember the heat were pretty good and had been pretty good. But yeah, I was a little bit surprised to see Miami on there.

00:36:45
Speaker 2: Going back to Cali strictly for the weather women in the World Championships, I guess San fran and La all in there.

00:36:55
Speaker 3: Yeah, yeah, I know.

00:36:57
Speaker 1: I mean I think, yeah, you have to remember that a world exists outside of baseball, because I'm like, why is Houston on a list?

00:37:02
Speaker 7: Oh?

00:37:03
Speaker 3: Right, right? Because they just don't have the other sports.

00:37:06
Speaker 1: And then of course Houston, I mean they didn't win back to back.

00:37:09
Speaker 3: They certainly won a lot.

00:37:10
Speaker 1: They got there a lot they got there in loss. So I have to remember that this is not just a baseball specific list.

00:37:17
Speaker 4: We are counting the Golden State Warriors as San Francisco. I'm assuming, right, that's okay, okay, because when I saw that too, I'm like, okay, I know they had their run in the you know, twenty tens, you know, in baseball. Like you said, it's not just baseball. You know the Niners, haven't I guess when did they win? Did they win?

00:37:35
Speaker 5: No?

00:37:35
Speaker 4: So I guess it's really the Golden State Warriors carrying that list.

00:37:39
Speaker 1: Yeah, and you know what, I would love to see a list of like championships that people largely forgot about, because like remember the like nineteen nineties New Jersey Devils, Like where were those celebrations a parking lot? I mean, I'm from Connecticut. I felt like, you're like, it's not a huge deal, like our teen pro door. Give the guy a little props, you know. I feel like the we just forgot about how good they were back in the day. But that's where's the list team forget.

00:38:02
Speaker 4: I love your passion for hockey, you lost me when you send New Jersey Devils.

00:38:10
Speaker 1: All right, guys, uh, we've got uh, we've got bet MGM here, get your steak back in cash if your first touchdown scorer scores second. Instead, bet on any pro football players score the first touchdown of the game.

00:38:23
Speaker 3: If you're right, you win.

00:38:24
Speaker 1: If your player score second, you get your stake back in cash. Gambling problem or concern Call one eight hundred gambler.

00:38:31
Speaker 2: Yeah, that's what he said.

00:38:32
Speaker 1: That's what he said.

00:38:35
Speaker 2: That's what he said.

00:38:36
Speaker 5: That's what he said.

00:38:40
Speaker 7: Obviously, Josh, they haven't signed a multi year free agent since you were still in a Pirates uniform, So I think there it's time to break that stigma. It's yes, Vonova was the last multi year free agent.

00:38:52
Speaker 2: Yeah, in twenty seventeen.

00:38:56
Speaker 4: Thank you for there, Thank you for yeah.

00:38:59
Speaker 5: I mean wow yeah, mm hmmm speechless this time?

00:39:04
Speaker 1: Yes, Uh, the Pirates will leave you speechless. That's just kind of what it does. Guys, I have a that's what she said, real quick, KP. This has been bothering me since I saw you at the playoff, says, anyone ever told you that you look like Kevin Gossman, like a clean shaven Kevin Gossman. Oh, you get a side by side here, that's that's Cody Stavenhagen. I would like KP versus KG here. That is where I think they look like.

00:39:30
Speaker 2: Though.

00:39:31
Speaker 1: It's nice to see our good pal Cody Steve in Hagen again, you look like Kevin Gosman.

00:39:34
Speaker 4: Do you see it?

00:39:34
Speaker 8: Cratzy, No, I've never I've never been told that. I've never been Do you do without the beard and Kevin Gosman without the beard. Maybe because I often covered Kevin when he came up. He's a little younger, so saw that a lot of the clean.

00:39:47
Speaker 1: Shaven Kevin Gosman he looks. You guys look similar. It's been bothering me. No one's told you that in Toronto. No one has told you that.

00:39:55
Speaker 2: I think k I think. I think KP looks like a mix between Brad Pitt, Tyler glass Now and George Clooney. It's like a It's like a perfect mix of those three guys. That's KP.

00:40:10
Speaker 4: Definitely, the wrinkles like Clooney. Though you know, I got the age.

00:40:15
Speaker 2: I can't get past not wrinkles. Interesting.

00:40:19
Speaker 1: Interesting, I love the I loved the I just I can't unsee it. The Kevin Gosman thing, I can't unsee it.

00:40:25
Speaker 2: I need to see it.

00:40:27
Speaker 4: I know they're working hard right now to do it, but they.

00:40:29
Speaker 3: Are work smart. I think they thought I might saving again.

00:40:33
Speaker 1: But it definitely there's definitely a lot of similarities between you and Kevin.

00:40:37
Speaker 3: That's what I'm saying, similarities.

00:40:42
Speaker 4: When I threw up that first pitch, I held a splitter. I was trying to get that down action. I just held onto it a little too long, you know.

00:40:49
Speaker 2: Is that what it was?

00:40:50
Speaker 1: No?

00:40:50
Speaker 2: No, no, you just yard you just yard darted it. But Gosman split, He like has that one eyebrow up when he's pitching, and he's always like, I can't even do it. I can't make my one eyebrow go up. But he's he's got that good locked in face. Yeah I can do it. You can't do it.

00:41:06
Speaker 3: Yeah, No, I don't think you can.

00:41:08
Speaker 1: I think you need like a like an overactive muscle on one side. Right, I don't know it's Kryptoni.

00:41:13
Speaker 3: I don't know.

00:41:14
Speaker 1: See no, see like, there is a lot of similarities. I'm telling you.

00:41:17
Speaker 2: I don't hate it. I don't hate it.

00:41:19
Speaker 4: I don't hate it either.

00:41:20
Speaker 3: I don't hate it, especially if you shave kp here. There's just a lot.

00:41:28
Speaker 4: My kids have never seen me without a beard.

00:41:31
Speaker 3: Scary day, interesting.

00:41:34
Speaker 4: Kevin, And they're going to be like, who my dad?

00:41:41
Speaker 2: Who are you?

00:41:43
Speaker 4: Yeah?

00:41:43
Speaker 1: You got to keep it for November. Isn't the no shave November thing?

00:41:46
Speaker 2: Right?

00:41:47
Speaker 4: Hockey? Before we no, that's playoff beers, playoff beers.

00:41:52
Speaker 2: Playoff beards. Yes, before we hit the break KP. I need to hear your because you've been a free agent. How many times that stat about the fact that the last person they sought the Pirates signed with Ivon Nova. Is that crazy to you? Or is that sad to you?

00:42:08
Speaker 4: No, it's sad.

00:42:09
Speaker 2: It's not crazy.

00:42:10
Speaker 4: It's sad because you can't expect to win if you only bring in players for one year. At the end of the day, you own a Major League Baseball team. If you don't want to own that team, sell them. You probably are going to make a ton of money on them. And if you can't find it within your ownership group, within your pocketbook to go out and sign players for multiple years, you don't deserve to own a team. It's sad. You know my reaction is much different than Josh Harrison's. He was speechless.

00:42:35
Speaker 2: I'm not speechless.

00:42:36
Speaker 4: Because I think it's really sad and the fans of Pittsburgh deserve better.

00:42:41
Speaker 1: All Right, A little news la Troy Hawkins with the Twins, bullpen coach next season for Derek Shelton's FIRS staff in Minnesota. Twenty one year MLB veteran. This is great for the game. I agree with Bob Mangel it is great for the game, a guy who's universally liked, well respected. Listen, if Derek Shelton is going to come out from under, you know the fact that he's very familiar to Twins fans. If they're actually going to do something different, then they need to make some energizing hires, and I think this is one of them.

00:43:08
Speaker 2: Guys.

00:43:08
Speaker 3: I think this is something that is.

00:43:10
Speaker 1: Going to get at least some fans excited, and that is a fan base who is just very upset right now, and very rightfully so over what's transpired.

00:43:20
Speaker 4: In my opinion, it's much better than hiring someone out of another sport. I love I played with LaTroy Latroit obviously played LaTroy spent twenty one years of his life sitting in a bullpen. Who better to kind of usher these guys in and out of the bullpen, to talk strategy, to teach guys how to prepare. It's a great hire. He obviously has a connection to the Minnesota fan base, the organization, He's worked within the organization over the last couple of years. I think it's a great hire.

00:43:49
Speaker 2: He has got what the kids call aura, and he didn't spend his entire career in the bullpen. I wanted to see how many starts he made. He made his first four year, five years he was a starter. Then he said, I'm going to the bullpen. So there's something to be said about somebody who lasted that long in the bullpen to be able to play in nineteen ninety five and still in twenty fifteen with KP. It's understanding that your role changes, understanding how everything moves and shakes. You're not just always the bullpen guy. You're not just always the guy the seventh in, the guy eighth and a guy ninth inning guy. You got to be able to change. And I think he'll bring that because I worked with him for like a day when it was with Team USA, and I love everything about him I was Unfortunately I never got to play with him, So.

00:44:39
Speaker 4: I think it's pretty And I would say the bullpen arm is like unless you're the elite closer, like the kind of mid tier middle relief guy is like the most expendable human being in the baseball world. You could just pick up a guy you know from who gets DFAD or you know, a Rule five guy, and you could throw him in the bullpen for a guy to last, you know, what was that? Fifteen sixteen years in the bullpen? And I know we had some points in his career where he was pitching at the back end. But to survive even ten years of being kind of a floater in the bullpen kind of just doing whatever the team needs you to do is incredible. So who better to learn from than a guy like la Troy Hawkins?

00:45:31
Speaker 2: Nice? What did I win? I got a KP. I got a KP catch there Brent Jeroli on the bench where I spent most of my career. I got one of Scott's Emmy's. Do I have a Tony up there?

00:45:44
Speaker 7: Too?

00:45:45
Speaker 2: Do I have a Tony Award winner? I'm not sure what the hot dog is doing? The hot dogs a little a little provocative there. I'm not sure what's the top award? Do you guys know what the top award is?

00:45:55
Speaker 1: I don't know.

00:45:57
Speaker 3: Looks fancy though, it looks like.

00:46:02
Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean for a Friday. Claudia normally brings it, but absolutely today she brought it one hundred.

00:46:14
Speaker 4: Hey, I have a question for you guys. I got I got a serious question. You guys can give me an honest answer. God, is it too early for me to put my Christmas lights up.

00:46:25
Speaker 1: Yes, yes, Pratzy Pratty says no, I say yes.

00:46:33
Speaker 4: When when's that cut off? When's that cut off for you? Also, let me give you a little context. Let me give you a little context too. I am leaving for the week at Thanksgiving to go see my in laws, so I'm missing that week. So I feel like I need to get it done before.

00:46:46
Speaker 1: Okay, with that context, I say, you can do it before. But in general, I feel like once Halloween is over, I see like people take down there like pumpkins, and all of a sudden.

00:46:55
Speaker 3: It's Christmas.

00:46:56
Speaker 1: And I love Thanksgiving. There's no presence involved. It's all about just sitting around and eating and your fat pants, watching football, then eating more pie and then passing out. Why are we like rushing to get to Christmas? It's like Thanksgiving never gets hits too.

00:47:10
Speaker 4: It's not rush come to your house for Thanksgiving because that sounds incredible. Fat pants, eat, eat more, watch football, and then pass out.

00:47:19
Speaker 2: KP's never had KP's never had a Thanksgiving. He's never had a Thanksgiving. Since he's been a player, He's gone to Thanksgiving, but he's been like, I gotta still focused. Where are we going. I gotta train, okay, two hours in the morning and then and I gotta hit because that's when I'm starting to hit. Now. This is KP's first double dip of the pumpkin Pie.

00:47:40
Speaker 4: I'll make sure my wife sends you guys a picture of me passed out. I don't know if it's gonna be food or pie. It might be something else, but I'm going to pass out on my first thing.

00:47:49
Speaker 1: The meal isn't over when you're full. It's over when you hate yourself.

00:47:52
Speaker 3: Remember that.

00:47:52
Speaker 4: Oh okay, I love that.

00:47:56
Speaker 3: Put them up.

00:47:57
Speaker 1: I want to see a picture. It was great filling in, It was great seeing you guys. Thank you everyone for tuning in, listening along. Richiaroli, Aerocrats, Kevin Polar here put up those Christmas decorations. I guess I sound like Scrooge now.

00:48:09
Speaker 4: Saying no, gosh, I'm going to it.

00:48:12
Speaker 2: Let a spot start by you, Britt. Nice work.