Phillies sign Adolis García, Mets get Jorge Polanco, D’backs ink Merrill Kelly, MANY more weekend deals

00:00:03
Speaker 1: There he is most popular man at the winter meetings. That was funny. Aja, I haven't talked to you since that whole whirlwind.

00:00:11
Speaker 2: Yeah, it was. It was exhausted, I know that it was.

00:00:14
Speaker 3: It's it's a lot of schmoozing and saying hello and a lot of hanging out and a lot of people you haven't seen in a while. And then then I took Scott into the equipment managers vendors stuff, so then Scott got to meet people from all these companies that he didn't know existed, like New Era and Adidas and Nike and all these weird companies and Scott's like, wait, what do they do for a living?

00:00:40
Speaker 2: So, you know, that was that was also fun.

00:00:42
Speaker 1: No, there's some random ones crafts where they're like, yeah, we don't do the batting gloves, but there's like this little insert that you can put in the batting gloves and it makes you feel really comfortable at the platt. I'm just making it up, but you know, like there's some really in depth equipped men out there to look out for, or maybe not look out.

00:01:03
Speaker 2: For, Scotty. If Scotty played, he would have been in no batting gloves guy. No shin guard guy. He would have just gone out with some bobo all American cleats and just stood up there and been like, coach, I'm here to do whatever you need me to do.

00:01:22
Speaker 1: Happy go Moore right to the chest.

00:01:26
Speaker 2: But he would have been in the minor leagues. He would have been in the minor leagues with a big league tattoo just below his neck like he would have been. He would have been that guy like a big league the big league symbol, the major League Baseball symbol, this one right here, and he would have That's what he would have done. But you were exhausted because forty one times during our shows at the Winter Meetings, the two of you said hi or waived while we were on camera at somebody else, I had a full final tally heroes. Forty one times. It shows you, I guess you're exhausted. You guys were exhausted only forty one.

00:02:03
Speaker 3: I would have thought it was way more than forty one times, Scotty coming way more.

00:02:08
Speaker 2: It was way more, felt like, way more than forty one times.

00:02:12
Speaker 1: It felt me think about it, a forty one times that our show gets interrupted in a three day span, that's a lot. That's like ten times per shows, it.

00:02:23
Speaker 2: Still felt like way more than that.

00:02:25
Speaker 1: It's still the amount of times people came up to us and just wanted to start talking.

00:02:29
Speaker 2: There was one.

00:02:29
Speaker 1: The best one was like a fan who's just coming full force to aj for autograph and photo, like just b lining right to the set. And then after that we had to get our our tallest intern to step in the way of people like that, because you know, it's like a fan running on the field. It was starting to get dicey. And that's all I'm gonna say about that one. The bar scene last thing to you. The bar scene was really fun because the lobby bar can a ton of people, right, it's not really a capacity kind of situation, and it was packed beyond belief. I didn't do Monday, thankfully, because I would have been a problem by Wednesday. But Tuesday I closed the place out and who it was packed. It was really fun. I'm not going to name the person, but someone came up to me and said it was a pretty prominent person and he said that he would be a very frequent guest on our show if I stayed out later than him. I was like, he doesn't know me.

00:03:33
Speaker 2: Like that lost you lost that bet. Me you lost, Yeah, you lost that bet.

00:03:39
Speaker 1: I closed the place that I left two three hours before me. I told you that story, I said, I said, you don't. I'm going to save you on this one. Don't don't place the bet.

00:03:50
Speaker 2: I said, I know who this person was. I was there with them. I was there with them that night too.

00:03:54
Speaker 1: The night before, right, or did that night?

00:03:56
Speaker 2: You were there with them that night? Yeah? I was there with them. Now, well, it was great.

00:04:03
Speaker 3: There was more managers in the UH in the bar than I remember, and not as many front office see people. There were a couple, but the equipment guys came down on Tuesday night.

00:04:17
Speaker 2: Tuesday night, right, it's cratch. You'll love this one.

00:04:20
Speaker 3: So I'm standing there and I'm talking to I don't know who I was talking to. And guy comes up to me and goes, hey, what's up. And I'm like, hey, how are you? And he goes, you don't know who I am?

00:04:30
Speaker 2: Do you? And I said, I know who you are. Hold on, give me a second. You worked for.

00:04:40
Speaker 3: And I and I go you work for Oakland And I was like, no, wait, that's wrong. You're Milwaukee, You're Schwarger, Schweger Schweeger, schwipper, slapper slams, and you're the quibent guy for the brewers, and.

00:04:54
Speaker 2: He just started he busted out laughing. He's like, I knew it.

00:04:56
Speaker 3: I knew it. You would get it eventually. And he's like, you asked me for your's equipment for your son.

00:05:01
Speaker 2: You don't even know what I look like. And I was like, that's not true. Crats made me do it. That's fine. I'm fine if you throw me under the bus. But Shogar Sagar is brutal, clubhouse haircut, brutal, and you're you're much better with names. I would have sucked there. I've been like, hey, you, how is everything going? And I'd hope for someone else to come up, and I'd be like, hey, this is my friend Aj. If you ever met Aj Prazinski, and then they would introduce themselves to you, and then I'd be like, oh, yeah, I remember now.

00:05:35
Speaker 3: That's pretty much. That's pretty much why I had Scott by my side for a couple of minutes. But then you run into people like, you know, Johnny Gomes, who's now is an agent, and you're like, wait, what you're what?

00:05:46
Speaker 2: Yeah exactly?

00:05:48
Speaker 3: Yeah, oh yeah, uh you just there's like just people sitting in this area that are doing just there to be seen by people. And then you had like the whole MLB network of the bar, which you know, was cool to see a lot of those guys Harold and Matty Vee and those guys who I haven't seen. You don't see that much. And am Singer with his perfect hair that makes God jealous. You know, things like that, and then you and then you you know, then you see agents, and you see equipment reps, and you see the equipment guys, and you see the traveling secretaries and you see everything.

00:06:22
Speaker 2: It's just it's amazing.

00:06:23
Speaker 3: You see hotel reps that when you used to stay at their hotel, they hook you up with sweets if you were nice to them.

00:06:27
Speaker 2: I mean, it's it's a total schmooze fest.

00:06:31
Speaker 1: I did a full on debate at like three am with Greg about a bunch of league topics. It was great. It was like a show. If you could just put that on, I mean I could. He can't. I know, I worked there. You can't say those things.

00:06:43
Speaker 2: Favorite people my favorite people to see at those things. I went to the Winter meetings for one half a day. I flew in and flew out when it was last year. I love seeing the trainers because I went to the trainers portion of it because I helped the guy pedal a thumbguard that is, you know, revolutionizing the game. I love seeing the trainers and I love seeing the equipment guys. I really like all the other guys. It's cool to see like guys I played with, guys that played against that are fun to hang out with. But I love seeing those behind the scenes people because it's kind of an opportunity for them to kind of let their hair out and like they're they're they're not they're not technically working. Even though they're there for their job, They're not technically working. It's fun. It's fun to hang out with those guys. For sure.

00:07:27
Speaker 1: We decided as a network going we're gonna go back every time we can go. Now, next year we won't be back because there will be a lockout and it happens right before. So again, that doesn't mean you miss games, but you're definitely not having the winter meetings. Just throwing that out there. All right, we got breaking news and a ton of things to hit. Let's start. The Philadelphia Phillies have found their missing outfielder and his name is Adolis Garcia ALCSMVP from twenty twenty three and has had two down years since. But maybe the Phillies find a little magic here. Krats, What do you think of the move? They definitely wanted to do some things with their outfield. Max Kepler gone, Nick Castianis eventually will be gone. A Dolice. Garcia is not the same bat anymore. He's not getting on base or even slugging like he used to anywhere near what he used to do, right. I mean, it's about near league average with the bat overall in terms of offense, but that's not what he used to be. And he does still have a cannon for an arm and a pretty strong glove range wise, do you think this is going to help the Phillies more so than what they had this past season?

00:08:31
Speaker 2: I mean, I think he's the Max Kepler twenty twenty six. Obviously he's right handed. Obviously he's had better seasons than Max Kepler. But when you talk about like his own base percentage wasn't the same percentage wise, it was about the same. Like when his batting average goes up, his own base percentage goes up At the same time, I think you sit there and you go, what is the reason that they signed him? Well, the reason is they're probably not making a huge splash in the outfield market, and I think of the not huge splashes, this is probably the best available. And we always talk about teams like the Rays, Like when the Rays go and get a picture, you're like, whoa, you know what is what are they gonna unlock? Anytime Kevin Long is your hitting coach. If a Dooley Scarcia is willing to listen, I have never seen anybody go and hit with Kevin Long for an entire season and say, man, he got worse with k Long. You know, you see what k Long has done with other guys that are willing to make changes and willing to work. So maybe I'm a little bit It's more of a blip in the radar for me. But don't expect him to hit forty home runs, Like I just don't see that coming into it. But if he can get back to the twenty five to thirty range, to me, that is a massive, massive pickup for the Phillies because he's just he's not gonna be an on base guy. He's gonna be high strikeouts compared to the amount of walks that he gets.

00:10:00
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00:11:02
Speaker 2: Can he hit a fastball again? Can you figure out how to hit a fastball again? Figure it out?

00:11:06
Speaker 3: That's where he went away. Did they stop throwing fastballs in the NL East? Because if they didn't, he has struggled for two years since that, since twenty twenty three when they won a World Series of hitting fastballs and high fastballs, and that's kind of the new thing, and teams figured it out, and once they got him locked in on those high fastballs, then they were throwing the breaking balls and he would expand. So, yeah, I love k Long and what he's been able to do. But at Dolic's Garcia is how old is he? How old do you guys say he was thirty three? He's getting up there, right, because according to most front offices, twenty eight you're like too old to play anymore. So at thirty three, jeez, he can't figure it out.

00:11:42
Speaker 2: You know, he can.

00:11:43
Speaker 3: It's just he's going to take some work. He's gonna have to make some swing adjustments. And this guy's an athlete. This guy's jacked. But I don't know, unless he figures out how to hit the high four seam fastball, I don't know.

00:11:54
Speaker 2: I don't know what's what they're going to be able to get out of him. I also think it could help him because he's going to be more of like if he's hot, a fifth or six hitter, if he gets hot with the Rangers. As soon as you get hot for a week, the Rangers are gonna be like here he is, here, he is twenty twenty three a Dolies. You know ALCS MVP adules like this is we got to move him back into three four hole or or seekers out of the lineup. Oh, we got to put him. You know, he's up there, he's he's our guy now. I don't think he'll ever be no matter how hot he becomes in this lineup, in the Phillies lineup, I don't think he'll ever be more than a fifth or six hitter. Which again, if you get twenty five to thirty home runs on a team that was starving for home runs, it would be a massive, massive upgrade for the Phillies. I just I wouldn't hold my breath if you're a Phillies fan, because when you're expecting a successful season to be two fifty three hundred on base percentage and twenty five home runs, don't expect the twenty twenty three adulties. Just don't even even though he's in a platform year, and you know, some crazy things happen in platform years. I just wouldn't put the level of expectation too high upgrade.

00:13:12
Speaker 1: Also, keep in mind Justin Crawford should get his chance this year. I know it's a prospect, so you got to see what it looks like. That's Carl's son, but he's a pretty highly regarded prospect for Philly. So maybe Justin's out there, Dolice is out there. It looks very different in the outfield for the Phillies this coming season.

00:13:32
Speaker 2: Yes, it's an upgrade because it's a right handed bat, and I think they had some they had some issues making sure that they killed lefties. I'm not saying that Dolees is a platoon, but Justin Crawford is lefty. You already have Brandon marsh he's lefty. Is he an upgrade over what Harrison Bader gave them at the end of the season. No Philly fans want Harrison Bader. I just wouldn't. I don't think the Phillies are going to dip into that water on his platform year, So I don't think they're bringing him back. Is he an upgrade over Kepler? I think you'll get a little bit more juice and a little bit less on base percentage. So how to say it's an upgrade? I don't know. I mean, I think a Doles will play a better He'll definitely play a better right field than Costiano's. But you can't have a Doles taking time away from Justin Crawford if Justin Crawford hits the ground running for him.

00:14:30
Speaker 1: So what's the ideal layout here?

00:14:36
Speaker 3: Marsh jesus, I don't know. Dole's has to play right, Castianos has to be gone.

00:14:42
Speaker 2: I don't know. I still think they need another outfielder. I think I think I think with Crawford, I think Crawford plays center. I think Marsh plays left. I think Crawford breaks with the team. You think Crawford breaks opening day with the team. Wow, Okay, from what I've From what I've heard, even Jim Jim Salisbury said it, But I've heard it from pretty reliable sources. It's his job to lose now. Is he going to be the everyday center fielder? I don't know. I don't know if they'll they'll you know, throw him in left and have Marsh say okay. You know, Marsh was a good center fielder before they started getting Bader, before they did the Johann Rojas experiment. But I think their ideal, if it would work out, would be Brandon marshan left a Dooley's Garcia and right, and Justin Crawford in center. And I think it will. You know, I think that could kind of change based on you know, what you do a Wes Wilson in left when they face a lefty, because they've been just they will not let Brandon marsh face a lefty and I don't and I don't think anything changes in that sense starting the year.

00:15:51
Speaker 1: I know this is not young or old for rookie terms, but Justin Crawford's going to turn twenty two years old in January, so this will be his age twenty two season coming up. It's time, Yeah, it's time. We were going to talk to Jim Boden later, but he has commented on other shows of his like, hey, Philly's a little bit conservative compared to most teams with their prospects. They like to let him marinate and that's fine, and they also don't have as many spots open. But his point was, what yours is. It's time. Let's go, let's see what this looks like. Right, okay, but let's try this out in the big leagues.

00:16:28
Speaker 2: Everything's there. Trying it out in the big leagues. To me is Justin Crawford. He has the talent to make adjustments, and he's going to be a guy that has to make the adjustments in the big leagues. You can say, Justin, we need you to elevate the ball more. That's that's the biggest knock against him. Elevating the ball and triple A against dudes who are not very close to the caliber of what you're going to face in the big leagues could give you some false some false positives like whoa fifteen home runs in a full triple A season. I don't know. I mean, I'd rather see him at twelve home runs in the big leagues and learn around a lot of big leagu vets because he's not going to be put in a situation where he has to be the man right out the gate.

00:17:11
Speaker 1: What else do we want for Philly? Anything on the wish list?

00:17:20
Speaker 2: They need a catcher and a reliever. They don't have JT.

00:17:25
Speaker 3: They gonna run a Marshan out there every day. I mean, that's kind of where you're at. So they're gonna have to go get somebody there, and they always can use another reliever. I know they have Deran and Alvarado, but they can always kirk Ring and some of these others. But another veteran will look nice in the back end. If they want to win the World Series, which is what their goal is.

00:17:43
Speaker 2: For me, they need that. I think it lies in Pete Fairbanks or a Pete Fairbanks type. I don't have the list right in front of me. I think obviously they weren't in the elite level. I don't even think they're in like the closer level where I know Kenley just signed, but not getting like a Kenley Jansen. I don't think that's like a Kennley's not coming to be the eighth inning guy. He's not coming to the team. He's going to be the closer to get this closer saves records. But I think you know, it sits in the Pete Fairbanks type of type of move. Maybe they move Strom to be not so lefty heavy, even though Strom's not even really like a left on left guy. They already have Tanner Banks and Jose Alvarado, and maybe they would get right handed somewhere somewhere in a trade or something like that. So I think that's that's where it sits. Obviously you need catcher, and I think it's JT or there might be a little bit of panic in Philly if JT doesn't sign.

00:18:39
Speaker 1: There that's Harper's b ff two remember last time and Schwarber's yeah, and Schwerber that's right.

00:18:49
Speaker 2: Hey.

00:18:49
Speaker 1: If this was the Mets, they'd be like, Nope, not good enough. You guys got bounced in the first round of the playoffs or the DS, right, you got to buying them the DS, breaking the band up. You guys aren't allowed to be buddies again. I mean a little bit of a different situation. I know I'm around, yeah, but still I do think for Philly, I guess the one other thing is, you know, is Alec Bohm back for one more season? Right, because he's a free agent after this year or is it next after next year? I think they think this is a platform, yere.

00:19:19
Speaker 2: This is last year.

00:19:21
Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah.

00:19:23
Speaker 2: I think maybe maybe if there's a way that they packaged Costianus and Bomb to a team that needs an outfield, d H, first baseman and a third basement. I think there's some value there, I guess I guess I'm kind of being I'm just recycling that because they tried to do it last year for Tucker. I just would be leary if you're the Phillies like, Okay, well, then who are you who are you backfilling at third base? Because Bomb's become a very serviceable defender there and in a full healthy season the last two full healthy seasons, you're talking about ninety seven State, a guy that doesn't hit a lot of home runs but does a great job of taking the ball the other way elevated. I think you have to be careful that you're backfilling it with something as comparable in the lineup. A lot of work. They got a lot of work to do. They got a lot of work. They still have work to do.

00:20:21
Speaker 3: Even after schwarbur and some of the other stuff they've done, they still have work to do. Don't forget. They get Wheeler back this year. They still have Nola. What do they do with Rangers Suarez? They have Wizardo's painter, his painter a pitcher for him this year right to see one of their guys they are counting on this year. So there's questions for a team that's supposed to be going for the World Series.

00:20:39
Speaker 1: Hmm, let's get to another team in the division. Shake it up. We didn't know it at the time, but that bar was actually built for the Mets. This offseason, they are shaking it up. Pete Alonso gone, Edwin Diaz gone, Brandon Nimo gone. Who who is going to replace people like this Jorge Planco, who was little postseason hero in Seattle and they really wanted him back two years, forty million bucks. Mets outbid the Mariners and he's going to do little first base, little DH. He can fill in other spots around the infield. He had a great year, great year, regular season, great postseason. They gave him a good chunk of DH time to mix in with second base and felt like that kept him healthier because he's had injury issues. And according to Adam Jude As we just saw on the tweet he covers the Mariners for the Times out there, he was torn because he wanted to go to the Mariners and they just weren't getting up to the offer that the Mets were. I mean, you never loved to see that when you're a Mets fan or a fan of any team like you were his second option, but you paid him to go there. Not that he's going to play any differently, but he really wanted to go back to Seattle. What do you think of the player? Though, jam And you got to watch him in the Division series that you covered for Fox that you broadcasted. He had a great, great postseason and he is nothing like Pete Alonzo, very different profile player.

00:22:11
Speaker 2: Uh, do you get the good Polonko?

00:22:15
Speaker 3: Do you get the Polanco from twenty twenty five because twenty twenty four he wasn't very good if you remember, and in twenty twenty four there he went back to Seattle on a one year, seven million dollar deal just as kind of like who somebody will take me back? So which one are you getting? And the next question for me is who's in the Mets infield right now? Because is he going to play first base?

00:22:37
Speaker 2: For him?

00:22:37
Speaker 3: Because don't they have Simeon playing second? Don't they have Lindork short Brent Batty at third? Fiento said first, So where does he play? That's my question? Because the ah, okay, but do you want to lock that up with a guy who doesn't hit a ton of homers and can be up and down offensively.

00:22:58
Speaker 2: Right, So this was a you know what this felt.

00:23:01
Speaker 3: Like, and Mets fans, you're gonna hate Crafts or saying for him saying this, But this felt like a panic signing because they didn't saynyone else and they're like, we gotta sign somebody make our fans abby, So let's just go sign nothing plunk is on a nice player.

00:23:14
Speaker 2: But I don't know, it just worked.

00:23:17
Speaker 3: It doesn't fit in the it doesn't fit what you would think that the Mets would be looking for. And maybe he'll prove me wrong, and I hope he does, but I just I just don't know why Krats would think that this doesn't work.

00:23:29
Speaker 2: I'm not sure why I'm thrown under the bus, but I appreciate it, and for first, for I can take that. I can take that from Mets fans first though, Scott, you said, oh man, you don't feel good that the Mets had to give extra money to get a guy to the place where you know he wanted to go back somewhere else, but because they spent the money. Look, the Mets got to do this we talked about this. If the Mets, Mets fans are gonna look at it and go, well, you could have just spent more on Pete Alonzo, Well you could have spent more on Porgee Polonko. This is really who the Mets wanted. This is where David Stearns and maybe Stevie Cohen. I think this is probably a little below Stevie Cohen's care meter. He's like, talk to me when we get twenty million a year, guys, then I'll talk about it. But you know, I think this is who they wanted, and so good for the Mets. I would say good for the Mets that they had to pay a little bit more to pull him away from a place where he wanted to be. My thing is Jorge polon Can you talk about up years, down years? You know what is causing that? I can have plenty of theories. Does he come into this lineup and his strikeouts keep spiking because all his years, his worst years, his strikeouts spike And why are they spiking? I have no idea. Is it because he becomes more of a focal point? You know, he came to Seattle that year and he struck out. I forget what one hundred and thirty seven times last year he dropped that by fifty five, fifty five less strikeouts in almost the exact same amount of at bats. And to me, is it because of who's around him? So do the Mets get more value out of this signing? No matter if he's playing at first base or DH Likeugh just doesn't feel like a great first base or DH signing. But are they getting more value out of him? Because Lindor is going to be ahead of him hitting, Soto is gonna be ahead of him hitting, And he's not the guy when he goes to the Mariners like they're expecting him to be his own base percentage self and he just fell into the Mariner's mold of well, everybody strikes out, so I'm going to strike out. He had his largest spike in strikeouts. So how does he How do they get the most value out of him? Maybe they see something that hey, when he's watching guys like Soto take his pitches, he becomes more he becomes less aggressive and doesn't need to feel like he has the weight of the team on his shoulders. I don't know. I'm confused that they now have a corner to the market on Jorge Polanco and Marcus Simeon at second base, and it's like, well, only one can play second. Do you think Simon's gonna DH Like, I don't know. No, he's not, because he wants to play every day and he's got to do second. His values in defense, Yeah, his values in defense. So I'm confused when teams like the Orioles last year when they went and got Tyler O'Neil was like, this isn't where they need to spend their money, but they did. So I don't know all the inner workings, but from the outside, I think he's a good player. I just am confused that that's where, like, is this the replacement for pee Alonzo? If it is, whoa boy.

00:26:44
Speaker 1: It is the replacement for Pee Alonzo? Guys, it is I mean, aj, you're coming into the season not expecting everyone to be hurt. Actually, they have a really durable infield. Lindor plays, Semion plays Beaty. I guess is younger. But if you figure those guys are healthy and if Beaty takes another step, then or hey, Planco is your first baseman, maybe splitting time with Bientos and dah.

00:27:08
Speaker 3: Why why that's why the signing doesn't make sense. Why go trade for Simon and inside Polonco, go get someone, Go get somebody else that can fill that role. Polanco's not a forty plus home run guy. He's really never played first base.

00:27:22
Speaker 1: One.

00:27:22
Speaker 2: You have Vientos, so.

00:27:23
Speaker 3: You got to get at bats. You have Beaty who you need to get at bats to. Why it doesn't This is why this signing doesn't make any sense to me. Why where does he fit in this roster other than just giving a player to Carlos Mendoza and saying, try to figure out how to play him.

00:27:41
Speaker 2: Yeah, I'm confused. He played last year. He played one game at first that was his first game started at first base, five at third base. So if you're looking for like a if you're looking for like a versatile player, I don't know. He hit eighty I didn't know this aj you covered the Mariners. He hit eighty seven star arts, eighty seven starts at DH. I had no idea, and the Mariners I felt like kind of hamstrung themselves a few years ago when they signed Mitch Garver. Yes, he can catch, and they had him catch a little bit more this year, but it was more like, hey, you know he's going to be that DH. They were lucky that cal Raley can play one hundred and fifty games behind a dish like you you kind of have. I just am confused at when you put a guy like this, he's kind of like, is he your backup second basement if something happens to Simeon. If that's the case, why do you make that trade? Like, why do you make the trade for a guy who's durble? That's his superpower, that's Simeon's superpower. That's a position you don't need to backfill out. Luis Anghelkunya is your backup second basement. I am confused by this because you would think there would be a higher value DH out there on the market, But maybe they don't see it that way.

00:28:57
Speaker 1: They might be trading some of their young Guyskuna, Ronnie Mauricio and others could get dealt for pitching. The one thing I think they will try and do is pluck a pitcher because they don't want to play ball with the long term starting pitching contracts. If that's not you, there is a way to get around that, and that is trading for guys.

00:29:20
Speaker 3: What is Luis and Hella Cuna, gonna get your top flight starting pitcher. In order for them to get top flight starting pitcher, you know what they're gonna have to do trade some of their pitching prospects, and a lot of teams, like the Mets don't want to do that. They're gonna say, well, you know, especially if you're the Mets, if you can go sign a guy, why don't you go sign a guy if you can make a treat you know, would have made more sense for the Mets could tell Marte.

00:29:45
Speaker 1: Too soon, Oh my gosh, yes, yes, it would have made a lot of sense. But the problem is the ask.

00:29:54
Speaker 3: Okay, if you're gonna go out, if you're gonna go out and get a top flight starting pitcher, and you're saying, are going to use their prospects, how high do you think he asked, it's going to be for that McLean and tong for whoever you want to go get.

00:30:07
Speaker 1: I think they would ask, no, right, that's right away, No, but you're not trading McLean. But I'm saying I think the Diamondbacks could have a conversation, or maybe they did already and they asked for tongue and sprote something like that, do you make that?

00:30:24
Speaker 2: I would do that, but but we can't even we can't even talk about this. They decided to have a salary swap and they went defensively. They went defense defense at second base. So to me, you just can't. It's like when if anybody ever does fantasy football drafts, it's like the guy who's like, oh, I'm gonna have you know, three running backs and it's like, whoa, well, we don't have a flex on this. How are you gonna run? How are you gonna get all three of the top running backs in there? Like? You know what I mean?

00:30:50
Speaker 1: Do you remember the jumbo package with the Brewers. I mean they just threw anybody on the infield in any position. You you were part of that. I was there for that, right you saw They're like Kesten here, Mike Mustakis, Jonathan Scope, like, you guys can play anywhere in the infield. I know you can't, but you can. And they were shifting back then that's probably what you're going to say. This is a different ballgame. But wait one more point here. Pete Alonzo was criticized by the team internally metrics wise for his defense. Warriet Polanco has been. I would say maybe a tick below average defender on the infields. Who says he's going to be a stud at first base, I mean he's never played it before. He might be fine, but he's never played it before. Like, it's not like you're replacing Pete with a defensive whiz.

00:31:34
Speaker 2: You're not. You are not getting above average output defensively at first base. If Jorge Polancos in his first year, it is too intricate of a position. I've probably if I've said it once, I've said it ten times on the show. First base is a hard position to get elite defensive value out of. Just because you move a athletic Jorge Polonco, you move in athletic Jake cronin Worth. The first base like to learn it and to beat elite at it, which is what they're asking somebody to come in and fill in for Pete. Defensively, it's hard to do. You don't just do it just because you can get a first base bit. Doesn't mean everybody can play it.

00:32:18
Speaker 1: Okay, let me get to the second Leger.

00:32:21
Speaker 2: Let me ask you this.

00:32:22
Speaker 3: I understand, but Marcus Simon has had two down years in a row. Okay, so you go out and you trade him for Nimo, who's one of your best offensive players. Love him or hate him, he's one of their best offensive players. So he leaves me scratching my head. Then you go out and you lose Edwin Diaz. Then you go out and you lose Pete Alonzo, and you replace him with the Jorge Bolonco again, who's a nice player.

00:32:42
Speaker 2: Not great defensively, had a bad twenty four.

00:32:46
Speaker 3: Really, honestly, the reason people know his name is because of what he did in the postseason, right, so why go get him? And yes, you can stick him at first base, But what was the whole thing that Nimo said? The reason he got let go was un prevention? Right, run prevention. Jorge Polonco doesn't help your run prevention. He helps your run production. So this it's like again, it's like David Stearns. We love him to death, but and Mets fans are kind of like, I don't know, but what's he doing? What's his plan here other than just like I have to panic.

00:33:17
Speaker 2: And sign somebody I think offensively, Je Polonga. The only thing I would go against you, Aja is Hoye Blanco had a really good offensive year. I think he had his best ever ops plus one thirty two. You compare him to other guys offensively, he was more than just what he did in the playoffs. But exactly what you said is spot on. What are we doing? Are we getting Marcus Simeon even though his his offense is down, but his defense is there, and he's he's gonna be an upgrade over McNeil over what you know. Okay, now we're getting Jorge Polanco because there's a defensive upgrade. It'll be interesting to see how all of this plays out and all of it blends out. Because I watched the thing about, you know, simulating the Mets season right now, a lot of not prognosticators, but analysts and analytical data says the Mets are still going to be good with the current roster without making this was before they have Jorge Polanco there. And I'm interested to see what happens if they build a team analytically and based on like theoretical numbers. I don't know, I'm I'm not buying it yet. Let's put it that way, all.

00:34:29
Speaker 1: Right, here we go. Okay, Kratz, you and me speed round tons of moves from the weekend. Okay, are you ready game face on? I think so okay, And if there are questions as we go, you need to ask them fast, because then I will move on to the next move. But we'll start with one that's pretty big on the money trail, two years, forty million dollars. Merril Kelly ken Rosenthal reported that he had an offer for three years fifty plus from a West Coast team. He heard, but he did the math and said it's probably a team in California. Merril wanted to go back to Arizona. He was vocal about that. If they were able to find a way to get him in a range that he was good with, plus can mention this cost of living, taxes, whatever you start to do the math, Arizona was the fit. Merril Kelly helps a rotation that desperately needed to replenish itself with someone who just was traded away.

00:35:24
Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean, you can't. You can't not like this signing. I think Merril Kelly and the Diamondbacks, especially towards the end of his career. I love the fact that he will most likely finish his career here. I love the fact that he doesn't need to go somewhere else to prove, hey, this is what I did in Arizona, and I felt like he made a few tweaks in the last I would say three quarters of this past season that I think kind of took him to the next level when at his age people will kind of say, eh, you know what, he's probably gonna decline a little bit. I love the fact that he revamped his career, came back over here after pitching in Japan, and has had success with the Diamondbacks. And I think this two year deal, well, it wasn't a slam dunk because clearly he had big offers from elsewhere. I felt like it was pretty much like this is the guy. If you were gonna say Zach Gallen or Merril Kelly coming back, I felt like Meryl Kelly was by far a better chance of coming back. And I think the Diamonbacks are still a good team even when you hear could tell Marte could be traded, and if he is traded, I think they still fill in with a Jordan Laller. So I love that they still solidified. Your thirty two starts a year and twenty million a year for a starter that's qualified easy money.

00:36:44
Speaker 1: Yeah, he doesn't throw hard right. I mean he's the low nineties with the fastball below. He actually gets a lot of chase for what he brings to the table. I mean, he's unpredictable, and I think the world saw what he was about in the World Series or just in the playoff run for them, I should say three. And he's really carried the success, right. I mean, he ain't young, but he still got it and he was actually throwing a little harder I think halfway through the year and carried that out. But he had a great year. I mean, he hits his spots.

00:37:12
Speaker 2: The chase is. The chase is the part that I think has increased for him because he throws that little You know, he's a guy that goes, you know, ninety two cut, ninety two sinc ninety two cut. Now he's been able to get that extra tick with velocity. But now you don't know if that extra spin is going to be that cutter or if it's gonna you know, something is gonna break farther off. And that's where he gets that chase because you know you're not getting stuff middle middle from him. You know, it's edges, and then he expands off those edges. He does a great job of tunneling without it being ninety nine hammer off of that, he's he's really come into his own what you expect veteran pictures to do. And I think it's Yeah. I like the signing for diamondbacks.

00:37:58
Speaker 1: Many more money signing to go one quick break For all the parents out there with teenagers like crats we know life's a little crazy.

00:38:13
Speaker 2: Yeah, cash App's here to not add to the craziness. They're here to.

00:38:17
Speaker 1: Help, Yeahkratz. Cash App is designed to meet teens aged thirteen to seventeen where they are with intuitive educational tools available through sponsorship by an eligible parent or guardian. Teens gain access to a personalized cash app card. With the cash app card, you and your teen's balance is received twenty four to seven fraud monitoring, and if something ever feels off, you have the ability to lock their card right from your phone In just one tap, download cash app and get started today. For a limited time, new cash App customers can earn ten dollars if they use code family ten in their profile at signup and send five dollars to a friend within fourteen days. Terms apply. Cash app is a financial services platform, not a bank. Banking services provided by cash Apps Bank Partners, prepaid debit cards issued by Sutton Bank FDICE, direct deposit and promotions provided by cash App, a block ink brand. Visit cash Dot App Slash Legal Slash podcast for full disclosures. All right, Next up, the Detroit Tigers added Kyle Finningan the other day and now not added. They brought him back right They traded for him at the deadline. He was pretty good for them up the splitter usage. We talked about that the other day. Now add Kenley Jansen to the mix in his chase for five hundred career saves and also to be part of a team that should be in the playoff hunt. One year, eleven million bucks club option for twenty twenty seven. I actually was surprised about the club option part, just because it's ken Lee and I think he does want to end up back on the West Coast and he's looking for the best deal in the best situation right now. But they actually can get him for two years. If he puts together what he did this past season, they'll probably keep him.

00:39:49
Speaker 2: Yeah, and you're not getting Kenley of the you know, twenty tens, but you are getting ken Lee the closer and that role is solidified. Kenlly Json wants to get to his five hundred that's what you said, right, five hundred saves. Yes, four to seventy six right now, he wants to get there twenty four saves after having twenty nine last year. Like, he knows he needs to be on the team that wins, and I think he knows that the Tigers can win. He's going to strike out about one per inning, so you like that number. Obviously, the Tigers do need more strikeouts. But when you have a solidified closer, somebody who's going to be in the closer role, it pushes everybody back a little bit. And I think it helps because you have a for the most part, a pretty young bullpen. Now Tommy Kinley's gone, Kyle Finnigan's not that young, but you know you brought him back because you love the doubling of his splitter usage, which they did coming over from Washington. To me, this helps any of those young guys because they're going to have to continue to call on guys from their minor league system and guys that are currently in that bullpen because they can't they haven't been able to dip in the water. This is a I like the signing. He closes the game for you. There's there's very few actual closers still out there. There's guys who take the high leverage innings. But this is a closer and he's gonna want that situation. A two five nine e er. I like it. I'm I'm I'm on board with this. I'm on board with this for this team, and I think you'll have a little bit more success too. Larger field, the defense is there for them, so it's there for him because he's not just one hundred strikeouts in sixty innings type of pitcher anymore.

00:41:39
Speaker 1: Yeah. I mean, you know, ERA is not the best stat for not reliever all the time, but too and a half era ERA A plus was one sixty five. Like the run prevention from him, results were great. Yeah, there's he's not Kay Kenley anymore. He's command ken Ley. That's the thing. I mean, he's cut the walks down and the strikeout to go down, but he's finding other ways to get out. That's what you do, and that's how you mature as a pitcher and stay in the league.

00:42:06
Speaker 2: He's closer Kenley. I don't know that he's necessarily command Kenley, he's closer Kenley and e R A plus for closers, you have to you have to. You have to take that as a There's very few metrics that are good for closers because e RA. You can have a four e R and have a ridiculous season because of because of a couple of blow up games your e R plus. There's some dudes, there's some closers that have had like three hundred e R pluses. It's not as equal as it is to starting pitchers. But the biggest thing, because the save is an actual thing, the ninth inning is actually different than every other inning, regardless of what analytics says to me. That's where the value is. And you know he's searching for a goal. He wants that five hundred. I think it's something that you're you've solidified a position. It's kind of like getting position players. Oh, this guy plays short third, left field, He's going to bounce around to all three. It's like, well, what did you really did you really upgrade or is this like an upgrade to the bench. It's like a bullpen guy. Kyle Finnigan, good closer, gets a lot of saves now he gets to bump back to the eighth inning, seventh inning, depending on where they're at in the lineup, and they get those good matchups because you have a solidified ninth inning guy.

00:43:24
Speaker 1: Next reliever that goes Look at the money for Tyler Rogers. Three years, thirty seven million bucks, no deferrals. The Blue Jays signed him. There's also a vesting option in there that can make this a four year, forty eight million dollar deal. It looks like they had the highest offer and they had the ultimate chip. They were like, we named the ballpark after you years ago in anticipation of this recruitment, and they won him.

00:43:50
Speaker 2: I didn't even think about that. I like that. You made you made me lol, you made me laugh out loud. I was actually there when Tyler Rogers got to be in the big leage twenty nineteen. I was with the Giants in their exhibition games at the end. I wasn't there in spring training and he didn't make the team. They were like, this guy has killed it in the minor leagues. Something people don't realize about Tyler Rodgers is he killed the minor leagues for years and didn't make it up until he was twenty eight years old, and Bruce Bochi was like, oh, this guy, he's got a he really should make the team. And he was fortunate he was able to make his big league debut that year. And it's something that he has found a niche between staying healthy and being very unique. His velocity is not going down, and teams that use him and his unique delivery to its fullest shows why he's getting a three year deal. Think about other relievers that have gotten three year deals. And he goes to the Blue Jays now, which I don't know if we have the graphic or not, but you go Trey Ya Savage, who throws the highest release point seven foot one or seven foot two in baseball, to Tyler Rodgers, who throws the lowest release point in baseball. Well there we go, Yeah, perfect.

00:45:14
Speaker 1: That's good.

00:45:14
Speaker 2: Yeah.

00:45:15
Speaker 1: The arm angle difference is they also picked up that guy Chase Lee over the weekend from the Tigers who's pitched a little bit and kind of a late bloomer twenty seven year old side armor. So clearly they're into different arm angles right now.

00:45:26
Speaker 2: Kratz, that's don't give hitters the same look twice. If you go Trey you Savage to Tyler Rodgers to Jeff Hoffman, like you're getting so many different looks, don't make your team all exactly the same because big leg hitters, even crappy two nine negative war hitters like me, can make an adjustment if you see the exact same thing over and over again. And the Blue Jays definitely are building that look in their bullpen and their rotation, and I think there is there is so many huge benefits to that. But analytically that might not always show up. But players will say, crap I was just getting in a groove facing this guy, and now we're seeing something from down there. We're seeing something from the left side coming to three quarters. You know it's it is something, and a raise kind of started it before getting all hands of the clock with a pitcher. It's just tougher and tougher for hitters to consistently square things up in a great American League East and the Blue Jays keep pouncing while the while the iron's hot here.

00:46:37
Speaker 1: Yeah, they love what just happened in October and they want a lot more of it, and they're getting aggressive, and you got to appreciate that they're investing it right back into the team. Canada is just loving their offseason so far, and I think there's a lot more to go. A right, let's try and do four moves in four minutes. Ready. Danny Jansen up next, fourteen and a half million dollars two year contract. Texas Rangers. Let Jonahan go, they replace him right here. Also some smaller moves here as you can see from Ken Alexis Diez who used to be really good as a closer for the Reds, and then lefty reliever Tyler Alexander. But here's your replacement. Danny Jansen. Super solid.

00:47:11
Speaker 2: Love that he got a two year deal. He's kind of been on the fringe kind of guy, and his ability to learn some new things receiving wise, when he went over to Milwaukee was kind of a role player. He'll get more burn the combo of him and Higgy. Texas is still valuing that receiving and they're still valuing what Danny Janssen can do and what Higgy can do. And I think it'll be you know, probably round an eighty eighty game split, so essentially spending about fourteen million, thirteen million at the catching position, which if you look at other teams, they're going to spend that on a starting catcher. So good for the Rangers, and I think it's a it's a good spot for him.

00:47:55
Speaker 1: Next up Dustin May Sweeper City going to Saint Louis him Blueom making a move here to acquire someone that, if things work out, is a trade ship for you at the deadline.

00:48:07
Speaker 2: Yeah, for sure. Get him to stay in the strike zone, get him to harness all the things after a full off season of health, because he's kind of gone through not just not just baseball health, but like physical health, like life things that he has found out that now he's getting back out on the mound last year. Can you have a full, healthy offseason. The sky's the limit for a dude that throws that much variation on that sweeper, sweeper, slider and then the running sinker. I don't even call a sinker the runner in it's just so hard to keep him in the zone. Can they figure out how to keep him in the zone. How can that catching core, the pitching coaches, the organization keep him in the zone for fifteen games and at a trade deadline that would be a massive piece because then he can he can make a huge contract in the offseason, which you thought he would have years ago when he first broke into the big leagues and you were like, whoa, this dude is electric.

00:49:07
Speaker 1: Yeah, we were like, this kid has it, but maybe a lower pressure environment to just kind of do his thing and just rack up starts. I don't know, maybe it doesn't make a difference, but yeah, health, that's true. But I mean, twenty five appearance of twenty three starts this past season. The ra was about five. But we'll see. I mean, yeah, for a while. Now you prove health, Now you get better still young, Yeah, Okay, I like it. Josh Bell one year, seven million bucks, Minnesota Twins classic Twins move. This also further solidifies they're probably not trading their big boys. They're just going to do these little baby ads. And you know, Josh Bell's got pop piece. Fine, you know it's there. It's actually getting up there now. Like we used to talk about Josh Bell back in that one first half you had where where everyone was like, is this dude about to be an MVP? And you know he's been a okay first basement.

00:49:56
Speaker 2: I mean, you know JB. I was there when he made his major debut with the with the Pirates and they brought him up just for like a weekend, and he absolutely killed the Cubbies. Thought we were getting back in the race, and we were still like ten and a half games behind the Cubs. I think that two sixteen, So that year ended up pretty well for the Cubs, but it was He's somebody that is always tinkering with his swing. He's always saying, oh, it's just not good enough. And as a switch hitter, that's tough. You hope that the Twins, who have done a good job with some of their hitters, can help him and keep to it. But you know what, you're getting your solid veteran presence there at first base. And yeah, kind of like what we said about Dustin may Oh, maybe a trade chip. I think he would have been a trade chip this year at the first base position had he not gotten off to such a slow start. But he's always going to put together good at bats and it's always going to be a different looking swing. This dude works so hard at it, and when you change you're swing that much, you always have a chance to have this like three month run where this dude's just unconscious because he hits from both sides of the plate. He never has a bad matchup.

00:51:10
Speaker 1: M not a good defender, so maybe more DH time too with Minnesota, and they certainly have a spot there. I mean below average defender, right, but above average fat this past season. So fine, that's where the Twins are going to play ball this offseason. And then lastly, I think we got to everything here from major league signings over the weekend of med Rosario bringing himself back to the Yankees one year, two and a half million bucks, and they had talked about how they wanted to have this kind of platoon option, and clearly they had a little taste and they're like, cool, we like this. We like the versatility brings, we like what we can do off the bench, and he can spell Ryan McMahon against left handed pitching.

00:51:48
Speaker 2: I like his energy. I'm not going to talk anything about physical on the field. I like what he brings and some people might get pissed off about it, but sometimes the Yankees, just like everyone just gets in line. I'm at Rosario brings a little bit like he's on the bench, he's not playing. That day, somebody hits a big home run, he comes out of the end of the dugout, walks across in front some people are like, oh, it's too much. For me, it's too I love what he brings to this team, and he also is He's still a decent player when he plays his role, when he's putting his role. But to me, I love that energy, I love that smile, and I love the fact that he's ready to go at any time to get that big at bat against the lefty for this team.

00:52:30
Speaker 1: Crats, you're the star right now. So bet M jam is all about you today. Me Yeah, I love that good bet MGM futures. The tour continues that Phillies are ten to one odds to win the World Series, not to represent the National League, although either way that's probably going to be the biggest hurdle for them. They couldn't take down the Dodgers. But that's pretty good value for Philly.

00:52:58
Speaker 2: This is this is one of my favorite values right now for the World Series because maybe maybe I'm a sucker for the double digit ten to one. If it was nine to one, I might say, I don't know. People are like, oh, it's only one hundred dollars, But to me, I like the ten to one. I like it because when the season starts, I think the Braves could get off to a hot start. I think the Phillies will be keeping with them, or they'll be a little bit ahead. That number is only going to go down. They're going to make another signing unless they miss out on JT. Real Muto, and they don't, you know, they don't get rid of Costianos's contract. Even if those things don't happen, they're still gonna be a good team. I don't see this going to eleven or twelve to one, So I love it at ten to one, I really do. And I don't see it moving very much because I don't see them getting an Alex Bragman. I don't see them getting a Kyle Tucker or Cody Bellinger. I just see this as being where they're going to be. And I think that the second best currently today, the second best team in the National League, and the National League's gonna win the World Series, so well why not. I think the Dodgers are coming out at like plus three point fifty. That might even be a little bit high, it might be lower than yeah, And so to me, I love that I'm getting seven to one on top of what the Dodgers are getting, and they could have they could have beaten them. They didn't, and that's the beauty of the playoffs.

00:54:19
Speaker 1: I thought they were by far the second best team in the National league, and they just happened to run in a short series and that team was better than them, So that's what happened. BETMGM players will receive a Pro Football same Game Parlay boost token in the betmgm app. If you're signed up and you're all funded up, use that token with a little same game parlay wager made up of bets from a pro football game to your bet. Slip activate the token. If you win your wager that was made with that token, you get extra winnings. It's that simple gambling problem or concerned, there is help called one eight hundred gambler. Let's slap.

00:55:04
Speaker 3: Hey.

00:55:05
Speaker 1: Edwind Diaz in Spanish the other day said, it's going to be incredible when the trumpets sound in Los Angeles. It's going to be special. Think about it. He's bringing that whole act out to LA. They're gonna love it. It's fun. Have you seen that live? I mean the closer entrances in general. If you've there's what probably three to five that feel like their signature at this point, you've got durantl out in Philly now coming over from Minnesota. I know many of them have it, but there's a few that stand out. This one is. This one is up there. You want to have a mister Mett. You want to have a Dodger, you know. I guess somebody will be dancing, or the whole ballpark will be dancing. But usually they have a whole act with like four mascots over in Queens.

00:55:48
Speaker 2: Don't need it, don't meet it in LA. And I'll tell you why. Number one sound system in the entire game. If there is some bass in Timmy trumpets, that system will be rocking and that stadium. I don't care what the fans situation is, if they're caught in traffic or not. It is a game changer. I don't know why other stadiums don't have the sound system. Maybe there's like regulations or something. But yes, I love that he said this in Trumpetos Incredibles. The incredible Trumpets is going to be banging in LA.

00:56:24
Speaker 1: And actually we just found out. I think it was Ken that put it out there. He's got a conditional option on his contract too. If you missed this certain amount of time they get one more year in twenty twenty nine for six and a half million bucks. That that all came out today too, so we got all the news in from a ridiculously busy weekend. You'll see Trevor May, Jason Kidneys, Kevin Palan arcastic characters joining us throughout the week here as the co host with Rats and McNee. But right now, I actually think you guys should check out Doctor Territory because Katie Woo's on there. She's an insider nationally and she's of course now covering the doctors on daily basis. So we'll flip you right over there and we'll see tomorrow