Orioles sign Alonso, Mets fallout, Red Sox plans, Tigers ink Finnegan

00:00:03
Speaker 1: This is it the end of the Winter Meetings, and you know what that means? Everything will start happening. Well, yes, no more backpacks, that's the easy answer from Krafts. But also everything will start happening. Why there's no deadline, so things will happen now tonight.

00:00:17
Speaker 2: Mar My question is why does kraft take backpack so much?

00:00:20
Speaker 3: I love backpack.

00:00:21
Speaker 2: I love backpacks. Like what Krafts?

00:00:23
Speaker 4: Are you like one of those people that has the wheelie the little wheelie suitcase when you go around like, not a backpack, Like, I don't get what you're such a backpack hater.

00:00:32
Speaker 5: If you saw all the backpacks that went by, it looks like some people are hault like their shurpas, like they're hauling their entire life around with them. It's like you're at the Winter Meetings. Like our guy right back there, Shy DAVIDI he just he just walked by, good backpack wearing. We got some people that are rocking all of Peter Alonzo's money in it. That's what it looks like. So that's all I love back.

00:00:57
Speaker 4: I mean, you don't. You don't want to see my backpack. Backpack is like my go back so it has all kinds of stuff and it has I closed for three weeks. It's got like a fair shoes I fold up in it. It's got all my bathroom stuff, it's got my all my cords, It's got everything in it. So I can't make fun of anyone with the backpack like backpacks or where it's at.

00:01:16
Speaker 1: Yeah, there was one guy walking by an Orioles. Guy had a big orange Orioles logo and his backpack was like this big.

00:01:22
Speaker 3: It had all of Pete Alonzo's money in it.

00:01:24
Speaker 1: Oh, every every busin So let's hit breaking news. The polar Bear has left the Mets. Five years, one hundred and fifty five million dollars gets him to the Baltimore Orioles. Orioles made a big bid that essentially matched what the Phillies through at Kyle Schwarber. That was according to Ken Rosenthal, who had great reporting. And we'll be on our show later, but we learned that Pete Alonso will instead be the guy that the Oriols bring in to be their big power bat to help get these young guys to a better spot and get the Oils back into the postseason.

00:02:03
Speaker 4: Also, don't forget, I mean they added a ward Taylor Ward right, yep. So they've started adding bats and then they hope Athley bounces back. They have Basaio, they have Gunner. They're hoping Jackson Holiday takes the next step, Cowser takes the next step. Like this is this is how you do it right, This is how you build an organization. And when you get to that point, now, they need some pitching, and especially in that division.

00:02:28
Speaker 2: They're gonna need some pitching. And as happy as I am.

00:02:31
Speaker 4: For the Orioles right now, because we've we've banged the Orioles drummed to death, like we need the Oriols to do this, we need the Oriels to do this. Michaelia's way to go. The new ownership. We saw Adam Jones, we saw them Jones walk Why he didn't even tell us about this? So I don't even know what's happening right, But here's my question.

00:02:48
Speaker 2: What are the Mets doing? What where are you?

00:02:52
Speaker 4: Mister met Like what are we happening here with Uncle Stevie Cohen? Like what if you're a Mets fan, you lost Edwin Diaz and now you've lost Pete a Lonzo and twenty four hours, what's happening up there in Queens in the seven train and all that. Are they too worried about building that casino in that new area they're building.

00:03:09
Speaker 2: Around city Field? Like what Pete Alonzo.

00:03:11
Speaker 1: Shoot, they didn't make the playoffs last year and they said, fuck this, We're doing something different.

00:03:16
Speaker 5: I mean, okay, I'm I'm gonna not I'm gonna not bag on the Mets here because I bagged on the Pirates yesterday and my Twitter page just melted away with all the visceral just hate of what I was saying. But so I'm gonna go with the Orioles. Does anybody know how many home runs the highest amount of home runs on the twenty twenty five Orioles was. It was Gunnar Gunner, Gunner, Jackson Holliday, and Jordan Westberg all had seventeen home runs to add Pede Alonzo. Rarely can you say this guy is a forty home run power guy, like you say, oh he's hit forty. He's normally more like a thirty five, but his potential is forty. This guy is a pencil him in for forty home runs. It could be fifty to fifty five. He will change this lineup and he will this is a huge step in the right direction. I just hope the Orioles are not saying, all right, we're just gonna go with the pitchers that we got, which are good. Bradish you know, Tyler Wells, I think will be back. You have a great year from Rogers Grayson soon too soon, but you know you're gonna have some good pitching. I just need them to add to that pitching, because then they become a formidable piece. Formidable piece in the American League East, which the Red Sox have made the little moves, the Blue Jays have made big moves. The Orioles now have made big moves. The Yankees are just waiting right now. So this is a fun American League East.

00:04:55
Speaker 3: Yeah, this team had a brutal season this past season.

00:04:57
Speaker 1: Talking about Baltimore, Yeah, they just improved their offense with power significant guys over the last few weeks.

00:05:04
Speaker 4: But they have not improved the biggest problem they have pitching. Yes, because now I used to just I mean, listen, I love I love the healthy signing and I love bringing Kittridge back. So I love both of those moves to help the bullpen. But you trade away Grayson. Can Rogers do it again? What else do they have? Bradish?

00:05:22
Speaker 2: Where's he? Kramer?

00:05:23
Speaker 4: Where's he? They don't have Batista? You know, is is e Flyn? What's where's he at? Like there's all these well he's not there anymore. He's there right now, guys. Trevor Rodgers, okay, who was brilliant, but two years ago he was in triple A and could get anybody out.

00:05:39
Speaker 3: Kyle Bradish coming off.

00:05:40
Speaker 1: This'll be another full season top of surgery, Dean Kramer, Tyler Wells, cade Povich.

00:05:47
Speaker 5: Yes, exactly.

00:05:48
Speaker 4: Do you trust that now against Garrett Cole, Max Free, Carlos, Roddan, Louis Heel now in one, and then you go to Dylan Cees, Kevin Cousman, Burrios, you say Avage, that whole crew, and then you go to the Crochet and Sonny Gray and that whole crew plus the Rays with McClanahan and all of them coming back.

00:06:08
Speaker 3: They have by far the worst pitching in the AD.

00:06:10
Speaker 2: It's not even close.

00:06:10
Speaker 3: But now their lineup is up.

00:06:13
Speaker 2: To par Yeah close, but you win the rest of the division, win with no I know.

00:06:17
Speaker 1: But this this to me means all right, good krats offense done. This a lineup where you look at it on paper and you're like, Jackson Holiday, what is he twenty two? Jordan Westburg, Gunner Henderson. Now you added Pete Atlee Rutchman, you added Taylor Ward outfields, Cowser, maybe Dylan Beaver's and then besioh too.

00:06:41
Speaker 3: Seeing where he plays right could be a little bit.

00:06:44
Speaker 4: What's interesting though, is Basio every Orios person were like, we're not sure if he's gonna catch. He can be a first base slash dch Kyle, Well, now I ain't playing first base because PiZZ there and now they still have Adlee.

00:06:55
Speaker 2: So now is he just he's a twenty two year old dh.

00:06:59
Speaker 5: May that's crazy. I mean his bat, his bat plays, it's definitely there. Obviously had some struggles when he first came up. Is that like it's it's funny that you would you would hamstring him like that. Are the Orioles willing to make Bosaillo the everyday catcher? No, I don't think so. But are they looking to the future when Ali Rutchman does not re sign with this team.

00:07:21
Speaker 2: Yes, would they trade Adley?

00:07:26
Speaker 4: They could get a haul, They could get some pitching in a trade. If there's teams out there, I look at a Texas Rangers team that might need a catcher to pair with Higgey. Right, there's some teams out there that could use some Philly Maybe if Philly doesn't sign j T, would they make a move and try to give up somebody to get a ADLEI Rutchman? I mean would would the would Michael Yas? It's about possible making a move for pitching that way because you have Basillo there.

00:07:53
Speaker 5: Clearly Michael Yas doesn't want anything to do with any free agent long long term pitching. He's fine with free agent pitchers, but long term pitching, you know. So now you look to the teams. Is there a match where it's Adlie that has pitching? Does do they want to trade? Do the Twins want Adlie Rutchman? You know there's pitching there. Do the Marlins want Adlie Rutchman? There's pitching there there? You know, you got to look at the matchups and you know where that where that if if they're saying yes, we would move ADLEI obviously it's a huge if to me. I think he's still a top can be a top tier player.

00:08:35
Speaker 1: Also, do we have the full evaluation on Samuel Bessillo yet? As a big league catcher, if there were some question marks, I mean, the bat should play. So I think they're going to figure it out. And yeah, it could open them up to trade thoughts. But for me, I don't think they're going to touch this. I think this is the lineup they're rolling with.

00:08:54
Speaker 2: That's fine, it's a it's a solid lineup.

00:08:57
Speaker 3: They'll get Peede off his legs a little bit. Let's just listen.

00:09:00
Speaker 2: Pete doesn't care anymore because Pete just got five years exactly, so if he doesn't need be like, okay, I don't need to.

00:09:06
Speaker 4: Prove my worth as a first base and now I'm okay. It's like the hater thing, right for years, I'll only throw the one inning, and well, now I got my five years, hundred, I'll do whatever you want now because I got paid. And and good for Pete, man, Like, Pete's not gonna not want to play. Pete plays every day, so when he's not playing first, he still want a DH so he's gonna be in the lineup again. Good for you Orioles fans, Good for the Oriols organization. Good for you Micha Elias, Good for you Rubinstein's yep, everything right. Good for you can Yard is gonna be rocking again. I'll go get some pitching, but I I just can't get over the Mets. The Mets sauce, you can argue, but like two guys, homegrown dudes man for the Mets, Edwin Diaz in the all time traded you know what, I'm yes, early early, but he basically grew up in big league career as a Met, like if.

00:09:52
Speaker 2: Pete Alonso drafted all the way through all time home.

00:09:56
Speaker 4: Run leader for the Mets, gone, gone, gone. And but they all people say is Steve Cohen has all this money, he can never get outspent by anybody. And now they're saying, oh, we weren't comfortable.

00:10:06
Speaker 2: Of course, teams.

00:10:06
Speaker 4: Always say that when a guy leaves, oh we weren't comfortable. But I don't know, it's it's weird. Nemo's gone now, it's it's they've lost big pieces.

00:10:17
Speaker 2: And how will they replace him?

00:10:18
Speaker 4: I know David Stearns has this thing that he does, but how are the Mets going to replace these pieces? How are they going to replace the home runs? How are they going to replace Pete A Lonzo in the clubhouse? Are they going to replace the ninth inning I know they got Devin Williams, but how are you going to replace you know, Diz Devin.

00:10:33
Speaker 2: It's just it's a lot.

00:10:35
Speaker 1: They were pissed as an organization would be. They didn't make the playoffs. That payroll is off the charts for a team to not make the playoffs and frankly look pretty pitiful down the stretch. The only thing that's funny to me is I feel like there was a clear cut reason why they didn't make the playoffs, and it was the pitching. So getting rid of Pete, getting rid of Nemo, I don't know.

00:10:57
Speaker 4: I mean their closer, I mean, they get rid of them guys too, but getting rid of Deals who had a really good year. Look at his numbers.

00:11:04
Speaker 1: Basically, it's like you look and say, hey, we got to blow this up quite a bit and find a different mix. But I feel krats, like the players that are taking the brunt of that are not the ones that were the problem.

00:11:18
Speaker 5: It's a different route. I mean, I guess there's different way to skin a cat. I just I don't I don't see it. But I know David Sterns has a plan, and maybe that plan is, you know, maybe we'll just linger around and then once all these National League East contracts get old, then we'll then we'll pounce. No, I know that's not his plan. I'm excited to see what he's gonna do because there's a lot of freed up money right now. Like the fact that you're not paying Diaz. I guess you have to still pay Devin Williams, and it's not that big of a difference you're not paying Pete. Like I I'm excited. I think I think Sterns will do something. I'm just fearful the fact that the report's coming out that they're not willing to go to that fifth year. Maybe they were willing to go the thirty million a year, but they're not thirty a year.

00:12:12
Speaker 3: No, I'm getting fresh stuff for you. Ready for it?

00:12:15
Speaker 5: Yeah, I'm always for it.

00:12:17
Speaker 3: Okay, John Hayman, Joel Sherman, among others.

00:12:19
Speaker 1: There's there's a lot of tweets coming in fast and furious that the Mets were essentially surprised that Pete got five years. Will Salmon from the Athletics said the Mets had some interest in bringing Pete back, but they were not comfortable going to the lengths and figured it ended up it ended up, but in his deal with the Orioles it was a much better. His tweet not making sense to me. Sorry, Anthony Tacobo, I think he misspelled. Anthony Diacomo said. The Mets never made a formal offer to Pete Alnzo as it became clear to them the bidding wasn't heading to places they were interested in going.

00:12:53
Speaker 2: Well. Sherman said the same thing, Joel Sherman.

00:12:55
Speaker 5: Good for Pete. We thought he was going to get five years one fifty last year, so he got whatever he got last year, twenty.

00:13:04
Speaker 2: Thirty, got a total.

00:13:05
Speaker 1: Of five over you got thirty last year counting last year, six years one eighty five. And if you took Pete the free agency last year and said, hey six eighty five years, sign up for that.

00:13:14
Speaker 3: In a freaking harpy, god Boris got him again.

00:13:16
Speaker 2: God Boris got him out the city.

00:13:18
Speaker 4: Matt Chapman got him. Bragman's gonna get him got him.

00:13:24
Speaker 1: Yeah, Hey, opt out for stars are usually a pretty good idea.

00:13:28
Speaker 2: Yep, what do they do?

00:13:30
Speaker 3: Now?

00:13:31
Speaker 2: Who?

00:13:31
Speaker 5: Who the Mets?

00:13:34
Speaker 2: I mean? Kroud Caidy, he had a bring back Frankie Montoss.

00:13:37
Speaker 3: Find the next montask I said, that Crouds.

00:13:40
Speaker 4: Krouch said, David Sarns has a plan, I said, bring back Frankie Montos.

00:13:44
Speaker 2: I don't know what they're gonna do.

00:13:46
Speaker 4: I mean, they're they're they're kind of in a weird spot because you have one Sodo, you have Lindor, you got, you got guys. You got to try and go for it with. But Darren ask our next guest. But I don't know what they do.

00:13:58
Speaker 5: That's a problem. Did they go after Bragman and move Viento's to first base? Is Bragman a better pickup than Pete Alonzo? You're never You're never going to find Pete's Homer's anywhere on the market. Sorry, not Kyle Tucker, not Cody Bellinger, none of that.

00:14:18
Speaker 1: It was Schwarber and Pete and they basically got the same deal. We talked about this yesterday. Kratz I said, Hey, teams like Baltimore didn't get Schwarber, and Baltimore was the top bidder with Philly, right, they both offered five to one fifty. And I was asking you how much of a difference it is between the two players. They're both monster home run hitters. Yes, Schwarber hit many more.

00:14:40
Speaker 2: This year.

00:14:40
Speaker 1: It is a more hitter friendly park in Philadelphia than in Queens.

00:14:47
Speaker 3: That is a fact.

00:14:48
Speaker 1: So you wait the numbers and they were very close even last year, where this past season, when just like an Alf Swrober had an incredible season, it was right there, very close in terms of metrics that front office is used to evaluate bats. You're not signing Pee for his defense. You're signing him for his bat and eventually he might just be a full time DH, and that is okay. So if you're Baltimore and you were going to sign a full time DH, you got the quote next best guy.

00:15:16
Speaker 4: Well, you know what, I'm proud of them more than anything. With the Orioles, they put it out there that they.

00:15:21
Speaker 2: Were in on Schwarber and they had the money.

00:15:23
Speaker 4: And then, unlike some teams that say like I'm gonna use the Pirates, we keep banging on the pirates, IM want to keep banging on the pirates. The Pirates said, we had four years one hundred million or four years one hundred and twenty million, right, whatever their offer was to Kyle Schwarber. Even the Reds, We'll throw the Reds out there. The Reds are whatever.

00:15:39
Speaker 2: The red yeah whatever.

00:15:41
Speaker 4: So they're admitting that they have that money to spend, so why don't they turn and pivot and go spend it somewhere else. The Orioles did that. The Orioles made their offer to Swarber, he didn't pick them. He went back to the Phillies. They took that money and said, you know what, we're going to go for the next best thing, which is Pete Alonso. And they had to pay five million dollars more. But that five million dollars over five years is no okay. And they said, boom, we have this money. We've told people we have this money, and we're going for it. So kudos Orioles into the other teams. I don't understand how, like the especially the Reds and the Pirates, we have this money, but we're not gonna spend it on anyone else. Now, We're just gonna hoard our money.

00:16:15
Speaker 3: No, I mean, there are many free agents left.

00:16:17
Speaker 2: But you know what I'm saying.

00:16:19
Speaker 3: They well, they might take the Pirates.

00:16:20
Speaker 4: They're gonna take that whatever money they had for Kyle Schwarber a hundred million and say we're gonna spend it on someone else.

00:16:26
Speaker 1: They should have spent it on Pete I mean, like I said, there's similar offensive comps. Pete's two years younger. But good for the Baltimore Oriols for coming through there. Tim Healy is here and we're gonna talk to him right now about the Mets. Actually, Tim, we're gonna take you back in the day when you cover the Mets. Eventually we'll get into the Red Sox with Tim too. But I mean, this is the news that sweeps the day, and you covered Pete Alnso for a long time.

00:16:50
Speaker 6: Your longtime.

00:16:52
Speaker 7: The Mets had a lot of work to do coming into the week, and now they have so much more work to do, and I don't know how they're gonna do it all. They didn't, they don't have that Diez. They I don't think they were ever gonna gonna keep Pete Alonzo.

00:17:03
Speaker 6: They didn't.

00:17:03
Speaker 7: They seem kind of lukewarm on him at best the whole time. But where are you gonna get those home runs? As you guys were saying, how are you gonna get a frontline starting pitcher, How are you gonna get another back end reliever or two?

00:17:16
Speaker 2: Uh?

00:17:17
Speaker 7: So they have David Stearns is a smart guy. I'll probably figure it out. But man, they have a lot of work.

00:17:25
Speaker 4: To do, Okay, so I know we're gonna get to the red sux to you, but the Mets, to me, are as happy as I'm for the Oreos.

00:17:30
Speaker 2: It's as if you're a Mets fan, you're like, wait, what what happened? The last men?

00:17:33
Speaker 6: Fans are desponding.

00:17:34
Speaker 4: I feel, yes, right, big pieces. But they still have Sodo, they still have Lindor.

00:17:39
Speaker 2: They still have pieces, right, yeah.

00:17:41
Speaker 4: If they don't do anything is do you And I can't believe I'm about to say this. Do you think Wan Soto's looking at it like, why the heck did I sign here if all these guys are now gone?

00:17:50
Speaker 7: If he doesn't have a At Wan Soto's introductory press conference basically a year ago this week, he said straight up that he what the Mets needed after signing him was a big right handed bat. That was a not so subtle reference to his fellow Scott Ars client Pete Alonzo. Mets waited it out, eventually got him back on the deal that they did, and it worked out at least for those two statistically, not for the team. Of course, they missed the playoffs. They had a bad year, but without Pete behind Soto. Somebody needs to be They need right handed power from somebody, and they don't necessarily, they really don't have that in house, all right, So.

00:18:30
Speaker 5: I'm gonna try to transition your previous team to your current team here.

00:18:35
Speaker 6: Yeah, does this?

00:18:36
Speaker 5: Oh, it obviously opens up first base. The logical thing is they're gonna go Viento's to first just because that's just the generic rhetoric that we just keep hearing. Is there a chance David Stearns likes and Alex Bregman at third better than the combination of Mark Vento said third and Pete at first because of the ad in defense, because of the added leadership winning that Alex Bregman brings. And you know, the money's gonna be whatever, twenty million apart it.

00:19:11
Speaker 7: So I wonder as well about Alex Bregman and the Mets because he would make a lot of sense for them because they could use a guy like him. And if they didn't want to give them money to Pete, do they want to give it to Alex Bregman, who's just a little bit older, better defender, had an injury last year. Like, there's a lot of moving pieces there, But from what I understand they really like Brett Batty and he's penciled in that third base right now.

00:19:36
Speaker 6: So I don't know what Mark Fiento's steal is going to be.

00:19:39
Speaker 7: Maybe first base, maybe some Jeff McNeil at first base. Maybe they add somebody like Paul Goldschmidt. He had a great twenty twenty four and then not great twenty twenty five. So I don't know what to make of Mark Fiento's I don't so, and I'm not sure the Mets do either.

00:19:59
Speaker 6: Hence, where does he fit in?

00:20:00
Speaker 2: I don't know.

00:20:01
Speaker 6: Maybe part time for his base.

00:20:02
Speaker 7: That's not really a huge, huge role, So there's DHT bats to be had. Like I said, the Mets have a lot.

00:20:11
Speaker 6: Of holes and.

00:20:14
Speaker 7: Aren't really spending big on individual players right now to fill them.

00:20:21
Speaker 1: Quick question, do you think that the Red Sox had real interest in Pete but they had to wait.

00:20:27
Speaker 7: For I know miners saying is that the Red Sox preferred Regman but liked both. They were engaged with Pete playing to meet with Pete last night. I didn't confirm that that actually happened, but it was on the agenda.

00:20:41
Speaker 2: A gold crowd on the street.

00:20:42
Speaker 6: There you go, you're on top of it.

00:20:45
Speaker 3: Just yesterday was yesterday.

00:20:49
Speaker 7: Yeah, So they were in on Pete and I thought it was going to happen, to be honest, you know, people talk about his wife being from Quincy in a match there, Fenway Park, perfect fit, all that stuff. If you're right handed, Hitory'd rather be at Fenway the Camden Yards, all things considered. But five years, one hundred and fifty five million dollars is gonna do a lot of convincing. So the Oils got it done. Took it away from the Red Sox.

00:21:11
Speaker 1: Kratz's favorite two words and sports in on Red Sox.

00:21:16
Speaker 3: Were in.

00:21:18
Speaker 5: Or.

00:21:18
Speaker 3: We tried to try nd up with Pete. Okay, we tried one more on Pete.

00:21:23
Speaker 1: Tell me what the Orioles are getting and you cover the Ale East?

00:21:26
Speaker 3: Now, yeah, how.

00:21:28
Speaker 1: Does this change the Ale East? Like, give me your peat impact slash Orioles take.

00:21:33
Speaker 7: So he's exactly what the Ools needed, right. They have all those young guys and it didn't go great in twenty twenty five. Now they have a veteran who's gonna be good for thirty five to forty home runs one hundred plus RBIs and you put him in the middle of the lineup, take a pressure off Gunner, Henderson, Jackson, Holiday Westburg, et cetera. And maybe the Oils start to cook with gas next year. Uh, they still need to figure out the pitching thing, but I'm sure they're on top of it.

00:22:01
Speaker 6: As the Ale East.

00:22:02
Speaker 3: I don't want to go right past that.

00:22:04
Speaker 7: Wells the Oils are not a perpanct sea. Yes, it's that they have play more work to do, absolutely, because the Ale East is so good. The Blue Jays almost won the World Series. The Yankees won as many games as the Blue Jays in the regular season, and you gotta figure they're going to be there every year. The Red Sox, we'll see how the off season goes, but they made the playoffs. They should be building on that crochet fully of Roman Anthony, all that good stuff. They have a good foundation. They need their other pieces. We'll see how that goes for them. And then the Rays are always a little bit of a wild card. So it's the Ale East is loaded and Alonso helps the Oriols. But I don't know that the Orioles are better than the third or fourth best team right now in the division.

00:22:52
Speaker 2: For sure.

00:22:54
Speaker 5: Let's go to the Red Sox. Then are they making sure they're not bidding against themselves with Alex Bregman because of the impact we've talked about it, like the impact he made on the team last year. Did they have to be leary of that because of who else really is in on him?

00:23:11
Speaker 6: That's a great question.

00:23:12
Speaker 7: And there hasn't been a lot of buzz right that sounds like the Tigers aren't super keen on it. There was a report about the Cubs last week, and you know they you know, they're just posturing probably, but they do have Matt Shaw like they're not desperate for Alex Bregman even if they like him. Who else is in on Alex Bregman? I don't really know. So the Red Sox do have to be careful of that. They're a very under Craig Bresla, a very patient, deliberate, intentional operation. So there, I don't think they're gonna bit against themselves. But guys are coming off the board. Schwarber's gone, they never made an offer, Pete's gone. The pressure is on the Red Sox now, I think to do what it takes to keep Alex Bregman.

00:23:55
Speaker 2: Okay, so the Red Sox, you know, need Bregmant. They love Bragman.

00:23:58
Speaker 4: Obviously, this causes the answer first base, because that's like the one question that nobody can answer. Right. They had to go get into Thaniel Litt last ye because Cossus can't stay healthy. They had Toro and Romey Gonzalz thero the one year Bragman. If they get Bregman, he solidifies third. Right, we know that story. Whoever's at tewod Meyer or Campbell, whoever that person is, the outfield's really was set catching set.

00:24:23
Speaker 2: First base is.

00:24:23
Speaker 4: The one place that you're still like, Yeah, where the Red Sox at?

00:24:26
Speaker 2: Is that Tristan Cassus.

00:24:29
Speaker 7: I don't think that's that's I don't think it is because he's been injured most of the past two years, So how can you possibly count on that, never mind the fact that it was a major, major knee injury, and I'm not totally sure he'll be fully healthy and ready to go on opening day.

00:24:42
Speaker 2: He has to.

00:24:43
Speaker 7: He's at a point in his career when he where he needs to re establish himself, and I don't think that is going to come at the beginning of twenty twenty six. As the everyday first baseman for the Red Sox. They still like him. There's still plenty of talent and strength and power there and all of that stuff. He's not old by means. He's twenty four, I believe. And yeah, I don't think it's castles. I think there's going to need to be another answer, whether that's maybe you Hennio Suarez, who they've red Sox have been in touch with and interested in. I think there's mutual interest there. So first bases very much open the air, and so yeah, good.

00:25:21
Speaker 4: Things to talk about for bad.

00:25:24
Speaker 2: I mean, he's like, just does the crazy stuff. He gives you something to talk about.

00:25:27
Speaker 6: Yeah, everybody loves stuff to talk about, especially especially.

00:25:31
Speaker 5: What about the catching position, because I had I think it was your article that said there's a possibility with real Muto and not saying it would be real Muto just because of how it works. But like the the the decline from the start of the year for Carlos Nervaiaz, some concerns about different things. Is this is this a position where they're looking for kind of like a not a platoon but like a half and half situation, or would they go to the top of the trade market with like an Adlie well Adeley wouldn't go there for Baltimore, But like, would they make a big splash at the catching position or do they feel fine with Carlos Nervians?

00:26:11
Speaker 7: I think, and the change at catcher is a really down ballot off season potential plan.

00:26:18
Speaker 6: Credit where it's due.

00:26:18
Speaker 7: That was the athletic that rink that linked initially the Red Sox to JT.

00:26:22
Speaker 6: Real Muto.

00:26:23
Speaker 7: I have confirmed that they've sniffed around on him, but it doesn't make a ton of sense off the bat this offseason. Right they have Carlos Narvaiaz and he was way more than they thought he was going to be coming into twenty twenty five and took that starting job and tired at the end, and you know, didn't have as good as second half as he had a first half. He was, in my opinion, a borderline All Star in the first half. But he's a great defensive catcher, a great framer. The pitchers love him, so a change there, I don't think is at the top of the agenda right now. If a bunch more bats come off the board and they believe JT. Real Muto is gonna bounce back, then yeah, I could see them going that route. But I just don't think it's a primary consideration right now, as much as I do like JT. Real Muttos as a player, one of my favorite players to watch for the past, you know, seven six, seven, eight years.

00:27:16
Speaker 3: What do you think of.

00:27:16
Speaker 1: The moves the Red Sox have made thus far with Sonny Gray and Johann Oviedo acquisitions and compared to what you've seen the rest of the division.

00:27:25
Speaker 3: Do I know we're early in the aufice.

00:27:26
Speaker 7: Yeah, I think it's fine. The Red Sox have a ton of starting depth right now. They have probably you could probably build two rotations comfortably with what they've got. Johann Oviedo's a little bit of a not quite a lottery ticket because he's pitched in the Major's plenty, but the Red Sox think there's upside there and they liked what he saw what they saw in his nine starts back from Tommy John surgery. Before that, hadn't pitched since twenty twenty three. So with Sonny Gray, he's a good pitcher. You know, he's going to be healthy, or at least has been historically and two hundred strikeouts front of the rotation, been an All Star in the past, like he's He's been there, done that veteran presence, and that's good. I'm not I'm staying open minded to the Red Sox potentially adding another starting pitcher by opening day. I think it's going to be you know, they can go with Sonny Gray as their number two, but he's not that true number two or better yet, that one bee to Garrett Crochet.

00:28:31
Speaker 6: So let's see what happens the next three months.

00:28:34
Speaker 5: This is I guess why gms don't talk very much. But Craig reslo, Or, President of Baseball Operations, said they wanted to get They're not looking for threes and fours. They're looking for fours and fives. They're looking for that one bee. Like you just said, did they accomplish this or did they accomplish it by saying, well, we'll get two threes.

00:28:57
Speaker 7: I don't think they quite accomplish it. And I do like Sunny Gray. He's a very useful pitcher. Would pitch in a playoff rotation for anybody. Absolutely, But I think if you're talking about competing with the Blue Jays who just added Dylan Cease, or the Yankees, who in theory will have Garrett Cole coming back, or you know, midway through the season and have Max Freed as their one two punch. The Red Sox don't quite have that true one bee as you said, but like I said, I'm staying open minded to that changing between now an opening day, never mind the trade deadline, by the time the playoffs roll around.

00:29:35
Speaker 2: Okay, So you have to understand Krats.

00:29:37
Speaker 4: His favorite picture in the planet is ovi Aedo, So okay, it broke his heart when he got traded because he was just such a such a fan for the last.

00:29:45
Speaker 2: Couple of years.

00:29:46
Speaker 4: He always talked, I mean, the guy's gigantic, he's got great stuff, but I did not really stand out. You don't understand the big disc guy. But my question about the pitching is, yes, you have Crostchet, Yes, Sonny Gray's a nice pickup Oviate.

00:30:00
Speaker 2: Can he stay healthy? How do they get more?

00:30:05
Speaker 4: You say they have depth, right, and they have some young kids who came up in tonight show, But how do they get more out of their pitching other than Crochet Because the rest of those guys, Sony kraz A, five inning guy Oviedo, it wasn't hurt.

00:30:19
Speaker 2: So can the Red Sox and Craig Breslow figure out how to get more out of the guys that they have acquired.

00:30:25
Speaker 7: So you're starting Craig Breslo, the pitching infrastructure whiz with the Cubs, came to the Red Sox two years ago and that was a big part of his whole deal. And you're starting to see that trickle up to the major leagues in the form of Peyton Toley made it to big leagues in his first professional season, Connelly early got to the big leagues faster. He drafted in twenty twenty three, got to the big leagues faster, throwing harder than really anybody reasonably expected, in a very short amount of time, eighteen months after we got drafted. So it's part of that whole bottom up pitching approach, and you're so you're starting to see it, Uh, you know, it's it's Crochet Gray, bo O, Vi Eedo, Santoval's coming back from injury, Crawford's coming back from injury. Those are like the top six, and then after that you got Hunter Dobbins, Peyton Totley, Connolly Early, Luis Paralys is a super interesting prospect, and then behind them, further away, Kyson Witherspoon, first round draft pick in June might open the season in Double A, which would be a heck of a feet that would put him with success, not a guarantee on the major league radar for by the end of the season. So the Red Sox like their pitching pipeline. The proof is starting to be in the pudding. But you know, whether they groom, whether they have a homegrown number two in their time will tell.

00:31:51
Speaker 4: Okay, Sonny Gray, Yeah, took shots at the Red Sox or the Yankees.

00:31:56
Speaker 6: Yeah, that's fun.

00:31:58
Speaker 4: Hunter Dobbins shots at the Yankees. Schlitler, Yeah, took his shots at the Red Sox fans. Do we have Yankee Red Sox back now? Is it back to what it was.

00:32:08
Speaker 2: Ten to fifteen, twenty years ago? Back? It's the three?

00:32:11
Speaker 6: Oh, it would be so hard to be that hot. True, but I would have.

00:32:15
Speaker 4: Got actual players now taking shots, yes, at organizations and fans.

00:32:20
Speaker 6: Yeah, it's good stuff, right.

00:32:22
Speaker 7: I fully support all of those players in those endeavors.

00:32:26
Speaker 6: I think it's a lot of fun. Baseball's better when Red Sox.

00:32:29
Speaker 4: As much as all the fans hate it, they're like, it's Red Sox Yankees again. When those two are going good, nothing's better, especially when they're both really trying, like it seems like they are now and they're spending the money because if you remember like three to zero four, before the Red Sox won, they're like, oh, the Yankees got this guy. We got to go get this guy, and then or the Red Sox got him with the Yankees were like, we got to go get him.

00:32:48
Speaker 2: So I think it's great.

00:32:49
Speaker 6: Yeah, I I am.

00:32:50
Speaker 2: And it's always better when the players are talking trash.

00:32:53
Speaker 6: That's absolutely true and better.

00:32:54
Speaker 7: Yet when they have like bona fide animosity toward the organization is one thing, but sometimes he cho that's the next level right with an the benches start clear and stuff like that. So it's not to that level of rivalry heat right now, but we can hope.

00:33:09
Speaker 1: Right let's charge munt. Let's get to some other signings. If you're just joining us now. We spent a lot of time talking about the Pee Alonzo signing and the aftermath, but there have been a few other little moves. Gregory Soto signs with the Pirates. That was late last night. One year, seven point seventy five million dollars. You can't just look at Era. We get told that over and over again, especially with a reliever you know, it's a low fours Thera pitching for Baltimore and the Mets.

00:33:40
Speaker 2: He's a guy though.

00:33:41
Speaker 4: Remember when he was with the Tigers, he was an All Star and people are like, this is the next great pitcher, and he was, and then he got traded in then he had the thing where he couldn't you know, he wanted to be the closer and they're like, you don't throw enough strikes, and it's.

00:33:56
Speaker 2: He's one of those guys.

00:33:58
Speaker 4: It's like he's got all the stuff in the world, but Candy harness it and maybe the Pirates can figure it out.

00:34:06
Speaker 5: Okay, sure, but hey, you know what they moved. They moved. They moved. They moved in the direction of what do you need. You need a solid seventh eight inning guy, You need to have a closer in the bullpen. I think they already have those pieces set, so I think adding a guy like this Gregorysoto just a one year deal. I love that they went and went into the pocket. Did the job. Now, like we talk about the Orioles, what's the next thing some offense the Orioles that was starting pitching. We'll see if they do something the Pirates. Awesome job, great job, Pirates, Pirates, great job. Make sure you guys clip that.

00:34:54
Speaker 1: I don't even I've been so busy, I don't even know what you're referring to in terms of the bit roll that you're dealing with, but I guess I'll check it out. On socials, we also have a show called Bucko Territory. I encourage you to check that out for more on this signing and what the Tigers or excuse me, the Pirates are up to. But speaking of the Tigers, Kyle Finnigan two years, nineteen million bucks, so he was more coveted this offseason and he moved over to the team that ends up signing him back.

00:35:20
Speaker 3: Remember he had a hard time.

00:35:21
Speaker 2: He did really well for the Tigers too.

00:35:24
Speaker 1: Yeah, they had the splitter usage skyrocket.

00:35:27
Speaker 4: And he was really good for him. So he did really well this offseason. Great guy, good guess when we've had him on. So I'm happy for him. And listen, that's a nice piece will Vest and some of the other guys that they have, some of the younger guys that they have, and you throw Finnigan into the back end of this bullpen. Now they still need a starter for me, and they still need another bullpen piece and they still need a bat and.

00:35:46
Speaker 2: They got to figure out.

00:35:48
Speaker 4: We didn't have time with hint yesterday, but I just wanted to know how they figure out how to cut down the strikeouts they have, because if you watched their and I will obviously watch their playoff series, their playoff series was all strikeouts like this, struck out. I was fifteen times a game. It was everybody, strikeout, striker, strike out. I Thinkerry Carboner would come up and hit a home run. Other than that, it was like strikeout, strikeout, strikeout, strikeout, strikeout, And it's a hard way to live.

00:36:17
Speaker 5: I think.

00:36:18
Speaker 3: The answer, by the way, Kratz, I'll say, after you.

00:36:20
Speaker 5: Say, what's that, I didn't hear what you said.

00:36:24
Speaker 1: The answer, well, I mean, do you remember Aj Perzinski said to Aj Hinch, I wish we had more time. I wanted to ask you about the swing and miss in the playoffs. I don't know, you might have gotten lost. And then another conversation with someone, but he was like, when our guys go up to the dish, they are trying to make contact.

00:36:44
Speaker 4: Well, I understand I know this, Listen, I trust I know they are trying to make contact. There's an old saying I can get anybody to try right, like I can get any something to try right. But you can listen as a guy that made a lot of contact, and I was, there was a couple I went to some teams and like, hey, we want you to take more. Well, then it took away what I was good at, which was making contact.

00:37:08
Speaker 2: So there is a fine line of but I think there are ways to make more contact.

00:37:15
Speaker 4: But he also said if you remember what he also said though, he goes, sometimes guys take too many and then they fall behind instead of being aggressive and getting three swings instead of two swings or one swing. He's like, so there's a there's a way to do it. That's I just wish, you know. That's why Bragmant I feel like fits so well for them. But the high content and then he can teach some of these other guys, hey you're looking for this pitch, don't miss it again.

00:37:39
Speaker 2: They're not trying to miss it. I mean, no one ever wanted to strike out well, Adam done it a couple of times. Best line ever, I'd just strike out Donner because I thought I was going to hit into a double play, so I figured only make one out instead of two. So are those.

00:37:54
Speaker 5: Guys I think. I think the Tiger's going in on Finnegan here show that the eighteen innings that he threw for them and then subsequently into the playoffs, the bump in the strikeout rate is what the issue was with his value, his value on the trade market two years ago. Finally the Tigers went and got him, and we looked at him and we go Tigers needed to pick up strikeout guys, and they didn't get one in Finegan, who was averaging less than one per inning. And when he went there, I think it was like twenty three or twenty five strikeouts and eighteen innings. Like they used that splitter a little bit differently than it was being used in Washington, and so I think that's awesome. That's that's huge value there. I think it shows that eighteen million two years for closer, eighth inning guy type is you know what you're looking for and to add leverage to your bullpen probably you know, maybe not the closer that the Robert Suarez are, the Pete Fairbanks type, but I mean, good, good for the Tigers. They still need more strikeouts. They didn't take their strikeouts from their lineup and put them in the bullpen, and the bullpen guys who don't strike out much many many batters. The hitters need to take it, take advantage of that.

00:39:15
Speaker 1: And hey, I don't want to say we're being tough on Detroit, but it's more of a motivational thing.

00:39:21
Speaker 3: This team is close. They've got some pieces here that can.

00:39:26
Speaker 4: More coming to the next level, some more coming. They've gone to go there with sax Fark when joke comes back, Melton, if he takes the next step as a starter and I do it is legit.

00:39:36
Speaker 3: Yeah, and think about it.

00:39:37
Speaker 1: They were that close to take them down, the Mariners, who were that close to taking down the Blue Jays.

00:39:46
Speaker 5: What a place it was this playoffs, it was this is the year like this. If you don't trade Schoogle, we talked about it yesterday, you gotta go all in. What does that all in look like? Small pieces like Kyle Finnegan,