Lance Lynn: Bieber’s choice, Skubal prediction, Cardinals to-do list

00:00:04
Speaker 1: Welcome you to the off season to do list with Cardinals greats. Of course, Lance Lynn been on the show many, many, many time. I'm he's a great don't worry. Don't give me that face a j When I think of Lance Lynn, I think of the Saint Louis Cardinals. Lance good to be with you as always. Of course you can catch him on Cardinal Territory with Matt Holliday and Kyle Gibson. Jim Hayes, Welcome to the show again. My friend Ryan Helsley says he expects Saint Louis to reach out to him. Should he be expecting that, Lance I don't often hear guys say out loud that they expect a certain team to reach out. Did that surprise you?

00:00:40
Speaker 2: Uh? No?

00:00:40
Speaker 3: I think you're looking at a guy who played, you know, his whole career up until getting traded there. He's well, well like there didn't do you know what? You know, the Mets hope when they traded for him. So it could be a nice little fit for him to come back and re establish himself as the elite closer he was two years ago. So I see the fit it, especially because if you're gonna have a young team. When you have a chance to win games, you want to have somebody in the back end that can make sure you you win those games. And it can really help the organization and those guys learn how to become winners. So I can see the fit there, and I like it too, because Hell's was a Cardinal, you know, drafty and through the minor leagues and all that.

00:01:20
Speaker 2: So he's coming back home.

00:01:22
Speaker 1: All right. What are the top three things Lance Linn that the Cardinals need to do this offseason?

00:01:29
Speaker 2: Well, it sounds like it's pretty simple.

00:01:30
Speaker 3: It's trade Sonny Gray, trade Contreras, and trade whom I'm missing, Oh, Aaron being talked about who's been talked about being traded all year. So those are your three to do's, because it doesn't sound like you're gonna have any money to spend unless you get their money off the books everything that you're reading and here and so those two you got to go. And then you see where you can go around the margins to fill in. You're gonna need a couple, uh, you need a couple of starters. You're gonna need two. You're gonna need two right handed bats because you're getting rid of to right handed bats because you're very left handed heavy. So there's a lot of things to do after you get rid of those three. But you can't do anything to you get rid of those three in the money.

00:02:11
Speaker 4: Okay, well those are the three things, but how many of those don't All three of them have no trade clauses, so you're gonna like, how are you gonna get rid of them?

00:02:19
Speaker 2: Sounds like.

00:02:21
Speaker 3: Okay with lifting that no trade if you're not gonna put anything around them.

00:02:25
Speaker 4: Yeah, but I mean Arnotto already had the shot. He didn't do it. They were like, you were sending you to Houston. I'm not doing that, Sonny Gray. You know, he's kind of They were like, hey, Sonny, we can move you. At the deadline he gave the on Wilson Gaturers basically said I don't want to get traded, so how do you move?

00:02:41
Speaker 1: Like?

00:02:41
Speaker 5: I get it, but how do you move? These guys?

00:02:44
Speaker 3: Yeah, I mean all three of them are are looking for a situation to win. I think Sonny is more open to it than he now than he is in the past because of the kind of direction.

00:02:54
Speaker 2: He's seen everything going.

00:02:57
Speaker 3: And but you know, Sonny's very particular on probably where he wants to go and my guests, and I think so is Nolan. So they're gonna have you know, you only have the few suitors that they might have, and then it's just trying to find a deal that you know, everybody's okay with. Contraras is one of those guys that, with what he was able to do at first base last year was really a pleasant surprise. I'm not surprised he's able to do it because this dude loves to play baseball and he loves to compete. So him being a good first baseman or being you know, very serviceable over there's not a surprise. But I think he opened up to my eyes that he's able to do some things. Besides, you just catch so you know, obviously, if they find the right fit, those guys will accept it. But like you said, it's finding the right fit and going from there. But all of them have a very short list of the places they'll wave their note.

00:03:45
Speaker 2: Trade. I'm pretty sure a.

00:03:47
Speaker 5: Right, so Sonny, they tried to trade him and had a trade and Sony said no. Last year what has changed for him is it? Is it the fact that you know, he had a year to say okay, I was the leader of this team. I you know, Wayne Wright had left, it was a chance for him to like be that guy that he kind of signed on to be. Or is it something that he knows that, all right, well, we're not going to win here, or they're not going to try to win. Whether they are or aren't, is it really up to him and that that's what's changed, is the fact that he's now closer to the end of his contract.

00:04:24
Speaker 2: I think it's a little bit of everything.

00:04:25
Speaker 3: But I think Sonny is such a creature of habit that trading him in the middle of years just.

00:04:28
Speaker 2: Sounds miserable to him. There's really no other way.

00:04:31
Speaker 5: To say it.

00:04:32
Speaker 3: Sonny's when Sonny gets comfortable and gets in his rhythm and he's doing his thing, he doesn't like for that to be upended. So now, hey, next year, I'm going to be more open to it, because hey, I'm at the end of my contract. Hey, you know, it's a full season with a new team. I can go in there and I can really you know, seement myself into the in the culture of the team and what they got.

00:04:53
Speaker 2: Going on, and with a chance to win. When you get trade in the.

00:04:56
Speaker 3: Middle of the season, we all know that you uproot everything you're you know, kids are in school, they have this, and that Sonny's you know, loves his family. He doesn't didn't want to uproot him in the middle of the season. So I think, you know, obviously, if he gets a chance to do it in the offseason and go to a place he wants to be that fits the personality he wants, lifestyle he wants, I think he's definitely open to it.

00:05:18
Speaker 1: Lance, what do you see happening with Trek's school? Do you think that this is a and I'm not trying to ask you to speak for the ill Itch family or the Tigers or anything like that. Does it make sense to sign him to a long term deal and build around him or do you think you'll see him in a different uniform?

00:05:37
Speaker 3: So I think it makes sense to do that. The question is what are you willing to go to money wise to make it happen. But you cannot let him get to free agency because I don't think they're going to go to the money that other people will to make sure he's on their team. So if you know that you're never going to get there in free agency, then you have to do what's right for your team and fan base and try to get as much as you can for him. Now, I don't know what that package will be. I'm sure it would be pretty darn good. And then you're able to use, you know, the prospects you get with you know, free agency to really make your team a hole. But if you lose him for nothing and then don't match whatever, and you don't plan on matching what's going to be given to him, then you got to think right now is the time to time to move on from him and get as much as you possibly can for him.

00:06:24
Speaker 4: Hey, l's what is it about? Heine Bloom and every team he goes to he has to make all these trades. So he was in Boston, he gets the big job. Oh, you have to trade Mookie, right, and then he comes to Saint Louis and you have to trade dron Out or you have to trade conturers. You have to trade Gray before we'll give you any money. Sign Bloom going to these owners and say, hey, I'm your guy, man, I'll trade everybody and then we can start and try to win with no payroll. Like, why does he keep getting stuck in these spots?

00:06:47
Speaker 3: It sounds like everybody tabs him as a guy to come in and clean up everybody's mess, right. I don't know why he's putting himself in tough situations. I mean, when you go to Boston and you get taped with trading Mookie Batch right away, it puts you in a bad spot. I think this time around in Saint Louis, it's in a it's in a little different pattern for him where he's trying to use the ability to you know, go to the future. They've done a good job of of racking up prospects in the minor leagues right now.

00:07:14
Speaker 2: If they're able to shed a.

00:07:15
Speaker 3: Little bit of money here and and use that to build around some of these guys, I think they've got a really good chance of being you know what.

00:07:23
Speaker 5: Uh.

00:07:23
Speaker 3: You know, in the central, you can you can do some do some things in the Central that you can't in other divisions. So if they're able to you know, set a little bit this money add on to the roster and spots that they need to with, uh, you know, some platoon guys, some older rotation guys or bounce back rotation guys, they could be something in the central that could be you know, not fun to deal with, especially if they're young guys take over your your Mason Wins got to keep keep doing his thing. Uh, you know, weather Hold's got to come up and be who they think.

00:07:53
Speaker 2: He's going to be.

00:07:54
Speaker 3: You need, you need Victor Scott, you need Burley. Those guys to be what you think they can be. And then you're adding guys around him that can help them become that where you don't have to put too much pressure on them every day.

00:08:06
Speaker 5: Your to do list is trading three guys that are owed a lot of money out of an organization.

00:08:12
Speaker 2: Between the three of them.

00:08:13
Speaker 5: Right, Yeah, that's a lot of money that the Cardinals are gonna eat because Sonny Gray is the most value there, because no team's gonna be like, oh, Wilson Contraris, that's awesome. Didn't he just win a World Series with the Cubs? Like it's a different Wilson Contreras that that they're getting, Like he might probably won't even catch. I couldn't believe the Cardinals picked him up as a catcher. But like, you're eating a lot of money for a team that hasn't want to spend, hasn't want to suspend money.

00:08:40
Speaker 2: So are these just dumps.

00:08:42
Speaker 5: Are these just salary dumps?

00:08:44
Speaker 3: It sounds like there's gonna be a little bit of salary dump in this. It sounds like, Hey, what arbitration guy that we know that we don't want or we don't see building around or signing long term that we can we can kind of, uh, you know, stick with them in a trade to see if we can get more value form or maybe even pay less money. So it's going to be interesting how they go about doing it. I'm from the for all of it. It's like, hey, you only have those guys on the book. You don't have a whole lot of money ode to anyone after guaranteed.

00:09:14
Speaker 2: Why don't we use the little bit of.

00:09:16
Speaker 3: Money that we have to go around the margins right here and say hey, let's at a start, or let's add to helleslie back this and that next thing. You know, you add twenty five million dollars to this payroll, and I think you've got a team that can can somewhat do some more damage in the central now with those guys. So if I were in charge, I'm saying, hey, let's figure out how to build around these guys and see what we can do. For one two more years because I don't have anything on the books after this, so I'm not really killing myself for you know, four or five six years. Let's use what we got and let's instead of eating money, let's let's throw a little bit more at it and see what we can do with this group.

00:09:52
Speaker 1: Lance, I asked you earlier about Trek School, but I wanted to ask your opinion on why guys like Shane Bieber he is elected to opt into his contract with the Toronto Jays. Obviously Toronto a heck of a year and going all the way to the World Series. Why do you think a Shane Bieber type would make that choice?

00:10:10
Speaker 5: Uh?

00:10:10
Speaker 3: You know, I don't know, because you know everyone says, you get to Toronto and you want out. I'm guessing when he got there he just loved it. Shane's a person that, you know, just knowing him a little bit like I do. When he likes the place, he I mean, he'll go go back. I'm sure he might even got better offers for two years than he did to go back to Cleveland. So I'm guessing he liked the guys, like the group. Maybe he knows if he goes and keeps you know, becoming or keeps pitching and doing the things that he's capable of, that that could be a place that, uh, you know, could be a long term fit. You just never know. But with the run they have in that group that they have, I can see why he liked it and wanted to be back. And you just never know what free agency is going to do either. So maybe it was one of those things where I'm content where I'm at. I know what the money is gonna be, and I'm okay with it, and I like the team that's around me, and you don't really know once you get into free agency.

00:11:08
Speaker 5: Jeez, that's true.

00:11:10
Speaker 4: That's true.

00:11:10
Speaker 5: True.

00:11:11
Speaker 4: All right, I gotta ask you Lance before we let you go. I'm going way off topic here. I know you're in Oxford this weekend, so you're talking about all this money to spend. How much are you going to contribute to Lane coming to Gainesville and help get him the heck out of Oxford where you guys can't even sell out the stadium, okay, because like he's embarrassed, you're embarrassed. Every you know, rebel fan even though you're a rebel, but you have a bear mask.

00:11:33
Speaker 5: Whatever.

00:11:34
Speaker 4: How much money are you going to contribute to help Lane pack up his stuff and get him to Gainesville or as we're now gonna call it, Lanesville.

00:11:43
Speaker 2: Yeah.

00:11:43
Speaker 3: See, I'm not giving him a dime to leave. You know, I might be throwing some stuff to keep him to stay. The things that he's able to that he's been able to do in Oxford have been great. You know, the community loves him down there. He's winning games, He's creating his own legacy down there. So you know, some people like to create their own legacies and some people like to, you know, go to the highest bidder.

00:12:03
Speaker 2: So we'll see what he likes to do.

00:12:07
Speaker 4: By the way, my son said he saw you and you didn't speak to him.

00:12:10
Speaker 5: So that's cool. Wit, A big league of kid and a big league of kid.

00:12:16
Speaker 4: Fellow, a big league rate A big league Wait, a big league of kid. That's cool.

00:12:21
Speaker 2: Did I really see he said he saw you?

00:12:24
Speaker 4: I mean, how do you think I knew you were at the game?

00:12:26
Speaker 2: Well? I just figured everyone knew.

00:12:28
Speaker 3: You know, when you get when you go into college Hall of Fame, baby, hey da one of those.

00:12:36
Speaker 4: That's because I'm a skip college. But when there's only thirteen thousand people at a game. You know. By the by the way, I've been to whatever it's called, John Hemingway Stadium, Ernest Hemingway Stadium, John Medium And also, by the way, like for old MISSUS fan base to say that was one of the biggest wins, congratulations, you beat a three and sixteen with an interim coach and their top three receivers out. Bravo.

00:13:01
Speaker 2: I didn't think it was one of the biggest wins.

00:13:03
Speaker 3: I thought we played probably a c D game and you guys played your A game and we won, you know, so we did what we were supposed to and then that's all you Wow, this time of the year, win the games you're supposed to win.

00:13:13
Speaker 2: That's what we did.

00:13:14
Speaker 5: Wins.

00:13:15
Speaker 2: A win is a win, Yeah, right right on pace to be in the playoffs, and that's what we're all about.

00:13:21
Speaker 5: I like value as much as the next person. But this bet MGM's future. The twenty six n L pennant A J plus fifty five hundred. Would you even put a dollar on it?

00:13:34
Speaker 4: No, I got no change.

00:13:38
Speaker 5: I don't. They might be, they might be. They might be a last place team if they do exactly what we just talked about. The pirates are gonna roll some pitching out there. I'm not saying the Pirates are win win in the Central, let alone the NL pennant. Like, I'm not even taking plus fifty five hundred on the NL for the n Central. This is the NL pennant. No, no, I'll give you the dollar, Alana. You can give it for your your petsuit. Barker. I forget what it's called.

00:14:13
Speaker 1: The first of all, my foundation is called Parian Foundation.

00:14:17
Speaker 5: Thank you. It was for dogs. I knew what it was. I knew it was for dogs. But no, the Cardinals, I'm not touching any of that. I got to see the rest of the list too. But the Cardinals at plus fifty five hundred.

00:14:33
Speaker 1: Who do you got one in the Central? And then who do you got win in the NL? Pennant?

00:14:39
Speaker 5: I mean, I still think the I still think the Brewers, the Reds, and the Cubs are going to be the top three teams up there. I think the Reds can can make some moves to maybe win the Central if everyone else doesn't make any moves. But I think it's the other two and then the National League. I think it's a short I think it's a short list of the teams who to be there. I think the Braves are probably the best value because I think they're going to be a little lower and you're going to find some more value in there that they normally wouldn't give you.

00:15:10
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