First Week of Spring Training Storylines

00:00:20
Speaker 1: Welcome one and all to the Hammer Territory Podcast. My name is Sean Coleman. Always a pleasure to be with you photograph believe we are already a week into spring training. But hey, if you're enjoying the expanded coverage, the ability to watch the games a bit more than we have in the past, you've seen some pretty good action and we're going to talk about, you know, some of the storylines that we're seeing from the first week of spring training. But before we get into the details, really only detail that matters is once again I have the pleasure of speaking with my podcast partner, Stephen Tolbert. Steven is always hope you are well, sir, on the eve of our basketball rivalry getting going this year. We'll talk a little track later on the show, but Steven, how are you, sir? Hope you've been Will what's.

00:01:04
Speaker 2: Up, buddy? Yeah, Badmont Tennessee tips off tomorrow might end up being just a precursor to what's going on in the SEC tournament, maybe the NCAA turn. We might do a few of these before the year's over. But yeah, spring trainings in full swing now right, We're into games. We've seen all the regulars I think I think Ozzie and Profar were the last two, and they played a couple of days ago, and everybody's in now. And you know, the Braves made it through the initial period where all their pitchers kind of start ramping up. They made it through that healthy. And that's not a given. I mean, if you follow news around the league, you know, the Mets, the Yankees, a bunch of teams I lost starters immediately just right off the bat. They lost them for six weeks, eight weeks, and so that didn't happen to the Braves, And just that alone is a victory, you know, before we even get to anything else. Getting through that, I think that's probably the most dangerous part of spring training, is that initial ramp up where you probably get the most injuries. And so the fact that the Braves made it through that without that is a big deal. Now, obviously you have to hold on for dear life for the rest of the time as well. But but yeah, in full swing, and we got a couple of interesting topics, some hot button topics that are being talked about all over the Braves, you know, online, Braves Twitter. These are kind of the topics that people are talking about and so this we wanted to spend you know, twenty thirty minutes tonight going through some of these things.

00:02:27
Speaker 1: And listen, knock on wood if you want to. I think that that's you know, whatever, you know value when you put on a superstition. The Braves are do some good luck when it comes to injuries. So if we could have a healthy season, that will really help things out. But one of the things that has certainly stood out one of the stars so far of spring training, and I don't really know if it's much of a surprise, is the top prospect in the Brave system Drake Baldwin, who is shown, you know, the ability to be able to be productive at the play. You know today, you know, in a couple of the bats against Sandy alcon Hara always wanted to say our out contra however you want to say it. The point is is that Drake Baldwin looked like he was at home at the plate. And I'll get into a bit more details on those at bats, but Steven, so far, Drake Baldwin's had a very productive start to this spring. Sean Murphy, you know, three strikeouts and six at bats, a bit of a slow start. I want to go on record of saying, is of right now, this is not a competition Sean and Sean Murphy's job going into the season. I don't think there's any doubt about that. But the more that Drake Baldwin makes this a discussion of whatever sort means that he's being productive, means that he against major league competition quite a bit, is showing he belongs and that is a healthy problem to have for the Braves.

00:03:46
Speaker 2: Yeah, this is this is interesting. I mean there's a couple of things working here. First of all, Sean Murphy still owed sixty million dollars. Okay, you can't have this conversation until you start there. He's not just on the team. He wasn't just traded for. They didn't just give up William Contreroz to get him. They then gave him a massive extent.

00:04:05
Speaker 1: I mean not massive.

00:04:05
Speaker 2: Sixty million dollars not a massive extension by today's standards, but it's real money. He's making fifteen million dollars for the next four years, so that matters.

00:04:15
Speaker 1: Made him the guy, he's the guy behind the plate for the prison.

00:04:18
Speaker 2: Yes, they declined the option on Travis Darnaut to even further solidify that he's the guy. Right, they said, we want him catching seventy five eighty percent of the games this year. You know, they gave him a much more traditional backup than what the Braves have had the last like eight years, where they've had two really good catchers most of the time really at tandom of catchers. Now they don't have it. Now they have a very traditional starter and backup. And so this is Sean Murphy's job. But Drake Baldwin is ready. Like if Sean Murphy wasn't on the team, Drake Baldwin would be the starting catcher of this team. Like he's he's not a young prospect, and people maybe don't know this or forget this, but he's the exact almost the exact down to the same month, the exact same age as Michael Harris and Michael Harris is coming up on his fourth year in the majors. So they're both gonna be this is this will be both of their twenty four age twenty four season and now in real life, twenty four is not old, but by prospect standards, twenty four is twenty four is an older prospect. Like if you go through the top one hundred prospects, you'll see a bunch of eighteen, nineteen, twenty, twenty one year olds. That's typically where they are. Once you get to twenty four, you're kind of leaving prospect land into just young major leaguer. And so Drake is not a young prospect. And people will tell you that he can be in Triple A for the year, and it's fine, and that's probably true. But when somebody had did as well as as he did in Triple A last year, a whole nother year at that level, quite honestly, only bad things can like his value can really only go down at this point. You know, he's already considered a top twenty prospects in baseball. There's a very very small window where I guess his value could go up if he just has a monster, monster year, but it's probably gonna be the same as is or go down if if he stays in Triple A too long. So Triple A is not a long term solution. It is a very band aid type of solution. And the point I'm getting to is even next year, the Braves are still gonna owe Sean Murphy forty five million. You know, just track fifteen from me. They're still gonna owe him real money, So this problem is not going anywhere. And this idea that he's gonna be the weak side of a catching tandem where he's only gonna, you know, catch thirty five percent of the time, I think is a waste of his I think it's a waste of his talent. I don't know what they're gonna do, but it is a It is to the point now where it's it's not a problem, but it is something to figure out, because you know, I think his best value to the team is to be traded for something they need, like another really good pitcher. But I know there are gonna people people say, no, I don't want to trade another good catcher. We just did that with William Contreras, and we pay the price for it every day. Shane shan leang Leers looks like he's gonna be a decent player in Oakland. So I don't I don't know. I don't know what the solution is. But Drake Baldwin looks for real, and he looks like a guy that doesn't need to spend that much more time in the miners. But the Braves have a long term catcher who makes real money for the next four years. I don't know what you do, I really don't. I don't know if you have an opinion on it. I don't know if he you know, I don't know if you're fine with a thirty five percent thing. I know the DH thing is coming up next year because Azuna is probably gonna leave. But he's not a DA I mean, he's supposed to be a really good defensive catcher as well. Like he's not just a guy that catches in name only. Like he's supposed to be a good catcher. It's just a waste of value to put him at DH. I don't know. It's a fascinating situation. I don't know if you have an opinion, But I don't know what they're gonna do, but they probably need to do something.

00:07:54
Speaker 1: Yeah, And I think that when it comes to Sean Murphy. Listen, the reason why they moved off William Contreras to go get Sean Murphy at the time that the trade happened. And I'm going to make it clear. I think if you go back in time, Alexandoplis doesn't make this move knowing what he knows now. Two years later. But the big reason why they went to go get Sean Murphy, besides the fact that he could carry his own value offensively, was the ability to handle the pitching staff. Was the ability to be able to combat against you know, stolen bases, you know, with those becoming more prevalent, things such as that, Sean Murphy still is pretty good, too good in those areas, and especially when you've got a lot of questions about the pitching situation for the Braves. I think that is what's going to carry and make this a non conversation at least right now. Sean Murphy is a good spring for Drake Baldwin in a disappointing spring for Sean Murphy. Still doesn't make this a conversation for me. Sean Murphy's going to be in Atlanta, Drake Baldwin will be in Triple A. But but Sean Murphy has another injury like he did last year, which I'm not going to put blame on him for that. It could happen. If he does that, we could really start having a conversation. Because here's that's the other factor of all this. Drake Baldwin at the plate is that type of excellent approach hitter that this Braves offense needs more of working counts, putting the ball into play, not striking out a lot, being able to take walks, being able like we saw several times, we've seen highlights of him taking a ball to the opposite field. He is taking pitches that normally players his age don't handle well. He's putting to the outside and he's taking it the other way. He's got a great approach to the plate that's a bit different from some of the other Braves hitters, so he would provide good balance. So I don't think it's a conversation right now. I think we are one injury away, in which I hope that doesn't occur. We're one injury away from Drake Baldwin potentially really making this conversation. But set all that to the side. None of this changes the fact that Sean Murphy is the one who's most in control of this not being a conversation. He simply returns to his form that he was in what twenty nineteen to twenty twenty two. We're back in shape with a really good catcher at the major league level and one of the top prospect catchers at the minor league level.

00:10:07
Speaker 2: Yeah, and listen, I mean they could, like next year, they could absolutely have Baldwin catch fifty percent of the time in DH fifty percent of the time like that. They could do that. They can't do it this year because Marcelo Zuna is in the lineup and you're not gonna bench Marcelo Zuna for anybody. So they you know, that is a long term possibility. But you know, then you get into you gave Sean Murphy all this money you traded away will beatres and you're playing somebody else half the time at catcher. I don't know. In my brain, I feel like trading one of them is gonna end up being the move, But it may not be. Like you said, if there's an injury, it actually gets pretty easy, Like if Sean Murphy gets it hurt, you just call Drake bald enough. You know, assuming it's a significant injury now, but it's a short term thing, that might be different. But if it's a significant injury, you just call Baldwen up that. You know, that almost makes it easier where it gets complicated. They if Baldwin is playing really well in Triple A, Murphy is is just doing average stuff at the majors. I don't know what should do. I really don't. It's a really fascinating situation. I don't want to say one thing about Sean Murphy because we got into this again today online. Sean Murphy has basically gone through about three hundred plate appearances of being bad. Right, he was bad in September of twenty twenty three. People think he was bad at the entire second half of twenty twenty three, he wasn't. He's really good in July, he was really good. In August, he had a really bad fifty five plate appearances in September of twenty three, right, then he got hurt at the beginning of twenty four, and then he had about two hundred and fifty play appearances in twenty twenty four and he wasn't good. So fifty plate appearances in September twenty three, two hundred and fifty last year, So we're talking about three hundred plate appearances of him not being good. Before those three hundred plate appearances, he had about seventeen hundred plate appearances of him being very good, like a all star level catcher. And the reason that so many of us, especially on this podcast, aren't ready to give up on Sean Murphy is because we are putting more weight in the seventeen hundred plate appearances that came before the three hundred plate appearances that have been bad since then. And if you're one of the people that is ready to give up on Sean Murphy because of those three hundred plate appearances, I just want to make sure you're aware of the argument that you're standing on. If you know exactly what you're doing, if you have your eyes wide open to that argument, that's fine, we'll just agree to disagree. I just want to make sure you understand that we're talking about his last two years is really like three hundred played appearances. It's like less than half a season worth of plate appearances where he's been bad. He's been bad, there's no doubt about it. Nobody's telling you otherwise. And if he's bad again in twenty five, it's a different conversation. But we're talking about three hundred bad plate appearances with seventeen hundred really good plate appearances before that to bank on. So I think I still think Murphy's going to be very good. I think the brains are gonna end up trading Drake Bald. If you put a gun to my head right now, isaid, how's this is gonna end? I think at the deadline, the Braids are gonna go get a big starting pitcher. Maybe it's you know, maybe it's Sandy from Miami. They're gonna trade him at some point. They've traded everybody else. That wouldn't stun me, you know, pick a big time picture with control. I think the Braids are gonna end up trading Drake Bald when at some point. But like you said, and you said it perfectly, Murphy controls a lot of this. How he plays, can he stay on the field. It's just a really interesting situation to me.

00:13:35
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00:13:46
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00:14:02
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00:14:06
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00:14:37
Speaker 1: And again, I don't think it's in any way, shape or form a positive. If I'm comparing Sean Murphy to Orlando Arcia, and I'm not wanting people to say that that, I feel like Sean Murphy is on the level of Orlando Arcia. But another thing that stands out Alexanthopoulos sticks with his guys. If he's gonna go out and make the investment that he did by trading the players that he did and paying the money that he did for Sean Murphy, He's going to see it through as all possible. So while others may be jumping off to Sean Murphy's ship, and you know, some may be straddling, you know, all that different stuff as to whether or not they're in or out on Sean Murphy, Alex and Thopolis is fully in and nothing's going to change that for now in my opinion, maybe a year. For now we have a conversation, but for right now, listen, at the end of the day, the good thing is Sean Murphy is the one that controls this situation. He's done it before. You hope he does it again. But if for some reason he doesn't, then you've got a suitable replacement to come in. But when we talk about this conversation on the catching side, it's all about what you've done for me lately? Right you know when Sean Murphy, you know, obviously has struggled lately. But where that idea comes in, what have you done for me lately? And the braves is it really defines the fist starter roll, you know, finding who's going to fill out that uh, you know, those spots of rotation he knows sell Ronaldo Lopez Swelling Box are going to be there, you know, the Red. The two other you know potential openings in Anderson, Bryce Elder, Grant Holmes and A. J. Smith Shaver. Now, I know that AJ smith Shaver has not had the most in Eats pitch, but in my opinion Stephen, he has been by far the most impressive, and he's also the one at this point in time that has the highest upside. The point that I'm getting at is is that I know that Alexanthopolis in the past has focused on wanting to make sure that he keeps the most talent in the organization as possible going into the season, so it's not necessarily a guarantee. But AJ smith Shouver I think he's knocking him the door. I think that if he doesn't get that oblique injury in against the Cubs at Riekley Field last year, he's filling a role for the Braves for a significant portion of the season. I think he can do that this year and so far I think he's the leader in the clubhouse to secure one of those spots.

00:16:47
Speaker 2: Yeah, if you're just going off talent and upside and potential, I'll take smith Shaver over Ian Anderson all day.

00:16:56
Speaker 4: Right.

00:16:56
Speaker 2: He throws ninety eight ninety nine. He's got good secondary. I mean, you know, he's got to figure it out at the major league level, but like he's just got more upside than Ian Anderson. The problem is Ian Anderson doesn't have options, and and Smichal ever does, And like you said, Alex is a Alex is a keep your depth at all costs type of GM. And when all things are equal, they're gonna take the guy that doesn't have options to Atlanta and an option the guy that does have options. That's typically what they do. The problem is listen, Ian pitched again today. We're recording this on Friday night. And Ian pitched again today against the Marlins. A really the Marlins, by the way, holy hell, they might lose. On the lineup that they're gonna put out this year, hayesus Sanchez might revolt by like mid April. If you look around, like, I've never heard of like half their lineup, and I follow baseball as close as anybody, I've literally never heard of a lot of the guys that're projected they're gonna be awful. But anyway, Ian today against the Marlins, he looked better because he was throwing a little bit harder. He was throwing ninety three. I think he averaged ninety three point five. I think he got up to ninety four at one point, still walked. A couple of batters left some fastballs in the middle of the plate that got hit hard. He had like two or three balls ever hit like one hundred and five miles an hour more, but they're hit on the ground that got double plays out of them or got ground outs. So far in the spring, he's pitched five innings. He has five I think five walks in one strikeo. And that's just that's concerning, right, Like I'm just and I'll admit, I'll one hundred percent admit I am not a Nian Anderson believer. I'm not. I've seen him pitched long enough now where he's really a two pitch guy. One of them is a fastball that he throws between ninety two and ninety four miles an hour. On a good day, it's ninety four. On a bad day, it's ninety two. And he doesn't have good command, and he's never had good command. I mean, even when he was pitching well in the majors, he was in spite of his walks. And so I'm not a believer. I I I think they Braves could do substantially better at their fifth starters, but that could be wrong. I could be dead wrong. I hope he and Anderson proves me wrong. I hope we come here in like June and he Anderston's got like a three five E r A and we're like, holy hell, this is this is incredible. I would love that, but I don't believe it. I think A J. Smithchaver' has got more upside, but I Erson doesn't have options. And technically you could put like Grant Holmes in the bullpen and you could carry Ian Anderson and Smith schover maybe, and maybe that's the way to go, because the bullpen still needs help too. I can't believe. I still can't believe the Braves haven't added a bullpen piece that's of some sort. But you could. You could definitely do that, and maybe they do. I see you shaking your head or not in your head. I'm sure that's what the way you're hoping they go. But yeah, I don't know. It's gonna be interesting. There's no options. Thing for Ian is good is the by far the best thing he has going for him, not his stuff, not his command the fact that he has no options is what's carrying the day for him at the moment.

00:20:05
Speaker 1: I think the Braves have a built in opportunity at the start of the season to really see what stands out until Spencer Strider comes up. That's why I was shaking my head. Yes, I think that we've had you know, I'm about to get your opinion on you know, some of the names that are out there to potentially fill the final two spots or one or two spots in the bullpen. But I think that makes the most sense. Ian Anderson and Smith Shover fill out the rotation. Grant Holmes in the bullpen because he's got experience there. Then listen, if you can go through a month of Ian Anderson, even if it's five or a ball, you can go through a month with confidence in your offense as him as the fifth starter. If he wants to throw five er a ball, maybe you go five hundred in his games. That's perfectly fine. And then when Smith and then when Strider comes back, Yeah, either got your rotation for fistm of your rotation field they want to go with the six man rotation. I don't necessarily know thee'll do that. But Spencer Schrider comes back. If being Anderson isn't in at that point, you've seen it through as much as you possibly can. DFA makes perfect sense. Then in that fist starter spot, Hey, if if Smith Shauber's doing well, let him keep going, keep homes in the bullpen. If smithbor Ruglan will an option Smith Shaber down, put homes in the bullpen, bring up one of your relievers. I think that set up checks the box of keeping the most talent in the organization, which we know En Thoughtless likes to do. But it also allows for Anderson and smith Shaber both to be able to see if they can find the groove that you hope at least one of them confined to start the season. That would really add that quality depth we need, because you know we'll get into it in a second each day that we go Stephen without seeing something happen. I don't think that there's going to be a notable addition to the starting rotation coming soon. I think that the Braves feel like, especially if Smith Shabber is doing well in spring training, they've got enough depth to navigate the first heart half of the season and they're starting rotation. But to me, Smith, Shaubring, and Anderson the rotation homes in the bullpen. That makes the most sense. I know some may not necessarily agree because a lot of the hype that Grant Holmes got this offseason, but I think that makes the most sense in terms of experience, keeping talent in the organization, and allowing for you to fully see all three three until Stryder comes back.

00:22:24
Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean that makes sense to me. I do wonder, you know, they asked Brian Snicker about the six man rotation stuff because they did it so much in the first half last year, if that was they were going to do it again, and he said, yeah, So I do wonder if they'll take Homes, Anderson and Smith Shaw, we're all in the rotation. You know, they've got a nasty West Coast road trip right out of the gate, go to San Diego to LA for the Dodgers. I don't know that six man rotation would be tough there because you would really love to have the extra arm in the bullpen for those for that trip. So maybe they don't. I don't know, it's good. I mean, Ian Anderson can't walk five batters for every one strikeout he gets. I know that, like he's got a like I know it's early, and I know he did I know he's got like a one e er so far in the in the spring, but the peripherals are a mess. You can't you have to be able to strike out people. You can't walk people. I'm still not a believer in I and Anderson. I know, I'm I know people get very mad when you say that, because he has that success. I think people have overblown some of his success with the Braves. A lot of it was smoking mirrors at the time. Yeah, I would, so I would take Ian Anderson. I would probably DFA. I know that's controversial. I don't think he's a big league pictcher at this point. I would put Smith Shover and Grant Holmes in the rotation and I would sign a bullpen piece like I would sign. I mean, you know, Robertson is not gonna stay out there forever. I don't know, you know, I don't know. He's not on the Braves radar. I would love the Braves to sign him. But David Robertson, of course I'm talking about But we'll see, we'll see what they do. But yeah, I'm I'm not an Ian Anderson believer. I know a lot of people are. I hope I'm wrong, but I was really expecting them to add to the to the rotation, And like you said, at this point, Camp, I'm I think I'm pretty well past the idea that they're going to add to the rotation. The bullpen might be separate, but yeah, not the rotation.

00:24:26
Speaker 1: Well, speaking of the bullpen, I think it's pretty also interesting to talk about that because we've seen several of the players that the Braves Hit have brought into you know, spring training. You know, not a lot of notable names, but some names that they're at least intrigued by. So far, Stephen, one or two of those names that it has really stood out to you has kind of been like this guy, this guy's got a bit better stuff than I thought he did. Not necessarily all of them are six', eight two hundred and sixty pounds, now but the point That i'm giving at is one or two of them that stand out as you, know, Hey i'd like to see more of this, guy you, know even potentially securing a spot unexpectedly in the brais b. Woopit so are we just?

00:25:06
Speaker 2: Talking are we just? Talking the non roster invite you, guys are we talking forty?

00:25:12
Speaker 1: Men, hey we are, Too so we are talking anybody outside It, Beglecias Pierce, Johnson Aaron, Bummer Dylan, Lee, okay any of those guys And dave Bo hernandez thrown in there. Included.

00:25:26
Speaker 2: Yeah, Yeah So Anderson polar has actually looked really. GOOD i don't, know you, know he throws ninety four with a cutter he clearly. Had he's clearly difficult to pick up or. Something you see a lot of weird swings against, him even though it's not like Elite Elite. Velocity they took him in the rule. Five obviously they you, know they they they can't option. Him they either have to put him on the, roster put him through, waivers offer him. Back that's definitely a, guy you, KNOW i Know, perdomo but he's talking About. Perdomo he's a you, know he's literally a. Monster he's a, massive massive human. Being he's another guy that those ninety three ninety. Four you, know some of The prospect guys are actually very interested in The i've been thinking about this a. Lot i'm actually very interested in in the idea Of Hurston waldrip in the bullpen with his. Splitter brad And. Garov we're talking about this on the. Show they did a couple of days ago that, like he's kind of a one pitch guy at the, moment and you can't really you can't start with one. Pitch it's really hard to relieve with one pitch as, well but it's a lot easier than. Starting, so Like, Herstlle waldrop in the bullpen is actually very fascinating to. Me but, yeah Probably polar is the one That i've noticed the most Of you can always tell by the hitters how difficult the guy, is and he gets weird swings he. Gets you, know he had two strikeouts today in his. INNING i watched the whole. Thing it's just an uncomfortable at bat and so they obviously like him taking him in The rule. Five that's probably the GUY i would. Pick you, Know. PERDOMO i haven't seen a ton Of perdomo, yet but you, know his numbers are. Decent i'm guessing both guys will make, it but, yeah polar is probably the answer to that. QUESTION i would love for them to go add an actual, reliever If i'm being. Honest David. Robertson you, KNOW i don't know who else is out there at this. POINT i haven't looked at a, while but somebody are trade somebody that's a, proven high, leverage big name. Reliever but every day that it doesn't, happen it becomes less and less.

00:27:28
Speaker 1: Likely so, absolutely and The braves have had some decent. Success you, Know Dylan lee stands out as this type of pitcher, who you, know again you, know definitely doesn't have elite, velocity but you, know, movement you, know, sequencing you, know thinking through the, bat you, know those type of things have been. Successful we, know The braves love the guys that can sit there and spin the, ball you. Know And i'm not necessarily saying That polari, is you, know and it has an ultimate curveball or anything like. That, again it's more the variations of his. Fastball but the point is is that The braves have found success with guys who don't necessarily have the need the most the highest. Velocity trying to find the right word, THERE.

00:28:03
Speaker 2: I, WILL i, WILL i will say. THIS i do Think Aaron bummer has the best chance of pulling Like joe him in his type. Season, yeah, yeah the year before he was low, leverage never, used and then he comes into the next year And snip puts him in bixed spots and he becomes just an elite. RELIEVER i you, know we talked About bummer a lot last. YEAR i Think bumber has a good chance to be the second best reliever on this, team maybe the best reliever on this, team you, know depending on how his year. Goes BUT i think he's got the potential to be a legitimate back, end high leverage.

00:28:36
Speaker 1: Reliever he wants to turn into a J. Minter no arguments, here BUT i think that this is a good way to potentially end the show Because terry, mcgwork you, know talked about you, know he gave some comments as, well and you know that you, know When alex And thopless talks about you, know payroll and things like, that he Mentions. Terry you, know he has conversations With terry on a consistent, basis you, know just kind of seeing where things are and things like. That And terry mcwork had some interesting commerce you, know interesting common it's talking about where The braves payroll, were and the gist of it was was that the lack of off season moves was not because they didn't have what they needed to make the. Moves they just didn't see the moves being beneficial to make other Than jerkson. Profar but he did drop an interesting comment That i've got to have the back of my. MIND i think you have as. Well you, know last year The braves went into spring training hoping That Jared kelnick would take over that outfield. Spot he, Struggled so they went out and they brought back a familiar name And Adam devall for three million On march seventeenth of twenty twenty. FOUR i think that there is a good chance we could see that type of move from the, bullpen especially when it comes to The. Braves the point That i'm getting at is that the two takeaways from What girk. Said The braves payroll is where it needs to be for them to make moves when they want, to but also there's a good chance that they might not necessarily be done and could on a short term more than long term focus bringing a notable, name ESPECIALLY i think for the pitching.

00:29:55
Speaker 2: Staff, yeah it was very notable to. Me when he was asked about, payroll the very first thing he said was there's still a lot of free agents out. There that was his first. Comment and you know that doesn't sound like a guy defending how much they've. Spent that sounds like a guy who's, saying just, wait there's very, likely very possibly something else coming. Now of, course you can look at the names that are still out there and there's not a ton of like high impact. Guys but you, know the pitching, staff it could just use SOME i, mean we talked about it all off. Season could just use some, reinforcements some Proven The braves are just The braves are still asking a lot of questions about a lot of the guys that are scheduled to be on this. ROSTER i would love a few more answers than questions at this, point and we have a lot of. Questions we have questions About, strider questions About Ian, anderson About Grant, holmes About Smith. SCHALVER i, mean, hell even Like schwellenbach And sale And, lopez how they respond after all the innings they pitched last. Year then you get into the, bullpen it's even more. Questions it's just questions and questions and not a lot of. Answers SO i would love another. ANSWER i would love another proven Guy who's not so big a question because the breads are banking on a lot going right in the pitching staff and that's just a dangerous place to. Be so, yeah it was notable to. Me the first thing he said was there's still a lot of people out there that haven't, signed so we'll. SEE i, mean like you, said they did it last year with the BALL i would not be surprised at all if they did it again with the pitching staff this.

00:31:27
Speaker 1: Year, Hey steven Will smith And Drew smiley are both still out. There i'm just, Saying.

00:31:35
Speaker 2: Drew smiley is we need to Get brad on? Here Drew smiley is this?

00:31:38
Speaker 4: Guy.

00:31:39
Speaker 1: Yeah, well with all that being, said the point is plenty of storylines to talk about when it comes to spring. Training the beauty of it all is is that, again we're able to enjoy it. More if you, know if you've been listening to the podcast keeping up With things Spring training almost every day is available to you to be able to, subscribe you, Know, Amazon, Prime, fando whatever you, do make sure you do it before the season because you can get some games and obviously when the games come to starting to, count you'll be able to see them as, Well, stephen any other thoughts from you as we wrap up this edition of The Hammer Territory.

00:32:11
Speaker 2: Podcast Tennessee bama. Tomorrow what's your best?

00:32:15
Speaker 1: Guess, Uh bama by, Five bama by. FIVE i think that because we have been beat By, could we been beat By kentucky at, home and we have struggled when it comes to facing the teams with good. Offense Now bama, struggles they can't. SHOOT i like our. CHANCES i Think bama has higher upside Than. Tennessee So i'll Go obama by.

00:32:36
Speaker 2: Five i'm gonna say. Bam bema has played like, that has played very poorly Against tennessee the last couple of, years especially At, tennessee So i'm gonna Take i'm gonna actually go the Oppos i'm Gonna tennessee by. Five but, yeah big game, tomorrow but no spring training obviously in full. Swing Now i'm still. WAITING i still think there's gonna be a move of some. SORT i still Think alex is gonna add a picture of. Regard but until it, happens this is the group we, got and we're obviously gonna talk about all the guys that are that are in the, running the catching situation is fascinating to. ME i would love to know exactly what they think About drake and and exactly what their plans are for him long. Term but, yeah we're gonna have to wait and. See but it's all it's gonna be fascinating to watch.

00:33:22
Speaker 1: It and here's the thing about the situation is that you're using the word fascinating because it's a favorable. Situation, Again Jean murphy does.

00:33:31
Speaker 5: Well this ends the. Conversation he does do. Well we have a conversation about top prospect in Baseball. Boom more favorable situations for the praise where we have questions confidently coming up with the answers.

00:33:44
Speaker 1: Ourselves, INTERNALLY i think we're relying on that a bit more THAN i feel comfortable with right. Now but the more we find that being, successful the better off we're going to. Be For Steven, tobert you could find him at The Undersquare outliers On twitter slash. X my name Is Sean comen at Stats, sect one of The Foul. Territory Hammer territory is part of the Foul territory family of. Podcasts make sure you check out Foul territory across all forms of social. Media so many great podcasts out there now under The Foul territory family of, podcasts and of Course Hammer territory across social media as. Well next time you will See Brad scott give their thoughts on the weekend that was when it comes to spring, training and me And steven will be back with you soon to make sure you check out all the great recent content that we've. Had Justin tiscano gave his thoughts at the early start of spring. Training we've had minor league, breakdowns much, much, much much much more to come as we get through spring. Training but until next, time go. Braves we'll talk to you again soon here on The Hammer territory. Podcast