Bo Bichette or J.T. Realmuto? Or could the Phillies land both?

00:00:04
Speaker 1: Hey, this is Bryce Harper and welcome to the Billy Show.

00:00:08
Speaker 2: Rubin Tomorrow, Junior, Jim Salisbury, Todd's leckey.

00:00:11
Speaker 1: It's a Philly show.

00:00:12
Speaker 2: It's Thursday, January fifteenth, twenty twenty six. Ruben and Jim, you look great as always.

00:00:21
Speaker 1: Thank you. How about the get ups you got going? Nice pullover, Todd, nice t shirt, James.

00:00:28
Speaker 2: Look at us, Look at us, Look at us.

00:00:31
Speaker 1: Guys.

00:00:32
Speaker 2: Everybody is waiting and wondering.

00:00:35
Speaker 1: Bo Baschett, So were we?

00:00:39
Speaker 2: Oh yeah, quick little recap and then I want to get what you guys think. The Phillies and Bob Baschett meet on Monday. It went well. It went well by all accounts. They have talked since then. It's not like hey, Monday, we'll talk to you next week. They've had they've talked since then, and it's funny how much things can change in a few days. Last Thursday, when the Kual and Fair Territories, Ken Rosenthal first reported that they were meeting, My conversations is like a lot of obstacles. There's a path to make this happen. Maybe a little bit of a long shot, man, probably a long shot. After the meeting, though, on Monday, people are now cautiously optimistic. They think, oh boy, there really is a path to make this happen. Still a lot of obstacles to overcome. But what do you guys hear? What do you guys think right now as of Thursday morning with where Boba shit and the Phillies stand.

00:01:32
Speaker 3: Barney Rubble, he's my favorite actor.

00:01:40
Speaker 4: You know, it's funny because this is so JT is so part of this uh you know, narrative here, And it feels like you remember when they got JT. Like he was never on the radar all winter long, was the Mets, the Reds, the Dodgers, the Braves.

00:01:56
Speaker 5: He was gonna be one of those teams.

00:01:59
Speaker 4: And then you know he was out there, never on that radar, and then all of a sudden.

00:02:03
Speaker 5: He's in Philadelphia.

00:02:06
Speaker 4: This story is really reminded me of that where look, Bobachett was out there.

00:02:12
Speaker 5: We fantasized the bottom.

00:02:14
Speaker 4: A little bit right handed bat good hitter would look great in this lineup. I think we fantasized the bottom and all all fall and into the winter. But he was never like a priority item for the Phillies. He heard other teams. Now all of a sudden. You know, Bregman signs the Red Sox get range of Suarez, So they're looking for a bat, but they might trade for a bat. It might not be signing like a Bobachette, you hear, he might not be going back to Toronto all of a sudden.

00:02:46
Speaker 5: It's feeling like all roads.

00:02:47
Speaker 4: Lead to Philadelphia, Like that's the available chair that he's going to land in, so and like much like that JT winter when all the chairs disappeared and he was in Philadelphia. So gosh, I mean, it just feels like we know there's something there.

00:03:04
Speaker 5: We know it, right.

00:03:05
Speaker 4: It just feels like he could end up here. And if he doesn't, there's so much juice in the city for him. Right now, there's gonna be some serious disappointment. But you know, watching that Tucker thing, which could come down really here in the short term, and that might fuel a bow Baschett signing.

00:03:27
Speaker 5: We'll see.

00:03:28
Speaker 4: I think, you know, the Phillies obviously have changed their course and said, okay, well we'll move on from JT if we can get Bashett, And I think, honestly, I think they would find a way to go two hundred million.

00:03:41
Speaker 5: You think that'll be enough, Ruben.

00:03:44
Speaker 1: Well, I think that it sounds like they're willing to be go length.

00:03:48
Speaker 6: I mean, they've done it with other players obviously, ten eleven years, et cetera, on some big Boys, five on Schwarps.

00:03:56
Speaker 1: I think it's realistic.

00:03:57
Speaker 6: And the reason why I think it's realistic just having known David asking how he goes about his business. He's not He's not going to have a meeting and he's not going to have these discussions without being really serious about his interest.

00:04:11
Speaker 1: That's not how he works.

00:04:12
Speaker 6: And you know, John Middleton wants his he wants his trophy back, and.

00:04:19
Speaker 1: They may over extend to make this happen. I just don't. I think that they probably at.

00:04:27
Speaker 6: Some point realized they can't you know, quote unquote run the same lineup back.

00:04:35
Speaker 1: They probably know that there's some a little bit more question some question marks in their rotation that it may not be quite as strong. So maybe they do have to get a little bit better offense offensively.

00:04:50
Speaker 6: Regardless, I just think that there's a lot of things that are aligning right now to get them to the point where, you know what, we have a real pathway.

00:04:59
Speaker 1: To get a dynamic player.

00:05:03
Speaker 7: To you know, sort of refuel the fan base in some way, and to refuel this team, because he's the personality and the quality and the ability that sort of fits everything that they're trying to do or I think that they want to do in a player.

00:05:25
Speaker 1: Does this preclude them from doing JT? It could, It might not.

00:05:30
Speaker 6: It might not, only because, as you putting it out many times before, Jim and and so they got money coming off after this year. They may they may be willing to take a very heavy financial hit this year knowing that later on there might be a reset in the luxury tax, there may be a reset in a lot of different ways, and that they might be able to put themselves in a position to be to lengthen that that window of quality offensive players, meshing it with the quality of their starting pitching and bullpen now which has been fortified quite significantly.

00:06:12
Speaker 1: I think it's a I think it's a good.

00:06:14
Speaker 6: Space to be in right now if you're a Philadelphia fan, and I think it would be a little bit of a disappointment for the fans if both does not come to Philadelphia.

00:06:23
Speaker 5: I want both, Ruben, I want both.

00:06:25
Speaker 1: I want both also, and I think that there's a pathway Whip it's not our money, and I think there's a pathway to do it, and I.

00:06:35
Speaker 6: Honestly would not be surprised if both JT and Bobashett are on that roster.

00:06:41
Speaker 1: Come you know, February eleventh, when they go pitchers and catchers.

00:06:45
Speaker 2: And you guys know how much things can change. I say this all the time. One text, one phone call, one conversation, one spirited email to ownership. You know, I always think back to Rubin, your former assistant, Jim the great. Scott pro Frock sent a letter, an email really to Dave Montgomery at the time, saying you need to step up. We have an opportunity here. Give us a little more money, we can sign Cliff Lee, and we can have one of the greatest rotations in baseball history. I can see a situation right absolutely on paper that is still this best single season performance by any rotation in baseball history. If you believe in fangrafts war.

00:07:30
Speaker 3: And Dave Dombroski ability, you're right about pro Frock.

00:07:36
Speaker 4: Scott pro Frock, our friend, our buddy, former Phillies assistant cham with Ruben very persuasive in that argument pitched to Dave Montgomery and Ownership Dave Dombroski very persuasive as well when it comes to convincing ownership to push it, and when he gets a star in his crosshairs, he a lot of times doesn't let up.

00:08:05
Speaker 3: And that's why I love them.

00:08:08
Speaker 1: You know, cuts sort of from the same cloth. When you know I, you know, when you have guys that.

00:08:13
Speaker 6: Have done it and been there and had the success and can and can be true difference makers, why not be aggressive with them?

00:08:21
Speaker 1: Why again?

00:08:23
Speaker 2: So like going back to last week and talk going back to like how quickly things can change? Last week, my understanding was it is a binary situation. You get Bobachett or you get JT. Real mute. You cannot do both. But I agree with you guys that there is a pathway to make this happen. So for example, say the Phillies come to agreement with Bobachett eight years a little over two hundred million or around two hundred million. Can't you see Dave Dombrowski going in there, going John JT is still out there? Do we really want to take a step back behind the plate this guy, Zach. I just talked with Zach Wheeler downstairs in the clubhouse. He's rehabbing, and he is so pissed that that JT might not be back. We can get him for X amount of years, X amount of dollars will take the hit. You got cast Daniels off the books, next year, you got Walker off the books next year. We can make this work, John, can't we make this work? And I can see him going, all right, maybe we can make this work so.

00:09:32
Speaker 1: Real, real quick.

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00:09:36
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00:09:37
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00:09:43
Speaker 1: So let's talk.

00:09:45
Speaker 5: I want to talk.

00:09:46
Speaker 2: I want to talk more about JT and where things stand with him before we get the jten. Where things stand with him? The top competitors for Bobaschett right now, how do we see it now? The Red Sox on Wednesday just signed Ranger Suarez to a five year, one hundred and thirty million dollar deal, So maybe they're now they're out on on Boba sheet or maybe they're less likely to sign him. The Blue Jays have been kind of out on Bobachette because they've been focused on Kyle Tucker. But if you all the reports right now, say the Mets and the Dodgers are throwing some huge numbers at them on short term deals. So hypothetically, say the Mets signed Kyle Tucker for four.

00:10:31
Speaker 1: Years two hundred million.

00:10:33
Speaker 2: Now the Blue Jays maybe pivot and go back and circle back on Bobachett. You have the Yankees, the Dodgers, the Blue Jays, the Red Sox. Where do you guys have any thoughts on any of those options in terms of who Phillies fans should maybe be keeping their eye on the most.

00:10:49
Speaker 4: I'd keep my eye on all of the above, and I would even add the Mets to the Bobachette list if they don't get Tucker.

00:10:55
Speaker 5: I mean, I know they're not being mentioned, but.

00:10:57
Speaker 4: I mean you have Brett Bay and Vianto's at third base. I mean I could see them saying, hey, we're gonna go after a bat over there in Boba Schett. I mean, I don't know if it's likely or not, but Toronto, I hear mixed signals. If Tucker's not in play, maybe he goes back there. But I've also heard maybe the relationship has run its course. Dodgers could go after him and pay him a bunch of money to play second base on a short term move Edmund out.

00:11:24
Speaker 5: To the outfield.

00:11:26
Speaker 4: Boston is a tricky one because their acquisition of Ranger gives them starting pitching depth that they you know, they want an infielder, but they could take that starting pitching depth and turn it into an infielder via a trade.

00:11:42
Speaker 5: I don't know.

00:11:42
Speaker 4: If they're gonna spend more money, more big money on free agency. Maybe that works in the Phillies advantage favor because they'll get the infielder in a trade. You know, I don't know, I mean the Yankees. I think so much of it depends on a lot of it depends on where Tucker does not end up.

00:12:00
Speaker 5: We'll see.

00:12:01
Speaker 6: I always get concerned about the Dodgers number one, just because they this type of player sort of fits exactly what the Dodgers want, a winning type player, the attitude, the passion with which he plays, and I can see Andrew Freeman going going aggressive on him, and that's a concern.

00:12:23
Speaker 1: And you know, they don't have a whole lot of limits as.

00:12:25
Speaker 6: Far as dollars are concerned, so that makes it that's concerning Boston concerns me some, but they I just I just feel like when the Phillies have, especially the last couple of years, have had their mindset or I set on someone, I would be surprised if they get sort of outbid.

00:12:51
Speaker 1: And I mean, let's face it, this is an attractive place to play. You've got great players on a team that's one very consistent over the last several years, with a real chance to win uh A World Series.

00:13:06
Speaker 6: And I gotta believe that all those things intertwined give us the Phillies a real advantage.

00:13:14
Speaker 1: To uh, you know, to beat. And I don't say I'm not saying it's gonna happen.

00:13:18
Speaker 6: It doesn't happen till the man signs on the dotted line. But I do believe that there's a very good I thought it was over fifty percent right now, just having seen what's going on around the industry, I'm gonna stay closer to seventy percent.

00:13:32
Speaker 1: He's gonna sign him. So how about this? This is I mean, this is a factor. It's not gonna be the final factor.

00:13:37
Speaker 2: But you know, Bobaschat obviously has come up his entire play played with the Blue Jays entire career. They have spring training in Dunedin, Florida. Boba Schett lives in the offseason in the Saint Pete area. Kind of reminds me a little bit of and I'm not saying exactly, but it reminds me of when Roy Hall they want to created, He's like, I live here. I want to go to the Yankees or the Phillies. That's the only two. Now he has more freedom to go wherever he wants because he's a free agent, but maybe he wants to stay a little close to home. It's nice sleeping in your own bed and spring training and get those extra six seven weeks every year.

00:14:16
Speaker 4: Now do you think the there AAV.

00:14:22
Speaker 3: At thirty five.

00:14:23
Speaker 4: I know it's just five year deal, but the Bregman AAV of thirty five affects what Bau and his agent will be looking for in terms of the AAV because there's a lot of you know, they're comparable in a lot of ways, but Baul bring, you know, four years younger, so you know, would Bau want something like would you want thirty million per year? In that case, you know seven years times thirty is two hundred and ten million. I could see the Phillies doing that, I really could.

00:15:03
Speaker 6: Yeah, it's such a in a tough position because I have so many thirty million dollar players.

00:15:08
Speaker 5: On where they are.

00:15:09
Speaker 6: It's an organization, but it's not an impossible, it's not an impossibility. I do think that Bregman's AAV does draw him up. I thought that Bregman's AAV was going to be between a twenty five and a thirty in the twenty seven range.

00:15:24
Speaker 1: Still may.

00:15:26
Speaker 6: But again, at the end of the day, it may end up being length and it doesn't seem like.

00:15:30
Speaker 1: The Phillies are averse to going lengthy.

00:15:34
Speaker 2: I guess the argument if you're the Phillies you can make this pitch, right, is that a lot of Bregman's money was deferred, so it lowers the AAV for salary tax purposes. Correct, I believe, or you know, you can at least make that argument, like, well, it's not present day value at the very least. I know he's getting thirty five, but he's not really getting thirty five. So maybe we can meet halfway, or maybe we can get it down closer at that twenty five million dollars. But I yeah, it complicates things maybe a little bit.

00:16:04
Speaker 4: And you know you like, it's it's all about the now for the Phillies. I know it would be a long term deal, but yeah, you got to win now, like twenty six, twenty seven because and I will.

00:16:17
Speaker 6: Never forget like some of the things that John's Middleton said about being a you know, legacy type franchise, you know, being an all time like you think you think about like the the greatest franchises in the National League, and you're thinking probably the Cardinals right as far as just winning, and now it's the Dodgers, right, it's the Dodgers in the car. That's where John Middleton wants to be. He wants to be viewed as a legacy in the industry and a legacy owner.

00:16:54
Speaker 1: This could help him get there for sure.

00:16:56
Speaker 4: Because it's not just like this twinkly star that you know is out there.

00:17:02
Speaker 3: It's a star that fits your biggest need.

00:17:07
Speaker 4: Right handed guy who puts the bat on the ball, drives in the runs, can hit it over the wall, get hit it in the gap. So a right handed bat that is going to help bring out the best in some of your left handed studs.

00:17:18
Speaker 2: And imagine if they bring JT back as well, which again as of last week, it was like, now one or the other. Now, maybe there is a path. Okay, so let's go back. Let's talk a little bit more about JT. So before the Winter meetings, the Phillies.

00:17:35
Speaker 1: Made an offer to JT.

00:17:36
Speaker 2: I don't know if it was a two year deal, three year deal, whatever, but they thought it was a legitimate offer that, you know, might be the best offer that he might get all off season. That was kind of the feeling at the time. Obviously, JT disagreed. He's coming off that five year, one hundred and fifteen point five million dollars deal AAV twenty three point one. He does not wanted to take a real significant pay cut from that number, even though he's thirty five and he's coming off his worst offensive year. Jim You said, the market has changed, and the market absolutely now, Jim You said on and We're nothing had really moved since the winter meetings. Jim You said on December twenty second, on a December twenty second show that the Phillies and Real Muta were playing a game of chicken. And then you also have been talking for the last past few weeks about the three year offer being on the table.

00:18:23
Speaker 1: He might end up signing three offer.

00:18:25
Speaker 2: What can you tell us about Can you tell us anything more about where things stand?

00:18:29
Speaker 5: No, I've been hearing for several weeks.

00:18:31
Speaker 4: It's that they've made a three year offer. But the sticking point is the money. And the three year offer i've heard is south of forty five million, which may or may not be a significant number because everything I hear is he would like to, you know, be paid closer to twenty million, So you know, they have work to do to to you know, bridge that gap, and JT is you know, like I said, Game of Chicken, the Phillies don't want to bid against themselves. I think they're pretty certain there's not a huge market. Though from what I hear, JT does have a landing spot. If it doesn't work out here, I'm.

00:19:09
Speaker 3: Sure that's probably a one year deal.

00:19:12
Speaker 4: You think about teams that might need to catch er, Tampa Bay comes to mind. But I think this is the place he wants to be. I know this is the place he wants to be.

00:19:21
Speaker 5: We all know that.

00:19:22
Speaker 4: But it's not a matter of the years, because they have shown that they're willing to go to three. It's a matter of what the number is.

00:19:30
Speaker 6: Yeah, and I don't necessarily agree with going to three. But if they've gone to three, they've gone to three. The question is, if they do sign.

00:19:37
Speaker 1: Bobashet do they change their offer or do they pull the offer. Yeah, that's the real question that I have.

00:19:47
Speaker 6: If they do sign Bobaschett, and are they having those conversations with JT and or When I say JT, not necessarily, JT is representative that if they do make this move, I don't think they're doing it as a threat.

00:20:01
Speaker 1: This is not a game.

00:20:03
Speaker 5: Just hit better what you know.

00:20:05
Speaker 6: Dave Nebowski's job is to put the best possible team on the field.

00:20:10
Speaker 1: Under uh and and be fiscally responsible.

00:20:14
Speaker 6: And he's gotta I mean, he's got to get the approval from his ownership group.

00:20:19
Speaker 1: And I don't think he's playing around.

00:20:21
Speaker 6: I don't think he's like doing one versus the other or anything like that. I think he's trying to make sure that at the end of the day, he can put the best team he possibly can on the field. And the pursuit of Bobbachette, for me, I've gotten to the point where I think the team might be better off going with BIET than JT. I would not have said that before until I started to really analyze you know what the change might be. If it is indeed an either or that, I'd be willing to go with Marshawn and or others to handle the catching position.

00:20:56
Speaker 4: I think the gains, the gains you make in the lineup with that big need and you know the right handed bat and with how how good he is, I think it makes you a better team, even if you have to take a step back behind the plate. You know, you bring in Caratini, pair them with Marshawan, you bring in Jonah him your pair them with march On, or you let marsh On ride with it.

00:21:21
Speaker 5: We'll see.

00:21:22
Speaker 4: But you know, you look at that lineup and what it would do for you in October. And now I know a lineup can go cold. The best lineup murderers row go cold in a two week stretch.

00:21:36
Speaker 3: It happens.

00:21:37
Speaker 5: It's baseball.

00:21:38
Speaker 4: But I like your chances of staying hot a little bit more because you know everybody drafts off that right handed bat in the lineup.

00:21:47
Speaker 5: Those left handed bats will benefit from him.

00:21:50
Speaker 2: You guys both mentioned Marshaan, What about Victor Carrottini. Garrett Stubbs for instance, and then putting including I mean, this is maybe a dumb idea, but including Marshawn into trade to maybe get a little bit more money back. You know, if you deal with Nick Castianos to a team that needs a little pop, you know, maybe you get an extra million or two and maybe I.

00:22:15
Speaker 6: Like marsian is a number one if they if JT doesn't resign, and here's there's a chance, I want to give him a chance to go out there and catch on our games.

00:22:22
Speaker 4: Here's the problem with banking on getting money back for Castianos. The whole world knows he's gonna be released. They're just gonna sit back and wait till they can pay the league minimum if they have.

00:22:31
Speaker 5: Interest in him.

00:22:32
Speaker 4: It's gonna be the same thing if you get Pashette. Now the whole world knows you have to move home.

00:22:36
Speaker 3: And that's going to really affect what you get back.

00:22:38
Speaker 4: Right, So, you know these these rival teams that they're they're schmack.

00:22:45
Speaker 1: Exactly. You know.

00:22:47
Speaker 2: I'm wondering though, So the Phillies earlier this week they got this reliever from the Pirates, a Chase Shoe Guart. He's got a minor league option remaining, So he's like a bullpen candidate, gives them a little bit more bullpen depth.

00:22:59
Speaker 1: And so again they're they're.

00:23:00
Speaker 2: At forty players on the forty man roster, and my immediate thought was, up, next guy they signed there goes to Castia release them? But is there could be other guys they maybe take off the forty men if they believe, if they believe they could get a million or two for Nick Castiana's Do you think that, you know, do you think they can find somebody and maybe a couple of teams you could pin against each other just to I mean, if the money is so tight right now and every dollar counts, do they hold on them like a little bit longer.

00:23:31
Speaker 6: There's some teams that are been sort of hand slapped that might have to like put dollars onto their under their payroll, the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Tampa Bay Rays and and uh and other teams, maybe even the Colorado Rockies whose payrolls are so minimal that they're starting to get like kind of handslap from the MLB MLBPA that they may have to take on some money associated with a player like Castianos And so I I wouldn't be surprised that they could get maybe one or two teams. It only takes two teams to have a little bit of flexibility. Maybe it saves an extra couple of million, four million, three million, five million for some of those teams that one need offense and two need to show the world that they're trying a little bit better.

00:24:24
Speaker 4: Question posing to you both. You get Boba Shatt. We've talked about this, but I've been thinking about.

00:24:33
Speaker 5: This a lot.

00:24:35
Speaker 4: Do you make them your second baseman and move Stot to third? Or do you just stick them at third where he's never played? But do you hand you know he's played the left side of the nfield. Do you say play third base, Bobby Dickerson, go to work on him, and we're going to keep our goal goal of caliber guy at second where he's strong instead of uprooting him.

00:24:56
Speaker 5: What do you do?

00:24:57
Speaker 1: That's such a great question.

00:25:00
Speaker 2: I think Stott's the better defender, so you hate to move him off the middle there. You know, you know, everybody for one hundred years has talked about the strength the importance of being strong up in the middle.

00:25:11
Speaker 1: JT.

00:25:12
Speaker 2: That's why it was so great to see the improvement from Turner you know, that's why you.

00:25:15
Speaker 1: Want to have a great center fielder.

00:25:16
Speaker 2: That's why you want to have a great second basement. So I'm tempted to leave Stott at second and hope that Bobby Dickerson can work his magic and make bashett A a competent third baseman.

00:25:29
Speaker 1: You saw what he did with Alec Bohm.

00:25:32
Speaker 2: You know, I often hate this place at one point from now he's now, he's a guy you don't really think that about that much at third base. So I'm going to say move put bow Baschett at third base and let Bobby d work his magic.

00:25:45
Speaker 1: So here's what I would do. You're you're committing to this guy for six or seven years.

00:25:50
Speaker 6: You let him decide where do you want to play second or third, and then make the adjustment.

00:25:57
Speaker 1: In my baseball mind.

00:25:59
Speaker 6: I'd rather have Stott stay at second and let Bishett adjust the third because he's been on the left side of the field for his entire career. Obviously not a third, he hasn't played there, but he's been on the left side of the field. The ball comes off that side. But ultimately, if you're going to commit six years to this or seven years or whatever it may take you, let him decide where he feels more comfortable and make the adjustment accordingly. And I do believe that Stott can play third base well enough. Whether it's holding a space for Aden Miller at the time, whether at some point that becomes a platoon, but Stott.

00:26:41
Speaker 1: And Miller at third base left right, who knows. But it gives you.

00:26:48
Speaker 6: The beauty of Stott is that he gives you flexibility because the man will play anywhere and play it well in all three of.

00:26:54
Speaker 1: Those positions and four positions.

00:26:56
Speaker 2: If you want to count first base, Jim, what's your where do you want to see him go?

00:27:03
Speaker 4: You know, I'm kind of on the side of seeing what Bobby Dickerson could do with him at third base, just because, like you said, I like to strengthen up the middle.

00:27:12
Speaker 5: I think.

00:27:14
Speaker 3: Turner and Scott have developed a.

00:27:16
Speaker 4: Really good chemistry, and you know, I want my best gloves up the middle. And you know Scott is stellar at second base. I'll always opt for anyone stellar in their spot and keep them stellar, and see what he can do at third base. And you know, if you have to adjust, you have to adjust.

00:27:40
Speaker 1: So let's wrap this up.

00:27:42
Speaker 2: I want to get your Rangers swore I signed a five year, hundred thirty million dollar year with the Red Sox. Give me what you will remember most about Ranger or what you will miss the most about Ranger.

00:27:58
Speaker 4: Good guy, real guy, the poise in big moments. I loved that season he had a few years ago when he literally was like a starting pitcher, He was their closer, and he was a setup man, all in the same season and delivered on all fronts.

00:28:18
Speaker 1: I think I was twenty two, wasn't it.

00:28:20
Speaker 4: Yeah, it might have been, and just a good spirited guy, happy, go lucky. And I remember the first time I heard his name was when he pitched a no hitter I think in maybe like.

00:28:33
Speaker 3: Williams Port Todd or Lakewood or somewhere.

00:28:36
Speaker 5: As a very young minor leaguer.

00:28:38
Speaker 4: And I remember the first time I interviewed him was at a prospect seminar as this young kid, and I was talking to him about his unique first name, and he just said, his parents like that name. In fact, they named his sister Ranger Arena Ranger I n a, And you'd pronounce that differently in Espanol. I'm sorry, Yeah, I'm kind of mad. Yeah, I'm mangling it. I apologize for that, but all right, really really good guy and I wish I wish him well up there in the land of the Bean in the.

00:29:12
Speaker 1: Cod Hey, so I love the kid.

00:29:16
Speaker 6: We signed him at the time in twenty twelve, I think it was they got he was signed by sal Agustinelli for I think it was like twenty five thousand dollars or something. I mean, for him to become the picture that he was so cool, for him to be able to sign this contract for he and his family in the future, and you know, several generations of Suarez is down the line.

00:29:39
Speaker 1: But I.

00:29:41
Speaker 6: What I love the most about him when I think about Ranger is you talked about a little bit. It was his poise, his joy for the game. But he sort of reminded me if anybody remembers the old Cuban pitcher Levon Hernandez, it was almost like Levan Hearnanez from the left side.

00:29:58
Speaker 1: He's just having a catch with the catcher. Yeah, I'm gonna play catch with this guy, and.

00:30:02
Speaker 6: I'm gonna get people out because I can change speeds and I'm not.

00:30:06
Speaker 1: Gonna get super affected by what goes on around me. The sky could fall.

00:30:10
Speaker 6: I'm gonna try to make my next pitch and see where it goes from there. And I just great kid lifetime Philly until now, and I wish him the best, and I hope we're not facing him in the World Series.

00:30:22
Speaker 1: Well maybe maybe I am hopeful that we face him in the World Series. That'd be great for the Phillies.

00:30:28
Speaker 4: I would be We gotta we gotta avenge that World series loss on the Phillies too. They have to avenge that nineteen fifteen World series here that was.

00:30:38
Speaker 2: The killer, that was a killer Grover, when Alexander couldn't get it done, you were right.

00:30:42
Speaker 4: There in the stands watching their Jimmy Harry Hooper went deep twice.

00:30:47
Speaker 2: I'm gonna So when I think about Ranger, I obviously I think about how cool and calm and collected and how goofy he was in the clubhouse and just how that translated into him not being bothered by anything. And that's why I think he's going to be fine in Boston. I don't think anything's.

00:31:04
Speaker 1: Going to bother him.

00:31:05
Speaker 2: You know, you see some players fold up there in New York Philly. He's not gonna Nope. I think he's gonna be fine up there, you know he was.

00:31:14
Speaker 4: I remember talking to him once for like a background story. He was an accidental pitcher. He was a soccer player, yeah, and they had like a league in town, and somebody said, hey, you want to come play baseball. He's like thirteen or some fourteen, and they stuck him in center fields.

00:31:30
Speaker 5: And he liked it.

00:31:31
Speaker 3: And then one day they needed somebody.

00:31:33
Speaker 4: To pitch, and he said, I'll try it, and he did pretty good, and they said, hey, why don't you come back to the next game, And that's how he became a pitcher.

00:31:41
Speaker 1: And then you think back.

00:31:43
Speaker 2: I went back yesterday and I watched the show we had last January with Caleb Cotham, because I remember this anecdote that Caleb said, He's like when rangers on, I think he's one of the best pitchers in baseball. He's like, he's the only guy I've ever seen that can go out in a bullpen and thirty straight pitches and then walk off the mound flipping the ball up in the air and just tuckling to himself after he just went out there.

00:32:08
Speaker 4: Right, And that was that was a great anecdote by Kale and he what he kind of punctuated it by saying, you know, you you walk away thinking that might have been the best bullpen session I've ever seen in my life.

00:32:20
Speaker 2: Absolutely absolutely, But it's just nice.

00:32:23
Speaker 6: Nice to have enjoyed somebody actually pitching, yes, which is.

00:32:28
Speaker 1: What he did.

00:32:29
Speaker 6: Didn't have to do it with stuff. He did it with change of speed and command. And it's nice to see a guy be able to do that, have success and be rewarded for it. Pretty cool.

00:32:40
Speaker 3: And he's gonna have to keep doing it, Rubio, because.

00:32:42
Speaker 1: Yeah, because the ribosities are coming down. He's you know, eighty eight to ninety one now.

00:32:47
Speaker 4: Yeah, And that that great game he pitched maybe midsummer in Atlanta when I was watching the game on TV and.

00:32:57
Speaker 5: Everybody was like, wow, his vielo was really down, but he ends up pitching.

00:33:01
Speaker 4: Like seven innings and the maximum exit velocity was seventy six miles an hour.

00:33:07
Speaker 3: That was the average exit velocity for the day.

00:33:10
Speaker 4: I mean, he just limits man, keeps the ball in the yard, doesn't walk people.

00:33:19
Speaker 1: Just a great personality, great fit in the clubhouse.

00:33:21
Speaker 2: I think that will be missed for sure, but it's good to see one of those guys, those command control guys getting one hundred and thirty million, So guys, enjoy your weekend. I will see you if we need an emergency pod, so have your phones on. Gentlemen, you need to make that happen.

00:33:41
Speaker 6: As long as the horizon doesn't have another national out you know, outage, we go.

00:33:47
Speaker 2: Otherwise, we will see you guys next week.

00:33:51
Speaker 5: Smelly later boys.

00:33:54
Speaker 2: The Philly Show is brought to you by the Foul Territory Network. Subscribe to The Philly Show on YouTube, and We're where you get your podcasts.