Buxton mulls Twins future, Skubal & Skenes Cy SLAM DUNKS

00:00:02
Speaker 1: What's up everybody. Welcome in to another edition of Foul Territory. I'm Kyle Glazer Pinch Hitting today as your host, joined as always by the great Aj Prasinski and Eric Kratz. Guys, it's exciting times, got the GM meetings going, It's award seasons, SILD votes are announced tonight. It's a good time.

00:00:21
Speaker 2: It is. It is a good time. It's a weird time for baseball fans because there's no games going on really other than I guess the Winter leagues. But as far as awards and free agencies is ready to kick off and GM meetings where gms will have interviews and say nothing. We'd like to really spend money, but we're not going to spend money. We want affordable guys, but we're willing to go out and sign. It's always nothing. So I'm just waiting for a GM to say something at one time, like Brian Cashman had it happened a couple of years ago. But when will the GM say something.

00:00:55
Speaker 1: Yeah, we did see yesterday Jed Hoyer at the Cubs talk about, hey, they are going to prioritize pitching. We saw Aj Pearler, I thought interestingly mentioned that they are interested in bringing back Luisa riz at first base just given their power needs, finishing twenty eighth in Homers last year. So I do always feel like they sometimes tip their hand a little bit, but you're right, for the most part, this is not a time when we see the full plan on display. I mean, Eric, you've you've you've seen all the gms speak after all the different teams you've played for over the years. You know that as well as anyone.

00:01:26
Speaker 3: Yeah, they speak like mice on TV, but they rule like lions behind the scenes. Nobody's ever, Nobody ever sent me down and was like, well, you know, it's really just uh, we'll see where the path goes. No, they're like, sorry, you didn't hit good enough, so we're gonna go and get somebody that does better.

00:01:46
Speaker 1: Yes, indeed, Well again, we have the SYNG Awards going to be announced tonight, MVP Awards announced tomorrow. A lot of good stuff coming up. A quick reminder once again, go ahead and subscribe tweet tweet at us here on FT Live by Merchant foul Territory Shop. It's a lot of good stuff. And with that, it's time to charge them mount all right, guys, So signing awards will be announced tonight. We have Paul Skeans in the National League and Trek Scoogle in the American League considered pretty much the runaway winners. Age. I want to start with you, the question is not whether Skins and Scooba will win, it's whether or not they will be unanimous. Do you think either of them deserve to be unanimous this year?

00:02:31
Speaker 3: Uh?

00:02:32
Speaker 2: Jeez, I think Skimes, Skimes, you know what. I think they gotta both have a chance. I think I think Scooble is gonna get it again. I think I don't know, Crochet and Hunter Brown didn't do enough, especially towards the end. And if you include Sanchez might steal a vote from so I think Scooble will be unanimous. I don't think Schemes will just because I think Sanchez or Yama modor are gonna steal a vote fromwhere. Now here's the better thing. If they included the postseason, I know not all these as in the postseason. You have to make a case for Yamamoto and what he did in the postseason for the Dodgers. So in Christopher Sanchez pitch great. Now, it's not Skeen's fault, they didn't make it, but I think Sanchez or Yamamoto will sneeze steal a vote, and I think School is going to be unanimous.

00:03:17
Speaker 1: Eric, what about you? Where do you stand? Once again? The NLSA Young finalists Christopher Sanchez with the Phillies, Paul Skeins with the Pirates, Yoshinoba Yamamoto with the Dodgers. Over in the American League, Garrett Crochet with the Red Sox, Hunter Brown with the Astros, and Trek Skouoball. Do you think Scooball or Skeens deserve to be unanimous?

00:03:35
Speaker 3: I think they do deserve to be unanimous. But I'm going to go the opposite of what aj just said. I think I think in the American League, I think Crochet is probably the only one that gets a chance to maybe take a take a first place vote away from Schooble. I think I think Skeens did exactly what Like his numbers, he had I think one blip on the radar the whole season, but he was he was essentially beginning to end favorite to win the cy Young and he did it like rarely do you see that. Normally it's like, Okay, this dude's coming in. Scooble probably coming in to be that favorite. Again, I think Crochet gave him a run for his money. He ultimately will not will not beat him, but I think I think school. I think Scooble loses one first place vote to Crochet.

00:04:27
Speaker 1: Diving into the NL race here a little bit Paul Skeen's look. This was an incredible year one nine seven ERA that was more than half a run lower than his closest competition in the National League. Again, pick your favorite statistic whip strikeouts fip ERA plus its skins by a mile. What's interesting about this is he went ten to ten, and we know we're in an age where wins are not considered the big factor in SIL voting that they wore one long time ago. Nonetheless, it is interesting the concept of a pitchure with a five hundred record winning the SAI Young Award, when as recently twenty years ago it would have been unthinkable. And again, it wasn't his fault. His offense only provided him with eleven runs in those ten losses, So I mean, his case really speaks for itself. But nonetheless it is kind of a historical anomaly.

00:05:13
Speaker 2: You think though really because didn't Felix when Felix won the one year. There's been some guys that have done this, so I don't know that it's that big of anomenaly anymore. Because of the advanced metrics. Now, I think that this has just become wins. This is the whole wins don't matter, which I kind of disagree with because win shouldn't matter because at the end of the day, you get paid on wins and losses. This is a team.

00:05:33
Speaker 1: Yeah, so Felix was at least a little bit over five hundred. He was thirteen and twelve, so one game over.

00:05:38
Speaker 2: But you're right.

00:05:38
Speaker 1: I mean we've seen wins sort of be de emphasized, and you mentioned it's something that you don't necessarily agree with. Eric, where are you on that?

00:05:46
Speaker 3: I mean, wins, wins are important. Starting pitchers need to win. But the reality is, like even in Felix's case, I think he had two hundred and fifty innings or two hundred and forty some innings that year, Like he gave you everything like some of these guys, and it's not pole schemes or it's not post skiings fault at all. He's getting taken out. They are one hundred percent load managing him for whatever reason. I guess the Pirates have the answers more than anybody, or maybe it's just the whole game, But guys don't pitch long enough to get wins. Sometimes you have to pitch into the seventh inning before your team scores. Sometimes you have to be able to pitch into the sixth th inning. I mean, I think Schemes did a good job of pitching as deep as he was allowed to pitch, but they just they don't let guys get wins. And that's why wins for pitchers aren't as important a guy that pitch deep into games. This year, Max Freed also got hurt deeper into games, so I think there's there's some argument on both sides. But if you're starting pitcher, we have Max serger on here right now, he wants to win in every game, and I think it's just a change in mindset. And I don't think it's a change in the player's mindset. It's a change in the front office mindset or the coaching staff's mindset.

00:07:07
Speaker 1: Absolutely mentioned Felix Hernandez. Of course, Jacob de Grom was another guy who won two sign awards while finishing barely over five hundred. He went ten to nine and eleven and eight. His two seasons he won sign awards. A Joe you mentioned something early thought was interesting that Yoshinova Yamamoto if this vote took place after the World Say, if these votes took place with postseason performance in consideration, would you start to lean Yamamoto more or would it still be Schemes for you?

00:07:35
Speaker 2: Uh, Yamamoto has to be under consideration because he was the best pitcher in the postseason, I mean especially after his epic Game seven performance. After pitching Game six and winning, he won three of the four World Series games for the Dodgers, So I think he would have to be involved in it. But it's a regular season award.

00:07:53
Speaker 3: I get it.

00:07:53
Speaker 2: That's why Yamamoto won the World Series MVP. But in the other thing is you can't include postseason because not all these guys are in the postseasons. You can't criticize Schemes because his team stinks and they also spend the money and score any runs. So I think, yeah, if postseason was involved, I think Yamamoto would be right there with Schemes.

00:08:11
Speaker 3: I think Yamamoto was no I think it's funny because they he's probably gonna end up third, and probably a distant third. I would assume, you know, I think Christopher Sanchez put together freaking amazing year. But the fact that Yamamoto would be in consideration to dethrone schemes shows you the fact that starting pitcher, starting pitchers matter.

00:08:37
Speaker 2: I get it.

00:08:37
Speaker 3: Last year Dodgers won because of their bullpen. But this year they won because of starting pitching. I wonder if it'll be reflected in this free agent, this free agency, in this offseason.

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00:09:51
Speaker 1: So you have Sanchez potentially finishing second, Yamamoto third. But you're right what Yoshinoba Yamamoto did. Even during the regular season, he was the only Dodger starter to make every Star this year. We know this rotation was ailing. He was the one constant for them moving over into the American League. We talked about Trek Scoogle had yet another amazing season. He will be the Cion Award winner in the AL for the second year in a row. You know, Garrett Crochet and Hunter Brown are interesting to me because both of these guys, as they were coming up as prospects, a lot of evaluators consider them future relievers. I can't tell you how many times over my tenure at Baseball America I heard these two guys are probably going to be relievers, and Crouschet did start as a reliever before moving into the rotation with the White Sox. What do you think this shows you about, you know, guys and their ability to continue to EVOLVEU. I think sometimes we see guys as almost finished products when they get to the majors, when nothing could be further from the truth.

00:10:43
Speaker 2: And I think it shows the teams don't always know what they're doing, that evaluators aren't always right, and I think it shows you that you have to give guys chances to grow. I mean, Chris Sale came up as a reliever. He was a closer. I remember I was there. He was our closer for a little while, right because everyone's like, oh, he's going to get hurt. He's never going to be able to pitch two hundred innings, he's never going to be able to do this, and now he's on a Cooperstown track. So I think you have to let guys develop and figure it out. Crochet got hurt, so that cost him some time. But I think in his mind he always wanted to be a starter. He was a starter coming out of college and he always thought he'd be a starter down the road, and the White Sox didn't allow him to do that until the one year and he proved he could do it. Now he didn't get to pitch a lot, but the Red Sox were like, you know what, you're our guy. Now you're are one. Go out there and do it. And for Hunter Brown, Hunter Brown made some adjustments from where he was a couple of years ago. He quit trying to be Justin Verlander. He became Hunter Brown. He's really good. I think these guys.

00:11:37
Speaker 3: I think these guys have the opportunity to start, they really get put on the play to the player. We had a discussion about a week and a half ago about Mason Miller. To me, if Mason Miller says I want to be a starter, he's learned to pitch in the big leagues, he's learned to see how his body recovers, you gotta want to try. You gotta want to try because if what's the worst second happen. I remember when garyk Corchet said he wanted to be a starter, and the White Sox were like, well, we don't care about anything else, so we're just going to let him do it. It's on him. But the question was, Dude, this guy missed two of the last three seasons because of injuries, and now all of a sudden, he's going to be a starter. He's probably going to blow out even more, and he's shown that this guy is a monster like his frame says, Hey, you know what, I can deal with throwing one hundred miles an hour for seven innings and then I get my five days to recover and it's worked out perfectly to me. I think it should be the opposite. When you get called up, it should be he's a starter until he proves he's not a starter. Then you go to the bullpen, and then you say, okay, are you able to build back up the stuff you've learned?

00:12:51
Speaker 1: Not?

00:12:51
Speaker 3: Well, he's he's a bullpen guy. Like, how can you tell somebody's a bullpen guy because he doesn't have a second pitch when he's twenty two years old. I think evaluators make that assumption too quickly in guy's careers.

00:13:02
Speaker 1: Sometimes it's time now for shake it up guys. We talked about the Twins a little with Ken Rosenthal. Dan Hayes with The Athletic reported that he wants to build on what the Twins already have in place, but if the Twins continue to tear things down Byron Buxton might be open to waving his no trade clause. And this comes after Buxton said from the All Star Game really through the end of the regular season, as the Twins were tearing it all down, he told anyone who would listen that he was a Twins player for life and would not be willing to wave his no trade clause. Now might seem like things have changed. Eric, I'm going to start with you, just what do you make of this and kind of the change in tone.

00:13:49
Speaker 3: Potentially obviously you know we're the last to find out, but the fact that he came out at the All Star Game and said this, and then the half of his team got traded, almost half of his team got traded. It's either one they went to him before that, and so when the question was asked of him, he was like, yeah, I'm ready. I'm ready for this. Somebody asked me this if I'm gonna get traded, and he says no, because the team's already asked and I don't want to be traded. Or he had no idea that all these dudes were getting traded and that the team was hemorrhaging cash and they needed to trade all these dudes, and so maybe he's rethinking it.

00:14:29
Speaker 2: But I know there's a lot of.

00:14:30
Speaker 3: Teams that would be like, hmm, potential MVP, speedy center field on a nice, easy, team friendly contract.

00:14:42
Speaker 2: Yeah, I'll trade for that guy.

00:14:45
Speaker 1: Yeah. I think it'd be really interesting to see if the Twins do decide to trade Pablo Lopez and Joe Ryan this all season, just because it feels like that would be the straw that breaks the camel's back. They traded ten guys off their big league roster at the trade doutline. You understand for Byron Bucks and looking around and saying, hey, who's around me? Now? He does have three years and forty five million dollars remaining on his current deal, and once again, he does have no trade protection through next season. He can block trades to five clubs in twenty seven, twenty eight, AJ, what for you would be the line in which he say, yeah, screw it, I'm waving my no trade clause.

00:15:20
Speaker 2: It would have already happened. It would have done the Griffin Jack. I would have gone Griffin Jack style like he did. Remember, they started trading dudes and he goes in there and goes, can you guys throw me in there too, please? Yeah, it was cool when he came out and said this, And I get he's comfortable there, but they're not on a winning path right now anytime in the near future. So yeah, it's great. He wants to stay there his entire career. And yes, they brought him up, and yes they signed up this deal. What'd you say it was three years, forty five million tu Yes, three forty five. I mean that's easy, easy, easy, tradable for the numbers this guy can put up when he's healthy. So I don't. I don't he'll here. Here's the thing. Also, the owners can go to Bryan Bucks and say, listen, we really appreciate you and all, but like we want to trade you. Can you help us out here? Maybe he will, maybe he won't, but I know he you know, he loved he. Tory Hunter was a guy that you know, started at the Twins, ended with the Twins. Bucks and him are super tight. The Troy Hawkins is back there, another guy that he was tight with. So do I think he'll stay there? No? Do I think he might still want to stay there for his legacy yes, but if I was in a situation he gone, I'm sorry, I'm gone, I'm moving. I'm trying to find a place i can go win a ring.

00:16:30
Speaker 3: And this is this is Kyle. This is also somebody that's not just chasing rings like AJ was loyal. AJ's come on here and said how different times he signed back for less to stay in Chicago. So this is somebody who understands legacy with a team, understands success with the team, understands taking less. And it comes to a point like it comes to a head at some point. Byron Buxon has constantly been told or heard in the media it can't stay healthy, can't stay healthy. Now he stays healthy for a couple of seasons, and this team then like kind of backpedals. They collapsed last year. This season they just never got it going, never really, you know, they had a couple of hot stretches, but they were just poor. And then ownership says, I'm out, Like you can change your tone, It's okay, you can change your mind.

00:17:27
Speaker 1: From the perspective of other teams and the appeal of acquiring a Byron Buckston. You guys mentioned health, and it's interesting him staying healthy the last two years. It's all relative. So last season, Byron Buckston played one hundred and twenty six games. In twenty twenty four he played one hundred and two, So he's missed forty to sixty games each last two years. That's still the most games he had played since twenty seventeen. So we know that when you acquire Byron Buxton, you're looking at a tremendously talented player who can impact the game in all sorts of ways at the plate, on the bays, pass on defense. But you also know realist you're hoping for one hundred to one hundred and twenty games. From your guys' perspective, how aggressive should teams be and potentially pursuing him given this latest news.

00:18:12
Speaker 2: I think teams will go for it. I think teams will be all over it. I don't think that there's any any doubt about it. I think if he can get one hundred and twenty games out of him, and he hits you thirty to forty homers and plays good center field when he's out there, and steals his bases for fifteen million, huh, teams will fall over themselves for this, right. I mean, I still go back to Mike Trout, and we all love Mike Trout, and we think Mike Trout is one of the best players of all time. But Mike Trout hasn't been to the playoffs in forever. He's never won a playoff game, and he's kind of just become faded to the wayside because he's his whole career basically has been wasted in Anaheim. I don't want to see that happen to Byron bucks and I want to see him get an opportunity to win a ring.

00:18:53
Speaker 3: Right, Well, here's your comp for you, then, Kyle, when you ask about like would they go after him? Tyler O'Neal got three years, forty nine million last offseason. If you can get Byron Buxton, who maybe you know, they both have some injury issues. Byron Buckston's injury issues aren't quite the same as Tyler o'neils, but the talent is through the roof. I mean, Tyler o'neils had some cool stretches in his career where he's hit some dingers and he's played some center field. But if you can get Byron Buxton for five million less four million less than what the Orioles had to pay Tyler O'Neil in free agency. Yes, this would be a massive haul for whatever team is looking for a center fielder.

00:19:35
Speaker 1: For the record, I completely agree, and I'll be curious to see also if the teams that pursue him want to keep him in center or to keep him healthy, potentially move him to a corner guys moving on to another team. That was a big disappointment where the bottom completely fell out. In twenty twenty five, the Atlanta Braves Alexanthopolis has come out and said they need to add quote unquote a lot of relievers, but they're going to prioritize shortstop and a starting pitcher. We saw shortstop was a mess for them last year. They started with Nick Allen, then they acquired hass On Kim. They couldn't really find a long term solution there. His quote was, we're gonna focus on those spots. We'll see where those lead us, what the acquisition costs are and all that. Then will turn our attention to the bullpen. In terms of the Braves approach this offseason, starters, shortstop, relief pitching. That the order you think they should go and AJ, I'll start with you.

00:20:24
Speaker 2: Yeah, you need well, first of all, you need a shortstop. Okay, you can't play, you can't. Every good team has a really good shortstop. So I mean the Dodgers, rookie bets, the Blue Jays, even though Bobashak got hurt, they still had Andre sim Innes at least defensively that was pretty solid and got some huge hits for him. So you need a good shortstop. That should be priority number one. They have say, oh, they have Strider, they have Schollenbach, they have some mis Sharver. All these guys are gonna come back at some point, hopefully this year for him, and pitch better than they did last year. I think their starters are in a good spot. To me, they need relievers and they priority number one has got to be shortstop. And then you find some relievers and then hope that some of these other guys and you use a Sean Murphy if you have to to trade to make some moves to get some certain people. But to me, shortstop's one, relief two and starters are three. It's hard to find a short stop to replace Dansby Swonson. Dancy Swanson won a Gold Glove. He won a World Series in twenty one then he was an All Star in twenty two, won a Gold Glove, was an MVY I think top fifteen in an MVP, so it's hard to replace that. But they have done a poor job of it since twenty two when Dansby left because Orlando Garcia gave them the defense and that year he made the All Star team, Like it was like, wow, we got this guy for you know, they paid him nothing, and now it's been tough. I would expect they're going to be hard in on the Bobashek because he plays shortstop in the big leagues. But I agree with AJ, like if they're saying they're gonna go after starters, and Alex Anthopos is probably one of the more upfront, open, honest gms that we see out there that doesn't have as much GM speak as everybody else, maybe they're gonna go like a like a Dodger's from last year, in the sense that the Dodgers had nine or ten I forget legit starters, knowing what happened to the Braves is past year where six of their premium primary starters spent significant time on IL. Maybe they go out and they say, okay, we're gonna sign three starting pitchers because of the fact that we can option some of our young pitchers down and just have a just have a massive haul of starting pitchers. But I doubt they're gonna do that because they don't have quite they don't have the money that that the Dodgers do to spend on one spot. So I think they're gonna go after those relievers and they're just gonna bring in tons of relievers and see what happens.

00:22:44
Speaker 3: The Red Sox did it. The Red Sox brought in a ton of relievers in spring training and their bullpen was I think they had the best bullpen era in baseball. If not, it was the best bullpenny ra in the second half. So there's different ways to do this, yes, but shortstop is the key.

00:23:03
Speaker 1: So guys, some interesting news about the upcoming LA twenty twenty eight Olympics. Shoho Tani potentially looking at coming up before the opening ceremony, and overall Major League Baseball is looking at potentially scheduling some adjustments for players to participate in the Olympics. Eric, you were part of the twenty twenty Olympic qualifying team. Ultimately, those Olympics got pushed back, what are your thoughts on active major leaguers getting a chance to actually participate in the Olympics.

00:23:31
Speaker 3: Do it? Do it? I'm a huge Olympic fan. Major League Baseball said, you know what, we're going to own the WBC. It's cash for us. They kind of said to the Olympics, which I get it. You know, you build a business, you're not going to be like, hey, everyone else can do the other business. I'm not saying it has to be a one or the other. It can be a and or it can be both. So I think I think the Olympics is every four years for summer, every four years for winter, and it's something that it doesn't really matter what sport is on. I have it. I'm glued to the TV. I love watching all Olympics stuff. So for baseball to be in it, to me, I think it's a travesty that it's not the best players in the world. Because Japan they have all their best players that Team Samurai. They practice together in the offseason. They are ready to go, and I think that's what you're looking for for all the teams. So I want to see the best big layers. It's an opportunity to see everybody rather than you know, maybe just an All Star game during that period.

00:24:40
Speaker 1: Yeah, aj, this would require.

00:24:41
Speaker 2: A jumping to schedule. Yes, chuck of the schedule. But also what is MLBO on the krut said the WBC If they let major leaguers go play in the Olympics, will that take away from the WBC something that's going to have to be negotiated, right, But absolutely you throw on your USA thing and you go, hey, we're gonna We're gonna go try and win a gold medal. I'm in and we need to figure out a way to make this happen because we saw what happened with hockey and the four Nations thing for the All Star break. You got to take a chunk out of the season and let the big leaguers go play to help, as MLB says all the time, grow the game. What better way to grow the game than having it in the Olympics, explain with your best players in the world.

00:25:28
Speaker 1: So we talk about the pressure of New York and it extends beyond the players. It extends well into the front office. We saw that the Yankees have reportedly fired longtime international sky and director Donnie Rowland. Three major league sources confirmed to The Athletic that was done this offseason. There were some initial hits on the international market you look at Gary Sanchez, Luis Savarina, etc. But in recent history, the Yankees have had a lot of big dollar misses in international signings. Eric, I'll start with you, because you know this franchise so so so well, just what do you make the news that Donnie Roland has been fired and ultimately the Yankees are holding a major front office leader accountable for their signing failures. I think it's tough.

00:26:06
Speaker 3: I don't think we know I don't think we know enough about international signing and what it takes for these guys. But the fact that they've had success, and that's what scouts really kind of hang their hats on. Oh well he drafted this person. Oh he helped facilitate the signing for this person. It is a it's a cavalcade of people that are helping with these signings. So for him to take this, you know what, there might be trying to go in a different direction. Sixty two years old, he's had a great career, probably would like to continue, but you know what, it's a team effort. So maybe he's taking the brun of this as the face of the scouting Department International Scouting Department. But you know, is it on him technically, No, just like when somebody does pan out, when you do sign at Gary Sanchez for however many million they signed him, like, it's not all success.

00:27:02
Speaker 1: For that person either.

00:27:03
Speaker 2: Who signed that guy? Yeah, Donny Rowland, it lose your job. That's what happens if you don't I mean, if I'm a player and I don't hit, guess what I get released. It sucks, But it happens at every job. You don't perform, you get fired. Yeah.

00:27:23
Speaker 1: And what's tough with Donnie Rowland too? You talk about that. It's all a lot of what have you done for me lately? Because you go back. He is the Angel skying director for a number of years. He was responsible for drafting John Lackie and a lot of guys who helped the Angels become a World Series championship team and have that run through the two thousands. Again, he's been in the game for twenty three years. He spent last fifteen years with the Yankees. I suld say the last twenty three years overall in the Yankees organization last fifteen as their international director. So there's been a lot of successes, but again it's very much what have you done for me lately? Kind of game.

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00:28:54
Speaker 3: More, young bet mgm odds for the season that Crochet had to start at plus five hundred. And if you said, okay, he's gonna lead the league and strikeout, he's gonna he's gonna lead the league in innings, and then say at the end of the year he's still had no shadow winning it, would you have believed him aj Because Garret Crochet started at plus five hundred ended at plus nine.

00:29:25
Speaker 2: Hundred because he has no shadow winning. Uh No, but I also do. He's in the league with Trek Scouble and I knew that he was gonna have a hard time, So no, I mean he listened. It. It's when you have a guy that is as good as a guy like Trek Scooble, okay, and he can pitch and pitch and pitch and pitch, and he does his numbers and he has his team and everyone looks at him and he's won the award before you all. You have to have a historic year to jump him again. Kind of like what we're gonna talk about with the MVP But to me, Garret Crochet had an unbelievable year. He just had it in the wrong league, in the wrong year with Trek's Schoobel. Trek Scooble misses a start here or there, doesn't pitch grade all the time. Grek Crouchet is an easy choice. But this year derek'school just better.

00:30:10
Speaker 3: It sucks.

00:30:15
Speaker 1: Yeah again, I mean we've talked about this. When Trek Scooball has an era you know by you know, two point two one, no one else is within you know, twenty points of him. It just is what it is. But it did a point that you know, Garrett Crochet, all the questions we had coming into the year, can he hold up under a starter's workload? He answered them. So I do think it's a testament to him that his odds went the way they did. And realistically he is likely going to be the runner up.

00:30:38
Speaker 3: Yep.

00:30:40
Speaker 2: You know what that gets you, Kyle, Nothing?

00:30:44
Speaker 3: Nothing, Actually, it might get him some bonuses if he stopped three inside young there might be a little little bonus in his contract there.

00:30:50
Speaker 2: Yeah. But at the end of the day, I mean, it's like it's like when you win the It's like when you win the American League and you don't win the World Series, Like, you get a second place ring, cool sweet ring that you're never gonna wear.

00:31:02
Speaker 1: You don't like the Ale Championship penance.

00:31:06
Speaker 2: They're awesome, I mean they're awesome. I mean you don't like it, but you remember them, but you also, I mean you just it's one of those like, eh, do I ever wear a second place ring?

00:31:17
Speaker 3: Like? No, I don't know.

00:31:19
Speaker 1: I've always wonder about that. How decked out are the Pennant rings versus the World Series rings? Like, what's the comparison here?

00:31:27
Speaker 3: They're nice?

00:31:30
Speaker 2: I don't know. I never lost the World Series, Kyle, that is a good point.

00:31:35
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00:31:49
Speaker 1: Gambler Manager of the Year was announced yesterday, Pat Murphy winning NL Manager the Year, Steven Vote winning American League Manager of the Year. Pat Murphy became just he the first Brewers manager to ever win the award, which is kind of amazing when you consider some of the managers they've had. He's only the second manager in NL history to win it back to back years, joining a great like Bobby Cox. Eric, I want to start with you. Pat Murphy's had a really interesting career path. Famous college coach Notre Dame at Arizona State, leaves kind of ignominiously ends up having to work his way back up the minor league ladder from the lowest levels of the Padters system, gets a bench coach job, an internship, interim job with the Padres, and here he is back to back Manager of the Year, something only Bobby Cox has ever done the National League.

00:32:43
Speaker 3: He'll tell you, and he said it on the show. All those steps got him to this point. Had he gone Tony Batello straight from college to the big leagues, he would have sucked, because he said, the person he was as a college coach, he was going through things in his life and decisions that he would make with players and like. But what never changed about Murph is his relationships. It's how he approaches them now. And I think it goes to show, like you win Manager of the Year his words, not mine. It's a team that was not expected to do anything and exceeded those expectations. I think that's what happens when you put somebody in charge that gets the most out of players, because people don't just players don't just become MVPs. They don't just become like these amazing players like the players were already there. How do you get the most out of them? How do you get you know, a rookie of the Year candidate in Durbin, How do you get the most out of Joey Ortiz who didn't have the best of seasons, but you know what, they slotted him in at a premier position in shortstop. How do you get the most out of Bryce terrang In, you know later in the sea and when he had just a ridiculous I think it was August. It's by that constant relationship, constantly building these guys up, being honest with them and everything throughout throughout the season.

00:34:12
Speaker 1: And Pat does that all right. AJ. So we talked about the Nationally Manager of the Year award, Manager of the Year award winner and Pat Murphy steven vote fellow catcher one American League Manager of the Year. It's what were your thoughts on the job vote did and and if he deserves to be the winner. I know you and Ken had a little bit of back and forth on this regarding John Schneider.

00:34:32
Speaker 2: Listen, I'm happy for Voter. I love Voter, I love going in talking to him. I think it's awesome. His first two year, he win, he wins manager of the Year, got as team to the postseason.

00:34:41
Speaker 3: Yeah.

00:34:41
Speaker 2: I just thought that the voters will be a little bit tired of Stephen Vote, but they weren't. And you know what, good for him, Steven Vote. I don't know, you don't even think they give you. They even give you a trophy for manager of the Year, don't. I don't know if you get bonuses. But I think this is an awesome accomplishment to put on it. And you know what, Murphy and Voter a lot alike in the fact that they kind of do what they're their own way, and they have their own style, and they're very personable, and they have a relationship with all twenty six guys on their team and then all the front office and everybody. So I think this is kind of a they're mirror a little bit. Now. Now Murf tries to be a little more funny than what Voter does. Voter is just himself and you know Murph when if you've ever had a meeting with Murph he talks. You can barely hear him.

00:35:22
Speaker 1: He talks like this.

00:35:23
Speaker 2: You're like, Murph, what can you speak up a little bit? And whereas voters a little bit more serious. But I think they have very similar personalities that they get to know everybody, they figure out what they can work with on them and they run with it.

00:35:38
Speaker 1: Certainly do. By the way, they do get a plaque from the BBWA, from manager up here, so they do get something.

00:35:45
Speaker 2: Okay, nice, I just plaque is cool banda.

00:35:48
Speaker 1: Blacks that kind of as a member of the BBWA. Look, we got to show the love, right the players, the managers, everyone, everyone gets something. When you win something, it's a huge accomplishment. Got to get something out of it.

00:36:00
Speaker 3: Everybody gets a trophy, Kyle, No, just the winners. Oh yeah, just my winners. John Schneider got nothing.

00:36:10
Speaker 1: He does get an American League Championship ring, which you guys have talked about. You don't love.

00:36:16
Speaker 2: They're nice, They're nice, They're really nice. I don't.

00:36:20
Speaker 3: It's just you'll always know who beat you and if you ever come into it, if you're wearing your American League Championship ring and somebody has a World Series ring on in the same room. You gotta take it off like they're they're ring hierarchy like you can't be you can't.

00:36:51
Speaker 1: All right, Eric, the question everyone wants to know, what how are you wearing today?

00:36:56
Speaker 3: What's my TCU had? Of course, I mean since I'm getting the oh wait, another Texas, of course we got to skip on.

00:37:03
Speaker 2: Why not?

00:37:04
Speaker 3: You got to have your Rangers hat? And I'm expecting a turnaround because if Skip can do what he did in Florida, he's got a little bit better, more of a talented roster.

00:37:13
Speaker 2: In Texas, he does.

00:37:20
Speaker 1: He does the big question I've always wondered, Eric, that's part of our crats Hot segment. How many hats do you actually own?

00:37:30
Speaker 3: I know it's more than one hundred, and I know it's more than one hundred and fifty two. I think it was because I want one hundred and fifty two straight without wearing the same hat again. And now New Era has been very kind and they've sent me a couple extra. My buddy over here to my left, he's been very kind and sent me one from London, The All Star game, so you got to You gotta have your hook ups, so one day I'll count them all

00:38:00
Speaker 4: On