WBC insurance rejections, Red Sox-White Sox trade, Reds get Eugenio Suárez, Giants ink Luis Arráez

00:00:03
Speaker 1: Good afternoon, everybody, and welcome to a brand new live edition of Foul Territory. I'm pinch hitting for Scott bron. My name is Alana Rizzo, along with Aj Pierzinski and Eric Kratz. Great to be with you, guys. We have a big show today, so let's get to it. Gentlemen, good to be with you. As always. Time to charge the mount.

00:00:22
Speaker 2: Let's charging about.

00:00:25
Speaker 1: All right, lots to get to Let's start with the fact that aj a Uhennio Suarez finally has a home. It looks like he's going back to the Cincinnati Reds on what looks to be a one year, fifteen million dollar deal. Looks like he's going to primarily be the DH will play some third a little bit, but one of the hottest free agents in my opinion. Took a long time to get him there. But he has a home. Now, what do you make of it?

00:00:48
Speaker 3: Only one year? No, there's no other teams that could have taken j Hennio Suarez on for fifteen million for one year. I mean, I know he was in he was already in Cincinnati. It's a great place to hit, but I'm just shocked at this. Was it like this is where he ended up on a one year deal. I mean, I look at a team and I'm gonna say this, The Yankees, the Red Sox, they couldn't take Gino Suarez on a one year, fifteen million dollar deal. Even the Mariners couldn't take him back on a one year, fifteen million dollar deal. There's some teams out there that are close to competing that could have used this guy for one year fift I mean, I look at the Braves. If he's going to DH the Braves, I'd be a good spot for him. And if Austin Riley matt Olsen needs a day off, that's a good DH because they don't have Azuna anymore. So I'm just shocked he ended up in Cincinnati. Now, it's a ballpark factor, a familiarity thing. I get that. But good for the Reds man, the red should be stoked about this.

00:01:40
Speaker 1: I mean, the Reds have got just gotten a lot better Eric and he hit what forty nine bombs last year?

00:01:45
Speaker 2: I believe that.

00:01:46
Speaker 1: And Juhannio Suarez hit I mean, that's a guy I thought was going to be scooped up a lot sooner than he was. Why do you think it took so long? And why do you think Cincinnati was ultimately the destination?

00:01:58
Speaker 4: Oh no, I hope I can bring when we bring Jim on that I can ask him what he said last week. He said, I asked a GM big lead GM earlier in the offseason. Well, why is nobody getting any interest? Why is au Hineusuaz not getting any interest? And he said, did you see what he got at the trade deadline? You know, I'm like, what is that like? Just because teams weren't on him at the trade deadline all of a sudden, like he's not like he's just completely viewed as somebody that's not valuable to a team. I've never heard anything bad about his clubhouse presence. He has not just fifty home run potential he had like he can he will hit fifty home runs because he has in his career.

00:02:43
Speaker 2: Will he this year? I don't know.

00:02:45
Speaker 4: Nobody knows that, Like you don't have a crystal ball. But for fifteen million dollars, the Red got forty plus home runs. In my opinion, they're gonna He's going to hit forty plus home runs in a lineup that maybe they all automatically get better because they have a dude in the lineup that's not going to allow you to get away with mistakes. And anybody that says, like for fifteen million for fifteen that, like, how do you not just add I don't care what the price is. He had fifty two home runs including the postseason. Did he slide down the stretch? Absolutely, he didn't do great. Did he hit some one of the biggest Grand Slams? Maybe the only Grand Slam I'm not sure in Mariner's postseason history? Yes, like this, this is a guy that you can insert in your lineup immediately, no matter where it is, and.

00:03:35
Speaker 1: Especially at Great American I can certainly see him hitting over fifty bombs. I mean that's a heck of a hitter's park, as you guys know better than anybody. And again it's just fifteen million on a I mean, fifteen million dollars to us is a lot of money. But for what he's going to give in terms of an impact in that lineup, you can't tell me that the Red Sox can't spend fifteen million dollars, especially if he's going to primarily be a DH Masa Taka Yoshida was the Red Sox DH last year. Not anything against Yoshida, but that is not who I want as a DH to. If I'm the Red Sox, how does he not go to a bigger market team.

00:04:11
Speaker 3: Aj I just asked that question, Lona, I don't understand this one. And also, here's my other thing. I've had many GMS. It was Jim Bowden this. There is no such thing as a bad one year deal for anybody, no matter how much. If it's one year, one hundred million, it's not a bad idea and a one year deal because you can always cut ties and move on if you're an organization. So listen. To say that he's a bad clubhouse guy doesn't work. To say that he's a bad defender. Okay, he's not Cabrian Hayes, but he's good enough. He's serviceable. He's not he strikes out too much. Okay, everyone strikes out too much. He also runs into forty eight. He runs into forty homers every year. Every time you see him, he's got a smile on his face. He can play in pressure. He proved that he can play under pressure. I just listen. Congratulations, Cincinnati redfans. This is one of those moves that you should be super proud about the other teams. I don't know.

00:05:09
Speaker 1: Apparently the Red Spots never even made an offer to Sware. As you guys at the beginning of the off season, it seemed like a decent backup plan for them, of course, if they didn't land Alex Spragman, which they didn't because he went to the Cubs. And you can't tell me that they don't have the money. They got rid of two hundred plus million dollars when they for whatever reason decided to let Rafael Devers go to the San Francisco Giants in the second year of what was a ten year deal, So they have the money. They didn't know if Bregman was going to come back. They didn't even make him an offer. And Jason Mackie, he does a great job covering the Pittsburgh Pirates, was told that the Bucos offered the same aav on au Heennio Suarez. They were willing to go higher as well as at another year. Sounds like his choice came down to a better ballpark fit, as aj said, familiarity as he said as well, and a chance to cash in next year with the big season. I mean, that's the thing now, right some of these guys if they wait forever or they have to wait forever to sign, Let's just do a one year deal and then re enter the free agency market again. Eric after the deal, Yeah, I.

00:06:12
Speaker 4: Mean and owner owner's teams. They love this good Go go get your money from somebody else. We'll take you for one year.

00:06:20
Speaker 2: We love.

00:06:22
Speaker 4: Teams love the one year deal. Teams love it. And for the Pirates, I'm sad. I'm sad that they did not get this done. I'm sad that there is a collusion in the league that a player that has forty nine home runs gets the exact same offer from multiple teams. I'm sad for the fact that they don't see what a great clubhouse guy and how hard it is to hit forty nine home runs and what kind of value that brings to a team who has playoff aspirations. Beginning off season, I did not believe the Pirates had playoff aspirations.

00:06:58
Speaker 2: I do now.

00:06:59
Speaker 4: I think they really do, and I would be I have a hard time believing they're gonna find thirty home runs at third base to replace Ahenio Suarez. And maybe he doesn't have a great year. Maybe Pirate fans will say, see, we shouldn't assigned him. I'm just sad that that teams won't put this extra money in to take that extra mile, because I know as a player, you put everything you have into this season, and I can see it in Paul's schemes. You see it in is the way he interacts, the way he's like, we just have to be better.

00:07:31
Speaker 2: He's he's all about winning.

00:07:32
Speaker 4: The different guys that they already got in there, Anio would be incredible to add to that lineup because this is the list of guys that last year in Major League Baseball hit more home runs than him, Aaron Judge, Shoe Otani, Kyle Schwarber, and obviously cal Rally.

00:07:51
Speaker 1: That's insane. So that begs the question.

00:07:54
Speaker 2: Why did.

00:07:57
Speaker 3: That's we don't know. But here's here's my thing. If we're talking fucking pirates, Okay, we've had this conversation. Pittsburgh Pirates do not have a great reputation as far as a winning b signing guys, keeping on whatever you want. The reputation amongst players and fans and I think people in general is that the Pirates aren't really as much as we want them to try. Yes, even though they got Ryan O'Hearn and they went out and made some moves that we all like, we really don't believe it. So we've had this conversation. If they're really interested in Gino Suarez, right, like, you have to go above and beyond. Now they said they go above the one year fifteen? Is that one year sixteen? They're like, hey, you know what, Geno will give you one year sixteen to come to Pittsburgh, right like you have to Like they're like, oh, a two year deal, but it was probably with an opt out and it was probably like a two thirty or something like that. Right, So he was looking at it like, well, I can get one fifteen from a place I know I can go and hit forty again. I've been there before, I played there before. They made the playoffs last year. People forget the Reds were in the postseason. Now they got stomped by the Dodgers in two games, but they were in the postseason last year. Okay, so everyone's looking at the Cincinnati Reds as hey, this team is only going up. You had Suarez to the mix. They've made some other smaller moves that they think are gonna help another year of Ellie at shore and another year of all these other guys in the field, and another year of the pitchers. I don't know if it's gonna work out, But if you're the Pirates, I'm just if I'm a Pirates fan, at some point you just know you have to go above and beyond. And right now they're trying to get away with it by just saying we tried, we tried, we tried. Yes, Rhyan O'Hearn, nice edition, Brandon Lutrade great. Some of the things they've done have been good. But if you want to get a guy like Gino Suarez who wants to win and he wants to get paid, you got to go above and beyond. And that's the Pirates just aren't doing that. That's why the Kyle Schwarbert thing when they're like, oh, the Pirates were in. They were in for less than he got in Philly. So cool they were in, but they were never real players.

00:09:55
Speaker 1: Yeah, they needed to go harder on Suarez and they definitely need to resign up. Mccutch.

00:10:01
Speaker 3: What here's the thing, Alana. If they go and I'll ask crutches, if they go to Gino Suarez and say, you know what, we'll give you two forty think he's turning it down. No, absolutely, But if they go, hey here's two, here's two twenty eight or two thirty whatever, he's like, well, I'll take my one year in Cincinnati, a place I know and have been there, and then I'll go back on the free agent market. I'll probably get fifteen or more next year and i can pick where I want to go and I'm not stuck in a place I don't know that And are they serious? So you got to go above and beyond and you got to blow everybody out side of the water.

00:10:33
Speaker 1: Look at those projected lineup for the reds Now with Suarez in't it? You guys some good protection. It's a decent lineup. I mean TJ. Friedel, obviously, Marte Ellie de la Cruz. We know how much of an impact player he is, how much fun he is to watch Suarez as the DH in the cleanup spot. I mean, that's where you would expect him to be, right, I mean a knock on his defense, I guess, But that's exactly where you want him if you're going to sign him. Stuart Tyler, Stevenson, JJ Blede, Matt McClain, who I love and Cabrian Haynes. That's a decent starting lineup for this I mean the projected lineup for the Cincinnati Reds.

00:11:06
Speaker 4: I mean potential, the Cincinnati potentials, massive potential. There, massive potential up and down through that lineup. But the reason I laugh when you were reading that lineup is because a team just added on January what was that, January thirty first or February first, they added a cleanup hitter, a cleanup hitter of their lineup.

00:11:31
Speaker 2: He's going to hit clean up for a lot of teams. They added him for one year fifteen million crap, Like, that's not good for players, that's not good for player salary. That's not good for.

00:11:42
Speaker 4: Teams that need a right handed bat in a right handed friendly park that they did not pick him up if they have desire of winning and dominating the league that they're in.

00:11:56
Speaker 1: Who's to say, now, a great American I mean, I know half of the games are on the road. Can appreciate that. But a great American he might hit sixty bombs. I mean totally in the year.

00:12:05
Speaker 2: It's a pictures park. Now it's a pictures park.

00:12:08
Speaker 4: Now the numbers will show the numbers will show it like what they haven't moved the fences.

00:12:13
Speaker 3: In it is.

00:12:15
Speaker 1: I didn't know that. I thought Great American was a Great American small park.

00:12:19
Speaker 3: How is it.

00:12:21
Speaker 2: Okay last year? M okay, Yeah, that's what he said.

00:12:25
Speaker 3: That's what he said. That's what he said.

00:12:29
Speaker 1: That's what he said. All right, we're going to continue the conversation. Thanks for Sean for coming on. It's interesting, you know, I can I can understand it from both perspectives. Guys, if you look at what he was talking about. I mean, but why do you think that, like Team Puerto Rico said they might withdraw the team from the tournament after learning eight to ten of their players would be denied. Now, AJ you said, there's no way in the world that they do this, especially since they are the host, one of the hosts the four And that would make a statement though, would it not?

00:13:05
Speaker 3: Yeah, it would. But they'll figure it out. Just they'll figure it out, like all this public interest now, they'll find a way to figure this pert Rico's Can you imagine that Puerto Ricos went to Major League Baseball and said, we're gonna pull out of this tournament right now, two weeks before it's about to start. Whatever three weeks before it's start month whatever it is, and they're like, we're gonna you gotta find a new host major League Baseball and say not only you're never gonna host again, we don't know they will invite you back again. It would be it would be not be a good look for Puerto Rico. I'm sorry. I get what they're saying, and I understand why they're upset. And I want Francisco Lindoor and I want all these Puerto Rican guys Carlos Korea that want to play to be able to play. But they're not gonna do this because they know over the long haul, this is not a good thing for them to do. And I think it's just it's just posturing. And I think that this is a way for them to threaten this and then they'll figure out a way to get this done.

00:13:55
Speaker 1: I mean, they're running out of time.

00:13:56
Speaker 4: Eka they are running out of time, and this is why it's all coming to a head right now. But insurance, as anybody who pays for insurance, life insurance, well life insurance, I guess doesn't change. But homeowners, auto rental, all that stuff has gone up in the last three years, has gone up exponentially, I think by like seventy five percent in some industries. So maybe there's a standard that the WBCI, which is Major League Baseball and the Players Association, has to change their standard because clearly there's some type of line that says, Okay, if this is the price, we're not paying for these guys to play because Great Britain, their federation can't afford to pay Eradus Chapman's insurance no matter what that insurance is. They don't have the cash that like a team USA federation has, but those aren't The federations aren't paying for it right now. It's Major League Baseball and the Players Association because it's forty man roster guys, because it's a owned tournament by the WBC. I is what I was just told. And so maybe they need to change there. Maybe they need to change their percentage of what they're gonna pay because insurance costs go up.

00:15:12
Speaker 2: Just look at your bill wherever you go.

00:15:13
Speaker 1: There's not a major league team of the thirty that has guys on forty man rosters that can't pay for the insurance for their players. There's not a major league that can't pay you're trying to tell me. And I know Miguel Rojas's situation was different because his was an age thing versus an insurance thing. But let's just say it was an insurance thing. You're telling me that the daughters can't pay Miguel Rojas's insurance or Otani's insurance or Yamamoto's insurance or you know, like we just.

00:15:40
Speaker 2: Talked about this, We just talked about this.

00:15:42
Speaker 4: You can't tell me there's nine tena couldn't pay and Heneo Suarez fifteen million dollars to play, Like.

00:15:48
Speaker 1: Right, there's there's a different want to versus can there you go, and I think they've set their line and I think they've set.

00:15:54
Speaker 4: And unfortunately teen Puerto Rico is a team that's just no, no, no, no no, And there's clearly ways around it, and I'm hoping that they use some common sense or else.

00:16:08
Speaker 2: I think it could really hurt this. It could really hurt it.

00:16:11
Speaker 4: If you don't have the stars playing in your tournament, exhibition, global championship, whatever you want to call it, it is not good for your exhibition tournament, whatever it is.

00:16:24
Speaker 1: To Eric's point, the coverage has become considerably more expensive. The league's insurers has become more stringent about which players it approves. So that's another thing too. Where is that line, which player are you going to approve? And where is the fairness in that? People briefed on the underwriting process who are not authorized to speak publicly said, no cap exists for how much salary can be covered in total across Major League Baseball.

00:16:52
Speaker 2: But that's not so.

00:16:54
Speaker 1: Again, this is different rules for different.

00:16:55
Speaker 4: Players, no different rules for different situations. But they still have a cap of where they want to go. And if they didn't revisit it. I don't know that they didn't revisit it, but if they didn't revisit that cap for the from the insure, I mean, Aja, you live in Florida, I'm sure your insurance goes up if you lived on the coast. There's places that aren't even insuring places fully and this is for houses, but it's insurance is essentially across the board the same thing.

00:17:26
Speaker 2: It just goes up. Premiums go up.

00:17:29
Speaker 4: And if you don't change, if you don't change it, look at what the Look what happened to the Trup the trop They dropped their insurance the year that the roof blew off because it went up by a certain percentage and they were willing to take the risk. They're just they're not able to take that risk right now. It's kind of like insurance they to talk about. Also, I just want to say this, This insurance isn't just a WBC thing. It's also in baseball thing because it can dictate guys that are signing guys aren't signed older guys. They have a hard time getting insurance on older guys contracts. Maybe that they didn't they couldn't sign them to a longer term deal because they couldn't get them insured. I mean, this insurance thing is, Yes, the spotlight's on it for WBC, we don't have enough time to get into it, but it also affects more than just the WBC, in Major League Baseball and all sports.

00:18:18
Speaker 1: Really yeah, I just I don't I don't know. I think that if a guy wants to play for his country, you let him play, and you find a way. If you want to grow the game that every owner says they want to do, whether it's you know, a service or not, if you want to grow the game, this is a great way to do it.

00:18:38
Speaker 4: They don't want they don't want to They don't truly want to grow the game. They want their their agenda, their bottom line, and because there's a lot of people that they have to answer to. And I think it sucks because of the fact that it's glaring towards like Mickey ros said, Puerto Rican and Venezuelan players. It sucks and I think there should be some transparent see there. I think I think Sprawling said, I think Sean said that. I think they need to have transparency and say this is why we have some we have some ideas, but we need a little bit more.

00:19:14
Speaker 3: Why would they just they can insure themselves. Why woult they just insure themselves. You can go to Lloyd's of London and get insurance on your own contract. They can play yeah, you're right, or.

00:19:26
Speaker 4: It's a Major League Baseball pay for the part that they would pay for and the rest pay and the players pay for that are denied the extra. You know, whatever that extra is. Hey, we're willing to pay. Who knows what it is. It's a month. You're getting insurance for not even a month, for two weeks based on your future Sally, it's not like they're insuring like it doesn't work like that if you max Max Scherzer had to pay when he was with the Tigers and he turned down that massive deal, and then he ended up signing a massive deal with the Nats. He bought his own insurance. That insurance plan was for an entire season, just like these college football guys who are buying insurance for the the you know, their last bowl game, because if they get hurt in that ball game, they could slip to the third round. Because you know, it's different if you're playing one game or five games or one hundred.

00:20:19
Speaker 2: And sixty two games.

00:20:20
Speaker 3: No, but you have still have to cover the whole season though. That's the difference.

00:20:24
Speaker 2: I get it.

00:20:25
Speaker 3: So that's what you're saying. What you're saying is not right. You still have to pay an insurance policy because you're covering that season in that contract. So you're not paying just for covering me for these two weeks. You have to pay premiums that say, hey, I'm covering whatever my contract is, not just on these two weeks. Like, yes, you're only playing for two weeks, but god forbid you get hurt in those two weeks, you got to pay enough money to cover that entire contract if possible, but.

00:20:50
Speaker 1: The insurance too, is like, if the guy gets hurt, they're on the hook for a couple of years of the player's contract. It's not just the time that they're are it's two. Somebody in our chat said that they should try Geico because they like that little Gecko. Just some levity for the situation. Guys just here to just make you laugh. I mean, that's just what I'm here for. Let's let's turn the topic to show Hey Otani in the WBC. This is not an insurance issue. This is hey Otani is participating for Team Japan. But he did say that he will not pitch in the WBC and he will get ready for the regular season to pitch for the Dodgers. This was from Alden Gonzalez of ESPN. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Otani will not pitch in the WBC, adding that it was Otani's decision. A jed, do you think it was Otani's decision, which I believe it was, because I believe that the Dodgers do whatever Otani says? And do you like this? Do you like this choice?

00:21:46
Speaker 2: Uh?

00:21:47
Speaker 3: No, I hate the choice because I love the WBC, But I understand it. Of course, I want to see Otani versus Trout at the end again like we saw a couple of years ago. But I understand it, and listen, was it his choice, Here's what it was. Here's one thing we know about Shohan Tani. He makes informed decisions for the longevity of his career. And the worst thing that he could have happen right now, for not only him, but for the Dodgers is him going out and getting hurt pitching again. The odds of a position player going out and getting hurt and missing an entire season, yes they are there, but they're much slimmer than a pitcher. So I totally get this, and I totally understand it. It just sucks because I want to see him pitch and I want that moment again. The excuse me, the Otani Trout, the Tani Judge, bottom of the ninth, He's pitching and boom, we'll see what happens. You know, Otani versus I don't know whoever, Will Smith, whoever you want to throw out there, like his teammate or you know someone you know again, Aaron Judge. That'd be really cool to see. But it's the smart decision.

00:22:44
Speaker 1: I didn't get to talk to you after you took a picture with Otani. Were you nervous?

00:22:49
Speaker 3: Ah, of course, I was scared to death to ask him, because all I heard was he won't do it, He won't do it, he won't do it. He was great, he was nice, he laughed. Luckily I knew his training his translator though, so that helped me kind of with the insights.

00:23:01
Speaker 1: Oh, you know, the thrill.

00:23:03
Speaker 3: I know Matt. I know Matt, his personal guy. Oh, pardon me, because because he has two, he has two different ones now. He used to just have the one. Now he has Matt at home and he has the Dodgers one. And Matt used to work. Matt used to work for Fukudome when played with me, and he's great. So both those Fukadomi and Matt. So when I saw him, Matt's like, oh, and he introduced me and gave a little funny story. I don't know what he said because I don't speak Japanese, but he laughed, so I'm sure it was something very in It's.

00:23:29
Speaker 1: Probably and inappropriate. But nevertheless, you got a picture with show. Hey Otani. I'm jealous, Eric, he's not pitching. I'm imagining. You can understand the reasoning behind that as well.

00:23:42
Speaker 4: Ye we just said Jim Bowden on talking about how we need to have a little hangnail or you're gonna have a little soreness. Guys are gonna sit out. Not because the Dodgers don't care. It's because the Dodgers have one thing from top to bottom, from a ball all the way up to the Guggenheims. They are locked in on winning the World Series. And you know what, Shoho Tani not pitching for his country was massive intrigue. I forget how many like double or tripled his Instagram followers last year in I mean last WBC when he was in it, like the only bigger star was Lars Newbar. I'm kidding, but this is what we go to see. We see the best players play. So yeah, I'm sad that he's not gonna pitch. Am I surprised? Absolutely not. He's still gonna play. He's still one of the top three best hitters on the planet. We just don't get to see one of the you know, top ten pitchers on the planet. So oh well, boohoo us. But we saw it last time. Enjoy it, remember it. Go rewind and let the Dodgers go and try to win their World Series without what.

00:24:52
Speaker 1: If we see like a Paul Skins versus sho he Otani at that.

00:24:57
Speaker 3: I mean, you can see that in the regular season.

00:25:00
Speaker 2: No Rogers versus Pirates.

00:25:02
Speaker 3: Yeah, I want Here's what I want to Elana. We want the drama that happened in the last one. First, try to facet Tawani teammates bottom of the ninth think listen, can we say show hey face Aaron Judge in the regular season of the postseason? Absolutely, but with the game on the line, country verse country, as much as this means more than the World Series, Eric and Scott and Sean right, we want to see that. We want that drama. We're here. That's why people like this, because this is why the Olympics needs Major League Baseball players and MPB and the best players in the world playing in it. Just like the NHL does. Shut the season down for a couple weeks. Let these guys go play, showcase the game to the world everybody, because it's an unbelievably great game if you just show it to people.

00:25:45
Speaker 2: Amen, I want to see.

00:25:48
Speaker 4: I want to see Edwin Diz versus Will Smith or or let's see Paul Skeens versus I'm trying to think today, anybody on an international team, that's what I want to see. I want to see. I want to see Shoe Hay versus Scooble. I want to see that left handed Matt Like. That's that's what we're here for. And that's what is so cool about your country playing or players, your stars, your team star playing for your country. Because there is plenty of Minnesota Twins White Sox fans who can be a fan of Team USA and cheer for Trek Schouble and they will never cheer for Terrek Scoobel again until he goes to another team. I mean, he's not gonna go to the White Sox so because he's a Tigers player. But that's what international baseball does. And I am probably not as big of a baseball nerd for international baseball as JP Morosi or Sean Sean Spradling, but I love international baseball, from Winter League to the WBC, to all the minor league players that play and the stuff.

00:26:54
Speaker 2: It's awesome.

00:26:55
Speaker 1: All right, let's talk about some money moves, guys. Luis a rise to the Giants. They reached an agreement with the twenty eight year old contact hitting savant. Of course, he has won the batting title three different times. It's a one year, twelve million dollar contract. He led the National League last year with one hundred and eighty one hits last season. Aja, you like this for the Giants? You like this for a Rise?

00:27:17
Speaker 3: No, I like it for a Rise. The Giants needed a second baseman. The Rise has given his opinion that he wants to play second base. It's a good fit. He can get on base for like Jim Boden said, for a Damis and for Raffie Devers to drive him in. I like this move. I think it's a good move. It's a good one year move. It's a proven year. And if Damas goes out and I know it doesn't mean anything, but he goes I mean sorry, if a Rise goes out and doesn't mean anything, but he goes out and wins another batting title in San Francisco, he should be in line to get a nice contract. Because I just love how I'm gonna say this in a Rise of a former Minnesota Twin. Batting titles meant so much for Joe Maller, and they meant a lot for Buster Posey, right, but Luisa Rise wins one and nobody cares. So it's just because they were catchers. Or is it because the thought on batting titles has changed so much? I'm just asking.

00:28:05
Speaker 1: It always seems like this year is a proven year for Luisa Raise.

00:28:09
Speaker 4: Eric.

00:28:09
Speaker 1: I mean, the guy does have three batting titles. I understand that he's not you know, he's not a power hitter. Of course, he doesn't hit home runs. He's not the best defensively. But I would think that being able to make contact and not striking out would be of value apparently, though not in today's game, correct, Man.

00:28:28
Speaker 2: I just don't. It's not like we're talking about like don't.

00:28:32
Speaker 4: I don't know, Like I'm trying. I never came up with an example. But it's not like we're talking about a dude who's like, ah, you know, he's he's just so he did he won one batting title, he's won three.

00:28:44
Speaker 2: He led the league last year and hits. I get it.

00:28:47
Speaker 4: It's it's all it's batting average and no on base percentage.

00:28:51
Speaker 2: It's fine, he struck out.

00:28:53
Speaker 4: He had the lowest strikeout percentage last year since Tony Gwynn take in nineteen ninety five. That was Sarah Lange's tweet. It was something that was like, that's crazy in the era where we're in where guys, whether they're better pitchers or not, I'm not going to discuss that guys are one hundred percent going for the strikeout.

00:29:15
Speaker 2: That is it.

00:29:16
Speaker 4: They are only going for the strikeout. Is Luis a Rise as valuable as a Uhennio Suarez to a certain extent, There's a value there. And the batting to win a batting title is so ridiculously hard, and he's done it three times, and like AJ said, like it just feels it feels like we're like picking certain situations that it was cool to win a batting title. But like, Luis a Rise is going to one hundred raise his value because of the fact that he plays second. If he can play second base the entire year as a first baseman, you can never sit there and go, well, is he just the best defensive first baseman in the game?

00:29:57
Speaker 2: No?

00:29:57
Speaker 4: And then who else are you? Who else are you finding dudes in Triple A who they probably would say, we'd rather give his twenty five thirty home runs in Triple A a shot in the big leagues before they would Luisa Rise, which is a travesty to how tough it is to win a batting title, let alone lead the league, lead the National League in hits.

00:30:16
Speaker 1: He turned down another multi year offers to play second base for the Giants, a position that he wanted to return to guys after playing first base for the Padres. So the Giants now aj have an infield of Chapman Adamis Arise Endeavors. It's pretty damn good.

00:30:32
Speaker 3: Yeah, I mean, who's going to pitch. This is a question who's going to pitch behind Logan Webb But we'll see. I guess, I guess Robbie Ray still there. But still it's like it's like this, this is a nice not a terrible lineup. I mean, I think Patrick baileys do for a nice bounce back this year. Pryce Eldridge, if he can hit, I mean, the top of the order is as good as he gets. So we'll see. Let's never get Hilario Bramos a couple of years ago was projected to be like they were talking about him being like a star star. So Vader can play nice centerfield. Patrick Bailey's gonna bounce back. I don't hate this lineup. I just I hate the fact that it took Luisa Rise. We're talking about this for Luisa Rise because it just he smiles all the time he puts the ball in play. There's value in that that nobody wants to talk about.

00:31:16
Speaker 1: No, it's just I don't know, is it because he's just not driving guys in? But I mean, at least he gets on base to be driven in.

00:31:22
Speaker 3: But here's the thing about you're saying you doesn't drive guys in. But what's the thing they always say RBIs don't matter because it's a it's a matter of where you are in the lineup, right, So it's like they come up with excuses on why certain things matter depending on who you are and how they like you and what you're thinking about. Oh RBI's matter except for when they don't. Batting average matters except for with this guy. Right, Home runs matter, strikeouts matter except for with this guy. It's like the whole, the whole thing to be just doesn't make sense sometimes. But that's why I don't own a team. That's why I don't run a team, because I equip it feel like I don't know.

00:31:53
Speaker 1: Well, I mean, that's just what you can make the numbers. You can manipulate the numbers to solve any anything you want him to say.

00:32:01
Speaker 4: Same and and analytics feels like they're they're adverse, they're they're completely unob they're subjective. I'm not using that word right, objective and subjective. And that's what that's the whole reason for analytics was, Oh, we don't we don't have our feelings in this at all. Now you one hundred percent have your feelings in it. We don't want ahneos. The league doesn't want any Auheneo Suarez. Why because he strikes out too much. He was fifth in baseball on homers, hit forty nine home runs most years, that leads the league. Okay, but you know he strikes out too much. His defense isn't good enough. Well, brings the money down. How about we talk about how good a player is and what if what if he just.

00:32:44
Speaker 2: Hits one home run this year?

00:32:46
Speaker 4: What if what if Luisa rise hit gets one RBI this year and that RBI pushes the Giants to the playoffs and all twelve million, fifteen million, two years, twenty four million, It all matters exactly what AJ said needs to be clipped. It's all manipulated to make somebody look bad, to make somebody look worse than what they really are, and ultimately, the name of the game is winning as many baseball games as possible. In Luis Arise on most teams, playing second base is an upgrade.

00:33:22
Speaker 1: One hundred and eighty one hits last year eight home runs. Twenty twenty four, he had two hundred hits, and of course, as we've mentioned, twenty two to twenty three to twenty four batting title for that year. Pretty interesting to be able to do that, pretty impressive to be able to do that three years in a row. All right, let's get to some more moves that were made this weekend in hot corner. All right, I can't wait to get the take on this one from AJ. The Chicago White Socks have acquired right handed pitcher Jordan Hicks and David Sandlin, cash considers, and two players to be named later from the Boston Red Sox in exchange for right hander Gage Zeal and a player to be named later. Jordan Hicks not the best numbers last year with the Red Sox, but I think the bigger piece of this puzzle AJ is David Sandlin go into the socks, your socks? What say?

00:34:19
Speaker 3: You uh cool supposed to say? I mean, we just had this conversation about you know, we want to trade prospects and let's listen, Sandland. You know he throws hard. But if we looked at if you dig into his numbers, man, listen, people are gonna say, oh, you know, I don't like the white socks, but I just look at numbers, man, numbers. Look at his walks, man, his walks are just not good. Seventy six walks. You know, he has a lot of walks. Just he strikes out a ton of guys, but he's got a lot of walks. He's got a high ra I mean, he's got a four almost a four four era in the minor leagues. Yeah, like they got Jordan Hicks, who can he's gonna pitch out of the According to Chris Gatz, that helps him in the bullpen because I think we figured out since he's gone to San Francisco, he's definitely not a starter, right, he'll help in the bullpen wherever he can come in and give you multiple innings as a bullpen guy. So I like that, but they're you know, they're still getting what they have to pay, what twenty million of this sixteen million, I think they they have left on the hook for Jordan Hicks.

00:35:21
Speaker 1: Eight million of Hicks is twenty four.

00:35:24
Speaker 3: Okay, So yeah, I mean, yeah, it's a it's a move that you know, if Zeal's not gonna deal's not gonna help you, zero deal deal, you know, not gonna help you, then fine. But I don't. I mean, this is just a move. It's like, oh, we're making moves now, just to make moves, right, Like, look, we can make a move and people say, we can tell people how great this guy's gonna be. But again, I mean, Jordan Hicks, Okay, but you're getting let your you know, for a team money money challenge right now?

00:35:53
Speaker 2: Cool?

00:35:53
Speaker 4: Like, yes, go White Sox, good job, Chris gets hey, ja, don't don't don't don't appeal to the masses. Does this make the team better for the year that they're going to win they're going to make the playoffs. I'm not saying it this year. Whatever year you said in your mind that the White Sox should be in the playoffs, does this make their team better for that year?

00:36:17
Speaker 3: I have no idea. I have no idea because I just gave you his numbers. How do I know? How do I know what this guy's going to be? Apparently Boston didn't think. Boston was like we can get rid of hicks. O.

00:36:27
Speaker 1: Nobody knows what the hell Boston's doing. Boston is as a mess.

00:36:32
Speaker 3: But what I'm saying is is to answer cross this question though, when are sallin going to help him this year? And then maybe three years from now he figures out how not to have a four to four e r A in the minor league? Like you know what I'm saying, Like, I don't know if this helps them, but I know that it's a move to make a move, and I like that at least they're trying to make some sort of moves.

00:36:53
Speaker 4: Okay, so maybe maybe a little bit above average. But the Red Sox, we have a resident Red Sox fan. You live right next to Fenway Park, so you're snowed in. What are the Red Sox doing? They just they now clear and I'm and I joked about it on Twitter when you when you had mentioned when you put on there like still waiting, Like they got rid of Rafael Devers contract, that's massive. They got rid of now Jordan Hicks contract. That was a massive amount of money. I guess you know they didn't get rid of all of it because the White Sox aren't paying all of it or the pain a lot. And I said, Liverpool, they're.

00:37:33
Speaker 2: Over there.

00:37:34
Speaker 1: The Red Sox don't have a money problem. They have a decision making problem, and they have a let's wait around because we think people want to play with for the Red Sox. Alec Bregman is now in Chicago because the Red Sox left it on their laurels that oh, he's going to want to come back. We're guaranteeing that he's going to want to come back, so we're not going to make a move and do anything else. Yes, they signed Ranger Suarez and I guess that you know that's okay, that's fine. But the thing is with the Red like you let Raffael Dever go after the second year or within his second year of a ten year deal. So that just goes to show you if you're Bregman, because the Red Sox don't give no full no trade clauses, that's just going to show you that, you know what, I still might be moved. And they saved two hundred and something million dollars on Dever's contract and didn't put the money anywhere. Jordan Hicks doesn't make enough money to make a difference in their payroll. What are the Red Sox doing?

00:38:22
Speaker 2: You tell me? In the same snow as Fenway Park?

00:38:26
Speaker 1: Ish god by the way? Uh. The White Socks are also in agreement with free agent outfielder Austin Hayes, sources telling ESPN Hayes He's thirty hit fifteen home runs in one hundred and three games for Cincinnati last year. The Socks were looking for a veteran outfielder, and Hayes fits the bill. Guys, So here is the lineup, the projected lineup anyway with Austin Hayes. So aj, I mean you like this move at least in terms of proven talent in Austin Hayes.

00:38:54
Speaker 3: Yes, I get on board with this move. This is the move that we've been saying the White Sox should have made for years. Bring in a veteran guy that helped can help some of the young guys, right, and if he has a great first half and you're not in contention, even though the White Sex are like, we're gonna win the division. This year, you trade him and you get some players back. This is the move that you make. This is a smart move, the Murricami move. It's only a two year deal. That's a good move. Brooks Bald when Edwin Kiro look at this team, Vargas Montgomery TiO Mydra, they need a veteran guy in there. And listen, no offense to Andrew ben Attendi, but he doesn't really go as not very outgoing. He's probably he's a good guy, really good guy. But you need somebody that can be a little outgoing and lead these guys. And ben Attende's been there for a while now. So these two guys, maybe Hayes and been attendee together can talk to Brooks Wald when Kiro t o Mydra with Montgomery teach him how to be big leaguers. I love this move. This this is the move the white sexually we make because it's only a one year deal. And if he's great, you got something. And if he's not great, or if he's great, you trade him and you get something back in return, maybe in organization's ten best prospect like they just did. If not, he teaches the young guys what to do. But I would bet on Austin Hays having a good year and coming out and helping the White Sox be better.

00:40:14
Speaker 4: Okay, yeah, it's value. I mean there is not physical value there. Hicks might Jordan Hicks might save twenty games, you know, Sir Anthony might save the other twenty games for the White Sox. So I guess from a front office standpoint, there's value there. But the value in Austin Hayes is what he brings to exactly what AJ said. So two completely different moves, two guys that have been in the league, and most people would say Jordan Hicks for his career, has had a better career than Austin Hayes. If Austin Hayes can make an impact on one or two of those prospects, those guys that are now solidifying themselves in the big leagues, knowing what it takes to be a big leaguer, knowing what it takes to win in the big leagues, which is the next step, not just hitting thirty home runs, it's winning in the big leagues, then that contract will pay for itself fifty times over. That's where that's where Bregman's value to the Red Sox was last year. That's where Kyle Schwarber's value to the Phillies is and the White Sox if they have a chance to add another piece like this. We talked about Zack Gallen before. If some of these pitchers in the White Sox starting rotation, young pitchers are gonna be guys that you're going to have up there for a decent amount of time. Having a guy like Zach Gallon around. He may cost you twenty two point three million dollars whatever the whatever the qualifying offer is, it's probably about what he'll get, but what he will pay back dividends for the future. That's why I pose the question that I did to aj because those type of things our relationship and career building moments, when you bring guys like that in, if they're the right fit for your young kids, would the.

00:42:09
Speaker 1: White Sox make sense or let me rephrase, this would make White.

00:42:15
Speaker 3: So he would make sense. But he ain't gonna go there just to win, and he's not going to go there, And it goes right back to the thing we talked about with the Pittsburgh Pirates. Do you guys remember all the polls that have come out recently, worst franchise to play for teams we don't want to go to. You don't want to do this. It's been the White Sox, been the White Sox, been the White Sox, Right. So you think Zach Allen's going to look at that, and Zack Allen's gonna call someone like Lancelyn who played for the White Sox, right, or he's gonna call someone Todd Frazier or someone that's been there recently and say, hey, what did you guys think of this? And he's gonna say, well, I guess what. The White Sox are gonna have to grossly overpay to get someone like Zach Gallen, even if it's just for one year, because most guys and they go on one year deals when they go to prove it, they want to go to a winner because you always look good on a winning team, right, So they'd have to massively overpay. And one thing we've learned about the White Sox recently, they're not going to massively overpay the.

00:43:10
Speaker 1: Man that just like the Pirates, like you said, they're not going to massively overpay either. I mean they could have had far as they would have just up the ante at a couple of million a year, I.

00:43:18
Speaker 3: Can't argue with that, if you know, if you really, if deep down in your heart of hearts, you don't think that you can compete, then you don't overpay unless you're unless you're the Nationals and you have Jason Worth sitting there and you think eventually he's going to lead to a World Series title, and you don't think Zach Allen's going to be there, then you don't do it right. But the Nationals got what they wanted. They won the World Series with Jason Worth, and because you know then they strawspertures are all these guys showed up. The Tigers, Pud Rodriguez, Maglei, Ardonias, they were the first ones. Now, unfortunately the Tigers never won a World Series, but they got there and they competed for a long time and that was kind of the start of it. So when you think you're in that window, you go for it. The Cubs did it with John Lester, John Lackey, Jason Hayward. Right, They're like, where this is our chance, Dexter Fowler, We're going for it. They brought in these veterans with Schwarber, Brian Rizzo, these younger guys, Contreres, and it worked out it doesn't always work out, but you got to pick your time, and when you pick that time, you gotta go.

00:44:09
Speaker 1: Okay time now to Slaphands, gentlemen, we appreciate, uh you guys letting me be here today. David robertson retiring, Good for him.

00:44:19
Speaker 3: He had a great career, Hey, Jay cutters and curveballs, and he was the last one on.

00:44:27
Speaker 1: The two thousand and nine Yankees team right that one World Series with the Yanks. It was the last one that was still active.

00:44:34
Speaker 3: Correct, What a career, Great career for a guy when he a gymnast coming out of Alabama, when he like a gymnast growing up, and great calves, great calves.

00:44:44
Speaker 4: Great Caves, great Kass, admirable calves. And it's really fastball. I wasn't even a cutter. His fastball would just cut. And he tried to throw a sinker and it was a four steamer. Great teammate, like always smiled very uh, very big into facial expressions when he pitched, go back and look into one curveball that he that he hit Gary Sanchez with. So his his reaction is pretty much the same as everybody's reaction.

00:45:13
Speaker 2: But good for you, d Rob. What a guy.

00:45:17
Speaker 1: Yeah, congratulations on a heck of a career. H pleasure to watch him play pitch for all those all those years. All right, tomorrow, Scott Braun is back. It's exciting. Harrison Vaders is going to be on the show. Yeah, Harrison Vaders.

00:45:35
Speaker 3: Tomorrow.

00:45:37
Speaker 1: New York Yankees pitcher Ryan Weathers. But that's right, because it didn't Bader go to Florida. He's a UF guy.

00:45:42
Speaker 3: He did, yes after I had to wear the sweatshirt today, after Florida whooped Alabama and basketball and the coach guaranteed they would whoop their ass, and they whooped that ass. Okay, even with an NBA player, even with all I hear about.

00:45:58
Speaker 1: Is I will be in Kingsville in May for Morgan Wallin. All right, you guys, steel are crats. What's your hat?

00:46:05
Speaker 4: Columbus Clippers? I mean played there. I watched Richie hit tons of dingers in the bushes.

00:46:14
Speaker 1: Thanks for coming on the show, Richie. Thanks to John coming on and Jim as well, our territory. We'll see you guys. Smort I