Cubs starter Matthew Boyd announces WBC Team USA decision on FT + Inside his short-rest NLDS decision

00:00:02
Speaker 1: Matthew Boyd joining us right now, coming off a brilliant twenty twenty five campaign, an awesome year with the Chicago Cubs, and here's our buddy, Matt.

00:00:11
Speaker 2: Great to have you on.

00:00:11
Speaker 3: Man.

00:00:12
Speaker 1: How's your off season?

00:00:13
Speaker 2: And I like to ask.

00:00:14
Speaker 1: This for the first time when I talk to a player after the season comes to an end, did you have time to do a little reflecting and if so, how do you evaluate what just happened?

00:00:24
Speaker 2: Yeah, what's up, guys?

00:00:25
Speaker 4: Thanks for having me on. Yeah, man, I'm I'm super grateful, super grateful to get to play for the Cubs this year and get to experience, like playing at Wrigley every day, like the energy that's brought every single day. You get the feed off it, you know, and that's it's it's different, you know. I mean Monday nights in April when it's thirty degrees, you know, and you know we're playing the Rockies and it's a sold out crowd sort of thing.

00:00:55
Speaker 2: Like it's it's just it's it's special. It's different. And uh, I'm just I'm super thankful for that.

00:01:02
Speaker 4: Man. We you look back at like the whole season and you're like, it's a it's one of those things where it's like, uh, we.

00:01:11
Speaker 2: Wish we we we could do more.

00:01:13
Speaker 4: You know, like you look at the teams that were you know, the Brewers who beat us and the teams that were still around. You're like, we could have easily been there and doing our thing, and unfortunately that's just how it shakes out.

00:01:24
Speaker 2: Sometimes.

00:01:25
Speaker 4: You know, it's an inch here and an inch there, and you know, a game that's won within the margins, but like it's uh, you know, was was happy and grateful for the year we had with this squad, and it was I wish we went further, but it was a lot of fun.

00:01:42
Speaker 3: Ah R, Matthew, I hate to bring up a source subject. You brought up the Brewers, so I got to go there early. Well, yeah, they started you in game one on short rest. Well, yeah, were you and you didn't go very well. I'm sorry because I think you're awesome. But what was what was different? Explain as a picture a starting picture. And I don't know if you've ever started on short rest or not, but what's different when you are used to a four day and then all of a sudden you go into a three day rest and then they're like, oh, you're starting explain what's different to the people there listening from a starting pitcher's viewpoint.

00:02:12
Speaker 4: Yeah, I mean I'll just like in terms of like, yeah, I don't do the same routine in between, but there was nothing like, like I truly believe this. If a ground balls hit like, you know, maybe ten inches a little more towards Matt Shaw and one fly ball is hit two more feet towards Ian happ I'm cruising and we're talking about something different.

00:02:35
Speaker 2: You know, It's just it.

00:02:37
Speaker 4: Was one of those weird games where it let off with double double double and they.

00:02:42
Speaker 2: Jumped on two first pitches, and you know, we could get into why or how or you know whatnot.

00:02:49
Speaker 4: I mean, were there was anything in like because of the rest that the outcomes happened because of theirs. No, Like I felt great and and my preparation, I mean I threw on shorter rest, you know, in advance of it, but like it had nothing to do with like me being ready for that inning, had nothing.

00:03:11
Speaker 2: To do with the rest that I had. They just got me.

00:03:14
Speaker 4: And it's unfortunate that it happened on short rest because it's easy to point to that and you know, could have executed a few pitches a little bit better, but like physically, mentally I felt great, they got me, and uh, you know, we made a new game plan five days later and attack that and it worked out in my favor. You know, that one could have easily not gone my way as well. So you know, it's like, you know, in terms of short rest, it's like, yeah, it changes the five day routine, but at that time of year, five day routines are shifting anyways, you know what I mean, Like you're you're, you're, you're you're sometimes preparing to be ready in the playoffs, you know, within those five days, just in case the team needs you. And as you know AJ sometimes like as you get your inning total gets up through the year, sometimes you don't even throw a bullpen over five days and you just do your work on flat work and you prepare for that start and that start goes great. So you know, short rest does change things, But in terms of that outing, yeah, I don't.

00:04:12
Speaker 2: I am the belief that I didn't have much impact.

00:04:16
Speaker 5: What did that conversation sound like, Because in twenty eighteen, I was there when Craig Counsel and Derek Johnson went to Jolie's Chasine, who was our guy at that time, and said, hey, we need you on three days rest, ironically pitched against the Cubs. How does Craig come to you and have that conversation And was there any like kickback? Was it like, hey, I got to see how I feel on the day before to give you a final answer of yes, I can go, Or was it nope, I'm doing it.

00:04:49
Speaker 2: I mean we got done.

00:04:50
Speaker 4: We clinched against the Padres, and you just know the situation you're in. So I went to Craig and said, I can be. I can be ready for game one, you know, like I'm ready for the if you give it to me. And uh, and he said, you know, Craig's a great leader, and he said, hey, we'll be well let's talk the you know, let's talk tomorrow sort of thing. And I mean it was just the right thing to do, you know, like and uh, and with just where the roster was and and you know where we were rotation.

00:05:25
Speaker 2: Wise and whatnot.

00:05:26
Speaker 4: And uh, I mean, I'm you put it on the flip side. I'm gonna if I feel good on that day and I don't tell him I'm ready to pitch, and we go out and like, you know, if I'm ready to pitch and I feel good, I'm always gonna say I'm ready, you know, Like I'm never gonna say, oh, well, logically, you know I may not feel ready on this day, so I'm gonna hold off. And you know, it's like, and then that day rolls around, You're like, man, I could have pitched a day I could have helped my team win. And then you know, like you always want to be ready. You don't ever know what the outcome is going to be, right, you just say, when the ball's in my hand, I'm going to go compete with all I got and I'm going to go from there. So if I'm ready to pitch and I know I can do it and do it to the best of my ability, I'm always going to tell them yes, right, I'm never going to hold back in that sense. But you know that's just my mentality behind it.

00:06:18
Speaker 3: Okay, I just want to I want to make one thing clear about you. I wasn't blaming it. I just wanted to know what it was different as as a player, because I don't know, I've never had to play on short rest, right, So I wasn't blaming that at all, So I just want to know.

00:06:30
Speaker 2: I know you were, I know you were okay.

00:06:31
Speaker 3: I just want to make that abundantly clear that I wasn't a little sensitive because everyone was saying that you know what I mean. No, I know, I get it, and I didn't. That's why I didn't say you know that. I was like, I just want to know what it changes for you. And so you did a great job of laying that out, So so thank you. Now, what's your off season?

00:06:46
Speaker 5: Like?

00:06:46
Speaker 3: When do you start throwing, when do you start picking up a ball, When do you start getting off a mound, When do you start doing all of those things that you need to do to prep for this year? And are you going to the WBC? Maybe I should ask you that are you going to be Team USA slinging that lefty you know, slider and stuff for the w Team USA because spring training starts earlier. So does that change your routine?

00:07:09
Speaker 2: Yeah?

00:07:10
Speaker 4: Yeah, So yeah, I'm gonna get the opportunity to represent our country and I'm super grateful for that. I'm I'm super pumped up. It's an honor. In terms off season routine, twenty sixteen, I started changing what I did. I started playing catch like lighter in terms of the amount of days, but also like the amount of throws. And I started doing that right after the season. I used to be kind of that old school of like December first you pick up a ball and then you know, start throwing your bullpens right before you get to spring training. I did that my first few years, and it was just I December was just so hard for my shoulder to get going. It just felt like you were really behind the eight ball. So after talking, you know and getting it affirmed by you know, guys like doctor Meister and whatnot, like play cash lightly through the off season, and then December rolls around and you amp it up a little bit.

00:08:13
Speaker 2: Yeah, terms of the.

00:08:14
Speaker 4: WBC, you just you dial up that clock a few weeks earlier, got a plan laid out with uh, with you know, our pitching department with the Cubs about how to prepare for that properly, and uh, you know, I actually had to get ready. You know, we all did as a team last year a little bit earlier because we had that Tokyo Series and we were playing exhibition games and against the Dodgers there, so, uh, it's fairly comparable to that. You know, you get off the mound basically two to three weeks, a little earlier than than you would if opening day was in April. But yeah, I think opening days even earlier this year too, So you just you increase the intensity a little bit earlier since we were already throwing and already in it. Like it wasn't a jump or anything. It wasn't like you know, you just kind of really stay in it. And that's just baseball to stay in age. Like you know, some guy's face hitters year around. I've never done that, but uh, you know, you're getting off the mound in December as compared to January, and you know, keeping your arm moving all year round.

00:09:20
Speaker 5: I feel like I'm really up to date on a lot of baseball stuff. I had no idea you were on Team USA. I know you were playing for Team America, So I appreciate you breaking that news here. How did that come about? Was that something that you said, I want to be a part of this. Was it something that they called you? Was it through? Did Scott set that up with you? How? How does that come about? And then since you've agreed to it, have you been like getting other pictures because American pictures for the most part, don't want to throw in it.

00:09:52
Speaker 4: Uh yeah, you know, for me, my perspective is this, like any chance to get to represent our country is something that's really special, and I'm grateful for this game. It's given me so many opportunities. I get to play a game for a living. You know, in two thousand and nine on the eighteen U team, I was the last cut. In college, I was a replacement player, you know, I was the guy holding the spot for the.

00:10:22
Speaker 2: Guys that were in the College World Series.

00:10:24
Speaker 4: And then you know, I got sent home and went back to playing college summer baseball. So you know, I definitely told the uh uh you.

00:10:34
Speaker 2: Know, I told.

00:10:35
Speaker 4: I told the guys I was interested in doing it, and Dero called a couple of weeks ago, and uh man when he when he called, it was something I just knew I wanted to do, so uh prayed about it, and you know, I'm just I'm super excited to get this opportunity and uh, you know, represent Team USA or the best of my ability.

00:10:55
Speaker 3: I had no idea, So I'm proud of myself. I had no idea. I was just going it out there. Next thing, you know, we got Team USA breaking news, so way to go.

00:11:03
Speaker 2: But yeah, I've been sitting on.

00:11:05
Speaker 3: I know, listen, I'm all for I'm jealous. I'm jealous because I always wanted to play for Team USA and the one year I got to, I know, I got offered one year the first WBC, and the White Sox shut it down because we just won the World Series. So I'm jealous. I'm one hundred percent jealous. Do you here's my thing? Who are you looking forward to? Like, we know schemes, we know Aaron Judge, we know Cal Rawly. I think Bobby Wits on the team.

00:11:28
Speaker 2: Do you have a roster? Do they already told you the roster?

00:11:31
Speaker 3: Because I'm not saying you should tell us all, but you should tell us all who's on this team.

00:11:35
Speaker 4: No, No, I know, I know the public names and all that you know, and I just did they get to share a locker room with those guys will be something that's just an honor in and of itself. I mean, having any Pennant as a pitching coach is something that you know as a kid growing up and watching lefties, not to mention like the best pickoff move of at all time, you know, like like that's that's cool in it of itself, but uh, it's yeah, I don't I don't know, but like, get the share of the locker room with Aaron Judge, Bobby Witt, Pete Corbyn. Who am I missing Cal Raleigh? I mean, you know, Cal is right up the street from me here in Seattle. Now, so I get to a I'll be thrown to him anyways, because all my other catchers are moving out of the area, so it'll, uh, that's gonna work out just fine. But uh, yeah, it's man, it's just it's just an honor. It's it's uh, there's no other words to say it outside of like to get to represent your country playing the game you love. You know, It's it's hard to put worse to it. I'm just I'm super thankful, super grateful and super excited for the opportunity.

00:12:42
Speaker 5: Who's somebody, Now, obviously I get it, you don't know the whole roster. I'm not telling you. I'm not saying you're gonna break any news. But who's somebody that you haven't seen that's on the roster for Team Amerca that you're like, I hope he plays. I hope that because because everybody's super juice that Cal's playing. I mean, he was the hero last year. That Judge is gonna play. Like the fact that we're getting the best players to play, But who's somebody that you don't see him the roster yet that you're like kind of need to see him out there.

00:13:12
Speaker 4: I'm biased to my teammates in Chicago. I'm just gonna say that, Like I I we got a lot of guys that are worthy, you know, thinking about the guys on h on that on the first base and second base side of the infield there with Nico and Bushy, I mean, those are two guys that would be fun, you know. I mean, I think Nico Horner is one of the, if not the one of the best second basemen in the game. The way he goes about his business, the way he competes, uh, you know, the way he can work in it bat and it's just it's super impressive. So, uh, you know, those guys, You know, we got a lot of guys on our.

00:13:56
Speaker 2: Team worthy, you know, and uh and but I you know that's those are you guys meant?

00:14:00
Speaker 4: You know?

00:14:01
Speaker 2: Answering that question, by.

00:14:03
Speaker 3: The way, I want to go back to something you said going to catch your bullpens this offseason, Like, how the heck do you get Cal Rawly to catch your bullpens? Because I know when I once I made it and I never hit sixty homers, people would call me and I'm like, heyll.

00:14:16
Speaker 2: He offered, He offered, He offered, Cal, Yeah, you.

00:14:21
Speaker 4: Know, I mean I've thrown I've thrown a resenta buire a lot over the years here, Reese, Reese, you know, started going for warmer climates. I threw to a few minor league guys. My my wife's cousin, Caleb Hamilton, he was up here for a long time and uh he moved to Texas now that he's coaching.

00:14:38
Speaker 2: He caught me. I mean, I beggars can't be choosers.

00:14:42
Speaker 3: Man.

00:14:42
Speaker 4: When when Cal offered to catch some pens, I heck, yeah, I'd love to.

00:14:47
Speaker 2: It's probably he I threw it.

00:14:48
Speaker 4: He hit I threw my first pitch fastball last year and he hit a homer, So it's probably him, just like return in the favor in the nicest way. But uh, but yeah, I mean if a catch offers to catch you, and you know he can catch you, there's not going to be like a high school kid that you're worried about, like potentially killing behind the plate. You know, like I'm going to say yes every time.

00:15:12
Speaker 1: Hey I've got one on Team USA. They didn't win last time, so how does this team win this time around? I feel like the pitching gets blamed a lot because it's tough to a recruit and be talk certain teams into allowing their pitchers to pitch. So what would your recruiting pitch be to someone if they called you and said, Hey, I got the phone call. What do you think? Not just what do you think? As in should I say yes? Because you're going to say yes? But how do I navigate this in terms of prep I know you haven't done it yet and making sure that my team is comfortable with me doing it, because that's a factor, right, especially if you're a younger pitcher you haven't gotten a big free agent contract yet, or you're just worried about how the team is going to perceive you if you're focusing on.

00:15:55
Speaker 4: That, I mean, every situation is different. Think there's one right or wrong answer.

00:16:02
Speaker 2: You know.

00:16:04
Speaker 4: I feel like with how I prepare for the season, how I prepared for last season, it's uh, it's very comparable it's not the same, you know. I think each guys has gotta make the best decision given you know, what's ahead for them, and you know what they're kind of coming off of. There's not many years that this probably would have worked for me, you know. I think it's kind of a situation where it would have. And I'm super thankful that, you know, the Cubs are allowing me to do it, and uh, and they're they're helping me lay out a plan to have the best success to to you know, obviously do this, but also you know, thinking about what is ahead and and October after that too, right, So, but you know, I do think, you know, so it's hard for me to answer that for somebody else, but I think the opportunity to represent your country, you know, is something that is hard to pass up. And uh, I and I it say something for me, I feel like it makes sense and uh, it's an opportunity that you know, I couldn't pass up, nor did I really want to, you know, and I'm super honored.

00:17:13
Speaker 5: Do you guys get paid? Sounds like the biggest, like fourth grade question, how.

00:17:17
Speaker 2: Much money do you know?

00:17:18
Speaker 5: Because you don't know? Okay, because the big, big thing with the Frighter Cup. Everybody you know was up in arms because these guys are supposed to play for the love of their country. But you're not sure.

00:17:28
Speaker 4: No, but that's not what it's about either, you know, like it's something that you know, I prayed about, and uh, I prayed that if the opportunity was going to present itself, you know, I would go for it. And if I wasn't supposed to do it, the opportunity wouldn't be there, and I'm super thankful and it came, and man, I don't know, it's just it's one of those things where it's like I know that if I prepare the right way as I have been. You know, it was we ended the year healthy, had everything went went the way it was supposed to, and it was it's something that I want to want to do, you know, And uh, I'm uh, you know, in terms of pay, who knows what's gonna happen.

00:18:06
Speaker 2: I don't know.

00:18:07
Speaker 4: I'm sure there's something, but that's not what it's about. You get to wear USA on your chest and you get to wear the flag on your sleeve and represent the best country in the world, like heck, yeah, playing our game, you know, or do everything we can to win that gold medal. There's some really other there's some really good teams out there, you know, some amazing countries that want the same thing, and it's welcome competition. But I mean it's about wearing that name on the on the front of the jersey and uh, you know, doing every cant everything we can to you know, hold up that trophy.

00:18:38
Speaker 3: Plus you need you need bragging rights again show to right, So if you guys beat Shoda, you can have bragging rights over Japan.

00:18:45
Speaker 2: I know, yeah, it's exactly right.

00:18:48
Speaker 4: That's that's the Finnish thing that came to mind is probably gonna be on Puerto Rico.

00:18:52
Speaker 2: Who's the next Cub.

00:18:53
Speaker 3: I mean there's you know, he can he can come when he comes back to town. He can do with his thing.

00:18:57
Speaker 2: You know, like there's there's.

00:18:58
Speaker 3: A lot that goes into this as a player, especially because WBC has gotten bigger, so you know, it's like there's a lot of there's a lot of things that can happen here. But here's my question. You're a cub. I'm a cub hater. Okay, you know this, but it doesn't a relationship. That's fine, But will the Cubs go out and spend the money they need to do to overtake the high spending Brewers. Right, Will they go out and spend the money and make the team the way they should be because they're the Cubs and they have so much money? Will they do it? Because please say yes, matth because I want every team to go out and spend because baseball is better. As much as this pains me to say this, when the Cubs are better, the Yankees are better, the Dodgers are better, the big the big cities are better, then it makes the smaller cities have to compete and be better too. So I want them to go spend money, plus saying my money.

00:19:41
Speaker 2: So spend Yeah.

00:19:43
Speaker 4: No, I mean, let me answer the second half of that question, because I think you know something really important. I think baseball would agree that baseball is better when the big markets are in it. I mean like they're that they're winning, you know, like just from a business perspective, but I mean like the Brewers are a good ball club. You know, the Brewers. The Centrals kind of ran through them. And you know, our manager was a key you know, architect, and and you know, and and and doing his thing. Over there with the Brewers and then and now he's here right. So it's like the Brewers have been good for a long time. They play very good baseball all around baseball. They play a form of baseball that, like I think is a great form. They work at bats, they play good defense, they pitch well.

00:20:30
Speaker 2: You know. They it's a lot how we operate too.

00:20:35
Speaker 4: I think we got a great team, you know, and I like, like, obviously we came up short to the Brewers. There's an aspect of like, yeah, we got to play better. I got to pitch better. I didn't pitch as well as I needed to pitch against the Brewers last year all across the season. That's just you know, those are little things that can come down that like meet that matter in the margins. You know. I know that Jed and Carter are doing everything you can to put the best lineup and rotation out there that's gonna best like fit the needs that we have and whatnot. That being said, if we didn't make any additions, I'll go to war with the guys we got, you know right now on day one, and I think we're gonna be good and I think believe we're good enough to win the World Series. You know, I believe last year we were good enough to win the World Series. You know, timing is a weird thing in baseball. We just you know, didn't play good at the right time and like another team played better than us. But I believe we were fully capable of beating the Brewers. So you know, such a complex question, aj that you that you ask. And is it fun to get the big name guys and guys that have track records of success on your roster? Absolutely, and I love playing with those guys, and those guys absolutely help you win. But that's not at a detriment to anybody that we have on the roster right now. You know, that's somebody else's pay grade and somebody else's situations. And I'll let them handle that, and I'll stay in my lane and throw when the balls in my hand, you know what I mean.

00:22:04
Speaker 1: Wait, this play is right into my last question for you, Matt. So we're going full circle here. Going back to the postseason. We talked about the Game one start, but then you shoved in Game four and then the team ultimately lost in Game five to the Brewers in the NLTS. How painful was it for you to either watch or see the results of the next round where the Brewers get swept by the Dodgers and you're thinking, ah, maybe our team would have matched up better against them, and we were one damn went away from being there.

00:22:35
Speaker 2: It's hard.

00:22:36
Speaker 4: It's hard, but like, I think that's the beauty of baseball is that, like the best team doesn't always win, right, Like that's and that that goes so many situations of that year after year, right like, you got to play better on that day.

00:22:53
Speaker 2: And maybe there's a team that strikes a lot of guys out and they.

00:22:58
Speaker 4: Match up against a team that doesn't, you know, a lineup that just happens to not strike out against those guys, and you know, twenty eight, you know whatever, There might be twenty nine other teams that are twenty eight other teams that match up, you know, poorly against the team, but this one team matches up well, so they're gonna win on that day, or you know, or it's just the beauty of our game is that there's so many different ways to win. The best team doesn't always win. I think that's very We've had a lot of parody in terms of teams getting to the World series, you know in recent years, and it's like it's just it's the beauty of baseball. You know, there's styles of the game that you can styles of lineup, styles of defenses, how rosters are constructed that ultimately to different results when you're matched up against different teams. You know, I think you would ask the guys on our roster and say, man, we were not scared of any team in Major League Baseball last year.

00:23:53
Speaker 2: We were ready if we got through the Brewers.

00:23:55
Speaker 4: You know, Brewers were the best record in our league, right, so they were or a good ball club. But like if we got through them, we were ready for the Dodgers. Who knows how that turns out.

00:24:05
Speaker 2: You know.

00:24:08
Speaker 4: Then again, I think the Brewers got swept or they swept the Dodgers during the season, and then they got swept in the playoffs. Right, So such a funny game, man, Timing time of year, so many different things. But uh, we believe that we could have. You know, we were ready to do what we knew we could get to where we wanted to go. Last year, it just didn't work out.

00:24:30
Speaker 2: No crabs are muted.

00:24:33
Speaker 1: You're back, You're back.

00:24:34
Speaker 5: That wasn't that wasn't me. But I don't want to get you to hype early. But I have two Team USA jerseys and the coolest part of a Team USA jersey, and I'm sure Paul Seiler will tell you about it. You see the flag, You see how the flag is backwards.

00:24:52
Speaker 2: Progress maybe forward forward moving right.

00:24:56
Speaker 5: For like that just it gives me chills thinking about like I play with Noah Song on Team USA, like somebody who's actually active military, and like I was never in the military. It was never something that was like you know, in in my life. But to be able to wear the Team USA jersey, like to be part of that brotherhood of people who have played from the twelve you kids all the way up to the big kids in the WBC this year. So congrats and welcome to the club.

00:25:28
Speaker 2: Thank you man.

00:25:28
Speaker 4: I'm honored, I'm honored, I'm grateful. All those reasons you said arem true with me too.

00:25:32
Speaker 5: Man.

00:25:33
Speaker 2: It's it's something I don't take lightly.

00:25:35
Speaker 4: And it's something that if you would have asked, you know, twelve fourteen year old Matt boy, that you get a chance to play in the WBC or I guess the WPC wasn't.

00:25:46
Speaker 2: Around back then.

00:25:47
Speaker 4: But like you know, you get the chance to represent your country while you're a big leaguer.

00:25:52
Speaker 2: I mean, dang, dude, I don't even I wouldn't have words for that. That'd be amazing.

00:25:57
Speaker 4: So I'm so thankful and it's going to be something that I will chair it regardless of how it goes for the rest of my life.

00:26:02
Speaker 2: Oh, we can't wait.

00:26:03
Speaker 1: And we were excited to talk to you anyway, because we hadn't talked to you since the playoffs. This was like a little bonus on top of that to get some of the ins and outs of how it all went down. So good to see you, dude, love to smile. Very excited for you to pitch at the WBC. It kind of amps up like you're basically going to be in a playoff scenario when we see you in the beginning of March pitching baseball games. So thanks for sharing the info.

00:26:28
Speaker 5: Dude.

00:26:28
Speaker 2: Good to see you.

00:26:28
Speaker 1: We'll catch you again later this offseason.

00:26:30
Speaker 4: All right, Thanks guys, thanks for having me on