Pirates sign Ryan O’Hearn, Mets ship Jeff McNeil to Sacramento

00:00:03
Speaker 1: It is the final and most wonderful FT Live of the year. We do this show live every day Monday through Friday, all year long for three years now officially three years on March first of twenty twenty six, but this will cap our third season of FT. Scottie Brown, Aer Kratz, Kevin Polar. If you're listening on the podcast and you never watch us on YouTube, you should come, especially for today, to see Eric Kratz doing his Sanna's best and KP. I don't want to underwrite what you've got on your head too.

00:00:39
Speaker 2: Thank you, Thank you. Putting on Santa's tab hat. It's a great hat my wife found. I think it's very fitting for today.

00:00:46
Speaker 3: I feel like that's at least one free drink if you go to the bar around Christmas time.

00:00:53
Speaker 2: The bar man I got young kids. I don't even know what outside My little compound looks like groceries get delivered, Groceries get delivered, We eat at home.

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Speaker 4: I'm like, I'm on the house arrest.

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Speaker 1: You're what do you call crats, like treading water or something like that.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, yeah, yeah, they're they're they're just they're they're treading water. Because right now you're just like you know, when the new baby came, you were like under PARNI, okay, maybe you've got this great oh no blowout. We're fine, we're fine. Hold your breath.

00:01:32
Speaker 2: And our baby has like the the most insane ability to just sleep thirty minutes every nap, exactly thirty minutes. So it's like we start the timer. That's the only time we're not really underwater. It's like we get stuff done and then sure enough baby wakes up thirty minutes later.

00:01:47
Speaker 1: Yep, that's the game. Well, this is your little break, Okay. I do meetings all day, You've got kids in arms and running around all day, and then you get a little two hour break to talk ball. So appreciate everyone. It's been watching all year, and we still will have plenty of content from Christmas through New Year's. We've recorded a bunch of funnel things that you'll hear on podcast platforms and on YouTube. Now let's get to breaking news. Here come the buckos. Two years, twenty nine million dollars for Ryan O'Hearn. The Pittsburgh Pirates keep working on what was a brutal offense in twenty twenty five, and they're doing it. They're making moves right now. This contract also includes five hundred thousand dollars in performance bonuses in each season for O'Hearn. Good job by FT insider Robert Murray on that case. Okay, KP Brandon Lao was just acquired by this team, and on our show yesterday they potentially had a thirty home run pop and a veteran. They have the top prospect in the sport in Connor Griffin. According to Baseball America, he should be ready at some point this season. Now. They added Ryan O'Hearn, who's consistently been a very very solid bat, above average bat in baseball over the last few years, and the glove was better than ever this past season, so you can get some first space time out of him. What do we think about the Pirates heading into twenty twenty six? Are they at a potential playoff contender level yet?

00:03:17
Speaker 2: Before I answered that question, all I could think about when that news came out and I saw on our message breaking news. I didn't want to peak see what it was. I wanted to be surprised. But the streak is over the first multi year deal since Ivon Nova and what year was.

00:03:32
Speaker 4: At twenty seventeen? Sixteen for Pirates twenty sixteen. The Pirates have done it.

00:03:38
Speaker 2: So I want to give them a round of applause for signing someone up for more than one year. Would have never thought it was going to be Ryan O'Hearn, but good for them. You know, we talk about another guy who you know, came up, struggled a little bit, you know, kind of bounced around, found a home in Baltimore, kind of really turned his career around.

00:03:58
Speaker 1: You know.

00:03:59
Speaker 2: Ultimately they got traded at the deadline. But I love seeing stories like this. I love seeing guys that kind of on topic with what we were just talking about, that can improve, that can make themselves.

00:04:10
Speaker 4: Better baseball players.

00:04:12
Speaker 2: But to answer your question, I think the Pirates are doing something. I think they're doing something. I think their offense is much improved with some of the additions that they have done. I think they'll be able to go out and play good defense. I think they got a great leader, and obviously their pitching staff is legit. I think they need a little bit more help at the back of their bullpen, and I think they can make some noise in that division.

00:04:35
Speaker 1: I love it. I love it.

00:04:37
Speaker 3: First thing that called me up, Pirates so I always have a place and they always have a place in my heart. They've gone through a lot of things. Scott, you asked, is this enough yet? I don't know. I think they had the after the the second half last year. I think they had the sixth best defense. Everybody knows what they're bringing with the starting rotation. You want a healthy year out of Jared Jones, you want a full year out of some of their prospects. You got Harrington, you have guys coming up, obviously, have Paul Skins. And to me is the question is if you think they're a playoff team in the NL Central, if they have enough to make the playoffs because of the Ryan o'hearns signing, all you have to do is look in the AL Central and say, are the Pirates better than what the Tigers were two years ago? And if you believe that, because you have the other best pitcher in the game, the Tigers had Terror scruball the Pirates have Paul Skins. If you believe that this lineup is better than the Tigers lineup, then you have to believe, even though the National League is tougher, they still play in NL Central, that the Pirates have a chance to make the playoffs. And I think Ryan O'Hearn's signing is amazing. I think he is a prime example of what we talked about. These are the Royals. He didn't play much. He was shuttled up and down from Triple A. When he was up in the big leagues, he'd get a little bit of a stint and then you know it didn't work out. Okay, Okay, we're gonna face We're gonna you're gonna face righties. Salve's gonna still catch. And then days when it's lefties, you know, we're gonna have someone else play first base. Salvi's gonna play first so we can have more of a right handed lineup. He went to Baltimore, he kind of emerged. He got about three hundred and fifty at bats, and then he got four hundred some at bats, and then last year he gets five hundred. And he's always had above an eight an eight hundred slugging percentage and a plus ops. So, to me, is the good signing for a guy that needs to and will play every day for the Pirates.

00:06:45
Speaker 1: This is gonna sound ridiculous, but it's not. You know how you sometimes say players like diet whatever or so and so light. It's almost like take big poppy as coke and then it's like coke zero is Ryan O'Hearn copy didn't get much beat with Minnesota in the Midwest moves over to the Red Sox obviously was more of like a you know, one sixty ish showps plus guy on average, and O'Hearn's more of like a one thirty ish. But my point is Ryan O'Hearn has been a consistently awesome bat, like all star level with his bat here. I was looking at the roster real quick for the Pirates because when we entered the off season, I was like, they have to replace I would say five or six spots. And if you want to give one spot to the top prospect in the sport, that's fine. But still Ryan O'Hearn immediately enters the lineup as their best hitter. He's the best hitter in the lineup, right, Isn't he gonna hit three or four for them?

00:07:41
Speaker 3: Do you know who they had who they had hitting forth? And I say this all the time. I went to a game in April, you know who their fourth hitter was behind Brian Reynolds. Because people are gonna be like, oh, Brian Reynolds, he had a terrible year. You know who was hitting behind him? He Manuel Valdez was hitting fourth. Sorry, it's a big league player. It's not a four hitter. I batted behind Edwin er Canassio, and I hit fourth one time in my career hitting behind Eddie. I should never hit behind Edwin and conossion. Emmanuel Valdez should never be a big league team's fourth hitter. And now they have a legitimate person that to me, this is a signing that raises that raises all ships. This is a signing that helps maybe O'Neil Cruz take that next step. I mean, I think he's a big time underachiever. I think he needs to take that next step where his talent and his as Andrew McCutchen called him, the avatar, takes that next step. Well, how's he supposed to take the next step if everybody's if everybody's attacking him like he's the superstar in the lineup, How's Brian Reynolds supposed to use his elite power from both sides of the plate, if everybody's attacking him like he's the best hitter in the lineup. This takes a little bit of pressure off those guys and maybe helps them take that next step.

00:09:03
Speaker 2: I think it makes it more attractive for other players to want to go there now too. You're talking about kind of raising the bottom up. You know, we talked about this before Thanksgiving, and I know it's McCutcheon's job until he doesn't want anymore. But I think a guy like Marcelo Zuno would fit so good in this lineup. Brandon laut also just recently traded over there too. Brian Reynolds, I know, is a switch hitter, O'Neil Cruz, switch hitter Ryan o'haran left handed. Feels like they need a right handed back kind of in the middle of that. And I think Marcelo Zuno talk about, you know, making players better around him, like an O'Neal Cruz and as you know, Cratzy. It's a real thing Latino to Latino, like they just there's a comfort level there, there's a communication that it's just hard. You know, they've come from the same place as they've been through the same things. Marcelo Zuna is a legendary figure when it comes to Dominican players, Like it's such a voice that O'Neil Cruz can listen to. And I think, you know, going out and making a signing like this is making it more attractive for players who maybe only need only commanding a one year deal, maybe coming off a bounce back year to kind of see the future could kind of be here now they have an opportunity to win. You think about the division they play, and obviously the Milwaukee Brewers are still there, the Chicago Cubs are there, but after that it's kind of you know, anyone's division. And you know, when you look at lineup the way the lineups are constructed, name for name, you know, I know the Milwaukee Brewers went out and won, you know, ninety some games, best record in the National League. But I don't think the names on the paper throughout the performance, the names on the paper are not that much different when you compare these two teams.

00:10:45
Speaker 1: Wow, Wow, Hey Cubs fans too, look out here, come to Pittsburgh Pirates. Yeah. You look on paper at your a zoom idea and you're like, oh, is there room for all of them? But it is true. You're getting ready bat. I mean, first base DH right now is probably a Spencer Horowitz, Ryan o'hearnshuffle. They're both lefties. I know they like both of those guys. They're both lefties. So yead Azuna, you give yourself a little more depth and flexibility with the lineup. They acquired the password, remember from the Red Sox. That's another righty bat to be able to at least handle lefties, if not more. Heading into this season, Law is positioned at second base every day. I know Reynolds is coming off a down year, but he's still a productive player. He should play every day shortstops, where hopefully Connor Griffin emerges. Nick Gonzales can probably hold it down for now, O'Neil Cruz in center field. They have some work to do over at third base. Two. Who's playing third right now? It's Gared Triolo, maybe Gino Suarez? What about Geno Suarez.

00:11:48
Speaker 3: One year deal when everyone else is and everyone else has gone home and taking their ball and gone home. Honestly, that would be I really think the Pirates have done here. I really think they have done it, and I don't know that they need it. Are you hitting Asuarez? But it definitely doesn't hurt. He knows the division, he knows they know him. In the division because he's killed him for years with the Reds. Like to me, I think that that would be an amazing signing, but got to give We got to give credit where credit's due and the pirates with this. To me, you don't make this deal without saying Connor Griffins are Connor Griffins are starting shortstop in the big leagues next year. Nothing against Nick Gonzalez, but what Conor Griffin's done. You can bring him into a situation where now you have veteran Brian Reynolds, you have veteran Brandon Lao, you have veteran Ryan O'Hearn. All guys that I know are stand up dudes. Joey bart is going to be your catcher. He's been a prospect to bust. So maybe they can, you know, have conversations about how, hey, you know what as a rookie, it didn't work out for me with the Giants. I can kind of help you through this. To me, they're giving him a soft landing spot for a guy who will probably never have a soft landing spot because you're the number one prospects in baseball and his mental makeups there. To me, I think we called d k up Don Kelly and say push for this man, kind of similar to how the Padres in twenty nineteen with the Eric Hosmer Manny Machado, those guys pushed for Fernando Tatist to make the team out of spring training. I think that is a huge, huge piece. And the Pirates have done an amazing job without giving out you know, the one hundred and fifty million to a Kyle Schwarber in these cases.

00:13:46
Speaker 1: Right, they did make an attempt there, but now they're able to spread that money out amongst what could be maybe a couple other players that entered the mix here for the Pirates.

00:13:59
Speaker 2: Luis Rinfo, who when I was with him in twenty year, had a really good year. He had a bit of a down year last year. To play third base. Wichitter, you know, proven hitter could hit kind of towards the top of lineup, bottom lineup, ability to steal bases, like you know, you're talking about one year deals kind of you know, give him eight ten million bucks to kind of just go out there play third base every day kind of, you know, allow him to re up his value. Meaning between two thoy twenty two and twenty four two seventy three, you know, one to eleven WRC plus only struck out sixteen percent of the times. Like, you know, I don't think they're in I don't think they were in position to go out and sign a you know, surez because I don't think Swors has taken a one year deal. I think, I mean, what he hit over fifty homers last year, he's not taking a one.

00:14:49
Speaker 1: Year Yeah, but he wasn't KP. He's not as valued amongst the front offices, and I think the trade deadline showed that, you know, a lot of front offices almost looked at that as I don't want, say a fluke, but something that's not going to be repeated.

00:15:02
Speaker 2: I would imagine if one year deals were out there, if one year deals were out there for him, I would see Seattle as more of a fit for him. You know, he's obviously sure beloved there, went back there. If all things are equal, I mean, Seattle's in a much different position than the Pittsburgh Pirates are in terms of winning right now. But you know, I think to Crass's point, if you just have slight upgrades at all these positions, it kind of raises the floor for this team.

00:15:31
Speaker 1: I'm with you, I mean they have to overpay, at least to an extent. My guess is that O'Hearn's best offer was say two twenty four, twenty five, and then you make a call and go, hey, he's yours if you make it twenty nine something like that. Do you guys agree, I think based on the past for the pirates, I'm.

00:15:52
Speaker 2: Trying to think how people out I'm trying to think how people would view them right now. You know, obviously you would make that case with a place like Sacramento. But I don't know if Pittsburgh is that undesirable as a place to live. Cratsy, I mean, he's.

00:16:10
Speaker 1: Place to live. It's just the organization and how it's been run for six years or so, and there is still a chance that it doesn't go well and then you end up getting moved again. They haven't played in these waters in a long time. Maybe O'Hearn is not the best example because he's probably looking for the best deal. Kratz, this is his one time to strike.

00:16:31
Speaker 3: Yes, And I would say maybe, and we'll ask O'Hearn. Remember put it down in your notes. Scotty always has a big awesome note section.

00:16:39
Speaker 1: Yep.

00:16:39
Speaker 3: But when Scott o'heart, Scott O'Hearn. When Ryan O'Hearn comes on, we got to make sure we ask him did the Brandon Allow signing or trade change his mind? Did it push it across the line for him? I would think maybe it wasn't necessarily an extra five million dollars, Maybe it was. Maybe there was just you know that extra cash. Five million dollars is a lot of money, no matter how much you're making. But you know, without Brandon Low, are you like, man like, that's just a lot of weight to carry for this lineup? Brandon Low is now on the team, does that push it across or you're or you're having those conversations and say, hey, wait, wait and see, wait and see what we're gonna do as an organization, wait and see the moves we're gonna make. We're we're gonna call Connor Griffin up this year. We really feel like he is ready to go based on what he shows us in spring training. And you're like, as a free agent, You're like, I don't know, you know, I've heard this about the pirates, heard that about the pirates. And then the Brandon Law trade goes through. Oh well, that's kind of a that's kind of a nice deal. I kind of do want to play with Paul Skeens. I kind of do want to see what Brian Reynolds has out there. Connor Griffin seems like the real deal. I loved watching Jake Mangnum play like who knows what goes into it, but maybe that Brandon low or trade not contract trade pushed it over for him, like, Hey, they are really making moves and they might have some more moves that they promised Ryan O'Hearn that they're going to make.

00:18:16
Speaker 1: Who knows, Yeah, I don't know if they're going to be Well, they're now not going to be in play for Okamoto. He's going to be at first. So they were linked to him, and maybe those conversations were happening and they went though hearn direction O'Hearn Horwitz. I don't think they're going to add another guy who's primarily a first baseman but third base.

00:18:36
Speaker 3: And out did Nakamo go play third?

00:18:38
Speaker 1: I think he plays third and first, but you feel better about him.

00:18:42
Speaker 3: Murakama was more of the first d H and the defense and strikeouts for the issue. Akamoto I thought was a third baseman and I thought a very serviceable third baseman. And think about the production that they got at third base for the last three years in Kibrian Hayes. Now they're going to have a tough time that that pitching staff which was which was really good. It's gonna have tough time, you know, having a third basement there that's not kim Brian Hayes, who's a goal glove third basement. So that will be a change. But if Alkamoto to me, I think Pittsburgh is a great landing spot.

00:19:19
Speaker 1: Yep, first time, I.

00:19:22
Speaker 4: Forget there's only so many first base jobs available to.

00:19:26
Speaker 2: You know, we who knows what he who knows what he had out there. This could have been the best opportunity for him, you know, could have guaranteed him the most playing time. But I don't think it's an unattractive place. I mean, I've only ever been there as a visiting player. Beautiful stadium. I know you kind of hear kind of in the industry, you know, how the pirates have done things in the past, or the way that they do things, or their lack of being able to go out and spend money. But sometimes when you get a generational talent and you win the lottery and you get the first overall pick, and you get like Paul's schemes, and he goes out what he's done in his first two years. Maybe it changes the way the organization is planning on acting moving forward, and maybe it changes the way that you, as a player feel about the organization. If I'm playing right now, I want a front row seat to watch Paul Skins play for at least the next four years that he's signed up to be a Pittsburgh Pirate.

00:20:23
Speaker 1: I agree, yeah, and the Central got tougher. The team that I think has to be looking around and making sure that they do something is the Cups. I mean, they're going to lose Kyle Tucker and the Pirates are getting better. The Brewers aren't going anywhere. You know, there's a few wins. Sometimes the Cubs just pummel the Pirates. They're not going to be as easy to pummel this year. So something that the Cubs should keep in mind. You know, if the Brewers win the division, there might not be a wildcard team, or it could be a team like Pittsburgh. Given the Cubs a run for one of those.

00:20:52
Speaker 2: Spots, I mean, I think that's a I think that's a fair point. When you have a lot of these or at least a bottom feeder in your division. It you know, the teams like the Cubs can go out and feel like, you know, we play them X amount of times a year, we're gonna just beat them, you know, majority.

00:21:07
Speaker 4: Of the time.

00:21:08
Speaker 2: Kind of sets your bar at that, you know, eighty six to ninety wins. You know, as these teams get better, you know, maybe there isn't a wildcard team that comes out of the centro anymore. Maybe there's only one winner because the the gap is shrinking a little bit, it becomes a little bit more competitive.

00:21:26
Speaker 1: Yeah, and you know, the Reds haven't done much, but they're pitching good, so they're not going to be a pushover next year. Really, the Cardinals could be the pushover of all teams that would be the bottom feeder coming into next season. Jeff McNeil traded to the Sacramento Athletics. First off, KP, You played with McNeil.

00:21:52
Speaker 4: Right, yeah, I did.

00:21:54
Speaker 1: We played together in New York, Okay, and you played with I guess most of the long tenured Mets who are now gone. So this continues to unravel. We are going to give good love to the A side and what their lineup looks like, which I think is pretty good. But let's start with the Mets dismantling their core. What do you think about it? What does it tell you?

00:22:18
Speaker 2: I think it has a lot more to do with who's running the team and David Stearns. Obviously Steve Cohen at the top, but he brings in someone like David Stearns, and you know, sometimes people that are as successful as he is and has done what he's been able to do. When they inherit a team with a lot of really good players on it and it doesn't work, or if it does work, sometimes they like to kind of strip it down and kind of bring in their own guys and leave their own fingerprint. I think this is a lot more to do with David Stearns and wanting to leave his fingerprint on the Mets organization more than maybe some of these rumors that you see about a lot of these pieces not really fitting together. Because when I was there, yes, every team going to have some you know argument and behind closed doors, you know, fights or disagreements and stuff. But you know a lot of these players that are no longer there were really good players, and they all kind of fit in. You know, it was a bunch of different unique personalities. But when it came to playing ball, these guys love playing ball and love winning. And I know ultimately they haven't won, But I think this has to do more with trying to leave his fingerprint on bringing in his guys.

00:23:29
Speaker 3: But they won recently. Like I get it, they didn't win this year. And I don't think anything was so bad and so agregious that this past year was like we got to get rid of four of our most productive players, let alone fan favorites, like for McNeil, he had a one to eleven ops plus, like he was above league average. Yes, his defense was what it was. There was some tists. You would see some of his you know, emotion. You gotta have guys that have emotions. So the fact that David Stearns came in here and has now dismantled a very huge core of this team, he still hasn't dismantled two of the biggest core pieces in Juan Soto and Francisco Lindor. The biggest question will be for him and I don't because I know Stearns, I don't feel like he's coming in going. My fingerprint needs to be on this. I don't a lot of gms have that, and player president of baseball operations have that, like this is me. I want to be me. I want to show everybody who I am, and this is my kind of team. He's more of. I want to build something that's sustainable. I want to build something that wins, not just this year, but for the next fifteen years. And I think sometimes those decisions are not always the most popular decisions at this moment, saying all that he needs needs to definitely come up with a lot of value to be able to fill in for the guys that he's lost. When you figure Nemo's twenty seven home runs, when you figure what Pete Alonso has done and what he did in this past year, when you figure in Jeff McNeil, I get it's been a while since he won a batting title, but he's still an above average hitter and the best, if not one of the best closers in the game. And Edwin Diaz all gone to fill in for those. Luke Weaver and Devin Williams good start, There's a lot he needs to do on this offense that was actually pretty good last year. It's the starting pitching that cooked them, so it'll be interesting. But another piece out of the Mets is gone.

00:25:47
Speaker 1: Okay KP. Jeff McNeil and Francisco Lindor got into it several years ago, and then it was reported that they got into it again this past year. They're one of a billion get into it situations that occur throughout a baseball season, but they're in New York, so some of them have become public. It's hard to dissect how to view this one. Is it just because the Mets want to clear some more money and get David Stearns his own guys in there, or is there also a factor to switch up personalities involved in the clubhouse. I mean, if there are two guys that go at it every once in a while, do we like it? Is it good? Is it healthy? Or do they prefer to have two bestest friends that are always combo or you know, in the lineup together frequently.

00:26:39
Speaker 2: I mean, I think all these things are fair, but you know, they also really didn't have a place for Jeff McNeil. You bring in someone like Marcus Simi who's going to play every day second base. You have Mark Vientos and a Brett Bady are going to be kind of competing for third base. Jeff McNeil is a fine outfielder. Is he a goal glove caliber outfielder. No, but he's kind of a jack of all trades, could kind of fit in anywhere. You know, this could just be more about he just kind of became the odd man out in, you know, the way their roster was configured. But I really do like the moves on the on the A side because I do think the young core of the A's players is something promising. I think once they're able to kind of build a pitching staff around them, and I don't think that's really gonna happen until they moved to Vegas, because I don't think there's a ton of free agents wanting to sign in Sacramento at this point, given how hit or friendly it is, how kind of far behind it is on their facilities. But I do love what they're gonna be able to do. From the offensive side. You have guys like Jeff McNeil and Jack Wilson who just are really tough out who put the ball in play, and you think about the guys around them, I think they're gonna be able to score a lot of runs, and they're gonna need to be able to score a lot of runs to win games because their pitching staff isn't quite there yet.

00:27:51
Speaker 1: What do you think of the A's heading into next Yearocratz? If they just wipe out May, they would have been close to a playoff team this back season. They need more pitching. I think that's pretty obvious. I think the lineup is a playoff worthy lineup, I would say so.

00:28:08
Speaker 3: I think they have. I think they have a good mix of what KP just said. I mean McNeil pop you ten to twelve home runs. Jacob Wilson will pop you ten to twelve home runs. So those are the contact guys. I think Rook has been just that solid, solid DH for this team. And then with the emergence of Nick Kurtz last year, you have an aircraft carrier that makes Brent Rooker the guy that you're like, I mean, who do we go after here? I guess my better matchup is against the lefty. I'll try to go after Nick Kurtz. I think they have a good lineup. I think Soderstrum's full year of being in the big leagues after a full year of being in the big leagues will be huge, and I think Low Dog is going to have a bounce back year. They have a great lineup. But man, you can't you can't win like you can't win the way they were trying to win last year. Whatever, if it's Sacramento or not. KP will tell you if you're standing out in the field in Sacramento, Toronto, Philly, wherever it is, and you just scored seven runs and you're losing eight to seven and the seventh inning, it's draining. It drains on you. It just drains on you watching more guys run in from the bullpen, watching more runs get given up, and it's a track meet out there. So they have to find a way to get quality innings from the starters but also be able to just flat out give up less runs. And they get rid of JP Sears, they got rid of their lockdown closer and Mason Miller. So yes, you get rid of May and all that stuff is great, Like, you know, you had a decent season, Try to finish an entire season, not just the last month and a half. Two months without Mason Miller. They had a stop a stop gap cloth. I mean they had guy that stopped the game in the ninth inning in Mason Miller, and now they don't have it. They got a lot of work to do on the pitching side. It's another team that I'm going to be pushing that over all year next year.

00:30:12
Speaker 1: Yeah, that park's tough. Did you get time there, KP.

00:30:17
Speaker 2: Yeah, I played there. I played there early, so it was a little cooler when I was there.

00:30:22
Speaker 4: But it's still a launching pad.

00:30:24
Speaker 2: I mean, there's runs are always going to be flying on the board there. It's hard to you know, it's much like Colorado. You know there and you're expecting to score a lot of runs. And to Crats's point, when you're someone that's in the field, whether you're in the outfield or infield, and guys are just running around the bases, you're constantly going to the bullpen, it does affect your offense over the course of the year, the more you're standing on your feet. So, you know, I love their offense. We forgot about shay Langeliers also a really good player. The guys capable of hitting thirty home runs. So like you think about their lineup from top to bottom, they have right and lets you know, contact, they have some speed, they have some pop, They're gonna score runs. It just comes down to if they can get enough pitching. You know, you saw what happened when they went out and signed a seven reno. They had to severely overpay, and then they got a frustrated player when he actually got the Sacramento and played. You know, I think if they do a good job and just continue to kind of lock these guys up and kind of built for two to three years from now, you know, I think they're gonna be a team that's gonna be really good. But they got to find a way to get pitching. And I don't know much about their their minor league depth and pitching. If they have options that they're able to bring up, but it's it's tough shoes to fill when you have a guy like Mason Miller leave and even jpcre is very reliable.

00:31:43
Speaker 4: Is he an ace on a staff? No, But sometimes you need guys.

00:31:46
Speaker 2: That can make their thirty two starts and you know, throw one hundred and eighty innings a year.

00:31:52
Speaker 1: Yeah. Right now, their pitching is not close. You know, I'm looking as you guys are talking. But hitting wise, everybody in the lineup was above average by a pretty nice margin. Besides the bottom three in the regular order, which would include Lawrence Butler, who was more of a league average guy this past season with the bat, and then they have Max Muntzy pegged to third, the other Max Monty, and Denzel Clark who's sick in center field. Everybody else is nicely above average if you go off numbers like weighted runs created plus or ops plus. So they're building something nice with the core. They should do some spending on the free agent market. I'm not saying they're going to go out and spend one hundred and fifty million bucks on a starter, but they have a lot of work to do. You guys are right. I don't know if they're going to do it, but we'll see. In January. Hey, good for Rob Refsnyder signing a contract with the Seattle Mariners. And you know, he's one of those specialists KP. He either bashes or is able to solve left hand pitching as well as anybody in baseball, and the Mariners recognize that. It's been around the game for a while and he's really found a fit in terms of how he's able to put together just incredibly incredible quality at bats, so the Mariners pick him up. For some reason, I lost where the money was, but I believe Kratz. Do you have it off the top of your head. One year? What is it? Six and a half?

00:33:11
Speaker 4: Six and a half.

00:33:12
Speaker 1: Yeah, nice coin for Rob.

00:33:17
Speaker 2: I love everything about it. I played with Rob Ruth Snyder. I can't even remember when, but he was kind of just up and down. He was still trying to kind of figure out his.

00:33:23
Speaker 4: Way in the game.

00:33:26
Speaker 2: You know, all of a sudden he ended up in Boston and he kind of found his niche in this game, and I love that. And I remember seeing him in the off season, I think the year before he signed that two year deal with Boston, and he wasn't even sure he wanted to continue to play. Not because he didn't love the game. He just had a young family and as Krats knows, it weighs on you a lot being gone, and he ended up sticking it out. He found his niche in this game with Boston. He really found his specialty. And I love that he got paid for it because typically you see guys that even dominate left handed pitching because it usually ends up being about a third of the at bats that a.

00:34:02
Speaker 4: Lefty would get. You know, normally they get.

00:34:05
Speaker 2: Shafted on, you know, being a specialist. And I know earlier this offseason we had talked about just the quality of left handed pitching in the major leagues right now, and majority of them are starting game one of the playoffs. You need a guy like this if you're Seattle, if you got to go up against a Trek Scooble in game one of a wildcart series. So good for him for finally, you know, getting a good payday, and good for the Mariners for you know, paying a guy six and a half million dollars to platoon because typically the right handed platoon guys are the ones that you know, end up with two or three million dollars, So good for them paying them six and have million bucks.

00:34:43
Speaker 3: Yeah, and the fact that he did this at an elite level is my favorite. Like I'm not saying he's the best one available, I mean the best right handed bat available to hit lefties. But when you look at what he did is last two years ops plus over one third, and people are gonna say, well, he's gonna get overexposed in Seattle. Seattle had to go through Trek Scubele, and they did. They beat him, But you know you're gonna have to go through some quality lefties if you want to win the American League, you were gonna have to go through maybe Max Freed, Carlos Rodin, Trek Scubele, Garrett Crochet like and I'm not even I'm not even mentioning guys in there in their division right now. And to me, he's the best one available. And he showed I had it pulled up, how many like this is a truly he can go in there, he can face your lefties. But he has played this past year. He played forty three games in the outfield, twenty nine of them in right field, so he was bouncing around. He DHD twenty times, and he played forty six in left field. Like, and he's playing in Boston. That's a tough transition from left field in Boston to right field in Boston. He has really created since being a minor leaguer in the Yankees organization. When he came up, it was like, I mean on that on those minor league teams, it was Tyler Austin, it was Aaron Judge, it was and he's really good friends with Aaron Judge Tyler Wade, like guys that were all prospects, and some of them have you know, gone their separate ways Japan and utility guy and all that stuff. He's really re upped his value since going to Boston, similar to what like Randall Gritchik has done in Arizona. It's like, hey, you you you gain that value and all of a sudden, teams see what you can bring. And defensively he's versatile enough. I think this is a huge addition for the Mariners, but it can't be enough. And at six point four to six point five million what he got, it's a pretty expensive piece. I love like with KP's said, I love that they got him this, but it's it's a steep price. Let's put it that way for somebody who's only going to face lefties if you want him to have his most success.

00:37:12
Speaker 4: Yeah, I mean this is speaking my language exactly. One.

00:37:15
Speaker 2: I know the difficulty of playing right field and left field in Boston, and you know they're two completely different worlds playing out there. But my point is a guy like this, you look at his numbers, the eight thirty AOPs, the one point thirty ops plus, you can't really put an accurate number on it, because people don't realize the difficulty it is to sit there on the bench only face left handed pitching. You were subject to the rotation that you were playing in the upcoming weeks of when you were actually going to get a chance to play.

00:37:47
Speaker 4: I platooned when.

00:37:49
Speaker 2: I was in Atlanta, and there was days I went seventeen days without that bat because we didn't face the left handed starter, or my spot didn't come up with a lefty reliever coming in. So you have to kind of look at that number and you have to realize the difficulty that it comes with staying ready every single day, not knowing when your number is gonna get called off the bench, and then ultimately being only playing when your numbers called when a left handed starter goes. It's really difficult to do. I wish there was like a scale that you could just put a one p thirty ops in compared to like a guy who plays every day, because, as Kratzy knows, is a guy who had an opportunity to play every day at some point is queer and also coming off the bench. It's two completely different ballgames.

00:38:30
Speaker 3: I would love that I would love that I wish there was. I wish there was a formula too, because everyone's like, yeah, but you hit this or you hit that. Like if you take the best superstar and you put them on the bench, like KP said, seventeen days in a row, four days in a row of not playing, and then two more days off and you don't play again. Or when you do play, you're facing that lefty, they bring a righty in and the seventh and you only got two at bats. I would love to see where that sliding scale of your success goes. It is. It's hard, and so to have the numbers that ref Snyder has at a one thirty eight ops plus and the year before one thirty one, I bet that's actually higher. You know, we value like defensively if or we value in positions. If a catcher hits has one hundred ops plus league average, he's league average, but position average, he's above average coming off the bench only facing lefties. If you have that, if you have a thirty eight percent higher ops plus than the rest of the league, to me, that's higher. That's more like a fifty percent Because of how hard it is to come off the bench and be productive for an entire season.

00:39:44
Speaker 1: Also, remember that we love using the I would say basic advanced stats like OPS plus or weighted runs created plus is very similar. They do not factor in if you're hitting against left handed or right handed pitching, so you can put a little more value on someone who's hitting lefties based off something that's become a trend in the game. Left handed pitching tougher than ever. To hit left handed pitching specifically has gotten so difficult, right, there's the talent, there's the platooning that gets done with many players. It's there's a whole mix. There's guys, right you got rid of the loogi's the guys who really cannot get a right out. They're not really in the league anymore. So you add everything up, and that is why I think Rob Refsnyder gets six and a half versus maybe three and a half. Crats will go back to your other point about the Mariners not enough. I think they're done on the position player side. I mean, I know they didn't bring back Coorge Polanco, but I'm just slicing up the lineup right now and what I think they're going to do. And we know Jerry Depoto likes to swing a trade, so if there's some crazy opening in terms of someone that's available on the market, he'll have a conversation. But I think it's more likely that they try and load up and trade for maybe yet another reliever. They love Jose Ferrer and actually they made a great point again talking lefty righty. Farrere is someone who can come in as left you with three good pitches out of the bullpen, including I think two that or plus after essentially an entire rotation of right handed starting pitchers. So they just felt like they needed more than most teams do because they want to have you. I would say, I would say ideally three high leveraged lefties, which is difficult to do. So maybe I think they've got two now, maybe they end up getting a third. But anyway, back to the lineup for a second, Randy Rose Arena should be playing every day. Cale Rowley's going to play every day, Julio Rodriguez is going to play every day, Josh Naylor is going to play every day. D H. Probably your most common situation here is can Zone against righty's, who actually had a crazy year against righty's, and then ref Snyder against lefties. Obviously, ref Snyder can play other positions too, but they've got Victor Roeblaz who will still probably get a good chunk of time out there. That's the one spot that you could look at as maybe a weaker spot where he could be a fourth outbuilder for a first division team versus what he was. JP Crawford's going to play every day, and then you've got second and third. Cole Young I think is taking up second base. They love him. I know you're going to make a face Crafts because he's young and unproven, but he's one of the top prospects in baseball and this is his time now, this is his year. He's twenty two and a half right now, so next year I think will be his age twenty three season. And then Ben Williamson over at third. That's where you can make the case. Do they bring Gino Suarez back even though he wasn't great with them down the stretch, so you don't have two super youngsters at second and third. What do you want to see done?

00:42:34
Speaker 3: I mean I said it before and you we'll see in my wish list later on. Kotel Marte would do for this team what I think the Mariners saw Josh Naylor did for this team, not taking anything away from cal Rally. Cal Rally was the reason they got to where they were and did what they did. I get it. But when you brought Josh Naylor in and he stole twenty two bases in two months, when you bring in a guy like you Hineo Suarez, who I think he only had thirteen homers in his like fifty games he played, I get it. He didn't do well. It changes the look of that lineup for the other team when they're attacking guys, and I think helped cal Ralely have success the rest of the season and not fade or get pitched around as much as he should have for a guy that hit sixty homers. To me, I think if you trade for Kateel Marte, I get what they're saying about Cole Jung. He looks great. He's the PA guy, so I'm always banging a drum for Pennsylvania guys that need to come up. He's not gond tell Marte, and that's okay. He hit two forty in the minor leagues last year and that's okay. It doesn't mean he's not ready, it just means not could tell Marte and it just means Mariners have too often not done that last little thing. And they did it last year and look how close they got to make it the World Series. This team has the pitching, kateel Marte puts them over the top. And I say it the other day, I'll say it again later on today they get him. They are the best team in the American League.

00:44:09
Speaker 1: Yep, it's a good call. And hey, I mean, I just want to clarify. I completely agree. I think one more movie is necessary. Could tell Marte or Brendan Donovan. I'm just not positive they're going to go down that route. I don't think they're going to go down the signing route unless no one likes Gino Suarez and they get him at a discount and they bring him back because they love him. But otherwise I'm with you. The one piece left, it's Donovan or it's kateel Marte. I just don't know if they're actually going to do it. I hope they do it. A couple quick hitters that we didn't have time for earlier. Sean Neukom signed with the White Sox. They're handing out money now, four and a half million bucks on a one year contract. Jeff Passen talked about how he was one of the most highly sought left handed relievers on the market, so good for the White Sox. That helps prove a little bit at the margins. If Nukem looks great, you can usually flip them at the deadline for a prospect, and you also end up only paying what sixty percent or so of that contract if the White Sox aren't playoff relevant. These are the kind of moves that I think you should be making left and right if you're the White Sox. The way that you can catch up quickly. And we've gone over this many times. Kevin is how the White Sox should be able to spend their way out of a rebuild a little bit quicker by making signings like this and acquiring more prospects.

00:45:31
Speaker 4: No doubt.

00:45:32
Speaker 2: I think also read that he's going to compete for a starting rotation job too. I don't think he's I don't think he's signed there to be a reliever. I think I had read that he's going to have a chance to compete in the rotation and obviously if it doesn't work out, his fallback he can be a legit left handed weapon out of any bullpen. But yeah, I think teams that are in a position like the White Sox are in that need to, you know.

00:45:56
Speaker 4: Do some things.

00:45:57
Speaker 2: You go out and sign these players that you know or only really commanding one year deals, given opportunity to play. You have spots on your roster to fill.

00:46:05
Speaker 4: Let him go out and play.

00:46:06
Speaker 2: If you got to overpay a little bit, you know you're only paying sixty percent of it because you're not a playoff team, and go on acquire some prospects.

00:46:13
Speaker 1: Yep, I'm with you, hey. And then last one, last bit of news, and I truly think this was based off yesterday's show. I'm not saying this to be hockey or anything. We had Pete Alonso on the show yesterday and one of our last questions was about how we haven't heard any news about him linked to the World Baseball Classic. He was part of that team last go Round? What pops up? Hours later, Bryce Harper announced as the first baseman for Team USA, or at least that he's joining Team USA. Pete was like, dro call me, and I'm looking and I'm thinking, why aren't they calling Pete yet? Maybe they're waiting for Bryce to make a decision. Brice didn't participate last go round, not that Pete can't still join the team, but my guess is that there was a wait see on Bryce first before they started exploring phone calls to Pete, matt Olsen, maybe Michael Bush, guys like that. So Krats, the timing was impeccable. We've had all of these days on the calendar, and hours after our conversation and Pete's public call out that got a lot of play on social media, we get another member of the World Baseball Classic USA squad at it, and a great one for the USA fans out there in Bryce Harper.

00:47:29
Speaker 3: Don't think so highly of yourself, Scott that you're that you're making that you're making trendy, trendy moves. But yeah, one hundred percent, like it's time, it's time, you know, maybe a call was made, Hey, Bryce Haye, how you feeling? What's your what's your move? Because I know Pete, Pete wants to Pete wants to play. I completely forgot, honestly, Like when he said it yesterday, my mind's going, Okay, who's going to play first? Can't you can't mess up first base as a as team USA. I'm like there's no way. I'm like, and I never thought of Bryce Harper, Like he's right here in my backyard, and I'm like, who's gonna play first? And I thought of Matt Olson, and I'm like, man, there's no way, Like I haven't heard anything about Matt Olsen, and then I never even thought of Bryce Harper's. But good for Team USA. Look, you can find a spot. You can find a spot for Pete. You can even find a spot for Matt Olson. You can have all three of them, bring them all like, bring your lit's, just like you said in the movie, bring your green hat, like we're going streaking in the quad when the when the WBC.

00:48:34
Speaker 1: You've got righty pop LEFTI pop with those guys first base DH. We'll see how the rest of the roster shakes out. Pete might still be part of it. But I do think, yeah, Bryce saying let's do this had a little bit to do with the oh hey, yeah, it is December twenty third. I'd love to figure out where I'm going to be in March. Am I going to be justin spring training with the Ools? Or am I going to be spending some time in the World Baseball Classic? And two more orders of business crats hats, and then a special shout out on the way out.

00:49:07
Speaker 3: I mean, obviously I got my Santa hat on. There's no team on it. What you guys are. You guys are my team. There actually is a Phillies Phillies Santa hat that we have somewhere in the house and it actually fits me a little bit better because it's a little bit larger. But it was like it was a gift to It was a gift to my son, I think years ago. But anyway, you guys are my You guys are my Christmas gift. I don't need to ask for anything. I love having KP on the show. I love working with Scott every day. I love working with Gab and Claude and Jare and Mark and Michael sometimes Justin and if I'm forgetting somebody, Olivia, like everybody, all everybody behind the scenes, even Aj he's off gallivanting in Africa. But this ft is my is my Christmas gift and I love it and I love all the fans that are here. So everybody, Marry Christmas. Honika just ended. Happy Honikah and a happy New Year.

00:50:07
Speaker 1: Yeah, well said George and Vince and Sarah and so many more. Frankie, I mean, the list goes on and on. Behind the scenes, it's a big group and they're awesome, and then we'll show one more tweet at the finish line. We don't ask for this often, but when it does get posted, we rarely show it on shows, and I'd like to do it a little bit more frequently. Ref. One of our OG's in the chat among many that we love in there and the YouTube live chat every day said, apparently I'm the top one percent of Foul Territory viewers on YouTube group chat confirmed. We're all certified sick. Ohs. My wife thinks I have a problem. I think I have priorities, no regrets. Top point one percent, not just one percent. Ref. You showed us the screenshop point one percent of viewers. You watched three hundred and forty nine of our videos this year. That is dedication. We love you and all of the ftfam that has been watching us all year long. KPTE. Great to have you as an addition to the team. Looking forward to a big year and more announcements in twenty twenty six. Have an awesome holiday, have a few on me, or actually just put it on Santa's Tab tonight.

00:51:09
Speaker 4: Okay, pet on Santa's Tab.

00:51:11
Speaker 2: I gotta say Happy birthday to my mom too, to my mom's birthday today.

00:51:14
Speaker 4: Holidays are crazy.

00:51:15
Speaker 2: My dad's birthdays the day after Christmas, so this is like the official kickoff of the holiday.

00:51:20
Speaker 4: Season for us.

00:51:21
Speaker 2: So happy birthday, Mom, and love you guys. Thanks for having me. You guys have been a Christmas gift for me all along, allowing me to stay, you know, in baseball. And I'm excited to get up in the morning and check my phone to kind of stay in the loop of baseball. And you guys had given me a great outlet. So thank you guys.

00:51:39
Speaker 1: Have a we love having it.

00:51:41
Speaker 2: And Happy New Year.

00:51:42
Speaker 3: Your mom's got a birthday that's today.

00:51:49
Speaker 2: I gotta go, I gotta go here.