Joel Sherman’s surprising key to Mets offseason + Deesha Thosar’s offseason report on the NY teams

00:00:05
Speaker 1: My name is Dshathosar, and I'm a baseball writer for Fox Sports as well as the chapter chairman in New York. It's my pleasure to welcome you here tonight.

00:00:15
Speaker 2: I want to say this, no matter where you come from, no matter how long the road feels, no matter how many times you hear not yet or not possible, keep going, bet on your work, trust the process, and don't let anyone else to find your ceiling. I'm here right now because I don't understand the word can't.

00:00:32
Speaker 3: Yeah, the Brewers contingent was going to be here tonight but couldn't because we're spending on money and lowering the soap dispensers in the locker room. Because we just picked up one of your prospects, Jet Williams. He's like five to five, So how we roll?

00:00:46
Speaker 4: You know, I've been in this town a long time and doing him and I know you two times and then you go to two time MVP and all that stuff, three time and everything like that.

00:00:55
Speaker 5: But don't get too big for your to be pinstracked, because this is my town. Okay, this is my town. I just want you to know that a lot of you save up to come to one game risk kind of hit on the head.

00:01:03
Speaker 2: You guys save up to come to one game to watch us play, watch me play, and I just that's what's about.

00:01:08
Speaker 5: I want to give you guys the best and put on a show for you.

00:01:11
Speaker 6: Congratulations to all of you, and do you have achievements, especially to the eighty six Mids team. I now know the feeling of what it's like to become a Motor champion and it's great.

00:01:25
Speaker 7: For a rookie Catcher thought he was gonna be a hockey player. Not bad way to go, Drake. You're in the respect to your teammates, trust so much, your pictures. They actually gave you a nickname. And I don't know if people know this, but his nickname is the Hammer. I'm gonna have to let you explain why it's not what you think. But we'll let Drake explain that when he comes up here.

00:01:44
Speaker 8: Wow, what a night.

00:01:45
Speaker 5: What a night.

00:01:46
Speaker 9: Now, let's recap it and then we'll talk about some Mets and Yanks a little bit later too, with d shit Tozar who's joining us right now, who did a fantastic job hosting on Saturday the BBWAA Awards. The New York Chapter the gala at the Hill in New York City was just so good. So Star started Disha, great job.

00:02:06
Speaker 8: How was thank you?

00:02:07
Speaker 10: Thank you? I appreciate that.

00:02:08
Speaker 1: It was really cool. It's actually cool to watch those highlights back in that form after kind of posting the whole thing. Still catching my breath. But this is definitely one of the best dinners even I've been a part of ever attended. I've attended like five of these now, and it's just you know, once the players actually make the commitment to come, it ends up being a great dinner. But this time, everyone also brought their sense of humor, so I think that kind of really put it over the top. And that speech from Schemes was amazing. It was really inspiring. And then a lot of those presenters and award winners just were really funny, and I think that's that's kind of a sense of what we needed right now, right keep it light, keep it moving before the snowstorm, and everyone brought their a game and that made for a great dinner.

00:02:51
Speaker 10: It was a really great night.

00:02:53
Speaker 4: Normally we have you on and we're going to ask about the Mets and the Yankees coming up, But were you nervous because for people don't know how you hosted, and hosting you were the MC whatever you want to call it, Like you were up there the entire time. You had to keep your keep it short because the snow was coming and everybody was afraid about the snow, even though we all got out by seven in the morning.

00:03:17
Speaker 5: But were you nervous? Were you nervous and would you enjoy doing it again?

00:03:23
Speaker 1: Oh to that second question, undred percent, which is a good thing because I get another one of these. But the day of I really wasn't nervous, And I think that's because leading up to it, I was over prepared, which is exactly where I wanted to be. I was stressed for weeks before. My brother like right after the dinner was like, it's good to have you back, Like you were not the same person this last week because I was just really trying to hone it and focus so that the day of the event I could actually enjoy it and really try to be present and take it all in, because I do not take this lightly. I mean, there are so few writers that even get to be a part of the BBWA alone get to host it, so be a chapter chair and get to host it. That way so day of event, I was surprised at at not being nervous, but definitely leading up to it, there was a mixed bag of emotions there, all good.

00:04:13
Speaker 11: Stuff, allga Zeff well deserved. Now I want to get on some topics. I want to talk a little about the Mets here, Freddie Peralta. Now the pitching depth is getting there. The Mets have a really really good top end. Start to hear this kind of solidifies a little bit of what they want. And now do you see this being one of the top rotations in the league moving forward?

00:04:35
Speaker 10: I think it has the potential to be.

00:04:36
Speaker 1: They have a super high ceiling, especially now with Baralta. Like you mentioned, they've needed an a since de Gram left for the Rangers, so this was way way, way overdue just to have that kind of reliable arm leading them. And then I think David Sterns the other day at the introduction for Boba Schett made a good point in that there are actually a lot of potential ases in this and I think that goes back to that super high ceiling. Lac Lane we saw he had the potential to be an ace. We've seen Manaya bnace before, We've seen Senga Bna's and his rookie year, and then there's good depth there with Peterson and Holmes. The flip side of that is there's a lot of risk, and I think that part of it hasn't changed from this year to the way that the Mets started the season last year. If all goes right, great, but if it doesn't, where are they going to turn to? And then even their death, they're counting on guys who are young Jonah Toong. I think one person that is kind of getting slept on is Christian Scott. He had Tommy John that hybrid surgery September twenty twenty four. He missed the entire last season, but now he's ready to go. He's going to be a major part of spring training right as soon as camp starts.

00:05:49
Speaker 10: So that's another.

00:05:51
Speaker 1: Risk though, right he was solid in his debut in nine starts right before he had the surgery, but is he going.

00:05:57
Speaker 10: To bounce back?

00:05:58
Speaker 1: So of course there's question marks rotation. But I think the potential here is great for the Mets, and there's there's still underlying concern over the course of of course the long season DCA.

00:06:10
Speaker 4: You're saying that they pretty much built the rotation like they built it last year, with a lot of hope and wishes and Freddy. So it's yeah, because I getting rescerated by Mets fans. You are a great writer. You're talking about the Mets. Is there a need for the Mets front office to change their approach because any team you said, any team has issues.

00:06:34
Speaker 5: Oh, we don't know what's going to happen.

00:06:35
Speaker 4: But they're going back into the season with hopes and wishes and Freddy Peralta.

00:06:42
Speaker 12: Yeah.

00:06:42
Speaker 1: I don't know about change their approach necessarily. This is a huge change. I think even them getting Peralta and starting the season with the ace, there was a moment there where if they hadn't pulled this off, then it definitely would have been we can talk about changing an approach, but they've needed a front end starter for a long time, and they knew that they're not living in La la land over there and not acknowledging those concerns and weaknesses of their pitching staff. I think if the plan is, you know, get this step together, see what you have in camp, put your best foot forward, regardless of injuries up until basically making it to the trade deadline and then seeing who becomes available, potentially needing another starter there. I think that's where I'd like to see the change in approach a little bit, is just really filling the needs at the trade deadline and not wasting that opportunity. I think we've seen the Mets kind of go back and forth, not really being willing.

00:07:35
Speaker 10: To push their chips across the table.

00:07:37
Speaker 1: They finally did parting with two top prospects, especially Brandon Sprote for Peralta. That kind of that trend has to continue, and I think that's that's especially what I'm looking for at least in the middle of the season and going towards the second half eventually.

00:07:54
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00:09:48
Speaker 4: Do you feel like Mets fans are getting some mixed messaging when you hear run prevention, run prevention and then they go get Boba Schett to play a position he's never played, Jorge Polonko to play a position he's never played, and Marcus Simeon's a good defender, maybe he's thirty seven?

00:10:06
Speaker 5: Is there is?

00:10:07
Speaker 4: But with Boba Schett, do they feel like it was, you know, a mixed messaging because it's like, hey, we are worried about run prevention crap.

00:10:16
Speaker 5: We need somebody that can really hit.

00:10:19
Speaker 10: Yeah, definitely a little bit.

00:10:21
Speaker 1: I don't know if I'd go so far as to say mixed messaging, because I think they're focused on it for sure. The Met's on run prevention and how that really was a detriment to their season last year. Part of it and their plan of going out and getting two guys like you mentioned Bishett and Polanca who have never played those positions before. David sterns acknowledged a couple of weeks ago that yeah, they're going to be in a learning curve. He's not going to deny that I think that learning curve is going to be tough this year, especially because they're not going to be a full team during spring training, and that's when a lot of this chemistry forms, especially for the infield. They have two guys up in the middle who they feel really good about, Lindor and Simeon. Lindor is going to be in the WBC and he's going to not be at spring training for a little bit. Polanco has been working out at first he says he's looking okay, and Carlos Mendez and the manager mentioned Polanco specifically as someone he is going to be looking out for to make sure he's transitioning okay to first.

00:11:19
Speaker 10: Bishett really impressed.

00:11:20
Speaker 1: Me even in the World Series, I mean moving from shortstop to second base. And then in his introduction his press conference, he said, I put my ego aside right then and I'm ready.

00:11:29
Speaker 10: To do whatever it takes. These guys are all super athletic, they're all shortstops. The Cadres tried this a.

00:11:36
Speaker 1: Couple of years ago, filling their infield with shortstops, and they ended up in the top ten in the league in terms of fueling metrics. So there's there's some opportunity there. I think maybe they're underplaying a little bit. How much of that adjustment will be. I think the WBC is getting a little bit in the way of the work that they're going to need to do.

00:11:56
Speaker 11: Okay, let's talk about another play, Luis Robert. They that's kind of looking for a little lightning in a bottle here, because health issues, won struggles a little bit, strikeouts, and we know the defense, like, what are they trying to get out of him? Is this like we're putting our money where our mouth is right now and hopefully, you know, the fruits of the labor can come back and show queens what he's all about.

00:12:19
Speaker 10: Yeah.

00:12:19
Speaker 1: I think this was a really nice pickup for them, especially because of where the outfield market was this year, especially after Bellinger went off the board and he went to the Yankees. Really they needed to look at the trade market. Another one I had my eye on as a potential fix there was bust In, but it doesn't look like he was actually going to be traded at any point. So with Robert, of course, this is going to be all about keeping him on the field, and they are going to have to give him a lot of rest dayes to kind of manage his workload and figure out something that works for him. If his back gets hot and he kind of returns to that twenty twenty three All star level, then keep him where he needs to be if his little injured. They actually the Mets have some versatility there in terms of who they can slot in at DH, who they can fill in in the outfield. The Robert they didn't for Louise Rabba. They didn't give up a lot. They had no space for Akunya. That's especially why I like it. But again, this rests on a huge question Margaret is talking to just now with Eric. Is that another big player here is going to be potentially Carson Bench and the Mets have been talking about him all season. They're ready for him to take the next step. Is he going to right like there's a lot relying only on that so far. If they don't make another move to fill in another outfield spot. In left field, it's a lot of pressure too for a young kid. So there's I would just really term all of the hopes and dreams that they have a lot of high potential. It has to all go right for the Mets in order for it to work out.

00:13:51
Speaker 4: The Mets are the gift where the guys just like sitting eating popcorn right now, like, I can't wait. I'm so excited to watch it because from the beginning all season to now it's been just theater. So good for you that you get to follow this team. Will there be another move? Are the Mets done? In your opinion? Obviously you can hear anything that David Sterns says, But do you feel like they're done done?

00:14:16
Speaker 1: I do, I really do, especially after that bizarre, crazy week they had with Bishett Robert Perrault all at once. Even the sense within the Mets was okay, great, now we're ready to go, ready for the season, excited, kind of turning the page. There's going to be of course, def moves. David Sterns loves to say he's never done, adding so in that sense, they're not done. But I think with major players they aren't. And it is insane. And looking at the lineup that is a really good looking lineup, and it's so different than last year. It's going to be a completely different clubhouse. But there's a lot of excitement there and I think Mets fans, like you pointed out, have been through a lot. It's been a long off season getting rid of the core, and there's actually hope and excitement at the end of it. Is no one could have even predicted did that they could pull this off the Met's.

00:15:02
Speaker 10: Front office, So props to them.

00:15:03
Speaker 1: I think at least you know, it's exciting and they have a chance, which is where they needed to be.

00:15:08
Speaker 4: Right now, we're gonna go from Queen's over to the Bronx. They signed Bellinger back. Cody Bellinger signs back kind of was yeah, we kind of knew that was going to happen since he signed back. What I'm hearing is, oh, they're running the same team back, But that's the same team that led the league in runs created plus, So yeah, is that a bad thing that they're running this team back, because I don't think this offense is bad. I think they might be a little short on starting pitching to start the season, But is it bad that they signed him back and now they're running the same offense back which was led the league.

00:15:47
Speaker 1: I don't think it's bad. No, especially not with Bellinger back. And it's funny. I asked Aaron Boone during the Windy meetings. It was how do you close the gap with the Blue Jays, especially with how far they went the World Series the dominant.

00:16:00
Speaker 10: They looked like they could take down the.

00:16:02
Speaker 1: Dodgers, and he was like, uh, we have the same record as the Blue Jays in the regular season, is though both ninety four wins. Looking at that, yes, I think when we were looking at each series that the Yankees even matched up with the Blue Jays, they looked like they were playing a little bit of catch up. They looked like they were very caught off guard by how the Blue Jays style of play was just putting the ball in play. I think they're going to be different this year, the Yankees, especially within the division, how they face it, how they're going to focus more on batting average again, all of this I think is going to be part of their armle like it was last year and it was a good offense. I think my concern definitely goes back to that pitching staff and very curious how Garrett Cole is going to look coming back, how Rodona is going to be after going to be on the injured list to start this season, and Cam Schlitler, right, is he going to be like the same pitcher we saw who ended that season dominant and feisty in that little egg that the Yankees have needed, especially in their rotation. I think if everything goes right, the Yankees have one of the best rotations in baseball, no doubt. And Max Freed too, especially with him stepping up, so they look in a good position. I understand the conservative the Yankees fans that they're just running it back, but there's still one of the dominant teams in the league, and really the difference is going to be turning it on getting hot in the playoffs again like they did when they took the Dodgers to the World Series.

00:17:28
Speaker 11: I'm gonna steal question at Kratzy says, are they done right now? Are they going to try and find somebody and get another picture, because you know, Rodan Cole and like these guys Schmid, they're not ready to rock. I feel like maybe one more starting pitcher or do you feel like that's It.

00:17:46
Speaker 1: Does feel a little bit like I don't know that they need to make a huge move now for a starting pitcher unless there were some trade options available. I mean, like if the Yankees are going to go for someone like Framber Valdez, I know I wouldn't think so. More so if the Twins were actually open to letting go of Joe Ryan, these could be another potentially trade deadline moves, depending on where their injuries at, where their depth is. But one thing that is going under the radar is their acquisition of Brian Weathers.

00:18:13
Speaker 10: It's kind of huge.

00:18:14
Speaker 1: I mean, he's been really consistent and there's a lot of upside there too, and I think him just kind of filling into that. If they hadn't done that, I would say they definitely need to go get a starter. This was kind of an under the radar move that's going classic Brian Cashman move that is going to help them in the long run, but it's not super splashy right now where everybody's talking about it. And that was huge for the pitching staff.

00:18:37
Speaker 4: All right, Well you mentioned it for both teams, so the Mets and the Yankees. You said could be one of the best rotations in baseball. I feel like that's being thrown around too much.

00:18:46
Speaker 5: Dshan.

00:18:46
Speaker 4: I'm not saying it's your fault. I'm saying I see it all the time on Twitter. Which rotation today, not when they get rodin back, not if Sanga does which rotation is better than Mets or the Yankees.

00:19:00
Speaker 1: Today currently with Cole on the IL, with Roddan on the IL, the.

00:19:06
Speaker 10: Better rotation is super close.

00:19:09
Speaker 1: I think I'll still go with the Yankees just because they have more proven arms in that rotation, Max Freed being there as huge.

00:19:16
Speaker 10: They have guys who have filled in regularly.

00:19:19
Speaker 1: Too many question marks in the Mets rotation for me to say they're better right now. Like you said, they both have the potential. This could be flip flopped at the end of the season if all goes right, but just the proven numbers versus h I don't know, We'll see, we need bounce back.

00:19:35
Speaker 10: I'm going with the Yankees on this one.

00:19:40
Speaker 8: Okay, there you go.

00:19:41
Speaker 4: I mean it means the Mets rotation isn't that good, That's what I'm getting that. Like, I just feel I just I feel terrible for Mets fans because they went out and got that Ace and right now the Yankees rotation is depleted, beleaguered, whatever you're gonna say. And Desha still thinks that they're better. Agree Like I would agree with you, and that's not to me. That's not a good place for the Mets to.

00:20:04
Speaker 1: Be Well, the difference right between those two is that the Yankees have multiple aces proven aces. The Mets have multiple potential ases. They've been aces in the past. Are they going to be that level?

00:20:19
Speaker 10: Again?

00:20:19
Speaker 1: Nobody knows. You can count on guys in the Yankees rotation. I mean, we can say there's doubt about Garrett Cole, there's not. He's Garrett Cole. When he comes back, he's going to be some semblance of his old self. And Max Fried phenomenal he had just did so well to New York and Cam Schlitzler is being talked about in the same way that Nolan MacLean is being talked about. So I think in that way it really just goes down to sure it could happen. I think there should be more trust in young guys with the Mets. Maybe not as much doubt as we're casting on them, but it's hard not to write. So I think, to me, it just comes down to proven versus maybe and then maybe is not a bad place to be. But we've seen a lot of maybes in the meds these last couple of years.

00:21:07
Speaker 9: Yeah, I mean, you were on with us almost a year ago and you nailed it. You said, yeah, it's fine for now, but let's see what it looks like later in the year. And it looked like they were calling on guys that they shouldn't be calling on yet to save their season. So it's a good call. Yeah, I think it's better than it was last year. I'm a huge Freddy Peultan.

00:21:23
Speaker 8: I think we all are.

00:21:24
Speaker 9: But I understand the point there from Kratz. You'd like to see one more arm add it. Dsha, this was great, thank you for joining us, but again, congrats on an excellent event and a great hosting job. It was super fun, like the pace was perfect, the one liners, everything was great. So really enjoyed it and so did the whole audience. Right, we had a great live streaming audience going there, So thanks again, Dsha.

00:21:47
Speaker 8: Good to see you.

00:21:47
Speaker 1: It's great, Thank you so much. Guys, happy to be on anytime.

00:21:51
Speaker 8: Joel Sherman's joining us right now. New York Post MLB Network.

00:21:54
Speaker 13: Studied down No, no, not at all.

00:21:56
Speaker 9: Brought Yeah, and hey, I mean this is a really cool night, of course for the New York Baseball writers. But we were just saying, how this is about as good as it gets in terms of Star Wars power, tonight.

00:22:08
Speaker 13: Yeah, no, I love this dinner. I've been involved in it in some way for what are the years, and ken this first time in like about ten years, I didn't get to present something. I'm glad you got it. Allow me to drink earlier. But yeah, I like vert all. I like you that the awards are kind of like as opposed to many awards, they last a week when we announce them because because really the MVP and the cy Young's in particular are so big that the rookies and the managers would be swallowed whole if we did it on one night, right, like, so like you get the day for the managers, you get the day for the rookies, then the size, then the MVP. I like that, And then that the players still care to come here where again being romantic, where Babe Ruth came, where lu Garrett came, where every great player of the last century. It's the one hundred first dinner has come to accept the wards. I mean, we've come a long way. They used to put on skits. Can you imagine we were still trying to be funny and do that now? But uh, yeah, no, it's a great night.

00:23:10
Speaker 8: Oh you would have loved that Aja part of.

00:23:14
Speaker 13: And all you have to do is threaten a snowstorm, and we did it in two forty five, right because this thing could drag sometimes.

00:23:20
Speaker 8: Bitchclock on this one with the storm. What was I mean?

00:23:23
Speaker 9: I don't want to say favorite moment, but a notable moment for you that you really like. We were talking about maybe a speech you like or somebody up there that you were excited to see.

00:23:29
Speaker 13: I love that Otani did his thing in English again, which was the second time, the first, the first time. I don't want to get this wrong. I believe he's come to the dinner four of the five times he was honored Rookie of the Year and three of his MVPs.

00:23:41
Speaker 12: I think last year was the only and one of them he did it in Japanese with a translator and said the next time, I, if I ever make it here again, I will do it in English. And he has done it now in English, and I thought this was much more even expansive than last time, which is impressive for somebody who's failed every language you could fail when they were in school.

00:24:01
Speaker 13: So I thought that was great. The eighty six team here means so much like those guys weren't up there very long, but it's the last met champion, it is forty years. It just means so much to that group, that fan base, which is forty percent of the city probably you know, if you start thinking about the demographic of it all. I always think that the good guy for us matters a great deal. This is our chapter. We generally, if you were at our meeting in November, nothing gets discussed more at our meeting, then who's the good guy? Because it matters so much to us? Because I do mean this sincerely to the two ballplayers who are here. We recognize there's generally an in your space feel to this. We recognize we're talking to you at bad moments often like this is whatever, and how professional almost everyone is. And then we want to decide who are the people who go beyond above and beyond. And Clay Holmes and two different stops in New York went above and beyond for us, that guy is like on his worst days, and I mean there was some bad moments in twenty four when he lost his job. That guy was accountable, but more thancountable, not accountable in a cliched way, in an interesting introspective way discussing his successes and failures. He's an impressive guy. So I personally, I think our chapter it means a lot to an end. I know it means a lot to me because I do honestly with the two players here, I get it. That's not the greatest time in the world to be asked a question fifteen minutes after a bad moment, and guys who handle it professionally and well, I'm always appreciable.

00:25:38
Speaker 14: And on top of all that, Laura Albanez from Newsday was the person who presented that award, and she mentioned from Abby Yes from The Daily News that Abby had mentioned that she asked Holmes to show her his grips yes, and Holmes did it without a question, And to Abby as a woman, it meant a lot because that's not always something that might be done. And Laura, of course is writer for Newsday, the chairman of the chapter. Right now, Disha writes for Fox Sports dot Com. And it was a big night for them to finally be kind of in the limelight. And it's tough for women in this business. It's tough covering baseball and everybody's comment things and then women.

00:26:20
Speaker 8: Don't know it.

00:26:21
Speaker 14: No they were at their benuts off and to see them recognize like that, to me, that was special.

00:26:26
Speaker 5: Ken.

00:26:27
Speaker 13: Unfortunately, you and I are old enough, right, we remember when it was even much tougher for them. I go back long enough. I was the vice chairman for Claire Smith, who I'm glad was here tonight in honor tonight and recognized as the first female chairman. She was great. I followed her as I was her vice chairman. Then I was the chairman I think in ninety seven and ninety eight, like so, she was ninety five ninety six and she was a real trailblazer. And I just think, can you know, you work with a lot of women at the athletic I think they're kind of among If they're not the best and brighter, they're certain among the best of what we're doing here, you know. So yeah, I I yes, So it was good night. And by the way, Steph Epstein would have been the chair person, but you gave birth to a child, so she had to give up the chairmanship.

00:27:16
Speaker 8: That's cool.

00:27:17
Speaker 9: Well, uh if I can, I mean, obviously you're you're covering the Mets and the Yanks. I think the timing too, with this audience it's cool, right, you're in the off season. It just so happens that forget the Winter Meetings. The Mets just did everything in the past week. So I mean I came, didn't they the family business here and you get, you know, some of the jokes and things mixed in throughout the evening. You've also got some you know, Yankees players that are now Mets the whole deal. But your thought on like the week really, I could say in baseball here for the Mets and the Yankees they brought Bellinger back, but just the pulse because there are a lot of fans here of course in New York that we're excited.

00:27:52
Speaker 13: Yes, So so it's something you know again, I was I wanted to point out Aja and and Uh and Cratzy. Nobody's better at what at this than Ken, right, like what we do, Like he's he's a way and Ken and I talk Offen I counted as a friend and somebody I look up to in the business. And one of the things I know I was talking to him about it the Winter meetings is like, I think this is a social media thing more than anything where I have to ask people who are overreacting in real time like, are you dumb or you're just playing dumb because it's such a good lane to be in for attention. Now, Like, do you actually think, like David Stearns and Steve Cohen don't know what the issues are with the Mets, And do you actually think they're not going to act at some point spring training even with everything is still two weeks away, the regular season is eight weeks away. The July thirty first trade deadline is forever away, and like the idea that they weren't going to act at some point definitively and by doing something that at least would make you go, yeah, I believe in that if like the Dodgers didn't exist, I could see them winning the National League and maybe they will win it anyway. You know, the Dodger this almost lost the World Series this year, They almost lost to the Padres the year before, so who knows. And I kind of feel the same way about the Yankees, where like the Yankees are doing nothing and I'm like, you know, they build big casinos in Vegas, the number two over under team, and the whole sport is the Yankees behind the Dodgers, Like everyone would like to be doing their version of nothing.

00:29:17
Speaker 2: Now.

00:29:17
Speaker 13: Again, I'm a pretty critical guy. I hold them all to high accounts. These are two teams that are actually trying. If you're trying to keep up with the Dodgers, you're probably gonna fail. Players want to play there. It's like you can't move the Pacific Ocean here. You can't move Hollywood here, you can't move the weather here. Steve Cohn has a lot of money. He can't affect geography like, and it has impacted where players want to play like quite frankly, Kyle Tucker went to a place where he's looking at this as a two year contract. Where's the place where for the next two years I could perform great to go back out in the market. And the decision, by the way, the decision I think everyone would make, I'll do the Dodgers instead of anybody else. Jo I'm gonna.

00:29:58
Speaker 14: Interrupt you here, give you kind words because you're too kind talking about me. Joel wrote a column it's going to be in tomorrow's paper, it's online now about the Mets. Things that didn't happen, that could have happened. Joe, why don't you give us a little bit of a preview of that? For people who might not have read it yet, and you should read it because it was absolutely fascinating.

00:30:18
Speaker 13: So they they the most important thing I learned over the like the last four or five weeks was the key thing for their offseason, if you keep asking their people, was being able to trade Nemo like they believed. Because he was owed over one hundred million for five years and he had a complete no trade clause, they couldn't do it, and they were horrified of the idea of Nemo and Sodo in the corner outfields already problematic defensively, and not just about twenty twenty six, twenty twenty seven, eight, twenty nine thirty. What happens when we have to move both to DH again. Steve Connen has a lot of money, can't get to DH's at one time. I don't think they're going to pass that role. So they saw trading Nemo as the lynchpin to their off season, and when they were able to do it, Simeon work for them because even though it's a little more per year, it's shorter, it's three years, it's a position they didn't have completely filled, and it's defensive, which they wanted to get better at. Run prevention, which was the thing. And once that position opened up, and once it was clear that Alonzo wasn't coming back, they pushed on Kyle Schwarp are harder than people realize, Like, like, the Orioles got a lot of love then. And I do think there was a window where the Orioles could have actually signed the player if they pushed harder. They didn't. The Mets were wanted to do four years. It was the only player they would think of as a DH that they would do it because the plan was for Alonzo to DH five out of every seven games. They had talked to him about it and he said okay, because he thought at that point the Mets might be the only place I get the money, so I better agree to whatever the rules of the game are. So there was that, and so they and that's also when they decided Tucker, let's stay on Tucker, push Tucker. And they were always worried that they'd make a number and the Dodgers would beat it. They made a number, the Dodgers beat it, and they then pivoted hard and got the set.

00:32:05
Speaker 8: Wow, that's fascinating.

00:32:07
Speaker 13: Yeah, that's but Nimo, like I like, like that's why, like one of those ones where you begin to report. It's why it's always worthwhile. Don't ask one person, ask ten people. How many of the ten people say something to you like yeah, like Nimo was the key to the off season, and you're like, oh, and so she explained to me how the dominoes work, and the dominoes all fell right for them, because even Simeon for three years over at Second Dase, over Nimo in a corner ralphel for five years, regardless of what the money is for Simeon or how much Simy and I have regressed offensively, it just began to open pathways for them that they didn't quite frankly think we're going to open because of the no trade and how much money he was owed.

00:32:47
Speaker 9: Well, I'd say there's two things that stand out from what you're saying that fans might either not understand or agree with. One is Nimo's defense right definitely not great or took a step back, But like maybe internally they're thinking worse than what the public is thinking.

00:33:04
Speaker 13: So so Nimo is such a fascinating case. So I watched this happen with two players who were met players. One was Zach Wheeler and one was branded Nimo. If you showed up at a certain time, you were like, these guys are brittle, they never play. And then Zach Wheeler figured out how to make thirty starts a year and pitch in October. Nimo used to not be able to play. Now he plays one hundred and fifty five to one hundred and sixty two games a year. I think the problem is he plays one hundred and fifty five to one hundred and sixty two games a year, and to play and play the way he plays, which is a leg oriented game, even though he's you know, started pulling the ball, accepted the strikeouts. He breaks down at a higher level than he used to, but plays through it in a way that he used to not be able to play through it. And so that was like the bad news within the good news. Wow, he figured out how to get on the field. Oh no, he figured out how to get on the field, and he's breaking down. And again, I think I said this earlier. It was twenty twenty six problem, But what about twenty twenty seven, twenty eight, twenty nine, thirty. That's what they were into him for, and they were really worried about the physicality moving forward?

00:34:09
Speaker 8: Can iy one other pushback?

00:34:10
Speaker 3: Then?

00:34:10
Speaker 9: Is DH so interested in shore we worried about Soto that would have eventually been to DH's That's what they offered four.

00:34:17
Speaker 13: They believe that Sodo could hang in like like again, I would love to know what the players think of this, because last year Sodo hit with a coach he really respected, Like I think SODA's one of these guys. If you hear something from a coach that he thinks is nonsense, he shuts down, starts scrolling his phone, and never looks at the guy again. And I think that happened with their hitting group last year, but didn't happen with Antoine Richardson and stolen bases. He has told the Mets this year, I want to be a better defensive player in the way that I wanted to be a better base runner. He is a guy like shouldn't he be able to be major league average? He should be able to like I feel right and so like and by the way, has a good arm and has a high baseball IQ and so to me, like like their feeling was they could live with They couldn't live with four years of Nimo and and Soda. But like Sodo a really good center fielder, really good left fielder, and recommitment by Sodo. And again they were going to allow one player to be a full time DH for them, the guy who's.

00:35:22
Speaker 8: The best atic aside from Otani.

00:35:24
Speaker 13: Uh, the guy who's the best of it, who would also bring something to their clubhouse at a time they were worried about their clubhouse.

00:35:31
Speaker 8: That's really good insight. That's great. Well, make sure you check out Joel's article.

00:35:35
Speaker 9: Obviously you can get it now on the New York Post, but then also tomorrow if you're looking for if you're looking for it in New York.

00:35:41
Speaker 8: But Joel, thank you for stopping by.

00:35:43
Speaker 13: It's great to leve you guys as part of this. Thank you, Like this is the dinner has been better the last two years because you guys have been part of that.

00:35:49
Speaker 8: I appreciate it.

00:35:50
Speaker 13: And for somebody who cares about this dinner, we're thrilled that you're part of the dinner.

00:35:54
Speaker 8: Thank you.

00:35:54
Speaker 13: Yeah, people know about this we had because before nobody even knew anything I have.

00:35:59
Speaker 7: People now are like, oh, that's really cool.

00:36:00
Speaker 13: I never knew any I didn't even know that thing happened.

00:36:02
Speaker 9: Yes, there are a lot of people that are live streaming this throughout the evening. I mean, if you saw the number for baseball to get that kind of audience on YouTube and some of the other social platforms are on a Saturday night, right, Yeah, this is not baseball time to shine. It shows people will watch this if they can find it.

00:36:21
Speaker 8: So that was important to us. Anyway, Thank for you guys, Thank you, Yes, appreciate it.